Provided herein are polypeptides containing stabilized therapeutic peptides related to enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), histone lysine N-methyltransferase. Also provided are compositions containing these polypeptides and methods of using such peptides in the treatment of cancer that include administering to a subject one of the polypeptides.

Enhancer of zeste homolog2 (EZH2) is a SET-domain-containing histone lysine N-methyltransferase that participates in the epigenetic regulation of cell lineage determination and homeostasis. EZH2 forms the Polycomb repressive complex2 (PRC2) with embryonic ectoderm development (EED) and suppressor of zeste 12 homolog (SUZ12) to catalyze histone H3 Lys27 trimethylation, and hyperactivity of this enzymatic function has been linked to aberrant repression of tumor suppressor genes in diverse cancers.
Epigenetic modifications of DNA and histones by a variety of protein complexes produce combinatorial codes of chromatin modification, amplifying the complexity of how genetically encoded information is employed. Such epigenetic information is decoded by "reader" proteins that, in conjunction with transcription factors, regulate the differential expression of genes during development and homeostasis. Two broad classes of protein complexes, Trithorax (trxG) and Polycomb (PcG), are responsible for the deposition of histone marks that dictate whether a gene is activated or repressed, respectively1-5. TrxG generally maintains an 'on state' of gene expression by catalyzing methylation of Lys4 of Histone H3 (H3K4), while PcG maintains an 'off state' by catalyzing trimethylation of Lys27 of Histone H3 (H3K27). In mammals, there are two distinct PcG complexes, Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). PRC2 catalyzes trimethylation of H3K27 and, at certain sites, facilitates the recruitment of PRC1 to methylated histones to repress target genes3,4. PRC2 is composed of three essential core components, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), suppressor of zeste 12 (SUZ12) and embryonic ectoderm development (EED). The conserved suppressor of variegation, enhancer of zeste, trithorax (SET) domain of EZH2 represents the active site for catalysis of H3K27 methylation6.
In addition to the established roles of the epigenetic machinery in cell homeostasis and development, recent studies have implicated discrete protein subcomponents, such as EZH2, in the pathogenesis of diverse cancers7-12. EZH2 overexpression has been linked to repression of tumor suppressor genes and derepression of genes involved in metastasis13-16. In certain cancers, this EZH2 deregulation has been linked to pathologic alterations in microRNA levels17-20. Somatic mutations that alter the substrate specificity and functional activity of EZH2 have also been found in B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma21-24. Correspondingly, reduced expression of EZH2 by shRNA or siRNA induces proliferative arrest in cancer cell lines that overexpress EZH225,26. The genetic ablation of Ezh2 alone prevents the development of a murine T cell lymphoma that results from inactivation of Snf5, a core component of the Swi/Snf remodeling complex27. Collectively, these findings implicate EZH2 deregulation in the development and maintenance of cancer.


A device for colorimetric assay of at least one component in a liquid sample, which device comprises a support having a through hole with an area of from 3 to 80 mm.sup.2, a transparent porous film which is provided on the support to cover the hole, a reagent layer provided on a surface of the porous film which is not contacted to the support, and a sample-holding layer which covers the reagent layer and a part of a surface of the support, whereby an amount or concentration of at least one component in the liquid sample may be easily and accurately measured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a method for the quick and easy assay of a liquid sample, particularly body liquids, such as whole blood, blood serum, blood plasma, urea and cerebrospinal liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the assay of a particular component in a liquid sample, an enzymatic analysis is widely used since it can be carried out under mild conditions. In clinical tests, the body liquid is analyzed with a reagent solution containing an oxidase which oxidizes a particular component, a pigment precursor and, optionally, a peroxidase. In such an enzymatic analysis, hydrogen peroxide, which is generated through oxidation of the particular component with the oxidase, directly oxidizes the oxidizable pigment precursor or oxidation coupling with the pigment precursor in the presence of the peroxidase to generate a pigment. Then, the generated pigment is colorimetrically measured by, for example, absorptiometry, fluorophotometry and emission spectroscopy, and in turn, the amount or concentration of particular component is indirectly measured.
Examples of the oxidases useful in the clinical tests are glucose oxidase, uricase, cholesterol oxidase, glycerol-triphosphate oxidase, cholin oxidase, acyl-CoA oxidase, sarcosine oxidase, various amino acid oxidases, bilirubin oxidase, lactate oxidase, lactose oxidase, pyruvate oxidase, galactose oxidase, glycerol oxidase and the like.
As the pigment precursor, oxidizable pigment precursors such as a so-called Trinder's reagent (cf. Ann. Clin. Biochem., 6, 24 (1960)), o-anisidine, benzidine, o-tolidine and tetramethylbenzidine are well known.
One of the advantages of the enzymatic analysis resides in that, if the component to be analyzed is changed, the same color developing system can be used by changing the kind of oxidase. Therefore, the application of the enzymatic analysis to various analytical items has been investigated.
Recently, in order to quickly and conveniently carry out the assay, a reagent system fixed on a solid support has been advantageously used in place of the conventional reagent solution.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,957 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 33800/1974 disclose a water-resistant test film which comprises a plastic film and a polymer layer in which an assay system comprising the above oxidase and hydrogen peroxide is dispersed. In the assay with such water-resistant test film, since the color of the generated pigment is measured from the side on which the sample, such as the whole blood or the blood serum, is applied, the sample should be wiped out with a piece of absorbent cotton and the like after contacting the sample to the reagent layer for a certain period of time. Further, since the color is developed in the presence of a sufficient amount of oxygen after wiping out of the sample, the test film should be kept standing in the air for a certain period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,158 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 21677/1978 disclose a multi-layer test film comprising a liquid-impermeable transparent support, a reagent layer and a spreading layer. When the liquid sample is applied at a point of the spreading layer, it spreads over the spreading layer and then migrates into the reagent layer. The color of the pigment which is generated through the reaction between the specific component and the reagent is measured through the transparent support. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the applied sample. However, since the reagent layer is present between the support and the spreading layer, it is difficult for the air to reach the reagent layer through the spreading layer. Particularly when the reagent layer contains the oxidase, the reaction does not proceed sufficiently due to shortage of oxygen.
To overcome this drawback, EP-A-137 521 and Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 82859/1985 discloses a multi-layer integral element for chemical analysis, which comprises an oxygen-permeable protein-impermeable light shielding layer between the reagent layer and the spreading layer to improve the contact between the reagent layer and the air. However, since the reagent layer never contacts the air on the support side, oxygen is not sufficiently supplied to the reagent layer.
German Patent No. 3 510 992 and Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 205364/1985 disclose an assay device having a porous hydrophobic oxygen-supplying layer between the reagent layer and the support. Such a device can significantly increase the amount of oxygen supplied to the reagent layer containing the oxidase. But, since the oxygen-supplying layer has a certain thickness to retain a sufficient amount of oxygen therein, the device has no light-transparency on the support side, so that the color of the generated pigment should be measured from the sample-supplied side of the device.

Device and method for assay of liquid sample


A method and apparatus for transmission line termination is provided in which a transmission line (12 and 14) is terminated by transmission gates (20 and 22) at a transmitter (24) and a receiver (26). The resistances of the transmission gates (20 and 22) are controlled by precision resistance control circuits (30 and 31), respectively. Precision resistance control circuit (30) uses a reference resistor (32) to control the resistance of the transmission gate (20).

In high speed communications systems, data is transmitted across transmission lines. These transmission lines run between transmitters and receivers, which are typically semiconductor chip devices. To minimize distortion of the transmitted signal, transmission lines require proper transmission line termination.
Transmission line termination is generally achieved through a fixed, off-chip resistance that precisely matches the transmission line characteristic impedance. Such transmission line termination is off-chip because of difficulties in creating precision on-chip resistances. Typically, tolerances of less than five percent are required for transmission line termination. These kind of tolerances are difficult to achieve with high volume semiconductor processing methods, for example, because of variations in sheet resistance and line width control.
Furthermore, many communications applications use high density digital CMOS technology for high speed. As speed performance improves, process elements such as poly and moat resistors are often unavailable to circuit designers because of the use of silicide to minimize sheet resistances. Thus, to create resistors, additional mask levels, or the use of analog specific processes, are required.
The use of off-chip precision resistors for transmission line termination presents significant drawbacks. For example, off-chip resistors require significant circuit board space, and increase circuit board layout complexity and cost. Furthermore, the distances between off-chip resistors and signal generators or receivers are fairly large, although these distances should be as small as possible to reduce stub length reflection problems.

Method and apparatus for transmission line termination


A system includes a radar unit configured to provide raw data from scanning an exterior of a structure; and a signal processing and imaging module configured to: process the raw data into markers of interior locations of the structure; and display an image of interior structural features based on the markers. A method includes: scanning a building structure from the exterior of the structure using a radar unit to provide raw data; processing the raw data into markers of interior locations of the structure; estimating locations of interior structural features of the structure from the markers; and displaying an image of the interior structural features.

The present disclosure generally relates to radio frequency (RF) detection and ranging and, more particularly, to detecting and imaging inside walls of a building structure from outside the building.
Portable, hand-held radars have been used for detection of hidden objects, e.g., objects such as weapons hidden behind a wall of a building. In some situations, e.g., constitutionally supported government agency investigation of a premises containing buildings of unknown internal configuration, military intelligence scenarios, or fire and rescue situations, it may be desirable to be able to detect interior structural arrangement of a building from outside the building using the same sort of portable, hand-held radars.

Static RF imaging for inside walls of a premises


A method for treating glaucoma with an implantable glaucoma device includes inserting a hollow elongated needle into the eye between the cornea and iris and into the anterior chamber of the eye to form a needle tract in the eye, introducing a distal end of a guidewire through the needle and into the anterior chamber, introducing a snare through a corneal incision into the anterior chamber. The snare has a sheath and a hook or loop inside the sheath and extendible therefrom. The method includes capturing a segment of the guidewire proximate the distal end of the guidewire with the snare within the anterior chamber, removing the needle from over the guidewire outside of the eye, coupling a glaucoma drainage device to a proximal end of the guidewire that extends outside of the eye, and pulling on the captured guidewire segment with the snare to pull the glaucoma drainage device into the needle tract and into the anterior chamber of the eye until the glaucoma device is located in an implanted position in the eye. The method can also possibly involve removing the snare from the eye, cutting a distal end of the glaucoma device (possibly within the anterior chamber), and removing the cut distal end of the glaucoma drainage device from the eye. An improved glaucoma drainage device and other deployment systems and methods are also described and claimed.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to eye surgery. More particularly, the disclosure relates to systems and methods for treating glaucoma with a glaucoma drainage device.
2. State of the Art
Co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,431,709, 7,594,899 and 7,837,644 and U.S. Publication No. 2013/0184631A1 describe an elongate glaucoma drainage device (or shunt) as generally shown in Prior Art FIG. 1, which includes a tube 2 with a lumen 3, a fin 4, a beveled distal tip 5, and a proximal end 6. The lumen 3 extends between the distal tip 5 and the proximal end 6 of the tube 2. The glaucoma drainage device 1 may be coated or impregnated with an antiproliferative drug such as Mitomycin C or 5-Fluoro Uracil.
Referring to Prior Art FIG. 2, the current procedure for inserting the glaucoma drainage device 1 of Prior Art FIG. 1 into the eye (referred to herein as "glaucoma implant surgery") includes the following steps: 1) anesthetizing the eye by injecting lidocaine and epinephrine under the conjunctiva; 2) incising below the limbus and dissecting a flap posterior with a blunt-tipped scissors; 3) placing three LASIK shields saturated with Mitomycin C (0.2 to 0.4 mg/ml) in the flap for 3 minutes followed by irrigation with saline; 4) forming a radial, shallow scleral pocket, approximately 1 mm wide×1 mm in length into the sclera with a sharp knife; 5) inserting a 25 or 27 gauge needle through the apex of the scleral pocket into the anterior chamber wherein the course of the needle approximately bisects the angle formed between the iris and cornea; 6) threading the glaucoma drainage device 1 through the needle tract with a forceps until the distal end of the device (the end furthest away from the surgeon) enters the anterior chamber of the eye; 7) wedging the fin 4 of the glaucoma drainage device snugly into the scleral pocket; and 8) pulling the conjunctiva and Tenon's capsule over the proximal end 6 of the glaucoma drainage device 1 and suturing the flap closed. The entire procedure typically takes 15 to 25 minutes to perform. After the glaucoma implant surgery, the lumen 3 of the glaucoma drainage device 1 provides a flow path for the drainage of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye into the scleral pocket in order to control TOP of the eye. The pressure drop between the anterior chamber of the eye and the scleral pocket is dictated primarily the interior diameter of the lumen 3 of the glaucoma drainage device 1. Thus, the interior diameter of the lumen 3 can be varied amongst patients for control of TOP for different patients.
Although the aforementioned glaucoma drainage device and the glaucoma implant surgery function well, there is a need to simplify and expedite the procedure. Interviews with many cataract surgeons have indicated that they will perform the glaucoma implant surgery at the time of cataract surgery if there is no conjunctival dissection, no bleeding, no suturing and if the procedure is reduced to less than 5 minutes. Cataract surgeons treat approximately 3 million eyes per year in the U.S. and approximately 20% of patients have glaucoma. This represents a potential market of 600,000 cases per year, which is sufficiently substantial to satiate cataract surgeons with a glaucoma implant surgical procedure better suited to their requirements.
It is important to know that when cataract surgery is performed, two clear corneal incisions are made in the cornea to allow instrumentation to be inserted into the eye to remove the cataractous lens and subsequently replace the lens with an intraocular lens. Further, the anterior chamber is enlarged with a viscous fluid to enable performing the cataract procedure without damaging the endothelial cells under the cornea. The viscous fluid does not leak through the clear corneal incisions.

Glaucoma device delivery system and trans-conjunctival method of delivery


In a fuel injector, a valve member in a hollow cylindrical shape having a bottom is enclosed and supported in a magnetic cylinder defining a fuel passage to reciprocate in an axial direction. At least two of the ceramic heaters having an arc shape in cross section are arranged on the outer periphery of the magnetic cylinder in a circumferential direction to be a cylindrical shape. The ceramic heaters are pressed toward the outer periphery of the magnetic cylinder by a heater holder with a small resiliency. The ceramic heaters are tightly fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic cylinder without being damaged. Therefore, heat of the ceramic heaters is conducted to the magnetic cylinder and fuel in the magnetic cylinder is effectively heated.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-100309 filed on Mar. 30, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine.
It is recognized that heating of fuel during cold engine starting will reduce harmful components in exhaust gas. In a fuel injector, a heating element is generally provided radially outside of a vale body to heat fuel in the valve body and atomize it during cold starting. As the heating element, a ceramic heater is widely used. In a fuel injector 100 shown in FIG. 8, for example, a valve member 101 opening/closing a valve seat orifice has a cylindrical shape having a bottom. A valve body 103 encloses the valve member 101 and supports it to reciprocate. A ceramic heater 102 in the cylindrical shape is provided on the outer periphery of the valve body 103.
It is an object to provide a fuel injector in which fuel is effectively heated and atomized.
It is another object to provide a fuel injector in which a ceramic heater is mounted without being damaged.
It is a further object to provide a fuel injector in which a ceramic heater is tightly fitted to improve heat conductivity.
It is a still further object to provide a fuel injector in which fuel is effectively heated irrespective of variation in the size of a ceramic heater.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of ceramic heaters is provided on the outer periphery surface of a valve body. Each of the plurality of ceramic heaters has an arc shape in cross section and arranged in a circumferential direction to surround the outer periphery of he valve body. According to this, the plurality of ceramic heaters is mounted without being damaged and tightly fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the valve body. Ther fore, heat from the plurality of ceramic heaters is effectively conducted to the valve body. As a result, fuel in the valve body is effectively heated.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a heating element is press fitted in a holder and the holder is press-fitted to a valve body. The valve body defines a fuel passage therein and a valve member is supported in the valve body to reciprocate in an axial direction. Accordingly, it is not necessary to press-fit the ceramic heater on the valve body. Since the holder contacts both of the heating element and the valve body, heat from the heating element is not only directly conducted to the valve body but also conducted to the valve body through the holder. Therefore, the fuel is effectively heated.


A fluid mixing device (30) used for processing fluid, including a first fluid feed passage (34) for feeding first fluid, a second fluid feed passage (43) for feeding second fluid, and a mixing part (41) for generating mixed fluid by mixing the first fluid with the second fluid, wherein the first fluid feed passage (34) is branched into a first route (37) and a second route (38) through a flow ratio regulating part (36), the second route (38) is branched, at a branch part (39), to a third route (40) with a preset flow ratio, the third route (40) is connected to the mixing part (41), the second fluid feed passage (43) and a fourth route (44) are connected to the mixing part (41), the mixed flow generated by mixing, in the mixing part (41), the first fluid flowing in from the third route (40) with the second fluid flowing in from the second fluid passage (43) flows out to the fourth route (44), the fourth route (44) is merged to the second route (38) on the downstream side of the branch part (39), and the second route (38) is merged to the first route (37), whereby the specific resistant value of the processing fluid can be accurately set to a specified value by an economical method.

In various kinds of processing apparatuses, such as a cutting apparatus and a polishing apparatus, a processing operation is carried out with processing water supplied to a work during the processing thereof so as to improve the quality of a processed product. For example, in a cutting apparatus 50 adapted to carry out a cutting operation by making a rotary blade 18, which is rotated at a high speed, cut into a work, for example, a semiconductor wafer W as shown in FIG. 4, cutting water is supplied to inflow portions 23, and a cutting operation is carried out with the cutting water, i.e. processing water supplied from a cutting water supply nozzle 20 to contact portions of the semiconductor wafer W and rotary blade 18. The removing of chips occurring during the cutting operation is also done with the cutting water injected from an injection portion 21 onto the wafer W.
The pure water is used as such cutting water in some cases. However, since the pure water has a high specific resistance value (resistivity), static electricity occurs due to the friction thereof against the semiconductor wafer W, so that the semiconductor wafer W is readily charged. Especially, when the work is a semiconductor wafer W, the quality of a final product lowers greatly due to the loading thereof with the static electricity. Therefore, it is necessary that the occurrence of static electricity be prevented by reducing the specific resistance value of the pure water, and that the wafer W be de-electrified.
Under the circumstances, the occurrence of static electricity is prevented by increasing the specific resistance value of the pure water by mixing carbon dioxide with the pure water, and using the conductivity-increased processing water in practice just as in the processing water generating apparatus disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2001-30170.
On the other hand, when the concentration of the carbon dioxide increases to cause the acidity of the pure water to become high, the rotary blade 18 is corroded to cause the lifetime of the same to lower, or a bonding pad formed on the semiconductor wafer is corroded to cause the quality of a final semiconductor chip to lower. Therefore, in the invention disclosed in the publication referred to above, a means for maintaining the specific resistance value of the pure water at a proper level by controlling a flow rate thereof by regulating a valve is provided.
It has been recognized that, in order to carry out, for example, the cutting of a semiconductor wafer, a proper specific resistance value permitting the prevention of the charging of the work with static electricity and the corroding of the rotary blade and bonding pad is in a very narrow range of 0.5 MΩ.cm to 2.0 MΩ.cm. However, in order to set and maintain the specific resistance value in such a range, it becomes necessary that the flow rate be regulated with a high accuracy by using an expensive fine control valve. Therefore, it is difficult to set the specific resistance value to a desired level. Moreover, an expensive fine control valve has to be used, so that the cost of the apparatus increases to a high level. Such problems are problems encountered in a cutting apparatus, and also problems common to processing apparatuses using processing water.
Consequently, the problem of a processing operation using processing water is to develop a means capable of setting the specific resistance value of the processing water to a desired level by an economical method.


A voice pen comprises: a housing, an applying ink part, a part for retracting and extending the ink applying part; and an audio module for reproducing an audible message in response to extension of ink applying part. More specifically, extension and retraction of the ink applying part is provided by a function shaft and holder. This function shaft also activates a switch of the voice module that initiates the reproduction of the audible message.

Standard pen designs can be modified to convey information such as advertising messages. In the past, these advertising messages have been conveyed visually, on the barrel of the pen. This technique, however, suffers from a number of disadvantages. First, any message written on the barrel of the pen is obscured by a user's hand during operation. Therefore, the message is not conveyed to the user during this time. Secondly, the medium is entirely passive. That is, the user only will receive the advertising message if he/she actively undertakes to read the message. Thirdly, the medium lacks any novelty. The public has become so familiar with this type of advertising that it is naturally ignored. Therefore, conventional techniques for incorporating an advertising message into pens are inadequate.
A solution to some of the above-identified problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,577 to Abernethy. Here, an advertising device is attached to a push-button of a pen. The advertising device includes a number of planar faces on which advertising indicia may be affixed. Although this invention moves the advertising message off the pen barrel and additionally provides a certain degree of novelty, the invention destroys the balancing of the pen while increasing the pen's overall length and width. Further, the advertising device is easily detachable by a user who simply might not want to deal with the lack of convenience associated with the advertising device.

Voice pen for generating audible messages


A biochemical agent is denatured by producing an activated cleaning fluid mist containing activated hydroxyl species wherein at least a portion of the activated cleaning fluid mist is in an activated state at substantially one atmospheric ambient pressure, and contacting the activated cleaning fluid mist to a biochemical agent.

This invention relates to an approach for denaturing harmful biochemical agents and for decontaminating objects that are contaminated with the harmful biochemical agents.
Biochemical agents, including both microbiological agents and chemical agents, are widely distributed in our environment. Many biochemical agents, such as most microbiological agents and benign chemicals, are of little concern, because they do not damage other higher life forms such as human beings. However, other biochemical agents may infect or injure man or animals and cause them harm.
The removing or rendering ineffective of injurious microbiological agents has long been of interest. Drugs and medical devices are sterilized and packaged in sterile containers. Medical environments such as operating rooms, wards, and examination rooms are decontaminated by various cleaning procedures so that injurious microbiological agents cannot spread from one patient to another. Wounds are sterilized to prevent infection.
Most prior situations requiring decontamination of injurious biochemical agents have been relatively well controlled, where all parties wished to achieve the decontamination and cooperated in the decontamination effort. More recently, biochemical warfare and biochemical terrorism have become of increasing concern. In these circumstances, an injurious biochemical agent may be intentionally released into a population, with the intent to disseminate the biochemical agent as widely as possible and to cause as much harm as possible in the population. The biochemical agent is typically selected so that tiny amounts of the biochemical agent achieve the maximum contamination, the biochemical agent may be disseminated widely, the biochemical agent may exist for extended periods of time in a dormant state before becoming active to cause injury, and the biochemical agent is difficult to control and eradicate.
The available technologies for controlling biochemical agents, developed for relatively small-scale use in well-controlled environments and where there is not an overt attempt to spread the biochemical agents, are of limited value in these public health circumstances of biochemical warfare and biochemical terrorism. A new approach is needed that is more readily usable in a variety of less-well-controlled environments. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Denaturing of a biochemical agent using an activated cleaning fluid mist


A semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength of not more than 450 nm comprises a substrate, a lower cladding layer containing a III-V Group compound semiconductor as a main component formed on the substrate, an active layer containing the III-V Group compound semiconductor as a main component formed on the lower cladding layer and an upper p-type cladding layer containing III-V Group compound semiconductor as a main component. Mg and Si are contained in the upper p-type cladding layer. A GaN series compound semiconductor is preferably used as the III-V Group compound semiconductor and the upper cladding layer contains preferably not less than 5.times.10.sup.18 /cm.sup.3 of Si.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser and a method for manufacturing the same and, in particular, to a semiconductor laser having a compound semiconductor layer using magnesium (Mg) as a dopant or a constituent element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a III-V Group compound semiconductor, such as GaAs, InP and GainAlP, can be grown, by a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), with better controllability and has been extensively utilized as a constituent component for a semiconductor laser and light emitting diode.
In the MOCVD method, Zn is generally used as a p-type dopant for the III-V Group compound semiconductor and, being used as a p-type dopant for the GaAs, exhibits a substantially good doping characteristic. If, however, Zn is used as a dopant for a P-containing III-V Group compound semiconductor, such as InP and GaInAlP, the percentage of Zn incorporated into the compound semiconductor is low and it has been difficult to dope the Zn in a desired amount. Further, the activation degree of the Zn is low and the diffusion of it in a layer is fast, resulting in poor controllability.
The elements Be and Mg for example may be considered as a p-type dopant in place of Zn. The element Be exhibits a good characteristic as a p-type dopant in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method. However, the organic Be compound is strongly toxic and it is very difficult to use it as the dopant in the MOCVD method. On the other hand, a straight chain type organometal compound of Mg, such as dimethylmagnesium and diethylmagnesium, is not toxic in nature, but very strong in its self-association and never occurs in single form. For this reason, the Mg-containing straight chain type organometal compound is not suitable as a doping agent.
Recently, biscyclopentadienylmagnesium (Cp.sub.2 Mg) relatively high in vapor pressure has been used as a Mg-doping material. However, the material Cp.sub.2 Mg is deposited as a residual one in a crystal growing apparatus and exhibits a memory effect so that the doping control is very difficult. In spite of the fact that a three-orders-of-magnitude-greater concentration variation is required in a 0.1 .mu.m film thickness for a double heterostructure (DH) laser device, such a sharp concentration variation cannot be ensured at the present time. In order to enhance the vapor pressure, the methyl group-attached cyclopenta ring type material "bismethylcyclopentadienylmagnesium" [(CH.sub.3)Cp.sub.2 Mg] is known as one example of a dopant and, even in this case, no sharp Mg-concentration variation is obtained at a doped-to-undoped interface.
In order to reduce a resistivity of a predetermined semiconductor layer, more amount of Mg has to be doped as a p-type dopant. In order to obtain a resistance value of, for example, about 0.5 .OMEGA..multidot.cm to 10 106.multidot.cm, the Mg has to doped at a concentration amount of about 5.times.10.sup.18 /cm.sup.3 to 5.times.10.sup.19 /cm.sup.3. In the case where more amount of Mg is so doped, the laser performance is lowered and, for the case of a semiconductor laser having an active layer as narrow as below 5 nm in thickness in particular, a greater adverse influence is exerted over an operating current.
There are sometimes the cases where the Mg is employed not only as a p-type dopant for the III-V Group compound semiconductor but also as one of the constituent element of the compound semiconductor layer of II-VI Group compound semiconductors, etc. Even in this case, it has been difficult to effect high accurate control of an Mg composition, the reason of which is the same as set out above.
In order to incorporate Mg into the II-VI Group compound semiconductor, an amount of Mg is not less than 10% and preferable in terms of decrease in an operating current and shortening a wavelength. For a semiconductor laser principally of a II-VI Group compound semiconductor containing such an amount of Mg, it has been difficult to obtain adequate reliability. A semiconductor laser, having an active layer as thin as less than 5 nm in particular, is markedly lower in its performance, such as increasing an operating current.
In this way, the simple alkyl compounds of Mg, such as dimethylmagnesium and diethylmagnesium, are lower in vapor pressure and not suitable as an Mg feed in the growth of a compound semiconductor layer by the MOCVD method. For a Mg compound including a cyclopenta ring, it has been difficult to control the Mg composition, or Mg doping amount, in a compound semiconductor layer because a high memory effect is involved.
In the case where the Mg doping amount is increased so as to lower the resistance of a p-type cladding layer, a semiconductor laser principally of a Mg-doped III-V group semiconductor is lower in the characteristics, such as an efficiency of an emitting layer and, in the worst case, the operation is not possible. Even with a semiconductor laser principally of a II-VI Group compound semiconductor containing Mg as one of its constituent elements, if more Mg is introduced into a cladding layer, a similar problem arises therefrom.
In either case, if the Mg amount is increased in a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor laser is lower in its characteristics, thus failing to obtain adequate reliability.

Semiconductor laser and method for manufacturing the same


A computer-implemented method includes receiving a query plan. The method includes identifying a plurality of qualified relevant rows and one or more encoding candidate payload columns. The method includes analyzing the relevant rows in the encoding candidate payload columns to yield a count of distinct contents and a payload column width. The method includes estimating a cost and determining whether the cost is larger than an amount of available memory for on-the-fly encoding all of the plurality of encoding candidate payload columns. The method is responsive to the estimated cost being less than the amount of available memory, by on-the-fly encoding the encoding candidates and responsive to the estimated cost being greater than the amount of available memory by on-the-fly encoding fewer than all of the encoding candidates so as not to exceed the available memory, and leaving alone one or more remaining encoding candidate payload columns unencoded.

The present invention relates generally to the field of relational database management systems, and more particularly to optimizing query plans for large payload columns.
In modern relational databases such as IBM® DB2®, encoding and optimization techniques are applied to ensure performance. On-the-fly encoding is a technique and other encoding techniques that take place during the query processing may require a large amount of memory. Memory usage is estimated at the time of compiling the query by an optimizer. For large payload columns, database users and developers continue to face challenges when predicting how much memory an on-the-fly encoding technique will require.

Query plan optimization for large payload columns

International Business Machines Corporation


According to one embodiment, a physical quantity measuring apparatus includes a signal measurer configured to include sensors configured to measure component values of two axes from among component values of three axes including an X(Hx), a Y(Hy) and a Z(Hz) measured component value of a physical quantity to be measured, a sensor controller configured to select one from among the sensors to be controlled to output a measured value from the selected sensor, an A/D transformer configured to transform an outputted signal selected by the sensor control unit into a digital signal, and a signal processor configured to receive the digital signal from the A/D transformer and to combine the received digital signal with other received digital signals to calculate X, Y and Z component values of the physical quantity.

1. Field
The following description relates to a physical quantity measuring apparatus and signal processing method thereof. More particularly, the following description discloses a measuring technique of a magnetic field and an acceleration. The following description also relates to extracting three magnetic field components X, Y and Z of the magnetic field using a physical quantity measuring apparatus and a corresponding acceleration.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, a demand for an apparatus that provides a function of measuring a physical quantity such as a magnetic field or acceleration is increasing. A physical quantity measuring apparatus may be made in a small size and may be made able to measure quickly and accurately the magnetic field or the acceleration. That is, the physical quantity measuring apparatus benefits from an efficient and accurate measuring technique in combination with a fixed hardware and time. The most demand for accurate measuring is improving a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of a measuring apparatus. For example, the SNR of the measuring apparatus may improve through a decrease of a noise component. The decreasing degree of a noise component may be changed according to a calculation method of a sensing signal received from a sensor.
Many efforts have been spent investigating to improve the SNR in the physical quantity measuring apparatus, especially for measuring the magnetic field and acceleration. However, reference technology has a problem that has still a small SNR and requires large current source.

Physical quantity measuring apparatus and signal processing method thereof


The present invention relates to a device and method for allocating a coexistence resource in an unlicensed band. The device according to the present invention comprises: a frame configuration unit for configuring a subframe in which data and a reference signal for a channel in an unlicensed band are allocated, and allocating a part of the symbols of the subframe as a coexistence resource; a signal detection unit for detecting a signal of another LTE system or Wi-Fi system during a transmission idle period where the coexistence resource is allocated; and a transmission processing unit which, when the signal of another system is detected during the transmission idle period, does not occupy a resource for the next subframe, and when the occupation of the coexistence resource by the another system has ended, occupies the resource for the next subframe.

In recent years, in a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), a standard technology for utilizing a long term evolution (LTE) system that operates in a conventional licensed band used in an unlicensed band of 5 GHz has been developed. A scenario that aggregates and operates carriers of the licensed band and the unlicensed band is first reviewed and Duplex of the unlicensed band considers a time division duplex (TDD) mode considering a downlink or both an uplink and a downlink of frequency-division duplex (FDD).
3GPP LTE is a system in which a base station (eNodeB) controls all resources and the downlink thereof distributes/allocates different resources to a terminal (UE) through orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and the uplink thereof distributes/allocates different resources to the terminal (UE) through single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA).

Device and method for allocating coexistence resource in unlicensed band

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


In a method of processing radioactive spent ion exchange resin, the spent ion exchange resin is pyrolyzed in an inert atmosphere and harmful decomposition gas such as sulfur and nitrogen compounds generated during pyrolysis is separated. Next, the spent ion exchange resin is pyrolyzed in oxidizing atmosphere and harmless gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor gases are separated. It is preferred that a transition metal as a catalyst be adsorbed through ion exchange into spent cation exchange resin, and an anionic atom group containing a transition metal as a catalyst be adsorbed through ion exchange into spent anion exchange, before both of the pyrolysis steps. The pyrolysis is carried out at two atmosphere stages, and the harmful and harmless gases are decomposed separately. The pyrolysis in both of pyrolysis steps is effected at a temperature in the range of from 240.degree. to 420.degree. C. The proportions of the sulfur and nitrogen compounds in spent ion exchange resin after pyrolysis, and also the processing volume of the spent ion exchange resin can be reduced. And scattering of radioactive substances can be prevented. By adding a catalyst to the spent ion exchange resin, pyrolysis is carried out at a low temperature.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing a spent ion exchange resin, particularly a radioactive spent ion exchange resin generated in a nuclear power plant or the like.
The methods of reducing the volume of the spent ion exchange resin (waste resin) and converting it into inorganic matters can be broadly classified into a wet process typified by an acid decomposition method and a pyrolytic drying process typified by a fluidized bed method.
The wet process involves a problem in that after the waste resin is subjected to a decomposition treatment, a radioactive waste liquor containing decomposition residues must be again processed by any suitable means such as concentration by evaporation.
A fluidized bed method is a typical example of the dry process, wherein the waste resin is burnt by use of a fluidized bed, as illustrated in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 12400/1982, for example.
Though the dry process is free from the problems of the wet process, the following problems are encountered when the fluidized bed method as a typical example of the dry process is employed.
(1) The scattering quantity of the residue and ratioactive substances is great. In other words, since the waste resin is dispersed and burnt under a flowing gas, the residue and radioactive substances are entrained by the decomposition gas (exhaust gas) and scattered. Therefore, the load to a filter for processing the exhaust gas becomes great.
(2) When the waste resin is burnt, harmful decomposition gases such as oxide gases (SO.sub.x), (NO.sub.x) and the like are generated. For this reason, exhaust gas processing by means of an alkali scrubber or the like becomes necessary, but the quantity of the exhaust gas to be processed is enormous. In other words, in accordance with the fluidized bed method, air containing oxygen from three to five times the chemical equivalent must be supplied, and hence the quantity of the exhaust gas is increased so much.
(3) Not only the residue but also the secondary waste generated as a result of processing the exhaust gas, such as NaNO.sub.3 and Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4, incorporate into the radioactive substances of radioactive nuclides. And these are added to the radioactive wastes, thereby reducing the volume reduction ratio.
In other words, when 1 kg of the waste resin is burnt in the fluidized bed, the decomposition residue reaches several percents (about 3 g) and at the same time, about 0.7 kg of radioactive waste is generated. If this waste is subjected to volume reduction and is pelletized by the existing equipment for processing the radioactive waste, the volume reduction ratio is nothing but 1/4.
H.sub.2 O and CO.sub.2 are also generated as the radioactive waste in quantities of 0.4 kg and 2.3 kg, respectively. If the quantity of the residue generated is 0.03 kg, the content of the sulfur and nitrogen compounds contained in the secondary radioactive waste generated by pyrolysis of the waste resin is 18 wt %.
When 1 kg of the cation exchange resin alone is pyrolyzed as the waste resin, the content described above is 24 wt %, and when 1 kg of the anion exchange resin alone is pyrolyzed, the content is 9 wt %. In other words, the content becomes worst when the cation exchange resin alone is pyrolyzed and the value is as great as 24 wt %. The reduction of secondary radioactive waste is desirable further carried out from the aspect of the reduction of the generation quantity of the radioactive waste.
(4) Since combustion is effected in single stage of the oxidizing atmosphere at a pyrolyzing temperature in the range of from 600.degree. to 900.degree. C., the furnace material will be deteriorated during use for an extended period.
(5) The problem common to the conventional techniques of reducing the volume of the waste resin and converting it into the inorganic matters is that the system for said conversion and that for solidifying the decomposition residue are separate from each other, so that the systems become complicated and the operators or workers are likely to be exposed to the radioactivity in the handling of the waste resin.

Method and apparatus for processing spent ion exchange resin


A materials separator apparatus comprising a stacked array of horizontally oriented and vertically spaced separator stages, which may be interconnected by a material conductor disposed for receiving commingled materials from an upper stage and feeding it to an input portion of a lower stage, each stage including a vibrating, endless belt supported for carrying a stream of commingled materials longitudinally over a steady-state magnetic array of spatially alternating, oppositely polarized magnets disposed substantially parallel to one another and extended transversely at an oblique angle to the stream whereby electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material passing over the magnetic array are deflected laterally out of the stream, the materials remaining in the stream may be discharged from the belt by passing them over a roller which may be magnetized for segregating dielectric nonferromagnetic material from ferromagnetic material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to material separator apparatus and is concerned more particularly with a space-saving, material separator apparatus having a plurality of interconnected separator stages.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the recycling of waste material, solid municipal waste initially may be shredded and then air classified to separate the light fraction from the heavy fraction. The heavy fraction may be conveyed in a stream through a conventional magnetic separator for removal of ferromagnetic materials, such as nickel, iron, and cobalt, for examples. Thus, the stream of waste materials emerging from the magnetic separator is made up predominantly of nonferromagnetic materials which includes dielectric nonferromagnetic materials, such as plastic, rubber, and glass, for examples, as well as electrically conductive nonferromagnetic materials, such as aluminum, silver, copper, zinc, and the like.
Market analysis indicates that there is a greater demand for the electrically conductive, nonferromagnetic metals than for the other components of the heavy fraction. Consequently, although constituting only about one percent by weight of typical municipal waste, the nonferromagnetic metals nevertheless represent a significant percentage of the total resale value of recycled municipal waste. Accordingly, prior art means have been developed for separating electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material from the dielectric items of nonferromagnetic material in the stream emerging from the magnetic separator.
For example, U.S. Pat No. 4,003,803 granted to E. Schloemann on Jan. 18, 1977 and assigned to the assignee of this invention discloses a materials separator apparatus comprising an inclined plane having a nonmagnetic surface layer down which nonferromagnetic material slides in a stream. Disposed beneath the nonmagnetic surface layer is a steady-state magnetic series of alternate north and south poles which are substantially parallel to one another and extend at an oblique angle across the stream. As a result, electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material in the stream pass sequentially through a spatially alternating array of oppositely directed magnetic fields which induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material. The eddy-currents coact with the magnetic fields to exert on the electrically conductive items resultant forces directed upwardly of the inclined plane and perpendicular to the angulated magnetic poles of the array. Consequently, the resultant forces have respective laterally directed components which cause the items to move laterally out of the stream while sliding longitudinally down the inclined plane. Thus, the electrically conductive items deflected laterally out of the stream are separated from the dielectric items of nonferromagnetic material in the stream.
The resultant force exerted on the electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material also have respective longitudinal components which are directed upwardly of the inclined plane and, consequently, may be referred to as "decelerating" force components. These decelerating force components may be rendered substantially insignificant in comparison with the force of gravity acting on the electrically conductive items by disposing the inclined plane at a suitable angle, such as greater than thirty degrees, for example, with respect to the horizontal base of the separator. Accordingly, the steeper the angle of the inclined plane, in combination with a preceding magnetic separator disposed above it to feed nonferromagnetic material onto the upper end portion of the inclined plane, the higher the resulting structure.
It may be found that one pass of the nonferromagnetic material down the inclined plane does not provide a sufficiently high separation rate of "concentrate", that is, solely electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material, from the "tailings", that is, solely dielectric items of nonferromagnetic material. Consequently, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,573 granted to Theodore et al and assigned to the assignee of the invention, a second inclined plane may be disposed beneath the first inclined plane for receiving the "middlings", that is, a mixture of electrically conductive items and dielectric items of nonferromagnetic material, therefrom and reprocessing it as described. As a result, still more electrically conductive items of the nonferromagnetic material are separated from the stream, after passage of the "middlings" down the second inclined plane. However, the required slope of the second inclined plane to render the "decelerating" force components insignificant in comparison with the force of gravity increases the height of the required structure still further.
Also, it may be found that the conventional magnetic separator preceding the first inclined plane is not sufficiently strong magnetically to remove dust-size particles of ferromagnetic material from the stream. As a result, these ferromagnetic particles adhere to the smooth surface of the first inclined plane due to the attractive force exerted by the underlying magnetic array. Accordingly, the adhering ferromagnetic particles interfere with nonferromagnetic material sliding down the inclined plane, and with the lateral deflection of electrically conductive items out of the stream. Consequently, to avoid periodically cleaning the smooth surface of the inclined plane, it is necessary to provide the magnetic separator with a second magnet which is sufficiently strong to remove the dust-size particles of ferromagnetic material before they reach the first inclined plane.
Therefore, it is advantageous and desirable to provide a space-saving, materials separator apparatus with a plurality of separator stages for achieving a high separation rate of electrically conductive items from a stream of nonferromagnetic materials, and which is not adversely affected by ferromagnetic particles in the stream.


A stage circuit including an output unit for supplying first or second power source to an output terminal is disclosed. The stage circuit may comprise a bidirectional driver for respectively supplying signals supplied to first and second input terminals, a first driver, and a second driver. The second driver controls the output unit to output the second power source to the output terminal without any voltage loss, corresponding to a second clock signal.

1. Field
The present technical field relates to a stage circuit and an emission control driver using the same, and more particularly, to a stage circuit and an emission control driver using the same for supplying emission control signals.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Recently, there have been developed various types of flat panel display devices capable of reducing the weight and volume of cathode ray tubes. The flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display, a field emission display, a plasma display panel, an organic light emitting diode display device, and the like.
Among these flat panel display devices, the organic light emitting diode display displays images using organic light emitting diodes that emit light through recombination of electrons and holes. The organic light emitting diode display has a fast response speed and is driven with low power consumption. Generally, in an organic light emitting diode display, current corresponding to a data signal is supplied to an organic light emitting diode using a transistor formed in each pixel, so that the organic light emitting diode emits light.
Generally, a organic light emitting diode display includes a data driver for supplying a data signal to data lines, a scan driver for sequentially supplying a scan signal to scan lines, an emission control driver for supplying an emission control signal to emission control lines, and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels coupled to the data lines, the scan lines and the emission control lines.
When a scan signal is supplied to a scan line, pixels included in the pixel unit are selected to receive a data signal supplied from a data line. The pixels that receive the data signal generate light with a predetermined luminance corresponding to the data signal, thereby displaying a predetermined image. The emission time of the pixels is controlled by an emission control signal supplied from an emission control line. Generally, the emission control signal sets the pixels to which the data signal is supplied to be in a non-emission state while being supplied to overlap with the scan signal supplied to one or two scan lines.
To this end, the emission driver includes stages respectively coupled to the emission control lines. The stages receive four or more clock signals and output a high or low voltage to an output line.
The emission control driver driven by four or more clock signals occupies a wide mounting area due to a plurality of transistors, a plurality of capacitors, signal lines, and the like. Where the emission control driver is configured with a PMOS transistor, a low voltage with high amplitude is output by the threshold voltage of the transistor, or the like, and accordingly, power consumption increases.

Stage circuit and emission control driver using the same


An electrical device includes a power supply that is switchable between a first mode and a second mode. The power supply includes a first connector element of the power supply, the first connector element being one of a male and a female connector element for mating with a corresponding second connector element, the second connector element being one of a female and a male connector element, respectively. The power supply also includes a guard member disposed on the first connector element, the guard member being movable between a first position in which the first connector element is adapted to mate with any corresponding second connector elements and the power supply is in the first mode and a second position in which the first connector element is only adapted to mate with specially configured second connector elements and the power supply is in the second mode. The electrical device also includes electrical equipment powered through the power supply.

The present invention relates to connector elements, such as those used with power supplies for personal computers and the like, and, more particularly, to connector elements that provide protection against connecting the connector elements to certain other connector elements, such as inadvertently connecting a 110V power supply connector element to a 220V power cord.
Power supplies such as are typically found in devices such as personal computers mostly presently use switcher technology to convert AC power input to lower DC voltages. For example, in personal computers, input AC power is usually either 110V, e.g., in the U.S., or 220V, e.g., in most European countries. The computer's digital circuits typically use 3.3V and 5V, and 12V is used to run motors in disk drives and fans.
Many power supplies are adapted to operate at either 110V or 220V. For example, an electrical device used in the U.S. operates with 110V AC input power. For some devices, if the user travels abroad and plugs the computer into 220V AC input power, internal circuitry will automatically accommodate the different input power. For other devices, the user manually operates a switch on the power supply so that the correct circuitry will be used depending upon what the input voltage is. The automatic circuitry tends to be more expensive than the manual switch.
If an electrical device that is set up to operate with 110V AC input voltage is plugged into 220V AC, the electrical device may be seriously damaged. Users of electrical devices having manual switches will often accidentally fail to set the switch on the device properly, often leading to damage of such devices. Accordingly, it is increasingly common for electrical devices to be provided with the internal circuitry necessary to automatically accommodate whatever type of power is input, adding to the cost of the devices. It is desirable to provide low cost protection against connection of electrical device power supplies to the wrong type of input power.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a power supply arrangement for an electrical device includes a power supply that is switchable between a first mode and a second mode, a first connector element of the power supply, the first connector element being one of a male and a female connector element for mating with a corresponding second connector element, the second connector element being one of a female and a male connector element, respectively, and a guard member disposed on the first connector element, the guard member being movable between a first position in which the first connector element is adapted to mate with any corresponding second connector elements and the power supply is in the first mode and a second position in which the first connector element is only adapted to mate with specially configured second connector elements and the power supply is in the second mode.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an electrical device includes a power supply that is switchable between a first mode and a second mode, the power supply including a first connector element, the first connector element being one of a male and a female connector element for mating with a corresponding second connector element, the second connector element being one of a female and a male connector element, respectively, the power supply also including a guard member disposed on the first connector element, the guard member being movable between a first position in which the first connector element is adapted to mate with any corresponding second connector elements and the power supply is in the first mode and a second position in which the first connector element is only adapted to mate with specially configured second connector elements and the power supply is in the second mode, and electrical equipment powered through the power supply.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a connector element assembly includes a connector element, the connector element being one of a male and a female connector element for mating with a corresponding mating connector element, the mating connector element being one of a female and a male connector element, respectively, and a guard member disposed on the connector element, the guard member being movable between a first position in which the connector element is adapted to mate with any corresponding mating connector elements and a second position in which the connector element is only adapted to mate with specially configured mating connector elements.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a connector element assembly includes a connector element, the connector element being one of a male and a female connector element for mating with a corresponding mating connector element, the mating connector element being one of a female and a male connector element, respectively, and a configuration on the connector element for cooperating with a guard member disposed on the mating connector element, the configuration permitting the connector element to mate with the mating connector element, the guard member preventing the mating connector element from mating with connector elements not having the configuration.

Connector elements including protective member for preventing connection to certain connector elements


A nonwoven disposable face mask includes a filtration layer formed of a plurality of thermoplastic microfine meltblown microfibers having an average fiber diameter of less than 1.5 microns. The filtration layer also has a basis weight of less than ten grams per square meter. The resultant face mask provides improved wearer comfort and barrier and filtration properties.

Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are widely used in a variety of applications, for example, as components of absorbent products such as disposable diapers, adult incontinence pads, and sanitary napkins; in medical applications such as surgical gowns, surgical drapes, sterilization wraps, and surgical face masks; and in other numerous applications such as disposable wipes, industrial garments, house wrap, carpets and filtration media.
By combining two or more nonwoven fabrics of different types, nonwoven fabric laminates have been developed for a variety of specific end use applications. For example, nonwoven fabric laminates have been developed to serve as a barrier to penetration by air borne contaminants, such as microorganisms. Barrier fabric laminates of this type typically include one or more microfibrous polymer layers, such as meltblown webs, combined with one or more layers of another type of nonwoven fabric.
For example, filtration face masks, well known in the medical and respiratory art, typically include as a component thereof a microfibrous barrier layer. Such face masks can be worn over the breathing passages of a person and typically serve at least one of two purposes: (1) to prevent impurities or contaminants from entering the wearer's breathing tract; and (2) to protect others from being exposed to bacteria and other contaminants exhaled by the wearer. In the first situation, the mask could be worn in an environment were the air contains particulates harmful to the wearer. In the second situation, the mask could be worn in an operating room to protect a patient from infection.
Meltblown nonwoven fabrics can display excellent liquid, gas and particulate filtration properties, and accordingly, have been included in fibrous filtration face masks as barrier layers. Advantageously, the meltblown web provides good barrier properties when incorporated in the mask without adversely impacting the comfort of the wearer of the mask, i.e., the breathability of the mask, as measured by the drop in pressure across the fabric (.DELTA.P). Typically, the meltblown component includes microfibers having an average diameter ranging from about 1.8 to 3 microns, and higher, and has a basis weight ranging from about 20 to 40 grams per square meter. In addition, typically, meltblown webs used in face mask applications exhibit a drop in pressure across the fabric of about 2.0 to 3.0 millimeters of water in the meltblown web. Industry standards typically require a pressure drop of 1.5 to 2.0 in the filtration media, and 2.0 to 4.0 in the finished mask. A variety of face mask constructions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,920,960, 4,969,457, and 5,150,703, all to Hubbard et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,061 to Brunson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,619 to Dyrud et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,796 to Kronzer et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,993 to Petersen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,005 to Grier-Idris; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,440 to Berg.
Despite these and other filtration media and face masks incorporating the same which are currently available, there exists a need to improve important filtration parameters, such as filtration efficiency and wearer comfort and breathability. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide filtration media having a light basis weight, which could also increase wearer comfort. However, increasing filtration efficiency can impair comfort and breathability.

Meltblown barrier webs and processes of making same


An autocalibrating modulating array transmitter 10 and autocalibration method 30. The autocalibrating modulating array transmitter is used to gain-balance and phase-balance parallel amplifier stages 11 for coherent combining. The novelty of the autocalibration technique involves periodic substitution of calibration symbols into a valid data stream, the use of only the error magnitude (as opposed to magnitude and phase), and a random selection of either gain or phase adjustments to avoid limit cycles.

The present invention relates generally to modulating array transmitters, and more particularly, to an autocalibrating modulating array QAM transmitter system and method.
Heretofore, the assignee of the present invention has developed modulating array transmitters. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,651, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a xe2x80x9cModulating Array QAM Transmitterxe2x80x9d, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,449 issued to Jasper et al. disclose xe2x80x9cPeak to Average Power Ratio Reduction Methodology for QAM Communications Systemsxe2x80x9d, for example. However to date, there has not been any system or method that provides for autocalibration of such modulating array transmitters.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide for autocalibrating modulating array QAM transmitter systems and methods.
To meet the above and other objectives, the present invention comprises autocalibrating modulating array QAM transmitter systems and methods. The present invention provides for self alignment of elements of a modulating array transmitter to maintain high waveform precision. The present invention is self correcting, requiring no manual alignment or realignment of transmitter elements, which is particularly important in satellite transmitters, for example. The present invention also maintains high precision of the communications waveform over the lifetime of the transmitter so that overall communications efficiency is maintained.
An exemplary autocalibrating modulating array transmitter system comprises a plurality of discrete, parallel quadrature power elements that each include a QPSK modulator coupled by way of a gain/phase adjustment circuit to a high-power amplifier driven to saturation. Data bits are input to a bit-to-symbol mapper whose outputs are coupled to the respective quadrature power elements. Outputs of the quadraphase power elements are combined in a passive network to produce a multilevel, high-power RF output signal. The output signal is sampled by a coupler and input to an autocalibration controller having outputs coupled to the bit-to-symbol mapper and to one of the gain/phase adjustment circuits. The autocalibration controller comprises a signle analog-to-digital converter that is used to sample the RF output signal.
An exemplary method or algorithm that is implemented in the autocalibrating modulating array transmitter system, and in particular in the autocalibration controller, comprises the following steps. A pair of quadraphase power elements is selected, one of which is adjusted, the other of which is held constant. A random decision is made to dither either the gain or the phase of the selected quadraphase power element. If the previous gain (phase) dither increases the error magnitude, the sign of the dither is reversed. The gain (phase) of the selected quadraphase power element is adjusted by the small dither amount (positive or negative).
A calibration symbol is sent, wherein the two phase-opposed output signals of the quadraphase power elements are designed to cancel each other. An analog-to-digital converter measures the error magnitude. Then, a predetermined number (105) of data symbols are sent, and the processing steps are repeated starting at the decision step, until the error magnitude is reduced below a threshold value. A new quadraphase power element is selected, and the above steps are then repeated, using the previously selected quadraphase power element as a reference, starting from the second step.

Modulating array transmitter autocalibration method and system


A light source includes an invisible light emitter that emits an invisible light beam and a visible light emitter that emits a visible light beam. A light source controller causes the light source to emit at least one light beam from among the invisible light beam and the visible light beam. A propagation controller causes an emission light beam emitted from the light source to propagate along a predetermined plane.

Systems have been developed that use image sensors such as CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensors, and infrared laser sensors, and as this kind of system, there are electronic blackboard system in which an indicated position, that is indicated by having a finger etc. touch the projection surface of the projector, is recognized; and in which the projector projects an image based on the recognition result.
In such an electronic blackboard system, an infrared laser device is arranged on, e.g., the outer peripheral portion of a screen which is a projection surface of a projector, such that infrared laser light emitted from the device is propagated along a plane parallel to the screen. When the infrared laser light is shielded by a shielding object such as a finger, the infrared laser light reflected by the shielding object is detected by an image sensor, and the indicated position is recognized on the basis of the detection result (see Patent Literature 1).
Some infrared laser devices for electronic blackboard systems are each provided with a laser light source and a propagation control mechanism that scans or diffuses infrared laser light emitted from the laser light source. In such an infrared laser device, a propagation region in which infrared laser light is propagated can be changed by changing the scan angle or the diffusion angle of the infrared laser light. In the above electronic blackboard in which infrared laser light reflected by a shielding object is detected, a recognizable region in which an indicated position can be recognized can be adjusted by changing the propagation region of the infrared laser light.

Light source device, electronic blackboard system, and method of controlling light source device


A circuit for controlling a read operation for a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) comprising an array of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) having conducting row and column lines attached thereto. The circuitry comprises a current supply for providing a read current, and a row selector for selecting a row containing a junction to be read and applying the read current to that row with the respective row line. An unselected row switch switches to at least some of the row lines not connected to the MTJ to be read, and a voltage source applies, via the unselected row switch, a voltage to each of the unselected row lines that is substantially identical in level to the voltage on the selected row line. A column selector selects the column line connected to the array containing the MTJ to be read, and a voltage detector for detecting the voltage across the MTJ to be read via the selected column and row lines.

The present invention relates to circuitry for controlling Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) devices for Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) devices.
MTJ devices for providing an MRAM are becoming popular and are considered to be of merit because they provide high data read speeds and enable provision of a memory device which is non-volatile.
A typical structure of an MTJ includes a substrate onto which is formed a bottom lead. A seed layer is formed on the bottom lead and then an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer formed on the seed layer. Above this is formed a pinned ferromagnetic layer, followed by an insulator layer and a free ferromagnetic layer. The free ferromagnetic layer is then capped and a top lead layer formed thereon. In simple terms, when the magnetisation of the free layer is parallel to that of the pinned layer the resistance of the device is low. However, when free layer magnetisation is anti-parallel to that of the pinned layer the resistance of the device is high.
Usually, the magnetisation of the pinned layer is fixed by the AFM layer. The magnetisation of the free layer can be changed from parallel to anti-parallel to that of the pinned layer by application of an external field. Using the properties of the device the magnetisation of the free layer can be used to record data. The different magnetisation states represent different resistance for the cell and the resistance can represent a xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d and act as a memory. Of course, in practice it is desirable to produce an array of MTJ devices, and this is usually done with individual devices in the array being connected in parallel. In such a case each of the devices in a cell connected at the cross junctions of the column and row lines of the array of cells. Mutual electrical connections are provided between all of the MTJ cells. However, this provides a shunting arrangement which has disadvantages. For example, the shunting arrangement adversely affects signal to noise ratio in a read operation, and has a further disadvantage in that in such a configuration the individual resistance and magneto resistance of a particular device in the array can not be detected separately and directly.
Improvements of the above arrangement have been suggested, and these include a provision of a diode or switching transistor for each device in the array. Discussion of this technology can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5640343 or in IEE Transactions, Magnetics 35(5), 2820(1999), Hans Boeve, et al. Provision of these extra components increases the overall cost of the memory array, however, and makes it difficult to produce a small device.
A further problem associated with such arrays is that, as storage density increases, cell dimension and lead wire width decrease, which results in an increase in connector resistance and decrease in relative cell resistance, causing problems in terms of increased signal to noise ratio.
The present invention seeks to provide a circuit for controlling MTJ devices for use in a magnetic random access memory, together with a MRAM which is free of the shunting effect found in prior art devices. It also seeks to overcome the problems associated with prior art devices in relation to connection lead resistance.
According to the present invention there is provided a circuit for controlling a read operation for a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) comprising an array of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) having conducting row and column lines attached thereto, the circuitry comprising:
a current supply for providing a read current;
a row selector for selecting a row containing a junction to be read and applying the read current to that row with the respective row line;
an unselected row switch for switching to at least some of the row lines not connected to the MTJ to be read;
a voltage source for applying, via the unselected row switch, a voltage to each of the unselected row lines that is substantially identical to the voltage on the selected row line;
a column selector for selecting the column line connected to the array containing the MTJ to be read; and
a voltage detector for detecting the voltage across the MTJ to be read via the selected column and row lines.
The voltage source may comprise a voltage follower having an input attached to the read current source and having an output attached to the input of the unselected row switch, and the voltage follower may comprise an appropriately configured operational amplifier.
According to the present invention there is also provided a magnetic random access memory comprising an array of magnetic tunnel junctions, each MTJ connected across a grid of electrically transmissive column and row lines to define a series of rows and columns of MTJ""s; and
a circuit of the type defined above.
In an MRAM according to the present invention the read lines may define the row lines, with the write lines defining the column lines.
A corresponding method is also provided.

Magnetic tunnel junction magnetic random access memory


An oil separator element is housed in a casing of an oil separator and consists of alternatively aligned perforated plates and plate type filter members. Adjacent perforated plates are respectively formed with perforated sections which are located opposite to each other relative to an imaginery vertical plane containing a casing longitudinal axis. A space between neighboring perforated plate and filter member is larger on the downstream side than that on the upstream side. Additionally, each filter member is formed of a three dimensional porous material having an inner structure by which oil mist can effectively coalesce.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an oil separator for separating engine lubricating oil from blow-by gas recycled back to engine combustion chambers through an intake system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern automotive engines including gasoline-fueled engines and diesel engines are usually provided with a so-called PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) system for the purpose of exhaust emission control. The PCV system consists of a PCV valve which is disposed in a blow-by gas recirculation line connecting a crankcase chamber (or a cylinder head cover chamber) and an intake manifold to control the amount of the recycled blow-by gas, so that the blow-by gas leaking within the engine is recycled back to engine combustion chambers via an intake system. In such a PCV system, if the blow-by gas is recycled as it is, engine lubricating oil in the state of mist and carbon particles contained in the blow-by gas will be adhered to the inner wall surface of pipings and various control members of engine control systems exposed to the recycled blow-by gas, thereby giving rise to various problems in engine control. In order to prevent such problems, it has been already proposed to provide an oil separator in the blow-by gas recirculation line downstream of the PCV valve to separate the lubricating oil mist and the carbon particles. A variety of oil separators are put into practical use in which most ones employ baffle plates and/or steel wool as an oil separating element. However, such oil separators are lower in oil separating efficiency, thereby still leaving the above-mentioned problem due to lubricating oil mist and carbon particles. In this regard, it is eagerly desired to obtain an oil separator of a high oil separating efficiency.


A marine steering system operable in either power steering or manual hydraulic modes. The system employs a modified helm pump having a single rotatable input shaft connectable to a steering wheel and dual hydraulic and electronic output. An encoder, such as an optical incremental encoder or hall effect device, is mechanically coupled to the input shaft for generating an electronic steering control signal representative of the change in position of the steering wheel. In the power steering mode, the electronic steering signal is processed by an amplifier controlling the operation of an auxiliary pumpset connected to the rudder steering cylinder. A bypass manifold disposed between the helm pump and the steering cylinder disables the hydraulic steering system in the power steering mode. In the event of power failure, the bypass manifold valves are opened and the system automatically switches to manual hydraulic steering.

This application relates to a steering system for marine vessels employing a modified helm pump having a rotary encoder mechanically coupled to its input shaft. The system is operable in either power steering or manual hydraulic steering modes.
Many small marine vessels, such as fishing boats, have manual hydraulic rather than power steering. Such vessels are controlled by rotating a steering wheel which causes delivery of hydraulic fluid from a helm pump directly to one or more steering cylinders which control the position of the vessel""s rudder. The disadvantages of manual steering are well recognized. For example, the steering wheel must typically be rotated a large number of revolutions in order to change the direction of the vessel. Generally speaking, the larger the vessel, the more effort is required to steer manually.
Other steering problems may arise in large marine vessels such as tankers (which typically include power steering systems). The primary problem is that it is not possible to effectively steer such vessels from the wheelhouse if the power system fails. Rather, the pilot must instruct remote operators in the steering gear flat or compartment to manually alter the position of the steering cylinders. If this back-up voice communication system fails, or if the pilot""s instructions are misunderstood or misinterpreted, safe control of the vessel may be lost.
Steering systems are known in the prior art having a primary electric control and a hydraulic back-up control. U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,811, Marsden et al., dated Apr. 12, 1988 relates to a steering system primarily designed for large earth moving construction and industrial vehicles rather than watercraft and hence it does not employ a helm pump. The steering system includes a steering wheel having a rotatable shaft coupled thereto. A sensor is provided for detecting the angular velocity of the shaft and directing an electrical signal to a control box. The control box, in turn, directs an electrical signal commensurate to the input signal from the sensor to energize a solenoid actuated pilot valve which in turn actuates the hydraulic steering system. The hydraulic steering circuit is disabled when the electrically controlled circuit is activated.
Since the Marsden et al. steering control system relates to land vehicles, a time delay between rotation of the steering wheel and adjustment of the steering control actuator is not permissible. Accordingly, in the Marsden et al. system a main pilot operated steering valve is provided for ensuring full flow of pressurized fluid to a steering piston in both the electric and hydraulic modes. The position of the steering wheel thus corresponds to an absolute steering position in both modes.
The Applicant has previously developed a steering signal conversion manifold specifically designed for watercraft for converting a manual hydraulic steering signal into a proportional electrical signal. The Applicant""s conversion manifold is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,745, the text and drawings of which are incorporated herein by reference. The manifold is connectable between a hydraulic fluid supply, such as a conventional helm pump, and a hydraulic steering cylinder controlling the operation of a steering tiller. The manifold includes a rotary actuator responsive to variations in flow of hydraulic fluid from the helm pump. In particular, the rotary actuator comprises a rotor shaft having a potentiometer mounted at one end thereof. In operation, when the steering wheel is turned in the power steering mode, hydraulic fluid is diverted from the helm pump into the manifold resulting in rotation of the manifold rotor shaft. This in turn causes the potentiometer to generate an electrical signal representative of the change in position of the rotary actuator and hence proportional to the manual hydraulic steering signal. In alternative embodiments of the invention, signal generating devices other than a potentiometer may be used for generating a proportional electrical signal, such as a hall effect device or an optical encoder.
While the steering signal conversion manifold of the ""745 Patent is useful for its intended purpose and has exhibited commercial success, the Applicant has recognized that the same benefits may be achieved by other means. In the present invention, means for generating an electronic signal are coupled directly to the helm pump input shaft upstream from the hydraulic fluid supply lines. The signal generating means may comprise, for example, an optical encoder which generates signals responsive to rotation of the input shaft as the steering wheel is rotated. This arrangement is more versatile than the prior art system since the electronic signals generated do not necessarily correlate with absolute steering positions. Further, since the signal generating device is coupled directly to the pump input shaft, there is no time delay initiating the steering commands in the power steering mode.
Electric helms are known in the prior art which resemble a standard helm pump. However, when the steering wheel is turned a potentiometer sends an electrical signal to an amplifier controlling a power unit rather than pumping hydraulic fluid from the helm. No hydraulic back-up system is available in the event of power failure.
The need has arisen for a modified helm pump having a standard input shaft and dual hydraulic and electronic output. The invention may be conveniently retrofitted into existing vessels to provide power steering, and may also be readily installed in larger vessels to provide back-up, emergency manual steering.
In accordance with the invention, a marine helm pump assembly is provided comprising a helm pump for actuating the flow of hydraulic fluid and a first signal generator mounted on the helm pump. The helm pump includes a chamber for holding a supply of the hydraulic fluid; a single rotatable input shaft connectable to a steering wheel; and first and second fluid ports in communication with the chamber for enabling flow of the hydraulic fluid into and out of the helm pump in response to changes in position of the input shaft. The first signal generator is mounted on the helm pump and is operatively coupled to the input shaft for producing digital steering signals representative of changes in position of the input shaft.
Preferably the first signal generator is connected to the input shaft by means of a direct mechanical connection. For example, the signal generator may be mounted directly on the input shaft or may be coupled to the input shaft by means of a spur gear or belt connector. The signal generator may comprise, for example, an incremental optical encoder. Alternatively, a hall effect device or potentiometer may be employed. The assembly may further include a second signal generator also coupled to the input shaft in a similar manner for redundancy purposes.
A steering system for a marine vessel is also described enabling both electric power and manual hydraulic steering. The system includes a helm pump having a primary hydraulic fluid supply and a rotatable input shaft, the input shaft being connectable to a steering actuator, such as a steering wheel. In response to changes in position of the input shaft the helm pump pumps hydraulic fluid from the primary hydraulic fluid supply into hydraulic fluid supply lines connectable to a hydraulic steering cylinder for controlling the position of the vessel""s rudder. A first signal generator is mounted on the helm pump and is operatively coupled to the input shaft for producing digital steering signals representative of changes in position of the input shaft.
Preferably the steering system further comprises a bypass manifold in fluid communication with the helm pump and the steering cylinder and located therebetween. The bypass manifold is adjustable between a first position permitting flow of hydraulic fluid between the helm pump and the steering cylinder and a second position blocking flow of hydraulic fluid between the helm pump and the steering cylinder.
The system may further include a programmable controller connectable to an electric power source and adjustable between energized and deenergized states, the controller receiving input from the signal generator in the energized state. A pumpset having a secondary hydraulic fluid supply is also provided which is connectable to the steering cylinder. The pumpset is adjustable between a third position enabling flow of hydraulic fluid between the pumpset and the steering cylinder and a fourth position blocking flow of hydraulic fluid between the pumpset and the steering cylinder. In the energized state the controller maintains the bypass manifold in the second position and the pumpset in the third position to enable power steering of the vessel. In the energized state the controller transmits control signals to the pumpset responsive to the digital steering signals received from the signal generating device. In the deenergized state the bypass manifold is automatically adjusted to the first position and the pumpset is automatically adjusted to the fourth position to enable manual hydraulic steering of the vessel.
In one embodiment of the invention the bypass manifold comprises:
(a) at least one inlet port for receiving hydraulic fluid from the helm pump;
(b) at least one outlet port for enabling delivery of hydraulic fluid from the manifold to the steering cylinder;
(c) a first conduit connecting the inlet port and the outlet port; and
(d) a first diverter for selectively diverting hydraulic fluid from the first conduit to the second conduit when the manifold is in the second position.
A second diverter may also be provided for blocking hydraulic fluid flow within the bypass manifold when a hardover steering condition is detected. Both the first and second diverters may comprise solenoid valves electrically connected to the controller when the controller is in the energized state.
The system may further include a rudder feedback device for sensing the position of the vessel""s rudder and transmitting a feedback signal to the controller.

Marine steering system having dual hydraulic and electronic output


In a method for granulating and comminuting liquid slags, especially metal-oxide-containing slags, coal, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and/or coal/water mixtures or coal slurries are driven into the slag or the slag jet. The liquid slag is transferred into an expansion and granulation chamber and subsequently into a mill, especially a jet or impact mill. In the device for carrying out the method provided with a slag tundish and a lance arranged coaxially to the axis of the tundish tube the tundish tube is designed as a hole-type nozzle. Devices for applying carbon carriers and/or water nozzles are arranged radially outside of the mouth of the tundish tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is relates to a method for granulating and comminuting liquid slags, especially slags containing metal oxides such as, e.g., converter slags or refuse-incineration slags, mixtures of steel- and blast-furnace slags or non-ferrous metallurgic slags, e.g., Cu-- or Ni slags as well as to a device for carrying out this method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an older development of the applicant (GM 94/98) a method already has been disclosed for granulating and comminuting liquid slags in which method pressurized water was driven into the slag melt, especially for the comminution of liquid blast-furnace slags, and the slag brought as a surface of the jet of pressurized water into a grinding chamber. With this method the direct conversion of the internal energy and especially of the perceptible heat of slag melts into grinding operations was directly utilized; however, the older suggestion, in which only water was driven in under high pressure, has a number of limitations with regard to the selection of the slags to be granulated and comminuted. The older method was basically suited primarily for the comminution of blast-furnace slags with only slight amounts of metals or metallic particles produced during the granulation. Blast-furnace slag to be granulated generally has a low amount of residual raw iron which is below 0.5% by weight if the method is carried out properly on the other hand, slags containing metal oxide or iron oxide such as converter slags have considerably greater amounts of residual raw iron and/or readily reducible iron oxides which, in conjunction with water as granulation medium, might bring pose a danger of exploding due to the formation of hydrogen gas. It was therefore suggested for this reason in the older method that the liquid slags be completely oxidized by introducing oxygen in order to increase safety and to saturate the liquid slags with gases in order to improve the communution action.

Method and device for granulating and comminuting liquid slags