Techniques are disclosed for processing a data set that is not organized according to a schema being used for organizing data (referred to herein as an “unstructured data set”). An unstructured data set is analyzed based on a group of structured data sets that are organized according to the schema. A particular structured data set is determined to be associated with the unstructured data set. The unstructured data set is stored in association with the particular structured data set. Periodically, the unstructured data set is re-analyzed based on a current version of the group of structured data sets. Additionally or alternatively, an unstructured data set is analyzed based on a particular schema of a set of schemas. A subset of information is extracted from the unstructured data set, and stored in accordance with the particular schema. Periodically, the unstructured data set is re-analyzed based on a current version of the set of schemas.

Information is generally captured in data sets in varying forms. Some data sets are captured using specific interface components (e.g., text boxes, dropdown menus, toggles) that map to data fields within a schema. Other data sets are captured using a free form that do not directly map to any data fields within a schema. As an example, a word processing document may include notes from a meeting in free form text. The free form text may include (a) portions that correspond to a data field within a schema being used for organizing data and (b) portions that do not correspond to any data field within the schema.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Processing a data set that is not organized according to a schema being used for organizing data


To provide a components joining method and a components joining structure which can realize joining of components while securing conduction at a low electrical resistance with high reliability.

In the field of electronic devices, as a method for joining components to each other, an anisotropic conductive agent containing conductive particles made of gold or balls whose surfaces are covered by gold in a resin adhesive is conventionally used. This method is advantageous in that conduction between terminals and bonding of components to each other are realized at the same time by thermally compression-bonding connecting portions in a state that an anisotropic conductive agent is supplied to the connecting portions to interpose conductive particles between terminals to be connected. This components joining by using an anisotropic conductive agent has the above-described advantage, however, it has problems in cost such as a high material cost and in conduction stability due to conduction between the terminals realized by contact between the conductive particles, and this is not suitable for use that requires low electrical resistance and high reliability. To solve these problems, a resin adhesive containing solder particles in a resin adhesive instead of the conventional conductive particles has been suggested (for example, refer to Patent document 1).    [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-4064

Components joining method and components joining structure

Abstract: In a construction in which by using a solder paste containing solder particles 5 in a thermosetting resin 3a, a rigid substrate 1 and a flexible substrate 7 are bonded by the thermosetting resin 3a, and a first terminal 2 and a second terminal 8 are electrically connected by the solder particles 5, a blending ratio of an activator of the thermosetting resin 3a in the solder paste is properly set and oxide film removed portions 2b, 8b, and 5b are partially formed in oxide films 2a, 8a, and 5a of the first terminal 2, the second terminal 8, and the solder particles 5. Thereby, the first terminal 2 and the second terminal 8 are electrically conducted by solder bonding the solder particles 5 to both the first terminal 2 and the second terminal 8 via the oxide film removed portions 2b and 8b, and while fusion of the solder particles 5 with each other is prevented in the thermosetting resin 3a, connection of components at a low electrical resistance is realized with high reliability.


An apparatus for power conversion comprises a voltage transformation element, a regulating element, and a controller; wherein, a period of the voltage transformation element is equal to a product of a coefficient and a period of the regulating circuit, and wherein the coefficient is selected from a group consisting of a positive integer and a reciprocal of said integer.

Power converters may generally include switches and one or more capacitors. Such converters can be used, for example, to power portable electronic devices and consumer electronics.
A switch-mode power converter is a specific type of power converter that regulates an output voltage or current by switching energy storage elements (i.e. inductors and capacitors) into different electrical configurations using a switch network.
A switched capacitor converter is a type of switch-mode power converter that primarily utilizes capacitors to transfer energy. In such converters, the number of capacitors and switches increases as the transformation ratio increases.
Typical power converters perform voltage transformation and output regulation. In many power converters, such as buck converters, both functions take place in a single stage. However, it is also possible to split these two functions into two specialized stages. Such two-stage power converter architectures feature a separate transformation stage and a separate regulation stage. The transformation stage transforms one voltage into another voltage, while the regulation stage ensures that the output voltage and/or output current of the power converter maintains desired characteristics.
For example, referring to FIG. 1, in one known power converter 10, a switched capacitor element 12A is electrically connected, at an input end thereof, to a voltage source 14. An input of a regulating circuit 16A is electrically connected to an output of the switched capacitor element 12A. A load 18A is then electrically connected to an output of the regulating circuit 16A. Such a converter is described in US Patent Publication 2009/0278520, filed on May 8, 2009, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Furthermore, a modular multi-stage power converter architecture is described in PCT Application PCT/2012/36455, filed on May 4, 2012, the contents of which are also incorporated herein by reference. The switched capacitor element 12A and the regulating circuit 16A can be mixed and matched in a variety of different ways. This provides a transformative integrated power solution (TIPS™) for the assembly of such power converters. As such, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 represents only one of multiple ways to configure one or more switched capacitor elements 12A with one or more regulating circuits 16A.
FIG. 2 illustrates a power converter 10A that receives an input voltage VIN from the voltage source 14 and produces an output voltage VO that is lower than the input voltage VIN. The power converter 10A is a particular embodiment of the power converter architecture illustrated in FIG. 1. The switched capacitor element 12A features a 2:1 dual-phase series-parallel switched capacitor network that includes power switches S1-S8 and pump capacitors C1-C2. In contrast, the regulating circuit 16A features a buck converter that includes a low-side switch SL, a high-side switch SH, a filter inductor L1, and a driver stage 51.
In the operation of the switched capacitor element 12A, the power switches S1, S3, S6, S8 and the power switches S2, S4, S5, S7 are always in complementary states. Thus, in a first network state, the power switches S1, S3, S6, S8 are open and the power switches S2, S4, S5, S7 are closed. In a second network state, the power switches S1, S3, S6, S8 are closed and the power switches S2, S4, S5, S7 are open. The switched capacitor element 12A cycles through the first network state and the second network state, resulting in an intermediate voltage VX that is one-half of the input voltage VIN.
Referring to FIG. 2, the switched capacitor element 12A is in the first network state when a first phase voltage VA is low and a second phase voltage VB is high. In contrast, the switched capacitor element 12A is in the second network state when the first phase voltage VA is high and the second phase voltage VB is low. The two phase voltages VA, VB are non-overlapping and have approximately a fifty percent duty cycle.
In the operation of the regulating circuit 16A, the low-side switch SL and the high-side switch SH chop the intermediate voltage VX into a switching voltage VLX. A LC filter receives the switching voltage VLX and generates the output voltage VO that is equal to the average of the switching voltage VLX. To ensure the desired output voltage VO, a regulation control voltage VR controls the duty cycle of the low-side switch SL and the high-side switch SH. Additionally, the driver stage 51 provides the energy to open and close the low-side and high-side switches SL, SH.
Previous disclosures treat the control of the switched capacitor element 12A and regulating circuit 16A separately. This has numerous disadvantages, one of which is that the intermediate voltage VX ripple will feed through to the output voltage VO. A possible solution to this problem is to create a feed-back control loop that is fast enough to attenuate the effect of the intermediate voltage VX ripple on the output voltage VO. To achieve this goal, the frequency of the regulating circuit 16A must be at a significantly higher frequency than the frequency of the switched capacitor element 12A.
Another possible solution to this problem would be to add a feed-forward control loop to the regulating circuit 16A. However, as was the case with the fast feed-back solution, the feed-forward solution will only be effective if the frequency of the regulating circuit 16A is significantly higher than the frequency of the switched capacitor element 12A. Therefore, both solutions place a severe frequency constraint on the switched capacitor element 12A and the regulating circuit 16A.
Furthermore, there is typically a dead-time interval DT between the first network state and the second network state of the switched capacitor element 12A. During the dead-time interval DT, all of the switches in the switched capacitor element 12A are open. This ensures a clean transition between the first network state and the second network state of the switched capacitor element 12A, and vice versa. If the regulating circuit 16A tries to draw current during the dead-time interval DT, a voltage 'glitch' will occur at the node between the switched capacitor element 12A and the regulating circuit 16A.
The voltage 'glitch' can be reduced through the use of a glitch capacitor CX. Unfortunately, a portion of the energy stored on the glitch capacitor CX is thrown away each time the switched capacitor element 12A transitions between the first network state and the second network state, and vice versa. The energy loss is a result of the glitch capacitor CX being shorted to capacitors at a different voltage, such as pump capacitors C1, C2. Therefore, the use of a glitch capacitor CX to supply energy during the dead-time interval DT is an effective solution, but requires one additional capacitor and reduces the efficiency of the power converter 10A.

Switched-capacitor circuit control in power converters


A wide bandpass filtering power amplifier using discriminating coupling is disclosed, which comprises a DC bias circuit, an input impedance matching circuit, a transistor and an output impedance matching circuit. The DC bias circuit is connected to the input impedance matching circuit which is further connected to the transistor, and the transistor is further connected to the output impedance matching circuit which comprises a tuning microstrip line and a bandpass filter. The complexity and the area of the impedance matching circuit in the power amplifier are effectively reduced. At the same time, the filtering PA has good frequency selectivity by using the discriminating coupling BPF. Meanwhile the work efficiency and bandwidth of the filtering power amplifier are effectively improved by taking both of the extended continuous mode theory and filter synthesis theory into account.

With the development of communication technology, the standard of wireless communication system has the characteristics of high data rate, large user capacity and low power consumption. As a key component of front-end, power amplifier has a great influence on transmitter performance. Therefore, the power amplifier with high efficiency and broadband operation has made considerable progress.
To improve efficiency, a variety of switch mode PAs are proposed, such as Class-D, Class-E and Class-F PAs. Theoretically, the efficiency of the above power amplifier can reach 100%. Doherty and envelope tracking structure are used to improve efficiency and linearity. To maintain bandwidth efficiency and maintain high efficiency, various technologies have been put forward. On the basis of standard switch mode PAs, continuous Class-B/J, continuous Class-F and continuous Class-F−1, are proposed, which alleviate the requirement on terminating impedance of harmonics from fixed values into purely reactive regions and thus achieve satisfactory bandwidth. After that, extended continuous mode PA further relaxes the requirements of harmonic impedances to reactive-resistive ones with a small degradation in efficiency.
Power amplifiers are usually cascaded with low insertion loss bandpass filters to suppress the out-of-band interference. Although the bandwidth of the continuous power amplifier has reached one octave, the overall bandwidth and efficiency are degraded due to the interconnection mismatching and insertion loss of the filter. In order to overcome this problem, the co-design of power amplifier and bandpass filter has been studied widely. They mainly focus on miniaturization, power efficiency enhancement (PAE) and selectivity improvement.
However, the preceding filtering PA designs have high selectivity and overall PAE, while the bandwidth with large PAE is relatively small due to the limited design freedom.


A method of repairing a meniscal tear of a subject includes providing a sheet of collagen membrane material having on one side thereof a smooth barrier face which inhibits cell adhesion thereon and inhibits passage of cells therethrough. The sheet has a fibrous face opposite the smooth barrier face, the fibrous face allowing cell growth thereon. The collagen is predominantly collagen I. The sheet of collagen membrane material is fixed over a meniscal tear so that the fibrous face is oriented toward the meniscal tear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of repairing meniscal tears.
2. Description of the Background Art
Meniscal tears in a joint of a subject, e.g., in a knee, are frequent injuries. In the past, a torn meniscus often was partially or completely removed. In recent years, techniques have been developed for repairing meniscal tears, including the use of arthroscopically placed tacks or suturing the torn edges.
There remains a need in the art for new methods of repairing meniscal tears.

Ed. Geistlich Soehne AG fuer Chemische Industrie


A descent device includes a load carrier, a winder unit with a coil of cable for suspending the load carrier in mid-air so as to raise or lower the load carrier, and a retarding unit for impeding downward movement of the load carrier so that the load carrier can move downward at a lower speed to ensure safety of the occupants.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a descent device, more particularly to a descent device which can control automatically the descending speed of a load carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a cross sectional view of a conventional descent device 1, which is generally mounted on a tall building for the purpose of escape in the event of a fire, is shown to comprise a load carrier (not shown), a power-operated main rotating shaft 6 with a plurality of brake drums 7 fixed thereon, a manually-operated brake pedal 3, and a reel unit 102 which has a coil of cable 101 wrapped therearound and which is connected operably to the main rotating shaft 6. The coil of cable 101 has one end connected to and suspends the load carrier. When lowering the load carrier downward, the descending speed of the load carrier is faster as it approaches the ground. The descending speed is controlled by actuating of the brake pedal 3. As best illustrated, in order to reduce the descending speed of the load carrier, the brake pedal 3 is compressed against biasing action of a spring 4, wherein the brake shoe 5 will press against the brake drums 7, thereby providing friction to control the descent of the load carrier.
Some of the drawbacks that result from the use of the conventional descent device are as follows:
(I) There is no one to operate the brake pedal 3, when the last escapee wishes to lower himself to the ground. Thus, the load carrier moves at an uncontrolled speed and may result in injuries to the last escapee. PA1 (II) In times of .danger and confusion, the escapees seldom have the presence of mind to operate the brake pedal, thereby causing the load carrier to move at a relatively fast speed or to hang half-way to the ground.

No. 51, Lane 11, Feng-Le Rd., Pei-Tun Dist.


A solenoid operated valve having a solenoid winding mounted on a valve housing formed with a valve chamber, an end closed sleeve concentrically assembled with the solenoid winding, a stationary element disposed within the end closed sleeve and mounted on the valve housing together with the end closed sleeve to form a fluid chamber in a closed end portion of the sleeve, the fluid chamber being communicated with the valve chamber through an axial bore of the stationary element, a movable element disposed within the fluid chamber to be moved toward the stationary element against a return spring loaded thereto when the solenoid winding is activated, a movable valve rod engaged at one end thereof with the movable element for movement therewith and extending into the valve chamber through the axial bore of the stationary element, a valve body disposed within the valve chamber to be moved by the valve rod, and a valve seat mounted within the valve chamber and located between an inlet passage and an outlet passage to be closed by the valve body, wherein a hydraulic damping mechanism is composed of an annular sealing member coupled with the movable element and slidably engaged with an internal surface of the end closed sleeve to form a damper chamber and an orifice formed in the movable element to provide a fluid communication between the damper chamber and the valve chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solenoid operated valve for permitting or interrupting the flow of hydraulic fluid passing therethrough, and more particularly to a solenoid operated valve adapted for use in a skid-control apparatus, a traction control apparatus or the like in a braking system of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 4(1992)-266676 is a solenoid operated valve of this kind which includes a valve housing formed with a valve chamber, an end closed sleeve concentrically assembled within the solenoid winding and having an opening end mounted on the valve housing, a stationary element mounted within the end closed sleeve, a movable element axially movably mounted within an closed end portion of the sleeve to be moved toward the stationary element against a return spring loaded thereto when the solenoid winding is energized, a movable valve rod concentrically assembled within the stationary element for movement with the movable element, a valve body integrally provided with a distal end of the movable valve rod and located in the valve chamber, a valve seat mounted within the valve chamber and having a valve hole to be closed by the valve body, and a hydraulic damping mechanism for restraining movement of the valve body in operation of the solenoid operated valve. In the solenoid operated valve, the damping mechanism is designed to reduce mechanical noises in operation of the solenoid operated valve and to restrain sudden restriction or expansion of a fluid passage formed between the valve seat and valve body.
In the solenoid operated valve, the return spring is disposed between the valve body and the valve seat, a check valve with a throttle acting as a hydraulic damper is disposed within a cylinder portion formed in the stationary element in surrounding relationship with the movable valve rod, and an orifice is formed by a portion of the valve hole. The check valve is assembled with the movable valve rod for permitting the flow of hydraulic fluid into a damper chamber formed between the movable valve rod and the cylinder portion of the stationary element and associated with an annular throttle passage formed between a ring disc of the check valve and the cylinder portion of the stationary element or an orifice formed in the cylinder portion of the stationary element.
In the solenoid operated valve, sufficient damping function may not be effected for the following reasons.
1) A sufficient displacement capacity of the damper chamber may not be obtained during movement of the valve body. PA1 2) The damping function of the check valve is effected only when the valve body is moved in one direction. PA1 3) The orifice formed in the valve hole acts to throttle the flow of hydraulic fluid only at an initial stage of closing operation of the valve body and also at the last stage of opening operation of the valve body. This means that the damping function is effected only in a condition where the opening area of the fluid passage formed between the valve body and valve seat becomes less than the opening area of the orifice. In other words, the damping function is effected only by a portion of the entire movement amount of the valve body.


The present invention relates to a charging apparatus in which, when a is a volume resistance value (.OMEGA.cm) of an electrically conductive particles, b is a volume resistivity value (.OMEGA.cm) of a foam body layer, c is a thickness (cm) of the foam body layer and d is a diameter (cm) of a cell, the following relationship is satisfied: EQU a.ltoreq.bc/10d.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charging member and a charging device of contact charging type suitably used with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, for example, in image forming apparatuses of electrophotographic or electrostatic type, as a charging device for uniformly charging (including removal of electricity) an image bearing body such as an electrophotographic photosensitive body or an electrostatic recording dielectric body, a corona charger (corona discharger) has been used.
The corona charger is a charging device of non-contact type and has a discharging electrode such as a wire electrode and a shield electrode surrounding the discharging electrode. The corona charger is disposed so that a discharging opening portion is opposed an image bearing body (to be charged) in a non-contact manner, so that a surface of the image bearing body is charged with predetermined potential by exposing the surface of the image bearing member to discharge current (corona shower) generated by applying high voltage to the discharging electrode and the shield electrode.
Recently, as a charging device for charging a body to be charged (such as an image bearing body), many charging devices of contact type have been proposed and put to practical use, since they have advantages of less ozone and low power consumption in comparison with the corona chargers.
In the charging device of contact type, an electrically conductive charging member of roller type (charging roller), fur-brush type, magnet brush type or blade type is contacted with a body to be charged such as an image bearing body, and, by applying predetermined charging bias to the charging member (charging member of contact type, charger of contact type; referred to as "contact type charging member" hereinafter), the surface of the body to be charged is charged with predetermined polarity and potential.
A charging mechanism of contact charging (mechanism of charging, charging principle) including two kinds of charging mechanisms, i.e., (1) discharge charging mechanism and (2) injection charging mechanism, and, independence upon preferential mechanism, various properties are realized.
(1) Discharge Charging Mechanism
In this system, the surface of the body to be charged is charged by a discharging phenomenon caused in a small gap between the contact type charging member and the body to be charged.
Since the discharge charging mechanism has predetermined threshold values for the contact type charging member and the body to be charged, voltage greater than charging potential must be applied to the contact type charging member. Further, although a creating amount of discharge product is considerably small in comparison with the corona charger, since creation of the discharge product cannot be avoided in principle, a bad influence of active ions such as ozone cannot be avoided.
(2) Injection Charging Mechanism
In this system, the surface of the body to be charged is charged by directly injecting electrical charges from the contact type charging member to the body to be charged. This is also referred to as "direct charging" or "injection charging" or "electrical charge injecting charging".
More specifically, a contact type charging member having middle resistance is contacted with the surface of the body to be charged, and the electrical charges are directly injected on the surface of the body to be charged, without a discharging phenomenon, i.e., without using the discharging fundamentally. Thus, even if the voltage applied to the contact type charging member is smaller than the discharging threshold value, the body to be charged can be charged to potential corresponding to the applied voltage. Since the injection charging mechanism does not generate ozone, there is no bad influence of discharge product.
However, due to injection charging, contacting ability of the contact type charging member against the body to be charged greatly influences upon the charging ability. Therefore, the contact type charging member must be made more compact, a difference in speed between the contact type charging member and the body to be charged must be increased, and the contact type charging member must be contacted with the body to be charged more frequently.
The Inventors have proposed a new charging system for effecting the injection charging via electrically conductive particles, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/035,109, 09/035,108 and 09/035,022, all filed Mar. 5, 1998.
In this charging system, a holding amount of electrically conductive particles can be increased by using a member having a foam body (foam material) layer as a charging member.
However, in the foam material, since a resistance value is varied with the number of cells in the surface of the foam, unevenness of charging potential apt to occur in accordance with the number of cells.

Charging member for holding electrically conductive particles in cells


Disclosed are novel compounds having the formula ##STR1## where A is O or NR, each R' independently selected from hydrogen, R, or M, R is alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, or aralkyl from C.sub.1 to C.sub.12, and M is a cation. Also disclosed is a method of making those compounds and a method of making a mixture of 3,5-difluorobenzoic acid and 1,3-difluorobenzene by reacting 3,5-dichlorophthalic anhydride with a fluorinating agent to produce 3,5-difluorophthalic anhydride, reacting the 3,5-difluorophthalic anhydride with water to produce 3,5-difluorophthalic acid, and decarboxylating the 3,5-difluorophthalic acid.

This invention relates to certain novel difluorophthalic compounds and to the preparation of those compounds and related compounds. In particular, it relates to 3,5-difluorophthalic anhydride, imide, acid, and salts, esters, and half-esters of the acid and to the preparation of those compounds and the use of those compounds to prepare 3,5-difluorobenzoic acid and 3,5-difluorobenzene.
A variety of uses are known for 3,5-difluorobenzoic acid as a chemical intermediate. For example, it can be used as an intermediate in the synthesis of liquid crystal additions, fungicides, organo-tin antitumor compounds, insecticides, and quinolones. The compound 1,3-difluorobenzene can be used in the synthesis of antifungal agents, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and agrochemicals.
3,5-Difluorobenzoic acid has been prepared from 2,4-difluoroaniline. Bromination, followed by deamination with nitrous acid, led to 3,5-difluorobromobenzene. This was transformed by a Grignard reaction (magnesium, followed by the addition of CO.sub.2). J. Org. Chem., 20 (1955) 1577. A second synthesis of 3,5-difluorobenzoic acid started with 3,5-difluorobromobenzene. This was treated with butyllithium followed by the addition of CO.sub.2. CA(73): 77636. Both of these methods suffer from numerous steps and the unavailability of the starting material in commercial quantities.
1,3-Difluorobenzene can be prepared by diazotization of 1,3-diaminobenzene. This method requires a large number of steps and the starting material, 1,3-dichlorobenzene, is expensive and difficult to synthesize in large amounts. The diazotization reaction is somewhat dangerous due to the formation of intermediate diazo compounds and the use of sodium nitrite, a potentially explosive reagent, in the deamination reaction. In addition, the synthesis uses an expensive palladium catalyst in the reduction of the nitro group to the amine. A similar synthesis starts from the less expensive 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, but still requires the use of an expensive palladium catalyst and a deamination reaction (Synth. Commun., 24(4), 529(1994)).
A second method for the synthesis of 1,3-difluorobenzene involves chlorodenitration of 2,4-difluoronitrobenzene, followed by catalytic hydrogenation of the resultant chlorodifluorobenzene. This method, although avoiding the problematic diazotization reactions, suffers due to the number of steps involved, as well as the use of chlorine gas and an expensive palladium catalyst (JP 03077836; CA 115(15):158695h).

Difluorophthalic compounds and their preparation


A method prepares an ankle joint of a patient for replacement. The patient includes a tibia (20) having a medial portion (22), a talus (40), and an ankle (10) having a medial portion. The method employs a cutting alignment apparatus (50) including a first portion external to the patient and a second portion, and surgically prepares and exposes the medial portion of the ankle for replacement. The second portion of the cutting alignment apparatus is coupled to the tibia, and a cutting guide (90) is disposed with respect to the cutting alignment apparatus. The medial portion of the tibia is detached, a portion of the tibia proximate the talus is cut, and a portion of the talus proximate the tibia is cut. An ankle prosthesis (100) is installed to the ankle, and the medial portion of the tibia is reattached.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of preparing an ankle joint for replacement, and more particularly to an ankle prosthesis and a method of preparing the ankle joint for replacement implementing such ankle prosthesis and an alignment apparatus that enables such replacement to be performed from a medial position on the ankle.
2. Background Information
Ankle prostheses and ankle replacement methods have been implemented for the past few decades producing numerous prostheses and approaches to the treatment of diseased, injured or otherwise compromised ankle joints.
Many types of total ankle prostheses have been developed including a cylindrical-type ankle replacement, the spherical-type ankle replacement, the sliding cylindrical-type ankle replacement, the Buechel-Pappas Total Ankle Replacement System, the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement system, or STAR system, Hintegra ankle system, ESKA implant, and the Agility™ Total Ankle System. Generally two broad categories exist in ankle replacement prostheses, fixed-bearing ankle implants having fixed components and mobile-bearing implants having mobile components. The fixed-bearing ankle implants are generally semi-constrained, although some are filly constrained, to have a single articulation capability between a tibial and a talar component with some allowance for rotation. The mobile-bearing implants have minimal constraints due to the articulation permitted by a meniscus positioned between tibial and talar components.
Many ankle prostheses in the United States are the fixed-bearing ankle implant type, such as the Agility™ Total Ankle System, due to its FDA approval status. In these types of semi-constrained fixed bearing devices, the tibial prosthesis component and the talar prosthesis component have a plastic insert slidingly positioned within the tibial component between the two components. In these fixed-bearing ankle implants, the two components generally work directly with each other in various fashions and all require incisions and installation from an anterior position on the ankle, save certain methods published for the ESKA ankle replacement.
Most of the known prostheses further require significant amounts of bone to be resected from the tibia and talus in order to install the traditionally bulky components into the ankle joint. As is well known in the art, the more bone that is removed, or resected, the more likely the failure of the component as the bone typically is its hardest at its outside surface. Thus, many devices fail for reasons of subsidence of the component wherein the significant bone resection and the implanting of a component will cause the component to crush into the cancellous bone over time under pressure.
Another ankle replacement that has been developed is the ESKA implant which differs from the other ankle implants in that it requires incision and installation from a lateral position on the ankle. However, this preparation requires the devascularization of the fibula, release of the syndesmotic ligaments and significant bone resection.
No known prosthesis disclosed is designed, configured and installed from a medial position on the ankle.
Some of the most common problems encountered with prior art ankle prostheses are loosening of the components, instability, loss of bone support, subsidence, inadequate motion and noticeable scaring on the most visible parts of the ankle. Further, and more importantly, ankle replacement is more challenging than other procedures such as hip or knee replacement due to the limited soft tissue envelope that is sparse at the ankle and has minimal flexibility. Thus, ankle replacement is associated with a high complication rate. This complication rate is exacerbated by the dense intersection of tendons and nerves in the anterior (or front) and lateral sides of the ankle.
Accordingly, wound problems are not uncommon due to the present techniques and prostheses known in the art.

Method of preparing an ankle joint for replacement, joint prosthesis, and cutting alignment apparatus for use in performing an arthroplasty procedure


The oil recovery effectiveness of an enhanced oil recovery method comprising sequentially injecting into a subterranean formation, an aqueous, surfactant-containing fluid followed by an aqueous, hydrophilic, viscosity-increasing polymer-containing fluid, is improved by incorporating from 10 to 500 parts per million of an aromatic compound such as toluene in the aqueous polymer-containing fluid.

When petroleum is found in subterranean formations or reservoirs, the first recovery stage, usually referred to as primary production, merely involves pumping or permitting the petroleum to flow to the surface of the earth through wells drilled into and in fluid communication with the subterranean reservoir. Primary production of petroleum is possible from the subterranean formations only if certain conditions exist. There must be an adequate concentration of petroleum in the formation, and there must be sufficient permeability or interconnected flow channels throughout the formation to permit the flow of fluids therethrough if sufficient pressure is applied to the fluid. Primary production of oil ordinarily employs natural energy existing in the petroleum containing formation, usually in the form of an active, underlying or edge-waterdrive, solution gas, or a high pressure gas cap existing above the petroleum within the reservoir. When the naturally occurring energy source is depleted, or in the instance of those formations which do not originally contain adequate natural energy to permit a primary recovery phase, some form of supplemental recovery or enhanced recovery process must be applied to the reservoir. Supplemental or enhanced recovery is frequently referred to as secondary or tertiary recovery, although in fact it may be primary, secondary or tertiary in sequence of employment. The injection of water into the formation to displace petroleum toward a spaced-apart production well from which it can be recovered to the surface of the earth, which is commonly referred to as waterflooding or secondary recovery, is the most economical and widely practiced form of supplemental recovery. Waterflooding is not an efficient oil recovery technique, however, since water and oil are immiscible and the interfacial tension between water and oil is quite high. This fact has been recognized in the literature pertaining to oil recovery, and many literature references describe the use of interfacial tension-reducing chemicals in the flood water injected in the formation, which results in displacing oil from flow channels not effected by passage of water alone. Organic sulfonates such as petroleum sulfonate are the most commonly described surfactant, although many references describe the use of more complex synthetic surfactants, including nonionic ethoxylated alkanols or alkylphenols, and sulfated or sulfonated, and ethoxylated alkanols or alkylphenols.
While the above described interfacial tension reducing chemicals, more commonly referred to as surfactants, reduce the interfacial tension between the displacing phase and the displaced phase, and therefore accomplish greater recovery from the portion of the formation through which the fluids pass than is possible using water alone, another problem which exists in any oil recovery method employing a displacement of petroleum by an injected fluid is concerned with poor vertical and horizontal conformance, or low volumetric efficiency of the displacement process. It is recognized that the mobility ratio between the injected fluid and displaced fluids is a major factor affecting the volumetric efficiency of a displacement process, and it is well recognized in the art that the incorporation of a viscosifying amount of a hydrophilic polymer such as polyacrylamide, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, copolymers of acrylamide and acrylic acid, as well as biopolymers such as polysaccharides, in the fluid injected subsequent to injection of the surfactant containing fluid, improves the displacement efficiency of the oil recovery process.
Even employing the above-described fluids, enhanced oil recovery processes have usually not been entirely satisfactory under field operating conditions, principally because the amount of oil recovered is insufficient to justify the cost of the chemicals injected into the reservoir. The cause of the low recovery is complex and possibly related to many factors, but one cause is an adverse interaction which occurs between the surfactant fluid and the polymer fluid injected immediately thereafter. Whatever the cause, the technical and/or commercial failure of enhanced oil recovery processes making use of surfactant fluids and polymer fluids is well documented in the literature, and it can be appreciated that there is a substantial need for a cost-effective method for increasing the amount of oil recoverable by such processes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved oil recovery method comprising injecting a slug of surfactant fluid followed by a slug of a polymer-containing fluid, by incorporating an additive in the polymer-containing fluid.


There is provided an electronic device including a power circuit and a system circuit. The system circuit includes a processing unit and a charge-discharge device. The processing unit controls the power circuit to stop providing power to the system circuit when identifying that the electronic device enters a standby state and that a discharge voltage of the charge-discharge device is higher than a predetermined voltage thereby decreasing a standby power consumption of the electronic device.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure generally relates to an electronic device and, more particularly, to an electronic device having low standby power consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the problems of global energy shortage and global warming becoming critical, all countries are actively developing new alternative energy sources and decreasing the total power consumption thereby reducing the creation of the amount of carbon dioxide, wherein the standby power consumption of various electronic devices is also involved in related standards.
Generally speaking, the power circuit of an electronic product includes a main circuit and a standby circuit. For example, FIGS. 1a and 1b show an electronic product 9 which includes a power circuit 91 and an electronic device 92. In normal operation (as shown in FIG. 1a), a main circuit of the power circuit 91 provides a working voltage to the electronic device 92 through a switching element 93 such that the electronic device 92 can execute an operation desired by a user normally.
If no input signal is detected, the electronic product 9 will enter a standby state. At this moment, the electronic product 9 controls the switching element 93 to switch off to allow a standby circuit of the power circuit 91 to provide a standby voltage to the electronic device 92 (as shown in FIG. 1b). Although most electronic products manufactured in these years can fulfill the standards of standby power consumption of every country, the global standby power consumption is gradually increasing as the total number of electronic products globally is enormous.
Accordingly, it is necessary to provide an electronic device that consumes almost no power in standby state.

Electronic device with low standby power consumption


A chip varistor includes two functional layers (that is, a first functional layer and a second functional layer) inside an element body, and the two functional layers have substantially the same electrostatic capacitance. In the chip varistor, the element body is made highly resistive from an outer surface due to alkali metal containing portion. However, the alkali metal containing portion does not reach the first functional layer and the second functional layer. Therefore, the alkali metal containing portion curbs a parasitic capacitance of the chip varistor without affecting the electrostatic capacitances of the first functional layer and the second functional layer. Accordingly, the chip varistor includes the two functional layers in which variations in capacitance are curbed.

Regarding chip varistors, laminated chip varistors including a varistor element body that has a functional layer (varistor layer) and internal electrodes disposed to be in contact with the functional layer such that the functional layer is sandwiched therebetween, and terminal electrodes that are disposed to be connected to the internal electrodes corresponding to end portions of the varistor element body are known (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-184608).


A method and a first radio network node (110) for managing input parameters to a set of models for prediction of a quality of service of a user equipment (120) are disclosed. The first radio network node (110) operates the set of models for prediction of the quality of service. The quality of service relates to when the user equipment (120) is served by a second radio network node (130) after a handover from the first radio network node (110) to the second radio network node (130). The first radio network node (110) configures (205) the second radio network node (130) to report the input parameters at least once before the handover. The input parameters are usable by the first radio network node (110) when predicting, by use of the set of models, the quality of service. A corresponding computer program and a carrier therefor are also disclosed.

In cellular radio communication systems, such as mobile networks, a process known as handover is used to provide e.g. mobility for a user equipment (UE) and load balancing between two base stations. The handover is typically signified by that the user equipment is served by one of the base stations, aka a source base station, before the handover and by the other base station, aka a target base station, after the handover.
In order for the source base station to be able to take a decision about that the handover should be performed, it may make a prediction about quality of service for the user equipment. The prediction concerns quality of service as when the user equipment would be served by the target base station.
The prediction is performed by use of one or more Performance Prediction Models (PPMs). For example, a first PPM may be given by a function f and a second PPM may be given by a function h. Thus, for the first PPM, a predicted performance, such as a predicted throughput, PPM_1=f (p1, . . . , pN). Here, p1, . . . , pN are input parameters, which defines a given network condition of the mobile network. For example, p1 is Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), p2 is Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) and p3 is the network load in terms of resource block utilization per Transmission Time Interval. An exemplifying prediction model may use linear interpolation to find the predicted performance.
In an exemplifying algorithm for taking the decision about the handover, the predicted performance (PPM_target) at the target base station is compared to a Measured Performance (MP) at the source base station, e.g. MP_source, and the handover should be performed if the predicted throughput at the target base station, i.e. PPM_target, exceeds the one measured in the source base station, i.e. MP_source.
The source base station thus has to obtain the input parameters p1, . . . , pN associated to the target base station, e.g. via an inter-base station interface, in order to feed its model, e.g. the PPM_1, and compute the PPM_target, i.e. the predicted throughput.
Throughput prediction may be solved in various manners by different vendors that provide radio access network nodes, such as base station, eNBs, etc. This means that different base stations, e.g. from different companies, may have different prediction models that require different subsets of the input parameters p1, . . . , pN. In some cases, the model of a given vendor only needs p1, p2 while the model of another vendor requires p1, p4, p5 . . . pN. More explicitly, different number of input parameters are required for models of different vendors.
A standardization of which input parameters should be reported may enable base stations from different vendors to be able to cooperate. A traditional way of standardizing is to define that all the input parameters that are relevant to all the vendors should be reported. As a result, those input parameters that are required by a model of a specific vendor will always be available, since all input parameters that possibly could be required by any model should be reported.
As an alternative solution, a minimum set of input parameters common to models of all vendors could be required to be reported. Then, additional reporting would in some, or even in many cases, be required in order to provide the required input parameters for a specific model of some certain vendor. If the additional reporting is not performed, the specific model cannot be used.
A problem with the traditional way is that an interface between e.g. a source base station and a target base station may be heavily loaded by the vast number of input parameters that are to be reported. This problem may be solved by the alternative solution above. However, the alternative solution suffers from the drawback that additional measurements and reports will need to be performed in many cases or else the model cannot be used.

Use of prediction model of the quality of service in a target cell to trigger a handover


An improved gutter guard comprising a fine screen support by a structural stiffening matrix support. The fine screen prevents the penetration of even fine debris while the stiffening matrix support strengthens the fine screen against bending in order to bridge the opening of a conventional gutter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a drain gutter debris guard to be installed on conventional gutter to prevent leaves, tree needles, bark and other debris from entering and clogging the gutter. Further, the present invention includes a method of making the drain gutter debris guard according to the present invention.
2. Prior Art
Gutters are for collecting rain water flowing off the roof and to direct the water away from the foundation of the building. The clogging of gutters is a leading cause of wet basements and crawl spaces in houses. Gutter cleaning must be done periodically to prevent blockages that impede the flow of water. Many soils with high moisture content expand fully when wet and shrink when dry, exerting pressure on the foundation that can cause them to crack and leak.
Clogged gutters fill up with water exerting heavy weight at the midpoint between downspouts causing the gutters to sag and thereby reversing the normal drainage slope. Standing water, rotting leaves and trapped debris in the gutters produce corrosive acids causing damage to the gutters, roof and building fascia and soffit.
Gutter cleaning is hazardous, especially for elderly people. The customary way to clean gutters is by hand with a ladder from below or on the roof above. There are a number of relatively new systems for cleaning leaves out of gutters such as air blowers or vacuum devices, water pressure hoses, and mechanical snakes to get the trapped debris out of the downspouts.
The solution to all of these problems is to prevent leaves, tree needles, seeds, bark and other outdoor type debris from ever entering the drain gutter.
There exists a number of drain gutter guards that are available on the market and/or have been patented. Some of these guards use a screen or mesh type material to cover the upper opening into the conventional drain gutter to prevent debris from entering the drain gutter while allowing rain water to drain from the roof into the drain gutter. These types of guards provide initial protection when first installed in preventing larger debris, particularly leaves, from entering the drain gutter. However, smaller size debris such as tree needles, particles of barks, deteriorate leaves, fall leaf chips, spring tree blossoms, twigs and other debris measuring less than a quarter inch tend to penetrate through many of the guards using larger mesh size and eventually clod the drain gutter. In order to alleviate the problem, the guard must be removed from the gutter to get at the debris for removal. This is a bothersome chore for a homeowner and a continuing source of frustration.
Further, with time, smaller debris that is still too large to penetrate fully through the guard but small enough to begin penetrating the larger mesh of the guard becomes trapped and eventually clods the guard preventing the entry of water into the drain gutter and defeating the primary functioning of the drain gutter.
Some attempts have been made to reduce the mesh size of the material used in constructing the guards, however, the structural strength of this material with respect to bending greatly decreases with decreasing mesh size requiring structural supporting or stiffening in order to bridge the dimension of the opening of the conventional drain gutter. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,957 to Knowles, discloses a gutter guard utilizing a metal frame for supporting fine mesh screening that spans only a portion of the opening into a conventional gutter covering (i.e. approximately one-half (1/2) to three-fifths (3/5) the span). A different approach to this problem was attempted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees, which discloses a rain gutter assembly using a larger size mesh screen supporting a filter pad fastened in contiguous relationship beneath the screen. In this assembly, the larger size mesh screen is used as a structural stiffener and support for the filter pad, which provides a high filtering effect to prevent fine debris from passing through the assembly into the drain gutter.

Drain gutter debris guard and method of making


A compact device for synchronizing the rotational speed of a gear with a shaft in a transmission. The device comprises a friction clutch including first and second cone clutch members, a positive clutch including first and second jaw clutch members, a plurality of springs reacting between the second members for biasing the second cone member toward engagement with the first cone member, a stop means for preventing engagement of the second cone with the first cone member until initial sliding movement of the first jaw member, and a blocker means for preventing engagement of the positive clutch until the friction clutch brings the gear to substantial synchronism with the shaft. The second jaw member includes an outer circumferential surface which supports an inner circumferential surface of the second cone member. The blocker means, which are defined on the outer and inner circumferential surfaces, allow limited relative rotation of the second cone clutch member on the second jaw member and prevent sliding movement of the second jaw member into engagement with the first jaw member until substantial synchronism is reached. Initial movement of the second jaw member engages the friction clutch through the springs; thereafter, force for engaging the friction clutch is transmitted through the blocker.

Coupling devices of the general type disclosed herein are well known in the prior art; such devices are commonly referred to as synchronizers. Prior art synchronizers, though well known for their value in preventing clashing or grinding of gears or jaw clutches in transmissions, have an inherent bulkiness which precludes their use in some transmissions not specifically designed or redesigned to provide for their use. This bulkiness may manifest itself in the axial and/or radial dimensions of the synchronizer. When the axial extent of a synchronizer on a shaft is large, the axial spacing between gears on the shaft and gears meshing therewith must be increased, thereby requiring an increase in the transmission design length. When the radial extent of a synchronizer on a transmission shaft is large, it may interfere with the placement of a gear on another shaft of the transmission, thereby requiring an increase in the transmission design width and/or length. Such increases in the size of a transmission not only increases the total manufacturing cost of the transmission per se, but also may preclude the installation of, or increase the installation cost of, the transmission in some vehicles.


A vehicle cargo bed accessory includes a vehicle cargo area with a bed floor, an accessory attachment track attached to the bed floor, a tailgate and a tailgate gap cover. The tailgate has a first end pivotally attached to a rear of the vehicle cargo area for pivoting movement between a closed position covering the tailgate opening and an open position exposing the tailgate opening. A gap is defined between a rear end of the bed floor and the first end of the tailgate. The tailgate gap cover is coupled to the accessory attachment track proximate the rear end and is movable to pivot between a horizontal orientation with the tailgate in the open position and an upright orientation with the tailgate in the closed position. The tailgate gap cover covers the gap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle cargo bed structure and accessory. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle cargo bed structure and accessory where the tailgate accessory covers a gap between the cargo bed and a tailgate.
2. Background Information
A vehicle such as a pick-up truck typically includes a cargo bed and a tailgate that pivotally moves between an upright closed position and an inclined open position. In order for the tailgate to move between the open position and the closed position, a pivoting end of the tailgate is slightly spaced apart from an adjacent end of the cargo bed. Consequently a gap is defined between the pivoting end of the tailgate and the adjacent end of the cargo bed. When the cargo bed is used to haul small material, such as gravel, stone or dirt, this small material can become lodged in the gap between the tailgate and the cargo bed.


According to one aspect of the inventive concept there is provided a system for monitoring incontinence comprising: a urine sensitive circuit arranged to present a changed electrical characteristic when exposed to urine; a measurement circuit arranged to perform a measurement on a urine bladder of a wearer to determine at least one parameter which varies with a fill level of the urine bladder; a sensor arranged to determine an orientation and/or a movement of the sensor; and a processing circuit arranged to: determine whether the urine sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine; estimate an amount of urine released on to the urine sensitive circuit; and in response to determining that the urine sensitive circuit has been exposed to urine, record data representing said at least one parameter determined by the measurement circuit, an estimated movement and/or posture of the wearer based on an orientation and/or a movement determined by the sensor, and an estimate of the amount of urine released on to the urine sensitive circuit.

Urinary incontinence, or an inability to control urinary function, is a common problem affecting both men and women of all ages. Many feel embarrassed and do not dare to visit the doctor for help. This can lead to chronic incontinence. In the prior art, a common way of managing incontinence is to use absorbent articles such as diapers, sanitary napkins or pads, or even catheters. However, this only reduces the inconvenience for a wearer when an incontinence event occurs.
Common types of urinary incontinence include stress incontinence and urge incontinence. There is also a mixed type of incontinence including both stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence may be caused by loss of support of the urethra which is usually a consequence of damage to pelvic support structures as a result of childbirth, overweight or and some medications. Stress incontinence is typically characterized by a leakage of a relatively small volume of urine during activities which increase abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing and lifting, or rapid movements for example during sporting activities. The main treatment for stress incontinence is pelvic floor exercises. Other possibilities would be a surgery to tighten or support the bladder outlet or prescription of medications. Urge incontinence may on the other hand be caused by abnormal bladder contractions. This is sometimes also referred to as an "overactive" urine bladder. Urge incontinence is typically characterized by a leakage of a relatively large volume of urine in association with insufficient warning to get to the bathroom in time. Possible treatments for urge incontinence are pelvic floor exercises to retrain the bladder or prescription of medications to relax the bladder.
In the prior art, various systems relying on electrical sensors for detecting presence or urine in for example a diaper are known. Such prior art systems are however often merely able to detect that the diaper has become wet and signal the need to change the diaper to for example the wearer of the diaper or a caretaker. However, this only provides a limited help to people suffering from incontinence in that it mainly make it easier for the wearer or caretaker to determine that it may be time to change the diaper.


The present invention relates to active compound combinations, in particular within a fungicide composition, which comprises (A) a difluoromethyl-nicotinic indanyl carboxamide of formula (I) and a further fungicidally active compound (B). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for curatively or preventively controlling the phytopathogenic fungi of plants or crops, to the use of a combination according to the invention for the treatment of seed, to a method for protecting a seed and not at least to the treated seed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to active compound combinations, in particular within a fungicide composition, which comprises (A) a difluoromethyl-nicotinic indanyl carboxamide of formula (I) and a further fungicidally active compound (B). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for curatively or preventively controlling the phytopathogenic fungi of plants or crops, to the use of a combination according to the invention for the treatment of seed, to a method for protecting a seed and not at least to the treated seed.
Description of Related Art
It is already known that certain difluoromethyl-nicotinic indanyl carboxamides can be used as fungicides (see WO 2014/095675).
Since the ecological and economic demands made on modern active ingredients, for example fungicides, are increasing constantly, for example with respect to activity spectrum, toxicity, selectivity, application rate, formation of residues and favourable manufacture, and there can also be problems, for example, with resistances, there is a constant need to develop novel fungicidal compositions which have advantages over the known compositions at least in some areas.


An electronic devices executes from memory an advertising multimedia segment structure that includes a command segment storing multimedia commands that in turn invoke multimedia effects and that is supported by a definition segment that invokes the command segment. The definition segment also includes argument definitions for the tokenized arguments in the command segment. The command segments are protected against alteration by encryption, while the definition segments are alterable to provide locally customized advertisements in accordance with the tokenized arguments in the command segments. A library of downloadable command segments provides predefined advertisements, displays, and the like for the electronic device.

The present invention relates generally to a segment structure which allows electronic devices to generate multimedia displays. In particular, the invention relates to a segment structure that allows customization of selected portions of the multimedia displays while maintaining the integrity of other selected portions of the multimedia displays.
Computer jukeboxes and electronic dart games (using dart boards interfaced with a controller) generally fall into the category of electronic amusement devices. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,355,302 to Martin et al., 5,114,155 to Tillery et al, and 5,401,033 to Lychock, Jr which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Electronic amusement devices typically make their way from a manufacturer to a distributor then to a route operator who installs the electronic amusement devices in establishments including hotels, bars, casinos.
As electronic devices, including electronic amusement devices, have become more sophisticated, they have incorporated hardware to produce audio, visual, or other effects. Any electronic device including even rudimentary audio, video, or other effects may be used to communicate information, for example, advertisements, via multimedia presentations. Thus, a computer jukebox or an electronic dart game may include audio or visual hardware to produce effects used in an advertisement. Such electronic amusement devices have also become capable of providing another source of income by displaying multimedia displays of advertisements programmed to run when certain multimedia capabilities of the electronic device are available.
As an example, computer jukeboxes provide a selection menu allowing a patron to select a particular song that he or she may want to hear. However, when a patron is not selecting a song, an advertisement (which may or may not generate revenue) may be displayed on a screen attached to the computer jukebox, and/or played through speakers attached to the computer jukebox.
Even if an advertisement is displayed, there is no guarantee that it will provide a suitable match to a local business. As an example, a predefined pizza advertisement generally would not match the particular names, addresses, or phone numbers of pizza establishments in a particular locality. The diverse types of local business in the communities in which electronic devices are installed leads directly to diverse requirements for the advertisements displayed on the electronic devices.
It is also desirable, in some instances, to prevent a predefined advertisement from being modified in whole or in part. For example, advertisers that expend a great deal of money to develop national-based advertisements typically may require assurances that the advertisement will not be modified when displayed on an electronic device. In other instances, only a portion of the advertisement (for example, the text or graphics generally, or the text or graphics displayed at particular times or places in the advertisement) may need protection from customization.
A need exists for a mechanism by which customized or non-customized advertisements may be displayed on electronic devices installed in diverse establishments.

Customizable multimedia segment structures


An extensible lifting spreader frame for handling cargo containers comprises a pair of oppositely extending beam arms slidably received within a central pair of side-by-side connected sleeve beams. Beam cross arms at the outer ends of the sleeve beams mount twist-lock latching hooks at their opposite ends for attachment to the four socketed top corners of a cargo container for lifting the same. The frame is suspended from an overhead crane by four flexible suspension cables connected to the opposite ends of the cross arms. A pair of actuating cables operated from the crane operates mechanical cam-operated latch actuating mechanism. A pull cable, also operated from the crane, operates with pulleys on the sleeve beams to extend the beam arms from their retracted positions. Manually operable mechanism, also on the sleeve beams, inserts locking pins into aligned holes in the sleeve beams and beam arms to lock the arms in adjusted positions. The twist-lock hooks have associated safety locking devices, including touch pads, which prevent either of the latching hooks of a cross arm from moving between its latched and unlatched positions unless both hooks are properly positioned within corresponding sockets of the container top.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an extensible lifting spreader frame for handling cargo containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Container handling spreader frames for attachment to an overhead crane or to lift trucks for handling containerized loads are well known. Typically, such prior spreader frames lift and handle cargo containers either from the bottom, using grappling arms attached to the frame, as exemplified by Whiteman U.S. Pat. No. R. 27,905, or from the top using hook-type latching devices carried by the frame, which interengage sockets at the four top corners of a container, as exemplified by Durenec U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,536.
Containers which are handled by spreader frames typically are of constant width and of one of two standard lengths, twenty- and forty-foot. Therefore, it is also common to provide extensible spreader frames which can handle both twenty-foot and forty-foot containers. Typical of such extensible spreader frames are those shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. R. 27,905; Zweifel et al U.S. pat. No. 3,514,146; Gottlieb et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,970; and Allegri U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,814.
One drawback of prior extensible spreader frames is their great weight, complexity and cost. These disadvantages have come about largely because such frames have incorporated power-operated means for extending and retracting them and additional power-operated means for operating their twist-lock latching mechanisms and grappling arms, if any. Furthermore, in the case of crane-suspended frames, such frames have also carried their own power sources, as exemplified by the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,514,146 and 3,888,536. As a consequence, most spreader frames have been of heavy, cumbersome, open rectangular frame construction typified by all of the aforementioned patents, and also by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,863,970 and 3,712,661.
One exception to the typical rectangular open frame construction of spreader frames is the spreader frame shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,814. Such frame is of generally telescoping single-beam construction with cross beams at the outer ends of the extensible telescoping beams. However, such frame is designed only for use by a forklift truck and, like other typical frames, employs power-operated frame extension means and power-operated container latching hooks. Accordingly, such beam-type frame is still heavy and costly to manufacture, and is suitable only for use with large, heavy duty lift trucks having an available source of hydraulic pressure fluid for the power-operated devices on the frame.

Extensible spreader frame for cargo containers


Described herein are methods of delivering a nanoparticle across the blood brain barrier to the brain of a subject by administering to the subject a nanoparticle having a nanoparticle core and a targeting agent. A variety of targeting agents may serve to promote delivery of the described nanoparticle.

Chronic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Alzheimer's disease alone affects over five million people in the United States, and is expected to increase to over thirteen million by 2050. The estimated total cost of care in 2012 for people with Alzheimer's disease was over $200 billion and is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion within the next forty years. Moreover, while the proportion of deaths from many other leading causes of mortality in the United States, such as heart disease and stroke, have seen significant decreases over the last decade, the proportion of deaths from Alzheimer's disease has increased 68%. A similar trend, in both high economic cost and a relative lack of progress in treatment, is seen with many other neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis.
A major reason for the lack of progress in treating these diseases is due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a physical barrier between the CNS parenchyma and vasculature that plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis within the CNS. Tight junctions exist between endothelial cells that inhibit paracellular diffusion of polar molecules, macromolecules and cells. This forces solute transport into the CNS to occur primarily across individual endothelial cells. Though critically important for maintaining CNS homeostasis, the impermeability of the BBB to most solutes has proven a tremendous obstacle for drug delivery to the CNS. Currently, 98% of small molecule therapeutics and essentially 100% of large-molecule therapeutics, including, monoclonal antibodies, proteins and gene therapies, do not cross the BBB.
Of the several endogenous methods used by solutes to cross the BBB, receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) has shown the most promise for use in drug delivery (see, Wiley et al., PNAS, 110(21):8662-667 (2013), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). Although there has been much interest over the past two decades in developing targeted therapeutics for delivery to the brain, there is yet to emerge a viable candidate for clinical investigation.

Method of delivering therapeutics and imaging agents to the brain by nanoparticles that cross the blood brain barrier


The invention relates to a spin-on filter (1) for filtering a flowing substance, especially a hydraulic liquid or lubricating oil in combustion motors. The filter (1) comprises a casing (7), open at one end, which is connected to a device assembly (6) including inlet and outlet ducts (4, 5) for the flow to be filtered, and a substantially cylindrical replaceable filter element (12) fitted inside the casing. The flow to be filtered passes through the filter element mantle, either radially-inwardly or radially outwardly. The cylindrical filter element (12) includes an end flange (16), designed such that its outer edge (17) simultaneously acts as a seal for the casing (7) end. The flange (16) can be made by injection-molding plastic in one piece and is equipped with flow openings (18) required for the flow to be filtered and communicating with the inlet or outlet ducts in the device assembly. The filter may include a joint ring (13), the end flange of the filter element forming a seal (17) between the casing and the joint ring. The filter also includes a collar (10) with a thread (2), by which the assembled filter can be connected as a unit to the device assembly (6) by screwing.

One of the applications of encased cylindrical filters is filtering lubricating oil in combustion motors so as to keep the oil free of impurities. A second typical field of application for filters of this type is filtering hydraulic liquid in hydraulic systems. Since the filter is fouled in operation and has to be replaced at intervals, the filter casing must be removable from the device assembly, to which it is attached.
There are previously known oil filters, in which the filter means and the surrounding casing have been constructed as a solid unit, and are replaceable. However, such a design is a waste of material and also produces landfill waste.
From an ecological viewpoint, it is preferable to devise a casing that can be opened, so that the clogged filtering means alone is replaced and the casing is put back in position with the device assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,519 is cited as an example of such a design, in which the assembled oil filter comprises a cylindrical, replaceable filter means, a perforated support pipe within the filter means, a collar as an extension of the support pipe, a casing surrounding the filter means and a joint ring at the casing opening. This filter design includes two threaded joints with O-ring seals, one of which connects the casing to the joint ring and the other which connects the assembled filter with the collar to the device assembly so as to provide a seal between the joint ring and the device assembly. There are also conventional operable filter designs in which one single threaded joint is sufficient to connect a unit consisting of a filter means, a casing and any joint members to the device assembly.
In replaceable filters, the casing must be tightly sealed to the device assembly, since otherwise the medium to be filtered, such as pressurized lubricating oil or hydraulic liquid, will extrude through the joints between the elements into the environment. Such a visible leak will immediately reveal the deficiency or absence of a seal. In contrast, current filter designs do not show outwardly whether the filter means is fitted in position or not. With such filters, it is quite possible to remove a clogged filter means and subsequently put the casing back in position, without replacing the removed filter means. Obviously, as a result of such a mistake filtering will no longer take place.

Filter having an end flange with a downwardly-bent edge portion


A control method for a switching power supply circuit, the control method causing a processor to execute a process, the process includes: calculating a differential value between an output voltage of the switching power supply circuit and a target voltage; multiplying the differential value by a first coefficient to calculate a correction value; correcting a first detection value of an output current of the switching power supply circuit, which is detected by a current transformer circuit, based on the correction value, to generate a second detection value; comparing the second detection value with a threshold current value to determine whether or not an overcurrent has occurred; and reducing, when it is determined that the overcurrent has occurred, the output voltage of the switching power supply circuit.

Conventionally, when an output current of a power supply device including a switching power supply circuit is equal to or larger than a rated current, in order not to damage the power supply device and a load coupled to the power supply device, control to reduce an output voltage of the power supply device is performed. The control is called drop control.
Examples of methods for detecting an output current of a switching power supply circuit include, for example, the following methods. A first method is a method in which a current detecting resistor is coupled to a secondary winding side of a transformer included in the switching power supply circuit and an output current is detected from a voltage applied to the resistor.
A second method is, for example, a method in which a current transformer circuit is coupled to a primary winding side of a transformer included in the switching power supply circuit and an output current is detected, based on an output voltage of the current transformer circuit.
When an output current of the switching power supply circuit is detected using a current detecting resistor, a loss is large, and therefore, a current transformer circuit with a small loss may be used.
However, when a current transformer circuit is used, due to the influence of a ripple of a switching current, there is a difference between an output current of the switching power supply circuit, which is detected in the current transformer circuit, and an actual output current. Therefore, there is a problem in which an overcurrent is not properly controlled.
The following are reference documents.    [Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2014-119354,    [Document 2] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-90406, and    [Document 3] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-113476.

Control method for switching power supply circuit and power supply device


A method is provided for forming a composite article to have a primary composite structure and an integral secondary composite structure that extends out of a plane defined by the primary composite structure. The method includes laying-up first plies to construct the primary composite structure. The first plies contain continuous reinforcement material and extend from a first zone that will define the primary composite structure into a second zone that will define the secondary composite structure. During laying-up of the first plies, additional plies are interleaved with the first plies within the second zone but not the first zone. The additional plies originate within a build-up zone between the first and second zones and extend therefrom into the second zone. After interleaving the plies, the build-up zone is deformed to orient the second zone and form the secondary composite structure that extends out of the plane defined by the continuous reinforcement material of the first plies.

The present invention generally relates to methods for fabricating composite structures. More specifically, this invention relates to a method of fabricating a composite article to have an integral composite secondary structure, for example, an integral flange of a composite casing for a turbomachine.
Composite materials generally comprise a fibrous reinforcement material embedded in a matrix material, which in the case of a polymer composite material is a polymer material (polymer matrix composite, or PMC). The fibrous reinforcement of a composite material serves as the secondary constituent of the material, while the matrix material protects the reinforcement, maintains the orientation of its fibers, and serves to dissipate loads to the reinforcement.
Composite materials have become increasingly popular for use in a variety of aerospace applications because of their durability and relatively light weight. Particular but nonlimiting examples include the use of PMC materials for fan casings for aircraft gas turbine engines. Although composite materials can provide superior strength and weight properties, designing flanges and other secondary features on structures fabricated from composite materials poses a challenge. As an example, composite structures having laminate constructions that contain continuous reinforcement materials are capable of exhibiting superior in-plane strength due to the presence of the continuous reinforcing fibers. As used herein, continuous reinforcement materials refer to continuous fibers or fiber bundles (tows) that are typically oriented to have a specific orientation (unidirectional) within a matrix material of a composite, for example, parallel to the load direction on the composite, in contrast to discontinuous fiber reinforcement materials made up of short fibers that are typically randomly dispersed in a matrix material. While composite structures containing continuous fiber reinforcement are capable of exhibiting superior in-plane strength, flanges and other secondary structures that extend out of the plane of the continuous reinforcing fibers lack continuous fibers at their points of attachment, or joints, with the primary composite structure. The lack of continuous fibers, as well as the likelihood of significant out-of-plane loads created by attachments to the flanges, may result in relatively weaker attachment joints that are susceptible to damage from increased stresses. Though it is possible to separately fabricate a flange and then attach the flange to a primary composite structure with a supplemental reinforcement structure, for example, additional fibers or metal brackets, the weight-saving benefits possible with the use of composite materials can be significantly reduced as a result.
In the case of composite casings of gas turbine engines, integral flanges constructed of fiber preform designs have been proposed to address structural weaknesses at the point of attachment. However, such fiber preform design options tend to be quite limited. Plies used in the construction of composite casings and their integral flanges are typically woven or braided preforms that limit fiber orientation, with the result that stiffness and strength cannot be readily optimized. The degree to which interleaving between fiber tows within the casing and within the flange body is also typically limited, resulting in limited resistance to delamination.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved techniques by which a composite structure can be fabricated to have an integral composite flange or other secondary composite structure with continuous fibers at points of attachment therebetween.


An ejector mechanism is provided for ejecting an IC card from a header connector which has a mating end, a terminating end and first and second opposite sides extending between the ends. A generally L-shaped ejector frame is adapted to be mounted about the header connector with a base leg of the L-shaped frame along the terminating end of the header connector and a side leg along one side of the header connector. The side leg has a channel therein. An ejector lever is pivotally mounted on at least one of the header connector or the ejector frame and has a first lever end and a second lever end. The second lever end is adapted to eject the IC card from the header connector. An elongated push-rod is reciprocally mounted in the channel and has a first rod end pivotally associated with the first lever end of the ejector lever and a second rod end for manual actuation to effect pivoting of the eject lever and ejection of the IC card. The ejector frame is adapted to be mounted with the side leg thereof along either the first or second opposite sides of the header connector. Therefore, the ejector frame and push-rod can be used as either a "right-hand" or a "left-hand" ejector mechanism without altering the header connector.

Generally, IC cards or packs, such as memory cards, are data input devices which are electrically connected to an electronic apparatus or storage device, such as a word processor, personal computer, or other electronic apparatus. The data stored in the IC card is transferred to the electronic apparatus. Memory cards are portable instruments which are readily inserted and extracted from a connector apparatus, such as a header connector, which may be used with the IC card for removably coupling the IC card to a printed circuit board, for instance.
A conventional connector apparatus for an IC pack or memory card includes a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of guide grooves inside a pair of side frame portions, with a connector section joining or extending between the side frame portions. Generally, the connector apparatus defines a terminating end and a mating end, the mating end including the guide grooves. A planar IC card is inserted into the apparatus within the side guide grooves. A transverse array of socket terminals at a lead edge of the IC card electrically connect an associated array of pin terminals on the connector section.
Such connector apparatus often are provided as header connectors used for interconnecting the semi-conductor circuit of the IC card to an external circuit such as a main electronic unit. The header connector may be used with an IC card for removably coupling the IC card to a printed circuit board. The IC card is inserted into the header connector and is extracted therefrom as needed. The extraction force of the IC card, i.e. the force between the respective terminal pins on the header connector and the respective socket terminals on the IC card, is relatively high due to the tight fit required to obtain a good electrical interconnection between the terminals. These terminals typically are disposed at a high density which further increases the extraction forces. Originally, when an IC card was to be extracted from a header connector, the card was grasped by a user and simply pulled out.
A variety of ejector mechanisms have been incorporated in various connector apparatus, such as the header connectors, for facilitating ejection of the IC card from the connector. Such ejector mechanisms have been incorporated as integral or unitary devices fabricated as a part of the connector apparatus or header connector, itself. Such assemblies or systems have proven quite expensive and elaborate. On the other hand, separate ejector mechanisms have been provided for assembly or mounting to or about the header connector, such as after the header connector has been coupled to a printed circuit board.
A typical IC card ejector mechanism includes at least an ejector frame for mounting about the header connector. An eject lever is mounted either on the ejector frame, the header connector or therebetween. The eject lever is adapted to engage and eject the IC card from the header connector. A push-rod is slidably or reciprocally mounted on the ejector frame for actuating the eject lever.
A problem which presently exists in the industry involving IC cards, header connectors and ejector mechanisms for electronic use is the lack of any conventional or universal components. This invention is directed to solving these problems by providing an ejector mechanism which has a single "universal" card ejector frame and push-rod for use with various header connectors, and ejector configurations.
Specifically, although the method or type of ejection (e.g. a card tray or direct contact with the card) differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, some industry-wide standards (e.g. "PCMCIA") and or practices define certain features such as card/header polarization, card and connector packaging dimensions, ESD/grounding features and the like. For example, the standard insertion direction of a typical IC card is "printed side up" which requires polarizing means to ensure proper insertion when the header is mounted on the upper surface of a printed circuit board. Such a configuration is referred to as a "standard" type of header orientation. When the header connector is mounted on the lower surface of the printed circuit board, and the polarization of the card and the header remains the same (i.e. the card is inserted "printed side up"), the configuration of the header is now referred to as a "reverse" type due to the different configuration of the header with respect to the underlying mounting surface. In addition to the type of configuration based on polarization and mounting surface, users may have a preference as to where the eject button (i.e. push-rod) of the ejector mechanism is located. In other words, the eject button may be on the left side or the right side of the header. Therefore, where the header is mountable on the upper surface or the lower surface of a printed circuit board, the user has an option of having the push-button on the left side or the right side of the header in either of the "standard" type header configuration or the "reverse" type header configuration.
Because of the myriad of options described above, and because there is no standard dictating either the position of the push-button or the orientation/polarization of the IC card, a manufacturer inventories a number or variety of ejector frames, push-buttons, levers and headers to satisfy customer demands. This requires design and building of a considerable number of separate molds and other tooling as well as inventory of a variety of parts and options. It is readily apparent that such options become very costly. This invention is directed to eliminating these various problems.

Universal ejector mechanism for an IC card connector apparatus