Compositions and methods that act on Neuropeptide S receptors (NPSR) (also known as “TGR23” or “vasopressin receptor-related receptor 1 (VRR1)”) to cause desired effects in the bodies of human or animal subjects. Neuropeptide S (NPS) and other agonists of the NPSR may be administered to cause arousal, awakening, alertness, spontaneous movement, bronchoconstriction, contraction of bronchial smooth muscle or other effects. Antagonists of the NPSR may be administered to cause decreased arousal, decreased awakening, decreased alertness, decreased spontaneous movement, sleep, somnolence, sedation, anxiolytic effects, normalized sleep patterns, normalized sleep stages, increased duration of sleep, bronchodilation, relaxation of broncheal smooth muscle or other effects.

As described in United States Provisional Patent Application No. 60/565,269, an endogenous brain protein, Neuropeptide S (NPS) which is believed to affect arousal, wakefulness, propensity for movement, asthma and some allergic responses, stress associated with several anxiety disorders and other physiological functions. Human NPS (hNPS) has the following amino acid sequence: Ser-Phe-Arg-Asn-Gly-Val-Gly-Thr-Gly-Met-Lys-Lys-Thr-Ser-Phe-Gln-Arg-Ala-Lys-Ser-OH (SEQ ID NO:1). It is now available commercially as product No. E010051 from PentaBiotech, Inc., Union City, Calif.
Neuropeptide S is the endogenous ligand for the Neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR), which has also been referred to as TGR23 and vasopressin receptor-related receptor 1 (VRR1) (Genbank accession no. BD183774, BD183814, BD183773). The NPSR is a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR).
NPS acts as an agonist of the NPSR, causing dose dependent intracellular Ca++ mobilization as well as adenyl cyclase accumulation measured by cAMP assay. NPS is also involved in G protein-coupled receptor for asthma susceptibility. Y. L. Xu, R. X. Reinscheid, S. Huitron-Resendiz, S. D. Clark, Z. Wang, S. H. Lin, F. A. Brucher, J. Zeng, N. K. Ly, S. J. Henriksen, L. d'Lecea, O. Civelli, Neuron, 43, 487-497 (2004).
PCT International Patent Publication WO 02/31145 A1 (Sato) describes certain functions of NPS and the NPSR. However, PCT International Patent Publication WO 02/31145 A1 (Sato) does not describe specific pharmacological characteristics and physiological functions of the GPCR system, NPS, the NPSR or its amino acid sequence (Genbank accession no. BD183774, BD183814, BD183773). PCT International Patent Publication WO 02/31145 A1 (Sato) is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety.
PCT International Patent Publication WO 2005/021555 A1 (Takeda Pharmaceutical Company) described certain bicyclic piperazine compounds that a NPSR antognists and are purportedly useable in the prevention and treatment of certain cancers. PCT International Patent Publication WO 2005/021555 A1 (Takeda Pharmaceutical Company) is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Definitions
When used in this patent application, the following terms and abbreviations shall be interpreted as follows:
The verb "to treat" and formatives/tenses thereof (i.e., treats, treating, treatment, etc.) shall include therapeutic, preventative, paliative, experimental and diagnostic treatments.
The term "subject" shall include human and other animal patients and non-patient subjects who receive therapeutic, preventative, experimental or diagnostic treatment, humans and animals who have a disease or are predisposed to a disease and/or laboratory animals or humans who on whom tests or experiments are performed.
Compositions or methods "comprising" one or more recited elements may include other elements not specifically recited. For example, a composition that comprises NPS may encompass both an isolated NPS of human or animal origin as a component of a larger polypeptide sequence or as part of a composition or preparation that includes other pharmacologically active or inactive ingredients or components.
The term "Isolated" means purified, substantially purified or partially purified. Isolated can also mean present in an environment other than a naturally occurring environment. For example, NPS that is not present in or mixed with nervous tissue, extracellular fluid, cerebrospinal fluid of other body fluids/tissues in which NPS would ordinarily be found when naturally occurring shall be deemed to be isolated NPS.
The verb "to administer" and formatives/tenses thereof (i.e., administers, administering, administration, etc.) shall include any act of providing or delivering a substance to a human or animal subject or to in vitro preparation, including but not limited to oral, enteral, intravenous, intraarterial, parenteral, subcutaneous, intradermal, transdermal, transmucosal, buccal, sublingual, lingual, rectal, intraperitoneal, central, intraventricular, intrathecal, epidural, spinal, topical, alveolar, inhalational, transtracheal and all other routes by which such substance may be administered or provided. Additionally, acts that cause, induce, stimulate, accelerate, enhance or facilitate the biosynthesis or endogenous production of an endogenous naturally occurring substance (e.g., endogenous NPS) shall also be construed as acts of "administering" such substance. Additionally, acts that inhibit, decrease, slow, interfere with or block the metabolism and/or clearance of a naturally occurring substance (e.g., endogenous NPS) so as to result in the presence of increased or greater amounts of the substance within the body of a human or animal subject shall also be construed as acts of "administering" such substance.
The acronym "NPS" shall mean "neuropeptide S", including those of human and animal origin having the amino acid sequences shown in FIG. 1.
The acronym "hNPS" shall mean "human neuroeptide S", the amino acid sequence of which is: Ser-Phe-Arg-Asn-Gly-Val-Gly-Thr-Gly-Met-Lys-Lys-Thr-Ser-Phe-Gln-Arg-Ala-Lys-Ser-OH (SEQ ID NO: 1).
The acronym "NPSR" shall mean "neuropeptide S receptor" or "TGR23" or "vasopressin receptor-related receptor 1."
The acronym "WT" shall mean "wildtype."
The acronym "GPCR" shall mean "G protein-coupled receptor."
The acronym "SNP" shall mean "single nucleotide polymorphism."
The acronym "MAPK" shall mean "mitogen-activated protein kinase."
The acronym "LC" shall mean "locus coeruleus."
The acronym "Ala" or the symbol "A" shall mean "Alanine."
The acronym "Arg" or the symbol "R" shall mean "Arginine."
The acronym "Asn" or the symbol "N" shall mean "Asparagine."
The acronym "Asp" or the symbol "D" shall mean "Aspartic Acid."
The acronym "Asx" or the symbol "B" shall mean "Asparagine or Aspartic Acid."
The acronym "Cys" or the symbol "C" shall mean "Cystine."
The acronym "Gln" or the symbol "Q" shall mean "Glutamine."
The acronym "Glu" or the symbol "E" shall mean "Glutamic Acid."
The acronym "Glx" or the symbol "Z" shall mean "Glutamine or Glutamic Acid."
The acronym "Gly" or the symbol "G" shall mean "Glycine."
The acronym "His" or the symbol "H" shall mean "Histidine."
The acronym "Ile" or the symbol "I" shall mean "Isoleucine."
The acronym "Leu" or the symbol "L" shall mean "Leucine."
The acronym "Lys" or the symbol "K" shall mean "Lysine."
The acronym "Met" or the symbol "M" shall mean "Methionine."
The acronym "Phe" or the symbol "F" shall mean "Phenylalanine."
The acronym "Pro" or the symbol "P" shall mean "Proline."
The acronym "Ser" or the symbol "S" shall mean "Serine."
The acronym "Thr" or the symbol "T" shall mean "Threonine."
The acronym "Trp" or the symbol "W" shall mean "Tryptophan."
The acronym "Tyr" or the symbol "Y" shall mean "Tyrosine."
The acronym "Val" or the symbol "V" shall mean "Valine."Additional terms, acronyms and/or symbols are defined elsewhere in this patent application.

Therapies which act on neuropeptide S receptors

The Regents of the University of California


The present technology pertains to a pneumatic tire having an asymmetrical pattern, which is formed by grooves, formed on a tread portion. A ratio SW/OD between the total width SW and the outer diameter OD of the pneumatic tire satisfies SW/OD≦0.3. A groove area ratio in a ground contact region G in the tread portion is GR, and a range from a tire equator line CL to the vehicle side in the ground contact region is a tire inside region Ai and the groove area ratio in the tire inside region Ai is GRi, and a range from the tire equator line CL to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region is a tire outside region Ao and the groove area ratio in the tire outside region Ao is GRo, the ground contact region satisfies 10%≦GR≦25%, GRo.

Conventionally, pneumatic tires that reduce rolling resistance have been proposed, in particular, in order to offer low fuel consumption for vehicles such as hybrid vehicles (HV), electric vehicles (EV), and the like. Furthermore, in recent years, as concern for the environment has grown, pneumatic tires offering a higher degree of fuel economy for such vehicles have been sought.
A method of reducing the rolling resistance of pneumatic tires is known in which air resistance in the vicinity of the tire is reduced by narrowing a total width (SW) of the pneumatic tire and making a forward projection surface area smaller (for example, see International Patent Publication No. WO2011/135774).
However, the above-described method also narrows the ground contact width as the total width of the pneumatic tire is narrowed. As such, the outer diameter (OD) must be increased in order to maintain a fixed load capacity. As a result, the ground contact length of the pneumatic tire becomes comparatively long.
Lengthening the ground contact length of the pneumatic tire greatly improves the drainage (WET performance). Conversely, narrowing the ground contact width poses a risk of decreasing the cornering force (CF), which may lead to a decrease in steering stability.


An optical disk system is presented which stores index information allowing playback of selected portions of a presentation recorded upon an optical disk, along with an associated method. The index information includes navigation data indicating the physical location of a beginning of a selected portion of a presentation stored upon the optical disk. One embodiment of the optical disk system includes a memory unit operably coupled to a disk drive unit and an input device. The disk drive unit retrieves identification data, encoded video data, and navigation data stored upon an optical disk (e.g., a DVD). The encoded video data may be, for example, a recorded presentation such as a movie. The input device produces an output signal in response to user input, wherein the output signal indicates a beginning of a selected portion of the encoded video data. The memory unit includes a non-volatile portion for storing the identification data and the index information. The index information may be retrieved from the memory unit at a later time. The optical disk system also automatically accesses the selected portion of the encoded video data indicated by the retrieved index information, eliminating the need for manual access by the user. The optical disk system thus allows the user to experience previously selected portions of a presentation (e.g., favorite movie scenes) with minimum effort and without having to view the entire presentation from beginning to end.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical disk systems, and in particular to optical disk systems for playing back recorded presentations (e.g., viewing movies).
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disks are recording media typically containing long strings of microscopic pits representing digitally encoded data. Each string of pits is called a "track". The tracks are formed end to end in a spiral pattern around the center of one or both major surfaces of the disk. Reflected laser light is used to "read" the data encoded in the pits. Common types of optical disks available today include compact disks (CDs), laser video disks, and digital versatile disks (DVDs). Various optical disk players are available which read data from optical disks.
The current DVD standard is a compromise format agreed upon by several major consumer electronic and entertainment companies. Under the current DVD standard, the capacity of a single side, single layer DVD with a diameter of 4.7 inches is 4.7 gigabytes, enough to store about 135 minutes of video data. This capacity is sufficient for about 95% of all full length movies. The current DVD standard also provides for up to eight different sound tracks in different languages, each with up to eight different audio channels to create a three-dimensional acoustic effect. In addition, up to 32 different sets of subtitles (i.e., translation text) may be stored on a DVD for display during playback.
Many users have favorite movie scenes, and like having the ability to view those scenes without having to view the entire movie. With a linear recording media like video tape, accessing a particular scene may involve determining the distance from the beginning of the tape to the start of the section of the tape where the scene is stored. The distance may be measure in inches, for example, and a counter having a visual display may be used to measure the length of tape passing between two rollers.
In order to view a particular favorite scene, a video tape system user may reset (i.e., "zero") the counter at the beginning the tape, allow the tape to advance to the beginning of the scene, then write down (i.e., record) the value displayed by the counter. In order to view the scene at a later date, the user may again reset the counter at the beginning of the tape, advance the tape at an accelerated rate (e.g. "fast forward" the tape) until the displayed value matches the recorded value, then replay the favorite scene.
A user's written record of counter values (i.e., list of indices) corresponding to beginnings of favorite scenes is subject to loss. In addition, the user must manually access the sections of recording media containing the favorite scenes. It would thus be beneficial to have an optical disk system which embodies a method for storing indices corresponding to selected portions of recorded presentations. The desired system would store the locations of the beginnings of the selected portions of the presentations (e.g., indices to favorite scenes) for multiple optical disks (e.g., DVDs). Further, the locations of the beginnings of the selected portions of the presentations would be accessible by a control mechanism of the optical disk system. The control mechanism would automatically access and begin playback at the selected portion of a particular presentation. Such a system would allow a user to conveniently keep a record of and access selected portions of multiple presentations (e.g., favorite scenes in several different movies).

Optical disk system and method for storing data allowing playback of selected portions of recorded presentations


A wind turbine rotor blade is provided. The wind turbine blade has a lightning receptor, a first electric line, and a potential equalization arrangement having a first electrode, which is connected to the lightning receptor, and a second electrode, which is connected to the first electric line, a spark gap being formed between the two electrodes, mutually facing sides of the two electrodes forming an air flow channel, which is arranged such that the ambient air that is incident when the wind turbine rotor blade is in operation flows through it.

It is known to use lightning protection to protect wind turbine rotor blades against damage by a lightning strike. For this purpose, a lightning receptor is usually disposed in the region of the blade tip. The current of lightning striking into the lightning receptor is then diverted, via a lightning conductor, toward the blade root, and from there, via the nacelle and the tower of the wind turbine, into the ground. If a plurality of electrically conductive elements are arranged, more or less in parallel, in the wind turbine rotor blade, electromagnetic induction in the case of a lightning strike causes large potential differences between the electrically conductive elements that can result in flashovers, or even in the destruction of the wind turbine rotor blade. It is known to counteract such flashovers by potential equalization elements.
Such a potential equalization is necessary, in particular, if one of the electrically conductive elements is an electric heating device for de-icing the surface of the wind turbine rotor blade. These heating devices are provided with an electric power supply, and when in operation must be electrically isolated from the lightning protection system. For this purpose, spark gaps may be provided inside the rotor blade, between the heating device and the lightning protection arrangement, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,810. In the event of a lightning strike, these spark gaps are bridged, and establish a potential equalization between the heating device and the lightning protection arrangement.
United States patent application publication 2015/0204311 shows a wind turbine rotor blade having an electric heating device and a lightning conductor. The heating device and the lightning conductor are connected to each other, at a plurality of locations over the length of the rotor blade, via spark gaps. The spark gaps are disposed inside the rotor blade, in combination with the lightning receptors.
In order to ensure the operational reliability of the lightning protection arrangement, the functional performance of the spark gaps must be checked regularly. In this case, in particular, spark gaps arranged in the blade tip region are accessible only with difficulty.

Wind turbine rotor blade having a spark gap


A one vial method for labeling a protein, such as an antibody or antibody fragment, with a radiometal such as Tc-99m or a rhenium isotope, is disclosed. The method comprises contacting in a single vial a mixture comprised of a reducing agent and a protein molecule covalently bound to a sulfhydryl containing bifunctional coupling agent with Tc or Re in an oxidized state. A one vial kit for labeling a protein with Tc or Re is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of immunodiagnostics and radioimmunotherapy and, more particularly, to methods for labeling antibodies, fragments thereof and peptides with metal ions.
2. Background of the Invention
Proteins have been labeled with various radiometals and other radioisotopic elements for use in immunodiagnostic and immunotherapeutic procedures. Some radiometals have superior properties for use in these techniques. Technetium-99m is an ideal radionuclide for scintigraphic imaging because of its nuclear properties. It has a single photon energy of 140 KeV, a half-life of about 6 hours, and it is readily available from a .sup.99 Mo-.sup.99m Tc generator.
Two general approaches have been taken to label proteins such as antibodies with radiometals. The first is the direct labeling method by which the radiometal is bound to the protein molecule itself. The second is the indirect labeling method in which a complexing agent is coupled to the protein and the radiometal is attached to the protein via the complexing agent.
Rhodes discloses a method of direct labeling of protein with technetium-99m which involves ligand solid phase exchange. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,922. According to the method of Rhodes, pertechnetate is reduced to technetium IV and then applied onto a Sephadex.RTM. column. The reduced technetium-99m binds to the Sephadex.RTM. material. A solution of the protein to be labeled is poured onto the top of the Sephadex column where it is allowed to remain so that ligand exchange occurs. As a result, the technetium-99m is transferred preferentially from the Sephadex.RTM. material to the protein. The protein may be pretreated with stannous chloride (a procedure called "pretinning") to enhance transfer of the radiometal to the protein. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,200.
Various attempts have been made to label proteins with radiometals by the indirect approach. In one such approach, a chelating agent such as diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) is conjugated onto the protein and then the metal ion is labeled onto the chelating agent attached to the protein molecule. For example, Khaw et al., Science 209: 295-297 (1980) discloses antibodies to cardiac myosin labeled with indium-111 via DTPA and use of the labeled antibodies to image for myocardial infarction. See also, Krejcarek et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 77: 581-585 (1977); Childs, R. L. and Hnatowich, D. J., J. Nucl. Med. 26: 293 (1985). In a more recent approach, Fritzberg et al. describe the use of particular diamidodithiol and diaminodithiol groups, as a chelating agents. Fritzberg et al, J. Nucl. Med. 27: 957 (1986); European Patent Application 86100360.6.
Various degrees of success have been achieved with both the direct and indirect methods of labeling proteins with radiometals; however, the labeled product is often unstable in vivo. Also, techniques for purifying the labeled product before use are often required. Methods for labeling proteins can be further complicated when radiometals such as technetium (Tc) or rhenium (Re), desirable because of their nuclear properties and ready availability, are used. Such radiometal are available in oxidized states and must be subjected to reducing conditions before labeling. Since such radiometals have relatively short half-lives, time-consuming labeling procedures are obviously disadvantageous.
Clearly, there are numerous obstacles to a simple and efficient method for radiolabeling proteins, one which can be conveniently, rapidly and reliably performed by a clinician or technician prior to the use of the labeled protein as a therapeutic or diagnostic tool.

One vial method for labeling protein/linker conjugates with technetium-99M


A method for controlling a modular multi-level converter comprises the steps of: collecting control input variables from the converter; transmitting the control input variables to a controller of the converter via a first communication medium; determining, in the controller, and actual state of the converter and at least one control output variable based on a model of the converter; and transmitting the control output variable to the converter for controlling the converter via a second communication medium. The model of the converter accounts for the first and/or the second communication medium.

A modular multi-level converter comprises a plurality of converter cells that are connected in series in each branch of the converter. Each converter cell comprises a capacitor and semiconductor switches for connecting the capacitor to the branch or for disconnecting it therefrom.
Due to the series connection of converter cells, a modular multi-level converter enables AC/DC and DC/AC voltage conversion above the usual upper threshold of about 6 kV AC, which usually is the maximum voltage rating for other power converter topologies. The voltage rating of a modular multi-level converter may reach voltages as high as 20 kV. Thus, a modular multi-level converter docs not require a transformer or complex snubber circuits. Moreover, since the converted power may be increased via a voltage increase, the efficiency of a modular multi-level converter may go up to 99%.
Since each phase of a modular multi-level converter (which usually comprises two branches per phase), comprises a plurality of converter cells, output voltage waveforms of multiple levels may be produced. As the converter cell count increases, the quality of the output voltage waveforms also increases, allowing better approximating sinusoidal voltage waveforms. An operation with low output harmonic distortion of the output voltages and currents is a requirement for most industrial applications, as dictated by various international standards, such as the IEEE 519-1992 and the IEC 61000-3-6.
The series-connected converter cells of a modular multi-level converter may be of relatively low voltage rating, e.g. 1 kV and all converter cells may be identical. Thus, inexpensive semiconductor devices of reduced voltage blocking capability such as 1.7-kV IGBTs may be used. Modularity also enables fault tolerance, as redundant converter cells may be added at low cost.
The high voltage capability, operation at low switching frequency, and modular structure of a modular multi-level converter make it ideal for high-power, medium-voltage industrial applications. However, these advantages come with the increased complexity of control requirements that translate in nontrivial control solutions to guarantee the correct operation of the converter.
A modular multi-level converter is usually controlled by a cascade of control loops: an outer power control loop tracks given reference currents for an active and a reactive power by employing a PI-based decoupled current controller. A current controller provides suitable voltage references for a modulator and an inner balancing control loop which uses the redundancy in the converter states balances the capacitor voltages. The converter cells with lowest capacitor voltage may be prioritized for charging while the converter cells with the highest voltage levels are chosen for discharging currents.
The controller of a modular multi-level converter is usually located physically with the converter and hard-wired with sensors and actuators, increasing the weight, and the space necessary to accommodate the boards of the converter and limiting the computational capability of the controller.
The patent application EP 2515453 A1 discloses a communication system for a power electronic converter made of a plurality of possibly identical converter modules arranged in a converter cabinet and comprising power semiconductor switches or valves. A backbone network carries communication signals between a single, main, central, or higher level converter controller and a plurality of local, or lower level module controllers arranged and/or mounted in the different converter cabinets. The backbone network includes optical fibre which can support high-data rates and are capable of withstanding large voltages.

Networked control of a modular multi-level converter


The invention relates to an actuation device for a flap mounted moveably on a component between a closed position and an opened position, in particular for a flap mounted moveably on a housing of an automobile, comprising: a first actuation part and a second actuation part, wherein the first actuation part is to be fastened on the flap and is moved together with the flap when the flap is moved between the closed position and the opened position, and wherein the second actuation part is to be fastened on the component, locking means with a locking reception provided on the first or second actuation part and a locking element provided on the other of first or second actuation part, wherein the locking element engages in the locking reception upon a movement of the first actuation part with the flap from its opened position into its closed position, whereby the locking element holds the first actuation part against a spring pretension in a locking position on the second actuation part, and a remote unlocking device, wherein the remote unlocking device comprises drive means, which can be actuated from a place distant from the actuation parts such that the locking element is retracted from the locking reception, whereby the first actuation part, driven by the spring pretension, disengages from the second actuation part and moves together with the flap at least partially into its opened position.

The invention relates to an actuation device for a flap mounted moveably on a component between a closed position and an opened position, in particular for a flap mounted moveably on a housing of an automobile.
It is known for filler-neck flaps, for example, of automobiles to be actuated by means of so-called push-push devices. A corresponding actuation device is described in DE 10 2008 057 933 A1. The actuation device is fastened on a filler-neck housing, wherein said actuation device has an actuation end which projects out of the housing in the installed state. The known actuation device has an axially movably mounted tappet which has on its outer circumference a control curve for realizing the push-push kinematic. During operation, the filler-neck flap interacts with the actuation end, which projects out of the housing, of the actuation device. In particular, in the closed state, the filler-neck flap rests with its inner side on the actuation end. Owing to the push-push kinematic, the actuation device can, by virtue of the filler-neck flap being pressed in the direction of the automobile body, be moved into an unlocking position in which the actuation end protrudes further out of the filler-neck housing and the filler-neck flap rises slightly from the body surface. The filler-neck flap can then be manually gripped and fully pivoted open. During a subsequent closure of the flap, and when a force is exerted here on the actuation end of the actuation device, said actuation device is placed into a locking position again.
In order that the filler-neck flap cannot unintentionally pivot open when in the locking position, it is preloaded into the closed position by a spring. Forces act on the filler-neck flap during operation of the vehicle but also as early as during the assembly process. Examples here are situations in which the vehicle is assembled in a pivoted or overhead position, in which the force of gravity acts on the filler-neck flap in the opening direction of the flap. Another example is car washes, where an exertion of force in the opening direction of the flap may likewise arise in particular during the drying process. An unintentional opening of the filler-neck flap must be reliably prevented in these situations. The spring which preloads the filler-neck flap into the closed position must therefore exert a relatively high spring force. Said spring force must be overcome by a user during the opening of the flap. This can reduce convenience. Furthermore, with the relatively high spring forces, undesired noise generation can arise during the actuation.
In the applicant's prior German patent application, which does not constitute a prior publication, with the file reference 10 2011 101 838.0, a first actuation part of an actuation device is fastened on the flap, such that said first actuation part is moved together with the flap when the flap is moved, and a second actuation part is fastened on the component, which is for example fixedly arranged in or on an automobile. Said separation of the actuation parts eliminates the need for a spring force for holding the flap in the closed position. Instead, the flap is arrested by means of the first actuation part provided thereon on the second actuation part and thus on the component provided with the flap. The actuation device utilizes a push-push kinematic, such that the flap can be released from the arrested position in a manner known per se by virtue of the flap being pushed inward manually, such that said flap subsequently moves into an at least partially pivoted-open position.
Instead of a manual opening of the flap by pushing in by means of a push-push kinematic, it is sometimes desirable for a filler-neck flap of an automobile to be unlocked by remote control, for example. Known remote-controllable actuation devices for filler-neck flaps of automobiles however involve a high level of outlay in terms of design and construction.
Taking the discussed prior art as a starting point, it is the object of the invention to provide an actuation device of the type specified in the introduction, by means of which a flap mounted moveably on a component can be unlocked remotely, wherein the actuation device has a simple and compact construction.


Tinplate container stock coated with a substantially uniform film of lubricant, the lubricant film consisting essentially of a citric acid ester lubricant in an amount of at least 1.8 grams per basebox, and a method for its use in drawing and ironing operations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lubricated tinplate container stock for use in the fabrication of seamless container bodies by the drawing and ironing process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The fabrication of seamless metal container bodies by the drawing and ironing method is well known in the art. Such a method first involves drawing a metal blank into a shallow cup, i.e. "cupping" by forcing the blank through one or more drawing dies and then while supporting the drawn cup on a punch, passing the cup through one or more ironing dies, the inside diameters of which are progressively smaller, thus resulting in the thinning and elongation of the sidewalls of the cup. Because of the severe stress placed on the metal blank in such operations, a lubricant is required to allow the metal to flow more smoothly during the drawing and ironing, thus more uniformly distributing the stresses and avoiding the tearing or galling which could otherwise occur. Such lubrication is most important during the ironing stage where it also acts as a coolant, but some amount of surface lubricant is needed on tinplate during the initial cupping operation. Consequently, it is customary to apply a concentrated form of the lubricant/coolant to the blanks just prior to cupping.
A variety of lubricants have been developed for such purposes and they are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,458 describes the application of a combined resin and oil lubricant from an aqueous dispersion or emulsion while U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,252 discloses the use of a pre-annealing rinse including MnSO.sub.4 which when subsequently dried forms an MnS lubricant coating on steelplate.
Notwithstanding the prior art use of lubricants in drawing and ironing operations, galling problems persist with some frequency and overheating of the tooling is a common occurrence. Equally objectionable are the surface scratching and "tin wipe" imperfections commonly experienced in such drawing and ironing operations. "Tin wipe" is a condition characterized by an unsightly frosted area on the sidewall of an otherwise bright reflective container. These problems have been virtually overcome by the present invention which will be described in greater detail below.

Lubricated tinplate for drawing and ironing operation


A double-sided cutting insert may generally comprise a top surface, a bottom surface, at least one side surface interconnecting the top surface and the bottom surface and forming at least one cutting edge, a through hole extending between the top surface and bottom surface, wherein each of the top surface and bottom surface comprise at least one anti-rotation element. The cutting insert may comprise a single anti-rotation element on the top surface and a single anti-rotation element on the bottom surface. The anti-rotation element may be proximate to the through hole. A cutting tool using the cutting inserts, as well as methods of making and using the same are also described.

1. Field of Technology
The present disclosure generally relates to cutting inserts and cutting tools including the cutting inserts. The present disclosure more particularly relates to double-sided cutting inserts comprising features to prevent rotation of the cutting inserts when mounted to a cutting tool.
2. Description of the Background of the Technology
Cutting inserts used in machining of metals and metal alloys may be mounted in an insert receiving pocket of a tool holder for a cutting tool. The cutting insert may be secured in the insert receiving pocket by, for example, a fastening screw inserted through a hole in the cutting insert in an orientation to present a cutting edge of the cutting insert to a workpiece. The cutting insert may be indexable such that the cutting insert is configured to be rotated or otherwise repositioned in the insert receiving pocket by the operator to expose a new cutting edge when a cutting edge in use becomes worn and/or damaged. The cutting insert may be subjected to compressive forces, vibratory forces, and/or rotational torque during machining operations. Due to the compression, vibration, rotation, and/or improper indexing of the cutting insert, the cutting insert may rotate within the insert receiving pocket. The rotation of the cutting insert may result in chipping and/or cracking of the cutting insert, undesired contact between the cutting insert and the cutting tool, loosening of the fastening screw, ejection of the cutting insert from the insert receiving pocket, poor finishing, dimensional inaccuracies, and/or excessive tool wear.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide cutting inserts and cutting tools including features of the cutting insert that prevent rotation of the cutting insert within the insert receiving pocket of a tool holder of a cutting tool during machining of a workpiece.

Double-sided cutting inserts with anti-rotation features


Compositions suitable for bonding fibrous substrates such as air-laid paper mats comprise hydrophilic air-curing polymer and a thermoplastic polymer latex.

This invention relates to novel latex compositions that can be used to bond fibrous substrates so as to impart to the substrate desirable properties such as wet and dry strength, soft handle, stain resistance, permanent crease and permanent press characteristics and the like depending on the character and proportions of the components present in the composition.
For example when a paper mat is made by a modern air-laid process, the component fibers are only loosely tangled together and have little natural cohesion. Before such mats can be processed into commercial items such as paper towels or facial tissues, they must be treated chemically and/or mechanically to give them greater strength required for such uses. The versatile nature of the chemical treatment route leads to it being preferred over a purely mechanical treatment since by selection of the treating composition, certain desirable properties such as softness or handle can be maintained, enhanced or created.
The present invention provides a composition for treating fibrous substrates, especially cellulosic substrates, that has particularly advantageous dispersibility and strength-enhancing properties and exhausts relatively easily onto a dry laid web in a uniform and efficient manner. The composition is also effective as a wet-end additive for the generation of wet and dry strength in a paper-making process as well as in a plurality of non fiber-related applications such as in coating compositions.

Compositions for bonding fibrous substrates


A method of diagnosing a subset of Epstein Barr Virus, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients through a multi-prong clinical/serological analysis is provided wherein Epstein Barr Virus Abortive Lytic Replication (EBV) is determined as the specific causal agent through the use of serum antibodies to EBV encoded dUTPase and serum antibodies to EBV DNA Polymerase as molecular markers. A method of treating patients diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus Abortive Lytic Replication (EBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) with specific antiviral nucleosides is also provided, to alleviate the condition.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and post viral fatigue syndrome, is a life altering illness affecting women to men in a ratio of 4:1. To date, evidence-based etiology or treatment has been elusive. CFS manifestations are life-altering fatigue in ordinary activities, including constellations of syncope, chest pain, muscle aches, palpitations, sore throat, low-grade fevers, and inability to exercise without a worsening of symptoms, cervical lymphadenopathy, cognitive impairment and resultant depression.
ME/CFS is not rare. The CDC estimates that there are as many as 500,000 persons in the United States who have CFS-like symptoms. However, the disorder remains debilitating, complex and mysterious in origin, natural history, understanding and treatment.
The spontaneous recovery rate for CFS patients is low, for example, 19%. Numerous treatment regimens have been proposed and include administration of various agents such as immune stimulators and steroids, as well as recommending exercise and psychiatric treatment. While they may lead to modest short-term improvement, such treatments have proven generally ineffective in the long run. As the underlying causes and distinctions among types of CFS patients have not previously been known, both observational and evidence-based trials have been misdirected or inappropriately planned.
While progress has been made to segregate certain groups of CFS patients and provide them with specific antiviral agents to alleviate the condition, for other CFS patients—namely those found to have herpes virus plus co-infections—no effective treatment option has been identified to date.
Accordingly, given the distinct types of CFS patients, underlying causative agents and varying treatment approaches, there exists a need for a methodology to identify the appropriate subset of myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome patients, a serological method to diagnose this subset and confirm the causative agent involved, so that a specific treatment protocol can be implemented to alleviate the CFS symptoms in these patients and restore their ability to lead a normal or near-normal life, free from the debilitating effects of chronic fatigue.

Method of diagnosing and treating Epstein Barr virus-based myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome patients


A hydrogen sensor includes a hydrogen-sensing unit and a transistor connected to the hydrogen-sensing unit. The hydrogen-sensing unit includes a substrate made of an elastic material, a thin film made of transition metal or alloy thereof, disposed on the surface of the substrate and having a plurality of nanogaps formed therein, and an electrode formed on the thin film. The hydrogen-sensing unit is connected with a source (or drain) or a gate of the transistor via a connector.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a hydrogen sensor.
Description of the Related Art
Generally, hydrogen energy has been actively studied since it is reusable and has an advantage in that it does not induce environmental pollution.
However, since hydrogen gas runs the risk of explosion if exposed to air by 4% or more, it is difficult to widely apply hydrogen gas in our real life if safety-in-use is not secured. Therefore, along with the studies on utilization of hydrogen energy, a hydrogen gas-detection sensor (simply referred hereinafter to as a 'hydrogen sensor') has been developed in order to, in practical use, detect leakage of the hydrogen gas in early stages.
In the meantime, as hydrogen energy is availably commercialized, it is expected to be first applied to the automobile markets. Considering that researches are currently carried out on loading compressed hydrogen gas on an automobile, there is a need to develop a hydrogen safety sensor that can be adapted to a fuel supply and an electronic unit so as to detect leakage of hydrogen. Further, the hydrogen sensor is essentially required for the detection of leakage of hydrogen, monitoring of a hydrogen concentration, or the like, as a component of hydrogen storage and supply systems in a hydrogen fuel cell-activated unit. In addition, a hydrogen sensor is often used to detect a gas-leaking portion using hydrogen gas, rather than conventionally using helium gas, in an air-conditioner, refrigerator or the like, which uses a coolant, in order for more precise detection.
In regard to such a hydrogen sensor, a hydrogen sensor is known in which a Pd thin film (TF) or Pd alloy TF is disposed on an elastic substrate, and nanogaps are formed in the TF by extension of the substrate, and hydrogen is detected using the nanogaps (see Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1067557). However, such a hydrogen sensor is the type of sensor that detects hydrogen using a change in current, so a signal from the sensor can be recognized only when the hydrogen sensor is coupled to a computer or the like and electric current detected from the hydrogen sensor is converted into a voltage. A conventional hydrogen sensor, however, has a problem of a low current signal. That is, a specific reference voltage is required in order to check whether a voltage signal indicates an ON or OFF state. However, in a conventional hydrogen sensor, a current signal induced from a low hydrogen concentration is so low that, even when converted into a voltage signal, it is difficult to check whether the converted voltage signal indicates an ON or OFF signal.

Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University


A vehicle entertainment system distributes an executable program in more than one channel of a modulated RF signal by using a plurality of download lines provided between the system file server and the RF modulator. The multiple download lines permit a passenger seat that missed the time window for downloading an executable program to request and download the executable program even before the first download has completed. The multiple download lines also permit downloads of different executable programs to take place at the same time. The vehicle entertainment system further includes a dedicated download processor and a buffer. The dedicated download processor is provided to reduce the processing load of the file server processor, in particular, to take over the task of generating a continuous stream of data responsive to a download request and supplying them to the RF modulator. The buffer provides the dedicated download processor an area where previously retrieved executable program may be stored for subsequent fast access.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle entertainment system, and more particularly, to an in-flight entertainment system that delivers video, audio, and application software to passenger seats using a modulated radio-frequency (RF) signal having a plurality of channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional in-flight entertainment system typically employs a single RF cable to deliver video signals to the passenger seats. To deliver different video signals over multiple channels so that passengers can be provided with viewing choices, a video modulator is used. In a typical arrangement, the video modulator is connected to multiple video cassette players that generate a plurality of different NTSC video streams. The video modulator receives these video streams and modulates each different NTSC video stream into a frequency band corresponding to one of the multiple channels.
In the above-described system, each passenger seat is equipped with a seat controller card (SCC) that is tunable to the frequency bands corresponding to the multiple channels. Once the seat controller card is tuned to receive at a particular frequency band, it demodulates the RF signal received and sends the demodulated signal to a seat display unit for viewing.
Each seat controller card operates under the control of an application program that is downloaded from a system controller, that is commonly referred to as a cabin file server (CFS), but is loaded and run locally at its corresponding passenger seat location. The download path between the cabin file server and the passenger seat location includes the same video modulator and RF cable that are used to distribute the modulated NTSC video streams. The download process is illustrated in FIG. 1.
At the start of this process, preliminary messages are transmitted back and forth from the seat controller card and the cabin file server over an ARCNET network, which is a token passing bus using RS-485 protocol. First, the seat controller card requests an application software from the cabin file server, and the cabin file server replies with a file identifier associated with the requested application software. The seat controller card then requests a download using the file identifier, and the cabin file server responds with an acknowledgment and a message to xe2x80x9cprepare for download.xe2x80x9d
The download of data occurs over a download line connecting the cabin file server and the video modulator, and the single RF cable. First, the application program is retrieved by the cabin file server from its storage device, supplied to the video modulator in a synchronous data stream over the download line, modulated into a frequency band corresponding to one of the multiple channels of the video modulator, and distributed in common to the seat controller cards over the single RF cable. Then, the seat controller cards tune to the frequency band corresponding to the channel in which the application software is carried, demodulate the received RF signal, and load the application software into their resident memory for execution.
The conventional in-flight entertainment system described above operates adequately when the requests from the seat controller cards to download the application software are synchronized, i.e., when the requests are made substantially at the same time. However, when one of the requests is not synchronized with the others, that request will have to wait until the application software has finished downloading before it can start downloading another copy of the application software.
A partial solution to the above problem is to establish a time window of a predetermined length, e.g., 500 msec in FIG. 1, to provide the late requestor a 500 msec time window of opportunity to issue its request. However, as noted, this is only a partial solution in that requests made after this time window must still wait before it can start downloading.
Another limitation of the above-described system is that, once the cabin file server processor begins processing the download request, it must do so continuously until the downloading is complete. This is because the seat controller card uses for its inputs a synchronous protocol, known as HDLC (High Level Data Link Control which implements layer 2 of the OSI model), and requires the data stream generated by the cabin file server to be continuous. As a result, the cabin file server processor is required to continuously, without breaks, transmit data into its download line from beginning of the transmission to the end of the transmission, and has reduced flexibility in performing other tasks in parallel with the download process.
Also, when multiple requests for download are made by the seat controller cards at different times, the cabin file server processor is unable to accommodate these requests in parallel. It must queue the requests and execute them one by one. When this happens, the cabin file server processor becomes continually burdened with downloading tasks, leaving it less processing power to handle other tasks.
An object of the invention is to provide a vehicle entertainment system that distributes an executable program in more than one channel of a modulated RF signal. This resolves the download synchronization problems because an executable program may be accessed at two different times by different passenger seats.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle entertainment system having multiple download lines between the cabin file server and the video modulator. By having multiple download lines, a passenger seat that missed the time window for downloading an executable program is permitted to request and download the executable program even before the first download has completed. The multiple download lines provides an additional advantage of permitting downloads of different executable programs to take place at the same time.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle entertainment system having a dedicated download processor and a buffer. The dedicated download processor is provided to reduce the processing load of the main processor, in particular, to take over the task of generating a continuous stream of data responsive to a download request and supplying them to the video modulator. The buffer provides the dedicated download processor an area where previously retrieved executable program may be stored for subsequent fast access.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle entertainment system having an executable program stored in a MPEG-format that is subjected to a quadrature amplitude modulation before it is downloaded to the video modulator. The MPEG compression and the quadrature amplitude modulation permit multiple executable programs to be carried on a single channel of the RF modulated signal. This has the effect of dividing a single channel of the RF modulated signal into a plurality of sub-channels, so if the same executable program is carried in more than one sub-channel in a time-staggered manner, the download requests of this program can be fulfilled at different times. Further, since the sub-channels may contain different executable programs, the MPEG compression and the quadrature amplitude modulation provide an additional advantage of permitting downloads of different executable programs to take place at the same time.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of managing download requests of executable programs in a vehicle entertainment system. In this method, a download buffer is examined to see if a requested program is stored therein. If it is, the requested program is retrieved from the download buffer using a dedicated download processor. This method improves the download speeds for subsequent download requests for the same executable program and frees up the main processor to handle other tasks.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of preferred embodiments which follows.

Vehicle entertainment system having multiple download channels


According to the present invention, improved methods and apparatus are provided for providing cushioning and other ergonomic surfaces on devices requiring the patient or tissue to be compressed, such as radiography machines, fluoroscopy units, mammography units and the like. In particular a radiolucent pad element is provided for releasable attachment to at least one surface of a compression device to be used under x-ray, for example, during mammography. The pad element of the present invention can be disposable or constructed to be reusable and in some cases may be applied directly to the patient""s breast. Furthermore, a cushioned paddle is provided wherein the compression paddle and the cushion can be separately or integrally formed.

The present invention relates generally to medical apparatus and methods and more particularly to devices and methods for cushioning or padding the surface of compression plates applied to body parts for purposes of obtaining x-ray films for example mammography, or other scans of compressed tissue.
Currently, in the case of mammography, a patient""s breast is placed under compression by opposing plates attached to a mammography machine. Once under compression an x-ray is taken to determine the presence or absence of suspect lesions in the breast tissue (e.g. calcifications, tumors). Approximately 25 million screening mammograms are performed yearly, which is estimated to be only a 50% compliance rate among potential patients, meaning that number would double if more patients complied with the recommended screening regime. One of the more common complaints from mammography patients is discomfort during compression of the breast. Most patients can only tolerate up to 10-11 compression units. The current legal limit for clinical mammography is 16-18 units. A device which would reduce discomfort could likely improve compliance for screening.
An important reason for compressing the breast during mammography is to provide a thinner cross section of tissue for the x-rays to pass through. When the breast is compressed, it provides optimal imaging of the tissue abnormalities with the lowest possible dose of x-ray radiation to the patient. Furthermore, during a mammogram, it is important for the x-ray plate to be free from radiopaque material, so that the diagnostic film, once processed, can give the physician the best possible picture of the tissue and any abnormalities.
Although patients may tolerate the pain during compression, there is a need for improved devices and techniques to provide better screening outcomes by enabling the use of higher compression force, and by providing increased patient comfort during mammograms thereby positively impacting patient compliance with mammographic screening and ultimately impacting early detection of cancer and improving patient survival.
Such improved devices must be radiolucent and made of a relatively homogeneous material to avoid striations or other variations on the resulting x-ray image, have a low profile to allow for correct positioning of the breast in the mammography machine, be easily cleaned or disposable for sanitary reasons, and provide structural support and tactile comfort to the patient (both soft to touch and providing a less harsh or xe2x80x9ccoldxe2x80x9d surface). In addition, such improved devices will permit the use of higher compression forces to be applied to the breast during mammograms without the patient reaching her tolerance level for discomfort, resulting in a thinner tissue section, better image quality, and reduced x-ray dose to the patient.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide greater patient comfort thereby increasing screening compliance (e.g. patient willingness to have more regular mammograms by reducing discomfort of the procedure). Greater patient comfort also reduces the risk of patient movement (voluntary or involuntary). Motion artifact, caused by patient movement or slippage of the tissue, can result in loss of clarity of the mammographic image. It is a further objective of the present invention to allow for the use of an increased compressive force, for example, up to 16-18 compression units or more thereby providing for a thinner cross-section of breast tissue during the mammogram resulting in an enhanced ability to detect abnormalities in the mammographic image. These objectives are met by the design and use of the present invention.
Various patents have issued illustrating inventions in the field of mammography and comfort during x-ray imaging. For example, in the field of mammography, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,963,933, 4,691,333, 4,943,986, 5,189,686, 5,553,111 and 5,398,272 describe various fixtures useful for breast compression. Further, patents have issued describing devices for increasing comfort during general x-ray procedures, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,070 (radiolucent x-ray mat), U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,657 (buckey warmer for mammography machine), U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,972 (disposable padding device for use during mammography) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,776 (padded cover for x-ray cassette).
According to the present invention, improved methods and apparatus are provided for cushioning or providing other patient comfort surfaces on devices used for compressing the patient""s tissue, such as radiography machines, fluoroscopy units, mammography units and the like. In particular a pad element is provided for releasable attachment to at least one surface of a compression device to be used under x-ray, or other imaging modality.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a pad assembly is provided consisting of a pad element, an adhesive layer and a release paper layer allowing for temporary attachment to the applied surface (either the mammography paddle, x-ray plate or directly to the patient""s skin).
An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a reusable cushioned paddle configured of a self-skinned foam to allow for easy cleaning between patients. This embodiment may be replaceable after many uses or formed integrally wherein the padded surface and the compression paddle are assembled as one unit.
The present invention may also incorporate a dispensing unit for access to single pads for single use.

Device for cushioning of compression surfaces


An elevator brake includes a fluid enclosure that provides a force to counter a braking force. In a particular embodiment, the fluid enclosure functions as a fluid pressure amplifier between a controllable actuator and a braking surface. The fluid enclosure increases the force of the actuator such that smaller, more controllable actuators may be used to control the brake.

A typical traction elevator includes a car, a counterweight, and a plurality of ropes interconnecting the car and counterweight. The ropes are engaged with a traction sheave that is rotated by a machine. Rotation of the traction sheave moves the car and counterweight through the hoistway.
In order to prevent the car from over-speeding in the downward direction, the car includes a safety device that is triggered by a governor. In a conventional configuration, if the car begins to travel faster than a predetermirned speed, the governor will cause a lift rod to be lifted relative to the car. As the lift rods are lifted, a pair of wedge shaped blocks are pulled into contact with the guide rail for the car. Friction between the guide rail and the wedge shaped blocks pulls the blocks into further engagement with the guide rails and thereby results in the application of a braking force to bring the car to a safe stop.
Such safety devices have proven reliable through use. A drawback to such devices, however, is that they work in only one direction, typically the down direction for the car. It is now desirable to prevent an over-speed condition from occurring in the up direction of the car as well. A simple solution to this problem is to install safety brakes on both the car and the counterweight. This solution may be expensive due to the doubling of the number of safety brakes.
Another possible solution is to place a spring-loaded brake on the car that stops the movement of the car in either the up or down direction. Due to the loads involved, this requires significant braking force between the braking surface and the guide rail and therefore the spring must be large enough to provide an adequate amount of force. A more significant problem is that during normal operation, the braking force of the safety brake must be removed to permit the car to travel through the hoistway. The removal of the braking force requires a device that applies an opposing force to overcome the force applied by the spring. In addition, the means to apply an opposing force should permit the spring to apply a braking force in the event of a loss of power. A possible solution is to provide an electromagnetic device, such as a solenoid, that counters the braking force when power is applied to the coil of the solenoid. Unfortunately, the forces required result in a large, heavy solenoid and a require a significant amount of power. Therefore, such a configuration is not practical.
The above art notwithstanding, scientists and engineers under the direction of Applicants' Assignee are working to develop improved braking systems for elevators.


A drill tool that is usable in drilling a wellbore can include a pin component and a box component. The pin component has a threaded portion and an extended portion extending axially from an end of the threaded portion. The box component is part of a stator of a downhole drilling motor. The box component is threadedly coupled to the pin component such that the extended portion of the pin component is positioned in an inner area defined by the box component to absorb stress from the threaded portion during a bend for a wellbore drilling operation.

A wellbore can be drilled into a subterranean formation to extract formation fluids such as oil or gas. The wellbore can be drilled using a drill string that can include a bottomhole assembly (BHA), a drill bit, and other components. The wellbore may be a vertical wellbore or a deviated wellbore in which the wellbore is intentionally drilled in a direction other than solely in a vertical direction.
A deviated wellbore can be accomplished by using whipstocks, BHA configurations, instruments to measure the path of the wellbore in three-dimensional space, data links to communicate measurements taken downhole to the surface, mud motors, and drill bits. Drilling parameters such as weight on bit and rotary speed can be used to deflect the bit away from the axis of the existing wellbore.
A bend near the bit in a downhole steerable mud motor can be used in directional drilling. The bend can point the bit in a direction that is different from the axis of the wellbore when the drill string is not rotating. By pumping mud through the mud motor, the bit turns while the drill string does not rotate, allowing the bit to drill in the direction it points. When a particular wellbore direction is achieved, that direction may be maintained by rotating the drill string, including the bent section. Directional drilling can allow drillers to place the wellbore in contact with selected reservoir rock.
The mud motor can include a stator and rotor configuration—the stator being the stationary component and rotor being the component that rotates. The stator can be coupled to other components of the drill string. As the drill string bends, the point at which the stator is coupled to the other components can experience stress and be susceptible to breaking, which can delay drilling and be costly.

Drilling component coupler for reinforcement


A muting switch for co-operation with the phono sockets of a record player to short circuit the leads from the pick-up, which are connected to the phono socket, at all times except when a record is being played.

This invention relates to a record player of the type, hereinafter referred to as the type described, comprising a deck plate, a turntable rotatably mounted on the deck plate and driven, in use, by an electric motor, a centre spindle extending upwardly from the centre of the turntable, a tone arm carrying a pick-up at one end and mounted for pivotal movement about vertical and horizontal axes and drive means to pivot the tone arm about the horizontal axis to disengage the pick-up from a record and then to swing the tone arm about the vertical axis to position the tone arm outwardly of the periphery of the record.
Record players of the type described are commonly provided with a pair of phono sockets adapted to receive plug members to connect the pick-up of the record player to sound reproducing equipment such as amplifier and speaker. A phono socket comprises an inner tubular socket part adapted to receive the male part of a plug and an outer socket part adapted to be received within the female part of the plug, the inner and outer socket parts being co-axial and insulated from each other and provided with means for connection thereto of conductors.
Generally two phono sockets are provided in a unit and mounted in a common base plate of insulating material. There are also known some phono socket units having two sockets in which there is a single outer socket part which is common to both the sockets and such phono sockets are included within the scope of the invention. The invention is also applicable to a single phono socket.
It is desirable in a record player of the type described to provide a muting switch operative to short-circuit the leads from the pick-up to the sound reproducing equipment at all times except when a record is being played and a manually operable member of the record player is in a "play" position.
It is an object of the invention to provide a new or improved muting switch which can act on the phono socket assembly of a record player of the type described to short-circuit the leads from the pick-up to the sound reproducing equipment.


The present invention provides a communication controller and a method for maintaining a communication connection during a cell reselection. The communication connection is maintained by changing between a first operating mode, such as a packet data mode, which does not support the maintenance of a communication connection throughout a cell reselection, and a second operating mode, such as a circuit switched mode, which does support maintenance of a communication connection during a handover. Use of a virtual mobile switching center in the base station subsystem facilitates the conversion and routing of circuit switched data, transmitted between the mobile subscriber and the base transceiver station, to the packet data network while in a circuit switched mode.

Mobile subscribers use wireless communication devices to communicate over a cellular wireless communication network by transmitting and receiving wireless signals between the wireless communication devices and one or more base stations. The one or more base stations are generally spread throughout an area of coverage, which are often divided into one or more smaller areas called cells.
As mobile subscribers move from one cell to another cell, it often becomes necessary to communicate with the network via different base stations. The need to transition from one base station to another base station often coincides with the mobile subscriber moving further away from and/or out of transmission range with a first base station and closer to and/or within transmission range with a second base station.
If the mobile subscriber is communicating with the network, when it becomes necessary to switch from one base station to another, different types of networks handle the transition in different ways. Sometimes, the manner in which the transition is handled is dependent upon the particular operating mode and/or the type of communication protocol being used. In many instances, the manner in which the transition is handled is a by-product of the originally intended services, which were to be supported by a particular network, operating mode and/or protocol. However increasingly, networks, operating modes and/or protocols are being expected to support types of communication, that they were never originally intended to support.
One such example includes voice communications over a packet network. Packet data networks were historically principally intended to transmit text or data files, where reliability was more important than small transmission delays. Alternatively with voice communications, small data losses are generally more tolerable than small transmission delays. As a result, when many packet data networks were developed, and corresponding network infrastructure later deployed, events which produced delays in transmission were allowed to occur, while a greater focus was placed on minimizing data losses.
An example of an event, which in at least some data packet networks, results in some transmission interruption associated with a delay, includes the handling of a transition from one base station to another, for facilitating further communication with the network. In at least one packet data network, such as general packet radio services (GPRS), a mobile subscriber will attempt to establish communication with a second base station only after communication with the first base station is lost. This can result in a delay of continued communications, which is often greater than several seconds. During real time voice type communications, a delay of this magnitude is largely viewed as intolerable. This presents special challenges for data services, which attempt to communicate real time voice data via a packet data network, such as push to talk, which provides walkie talkie-type simplex communication, and voice over IP (internet protocol), which attempts to provide more traditional type duplex voice communications over the packet data network.
As a result, it would be beneficial to develop techniques, which minimize the transmission delays, including any delays associated with transitioning between a first base station and a second base station. Still further, it would be beneficial to develop techniques, which minimize transmission delays, in a manner which can be implemented with minimal impact on existing infrastructure.

Communication controller and method for maintaining a communication connection during a cell reselection


Provided is a display device including: a structure including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area; and an inorganic encapsulation thin film disposed on the display and peripheral areas. The peripheral area includes at least one inorganic surface portion having a closed shape continuously.

Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a display device and an organic luminescent display device, and more particularly, to a display device and an organic luminescent display device which include a thin film encapsulation structure.
Description of the Related Art
An organic luminescent display device using an organic light-emitting device is capable of displaying a moving image since the organic luminescent display device has a quicker response speed than a liquid crystal display (LCD) that is currently widely commercialized, and is receiving attention as a next-generation display device since the organic luminescent display device is self-emissive, has a wider viewing angle, and has higher luminance.
The organic light-emitting device includes a pixel electrode and a counter electrode, which face each other, and an emissive layer including an organic material disposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. The organic light-emitting device is very sensitive to moisture, oxygen, and light, and thus may deteriorate by contacting them. Also, when oxygen or moisture is diffused into an organic layer, oxide is generated as an electrochemical charge transfer occurs on an interface between the pixel and counter electrodes and the organic layer, and a dark spot may occur as the oxide separates the organic layer and the pixel or counter electrode, thereby decreasing a life of the organic light-emitting device. Accordingly, the organic light-emitting device has a thin film encapsulation structure so as to block external moisture, oxygen, or light from being transferred into the organic light-emitting device.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Display device and organic luminescent display device


A swim fin is disclosed which comprises a foot portion, an essentially horizontal flipper and upper and lower shells coupling the foot portion and the flipper. Upper and lower channels are formed between the shells and the flipper for the flow of water therethrough. The channels initiate at water inlet apertures and terminate at water outlet apertures. The flipper extends outboardly of the channels and water outlet apertures to coact with water flowing from the outlet apertures for increased efficiency of the fin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to swimming apparatus and, in particular, to improved swim fins to be worn on the feet of a swimmer to increase his mobility and safety in the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years there has been an increasing tendency of people to engage in water activities. Among the more popular of such water activities are swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and the like. It has been found that improvements in apparatus for use during such water activities have enhanced the enjoyment and safety of people engaged in such activities.
Types of apparatus which are receiving ever increasing popularity are the flippers or swim fins. Swim fins are normally rubber or plastic devices secured to the feet of the swimmer in an effort to simulate the action of the horizontal tail fin of an aquatic mammal such as a dolphin or a whale, the webbed feet of a duck or the vertical tail fin of most fish. When a human swimmer participates in water activites with the aid of fins on his feet, his swimming speed is improved, his ability to tread water enhanced and his overall enjoyment of the activity greatly increased. Perhaps even more importantly, his safety is made greater when merely swimming or when participating in other aquatic events such as snorkeling or diving with self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, scuba gear.
A great many types of swim fins and related devices are on the market today. Prior patent disclosures illustrate the development of this technology to the present highly developed state that it enjoys today.
One early effort to provide for increased water safety and enjoyment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,841,904 to McGowan. According to that disclosure, an oval shaped device is strapped to each foot of a swimmer. Secured within the device, parallel with the sole of the foot, are a plurality of shutter plates in spaced orientation, one from another, in overlapping relationship. When a foot and associated device are moved downwardly the shutters close and the device offers resistance to further downward movement of the device, foot and swimmer. When the foot and device are moved upwardly, the shutters open in unison to easily permit the device and foot to be raised. As a result, treading water is made easier and less fatiguing, and the device thus promotes safety in the water along with enjoyment. To a lesser extent, it would appear that the McGowan device could also function for the purposes of the more modern swim fin.
The state of the art in swim fins has continued to develop through the years. Consider, for example, the fins disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,025 to Ferraro and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,470 to Mares. Those disclosed devices resemble the modern fins of today in that they are of a one piece construction with an inboard end for receiving the foot of a wearer and a thin flexible outboard end or flipper to simulate the action of a webbed foot of a duck or a tail fin of an aquatic mammal. The disclosures of these patents discuss the benefits which accrue by the incorporation of an aperture or apertures in the thin flipper portion of the fin. But in one of these disclosures, that to Ferraro, an additional flap of material is used to close the apertures during one part of the kick cycle of the swimmer and to open the apertures on the other part of the kick cycle. According to the Mares disclosure, supplemental flaps are utilized in association with the apertures but are adapted to open the apertures during both portions of the kick cycle.
Subsequently, the development of swim fins included chambers along the axial lengths of the fins. Note, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,979 to MacNiel and U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,158 to Vilarrubus. According to these disclosures, the flat extended flipper portion of the fin includes two spaced parallel surfaces defining a chamber therebetween to pass water from an upper central portion of the flipper, the water inlet zone, to and through a water outlet zone at the outboard tip of the flipper directly into the water. In effect, the flipper material on opposite sides of the chamber acts as two flippers. According to the MacNiel disclosure, the cross section of the chamber decreases toward the tip of the flipper for improved efficiency. Conversely, Vilarrubus discloses increased efficiency by increasing the cross section of the chamber toward the tip of the flipper. Further, compartmentalizing of a chamber into laterally spaced parallel compartments is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,071 to Forjot alleges an improvement over the structures of MacNiel and Vilarrubus by utilizing a single chamber along the length of the flipper of the fin but with water inlets both on the upper and lower faces of the fin. A flexible baffle to alternately open and close the upper and lower inlets determines whether water enters the chamber on either the upstroke or downstroke of the kick cycle of the swimmer.
Lastly, a relatively complex type of swim device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,558 to Wilson. According to that disclosure, a pair of complex, cumbersome devices may be attached to the feet of a swimmer. The devices each include a rotatable hydrofoil operating with mechanisms to allegedly enhance a swimmers capabilities in the water while increasing his safety. This device could hardly be considered as a swim fin.
As illustrated by the great number of prior art patents, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to solve the problem of designing a convenient, safe swim fin having particular utility in increasing the mobility, enjoyment, and safety of swimmers. None of these patents, however, discloses or suggests the present inventive combination of parts of the present inventive improved swim fin. The present invention achieves its purposes, objectives and advantages over the prior art structures through new, useful and unobvious elements with but a single part at a relatively low cost and through the utilization of only readily available materials and conventional components.
These objects and advantages should be construed as merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and advantages as well as a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment of the invention in addition to the scope of the invention as defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


In some implementations a method includes receiving a first message from a computing device via a first network. The first message may indicate that the computing device is unable to communicate with a second network. The method also includes determining whether a beacon operator has requested tracking of the computing device. The method further includes transmitting a second message to the beacon operator when the beacon operator has requested tracking of the computing device. The second message may include a first geographical location identified by the first network.

Many users may be concerned with the location, safety, and/or security of various people and/or assets. For example, a user may be concerned about the safety and/or security of their children, parents (e.g., elderly), etc., and may want to track (e.g., monitor) the location of their children, parents, etc. The user may want to be notified when their children leave a location (e.g., leave their school, leave their home, etc.). Other users may want to monitor whether certain users leave a location. For example, a person may be under house arrest or probation and may not be allowed to leave the person's home, and the user may want to monitor the person to ensure that the person does not violate their house arrest/probation (e.g., does not leave the person's home). Another user may be concerned with the security of an asset (e.g., a physical item). For example, a business may be concerned with the security of a high-cost product sold by the business. The business may want to be notified when the asset is no longer in the vicinity of the business's location.
In accordance with common practice the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given system, method or device. Finally, like reference numerals may be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures.

Methods and apparatus for determining the locations of computing devices


An apparatus with a computer interface module (CIM) is described herein. The assembly may be coupled to, and may receive power from, wiring of a vehicle. The vehicle wiring may include wiring dedicated to the apparatus or wiring that was previously dedicated to another component of the vehicle. The assembly may be installed via a mounting base including the CIM configured with a receptacle for coupling to a cable. The CIM may be configured to provide power to an electronic device, such as via the cable. Additionally, the CIM may be configured to communicate with one or more electronic devices via a wired and/or wireless connection. The assembly may include a lamp unit with an efficient light source. The lamp unit may include a lamp configured to adjust between white, red, and/or green lights. The assembly may include a clamping system configured to securely house a mobile computing device.

Vehicle operators often require the use of a computing device to assist in various operating activities, such as navigation. The computing devices may require an interface for power and/or data transfer. However, a retrofit of a cockpit, cabin, or other personal space to include a computer interface can be both time intensive and extremely expensive. Additionally, interior utility lighting is important for the night-time operation of many vehicles, such as aircraft, motor vehicles, vessels, or the like. Many older vehicles are outfitted with inefficient lighting that can be potentially dangerous to vehicle operators. A further retrofit of the cockpit, cabin or other personal space may additionally increase the amount of time and money required for the upgrade.

Apparatus with computer interface module for use in vehicles


A method of manufacturing an automotive light including the steps of: providing a container body delimited by a first perimetral profile; providing a lenticular body delimited by a second perimetral profile; associating the profiles, with a contact surface therebetween defining a welding interface; providing a laser emission device emitting radiation, operatively connected to a first light guide with an output to distribute radiation via a spatial distribution including with lobes; providing a second light guide inside the lenticular body adapted to obtain a light guide of radiation inside the lenticular body, having walls defined by a first lobe; arranging the guides to route a first lobe of radiation from the output towards the second guide, to propagate at least one lobe of radiation inside the second light guide towards the welding interface; wherein the container body acts as an absorbing member and the lenticular body acts as a transmissive member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to automotive lights and, more specifically, to an automotive light and a method of laser welding an automotive light.
2. Description of Related Art
The term "automotive light" as used in the related is known to refer to either a rear automotive light or a front automotive light (also known as a "headlight") for use as lighting and/or signaling devices of a vehicle, which includes at least one external automotive light having a lighting and/or signaling function towards the outside of the vehicle (such as, for example: a sidelight, an indicator light, a brake light, a rear fog light, a reverse light, a dipped beam headlight, a main beam headlight, etc.).
The automotive light generally includes a container body, a lenticular body, and at least one light source. The lenticular body is placed so as to close a mouth of the container body so as to form a housing chamber. The light source is arranged inside the housing chamber, which may be directed so as to emit light towards the lenticular body when powered with electricity.
In manufacturing automotive lights, once the various components have been assembled, there needs to be attachment and hermetic sealing of the lenticular body to the container body. Typically, sealing is effected by welding. It will be appreciated that welding may also be utilized for other components of a more complex automotive light, for example components arranged inside the housing chamber.
The process of laser welding of polymeric bodies an automotive light makes it possible to combine a transmissive polymeric body capable of transmitting a laser radiation, and an absorbent polymeric body capable of absorbing the laser radiation. Here, the laser radiation is transformed into heat when it encounters the absorbent polymeric body which, by heating locally, transfers heat to the transmissive polymeric body, resulting in a softening and a local melting of both polymeric bodies which thus join firmly to each other.
By way of example, the absorbent polymeric body of the automotive light may include the container body, while the transmissive polymeric body may include the lenticular body, which closes the container body and forms a housing chamber for housing a light source of the automotive headlight. However, it will be appreciated that the absorbent and transmissive polymeric bodies can be realized generically by further polymeric components of the automotive headlight.
Laser welding processes of polymeric bodies of automotive lights can be difficult to implement because of the complex geometry of the polymeric bodies. For example, surface discontinuities of the transmissive polymeric body (such as fittings, ribs, grooves, prominences, curvatures, etc.) may obstruct the flow of the laser radiation towards the welding area, which is often distant from an emission point of the laser radiation. To overcome drawbacks of this kind, solutions known in the related art include providing a polymeric transmissive portion of the body acting as guide light of the laser radiation as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,239B1; or an apparatus for simultaneous laser welding equipped with a distributor of laser radiation including a light guide formed of flat mirror-treated walls to focus the laser radiation. However, both of these expedients have poor performance, because only a small fraction of the laser radiation emitted by a laser emitter reaches the welding area (See FIGS. 1 and 2).
By way of example of the first solution described above, and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a convex-shaped lenticular body may include a light guide end capable of channeling the laser radiation emitted by the laser towards the welding area, using at least one reflection of the laser radiation on the inner walls of the lenticular body. However, experimental tests have shown that the laser emitter and the light guide end of the lenticular body do not cooperate in a very effective manner since only a small portion of the laser radiation emitted by the laser emitter is channeled towards the welding area; specifically, only a fraction equal to 22% of the laser radiation emitted by the laser emitter reaches the welding area with a single reflection of the laser radiation, while this fraction decreases drastically with a plurality of reflections of the laser radiation, arriving at just 2% of the laser radiation emitted by the laser emitter.
In addition, the use of a portion of the transmissive lenticular body as a light guide proves to be a poor solution also in the case in which the lenticular body has a discontinuous surface. Moreover, the laser radiation may be deflected in an uncontrolled manner by the discontinuity, or the correct inclination of the laser radiation with respect to an input area of the lenticular body may be compromised in order to bypass the discontinuity, with consequent waste of laser radiation.
As an example of the second solution described above, and with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, simulations of this welding process have shown that the distributor of the laser radiation including a light guide formed of flat mirror-treated walls is not able to directly route the laser radiation emerging from an outlet of the laser radiation distributor towards the welding area in some situations, particularly if the lenticular body is a curved shape. The laser radiation distributor may, in fact, sometimes not find any location close to a face of the lenticular body, because the laser radiation distributor would physically interfere with the lenticular body.
In addition, the use of the laser radiation distributor including mirror-treated flat walls proves an arguable solution even in the case in which the lenticular body presents a surface discontinuity. In fact, a substantial proportion of the laser radiation emerging from the outlet of the laser radiation distributor is deflected in an uncontrolled manner by the surface discontinuity of the lenticular body without reaching the welding area.
Thus, conventional laser welding applications and techniques used with automotive lights are not very efficient because of the complex geometries of automotive lights to be welded. In fact, the lenticular bodies and the container bodies of automotive lights are made of polymeric materials and include highly complex geometries with curved or straight coupling surfaces with highly variable inclinations along the entire perimeter of the mutual coupling. The complex geometry of automotive lights or their components (such as the container body and the lenticular body) are ill-adapted to current laser welding techniques which are in fact optimized for applications on flat walls, simple geometries, and relatively thin thicknesses of the bodies. Thus, laser welding techniques are currently little used on automotive lights in that there is no guarantee of satisfactory results and alternative welding techniques are more cost/time competitive (such as vibration, ultrasound, and friction welding, etc.).
In addition, certain complexities of automotive lights further discourages and makes current laser welding techniques inconvenient. By way of example, a component of the automotive light (such as the lenticular body) can be crossed by light emitted by the light source so as to effect lighting of the automotive light. The lenticular body may have a coloration so as ensure that the color of the light emitted by the light source complies with government-mandated regulations (for example, a stop light of the automotive light may be realised with a substantially white light source and a lenticular body tending to red). However, during the laser welding process, a red colored lenticular body absorbs a lot of light energy in comparison to a clear lenticular body to the detriment of the light energy provided by the laser source, which needs to be able to provide a predetermined light energy in the welding area. The increased absorption due to the presence of a colored lenticular body acting as the transmission element, which filters the radiation emitted, requires the use of higher power laser beams, which consequently results in high energy consumption and increased welding costs. This way, the energy efficiency of the laser welding of lenticular bodies is further reduced: absorbing (inasmuch as colored) a significant portion of light radiation; and dispersing well over half due to the complex geometries of the lenticular bodies themselves.
Because of the foregoing considerations, laser welding techniques are little used on conventional automotive lights since they are too complex, expensive, and inconvenient to implement when compared to alternative welding techniques, such as ultrasonic welding. Thus, there remains a need in the art for a laser welding method of polymeric bodies used in automotive lights able to reduce the power of the laser source.

Method of laser welding of an automotive light and relative automotive light

Automotive Lighting Italia S.p.A. a Socio Unico


Estimating the overall efficacy of a mathematical model of system behavior involves providing a template representing factors that affect the overall efficacy of the mathematical model. A Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) having nodes based on the factors of the template is created and the BBN is used to obtain an estimate of the overall efficacy of the mathematical model of system behavior.

It is becoming increasingly commonplace to use models that simulate, or give an indication of, the behaviour of a system. A system can be considered generally as a collection of hardware, software, people, facilities, and procedures organized to accomplish some common objectives. A model can be thought of generally as a physical, mathematical, or otherwise logical representation of a system, entity, phenomenon, or process. The use of models is of particular importance in significant engineering projects, such as designing an aircraft, where the resources and risks involved are considerable. In such projects a mathematical model of an engineered system is normally used to provide a representation of the behaviour of the system, usually using computer-based modelling tools.
Unfortunately, the efficacy of system models is variable because it is determined by various factors. The difficulty of generating mathematical models has been well documented, see, for example, "Evaluating the Efficacy of Mathematically Modelling the Behaviour of Engineered Systems" Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, 2006, currently available at http://www-staff.iboro.ac.uk/˜ouer/, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. As discussed in that thesis, the accuracy of mathematical models is variable and it is desirable to have an indication of the overall efficacy of a given systems model.

Estimating the efficacy of a mathematical model of system behaviour