A fuel cell separator plate is provided. The fuel cell separator plate includes at least one groove formed in a face of the separator plate so as to feed reactant gas to a membrane electrode assembly applied against the face of the separator plate, the groove comprising an inlet section and an outlet section. The fuel cell separator plate also includes injection means configured so as to inject gas into at least one intermediate section of the groove, situated between the inlet section and the outlet section.

An ion exchange membrane fuel cell comprises a stack of elementary electrochemical cells. Each electrochemical cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA") sandwiched between two separator plates.
The membrane electrode assembly is laminated and comprises an ion exchange membrane sandwiched between two electrodes. Each electrode comprises an active layer adjacent to the membrane and a gas diffusion layer. One electrode makes up the anode and the other makes up the cathode.
Each separator plate comprises grooves provided in its face which is pressed tight against the membrane electrode assembly in a manner so as to define between the separator plate and the membrane electrode assembly conduits for the circulation of a reactant gas in contact with the membrane electrode assembly.
During operation of the fuel cell, fuel feeds the grooves of the anode side plate and oxidising gas feeds the grooves of the cathode side plate. The fuel supplies the anode side with electrons and ions. The electrons are captured by the anode. The ions pass through the membrane and combine with the electrons supplied by the cathode and the oxidising gas into at least one resulting product.
The fuel cell is for example of the PEMFC type ("Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell"). The ion exchange membrane is thus a proton exchange membrane. When in operation, the grooves of the anode side separator plate are supplied with hydrogen and the grooves of the cathode side separator plate are supplied with air or oxygen. The hydrogen produces protons which pass through the membrane and electrons that are captured by the anode. The protons are combined on the cathode side with the electrons supplied by the cathode and the oxygen to produce water.
Therefore the operation of the fuel cell results in the production of water that is likely to disrupt the flow of the reactant gas in the grooves, in particular by creating clogging. The disrupted supply is likely to diminish the performance of the fuel cell.

Separator plate with intermediate injection of gas, fuel cell, method of feeding a fuel cell


A sensor apparatus including a plurality of sensors, and a measurement device. The plurality of sensors being divided into sensor groups with each sensor group having a number of sensors. The groups being arranged such that the sensor groups are electrically matched. The sensors in a sensor group coupled in parallel with each other to form a sensor ladder. A measurement device is arranged to compare electrical signals from each sensor group and to output an indication signal, wherein the measurement device is coupled to each sensor ladder at an intermediate position and in that the coupling position of each sensor ladder are electrically equivalent to one another. Also provided by the present invention is a method of monitoring a plurality of sensors.

It will be understood within such machinery as gas turbine engines it is necessary to monitor a number of conditions in order to maintain operational efficiency. It will be appreciated that these conditions may relate to current output from the machinery, its temperature or other operational conditions such as stress loading. In such circumstances sensors are provided within and about the machinery such as a gas turbine engine in order to provide responses to control apparatus or indicator displays or otherwise for utilisation within the overall control strategy for the machinery.
With regard to engines it will be appreciated that some conditions are operationally critical. Thus, it is important that the engine or machinery remains within operational parameters such that the machinery will not malfunction or catastrophically fail. In such circumstances it is known to provide a number of sensors to effectively repeat or provide redundancy with regard to sensor determinations or averaging. These sensors are arranged in sensor channels extending about the machinery. For example within a gas turbine engine it is known to provide a sensor ladder having a number of thermo couples connected in parallel such that the responses from the thermo couples can be combined and monitored by a measurement device. Typically, this sensor ladder as indicated has the sensors, that is to say the thermocouples, connected in parallel such that measurement signals or readings can be taken from the respective ends of the sensor ladder. In such circumstances, the measurement system can determine if there is a disparity between the sensor signals at each end of the sensor ladder and so highlight a potential error. Unfortunately, some sensor failures may not result in appropriate disparity or differences in the signal at respective ends of the channel (sensor ladder).
It will be appreciated if signals received at each end of the sensor ladder agree within a predetermined threshold amount then the average of the two is used as indication signals for subsequent control or indication purposes. However, by having all sensors connected in a single parallel ladder, it will be understood that a single sensor or connecting harness failure will affect the whole system and it is not always possible, even with dual channel measurement of the ladder to establish that there is even a fault. If a difference beyond the threshold level between the channels occurs then it is not possible to determine which of the sensor channels is correct. It will be understood that measurement from the ends of each sensor ladder is also not an accurate assessment of the average sensor signal values. The sensor signals presented to the measurement device in the ladder are typically biased towards the sensors nearer to the end of the ladder as the electrical connections in the ladder provide an electrical resistance which is not negligible compared with sensor electrical resistance.
For the above reasons previous sensor apparatus and methods of monitoring sensors although mostly acceptable can provide spurious results.


An optical parametric device, for example an optical parametric generator or amplifier or oscillator, comprising a non-linear material (13) that is operable to generate a signal and an idler wave in response to being stimulated with a pump wave. The non-linear medium is such that the pump and idler waves are substantially collinear and the signal wave is non-collinear.

Parametric devices are flexible and convenient sources of widely-tunable coherent radiation, encompassing all time-scales from the femtosecond pulse to the continuous-wave. In these, a coherent beam of electromagnetic radiation is used to stimulate a non-linear process in a non-linear optical crystal, resulting in the division of the power/energy in the coherent pump wave into two generated waves, typically referred to as the signal and idler waves. The signal is usually defined as that wave providing the useful output, and hence throughout this document is identified as the wave having the longer wavelength of the two generated waves.
Parametric devices can operate in a variety of configurations including amplifiers, oscillators and generators. In a parametric amplifier an intense coherent pump wave is made to interact with the nonlinear optical crystal to produce amplification at the signal and idler optical wavelengths. A parametric oscillator uses a parametric amplifier inside an optical cavity resonant at one or both of the signal and idler waves. Here, the signal and idler waves are either self-starting from noise/parametric fluorescence or the cavity is injection seeded by a suitable source operating at the signal and/or idler wavelength. A parametric generator generates optical waves by the interaction of an intense coherent pump wave with a nonlinear optical crystal to parametrically produce two other optical waves. No cavity is provided for the down-converted waves since parametric gain is sufficiently high as to allow adequate transfer of energy/power to these waves with only non resonant single (or multiple) passing of the pump and or idler and or signal waves through the nonlinear medium. Again, in this case the signal and/or idler waves are either self-starting from noise/parametric fluorescence or the generator is injection seeded by a suitable source operating at the signal and/or idler wavelength.
There is considerable interest in extending the spectral coverage of parametric devices. This is because they are often used as sources of coherent radiation in spectral ranges either not covered by any other sources, or where a single parametric-wave source is capable of replacing a number of sources that would otherwise be needed in order to provide the spectral coverage required. However, a serious limitation of known parametric devices is the detrimental effect of absorption of one or more of the three waves involved in the nonlinear interaction within the nonlinear medium itself. As a result the spectral coverage attainable through a particular parametric generation scheme is often limited only by the presence of absorption and not by the nonlinear or phase-matching characteristics of the nonlinear medium being employed. Elimination of the restriction imposed by absorption would result in improved spectral coverage.
One solution for overcoming problems due to absorption has been identified. This involves using non-collinear phase-matching in such a way as to cause the wave subject to absorption, usually the signal wave, to rapidly walk-out of the nonlinear medium in a direction that is substantially lateral to the propagation direction of the pump wave. Examples of this technique are described in the articles "Efficient, tunable optical emission from LiNbO3 without a resonator", by Yarborough et al, Applied Physics Letters 15(3), pages 102-104 (1969); "Coherent tunable THz-wave generation from LiNbO3 with monilithic grating coupler", by Kawase et al, Applied Physics Letters 68(18), pages 2483-2485 (1996), and "Terahertz wave parametric source", by Kawase et al, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 35(3), pages R1-14 (2002).
FIG. 1 is an illustration of the known non-collinear phase-matching process. More specifically, FIG. 1(a) illustrates the geometry of the interacting pump 1, idler 2 and signal 3 waves in the nonlinear medium 4. FIG. 1(b) illustrates the phase-matching process through a so-called k-vector diagram, where kp, ki and ks are the wavevectors of the pump, idler and signal waves respectively, angle θ is the angle subtended by the pump 1 and idler 2 waves and angle φ the angle subtended by the pump 1 and signal 3 waves.
As can be seen from FIG. 1(b), in the known non-collinear phase matching process the pump wave 1 and idler wave 2 are not themselves collinear within the nonlinear medium 4. However, to maintain the necessary nonlinear interaction between them throughout the length of the nonlinear medium 4, they must be of sufficient radial (transverse) extent to maintain an overlap between them throughout the length of the medium 4. This means that it is not possible to employ small (i.e. tightly focused) beam sizes for these waves. Having small beam sizes is desirable because it increases the intensities of the waves, so as to reduce the power or energy necessary for attaining a level of parametric gain required for the operation of the device.

Parametric generation with lateral beam coupling

The University Court of the University of St. Andrews


The present invention discloses a linear compressor in which a piston is linearly reciprocated inside a cylinder, for sicking a refrigerant into a compression space between the piston and the cylinder, and compressing and discharging the refrigerant, and especially, a structure of discharging the refrigerant for the linear compressor which can reduce a pulsation of a high pressure discharged refrigerant, by making the refrigerant compressed in the compression space flow from a sub-discharge space with a relatively small volume to a sub-discharge space with a relatively large volume in a discharge chamber. As a result, the structure of discharging the refrigerant for the linear compressor can efficiently reduce noise and vibration.

FIG. 1 is a side-sectional view illustrating part of a general linear compressor, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a side-sectional view and a front view illustrating a conventional structure of discharging a refrigerant for the linear compressor, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 1, in the linear compressor, in a hermetic space of a shell (not shown), one end of a cylinder 2 is fixedly supported by a main body frame 3, and one end of a piston 4 is inserted into the cylinder 3, for forming a compression space P between the cylinder 3 and the piston 4. The piston 4 is connected to a linear motor 10 and reciprocated in the axial direction, for sucking a refrigerant into the compression space P and discharging the refrigerant.
Here, the compression space P for compressing the refrigerant is formed between one end of the cylinder 2 and the piston 4. A suction hole 4h is formed at one end of the piston 4 in the axial direction, for sucking the refrigerant into the compression space P, and a thin film type suction valve 6 is bolt-fastened to one end of the piston 4, for opening and closing the suction hole 4h. A discharge valve assembly 8 is installed at one end of the cylinder 2, for discharging the refrigerant compressed in the compression space P.
The linear motor 10 includes a ring-shaped inner stator 12 formed by laminating a plurality of laminations in the circumferential direction, and fixed to the outer circumference of the cylinder 2, a ring-shaped outer stator 14 formed by laminating a plurality of laminations in the circumferential direction outside a coil winding body formed by winding a coil in the circumferential direction, and disposed outside the inner stator 12 with an interval, and a permanent magnet 16 disposed in the space between the inner stator 12 and the outer stator 14, and linearly reciprocated by a mutual electromagnetic force by the inner stator 12 and the outer stator 14.
One end of the inner stator 12 is supported by the main body frame 3, and the other end thereof is fixed to the outer circumference of the cylinder 2 by a fixing ring (not shown). In addition, one end of the outer stator 14 is supported by the main body frame 3, and the other end thereof is supported by a motor cover 22. The motor cover 22 is bolt-fastened to the main body frame 3. The permanent magnet 16 is connected to the other end of the piston 4 by a connection member 30.
When a current is applied to the outer stator 14, the permanent magnet 16 is linearly reciprocated by the mutual electromagnetic force by the inner stator 12 and the outer stator 14, and the piston 4 is linearly reciprocated inside the cylinder 2. As a pressure inside the compression space P is varied, the suction valve 6 and the discharge valve assembly 8 are operated to suck, compress and discharge the refrigerant.
The conventional structure of discharging the refrigerant for the linear compressor will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The conventional structure of discharging the refrigerant includes the discharge valve assembly 8 installed at one end of the cylinder 2 to be opened and closed, for discharging the refrigerant from the compression space P, a discharge cap 9 installed at one end of the cylinder 2 to cover the discharge valve assembly 8, for forming a discharge chamber D to which the refrigerant is discharged, and a loop pipe R connected to the discharge cap 9, for reducing noise and vibration of the high pressure discharged refrigerant. The discharge chamber D is partitioned off into discharge spaces 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d, for example, by a curved shape of the discharge cap 9.
In detail, the discharge valve assembly 8 includes a discharge valve 8a for opening and closing one end of the cylinder 2, a support cap 8b fixed to one end of the cylinder 2, for covering the discharge valve 8a, and a discharge valve spring 8c for elastically opening and closing the discharge valve 8a on one end of the cylinder 2 according to the pressure inside the compression space P.
Communication holes H1, H2, H3 and H4 for discharging the refrigerant to the discharge cap 9 are formed on the circumference of the support cap 8b at intervals. The discharge spaces 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d are formed on the discharge cap 9 to correspond to the communication holes H1, H2, H3 and H4, respectively. The discharge spaces 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d communicate to each other.
As the piston 4 is linearly reciprocated inside the cylinder 2, the refrigerant sucked into the compression space P is compressed. If the pressure inside the compression space P exceeds a set pressure, the discharge valve spring 8c is compressed to open the discharge valve 8a. The high pressure refrigerant of the compression space P is passed through the communication holes H1, H2, H3 and H4 of the support cap 8b, temporarily collected in the discharge chamber D inside the discharge cap 9, reduced in vibration and noise through the relatively thin and long loop pipe R, and externally discharged.
In the conventional structure of discharging the refrigerant for the linear compressor, the refrigerant compressed at a high pressure in the compression space P by linear reciprocation of the piston 4 generates a pulsation, passes through the communication holes H1, H2, H3 and H4 formed on the circumference of the support cap 8b of the discharge valve assembly 8 at intervals, and is discharged to the discharge chamber D which is one up-down and left-right symmetric limited space. That is, even if the pulsation is generated in the high pressure refrigerant, the refrigerant flows through the loop pipe P. Therefore, the pulsation of the refrigerant is maintained high, which increases noise and vibration.

Structure of discharging refrigerant for linear compressor


Attenuated recombinant viruses containing DNA encoding a calicivirus antigen such as a RHDV antigen, e.g., a capsid gene, as well as methods and compositions employing the viruses, expression products therefrom, and antibodies generated from the viruses or expression products, are disclosed and claimed. The recombinant viruses can be NYVAC or ALVAC recombinant viruses. The recombinant viruses and gene products therefrom and antibodies generated by the viruses and gene products have several preventive, therapeutic and diagnostic uses. The DNA from the viruses can be used for probes or for primers.

Vaccinia virus and more recently other poxviruses have been used for the insertion and expression of foreign genes. The basic technique of inserting foreign genes into live infectious poxvirus involves recombination between pox DNA sequences flanking a foreign genetic element in a donor plasmid and homologous sequences present in the rescuing poxvirus (Piccini et al., 1987).
Specifically, the recombinant poxviruses are constructed in two steps known in the art and analogous to the methods for creating synthetic recombinants of poxviruses such as the vaccinia virus and avipox virus described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,769,330, 4,772,848, 4,603,112, 5,100,587, and 5,179,993, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
First, the DNA gene sequence to be inserted into the virus, particularly an open reading frame from a non-pox source, is placed into an E. coli plasmid construct into which DNA homologous to a section of DNA of the poxvirus has been inserted. Separately, the DNA gene sequence to be inserted is ligated to a promoter. The promoter-gene linkage is positioned in the plasmid construct so that the promoter-gene linkage is flanked on both ends by DNA homologous to a DNA sequence flanking a region of pox DNA containing a nonessential locus. The resulting plasmid construct is then amplified by growth within E. coli bacteria (Clewell, 1972) and isolated (Clewell et al., 1969; Maniatis et al., 1982).
Second, the isolated plasmid containing the DNA gene sequence to be inserted is transfected into a cell culture, e.g. chick embryo fibroblasts, along with the poxvirus. Recombination between homologous pox DNA in the plasmid and the viral genome respectively gives a poxvirus modified by the presence, in a nonessential region of its genome, of foreign DNA sequences. The term "foreign" DNA designates exogenous DNA, particularly DNA from a non-pox source, that codes for gene products not ordinarily produced by the genome into which the exogenous DNA is placed.
Genetic recombination is in general the exchange of homologous sections of DNA between two strands of DNA. In certain viruses RNA may replace DNA. Homologous sections of nucleic acid are sections of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) which have the same sequence of nucleotide bases.
Genetic recombination may take place naturally during the replication or manufacture of new viral genomes within the infected host cell. Thus, genetic recombination between viral genes may occur during the viral replication cycle that takes place in a host cell which is co-infected with two or more different viruses or other genetic constructs. A section of DNA from a first genome is used interchangeably in constructing the section of the genome of a second co-infecting virus in which the DNA is homologous with that of the first viral genome.
However, recombination can also take place between sections of DNA in different genomes that are not perfectly homologous. If one such section is from a first genome homologous with a section of another genome except for the presence within the first section of, for example, a genetic marker or a gene coding for an antigenic determinant inserted into a portion of the homologous DNA, recombination can still take place and the products of that recombination are then detectable by the presence of that genetic marker or gene in the recombinant viral genome. Additional strategies have recently been reported for generating recombinant vaccinia virus.
Successful expression of the inserted DNA genetic sequence by the modified infectious virus requires two conditions. First, the insertion must be into a nonessential region of the virus in order that the modified virus remain viable. The second condition for expression of inserted DNA is the presence of a promoter in the proper relationship to the inserted DNA. The promoter must be placed so that it is located upstream from the DNA sequence to be expressed.
Vaccinia virus has been used successfully to immunize against smallpox, culminating in the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980. In the course of its history, many strains of vaccinia have arisen. These different strains demonstrate varying immunogenicity and are implicated to varying degrees with potential complications, the most serious of which are post-vaccinial encephalitis and generalized vaccinia (Behbehani, 1983).
With the eradication of smallpox, a new role for vaccinia became important, that of a genetically engineered vector for the expression of foreign genes. Genes encoding a vast number of heterologous antigens have been expressed in vaccinia, often resulting in protective immunity against challenge by the corresponding pathogen (reviewed in Tartaglia et al., 1990a).
The genetic background of the vaccinia vector has been shown to affect the protective efficacy of the expressed foreign immunogen. For example, expression of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) gp340 in the Wyeth vaccine strain of vaccinia virus did not protect cottontop tamarins against EBV virus induced lymphoma, while expression of the same gene in the WR laboratory strain of vaccinia virus was protective (Morgan et al., 1988).
A fine balance between the efficacy and the safety of a vaccinia virus-based recombinant vaccine candidate is extremely important. The recombinant virus must present the immunogen(s) in a manner that elicits a protective immune response in the vaccinated animal but lacks any significant pathogenic properties. Therefore attenuation of the vector strain would be a highly desirable advance over the current state of technology.
A number of vaccinia genes have been identified which are non-essential for growth of the virus in tissue culture and whose deletion or inactivation reduces virulence in a variety of animal systems.
The gene encoding the vaccinia virus thymidine kinase (TK) has been mapped (Hruby et al., 1982) and sequenced (Hruby et al., 1983; Weir et al., 1983). Inactivation or complete deletion of the thymidine kinase gene does not prevent growth of vaccinia virus in a wide variety of cells in tissue culture. TK- vaccinia virus is also capable of replication in vivo at the site of inoculation in a variety of hosts by a variety of routes.
It has been shown for herpes simplex virus type 2 that intravaginal inoculation of guinea pigs with TK.sup.- virus resulted in significantly lower virus titers in the spinal cord than did inoculation with TK.sup.+ virus (Stanberry et al., 1985). It has been demonstrated that herpesvirus encoded TK activity in vitro was not important for virus growth in actively metabolizing cells, but was required for virus growth in quiescent cells (Jamieson et al., 1974).
Attenuation of TK.sup.- vaccinia has been shown in mice inoculated by the intracerebral and intraperitoneal routes (Buller et al., 1985). Attenuation was observed both for the WR neurovirulent laboratory strain and for the Wyeth vaccine strain. In mice inoculated by the intradermal route, TK.sup.- recombinant vaccinia generated equivalent anti-vaccinia neutralizing antibodies as compared with the parental TK.sup.+ vaccinia virus, indicating that in this test system the loss of TK function does not significantly decrease immunogenicity of the vaccinia virus vector. Following intranasal inoculation of mice with TK.sup.- and TK.sup.+ recombinant vaccinia virus (WR strain), significantly less dissemination of virus to other locations, including the brain, has been found (Taylor et al., 1991a).
Another enzyme involved with nucleotide metabolism is ribonucleotide reductase. Loss of virally encoded ribonucleotide reductase activity in herpes simplex virus (HSV) by deletion of the gene encoding the large subunit was shown to have no effect on viral growth and DNA synthesis in dividing cells in vitro, but severely compromised the ability of the virus to grow on serum starved cells (Goldstein et al., 1988). Using a mouse model for acute HSV infection of the eye and reactivatable latent infection in the trigeminal ganglia, reduced virulence was demonstrated for HSV deleted of the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, compared to the virulence exhibited by wild type HSV (Jacobson et al., 1989).
Both the small (Slabaugh et al., 1988) and large (Schmidtt et al., 1988) subunits of ribonucleotide reductase have been identified in vaccinia virus. Insertional inactivation of the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase in the WR strain of vaccinia virus leads to attenuation of the virus as measured by intracranial inoculation of mice (Child et al., 1990).
The vaccinia virus hemagglutinin gene (HA) has been mapped and sequenced (Shida, 1986). The HA gene of vaccinia virus is nonessential for growth in tissue culture (Ichihashi et al., 1971). Inactivation of the HA gene of vaccinia virus results in reduced neurovirulence in rabbits inoculated by the intracranial route and smaller lesions in rabbits at the site of intradermal inoculation (Shida et al., 1988). The HA locus was used for the insertion of foreign genes in the WR strain (Shida et al., 1987), derivatives of the Lister strain (Shida et al., 1988) and the Copenhagen strain (Guo et al., 1989) of vaccinia virus. Recombinant HA.sup.- vaccinia virus expressing foreign genes have been shown to be immunogenic (Guo et al., 1989; Itamura et al., 1990; Shida et al., 1988; Shida et al., 1987) and protective against challenge by the relevant pathogen (Guo et al., 1989; Shida et al., 1987).
Cowpox virus (Brighton red strain) produces red (hemorrhagic) pocks on the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken eggs. Spontaneous deletions within the cowpox genome generate mutants which produce white pocks (Pickup et al., 1984). The hemorrhagic function (u) maps to a 38 kDa protein encoded by an early gene (Pickup et al., 1986). This gene, which has homology to serine protease inhibitors, has been shown to inhibit the host inflammatory response to cowpox virus (Palumbo et al., 1989) and is an inhibitor of blood coagulation.
The u gene is present in WR strain of vaccinia virus (Kotwal et al., 1989b). Mice inoculated with a WR vaccinia virus recombinant in which the u region has been inactivated by insertion of a foreign gene produce higher antibody levels to the foreign gene product compared to mice inoculated with a similar recombinant vaccinia virus in which the u gene is intact (Zhou et al., 1990). The u region is present in a defective nonfunctional form in Copenhagen strain of vaccinia virus (open reading frames B13 and B14 by the terminology reported in Goebel et al., 1990a,b).
Cowpox virus is localized in infected cells in cytoplasmic A type inclusion bodies (ATI) (Kato et al., 1959). The function of ATI is thought to be the protection of cowpox virus virions during dissemination from animal to animal (Bergoin et al., 1971). The ATI region of the cowpox genome encodes a 160 kDa protein which forms the matrix of the ATI bodies (Funahashi et al., 1988; Patel et al., 1987). Vaccinia virus, though containing a homologous region in its genome, generally does not produce ATI. In WR strain of vaccinia, the ATI region of the genome is translated as a 94 kDa protein (Patel et al., 1988). In Copenhagen strain of vaccinia virus, most of the DNA sequences corresponding to the ATI region are deleted, with the remaining 3' end of the region fused with sequences upstream from the ATI region to form open reading frame (ORF) A26L (Goebel et al., 1990a,b).
A variety of spontaneous (Altenburger et al., 1989; Drillien et al., 1981; Lai et al., 1989; Moss et al., 1981; Paez et al., 1985; Panicali et al., 1981) and engineered (Perkus et al., 1991; Perkus et al., 1989; Perkus et al., 1986) deletions have been reported near the left end of the vaccinia virus genome. A WR strain of vaccinia virus with a 10 kb spontaneous deletion (Moss et al., 1981; Panicali et al., 1981) was shown to be attenuated by intracranial inoculation in mice (Buller et al., 1985). This deletion was later shown to include 17 potential ORFs (Kotwal et al., 1988b). Specific genes within the deleted region include the virokine N1L and a 35 kDa protein (C3L, by the terminology reported in Goebel et al., 1990a,b). Insertional inactivation of N1L reduces virulence by intracranial inoculation for both normal and nude mice (Kotwal et al., 1989a). The 35 kDa protein is secreted like N1L into the medium of vaccinia virus infected cells. The protein contains homology to the family of complement control proteins, particularly the complement 4B binding protein (C4bp) (Kotwal et al., 1988a). Like the cellular C4bp, the vaccinia 35 kDa protein binds the fourth component of complement and inhibits the classical complement cascade (Kotwal et al., 1990). Thus the vaccinia 35 kDa protein appears to be involved in aiding the virus in evading host defense mechanisms.
The left end of the vaccinia genome includes two genes which have been identified as host range genes, K1L (Gillard et al., 1986) and C7L (Perkus et al., 1990). Deletion of both of these genes reduces the ability of vaccinia virus to grow on a variety of human cell lines (Perkus et al., 1990).
Two additional vaccine vector systems involve the use of naturally host-restricted poxviruses, avipox viruses. Both fowlpoxvirus (FPV) and canarypoxvirus (CPV) have been engineered to express foreign gene products. Fowlpox virus (FPV) is the prototypic virus of the Avipox genus of the Poxvirus family. The virus causes an economically important disease of poultry which has been well controlled since the 1920's by the use of live attenuated vaccines. Replication of the avipox viruses is limited to avian species (Matthews, 1982) and there are no reports in the literature of avipoxvirus causing a productive infection in any non-avian species including man. This host restriction provides an inherent safety barrier to transmission of the virus to other species and makes use of avipoxvirus based vaccine vectors in veterinary and human applications an attractive proposition.
FPV has been used advantageously as a vector expressing antigens from poultry pathogens. The hemagglutinin protein of a virulent avian influenza virus was expressed in an FPV recombinant (Taylor et al., 1988a). After inoculation of the recombinant into chickens and turkeys, an immune response was induced which was protective against either a homologous or a heterologous virulent influenza virus challenge (Taylor et al., 1988a). FPV recombinants expressing the surface glycoproteins of Newcastle Disease Virus have also been developed (Taylor et al., 1990; Edbauer et al., 1990).
Despite the host-restriction for replication of FPV and CPV to avian systems, recombinants derived from these viruses were found to express extrinsic proteins in cells of nonavian origin. Further, such recombinant viruses were shown to elicit immunological responses directed towards the foreign gene product and where appropriate were shown to afford protection from challenge against the corresponding pathogen (Tartaglia et al., 1993a,b; Taylor et al., 1992; 1991b; 1988b).
Caliciviruses have been isolated from porcine (Vesicular exanthema of swine virus--VESV), pinniped (San Miguel sea lion virus--SMSV), feline (Feline calicivirus--FCV), rabbit (Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus--RHDV), hare (European brown hare virus--EBHV) and human (Norwalk or Hepatitis E virus--HEV) species. They share a common distinctive morphology and are unique among mammalian viruses in containing only one major polypeptide, molecular weight around 60 kDa (Burroughs and Brown 1974). Their genome consist in a positive-stranded RNA molecule of approximately 8 kilobases, the coding sequences for the capsid precursor protein being located within the 3'third of the genomic RNAs. All members of this family are remarkably restricted to their natural host range in which they are responsible of severe diseases (Studdert 1978).
Considering the severity of the diseases induced, the understanding of the basis of a protective immunity against caliciviruses infection in their target species represents an important aim for both veterinary and human medicines. Toward this goal, the development of a relevant and accessible animal model system is required.
The rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) which is responsible for a sudden and acute disease in rabbits (Morisse et al. 1990) provides a unique opportunity to address the mechanisms of immunity against a calicivirus infection in its target species. However, since the virus does not propagate efficiently in tissue culture, its molecular and biochemical analysis have been delayed until the recent cloning and nucleotide sequencing of its genome (Meyers et al. 1991). Contrary to what has been described for other caliciviruses [i.e. FCV (Carter et al. 1992) and HEV (Tam et al. 1991)], the amino terminal sequence analysis of the capsid protein strongly suggested that the RHDV capsid protein is translated from a 2.4 kb subgenomic RNA species and not from the 8 kb genomic RNA (Boga et al. 1992, Parra et al. 1993).
The expression of relevant RHDV proteins using an appropriate recombinant vector is required to access detailed biochemical RHDV analysis and to unravel the immune mechanisms involved in the protection against this calicivirus. As it would also enable the replacement of organ-derived inactivated vaccines (Yu et al. 1991, von Haralambiev et al. 1991, Smid et al. 1991, Villares 1991, David et al. 1991), the development of vaccine candidates utilizing molecular biological methodologies would provide a major safety as well as industrial breakthrough.
The use of live vectors, particularly poxviruses based vectors, expressing immunologically relevant antigens from infectious agents as potential vaccines is encouraged by numerous studies (for a review Cox et al. 1992).
It can thus be appreciated that provision of a calicivirus, e.g., RHDV, recombinant poxvirus, and of compositions and products therefrom, particularly NYVAC or ALVAC based calicivirus, e.g., RHDV, recombinants and compositions and products therefrom, especially such recombinants containing coding for any or all calicivirus capsid protein (i.e., capsid gene), e.g., RHDV capsid gene, and compositions and products therefrom would be a highly desirable advance over the current state of technology.

Recombinant poxvirus-calicivirus rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) compositions and uses


A device is used for precisely measuring an electrocardiographic wave and sphygmus. The device displays a number of sphygmus or the highest and lowest blood pressure on the basis of measured data. In the device, it is judged if an electrocardiographic wave signal generated from an electrocardiographic wave detecting circuit and the sphygmus signal generated from a sphygmus detecting circuit have been output in a corresponding manner to each other. If not, or if one of the above signals has not been detected, either the gain of the electrocardiographic wave detecting circuit or the gain of the sphygmus detecting circuit is increased so as to allow a precise detection of the signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for measuring and/or displaying various data representation of heart motion such as sphygmogram data, sphygmus data, highest and lowest blood pressure data, blood flow rate data, electrocardiographic wave data and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for measuring and displaying sphygmus and highest and lowest blood pressure are available in the market and are used for keeping health. Among such known devices are involved pulsimeters for measuring sphygmus which, with use of LED and transistor arrangements, detect changes of hemoglobin in blood caused by pulsatory motion and senses electrocardiographic R-waves accompanied by heart motion, and haemadynamometers which, with use of an air pump, pressure tube and an acoustic or optical sensor, sense blood pressure by installing a cuff on a fingertip or arm of a subject.
Such devices, however, have drawbacks that are inconvenient in handling, requiring much time for a measurement, and are so large in size that it can not be carried in hand.
Under the circumstances, a device has been proposed which obtains blood pressure data without using an air pump. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,262 discloses a device which comprises a pulsimeter for sensing sphygmus in a fingertip of a subject and an R-wave detector for sensing electrocardiographic R-waves in the fingertip, and which performs a certain operation on data obtained by the pulsimeter and the R-wave detector to calculate blood pressure data.
Since the above device, however, senses sphygmus and electrocardiographic R-waves each in the fingertip, it has drawbacks that precise measurements of sphygmus and electrocardiographic R-waves can not be made in case that the finger is not set to a right position. Further, the measurements are easily influenced by external noises because the device senses very weak signals. Therefore, the resultant blood pressure is not always accurate one. As described above, as the device senses very weak signals, it includes an amplifier for amplifying the sensed weak signals. It is hard to set the gain of such amplifier for properly amplifying the sensed signals, because the sensed signals vary in level from subject to subject.
Conventional pulsimeter and haemadynamometer simply display sphygmus data and blood pressure data, respectively but they do not provide appropriate data for keeping or promoting health. Therefore, these meters are not used effectively by the subject for that purpose. To keep and promote health, the subject needs other data in addition to sphygmus data and blood pressure data, which teach what kind or how much of food he should take, and/or what exercises are suitable for him to keep health or to promote health.

Measurement of electrocardiographic wave and sphygmus


In a radio resource allocation method of the present invention, use-state information of radio resources and priority information of mobile stations using the same radio resources of both a base station of concern and neighboring base stations is detected at the base station of concern. A new radio resource is allocated to a link between the base station of concern and a requesting mobile station in a cell site of the base station of concern based on the use-state information and the priority information of both the base station and the neighboring base stations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio resource allocation method that controls allocation of up/down link radio resources to mobile stations linked to a base station for use in mobile communications between the mobile stations through the base station. Further, the present invention relates to a base station that uses the radio resource allocation method for mobile communications between mobile stations through the base station.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advent of recent multimedia services, mobile communication systems have become to utilize not only the existing voice communications but also non-voice communications including data and image transmissions. In the non-voice communications, the amount of the uplink traffic and the amount of the downlink traffic are often diversified in a non-symmetrical manner. Moreover, the non-voice communications are likely to undergo variations of the amounts of the up/downlink traffic that are larger than those in the voice communications.
In order to resolve the above problems, it is desirable that radio resources, which must be allocated to mobile stations linked to the base station of concern, be shared for both the uplink and the downlink related to the base station of concern. Radio resources with respect to the present invention mean the radio channels or channel timeslots that have to be allocated to and shared by the respective links between the mobile stations and the base station of concern, namely, both the uplinks between the respective mobile stations and the base station and the downlinks between the base station and the respective mobile stations.
In a conventional radio resource allocation method, the radio resources are allocated to the uplinks and the downlinks based solely on the comparison of the amount of the uplink traffic and the amount of the downlink traffic in the cell site of the base station of concern. According to the conventional method, when the uplink traffic within the cell site is larger in amount than the downlink traffic there, the base station allocates a larger amount of radio resources to the uplinks than to the downlinks. On the other hand, when the downlink traffic in the cell site of the base station is larger in amount than the uplink traffic there, the base station allocates a larger amount of radio resources to the downlinks than to the uplinks.
However, according to the above-described conventional method, there is the possibility that the radio resources allocated to the links in the cell site of the base station of concern are being used in the radio resources allocated to the links in the cell site of a neighboring base station located adjacent to the base station of concern. In such a case, the interference of the radio resources between the base station of concern and the neighboring base station takes place, and the characteristics of the data transmission in both the cell sites of the base stations will deteriorate.
When the direction of the link data transmission in the cell site of the base station of concern is opposite to the direction of the link data transmission in the cell site of the neighboring base station in the case of allocating the radio resources to both the uplinks and the downlinks, the interference of the radio resources between the base stations or between the mobile stations is likely to take place. Hence, in the case of allocating the radio resources to both the uplinks and the downlinks based solely on the comparison of the uplink and downlink traffic amounts in the cell site of the base station of concern, the interference of the radio resources between the base stations or between the mobile stations is likely to take place, and it will cause the quality of the mobile communications to deteriorate. Further, the interference of the radio resources will cause an increase of the number of retransmissions and an increase of the delay of data transmission, and therefore the efficiency of utilization of the radio resources of the entire mobile communication system will be considerably lowered.

Radio resource allocation method and base station using the same


Disclosed is an apparatus for harvesting leakage energy. The apparatus for harvesting leakage energy includes: an energy harvesting unit configured to harvest energy leaked while energy radiated from a transmitting unit of an energy transmitting apparatus is transmitted to a receiving unit of an energy receiving apparatus; and a harvesting circuit module configured to supply energy harvested by the energy harvesting unit to a load. In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, energy efficiency of overall system can be increased by harvesting the leakage energy without affecting performance of a wireless power transmission system.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for harvesting leakage energy, and more particularly, to an apparatus for harvesting leakage energy in a wireless power transmission system using a magnetic resonance or electromagnetic induction phenomenon.
Generally, devices driven using electricity as an energy source are supplied with power through a power line. However, there are problems in that a use of the power line hinders mobility of the devices or has a limitation in a position.
Recently, with a rapid use of a mobile device in addition to smart phones, a demand for wireless charging technologies has been increased. Therefore, research into a wireless power transmission system capable of transferring power wirelessly has been actively conducted.
Technologies of transmitting power wirelessly convert electric energy into an electromagnetic wave or a light wave that can be transmitted wirelessly and transmit power using electric field, magnetic field, or electromagnetic field and may be largely classified into an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic resonance type, a microwave type, and the like.
The electromagnetic induction type is a type of generating induction current at two coils and transmitting energy, the magnetic resonance type is a type of using an evanescent wave coupling phenomenon of moving an electromagnetic wave from one medium to another medium through near field when two media are resonated at the same frequency, and the microwave type is a type of transmitting energy by radiating a microwave signal to the air through an antenna.
A physical quantity leaked while the physical quantity radiated from a resonator or a radiator is transmitted to a receiver by passing through a space is essentially present in the wireless power transmission system.
The energy leaked to the space acts as loss in the wireless power transmission system, thereby degrading overall transmission efficiency and energy efficiency.
As the related art, KR Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-0117732 (Oct. 27, 2011: Wireless Energy Transmission)
The above-mentioned technical configuration is a background art for helping understanding of the present invention and does not mean related arts well known in a technical field to which the present invention pertains.

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


Techniques for tuning a machine learning algorithm using automatically determined optimal hyperparameters are described. An exemplary method includes receiving a request to determine a search space for at least one hyperparameter of a machine learning algorithm; determining, according to the request, optimal hyperparameter values from the search space for at least the one hyperparameter of the machine learning algorithm based on an evaluation of hyperparameters from the same machine learning algorithm on different datasets; and tuning the machine learning algorithm using the determined optimal hyperparameter values for the at least one hyperparameter of the machine learning algorithm to generate a machine learning model.

Bayesian optimization has become over the past few years a key and successful methodology to automatically tune the hyper-parameters (HPs) (such as the number of layers in deep learning architectures, the learning rates of gradient-based procedures or the number of trees in ensemble methods, etc.) of machine learning systems.
There are two core ingredients required to apply Bayesian optimization: (1) a machine learning system that outputs some metric of interest, e.g., the classification accuracy, while being fed with some input HPs and (2) the definition of the optimization domain, also referred to as the search space, where the HPs can be selected. The search space is typically defined via sets of choices for categorical HPs and ranges for numerical HPs (i.e., as encoded by the minimum and maximum values that can be taken). In practice, defining the search space is a difficult exercise that (a) usually rests on the shoulders of the machine-learning system owner and (b) needs to be adjusted according to the data and application at hand.

Automatic determination of hyperparameters


A multi-purpose external fixator (1) comprises at least one screw (2) to be implanted in a bone fragment (3) and a frame (7), in turn comprising at least one clamp (8) and at least one bar (9); the clamp (8) comprising a central body (11), in which a slot (12) is made for connection to the screw (2), an element (13) for locking the screw (2) in the slot (12) and a lever (14) for operating the locking element (13); the lever (14) is hinged to the central body (11) and can move away from and towards an end position for engagement of the locking element (13) and stable connection of the screw (2) to the slot (12); in the end position the lever (14) and the screw (2) are positioned in a T-shaped configuration relative to each other, in which the lever (14) forms a grip for implanting the screw (2) in the bone fragment.

In orthopaedics, for several years a technique has been known for stabilising fractures without using external fixators instead of conventional plaster casts.
External fixators usually comprise a plurality of bone screws, normally in pairs, which are implanted in the bone fragments of the fracture in such a way that the head ends of the screws project from the skin of the patient. Said ends are anchored to a rigid external frame which is equipped with clamps and joints which can be orientated in such a way as to allow them to be adjusted to the position of the screws.
The screws usually have a cylindrical body, delimited on one side by a threaded end designed to be screwed into the bone fragment, and on the other side by the above-mentioned head end, which is shaped in such a way that it can be connected to a temporary grip which allows the screw to be screwed into the bone fragment. The connection between the screw and the grip is normally of the male-female type with quick coupling and release.
When operating, after making an incision in the soft tissue, the surgeon makes holes in the bone fragments on opposite sides of the fracture fissure and implants the screws in the holes. Then the surgeon connects the screw, without the temporary grip attached, to the respective clamps of the frame. If necessary, the surgeon then performs an operation called "reduction", that is to say, with the aid of radiological equipment (luminance amplifier) he aligns the edges of the fracture in such a way as to arrange the bone fragments in the most suitable position to knit together.
Once the fracture has been reduced, the surgeon locks the joints and clamps to hold the bone fragments in the predetermined position, thus allowing the correct formation between the bone fragments of "bone callus", which gradually restores the lamellar bone tissue with which the bone recovers its original continuity and functionality.
With a hold on the bone far from the centre of fracture and with stabilisation and adjustability outside of the fracture, external fixators allow action on the bone fragments whilst at the same time leaving the fracture zone free for surface medication.
Moreover, external fixators do not interfere with the airing of the fractured part and they prevent the loss of muscle tone normally encountered with the use of plaster casts.
Several years ago, the use of external fixators was extended to a vast range of orthopaedic operations, such as limb lengthening, correction of bone axis rotary and angular deformities, pseudarthrosis, etc. In other words, external fixators are today used as multi-purpose orthopaedic devices, both to correct deformations caused by trauma and to correct pathological deformations.
However, the prior art external fixators are not without disadvantages.
One disadvantage is the fact that in order to implant the bone screws, that is to say, to screw them in, an additional accessory has to be used, in the form of the above-mentioned temporary grip. Obviously, that adds complexity to the operations to be performed, as well as significantly extending the time required, due to the need to connect and then disconnect the temporary grip to and from each screw.
Another disadvantage is limited versatility and discomfort during use.
It should be remembered that the position of the screws is constrained by the presence of muscles, blood vessels, nerves and other soft tissue. When possible, the screws are implanted in such a way that they pass through "safe corridors" in the soft tissue and, therefore, they can emerge from the skin of the patient at various angles and lying in various planes. In practice, it was found that arranging the screws at various angles is more effective for stabilising the fracture.
In prior art external fixators, in particular in those in which the frame has one or more rigid bars which are connected to each other by clamps and joints, the choice of the above-mentioned angles is rather limited, or the desired angles are difficult to achieve with just a few rapid adjustments.


Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for performing inferences in a distributed computing environment. An example method generally includes receiving a request to perform an inference with respect to a set of input data. One or more client devices are selected for use in performing the inference with respect to the set of input data. A request to perform the inference is transmitted to the selected one or more client devices. The request generally includes an anonymized, vectorized version of the set of input data such that the selected one or more client devices are to perform the inference based on anonymized data. An inference response is received from each of the selected one or more client devices. An aggregated inference response is generated based on the inference response received from each respective client device of the selected one or more client devices and a reputation score associated with the respective client device, and the aggregated inference response is output to a requesting service.

Machine learning models are generally used to perform various inferences against an input data set. For example, machine learning models may be used to classify data into one of a plurality of categories, identify whether input data represents normal or anomalous data, and so on.
In some cases, machine learning models may be trained, at least in part, based on data associated with a user of a device or application for which the machine learning model is to generate inferences. Because of the idiosyncrasies of user data that may be used to train a machine learning model for a specific user, a machine learning model trained on a generic data set or a data set including data from non-representative users may not accurately generate inferences for a given input from the user. To improve the accuracy of inferences generated for the user, machine learning models trained using other data sets (and, in some cases, executed on different computing systems in a distributed computing environment) may be used to also generate inferences for the given input. A result may be generated based on an aggregation of the inferences generated by each machine learning model based on an assumption that a majority, or at least a significant plurality, of machine learning models will generate an inference result that is likely to be accurate. However, because some inferences may be performed based on sensitive data, providing that data to other machine learning models hosted on computing systems for inferencing in the distributed computing environment may compromise the privacy of such data.
Accordingly, techniques are needed to perform inferences in a distributed computing system such that the privacy of the input data against which these inferences are performed is preserved.

Methods and systems for privacy preserving inference generation in a distributed computing environment


A fastening structure of a disk drive having a pair of dovetail seat plates is mounted to the lateral edges of the disk drive. Each end of the plate is dovetail shaped and the center region of the plate is extended upward to form a fastening plate having an inverse "L" shape. The end edge of the fastening plate is extended upward to form a press portion. The surface of the fastening plate is provided with a protruded strip. A disk drive securing support has two lateral sides for the mounting of disk drive. The inner wall of the lateral side has a dovetail groove of width corresponding to the dovetail seat plate. The lateral wall is provided with hole corresponding to the protruded strip. When mounting the disk drive, the dovetail seat plate is engaged into the dovetail groove of the disk drive securing support so as to cause the protruded strip to fasten with the hole, to complete the fastening of the disk drive. When the disk drive is to be disconnected, the fastening plate is pressed inward to cause the protruded strip to disengage from the hole so as to withdraw the disk drive.

The present invention relates to a disk drive fastening structure, in particular, to a disk drive having a dovetail seat plate respectively mounted to each of the lateral sides of the disk drive Resilient fastening plate is provided on the dovetail seat plate. The structure provides a quick fastening of disk drive onto the disk drive securing support.
Conventionally, the parts of a personal computer (PC) are mounted within the computer case by many screws with various sizes. However, in view of the requirements for various functions, conventional PC faces a great problem. That is, the extension of memory capacity, the mounting of various parts for the specific function and the subsequent maintenance. In view of the mounting of disk drive, screws and nuts are used as fastening parts. In case maintenance of the PC is required, the screws and nuts have to be disconnected one by one. This is very inconvenient and laborious, and the disconnected screws and nuts may easily be misplaced. This will further deter the subsequent mounting of the disk drive.

Dovetail fastening structure for a disk drive


A bar table shelter includes a roof member comprising top central connection assembly which further includes a multi-direction connector with multiple radius claw sleeves for receiving corresponding equal-numbered long bones inserted therein in one-touch manner, at the central top place of which there is a vertically erecting fastener pole for fastening a tarpaulin cloth; a standing frame member comprising at least three upright panels, which provides a bar table support frame and a shelter surrounding frame to support the roof member, each upright panel includes two upright pole members with different heights and at least a pair of lateral bars between the two upright pole members; a top connection assembly having top positioned lateral beams at middle place of which there is a U-shaped fork supporting the roof member, the lateral beam preferably is a arc shaped one, which positioned between the roof member and the standing frame. Thereby the present invention of bar table shelter not only has the function of a shelter but also of a bar table, it provide more convenience for outdoor use.

In order to meet people's need in daily livelihood a variety of tarpaulin shelters are on sales in market, and such shelters include a top connection, long bones, lateral beams and upright panels, in which, the top connection and long bones are connected in plug-in manner to form a top tarpaulin framework for supporting the tarpaulin, and the upright panels are disposed under and around the top tarpaulin framework. The surrounding framework which supports top tarpaulin framework is formed by the upright panels, the lateral beams thereon and their connection. Such tarpaulin shelter has only the function of sheltering from sunlight and rain, although it brings convenience to outdoor use, however, it does not provide multi-function for the users, therefore, people need add in additional function such as combine a bar table and chairs under the tarpaulin shelter for resting and putting things such as bottles, dishes and the like thereon. Obviously, the current tarpaulin shelters in market are lack of a variety of usage and can not provide multi-functions to users


An ignition plug comprising: an insulator having a through hole extending from a rear-end side toward a forward-end side; a center electrode inserted at least partially into a portion of the through hole on the forward-end side; a metal terminal member inserted at least partially into a portion of the through hole on the rear-end side; and a seal disposed within the through hole and in contact with the center electrode and an inner circumferential surface of the insulator. The seal contains a glass and an electrically conductive substance, and the glass contained in the seal contains Si in an amount of 50 mass % or more as reduced to SiO2 and Na in an amount of 0.1 mass % or more and less than 1 mass % as reduced to Na2O.

Conventionally, an ignition plug is used to ignite fuel in an apparatus in which fuel is burned (e.g., an internal combustion engine). The ignition plug includes, for example, an insulator having a through hole, a center electrode inserted at least partially into a portion of the through hole on the forward-end side, a metal terminal member inserted at least partially into a portion of the through hole on the rear-end side, and a seal disposed within the through hole and in contact with the center electrode and an inner circumferential surface of the insulator. The seal contains, for example, glass. Prior art includes Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2005-340171; Japanese Kohyo (PCT) Patent Publication No. 2009-545860; and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2007-179788.
In the case where the SiO2 content of glass is high, since the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass lowers, the heat resistance performance of the seal improves. However, in this case, the glass becomes hard. In the case where the glass further contains sodium (Na), since the softening point of the glass drops, an appropriate seal can be formed. However, in some cases, as a result of diffusion of Na from the seal to the insulator, the voltage resistance performance of the insulator deteriorates.


A call management resource in a cable network environment receives an incoming phone call from a cable network subscriber. Via a call connection between the call management resource and the subscriber, the call management resource receives control input from the subscriber over the call connection. The control input can be a command specifying an operation to be performed on behalf of the subscriber in the cable network environment. In accordance with the control input, the call management resource initiates execution of the operation in the cable network environment. Thus, a cable network subscriber can perform control functions in a cable network environment using a communication device.

In accordance with conventional phone system technology, each phone device in a respective network is assigned a unique phone number. As is well known, to place a call to a target phone device, a phone user dials the phone number assigned to the target phone device using his own phone. The phone service provider receives the call request from the calling party and initiates a call alert in the phone network to the target phone device.
During the call alert, the target phone typically rings to indicate occurrence of an incoming call. If the target phone device goes unanswered, the calling party may end the attempt to reach the target phone device or the caller alert period (e.g., time when target phone rings) may time out. If the user of the target phone device accepts the incoming call (i.e., answers the phone), a two-way communication link is established between the calling party and target phone device.
In certain instances, the target phone device called by a user is operated by a business. In earlier days, when a phone user called a business, a human phone operator would redirect the call to an appropriate party within the business.
Conventional phone systems have been modified to include so-called IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technology. In accordance with IVR technology, the calling party typically provides input via pressing buttons on the phone or speaking a command into a phone. The IVR system receives the input over the call connection and converts the received input into one or more commands that are subsequently executed to carry out a respective local operation as specified by the received input. In certain instances, the IVR system includes resources to automatically execute the one or more commands, eliminating the need for a human phone operator.

Remote control and call management resource


A mounting substrate according to an embodiment of the present technology includes: a wiring substrate (30); a plurality of light-emitting elements (12) arranged in a matrix on the wiring substrate; and a plurality of drive ICs (13) that are arranged in a matrix on the wiring substrate, and control light emission of the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting elements and the drive ICs are mounted on a same surface. The wiring substrate includes a plurality of first wiring lines (16) on a mounting surface whre the light-emitting elements and the dive ICs are mounted. The first wiring lines electrically couple the light-emitting elements to the drive ICs.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a display unit in which each LED (Light Emitting Diode) provided at a point of intersection of a signal line and a scanning line is driven by turning on/off signal lines and scanning lines arranged in a grid. In this driving method, since image display is performed by sequential scanning of the scanning lines, it is not easy to increase display luminance. Therefore, for example, as discussed in Patent Literature 2, it may be conceivable to provide an LED and a drive IC for each pixel and to perform active driving of each LED.

Mounting substrate and electronic apparatus

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation


The present invention relates to managing of communication in a system, which system includes at least one user unit 100 capable of reading information from a surface 120 and communicating at least part thereof to a server 140, 150, 160, a look-up server 140, 150 storing information management rules associated with information read from the surface and at least one application server 160. The user unit 100 receives an instruction with control data from the look-up server 140, 150 and determines, based on these control data, if specific information data is allowed to be communicated by the user unit to a receiving application server in response to an instruction from an application server concerning these specific information data.

Information is often written down and communicated by means of pen and paper. Such paper-based information is, however, difficult to manage and communicate efficiently.
Computers are used, to an increasing extent, for managing and communicating information, The information is typically entered by means of a keyboard and stored in the computer's internal or external memory, for example on a hard disk. The entry of the information by means of the keyboard is, however, a relatively slow process and there is a significant risk of errors occurring in that process. Nor is it particularly convenient to read large amounts of text on a computer screen. Graphical information, such as drawings or images, is often entered by means of a separate image reader, such as a scanner or the like, in a procedure which is time-consuming, cumbersome, and which quite often gives unsatisfactory results. However, once the information is in the computer, it is easy to communicate it to others, for example as an e-mail or an SMS (Short Message Service) message via an Internet connection, or as a fax via a fax modem.
The present Applicant has proposed a remedy to this problem in the international application WO 01/16691, which is incorporated herein by reference, in which the Applicant envisages the use of a product having a writing surface which is provided with a position code. The position code, which codes a plurality of positions on the surface, enables electronic recording of information that is being written on the writing surface. The information is written by means of a digital pen having a sensor which detects the position code and calculates positions corresponding to the written information. The product also has one or more activation icons which, when detected by the digital pen, cause the pen to initiate a respective predetermined operation which utilizes the is information recorded by the pen.
More specifically, the position-coded product has a built-in functionality, in that different positions on the product, such as positions within the activation icon and positions within the writing surface, are dedicated for different functions. Furthermore, the position code is capable of coding co-ordinates of a large number of positions, much larger than the number of necessary positions on one single product. Thus, the position code can be seen as forming a virtual surface which is defined by all positions that the position code is capable of coding, different positions on the virtual surface being dedicated for different functions and/or actors.
The above concept can be used for a number of different purposes. The combination of pen and position coded product can be used as an input device to a computer, a PDA, a mobile phone or the like. For example, text and sketches written on a position-coded notepad can be transferred via the pen to a computer. Additionally, the combination of pen and position-coded product allows for global communication, directly from the product via the pen, by the position code on the product being dedicated for such communication. For example, the information registered by the pen can be transformed to a fax message, an e-mail or an SMS message, and then be sent from the pen to a recipient. Further, the combination of pen and position-coded product can be used in e-commerce. For example, the digital pen can be used to order an item from a position-coded advertisement in a magazine, by the position code in the advertisement being dedicated for such a service.
Typically, a system designed to include digital pens, or corresponding devices, will in addition to the pens and a plurality of position coded products include at least one look-up server running a service called a Paper Look-up Service PLS and a plurality of application servers acting as actors or Service Handlers SH in the system. The look-up server uses a database to manage the virtual surface defined by the position code and the information related to this virtual surface, i.e. the functionality of every position on the virtual surface and the actor associated with each such position. The application server is a server effecting a service on behalf of a digital pen, such as storing or relaying digital information, or initiating transmission of information or items to a recipient.
In such a system described above it is very difficult to foresee how a digital pen will communicate with the single, or multiple, look-up server(s) and the multiple application servers. The system provides a great number of possibilities for an actor wishing to design a service or application, e.g. which single or multiple further services or application servers that are to be involved in a specific service, the interaction between the digital pen and different services when using a specific service, what actions to be performed by the digital pen during utilization of a service etc. Also, an operator of a look-up server would benefit from being able to control communicated data and the communication itself between digital pens and different actors, especially during initiation of a service. Furthermore, there could be more than one look-up server in the system, with e.g. different responsibilities, such that a mechanism is needed to control with which look-up server a digital pen is to communicate.
Thus, one problem that needs to be solved is how to co-ordinate and control the communication in a system as described above in a simple and efficient way.


An apparatus for rotating substantially flat articles being transported along a production line is provided. The apparatus is configured so as to rotate the articles, about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of transport of the articles, through a desired number of degrees of rotation, while permitting the articles to be transported along the production line in a substantially uninterrupted and unimpeded manner.

The present invention is directed to apparatus for the manufacture and/or processing of substantially flat articles, such as printed products, or other products fabricated from paper, paperboard, corrugated material or the like. In particular, the present invention is directed to apparatus for changing the orientation of such substantially flat articles, while the articles are being transported along a transport path, in a production line.
In the manufacture of certain flat or substantially flat articles, such as paper bags, initial forming of the individual articles, for example from a continuous web of bag material, results in a stream of semi-finished articles which are being transported along a production line, in a particular orientation relative to the direction of movement. For example, in the production of flat-bottomed bags (such as a typical shopping bag), the individual bags leave the initial forming stage as individual half-finished bags, proceeding bottom-first along the production line.
While this (bottom-first) orientation may be advantageous for the initial forming of the individual bags, in that the orientation allows the initial formation to be done at a very high rate of speed (e.g., up to 600 bags per minute) from a continuous web or webs of material, such an orientation has, in the past, not been advantageous for the completion of manufacture of such articles. For example, the attachment of handles to such bags is difficult to accomplish, so long as the bag is oriented with its top-to-bottom axis extending parallel to the direction of transport of the individual bags. In such systems, the material for the handles typically must undergo a sharp change in direction (from the location of forming the handle components), in order to be attached to the longitudinally oriented moving bags on the production line.
Attempts have been made to provide apparatus for rotating the individual bags so that the top-to-bottom axis of each bag is transverse to the direction of travel, and the tops of the bags are positioned to the side of the conveyor, roller table of other means of transport, so that the handle applying apparatus may have facilitated physical access to both faces of the bags.
Some typical prior art apparatus for achieving this reorientation of the bags, relative to the direction of transport, might involve the slowing down of the speed of transport of the individual bags, for example, to permit manipulation by arms or stop members. In addition, other measures, such as directing the bags from one conveyor, to another, perpendicularly-disposed conveyor, while not turning the bags themselves, might be employed. Still other prior art turning apparatus have comprised stop motion turntables, which collect the articles individually or in groups, completely stopping their progress down the production line, while the articles are being reoriented, and then pushed onto a continuing conveyor, etc.
In still another prior art apparatus, which has been used by the H. G. Weber Company, a set of paired conical rollers are arranged with their axes perpendicular to the direction of transport of the articles to be turned. The conical roller pair is positioned so that the individual articles must pass between the rollers. The shape of the conical rollers, and their speed of rotation, relative to the speed of the oncoming articles, were configured such that upon contacting the rollers, the articles passing between them would be rotated ninety degrees. However, the turning apparatus utilized by the H. G. Weber Company is only capable of a specific degree of rotation, for any given roller configuration and roller speed combination.
It would be desirable to provide an apparatus for rotating articles, which are being transported along a production line, which apparatus is capable of accomplishing the rotation without the need to significantly slow the speed of the articles being transported along the production line.
It would also be desirable to provide an apparatus for rotating articles, such as substantially flat articles, which may be inserted into an existing production line, which does not require substantial modification and/or rerouting of portions of the production line.
It would further be desirable to provide an apparatus for rotating articles, which are being transported along a production line, which may accommodate articles being transported through a wide range of transportation speeds.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a desired apparatus as described hereinabove.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent, in light of the present specification, including claims, and drawings.

Apparatus for rotating substantially flat articles


A method is provided for fabricating a head for perpendicular recording with self-aligning side shields. The voids where the side shields will be formed are milled into the layer of material for the pole tip to achieve self-alignment. A mask is patterned with openings defining initial shape of the pole piece tip nearest the air-bearing surface including the width and the point at which the pole tip widens out. A film of soft magnetic material to form the side shields is deposited over the wafer. A chemical-mechanical-polishing process is preferably used to remove the mask and the material deposited on it. A new mask is patterned over the predetermined area for the final shape of the pole tip and the side shields. The excess side shield material and pole tip material outside of the mask is then removed.

In a typical prior art magnetic disk recording system a slider containing magnetic transducers for reading and writing magnetic transitions flies above the disk while it is being rotated by a spindle motor. The disk includes a plurality of thin films and at least one ferromagnetic thin film in which the recording (write) head records the magnetic transitions in which information is encoded. The magnetic domains in the media on can be written longitudinally or perpendicularly. The read and write head portions of the slider are built-up in layers using thin film processing techniques. Typically the read head is formed first, but the write head can also be fabricated first. The conventional write head is inductive.
In a disk drive using perpendicular recording the recording head is designed to direct magnetic flux through the recording layer in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the disk. Typically the disk 27, shown in FIG. 9, for perpendicular recording has a set of thin films 28 that include a hard magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer. During recording operations using a single-pole type head, magnetic flux is directed from the main pole of the recording head perpendicularly through the hard magnetic recording layer, then into the plane of the soft underlayer and back to the return pole in the recording head. The shape and size of the main pole and any shields are the primary factors in determining the track width.

Method of fabricating a head for perpendicular magnetic recording with a self-aligning side shield structure

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A system and method for MR imaging is disclosed. The method causes an RF coil assembly and plurality of gradient coils to apply a fast spin echo (FSE) pulse sequence comprising a preparation segment and a plurality of refocusing segments. The FSE pulse sequence generates a pair of echoes is generated in each of the plurality of refocusing segments that comprises a first echo generated by magnetization pathways having an even number of phase inversions and a second echo generated by magnetization pathways having an even number of phase inversions. MR signals are acquired from the first echo and the second echo and an image of at least a portion of a subject of interest is reconstructed from the acquired MR signals.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and more specifically, to a system and method of employing magnetic resonance—acoustic radiation force impulse (MR-ARFI) imaging feedback for fast and robust focusing of the HIFU.
Focused ultrasound therapy involves delivering ultrasound energy to localized regions of tissue from externally (non-invasive) or internally (minimally-invasive) located transducers. The amount of ultrasound energy delivered to tissue dictates the nature of the biologic effect produced at that location. At high intensities with continuous exposure, ultrasound energy can generate enough heat to cause irreversible thermal damage through coagulation. As the exposure is reduced in duty cycle to short pulses, the mechanical energy associated with ultrasound dominates and can be used to generate a range of bio-effects, including: vascular occlusion or hemorrhage, permeation of cells, and tissue-homogenization.
For this purpose, a piezo-ceramic transducer is placed externally to the patient, but in close proximity to the tissue to be ablated (the "target"). The transducer converts an electronic drive signal into mechanical vibrations, resulting in the emission of acoustic waves (a process hereinafter referred to as "sonication"). The transducer may be shaped so that the waves converge in a focal zone. Alternatively or additionally, the transducer may be formed of a plurality of individually driven transducer elements whose phases (and, optionally, amplitudes) can each be controlled independently from one another and, thus, can be set so as to result in constructive interference of the individual acoustic waves in the focal zone. Such a "phased-array" transducer facilitates steering the focal zone to different locations by adjusting the relative phases between the transducers, and generally provides the higher a focus quality and resolution, the greater the number of transducer elements. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be utilized to visualize the focus and target in order to guide the ultrasound beam.
The relative phases at which the transducer elements need to be driven to result in a focus at the target location depend on the relative location and orientation of the transducer surface and the target, as well as on the dimensions and acoustic material properties (e.g., sound velocities) of the tissue or tissues between them (i.e., the "target tissue"). Thus, to the extent the geometry and acoustic material properties are known, the relative phases (and, optionally, amplitudes) can be calculated. In practice, however, knowledge of these parameters is often too incomplete or imprecise to enable high-quality focusing based on computations of the relative phases alone. For example, when ultrasound is focused into the brain to treat a tumor, the skull in the acoustic path may cause aberrations that are not readily ascertainable. In such situations, treatment is typically preceded by an auto-focusing procedure in which, iteratively, an ultrasound focus is generated at or near the target, the quality of the focus is measured (using, e.g., thermal imaging or acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging), and experimental feedback is used to adjust the phases of the transducer elements to achieve sufficient focus quality.
The number of sonications in such an auto-focusing procedure is typically at least three times the number of individually controlled transducer elements, and even more sonications may be needed to overcome measurement noise. For example, for a transducer array with 1,000 elements, auto-focusing typically involves a systematic series of 3,000 or more sonications to optimize the focus thereof. The auto-focusing procedure may thus take a substantial amount of time, which may render it impracticable or, at the least, inconvenient for a patient. Further, during the auto-focusing sonications, ultrasound energy is inevitably deposited into the tissue at and surrounding the target, potentially damaging healthy tissue.
Attempts have previously been made to improve the auto-focusing procedure using MR-ARFI to measure the quality of the focus, with such MR-ARFI techniques being employed both to reduce the time required for performing the procedure and to minimize the effect of pre-therapeutic sonications. For example, a previous attempt for autofocusing using MR-ARFI is described in "Ultrasound focusing using magnetic resonance acoustic radiation force imaging: Application to ultrasound transcranial therapy" to Y. Hertzberg et al., Med Phys, Vol. 37, No. 6, 2010, in which the array of ultrasound transducers was divided into n groups (i.e., sub-arrays)—with it being assumed that all transducers in each group are approximately the same. The phase/amplitude of each group of transducers was then randomly changed until a reasonable focus was achieved. The method described by Hertzberg et al., however, is still time consuming and is less systematic than is desired. That is, the method described in Hertzberg et al. disregards MR-ARFI measurements at all voxels other than the center of the focus, such that a large number of image acquisitions are still required.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a system and method for MR-ARFI-based autofocusing of a phased array of transducer element to create a high-quality ultrasound focus. It would also be desirable for such a system and method to reduce the number of image acquisitions required to perform the autofocusing so as to reduce the time required for performing the autofocusing procedure and to minimize the effect of pre-therapeutic sonications, thereby making the MR-ARFI-based autofocusing clinically-feasible, and possible in near-real time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for focusing of high intensity focused ultrasound based on magnetic resonance—acoustic radiation force imaging feedback


A method is provided for estimating scattering and includes providing a distribution expression that includes first, second, and third integrals over a source solid angle, a sample area, and detector solid angle respectively, and an integrand that includes a differential-scattering profile; approximating the first and second integrals to be the second integral, wherein the source electromagnetic radiation is approximated to be collimated; approximating the second and third integral to be the third integral, wherein a detector for detecting the electromagnetic radiation scattered from the surface is approximated to be a point detector; transforming the coordinates of the third integral over detector solid angle to be a fourth integral over a single dimension in cosine space, wherein the surface is approximated to be shift invariant; differentiating the fourth integral with respect to the single dimension to generate the differential-scattering profile; and generating an optical system design based on the differential-scattering profile.

The present invention relates generally to an optical system, and more particularly related to a method and system for predicting the directions and intensities at which light scatters from a surface, such that a scattering prediction includes a substantially continuous solution over a set of scattering angles that includes specular and non-specular scattering angles, wherein the scattering prediction may be used to generate improved optical systems and improved scattering simulations.
Scattering of stray light in optical devices, such as lenses, telescopes and the like, is a phenomenon that optical designers generally prefer to reduce. Stray light scattering generally refers to the scatter of stray light in an optical system from a surface, such as body portions of lens or telescope. Stray light in an optical system includes light that has separated from an optical signal and often travels along undesired paths. For example, stray light in the lens of a camera can cause photographic images to be formed that have aberrant light features that were not present in a photographed scene.
Designers of optical system typically aim to reduce stray light generation and, once generated, to lower its degrading effect. To lower the degrading effects of stray light scatter, optical designers strive to generate relatively accurate predictive models of light scattering from surfaces. In generating relatively accurate models of light scattering from surfaces, stray light scattering may be better understood and compensated for in the design of optical systems. Models for stray light scattering can be incorporated in optical design programs that show the deleterious effects of stray light scattering as predicted by the models. Stray light scattering estimations calculated prior to building an optical system, can be used to improve final designs to build improved optical systems.
While understanding stray light scattering in optical systems may be used to improve optical systems through improved optical system designs, models for stray light scattering can also be used in light simulation systems, such as in a computer graphics program (e.g., video games, and movie animations). Relatively accurate prediction of stray light scattering from a surface can be used in a computer graphic to simulate scattering from a surface that is substantially realistic.
Predictive light scattering has historically been a diagnostic tool in the field of surface roughness measurements. It was realized relatively early in the study of scattering that the distribution of scattering from a surface can be related to the power spectral density of variations in surface heights of the surface. Generating relatively accurate models of power spectral density as related to surface height variation has provided for the extraction of surface height information from measured power spectral densities to characterize surfaces. See, for example, the studies of James Elmer Harvey reported in Light-Scattering Characteristics of Optical Surfaces, dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Committee on Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, 1976, herein Harvey '76. While predictive models of scattering have been used with some success in predicting scattering from surfaces and thus providing extraction of surface height information (e.g., degree that a surface resembles a diffraction grating pattern) from a surface, predictive models of scattering have generally provided non-continuous solutions, for example, between specular and non-specular regions of scatter. Scattering regions for which known models of scattering break down are often compensated for with empirical scattering data or intuitively estimated. However, compensating empirically or intuitively for the shortcomings of known models of scattering tends to be relatively time consuming and often costly as technicians and/or engineers often fill in manually, regions for which known scattering models break down.
Measurement techniques and models for stray light scattering have historically been non-differential techniques. Non-differential techniques and models yield results that often include scattering information of a particular lab setup as well as scattering information of a sample. Separation of lab setup information from sample information in both measurement techniques and models of stray light scattering is often intuitively or empirically carried out. Addition steps of intuitive and/or empirical processing for isolating scattering information from lab setup information is often costly, time consuming, and may produce less than optimal results.
Accordingly, what is needed are improved methods and systems for predicting scattering of stray light from surfaces and more specifically what is needed are models of stray light scattering that generate continuous scattering solutions over a set of scattering angles that includes specular and non-specular scattering angles, wherein the scattering predictions may be used in computer design and computer simulations to generate improved optical systems and improved scattering simulations.

Method and system for measuring differential scattering of light off of sample surfaces


An information processing apparatus is provided that includes an obtaining section and a selecting section. The obtaining section obtains information of first and second images that each have an overlapped region where the first image and the second image are overlapped and constitute a taken image including an image part of a subject by being connected with each other with the overlapped region as a reference. The selecting section determines pixels other than the image part of the subject based on information of a plurality of pixels that belong to the overlapped region of the first image where the first image is overlapped with the second image, the information of the plurality of pixels being included in the obtained information of the first image, and selects, out of the determined pixels, a connection pixel corresponding to a position where the first image and the second image are connected in the overlapped region.

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus to which a plurality of images can be connected, an information processing method, and a program therefor which are capable of connecting a plurality of images.
In related art, a switching technique for connecting a plurality of images having a physically continuous content is known, and the technique is used for a panoramic image taking, a microscopic image taking, or the like. For example, a template matching or the like is performed with respect to an entire region where a plurality of images are overlapped with each other. As a result, an offset value for optimizing a mutual positional relationship of the plurality of images to be connected is calculated. Then, on the basis of the offset value calculated, the plurality of images are connected.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 09-91410 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a panoramic image synthesis system as follows. A user specifies a point at which a left image and a right image that are connected with each other are matched as a user specified point. A template image which is cut out around the specified point of the left image is overlapped with a search range having the center of the specified point of the right image. In the search range, the position where the template image is most matched is calculated as a true correspondence point. On the basis of the correspondence point, a synthesis parameter for appropriately connecting the left image and the right image with each other is calculated (see, for example, paragraphs 0054 to 0071 and FIGS. 10 and 11 in Patent Document 1).
At the time when the left image and the right image are synthesized, as shown in FIG. 12 in Patent Document 1, the left image and the right image which is positioned on the basis of the synthesis parameter are overlapped with each other. In the overlapped region of the images, pixel data of the left image is used for the entire region. That is, a part of the right image is connected to the entire left image, thereby generating a synthesis image (see, for example, paragraphs 0072 to 0079 and FIG. 12 in Patent Document 1).

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program therefor