The emergency detection system includes a position information acquisition section, a presumption section, a determination section, and a notification section. The position information acquisition section acquires position information that indicates temporal changes of current positions of a plurality of portable terminals obtained using a GPS. The presumption section presumes a point of emergency occurrence on the basis of the position information acquired by the position information acquisition section. The determination section examines whether or not the point presumed by the presumption section corresponds to an exclusion area, and determines that the point presumed by the presumption section is the point of the emergency occurrence in the case where the point does not correspond to the exclusion area. The notification section notifies the point of the emergency occurrence, which is determined by the determination section, to terminals at a preset destination of the notification.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emergency detection device, an emergency detection system, a recording medium, and a method for detecting emergency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Emergency detection systems using a plurality of surveillance cameras, which are provided in a street, have been known (for example, refer to JP5271227B to be described later). Here, the emergency means, for example, a situation where a human body is exposed to danger and some sort of urgent handling is necessary. Examples of the situation include a situation where a person suddenly falls down in a street, an accident causing injury or death, and an incident where a person is in danger.
In an emergency detection system described in JP5271227B, by analyzing images photographed by the surveillance cameras, movement situations of people are detected. In the case where a situation where destinations of movements of a plurality of persons are concentrated is detected, it is detected that a certain emergency occurred in the situation. Then, on the basis of positions of the surveillance cameras which are registered in advance, an emergency occurrence point, at which it is detected that the emergency occurred, is determined, and is notified to a presumed destination of the notification.

Emergency detection device, emergency detection system, recording medium, and method therefor


An electric wave receiving apparatus comprises: an antenna; an amplifier; filter circuits that extract signals in different frequency bands from an output of the amplifier; detector circuits that demodulate time codes from outputs of the filter circuits; automatic gain control circuits that generate gain control signals from the detector circuits; a selector that selects one gain control signal indicating a maximum signal level among the gain control signals; and an arithmetic processing section to be able to analyze the time codes of outputs of the plurality of detector circuits, wherein the one gain control signal is supplied to the amplifier to control an amplification factor of the amplifier so that signal levels output from detector circuits do not become excessive, and the arithmetic processing section selects an output to enable the analysis of the time code among the outputs of detector circuits to perform the analysis of the time code.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric wave receiving apparatus to receive an electric wave including a time code.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has become possible to form a high-accuracy filter circuit having a small mounting area and a narrow passing band of signals by a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) technique. Accordingly, it becomes possible to configure an electric wave receiving circuit capable of selectively receiving the signals of a plurality of receiving channels by using a variable filter composed of a plurality of filter circuits having mutually different passing frequency bands arranged in parallel with one another to be used to switch the filter circuit through which a received signal passes.
Moreover, as a technique related to the present invention, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-79981 discloses a technique using an MEMS filter as an intermediate frequency (IF) filter in a superheterodyne system receiver.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-5847 discloses a technique of applying a band-pass filter passing only signals having specific frequency components by using a plurality of MEMS filters in a reception section of a communication instrument.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 05-121947 discloses the technique of selectively extracting a signal of a specific frequency by connecting a plurality of high-frequency filters in parallel at the subsequent stage of an antenna in a direct conversion system receiving circuit to transmit the extracted signal to a mixer.
There is a case of performing the processing of searching for a receiving channel through which a signal can be received by receiving the signals of a plurality of receiving channels, and switching the receiving channels, if it is impossible to know the receiving channel of a wireless signal.


The invention consists of a method and apparatus for estimating screened pulp yield using water uptake rate of a sample of screened pulp chips. A dried chip sample is placed in a wire basket and totally immersed in water. A balance records the rate of water uptake over a period of about 35 seconds. This is preferably entered directly into a computer to give an output closely predicting the yield of screened pulp.

In order to improve pulping liquor penetration and avoid production of uncooked "knots", pulp chips are commonly screened and the overthick chips removed. The overthick chips may then be sliced to reduced thickness or they may be fed to compression rolls before they are returned into the digester fissures stream. Compression rolls partially crush the chips and open many surface cracks or fissures that allow more ready liquor penetration. The quality of sliced chips is easily monitored using conventional chip classification testing; e.g., as shown in Marrs U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,323. Compression rolls fissure the chips but do not significantly alter their size distribution. For this reason their quality is not easily monitored using conventional size classification methods. Up to the present time, compression roll effectiveness could only be monitored by pulping the chips and noting changes in pulp yield or other properties.
Screened yield is a direct function of how well chips absorb liquor. Where compression roll treated oversize chips are concerned, roll surface configuration and wear, nip settings, and effects of loading rates all affect chip absorbency characteristics. Thus, a fast and simple test method suitable for mill use that would readily and accurately indicate liquor absorbency properties would be of considerable value. The present invention is directed to that end.

Pulp chip fissure test device and method for estimating screened pulp yield


A tear preventer (2, 3) is provided on a side air cushion outlet seam (4) of a vehicle seat covering (5) for a vehicle seat (1). In each case a fabric tube (16) is arranged on an inner side of the vehicle seat covering(s) on the two seam ends of the side air cushion outlet seam (4) and is connected in a materially joined and/or frictionally locking fashion to the vehicle seat cover (5). Furthermore, a vehicle seat cover (5) is provided having a tear preventer (2, 3) on a side air cushion outlet seam (4).

In the prior art, a fabric adhesive tape is arranged at both ends of a side air cushion outlet seam of a vehicle seat covering. The fabric adhesive tape has an open fabric edge which faces in the direction of the side air cushion outlet seam.
DE 297 04 593 U1 discloses vehicle seat coverings which are able to be attached to the cushions of the rear and front seats of passenger motor vehicles, consisting of backrest parts and seat parts, wherein on their sides facing the vehicle doors the backrest parts and/or seat parts of the coverings have predetermined rupture points for side airbags located in the backrest and/or the seat.
WO 2009/120 754 A1 discloses a vehicle seat, the covering thereof at least partially having through-openings which are closed by means of an adhesive tape.
DE 10 2004 003 983 B3 discloses a frangible seam configuration in the covering of a motor vehicle seat provided with an airbag. In this case, a frangible seam configuration is provided with frangible seams which intersect one another and which connect the covering parts together, rivets to be positioned in the intersecting region of the seams in said frangible seam configuration not producing any local increase in the strength of the seam. The rivets of the frangible seams in the intersecting region are placed in each case only in one of the relevant covering parts.
DE 102 54 723 A1 discloses a passenger protection device on a vehicle seat, in particular of a motor vehicle, with an airbag outlet opening seam configured in an airbag outlet region of a seat covering of a vehicle seat, wherein the seat covering has a visible face facing the vehicle interior and a seat covering rear face remote from the vehicle interior, and in the non-activated initial state at least one airbag is arranged folded up behind the seat covering. In the activated state of the passenger protection device, the at least one airbag is able to be inflated and by opening the airbag outlet opening seam is able to be inflated in the vehicle interior through the outlet opening formed in the airbag outlet region. In this case, at least one component of the airbag outlet opening seam is indirectly or directly coupled to at least one displacement device, preferably a traction means. In the activated state of the passenger protection device, the displacement device displaces at least the component of the airbag outlet opening seam away from the airbag outlet region so that the seam structure is at least partially broken up and thus the opening force to be applied for opening the airbag outlet opening is reduced.
DE 696 01 699 T2 discloses a side airbag device for mounting in the side of a vehicle seat facing the passenger compartment wall, wherein the seat covering material in the vicinity of an airbag housing opening has a seam part where the covering material covering the opening and a further covering material are stitched together, wherein this seam part is able to be torn at a predetermined deployment pressure in the airbag, and wherein a tape extends between the further covering material on the seam part and a fixed element, namely a seat frame, for preventing the expansion of the further covering material when the airbag is triggered, wherein one end of the tape is fastened to the fixed element and the other end is stitched to the further covering material with the sewing threads of the seam part.
DE 197 46 387 A1 discloses an airbag module accommodated in a module housing. The airbag module is arranged inside a seat back of a seat of a motor vehicle and the cover of the module housing is opened by the pressure of an airbag which bursts open in the event of a side collision of the motor vehicle in order to deploy the airbag from the cover into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Even if the cover is not able to be opened if it is pushed down by a door deformed by the impact of the collision, tear lines formed in a housing body of the module housing are ruptured in order to pivot a front wall of the housing body in the direction of the front of the vehicle. Thus, the airbag is able to be deployed without hindrance from the front wall part of the housing body into the passenger compartment.
DE 198 31 462 A1 discloses an internal trim part, in particular for a side door of a passenger motor vehicle, provided with side impact protection (airbag). The internal trim part comprises a support body with a cutout which is covered by a shaped foam part. The support body bears a foam support also covering the shaped foam part, which in turn is covered by a decorative skin. The decorative skin is in two parts and the decorative skin parts are connected together via a tear seam. The tear seam forms a predetermined tearing point extending transversely over the cutout, said predetermined tearing point also being provided in the foam parts. The particularity of the internal trim part consists in the sealing of the seam by means of a sealing strip extending over the entire extent of the seam and the one-piece configuration of the shaped part and foam support by applying foam to the space between the support body and the decorative skin.

Tear preventer on a side air cushion outlet seam of a vehicle seat covering and vehicle seat covering with a tear preventer


Tungsten and molybdenum powders are advantageously conditioned for metal injection molding by fluid energy milling the powder prior to batching. A preferred method of conditioning, jet milling, has been found to beneficially effect the particle characteristics to render the metal powder more suitable for injection molding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for conditioning metal powder to provide an improved feedstock for injection molding.
2. The State of the Art
There are a variety methods of forming parts from commonly used engineering materials. The artisan's choice of a desired processing method is often constrained by the material of which the part is composed and the final geometry of the part. Thus, one may take a block of material and machine it to the desired shape within the design tolerances, but environmental considerations (such as the dust generated) and tool wear caused by machining often make such processing uneconomical.
Recent advances in pure and applied sciences have created a need for high tolerance parts in relatively complex shapes; that is, shapes other than the common block, rod, disk, billet, and such shapes common for raw or semi-finished materials. For engineering plastics, this need has been fulfilled for some applications by injection molding, which is a conventional plastics processing technology. Injecting a polymer solution or melt into a closed mold affords the production of a final piece having the geometry of the mold. Mold making arts, especially for plastics injection, have advanced to providing molds with very high dimensional tolerances. While polymer compositions may shrink or even expand upon curing, thus requiring the mold designer to compensate for the volume change, the advantages of injection molding come from the ability of the injected fluid composition to completely fill the mold and thereby assume a complex geometry. If the mold is designed accurately and is completely filled by the injected composition, then the as-molded part is expected to have a high dimensional tolerance and very little machining may be necessary to yield the final part.
The injection molding of plastics (i.e., polymeric compositions) is facilitated by the ability of such compositions to flow. As alluded to above, a polymer may be dissolved in a solvent, injection molded, and the solvent driven off by heating; the polymer may be melted and then injection molded; or a prepolymer or monomeric composition may be injection molded with a catalyst to promote curing in the mold. In any case, the advantages of injection molding of plastics are afforded by providing a pourable, pumpable, or otherwise flowable composition suitable for injection molding.
Recent developments in such arts as electronics and engine technology have created a need for complex parts comprised of inorganic materials such as metals and ceramics. Some metal parts of complex shapes may be fabricated by stamping them out of a sheet; however, this process is wasteful (not all of the sheet is used, and the rest may not be able to be recycled economically), may not provide sufficiently high tolerances, and can create stresses within the part stamped from the sheet.
More recent advances in the arts of injection molding have been applied to metals (often termed "metal injection molding," MIM, or "powder metal molding," PMM). In general, injection molding of metal powders involves first mixing or "batching" the powder with a carrier vehicle and/or a binder, and then injection molding the batched powder to produce a "green" article. This green article typically is first processed to remove any remaining organic constituents and then densified or "sintered" to produce a final metal article. There are other techniques for forming complex parts from metals. A metal may be cold- and/or hot-worked to arrive at the desired product.
One of the primary considerations for any injection molding process, whether of a plastic or metallic composition, is the viscosity of the injected composition. Whether the initial composition is a polymer solution or a dispersion of metal particles in a fluid (a "slurry"), energy is required to pump the injected composition into the mold. The ease with which the compostion flows into the mold will have numerous effects on the part itself, the molding apparatus, and the economics of the process. A more viscous slurry will require more energy to be injected into the mold, and thus more expensive apparatus is needed both to create the high injection pressures and to keep the mold closed (to prevent the slurry from leaking out under this high injection pressure). A more viscous slurry also requires a high injection pressure to assure that the mold is completely filled with the composition. Still further, a viscous slurry may fold over onto itself (similar to a thick syrup) during injection into the mold; these folds can trap gas bubbles, resulting in porosity and/or other defects in the final article. Slurries of inorganic particles such as metals are also quite abrasive, and higher injection pressures result in even more abrasion in the flow channel and in the mold; this leads to increased maintenance costs due to the more frequent replacement of very expensive items such as high tolerance molds.
When making a slurry, the art may describe the fluid with which the powder is mixed as a vehicle, a solvent, a binder, or any number of similar terms, often dependent upon the nature of the injection molding process. For any fluid system, the viscosity is effected by a myriad of variables. For example, the viscosity of a slurry composed of metal powder and a fluid vehicle will be effected by the characteristics of the solids (metal powder), the liquid (vehicle), and their interrelationship.
More particularly, the average particle size, the particle size distribution, and the shape of the metal particles will effect the viscosity. Very small particles will typically result in a more viscous slurry than with the same volume fraction of larger particles. Particles of an essentially uniform size typically will result in a lower viscosity slurry than particles having a high aspect ratio; "aspect ratio" is generally defined as the ratio of the particle length to its width or diameter, so a spherical particle has a low aspect ratio (L.apprxeq.D) and a whisker or fiber-like particle has a high aspect ratio (L>>D). The fluid itself, without having any particles dispersed in it, will also have some inherent viscosity. The viscosity of the fluid will increase as the volume fraction of the metal powder particles dispersed increases. Still further, the characteristics of the metal powder particles may promote or inhibit the formation of microscopic structures in the fluid, thereby leading to changes in the viscosity depending upon the shear rate, and possibly also a time-dependent shear-viscosity relationship.
The production of a flowable, pumpable, or injectable mixture of powder and vehicle advantageously allows production of parts by injection molding. However, the art of dispersing solids in a fluid or fluidizable vehicle depends primarily upon empirical experimentation to determine useable and optimal systems. The fluidity (including pourability, pumpability, and other rheological aspects) of the feedstock generally depends upon various characteristics of both the solid and liquid phases. One of the most conventional methods for altering the viscosity of a slurry, although still determined empirically, is by the use of one or more dispersants. This determination is empirical because of the myriad interactions in the liquid-solid system and thus some dispersants may lower viscosity while others may increase viscosity; also, a suitable dispersant for use at a design shear rate may not be suitable at a different shear rate.
A disclosure in the art of MIM by Bernard Williams ("Cost Effective Production of Fine Metal Powders by Fluidised Bed Jet Milling," Metal Powder Report, Shrewsbury, UK, Jan. 1989, pp. 38-40) only teaches that "fine" metal powders having an average particle size of less than 20 .mu.m are suitable for injection molding. Williams also describes that to achieve this criterion, the optimum starting material for fluidized bed jet milling should have an average particle size of less than 2 mm, preferably 50-300 .mu.m. Without disclosing the actual characteristics of the starting powders, Williams describes product powders of various compositions having average particle sizes ranging from 0.9 .mu.m to 14 .mu.m, with 97% of the product having sizes ranging from less than 2 .mu.m to less than 36 .mu.m. This article also lacks any quantitive assessment by which the actual suitability for injection molding the product powders could be judged.
Given these and other parameters that effect the rheology of a solids dispersion, and the empirical nature by which workable vechicle-solid systems are devised, it is not readily predictable which systems will result in useable, injectable feedstocks.

Conditioning metal powder for injection molding


Aspects described herein may provide detection of a feature of an authorization code image (ACI) incorporated onto a document, thereby allowing for validation of the document. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by an instance of a variable protocol that may specify how to generate the ACI to have a particular feature as well as how to detect the particular feature of the ACI. A recipient of the document incorporating the ACI may detect the particular feature of the ACI. If the detected feature matches an expected feature, then the ACI and the document may be determined to be authentic.

Many documents, such as financial instruments or legal documents, require validation. Many conventional techniques for validating a document require a specialized paper stock. The specialized paper stock typical includes a pre-printed image (e.g., a watermark) indicating that a document prepared using the specialized paper stock is valid. Using a static, pre-printed image for validation, however, often fails to deter sophisticated forgers. For example, a forger may become aware of the pre-printed image on the specialized paper stock used to prepare a cashier's check at a particular bank. The forger may copy the printed-image and generate a fraudulent cashier's check to present for cashing or deposit. After the forgery is detected, large quantities of high cost specialized paper stock is wasted as no longer useable, due to the compromised pre-printed image used for validation.
Aspects described herein may address these and other problems, and generally improve the reliability of validating a document in a more accurate and reliable manner with reduced risk of forgery.

Schemes to validate and protect secure documents


A method for preventing a stationary vehicle from unintentionally rolling away. The transmission is not in a neutral position. By activating a brake, a holding mode is actuated whereby a brake is released, dependent upon the displacement of a clutch, which determines the actual takeover torque of the clutch and the holding mode can be deactivated.

Many methods and devices conforming to the state of the technology are known for the prevention of a stationary vehicle unintentionally rolling away, which exhibit different ways of preventing a vehicle from rolling away.
For example, DE 101 51 846 A1 discloses a method and a device for the prevention of an unintended rolling away of a stationary vehicle, wherein a driver is enabled to very simply deactivate the pressure to a holding brake, which brake performs the desired function. In doing this, first, in the case of a stationary vehicle, a holding mode is initiated upon the activation of a brake pedal in which at least one wheel brake apparatus of the vehicle is controllingly commanded to produce a braking force so that the vehicle is automatically held fixed from further movement and cannot inadvertently roll away. This holding mode can also be deactivated by a second activation of the brake pedal.
In the case of a secure braking of the vehicle on an incline by way of the described method and in accordance with the state of the technology, a dangerous situation can arise if the driver leaves the driver's seat with the presupposed idea that the vehicle is securely braked by the augmented startup gearing. In the case of a fault in this described holding method, it is possible that a reverse rolling of the vehicle could occur, especially when a clutch is not, as expected, fully closed. Further, it is necessary for the driver to activate this holding function by way of repeated pressings of continually increasing force on the brake pedal, which brings about an additional safety risk.
The present invention has the purpose of presenting a method and a device for preventing a stationary vehicle of unintentionally rolling away, which is immediately activated upon the stopping of the vehicle and, which invented method and device, allow the activation of a holding function without excessive technical involvement even in a case of a fault (as cited above) in the startup gearing, such as an unexpected failure of a clutch to close.
The purpose of the invention is achieved by a generic method and a device for the prevention of a stationary vehicle to inadvertently roll away.

Method for preventing a stationary vehicle from unintentionally rolling


A weather cap for use with a vent cap. The weather pipe includes a top surface portion which is mounted at an angle in relation to a side wall extending downwardly from the top surface portion. The weather cap also includes a device for securing the cap structure fixedly to the pipe, and a device for connecting and retaining the cap structure to the securing device.

One of the features of the weather cap is to protect the inside of the pipe from becoming exposed to environmental agents. In the prior art, weather caps have been made which have a planar surface to protect the pipe.
Since the top portion of the cap is planar, any environmental agents such as debris and precipitation can sit on the top portion. The build up of these environmental agents causes the top surface to sag which may shorten the product life and structural stability of the weather cap.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a weather cap which provides stability and extended product life.
Yet another feature of the weather cap is that once the cap is blown off, it remains secured to the pipe through the use of a ring-shaped loop.
In the prior art, clamps have been used to secure the cap to the pipe. Clamps are usually comprised of rigid metal structures which may rust as a result of exposure to precipitation and debris thereby shortening the product life of the weather cap.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a securing means which have extended product life.


A switching power-supply module includes circuit boards, power conversion circuit sections provided on the respective circuit boards, conductor land patterns provided with spacing therebetween along edges of the circuit boards, conductor terminals for interconnecting the conductor land patterns. The circuit boards are stacked with spacing therebetween with the corresponding conductor land patterns being aligned, and the aligned conductor land patterns are interconnected by the corresponding conductor terminals. At least one of the conductor terminals includes an interboard-connection portion for interconnecting the conductor land patterns of the circuit boards and a leg portion that extends from the interboard-connection portion in the stacking direction of the circuit boards and that defines an external-connection portion, and the other conductor terminals each function as an interboard-connection dedicated terminal for providing connection between the circuit boards.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching power-supply module in which switching power-supply circuits, such as inverters or DC-DC converters, are provided on circuit boards.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8A is a schematic perspective view of one example of a switching power-supply module (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-58247). In FIG. 8A, reference numeral 1 indicates a switching power-supply module and reference numeral 2 (2A and 2B) indicates circuit boards. Reference numeral 3 indicates electronic components mounted on the circuit boards 2 (2A and 2B). The electronic components 3 and wiring patterns (not shown) define switching power-supply circuits on the circuit boards 2 (2A and 2B).
Reference numeral 4 indicates conductor land patterns, which are provided at edges of the circuit boards 2 (2A and 2B). Reference numeral 5 indicates conductor terminals. As shown in the side view of FIG. 8B, each terminal 5 includes a plurality of clip portions 7 (7A and 7B) and a leg portion 8. The clip portions 7 (7A and 7B) are provided with spacing therebetween in the extending direction of the terminal 5, and the leg portion 8 is arranged so as to extend downward from the portions where the clip portions 7A and 7B are provided. The clip portions 7 (7A and 7B) of the terminals 5 clamp the edges of the formation portions of the conductor land patterns 4 of the circuit boards 2 (2A and 2B), such that the circuit boards 2A and 2B can be stacked with spacing therebetween. That is, the upper portion of each terminal 5, i.e., the portion where the clip portions 7 (7A and 7B) are provided, functions as an interboard-connection portion for interconnecting the corresponding conductor land patterns 4 of the circuit boards 2A and 2B. The tip portions of the leg portions 8 of the terminals 5 can also be connected to a motherboard 10, thereby mounting the circuit boards 2 (2A and 2B) on the motherboard 10.
In addition, at least one of the conductor land patterns 4 provided on each of the circuit boards 2A and 2B is connected to the switching power-supply circuit provided on the circuit board 2. The terminals 5 connect the switching power-supply circuits, provided on the circuit boards 2A and 2B, to an external circuit, provided on the motherboard 10, via the corresponding conductor land patterns 4. That is, the leg portion 8 of each terminal 5 functions as an external-connection portion for connecting the switching power-supply circuits, provided on the circuit boards 2A and 2B, to an external circuit.
For example, the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2A and the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2B have the same circuit configuration. The conductor land pattern 4 connected to an input portion of the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2A and the conductor land pattern 4 connected to an input portion of the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2B are interconnected by the corresponding terminal 5. Similarly, the conductor land pattern 4 connected to an output portion of the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2A and the conductor land pattern 4 connected to an output portion of the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2B are interconnected by the corresponding terminal 5. As a result, the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2A and the switching power-supply circuit of the circuit board 2B are connected in parallel, such that the switching power-supply circuits operate in parallel.
With the switching power-supply module 1 as described above, the circuit boards 2A and 2B on which the switching power-supply circuits are provided are stacked one on the other with spacing therebetween using the terminals 5, such that the switching power-supply circuits on the circuit boards 2A and 2B operate in parallel. This arrangement, for example, increases the output power without increasing an area occupied for the switching power-supply circuits on the motherboard 10.
For example, when the upper limit of an area occupied for the switching power-supply circuits on the motherboard 10 is specified, configuring the switching power-supply module 1 using a plurality of stacked circuit boards increases the circuit-board surface area, as compared to a when only one circuit board is used. An increase in the surface area of the circuit boards facilitates heat dissipation of components mounted on the circuit boards.
Additionally, for example, wherein the switching power-supply module 1 must have an output power of 20 W, when a switching power-supply circuit having an output power of 10 W is already designed, stacking two switching power-supply circuits each having the output power of 10 W provides the switching power-supply module 1 having the required output power of 20 W. This reduces the time and effort required for the design.
In the switching power-supply module 1 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, all of the terminals 5 have external connection functions. Thus, this must be considered when designing the circuits of the switching power-supply module 1, and thus, the design freedom of circuit design decreases due to the external connection functions provided for all the terminals 5.
In the manufacturing process of the switching power-supply module 1, after the circuit boards 2A and 2B including the switching power-supply circuits are combined using the terminals 5, the circuit operations of the switching power-supply circuits are inspected for the presence or absence of abnormalities. Thus, not only when both of the switching power-supply circuits are defective but also when one of them is defective and the other is normal, the switching power-supply module 1 is regarded as being defective and is discarded. That is, even a normal switching power-supply circuit may be discarded, which is economically disadvantageous.
In addition, in the inspection process of the switching power-supply module 1, where the switching power-supply module 1 malfunctions and an abnormal portion causing the malfunction is detected, when the abnormal portion is located on, for example, the lower circuit board 2B, it is very difficult to repair the abnormal portion because the lower circuit board 2B is covered by the upper circuit board 2A. Thus, in such a case, the circuit boards 2A and 2B must be disassembled so that the lower circuit board 2B can be repaired, but such a process greatly increases the required time and effort.


Reputation-based transaction security. In one embodiment, a method for reputation-based transaction security may include obtaining data regarding a user device associated with a first party; obtaining data regarding an intended second party, the user device being used in a transaction between the first party and the intended second party; calculating a reputation score based on the data obtained regarding the user device and the intended second party; determining a likelihood that resources related to the transaction will be received by the intended second party based on determining that the reputation score satisfies a pre-determined threshold; and automatically initiating a remedial action to the user device based on determining the likelihood that resources related to the transaction will be received by the intended second party.

Many technologies are in place today that provide security to mobile device operation and communications. For example, mobile devices may store sensitive information, may transmit confidential information, and may otherwise contain information about a user of the mobile device or other users that is meant to be kept out of the hands of malicious actors. Mobile devices are increasingly being used as transactional tools to receive and make remittances for goods and services. Existing mobile transaction security solutions may be classified as "environmental security," and may be implemented to intercept network communication anomalies like Man-in-the-Middle eavesdropping, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing, etc. More specifically, existing mobile transaction security solutions may determine, for example, whether a malicious party is hacking a communication connection (e.g., WiFi connection), or sniffing a user's bank account and password. Existing solutions, however, do not determine whether an economic exchange is being received by a reputable party.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above; rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


This invention relates to analogs of thrombolytic agents having a modified kringle domain. More specifically, this invention is directed to TPA type compounds wherein modifications occur in the kringle 1 and kringle 2 domains. This invention is also directed to analogs with one or more changes in the kringle domain of urokinase-type compounds. The compounds of this invention are pharmaceutically useful having particular use in the same manner as TPA and urokinase.

Plasminogen activators (PA's) are known to play a central role in the fibrinolytic process. Their mechanism of action involves conversion of the inactive proenzyme plasminogen to plasmin, an active serine protease, which in turn degrades the fibrin network of a clot. There are two known types of physiologically relevant PA's: urokinase-type plasminogen activators (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activators (TPA). TPA's are found to be far more specific in their action than uPA's showing a higher affinity for fibrin than uPA's and a specificity for the blood clot itself.
Tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) is a glycosylated 66,000 daltons serum protease of 527 amino acid residues produced by the vascular endothelial cells. It is a single polypeptide chain made up of five major domains: the fibronectin finger domain (F.sub.t), the growth factor domain (G.sub.t), the kringle 1 (K.sub.t 1) and kringle 2 (K.sub.t 2) domains and the active site (A.sub.t). It is also known that TPA becomes activated upon binding to fibrin. When digested with plasmin, the one-chain TPA is cleaved at a single site (Arg 275-Ile 276) converting it to a two-chain form, a light and a heavy chain connected by a disulfide bridge. The light chain derived from the carboxy terminus contains the catalytic site. It has a great deal of homology with other serine proteases and does not bind fibrin. The heavy chain derived from the amino terminus is a multi-domain entity with homology to several other serine proteins. It contains a finger domain, a growth factor domain and two kringles. The kringles are triple disulfide structures. The heavy chain has been found to bind fibrin. TPA is cleared by the liver through the heavy chain.
Our recent results have shown that fibrin binding of TPA is localized in two domains. The finger domain contains a high affinity fibrin binding site and the kringle 2 domain a low affinity fibrin binding site. The affinity of the latter site is increased by plasminogen. Stimulation by fibrin and fibrinogen fragments however is mainly localized in the kringle 2 domain. Results obtained by another group (van Zonneveld and Pannekoek, CLB, Amsterdam) suggest stimulation by fibrin does not occur when K1 is directly coupled to the light chain. These results lead to the conclusion that the position of kringle 2 (adjacent to the light chain) and its structure are essential for its role in fibrin stimulation of activity. When we compare the amino acid sequences of TPA K2 with TPA K1, the uPA kringle, and the five plasminogen kringles there are only a limited number of amino acids that are unique for TPA K2. Particularly a group of amino acids around number 250 in the inner loop of the kringle is interesting in this respect.
Urokinase was first isolated from urine. It was then isolated from cultured cells, e.g., kidney cell lines and recently by expression of cDNA in E. coli or mammalian cells in culture. When urokinase is expressed in E. coli, it must be renatured.
Urokinase is a single polypeptide of 411 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 55,000 daltons. This single chain form, also designated pro-urokinase (pro-u-PA) or single chain urokinase (scu-PA) has low activity, but it can be converted to a two-chain (tuc-PA) form by e.g., plasmin. The two chains stay connected to each other by a single disulfide bridge. In u-PA, three domains can be discerned - a growth factor (G.sub.u), a kringle domain (Ku) and a protease domain (P.sub.u).
The G.sub.u domain can interact with a cellular receptor. The P.sub.u domain contains the active site residues serine, histidine, and asparagine which are usually found in serine proteases. The function of the k.sub.u domain is unknown.
Homologous kringle domains also occur in plasminogen, factor XII, prothrombin and lipoprotein. In both t-PA and plasminogen, one or more kringle domains are involved in fibrin binding. This has not been observed in u-PA. Like t-PA, u-PA catalyses the conversion of the inactive proenzyme plasminogen to the active protease plasminogen. In the case of t-PA this conversion is greatly enhanced by fibrin, whereas for u-PA this is not the case. Nevertheless, fibrin specificity for u-PA has been observed. This observation has been explained by assuming that u-PA preferentially activates fibrin-bound plasminogen.
Since the fibrin specificity of t-PA and u-PA is based on a different mechanism, it should be possible in principle to combine the desired properties of both molecules in a single hybrid molecule. Such hybrids have been constructed, containing long pieces of u-PA and the fibrin binding domains of t-PA or plasminogen. The results are disappointing. Although some fibrin affinity is present in some hybirds, they do not compare to that of t-PA itself.
What is needed are novel t-PA and u-PA analogs which have a greater affinity for fibrin clots and a longer half-life.

Thrombolytic agents with modified kringle domains

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno


A tuneable contact lens (100), wherein the contact lens comprises a central region (108). The central region has a circumferential wall and an anterior surface having an external curvature. The contact lens also comprises an inflatable ring (106) arranged around the circumferential wall of the central region, and at least one fluid reservoir (104) in fluid connection with the inflatable ring. The at least one fluid reservoir comprises a pump. When fluid is pumped from the at least one fluid reservoir to the inflatable ring, the inflatable ring inflates and the external curvature of anterior portion of the central region is changed.

A significant number of people suffer from vision defects, for example myopia (short sightedness) or hyperopia (long sightedness). As people get older, they develop presbyopia (where the lens becomes less elastic which makes it more difficult for the eye to accommodate, i.e. to increase its focusing power to focus on near objects). A common way of correcting the vision in this situation is the use of varifocal eyeglasses. These glasses have a different focal length near the top of the lens compared with the bottom of the lens; however, this means that vision through part of the lens is always out of focus depending on the activity of the wearer, and as such many people opt for two separate pairs of glasses: one for near sight and one for far sight. This is cumbersome and impractical.
Conventional ophthalmic lenses are set at a specific power that is determined when the ophthalmic lens is manufactured, and as such are unable to remedy the above issue by themselves. Some alterative conventional ophthalmic lenses have been designed to overcome this problem. One way is for each contact lens of a contact lens pair to have a different optical power. For example, the contact lens in the left eye might have a power for distance vision, and the contact lens in the right eye might have a power for near vision. This is termed 'monovision' as the wearer of this type of contact lens system no longer has binocular vision, which is a problem. Another alternative design is to have a contact lens with a central optical zone that encompasses parts of the contact lens with different powers. For example, the centre of the central optical zone might have a power for near vision, and a ring shaped region around the centre (still within the central optical zone) may have a power for distance vision. This produces two images on the retina, and the neural optical pathways of the wearer are required to select which image to 'look' at. Some variants of this have more than one zone of each power. Many wearers complain of problems including ghosting when using contact lenses of this variety. It would therefore be desirable to have an ophthalmic lens that is capable of adjusting its power, not only for near and far sight, but also for when the strength of correction required by the eye changes with time.
Ophthalmic lenses have been proposed that have a central region that is inflatable with fluid. WO 2019/122435 discloses a contact lens with a lens volume that is supplied with fluid from adjacent fluid reservoirs. As the lens volume is filled with fluid, it changes shape and therefore changes its focal length/power. One of the problems associated with the prior art is that if there is a loss of power, then the power of the lens is also lost, and can leave the wearer with blurred vision.
The present disclosure seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved tuneable ophthalmic lens.


A gas fireplace unit has a combustion chamber in which a gas burner is provided as a heat source, and the gas fireplace unit has a heat exchanger on an upper wall of the combustion chamber. A first set of ports pass through the upper wall into the combustion chamber at a position wherein they are offset from the axis of an exhaust pipe that opens to the heat exchanger. A second set comprising a port or ports is provided aligned with the exhaust pipe, and a damper is mounted to be controllable to cover or uncover the second set from the exterior of the gas fireplace unit. The damper will permit hot gases from the burner to either be directly exhausted out the second set to the exhaust pipe, or when the damper is closed cause hot gasses to be exhausted only through the first set of ports, which provides a greater heat exchange path.

The present invention relates to a gas burning fireplace unit that can be used either as an efficient heat source, or as a decorative fireplace with low heat output if heat is not required.
Direct vent fireplaces are known, and they have a passage for fresh air into the fireplace combustion chamber. A gas burner provides a heat source as well as decorative flames when desired, and an exhaust stack is provided for an exit of gases from the combustion chamber. The burners can be either natural gas or L.P. gas, and the direct vent units are normally installed permanently in a home and include wiring for powering a fan that may be provided for moving heated air through the room.
Conventional on/off valves, gas safety valves, and if desired, an airtight gas front glass are provided. However, during warmer temperatures, gas fireplaces, even though attractive and providing a pleasant glow to a room, have not been used regularly because they are an unwanted heat source.


An electronic door lock includes a controller, a first touch sensor, and a lock operator. The first touch sensor detects touch on an exterior an exterior side of a door. The lock operator is selectively operated by the controller to unlock a deadbolt according to the touch detected by the first touch sensor. The electronic door lock is located on an interior side of the door. The first touch sensor may be electrically coupleable to a deadbolt lock for the deadbolt to act as an electrode of the touch sensor. The first touch sensor may detect the touch capacitively.

Door locks for entry doors of building structure include deadbolts. A deadbolt lock is a locking device that typically includes a deadbolt mechanism, as well as an interior knob and an exterior key cylinder that are turned to operate the deadbolt mechanism. Electronic door lock devices may operate deadbolts electronically. Door locks, deadbolts, and electronic door lock devices may benefit from improvements, for example, to address retrofitting, provide touch detection, address tampering (e.g., lock picking), reduce power consumption, provide electronic key detection, and/or provide door monitoring.


A liquid crystal display device includes a pixel electrode at a pixel area between a gate line and a data line, a switching device at an intersection between the gate line and the data line, the switching device comprising a light-shielding member overlapping the switching device and extending from an end at the pixel electrode side of a metal thin film provided within the switching device into the pixel area, for blocking light incident on the metal thin film.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same that reduces a reflectivity of an LCD display screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) of an active matrix driving system uses thin film transistors (TFT's) as switching devices to display images. Since such LCD's can be made smaller than cathode ray tubes, they have been widely used as monitors for personal computers or notebook computers, as well as in office automation equipment, such as copy machines, etc. . . and in portable equipment, such as a cellular phones and pagers, etc.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the conventional LCD device, a gate line 14 and a data line 13 is formed on a rear substrate 1 crossing each other, and a pixel electrode 10 is formed at the interior thereof. A TFT 12 is formed at an intersection between the gate line 14 and the data line 13.
The TFT 12 includes a gate electrode 3, a source electrode 6 and a drain electrode 7 to apply a data signal at the data line 13 to the pixel electrode 10 during an application of a scanning pulse to the gate electrode 3. The gate electrode 3 is connected to the gate line 14, while the source electrode 6 is connected to the data line 13. The drain electrode 7 is connected, via a contact hole 9, to the pixel electrode 10, which is deposited with a transparent conductive material such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO). A gate insulating film 4, deposited using an inorganic insulating material, is formed on the gate electrode 3 and the gate line 14, and an active layer 20 and an ohmic contact layer 5 are deposited thereon. A passivation layer 8 made from either an inorganic insulating material or an organic insulating material is formed on the TFT 12.
In the conventional LCD device, a storage capacitor 19 is provided on the gate line 14. The storage capacitor 19 accumulates a driving voltage (charge) of the next scanning line during the previous scanning period, to thereby lower the driving voltage. An upper electrode 15 of the storage capacitor 19 is made from a metal alloy upon formation of the source electrode 6 and the drain electrode 7, as shown in FIG. 3. The gate line 14 that overlaps the upper electrode 15 serves as a lower electrode of the storage capacitor 19. The upper electrode 15 of the storage capacitor 19 is connected, via a contact hole 16 passing through a passivation layer 8, to the pixel electrode 10.
A black matrix 11 is provided on a front substrate 2, which is opposed to the rear substrate 1, with a liquid crystal therebetween. The black matrix 11 is positioned at a portion other than an effective display area of a pixel to absorb all wavelengths of light incident thereon. Further, on the front substrate 2 there are provided a common electrode, a color filter and an alignment film (not shown) in addition to the black matrix 11.
Such an LCD device has a problem in that a large amount of reflective light is generated at the display screen due to a structure of the black matrix 11. More specifically, the black matrix 11 does not overlap with a pixel electrode side portion 17 of the drain electrode 7 and a pixel electrode side portion 18 of the upper electrode 15 of the storage capacitor, as shown in FIG. 1, due to its pattern structure. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when external light is incident on areas O1 and O2 of the black matrix 11, the upper electrode 15 of the storage capacitor and on the drain electrode 7, it is reflected from the upper electrode 15 and the drain electrode 7, which are made of metal. Such a reflected light is incident on a user's eye, and reduces the contrast, thereby reducing quality of a displayed image. For instance, since an aircraft cockpit is exposed to direct sunlight, various LCD panels installed in the cockpit of the aircraft generate a large amount of reflected light. Therefore, the LCD panel in an aircraft may have a deterioration of picture clarity due to the reflected light, sometimes causing pilot error.

Liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof


An order processing system includes an order structure in which an order includes multiple objects representing items being purchased, shipping methods, payment parameters, and other parts of an order. The order can include one or more of each of the types of objects. Items in the order can be divided among shipping methods and payment mechanisms using a relationship model to describe the relationships between the different types of objects. Shipping methods and payment mechanisms also can be related. The order may be represented as an order object, which represents the order and can be related to particular shipping methods and payment mechanisms. Relationship objects describe the relationships between objects. Relationship objects can use different relationship types to characterize the extent of the specified relationship.

With electronic commerce systems, users interact with the system over a network, such as the WorldWide Web or some other public or private network. As electronic commerce systems become more popular and more sophisticated, users will expect the ability to replicate the types of flexibility and features in fulfilling an order that exist with "brick and mortar" stores and, in many cases, will want additional order features. In the business-to-business context, for example, buyers will want a system that works with their purchasing requirements and procedures.
One area in which existing electronic commerce systems do not provide satisfactory mechanisms is in providing flexibility to divide an order in multiple ways, based on different parameters. For example, an order may contain multiple items and the buyer may want to have those items shipped to different locations. Also, a buyer may want to pay for an order using different payment mechanisms. Existing systems provide only a limited ability to divide an order in this and other ways.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An application defined to allow polymorphic serialization. In one embodiment, the application comprises a plurality of page definitions or views. At least one page definition is configured to be serialized into content in a first serialization format and content in a second serialization format that is different from the first serialization.

Enterprise applications are integral parts of many businesses and provide valuable services to its users. For example, enterprise applications provide customer relationship management (CRM), resource planning, human resource management, etc. The present invention will be described with reference to an example CRM that provides sales and marketing services to its users, it being understood that the present invention should not be limited thereto.
CRM is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company's interaction with customers, clients, and sales prospects. CRM involves technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes-principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support. The overall goals of CRM are to find, attract, and win new clients, nurture and retain those the company already has, etc.
CRM services can be accessed through mobile devices (e.g., smart phones or tablet computers) in data communication with a data processing system the implements the CRM. The present invention will be described with reference to providing CRM services to users via their mobile devices, it being understood that the present invention should not be limited thereto.

Method and apparatus for defining an application to allow polymorphic serialization


A method for the preparation of (CF3)2CHOCH2F (Sevoflurane) is presented, which comprises providing a mixture of (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl, potassium fluoride, water, and a phase transfer catalyst and reacting the mixture to form (CF3)2CHOCH2F.

This invention relates to a process for fluorinating (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl to produce (CF3)2CHOCH2F (Sevoflurane), which is a valuable inhalation anesthetic, especially useful in outpatient procedures and for conscious sedation.
There are many methods that can be used to synthesize fluorinated compounds such as Sevoflurane. One of the most useful is to first prepare the chloro-substituted compound, (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl (sevochlorane), the preparation of which is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,476,860 and 3,683,092, followed by fluorination via a halogen exchange reaction. See Equation (1).(CF3)2CHOCH3→(CF3)2CHOCH2Cl→(CF3)2CHOCH2F  (1)
However, it has been found that the use of potassium fluoride in the halogen exchange reaction can be hampered by a low yield of fluorinated products, caused by, among other things, side reactions that produce elimination and hydrolysis products. In particular, when water is present in appreciable quantities, it has been found that hydrolysis products can be formed in large amounts, creating impurities that must be removed as well as severely reducing the yield of the desired fluorinated product.
For example, the reaction of chloroalkanes with potassium fluoride has been reported using a variety of methods. Landini, et al. (Synthesis, 1428 (1974)) reported the reaction of alkyl halides with potassium fluoride in the presence of phase transfer catalysts to yield alkyl fluorides. The reactions were not done with anhydrous potassium fluoride but were done in an aqueous medium. In this medium, there was significant hydrolysis to give alcohol by-products.
The effect of water on the reaction of potassium fluoride with halo-alkanes in the presence of phase transfer catalysts has been described by Dermeik, et al. (J. Org. Chem., Vol. 50, pp. 879-882, 1985). The reference indicates that low water content with respect to the fluorinating agent corresponds to low production of hydrolysis products. The data indicate that the potassium fluoride to water molar ratio must be greater than 15 in order for the hydrolysis products to fall to less than 4 mol % in the final product mixture.
Escoula, et al. (Tetrahedron Letters, Vol. 27, No. 13, pp. 1499-1500 (1985)) state that formamide is superior to water as a reaction medium for a fluoride-chloride exchange reaction employing phase transfer catalysts. Higher yields are obtained under these conditions.
Thus, if yield is important, the fluorination reaction has generally been performed in conditions under which the solvent is, at least predominantly, something other than water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,092, mentioned above, describes the fluorination of (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl with potassium fluoride, using sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene-1,1 dioxide) as a solvent; see Equation (2).

The references above generally concern the fluorination of chloroalkanes. One of skill in the art will recognize that in the case of chloroethers, the issue of hydrolysis in the presence of water to give ether cleavage is expected to be even more of a concern. In particular, 2-chloro-ethers are well known to be more easily hydrolyzed than alkanes in the presence of water. In other literature concerning the fluorination of chloroethers, the presence of water during fluorination of chloroethers is tightly controlled or scrupulously avoided to the point of complete elimination or avoidance.
The use of potassium fluoride as a reagent for the replacement of chlorine in organic compounds has been reviewed in M. Hudlicky, Chemistry of Organic Fluorine Compounds, 2nd Revised Edition, Ellis Horwood Ltd. (1992). The reference teaches that potassium fluoride has been successfully applied to the replacement of even poorly reactive halogen atoms, and that the success of this method lies in the application of suitable solvents such as acetamide, nitrobenzene, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl sulfone, tetra methylene sulfone, and especially ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. The reference also teaches that to obtain maximum yields, pure and absolutely dry (i.e., no water) chemicals must be used. The above is specifically taught with respect to halogen-containing ethers, among other things.
The fluorination of (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl using anhydrous potassium fluoride and without the addition of solvent is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,901. The reaction is carried out at high temperatures (185° C.-283° C.). Reaction pressures as high as 1100 psig are disclosed. Sevoflurane is synthesized using this method, resulting in a 60% conversion and a 75% yield.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,434 also describes the effect of water on the fluorination of (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl. It discloses that, while the presence of water can be tolerated, high levels of water increase the likelihood of hydrolysis. Furthermore, the reference discloses that higher levels of water are likely to impede the fluorination reaction due to the relative immiscibility of the (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl in water. The reference also teaches that water, if used at all in the reaction, is used as a co-solvent (i.e., it is not used without the presence of another solvent material).
However, water is a convenient solvent to use. It is also often present in reactants and fluorinating agents that are commonly used in fluorination reactions, and in such cases, its presence during the fluorination reaction is difficult to avoid without extra purification steps. However, water is not as difficult to remove from reaction products as many other types of impurities. Thus, a high yield, low hydrolysis fluorination reaction of chloroethers, such as (CF3)2CHOCH2Cl, in an aqueous medium would be welcomed in the art.

Method for the preparation of sevoflurane


A steam turbine rotor wheel includes a plurality of blades secured about a circumferential periphery of the wheel, each blade comprising a shank portion and an airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having at least one pocket filled with a filler material, wherein at least one edge of the pocket adjacent a leading edge of the blade is formed with an undercut.

This invention relates generally to steam turbine buckets (or blades) and, more particularly, to the adhesion of filler material in hybrid or composite blades.
Steam turbine blades operate in an environment where they are subject to high centrifugal loads and vibratory stresses. Vibratory stresses increase when blade natural frequencies become in resonance. The magnitude of vibratory stresses when a blade vibrates in resonance is proportional to the amount of damping present in the system (damping to a smaller or greater degree is achieved via materials and the aerodynamic and mechanical components), as well as the vibration stimulus level.
At the same time, centrifugal loads are a function of the operating speed, the mass of the blade, and the radius from engine centerline where that mass is located. As the mass of the blade increases, the physical area or cross-sectional area must increase at lower radial heights to be able to carry the mass above it without exceeding the allowable stresses for the given material. This increasing section area of the blade at lower spans contributes to excessive flow blockage at the root and thus lower performance. The weight of the blade also contributes to higher disk stresses and thus potentially to reduced reliability.
Several prior U.S. patents relate to so-called "hybrid" blade designs where the airfoil portion of the metal blade is formed with one or more pockets filled with a polymer (or polymer/metal, glass or ceramics mix) filler material. These prior patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,287,080; 6,139,278; 6,042,338; 6,039,542; 6,033,186; 5,947,688; 5,931,641 and 5,720,597. See also co-pending commonly owned application Ser. No. 10/249,518, filed Apr. 16, 2003. One area not addressed by the prior work in this area is the problem of achieving more reliable adhesion of the filler within the pocket or pockets formed in the airfoil portion of the blade.
More specifically, the large incidence angles of steam flow to the bucket surface could cause the cast polymer filler to delaminate from the pocket formed in the airfoil portion of the blade. In other words, the large angle of incidence of the steam flow to the bucket surface exposes a higher risk of the flow tending to "lift" the filler material off the pocketed surface.

Hybrid bucket and related method of pocket design


The development of air-stable unipolar n-type semiconductors with good solubility in organic solvents at room temperature remains a critical issue in the field of organic electronics. Moreover, most of the existing semiconducting materials exhibit LUMO energy levels higher than −4.0 eV, making electron transport sensitive to both moisture and oxygen. Bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzodifurandione dicyanide or derivatives thereof are disclosed herein. More specifically, bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzodifurandione dicyanide or derivatives thereof for use in organic electronics are disclosed. A process for the preparation of bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzodifurandione dicyanide and derivatives is also disclosed. The bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzodifurandione dicyanide or derivatives thereof are characterized by high electron mobilities and are suitable for use as n-type semiconductors in organic electronics.

Organic electronic devices have been intensely investigated in both academia and industry over the last two decades because of their promising potential for broad commercial applications, non-limiting examples of which include light-emitting diodes, field effect transistors, organic solar cells and chemo-/biosensors. Moreover, organic electronics can be fabricated on plastic substrates to enable light weight, flexible and even wearable electronic devices. Such devices typically comprise organic semiconducting materials which are used as thin active layers.
Tuning of the physical and electro-optical properties of conjugated polymers through chemical modification of their backbone has led to a wide array of promising materials for organic electronics applications. Indeed, with polymer solar cells (PSC) with power conversion efficiencies (PCE) exceeding 10%, organic field effect transistors (OFETs) with hole mobilities up to 20 cm2 V−1 s−1 and electron mobilities as high as 7.0 cm2 V−1 s−1, conjugated polymers now show performances suitable for commercial applications.
Significant progress has been made in p-type materials, which have demonstrated high hole mobilities (>10 cm2 V−1 s−1) well beyond the mobility of amorphous silicon.[1-5] However, major challenges remain in the development of solution-processed, air-stable electron-transporting (n-type) organic materials. Indeed, in order to realize air-stable electron transport in organic semiconductors, a low LUMO energy level below −4.1 eV is required.[6] However, most of the semiconducting polymers reported so far exhibit LUMO energy levels higher than −4.0 eV, making electron transport sensitive to both moisture and oxygen. To that effect, one of the best commercially available n-type materials P(NDI2OD-T2) (available from Polyera) exhibits good electron mobility above 0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1 in bottom-contact top-gated transistors. However, in bottom-contact bottom-gated transistors, its electron mobility decreased to 0.01 cm2 V−1 s−1. Largely in view of its relatively high-lying LUMO energy level (−3.9 eV), the unprotected device lost its performance in just a few hours following its exposure to air.
Several electron-deficient building blocks with low-lying LUMO energy levels demonstrating promising n-type performance in air, such as fluorinated benzodifurandione-based oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (BDOPV) and naphthalene diimide fused with 2-(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)malononitrile, have recently been recorded.[7-9] However, the solubility of these materials was not good enough for inkjet printing. The development of air-stable unipolar n-type semiconductors with good solubility in organic solvents at room temperature remains a critical issue in the field of organic electronics in view of n-type transistors being indispensable components in the manufacture of low-power-consumption complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) type integrated circuits.
In recent years, bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzodifurandione (BOIBDD) has emerged as an important building block for the synthesis of high-mobility organic semiconductors because of its unique coplanar structure, with its backbone conformation locked by intramolecular hydrogen bonding.[10] Moreover, fluorine substitution has been widely used to modulate the energy levels of organic semiconductors due to its strong electron-withdrawing capability.[11-12] Fluorine substitution was shown to lower both the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of BOIBDD derivatives, resulting in materials exhibiting air-stable electron transport.[7-8] The BOIBDD derivative comprising four (4) fluorine atoms was shown to exhibit the best performance. Notwithstanding the results obtained with fluorine substitutions, the synthesis of multi-fluorinated compounds remains complicated and quite costly.
The design and use of solubilizing side chains have gained growing attention in the field of organic electronics because of the impact of such side chains on the solubility as well as on the molecular packing of the resulting materials. The incorporation of specific side chains was reported as influencing both material stability as well as the energy bandgap of the resulting organic semiconductors.[13]

3,7-bis(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]difuran-2,6-dione dicyanide-based materials and uses thereof in organic electronic devices


There is provided a method of generating a three-dimensional (3D) shape by specifying a boundary between materials, including acquiring numerical data of a boundary line of a two-dimensional (2D) shape in a plane, generating a next 2D shape by moving the 2D shape in a direction intersecting the plane based on numerical data specifying a shape of the boundary and also by copying or deforming the 2D shape, and configuring a solid based on data of a generated 2D shape.

The present technology relates to a three-dimensional (3D) shape generation method, a program for causing a computer to execute the 3D shape generation method, and a recording medium recording the program.
When semiconductor apparatuses are designed, process simulations or device simulations are used for the purpose of saving design time or reducing prototyping or manufacturing costs.
In the process simulations, the shape of a surface or interface and the movement or deterioration of a material included in a semiconductor apparatus associated with a manufacturing process are reproduced on a computer according to a specified physical law.
In the device simulations, characteristics of electronic elements are reproduced on a computer by adding electrical operation conditions for a shape or material distribution determined by the process simulations.
In the process simulations, a series of process steps of manufacturing the semiconductor apparatus are reproduced on the computer. The process steps include deposition (adding a material to a surface), etching (removing a material from a surface), lithography (specifying a surface processing region), and other processes.
The process simulations are roughly classified into shape (topography) simulation and bulk process simulation.
The topography simulation is used for simulations of process steps such as deposition, etching, and lithography, and related to a change in a shape of a material including a semiconductor wafer.
The bulk process simulation can be used for simulations of process steps mainly related to redistributions of dopant impurities among semiconductor elements such as diffusion, ion implantation, oxidation, and the like.
One of the purposes of the process simulations is to create a computer representation of a microscopic structure formed on a wafer surface and use the computer representation in bulk process simulation, device simulation, and other analysis programs.
According to the device simulations or other analysis programs, characteristics such as electrical characteristics, temperature characteristics, and mechanical characteristics of a semiconductor apparatus can be calculated.
An operation of an element constituting the semiconductor apparatus is specified by a shape and composition distribution of a microscopic structure formed on a wafer surface.
Technology for accurately performing a predictive calculation of a shape of the microscopic structure obtained as the result of the processes of etching, deposition, and lithography has been developed so far.
In addition, a method of representing a shape of a surface or interface on a computer is also shown in several types.
Representative shape-describing methods adopted for the shape simulation, for example, are a cell model (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-123485), a network model, a diffusion model, and a string model (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-160336).
In the device simulations or other analysis programs, a set (analysis mesh) of coordinate points on which numerical analysis is performed is generated from a shape-describing format. Because the analysis mesh specifies the precision of physical simulations of an operation of an element, it is necessary to reproduce an actual shape of an element on the computer with high precision, that is, it is necessary to precisely represent a 3D curved surface of a boundary and surface between materials.
However, the cell model, the network model, the diffusion model, and the string model described above all have a limitation in precisely representing a 3D curved surface of a boundary and surface between materials.
In terms of problems of the above-described models, attempts to initially specify a shape-describing format suitable for highly precise analysis in an analysis program and then construct a simulation method for the specified shape-describing format have been reported (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H6-28429).
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H6-28429, a method of extending a well-known solid modeling function and performing process simulations in manufacturing of a semiconductor apparatus is disclosed.
In addition, several methods of describing a shape using solid modeling have been proposed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004-327810, H10-41366, and 2008-244293).
The solid modeling traditionally means a 3D shape generation method and program adopted for a computer-aided design (CAD) tool, and enables an inherently substantially static physical structure such as a building to be easily designed or assembled.

Three-dimensional shape generation method, program, and recording medium


A feature of the present invention pertains to a transmitter for transmitting data by video, the transmitter including a transmission data control unit that distributes the data to multiple colors constituting the video, and a display unit that converts the distributed data into a sequence of a predetermined color value with respect to each of the multiple colors and lighting the multiple colors in a communication area on a display in accordance with the sequence of the color value.

Typically, an infrared communication function is used for exchanging profile information (e.g., telephone number, e-mail address) between portable terminals. However, in a case where one of these portable terminals is not equipped with the infrared communication function, profile information cannot be exchanged by using the infrared communication function. In this case, there is a method for obtaining profile information by displaying a QR code (registered trademark) recorded with profile data on a screen of one portable terminal and reading out the displayed QR code (registered trademark) with a camera of the other portable terminal.


An easily operated castrating tool that allows placement of an improved continuous elastic band for ligation and removal of an appendage. The present invention includes a tool that allows such bands to be placed in a manner that is significantly more easy to use, and less fatiguing to the parties that utilize the device. The instant invention is also an improved elastic band which allows for better compressive ligation about a body part as well as a simple, but effective, spreading tool that allows for quicker and easier placement of the improved elastic band about a body part to be ligated.

1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to ligation type castration tools, and more particularly to a lever activated stretching tool for placing a continuous elastomeric band on animals for castration or removal of other body parts.
2. Background of the Invention
In animal husbandry, it becomes necessary at times to remove body parts and appendages. Examples of such actions include removing an animal's tail, testes, or other body parts. One way that this is done is to place a ligating band at the location where the body part is to be removed. The ligating band exerts sufficient tension upon the body part so as to restrict the flow of blood into and out of the body part. As a result of this restricted blood flow, the tissue within the appendage dies and after a period of time the appendage sloughs off.
Castration by ligation has become popular because of the simplicity of the process and the benefits it provides in avoiding undesirable consequences such as microbial infection, insect invasion, excessive bleeding, and the like. Ligation type castration of younger animals has been accomplished largely by use of small preformed continuous elastic or elastomeric bands, because of the economic viability provided by allowing rapid castration processing that can be accomplished by relatively unskilled persons.
The small elastic bands are generally placed by a spreading type tool having two arms interconnected in their medial portions to allow expansion of a band carried at one end portion of the tool against its elastic bias for placement over the scrotal pouch of the animal with subsequent release. This process works well with juvenile animals that do not have a mature testicular structure of larger size, but it has not been viable with larger animals having mature testicular structure such as bovine bulls, as a small preformed elastic band that would contract to a small enough configuration to provide ligation generally cannot be expanded sufficiently, either by its nature or by use of common spreading type tools, to allow passage over the larger testicular structure of the mature animal.
In addition, most devices for spreading the elastic ligation bands have not provided the user with the ability to sufficiently spread the elastic band so as to allow the passage of testes therethrough. Therefore, the use of elastic bands for ligation has been limited by the hand strength of the person utilizing the device.
Ligation castration with continuous preformed bands is easier and less complex than the formation of ligation banding in place. It has fewer possibilities for mistakes or errors. It provides a process that requires less care and skill on the part of an operator, and generally may be more easily accomplished by unskilled workmen without historical familiarity with the process. Elongate type ligation material that is formed in place also allows parameters for tensioning and band fastening by a clip that may be varied, either accidentally or deliberately by an operator, to provide results that are not necessarily uniform or consistent and may vary sufficiently to make the process inoperative or harmful to an animal.
Continuous band ligation material has more fixed parameters determined by the nature and configuration of the banding material itself, which are more independent of an operator's activities. The continuous banding material also is generally more durable than the elongate ligation material form in place, and is less expensive and more easily handled than the elongate material. There are therefore various advantages in using preformed continuous band type elastic material for ligation castrating, when the use of such material is possible.
The nature of the ligation castration process with small preformed continuous band elastic material defines the limits of the parameters required for the elastic bands usable for such purpose, and especially their relaxed size and elastic properties. Such bands must be small enough to fulfill their ligation purpose of providing sufficient elastic force or bias after placement and fastening about the neck of the scrotal pouch to cause atrophy of the tissue outwardly of the band while yet allowing sufficient expansion upon stretching to permit placement over the scrotal pouch.
Since a continuous ligation band must allow passage of the scrotal pouch and contain the testicular structure of an animal to be castrated through the orifice it defines and because of its small size, the bands must be enlarged by stretching to allow placement. The instant invention provides a tool to simply and easily accomplish the stretching of such bands of the required nature to a size and configuration that allows placement without damage to the elastic material. The present invention describes a system made up of a continuous elastomeric band that provides a desired amount of tensioning power together with a lever action band spreading tool that provides sufficient mechanical advantage to allow the bands in the present system to be sufficiently stretched so as to allow the bands to be placed over the appendages to be removed.
The lever action spreader of the present tool provides a secondary benefit by speeding the individual castration process and allowing a single operator to accomplish a greater number of castrations in a given period of time than could be accomplished with various prior tools. In the modem practice of animal husbandry, groups of several hundred animals may be castrated over a short period of time in a continuous operation. With prior tools not providing leveraging operation, the manual force required by a workman in operating various prior castration tools was often so great, and application of that force sufficiently difficult, that the process was tiring to a workman, particularly to his hand and wrist muscles, to such an extent that the workman's physical ability became a limiting factor in the number of sequential castrations that the workman could accomplish without substantial rest. This problem could be of such extent that it might cause permanent physical damage to a workman. The instant tool resolves this problem by requiring substantially less force, and is of such nature that it is not unusually tiring or damaging to a workman, allowing continuous operation over lengthy periods of time without adverse physiological effects that may cause injury or work slow down.
The present invention also provides an advantage in that it provides mechanical advantage for spreading an elastic band by providing that the spreading of the loop occurs when the pivoting handle is pulled toward a user. This enables the greatest amount of force to be placed upon the loop by the stronger muscles of the user and allowing the band to be held in a spread position by a person with one hand. This provides significant advantages in placing and maintaining the loop in an open position for placement upon a body party to be castrated.
An additional advantage of the present invention is that the closed position occurs when the lever bar of the device is past a generally perpendicular position. This configuration allows the rubber band to be stretched, and held in a stretched position with the physical forces of the band itself holding the loop open. This provides for increased advantages to the user as they may hold the device in one hand and use the other hand for other activities.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description as 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.

Three pronged lever-action castration tool


A surgical clamp or tissue retractor is disclosed having gripping surfaces from which extend resilient filaments. The distal ends of some of the resilient filaments abut against the engaged vessel or tissue to restrict movement of the vessel or tissue relative to the gripping surfaces. In the preferred embodiment, the resilient filaments are arranged in rows and oriented at particular angles relative to the gripping surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a surgical clamp for occluding a vessel or other tubular structure or for grasping and retaining other body tissue, and to a surgical retractor for retracting tissue at a surgical incision site. More particularly, the invention relates to a surgical clamp or surgical retractor which includes resilient filaments that abut against a vessel or tissue to resist movement of the vessel or tissue relative to the clamp or retractor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instruments for occluding blood vessels during surgery, such as conventional metal or rigid surgical clamps or clips, are well known. However, such instruments are known to cause trauma to the clamped vessel at the clamping site. A number of atraumatic instruments have been developed for reducing or eliminating the trauma to a vessel during occlusion of the vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,076 to Fogarty, et al. describes a device whereby a vessel is occluded by using a resilient tape to press a vessel against a resilient pad. However, this device suffers from the disadvantage that it slips easily. For example, the pulsations of an occluded artery can tend to force the device off of its clamped position on the occluded artery. Conventional surgical clamps have also been adapted to include jaw surfaces containing resilient members or pads. These devices likewise are prone to slipping off of the clamped vessel. This can be especially problematic in situations where, due to obstructions, a vessel has been clamped with only the distal tips of the clamp jaws. In such situations, the vessel can be especially prone to slipping in the direction of the distal tips.
Other attempts have been made to atraumatically occlude a vessel in a secure fashion. U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,002 to Haller describes a vascular clamp with resilient gripping members located on the jaws. A plurality of pin members are embedded within the gripping members, the pin members of a length such that when a vessel is clamped between the members, the resilient material deflects to accommodate the vessel, exposing the pin members which grippingly engage the outer layer of the vessel, thus securing the vessel to the gripping member. While the Haller device is less traumatic to a vessel than other occlusion devices, it nevertheless has the disadvantage of traumatizing the outer layer of the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,719 to Fogarty describes a vascular clamp device containing resilient pads with Velcro-like hooks. The hooks interact with the external adventitial layer of the vessel forming a cohesive-adhesive relationship with the vessel similar to the bonding of Velcro materials. While this device offers a less traumatic way to occlude a vessel, the cohesive-adhesive nature of the bond can result in the removal of some of the adventitial layer of the vessel when disengaging the device.
There is thus a need for a surgical clamp which atraumatically occludes vessels while avoiding the disadvantages previously associated with existing surgical clamps or occlusion devices.
Likewise, conventional tissue retractors are well known which retract tissue at a surgical incision site to provide a surgeon visual and mechanical access to the interior of a patient's body. These tissue retractors employ rigid gripping members, usually of metal, to grip, retract, and retain all forms of body tissue, e.g., bone, skin, fat, or muscle, at the incision site. The disadvantage of such retractors are two-fold. First, the rigid gripping members, due to their rigidity, cause trauma to the retained tissues. Second, the gripping members are generally prone to slippage, both laterally, along the sides of the incision, and upwardly out of the incision and away from the patient's body.
Thus, there is also a need for a surgical retractor that atraumatically, yet securely, retracts and retains tissue at a surgical incision site.

Vascular clamps and surgical retractors with directional filaments for tissue engagement


A track flag holder is disclosed for attachment to a railroad track in order to support flags designed to alert train operators. The track flag holder includes an adjustable clamp assembly, a flag assembly, and a flag. The adjustable clamp assembly includes a base member designed for passage beneath the track. A modified clevis and a latch pin are used to secure the adjustable clamp assembly to the track. The flag assembly is coupled to the adjustable clamp assembly and includes an arm to which the flag may be mounted. In preferred embodiments of the invention; a padlock or other appropriated security mechanism may be used to secure the track flag holder and deter vandalism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to support devices and more particularly to a support device for retaining a signalling device on a rail.
2. Description of the Related Art
Signalling devices are customarily used to forewarn locomotive operators of various conditions which exist on or in the vicinity of the track. Electronic signalling devices are also commonly installed at predetermined intervals to provide warning to the locomotive operator. However, such devices are costly to install and maintain. Furthermore, such signalling devices cannot warn approaching trains of temporary conditions such as speed restrictions, construction on or near the track, or hazardous track conditions.
It is well known that substantial time and distances are required to stop a locomotive or train. Furthermore, government regulations mandate the use of temporary warning devices along the track in order to inform the operating personnel of eminent unsafe or hazardous conditions. Conventional flagging devices typically include a base portion which either rests on the ground surface or is adapted to be driven into the ground along the track siding. The base is used to support a signalling flag and a flag-bearing staff or staffs. Such flagging devices are frequently installed at remote and unattended sites.
There are several defects inherent to the aforementioned flagging devices. Since railroad personnel must necessarily rely upon such temporary devices, it is of paramount importance that the device remain intact throughout the duration of its intended use. It is sometimes difficult to maintain such devices in the proper flagging position. Environmental conditions such as flooding, wildlife, landslides, etc. can easily dislodge the device. Vandals often reposition the flagging devices from their original positions. Furthermore, passing trains often generate a great deal of wind force as they travel pass flags at high speeds. Finally, they may be difficult to quickly and efficiently drive into the ground because of the surfaces upon which the track is laid.
Various attempts have been made to provide convenient and efficient signalling devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 269,955 issued on Jan. 2, 1883 to Paullin discloses a detonating railroad track signal. The device is designed to provide visible and audible signals that can be perceived during the day or night. A cap is provided for explosion when the wheel of the train rolls over a plunger on the track.
U.S. Pat. No. 418,155 issued on Dec. 31, 1889 to Berry discloses a railway signal which includes a signal head secured to a vertical bar. The vertical bar is subsequently driven into the ground to support the signal head.
U.S. Pat. No. 606,197 issued on Jun. 28, 1898 to Dunn discloses a railway signal for use along railway lines. The device includes a horizontal arm having one end bent in the form of a hook capable of engaging the inner flange of a track. An adjustable jaw is provided on the arm for engaging the outer flange of the track. The signal is then detachably secured to the arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,301,914 issued on Apr. 29, 1919 to Currie discloses a portable railway signal which includes a tubular rod having an offset near its intermediate section. A rod having and offset end is rotatably attached to the tubular rod. A movable flag is positioned on the offset end of the rod. A second rod terminating in jaws is attached to the tubular rod in order to engage the lower flange of the rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,320,380 issued on Nov. 4, 1919 also to Currie discloses a railway signal which includes a supporting member having its base portion passing beneath and secured to one side of a rail. The device also includes flag carrying means associated with the base member.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,371,227 issued on Mar. 15, 1921 also to Currie discloses a track signal which includes a base member having spring engaging members. The spring engaging members include turned ends adapted to engage the opposite ends of an angle plate and secure it to the rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,435,807 issued on Nov. 14, 1922 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,458,808 issued on Jun. 12, 1923, both to Conley disclose signal flag supports in the form of a V-shaped yoke structure adapted to be engaged behind the customary fish plate. A mast is erected at the apex end of the yoke for carrying a casing to house the signal flag.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,722,842 issued on Jul. 30, 1929 to Fahnestock discloses a signal flag holder which is resiliently mounted onto the rail. The device is adapted to be secured to the rail head and project upwardly at an angle therefrom so that the signalling member is positioned midway between the rails and in full view of a train crew in switching operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,747,278 issued on Feb. 18, 1930 to Zawyruchia discloses an apparatus for holding a series of flags for signals. The apparatus includes a collapsible standard and support having means in the standard for mounting a plurality of flags. Means are also provided for retaining the flags in closed or folded condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,704 issued on Aug. 13, 1991 to Dean et al. discloses a stowable temporary signalling device for rail systems. The device includes an adjustable and fixed clamping mechanism for clasping onto a rail placed therebetween for applying mechanical bias on the rail. A collapsible arm is provided to mount and support a signalling unit thereupon.
French Patent No. 394,760 published on Feb. 1, 1909, German Patent No. 248,157 published on Jun. 15, 1912, German Patent No. 268,420 published on May 4, 1913, and German Patent No. 475,030 all disclose devices for supporting railroad signs.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a track flag holder solving the aforementioned problems is desired.