An adaptable orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing system (OFDM) that uses a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) to having OFDM signals transmitted either in accordance with time diversity to reducing signal fading or in accordance with spatial diversity to increase the data rate. Sub-carriers are classified for spatial diversity transmission or for time diversity transmission based on the result of a comparison between threshold values and at least one of three criteria. The criteria includes a calculation of a smallest eigen value of a frequency channel response matrix and a smallest element of a diagonal of the matrix and a ratio of the largest and smallest eigen values of the matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to adapting time diversity and spatial diversity for use in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) environment, using a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) structure.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) structure has multiple communication channels that are used between transmitters and receivers. A space time transmitter diversity (STTD) system may be used on a MIMO structure, but it will not increase the data throughput. For a high level configuration, the data rate may even reduce. In an STTD system, the transmitters deliver the same information content within consecutive symbol duration so that time diversity may be exploited. To efficiently use the multiple transmitters of the MIMO structure, however, the transmission data rate needs to be increased.
The most straightforward solution to increase the transmission data rate is to dump independent data to each transmitter while applying forward error correction (FEC). A forward error correction (FEC) encoder produces in-phase and quadrature-phase data streams for the digital QAM modulator in accordance with a predetermined QAM constellation. The QAM modulator may perform baseband filtering, digital interpolation and quadrature amplitude modulation. The output of the QAM modulator is a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. A digital to analog (D/A) converter transforms the digital IF signal to analog for transmission.
A problem arises, however, as to how to safely recover the transmitted data. For a 2×2 system (two transmitters, two receivers) for example, after the channel information is obtained, the recovery process entails formulating two equations with two unknowns that need to be solved. The two unknowns may be determined only if the 2×2 channel is invertible. In practice, however, two situations may be encountered, i.e., the channel matrix is rank deficient so the unknowns cannot be determined or the frequency response channel matrix is invertible but has a very small eigen value.
The first situation arises when the channels are highly correlated, which may be caused either by not enough separation of the transmitters or by homology of the surroundings. For the second situation, although the equations are solvable, the solution can cause a high bit error rate (BER), because a scale up of the noise can result in an incorrect constellation point.
Orthogonal frequency-domain multiplexing (OFDM) systems were designed conventionally for either time diversity or for space diversity, but not both. The former will provide a robust system that combats signal fading but cannot increase the data rate capacity, while the latter can increase the data rate capacity but loses the system robustness. An OFDM signal contains OFDM symbols, which are constituted by a set of sub-carriers and transmitted for a fixed duration.
The MIMO structure may be used for carrying out time diversity for an OFDM system. For instance, when one transmitter transmits an OFDM signal, another transmitter will transmit a fully correlated OFDM signal to that transmitted by the one transmitter. The same OFDM signal is transmitted with, for instance, a fixed OFDM duration.
On the other hand, spatial diversity entails transmitting independent signals from different transmitters. Thus, transmitting two independent OFDM signals from two transmitters, respectively, results in a double data rate capacity from the parallel transmission that occurs.
When the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is low, the frame error rate (FER) is large, so that a data packet transmission will be decoded incorrectly and will need to be retransmitted. The quality of service (QoS) defines the number of times that the same packet can be retransmitted, e.g., within an OFDM architecture. The OFDM system on a MIMO structure, therefore, should be adaptable to ensure that the QoS is maintained.
For any given modulation and code rate, the SNR must exceed a certain threshold to ensure that a data packet will be decoded correctly. When the SNR is less than that certain threshold, the bit error rate (BER) is larger, which results in a larger FER. The larger the FER, the more retransmissions of the same packet will be required until the packet is decoded correctly. Thus, steps may need to be taken to provide the OFDM system with a higher gain. If the SNR is at or above the threshold, then there is no need to increase the gain of the architecture to decode the data packets correctly. One challenge is to adapt the OFDM system to use time diversity when signal fading is detected as problematic and to use spatial diversity at other time to increase the data rate transfer.
In a conventional OFDM system, there are many OFDM modes, for examples are the 1 k mode (1024 tones) and the half k mode (512 tones). For 1 k mode, the number of sub-carriers is 1024 and for the half k mode, the number of sub-carriers is 512. The 1 k mode is suitable for a channel with long delay and slow temporal fading, while the 512 mode is suitable for the channel with a short delay and fast temporal fading. But which mode will be used is really depending on the real environment.
A transaction unit of a conventional OFDM signal is an OFDM frame that lasts 10 ms. Each OFDM frame consists of 8 OFDM slots and each slot lasts 1.25 ms. Each OFDM slot consists of 8 OFDM symbols and some of the OFDM symbols will be the known preambles for access and channels estimation purposes. An OFDM super frame is made up of 8 OFDM frames and lasts 80 ms.
In addition to transmitted data, an OFDM frame contains a preamble, continual pilot sub-carriers, and transmission parameter sub-carriers/scattered sub-carriers. The preamble contains OFDM symbols that all used for training to realize timing, frequency and sampling clock synchronization acquisitions, channel estimation and a C/I calculation for different access points. The continual pilot sub-carriers contain training symbols that are constant for all OFDM symbols. They are used for tracking the remaining frequency/sampling clock offset after the initial training.
The transmission parameter sub-carriers/scattered sub-carriers are dedicated in each OFDM symbol and reserved for signaling of transmission parameters, which are related to the transmission scheme, such as channel coding, modulation, guarding interval and power control. The transmission parameter sub-carriers are well protected and therefore can be used as scattered pilot sub-carriers after decoding.
One application for determining whether sub-carriers should be assigned to time diversity or spatial diversity is to conform to statistical analysis of traffic demands during particular times of the day, such as peak and off-peak. The OFDM system may preferably bias toward either time diversity or spatial diversity based on such a statistical analysis.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Adaptive time diversity and spatial diversity for OFDM


Method and apparatus for placing and routing an electronic circuit design. Various embodiments are disclosed for analyzing placed and/or routed designs for power consumption characteristics and timing characteristics. New designs are iteratively generated in order to reduce power consumption and satisfy timing requirements of the design.

Power consumption is increasingly a prime consideration in the design of electronic components. Advancing circuit technology has allowed the development of devices such as mobile telephones, person digital assistants, digital cameras, and devices that combine various features of each. These devices are increasingly seen as necessary in our daily activities.
In these and other example devices convenience is an important factor in determining commercial success, and portability is of particular concern for mobile devices. For example, if a device is too heavy or requires recharging a battery too frequently, the device may fail in the marketplace, even if the device has noteworthy functional capabilities. A larger battery may provide a longer charge life, but the added weight may make holding or carrying the device more cumbersome. Because the power consumed by a device largely influences the size of the battery, power usage is an important consideration in designing a device.
Power usage also affects heat dissipation requirements in electronic devices. The more power consumed by a device, the more heat that must be dissipated. Failure to suitably provide for heat dissipation may create undesirable hot spots and in extreme cases cause injury. One approach to address heat dissipation issues is to design a structure that adequately dissipates the heat consistent with other design requirements, such as the device's footprint. However, this approach may unduly complicate the manufacture of the device and lead to increased costs. A more desirable approach would be to reduce the power consumed by the device, thereby reducing the amount of heat needing to be dissipated.
A method and apparatus that address the aforementioned problems, as well as other related problems, are therefore desirable.


A paperboard container for use in a microwave oven to cook an expandable food has a square bottom support panel, upwardly and outwardly tapering, concave, trapezoidal side panels connected to each edge of the bottom support panel, and a cover of overlapped, top panels. A top panel is foldably connected to an upper arcuate edge of each of the side panels and a seal is removably attached to one of the top panels and an opposed one thereof to close the container. Upon expansion of the food within the container in a microwave oven, the concave side panels will expand to aid in confining the food within the perimeter of the container.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel container, and more particularly, to a container for housing an expandable food package in a stored, non-expanded condition and in an expanded condition having substantially increased volume, the container being constructed of non-metallic materials for use in a microwave oven.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Expandable food packages have been constructed for use, for example, in packaging and cooking corn kernels to form popcorn. Generally, the package is placed over a heat source under the influence of which cooking fats or oils, placed in the package, melt and form a gas while simultaneously the corn kernels are cooked to form the popcorn. The combination of expanding gas and puffing of the corn kernels cause the package to expand.
Prior art packages and containers for cooking such an expandable food generally utilize a shallow metal container for holding the food to be cooked by a thin aluminum foil cover. The cover expands under the influence of internal pressure from the cooked food to provide an internal volume greater than the original size, enabling the cooked food to be retained within the metallic container. An example of such a container or package is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,356 to Wolowicz, issued Apr. 5, 1966.
A principal advantage of using an expandable package in a container in which cooking can be performed, is the resulting economy of space in the storing and stacking of the packaged containers. Another advantage is the convenience for the user of not having to transfer or handle the cooking ingredients stored in the package. Unfortunately, packages incorporating metals, such as aluminum foil, cannot be used in a microwave oven because the metal acts as a shield, thereby preventing the energy from reaching the food to cook it. Therefore, in such packages, the food cannot be heated and cooked. As a result, it has become necessary to design a container for an expandable food package which is entirely non-metallic, so it can be used in a microwave oven heating environment.
One such package is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,423, issued to Gordon on July 19, 1977. In this patent, a non-metallic container for an expandable food package is formed from sheet material such as paperboard, polyethylene, paperboard lamination or combinations thereof sufficiently resistant to leakage of cooking oils and fats. The container includes a base portion and a cover. The base portion includes an open container section having a polygonally-shaped bottom panel having side panels connected thereto which taper upwardly and outwardly to receive food, such as uncooked kernels of corn with congealed cooking oil. An expandable cover is integrally attached to a flange portion connected to the side panels of the container along its entire outer periphery to enclose the base portion and food within the container. The flange and integral cover are then folded on top of the base and side panels to complete the construction. In use, the flanges are unfolded and the cover allowed to expand upon heating of the corn kernels and congealed cooking oil in a microwave oven; the cover expanding as the kernels expand. After cooking, the cover can be removed to expose the kernels for eating.
A principal disadvantage of the container illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,423 is that the expandable cover is formed integrally with the container. This requires an additional manufacturing step during the formation of the container and requires the modification of standard carton closing machines in the manufacture of the finished container, both of which are highly undesirable, as they increase the cost of manufacture of the container.
Furthermore, the expanded food product has little room to expand laterally without causing rupture of the container side walls. Accordingly, the area of expansion of the product cannot be readily controlled within the perimeter or confines of the container, but must rely on the elasticity of the packaging material and/or integral cover on the container, which may prematurely rupture before cooking is complete, causing the expanded food product to be thrown from the container.
In accordance with the present invention, the expandable food package is completely separate from the container and is loaded into the container prior to closing the same.
The container of the present invention also features arcuate, concave side walls whereby the sides of the container can expand to confine the expanded food product within the perimeter of the container upon heating in a microwave oven.
Finally, the container is formed from paperboard or chemically treated, grease-resistant paperboard lamination whereby it is especially suited for use in a microwave oven.

Supportive sidewall container for expandable food packages


A Brassica promoter (hsp80) has been isolated which can provide for constitutive expression of heterologous genes in a wide range of tissues and organs. Various deletion mutants and hybrid promoters are described which retain activity and/or which show enhanced activity. Upstream activating sequences are described which separately and in combination can provide for constitutive gene expression. These sequences can also confer constitutive expression on heterologous, non-constitutive promoters.

Heat shock genes (hsp genes) are known in a variety of organisms, including yeast, Drosophila, and some plant species. One class of heat shock genes expresses protein in response to heat stress only. Another class of heat shock genes has a low basal level of activity that is highly elevated upon heat induction.
When genetically engineering a heterologous gene in plants, the selection of a promoter is often a critical factor. While it may be desirable to express certain genes only in response to a particular stimulus, or localize their expression in certain tissues, other genes are more desirably expressed constitutively, i.e., throughout the plant at all times and in most tissues. In the past, the 35S promoter from Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) has been used for constitutive expression of heterologous genes. For regulatory and other reasons it would be desirable to regulate heterologous gene expression with a promoter which is not of pathogenic origin. In addition, use of a plant promoter may alter the level of activity in particular tissues and may alter the spectrum of tissues in which expression is achieved in comparison with viral promoters.


A targeting system for a spectrophotometer includes a plurality of fiber channels, including at least one measurement channel and at least one illumination channel. A slit assembly includes a translucent layer disposed adjacent the plurality of fiber channels, and reflective portion disposed adjacent the translucent layer. Each fiber channel includes a first end, the first end offset from the reflective portion of the slit assembly to allow light transfer from one fiber channel to an adjacent fiber channel. A light source is in optical communication with the at least one illumination channel. A sample plane is in optical communication with a second end of the measurement channel. The system is configured such that light is transmitted from the light source, through the at least one illumination channel, reflected off the slit assembly, transmitted through the measurement channel, and onto the sample plane.

The present disclosure relates to a targeting system for a spectrophotometer.
Spectrophotometers are commonly used for measuring color samples. For example, reference is made to commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,773,221B2 (the "221 patent"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all permissible purposes. The '221 patent discloses a color measurement device for use at various stages of industrial processes. The device of the '221 patent offers enhanced insensitivity to ambient light, measurement depth variations, and/or ambient temperature variations. The device of the '221 patent may be embodied as an LED-based color measurement spectrophotometer. One issue that arises in testing samples with a spectrophotometer is the need to verify that the proper region of interest (ROI) of a sample is being measured. For example, a sample may have different portions with different colors, and a particular ROI may be desired to be measured by a user. It would be desirable for a user to have an easy way to determine the precise location of the sample to be measured.

Targeting system for color measurement device


A highly corrosion resistant and paint adherent surface coating on aluminiferous metals can be provided very rapidly, if desired in less than one second, by contacting the surface with an aqueous acid liquid treating composition containing as solutes specified proportions of phosphate ions, titanium containing materials, fluoride, and an accelerator, the accelerator is preferably at least one of nitrous acid, nitric acid, tungstic acid, molybdic acid, permanganic acid, water soluble salts of all of these acids, and water-soluble organoperoxides.

Liquid compositions, which hereinafter are often called "baths" for brevity, even if used by some other method than immersion, that are in general use for treating the surface of aluminiferous metals can be broadly classified into chromate types and nonchromate types. Chromic acid chromate conversion baths and phosphoric acid chromate conversion baths are typical embodiments of chromate type treatment baths.
Chromic acid chromate conversion baths came into practical use in about 1950 and are still widely used even at present for heat exchanger fin stock and aviation vehicle components. The chromic acid chromate conversion baths contain chromic acid and fluoride as their main components, with the fluoride functioning as a reaction accelerator. These baths coat metal surfaces with conversion coatings containing some quantity of hexavalent chromium.
Phosphoric acid chromate conversion baths originated with the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,438,877. These conversion baths, which contain chromic acid, phosphoric acid, and hydrofluoric acid as their main components, coat metal surfaces with conversion coatings whose main component is hydrated chromium phosphate. Because these conversion coatings do not contain hexavalent chromium, they also are in wide use at present, for such applications as underpaint coatings for beverage can body and lid stock. Nevertheless, since these chromate type surface treatment baths do themselves contain toxic hexavalent chromium even though the coatings produced by them do not, hexavalent chromium-free treatment baths are desired in view of the environmental problems from disposal of the baths, rinse waters, and the like.
Typical of the inventions in the field of the chromium-free nonchromate type surface treatment baths is the process disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open [Kokai or Unexamined] Number Sho 52-131937 [131,937/1977]. The treatment bath in that reference consists of an acidic (pH approximately 1.5 to 4.0) aqueous coating solution containing phosphate, fluoride, and zirconium or titanium or both. Treatment of the metal surface with this surface treatment bath forms thereon a protective coating whose main component is zirconium or titanium oxide. (This type of coating is often called a "conversion" coating, because it is believed that it also contains cations from the substrate in the form of oxides and/or phosphates.) An advantage of nonchromate surface treatment baths is that they are free of hexavalent chromium, and this advantage has resulted in their wide use at the present time for treating the surface of drawn-and-ironed ("DI") aluminum cans and the like. However, the nonchromate baths require longer treatment times for coating formation than chromate surface treatment baths. Shortening surface treatment times has become an important issue in the last few years, because of the increasingly high line speeds being used to boost productivity. Moreover, nonchromate baths yield coatings with a corrosion resistance and paint adherence inferior to those of chromate coatings.
The treatment process disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open [Kokai or Unexamined] Number Hei 1-246370 [246,370/1989] is an invention whose object is to shorten the aforementioned surface treatment times. In this process, the aluminiferous metal surface is first cleaned with an alkaline degreaser and the cleaned surface is then treated with an acidic (pH 1.5 to 4.0) aqueous solution containing 0.01 to 0.5 g/L of zirconium ions, 0.01 to 0.5 g/L of phosphate ions, 0.001 to 0.05 g/L, measured as its stoichiometric equivalent as fluorine atoms, of "free" fluoride ions, and optionally 0.01 to 1 g/L of vanadium ions. However, when this process is applied to DI aluminum cans, the resulting film does not always have a satisfactory resistance to blackening.
Another nonchromate treatment process is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Number Sho 57-39314 [39,314/1982]. Disclosed therein is a treatment process in which the aluminiferous metal surface is treated with an acidic solution containing hydrogen peroxide, one or more selections from zirconium and titanium salts, and one or more selections from phosphoric acid and condensed phosphoric acids. However, this treatment bath is unstable, and, in addition, is also inadequately rapid in terms of surface coating formation. Moreover, this document does not provide a specific description or disclosure of the treatment time, treatment temperature, or treatment process.
It is for these reasons that nonchromate type surface treatment baths are at present almost never used on surface treatment lines for aluminiferous metal coil or sheet where short treatment times are critical.
In summary, then, there has yet to become established in the art a composition or process for treating the surface of aluminiferous metals that can provide short treatment times and is capable of forming a highly corrosion-resistant and strongly paint-adherent coating, but is free of hexavalent chromium.

Composition and process for treating the surface of aluminiferous metals


Described herein are compositions and methods of treatment for acne and other skin disorders involving the use of probiotics. In certain aspects, microbes included in the probiotics have been engineered or selected for the treatment of specific skin disorders.

The community of microorganisms living on and/or within an individual is the microbiome. The microbiome consists of many different bacterial species some of which are beneficial, neutral or deleterious to human health. Alterations in the microbiome have been connected to many disease states such as inflammatory diseases, metabolic disease, developmental diseases, psychological diseases and cancer. Determining the composition of the microbiome, and altering the microbiome from a pathological to healthy state holds great therapeutic promise for many different diseases.

Compositions and methods for treatment of skin disorders


Exercise apparatus wherein subject constraints such as supine position or joint stress can be accommodated to permit the maximum achievable exercise level. Provision for simulating limb muscle contraction for postural upright support is made through the use of elastic actuating members while in a non-standing position. Joint stress limitation can be accomplished by selection of the elasticity of these members. Apparatus materials and configuration can be selected to minimize interference in a magnetically sensitive enviornment to permit diagnositc biomagnetic imaging during exercise stress testing.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to exercise apparatus, specifically as an improved means of applying a mechanical load such that subject constraints such as supine position or total force can be accommodated to allow the maximum possible exercise level to be achieved.
2. Description of Prior Art
Heretofore, exercise apparatus have not taken into account the effect of subject constraints such as posture or maximum permissible stress on a joint. Consequently, exercise performance under constrained conditions suffer significantly. This leads to the inability of reaching target heart rate levels for physiological stress testing especially when exercise must be performed in the supine position. Exercise testing in the supine position is required during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biomagnetic imaging using superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID). Both tests are used for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases and currently available exercise devices cannot be used due to unacceptable interference with the magnetically sensitive environments or poor subject tolerance leading to inability to reach target heart rate levels.

Unidirectional fluid flow resisted exercise device with inertial and elastic mechanical loading


Disclosed are a white LED lighting device and an optical lens used in it. The white LED lighting device comprises a white LED and an optical lens. The white LED includes: a LED chip which emits blue light; and a fluorescent material which is excited by emission light of the LED chip and converts a wavelength into fluorescence of a complementary color of blue. The optical lens is formed with a scattering light guide which is given uniform scattering power in terms of a volume. The scattering light guide includes scattering particles for the scattering efficiency in a short wavelength range of light to be higher than that in a long wavelength range of light.

Incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps are widely used as common lighting devices. However, light sources are desired which consume a little power and take current environment issues such as reduction in CO2 into account. As light sources which meet this demand, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are gaining attention in recent years.
By the way, features of a LED include a small size and longevity, and a short wavelength (simple color) and strong directionality because of a point light source.
Further, one LED has a smaller amount of light than a conventional light source and a plurality of LEDs needs to be mounted in one lighting device and therefore are useful for local lighting devices such as down lights, foot lights and spot lights.
LEDs provide simple colors and, as a result, in order to obtain white light required as a light source in a lighting device, a device is made of creating white color by mixing LED monochromatic lights of a plurality of different emission colors (for example, blue color, red color and green color) or creating pseudo white light by combining a LED element which emits blue light and a fluorescent material which absorbs blue light and emits yellow light. Among these, a method is usually used which obtains white light using one type of a LED element or a fluorescent material and which mixes an emission color of a blue light emitting element and a fluorescent color of a yellow fluorescent material.
Meanwhile, conventional fluorescent lamp type down lights and dichroic halogen lamps perform optical control using light sources and reflection mirrors, and condenses light. Meanwhile, with a LED down light, by embedding a lens in each LED, it is possible to efficiently perform light condensing control as compared to using existing light sources, and make instruments thinner and smaller.
However, when a condenser lens is embedded in a LED package formed with a LED chip mounted on a body and a wavelength converting member arranged on an upper part of this LED chip, color separation and unevenness in color of emission light caused by a light emitting configuration of a LED package are produced. That is, when white light obtained by mixing an emission color of a blue light emitting element and a fluorescent color of a yellow fluorescent material is condensed by a lens and spot-radiated, an emission wavelength of blue light and an emission wavelength of yellow to greenish yellow are different, and therefore radiation areas become different due to refraction. As a result, unevenness in color which is observed particularly as a state where a strong yellow tinge is emitted in a peripheral rim area of illumination light is produced, and well-looking and uniform light cannot be obtained as illumination light.
Further, a LED structure which uses a yellow fluorescent material for a blue light emitting element has, in a directly upward direction and a circumferential direction of a light emitting element, different rates that light is converted into yellow in a fluorescent material based on a relationship of a light route through which light passes to be radiated, and has a structural problem that unevenness in color is also observed from radiation light.
In the following patent literature PTL1, there is proposed a technique of providing uniform white illumination light without unevenness in color by forming a lens having an incident concave portion on which emission light from a LED is incident and a convex center radiating surface which emits emission light to an outside.
In the patent literature PTL2, there is proposes a technique of providing expressive white color without unevenness in color tone by forming a lens having a convex light incident surface on which emission light from a LED is incident and a convex light emitting surface which is configured to emit light to an outside and have different shapes or different curvatures of a center portion and an outer peripheral portion.

White LED lighting device, and optical lens


A flexible connector is used to connect a source of liquid to a dispenser so that the position of the dispenser may be adjusted or the line leading to a fixed dispenser may be adjusted. A typical use is in connecting underground pipe to a sprinkler head, but the invention may be used in other installations. Examples are to provide a connector for a light-weight, non-kink garden hose; sewer pipe fittings and ABS drain pipe. A very flexible tubing, such as light vinyl tubing, is encased in a tough outer protective tubing, such as convoluted tubing. At either end is a fitting into which the flexible tubing fits. A bushing inside the fitting expands the end of the flexible tubing and thus retains it within the body of the fitting. The end of the protective fitting is received in a counterbore in an end of the fitting. The upper end of the fitting may be attached to a sprinkler head or other device and hence may be shaped with an internal thread, an external thread, or a smooth cylindrical shape for a slip fit. Various nipples, pipe fittings and sprinkler head bodies may be attached to the upper end of the body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved flexible connection to afford adjustability in a liquid delivery line. More particularly, the invention relates to a connection between a source such as a sprinkler water line and a delivery or discharge device such as a sprinkler head. The invention makes it possible to adjust the position of the sprinkler head relative to the water line in a wide variety of positions including different elevations without the use of multiple piping elements such as lengths of pipe and fittings such as elbows, T's and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In the aforesaid patent application Ser. No. 07/368,641, the background of the invention is described in detail. Reference to such description of the prior art background is requested.

Flexible connector to afford adjustability in a liquid delivery line


A portable hydration and bottle filling station includes a cart having a frame, a plurality of wheels and a shelf on which a liquid storage tank is positioned. A pump unit is connected to the tank and supplies fluid to a plurality of manifolds located along the top end of the cart. At least one of the manifolds includes a plurality of spigots, each having a valve and an elongated spout. A plurality of water bottles are provided, each having a one way valve for engaging the elongated spout. Another of the manifolds includes a plurality of drinking lines having a valve and nozzle along a distal end.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
It is common for participants of organized sporting events to be provided with water or other beverages for hydration during the contest. Whether the event is at the high school, college, or professional level, each team typically has one or more assistants who are responsible for providing beverages to the athletes.
Owing to the minimal facilities that are often available during outdoor events, the most common means for providing the beverages is through the use of refillable water bottles that are shared by everyone. In this regard, the bottles are typically filled by removing the cap and filling the topless bottle with a hose, igloo cooler/dispenser, or by physically dunking the bottle into a central cooler that contains a beverage. During this process, contaminants such as dirt, grass and other forms of debris located along the outside of the bottles and/or the assistants' hands are transferred into the beverage and ultimately consumed by the players. Aside from exposing the players to illness, this cumbersome process typically causes a significant portion of the beverage within the water bottle to become spilled before the assistant can replace the cap. As such, it is not uncommon for athletes to be handed a water bottle that is dirty and empty.
Although there are many known systems for providing beverages to players that do not utilize water bottles, such systems can only be used when the player is not on the field. As such, the need for portable water bottles that can be quickly and easily used by players on the field (during timeouts, for example) remains, and is not likely to change in the foreseeable future.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a portable station that can quickly and easily fill multiple water bottles or other such devices in a sanitary manner that does not suffer from the drawbacks described above. It would also be beneficial if the portable station could simultaneously supply beverages to a plurality of users without the use of portable water bottles.

Portable hydration and bottle filling station


A photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus main body for processing a photosensitive material as the material is being conveyed, a magazine capable of supplying the photosensitive material to the apparatus main body, a shutter capable of opening and closing an opening portion of the magazine, an opening and closing claw for engaging the shutter and moving upon the mounting of the magazine to thereby open and close the shutter, conveying rollers capable of nipping the photosensitive material extending from the magazine when the magazine is mounted, a coupling member disposed for coupling the opening and closing claw and the conveying rollers and moving to and fro so as to shift the opening and closing claw integrally with nipping and separating actions of the conveying rollers, and a operation assembly for moving the coupling member to and fro while abutting against the coupling member so as to move the opening and closing claw and effect nipping and separating actions of the conveying rollers. It is therefore possible to nip the photosensitive material by the conveying rollers integrally with the opening and closing actions of the shutter, thus achieving a reduction in labor during the operation.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus which allows easy attachment of a magazine accommodating a long roll of photosensitive material therein to the apparatus main body, and in particular a photosensitive material processing apparatus applicable to photographic printers, printer processors, etc.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Photosensitive material processing apparatuses such as a printer processor are called mini-labs and are found in photo processing shops and the like. This printer processor integrally includes a printer portion for enlarging images recorded on a negative film to a selected predetermined size, exposing and printing the images onto printing paper and a developing processor portion for continuously conveying the printing paper having images exposed and developed thereon. Accordingly, this printer processor, by merely setting a long roll of printing paper into the printer processor, allows the printer portion and processor portion to automatically convey and process the printing paper thereby providing photographic prints.
In a printer processor of this type, the printing paper is successively drawn out from a magazine which accommodates the printing paper in roll-form and with light blocked out therefrom every time exposure and printing is carried out in the printer portion. The printing paper thus drawn out from the magazine is nipped and conveyed by conveying rollers and stopped each time an image is to be exposed and printed thereon. The printing paper is then subjected in the processor portion to further processing such as development processing, bleach-fixing processing and rinse processing. Thereafter drying processing is carried out.
In a conventional printer processor of this type, the printing paper wound onto a reel is processed while being conveyed from the inside of the magazine by conveying rollers. Therefore, the leading end of the printing paper must be nipped by the conveying rollers after the attachment of the magazine to the apparatus main body.
It is also possible that the leading end of the printing paper could be nipped between the conveying rollers in advance of the attachment of the magazine. Thereafter the paper can be conveyed by the rotation of the conveying rollers. In this case, however, the printing paper could be inserted improperly into the nip portion between the conveying rollers. As a result, the printing paper might be conveyed in a zig-zag manner or be bent.
In order to process the printing paper properly and obtain images of high quality, the printing paper must be conveyed appropriately by preventing the paper from advancing in a zig-zag manner or being bent inside the printer processor. To achieve this, it is necessary to position the magazine with high precision relative to the printer processor. It is also necessary to secure the magazine so as to maintain the posture thus positioned.
On the other hand, if the reel races in the magazine before the attachment of the magazine to the printer processor, the leading end of the printing paper might be pulled into the inside of the magazine or be excessively ejected out therefrom. Accordingly, in order to prevent the pulling-in or ejecting-out of the printing paper due to the spinning of the reel, in the conventional apparatus a shutter capable of opening and closing was provided at an opening portion from which the printing paper is to be drawn out. This shutter is adapted to nip the printing paper before the attachment of the magazine to the printer processor, and open when the magazine is attached so as to allow the printing paper to be conveyed.
In the prior art, each action, i.e., the nipping action of the conveying rollers, the securing action of the magazine and the opening and closing operation of the shutter is carried out separately when the magazine is attached to the printer processor. This requires a lot of laborious handling.


A passive restraint apparatus and method of passive restraint are provided for supporting a user, i.e., preferably an adult, in a substantially upright seated position so as to enable the user to maintain free upper torso movement. The restraint apparatus includes an upper back section for extending along the back section of a chair or wheelchair, a seat section for extending beneath a user's lower torso along a seat of the chair, a lower leg section for extending beneath a user's lower legs, and a lower torso panel for extending between a user's legs and securing about the back of the chair. The restraint apparatus supports the user in an upright seated position, supports the user's feet from dangling off of the foot supports of a wheelchair, and can readily be obscured while in use by covering it with a blanket or the like. The restraint apparatus can also function as a stretcher for the transporting of fragile or uncooperative people from the chair to another location and minimizing the risk of injury to the person and the transporters.

As a result of the aging process, injuries and the like, many adults are unable to easily support themselves in a seated position. Discomfort while sitting and an inability to support and maintain themselves in an upright position can represent significant problems for many individuals, particularly those confined to wheelchairs, for a variety of reasons. For example, conventional wheelchairs typically have a flexible vinyl or fabric-type seat in order that the wheelchair can be folded for storage and transport. As a result, the seat typically fails to provide much support for the user's lower torso, which in turn makes it difficult for the user to maintain an upright seated position for extended periods of time. In addition, the edge of the foldable seat can cut into the underside of the user's legs, particularly as the user's weight bears down on the seat for extended periods of time.
In addition, conventional wheelchairs typically have foot supports which fold down to extend beneath the feet of the wheelchair user. When a wheelchair user slumps or slides forward in the wheelchair seat, the user typically has to try to push his or her feet against these foot supports to try to scoot their lower torso rearward in the seat. Because these foot supports are typically flimsy, this "pushing off" can be difficult if not impossible for many to perform, and particularly difficult for the elderly. In addition, it is often difficult for the wheelchair user to maintain his or her feet on these foot supports, and the user's feet may dangle off of the pedals. As a result, the user's feet can fall in the path of the wheelchair as it is being pushed, drag along the ground, and/or interfere with the motion of the wheelchair and potentially cause injury to the user.
Geriatric chairs are often used in lieu of conventional wheelchairs in nursing homes and the like, because they provide greater support for those patients that need to remain in the seats for extended periods of time. In addition, geriatric chairs typically can be made to assume a variety of positions and include a portion which provides support to the patient's legs. These chairs, however, typically have fold-down foot supports which extend from the patient leg support portion of the chair. When the foot support is positioned in its foot supporting position, however, a substantial space typically exists between the leg support and foot support. Therefore, patients tend to get their feet caught in this space, which can cause injuries and substantial discomfort, as well as interfere with the movement of the chair.
An additional problem faced, particularly in many health care facilities, is the transport of the infirm from a chair to a bed, stretcher, car seat or the like. Many patients are in such a fragile state that the simple firm gripping of their appendages by another can result in pain and bruising. Additionally, as a result of discomfort and a decline in their mental faculties, patients often struggle during their transport which can cause injuries to themselves and others.
Attempts have been made to assist in supporting and restraining people in seated upright positions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,878 to Collins describes a restraint for securing an invalid in a chair or wheelchair. The restraint includes a back section for releasable securement to the back of a chair, and an integral seat section for extending beneath the user's buttocks. The seat section terminates in a crotch strap which extends between the legs of the user and is secured around the wearer's torso and chair by way of a torso strap. The back section includes a pair of openings proximate its upper end in order that they can threadingly receive the handlebars of a wheelchair or upright members of a chair. Because the restraint fails to extend beyond the seat portion of the chair, it does not provide any support for a wearer's feet. Further, because the restraint is adapted to be threaded over the chair, the user must be removed from the restraint before it can be removed from the chair or wheelchair to which it is attached.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,297,852 and 3,604,750 to Morales-Quintero and Doering, respectively, describe restraints for supporting enfeebled individuals in a seated position in a wheelchair. The device of the Morales-Quintero patent includes front and rear panels joined by a crotch portion which extends between the user's legs. The rear panel extends beneath the user's buttocks on the wheelchair seat, and elongated straps are secured to the front panel for extending about a user's upper torso. The Doering restraint likewise includes seat, back and crotch portions, and upper torso straps. Because these restraints bind the user's shoulders, they can tend to be uncomfortable to some users and unduly restrictive of the user's movements. Additionally, because these upper torso restraints are readily visible to others, they can be a source of embarrassment to those users whose mental faculties remain intact, and the great degree of movement restriction can be a significant source of anxiety to the user. Further, because these restraints do not extend beyond a user's crotch region, they fail to assist in the support of the lower portion of a user's body.
Thus, a need exists for a restraint apparatus for the infirm, particularly the adult infirm, which supports the infirm person in an upright seated position while enabling the person to maintain free upper torso movement. In addition, a need exists for a restraint apparatus which facilitates the maintenance of a wheelchair or geriatric chair user's feet on the chair foot supports, and for facilitating the transport of a fragile or uncooperative patient from a chair to a bed or the like.

Adult passive restraint apparatus and method of passive restraint


A subsea multiphase fluid separation system and method are disclosed which provide for efficient and reliable remote separation operation at deep and ultra deep water depths including depths of ten thousand feet or more. The system is preferably of modular construction wherein the modules are secured in a single frame to be lowered as a unit to the seabed. The system utilizes reliable cyclonic operation. The sequence of process steps is designed to make the system more efficient as compared to surface separating systems and thereby permit a more compact size as is desirable for subsea operation. The method of operation includes up to five basic process steps with the initial step in one embodiment including cyclonically separating solids. In a presently preferred embodiment, the cyclonic solids separator is sized to eliminate solids greater than fifty microns. A second stage is directed to cyclonically removing bulk gas from the liquid in either a cyclone or auger separator. A liquid-liquid hydrocyclone for the third stage acts to preseparate the fluid either by separating and/or by coalescing oil droplets in a water continuous stream and/or water droplets in an oil continuous stream. A fourth stage gravity separator is significantly smaller for the flow throughput as compared to surface separating systems due to earlier separation processes and due to the option of subsequent oily-water separation in a deoiling liquid-liquid hydrocyclone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for subsea separation of well fluids and solids and, more particularly, to a compact separating system that may be deployed and operated at deep and ultra-deep water depths for processing well fluids and solids prior to transport to the surface, or disposal either subsea or to the surface.
2. Description of the Background
In recent years, the oil and gas industry has found significant oil and gas reserves in deepwater offshore locations. Many discoveries have been made in over three thousand feet of water with a number of high potential discoveries being located in over five thousand feet of water. In the not too distant future, discoveries in depths of over ten thousand feet are inevitable. As the production depths increase, the cost of transporting well fluids from the seabed to the surface also increases. Transporting well fluids that contain significant amounts of undesirable solids and water from significant depths limits the flow of the desirable hydrocarbon products to the surface due to significant cost limitations of the internal diameter of the riser pipe from the sea bottom. Not only are there significant inefficiencies associated with transporting multi-phase fluid flow from the seabed but also there are other high costs including production problems such as erosion, corrosion, and hydrate formation. At the present time, technical and economical limitations effectively prevent profitable deepwater production. As the depths reach new levels, there is no current technology that can be used to commercially exploit deep water reserves. On the other hand, the medium to longer term strategic business plans of some oil and gas producers are dependent on the finding of appropriate technology to exploit deep water reserves.
The methods currently available to produce and separate the constituent hydrocarbon products from associated solids and produced water utilize production separation equipment that is located topside on fixed or floating facilities. It would be highly desirable if there were means to reduce the cost of these facilities and avoid the other aforementioned costs with a commercially feasible method of separating by-products of oil and gas production at the seabed. Unfortunately, the methods and systems for separating multiphase fluids presently used are not feasible in the remote, hostile, and problematic environment at the seabed in deep waters. Nonetheless, such a highly desirable means would preferably separate some unprofitable by-products, namely water and solids, on the seabed and dispose of them into the reservoir and/or onto the seabed.
Numerous speculative subsea separation solutions have been put forward where either one or two such separation processes occur. However, these processes are based on the use of conventional equipment that operates in a manner consistent with topside operations. These solutions fail to address all the issues associated with subsea separation because the adoption of conventional technology is impractical to use as a seabed system. For instance, in one proposed subsea separation method put forward, it is submitted the reliability is highly suspect due to unsolved problems that might be encountered such as erosion, corrosion, hydrate formation, and that furthermore the efficiency of the system is too low such that it would have flow through rates that are unprofitably low. In another proposed subsea system, the size of the system to be placed underwater is so large as to make the system economically unfeasible for use at significant depths. Topside systems cannot simply be lowered onto the seabed because of numerous problems that are encountered thereby.
It is submitted that the above discussed proposals for subsea operation do not provide a compact subsea production system that is commercially feasible for producing from significant depths. Consequently, there remains a need for an improved and compact deepwater production separation system that is capable of efficiently separating the constituents of hydrocarbons production, namely oil, gas, water, and solids. It would be desirable to have a system designed to operable in virtually any water depth and having significantly reduced size with respect to production efficiency as compared to existing technology. Thus, such a system would lend itself to be of particular value to production in much greater depths, such as water depths over ten thousand feet deep or more. Those skilled in the art have long sought and will appreciate the present invention which provides solutions to these and other problems.

Subsea multiphase fluid separating system and method


A quick-connect bolt that can be inserted into a threaded receptacle without rotation and tightened with a minimum number of rotations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of fasteners. Specifically, the invention pertains to a bolt-like fastener that can be tightened with very little rotation.
2. Background Information
A prior art device that has similar objectives to this invention is U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,075 entitled Collapsible Bolt Having Spring Actuated Expanding Plunger. This prior art device uses an axial plunger to collapse bolt-like threads. Once the threads are collapsed, the device may be inserted into a female-threaded receptacle (e.g., a nut) without any rotation. Once inserted, the action on the plunger is reversed to engage the threads for tightening and the plunger is secured with a cotter pin. The present device is intended to have at least two distinct advantages over the prior art device. First, the present invention eliminates the need for both an axial plunger and a cotter pin and, consequently, the awkwardness associated with the use of the plunger and cotter pin. Second, the present invention can carry much higher shear loads than the prior art device at any given size because the present invention has a solid rather than hollow shear-carrying section.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


Macular degeneration is an age-related eye disease for which there is no known treatment to date that has been shown to be effective at treating or preventing the onset or progression of the disease. Current treatment of non-exudative (dry form) macular degeneration is limited to early diagnosis and careful followup, while symptomatic treatment of exudative (wet form) macular degeneration includes laser photocoagulation therapy, surgery, low dose radiation (teletherapy), and anti-oxidant or anti-inflammatory therapies. The present invention relates to a new method for treating or preventing the onset or progression of macular degeneration, comprising periodic administration of a glutathione (GSH) enhancing agent alone or in conjunction with at least one of an anti-oxidant or an anti-inflammatory therapy, and possibly in addition to one or more of the symptomatic treatments mentioned above.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new method for treating or preventing the onset or progression of macular degeneration. More particularly, the invention relates to a new method of treatment which comprises periodic administration of a dosage of glutathione (GSH) enhancing agent alone or in conjunction with other treatments such as anti-oxidant or anti-inflammatory therapy or perhaps commonly known symptomatic treatments.
2. Description of Related Art
Macular degeneration is an age-related eye disease for which there is no known treatment to date that has been shown to be effective at treating or preventing the onset or progression of the disease. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of new blindness in aging individuals, particularly individuals over 65 years of age.
Macular degeneration is a single disorder which is often characterized as one of two types, non-exudative (dry form) or exudative (wet form). Although both types are bilateral and progressive, each type may reflect different pathological processes. An example of a reference which provides a general background for the understanding, identification, and illustration of limited treatments of macular degeneration is Ko, P. and Wong, S., Understanding Macular Degeneration, Hospital Medicine 47-55 (September 1994).
Both exudative (wet form) and non-exudative (dry form) macular degeneration are typically accompanied by the formation of drusen. Drusen are characterized by irregular, discrete, round yellow-white deposits which accumulate in the retina (back of the eye) between the basement membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the rest of Bruch's membrane. The presence of drusen most likely reflect abnormalities in retinal pigment epithelial function. Drusen deposits can be further categorized into hard drusen or soft drusen. Hard or nodular drusen derive from debris accumulation from retinal pigment epithelial cells in Bruch's membrane. Soft drusen are usually larger than hard drusen and have soft, indistinct margins. Soft drusen are small detachments of the retinal pigment epithelium and presumably derive from diffuse retinal pigment epithelial dysfunction. Soft drusen can also derive from diffuse or confluent drusen, which further derive from a thickening of the inner portion of Bruch's membrane. Calcified drusen are characterized by a glistening appearance and are the consequence of calcification of nodular and diffuse drusen formations.
Non-exudative (dry form) macular degeneration involves atrophy and degeneration of the outer retina, retinal pigment epithelium, Bruch's membrane, and choriocapillaris. The resultant effects of non-exudative macular degeneration are formation of drusen, pigmentary changes, and atrophy. Dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium, in particular, leads to the loss of photoreceptors, which are metabolically dependent on the retinal pigment epithelium.
Exudative (wet form) macular degeneration is characterized by serous or hemorrhagic separation of the retinal pigment epithelium or neurosensory layer. Patients may develop choroidal neovascularization, which is manifested as fluid accumulation, hemorrhage, and/or lipid exudation.
These defects typically cause metamorphopsia (distortion) which is detected clinically by Amsler grid testing. An Amsler grid consists of a chart with small squares. When choroidal neovascularization is manifested as fluid accumulation, hemorrhage, and/or lipid exudation the vision is distorted and the lines making up the squares of the grid become blurred and/or wavy.
Choroidal neovascularization occurs by vessels from the choroidal membrane growing through Bruch's membrane into the subretinal pigment epithelial or sub retinal space. This in itself can lead to severe visual loss, however, the retinal pigment epithelium or the neurosensory retina may also detach. Patients with pigment epithelial detachments may develop associated choroidal neovascular membranes. Even with no choroidal neovascular membranes present, 40% of patients with pigment epithelial detachments may continue to experience further loss of vision. Affected patients may exhibit metamorphopsia by Amsler grid testing.
Further consequences of exudative macular degeneration can include tearing of the retinal pigment epithelium and often development of a disciform scar with associated photoreceptor degeneration.
Both of the above-described forms of macular degeneration (non-exudative and exudative) usually proceed continuously toward irreversible loss of central vision. Ultimately, the retina is damaged by long-standing edema, underlying hemorrhage, and/or detachment. Following detachment, the retina may undergo fibrosis, metaplasia, elevation and scarring.
At present there is no one treatment that has proven to be truly effective therapy for treating or preventing the onset or progression of age-related macular degeneration.
There are several types of symptomatic treatment, however, that have been used with limited and isolated success, depending on the particular condition of the patient, to treat exudative (wet form) macular degeneration.
Laser photocoagulation therapy may benefit certain patients with macular degeneration. However, there are high recurrence rates for selected choroidal neovascular membranes which may initially respond to laser therapy. Vision loss may also result from the laser therapy.
Low dose radiation (teletherapy) has also been hypothesized as a possible treatment to induce regression of choroidal neovascularization.
Surgical removal of neovascular membranes is another possible treatment, but it is a highly specialized procedure and reportedly has not had promising results to date.
Interferon-.alpha. is a cytokine that is recognized for its ability to inhibit endothelial cell migration and proliferation in vitro, leukocyte induced androgenesis in animals, and life threatening hemangiomas in children. Interferon-.alpha. has been proposed as a possible drug therapy to inhibit the development of neovascular membranes and thereby decrease foveal destruction and related visual loss. The benefit of interferon-.alpha. therapy, however, is controversial. Even when reported as successful, the benefits of interferon-.alpha. therapy are extremely variable among different individuals and the typically high dose therapy is often associated with negative side effects.
There is presently no effective treatment for non-exudative (dry form) macular degeneration. Management of non-exudative macular degeneration is limited to early diagnosis and careful follow-up to determine if the patient develops choroidal neovascularization. Protection against exposure to ultraviolet light and prescribed dosages of anti-oxidant vitamins (e.g., vitamin A, .beta.-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C and vitamin E) and zinc may also be of some benefit, but as yet these treatments remain unproven. Additionally, the use of zinc has shown appreciable negative side effects including effects on heart disease and induction of copper deficiency anemia.
A method of treatment which effectively treats or prevents the onset or progression of this debilitating ocular disorder would be of considerable benefit. An effective method of treatment is especially needed to control the dry form of macular degeneration which afflicts 90% of the patients. Additionally, it has been estimated that most of the 1 million people identified as visually handicapped in Britain have macular degeneration and more than 10 million cases of the disease now exist in the U.S. Other studies suggest that 10% of the United States population between ages 65 to 74 and 30% of the population exceeding 75 years of age develop signs of macular degeneration in one form or the other.

Method for the treatment of macular degeneration


A metal oxide composite including a first metal oxide composite layer, and a second metal oxide layer, wherein the first metal oxide composite layer and the second metal oxide layer are alternately stacked in a thickness direction; and a third metal oxide layer that is disposed on a side surface of the stacked structure, wherein the third metal oxide layer includes a metal oxide that is a same metal oxide as a metal oxide included in the stacked structure.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a metal oxide composite and a method of preparing the metal oxide composite.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technology in the electronics field develops, markets for various portable electronic devices, such as cellular phones, game devices, portable multimedia players (PMP), MPEG audio layer-3 (MP3) players, smartphones, smart pads, electronic-book terminals, tablet computers, and mobile medical devices worn on a human body have grown. Accordingly, with an increase in the portable electronic device market, demand for batteries appropriate for driving portable electronic devices has increased.
Secondary batteries refer to batteries capable of charging and discharging, whereas primary batteries are not rechargeable. In particular, a lithium battery has a higher voltage and a higher energy density per unit weight than a nickel-cadmium battery or a nickel-hydrogen battery. There remains a need for improved electrodes for batteries.

Metal oxide composite and method of preparing the same


A power semiconductor device having a low loss and a high reliability and a power conversion device using the power semiconductor device are provided. In the power semiconductor device, a plurality of MOS type trench gates are positioned to be spaced by at-least two types of intervals therebetween, a low-resistance floating n+ layer is positioned on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate adjacent to a floating p layer positioned between the adjacent MOS type trench gates having the broad interval to achieve consistency between a low output value and a high breakdown resistance.

The present invention relates to a power semiconductor device and a power conversion device using the power semiconductor device.
An insulated gate bipolar transistor (which will be abbreviated to the IGBT, hereinafter) is an switching element which controls a current flowing between a collector electrode and an emitter electrode with use of a voltage applied to a gate electrode. The IGBT has a controllable power range of from tens of watts to hundreds of thousands of watts, and also has a switching frequency as broad as from tens of Hertz to over a hundred Hertz. Taking advantage of this feature, the IGBT is widely used from a domestic small-power appliance such as an air conditioner or a microwave oven to a large-power apparatus such as an inverter in railway or an ironworks.
In order to attain a high efficiency of a power conversion device or the like to which the IGBT is applied, the IGBT is required to reduce its loss. To this end, various measures have been taken. The loss includes a conduction loss, a turn-on loss, and a turn-off loss. A voltage generated between the collector electrode and the emitter electrode in the ON state of the IGBT is called an ON state voltage, which is used as an index for making the ON state voltage proportional to the conduction loss. Thus it becomes important in the IGBT to reduce the ON state voltage, the turn-on loss, and the turn-off loss.
FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional structure of an IGBT 20 as a prior art cited in JP-A-2000-307116, Paragraph (0056). FIG. 11, reference numeral 500 denotes a collector electrode, numeral 100 denotes a p layer contacted with the collector electrode 500 with a low contact resistance, 112 denotes an n layer having a carrier concentration lower than the p layer 100, 110 denotes an n− drift layer having a carrier concentration lower than the n layer 112, 120 denotes a channel p layer, 121 denotes a p+ layer, 125 denotes a floating p layer, 130 denotes an n+ layer, 600 denotes an emitter electrode contacted with the p+ layer 121 and with the n+ layer 130 with a low contact resistance, 300 denotes a gate insulated film, 200 denotes a gate electrode, 401 denotes an insulating film, 501 denotes a collector terminal, 601 denotes an emitter terminal, and 201 denotes a gate terminal.
The IGBT of FIG. 11 corresponds to a general trench insulated gate type IGBT but which has a reduced number of the emitter electrodes 600 to shorten a gate width, thereby reducing a saturation current, suppressing a short-circuited current, and increasing a breakdown resistance. In the IGBT 20 of FIG. 11, further, the number of the emitter electrodes 600 is reduced and the floating p layer 125 is introduced, so that part of a Hall current flows through the floating p layer 125 into an emitter. As a result, a Hall concentration in the vicinity of the emitter is increased, the resistance is decreased, thus reducing the ON state voltage.
Many devices as improved thyristors having ON state voltages lower than the IGBT but hard in switch control are reported. A MOS-gated emitter switched thyristor (referred to merely as EST, hereinafter), a MOS controlled thyristor (referred to merely as MCT, hereinafter), and a base resistance controlled thyristor (referred to merely as BRT, hereinafter) are widely known. In recent years, an insulated gate turn-off thyristor (referred to merely as IGTO, hereinafter) is proposed.
FIG. 12 shows an IGTO 30 having a current saturation capability as cited in JP-A-2000-311998, Paragraphs (0013) to (0016), FIG. 2. The IGTO 30, as shown in FIG. 12, has a structure of a combination of a thyristor and an IGBT. In the IGTO, a device base has an anode electrode 72 having an anode terminal 61, a P+ layer 71, and an N− drift layer 70. A deep trench gate has a gate terminal 60 having a gate electrode 73, a conductive material 74, an oxide walls 75, 76, 77. The deep trench gate is provided in the device base. Also provided on the trench gate are a P− base 69, a P+ layer 68, an upper-side angled N+ layer 67, and a cathode electrode 66 having a cathode terminal 62, which are disposed around the trench gate. As a result, the IGBT is formed. On the other hand, the thyristor has a P− base 65, an N+ layer 64, and an oxide layer 63. A shallowly-doped P channel 78 are provided under the trench gate. In the IGTO 30, the thyristor is turned on by turning on the IGBT, so that the operation of the thyristor achieves the ON state voltage.
However, the IGBT 20 shown in FIG. 11 (JP-A-2000-307116, Paragraph (0056)) or the IGTO 30 shown in FIG. 12 (JP-A-2000-311998, Paragraphs (0013) to (0016), FIG. 2) has a problem which follows. It has been found in the IGTO 30 of FIG. 11 that, as the width of the floating p layer 125 is increased to reduce the saturation current, the ON state voltage increases. The inventors of this application has located through detailed analysis of their calculation that the major cause of the problem comes from the fact that electric charges within the IGBT are unevenly distributed. FIG. 13 shows a calculation result of a charge concentration distribution (linear scale) when charges pass through an E-E′ sectional plane in FIG. 11. Since a charge concentration is reduced in the vicinity of the emitter, this emitter region has a high resistance, thus increasing the ON state voltage. FIG. 14 shows calculation results of charge concentration distributions (logarithmic scale) when charges between an F-F′ plane in the vicinity of the emitter in FIG. 11, a G-G′ plane in the center portion between the emitter and the collector, and between an H-H′ plane in the vicinity of a collector, respectively. In the vicinity of the emitter, a region of the floating layer away from the emitter electrode has an extremely-reduced charge concentration. Since the saturation current is reduced, it is required to improve uneven charges for the purpose of spreading the width of the floating P layer.
In the IGTO 30 of FIG. 12, when two thyristors are formed between the IGBTs as an example, a lower forward voltage drop is provided and the current saturation function is made less effective, which is disclosed in JP-A-2000-311998, Paragraph (0034). In other words, the JP-A-2000-311998 indicates even in the IGTO 30 of FIG. 12 that the reduction of the ON state voltage is inconsistent with the increase of the breakdown resistance based on the current saturation function.

Power semiconductor device and power conversion device using the same


An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and a method of dynamically controlling the number of busy waiters in for a synchronization object. The apparatus and method perform the steps of increasing a number of allowed busy waiters if there is a waiter in a sleep state and there are no current busy waiters when a requester releases the synchronization object, and decreasing the number of allowed busy waiters if a busy waiter moves from a busy waiting state to the sleep state.

In a computing device, multiple requesters (e.g., software threads, processors, or other hardware) may contend for access to a shared object such as, for example, a critical section in a memory, a shared data structure, a semaphore, or other suitable shared resources. An arbitration scheme is typically used so that only one requester can access the shared object at a time. The arbitration scheme uses a lock (i.e., synchronization object) that is associated with the shared object so that the other requesters will be blocked from accessing the shared object until the current requester has completed its operation in the shared object and has released the lock. The lock is typically a bit value that is set in a memory location of the shared object. Typically, the lock will have a bit value (logical "1" or logical "0") that is set by the requester when the requester has ownership of the lock.
Busy waiting is a commonly-used method for improving the throughput (rate) of acquisition of locks for shared objects. A software thread is a stream of instructions that are being executed by a processor. When a software thread performs busy waiting (i.e., spinning), the software thread will wait (spin) for a lock to become available and may obtain the lock after the lock is released by another thread that is currently holding the lock. Threads wanting access to a currently unavailable shared object will busy wait for some amount of time (provided that busy waiting is permitted by the system) and will eventually go into a sleep state if the thread is unable to obtain the lock within that time amount for busy waiting. As known to those skilled in the art, busy waiting is when the thread waits for an event (e.g., availability of the lock) by spinning through a tight loop or a timed-delay loop that polls for the event on each pass by the thread through the loop. As also known to those skilled in the art, when a thread is placed in the sleep state, the thread is deactivated by a scheduler and the thread is then re-activated when a given external event occurs such as, for example, the expiration of the sleep time period. In the sleep state, the thread is typically placed in a queue of threads waiting for the lock. When a thread is placed in the sleep state, the thread does not consume a significant amount of processor time.
However, too much busy waiting or having too many threads that are busy waiting can waste processor power. Also, having too many threads that are busy waiting can also increase the bus traffic in the computer system after the lock is released because all of the threads that are busy waiting will contend for the released lock. In contrast, too little busy waiting can result in a low throughput of acquisition of locks. In addition, for critical sections where the hold time for a lock is typically large, having many busy waiters can waste processing power. On the other hand, when the hold time for a lock is small, having many busy waiters (i.e., threads in the busy waiting state) can greatly increase the lock acquisition throughput but can also waste processor power due to the spin cycles by the waiting threads. Therefore, having a fixed number of busy waiters or allowing all threads to busy wait may not result in efficient behavior of the computer system in all instances.
Most previous mechanisms that attempt to control the amount of wasted processor time in busy waiting involve using a fixed number of busy waiters. For example, Solaris® from SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INCORPORATED, provides a method to control the maximum number of busy waiters that are allowed for their pthread mutexes (POSIX-standard tread mutual exclusion). However, the method used in Solaris does not appear to dynamically adjust the number of busy waiters, and instead caps (limits) the number of busy waiters at a maximum value. While this method may provide good performance, this method may also disadvantageously waste processing resources for highly contended locks with both short hold times and long hold times for the locks.
Other known previous approaches focus on making the busy waiting as efficient as possible with regard to reducing the bus activity after the lock is released, but do not disclose in dynamically adjusting the number of busy waiters.
Therefore, the current technology is limited in its capabilities and suffers from at least the above constraints and deficiencies.

Dynamically controlling the number of busy waiters in a synchronization object

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Sodium metasilicate is granulated by (i) establishing, in a first zone, a cloud of anhydrous sodium metasilicate powder; (ii) injecting into said cloud (i), and intimately contacting therewith, an atomized liquid phase which comprises a liquid formulation of a sodium silicate; (iii) said intimate contacting (ii) being conducted in an atmosphere of a drying gas, whereby crystallization of the anhydrous metasilicate and agglomeration of the thus coated particulates are effected, (iv) next subjecting the effluent cohered granules of said first zone to a state of agitation in a second discrete zone, in an atmosphere of a heating gas and whereby the agitated granules are at least partially converted to the sodium metasilicate pentahydrate; (v) and thence recovering from said second discrete zone a granular sodium metasilicate comprising from about 2 to 6% by weight water, and useful in the manufacture of a variety of detergent compositions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the granulation of sodium metasilicate, and, more especially, to the preparation of sodium metasilicate having a narrow range of granulometric size distribution and good resistance to attrition or "dusting". The invention also relates to a storage-stable sodium metasilicate which is unreactive with both perfumes and non-ionic compounds, e.g., surfactants. In particular, the invention relates to anhydrous sodium metasilicate comprising 2 to 6% water in the final product, principally in the form of the sodium metasilicate pentahydrate (55 to 80% of the 2 to 6% of this water).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The problem with which this art has been faced as regards effective granulation with concomitant resistance to attrition is made difficult by two requirements, one of which demanding good abrasion resistance and the other consisting of granulating an anhydrous metasilicate powder while employing but small amounts of binders. Known responses to this dual requirement have been contradictory. In actual fact, if good resistance to attrition be desired, large amounts of binder must be used, which is difficult to reconcile with the use of large quantities of metasilicate.
Processes to prepare granules of a variety of substances which are solid at ordinary temperatures and soluble in water have long been proposed to the art. One of such processes consists of spraying droplets of a heat liquefied solution by means of suitable atomizing device, through a tower containing a drying or cooling gas. This process has been deemed pelletizing or "prilling". However, this process displays the disadvantage of difficult operation because of many technical problems; mass production requires long retention times and, thus, large scale equipment.
In French Pat. No. 1,100,817, it has been proposed to atomize a paste under pressure in a rotating furnace, in parallel currents heated by flow of hot gas, and equipped with means to advance the product, such as small blades.
And in French Pat. No. 1,351,668 [U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,789], a process for coating in the form of onionskin-like layers is described; the operations of granulation and drying taking place virtually at the same time. According to this process, the metasilicate particles are introduced into a coating zone at a temperature in excess of 130.degree. C. in order to establish a moving bed of crystallized particles, then a solution of anhydrous sodium metasilicate is atomized so as to effect formation of a metasilicate coating layer, which is then heated to eliminate the water. It suffices to subsequently repeat this operation as many times as are considered necessary to obtain the desired product. In these cases, a rotating furnace equipped with blades is utilized to raise the material and form a moving bed thereof, thus contributing to the operation of the process.
Cf. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,208,822 and 3,868,227; Canadian Pat. No. 592,240; and Chemical Engineering Process, 69, No. 2, pp. 62-66 (1973).


A 3D printer that uses two video cameras with different magnification powers for acquiring images from 2D negatives for editing and key subject alignment. One video camera takes full view image for key subject selection and picture cropping, the other video camera which is used for acquiring image data for key subject alignment sees only an enlarged section of the image around the key subject. The printer also uses an automated image matching algorithm to find the relative location of the key subject in each frame. In particular, the algorithms are divided into a crude computation step and a fine computation step which reduces computation time. The printer uses a criterion to check whether the actual key subject alignment is satisfactory. The optics for printing and key subject alignment are assembled on a single mechanical stage to reduce mechanical errors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an optical apparatus for producing three dimensional (3D) photographs, and more specifically to a 3D printer which projects a set of 2D images onto a lenticular-type material to form a composite 3D photograph.
2. Prior Art
In lenticular-type three dimensional (3D) photography, the basic process involves taking a plurality of two dimensional (2D) views from a number of horizontally-spaced vantage points, and compressing these 2D views onto each of the lenticules of a lenticular screen to form a 3D composite image of the scene. The lenticular screen is a sheet of transparent material with the front side embossed with an array of cylindrical lenses with the backside coated with a photosensitive layer or the lenses can be attached to photographic film or paper. The 2D views are captured by a camera which exposes a number of frames onto photographic film. The basic process of producing a lenticular-type 3D photograph from a set of 2D frames has been discussed in detail in a number of books and patent disclosures. For example, L. Dudley discussed in "Applied Optics and Optical Engineering" (R. Kingslake, Ed., 1965) a printing method where the lenticular screen is transported intermittently so that each of the eight 2D images recorded on film is exposed at different angles; T. Okoshi discussed in "Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques" (1978) the use of several projectors to expose a plurality of 2D images onto the photographic emulsion; U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,913 (Glenn) discloses a method of using a number of projectors for composing 3D photographs; U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,867 (Lo et al.) discloses a technique of recording images on all of the film areas underlying the lenticules with intermittent exposure and shifting of the print material; U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,562 (Lo et al.) discloses a scanning means for exposing a number of 2D images at different projection angles; U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,210 (Lo et al.) discloses a method of filling the film area underlying the lenticules by using a plurality of projection lenses; N. A. Valyus discussed in "Stereoscopy" (Focal Press, 1966) the importance of having proper registration of an image to obtain the 3D effect; U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,069 (Lam) discloses an apparatus and method of putting a machine readable code on the negative film so that registration of images can be carried out automatically; U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,950 (Fritsch) discloses a dual-stage 3D printer in which the exposure of 2D images onto the print material is carried out in a printing station while the computation for image registration and color adjustment is carried out in a separate editing station.
When composing a 3D photograph, two basic procedures must be carried out to insure a good result: 1) the selection of the key subject on an image, and 2) the alignment of key subject in each view. U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,867 (Lo et al) discloses a method of printing in which each negative is visually examined to select an object which will become the center plane of the 3D picture. The selected object is known as the key subject. The key subject in the photographed scene on each of the 2D views must be accurately registered on the lenticular print material in order to produce an in-focus 3D image, which is one of the most important steps in producing lenticular-type 3D photographs. In the past, the alignment of key subject is done manually. As mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,069 (Lam), the alignment is carried out during the printing process by an operator who uses cross-hairs to register the key subject on the print material while viewing through an optical device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,950 (Fritsch) mentions the use of a CCD video camera (without a lens) to capture the key subject of the first 2D image and place the information in digital memory (frame grabber), to be electronically combined with the key subject of the second frame. The operator uses a controller to move the film to bring the key subject in the second frame into registration with the stored location of the first frame while using the combined image as a guide.
The aforementioned manual methods for aligning the key subject of each view is time-consuming and relies heavily on the operator's skill and performance. It is desirable to implement an image comparison scheme so that key subject in each view can be automatically aligned.
In the past, some pattern comparison or image matching schemes have been mentioned in a number of patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,069 (Lam) mentions using an image recognition device when printing 2D views taken by a multi-lens camera without having special codes imprinted on the negative. As mentioned, a video camera is used to view the key subject image of the first 2D frame and the view is digitized and stored by an image grabber for reference. After the first 2D frame is exposed onto the print material, the second 2D frame is transported to the approximated location of the first 2D frame. The video camera then compares the key subject image of the second 2D frame with the information of the first 2D view captured by the image grabber. Subsequently, the second 2D view is then registered to the first 2D view by an XY positioning device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,950 (Fritsch) discloses a dual-stage 3D printer in which frame-to-frame registration data are produced electronically using a sophisticated image-processing system. In the disclosed dual-stage 3D printer, a CCD video camera with a 480.times.512 pixel array is used to capture the image on the negative and present it to the operator for key subject designation. Within the same video image, an area of 28.times.28 pixels is used by an auto registration computer to do correlation search on an image of 55.times.95 pixels (or larger area if necessary) from other frames in order to find the key subject location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,356 (Lo) mentioned a method for the automatic correlation of 2D views in composing high quality 3D photographs. In a camera preloaded with photographic film, it is possible to take the first set of 2D photographs on the film of a target at a predetermined distance. In the mentioned method, the target images are projected onto a single CCD array or a group of CCD sensor arrays placed at the image plane of the printer with each individual sensor of the CCD array precalibrated. A computer on the printer is programmed to recognize the location of the target images on the CCD array. With the location of each target image known, the position of the enlarging lens or the easel on which the print material rests or the 2D negative can be adjusted so that the multiple frame images can be aligned. Invariably, these disclosures use a video camera or one or more CCD arrays to digitize the 2D images, and a computer to find the location of the key subject or target image in each frame.
Mathematically, the relative locations of the key subject in each frame can be accurately computed. In practice, there are two major disadvantages: 1) it will takes a considerable amount of time to compute the relative locations of the key subject in all 2D frames, and 2) the key subject registration carried out by mechanical means is not always accurate. In particular, in the dual-stage printing method disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,950 (Fritsch) where key subject comparison is carried out on one mechanical stage while the actual alignment of key subject is carried out on another mechanical stage, good alignment is not always insured. Furthermore, in the dual-stage design where a long slack loop assembly is used to allow time differences between editing and printing, there will be a sufficiently long time elapsed between a set of negatives to be edited and the same set of negatives to be exposed for printing. The heating by the lamphouse in the editing station and the humidity in the air can distort the film. Consequently, the relative locations of the key subject at the time of printing may not be the same as those at the time of editing. This distortion on the film could add to the error in the final key subject registration on the photograph.
Thus, it is desirable to compose the 3D photograph in a single-stage printer where the optics for key subject comparison and the optics for printing are assembled on the same mechanical stage, and the printing is carried out immediately after the key subject alignment is completed. Moreover, in the dual-stage printer design, one video camera is used for both taking the full frame image for key subject designation and for acquiring image data for key subject alignment, without changing the optics of the camera. Such approach produces unacceptable errors in key subject registration on the 3D photographs. Furthermore, when different lamphouses are used for editing and printing, color balancing becomes a much more complex task.

Single-stage 3D photographic printer with a key-subject alignment method


A modelling liquid used for building up dental porcelain, comprising:. (A) a photopolymerizable compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond, PA1 (B) a photopolymerization initiator, PA1 (C) a reducing agent, and PA1 (D) a polymerization inhibitor.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modelling liquid for dental porcelain used for preparing various prostheses partially or wholly formed of porcelain by crownwork and bridge work, while taking into account the form of teeth, their harmony with the remaining teeth, occlusion and mastication, their aesthetic appearance, their influence on periodontinum, the maintenance of recovery, their dynamic properties, their easy-to-prepare property, improvements in their quality and reliability and reductions in their production cost.


In a method for fabricating a photomask in a semiconductor device, a phase shift layer, a first light blocking layer, an insulating (or intermediate) layer, and a second light blocking layer are deposited on a transparent substrate. A photoresist pattern selectively exposing a surface of the second light blocking layer is formed. A second light blocking pattern exposing a portion of the insulating layer is formed by etching the second light blocking layer using the photoresist pattern as a mask. A critical dimension (CD) of the second light blocking pattern is measured and the CD of the second light blocking pattern is adjusted. A first light blocking pattern and a phase shift pattern are formed by etching the insulating layer, the first light blocking layer, and the phase shift layer using the second light blocking pattern with the adjusted CD as a mask. A photomask pattern having a light blocking region and a transmitting region is formed by removing the second light blocking region and the insulating layer.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method for fabricating a photomask which can correct an error in a critical dimension (CD) of a fine pattern.
In a fabricating process of semiconductor devices, a photolithography process is performed several times to form components on a semiconductor substrate. A photomask with a fine pattern is needed for forming a highly integrated circuit through the photolithography process. In addition, the high integration of semiconductor devices requires a high uniformity in a critical dimension (CD) of a pattern.
A binary mask is generally used as a photomask. The binary mask is fabricated by forming a light blocking layer on a transparent substrate and etching the light blocking layer into a predetermined pattern such that transmitted light penetrates only the substrate and is irradiated on a wafer. However, in order to form a finer pattern, a half-tone phase shift mask has been proposed which can form a finer pattern (as compared with a binary mask) on a wafer by using a phase shift material with transmittance of a few percent.
FIGS. 1A to 1C illustrate cross-sectional views of a conventional photomask.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a phase shift layer 102 and a light blocking layer 104 are sequentially deposited on a transparent substrate 100. A photoresist pattern 106 exposing a portion of the light blocking layer 104 is formed by depositing and patterning a photoresist layer.
Referring to FIG. 1B, a light blocking pattern 108 and a phase shift pattern 110, which define a phase shift region 112 and a light transmitting region 114, are formed by etching the exposed light blocking layer 104 and phase shift layer 102 using the photoresist pattern 106 as a mask so as to selectively expose the transparent substrate 100. The photoresist pattern 106 and the light blocking pattern 108 are removed. Consequently, a phase shift mask pattern 116 including the phase shift region 112 and the light transmitting region 114 is formed on the transparent substrate 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1C.
The phase shift mask pattern 116A is formed by etching a thin layer using the photoresist pattern 106 as an etch mask. In this case, the phase shift mask pattern 116 formed on the transparent substrate 100 may not satisfy a desired condition.
More specifically, referring to FIG. 1C, when the phase shift mask pattern 116 is formed by etching a thin layer using the photoresist pattern 106 as an etch mask, a CD of the phase shift mask pattern 116 formed on the transparent substrate 100 may become smaller than the desired condition, which is indicated by a reference symbol "a", or become larger than the desired condition, which is indicated by a reference symbol "b". When a pattern formed by etching a thin layer cannot satisfy the desired condition, it is difficult to control the CD after the etching process. Therefore, the fabricated photomask may be discarded and a new photomask would need to be fabricated.

Method for fabricating photomask in semiconductor device


When a catalyst for producing methacrylic acid is prepared by shaping a catalyst component represented by the general formula P.sub.a Mo.sub.b V.sub.c X.sub.d Y.sub.e Z.sub.f O.sub.g wherein P, Mo, V, X, Y, Z, a, b, c, d, e, f and g are as defined in the specification, a catalyst capable of giving methacrylic acid in high yield is provided by adding one or more organic high-molecular weight compounds with an average particle size of 0.01-10 .mu.m, and carrying out heat treatment before use as a catalyst.

There have been made a large number of proposals on processes and catalysts for producing methacrylic acid by vapor phase catalytic oxidation of methacrolein. In one of these proposals, there has been disclosed a process using an organic substance such as a cellulose, a polyvinyl alcohol or the like in preparation of a catalyst, for the purpose of controlling pores (the specification of British Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2037604). As an invention for controlling pores, there is the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 60-239439. These catalysts, however, have defects such as unsatisfactory reaction results, a large decrease of catalytic activity with the lapse of time, and a troublesome after-treatment, and there is a desire to seek further improvement in them for their employment as industrial catalysts.

Process for preparing a catalyst for producing methacrylic acid