A liquid infuser apparatus includes an elastic sleeve mounted on an elongated member and within a collapsible spherical housing to enable it to expand naturally to maintain a constant pressure over the infusion period. A rigid open ended housing into which an infuser may be removeably placed provides a reusable protective housing. Multiple infusers are packaged with a rigid housing in a kit.

The present invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus and pertains particularly to an improved infusion apparatus for delivering intravenous drugs at a controlled rate to a patient.
It is often necessary to intravenously supply patients with pharmaceutically active liquids at a controlled rate over a long period of time. It is desirable that this be accomplished while the patient is in an ambulatory state. A few devices have been developed in the past for accomplishing this purpose.
The prior art devices typically comprise an elastic bladder forming a liquid container mounted in an elongated cylindrical housing, and having a flow control valve or device and tubing for supply of the liquid to the patient. These devices are constructed with the cylindrical form in order to provide a compact arrangement. The elastic walls of the bladder are forced to expand along the walls of the cylindrical housing when filled with the liquid, and provide the pressure for expelling the liquid. These prior art devices are typically filled by hand by means of a syringe which often require an inordinate amount of force.
Another drawback to the prior art devices is that the bladder is forced to expand into an unnatural elongated configuration along the housing walls as the container is filled. As a result of this unnatural configuration, the pressure of the bladder and the flow rate of the unit varies widely with the volume of liquid therein. Therefore, they do not have a reasonably stable pressure and flow rate over the infusion period.
Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,080,652, dated Jan. 14, 1992 and 5,105,983, dated Apr. 21, 1992 of common assignment herewith disclose recently developed improved infusion devices. These devices have an inflatable elastic bladder that is allowed or inflate naturally at a substantially uniform pressure. A hard protective housing accommodates natural spherical inflation of the bladder to its rated capacity or volume.
While these improved devices are portable and convenient to use, one objection is that the housing is rigid and space consuming. This increases the cost of packaging, storage and shipment. It also increases the cost of manufacture because the housing must also be sterilized. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a housing that is collapsible and/or reusable.
It is desirable that the housing of an inflatable bladder infuser be compact and inexpensive to manufacture and ship.
Accordingly, it is desirable that an improved infuser apparatus be available.


In an Ethernet network divided into multiple domains, a method for Ethernet data frame data learning includes: receiving through a bridge port of a domain of the Ethernet network an Ethernet data frame containing a source Media Access Control (MAC) address; and generating a forwarding matching entry including a destination MAC address, the length of a forwarding mask and a bridge egress-port identifier; wherein the destination MAC address is acquired by matching the source MAC address with the length of the forwarding mask. In a method for Ethernet data frame forwarding, a bridge forwards the Ethernet data frame according to a MAC forwarding matching table including a destination MAC address, the length of a forwarding mask and a bridge egress-port identifier. An Ethernet network and a bridge are also provided. The number of entries included in the MAC forwarding matching table o is reduced effectively.

1. Field of the Technology
The invention relates to Ethernet, and more particularly, to a method for Ethernet data frame learning and forwarding, an Ethernet network and a bridge.
2. Background of the Technology
A conventional Ethernet switch leans the network topology structure by analyzing source addresses of data frames from all networks connected with each other based on a mechanism of learning a source address in an Ethernet data frame and forwarding the Ethernet data frame according to a destination address. For example, a layer-2 switch receives through port 1 a data frame from host A and thus learns that host A is accessible through the network connected to port 1. By such a learning process, the layer-2 switch may establish a forwarding table. Table 1 is an example of the forwarding table.
TABLE 1Host AddressPort Number22.214.171.124.11.11126.96.36.199.22.2218.104.22.168.33.33244.44.44.44.44.443
The layer-2 switch forwards the Ethernet data frame based on the forwarding table. When receiving the Ethernet data frame from one of the ports) the layer-2 switch searches the forwarding table according to the destination address in the Ethernet data frame. If there is a relationship between the destination address and a port of a network bridge in the forwarding table, the Ethernet data frame is forwarded through the port corresponding to the destination address. Otherwise, the Ethernet data frame is forwarded through all the other ports except the port through which the Ethernet data frame is received.
The conventional Ethernet switch is designed to be used in a Local Area Network (LAN). Because there is less client equipment in the LAN, less entries should be set in the Medium Access Control (MAC) forwarding table in the conventional Ethernet switch. However, when the Ethernet technique is introduced into the Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), it is difficult to use the conventional Ethernet technique because the MAC forwarding table has much more entries owing to a greater amount of client equipment, i.e., the scale of the MAC forwarding table is large. In order to solve the problem that the scale of the Ethernet forwarding table is large, the industry introduces such technique as the MAC stack (i.e. MAC in MAC) defined in IEEE 802.1ah. The main idea of the technique of the MAC stack is to add an operator Ethernet data frame header before an Ethernet data frame of a user entering the operator's network, learn and forward the Ethernet data frame in the operator's network according to the operator Ethernet data frame header.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the format of a conventional Ethernet data frame and the format of a MAC in MAC frame. As shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional Ethernet data frame, DA refers to the destination MAC address, SA refers to the source MAC address, Type/Length (T/L) is a field of type or length, Payload is a field of payload and CRC is cycle redundancy check. While in the MAC in MAC frame header, B-DA is the MAC address of destination Backbone Edge Bridge (BEB), B-SA is the MAC address of source BEB, B-TAG is a field with 4 bytes in the MAC in MAC encapsulation format for identifying the service tunnel of an operator's network, I-TAG is a field in the MAC in MAC encapsulation format for identifying different services of user in one service tunnel of an operator's network.
The whole conventional Ethernet data frame is mapped into the payload field in the MAC in MAC frame as the payload.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the architecture of the MAC in MAC network. As shown in FIG. 2, Client Equipment (CE) is connected to the BEB of the MAC in MAC network of the operator, and there is also a Backbone Core Bridge (BCB) inside the MAC in MAC network. When an Ethernet data frame sent by the CE enters the BEB, the BEB encapsulates a MAC in MAC frame header shown in FIG. 1 into the Ethernet data frame. The BCB learns and forwards the Ethernet data frame according to the B-MAC in the MAC in MAC frame, i.e., according to the B-DA and the B-SA, and the user MAC is shielded from the BCB. When the Ethernet data frame is sent by a BEB to an external network, the MAC in MAC frame header is removed.
It can be seen from the above that, the bridges in the operator's network performs learning and/or forwarding according to the B-MAC of the BEB. Consequently, the scale of the MAC forwarding table inside the BCB is the number of the MAC addresses of the BEB and does not relate to the number of the MAC addresses of the CE. The capacity of the MAC forwarding table of the BCB is thus greatly reduced and the expansibility of the operator's network is improved as well. However, the capacity of the MAC forwarding table in the BEB is proportional to the number of the MAC addresses of the CE because the BEB needs to learn the relationship between the MAC addresses of the CE and the B-MAC. Such situation is not improved when compared with the conventional Ethernet bridge. Meanwhile, the complexity of processing the mapping from the MAC of the CE to the MAC in MAC network of the operator is increased. As described above, the technique of the MAC in MAC reduces the scale of the MAC forwarding table of the Ethernet bridge inside the operator's network. However, for the BEB, the scale of its forwarding table is equivalent to that of conventional Ethernet switch device, without any improvement.

Method for ethernet data frame learning and forwarding, ethernet network and bridge


A vehicle includes a body that defines an opening and a door configured to selectively open and close the opening. The vehicle also includes a lock that operatively connects the door to the body and can be either unlatched or latched for maintaining closure of the opening. The vehicle also includes a control device positioned on the door for unlatching the lock, and also a vehicle electric system and a lighting system. The lighting system includes a light-emitting element arranged on the control device and in electric communication with the electric system. The lighting system also includes a portable transmitter configured to transmit a signal and thereby commence an unlatching sequence for the lock. The lighting system additionally includes a controller configured to receive the signal and activate the light-emitting element in response to the received signal to display a visual lighting sequence signifying the status of the lock.

Vehicles are frequently equipped with exterior lighting systems for the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation.
Generally, vehicle exterior lighting is also intended to permit the subject vehicle to be seen from surrounding areas, for example by operators of other, approaching vehicles. Vehicle exterior lighting may also be used to assist vehicle occupants with identifying their vehicle, for example on approach to the vehicle in a crowded parking lot.


A chess game variation is provided generally played by the traditional rules of chess, except that each player initially has eight "archer" pieces initially disposed on each player's third and fourth ranks on squares having the same color. Each archer piece moves in a manner similar to that of a pawn, but with several notable exceptions, including the ability to always move one square or two squares forward, and the ability to capture along the same file. The game markedly changes the traditional strategies formulated for the game of chess, and therefore provides a game having new mystery and excitement.

Chess is an extremely popular game throughout the world. However, especially with the advent of super computers, the game of chess has been analyzed in such detail that much of its mystery, and therefore, much of its charm, has disappeared.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new chess game variant having new pieces which move in new ways. Such a new variant would reinstill the mystery and charm to the game of chess.


A nose bridge of swimming goggles includes an elongated member connected between two lens frames of the swimming goggles. Each of the frames has a through hole provided on an inner side thereof to face each other. The elongated member includes a flexible tube having two end sections respectively extending through the holes of the frames with a central section connecting therebetween to define a distance between the two frames. Each of the end sections receives therein a fastener movable within the tube and configured to be releasably engageable with the respective hole for pinchingly fixing the end section of the flexible tube. The fasteners are movable along the tube by squeezing the flexible tube to drive the fasteners to move so as to adjust the distance defined by the central section of the flexible tube, thus resulting in a more comfortable contact engagement and a better leakage proof engagement between the goggles and wearer's face.

Swimming goggles are comprised of two lens frames which are connected to each other by means of a nose bridge which is designed to straddle over the nose of the wearer. The nose bridge of some of the swimming goggles is also designed to adjust the distance between the lens frames to provide a comfortable engagement between the lens frames and the wearer's face. A conventional adjustable nose bridge is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the attached drawings, which comprises an elongated strip 60 having two opposite ends respectively received within and engaged by holding slots provided on the lens frames. Each of the ends of the elongated strip 600 is provided with a plurality of ribs or ridges 601, usually three such ribs 601 on each of the ends, to provide a secure engagement between the strip 60 and the frames. The ribs 601 allows the strip 60 to be secured to the frames at different position so as to achieve adjustment of the distance between the frames. Since there are only limited ribs 601 formed at each of the ends of the strip 60, there are only limited discrete adjustment of the relative position of the strip 60 with respect to the frame may be made. Such a limited adjustability of distance between the frames may sometimes not be able to provide a comfort engagement and a leakage proof contact between the goggles and the wearer's face.
There is also a prior art design of swimming goggles which are provided with three different-sized nose bridges to be selectively mounted on the swimming goggles in order to provide three different distances between the frames. Such a design provides only limited adjustability of the distance between the frames. Further, an increased inventory is needed in warehousing the three different-sized nose bridges. This is not only inconvenient, but also more costly.
It is thus desirable to provide a swimming goggle nose bridge structure which allows a better adjustability of distance between the frames of the swimming goggles so as to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art designs.

Nose bridge structure of swimming goggles


An analysis tool analyzes a model to determine the digital effect of the model in a modeling or programming environment. With the analysis tool, a user can determine minimum hardware functionality needed to execute the software generated from the model. The hardware functionality may include the word size of the microprocessor that executes the software appropriately. The hardware functionality may also include the execution speed of the microprocessor executing the software. The hardware functionality may further include the functionality of other hardware elements, such as the word length of an Analog to Digital converter. The analysis tool enables a user to produce a system at a low cost while achieving necessary performance criteria.

A dynamic system (either natural or man-made) is a system whose response at any given time is a function of its input stimuli, its current state, and the current time. Such systems range from simple to highly complex systems. Physical dynamic systems include a falling body, the rotating earth, bio-mechanical systems (muscles, joints, etc.), bio-chemical systems (gene expression, protein pathways), weather and climate pattern systems, etc. Examples of man-made or engineered dynamic systems include: a bouncing ball, a spring with a mass tied on an end, automobiles, airplanes, control systems in major appliances, communication networks, audio signal processors, nuclear reactors, a stock market.
Professionals from diverse areas such as engineering, science, education, and economics build mathematical models of dynamic systems in order to better understand system behavior as it changes with the progression of time. The mathematical models aid in building "better" systems, where "better" may be defined in terms of a variety of performance measures such as quality, time-to-market, cost, speed, size, power consumption, robustness, etc. The mathematical models also aid in analyzing, debugging and repairing existing systems (be it the human body or the anti-lock braking system in a car). The models may also serve the educational purpose of educating others on the basic principles governing physical systems. The models and results are often used as a scientific communication medium between humans. The term "model-based design" is used to refer to the use of graphical models in the development, analysis and validation of dynamic systems.
Dynamic systems are typically modeled in simulation environments as sets of differential, difference, and/or algebraic equations. At any given instant of time, these equations may be viewed as relationships between the system's output response ("outputs"), the system's input stimuli ("inputs") at that time, the current state of the system, the system parameters, and time. The state of the system may be thought of as a numerical representation of the dynamically changing configuration of the system. For instance, in a physical system modeling a simple pendulum, the state may be viewed as the current position and velocity of the pendulum. Similarly, a signal-processing system that filters a signal would maintain a set of previous inputs as the state. The system parameters are the numerical representation of the static (unchanging) configuration of the system and may be viewed as constant coefficients in the system's equations. For the pendulum example, a parameter is the length of pendulum and for the filter example; a parameter is the values of the filter taps.
In practice, except for the most basic systems, mathematical models for dynamic systems involve a complex set of mathematical transformations applied in some prescribed manner with the outputs of some transformations forming the inputs of others. Each elemental transformation may be viewed in isolation as a simple dynamic system falling into one of the categories listed above. Therefore, a complex dynamic system may be modeled as an interconnection of various simple dynamic systems.
A schematic representation of such an interconnection that has evolved over the years is the graphical model. Such graphical models have now become a standard means in textbooks, design papers, journal articles, and specifications to communicate the details of a dynamic system's behavior. Various classes of graphical models describe computations that can be performed on computational hardware, such as a computer, microcontroller, FPGA, and custom hardware. Classes of such graphical models include time-based block diagrams, such as those found within Simulink® from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., state-based and flow diagrams, such as those found within Stateflow® from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., data-flow diagrams, circuit diagrams, and software diagrams, such as those found in the Unified Modeling Language (UML). A common characteristic among these various forms of graphical models is that they define semantics on how to execute the model.
Generally, graphical analysis and simulation methods, such as the block diagram method, are used in modeling for design, analysis, and synthesis of engineered systems. The visual representation allows for a convenient interpretation of model components and structure and provides a quick intuitive notion of system behavior. Block diagrams are a set of graphical connections between blocks to model a system. The individual blocks in a block diagram represent mathematical operations and output a result.
Conventional simulation models become more complex as models are developed that model more complex systems. Hundreds of thousands of blocks that represent primitive and aggregate mathematical operations may be present. To manage the complexity of such models, the principles of partitioning, abstraction, and hierarchy are applied.
In addition to graphical based modeling or simulation, other applications can be utilized to model a system. For example, MATLAB® provided by The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., is an interactive programming and interpretive application that can implement a variety of computing tasks in engineering and science, while also having the ability to execute other executable programs. Some of the tasks that MATLAB® can perform range from data acquisition and analysis to application development. The MATLAB® environment integrates mathematical computing, visualization, and technical programming language. MATLAB® includes built-in interfaces that provide access and import data from instruments, files, and external databases and programs.
In addition, MATLAB® can integrate external routines written in C, C++, Fortran, and Java with MATLAB® applications. As such, MATLAB® provides an example of interactive programming and interpretive environments that can work in conjunction with C routines provided external to MATLAB® including those provided by third party providers.
MATLAB®, Simulink® and their family of products, such as Simulink® Control Design, Fixed-point Toolbox, Simulink® Fixed-point, Real-Time Workshop, Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder, Stateflow® Coder, Simulink® Verification and Validation, Control System Toolbox, Robust Control Toolbox, etc., have been used to develop and analyze embedded control systems, which may include embedded control software and hardware. The control systems are sometimes embedded in mass production systems. One of the primary concerns in the mass production systems is to produce embedded control systems that have high functionality at a low cost.
One of the key cost considerations is the microprocessor (the price of which generally increases according to its word size). For example, 8-bit microprocessors are less expensive than 32-bit microprocessors. The execution speed of 8-bit microprocessors generally is, however, lower than that of more expensive 32-bit microprocessors. Therefore, it is desired to provide an analysis tool for determining the minimum digital computer system capability needed to satisfy overall system performance requirements.

Digital effects analysis in modeling environments


Methods and devices are disclosed for automated detection of a status of wafer fabrication process based on images. The methods advantageously use segment masks to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the images. Metrics are then calculated for the segment mask variations in order to determine one or more combinations of segment masks and metrics that are predictive of a process non-compliance. A model can be generated as a result of the process. In another embodiment, a method uses a model to monitor a process for compliance.

Semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices are typically fabricated by a sequence of processing steps applied to a substrate or wafer. The various features and multiple structural levels of the semiconductor devices are formed by these processing steps. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that involves generating a pattern on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Inspection processes are used at various steps during a semiconductor manufacturing process to detect defects on wafers to promote higher yield. As design rules and process windows continue to shrink in size, inspection systems are required to capture a wider range of physical defects on wafer surfaces while maintaining high throughput.
Wafer manufacturing process control is typically performed based on low wafer sampling using a slow, but sensitive, inspection tool, followed by review using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In some cases, process monitoring and control is achieved by way of a learning-based method where a process engineer learns how long the process tool can be used before requiring maintenance. This process engineer-based approach is prone to random failures since there is no in-line feedback. In both of these previous techniques, issues are only detected once a process tool has become problematic and creates defects that can be observed on inspection. Additionally, these techniques are slow, and therefore, wafer sampling is low.
Previous high-throughput approaches lack sensitivity and versatility. For example, previous techniques may detect known patterns in pre-defined zones on a wafer.
Accordingly, there is a need for high-throughput process monitoring and control that is capable of detecting non-compliance based on previously unknown patterns.

Automated image-based process monitoring and control


A nozzle arrangement for a scrubbing column for a flue gas in desulfurization, in which the scrubbing column has a sump, a baffle-free zone above the sump and a nozzle arrangement above the absorption zone. The nozzles, preferably by selective connection of intermediate pipe sections are connected to a branch pipe system extending from a distributor. Flow density profiles are formed in predetermined cross sectional planes of the scrubbing column by the spray cones of the nozzles. In each of these cross sectional planes, the flow density profiles of different spray cones are superimposed on one another. The flow density profiles of different cross sectional planes are superimposed upon projection of them onto a one of the planes to form a flow density complete profile in this one plane over the entire cross section of the scrubbing column. The flow density complete profile is compared with a predetermined value and, upon deviation of the flow density complete profile from the predetermined value, a position of at least one of the nozzles is adjusted. The steps are repeated until the flow density complete profile for the cross section of the scrubbing column has an approximately constant value up to a wall region of the cross section.

For the scrubbing of flue gases and, particularly, for the desulfurization of a flue gas by the treatment thereof with a scrubbing or absorptive liquid in a scrubbing column, it is known to provide the scrubbing column as a tower with a sump for collecting the scrubbing liquid, an absorption zone which may be free from baffles and packing and in which the gas is contacted with the liquid, and at least one nozzle plane above the absorption zone and provided with a manifold or distribution system for the scrubbing liquid, branch pipes and nozzles which dispense the scrubbing liquid into the gas.
The spray cones of the nozzles can overlap and the nozzles themselves may be connected to the branch pipes by intermediate pipe segments which run laterally of the branch pipes.
The gas can be passed in a uniform with the scrubbing liquid, i.e. in the same direction as the scrubbing liquid or in a counterflow to the scrubbing liquid. In the preferred state the gas passes upwardly while the nozzle plane is located at an upper portion of the scrubbing column.
Nozzle arrangements of the prior art encompass one or more nozzle planes, each of which has a distributor or manifold which is located in an axis of symmetry of the scrubbing column cross section and extends over the entire cross section of the scrubbing column. To the right and to the left branch lines are connected to the manifold, usually equidistantly so that these branch lines are disposed symmetrically. The connecting segments are likewise symmetrically disposed on the branch lines and have downwardly-turned ends which are formed with the nozzles. This nozzle distribution (see the U.K. Patent document 2 297 705) has a nozzle arrangement with overlapping spray cones and the nozzles distributed as much as possible uniformly over the cross section of the scrubbing column. The goal, of course, with these earlier systems is the greatest uniformity in the distribution of the spray over the cross sectional area of the column from a geometric view point.
It has been found from concentration measurements in the scrubbing gas stream above the nozzles that, in spite of a uniform distribution of the spray nozzles over the area of the scrubbing column cross section, there are locally higher toxic or noxious gas concentrations. The scrubbing gas stream appears to have tracks through the absorption zone which are not sufficiently contacted by the scrubbing liquid and in which noxious or toxic components, for example, sulfur-containing components, are not adequately removed by absorption.
As a consequence, the overall absorption efficiency of a scrubbing column is limited by the fact that there are local regions of greater and lesser scrubbing effectiveness. If a predetermined degree of absorption or absorption efficiency is not achieved, the length of the absorption zone must be increased and/or additional nozzle planes must be provided to increase the amount of the scrubbing liquid dispersed into the gas stream. Both of these expedients are expensive and are associated with increased operating gases for the additional pumping energy which is necessary. In many cases, moreover, existing scrubbing columns cannot be retrofit ted to achieve improved results.


A folding boat and locking device is described in which the boat includes paired foldable hull halves joined by a hinge at transverse bulkheads. The locking device includes a rigid base member with a clamp assembly having first elongated leg members extending therefrom. Second elongated leg members also extend from the rigid base member. At least one of the leg members is movable in relation to the other leg member between an open position in which the leg members are spaced apart a first distance, and a closed position wherein the leg members are substantially parallel and spaced apart on opposed sides of the bulkheads to hold the bulkheads together. A bolt and receiver assembly mounted between the base and at least one of the leg members is selectively operable to lock the first and second leg members in the closed position. A bulkhead engaging pad is provided on at least one of the leg members, with a pad adjuster that is selectively operable to position the bulkhead engaging pad toward and away from the other leg member, thereby adjusting clamping forces against the bulkheads.

Foldable boats are handy for sports enthusiasts who do not have the space to store full size boats, or the capability to transport a full size boat to and from waterways. Foldable boats that include relatively rigid hull sections typically fold along hinge axes that transversely bisect the boats, forming two approximately equal length halves. When folded open, the two halves are aligned end-to-end.
One form of transversely folded boat construction includes paired opposed bulkheads that are hinged along a transverse axis, usually at a midships location even with the boat gunwale.
A problem has existed in locking the hull sections in the open operative positions. The hull sections must be positively locked in the open condition or wave action will cause the halves to swing together and apart, resulting in dangerous instability.
Bolt and nut arrangements have been used to secure foldable boats in open conditions. The bolts are threaded through holes formed in the bulkheads. This arrangement is unsatisfactory since the holes for receiving the bolts will often leak unless appropriate seals are used. If the holes are located near the boat hull, as they should be to adequately hold the sections against swinging back to the closed position, very special care needs to be taken to avoid leaking.
The present folding boat and clamping arrangement eliminates the above problem by providing positive, secure locking of the folding boat halves without attendant concern for leaking. This is accomplished using the present locking arrangement which does not require holes to be formed through the bulkheads, but which instead securely clamps the bulkheads together from inside the folded open hull halves.


A method of managing vapors generated from an ammonia-containing reductant delivery system for an engine of a vehicle, comprising of during at least a portion of engine-off conditions, storing ammonia containing vapors generated in the reductant delivery system, and after said storing and during at least a portion of engine operation, purging said stored ammonia into an exhaust of the engine to react in a catalyst in the exhaust flow.

Ammonia or urea may be stored on-board a vehicle for use as a reductant in exhaust emission control systems.
Under some conditions, such as during engine starting, ammonia vapor that was generated in the reductant system may be used, such as described in U.S. 2006/0117741. For example, ammonia vapors may be routed to a storage unit and a reactor that uses exhaust heat or electrically generated heat. Further, the vapors may also be directed to the exhaust gas to react with exhaust gas NOx in a catalyst in the exhaust flow.
However, the inventors herein have recognized several issues with such a system. For example, ammonia vapors may be generated during various increased temperature conditions, possibly increasing pressure in the system and enabling ammonia to escape to the atmosphere without being reacted in the exhaust. For example, after an engine shut-down and when the vehicle may be parked in an enclosed area, residual heat and ambient heat may substantially increase vapor pressure, and possibly escape un-metered from the reductant system, either through the exhaust or through other passages.
Thus, in one approach, a method of managing vapors generated from an ammonia-containing reductant delivery system for an engine of a vehicle may be used. The method comprises during at least a portion of engine-off conditions, storing ammonia containing vapors generated in the reductant delivery system, and after said storing and during at least a portion of engine operation, purging said stored ammonia into an exhaust of the engine to react in a catalyst in the exhaust flow.
In this way, it may be possible to reduce vapor pressures and reduce un-metered ammonia exiting the system. Further, by later use of the stored ammonia in the exhaust, more effective usage rates of ammonia (or urea) may be achieved, possibly reducing the amount or frequency of ammonia (or urea) that is added by a user.
Note that various forms of shut-down may be possible, such as temporary engine shut-downs due to vehicle stop-start operation, temporary engine shut-downs due to hybrid vehicle operation, or complete vehicle shut-downs.

Engine-off ammonia vapor management system and method


An article transport assembly which is particularly designed for the conveyance of articles such as printing products, and which comprises a guide rail, and a plurality of article transport devices mounted for movement along the guide rail. Each transport device comprises a U-shaped transport body having a base leg and the two upright side legs, and with a gripper for engaging a printing product attached to the base leg. The two side legs each mount a pair of guide rail engaging members, with the two pairs of guide rail engaging members being positioned to engage both sides of the guide rail at two longitudinally spaced apart locations, and so as to permit the guide rail engaging members to move along the guide rail essentially free of play.

The present invention relates to an article transport assembly for the conveyance of articles such as printed products, and which includes a guide rail supporting a plurality of transport devices which are individually movable along the guide rail and which in turn support the printed products.
The patent specification CH-A-382,768 discloses a transport system for printing products, which comprises a plurality of individually movable article transport devices, designed as carriages, which are mounted on an endless guide rail. Arranged on each article transport device is a gripper which can be actuated via a control and in each case grasps a printing product at a feed station, transports it and releases it again at a delivery point. The empty article transport devices are supplied again, along the guide rail, to the feed station, where they grasp a new printing product. These known devices are of relatively large and heavy design, the disadvantage of this being that the printing products can only be conveyed at low speed, and that they are at a relatively large distance from one another in the conveying stream, thus limiting the conveying capacity of the transport system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article of transport assembly of the described type which overcomes the above noted deficiencies of the prior systems.


Various implementations are described. Several implementations relate to filtering of depth maps. According to a general aspect, a first depth picture is accessed that corresponds to a first video picture. For a given portion of the first depth picture, a co-located video portion of the first video picture is determined. A video motion vector is accessed that indicates motion of the co-located video portion of the first video picture with respect to a second video picture. A second depth picture is accessed that corresponds to the second video picture. A depth portion of the second depth picture is determined, from the given portion of the first depth picture, based on the video motion vector. The given portion of the first depth picture is updated based on the depth portion of the second depth picture.

Currently in many application systems, depth maps are obtained by depth estimation methods which find correspondence among different video views. Due to camera setting mismatches, different shooting positions, and depth estimation errors, the resulting depth maps may exhibit some artifacts. The use of such depth maps could lead to unacceptable rendering errors in generated virtual views.


An apparatus (10) and method for evaluating an effect of a surface presentation angle (A). The apparatus supports a plurality of samples (12) separated by support plates (18) between end plates (22) in a shish kebab arrangement. A groove (34) is formed on each side of each support plate for receiving an edge of each respective sample at a different angle relative to an axis of impingement (32). A clamping mechanism (20) holds the end plates, support plates and samples together in the fixed orientation exposing each sample surface at a different presentation angle, yet at the same distance from a process end effector (30). The sample impingement surfaces are exposed to the process, and the effect of the different surface presentation angles is determined from the samples. Process variables to counter the effects of surface presentation angle may be identified and controlled.

Energy beams such as laser or electron beams are known to be used as a heat source for certain manufacturing and repair processes such as welding, hard-facing and overlay coating, such as may be used during the repair of gas turbine engine components. The angle of incidence of the energy beam is an important variable that affects the quality of the process. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section IX identifies a change of more than ±10 degrees in the relative angle between the axis of the beam and the impinged work piece surface (angle of incidence) as an essential variable for such processes. Angled surfaces cause an otherwise focused and maximum power density beam to be spread over a broader surface having an elliptical rather than round shape. Moreover, the effect of gravity varies as a surface undergoing a process is inclined from horizontal, and such changes may adversely affect processes utilizing a molten weld pool or powders. Relatively little work has been published to quantify these effects for material and/or heat additive processes.

Evaluating a process effect of surface presentation angle


A process for the preparation of silicon wafers having a non-uniform distribution of oxygen precipitate nucleation centers. Silicon wafers having a controlled distribution of oxygen precipitate nucleation centers are prepared by heating the wafer in a manner to create a temperature gradient across the thickness of the wafer for a period of time. Upon a subsequent oxygen precipitation heat treatment, those regions of the wafer which were rapidly heated to a temperature in excess of about 900.degree. C. will form a denuded zone whereas those regions of the wafer which did not achieve a temperature in excess of about 900.degree. C. during the rapid heating will form oxygen precipitates.

The present invention relates, in general, to a process for the preparation of silicon wafers having a controlled distribution of oxygen precipitate nucleation centers. More particularly, the present invention is for the preparation of wafers having a non-uniform distribution of oxygen precipitate nucleation centers wherein the distribution is such that, upon a subsequent oxygen precipitation heat treatment, the wafers form a denuded zone in the region near the surface of the wafer and oxygen precipitates in regions outside the denuded zone.
Single crystal silicon, the starting material for most processes for the fabrication of semiconductor electronic components, is commonly prepared with the so-called Czochralski process wherein a single seed crystal is immersed into molten silicon and then grown by slow extraction. At the temperature of the silicon molten mass, oxygen comes into the crystal lattice from the quartz crucible in which it is held until it reaches a concentration determined by the solubility of oxygen in silicon at the temperature of the molten mass and by the actual segregation coefficient of oxygen in solidified silicon. Such concentrations are greater than the solubility of oxygen in solid silicon at the temperatures typical for the processes for the fabrication of integrated circuits. As the crystal grows from the molten mass and cools, therefore, the solubility of oxygen in it decreases rapidly, whereby in the resulting slices or wafers, oxygen is present in supersaturated concentrations.
Thermal treatment cycles which are typically employed in the fabrication of electronic devices can cause the precipitation of oxygen in silicon wafers which are supersaturated in oxygen. Depending upon their location in the wafer, the precipitates can be harmful or beneficial. Oxygen precipitates located in the bulk of the wafer are capable of trapping undesired metal impurities that may come into contact with the wafer. The use of oxygen precipitates located in the bulk of the wafer to trap metals is commonly referred to as internal or intrinsic gettering ("IG"). Oxygen precipitates located in the active device region of the wafer (within a few microns of the wafer's polished surface), however, can severely degrade device performance. Therefore, it is desirable to create a highly non-uniform distribution of these precipitates. The region near the front (polished) surface of the silicon wafer should contain a minimum density of these oxygen precipitates. The density of precipitates should then increase sharply at some distance (about 20-200 microns) from the surface. The precipitate free region near the surface is generally referred to as the "denuded zone." This zone is a critical parameter in the manufacture of integrated circuits ("IC").
Historically, depth distribution of oxygen precipitates has been controlled by insuring that a sufficient amount of oxygen out-diffuses to the wafer surface and is removed prior to the point at which significant precipitation begins to occur within the wafer. This out-diffusion process requires relatively long heat treatments at very high temperatures, e.g., about 16 hours at 1100.degree. C. This out-diffusion step is then usually followed by a heat treatment (e.g., about 4 hours at 700.degree. C.) to accelerate the subsequent precipitation of oxygen in those regions still containing sufficient amounts of oxygen.
A critical requirement for many electronic device fabricators is that all wafers subjected to this thermal sequence have a uniform and reproducible denuded zone and a uniform and reproducible number density of oxygen precipitates outside the denuded zone. Uniformity and reproducibility have been difficult to achieve at a reasonable cost, however. There are several parameters which affect the density of oxide precipitates which develop in a given silicon wafer in a given IC manufacturing process, including: (1) the concentration of interstitial oxygen, O.sub.i !.sub.i present initially in solid solution, (2) the density of pre-existing (to the IC manufacturing process) oxygen clusters which act as nucleation sites for the precipitation of supersaturated oxygen, (3) the stability of these pre-existing clusters at higher temperatures, and (4) the details of the thermal cycles employed to produce the electronic device. These parameters can vary significantly from one wafer to the next.
One approach which has been tried to control the range of the concentration of oxygen precipitates formed during an IC manufacturing process is to narrow the range of oxygen concentration for the wafers. For example, many IC fabricators require that the range of oxygen concentration be within 1 ppma of a target value, or even less. This approach, however, stretches technological capability, reduces the flexibility of crystal growers to control other parameters and increases costs. Even worse, tightening oxygen concentration specifications does not guarantee success; thermal histories of the silicon wafers can have a profound effect upon the oxygen precipitation behavior. Thus, wafers having the same oxygen concentrations but different thermal histories can exhibit significantly different precipitate densities.
In view of the fact that tightening oxygen concentration specifications by itself will not lead to a narrow range of oxygen precipitate densities, some have attempted sorting wafers by oxygen concentration or other criteria from which values of oxygen precipitation values can be predicted. See, for example, Miller U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,196. Wafer-to-wafer uniformity with respect to oxygen precipitation is improved by this approach, but flexibility is significantly impaired and costs are increased.
Bischoff et al. suggest a process for forming wafers having a wide denuded zone (.gtoreq.15 .mu.m) with a high precipitate density (>10.sup.12 /cm.sup.3) in U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,922. In their process, the denuded zone is formed first by annealing the wafers at 1100.degree. C. for four hours. After the denuded zone is formed, Bischoff et al. suggest that the wafers be annealed at temperature in the range of 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. to nucleate a high density of very small precipitates and grow them to such a size to permit survival of a subsequent heat treatment such as 925.degree. C. Thereafter, Bischoff et al. suggest heating the wafers at a rate of less than 2.degree. C. per minute to a temperature between 750.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C. and annealing the wafers at this temperature for a period which is sufficient to ensure the survival of the precipitates in subsequent processing. These steps add significant labor and cost to the wafers.

Process for the preparation of silicon wafers having a controlled distribution of oxygen precipitate nucleation centers


A high performance steam turbine vane having a novel airfoil shape. The pressure surface of the airfoil has a substantially straight region proximate the trailing edge that provides the airfoil with adequate thickness to prevent distortion during forging. The novel shape on the suction surface is such that a first region of the suction surface downstream of the gauging point is essentially straight. Traveling in the upstream direction, the first region is followed by a second region that has a large amount of curvature. The second region is followed by a third region that has a lower curvature than the second region. The third region is followed by a fourth region of constantly increasing curvature that increases to a curvature greater than the curvature of the second region. The fourth region is followed by a fifth region, ending at the leading edge, of essentially constant large curvature that includes the maximum curvature throughout the suction surface.

The present invention relates to vanes for a steam turbine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a high performance vane for use in the latter stages of a steam turbine and having an airfoil portion with improved curvature.
The steam flow path of a steam turbine is formed by a stationary cylinder and a rotor. A large number of stationary vanes are attached to the cylinder in a circumferential array and extend inward into the steam flow path. Similarly, a large number of rotating blades are attached to the rotor in a circumferential array and extend outward into the steam flow path. The stationary vanes and rotating blades are arranged in alternating rows so that a row of vanes and the immediately downstream row of blades forms a stage. The vanes serve to direct the flow of steam so that it enters the downstream row of blades at the correct angle. The blade airfoils extract energy from the steam, thereby developing the power necessary to drive the rotor and the load attached to it.
The amount of energy extracted by each stage depends on the size and shape of the vane and blade airfoils, as well as the quantity of vanes and blades in the stage. Thus, the shapes of the airfoils are an extremely important factor in the thermodynamic performance of the turbine and determining the geometry of the airfoils is a vital portion of the turbine design.
As the steam flows through the turbine its pressure drops through each succeeding stage until the desired discharge pressure is achieved. Thus, the steam properties--that is, temperature, pressure, velocity and moisture content--vary from stage to stage as the steam expands through the flow path. Consequently, each stage employs vanes and blades having an airfoil shape that is optimized for the steam conditions associated with that stage. However, within a given row the vane airfoils are identical.
Generally, the major thermodynamic losses in the vane row occur due to friction losses as the steam flows over the airfoil surface and separation of the boundary layer on the suction surface of the vane. Friction losses are minimized by shaping the airfoil so as to maintain the steam local velocity on the airfoil surface at relatively low values. Separation of the boundary layer is prevented by causing the steam to constantly accelerates as it flows toward the trailing edge of the airfoil. This constant acceleration requires that the passage between adjacent airfoils constantly converges from the vane inlet to the gauging point.
The difficulty associated with designing a steam turbine vane is exacerbated by the fact that the airfoil shape determines, in large part, the mechanical strength of the vane and its resonant frequencies, as well as the thermodynamic performance of the vane. These considerations impose constraints on the choice of vane airfoil shape. Thus, of necessity, the optimum vane airfoil shape for a given row is a matter of compromise between its mechanical and aerodynamic properties. One important constraint involves the thickness of the trailing edge portion of the airfoil. If the trailing edge is too thin, distortion can result in the airfoil as a result of the forging process by which the vanes are manufacture. However, increasing the thickness of the trailing edge can compromise the convergence necessary to prevent steam flow separation.
It is therefore desirable to provide a row of steam turbine vanes having an airfoil shape that provides a sufficiently thick trailing edge region to prevent distortion during forging but which maintains the steam velocity at relatively low values and ensures that the steam does not decelerate as it flows toward the trailing edge.


The invention relates to a stimulation device for creating complex or multi-purpose tissue stimulation. Many typical stimulation devices suffer from deficiencies in providing complex stimulation patterns. Using a circuitry operable or programmable to repeat and skip stimulation settings, a complex stimulation set may be created. The repeating and skipping functionality may be implemented in hardware or software. In this manner, complex stimulations may be derived from simple circuitries. Furthermore, these stimulations may be used to treat pain, stimulate bone growth, and control motor disorders, among others.

Electronic stimulation systems may be used to control pain or motor disorders. Such systems have also been used to stimulate bone growth.
For example, application of an electrical field to spinal nervous tissue can effectively mask certain types of pain transmitted from regions of the body associated with the stimulated tissue. More specifically, applying particularized electrical pulses to the spinal cord associated with regions of the body afflicted with chronic pain can induce paresthesia, or a subjective sensation of numbness or tingling, in the afflicted bodily regions. This paresthesia can effectively inhibit the transmission of non-acute pain sensations to the brain.
Electrical energy, similar to that used to inhibit pain perception, may also be used to manage the symptoms of various motor disorders, for example, tremor, dystonia, spacticity, and the like. Motor spinal nervous tissue, or nervous tissue from ventral nerve roots, transmits muscle/motor control signals. Sensory spinal nervous tissue, or nervous tissue from dorsal nerve roots, transmit pain signals.
Electrical energy may be commonly delivered through electrodes positioned external to the dural layer surrounding a spinal cord. The electrodes are carried by two primary vehicles: the percutaneous lead and the laminotomy lead.
Percutaneous leads commonly have two or more electrodes and are positioned within an epidural space through the use of an insertion, or Touhy-like, needle. An example of an eight-electrode percutaneous lead is an OCTRODE® lead manufactured by Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc. of Allen, Tex.
Operationally, an insertion needle is passed through the skin, between the desired vertebrae, and into an epidural space which is defined by a dural layer in combination with the surrounding vertebrae. The stimulation lead is then fed through the bore of the insertion needle and into the epidural space. Conventionally, the needle is inserted at an inferior vertebral position, for example, between vertebrae L1 and L2 (Li/L2), and the stimulation lead is advanced in a superior direction until the electrodes of the stimulation lead are positioned at a desired location within the epidural space, for example, at T10. In a lateral position, percutaneous leads are typically positioned about a physiological midline.
As an example of application, the above methodology is commonly used for the management of sympathetically maintained pain (SMP). It is generally believed that due to the sympathetic nature of SMP, stimulation leads positioned about a physiological midline provide sufficient electrical energy to interrupt the transmission of SMP signals. However, the above-described conventional technique may be used for the management of sympathetically independent pain (SIP), stimulating bone growth, and treating muscle disorders, among others.
As an alternative to spinal cord stimulation, electrical energy may be delivered to selected peripheral nerves using a peripheral nerve stimulation system. Peripheral nerve stimulation involves administration of electrical energy to a localized group of peripheral nerves through placement of one or more leads at the peripheral nerve site. Unfortunately, if a patient's pain is widespread, a patient may require a plurality of stimulation leads to be implanted. The surgical procedure necessary for stimulation lead implantation is significant and can be quite painful. Additionally, because peripheral stimulation leads are implanted in "active" areas of the body (e.g., arms and legs), the leads typically lack long-term placement stability. Lead movement, or lead migration, can affect the quality of pain relief. Further, significant lead movement that undermines the intended stimulation effect may require additional corrective surgeries to reposition the stimulation leads.
In each of these cases, the stimulation device may be coupled to one or more leads with one or more electrodes. Depending on the application and the purpose of the stimulation, varying stimulation patterns and electrical fields may be desired. An applied electrical field is defined by the polarity of each electrode of the stimulation lead. Conventionally, each electrode is set as an anode (+), cathode (−), or neutral (off). For a four electrode percutaneous lead there exists approximately 50 electrode combinations. For an eight electrode percutaneous lead, the number of possible electrode combinations grows to approximately 6050. Further, various combinations of pulses and pulse frequencies may be used with varying sets of electrodes.
Many typical stimulation devices are limited in their ability to deliver stimulations in complex patterns. Further, these typical stimulation devices may not be used in multi-purposes stimulation.
As such, many typical stimulation devices suffer from deficiencies in providing complex multi-purpose stimulation patterns. Many other problems and disadvantages of the prior art will become apparent to one skilled in the art after comparing such prior art with the present invention as described herein.

Method and apparatus for providing complex tissue stimulation patterns


An actuator device that includes a first actuating segment of an artificial muscle fiber, where one end of the first actuating segment is connected to a first terminal and the other end of the first actuating segment is connected to a second terminal. The device also includes a second actuating segment of an artificial muscle fiber, where one end of the second actuating segment is connected to a third terminal and the other end of the second actuating segment is connected to a fourth terminal. The device also includes a paddle disposed on both the first and second actuating segments and a heating provision disposed on the first and second actuating segments. The heating provision independently provides energy in the form of heat to the first and second actuating segments, and the actuator device moves rotates the paddle to a desired position through activating the first or second actuating segments.

Thermally driven torsional actuators based on twisted polymeric and carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers and yarns have an inconvenience of being intrinsically monostable. In other words, actuators may need a continuous supply of energy to remain in an activated state. For example, if such an actuator is not utilizing any temperature changes in the environment surrounding the actuator, a continuous supply of thermal energy may be required in order to keep the actuator's temperature sufficient to remain activated. Such energy may be supplied electrically, chemically, or even photonically. Mechanical mechanisms such as latches and ratchets may be added to such thermally driven torsional actuators in order to lock the actuator in an activated position; however, the addition of such mechanisms may increase mechanical complexity of the actuator.


A process for manufacturing a superconducting elongated article such as a superconducting wire which is applicable for manufacturing a superconducting coil or the like. The process includes steps comprising filling a metal pipe with material powder of ceramic consisting of compound oxide having superconductivity, performing plastic deformation of the metal pipe filled with the ceramic metal powder to reduce the cross section of the metal pipe, and then subjecting the deformed metal pipe to heat-treatment to sinter the ceramic material powder filled in the metal pipe. The ceramic material powder may contain compound oxide having Perovskite-type crystal structure exhibiting superconductivity.. The metal pipe may selected from a group comprising metals of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Ru, Os, Cu, Al, Fe, Ni, Cr, Ti, Mo, W and Ta and alloys including these metals as the base. The heat-treatment may be carried out at a temperature ranging from 700 to 1,000.degree. C., The plastic deformation of the metal pipe filled with the ceramic metal powder may be performed in such manner that the cross section of the metal pipe is reduced at a dimensional reduction ratio ranging from 16% to 92% by wire-drawing or forging by means of dies, roller dies, or extruder.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing an elongated article made of sintered ceramic having superconductivity.
Particularly, it relates to a process for manufacturing a superconducting wire made of sintered ceramic of compound oxide which is applicable for producing a superconducting coils or the like.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a superconducting wire made of sintered ceramic of compound oxide having higher critical current density and higher critical transition temperature of superconductivity.
2. Description of the related art
The superconductivity is a phenomenon in which the electrical resistance become zero and hence can be utilized to realize power cables and a variety of devices and apparatus which are requested to reduce consumption of electrical energy and several ideas of its applications which utilize the phenomenon of superconductivity have been proposed.
In fact, the superconductivity are applicable in a variety of industrial fields, for example in the field of electrical power supply such as fusion power, MHD power generation, power transmission, or electric power reservation; in the field of transportation such as magnetic levitation trains, magnetically propelling ships; in the medical field such as high-energy beam radiation unit; in the field of science such as NMR or high-energy physics; or in the field of sensors or detectors for sensing very weak magnetic field, microwave, radiant ray or the like as well as in the field of electronics such as Josephson Junction devices and high-speed computers with reduced energy consumption.
However, their actual usage have been restricted because the phenomenon of superconductivity can be observed only at very low cryogenic temperatures. Among known superconducting materials, a group of materials having so-called A-15 structure show rather higher Tc (critical temperature of superconductivity) than others, but even the top record of Tc in the case of Nb.sub.3 Ge which showed the highest Tc could not exceed 23.2 K at most.
This means that liquidized helium (boiling point of 4.2 K) is only one cryogen that can realize such very low temperature of Tc. However, helium is not only a limited costly resource but also require a large-scaled system for liquefaction. Therefore, it had been desired to find another superconducting materials having much higher Tc. But no material which exceeded the abovementioned Tc had been found for all studies for the past ten years.
It is known that certain ceramics material of compound oxides exhibit the property of superconductivity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,315 discloses Ba--Pb--Bi-type compound oxide which shows superconductivity. This type superconductor, however, possess a rather low transition temperature of lower than 13 K and hence usage of liquidized helium (boiling point of 4.2 K) as cryogen is indispensable to realize superconductivity.
Possibility of existence of a new type of superconducting materials having much higher Tc was revealed by Bednorz and Muller who discovered a new oxide type superconductor in 1986 (Z. Phys. B64 (1986) p189)
This new oxide type superconducting material is [La, Ba].sub.2 CuO.sub.4 or [La, Sr].sub.2 CuO.sub.4 which are so-called the K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 -type oxide having such a crystal structure that is similar to Perovskite-type superconducting oxides which were known in the past (for example, BaPb.sub.1-x BixO.sub.3 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,315). The K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 -type oxides show such higher Tc as about 30 K which is extremely higher than that of known superconducting materials.
As the compound oxide type superconductors consisting of oxides of elements of IIa and IIIa groups in the Periodic Table, it can be mentioned those of, so to say, quasi-Perovskite structure which can be considered to have such a crystal structure that is similar to Perovskite-type oxides and includes an orthorhombically distorted perovskite or a distorted oxygen-deficient perovskite such as Ba.sub.2 YCu.sub.3 O.sub.7-.delta. in addition to the abovementioned K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 -type oxide such as [La, Ba].sub.2 CuO.sub.4 or [La, Sr].sub.2 CuO.sub.4. Since these superconducting materials show very high Tc of 30 to 90 K, it becomes possible to use liquidized hydrogen (b.p.=20.4 K) or liquidized neon (b.p.=27.3 K) as a cryogen for realizing the superconductivity in practice. Particularly, hydrogen is an inexhaustable resource except for danger of explosion.
However, the above mentioned new type superconducting materials which was just born have been studied and developed only in a form of sintered bodies as a bulk produced from powders but have not been tried to be shaped into a wire form. The reason is that the new type superconductors are ceramic materials of compound oxide which possess no superior plasticity or processablility in comparison with well-known metal type superconducting materials such as Ni--Ti alloy, and therefore they can not or are difficult to be shaped or deformed into an elongated article such as a wire by conventional technique such as wire-drawing technique in which superconducting metal is drawn directly or in embedded condition in copper to a wire form.
It is proposed in Japanese patent laid-open No. 61-131,307 a method for manufacturing a superconducting wire from a metal type superconducting material which is apt to be oxidized and very fragile such as PbMo.sub.0.35 S.sub.8, comprising charging the material powder in a metal shell, extruding the metal shell filled with the material powder at higher than 1,000.degree. C., and then drawing the extruded composite. This metal working technique, however, can not apply directly to ceramic material consisting of compound oxide, because the compound oxide type superconducting materials can not exhibit the superconductivity if not the specified or predetermined crystal structure is realized. In other words, a superconducting wire having higher critical temperature and higher critical current density and which is useable in actual applications can not be obtained outside predetermined optimum conditions. In particular, if not the shell is selected from proper materials, the resulting compound oxide will be reduced due to chemical reaction with the metal of the shell, resulting in poor or inferior properties of superconductivity.
In the field of ceramic molding, it has been the general practice for manufacturing an elongated article such as wires or rods to add an organic binder to the material powder of ceramic in order to facilitate shaping or molding of the powder material. Thus, a mixture of the powder material and the organic binder is shaped into a rod by means of an extruder or a press machine and then the shaped rod is passed directly or through a trimming or cutting stage to an intermediate sintering stage to remove the organic binder before it is fed to the final sintering stage.
The combination of the abovementioned press-molding and trimming or cutting operations loose much material of expensive ceramics, so that not only economy of material is low but also a dimensional ratio of longitudinal direction to cross sectional direction of the rod can not be increased. Therefore, this process can not be used in practice.
The extrusion technique is much better than the press-molding technique in the economy of material and productivity, but requires great quantities of organic binder added to the powder material. This organic binder is difficult to be removed completely during the intermediate sintering stage and hence remain in the finally sintered article, resulting in a cause of defects of the product which will lower the strength and the resistance to flexion. Therefore, it is difficult to manufacture a fine rod of ceramics having higher dimensional ratios of longitudinal direction to cross sectional direction according to the extrusion technique.
In order to realize a reliable and practical superconducting structure, it is indispensable that the structure possesses enough strength and tenacity which is sufficient to endure bending force during usage and also has a finer cross sectional dimension as possible in such manner that it can transmit currency at higher critical current density and at higher critical temperature.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a process for manufacturing a superconducting wire of sintered ceramic having an enough length to be used in practical applications, namely having a higher dimensional ratio of longitudinal direction to cross sectional direction, without using organic binder which is causative of lowering the strength and tenacity of the product.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for manufacturing a fine superconducting wire of compound oxide type sintered ceramic having higher resistance to breakage, even if the the diameter of the wire is reduced greatly, in other words, under higher dimensional reduction ratio in cross section.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process for manufacturing a fine superconducting wire of compound oxide type sintered ceramic having higher critical current density and higher critical temperature.

Process for manufacturing a superconducting wire of compound oxide-type ceramics


A method for transmitting web page source data over a computer network. The method typically includes receiving a request for the web page source data from a remote client. The web page source data contains renderable and non-renderable data. The request is received at an acceleration device positioned on the computer network intermediate the web page source data and an associated web server. The method further includes filtering at least a portion of the non-renderable data from the requested web page source data, thereby creating modified web page source data, and sending the modified web page source data to the remote client. The non-renderable data is selected from the group consisting of whitespace, comments, hard returns, meta tags, keywords configured to be interpreted by a search engine, and commands not interpretable by the remote client.

The Internet has experienced explosive growth in recent years. The emergence of the World Wide Web has enabled millions of users around the world to download easily web pages containing text, graphics, video, and sound data while at home, work, or from remote locations via wireless devices. These web pages often are large in size and therefore require a long time to download, causing the user delay and frustration. Delay often causes users to abandon the requested web page and move on to another web page, resulting in lost revenue and exposure for many commercial web sites.
Delay downloading a web page can be caused by a number of factors. At the server, a large volume of page requests may overload the capacity of the server and result in unanswered or late-answered requests. Within the computer network, network congestion and limited bandwidth may cause delay in the transmission of data. Particularly problematic is the so-called "last mile" between many home users and their Internet Service Provider. For a majority of Internet users, the last mile is typically a telephone modem connection configured to operate at speeds at or lower than 56K baud. For these users, large web pages take an agonizingly long time to download.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for accelerating data transmission over a computer network, in order to decrease delay and provide users with a more pleasurable experience.

Web page source file transfer system and method


This invention relates to a chemiresistor gas sensor using MXene and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein the chemiresistor gas sensor, manufactured in a manner in which a Ti3C2Tx MXene thin film is formed and transferred onto a sensor substrate, can exhibit good response and sensitivity.

Sensitively detecting very low concentrations of molecules is regarded as very important in the fields of detection of toxic substances, detection of pollutants, early diagnosis of diseases, and the like. In particular, for the early diagnosis of diseases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone and ethanol from human exhalation must be able to be precisely detected at a concentration of ppb (parts per billion).
In order to sensitively detect the molecules, a gas sensor (resistive gas sensor), which operates based on changes in electrical resistance, is widely utilized, and such a gas sensor is typically exemplified by a chemiresistor-type gas sensor.
In order to sensitively detect very low concentrations of molecules by such sensors, both of low electrical noise, which appears at high electrical conductivity, and a high electrical signal, which appears on rich surface functional groups, have to be fulfilled at the same time.
Although various materials have conventionally been utilized for channels for gas sensors, the above two requirements are always in a trade-off relationship, making it difficult to realize sensors having high sensitivity.
Meanwhile, MXene (a transition metal carbide material) is a 2D nano material comprising double elements of a heavy metal atom such as titanium (Ti) and a carbon (C) atom, with a 2D planar structure having a thickness of 1 nm and a length of ones of m. MXene has advantages such as simple preparation and low cost compared to conventional nano materials, and contains many hydrophilic groups (an atomic group that is highly compatible with water) on the surface thereof, making it easy to realize dispersion in a solvent and to prepare a polymer composite, and also, MXene having high electrical conductivity may be favorably applied to various films, coating products, and the like, requiring electrical conductivity.
Unlike existing materials, MXene is characterized in that the entire surface thereof is covered with hydrophilic functional groups and also excellent metallic conductivity is manifested, and is thus expected to manifest outstanding performance as a material for a gas sensor channel.
Therefore, the present invention is aimed to provide a method of manufacturing a gas sensor, which is able to detect very low concentrations of VOCs using MXene and may exhibit very high sensitivity compared to existing materials.
The related art in the field to which the present invention belongs will be briefly described, and then the technical aspects by which the present invention seeks to differentiate itself from the related art will also be described below.
Specifically, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2017-0102768 (Sep. 12, 2017) discloses a method of manufacturing a 2D MXene thin film and a method of fabricating an electronic device using the same, the method of manufacturing the MXene thin film including treating bulk M2AlC MAX-phase (M representing a transition metal) with hydrofluoric acid to thus form bulk M2C(OH)xFy MXene (0<x≤2, 0<y≤2, 0<x+y≤2), and performing annealing using the bulk M2C(OH)xFy MXene to thus form an M2COx MXene thin film.
Also, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2017-0093041 (Aug. 14, 2017) discloses an MXene ferrite composite and a method of preparing the same, and more particularly an MXene ferrite composite having improved electrical conductivity suitable for use as electromagnetic wave absorbers and a method of preparing the same, which may be applied to a transparent conductive thin film for a sensor.
Also, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2017-0036507 (Apr. 3, 2017) discloses a method of manufacturing an MXene nanosheet, and more particularly a method of manufacturing an MXene nanosheet, the surface of which is not functionalized with functional groups such as O, OH, F, etc.
The related documents as above disclose the manufacture of the MXene thin film, ferrite, nanosheet, and the like, which may be applied to the conductive thin film for a sensor, but in order to serve as a gas sensor, the formation of an MXene thin film on a sensor substrate is not mentioned, and thus it is difficult to manufacture a chemiresistor-type gas sensor having high sensitivity based on the technology disclosed in the aforementioned related documents alone.

Chemiresistor gas sensor using MXene and the manufacturing method thereof

KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A system and method for establishing voice connections between users of a social network. User access is granted to a social network through a VoIP phone. The social network is navigated based on user input. The user is directly connected to a second user randomly for voice communications based on an authorization.

Usage of the Internet has increased nearly exponentially in recent years to the point that the Internet is a part of many people's everyday lives. Further, the Internet has become an environment in which social networking occurs daily. Social networking is a network tool allowing a user to interact with other users who may have some common interests. Frequently, these interactions occur in computer chat, instant messaging, or email environments with users sending and receiving text and graphical messages.
While social networking sites and applications are increasing in popularity, these sites are limited by the types of communications and networking opportunities they allow. In other words, current social networking sites may limit the types of communications utilized by the different users and how users are introduced based on allowable interactions.

System and method for random voice communications through a social network


A system for generating bus signals for a plurality of remote stations. Bus data packets are comprised of a plurality of data blocks. Each data block is directed to a remote station. The position of each data block in the data packet identifies the remote station to which the data block is directed. Each of the remote stations receives each data packet substantially synchronously. The remote stations decode the data packets to determine the type of data packet and identify the content of the data packet directed to it. Each remote station loads the corresponding content from the data packet. Each of the remote stations can then generate output signals based on the data packet content substantially synchronously with the other remote stations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data storage systems and more particularly, to a method, apparatus and program storage device for providing a synchronous bus controller system.
2. Description of Related Art
In distributed computing systems a host computer typically controls and monitors rudimentary functions in other components of the distributed computing system, such as expansion enclosures or remote stations, using a minimal number of signals. Basic functions typically controlled by the host include indicators, switches, sensors, and generating simple waveforms. One conventional approach is to have independent direct connections between a host and remote stations. However, in high density modular systems like rack systems and blade systems, providing multiple direct connections between a host component and other components can create excessively complex cabling and wiring requirements.
To simplify wiring and cabling requirements hosts in modular systems often control components in the system using standard serial interfaces, such as a two wire I2C bus managed directly by the host. In such a system the host typically periodically individually addresses or polls devices on remote stations over a shared I2C bus. Various I2C devices are available for specific functions such as IO expanders which allow a host to generically manipulate and or sample signals on the remote stations.
A problem with conventional systems which use a bus like an I2C bus is the inability to tightly synchronize the assertion/de-assertion of signals via IO expanders on the various remote stations. To send a signal to a specific remote station, bus protocols like I2C specify the address of the target remote station and send signal packets including such addresses over the bus. A target remote station identifies a signal packet as being directed to it based on the address. The target remote station reads the content of signal packets addressed to it. To send a plurality of different signal packets to associated target remote stations, a host may generate and send such different signal packets individually to each of the corresponding target remote stations. Generating and sending such signal packets individually is one factor which can result in uncertainty in the timing of such signal packets reaching the different target remote stations. In addition, before a host completes generating and sending a group of such signal packets, the host process may be interrupted and the host may execute other instructions before resuming generating and sending the signal packets to the target remote stations. Such interrupts are another illustrative factor which can result in uncertainties in the timing of signal packets reaching different remote stations. These timing limitations of conventional systems can also result in such systems being incapable of generating sufficiently accurate waveforms at the remote stations, for example symmetric square waves with sufficiently accurately defined pulse width and duty cycle.
It can be seen that there is a need to provide an improved bus controller system with better control of signal timing.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of releasing a sheet from a blanket cylinder of a printing machine, wherein the sheet is guided by an impression cylinder and held by grippers thereof, includes moving, with respect to the impression cylinder, elements of the impression cylinder holding the sheet, in a direction relatively counter to the direction of rotation of the impression cylinder, so as to produce an enlarged pull-off angle after a leading edge of the sheet has passed a printing nip between the blanket and the impression cylinders; and a device for performing the foregoing method. The background to the invention is the knowledge that higher tensile forces on a sheet are disadvantageous, and the object was therefore set of making available a method and a device in which the tensile force is reduced. This is achieved by means of a method in which, in order to produce an enlarged pull-off angle (.gamma.) after the leading edge of the sheet (1) has passed the press nip (6), the elements (5,5',5",5"') of the impression cylinder (4) which hold the sheet (1) are moved in relation to the impression cylinder (4), relatively counter to its direction of rotation (15). Furthermore, the object is achieved by means of a device in which the elements (5,5',5",5"') holding the sheet (1) are configured so as to be correspondingly movable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and a device for releasing a sheet from a blanket cylinder of a printing machine, wherein the sheet is guided by the impression cylinder and held by grippers thereof.
In offset printing, ink is applied by a plate cylinder to a blanket cylinder and is, in turn, printed by the latter onto a sheet located on an impression cylinder. The application of ink to the sheet occurs at a line of contact between the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder. This is called the printing nip. Adhesion forces are produced between the sheet and the blanket cylinder by the ink, causing the sheet to adhere to the blanket cylinder. After a given adhesion length or distance on the blanket cylinder, a tear-off line is reached at which the sheet is pulled away from the blanket cylinder. The angle at the blanket cylinder between the printing nip and the tear-off line is called the follower or co-rotation angle and is usually about 5.degree.. The greater the follower angle, the greater is also the pull-off angle, which is the angle that the paper sheet forms at the tear-off line to the tangent to the blanket cylinder. This run-on of the sheet has been considered to be disadvantageous in the state of the prior art, and measures have been devised to reduce this sheet run-on, due to which the pull-off angle has been reduced.
Thus, the published German Patent Document DE 43 08 595 A1 addresses the objective of developing a method and a device for reducing the sheet run-on, which permit the sheet to be tautened to as far as the printing nip. For this purpose, this German patent document proposes that the circumferential speed be set in such a manner that the tensile forces on the sheet are as high as possible after the sheet leading edge has passed the printing nip.
The published German Patent Document DE 32 20 364 A1 also follows such a path. The objective thereof is to make a sheet tensioning device available which displaces the tear-off line of the sheet from the cylinder as closely as possible to the printing zone. For this purpose, the gripper system on the impression cylinder has been equipped with spring-controlled and cam-controlled levers, which permit the gripper system to be locked in a specific position and to be unlocked at a later time, in order to apply a tensile stress to the sheet in the running or travel direction thereof. Thus, the tensile stress which acts upon the sheet in any case was additionally increased after the sheet leading edge passed the printing nip, in that a high spring force was released, which additionally tautens the sheet. What was intended to be achieved in this manner was that the tearing line of the sheet be displaced as closely as possible to the printing zone, in order to avoid, as best as possible, the adhesion of the sheet to the blanket cylinder.
The disadvantage of this operating method and of the corresponding devices, respectively, is that measures which are directed to displacing the tear-off line as close as possible to the printing nip lead to the result that the pull-off angle is reduced and, accordingly, the tensile force which acts upon the sheet must be increased in order to attain the force component which is necessary for the release of the sheet. Increasing the forces acting upon the sheet leads to a great mechanical effort having to be expended in order to equip the grippers with adequately high holding forces. In addition, this leads to the production of markings by the grippers on the paper sheet, or the paper sheet being deformed by the increased tensile forces which, in turn, has a detrimental effect upon the printing quality due to the occurrence of ghosting. Also, in spite of the high gripper forces, it is often not possible to prevent the paper sheet from being drawn out from the grippers a given distance which, in turn, has the aforementioned negative influence upon the printing result.

Method and device for releasing a sheet from a blanket cylinder of a printing machine


A coolant system for a vertically oriented engine of an outboard motor is disclosed. Coolant flows through the coolant system from a coolant pump into a coolant jacket surrounding an exhaust manifold of the engine, down to a bottom of a cylinder head of the engine, through the cylinder head an engine block, through a thermostat, and then to a jacket positioned along an exhaust pipe leading from the exhaust manifold, to a coolant discharge.

As is well known, outboard motors for use in powering watercraft include an engine powering a water propulsion apparatus such as a propeller. These outboard motors have a cowling in which is positioned the engine. In order to keep the outboard motor small in dimension, the engine must have a very compact arrangement.
These engines typically include a coolant system which routes water drawn from the body of water in which the motor is positioned through the engine to cool the engine. It is most common to route the coolant through the cylinder block, cylinder head, and then through an exhaust manifold and/or exhaust pipe cooling jacket before discharging the coolant back to the body of water.
This coolant path has the disadvantage that the exhaust manifold is often not adequately cooled, such that heat is transferred therefrom to other engine components and the incoming air. At the same time, any coolant path which routes the coolant through the exhaust manifold in a manner which provides a higher rate of cooling must not do so at the expense of inadequately cooling the remainder of the engine, and must not require the coolant to pass through to circuitous of a route which results in poor coolant flow efficiency.
An outboard motor powered by an internal combustion engine and including an improved coolant system is desired.


A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a valve assembly having a supply of a fluid, a first member, and a second member capable of moving in relation to first member in response to vibration of the drill bit. The first and second members define a first and a second chamber for holding the fluid. Fluid can flow between the first and second chambers in response to the movement of the second member in relation to the first member. The valve assembly can also include a coil or a valve for varying a resistance of the fluid to flow between the first and second chambers.

Underground drilling, such as gas, oil, or geothermal drilling, generally involves drilling a bore through a formation deep in the earth. Such bores are formed by connecting a drill bit to long sections of pipe, referred to as a "drill pipe," so as to form an assembly commonly referred to as a "drill string." The drill string extends from the surface to the bottom of the bore.
The drill bit is rotated so that the drill bit advances into the earth, thereby forming the bore. In rotary drilling, the drill bit is rotated by rotating the drill string at the surface. Piston-operated pumps on the surface pump high-pressure fluid, referred to as "drilling mud," through an internal passage in the drill string and out through the drill bit. The drilling mud lubricates the drill bit, and flushes cuttings from the path of the drill bit. The drilling mud then flows to the surface through an annular passage formed between the drill string and the surface of the bore.
The drilling environment, and especially hard rock drilling, can induce substantial vibration and shock into the drill string. Vibration also can be introduced by factors such as rotation of the drill bit, the motors used to rotate the drill string, pumping drilling mud, imbalance in the drill string, etc. Such vibration can result in premature failure of the various components of the drill string. Substantial vibration also can reduce the rate of penetration of the drill bit into the drilling surface, and in extreme cases can cause a loss of contact between the drill bit and the drilling surface.
Operators usually attempt to control drill string vibration by varying one or both of the following: the rotational speed of the drill string, and the down-hole force on the drill bit (commonly referred to as "weight-on-bit"). These actions often do not effectively reduce the vibrations. Reducing the weight-on-bit or the rotary speed of the drill bit usually reduces drilling efficiency. In particular, drill bits typically are designed for a predetermined rotary speed range and weight-on-bit. Operating the drill bit off of its design point can reduce the performance and the service life of the drill bit.
So-called "shock subs" are sometimes used to dampen drill string vibrations. Shock subs, however, typically are optimized for one particular set of drilling conditions. Operating the shock sub outside of these conditions can render the shock sub ineffective, and in some cases can actually increase drill string vibrations. Moreover, shock subs and isolators usually isolate the portions of the drill string up-hole of the shock sub or isolator from vibration, but can increase vibration in the down-hole portion of the drill string, including the drill bit.
An ongoing need therefore exists for a system and method that can dampen drill-string vibrations, and particularly vibration of the drill bit, throughout a range of operating conditions.

System and method for damping vibration in a drill string


A double-acting, simplex, fluid handling pump is designed to facilitate an optional configuration as either a plunger pump or a diaphragm pump. An injection molded plastic pump body comprises two bilaterally symmetrical halves that include internal pockets and grooves for clamping and retaining first and second generally identical valve assemblies at opposing end portions of the pump body. When configured as a plunger pump, first and second plunger are arranged to move 180° out-of-phase with respect to one another within stationary guide sleeves that are clamped within the pump body where one plunger effecting a suction stroke while the other effects a compression stroke. When configured as a diaphragm pump, the plungers are removed from the connecting rods and replaced by diaphragms and a change is made in the valve casing employed but a majority of the remaining parts of the pump assembly remain unchanged from what is used in the plunger pump.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a double acting simplex fluid handling pump, and more particularly to such a pump having a housing that permits adaptation to either a plunger pump or a diaphragm pump using many of the same internal parts in each.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
A variety of double acting fluid handling pumps are known in the art and are typically constructed so as to include a cast iron or aluminum housing, each of which requires rather extensive and costly machining. Such designs cannot be used to pump caustic chemicals because the housing and many of the internal parts of such prior art pumps become corroded, resulting in pump failure within a relatively short period of time.
Thus, a need exists for a relatively low cost, long-lasting, simplex, double-acting pump capable of pumping both chemically inert liquids and caustic liquids. The present invention meets this need.