A method for the production of fermentable sugars and high viscosity cellulose from lignocellulosic material in a batch or continuous process is provided. Lignocellulosic material is fractionated in a fashion that cellulose is removed as pulp, cooking chemicals can be reused, lignin is separated for the production of process energy, and hemicelluloses are converted into fermentable sugars, while fermentation inhibitors are removed. High yield production of alcohols or organic acids can be obtained from this method using the final reaction step.

Commercial sulfite pulping has been practiced since 1874. The focus of sulfite pulping is the preservation of cellulose. In an effort to do that, industrial variants of sulfite pulping take 6-10 hours to dissolve hemicelluloses and lignin producing a low yield of fermentable sugars.
Stronger acidic cooking conditions that hydrolyze the hemicelluloses to produce a high yield of fermentable sugars also hydrolyze the cellulose and therefore the cellulose is not preserved.
Sulfite pulping produces spent cooking liquor termed sulfite liquor. Fermentation of sulfite liquor to hemicellulosic ethanol has been practiced primarily to reduce the environmental impact of the discharges from sulfite mills since 1909. Published design data from one of the two known remaining sulfite mills that produces ethanol, shows ethanol yields not to exceed 33% of original hemicelluloses. Ethanol yield is low due to the incomplete hydrolysis of the hemicelluloses to fermentable sugars and further compounded by sulfite pulping side products, such as furfural, methanol, acetic acid and others, inhibiting fermentation to ethanol.
Energy use for ethanol production in said sulfite mill applications is higher than the energy value of the ethanol produced. Furthermore, this sulfite process uses calcium sulfite or ammonium sulfite and has no chemical recovery, therefore chemical losses are high. Because of poor ethanol yield, lower cost of synthetic ethanol production, and the production of ethanol from corn today, only two sulfite mills are known to have continued the practice of hemicellulosic ethanol production to date.
In the 20th century, Kraft pulping eclipsed sulfite pulping as the dominant chemical pulping method.
Kraft pulping however does not hydrolyze the hemicelluloses into fermentable sugars; instead hemicelluloses are in solution with soluble inorganic cooking chemicals and cannot readily be separated.
The number of sulfite pulp mills remaining in operation continues to reduce each year. The main reasons are that when compared to Kraft pulping, sulfite pulping produces inferior strength pulp, requires more cooking time, requires aged wood as the raw material (green wood cannot be readily used), is not feasible on as many different wood species, and lacks an efficient method of chemical recovery therefore chemical losses are high.
Other processes using solvent cooking chemicals have been tried as an alternative to Kraft or sulfite pulping. Original solvent processes are described in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,856,567 to Kleinert et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 2,060,068 to Groombridge et al. Although three demonstration size facilities for ethanol-water (ALCELL), alkaline sulfite with anthraquinone and methanol (ASAM), and ethanol-water-sodium hydroxide (Organocell) were operated briefly in the 1990's, today there are no full scale solvent pulping mills. None of these solvent processes provided for fermentable sugar production from hemicelluloses.
Groombridge shows that an aqueous solvent with sulfur dioxide is a potent delignifying system to produce cellulose from lignocellulosic material.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,463 to Proenca reveals that simultaneous delignification and rapid hydrolysis of the entire cellulosic material, both the cellulose and the hemicelluloses, is possible in the presence of an organic solvent and a dilute inorganic acid; however this process does not preserve the cellulose.
Therefore in the prior art of processing lignocellulosic material for the primary purpose of producing cellulose:
a) The sulfite processes to date (including base sulfite and ethanol sulfite) in an effort to preserve the cellulose, do not yield complete hydrolysis of hemicelluloses and produce fermentation inhibitors, thereby resulting in low yields of fermentable sugars in the sulfite liquor and furthermore, low yield of any downstream fermentation products from said sugars.b) Strong acid processing of lignocellulosic material degrades and hydrolyzes both hemicelluloses and cellulose, therefore cellulose is not preserved.c) The Kraft process does not hydrolyze hemicelluloses to fermentable sugars.d) Organic solvent pulping methods did not hydrolyze hemicelluloses to fermentable sugars, i.e., only part were hydrolyzed, not all.e) Treatment of lignocellulosic material with dilute inorganic acid in organic solvent hydrolyzes both cellulose and hemicelluloses and therefore does not preserve the cellulose.f) In the Kraft process lignin condensation causes loss of lignin reactivity.

Method for the production of fermentable sugars and cellulose from lignocellulosic material


A method and a computed tomography unit are disclosed, that render it possible in a simple way to remove ring artifacts from tomograms Ik, particularly in the case of a fast feed of the recording region per revolution of the recording system of the computed tomography unit by calculating a ring artifact image Ik for each tomogram Ik. In this procedure, temporary ring artifact images Rtk are firstly calculated for each tomogram Ik, and subsequently the final ring artifact image Rk is formed for the purpose of correcting the respective tomogram Ik by averaging over at least a portion Tsub of the temporary ring artifact images Rtk, the temporary ring artifact images Rtk being rotated before averaging in such a way that the ring artifacts present in the temporary artifact images Rtk substantially coincide and their position substantially corresponds to the ring artifacts present in the tomogram Ik.

The recording system of a computed tomography unit which is known, for example, from EP 0 819 406 A1 includes an X-ray machine and a multirow detector. An X-ray machine and detector are arranged lying opposite one another on a rotary frame such that an object volume in the form of a spiral scan can be scanned during rotation of the rotary frame about a rotation axis and during a continuous feed of the object, which is supported on a bearing frame, in the direction of the rotation axis. A tomogram or volumetric image is reconstructed on the basis of the X-ray images acquired by the detector during the spiral scan from different projection directions.
Ring artifacts that are centered about a center of rotation, identifiable in the tomogram, of the recording system of the computed tomography unit cause signal errors of individual detector elements of the multirow detector. DE 198 35 451 A1 describes a method for removing ring artifacts in tomograms produced with the aid of a computed tomography unit. The known method includes method steps for calculating a correction image that substantially includes only the ring artifacts present in the tomogram.
The tomogram is subjected to at least one instance of median filtering for this purpose. An instance of low-pass filtering following thereupon serves the purpose of suppressing interfering noise components and noise structures. The low-pass filtering is performed along circular arcs about the center of rotation in the image. In the case of the known method, a result image in which the ring artifacts are suppressed is produced by a subsequent subtraction of the low-pass-filtered correction image from the input image, it being necessary, however, for the ring artifacts to have a certain minimum length for a successful suppression.
The length of a ring artifact or of a ring segment representing a ring artifact is determined by the speed with which that recording region of an object which is to be scanned is displaced in the direction of the rotation axis during each revolution of the recording system. The ring segment becomes shorter in this case the quicker the feed of the recording region to be scanned. However, ring segments of a short length such as are produced during rapid scanning of the recording region are not acquired or suppressed at all in tomograms in the case of the known method, or only unsatisfactorily so.

Method for removing ring artifacts from tomograms produced with the aid of a computed tomography unit


An apparatus and a method for soaking foodstuff in a liquid under set acid pH conditions of the liquid is described. The foodstuff is soaked in the liquid so as to reduce a content of phytic acid and/or phytate contained in the foodstuff. The apparatus has a vessel for receiving the foodstuff and the liquid for soaking the foodstuff within the vessel. The apparatus further has an amount determining system which is configured to determine an amount of the liquid and/or an amount of the foodstuff to be used for the soaking within the vessel. Further, the apparatus has a pH adjusting system configured to perform an electrolysis of at least a portion of the liquid for adjusting a pH level of the liquid.

Phytic acid (also known as myoinositol hexaphosphate, IP6) or its salt form, phytate, is the storage form of phosphorus found in many plants, contained in large amounts in the bran or in the shell of grains, in nuts and seeds. Herbivores easily digest phytic acid, but humans cannot.
Concerns about the presence of phytic acid and phytates in food for humans have been raised based on evidence that phytic acid and phytates decrease the bioavailability of many essential minerals by interacting with multivalent cations and/or proteins to form complexes that may be insoluble or otherwise unavailable under physiologic conditions. Specifically, phytic acid forms salts with minerals it encounters in the digestive tract. Such minerals include iron, magnesium, copper, etc. and are seed-derived minerals consumed in the meal, or, in cases like zinc, from "endogenous stores" which are already in the individual consuming the meal. The salts formed between phytic acid and the minerals prevent these minerals from being absorbed into the body, which can lead to calcium, iron and zinc deficiencies. On the other hand, humans easily absorb these minerals when phytic acid and phytate are not present. Since phytic acid and phytate chemically tie up key nutrients, they are also called "antinutritional factors", or "antinutrients".
There are several processing techniques known for reducing the content of phytic acid and phytate in foodstuff, such as dehulling, germination, and fermentation. However, some these techniques are time-consuming and complex, making it difficult to use them in industrial food preparation processes. Also for this reason, these techniques cannot be carried out by consumers at home. Others of these techniques can be applied at home but are not efficient enough in reducing the content of phytic acid and phytate and reduce also the content of other nutrients due to high temperatures and due to the leaching out effect.
Accordingly, a need exists for providing an apparatus and a method which provide more efficient food preparation for reducing a content of phytic acid and/or phytate in food.

Cooking apparatus for reducing a content of phytic acid and phytate contained in foodstuff


An integrated circuit having a logic element that includes an array of storage elements convertibly functioning as either a configuration random access memory (CRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM) is provided. The logic element includes first and second pairs of data paths having dedicated multiplexers. In one embodiment, the first and second pairs of data paths are multiplexed into bit lines of a row of the array. The logic element also includes a data path control block generating control signals for each of the dedicated multiplexers. The control signals determine whether the storage elements function as a CRAM or a SRAM. A method for selectively configuring a memory array between a CRAM mode and SRAM mode are provided.

The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuits and in particular to programmable devices having convertible storage elements. In programmable devices, such as programmable logic devices (PLD), one type of random access memory is used to store configuration data of the PLD, this type of memory is often referred to as a configuration random access memory (CRAM). Each CRAM stores a pre-defined bit or information for a static task. Depending on the combination of multiple CRAMs, a PLD is able to work differently by using the same hardware. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the CRAM is loaded during the start-up operation of the PLD. The start-up operation where the CRAM is loaded, which may be referred to as a configuration mode, typically occurs between the chip power on and the user operation. Once the CRAM is loaded, the contents cannot be changed.
Despite the success of programmable logic, there is a continuing desire to provide greater functionality in a programmable logic device, and at the same time, to provide greater flexibility. There is also a need to provide higher performance user memories also. Currently, the memories for a programmable logic device are typically pre-defined in size and these pre-defined memories are used under restrictions. Thus, the restrictions limit the flexibility of using the memories, e.g., when a portion of the programmable logic device that contains the memory, or combinational logic that includes memory is unused, the memory remains unused.
Accordingly, there is a need for a highly flexible memory, which may be selectively configured between combinational logic functions and memory functions within a programmable logic device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Assemblies that can be disposed in a subterranean bore and that can facilitate branch wellbore creation are described. An assembly can include threadedly coupled components having inner and outer sealing members in grooves. The sealing member can cooperate with the components to provide a pressure seal. The assembly can also include a venting member for equalizing pressure in a chamber defined by the coupled components. One of the components can be made from aluminum. At least part of that component can be coated with a coating material that is nonconductive.

Hydrocarbons can be produced through a wellbore traversing a subterranean formation. The wellbore may be relatively complex. For example, the wellbore can include multilateral wellbores and/or sidetrack wellbores. Multilateral wellbores include one or more lateral wellbores extending from a parent (or main) wellbore. A sidetrack wellbore is a wellbore that is diverted from a first general direction to a second general direction. A sidetrack wellbore can include a main wellbore in a first direction and a secondary wellbore diverted from the main wellbore and in a second general direction. A multilateral wellbore can include a window to allow lateral wellbores to be formed. A sidetrack wellbore can include a window to allow the wellbore to be diverted to the second general direction.
A window can be formed by positioning a casing joint and a whipstock in a casing string at a desired location in the main wellbore. The whipstock can deflect one or more mills laterally (or in another orientation) relative to the casing string. The deflected mills penetrate part of the casing joint to form the window in the casing string through which drill bits can form the lateral wellbore or the secondary wellbore.
Casing joints are often made from high-strength material. The high-strength material may also be non-corrosive to withstand corrosive elements, such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, which may be present in the subterranean environment. Milling a portion of the high-strength material can be difficult and can create a large amount of debris, such as small pieces of the casing joint, that can affect detrimentally well completion and hydrocarbon production. Even casing joints having a portion of a sidewall with a smaller thickness through which a window can be milled can introduce debris, particularly if the casing joints are made from a dense, high-strength material. The debris can prevent the whipstock from being retrieved easily after milling is completed, plug flow control devices, damage seals, obstruct seal bores, and interfere with positioning components in the main bore below the casing joint.
Casing joints with pre-milled windows can be used to reduce or eliminate debris. The pre-milled windows can include a fiberglass outer liner to prevent particulate materials from entering the inner diameter of the casing string. The fiberglass outer liner can be milled easily and milling the fiberglass outer liner can result in less debris as compared to drilling a window through a casing joint made from high-strength material.
The casing joint can experience high pressure in a subterranean formation. Additional support may be desired in view of the high pressure on the casing joint. An aluminum sleeve can be provided exterior to the casing joint at the location of the window to provide the additional support. O-rings can be provided at each end of the aluminum sleeve to provide a seal between the aluminum sleeve and the casing joint. The aluminum sleeves and the O-rings increase the outer diameter of the casing string. In some applications, the outer diameter may be increased by one or more inches. An increase in outer diameter can be unacceptable in some situations. Material through which milling is easier can be located in the opening to avoid increasing the diameter. Coupling the material to the other components of a casing string can be difficult, however.
Therefore, an assembly with material through which a window can be formed is desirable that can include a mechanism by which the material is coupled to other components of a casing string.


A fluorochemical treatment composition comprises (a) a sol comprising a colloidal dispersion of substantially discrete, substantially monodisperse in size, polymer-grafted, inorganic microparticles in liquid; and (b) at least one fluorochemical. The composition can be used to impart durable water and oil repellency, stain release, and dry soil resistance to a variety of substrates.

Fluorochemicals are widely used to impart water and oil repellency as well as dry soil resistance to substrates, particularly fibrous substrates such as carpets. The fluorochemicals thereby enable the substrates to retain their original aesthetic appeal. But many fluorochemical treatments lack durability.
For example, fluorochemicals which have high glass transition temperatures can flake from treated substrates when subjected to abrasion during use. This results in unprotected areas of substrate which thereafter fail to resist staining and soiling. Even fluorochemical treatments which are less brittle and prone to flaking often cannot withstand cleaning operations.
Thus, there is a need in the art for fluorochemical treatments which can provide durable water and oil repellency and durable dry soil resistance. Such treatments should preferably also possess durable stain release properties, and, in view of current environmental concerns, the treatments should be deliverable from water rather than from organic solvent.

Composition and process for imparting durable repellency to substrates

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


An exercise apparatus for training the core muscles can include a wheeled platform for supporting the upper body or the lower body while the user employs the core muscles to roll the platform across a surface. Two vertical posts can be positioned on opposite sides of the platform near a back edge of the platform to provide handles for the user when the platform is used to support the user's upper body. A third vertical post can be positioned near the center of the platform and can be used to add weights to the platform thereby increasing the difficulty of rolling the platform across a surface.

The present invention relates generally to an exercise apparatus that can be used to train the core muscles. In particular, the present invention is directed to a wheeled platform that can support the upper body or lower body during the performance of various exercises which target the core muscles.
The core is a complex series of muscles in the torso that primarily function as a stabilizer and force transfer center. These muscles perform a critical role in nearly all movements. In spite of their central role in human movement, many people when working out fail to adequately train the core muscles. For example, many people will perform a set of sit-ups believing that doing so will adequately strengthen the core muscles. However, sit-ups alone fail to train many of the muscles of the core.
Recently, there has been increased awareness of the importance of core strength and agility. Increasingly more exercises for training the core muscles are being recommended each day including those that require no equipment and those that do. As with any exercise, the likelihood that an individual will incorporate a core exercise into his or her exercise routine is highly dependent on the ease at which the exercise can be performed, the effectiveness of the exercise, and whether or not the exercise is enjoyable.


A device includes multiple row power lines and multiple row control lines arranged in rows, where each row control line corresponds to one of the row power lines. The device also includes multiple column power lines arranged in columns. The device further includes multiple unit cells, where each unit cell is coupled to one of the row power lines and one of the row control lines and selectively coupled to one of the column power lines. In addition, the device includes multiple row power switches and multiple column power switches arranged in pairs, where each pair includes one of the row power switches and one of the column power switches. Each pair is configured to selectively (i) connect a corresponding one of the rows and a corresponding one of the columns or (ii) isolate the corresponding one row and the corresponding one column from each other.

Integrated circuits, such as complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits, often include multiple circuit elements (such as pixels) arranged in a grid. Operation of such an integrated circuit often includes providing power to each of the individual circuit elements. In some integrated circuits, multiple power supplies are used to provide power to the multiple circuit elements, where each power supply can provide power to a particular subset of the circuit elements. A defect that appears in the integrated circuit (such as a defect created during manufacturing or damage that occurs in a run-time environment, such as by a laser) can cause a short between two or more of the power supplies, which can result in one or more of the circuit elements being non-operable.

Switch-based grid for resiliency and yield improvement


Method in a wireless device for managing handover from a source cell to a target cell. When a first difference of a first quality measurement of a signal from the target cell minus a first quality measurement of a signal from the source cell is above a first threshold for a first time period, the wireless device sends a report to the source network node and receives a message to handover to the target cell. When a second difference of a second quality measurement of a signal from the target cell minus a second quality measurement of a signal from the source cell is above a second threshold value, for a second time period, the wireless device triggers handover to the target cell. When it is not above the second threshold value, for the second time period, it cancels the handover.

Communication devices such as wireless devices are also known as e.g. User Equipments (UE), mobile terminals, wireless terminals and/or mobile stations. Wireless devices are enabled to communicate wirelessly in a wireless communications system or wireless communication system, sometimes also referred to as a cellular radio system or cellular networks. The communication may be performed e.g. between two wireless devices, between a wireless device and a regular telephone and/or between a wireless device and a server via a Radio Access Network (RAN) and possibly one or more core networks, comprised within the wireless communications system.
Wireless devices may further be referred to as mobile telephones, cellular telephones, or laptops with wireless capability, just to mention some further examples. The wireless devices in the present context may be, for example, portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as wireless device or a server.
The wireless communications system covers a geographical area which is divided into cell areas, wherein each cell area being served by a base station, e.g. a Radio Base Station (RBS), which sometimes may be referred to as e.g. "eNB", "eNodeB", "NodeB", "B node", or BTS (Base Transceiver Station), depending on the technology and terminology used. The base stations may be of different classes such as e.g. macro eNodeB, home eNodeB or pico base station, based on transmission power and thereby also cell size. A cell is the area of radio coverage provided by the base station at a base station site. One base station, situated on the base station site, may serve one or several cells. Further, each base station may support one or several communication technologies. The base stations communicate over the air interface operating on radio frequencies with the wireless devices within range of the base stations.
In some RANs, several base stations may be connected, e.g. by landlines or microwave, to a radio network controller, e.g. a Radio Network Controller (RNC) in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and/or to each other. The radio network controller, also sometimes termed a Base Station Controller (BSC) e.g. in GSM, may supervise and coordinate various activities of the plural base stations connected thereto. GSM is an abbreviation for Global System for Mobile Communications (originally: Groupe Spécial Mobile).
In 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), base stations, which may be referred to as eNodeBs or even eNBs, may be directly connected to one or more core networks.
UMTS is a third generation mobile communication system, which evolved from the GSM, and is intended to provide improved mobile communication services based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) access technology. UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) is essentially a radio access network using wideband code division multiple access for wireless devices. The 3GPP has undertaken to evolve further the UTRAN and GSM based radio access network technologies.
According to 3GPP GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), a wireless device has a multi-slot class, which determines the maximum transfer rate in the uplink and downlink direction. EDGE is an abbreviation for Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution. In the end of 4008 the first release, Release 8, of the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard was finalized and later releases have also been finalized.
In the context of this disclosure, the expression Downlink (DL) is used for the transmission path from the base station to the mobile station. The expression Uplink (UL) is used for the transmission path in the opposite direction i.e. from the mobile station to the base station.
In cellular telecommunications, the term handover refers to the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one cell serviced by a network node connected to the core network, i.e., from a source cell serviced by a source network node, to another cell serviced a another network node, i.e., to a target cell serviced by a target network node. In a typical wireless communications network, one network node only covers one or more limited geographical area or cell; therefore, handover from a source cell to a target cell becomes a very important feature for the seamless mobility of wireless devices in the entire wireless communications network. The performance of handover also becomes an important factor that affects the user's experience.
As shown schematically in FIG. 1, in current systems, the general handover process comprises three sub-processes:
(1) When a wireless device detects a better cell which fulfills a certain requirement for handover, the wireless device sends a measurement report which comprises target cell information to inform the source network node to trigger handover preparation. Handover requirements include an offset between source cell and target cell and time delay to trigger the measurement report.
(2) When the source network node receives the measurement report, it will coordinate with the target network node which serves the target or neighboring cell, if there is available resource for the wireless device. The source network node will then send an RrcReconfiguration message to the wireless device, which contains information on the target cell so that the wireless device may access the target cell.
(3) When the wireless device receives the RrcReconfiguration message from the source network node, it will start to access to the target cell, and it will then send handover complete to the source network node after radio link setup success in the new, i.e., target, cell.
If the parameters offset and time to trigger (as shown in FIG. 1) are not set properly, handover may happen too early or too late, which will probably result in a handover failure.
In a cell edge, if a target, also referred to as neighboring, cell is using the same frequency band as the source, also referred to as serving, cell, there may be strong intra-frequency interference. This interference may lead to low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) when a wireless device is on the cell edge during a handover process, and this may in turn lead to handover failure.
Handover failure is a problem which will degrade the user experience. In practice, various handover failures may occur, and these failures may be grouped into four categories:
(1) Too early handover;
(2) Too late handover;
(3) Handover that is not triggered properly; and
(4) Ping-ponging handover.
FIG. 2 illustrates a first example in a practical scenario of a method of the prior art wherein the handover is performed too late. In the Figure, each one of the source network node and the target network node services three cells (A, B and C). A wireless device moves in the path and direction marked by the arrow.
If the mobility of the wireless device is greater than the handover parameter settings allow for, handover may be triggered when the signal strength of the source cell serviced by the source network node is too low. The signal quality may then not be good enough for the wireless device to detect the Radio Resource Control (RRC) Reconfiguration message. This may lead to a Radio Link Failure (RLF) in the source network node and re-establishment of the communication in a different cell than the source, usually in the target cell serviced by the target network node.
The general solution in current systems is to use Self-Optimizing Network (SON) to optimize the parameters related to handover and try to avoid handover failure resulting from too late handover.
This solution can only reduce the possibility of too late handover, and it needs to collect data for a long time, and analyze it repeatedly.
FIG. 3 depicts a second example in a practical scenario of a method of the prior art wherein the handover is performed too early. As in FIG. 2, each one of the source network node and the target network node may service three cells (A, B and C).
Too-early handover may be triggered when a wireless device enters an island of coverage of another cell contained inside the coverage area of the source cell. This is a typical scenario for areas where fragmented cell coverage is inherent to the radio propagation environment, such as dense urban areas.
In this example, the wireless device has contiguous coverage from a cell B, serviced by the source network node, but due to a region of strong coverage from a cell A, serviced by target network node, a handover takes place to the cell A of the target network node. As the wireless device exits this region of coverage, an RLF occurs and the wireless device reconnects to the cell B of the source network node.
According to prior methods using SON, cell A of the target network node analyses the RLF and checks the length of time it carried the call. If cell A of the target network node carried the call for less than a certain period of time, it then concludes that the wireless device should not have been handed over to cell A of the target network node in the first place. The target network node then sends a Handover Report to the source network node and the neighbor relationship from cell B of the source network node to cell A of the target network node is adjusted such that the wireless device does not handover to cell A of the target network node in the first place. This prior art method requires time consuming data collection and analysis.
Currently, there are many ways to try to overcome the above handover problems. These solutions mainly focus on optimization of handover parameters based on feedback information in an RLF and RRC re-establishment from the wireless device and uplink measurement from the source cell. According to the information from the wireless device and the source network node, at least one of the source network node and the target network node may be able to identify the different scenarios of handover failure, such as too early handover, too late handover and so on. The optimization function will then adjust the corresponding parameters based on these inputs.
US8012/0088507A1 provides a way to identify different handover problems. The approach disclosed in this application provides full information across the handover process for the handover problem identification and parameter adaptation, uplink and downlink measurements before handover trigger and after the handover is complete. Measurements for handover failure and handover success are all included. Based on the input information, the performance of handover identification and parameter adaption is improved.
US8010/0173626A1 provides a method for configuring adaptive handover parameters, time to delay and signal strength offset included. This mitigates the handover failure problems through repeated adjustment of these parameters.
All the above approaches focus on the handover failure identification and parameter optimization. However, these processes require a lot of information input. Moreover, in addition to the fact that the self-optimization process takes a long time, it can only reduce the possibility of handover failures because of too late handover and too early handover, but it cannot avoid it.


A film is provided, including 10 to 20 weight percent of a thermoplastic elastomer, preferably a chlorinated polyethylene, 10 to 20 weight percent of a thermoplastic that is a chlorine-based plastic, less than 15 weight percent of a modifier that imparts predetermined mechanical properties to the film, and 20 weight percent or less of a nondiffusing plasticizer, less than 40 wt % of a filler and 20 wt % or less of a flame-inhibiting material.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a thermoplastic film.
2. Description of Related Art
Metallic jacketing has been used for decades to protect thermal insulation material from weathering influences and mechanical effects. Solutions of this type consist, for example, of stainless steel, aluminum alloys, zinc-galvanized steel, particularly in pipe form, and are mechanically affixed to cover the insulation material.
The advantage of such solutions resides in the frequently long service life and good mechanical resistance. The biggest disadvantage is that corrosion of the insulated piping may take place underneath the metallic jacketing and underneath the insulation layer to be protected. This problem arises because in the long run metallic jacketing can generally not be 100% sealed off from the outside. Moisture can therefore get underneath the metallic jacketing and penetrate into the insulation material on the piping. As a result, the insulation material is damaged and there may be ensuing corrosion of the piping to be protected.
In places with extreme weather conditions, for example, on an offshore platform, such a process may ensue after just 2 to 3 years and make it necessary to renew the insulation and the protective jacketing.
Nonmetallic jacketing is also known.
The main disadvantage of nonmetallic jacketing is that additional materials are needed to obtain an impervious enclosure around the pipework with nonmetallic jacketing. Adhesives, for example, neoprene adhesives, are used to tightly seal the jacketing, for example.
Other nonmetallic jacketing cannot be used because it is not sufficiently durable under the surrounding conditions or it is too costly, as in the case of Viton or Teflon for example.
EP 2 375 118 A1 relates to a thermoplastic PVC component comprising vegetable fillers for production of flexible hoses.


An optical amplifier uses a gain medium pumped with pump energy of a first wavelength that oscillates through the gain medium. In one embodiment, the pumping is essentially a cavity resonator that is coupled to either end of the gain medium such that oscillating pump energy passes through the gain medium as it reflects back and forth between the ends of the cavity. Highly reflective gratings may be used to maintain the oscillation of the pump energy, and a pump energy source, such as pumped doped optical fiber, is coupled to at least one of the gratings. In another embodiment, the pump source consists of multiple reflectors used at each end, and independent pump sources each having a slightly different wavelength within the absorption spectrum of the amplifier are coupled together, such that two pump wavelengths are simultaneously oscillated through the gain medium. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the reflective gratings are integrated directly into a portion of the pathway through which the signal to be amplified passes. This embodiment uses a pump source that causes generation of the pump energy in the gain medium which, in turn, provides amplification of the optical signal. A two-pass embodiment is also shown in which the optical signal enters and exits from the same end of the amplifier gain medium. An optical circulator may be used to provide unidirectional porting of the input and output signals to the gain medium.

As is known in the art, an optical amplifier is a device that increases the amplitude of an input optical signal fed thereto. If the optical signal at the input to such an amplifier is monochromatic, the output will also be monochromatic, with the same frequency. A conventional optical amplifier comprises a gain medium, such as a single mode glass fiber having a core doped with a rare earth material, connected to a WDM coupler which provides low insertion loss at both the input signal and pump wavelengths. The input signal is provided, via the coupler, to the medium. Excitation occurs through optical pumping from the pumping source. Pump energy that is within the absorption band of the rare earth dopant is combined with the optical input signal within the coupler, and applied to the medium. The pump energy is absorbed by the gain medium, and the input signal is amplified by stimulated emission from the gain medium.
Such amplifiers are typically used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, amplification of weak optical pulses such as those that have traveled through a long length of optical fiber in communication systems. Optical amplification can take place in a variety of materials including those materials, such as silica, from which optical fibers are formed. Thus, a signal propagating on a silica-based optical fiber can be introduced to a silica-based optical fiber amplifier, and amplified by coupling pump energy into the amplifier gain medium.
Fiber amplifiers are generally constructed by adding impurities to (i.e. "doping") an optical fiber. For a silica-based fiber, such dopants include the elements erbium and ytterbium. For example, one type of fiber amplifier referred to as an erbium (Er) amplifier typically includes a silica fiber having a single-mode core doped with erbium ions (conventionally denoted as Er.sup.3+). It is well known that an erbium optical fiber amplifier operating in its standard so-called three level mode is capable, when pumped at a wavelength of 980 nanometers (nm), of amplifying optical signals having a wavelength of approximately 1550 nanometers (nm). Likewise, an amplifier having a silica-based fiber "co-doped" with erbium and ytterbium shows excellent amplification of a 1550 nm optical signal when pumped with a wavelength from about 980 nm to about 1100 nm. A particularly useful pump wavelength is 1060 nm because of the availability of high power solid state laser sources at about 1060 nm. Since 1550 nm is approximately the lowest loss wavelength of conventional single-mode glass fibers, these amplifiers are well-suited for inclusion in fiber systems that propagate optical signals in the wavelength vicinity of 1550 nm.
It has been an ongoing pursuit in the field of optical fiber amplifiers to increase the power output of the amplifiers. Higher power levels permit transmission over longer distances before further amplification is necessary. In addition, newer wavelength division multiplexed systems have a relatively low power-per-channel, given a constant total output power. This increases the need for higher total amplifier output power. Traditionally, pump energy is applied to the gain medium by coupling it into the doped fiber either in the same propagation direction as the signal to be amplified (referred to as "co-pumping"), or by coupling it into the doped fiber in the opposite direction as the signal to be amplified (referred to as "counter-pumping). Each of these pumping methods has its own advantages, but also its own limitations. It is an object of this invention to go beyond these traditional pumping methods to provide a high power optical amplifier that uses a new means of optical pumping.

Optical amplifier with oscillating pump energy


Techniques are disclosed for forming group III-N transistors including a source to channel heterostructure design. As will be apparent in light of this disclosure, the source to channel heterostructure design may include inserting a relatively high bandgap material layer (e.g., relative to the bandgap of the channel material) between the source and channel of the III-N transistor. In some such embodiments, the relatively high bandgap material layer may be a portion of the polarization charge inducing layer formed over the III-N layer including the channel (e.g., to form a heterojunction/2DEG configuration) that is purposefully left in the source region when forming the source/drain trenches. The source to channel heterostructure design can be used to enhance the high frequency performance of the III-N transistor. Other embodiments may be described and/or disclosed.

In the fields of wireless communication and power management, various components can be implemented using solid-state devices. For example, in radio frequency (RF) communication, the RF front-end is a generic term for the circuitry between an antenna and a digital baseband system. The RF front-end may include multiple components, such as power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, and voltage regulators. Such RF front-end components may include one or more transistors, such as one or more field-effect transistors (FETs). A FET is a semiconductor device that includes three terminals: a gate, a source, and a drain. A FET uses an electric field applied by the gate to control the electrical conductivity of a channel through which charge carriers (e.g., electrons or holes) flow from the source to the drain. In instances where the charge carriers are electrons, the FET is referred to as an n-channel device, and in instances where the charge carriers are holes, the FET is referred to as a p-channel device. Some FETs have a fourth terminal called, the body or substrate, which can be used to bias the transistor. In addition, for FETs, there are two major operation types known as depletion mode (D-mode) and enhancement mode (E-mode). D-mode transistors operate with zero (or near zero) gate-source voltage when the transistor is in an on-state, for example. E-mode transistors operate with zero (or near zero) gate-source voltage when the transistor is in an off-state, for example.
A metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET) is configured with an insulator between the gate and the body of the transistor, and MOSFETs are commonly used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. In some cases, MOSFETs include sidewall spacers (or so-called gate spacers) on either side of the gate that can help determine the channel length and can help with replacement gate processes, for example. Other transistor configurations are available, such as a heterostructure FET (HFET) or high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), which is a FET incorporating a junction between two materials with different band gaps as the channel instead of an impurity doped region (as is generally the case for typical MOSFETs). A MOSHEMT (or MOSHFET) includes attributes of both a MOSFET and a HEMT (or HFET), such as including a heterojunction channel and a gate dielectric, for example. Complementary MOS (CMOS) structures use a combination of a p-channel transistor (e.g., a PMOS) and an n-channel transistor (e.g., an NMOS) to implement logic gates and other digital circuits.
These and other features of the present embodiments will be understood better by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the figures herein described. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Furthermore, as will be appreciated, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale or intended to limit the described embodiments to the specific configurations shown. For instance, while some figures generally indicate straight lines, right angles, and smooth surfaces, an actual implementation of the disclosed techniques may have less than perfect straight lines and right angles, and some features may have surface topography or otherwise be non-smooth, given real-world limitations of fabrication processes. Further still, some of the features in the drawings may include a patterned and/or shaded fill, which is primarily provided to assist in visually differentiating the different features. In short, the figures are provided merely to show example structures.

Group III-N transistors including source to channel heterostructure design


A computer generates and displays a data visualization in a data visualization user interface according to placement of data fields, from a data source. The data visualization includes visual data marks representing data from the data source. The computer detects a user input to select a visual data mark. In response to detecting the user input, the computer obtains a data model encoding the data source as a tree of logical tables. The computer identifies one or more aggregated data values for the visual data mark, each of the aggregated data values corresponding to a respective data field in the data model. For each of the aggregated data values, the computer retrieves a respective disaggregated set of data rows from a respective logical table containing the respective data field. The computer displays a summary grid, with a respective tab corresponding to each of the retrieved disaggregated sets of data rows.

Data visualization applications enable a user to understand a data set visually, including distribution, trends, outliers, and other factors that are important to making business decisions. Some data elements must be computed based on data from the selected data set. Some data visualization applications use an object model to show relationships between data sets. The data sets that are part of the object model may be stored locally (e.g., on the same device that is displaying the user interface) or may be stored externally (e.g., on a database server or in the cloud). In some instances, each data set corresponds to a database table or a distinct physical file.
When working with a data source in an interactive data visualization application, it is desirable to be able to view data visualizations (e.g., tables, graphs, charts) as well as information related to the visual marks being shown as part of the data visualization. While all of the information, characteristics, and data fields can be found in data source, the raw data may not be accessible directly. In addition, the displayed data marks generally use aggregated data rather than individual rows of data.

Using an object model to view data associated with data marks in a data visualization


The disclosure includes methods for the identification of chemotherapeutic agents that selectively reduce the growth or the survival of genotoxically stressed DNA damage checkpoint deficient tissue, such as irradiated cancerous tissue. The methods involve the use of genotoxically-stressed tissue(s) that are deficient in one or more DNA damage checkpoints. The disclosure also provides kits for performing the disclosed methods. The disclosure also includes chemotherapeutic agents that selectively reduce the growth or the survival of genotoxically stressed DNA damage checkpoint deficient tissue, such as irradiated cancerous tissue. The disclosure also includes methods of treatment or management of cancer, tumor formation, other conditions involving abnormal proliferation, or cell-cycle diseases or disorders.

Based on about three decades of research in yeast and vertebrate cells in culture, cell cycle regulation by checkpoints is believed to be of paramount importance in the survival of single cells challenged with genotoxins. The prior art, however, is less clear on whether cell cycle regulation by checkpoints is equally important for the survival of multicellular tissues, organs, and organisms that are similarly challenged.
In eukaryotes, DNA damage checkpoints monitor the state of genomic DNA and delay the progress through the cell division cycle (reviewed in Elledge, Science 274: 1664 (1996) and in Zhou & Elledge, Nature 408: 433 (2000). Components of the signal transduction pathway that constitute the DNA damage checkpoint are well-characterized and include, in mammals, two P13-like kinases, ATM and ATR, and two serine/threonine kinases, CHK1 and CHK2. Homologs of these kinases are found from yeast to worm to fly to human and assume similar roles where examined.
Much of current and recent work on DNA damage checkpoints has revealed in detail the molecular nature of their interface with the cell cycle machinery. For example, delay of G2/M transition in fission yeast is initiated when CHK1 phosphorylates CDC25, a phosphatase that activates cyclin dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Phosphorylation of CDC25 by CHK1 allows the binding and inactivation of the former by a 14-3-3 protein, thereby keeping CDK1 in the phosphorylated and inactive form. This delays the entry into mitosis (Lopez-Girona et al., Nature 397: 172 (1999); Lopez-Girona et al., Curr. Biol. 11:50 (2001)). In another example, delay of S phase entry is elicited when Chk2 phosphorylates and stabilizes p53, which in turn promotes transcription of p21; p21 inhibits CDK2 to delay G1/S transition (Brugarolas et al., Nature 377: 552 (1995); Chehab et al., Genes Dev. 14: 278 (2000); Harper et al., Mol. Biol. Cell 6: 387 (1995); Hirao et al., Science 287:1824 (2000); Shieh et al., Genes Dev. 14: 289(2000)).
Mutational loss of DNA damage checkpoint function is associated with, and is a contributory factor in, many cancers. See for example, McDonald et al. ER 3rd, El-Deiry W S. Checkpoint genes in cancer. Ann Med. 2001 March; 33(2):113-22; Wassmann K, Benezra R. Mitotic checkpoints: from yeast to cancer. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2001 February; 11(1):83-90; Molinari M. Cell cycle checkpoints and their inactivation in human cancer. Cell Prolif. 2000 October; 33(5):261-74; Dasika G K, Lin S C, Zhao S, Sung P, Tomkinson A, Lee E Y. DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoints and DNA strand break repair in development and tumorigenesis. Oncogene. 1999 Dec. 20; 18(55):7883-99; and Nojima H. Cell cycle checkpoints, chromosome stability and the progression of cancer. Hum Cell. 1997 December; 10(4):221-30, each of which is incorporated by reference. Agents that selectively kill or retard the growth of checkpoint-deficient tissues while sparing normal tissues are potential cancer therapeutic agents.
Screens for potential cancer therapeutic agents have typically been performed using single cells in culture. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,640 describes methods for contacting cultured cells that are deficient in a particular mitotic checkpoint with candidate agents in an attempt to identify agents that selectively arrest the growth of DNA damage checkpoint deficient cells. The behavior of such individual cultured cells, however, frequently differs dramatically from the behavior of tissues in response to the same agent. For example, it is possible that agents with the ability to arrest the growth of checkpoint deficient cells in tissues are not able to arrest the growth of those same checkpoint deficient cells when removed from the tissue context. Similarly, it is possible that agents with the ability to arrest the growth of checkpoint-deficient cells in culture are not able to arrest the growth of those same checkpoint-deficient cells in tissues. Thus, screens for agents that arrest the growth of checkpoint-deficient cells in culture can frequently misclassify therapeutic agents.

Methods of identifying and using chemotherapeutic agents

The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate


Disclosed is an organic highly photosensitive material used for copying machines based on electrophotographic method. The photosensitive material has a high developing sensitivity even using the same developing agent and the same developing system, and makes it possible to form images having high density and high contrast. The organic highly photosensitive material comprises an aluminum substrate having a surface-treated layer and an organic photosensitive layer formed thereon, wherein the surface-treated layer of the aluminum substrate has an impedance Z that lies within a predetermined range.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material for electrophotography having an organic photosensitive layer formed on an aluminum substrate of which the surface has been treated, and more particularly to an organic photosensitive material having improved developing sensitivity.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Photosensitive materials for electrophotography which are widely used are obtained by forming various inorganic or organic photoconductive layers on an electrically conductive substrate. Among such organic photosensitive materials, there has been known a so-called function-separation type photosensitive material based on the combination of a charge-generating substance and a charge-transporting substance in a laminated form or in a dispersed form.
Commercially, a drum of aluminum has in many cases been used as an electrically conductive substrate for forming an organic photosensitive material. To accomplish intimate adhesiveness with respect to the organic photosensitive layer, the surface of the drum made of aluminum is usually subjected to the anodic oxidation treatment or so-called Alumite treatment.
In the electrophotographic system of either the analog type or the digital type, in general, it is desired to employ a developing system having a high developing sensitivity, i.e., having a large .gamma. (gamma) value in order to reproduce high-contrast images such as characters. Here, the .gamma. value is defined as an inclination when a relationship is plotted between the image concentration which is represented by an ordinate and an electrostatic latent image potential (or a bias potential) represented by an abscissa.
In the conventional electrophotographic method, the .gamma. value varies depending upon the constitution and characteristics of the photosensitive layer, as a matter of course. When the photosensitive layer is constant, it has been known that the .gamma. value varies depending upon the characteristics of the developing agent or the conditions of the developing system.

Electrophotographic element with alumite layer


Systems and methods for providing a medical device parameter profile to a programmer that is remote from where the parameter profile was created is described. The system includes a first programmer creating a parameter profile for a specific classification. The classes are defined by therapy or patient status. A communication system for communicating the parameter profile to at least one additional programmer that is remote from the first programmer.

Cardiac rhythm management systems provide therapy to a patient's heart to correct various forms of arrhythmias, such as tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias. One type of such a system is an implantable cardiac rhythm management ("CRM") device and a programmer for programming the CRM device. As the understanding of various types of arrhythmias has grown since the inception of CRM devices, so has the need to provide a greater variety of therapies with the CRM device. This greater variety of therapies allows a physician to closely tailor the therapy provided by the CRM device to the specific needs of the patient by programming various parameters of the CRM device. The CRM device provides therapy based on the parameters. However, the number of programmable parameters in CRM devices has grown along with the number and complexity of therapies that an individual CRM device can provide. Additionally, not all parameters that can be programmed are necessary or even appropriate for certain therapies. Accordingly, the patient's treating physician uses the programmer to program numerous parameters of the CRM device to achieve the desired therapy. There is a learning curve for learning the system, e.g., hardware and software, to program the parameter profiles that are appropriate for a given therapy. The numerous parameters further increase the time it takes to learn how to program the parameters in the profiles. Consequently, there is a need in the field of CRM systems to simplify the use of parameter profiles.

Method and system for programming an implantable cardiac device


An approach for providing interactive voice response services is disclosed. A voice response platform receives a call and generates an automated menu in response. The menu, according to one embodiment, includes an option to transfer the call to an available agent and in response thereto the voice response platform transmits a request for the available agent to an intelligent call router (ICR) over a communications network. The intelligent call router receives the request for the available agent and transmits identification information for the available agent to the voice response platform. The voice response platform then transfers the call to the available agent based on the identification information for the available agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to call routing in a communications network, and more particularly, to supporting interactive voice response and intelligent call routing.
2. Discussion of the Background
In a conventional call center, a call may first be directed into an interactive voice response (IVR) platform before the call reaches an agent to pre-screen the call. An IVR application associated with the IVR platform can query the caller for information pertinent to the call. This information retrieved from the caller is then forwarded to the call center agent as an aid for expediting the caller's request. Call centers with IVR platforms typically operate at lower cost than call centers staffed with agents performing tasks that could be performed by an IVR application. However, one drawback of the conventional IVR-configured call center is that call routing functions are limited. For example, when a call center agent has a need to pull back a call to the IVR platform, for example, to transfer the call, this is typically performed via dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones. However, such auditory tones are heard by the caller, and thus, are considered undesirable by many call center customers.
Further, if the call cannot be routed to an available call center agent, the call is placed in a queue of an automatic call distributor (ACD) waiting for an agent to become available. If calls are routinely placed in the ACD queue, ACDs with larger capacity are required, thereby increasing cost.
Therefore, there is a need for providing IVR capabilities, with enhanced call routing functions.

Method and system for providing network interactive voice response with intelligent call routing integration


An automation control system can be efficiently developed and maintained as a hierarchical arrangement of configured components that pass process control parameters received from a control component and return reports back to the control component. In particular, control components compare a current configuration to a validated, saved configuration in order to report a configuration status as to whether a process can be conducted as validated. Yet, changes to the configuration of the automation control system that do not affect a validated portion do not preclude continued validated processing.

One type of industrial control process is referred to as a batch process, which involves subjecting raw materials to processing steps using one or more pieces of equipment to produce a "batch" of product. Efforts to automate batch processing have led to the formation of standards committees by members of industries involved in batch processing and suppliers of batch processing equipment, among others. The general purpose of these standards committees has been to define uniform standards for automated batch processing. One such standard has been promulgated by the International Society for Measurement and Control, an international organization concerned with issues of process control. This standard is entitled Batch Control Part 1: Models and Terminology and is often referred to as the ISA S88.01-1995 standard (or "S88" for purposes of this application).
The S88.01 standard defines models of equipment and procedures for use in automated batch processes, as well as terminology for use in referring to those models and their elements. The S88.01 standard defines a "batch process" as a process that leads to the production of finite quantities of material by subjecting quantities of input materials to an ordered set of processing activities over a finite period of time using one or more pieces of equipment. A "batch" is defined as the material that is being produced or has been produced by a single execution of a batch process.
Batch-processing equipment (i.e., controllable elements such as valves, heaters, mixers, and so forth) is operated according to procedures to produce a batch. Generally, such equipment is referred to synonymously as equipment, equipment modules, processing equipment, or physical elements. The procedures to operate such physical elements are often referred to by the S88.01 standard as the "procedural model." According to the S88.01 standard, the procedural model is structured as a hierarchical ranking of procedures, with the highest level encompassing each of the lower levels, the next highest level encompassing each of the levels below it, and so on. Typically, the levels of the S88.01 procedural model of a particular application are, in descending order: the "procedure;" the "unit procedure;" the "operation;" and the "phase."
The term "procedural element" generally refers to components that employ any of the levels of the S88.01 procedural model, not just to those of the "procedure" level or any other single level of the procedural model. The highest-level procedural element of interest is referred to as a procedure, which is made up of one or more unit procedures. Each unit procedure is in turn made up of one or more operations, which are each in turn made up of one or more phases. The S88.01 procedural model does not preclude definition and use of other hierarchical levels, nor does it require that each level be present in particular applications. Rather, the standard is intended to provide a broad, standardized model for describing the procedures followed in automated batch-process control.
Heavily regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals often have Federal Validation requirements to ensure that products are manufactured to desired standards. Validation is a very expensive proposition during installation to properly document and show that the system indeed meets the applicable standards. Once a system has been validated, any changes made to the system can cause the entire system to be re-validated if it is not clear how the change may have impacted the system.

Validation of configuration settings in an industrial process


A capacitive load drive circuit includes first and second capacitive loads, first and second connection path selection sections, and a voltage generation section. The first capacitive load and the second capacitive load are configured to charge and discharge in accordance with a drive signal. The first connection path selection section is configured to selectively supply a plurality of voltages to the first capacitive load, the first connection path selection section being arranged so as to correspond to the first capacitive load. The second connection path selection section is configured to selectively supply a plurality of voltages to the second capacitive load. The second connection path selection section is arranged so as to correspond to the second capacitive load. The voltage generation section is configured to generate and supply the voltages shared by the first connection path selection section and the second connection path selection section.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a capacitive load drive circuit.
2. Related Art
A print apparatus for discharging droplets of ink from nozzles of a print head by driving piezoelectric elements corresponding to each of the nozzles has been conventionally proposed. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-006424 discloses a print apparatus in which a plurality of switches (transmission gates) corresponding at a one-to-one ratio to a plurality of piezoelectric elements are arranged, and shared control signals are selected for every piezoelectric element by each of the switches and supplied to each of the piezoelectric elements.


Disclosed herein is a petunia plant, having a decombent habit plant having long stems. The petunia plant has over-abundant branching and great profusion blooms, the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. The flowers are single, large and bi-color petal with vein pattern, the ground color of bi-colored corolla is strong purplish pink to bright red purple with dark red purple main thick vein pattern and vivid purplish red sub fine vein pattern. The plant has a high resistance to rain, heat, drought, frost and pest.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petunia plant obtained from mutant of "Revolution Brilliantpink" obtained from crossing a wild type of petunia plant (.male.) native to Brazil and "Recoverer Scarletred (.female.)". Such new plant is botanically classified as Petunia x hybrida.
The petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the petunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. The petunia which we previously filed, i.e., the "Revolution" series (Revolution Purplepink (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), Revolution Brilliantpink (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), Revolution Brilliantpink-mini (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899)! is decumbent type plant having long stems, a lower plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold and rain. However, there are only a few varieties having a great profusion of flowers, bi-color flower petal and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having a bi-color flower petal, together with the above features.
The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention originated from mutant occurring as a spontaneously generic variant of "Revolution Brilliantpink" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914) which we previously filed. The new variety of petunia plant was discovered in view of flower color during propagation of "Revolution Brilliantpink" in May 1993 near Odense, Denmark. The first asexual propagation by cutting took place near Odense, Denmark in November 1993 in a greenhouse operated by Hansson DK. The discovered petunia plant was further propagated by cutting from March, 1994 and then grown in bed and pot on trial from June, 1994 in Denmark and Japan. The botanical characteristics of the plant were examined, using similar variety, "Revolution Brilliantpink", for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that this petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, sufficiently uniform and stable in its characteristics, then this new variety of petunia plant was named "Revolution Marrose".
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with The Horticultural Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Color Chart), and the Inter-Society color Council-Nation Bureau of Standard Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
"Revolution Brilliantpink", the mutant parent of "Revolution Marrose", was obtained from crossing of a new wild type of petunia plant native to Brazil as the pollen parent and "Recoverer Scarletred" as the female parent, in June, 1985 at Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., residing at 755 Owadashinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan.
The female parent use in the breeding of "Revolution Brilliantpink" was a wild type of petunia native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in October, 1983. This wild type of petunia plant is presently maintained at the aforementioned the Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc. and the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of Suntory Ltd., residing at 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan. The main botanical characteristics of this female parent of "Revolution Brilliantpink" are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to cold, relatively high resistance to heat, and moderate resistance to disease and pest. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat, and disease, and moderate resistance to pest. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat and drought. Also high resistance to disease, particularly gray mold (Botrytis). Moderate resistance to pest.
Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--20cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--May to August in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length from base.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.0-3.0mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.5mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Many. PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--0.1-2.0 cm before blooming; 1.5-3.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Length (average).--4.5-5.5 cm. PA2 Width (average).--2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.5 mm PA2 Color.--Grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A- 137B, J.H.S. 3716-3717). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite both before and during blooming. PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79B, J.H.S. 8907-8909); when open, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9207), at full bloom, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 80A, J.H.S. 8906). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--0.9-1.2 mm in thickness, and 2.0-2.5 cm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Upright. PA2 Plant height.--30-40 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--25-35 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 4.5-6.5 mm; lateral stem 2.0-3.0mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Branching.--Abundant PA2 Length of internode.--2.0-3.0 cm before blooming; 2.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Shape.--Lancet. PA2 Length (average).--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Width (average).--2.0-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.6 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green to moderate olive green (R.H.S. 144A-146A, J.H.S. 3507-3508). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--8.0-8.5 cm. PA2 Color.--When flower is open, bright red (R.H.S. 45C 47B, J.H.S. 0407) with moderate pink (R.H.S. 51-C-54C, J.H.S. 0113) reverse side. PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.5 mm in thickness, and 2.5-3.0 cm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--15-20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to a length of 50-80 cm from the base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--Late March to Late September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length from base.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.5-3.5mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.0mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.5-1.7 cm before blooming; 3.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144A-145A, J.H.S. 3507-3712). PA2 Shape.--Lancet. PA2 Length (average).--6.0-7.0 cm. PA2 Width (average).--2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.6-0.8mm. PA2 Color.--Moderate olive green to strong yellow green (R.H.S. 146A-143A, J.H.S. 3508-3308). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming. PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--7.0-8.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79A-79B, J.H.S. 9516-9210); when open, dark purplish red (R.H.S. 71A, J.H.S. 9509), at full bloom, vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9507-9207) with deep reddish purple (R.H.S. 77A, J.H.S. 9209-9210) lines radiating from a dark purple (R.H.S. 83A, J.H.S. 8609-8610) center portion. The reverse side of the petal is a vivid reddish purple color (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9208-9206). The petal has a metallic luster. PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.0 mm in thickness, and 1.5-2.0 cm in length.
"Recoverer Scarletred", used as the female parent in the breeding of variety of "Revolution Brilliantpink", is one of the Recoverer Series bred by the Sakata Seed Corp., Japan. The Recoverer Series includes "Recoverer White", "Recoverer Blue", and "Recoverer Pink", and these plants are commonly characterized by a high resistance to rain. The main botanical characteristics of "Recoverer Scarletred", are as follows.
And the botanical characteristics of the petunia plant "Revolution Brilliantpink" which are mutant parent of this new variety "Revolution Marrose" as follows.
This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, "Revolution Marrose", was asexually reproduced by cutting at the aforementioned Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of Suntory Ltd. and Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.

Petunia plant named `Revolution Marrose`


A semiconductor structure and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer and a dielectric layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. A width of the second electrode layer becomes larger in a direction away from the dielectric layer.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a semiconductor structure and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed and more specifically to a memory device and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor structures include memory devices, used in storage elements for many products such as MP3 players, digital cameras, computer files, etc. As the application increases, the demand for the memory device focuses on small size and large memory capacity. For satisfying the requirement, a memory having a high element density is need.
Designers have developed a method for improving a memory device density, using 3D stack memory device so as to increase a memory capacity and a cost per cell. However, it is easy to degrade a memory window due to a poor electric field distribution during erasing and programming a memory.

Memory device and method for manufacturing the same


A- lid (20) for a container (21) comprises: a central surface (27) having a substantially circular shape, on which a line of weakening (30) is made, which defines a closing element (39) which can be opened by pulling, made in the central surface (27); and a drive tab (22), having at least a first end (25) to act as a fulcrum outside the line of weakening (30) connected to the closing element (39) with a rivet (23) and able to be driven so as to remove upward, the closing element (39) from the remaining part of the central surface (27), detaching it along the line of weakening (30). The line of weakening (30) is interrupted at one end of the closing element (39) opposite to the drive tab (22), so that the closing element (39) has a connection flap (34) solid with the remaining part of the central surface (27). In the case of aluminum, the rivet is located at 1.5-3.5 mm from the front part of the closing element (39). In the case of ferrous allogs, this distance is 4.0-6.0 mm.

Lids and containers equipped with said lids are known, which are normally used for drinks, or in some cases containers of this type are also used to contain other things.
Said containers are normally substantially cylindrical but they can also have a substantially quadrangular section, extending along the axis perpendicular to said section.
Different experiences are known regarding lids of said known containers, where the delivery hole is obtained by pulling off a very small part of the lid, using a predefined breaking line present in the lid itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,836 describes a system for opening a closing stopper defined by a closed line of weakening of a can; in this solution, a gripper ring of a lever or tab serves to open the stopper and is located in a substantially central position. The lever has its rotation fulcrum in correspondence with the periphery of the upper wall of the can, whereas in an intermediate position between the gripper ring and the fulcrum there is a rivet type solidarization mean.
A flexible connection element is provided between the gripper ring and the lid of the can and the lever or tab acts on a portion of the can lid outside the closing stopper so that, in the first opening movement, the stopper is lifted and pulled upward and is made to rotate around a pin, with problems relating to time and safety both during the opening step and also when the container is used.
WO 01/02260 describes a system for opening a closing stopper defined by a closed line of weakening of a can, in which the lever or tab, with the relative gripper ring, has its fulcrum on the periphery of the can lid; the gripper ring is central and a rivet, between fulcrum and ring, attaches the opening lever or tab to the stopper.
In this case, since the fulcrum of the lever or tab is in correspondence with the line of weakening that defines the stopper of the can, the action of the lever or tab determines a thrust of the stopper toward the inside, for a first breaking of the line of weakening. Subsequently the lever or tab is used as a traction element to remove the stopper.
This system can put the content in contact with the outside of the tab.
Moreover, this is a system that is dangerous in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,086 describes a system for opening a closing stopper defined by an open line of weakening of a can, in which the gripper ring of the opening lever or tab is central; the lever or tab has a fulcrum in correspondence with the periphery of the can lid and a rivet is provided which connects the opening lever or tab to the stopper of the can.
The lever or tab acts on a portion of the can lid outside the closing stopper so that, in the first opening movement, the stopper is lifted and pulled upward and is not thrust inside the can.
This solution creates problems of safety for the user, both during opening and when the container is used.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,340 describes a system for opening a can in which the lever or tab has a peripheral fulcrum and a central gripper ring.
The stopper of the can occupies a large part of the upper wall thereof, and is defined by a closed and circular line of weakening which substantially coincides with the circumference of the can.
The lever or tab acts inside the closed and circular line of weakening so that, at a first opening movement, the stopper is thrust inside and subsequently is completely removed through traction.
This system too can put the content in contact with the outside of the tab.
Moreover, in this case too, this is a system that is dangerous in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,060 describes a system for opening a can in which the lever or tab is used to pull off the stopper of the can in a traditional way.
The gripper ring of the lever is normally in a central position; the relative fulcrum of the lever is peripheral.
The rotation of the lever does not cause, as in the prior art documents described above, a portion of the closing stopper to break, but only serves to dispose the lever in an operating position, which lever is then driven, causing the closing stopper to be pulled in correspondence with the protuberance of the aperture.
A connection element comprising a flexible part is provided to connect the lever to the can lid, also in the open position.
This system is not only complex, but also requires a considerable effort. It is also dangerous to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,613 has a fork-type lever in which the rivet is connected rotatably on a front segment of the lever. This teaching does not allow to obtain a focused point where the force to pull off the stopper can be applied. Furthermore, it provides a mechanical hinge which prevents any support of the front fulcrum in proximity with the start of breaking, since it does not allow to contain the length of the lever, making it difficult to start the breaking.
US 2007/0131693 has a line of breaking that develops along the periphery of the lid; moreover it is the tab which, with its front part, starts the breaking. Additionally, a part of the opening mechanism enters inside the container.
WO 03/010054 provides a tab that starts the opening from a position located inside the lid and extends it until the stopper is completely detached from the lid.
WO 00/58161 provides a stay-on tab in which the stopper penetrates inside the container.
The present invention, advantageously but not exclusively directed to characterize the lids of containers for drinks, has set itself the purpose of overcoming the limits of known solutions and of achieving a system that entails new and unexpected advantages.
Its purpose is also to improve and perfect the inventive idea set forth in WO 2009/030526.

Lid for containers of substances and container of substances thus equipped

INTERNATIONAL PATENTS AND BRANDS CORPORATION


A method for user mining is provided. The method may include obtaining a plurality of first feature vectors of a plurality of positive samples and a plurality of second feature vectors of a plurality of negative samples, and generating a plurality of expanded first feature vectors based on the plurality of first feature vectors and second feature vectors and expanded second feature vectors. Each first feature vector may include first feature information that describes a plurality of features of a corresponding positive sample. Each second feature vector may include second feature information that describes a plurality of features of a corresponding negative sample. The method may further include determining one or more core features related to the plurality of positive samples among the plurality of features corresponding to the plurality of first feature vectors based on a trained binary model.

In internet technologies, user feature mining is often the key in the development and operation of a service system. By user feature mining, the features of various user types may be identified and quantified, thus providing a basis for user classification, personalized service and marketing. Merely by way of example, core features of a plurality of active users in the service system may be determined, and such core features can be used to identify potential active users who have similar features as the active users. Accordingly, an active marketing strategy may be adopted for the identified potential active users. Thus, it is desirable to provide effective systems and methods for mining user features.

BEIJING DIDI INFINITY TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.


The present invention discloses an amino mercaptan compound, preparation method thereof and use thereof in radiation protection. The compound has the structure of formula I, wherein A1, A2, R1, R2, R5, R6, and R3 and R4 are defined herein. The compound has the effects of reducing the biological damage caused by ionizing radiation, extending the survival period and survival rate of the radiated animals, and significantly alleviating the side effects of radiotherapy, and has a low toxicity. The present invention opens up a new way for protection and treatment of ionizing radiation damage.

With the vigorous development of the global nuclear cause, the nuclear technology has been widely used in various fields such as nuclear power plants, aerospace, national defense and biomedicine, and the chance of human exposure to ionizing radiation and thus causing damage has increased. In the meantime, with the nuclear war and hidden nuclear terror incident worries brought about by the world's tense nuclear security situation, the protection and treatment of body damage caused by ionizing radiation (referred to as radiation damage) is receiving more and more attention.
On the other hand, the incidence of malignant tumors and the number of patients has been increasing in recent years. Radiation therapy plays an indispensable role as one of the main treatments. However, high-dose radiation exposure inevitably leads to acute radiation damage to normal tissues and organs surrounding the tumor and even to the whole body. The side effects of radiation damage seriously restrict the wide application of radiotherapy in tumor therapy, and also significantly affect the efficacy and quality of life of cancer patients after radiotherapy.
At present, there are mainly related drugs for radiation damage treatment: sulfur compounds, hormones, cytokines and Chinese herbal medicines, which have their own inherent defects. For example, sulfur compounds are generally associated with greater side effects, such as amifostine, a representative of such compounds, is currently recognized as the best protective compound and is the first selective broad-spectrum cytoprotective agent approved by the international regulatory agencies, but the extremely short half-life (7 min) and high price (the domestic medical market price is 400-500 yuan per dose) limit its application. The prevention and treatment of radiation damage by hormone drugs are mainly for the nucleated cells, hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells in bone marrow, and the effects of such drugs on the sexual and reproductive systems limit their widespread use. Cytokine drugs such as interleukins and colony stimulating factor drugs can alleviate and treat radiation-induced bone marrow hematopoietic system damage, but their radiation protection effect is closely related to the time of administration (in the medical practice for prevention and treatment, such drugs require a high level of medical testing and attention), with obvious inflammatory effect, and it is expensive and difficult to store at room temperature. The anti-radiation components of Chinese herbal medicines mainly comprise phenols, polysaccharides and natural flavones, which have the characteristics of unclear active ingredients and low toxicity, and after years of research, there are no similar drugs on the market or to be marketed.

Amino mercaptan compound and preparation method therefor and use thereof in protection against radiation


A motor and a method of operating the motor are described. The motor may have a female rotor shaft having mounted thereon a female compression rotor, a female power rotor, and a spur gear. The motor may also have a male rotor shaft having mounted thereon a male compression rotor, a male power rotor and a power rotor gear. A housing containing the foregoing may have a front housing plate, a compression rotor case, an isolator plate, a power rotor case, a rear housing plate, and a gear cover adjacent the rear housing plate. The various female and male rotors are engaged with one another within the housing.

Motor are well known devices for providing power to a variety devices. Many motors, however, lack certain operational efficiencies making them expensive to run. For example, some motors will only run on a particular type of energy, such as a fossil fuel. It would be desirable to have one engine that could efficiently operate on a variety of energy sources, including sources that were not fossil fuels.
Many motors also are extremely complex. It would be desirable to have one engine that was relatively simple to manufacture, repair and replace.
The following depicts and describes one embodiment of an engine that overcomes the disadvantages of many of the prior art engines.


A ski binding of the cross-country type in which a ski boot's heel may be elevated with respect to the ski's top surface while in the act of skiing. The binding includes a toe piece associated with a heel retainer through a spring-biased linkage. A linkage typically includes a pre-loaded compression spring mounted external to a core element. A preferred linkage includes a plurality of rigid link elements defining plurality of intermediate pivot axes between an anchor and the heel retainer. Certain preferred linkage systems permit unfettered boot flexion, but transversely maintain the heel retainer in a zone over the ski to facilitate step-in engagement. Desirably, the core is adjustable along the linkage, to change a spacing between the toe piece and heel retainer independent of spring pre-load. Preferred embodiments of the binding a rear frame adapted to permit step-in engagement of a ski boot. Certain frames may carry a televator. A frame may function as a rear shim to permit adjusting a binding to fit boots of different sizes without necessitating adjustment of the position of a rear shim installed on a ski.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sporting goods used in skiing. It is particularly directed to a ski binding operable to maintain a toe of a ski boot in association with a ski while permitting a heel of the ski boot to elevate with respect to a top surface of the ski.
2. State of the Art
Bindings for telemark skis and cross-country skis provide an interface between a ski boot and a ski that permits a skier to elevate the heel of a ski boot with respect to the top surface of the ski while skiing. Such bindings typically have a toe piece that holds a forward portion of a boot in pivoting relation to an axis disposed transverse to the ski. One such toe piece binding, which has become popular, is the 75 mm binding. The 75 mm binding has a toe piece which includes 3 retaining pins. The retaining pins fit into corresponding holes in the sole of the ski boot toe. A clamp mechanism holds an extended sole of the boot's toe in place over the retaining pins. While generally a very effective toe binding, the 75 mm binding undesirably permits a skier's heel significant freedom to slip laterally with respect to the ski.
A cable, or other linkage, extending from the binding toe piece for engagement with a heel portion of a ski boot has been used to increase heel stability in some cross-country type bindings. The linkage can hold the toe of a ski boot firmly in place in the toe piece. The cable or linkage typically locates a toggling heel piece in engagement with structure at the heel of a ski boot. In general, a skier must manually actuate the heel piece to engage a ski boot in the binding.
One commercially available cross-country binding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,507 to Quintanna et al. The disclosed binding has an exposed spring located in front of a skier's foot, and a toe piece with a divided toe bar. The binding disclosed by Quintanna et al. also has an under-boot linkage to a heel piece arranged continuously to increase load on a boot toe with a corresponding increase in heel lift. The compression force applied, by the heel piece on the back of an installed ski boot in a heel-down position, is generated entirely by displacement of the toe spring as the heel lever is engaged.
A ski binding having a multileaved linkage between a toe piece and a heel retainer is disclosed by Bailey, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,833, issued Dec. 19, 1989. Bailey's disclosed binding includes an underfoot hinged rigid linkage to improve lateral stability of a ski boot with respect to the toe piece when the boot is in a raised-heel position. The linkage includes an anchor pivot axis and a single intermediate pivot axis disposed between a toe piece and a heel piece. The linkage further includes a pair of exposed compression springs disposed to provide a biasing force to urge a ski boot toe into engagement with the toe piece. No adjustment effective to accommodate different boot lengths without changing a compression of the exposed springs is illustrated.
A ski binding of a hybrid cross-country/alpine design and having spring elements mounted under a skier's foot is disclosed by Harold E. Ayliffe in application Ser. No. 09/997,842, published May 29, 2003. The disclosed binding has exposed springs carried by an underfoot carriage. The carriage is spaced from a toe piece by a plurality of cables arranged in an "X" pattern to provide enhanced stability of a skier's heel. A heel piece carried by the carriage is configured to provide step-in capability and a safety release. In use as an alpine binding, the carriage can be locked in place with respect to a ski to resist elevation of a skier's heel.
While certain available cross-country bindings are workable, it would be an improvement to provide a binding that is reliable, light in weight, and that better maintains a ski boot in lateral registration with a ski when the boot is in a heel-elevated position. Another advance would provide one or more pre-loaded spring assemblies to reduce a displacement distance required during assembly of a heel retainer onto a boot heel to generate a biased load effective to maintain a secure engagement between a boot toe and a toe piece of a binding. A further advance would provide a binding capable of accommodating displacement of a ski boot to a maximum heel-up position without fully compressing spring elements and thereby undesirably generating large spike loads between the binding components and the ski boot. A still further advance, for certain types of skiing, would provide a ski binding capable of providing significant and controlled loads on a ski boot effective to urge the ski boot heel from a heel-up position toward engagement with the top of the ski.


A trimming system for determining a trim solution for a semiconductor device includes an internal value generating circuit for generating an internal value based upon a counter value. The relationship between the internal delay value and an external reference is compared to determine if the counter value is a possible trim solution, while predetermined counter values are excluded as a trim solution.

It is desirable to be able to adjust the performance of semiconductor integrated circuits after processing has been completed to minimize variations associated with process tolerances.
For example, in many semiconductor devices minimum timing requirements need to be maintained for proper operation. These timing requirements are generally based on an external clock or on internal delay elements.
Even when the timing requirements can be accurately modeled in simulation, it will differ from chip to chip due to process differences and will also differ over the temperature and voltage range allowed by the specification. The optimization of yield and performance of such devices requires a chip by chip adjustment of the delay circuits. However, optimization should be performed in a production environment that tests a multitude of chips in parallel in order to reduce test time and cost.

Method and device for determining trim solution