Structural components that are subject to high stresses, especially caused by wear, can be protected by coating them with a hard material. For metal-cutting tools it is for example known that their wear resistance can be improved by coating them with a hard material. Different thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate material and the coating material and different layer materials in a multilayer coating may produce great stresses. The stress increases as the thickness of the coating increases, thereby increasing the danger of the coating chipping off. In order to solve this problem, the invention proposes an intermediate layer (5) to be interposed between at least two layers (4, 9) of the coating (3), said intermediate layer mainly or exclusively consisting of a material component (6, 8) of an element of the fourth to eighth subgroup of the fourth and fifth period of the periodic system.

The invention relates to a structural component made of a metallic or ceramic material having a coating of hard material, and to processes of preparing these.
Structural components that are subjected to high loads, in particular caused by wear, can be protected by a coating of hard material. In particular the tribochemical and thermochemical reactions between the materials of the work piece and the tool must be largely avoided so that the good mechanical and thermal properties of the material may be exploited to the full. It is therefore already known to improve the wear resistance of, for example, metal-cutting tools by means of a coating of hard material. The coatings are applied not only to metal-removing tools made of metal, in particular high-speed steel (HSS) or hard metal (HM), but also to tools made of ceramic materials, such as, for example, silicon nitride blanking dies. Wear can also be reduced by a coating of hard material in the case of metal-forming tools.
Layer thicknesses within the micrometer range generally suffice for the desired property improvements, in particular in the case of metal-cutting tools. Such layers can be deposited, for example, from the gas phase by the PVD, CVD or plasma CVD processes. Depending on the material, layer thicknesses of a layer of less than 1 μm to over 20 μm are possible by these means.
The processes indicated enable not only single layers of one material to be deposited. Many variations are possible as regards both the number of materials which may be combined together in the layer sequence, and the number of layers. Above all when metal-cutting tools are utilised, layer materials based on titanium, such as, for example, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, titanium oxide, titanium carbon nitride are preferably utilised, as well as layers of one or more modifications of aluminium oxide.
Differences in thermal expansion between the substrate material and the layer material, as well as different layer materials in the case of a coating comprising a plurality of layers, may give rise to high stresses. In particular with increasing coating thickness the stress increases, as consequently does the risk of the coating chipping off.
In order to improve the adhesion strength of a coating it is known, for example from DE 36 08 734 C1, in the case of coated ceramic indexable inserts to deposit an intermediate layer of silicon dioxide on a base body made of sintered ceramic materials which is provided with a ceramic wear layer. This prior art, it must be noted, relates only to coating with one layer.
The object of the present invention is to increase the adhesion strength of the layers of hard material on the substrate material of a structural component made of a metallic or ceramic material as well as that between the layers.
The object is achieved according to the present invention, which relates to a structural component of a metallic or ceramic material coated with a hard material. The coating is a multilayer coating.

Structural component coated with a hard material and comprising an intermediate layer for improving the adhesive strength of the coating


This invention relates to bioprosthetic heart valve stents that are fashioned of bioresorbable materials. Such stents may be configured as sheaths or frames contoured to the shape of a valvular graft. The stents are eventually resorbed by the patent, leaving a functional "stentless" valve with improved hemodynamic characteristics compared to stented valve implants.

Prosthetic heart valves may be used to replace diseased natural heart valves in human patients. Mechanical heart valves typically have a rigid orifice ring and rigid hinged leaflets coated with a blood compatible substance such as pyrolytic carbon. Other configurations, such as ball-and-cage assemblies, have also been used for such mechanical valves.
In contrast to mechanical heart valves, bioprosthetic heart valves comprise valve leaflets formed of biological material. Many bioprosthetic valves include a support structure, or stent, for supporting the leaflets and maintaining the anatomical structure of the valve. Stented bioprosthetic valves generally are prepared in one of two ways. In a first method of preparation, a complete valve is obtained from either a deceased human or from a slaughtered pig or other mammal. Human valves or valve components implanted into a human patient are referred to herein as a "homografts," while the corresponding animal valves or valve components are termed "xenografts." In the case of homografts, the retrieved valve typically is treated with antibiotics and then cryopreserved in a solution of nutrient medium (e.g., RPMI), fetal calf serum and 10% DMSO. In the case of xenografts, the retrieved valve is trimmed to remove the aortic root, and the valve is chemically cross-linked, typically in a glutaraldehyde solution. The cross-linked valve is then attached to a stent. The stent provides structural support to the valve and, with a sewing cuff, facilitates attachment of the valve to the patient by suturing. In a second method of preparation, individual valve leaflets are removed from a donor valve or are fashioned from other sources of biological material, e.g., bovine pericardium. The individual leaflets are then assembled by suturing the valve leaflets both to each other and to the stent. When bovine pericardium is used, the valve (trileaflet or bileaflet) is fashioned from one piece of pericardium. The material is then draped on the stent to form the "cusps."
One of the major functions of stents is to serve as a framework for attachment of the valve and for suturing the valve into place in the human patient. Toward that end, stents are frequently covered with a sewable fabric, and have a cloth sewing or suture cuff, typically an annular sewing ring, attached to them. The annular sewing ring serves as an anchor for the sutures by which the valve is attached to the patient. Various stent designs have been implemented in a continuing effort to render valve implantation simpler and more efficient. Inevitably, however, a stent limits interactions with aortic wall dynamics and tends to inhibit natural valve movement. This results in post-operative transvalvular gradients with resultant additional work burden on the heart. In addition, a stent causes a reduction in size of the bioprosthetic valve that can be placed in a particular location, since the stent and sewing cuff occupy space that otherwise would be available for blood flow.
Stentless valves have demonstrated better hemodynamic function than stented valves. This is because stentless valves are sewn directly into the host tissues, without the need for extraneous structure such as a sewing cuff. Such extraneous structures inevitably compromise hemodynamics. Stentless valves closely resemble native valves in their appearance and function, and rely upon the patient's tissues to supply the structural support normally provided by a stent. The main disadvantage to stentless valves has been in their difficulty of implantation. Stentless valves require both inflow and outflow suturing, and physicians qualified to implant stented valves can lack the surgical training and experience required for implantation of stentless valves.
Some bioprosthetic valve manufacturers have attempted to develop methods and materials to ease the implantation of stentless valves, including holders, different suturing techniques or suturing aids. None of these approaches has significantly shortened implant times without adversely affecting valve performance.
Stents for bioprosthetic heart valves have been formed from a variety of non-resorbable materials including metals and polymers. With non-resorbable materials, the long-term fatigue characteristics of the material are of critical importance. Unusually short or uneven wear of a stent material may necessitate early and undesirable replacement of the valve. The selected material must also be biocompatible and have the desired stress/strain characteristics.
Various biodegradable materials have been suggested or proposed for use with vascular or non-vascular implants. For example, Goldberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,629 discloses a biodegradable infusion stent for use in treating ureteral obstructions. Stack et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,286 discloses an absorbable stent for placement within a blood vessel during coronary angioplasty. Duran, U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,112 discloses an annuloplasty ring to be implanted into the heart to function together with the native heart valve. Duran suggests (Col. 6, lines 6-8) without further elaboration that the annuloplasty ring could be fashioned of resorbable materials.
The prior art stents are designed primarily to maintain a fluid flow patency for a selected period of time. These stents are not designed to support a secondarily functional tissue such as a valve apparatus. Thus, the prior art does not teach or suggest that heart valve stents, with their particular configuration and stress/strain requirements, could be fashioned of bioresorbable materials.


A method for producing a preform and a preform produced by extrusion blow molding for producing plastic containers in a stretch blow molding process and having a neck portion and a body portion closed by a preform base, which portions are separated from each other by a supporting ring protruding from the outer wall. The preform has a body portion of which the outside diameter narrows from the supporting ring in the direction of the preform base.

A large number of the plastic containers are currently in use, especially for example, plastic bottles and the like. The plastic containers can be produced in a stretch blow molding process. In this method a so-called preform, which can have a tubular shape, on its one longitudinal end has a bottom and on another longitudinal end, a neck region with molded threaded sections or the like, is inserted into the mold cavity of a blow mold and is inflated by a medium which is blown in with overpressure. In doing so the preform can be additionally stretched in the axial direction with a stretching mandrel which is inserted through the neck opening. After this stretching/blowing process, the finished, stretch-set plastic container is removed from the blow mold.
The known preforms can be produced in an injection molding method. Relatively thin-liquid materials can be used due to the injection molding method. A raw material which is often used for producing plastic containers in the stretch blow molding process is PET (polyethylene terephthalate). PET has low viscosity which is desirable for the injection molding process at high temperatures around 280° C. and has been repeatedly tested and its properties have been known for a long time. Unfortunately PET bottles can have extremely poor barrier properties relative to water and light, and the introduction of barrier layers can be complex.
For polyolefins, generally PE or PP, processing via the extrusion process without a stretch blow molding process is a known processing method for bottles. However, polyolefins do not have optimum stretch setting in the subsequent stretch blow molding process. So that PET containers achieve the required mechanical strengths (buckling pressure, internal compressive strength, etc.), they should not fall below a minimum wall thickness of roughly 0.2 mm. For ecological reasons and as a result of high raw material costs, there is on the other hand great interest in still further reducing the wall thicknesses of the plastic containers.
Preforms for plastic containers which have been produced in the stretch blow molding process can have a multilayer structure. For example, preforms are known with three or more layers which include, for example, barrier layers or getter layers for gases, opaque layers, etc. Multilayer preforms are also known in which one or more layers contain regenerate material. To join the different layers to one another, a coupling agent as a blend or as a copolymer is admixed, for example, with the base polymer or the barrier layer. The coupling agent can be integrated more or less homogeneously into the raw material or barrier material. It can develop its action however only on the interfaces of the layers which are to be joined to one another. In the remaining raw material, it may be of no benefit and in part can degrade the mechanical or barrier properties there. For ecological reasons and for reasons of costs there is however interest in reducing the amount of the coupling agent.
In the production of the preforms in the injection molding process, known pressures of up to roughly 1000 bar can occur in the melt. In order to keep the closing forces within reasonable boundaries, the injection molds often have only a few cavities. This can lead to relatively high production costs in preforms with large neck diameters of 48 mm and more for so-called wide-neck bottles with relatively small capacities.
EP-1 344 618 A1 discloses preforms for use in a stretch blow molding process. The preform, whose production is not detailed, has a shoulder region which is arched to the outside following the supporting ring which separates the neck section of the preform from its body section. The inner surface of the preform in the region of the supporting ring is made as a conical surface which widens in the direction of the spherical bottom of the preform. EP-1 344 618 A1 discloses the forming of the preform with a body section which has distinctly larger inside and outside diameters than the neck section. This known preform in its production is already so strongly deformed that a further and prompt axial and radial orientation in the following stretch blow molding process is too little and does not lead to the desired stretch setting of the plastic container which has been produced.

Preform for producing plastic containers in a stretch blow moulding process and method for producing the preform


An execution framework allows developers to write sequential computational logic, constrained for the runtime system to efficiently parallelize execution of custom business logic. The framework can be leveraged to overcome limitations in executing low level procedural code, by empowering the system runtime environment to parallelize this code. Embodiments employ algorithmic skeletons in the realm of optimizing/executing data flow graphs of database management systems. By providing an extensible set of algorithmic skeletons the developer of custom logic can select the skeleton appropriate for new custom logic, and then fill in the corresponding computation logic according to the structural template of the skeleton. The skeleton provides a set of constraints known to the execution environment, that can be leveraged by the optimizer and the execution environment to generate parallel optimized execution plans containing custom logic, without the developer having to explicitly describe parallelization of the logic.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to parallel programming, and in particular, to parallel programming of an in memory database with extensible skeletons.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Parallelism is a factor in implementing the operational requirements for processing large data sets. However, parallelism remains difficult to cope with from an application perspective, as it is hard to control and to debug.
The traditional landscape of parallel relational database systems offers an integrated and transparent exploitation of parallelism to execute SQL queries efficiently on different parallel system architectures. Systems provide support for parallelism on chip/board level via multi-threaded execution models, as well as physical operator implementations with the goal to bridge the gap between different nodes within a cluster scenario.
In memory databases may also follow that main path, but provide additional constructs to compile complex custom code into generic operators of an execution model. Since such systems do not have any knowledge about a potential degree of parallelism, either the system is forced to execute custom code snippets fully sequentially or the model developer has to describe the possible parallelization of the custom code. Therefore, the application programmer has to explicitly think and program in parallel data structures and has to explicitly define synchronization points. This behavior might result in situations where the degree of parallelism defined by the programmer does not match an optimal degree of parallelism during runtime. Additionally, since programming in a parallel way requires training and expertise, some of the models might simply not fully leverage possible parallelism and substantially miss performance opportunities.
Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses these and other issues with techniques for parallel programming of an in memory database utilizing extensible sets of algorithmic skeletons.

Parallel programming of in memory database utilizing extensible skeletons


A circuit board includes a main portion obtained by stacking a plurality of base sheets made of a flexible material in a predetermined direction and bonding the base sheets under pressure, and at least one planar conductor pattern provided in the main portion and including a concave portion and a convex portion. The concave portion and the convex portion extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The concave portion is sunken in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the predetermined direction. The convex portion protrudes in an opposite direction to the direction in which the concave portion is sunken. The at least one planar conductor pattern includes a first planar conductor pattern with a concave portion and a convex portion extending in a first direction. The circuit board further includes a plurality of first auxiliary members provided on one principal surface of the first planar conductor pattern and extending in the first direction, the first auxiliary members being spaced apart in a third direction different from the first direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit board including a first portion relatively resistant to deformation and a second portion more flexible and less resistant to deformation than the first portion, and also relates to a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a conventional circuit board of this type is described in International Publication No. WO 2011/040393. In International Publication No. WO 2011/040393, the circuit board includes a main portion obtained by stacking base sheets made of a flexible material (e.g., polyimide or liquid crystal polymer). The main portion includes a first portion relatively resistant to deformation and a second portion more flexible and less resistant to deformation than the first portion. The main portion has provided therein wiring conductors for electrically connecting an electronic component and various electrodes and reinforcing insulation films made of a more rigid material (e.g., epoxy resin) than the base sheets. The first portion is formed by providing the reinforcing insulation films so as to, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction of the base sheets, cover areas where the base sheets are not desired to be deformed.
The above conventional circuit board uses the reinforcing insulation films to form the first portion. However, if the reinforcing insulation films increase in area, the characteristics of the main portion greatly depend on the reinforcing insulation films, and therefore, the characteristics of the base sheets (such as low relative permittivity, low loss, and low water absorption) cannot be fully utilized. Moreover, the reinforcing insulation films are relatively large in area, and do not stick to the base sheets well, so that the bonding strength between the sheets might be insufficient.

Circuit board and method for producing same


A suspension device includes a sticking piece, a suspension seat, and a connecting head. The sticking piece has a back face coated with a hydrophilic adhesive. The suspension seat has a first shell connected with a front face of the sticking piece. The first shell has a slideway and two insertion plates. The connecting head has a mounting portion and a resting portion. The mounting portion has a mounting hole mounted on one end of a shower rod. The resting portion has a second shell provided with a protruding slide and two slots. The second shell is juxtaposed to the first shell, with the slide sliding into the slideway, and with the two insertion plates being inserted into the two slots, such that the connecting head is combined with the suspension seat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension device and, more particularly, to a suspension device for a shower rod of a shower curtain in a bathroom.
2. Description of the Related Art
A shower curtain is mounted in a bathroom to provide a covering function. The shower curtain is hung on a shower rod which is mounted between two walls. The shower rod has two opposite ends each provided with a suspension device affixed to the wall. A conventional suspension device includes a sucker attached to the wall. However, the sucker has a limited suction force so that the conventional suspension device easily slips from the wall and is easily detached from the wall so that the shower rod will fall down. Another conventional suspension device includes a plurality of screws screwed into the wall. However, it is necessary to drill bores in the wall for mounting the suspension device so that the wall is broken by the drilling action. In addition, the suspension device is affixed to the wall by the screws so that the position of the suspension device is fixed and cannot be adjusted any more.


A closure includes a top panel and a corner section connecting an outer periphery of the top panel with a downwardly extending annular skirt. A plurality of gently curved ridges are spaced about the outer perimeter of the closure. The ridges generally extend from a lower portion of the skirt and around the corner section, with the upper ends of the ridges terminating proximate the top panel outer periphery. A plurality of knurls extend radially outwards from the midpoints of the ridges along the skirt of the closure. The configuration, arrangement, and spacing of the ridges and knurls about the closure provide an enhanced grip and feel, allowing for easier twist-off of the closure from a container. The closure may be used interchangeably with existing capping chucks used to apply conventional closures without requiring any modification to the capping chucks to apply the closures to containers during a capping process.

The present invention relates generally to the field of plastic closures for containers. The closures described and illustrated herein are configured for easier removal from a container. Furthermore, the closures are lower weight than conventional closures, and are configured to be used interchangeably with conventional closures without incurring substantial, or even any, costs to retool existing capping equipment to do so.

Low weight closure having an improved gripping surface


The application relates to phenyl- or naphthylsulfonamide derivatives of the structural formula (I). The compounds are described as inhibitors of USP30 (ubiquitin specific peptidase 30) useful for the treatment of conditions involving mitochondrial defects including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's or a neoplastic disease such as leukemia.

The smooth functioning of mitochondria in cells is controlled by the coordination of the four processes of biogenesis, fission, fusion and autophagy. Autophagy (mitophagy) is upregulated when mitochondria are damaged, as for example by the action of reactive oxygen species, hypoxia or nutrient deprivation. In such cases, cells attempt to repair damage by targeting the damaged mitochondria for lysosomal degradation through labeling mitochondrial proteins with ubiquitin. This process is initiated by the localization of protein kinase PINK2 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin on damaged mitochondria, and leads to the ubiquitination of over forty mitochondrial proteins.
USP30, a mitochondria-localized deubiquitinase (DUB) is an antagonist of Parkin-meditated mitophagy. USP30, through its deubiquitinase activity, counteracts ubiquitination and degradation of damaged mitochondria, and inhibition of USP30 rescues mitophagy defects caused by mutant Parkin. Further, inhibition of USP30 decreases oxidative stress and provides protection against the mitochondrial toxin, rotenone. Since damaged mitochondria are more likely to accumulate Parkin, USP30 inhibition should preferentially clear unhealthy mitochondria. In addition to neurons (such as substantia nigra neurons, which are especially vulnerable to mitochondria dysfunction in Parkinson's disease), long-lived metabolically active cells such as cardiomyocytes also rely on an efficient mitochondria quality control system. In this context, Parkin has been shown to protect cardiomyocytes against ischemia/reperfusion injury through activating mitophagy and clearing damaged mitochondria in response to ischemic stress. Thus, inhibitors of USP30 are provided for use in treating a conditions involving mitochondrial defects, including neurological conditions, cardiac conditions, and systemic conditions.
Deubiquinating enzymes function to oppose the action of the ubiquitinating enzymes in post-translational modification of cellular proteins. USP30 is a deubiquitinase that is localized to mitochondria and has been shown in expression studies to oppose the action of Parkin-mediated ubiquination and clearance of damaged mitochondria. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for novel compounds capable of effectively and reliably inhibiting USP30 in vitro and in vivo. The present invention addresses these and other such needs.


A flash memory capable of writing or deleting a split block is provided. A flash memory includes a memory array comprising a plurality of blocks, and a word line selection circuit, wherein each of the plurality of blocks is formed by a plurality of cell units in a well. The cell unit comprises N memory cells, a selection transistor coupled to one terminal of the memory cells, a selection transistor coupled to the other terminal of the memory cells, and a dummy selection transistor coupled between the memory cells. The word line selection circuit splits the block into a first block and a second block to use according to the operation of data writing or data deleting.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a memory block of a NAND flash memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flash memories are broadly used in storage devices, and electrical devices, such as digital cameras, and smart phones. Current flash memory demand functionalities include small sizes, high capacities, high speeds, and low power consumption. In addition, flash memories having fixed times and the data holding is also needed.
A NAND flash memory comprises a memory array formed by a plurality of blocks, wherein the plurality of blocks is formed by a plurality of NAND strings arranged in a row. The NAND string has selection transistors coupled to each of two terminals of memory cells connected in series, wherein one terminal is connected to a bit line via the selection transistor, and the other terminal is connected to a source line via the selection transistor. Data reading or writing (programming) is performed via the bit line connected to the NAND string, such as the flash memory with improved data programming speed as disclosed by Patent Document Japan Patent Publication No. 2006-302960.


A propeller fan includes a boss and a blade. The boss rotates about an axis. The blade is provided at an outer periphery of the boss. The blade has a first region in a radial direction. In the first region, a blade chord center line shifts downstream toward an outer peripheral side. In a cylindrical cross section about an axis, a cross-sectional shape of the blade at least in the first region is an airfoil shape. When a cross section taken along the blade chord center line and projected onto a plane including the axis is viewed, the blade chord center line is a curve having a convex on a downstream side in an entire region in the radial direction.

A low-noise propeller fan (axial-flow air-sending device) has been desired. For this reason, various propeller fans designed to reduce noise by the shape of each blade have been proposed.
For example, Patent Literature 1 describes an axial-flow air-sending device. The axial-flow air-sending device includes an electric motor and an air-sending fan. The air-sending fan has a hub and a plurality of blades. The hub is connected to the electric motor. A plurality of blades is provided radially on the hub. Each of the blades has a suction surface and a pressure surface. The suction surface at a leading edge of each blade has a plurality of triangular protrusions having vertices along the leading edge. The pressure surface at the leading edge of each blade has a smooth continuous surface having no triangular protrusions.

Propeller fan and refrigeration cycle device


Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a light emission control section configured to obtain a delay time from issuance to a flash of a light emission trigger indicating light emission start timing of the flash to reaching of a predetermined value by light emission luminance of the flash; an imaging control section configured to control exposure start timing on a basis of the delay time; and a correction amount calculating section configured to calculate, on the basis of the delay time, an amount of correction used when brightness of a taken image taken from the exposure start timing is corrected.

The present technology relates to an imaging device and an imaging method, and a program, and particularly to an imaging device and an imaging method, and a program that can achieve proper light control even at a high shutter speed.
In related art, when an imaging device performs flash photographing at a shutter speed equal to or higher than a synchronization speed, a subject is illuminated and light control is performed by flat light emission (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-124394, for example). Flat light emission refers to continuous emission of flash light by which a similar effect to that of steady-state light can be obtained.


Methods and apparatus to avoid dynamic micro-architectural penalties in an in-order processor are disclosed. In an example, a compiler inserts decision code into the object code to thereby cause the in-order processor to operate like an out of order processor to operate with respect to at least some memory access instructions. The decision code determines at run time of the object code whether a load instruction is a likely cache hit. Based on that determination, the decision code causes the in-order processor to execute a use instruction at a first time if the load instruction is a likely cache hit, and to execute a copy of the use instruction at a second, later time if the load instruction is not a likely cache hit.

The typical computer has a random access memory hierarchy including one or more levels of on-processor cache memory, a main memory (located off of the processor chip) and a mass storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, etc.). Typically, accessing the first level of cache memory (L1 cache) is fastest (i.e., has the lowest latency) and accessing the mass storage device is slowest. The latencies associated with accessing intermediate levels of the memory hierarchy fall between these two extremes of memory access latencies. In addition to increasing in latency time, the various levels of the memory hierarchy typically increase in size from the highest level of the memory hierarchy to the lowest level of memory hierarchy.
In the typical case, cache memory has an inclusive nature. Thus, when data is retrieved from a given level of the memory system (e.g., a hard disk drive), it is written into all levels of the cache (e.g., the L1 cache, the level 2 (L2) cache, the level 3 (L3) cache, etc.). This practice maximizes the likelihood that data needed for a later instruction is present in the highest levels of the cache, thereby reducing the number of accesses to slower memory resources and the number of cache misses (i.e., a failed attempt to retrieve data from a cache level that does not contain the desired data).
Architectural or micro-architectural effects often cause performance penalties when accessing the memory hierarchy. The best-known example of such effects is the classic load wherein data is loaded from some level of memory to the processor. The latency of such a load operation may range from one cycle (assuming the first level cache has a latency of 1) to hundreds of cycles, depending on which memory level currently contains the data to be loaded. The fact that the actual latency varies means that, in order to avoid stalls, uses of the data being loaded is delayed by an amount of time that is hard, if not impossible to predict.
Out-of-order processors solve this issue by reordering load uses until the data being loaded is available. In other words, load uses are frozen until their data is ready for use (i.e., actually located in the processor's registers), while letting other instructions execute. This freezing feature is built into the hardware, and the software does not have to worry about it. The decision to freeze or delay a use is done dynamically (i.e., at execution time).
In-order processors lack this dynamic reordering feature. Instead, software for in-order processors must decide beforehand, that is statically, when they schedule a load's use. (Typically, the software is a compiler, so the expressions "statically" and "at compile-time" can be used interchangeably.) Aggressive static techniques typically bet on the best case and, thus, schedule the use instruction at the earliest possible time immediately after the load is executed. A penalty is then paid each time the load takes more than that time to complete, since usually all instructions following the use are delayed as well. Defensive software separates the use from the load by an amount of time to account for expected delays. When such delays do not happen, precious cycles have been spent waiting uselessly. Prior art in-order processors force one to choose a strategy, aggressive or defensive, once (i.e., at compile time) and to stay with that choice for all run-time executions of the load-use sequence.
Software techniques having some similarity to the techniques disclosed below are known. For example, code versioning is a technique that develops specialized copies of software code and inserts decision code to determine which version of the code executes. In this technique, the two versions of the code being versioned are different from one another. Frequently, one version is highly simplified for the relevant special case (e.g., "multiply X*Y" may be versioned such that, if either X or Y=0, then the multiplication step is skipped). Versioning is not meant to hide micro-architectural effects, but is instead used to expedite code execution. Code versioning has, however, been used to address high-level power effects (e.g., execute one set of code if the computer is connected to a source of commercial power, but execute a stripped-down version of the code if the computer is running on batteries to reduce power consumption.)
As another example, instruction fusion is a technique which replaces two identical instructions predicated by opposite conditions (e.g., instruction (1) if X, do Y, instruction (2) if not X, do Y) with one instruction with no predicate (e.g., do Y). The goal of this technique is to reduce code size.


The present disclosure is directed to a component of a welding device that is configured to produce a shielding gas having a developed flow profile, which provides for a shielding gas column having a laminar profile over a greater length than has been achieved through conventional means. The component utilizes one or more flow restrictors, which are configured to provide higher resistance to the flow of shielding gas at increasing distances from the center of a shielding gas flow channel. By providing increasing resistance toward the periphery of the channel, a developed shielding gas flow profile may be achieved over a relatively short flow length.

Shielding gas plays an important role in producing a quality weld. Specifically, the shielding gas prevents, or shields, the weld from atmospheric oxygen, which causes oxidation, and other atmospheric contaminants. Accordingly, maintaining a desirable flow of shielding gas through a welding device is important to ensure that a quality weld can be produced. For example, it is desirable that the column of shielding gas exiting the gas outlet (e.g. nozzle) of the welding device has a laminar, as opposed to turbulent, flow profile because a laminar flow profile introduces less undesirable reactive gases from the atmosphere into the inert gas column shielding the weld area.
Because of the difference in velocity between the shielding gas and the atmosphere around the periphery of the shielding gas column, however, Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities occur at the outer edges of the shielding gas column. These instabilities begin at wavelike motion and grow until the flow of the shielding gas becomes fully turbulent at a distance from the gas outlet. The distance over which the shielding gas column maintains a substantially laminar flow profile depends on a number of factors, including the flow rate of the shielding gas, the cross-sectional size of the gas outlet—usually a function of the cup size of the nozzle component, and the like.
It is also desirable that the shielding gas maintains a laminar flow profile at a significant distance from the nozzle orifice, i.e. that the shielding gas column maintains a substantially laminar flow profile for a relatively long length. This allows the welding device to be operated with the tungsten electrode extending (sticking out) further from the end of the nozzle to improve visibility and accessibility to the weld area, which allows for a user of the welding device to more effectively weld tighter or difficult to reach joints. For these reasons, higher quality and more easy to obtain welds may be achieved where the welding device provides a shielding gas column having a long-lasting laminar flow profile.
In order to provide a shielding gas column having a desirable laminar flow profile, conventional welding devices typically utilize gas nozzles, gas lenses, or a combination thereof.
A gas nozzle for a welding device, also often referred to simply as a nozzle or a cup, is a component attached to the head of a welding device and having a outlet through which the shielding gas exits the welding device and flows toward the weld area in what is known as a shielding gas column. The outlet of a gas nozzle generally converges to provide a narrowed cross-sectional flow area at the outlet, which decreases turbulence. Nozzles may be made of any type of heat resistant materials, but are generally made from ceramics, metals (e.g. copper, brass, etc.), or a combination thereof. Many welding devices, such as gas tungsten arc welding devices, utilize replaceable ceramic nozzles that are either screwed into the torch head or pushed into place on the torch head. While nozzles serve to reduce turbulence in the shielding gas column, as a general rule a tungsten electrode can stick out a distance equivalent to about one-half of the nozzle outlet diameter before the shielding gas column becomes turbulent.
A gas lens for a welding device is a component that is attached to a welding device in place of a conventional collet body. A typical gas lens is composed of a metal (e.g. copper and/or brass) body with one or more layered mesh screens of steel/stainless steel (stainless steel offers greater durability and resistance to rust and corrosion than steel). More advanced gas lenses utilize an engineered porous filter media in place of the mesh screens. Both the mesh screens and the porous filter media serve to evenly distribute the shielding gas around the electrode, creating a shielding gas having a plug flow profile, in which the velocity of the gas is substantially equivalent across the entire cross-section of the flow channel. By creating plug flow, gas lenses reduce shielding gas turbulence and provide shielding gas columns having longer laminar flow profiles. This, in turn, allows for an extension of the electrode a greater distance beyond the end of the welding torch. For instance, as a general rule when utilizing a gas lens and a nozzle, a tungsten electrode can stick out a distance up to about the nozzle outlet diameter before the shielding gas column becomes turbulent.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a device that provides a welding device with a shielding gas column having a laminar flow profile that extends further from the gas outlet than those that have been achieved using conventional components. In some embodiments, therefore, the device may replace conventional gas lenses and nozzles.

Device for providing a laminar flow of shielding gas in a welding device


A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and is configured to move the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and the fourth lens unit during a zooming operation to change an interval between adjacent lens units. A moving amount of the second lens unit during a zooming operation from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, a focal length of the second lens unit, and transverse magnification of the third lens unit at the wide angle end and the telephoto end are individually set appropriately.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens, and more particularly, to a zoom lens suitable for a photographic optical system used in an image pickup device such as a video camera, a surveillance camera, a digital still camera, a broadcasting camera, and a silver-halide photographic camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photographic optical system used in the image pickup device is required to be a compact zoom lens having a wide angle of view, small aberrations a high zoom ratio, etc. An exemplary zoom lens that includes in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power has been known.
Japanese Patent Application. Laid-Open No, H08-82743 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,284,498 disclose a rear-focus-type four-unit zoom lens configured to change magnification by moving second and third lens units and correct image plane variations associated with the variable magnification by moving a fourth lens unit, while carrying out a focusing operation. U.S. Pat. No. 7,477,457 discloses a zoom lens configured to carry out a zooming operation by moving the four lens units, and a focusing operation is carried out by the fourth lens unit.
In the above-described positive-lead-type four-unit zoom lens, it is relatively easy to reduce the size of the entire zoom lens and obtain a high zoom ratio. To achieve a high optical performance over the entire zooming range while attempting to obtain a wide angle of view and a high zoom ratio, it becomes important to individually set the zoom type, refractive power configurations, etc., of the units appropriately. For example, in the rear-focus-type four-unit zoom lens of the above-described zoom type, it would be important to appropriately set the refractive power, a moving interval (moving amount) associated with zooming operation, an image forming magnification both at a wide angle end and a telephoto end, etc., of the second lens unit used for variable magnification.
Further, it becomes important to appropriately set the refractive power, image forming magnification at a wide angle end and a telephoto end, etc., of the third lens unit. Without setting these configurations appropriately, it would be difficult to achieve a high optical performance over the entire variable magnification range and to obtain a wide angle of view and high zoom ratio while reducing the size of the entire zoom lens.

Zoom lens and image pickup device including the same


Provided is a method for depositing a fluorine-doped silicon oxide film on the surface of a substrate made of a material comprising at least 50 mass % of an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer. This method comprises flowing a mixed gas into between electrodes, exposing the mixed gas to electric power applied between the electrodes so that the electrical power density between the electrodes becomes from 0.5 to 1.1 W/cm3 to cause discharge, and forming plasma of the mixed gas and depositing the fluorine-doped silicon oxide film on the surface of the substrate. In this method, the mixed gas for forming the fluorine-doped silicon oxide film comprises silicon tetrafluoride, oxygen and a hydrocarbon, the atomic ratio of oxygen atoms to carbon atoms (O/C) is from 1 to 10, and the atomic ratio of oxygen atoms to silicon atoms (O/Si) is from 1.7 to 25 in the mixed gas.

An ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (hereinafter referred to as ETFE copolymer) is a polymer having weather resistance and chemical resistance inherent to a fluoropolymer and flexibility inherent to a hydrocarbon polymer. Further, the ETFE copolymer is a material having a low refractive index, whereby reflection of light is little, and light transmittance is high.
Accordingly, the ETFE copolymer molded product is widely used as a material for e.g. an exterior film for system kitchens, a surface film of a white board for marker pens, a mold release film, an outdoor film, a member for displays or a protective film for solar batteries.
Since the ETFE copolymer is a fluoropolymer, the surface energy is low. Therefore, the contact angle to water (hereinafter referred to as water contact angle) is at least 100°. Accordingly, water droplets tend to be formed on the surface.
Therefore, in a case where an ETFE copolymer film is used as an agricultural film for e.g. a greenhouse, the film is likely to be fogged with water droplets condensed on the surface of the ETFE copolymer film, or water droplets may drop.
Further, in a case where the ETFE copolymer film is used for a member for displays or a protective film for solar batteries, and the film surface is fogged with water droplets, visibility becomes poor, or electric power generation efficiency becomes low.
As an agricultural film, which is made of a fluoropolymer having a low water contact angle and a high hydrophilic property (high antifogging property) surface, the following film has been proposed.
An agricultural film having a layer comprising a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide and silicon oxide, formed on the surface of a film made of a fluoropolymer (Patent Document 1).
However, light transmittance of such a film is low for the following reasons.
(i) The photocatalyst absorbs light.
(ii) The layer comprising titanium oxide and silicon oxide has a high refractive index, whereby the light reflection is large.

Method for production of an ethylene/tetrafluorideethylene copolymer molded product


A contact insertion device comprises an arrangement of elements the like of independent linear multi axis actuator providing positioning and fixation for electrical connection element and cylindrical elongated electrical conductor article having a wire electrically attached to one end with opposite end being positioned in collinear fashion adjacent to an insulator cavity preselected by computer controlled enunciation and installed manually into pre selected cavity of electrical connection element. An independent linear actuator provides a test element connected to an enunciation element for verification of error free installation of conductor article into electrical connection element. Aforesaid independent actuators are being initiated by a controller having a computer assigned that is driven by an algorithm and feed back system capable of programmed selection for positioning and verification of non error completion for installation of electrical conductor article.

Connectors are usually the termination elements of a cable and harness. Harnesses are a combination of cables bundled together with their end points or connectors interconnecting with other connectors for the purpose to transmit electric current or signals to respective elements such as power supplies, computers, control instrumentation and the like. Harnesses are used in many different applications ranging from airplanes, automobiles, televisions, machinery and the like. Harnesses can be very small but also very extensive in size and number of connectors. A common connector comprises a shell encircling an insulator thereof equipped with numerous contacts inserted and locked into. Aforesaid contacts are permanently connected with a wire that is conducting electric current. The connection with the contact can be a crimped connection or a soldered connection depending on the application the harness is being used for. Each connector can carry a small number of contacts but usually carries an extensive number of contacts confined within a single insulator. Consequential aforesaid necessitates a very small distance of each individual contact from each other within the periphery of a single insulator. Aforesaid is expressed in common terms as of high density. High density in connecting devices has become the norm as it is very desirable to achieve a compact or smallest in size design of applicable devices for the purpose to reduce cost and promote efficiency in terms of optimum performance. The common method for inserting contacts permanently attached to a wire is by manual method. This comprises an elaborate and very skillful process involving a trained assembler carefully comparing cavity location with contact identification in a connector for inserting carefully the contact into a designated location. Foresaid process is cumbersome and of low reliability meaning that each individual contact has been inserted in its designated cavity of insulator without error. Error recovery comprises a costly repair process. There can be up to 60 cavities over the area equivalent to one square inch with each cavity designated to a specific contact in a high-density connector. Said high density necessitates an elaborate and time-consuming verification process after the final insertion of contact into the cavity of insulator. It is well known that the cost to manufacture harnesses comprises a major portion of the total cost to manufacture specific equipment. Aforesaid especially is of significance for avionics such as airplanes and the like. An automated post verification process will greatly reduce the time element for completion of contact assembly and additionally will negate the need for highly skilled assembly technicians and guarantee zero defects hence a very costly repair process.

Device for insertion of contacts into connector insulator cavities


A comparator comparing a differential input signal (represented by INM and INP single ended signals) with a differential reference signal (REFP and REFM) to generate a comparison result. The result may be amplified by a desired high amplification factor while consuming minimal electrical power. The comparator may contain two regenerative latches, with each latch containing two terminals. The INM, INP, REFP, and REFM are provided on the four terminals via respective switches. The first and second terminals of the first regenerative latch may respectively be connected to the first and second terminals of the second regenerative latch, with a switch in the path of each connection. The switches may be operated and the regenerative latches may be enabled for a short duration, to generate an amplified comparison result.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to comparators, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for comparing two differential signals while consuming low power.
2. Related Art
Comparators are often used to compare two input signals. A typical comparator compares two input signals and generates an output signal representing the comparison result. The input and output signals can be either single ended or differential as is well known in the relevant arts. A single ended signal commonly refers to a signal which uses ground level (or zero voltage) as a reference.
On the other hand, a differential signal is represented by two single ended signals, with the strength (e.g., voltage level) of the differential signal equaling the difference of the two single ended signals. By using the difference, any common noise in the two signals may be eliminated as is well known in the relevant arts.
In one prior embodiment, two differential signals are provided as inputs to a double differential amplifier modeled as having infinite (or high) gain, the output swings to + or xe2x88x92 voltage level depending on the result of the comparison. Unfortunately, high gain amplifiers typically consume excessive electrical power and are unsuitable in several environments. For example, a charged coupled capacitor (CCD) camera may need to consume minimal power and yet need comparators within.
In an alternative prior embodiment, an amplifier with a relatively low gain (e.g., a gain of 10) is employed. Due to the low gain, the output of the amplifier reflects the result of the comparison, but may not have a desired level of voltage. For example, the voltage level may need to equal a logical level (e.g., 3 Volts) of a binary bit. The desired amplification may be achieved by providing the input to a regenerative latch which amplifies the signal. The signal is amplified in a short duration to the desired level due to the internal positive feedback.
One problem with such an alternative embodiment is that the input offset of the amplifier may be unacceptably high. An input offset generally refers to minimum voltage level difference that needs to be present between the two inputs for a comparison operation to be accurate. Ideally, the input offset should equal zero volts.
However, a lower input offset typically requires high power consumption as is well known in the relevant arts. As noted above, high power consumption is undesirable in several environments. Therefore, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for comparisons of two differential signals while minimizing offset and power.
A comparator provided in accordance with the present invention compares an input differential signal (represented by single-ended signals INP and INM) with a reference differential signal (represented by single-ended signals REFP or REFM), and generates a comparison result at a desired higher voltage level. A single ended signal (INP or INM) of the input differential signal is averaged with another single-ended signal (REFP or REFM) of the reference signal to generate a first average signal.
The remaining two single-ended signals (one each from the input differential signal and the reference differential signal) may also be averaged to generate a second average signal. The difference of the two averages may be amplified to generate the comparison result at the desired higher voltage level. To keep the averages within a low voltage range, each average is generated based on one positive single ended signal and a negative single ended signal.
In one embodiment, the comparator contains two regenerative latches. The first regenerative latch is coupled between a first node and a second node. The second regenerative latch is coupled between a third node and a fourth node. The first node is connected to the third node by a first xcfx86Z switch and the second node is connected to the fourth node by a second xcfx86Z switch.
The first regenerative latch is enabled and disabled according to a first xcfx86ZD switch and the second regenerative latch is enabled and disabled according to a second xcfx86ZD switch. Each of the four nodes may contain a parasitic capacitance (of a capacitor), which may be modeled as a capacitance connected to the ground. The first, second, third and fourth nodes may respectively be connected to the REFP, INP, INM and REFM signals via a first, second, third and fourth xcfx86 switches.
In operation, the four xcfx86 switches are closed during a sample phase to cause the four capacitors to be charged by a voltage level provided on the corresponding one of the INP, INM. REFM, and REFP signals. Then, during an average phase, the four xcfx86 switches may be opened and the first xcfx86Z switch may be closed to cause the voltages across the first node and the second node to be averaged to generate a first average voltage. The second xcfx86Z switch also may also be closed during the average phase to cause the voltages across the second node and the fourth node to be averaged to generate a second average voltage. In an embodiment, the parasitic capacitance of the first node is designed equal to that of the third node, and the parasitic capacitance of the second node is designed to equal that of the fourth node.
The first and second xcfx86ZD switches are closed during a hold phase to cause the regenerative latches to generate a difference of the first average voltage and the second average voltage. In addition, the regenerative latches amplify the difference to generate an output signal representing the result of comparison of the differential input signal and the differential reference signal. The result may be amplified to generate a voltage level representing a logic state of a binary bit. The xcfx86Z switches also may be kept at least for a short duration during the hold phase such that the latches are connected in parallel in the hold phase.
In one embodiment, each latch contains a first amplifying element and a second amplifying element connected back-to-back. The two amplifying elements are enabled and disabled by one of the xcfx86ZD switches. When enabled, the amplifying elements amplify the input signals due to the positive feedback. The amplifying elements may be implemented using logic gates such as inverter, NOR, NAND, XOR, XNOR, etc., also as is well known in the relevant arts.
Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.

Low power comparator comparing differential signals


A brake assembly for vehicles has a back plate with brake shoes and actuating members mounted thereto. A cam shaft and cam member are disposed through a radial extension on the back plate, such that when a brake pedal is depressed an actuator shaft is moved laterally. A linkage member interconnects the actuator shaft and the cam shaft so that linear movement of the actuator shaft is converted into rotational movement of the cam shaft. The cam member is disposed between the brake shoes so that when the cam shaft and cam member move rotationally, the brake shoes are moved radially and into frictional engagement with the brake drum.

The present invention relates to a drum brake arrangement for vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to a novel arrangement of the various parts of the invention on a back plate especially designed to support the device on an axle housing.
Drum brakes are well known, and have been used for years on all kinds of vehicles. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,945 a drum brake arrangement is disclosed wherein a brake camshaft is supported via a bearing on a carrier and the end of the camshaft that supports the slack adjuster is supported via a support bearing at the axle body. The slack adjuster is provided with a worm gear that is fixedly connected to the brake cam shaft for adjusting the drum brake arrangement according to wear of the brake pads.


An optical pickup apparatus which conducts reproducing and/or recording information for a first optical information recording medium by using a light flux having a wavelength λ1 (350≦λ1 (nm)≦480) and a second optical information recording medium. The optical pickup apparatus comprises an output angle conversion element which is a fixedly arranged single lens which can convert an output angle of the first light flux and the second light flux. The optical detector equipped in the optical pickup apparatus can receive both of the first light flux and the second light flux. And, both optical surfaces of the output angle conversion element are refractive surfaces.

The present invention relates to an optical pickup apparatus and an optical information recording medium recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
In recent years, there has been a rapid progress in the research and development of a high-density optical disk capable of information recording and/or reproduction, using a blue-violet semiconductor laser having a wavelength of about 400 nm. For example, an optical disk for conducting information recording and/or reproduction based on a specification of NA of 0.85 and light source wavelength of 405 nm—a so-called Blu-ray Disc (hereinafter referred to as "BD")—is capable of recording 23 through 27 GB information per layer, as compared to the optical disk having a diameter of 12 cm, the same diameter as that of the DVD (NA: 0.6; light source wavelength: 650 nm, memory size: 7 GB). Further, an optical disk to conduct information recording and/or reproduction based on a specification of NA of 0.65 and light source wavelength of 405 nm—so-called HD DVD (hereinafter referred to as "HD")—is capable of recording 15 through 20 GB information per layer of the optical disk having a diameter of 12 cm. When the BD is used, there is an increase in the comatic aberration caused by the skew of the optical disk. Accordingly, protective substrate is designed thinner than that of the DVD (0.1 mm as compared to 0.6 mm in the case of DVD), whereby the amount of comatic aberration caused by skew is reduced. In the present Specification, such an optical disk will be referred to as a "high-density optical disk".
The value of the optical disk player/recorder as a commercial product cannot be said to be sufficient if information recording and/or reproduction can be conducted only for a high-density optical disk. At present, since a great variety of optical discs such as the DVD and CD (compact disks) for recording information are put on the market. Under that circumstance, adequate information recording and/or reproduction capacity must be ensured for the DVD and CD owned by the user. When this requirement has been met, it becomes possible to enhance the value of the optical disk player/recorder for high-density optical disk as a commercial product. Thus, the optical pickup apparatus mounted on the optical disk player/recorder for high-density optical disk is desired to ensure adequate information recording and/or reproduction for any of the high-density optical disk, DVD and CD.
A method has been proposed to permit adequate information recording and/or reproduction while maintaining compatibility with any of the high-density optical disk, DVD and CD. According to this method, selective switching is carried out between the optical system for high-density optical disk and the optical system for DVD and CD in response to the recording density of the optical disk for information recording and/or reproduction. However, this method requires a plurality of optical systems, and is disadvantageous from the viewpoint of downsizing and cost cutting.
To simplify the structure of the optical pickup apparatus and to reduce the cost, it is preferred in the optical pickup apparatus characterized by compatibility that standardization should be achieved between the optical system for high-density optical disk and the optical system for the DVD and CD wherever possible, thereby minimizing the number of the optical parts constituting the optical pickup apparatus. Further, standardization of the objective optical system laid opposite to the optical disk is the shortest way to simplify the structure of the optical pickup apparatus and to reduce the cost.
However, when an attempt is made to use the standardized objective optical elements to achieve compatibility in the optical pickup apparatus, different light source wavelengths are used in each optical disk. This requires some method to be devised to ensure that a light convergent spot subjected to aberration correction is formed on the optical disk information recording plane.
One of the methods for aberration correction is as follows: The coupling lens displaceable in the direction of optical axis are arranged between the light source and objective optical element. Displacement is performed in the direction of optical axis in response to the kind of the optical disk to be used. The exitance of the light flux entering the objective optical element is changed. However, in order to displace the coupling lens in the direction of optical axis, a separate actuator must be installed. To ensure the installation space, it is necessary to increase the size of the optical pickup apparatus, hence the cost increases. Such a problem remains unsolved. When the liquid crystal element is inserted between the light source and objective optical element, the similar cost problem occurs.
In another embodiment of aberration correction, a wavelength-selective diffraction structure is formed on the optical surface of the coupling lens so as to change the divergence angle or convergence of the luminous flux passing through the coupling lens in response to the kind of passing light flux, and to change the exitance of the light flux entering the objective optical element. In such a structure, the coupling lens is fixed, therefore the actuator is not necessary. However, when a diffraction structure is formed on the optical surface, the light utilization efficiency is reduced. Such a problem remains unsolved.
By contract, in the following Document 1, color aberration correction is carried out by using a doublet collimator.
[Document 1] Official Gazette of Japanese Patent Publication Application Tokkai 2005-122899
However, according to the technology disclosed in the Document 1, a doublet collimator formed by a positive lens bonded onto a negative lens is an essential constituent element. This structure increases the number of optical system manufacturing processes. In the technology disclosed in the Document 1, the optical detector is required by each light source. This leads to an increase in the size of the optical pickup apparatus and an increase in the cost.
The object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems and to provide an optical pickup apparatus and an optical information recording medium recording and/or reproducing apparatus of simple structure capable of adequate aberration correction.

Optical pickup apparatus and optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus


This invention relates to a method for evaluating the susceptibility of pharmaceutical drugs to metabolism by a specific cytochrome P-450 isozyme, which comprises contacting the sample compound with a reagent composition prepared by adding the specific cytochrome P-450 isozyme to liver microsomes lacking said specific cytochrome P-450 isozyme in a carrier material. More particularly, this invention relates to a useful in vitro quantitative assay for drug metabolism by P-450 isozymes such as CYP2D6, CYP2C19, and CYP2A6. This invention also relates to a reagent composition which is useful for said in vitro assay.

Drug metabolism is an important factor in development of drugs. Especially, deficiency of drug metabolism in a body causes severe side effects such as exaggerated pharmacological response and toxic response.
Previous studies have revealed that cytochrome P-450 isozymes are responsible for drug metabolism, and oxidation by P-450 isozymes is a common aspect of the overall clearance of drugs. Further studies have revealed that genetic polymorphism of cytochrome P-450 isozymes underlies a wide spectrum of substrates specificity in drug oxidation. In certain cases, genetic mutation and/or deletion of one critical isozyme gene results in a significant alteration of a phenotype projected on substrate specificity. More specifically for example, defect of CYP2D6 gene is known to be responsible for poor metabolism of debrisoquine or spateteine (for example, H. J. Dengler et al., Arzenmittel-Forshung, Vol. 27, pp. 1836-, 1977). In addition, it has been reported that CYP2D6 oxidizes more than 30 drugs (for example, M. Eichelbaum et al., Pharmacol. Ther., Vol. 46, pp. 377-, 1990). Thus, those who have homozygous alteration in this recessive gene, are so-called "poor metabolizers (PMs)" and may suffer from severe side effects due to poor metabolism of drugs (for example, see M. Eichelbaum et al., Pharmacol. Ther., Vol. 46, pp. 377-, 1990). Such genetic alterations occur at rates of from 1 to 30% in different ethnic populations (for example, L. M. Distlerath et al., J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 260, pp. 9057-, 1985).
Previously, drug metabolism was evaluated by adding quinidine to a buffer solution of a substrate and microsomes (F. Peter et al., Molecular Pharmacology, Vol. 30, pp. 287-295, 1986). In this assay, quinidine is a strong competitive inhibitor of CYP2D6, and thus the contribution of CYP2D6 to the oxidative metabolism can be evaluated. However, quinidine is reported to inhibit other P-450 isozymes such as CYP3A4 (for example, F. P. Guengerich et al., Molecular Pharmacology, Vol. 30, pp. 287-, 1986), thereby preventing accurate evaluation of contribution of CYP2D6 in drug metabolism.
Therefore, it would be desirable if there were provided an improved method for accurately evaluating the susceptibility of a sample compound to metabolism with respect to a specific P-450 isozyme.

Method for evaluating drug metabolism and reagent compositions therefor


Disclosed is a receiver that receives at least three satellite signals and determines the contribution of dispersive elements, nondispersive elements, and phase windup to a phase difference between each received satellite signal and a corresponding generated signal.

The present invention relates generally to signal processing, and more specifically to processing global navigation satellite system signals.
In the processing of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data, two basic types of measurements are typically used to determine the position of a satellite receiver. One type of measurement is using a coded time mark of the transmission time of satellite signals. The other type of measurement is a phase (difference) measurement, the difference between the phase generated by the satellite oscillator at transmission time and the phase in the receiver's oscillator at receipt time.
With respect to the first type of measurement, a receiver receives signals transmitted by a satellite and, if needed, decodes the signals. Once decoded, the transmission time of the signals are compared to a received time of the signals determined by the receiver. The difference between the received time and the transmitted time is then multiplied by the vacuum speed of light to yield a pseudorange observation.
Along with the transmission time, tables of satellite ephemeris parameters are also typically transmitted by the satellite. With the satellite ephemeris parameters and pseudoranges from a minimum of four satellites, the location of a receiver at or near the earth's surface can be determined. The location is typically accurate to within several meters and often depends on the quality of the geometrical distribution of satellites and the number of satellites.
As described above, the other type of measurement used is phase measurement. The phase measurement is typically the measured difference between the carrier's phase state at transmission time and the phase state of the receiver at reception time. The difference is usually measured in the receiver's hardware utilizing a phase locked loop (PLL).
The precision typically considered for the PLL-based measurements is typically on the order of 0.01 cycles. The wavelengths of GNSS signals (having frequencies identified by identifiers L1 and L2) are approximately 19 and 24 cm, respectively. The expected quality, or accuracy, of the L1 and L2 phase measurements is approximately 2 mm, using the 0.01 cycle expectation.
The increase in phase measurement accuracy over pseudorange accuracy, however, occurs at a price. While pseudoranges are biased by the receiver's clock error, phase measurements are biased by initial phase offset values and an arbitrary cycle count (integer) (i.e., cycle ambiguity). While changes from epoch to epoch in phases are unambiguous as long as a lock on the phase signals is maintained, absolute phase values contain an unchanging ambiguity.
Because the accuracy associated with phase measurements (i.e., typically millimeter accuracy) is more appealing for use in precise positioning applications, there remains a need to utilize these phase measurements better.

Method and apparatus for processing global navigation satellite system signals


A floating DC-offset circuit for a phase detector. The circuit may provide a floating DC-offset to the phase detector, or to the voltage-controlled oscillator of the phase-locked loop. The circuit includes a voltage comparator, clock, digital resistor, and offset line to a DC-offset branch of the phase detector. The voltage comparator detects when the voltage at the output of the loop filter of the phase-locked loop has gone outside of a designated range, and activates the clock when the voltage is outside the designated range. The clock emits impulses that are counted by the digital resistor. The digital resistor shifts DC-offset at the DC-offset branch of the phase detector. The new DC-offset level is maintained once the loop filter output voltage has returned within the designated range. In an alternate embodiment, the DC-offset branch is connected to rough-tuning input of a wide-tuned voltage-controlled oscillator.

A phase-locked loop functions as a feedback control loop that detects a reference frequency signal, and generates and outputs a signal with a frequency and phase related to an input reference frequency signal. The negative feedback maintains the output signal locked to the reference signal, or, acts to bring the output signal into the same frequency and phase as the reference signal and then locks the output to the reference signal. The many applications of a phase-locked loop include stabilizing a signal, generating an analog signal with the same frequency as the input signal, signal demodulation, and the detection of a signal in the presence of noise.
Phase-locked loops are widely used in radio, telecommunications, computers, and a large range of other electronics systems. However, one limitation of phase-locked loops is the tendency for each component to exhibit drift when the phase-locked loop experiences temperature change, frequency level changes, changes in power, or other environmental shifts. The effect of drift in the components of the circuit, if the drift becomes significantly large, may be to jointly offset the average frequency of the oscillator in the phase-locked loop to the extent that it becomes difficult for the loop to become, or remain, locked to the reference frequency.
Solutions to this problem have been described in the prior art, including inversing the temperature drifts of the blocks of the circuit, introducing the desired offset voltage to the circuit, and inverting the DC into an AC phase difference. These solutions are limited by practical factors, such as the difficulty of matching inverse temperature drifts of the circuit blocks, and by cost factors, such as the cost of inverting DC into AC phase difference.
Accordingly, there is a need for a phase-locked loop that can adapt to extreme temperature, frequency, and power changes, as well as other environmental changes, while remaining able to in maintain, or achieve, a locked state with a reference frequency.

Floating DC-offset circuit for phase detector


The present invention is directed to devices and methods that can be used in ankle surgery, especially ankle fusion surgery.

Ankle and hindfoot fusion surgery is a standard orthopedic operation for relieving pain associated with joint degeneration due to such disorders as osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, deformity, neuroarthropathy, infection, or rheumatoid arthritis. The procedure typically involves removal of the worn out portion of the joint, followed by the immobilization of bones using an external fixator or an intramedullary device (see generally US 20070123857, published May 31, 2007 and US 20040039394, published Feb. 26, 2004).
Wright Medical began marketing a device in 2010 that uses an elongated metal shaft (a "nail") inserted longitudinally into the tibia of a patient (see Wright Medical publication FA309-509, Wright Medical Technology Inc., Arlington, Tenn.). Screws are positioned using a targeting guide that attaches to the end of the nail and rotates externally around the ankle of a patient. The screws are then inserted to connect and compress bones.
Another device has been described by Schon, et al., which also uses an intramedullary nail inserted into the tibia of patients (U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,620). Stabilizing screws are aligned with holes in the nail through the use of a tower section that extends externally from the base of the nail upward. Screws for joining bones together are positioned using an elongated blade that is driven through the calcaneus bone and intersects the intramedullary nail at a chosen angle.
Although the methods presently used for ankle and hindfoot fusion are effective, a need remains for new devices that can be conveniently used for promoting bone fusion with anatomic rigid plate fixation and the least trauma possible.

Medical devices for use during ankle fusion surgery


A BGA socket (1) comprises a base (20) defining a plurality of contact passageways (21), a plurality of contacts (30) received in the contact passageways, and a cover (10) movably mounted on the base. Each contact has a fitting portion (31) fixedly engaging with the base, a contact portion (32) formed above the fitting portion for engaging with a pin of an IC module, and a contact pad (33) below the fitting portion for being soldered to a printed circuit board. The bottom surface (331) of the contact pad has a plurality of bumps (332). A solder ball (34) is soldered to the bottom surface of the contact pad and bonded with the bumps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Ball Grid Array (BGA) socket, and particularly to a BGA socket contact having an improved contact pad for securing a solder ball in position.
2. Description of Related Art
BGA sockets are well known in the art for reliably connecting an integrated circuit (IC) module to a circuit board. Such BGA sockets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,099,321 and 6,062,890. The conventional BGA socket consists of a base, a cover movably mounted on the base, and a plurality of conductive contacts received in the base. The conductive contacts are fitted in contact passageways defined in the base and each comprises a contact pad oriented parallel to the base. After being mounted to the base, each contact is attached with a solder ball at a bottom surface thereof. The solder balls are secured to the contacts pads in advance, and are adapted to electrically and mechanically connect the contacts of the socket to a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the socket is mounted when the socket and the PCB are together subject to a reflow process. Although the conventional BGA socket has proven to work well, disadvantages exist which need to be addressed. Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the bottom surface 91 of the contact pad 9 of a conventional BGA contact is flat or has only one dimple 92 formed therein. After the solder ball 8 is attached on the contact pad 9, the solder joint between the solder ball 8 and the contact pad 9 is not reliable enough to sustain an external shearing force. Thus, the solder ball 8 may be damaged and even broken off during assembly and/or transportation, thereby adversely affecting the electrical capability of the whole socket.
Hence, a BGA socket with improved contacts is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a BGA socket with an improved contacts for securing solder balls in position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact with an improved contact pad.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, a BGA socket for electrically interconnecting an IC module and a circuit board in accordance with the present invention comprises a base defining a plurality of contact passageways, a plurality of contacts received in the contact passageways, and a cover movably mounted on the base and defining a plurality of receiving holes for receiving corresponding pins of the IC module. Each contact has a fitting portion fixedly engaging with the base, a contact portion formed above the fitting portion for engaging with a corresponding pin of the IC module, and a contact pad below the fitting portion for being soldered to the circuit board. The bottom surface of the contact pad has a plurality of bumps. A solder ball is soldered to the contact pad by soldering with the bottom surface of the contact pad and the bumps.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A clip for an air seal assembly, comprising a clip base having a control ring interface; a biasing element coupled to the clip base opposite the control ring interface; wherein the clip is insertable into a clip receiver and configured to engage a notch of a blade outer air seal and configured to detachably couple with a clip mounting flange.

The disclosure relates to a spring clip for a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) laminated blade outer air seal (BOAS) with an axially facing core mandrel.
An axial flow, gas turbine engine has a compression section, a combustion section and a turbine section. An annular flow path for the working fluid extends axially through the sections. A stator assembly extends about the annular flow path for confining the working fluid to the flow path and for directing the fluid along the flow path.
As the working fluid flows along the flow path, the working fluid is pressurized in the compression section and burned with fuel in the combustion section to add energy to the working fluid. The hot, pressurized working fluid is expanded through the turbine section to produce work. A major portion of this work is used for driving a free turbine or developing thrust for an aircraft.
A remaining portion of the work generated by the turbine section is not used for these purposes, Instead it is used to compress the working fluid itself. A rotor assembly extends between the turbine section and the compression section to transfer this work from the turbine section to the compression section. The rotor assembly in the turbine section has rotor blades which extend outwardly across the working medium flow path. The rotor blades have airfoils, which are angled with respect to the approaching flow to receive work from the working fluid and to drive the rotor assembly about the axis of rotation.
An outer air seal circumscribes the rotor blades to confine the working fluid to the flow path. The outer air seal is part of the stator structure and is formed of a plurality of arcuate segments. The stator assembly further includes an outer case and a structure for supporting the segments of the outer air seal from the outer case. The outer case and the support structure position the seal segments in close proximity to the blades to block the leakage of the working fluid past the tips of the blades. As a result, the segments are in intimate contact with the hot working fluid, that receives heat from the working fluid and are cooled to keep the temperature of the segments within acceptable limits.
The use of ceramic matrix composite blade outer air seals require large contact areas to reduce delamination risk and reduce bearing loads. A ceramic matrix composite blade outer air seal that includes many radial features inherently creates high thermal gradients. Axially installed BOAS require an attachment feature to keep them connected to the control ring. These parts can be complicated to manufacture as well as install. BOAS also need to be preloaded for low speed operations.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a spring clip that enables an alternative efficient system and method to assure a proper outer air seal to blade tip interface that can be individually installed or removed, while reducing the stresses from thermal gradients.


The present invention provides methods for determining the level of protein activity in a cell by: (i) measuring abundances of cellular constituents in a cell in which the activity of a specific protein is to be determined so that a diagnostic profile is thus obtained; (ii) measuring abundances of cellular constituents that occur in a cell in response to perturbations in the activity of said protein to obtain response profiles and interpolating said response profiles to generate response curves; and (iii) determining a protein activity level at which the response profile extracted from the response curves best fits the measured diagnostic profile, according to some objective measure. In alternative embodiments, the present invention also provides methods for identifying individuals having genetic mutations or polymorphisms that disrupt protein activity, and methods for identifying drug activity in vivo by determining the activity levels of proteins which interact with said drugs.

Within the past decade, several technologies have made it possible to monitor the expression level of a large number of transcripts within a cell at any one time (see, e.g., Schena et al., 1995, Quantitative monitoring of gene expression patterns with a complementary DNA micro-array, Science 270:467–470; Lockhort et al., 1996, Expression monitoring by hybridization to high-density oligonucleotide arrays, Nature Biotechnology 14:1675–1680; Blanchard et al., 1996, Sequence to array: Probing the genome's secrets, Nature Biotechnology 14, 1649; 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,588, issued Oct. 29, 1996 to Ashby et al. entitled "Methods for NY2-1221902.1 Drug Screening"). In organisms for which the complete genome is known, it is possible to analyze the transcripts of all genes within the cell. With other organisms, such as human, for which there is an increasing knowledge of the genome, it is possible to simultaneously monitor large numbers of the genes within the cell.
Early applications of this technology have involved identification of genes which are up regulated or down regulated in various diseased states. Additional uses for transcript arrays have included the analyses of members of signaling pathways, and the identification of targets for various drugs. However, because proteins are regulated by many different processes that include, not only transcription, but also translational controls and post-translational controls, it has not previously been recognized that transcript arrays might be beneficial in analyzing differential activity of proteins.
However, the ability to monitor minor differences in protein activity levels would be of great human and commercial value. For example, most genetic mutations that produce a diseased state do so by disrupting the activity level of the corresponding gene product. Thus, the ability to determine disruption or partial disruption of activity of a particular gene product, i.e., a particular protein, in cells provides a useful means for identifying those individuals having genetic mutations and/or polymorphisms that disrupt the function of important proteins. In particular, there are numerous cancer susceptibility genes, numerous genes that determine metabolism of drugs, and genes that determine the presence of numerous disease states which, if altered in one of the two alleles, would provide an increased risk for a large set of health related problems. Examples of such genes, which are referred to herein as "susceptibility genes", include, but are not limited to, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are associated with greatly increased susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer (Cannon-Albright and Skolnick, 1996, Seminars in Oncology 23:1–5), APC which is associated with an increased susceptibility to colon cancer (Tomlinson et al., 1997, Cancer and Metastasis Reviews 16:67–79; and Cunningham and Dunlop, 1996, British Journal of Surgery 83:321–329), p16/CDKN2A which is associated with an increased susceptibility to cutaneous melanoma (Haluska and Hodi, 1998, Journal of Clinical Oncology 16:670–682), RET and VHL which are associated with an increased susceptibility to pheochromocytoma and hypertension (Hartmut et al., 1996, American Journal of Kidney Diseases 28:329–333), AT1R which is associated with diabetic nephropathy (Chowdhury et al., 1997, Diabet. Med. 14:837–840), IRS1 which is associated with type II diabetes (Stern et al., 1996, Diabetes 45:563–568), apoE which is associated with Alzheimer's disease (Weisgraber and Mahley, 1996, FASEB J. 10:1485–1494), and p53 which is associated with several types of human cancers (see, e.g., Friend, 1994, Science 265:334–335; Frebourg and Friend, 1992, J. Clin. Invest. 90:1637–1641; and Li et al., 1992, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 84:1156–1160). For a review of polymorphisms that affect drug metabolism in humans see, e.g., Smith et al., 1995, Cancer Surveys, vol. 25: "Genetics and Cancer: A Second Look", Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
In particular, there is a need for methods for identifying individuals having heterozygous mutations, i.e., mutations in which one of the two alleles of a gene is altered. Direct detection of heterozygous mutations is problematic with PCR since the wild type copy of the gene is also present. Further, the exact sequence of the mutated gene copy will not, in general, be known. Additionally, the genotype of a mutation is not as direct an indication of protein function as are the effects of the protein itself. Consequently, the monitoring of protein function is often a superior indicator of a disease state or disease susceptibility compared to genotyping, since the protein activity level is more directly related to organism function (see, e.g., Brown and Hartwell, 1998, Nature Genetics 18:91-93). Direct monitoring of protein function in heterozygote carriers is ofter difficult, however, because assays are complex and monitoring of 50% or less decrease in overall activity can be difficult biochemically.
Methods for analyzing differential function of proteins would also be useful to monitor the activity of drugs in cells, in vivo. Currently, it would be a great benefit if one could assay for diminished activities that drugs have over time in a way that is not dependent upon independently characterizing individual metabolic breakdown products.
Thus, there is a need for methods of monitoring the activity levels of proteins in cells. In particular, there is a need for methods for monitoring protein activity in cells which thereby make it possible to identify individuals who have genetic mutations and/or polymorphisms that disrupt the activity of important proteins, and are associated with diseased states or with an increased susceptibility to certain diseased state. Further, there is a need for methods of monitoring protein activity in cells which allow for identifying the activity of drugs in vivo.
Discussion or citation of a reference herein shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is prior art to the present invention.

Computer systems and computer programs for determining protein activity levels using gene expression profiles


The drive train of an appliance timer includes a slip clutch formed of a triangular spring meshing with the outer flat surfaces of a hexagonal drive shaft. The slip clutch is incorporated into a drive pinion in the appliance timer drive train. Excessive torque causes the walls of the triangular spring to resiliently bend outward under rotational pressure from the drive shaft, permitting the drive shaft to rotate without rotating the drive pinion. When used in an icemaker, the slip provided by the clutch alleviates the need for an expensive, stallable motor.

A typical icemaker mounted in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator will make about one harvest of cubes per hour. The typical icemaker includes a timing motor, a valve for admitting water into the ice mold to form ice, a thermostatic switch in thermal communication with the ice mold, a heater for partially melting the ice so that it will release from the mold, and an ejector bar with fingers for ejecting cubes from the mold.
A typical harvest cycle begins with the timing motor running. During a water fill period defined by the motion of the timing motor, a predetermined quantity of water flows into the mold. After the mold is filled to the desired level, the timing motor shuts off, initiating a freezing period. The ice freezing period ends when the thermostatic switch changes state, indicating that the water has frozen to ice. The thermostatic switch turns the timing motor on. The motion of the timing motor turns the heater on and rotates the ejector bar until the fingers contact the ice. The timing motor then stalls in this position, the stall torque of the motor putting continued pressure on the ice in the mold. As soon as the heater has sufficiently melted the ice to release it from the mold, the fingers begin moving and eject the ice from the mold and into the storage bin.
Once ice has been ejected into the bin, a feeler mechanism associated with the bin generates a signal to initiate a new cycle and form more ice if the bin is not full.
Despite numerous prior units, there are certain difficulties with known icemakers. In particular, known icemakers have complex designs with a multiplicity of parts, particularly in the switching elements, increasing cost and reducing reliability. Furthermore, known icemakers require the use of stallable motors which are more expensive than non-stallable motors. Also, to perform an installation test of an existing icemaker, an installer must manually advance the switch timing mechanisms, which can require uncomfortable and difficult manipulation and increases the likelihood of damage to the icemaker during installation.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a simplified icemaker with fewer parts and greater reliability, particularly in the switching mechanisms.
Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an icemaker in which the need for a stallable timing motor is eliminated.
Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an icemaker having an improved installation testing procedure.

Time switch with clutch mechanism and cam operated contacts