The shaft-lever coupling means is comprised of two sections. The first section has a generally V-shaped cross-section configuration to receive a shaft between the interior walls of the first section, the shaft being secured between the interior wall by a bolt passed generally transversely through the first section and shaft, a mating nut being secured to the end of the bolt. A second section extends generally perpendicular to the first section having at least one hole sized to receive a lever.

This invention relates to lever-to-shaft coupling means.
Linkage arrangements have been used for many applications where the transmission of force and displacement are required. Then means of coupling an input shaft to linkage levers varies between a very sloppy fit between the levers and the associated shaft, which is typically the most economical to manufacture, to a solid fit between the levers and the associated shaft, which is typically the most expensive to manufacture.
This invention relates to lever-to-shaft coupling means which is both economical to manufacture and provides a solid or positive communication between a shaft and levers able to transmit force and displacement in both the rotational and axial directions.


A system and method for controlling microbial growth on and in medical devices and implants, especially biofilm infections, involves using pulsed electric fields (PEF). To eradicate at least a portion of a biofilm on a medical implant, for example, 1500 volts can be applied through an electrode system, with pulse duration of 50 μs and pulse delivery frequency of 2 Hz. In the clinical setting, systemic microbial therapy can be combined with PEF to achieve a synergistic effect leading to improved eradication of infections.

Bacterial infections that exist as single independent cells are referred to as planktonic, and are generally treated with antibiotics depending on relatively fast and accurate diagnoses. In contrast, a biofilm is an accumulation of bacteria embedded in a polysaccharide matrix, which adheres to a biologic or non-biologic surface. The formation of biofilm is a significant medical problem, accounting for over eighty percent of microbial infections in the body. Examples include infections of indwelling catheters, cardiac implants, prosthetic heart valves, synthetic vascular grafts and stents, internal fixation devices, prostheses, synthetic mesh, tracheal and ventilator tubing, oral soft tissues, dental implants and teeth, middle ear, gastrointestinal tract, airway/lung tissue, eyes, urogenital tract, urinary tract prostheses, peritoneal membrane and peritoneal dialysis catheters, and percutaneous sutures. Bacteria within biofilms have increased resistance to antibiotics, even though these same bacteria are sensitive to antibiotics if grown under planktonic conditions. The matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) has an essential role in defining the cohesiveness and other physical properties of these adherent microbial communities. Additionally, biofilm growth increases the opportunity for gene transfer between bacteria, therefore further perpetuating antibiotic resistance. Recent studies have shown that extracellular DNA, secreted by bacteria, prevent efficient drug delivery to the biofilms. Control of biofilm persistence and growth is thus problematic due to increased resistance to treatment with antibiotics as compared to planktonic cells.
Use of a synthetic mesh is currently the most common repair material used for reinforcement of ventral hernias. Mesh infection is an example of a type of implant infection in which surgical removal and debridement can result in significant morbidity for patients. Two million Americans undergo abdominal surgery annually with a postoperative incisional hernia rate of 10 to 23 percent. About 400,000 ventral hernia repairs are performed each year in the United States alone, with reported hernia recurrences in 40 to 50 percent of cases. Synthetic mesh reinforces hernia repairs and has been shown to decrease recurrences compared to primary repair alone. However, morbidities related to mesh infection can limit efficacy. Reported mesh infection rates range from 4 to 16 percent. Known mesh complications include infection requiring prolonged antibiotic coverage, surgical debridements, and mesh explantation. Postoperative mesh infections requiring debridement and mesh explantation continue to be devastating problems for patients, and a reconstructive challenge for surgeons.
Multiple pathways may lead to infection of synthetic mesh. Patients may have an acute postoperative mesh infection, or dehiscence of the wound may expose the mesh, leading to colonization and infection of the prosthesis. Reoperation through synthetic mesh may also lead to infection. Additionally, seromas that develop may become infected, leading to subsequent contamination and removal of the prosthesis. The bacteria that commonly infect mesh are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Prevotella bivia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotics alone are not an effective treatment for mesh infections.
Techniques for promoting biofilm detachment with chemical and enzymatic agents that attack the EPS matrix have been investigated with variable and overall disappointing results. Because there is no effective treatment for biofilm infections, the gold standard treatment is mechanical removal of the infected material and/or tissue. But mechanical removal is not always possible without risk of serious complications. If the biofilm infected material cannot be removed, the patient is placed on chronic suppressive antibiotics, therefore requiring several different antibiotics at high doses for an extended period of time. This may induce further resistance, tolerance, and eventually chronic infection.
What is needed is a non-antibiotic based intervention that addresses biofilm infections and reduces emerging microbial resistance to multiple drugs.

System and method for electrical control of bacteria


A battery comprising a rope handle which engages a standard structure on a conventional battery container. The rope handle comprises end portions coupled to a rope portion, the end portions being adapted to engage substantially vertical, elongated channels which are standard structures in the end walls of the battery container. The end portions comprise downwardly extending leg portions from which arms extend outwardly. When the end portion is in position in the channel, the legs extend through the channel and the arms are disposed below the channel such that the end portion is secured to the battery container.

Starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) batteries are typically used in automotive, recreational, and other applications, are heavy, cumbersome, and usually require two hands for carrying. The desirability of providing such batteries with attachable/detachable handles for facilitating carrying, placement, and retrieval of such batteries has long been known. Such handles are a particular convenience in batteries designed for use in boats or in uninterrupted power supply (UPS) applications which must be frequently moved for storage, service, or recharging.
Bail-type handles, which are known in the art, typically comprise a U- or C-shaped member attached to opposing sides of a battery casing, either on its container or cover. With such handles, the battery may be carried in much the same fashion as a picnic basket or bail.
Substantially rigid bail-type handles are known in the art. A variety of such handle designs have been proposed for carrying batteries. Detachable, substantially rigid bail handles are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,515 to Rector, U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,022 to Fox, U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,248 to Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,625 to McCartney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,796 to Baumgartner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,769 to Cole et al., and U.S. Pat. Des. 292,696 to Sahli.
Rope-type handles are likewise known in the art. Rope-type handles typically have one or more injection molded plastic parts coupled by flexible rope sections and, accordingly, are physically highly flexible. The rope sections are generally a braided synthetic material such as polypropylene.
According to one type of rope handle design, the ends of the rope handle are manually fed into two holes and coupled to the battery container. In the battery disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,520 to Buskirk et al. the rope handle is coupled to the battery container by cementing the ends of the rope in recesses in projections on the sides of the battery container. Alternately, the ends of the rope handle may include an enlarged molded plastic portion and may be pressed into slots underneath the handle bracket area as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797876 to Gummelt and U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,819 to Grabb. According to other designs, the ends of the rope may be enlarged as shown for example in British Patent 869,329, or the ends coupled or welded together as shown for example in British Patent 869,329 and British Patent 1,453,977.
Rope handle designs have also included looped rope portions extending from the ends of a molded plastic grip portion as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 971,876 to Apple, U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,702 to McVey, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,769 to Cole et al. The looped rope portions are then coupled to the battery container via dedicated protrusions extending from the walls of the battery by looping the rope around the protrusion and then securing it into a recess or the like.
Installation of these rope handle designs, however, may be labor intensive. Threading the ends of the rope through openings and properly securing the ends to the battery container, or securing the loop ends around a protrusion and into a recess can be quite time consuming. Moreover installation of rope handles generally requires the operator or user to have full access to walls of the battery to manipulate the flexible rope.
Additionally, these designs generally require specialized handle brackets to be molded into specific containers. This can result in increased costs in the form of mold and tooling costs, as well as increased labor and downtime costs during changeover. Further, storage and floor space costs increase, as the battery manufacturer must maintain larger inventories.


An air bag restraint system includes an air bag module having an inflator with arming plunger which must be depressed to arm the inflator, the air bag module is mounted between a pair of side plates of a bracket assembly for pivotal movement between operative and inoperative positions, catch plates are provided for releasably securing the air bag module in its operative position, an arming mechanism having a pin mounted with respect to the arming plunger for transverse movement with respect thereto betweeen a disarmed and armed position, the pin being arranged to engage a contoured end face of the arming plunger to depress the arming plunger as it moves from its disarmed to its armed position, the pin being biased to its disarmed position and an anvil associated with the bracket assembly being provided for engagement of the pin to move it from its disarmed to its armed position as the air bag module is pivoted from its inoperative to its operative position.

The present invention relates to air bag restraint systems for motor vehicles and in particular to the means for mounting an air bag module behind the fascia of a vehicle, but may also be applied to systems in which an air bag module is mounted in another location within the vehicle.
It is proposed to mount an air bag module of a restraint system for a motor vehicle behind a blow out panel on the fascia of the vehicle in front of the front passenger seat, so that in a collision, the air bag will be deployed in front of the passenger to prevent the passenger coming into contact with the fascia or windscreen. The air bag module comprises an inflator which includes a pyrotechnic device and a trigger device which in a collision will initiate a fast burn process to rapidly produce large volumes of gases which will inflate the air bag. For safety reasons, the trigger device of the inflator has a spring loaded plunger which must first be depressed to arm the inflator, before the inflator can be triggered.
The present invention provides means for mounting the air bag module which will prevent installation of the air bag module without it being armed and removal of the air bag module from the vehicle until the air bag module has been disarmed.


An angular speed sensor comprises a pair of mobile masses which are formed in an epitaxial layer and are anchored to one another and to the remainder of the device by anchorage elements. The mobile masses are symmetrical with one another, and have first mobile excitation electrodes which are intercalated with respective first fixed excitation electrodes and second mobile detection electrodes which are intercalated with second fixed detection electrodes. The first mobile and fixed excitation electrodes extend in a first direction and the second mobile and fixed detection electrodes extend in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and is disposed on a single plane parallel to the surface of the device.

Angular sensors can be used in the car industry, for ABS, active suspensions, ASR, dynamic control of the vehicle and ineitial navigation systems; in consumer goods, for image stabilization systems in cinecameras, in sports equipment, in three-dimensional "mice"; in industrial process control, for example in the control of industrial machines, in robotics; in the medical field; and in the military field, for new weapons systems.
Conventional gyroscopes, which are based on conservation of the angular moment of a rotating mass, are too costly and bulky, and are insufficiently reliable for the new applications. In addition, although optical fiber and laser gyroscopes have excellent performance levels, they are too costly for the applications indicated.
The increasing need for small, inexpensive gyroscopes has stimulated development activity in many industrial and academic research centers. In about the 1950s, the first vibrating gyroscopes were thus produced: they measure the angular speed of the systems on which they are fitted, by detecting the effect of the Coriolis force on a mass which vibrates in the non-inertial rotating system. In these sensors it is essential for the sensing mass to be kept moving by means of an actuation mechanism. The first gyroscope produced in the 1950s used a magnetic field for excitation of the sensing mass and detection of the Coriolis force; subsequently in the 1960s, the piezoelectric effect, which is now the most commonly used type, was employed (see for example B. Johnson, "Vibrating Rotation Sensors", Sensors and Actuators, 1995, SAE, SP-1066, pages 41-47).
At present, there is need for vibrating gyroscopes in which the motion-sensing device comprises a silicon microstructure. In fact, the possibility of using machinery and production processes which are typical of the microelectronics industry should make it possible to produce gyroscopes in large volumes and at a low cost, which are essential requirements for car industry and consumer goods applications.

Integrated angular speed sensor device and production method thereof


Apparatus is provided in which a signal indicative of the tremor is sensed. This signal is amplified in a variable gain amplifier. During an initial time interval the size of the amplifier signal is determined and the gain of the amplifier is adjusted in response to the signal size. Then means are provided for indicating the size of frequency of the adjusted signal during a further time period to give a tremor measurement which may be relatively easily interpreted.

This invention relates to apparatus for measuring tremor in a part of a living body, for example in a limb or part of a limb of a human body.
Tremor is a series of involuntary, small variable movements involving a part or parts of the body moved by skeletal muscles. Limb tremor can be divided into two categories, namely normal and abnormal tremor, and these can be sub-divided into rest tremor, postural tremor and intention tremor. Rest tremor occurs when a limb is hanging freely without voluntary movement, and is commonly increased in diseases involving the extrapyramidal system, for example Parkinson's disease. Intention tremor occurs when a limb is voluntarily moved from one position to another, and is increased in diseases where there is a degeneration of the cerebellum and basal ganglia, for example multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Wilson's disease. Postural or physiologic tremor occurs when a limb is voluntarily maintained in a position rather than rest. Abnormal postural tremor occurs during withdrawal from addiction to alcohol or drugs such as narcotics and barbiturates. Normal postural tremor is increased during fatigue, anxiety and stress. Also, normal postural tremor is reduced by alcohol, and hence may provide an involuntary measure of the effect of alcohol.
For various reasons, some of which will be evident from the proceeding paragraph, the measure of tremor is extremely useful in the treatment of various diseases or other abnormal conditions of the human body. Because of the actual physical movements involved in tremor, i.e. very small rapid movements of widely differing amplitude and frequency, the reliable measurement of tremor and the interpretation of the results of such measurements present considerable problems. To be of practical use, apparatus for the measurement of tremor should not only measure tremor accurately but should also present the results of such measurements in a manner which can be relatively easily interpreted by medical personnel. Known apparatus of this kind has not fulfilled both these requirements.

Alcoholism & Drug Addiction Research Foundation


A microelectronic package including a microelectronic die disposed within an opening in a microelectronic packaging core, wherein an encapsulation material is disposed within portions of the opening not occupied by the microelectronic die. Build-up layers of dielectric materials and conductive traces are then fabricated on the microelectronic die, the encapsulant material, and the microelectronic package core to form the microelectronic package.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and processes for packaging microelectronic dice. In particular, the present invention relates to a packaging technology that encapsulates a microelectronic die within a microelectronic package core.
2. State of the Art
Higher performance, lower cost, increased miniaturization of integrated circuit components, and greater packaging density of integrated circuits are ongoing goals of the computer industry. As these goals are achieved, microelectronic dice become smaller. Of course, the goal of greater packaging density requires that the entire microelectronic die package be equal to or only slightly larger (about 10% to 30%) than the size of the microelectronic die itself. Such microelectronic die packaging is called a xe2x80x9cchip scale packagingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cCSPxe2x80x9d.
As shown in FIG. 20, true CSP involves fabricating build-up layers directly on an active surface 204 of a microelectronic die 202. The build-up layers may include a dielectric layer 206 disposed on the active surface 204. Conductive traces 208 may be formed on the dielectric layer 206, wherein a portion of each conductive trace 208 contacts at least one contact 212 on the active surface 204. External contacts, such as solder balls or conductive pins for contact with an external component (not shown), may be fabricated to electrically contact at least one conductive trace 208. FIG. 20 illustrates the external contacts as solder balls 214 which are surrounded by a solder mask material 216 on the dielectric layer 206. However in such true CSP, the surface area provided by the microelectronic die active surface 204 generally does not provide enough surface for all of the external contacts needed to contact the external component (not shown) for certain types of microelectronic dice (e.g., logic).
Additional surface area can be provided with the use of an interposer, such as a substrate (substantially rigid material) or a flex component (substantially flexible material). FIG. 21 illustrates a substrate interposer 222 having a microelectronic die 224 attached to and in electrical contact with a first surface 226 of the substrate interposer 222 through small solder balls 228. The small solder balls 228 extend between contacts 232 on the microelectronic die 224 and conductive traces 234 on the substrate interposer first surface 226. The conductive traces 234 are in discrete electrical contact with bond pads 236 on a second surface 238 of the substrate interposer 222 through vias 242 that extend through the substrate interposer 222. External contacts 244 are formed on the bond pads 236 (shown as solder balls). The external contacts 244 are utilized to achieve electrical communication between the microelectronic die 224 and an external electrical system (not shown).
The use of the substrate interposer 222 requires number of processing steps, which increases the cost of the package. Additionally, the use of the small solder balls 228 presents crowding problems which can result in shorting between the small solder balls 228 and can present difficulties in inserting underfill material between the microelectronic die 224 and the substrate interposer 222 to prevent contamination and to increase mechanical reliability. Furthermore, necessity of having two sets of solder balls (i.e., small solder balls 228 and external contacts 244) to achieve connection between the microelectronic die 224 and the external electrical system decreases the overall performance of the microelectronic die package.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop new apparatus and techniques to provide additional surface area to form traces for use in CSP applications and eliminate the necessity of the substrate interposer.


The present invention relates to a switchable d.c. voltage regulation circuit having an input terminal, an output terminal, a reference terminal, and a control terminal, including a gate turn-off thyristor, the main terminals of which are connected to the input terminal and to the output terminal, respectively; a resistor connected between the input terminal and the cathode gate of the thyristor; a transistor, the main terminals of which are connected to the cathode gate of the thyristor and to the reference terminal, respectively; and an avalanche diode connected between the output terminal and the base of the transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switchable d.c. voltage regulation circuit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Such a circuit is schematically shown in FIG. 1 and is referred to with reference 1. It is connected by its input to a d.c. voltage Vin and outputs a voltage Vout which must remain as constant as possible when Vin varies or when the current Iout in a load L varies. This circuit is provided with a control input CTRL to output either voltage Vout or a zero voltage. An application of such a circuit is, in the automobile field, to supply a light-emitting diode or a chain of light-emitting diodes. Such light-emitting diodes can, for example, be used as the third tail light of a car. Thus, voltage Vin is the battery voltage of the vehicle and can vary significantly.
In the following, it will be assumed for simplification that voltage Vin and voltage Vout are positive voltages referenced to the ground.
FIG. 2 shows an elementary voltage regulation circuit. The voltage regulation is performed by an avalanche diode Z, the anode of which is grounded and the cathode of which is connected on the one hand to a regulated output terminal Vout and on the other hand to an input terminal Vin via a resistor R1. A switch such as a transistor TR1 is arranged between terminal Vout and the ground. The base of this transistor receives control voltage CTRL. Thus, when the transistor is off, a voltage Vout substantially equal to the avalanche voltage of avalanche diode Z is present at the output. This circuit has several drawbacks. A first drawback is the presence of power resistor R1. If, for example, output voltage Vout has to be regulated to 10 V and voltage Vin rises to a value of 30 V, the voltage drop across the resistor will be on the order of 20 V and for a resistance of 50 ohms, a dissipated power of 1 Watt is reached. Such power resistors are expensive. Another drawback of the circuit of FIG. 2 is that the current in avalanche diode Z is likely to greatly vary when voltage Vin varies. As a result, the output voltage variation can be significant.
Another series resistor assembly is illustrated in FIG. 3. A resistor R1 is connected between terminals Vin and Vout as in FIG. 2. An avalanche diode Z is connected between the collector and the base of transistor TR1, itself connected between Vout and the ground. A biasing resistor R2 is connected between the base and the emitter of transistor TR1. In this case, the nominal regulation voltage is the voltage of the avalanche diode plus the base/emitter voltage of transistor TR1. The same drawback of use of a series resistor in the main current circuit appears in this assembly. An advantage with respect to the assembly of FIG. 2 is that voltage Vout varies less with the variations of voltage Vin.
To avoid the drawbacks of circuits with a series resistor, circuits in which a semiconductor component, generally less expensive than a power resistor, is arranged in the branch in series between input terminal Vin and output terminal Vout have also been provided in prior art. This semiconductor component further enables to interrupt the current in the power branch and thus to limit losses during phases where a zero output voltage is desired.
FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit with a gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor. A GTO thyristor Th1 is connected by its anode to terminal Vin and by its cathode to terminal Vout. A resistor R3 is connected between the anode gate and the cathode gate. The cathode gate is grounded via an avalanche diode Z and possibly a forward-biased diode d to perform a temperature compensation function. A transistor TR2 is connected between the cathode gate of thyristor Th1 and the ground. The base of transistor TR2 is connected to a control terminal CTRL. When the transistor is off, the thyristor is normally on under the effect of its gate biasing due to resistor R3. Output voltage Vout is regulated to the cathode/gate voltage drop plus the voltage of avalanche diode Z. When transistor TR2 is turned on, the thyristor turns off and voltage Vout becomes substantially zero. The anode gate could also not be used, and resistor R3 could be directly connected to the thyristor anode. The assembly shown has the advantage of ensuring protection in case of an inversion of the biasing of voltage Vin, which can occur when the voltage source corresponds to an automobile battery.
Another circuit with a semiconductor component is shown in FIG. 5. Thyristor Th1 is replaced with a transistor TR3. The other circuit elements are similar to those of FIG. 4. This circuit notably has the disadvantage of requiring a transistor with a relatively high gain, which is relatively difficult to obtain in the case of a power transistor with a high direct breakdown voltage.

Switchable D.C. voltage regulation circuit


A management apparatus manages a plurality of air conditioning apparatuses based on a power consumption amount adjustment request. The management apparatus includes a distribution information generation unit and an information acquisition unit that acquires current state information for each air conditioning apparatus. The distribution information generation unit, when the power consumption amount adjustment is requested, generates distribution information used to distribute the power consumption amount adjustment request to the air conditioning apparatuses. The distribution information generation unit calculates a probability of each air conditioning apparatus canceling the power consumption amount adjustment request at a future time relative to a time point of the current state information, based on the current state information. The distribution information is updated by reducing a distribution amount to one of the air conditioning apparatuses and allocating the distribution amount to another one of the air conditioning apparatuses in one of two ways.

There has been proposed having an agent on a power supply side request demand control for adjusting a power consumption amount (request adjustment of a power consumption amount) in order to avoid the occurrence of a shortage in amount of power supply when electricity supply is tight as a result of a temporary increase in power consumption amount due to a number of apparatuses that consume power operating at the same time.
The operability of such a system is improved by granting a financial incentive or other incentive to a consumer who has acceded such a power consumption amount adjustment request.
In this case, the adjustment request amount of the power consumption amount requested by the agent on the power supply side is so large that it cannot be acceded by the amount of adjustment by one consumer, and hence a management apparatus configured to manage a larger number of consumers is employed.
When the management apparatus receives the power consumption amount adjustment request from the agent on the power supply side, in order for the adjustment request to be acceded, for example, the management apparatus specifies a consumer who can accept the request from among a plurality of consumers managed by the management apparatus, and makes that consumer adjust their power consumption amount. Then, the consumer who has cooperated by adjusting their power consumption amount is granted the incentive.
Here, for example, in the example described in JP-A 2012-165513, a management apparatus periodically accepts schedules of achievable power consumption reduction amounts for each consumer, and predetermines a power reduction schedule for each of the consumers. Then, when the management apparatus receives a power consumption amount adjustment request from an agent on a power supply side, the management apparatus implements the power reduction schedules that have been predetermined for each of the consumers.

Management apparatus for plurality of air conditioning apparatuses


An indoor testing device for multiple rotor-containing flying objects including a main support having a plurality of linking members, a plurality of mechanical arms, a plurality of trays, and control units of the mechanical arms. The main support is disposed vertically. The mechanical arms are separately disposed on the linking members of the main support with different height. The trays are separately disposed on one end of the mechanical arms for receiving rotor-containing flying objects, and the control units are disposed on the mechanical arms and rotate therewith. The device can be used for the cooperation and coordination test of multiple rotor-containing flying objects and autonomous control experiments of a single rotor-containing flying object. The tests have high stimulation and improve the usability of the experimental results in the actual system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a testing device for testing the performance of a plurality of simultaneously-flying objects, and more particularly to an indoor testing device for multiple rotor-containing flying objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flying objects (e.g., robots, drones, helicopters, etc., manned or unmanned) with rotors have excellent mobility even in a limited space and thus can fulfill complicated missions that cannot be achieved by conventional aircrafts. If a plurality of rotor-containing flying objects is combined to fulfill missions cooperatively, the objectives can be achieved with high efficiency and high reliability. However, because existing test conditions for multiple rotor-containing flying objects exhibit high cost and risk, the coordination of a plurality of rotor-containing flying objects is very difficult to put into practice. Therefore, it is urgent to develop an indoor testing device for multiple rotor-containing flying objects with lost cost and low risk.

Indoor testing device for a plurality of rotor-containing flying objects

Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences


Embodiments of crossbar devices constructed with Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) switches are disclosed herein. A crossbar device may comprise m input terminals, n output terminals, n control lines and m×n MEMS switches coupled to the n control lines to selectively couple the m input terminals to the n output terminal. Each of the MEMS switches may comprise a contact node coupled to one of the m input terminals, a cantilever coupled to one of the n output terminals, a control node coupled to one of the n control lines to electrostatically control the cantilever to contact the contact node or be away from the contact node using electrostatic attractive or repulsive force respectively. The cantilever and the contact node are configured to remain in contact by molecular adhesion force, after the cantilever has been electrostatically controlled to contact the contact node, and the electrostatic attractive force has been removed. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

A crossbar device is a circuit component used to make arbitrary connections between a set of inputs to a set of outputs. Crossbar devices are typically implemented using transistors. However, there may be several disadvantages of the transistor-based implementation of crossbar devices. One of the potential disadvantages is the effective resistance of the transistors, which is compounded when the transistors are coupled in series. Another potential disadvantage is the voltage drop over the transistors, which reduces the speed of the circuit and requires the output signals of the crossbar device to be restored. In the context of configurable circuits, memory elements are needed to control the transistors in the crossbar, consuming both area and power.
MEMS switches have been used for Radio Frequency (RF) switching applications which require very high frequency signals to be switched. However, conventional MEMS switches are known to potentially suffer from the problem of "stiction" which renders a switch remaining stuck closed due to molecular adhesion force. Depending on the application, the problem could be serious or critical. MEMS switches also are relatively slow compared to transistors when switching from one state to another.

Crossbar device constructed with MEMS switches


An article storage and retrieval system has a plurality of annular and generally concentric tracks of any desired shape each carrying a train of holder frames each having a pair of ends spaced apart by a gap. Each train has at each of the holder frames a pivot connecting each frame to the adjacent frames for relative pivoting of the frames and adaptation of the train to any shape track. A set of vertically spaced holders is removably supported in each of the holder frames so that when the gaps thereof are aligned in a service aisle it is possible to obtain access to any of the holders.

The present invention relates to an article retrieval and storage system. More particularly this invention concerns such systems which can be used for the storage in a relatively limited floor space of a large quantity of relatively small articles such as books, electronic parts, or the like.
In my above-cited copending application Ser. No. 680,876 I disclose a storing and retrieving method wherein each of the articles is held in a respective holder. A first group of the holders is arrayed in a first train displaceable about a first annular track and having a pair of ends spaced apart by a gap. A second group of holders separate from the first group is arrayed in a second train displaceable about a second annular track to one side of the first track. One of these tracks lies within the other track. Access can be gained to the holders of the second group from a fixed station to the other side of the first track by displacing the first train into a position with its gap aligned with the station and by displacing the second train into a position with the desired holder aligned with the gap and therethrough with the station. Thus access may be had to this one holder and the article therein from the station through the gap. Furthermore access may be had to any of the holders of the second train simply by displacing the desired holder into alignment with the access station.
Thus with the system according to my earlier invention it is possible from an access station inside or outside a plurality of annular tracks to gain access to any of a multiplicity of holders arrayed in several trains each on a respective one of the tracks. Such a system may have, for instance, seven such tracks each of which has a respective train of holders with a gap in the train so that access can be had through each train to the train on the other side of it.
In accordance with yet another feature of this previous invention each train has two subgroups of holders, an inner group accessible only from the inside of the respective track and an outer subgroup only accessible from the outside of the respective track. Thus the number of addresses or locations at which the various articles can be stored is virtually doubled with a given floor space.
According to this earlier invention the tracks are circularly concentric. The access station is provided outside the concentric array of tracks. Thus it is possible to gain access to the articles in any one of the tracks merely by displacing it and it alone into a position aligned with the aisle formed by the gaps of all of the trains. In an arrangement wherein each of the trains has an inner and outer subgroup of holders as described immediately above, the operator need merely walk down the aisle beyond the track on which the train whose inner group he wishes access to runs. Once radially inside this track a starter device, such as a simple start or enter switch, is pressed in order to displace the train on the track radially outside the operator into a position with the desired holder aligned with the aisle formed by the aligned gaps.
According to yet another feature of my previous invention the holders of each subgroup are arranged in vertical rows and an elevator is provided for displacing an operator vertically up and down adjacent each row of each subgroup. These elevators may be provided on tracks extending vertically along an end of each of the trains in addition to at the access station so that an operator may be raised to a position horizontally in line with the desired holder.
According to another feature of the invention of my application Ser. No. 680,876 a third group of holders is arrayed in a stationary row between two tracks. This row may be formed with a gap aligned with the access station. In addition means may be provided on the trains and/or on the stationary row which can be vertically aligned into juxtaposition with a respective holder and can serve to automatically remove a holder and/or an article from an adjacent track or row. Thus the system can be set up automatically to place the articles to be stored in respective storage locations and to remove them therefrom and deliver them to the access station.
According to yet another feature of this invention a plurality of such storage systems may themselves be mounted on a single annular track so as to be displaceable past a single access station. Thus it is possible to greatly increase the number of storage locations accessible from a single access station. Such an arrangement is extremely useful in systems wherein a single person must have access to a great quantity of different articles, albeit one at a time. This is the case in a court, for instance, where a single clerk must be able readily to obtain any of a vast number of docket files, corporation registration papers, or the like.
Furthermore in my above-cited copending application Ser. No. 691,555 I disclose a storage system comprising a floor support having an upright axis, a plurality of generally cylindrical arrays of receptacles arranged in horizontally annular and vertical rows standing on the support with the arrays nested one within the other and all concentric with the axis. Each array has a radially throughgoing and vertical slot and is provided with means for rotating independently of the other arrays on the support about the axis.
According to another feature of this earlier invention each of the receptacles has a closed side turned toward the axis and an open side turned away from the axis. Each of the gaps is at least as wide as one of the vertical rows of the receptacles. Thus it is possible to gain access to any of the receptacles from an access station located radially outside the nest of arrays of the receptacles. The gaps of the receptacles are normally all aligned and in order to gain access to any receptacle the respective array is merely rotated about its axis until the desired receptacle is aligned with the aisle formed by the radially aligned gaps of the other arrays.
According to another feature of my earlier invention a cylindrical wall is secured to the support and surrounds the array. This wall is formed with a vertically elongated opening or door alignable radially with the gaps. Thus the articles stored in the receptacles are all well protected within the device. Furthermore a lamp is provided in at least one of the gaps so that a person reaching in for an article in one of the receptacles can readily see what he or she is doing.
Each of the arrays is provided with an annular and endless plate bridging the respective gap. Such plates are provided on the bottom of all of the arrays and, in the case of an automatic arrangement, are also provided on the top of each array. In a manual system hand grips or the like are provided on the top plate in order to allow a user readily to manually rotate the desired array into a position with the desired receptacle aligned with the gaps of the other arrays.
In accordance with another feature of my earlier invention a plurality of motors is secured to the roof of a housing fixed to the floor support and each have a roller engaging the top of a respective array. Thus each motor can rotate the respective array in either direction around its rotation axis. Such an arrangement is combined with control means that is connected to a sensor for ascertaining the angular position of each of the arrays and to all of the motors so that this control means can operate any of these motors to move any of the arrays into any desired position.
The arrays are all rotatable on rollers which are received within circularly angular and concentric grooves formed in the floor of the support.
Two such systems may be mounted in a single housing with a single input station having a keyboard provided for both devices or a single keyboard may be provided for the two devices. It is also possible to mount one such set of arrays on a post carried on a roller-type base so that it can be displaced to a location convenient to a user. Such a base may be vertically adjustable in order to allow a user to gain access to the arrangement from a sitting or standing position. Such an arrangement can, for instance, be used in a parts-supply store having a multiplicity of separate small parts which must be cataloged and readily accessible.
These systems represent considerable advances over the prior-art storage arrangements, however, they are often only applicable to certain floor plans. More particularly most of them can only be efficiently used when fitted in a cylindrical space.

Storage retrieval system with pivoted holder frames


An organic electroluminescent element comprising:                an anode;        a cathode; and        a light emitting unit arranged between the anode and the cathode and having three or more light emitting layers each containing a polymer compound, wherein        the light emitting layers constituting the light emitting unit emit lights differing from each other in peak wavelength, and a light emitting layer that emits a light with a longer peak wavelength is located closer to the anode.

An organic electroluminescent (abbreviated to EL) element including a pair of electrodes and a light emitting layer which is provided between the electrodes and contains a polymer compound has been known. In the organic EL element, the light emitting layer emits light when a voltage is applied to between the electrodes. For example, an organic EL element for emitting white light that includes a white light emitting layer in which a plurality of types of colorants are dispersed in a light emitting layer has been known (for example, JP-A-07-220871).

Organic electroluminescent element, production method for the same, planar light source, lighting device, and display device


The invention provides an antigen or drug delivery complex containing a complex of an antigen or drug and a cationic molecule, and an anionic molecule encapsulating the same. The antigen or drug delivery complex can be used as a main component of a drug delivery system that delivers various antigens and drugs to a particular cell or organ.

In recent years, inactivated vaccines and attenuated vaccines were developed for emerging or reemerging infections, and high prophylaxis effects have been obtained. However, the development of vaccine against infections is far behind in Japan. For eradication of particular infection and dealing with pandemic in the developing countries, the development of a vaccine permitting large-scale production and long-term preservation, and having high safety and strong titer has been desired. Among others, a DNA vaccine permitting large-scale production at a low cost is expected to prove effective; however, the development thereof is not successful from the aspects of safety and titer. In addition, the development of a preparation suitable for intravenous injection, subcutaneous or intradermal injection that activates body immunity, and a preparation suitable for oral, inhaled or nasal administration that activates mucosal immunity is necessary.
Moreover, it has been reported that a vaccine against human papilloma virus has been approved as a cervical cancer vaccine and shows a high effect. However, a vaccine therapy of cancer antigen has not been established as yet in the world. While vaccines using various antigens and DNAs have been reported, a sufficient immunity induction effect was not obtained and clinical application has not been commenced. Particularly, DNA vaccine is expected to selectively activate cellular immunity relating to cancer, and potentiate the anticancer immunity. While DNA vaccine is drawing attention since it permits large-scale production at a low cost, there is no successful case in terms of safety and titer.
Since DNA pharmaceutical products show different pharmacological actions by changing the combination of bases and permit large-scale production at a low cost, they are expected to prove effective as pharmaceutical products. Heretofore, various nanostructures have been developed as a vector for gene delivery, and their organ specificity and cell specificity have been reported. However, since safety and efficiency are low, they have not been put to clinical use. Since many of them use synthetic materials, safety has not been established and the medical economy is large. The development of an organ specific vector having high safety and broad utility has been desired.
There are some methods to make a vector organ specific, one of which is a method using a particular molecule that easily accumulates in a target organ, and the other is a method using a molecule having a specific binding ability, which is an antibody, an aptamer and the like.
As the former method, the present inventors have succeeded in the construction of a novel targeting system having selectivity to the spleen and the lung, by applying the technique of a drug delivery complex (patent document 1) and conveniently adding a biodegradable lipid. To be specific, the safety of nanoparticles was enhanced by a simple addition of phosphatidylserine (negative charge) to a cationic nucleus encapsulating a DNA, and gene expression selective only to the spleen could be realized by intravenous injection to a mouse. The spleen contains an abundance of immunocytes, and a spleen-selective gene expression leads to the development of DNA vaccine. Furthermore, the addition of N-lauroylsarcosine (negative charge) instead of phosphatidylserine resulted in the gene expression only in the lung after its intravenous injection to a mouse and enhanced the safety of nanoparticles (non-patent document 1).

Composite body for antigen or drug delivery

National University Corporation Hamamatsu  University School of Medicine


A process for increasing the colorizing effect of known colorizing oxides in an alumina body. The process includes the steps of (a) forming a glass frit containing colorants; (b) mixing the frit and alumina to form a green mixture; and (c) firing the mixture to form a fired ceramic body.

Ceramic materials are used in various electronic parts such as semi-conductor IC packages, transistor headers, etc. They require good electrical insulation characteristic and reasonable mechanical strength and thermal conductivity.
Conventionally, alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) is used as a dielectric material for microelectronic packages. It has excellent electrical (insulating) and mechanical (especially strength), and thermal properties.
In some applications of the ceramic material, it is further required that it should also have a high degree of heat emissivity so that a large amount of heat may not be stored in the ceramic body, and that the ceramic body should be opaque so that no light is transmitted therethrough. To meet the requirements, it is common practice to color the ceramic body to black or near-black, i.e. purple, by adding suitable metals and/or metal oxides as coloring agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,833 issued to Sugiura et al discloses a ceramic composition for use in electronic equipment comprising at least one of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and BeO as a basic component, 0.1 to 5 percent by weight CoO and a further additive chosen from the group consisting of MnO.sub.2, Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, V.sub.2 O.sub.5, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 and mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,731 issued to Mizutani et al discloses a colored frit and method for manufacturing of artificial stone. The colored frit is prepared by heating a material composition comprising a devitrifying substance, a coloring agent and glass. The devitrifying substance is fluoride in an amount of 0.5 to 20 wt.%.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,261 issued to Johnson et al discloses blister-resistant dielectric material for use with multilayer circuits. The dielectric is comprised of 10-25% of an oxide mixture of Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, Co.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 which has been heated to about 1000.degree. C. and it prevents the blistering.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,294 issued to Barringer et al discloses alumina material for low temperature cosintering with refractory metallization. Colorants such as MnO, MoO.sub.3 or TiO.sub.2 or a combination thereof are added in amounts up to approximately 2% by weight to opacify the fired ceramic.
Japanese Patents 63,182,252, and 63,182,253 disclose a black ceramic alumina body. The colorant used to obtain the black color includes MoO.sub.2 and Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3.
Japanese Patent 53,137,216 disclose a colored ceramic alumina body. The colorant used to obtain the reddish violet color includes Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and metallic molybdedum and/or tungsten in an amount equal to or less than the chromium. The material is sintered in a nonoxidizing atmosphere.
The use of colorant has several serious drawbacks in the formation of alumina components. The first is that the cost of the colorants is relatively large as compared to the cost of the alumina body. It would be advantageous, therefore, to devise a method of coloring an alumina body to match a specified color and intensity using the least amount of costly colorants.
Colorants effect the properties of the fired alumina body. When colorants are added in an amount exceeding a predetermined maximum value, the electrical, mechanical and thermal characteristics inherent in alumina are deteriorated beyond the point of utility for a given application. The development of multilayer ceramic circuit boards for higher frequency, higher density and higher speed devices tends to decrease the maximum amount of colorants that can be added to the alumina body. At the same time if the amount of colorants does not reach a critical minimum level, the resulting color of the fired body will not match a specified color and intensity.
Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a colored ceramic body for use in various electronic parts, which has excellent electrical, mechanical and thermal characteristics, and in which the volume resistivity is not deteriorated when the ceramic body has been treated in a reducing atmosphere.
Another object of the invention is to obtain a purple colored alumina body using the least amount of coloring metals and metal oxides to obtain the desired intensity.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated with reference to the following description.

Colored ceramics for electronic packages


An image forming apparatus, comprising: a charge voltage application circuit configured to be connected to a plurality of chargers in a process cartridge and to apply a voltage to the plurality of chargers; a current detection unit configured to detect a current flowing through each of the plurality of chargers; and a controller. The controller judges that the process cartridge is not attached to the image forming apparatus when the current smaller than a first threshold is detected by the current detection unit in a state where the charge voltage application circuit generates a predetermined voltage.

1. Technical Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
A multicolor image forming apparatus provided with chargers the number of which is equal to the number of colors of developer (e.g., yellow, magenta, cyan and black) is known. One of such image forming apparatuses is configured to reduce the number of components and to downsize by sharing a high-voltage power supply which applies a high voltage to each charger.


A color changing water toy generally includes a porous absorbent core that absorbs water, typically made from a soft open cell foam. The porous core is covered with colorful graphics, at least some of which are printed with thermochromically sensitive paint or dye. The absorbent core is preferably covered with a porous skin typically made with fabric that has been printed with the colorful graphics. At least some of the graphics are printed with thermochromically sensitive paint or dye. Thus, the color changing water toy absorbs water that is readily released upon the water toy striking an object and also changes color depending upon the temperature of its environment.

The present invention relates to thermochromically sensitive toys, more particularly, the invention relates to an absorbent sponge toy having a fabric cover treated with temperature sensitive paint that appears differently colored depending upon the temperature to which the toy is exposed.
Porous absorbent sponge toys exist in the toy makers"" art. They are typically exposed to water and then tossed at persons or objects to splash water on the person or object.
In the past, a variety of toys have been developed with color-changing features using thermochromic or light-sensitive materials embedded or mixed in plastic, printed on paper or plastic, or impregnated in fibers used for clothing, doll hair, plush figures, or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,604 issued to Shimizu et al., on Dec. 24, 1985 (coating fibers used for stuffed toys with thermochromic material); U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,853 issued to Ehrlich et al. on Jan. 16, 1979 (photochromic composition combined with moldable materials for forming toys); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,300 issued to Hornsby, Jr. on Sep. 14, 1976 (layer of liquid crystalline material used for ball) which disclose the use of such materials in toys. British Patent No. GB 2,066,089A issued to Rickson on Jul. 8, 1981, describes the use of temperature-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal material for changing the color of the eyes of a doll. U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,607 issued to Ryan et al. on May 14, 1968 discloses a figure toy having synthetic hair fibers impregnated with an indicator dye which changes color in response to contact with liquids of different pH concentrations.
Thermochromic materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,019 issued to Lawton on Jan. 28, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,560 issued to Kito et al. on Dec. 20, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,118 issued to Nakasuji et al. on Jun. 7, 1977. Heat-sensitive recording materials are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,072 issued to Nachbar et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,616 issued to Shanton on Jul. 31, 1984; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,819 issued to Maruta et al. A reversible heat sensitive recording composition is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,301 issued to Kito et al. on Jan. 19, 1988.
None of the above-referenced patents discloses or suggests the use of a thermochromic material with an absorbent sponge toy.
The present invention provides an absorbent, porous soft toy that changes color as the temperature of the toy varies. The toy of the present invention generally includes a porous absorbent core that absorbs water, typically made from a soft open cell foam. The absorbent core is covered with a porous skin typically made with fabric that has been printed with colorful graphics. At least some of the graphics are printed with thermochromically sensitive paint or dye. Thus, the color changing water toy will absorb water that is readily released upon the water toy striking an object and also changes color depending upon the temperature of its environment.
A porous absorbent water toy covered with thermochromic material provides numerous play opportunities. For example, a child can immerse the toy in water at different temperatures and observe the toy changing from one color to another as it is moved from one temperature water to another. The color of the toy also changes with exposure to different air temperatures. The toy is typically used in play by immersing it in water and then throwing it at an object. Most of us have tossed water balloons at some time in our lives. The advantage of the present toy over water balloons is that it is readily reusable and also does not create an environmental hazard in the form of small pieces of plastic that can be ingested by animals or small children.
Further play opportunity is that depending upon temperature of the water in which the toy is soaked before throwing, the recipient of the splash would be forewarned as to whether to expect a splash of water that is warm or cold. Accordingly, there is a need in the toy manufacturing arts for a toy that can be soaked with water and changes color based on the temperature of its environment.

Temperature sensitive color changing water toy


A time difference adjustment circuit includes two flip-flop circuits, a delay circuit, and a reset circuit. The delay circuit includes first and second transistors of a first polarity and third and fourth transistors of a second polarity, wherein drains of the first and third transistors are coupled to each other, drains of the second and fourth transistors are coupled to each other, the drains of the first and third transistors and a gate of the fourth transistor are coupled to each other, an input signal is coupled to a gate of the first transistor, an output signal is supplied from the drains of the second and fourth transistors, and first and second reset signals are respectively coupled to gates of the second and third transistors.

The present disclosure relates to time difference adjustment circuits for adjusting the time difference between edges of two input signals and time-to-digital converters including the same.
In recent years, the operating voltage of LSIs has been reduced due to reduction in size of the LSIs. Therefore, it has become difficult to increase the SN ratio of signals in signal processing along a voltage direction. For this reason, the analog quantity along a time axis direction, that is, time difference information has to be used to perform the signal processing, and in recent years, time-to-digital converters for performing digital conversion of the time difference information have been and are being developed.
In general, a time-to-digital converter includes a time difference adjustment circuit for adjusting the time difference between edges of two input signals. Specifically, the time difference adjustment circuit delays one of the two input signals by using a delay circuit to adjust the time difference between the edges of the two input signals. As a delay circuit, an inverter chain including a plurality of cascade-connected inverter circuits is used (For example, see Jinn-Shyan Wang, Yi-Ming Wang, Chin-Hao Chen, Yu-Chia Liu, "An Ultra-Low-Power Fast-Lock-in Small-Jitter All-Digital DLL," ISSCC 2005/SESSION 22/PLL, DLL, AND VCOs/22.7, 2005 IEEE International Solid-State Circuit Conference, pp. 422-423 and 607).
It is difficult for the inverter chain to provide a signal delay smaller than an inverter delay which is a signal delay of a single inverter circuit included in the inverter chain. Therefore, there is a need for a time adjustment circuit for adjusting the time difference between edges of two input signals with a delay amount smaller than the inverter delay and a time-to-digital converter including the same.

Time difference adjustment circuit and time-to-digital converter including the same

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


Glucosyltransferase inhibitors containing as an active ingredient an extract of fermented tea leaves are described. Illustrative examples of the fermented tea leaves include Oolong tea, black tea and Pu-erh tea. Also described are foods or beverages for the prevention of dental caries, which contain an effective amount of one of such inhibitors. Dental caries can be prevented by taking such foods or beverages.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to glucosyltransferase inhibitors and methods for preventing dental caries by using the same, and more specifically to glucosyltransferase inhibitors comprising as an active ingredient an extract from fermented tea leaves having glucosyltransferase inhibitory action, methods for preventing dental caries by using the same and anticarious beverages and foods containing the same.
2) Description of the Related Art
Although a variety of theories were proposed in the past as to a possible cause for dental caries, it is now recognized that dental caries is a type of bacterial infectious disease based on the chemicoparasitic theory proposed by Miller.
The mechanism of occurrence of dental caries on the basis of the above theory is as follows. Namely, an enzyme called "glucosyltransferase" which is produced by oral streptococci, notably by Streptococcus mutans produces a sticky, insoluble polysaccharide (glucan) by using as a substrate sugar in the mouth. Cells of Streptococcus mutans (hereinafter abbreviated as "S. mutans") adhere to the surfaces of teeth by the glucan so produced, so that they form granules (dental plaques). Various microorganisms led by S. mutans are symbiotically growing in the dental plaques. Organic acids are produced by the metabolic activities of these microorganisms. The pH on the surfaces of the teeth drops as a result of the action of these organic acids, resulting in decalcification of the enamel surfaces. Consequently, dental caries takes place and proceeds.
Further, the formation of dental plaques is also believed to cause peridental diseases and bad breath in addition to dental caries.
Based on the findings described above, various investigations have been conducted with a view toward developing, as preventive measures for dental caries, antibacterial agents for oral microorganisms, inhibitors for glucosyltransferase, and enzymes capable of decomposing polysaccharides which glucosyltransferase forms using sugar as a substrate. However, no anticarious method having satisfactory effects has yet been found.
Prevention of dental plaque formation by suppressing the activities of glucosyltransferase is considered likely to become an effective means for the prevention of occurrence of dental caries especially in view of the fact that dental plaque formed by oral streptococci led by S. mutans acts as a cause for dental caries. To date, however, no practically usable glucosyltransferase activity inhibition substance has yet been found.

Glucosyltransferase inhibitors, as well as dental caries prevention methods and anticarious foods using the same


An improved slit die for extruding thermoplastic sheet and having the capacity for fine gauge control comprises a die blade and an opposed surface in which the local separation between the two is variable by the generation of localized expansion and contraction forces in the body of the die blade while isolating the die blade lip from temperature variations by the provision of a heat barrier means.

This invention relates to die blades for use with extrusion dies of the type adapted to produce sheets of a thermoplastic polymer. It relates particularly to blades adapted for use in extrusion processes where it is important to maintain a careful control over the thickness of the extruded sheet.
The extrusion of a polymer between the lips of a sheet die gives a superficially uniform product but if the gauge is monitored, minor thickness variations are often found in the cross machine direction as well as in the direction of extrusion. These can be caused by uneven lip separation along the slit, differential temperatures within the polymer melt such that the amount of swell that occurs as the polymer exits the slit varies, or the presence of minor inhomogeneities in the melt.
It is often important to produce a polymer sheet of great gauge uniformity so that the resolution of this problem of gauge variation can be a very significant commercial goal.


Staple fibres of solvent-spun cellulose are made by a method in which:. i) cellulose is dissolved in an amine oxide solvent to form a hot cellulose solution, PA1 ii) the hot cellulose solution is extruded through a die assembly to form a tow of continuous filaments, PA1 iii) the tow is passed through a water bath to leach out the amine oxide, PA1 iv) the tow is crimped by passing through a stuffer box in which it is compressed to apply crimp, PA1 v) dry steam being injected into the stuffer box during the crimping process, and PA1 vi) the crimped tow is passed to a cutter and cut to the desired fibre length. An apparatus is also provided in which the staple fibres can be made.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture of crimped cellulose fibre and particularly to the crimping of cellulose fibre that has been made by a method comprising the spinning of continuous cellulose filaments from a solution of cellulose in an organic solvent, particularly an amine oxide solvent. Cellulose manufactured in this manner is known as lyocell and will hereinafter be referred to as solvent-spun cellulose or lyocell. The invention is also concerned to provide useful short, i.e. staple, fibre lengths from the crimped continuous filaments.
2. Description of the Related Art
The manufacture of lyocell cellulose filaments is described in, for example, U. S. Pat. No. 4,416,698 the contents of which are incorporated herein by way of reference. This Patent discloses a method of producing cellulose filaments by dissolving the cellulose in a suitable solvent such as a tertiary amine N-oxide.
A hot solution of the cellulose is extruded or spun through a suitable die assembly including a jet to produce filamentary material which is passed into water to leach out the amine oxide solvent from the extruded filaments.
The production of artificially formed filaments of material by extruding or spinning a solution or liquid through a spinnerette to form the filaments is, of course, well known. Initially, relatively small numbers of individual filaments were prepared, which filaments were individually wound up for use as continuous filament material. This meant that the number of continuous filaments which needed to be produced was essentially dictated by the number of filaments which could be individually wound either before or after drying.
However, if fibre is produced as a tow or if fibre is produced as a staple fibre then different criteria apply to the number of filaments which can be produced at any one time. A tow essentially comprises a bundle of essentially parallel filaments which are not handled individually. Staple fibre essentially comprises a mass of short lengths of fibre. Staple fibre can be produced by the cutting of dry tow or it can be produced by forming a tow, cutting it whilst still wet, and drying the cut mass of staple fibre.
Because there is no need to handle individual filaments in the case of a tow product or a staple product, large numbers of filaments can be produced simultaneously.
Thus the tow of cellulose filaments is cut before or after drying to form the desired mass of short lengths of staple fibre.
Natural cellulose fibres have a natural crimp, which is advantageous in providing frictional properties when the fibres are put to use, e.g. directly for non-woven products or for the production of yarns from woven or knitted products. Lyocell, however, does not have an inherently natural crimp.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide fibre from lyocell cellulose filaments in which the fibre has a crimp applied to it.

Method of making crimped solvent-spun cellulose fibre


An excimer laser including a gas reservoir in which gas discharge is effected with the participation of halogen gas, comprises a collecting receptacle which communicates both with the gas reservoir and a halogen gas supply through conduits provided with shutoff valves. This apparatus is suitable for carrying out a method of refilling the gas reservoir of the excimer laser with halogen gas even if the pressure of the halogen gas supply is low and its volume restricted.

In excimer lasers, as is well known, a lasing medium is generated by highly excited excimer molecules being formed in the plasma of a gas discharge to which noble gas atoms and e.g. halogens or hydrogen halides (plus other reactants) contribute.
The lifetime of excimer laser gases is limited mainly by two processes. On the one hand, obscure chemical reactions between the halogen and the container do take place even in well passivated systems, entailing consumption of the halogen and a rise of the contamination level. On the other hand, chemical reactions are caused also by the minor electrode burn-off which takes place during high voltage discharge. The loss in laser performance in the course of time is compensated--normally by user-friendly and efficient computer control systems--by raising the charging voltage of the laser and/or regenerating the laser gas or replacing it in part or totally.
The operating pressure of an excimer laser typically is from 2.8 to 3.8 bars, absolute. While supplying halogen by means of pressure cylinders (usually containing F.sub.2 and HCl gases diluted with helium) permits operating at high pressures in filling or refilling the laser gas reservoir, a more recently suggested way of supplying the gas by producing the desired halogen in situ (see e.g. German patent application P 40 36 963.3) provides the gas approximately at room temperature and at pressures of from a few millibars to a few 100 millibars at volumes which can be handled, ranging from about 100 to 500 cm.sup.3.
These pressures are sufficient for charging a laser reservoir (typically containing from about 30 to 60 liters), a procedure which starts from an absolute pressure of about 20 mbar, provided the halogen portion (e.g. F.sub.2 or HCl) is filled in first and then the noble or buffer gas share is added until the final operating pressure is reached. Once it is reached, the laser usually is started and continues to run for several millions of impulses, with or without cleansing of the gas, until the halogen concentration has become so reduced that control of the laser output performance level can be achieved only by halogen injection. In other words, the gas reservoir of the laser must be recharged with halogen (such as F.sub.2 or HCl) for the performance to be maintained. This halogen injection which either may be only F.sub.2 or only HCl, depending on the operating gas, normally accounts for no more than a fraction (approximately 1/10 to 1/4) of the halogen partial pressure required for a complete gas exchange, which typically is 5 mbar in the gas reservoir of the laser.
With the laser in operation, this quantity cannot be refilled without much compression of the halogen if the halogen, for instance, comes from a gas generator providing the same in situ.

Excimer laser comprising a gas reservoir and a collecting receptacle and a method of refilling the gas reservoir of the laser with halogen gas

Lamba Physik Gesellschaft zur Herstelling von Lasern mbH


A squat exercise apparatus may comprise a support structure, a user adjustable resistance source and lift arms supported by the support structure and operably coupled to the user adjustable resistance source. In one implementation, the lift arms may be pivotable relative to the support structure about three orthogonal axes. In one implementation, shoulder pads carried by the lift arms may automatically pivot in response to pivoting of the lift arms relative to the support structure. In one implementation, at least one weight movement arm may have an adjustable length. In one implementation, a weight movement arm rest may be pivotable between a weight movement arm engaging position and a retracted position, wherein interacting portions of the weight movement arm rest and the weight movement arm are magnetically attracted to one another to magnetically retain the weight movement arm rest in the weight movement arm engaging position.

The "squat" exercise is an exercise utilized to strengthen, tone and rehabilitate muscles such as muscles of the leg including a person's quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. When engaged in a "squat" exercise, a person raises and/or lowers a resistance load by the moving his or her hips and legs between a lowered position and an upright position while maintaining proper stance, posture and movement. Maintaining the proper stance, posture and movement during a "squat" exercise is sometimes difficult.


A method and transmission control unit configured to improve shift event performance in a vehicle with an automatic transmission by determining a vent time for release of a clutch assembly in a transmission of a vehicle. The vehicle must be stopped and a gear selector in the vehicle must be set to a drive condition. If these conditions are met, the clutch assembly is vented. The vent time from when venting begins to when a turbine (or input shift) speed of the transmission rises is tracked. Once the turbine speed of the transmission rises, the clutch assembly is reapplied. The clutch assembly vent time is set based on the tracked vent time.

Smooth and efficient automatic gear shifting has long been a goal for developers of automatic transmissions. In general, this goal involves ensuring a smooth transition from a clutch that is to be released to a clutch that is to be applied when a shift event occurs. Accordingly, a gear shift event in an automatic transmission involves a release clutch and an apply clutch. For example, an up-shift event from a first gear to a second gear involves a release clutch that is coupled to the vehicle's first gear and an apply clutch that is coupled to the vehicle's second gear. During the shift event, as the release clutch is being released, the apply clutch is being applied. Ensuring appropriate timing of the release and apply clutch actions is vital to ensuring a smooth transition from the current gear to the target gear.

Method and system for determining clutch assembly vent time for transmission shift control


The present invention relates to sulfonamide derivatives of formula (I) where the substituents R1-R6 and R8, L, A and n are as defined in the application, to plant growth regulator compositions comprising them and to methods of using them for controlling the growth of plants, improving plant tolerance to abiotic stress (including environmental and chemical stresses), inhibiting seed germination and/or safening a plant against phytotoxic effects of chemicals.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that plays a major role in plant growth, development and response to abiotic stress. ABA causes many of its cellular responses by binding to a soluble family of receptors called PYR/PYL proteins, which contain a ligand-binding pocket for ABA and other agonists. Direct application of ABA to plants has been shown to improve their water use efficiency. However, ABA is difficult and expensive to prepare and itself unstable to environmental conditions and therefor unsuitable for large scale agricultural applications. It is therefore desirable to search for ABA agonists that may be useful for improving plant tolerance to environment stress such as drought, inhibit seed germination, regulate plant growth and improve crop yield.
WO2013/148339 reported a new ABA agonist, quinabactin, which binds to the PYR/PRL receptor proteins and causes an abscisic acid response in vivo. Quinabactin has been shown to induce stomatal closure, suppress of water loss and promote drought tolerance.
There is a need to identify improved agonists of abscisic acid for improving plant growth and development, and plant tolerance to environmental stresses. The present invention relates to novel analogs of quinabactin that have improved properties. Benefits of the compounds of the present invention include enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress, improved inhibition of seed germination, better regulation of crop growth, improved crop yield, and/or improved physical properties resulting in better plant uptake, water solubility, chemical stability or physical stability.

2-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinolin-6-yl sulphonamide CPDS and their use as plant growth regulators

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


A method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction memory element and the resulting structure are disclosed. A magnetic tunnel junction memory element comprising a thick nonmagnetic layer between two ferromagnetic layers. The thick nonmagnetic layer has an opening in which a thinner tunnel barrier layer is disposed. The resistance of a magnetic tunnel junction memory element may be controlled by adjusting the surface area and/or thickness of the tunnel barrier layer without regard to the surface area of the ferromagnetic layers.

A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is a non-volatile memory which uses multiple layers of magnetoresistive materials as memory storage elements. A typical MRAM array includes a number of conductive bit or digit lines intersected by conductive word lines. At each intersection, a magnetoresistive element, commonly referred to as a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element is formed. Each magnetic memory element includes a first pinned ferromagnetic material layer (where the magnetic field is fixed) and a second free ferromagnetic material layer (where the magnetic field can, by programming, assume two different orientations). The two ferromagnetic layers are separated by a non-magnetic layer, commonly referred to as the tunnel barrier layer. The direction of the magnetic vectors in the free and pinned layers, determines the stored state of the magnetic memory element. As such, the magnetic memory element has two stable magnetic states. In one magnetic direction of the free layer the memory element has a high resistance defined as one logic value, e.g. "0" and in the other magnetic direction of the free layer the memory element has a low resistance, defined as the other logic value, e.g. "1." The stored state of the memory element is generally read by providing a sense current through the magnetic memory element to determine its resistance.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary conventional MRAM structure including three magnetic memory elements 22, having respective associated conductive lines 18 and 28 which may serve as word lines and bit lines. Conductive lines 18, typically formed of copper, are formed in an insulating layer 16 formed over under-layers 14 of an integrated circuit (IC) substrate 10. Under-layers 14 may include, for example portions of integrated circuitry, such as CMOS circuitry. A pinned layer 20 is provided over the conductive lines 18. A tunnel barrier layer 24 is provided over the pinned layer 20. The tunnel barrier layer 24 is generally formed of aluminum oxide. A free layer 26 is provided over the tunnel barrier layer 24. Another conductive line 28 is formed over the free layer 26.
Generally, the resistance across the magnetic memory element 22 is dependent on both the surface area and thickness of the tunnel barrier layer 24. However, in the fabrication of conventional MRAM structures, the surface area of the tunnel barrier layer 24 is equivalent to the surface area of the free layer 26. Consequently, controlling the resistance of the magnetic memory element 22 is limited to adjusting the thickness of the tunnel barrier layer 24. Accordingly, conventional methods used for reducing the resistance of the tunnel barrier layer, require making the tunnel barrier layer as thin as possible, which is generally between about 5 Angstroms to about 20 Angstroms. However, having such a thin tunnel barrier layer 24 does not provide adequate protection against a short 23 being formed across the tunnel barrier layer 24 at edges of the magnetic memory element 22, which may occur during the etch patterning of the magnetic memory element 22. A shorted magnetic memory element 22 can not store a logic value of a "1" or "0" as different resistance values.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method for forming magnetic memory elements having greater reliability against shorting. There is also a need for a method for forming a magnetic memory element where the resistance across the tunnel barrier layer can be set independently of the surface area of a corresponding free layer.

Method of forming a magnetic random access memory element