A MOS memory device includes an array of rows and columns of memory cells, word lines connected to the rows of memory cells, and a plurality of pairs of bits lines connected to the columns. Sense amplifiers and transfer gates are provided for every bit line pair. A column decoder has outputs connected via column-select lines to transfer gates such that each output is connected to two adjacent gates. When activating a certain column, the column decoder potentially activates another column adjacent to the certain column before actually receiving the corresponding column address. This permits information bits stored in four memory cells to be transferred simultaneously to the registers and latched therein. A multiplexer serially reads out the latched information bits. The column preactivation improves the serial accessing speed of the memory device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic semiconductor memory device, and more particularly to a MOS random-access memory employing one-transistor memory cells arranged in rows and columns.
2. Description of the Related Art
MOS random access memory (RAM) devices have become more widely used in the manufacture of digital equipment as the speed of these devices increases while their cost decreases. The cost of a storage using MOS RAMs per bit has gone down as the number of bits per package or the number of memory cells has gone up. Recently, as the performance of digital equipment is improved, enhancement of the data accessing speed for such MOS RAM is demanded more severely.
To fulfill such a demand, presently-available dynamic RAMs (DRAMs) are provided with a high-speed access mode, such as page mode, nibble mode or static-column mode, in addition to the normal access mode. In the field of digital image-processing or computer systems designed to improve the data exchange with external storage units using a cache memory, it is also demanded strongly to realize a so-called "serial access" mode. The serial access mode is to serially access one selected row of memory cells and output the accessed results in a fixed order.
However, none of the above modes conventionally established are satisfactory. This is because these modes cannot sufficiently satisfy today's demand concerning high-speed data access in highly advanced digital equipment for the following reasons.
In the conventional page mode, those of memory cells of a DRAM which are associated with a selected row line can be accessed serially. Externally giving serial addresses can permit serial access to the selected row of memory cells. The improvement of the serial accessing speed is however still limited, which depends on the necessity to externally fetch individual column addresses every time in accordance with potential toggles of a column address-strobe signal (CAS). This is an impediment hard to overcome for DRAMs that operate in page mode.
In a nibble mode, serial data access, such as read and write operations, is performed on a designated column in response to the toggles of CAS. The nibble mode is similar to the page mode in that the access operation is controlled only by the toggles of CAS. The nibble mode is however superior to the page mode in accessing speed. This arises because the nibble mode does not require to fetch the column address for each bit access operation after the second CAS cycle.
The nibble mode suffers from the limitation of the number of bits or memory cells which can be designed accessible at a time. The limitation of the accessible bit data number is originated from the following circumstances. In nibble mode multiple pieces of bit data are simultaneously transferred to a data latch register in the first toggling cycle of CAS. In response to the subsequent toggles of CAS, proper pieces of the latched pieces of bit data are selected at random and are sequentially transferred to an output port. Here, the number of registers provided in the data latch register determines the number of accessible bits. The number of the registers is not permitted to freely increase due to the limitation of the area on the chip substrate of the DRAM (the limitation of the layout margin); this number is set as high as about four bits. The limitation of the maximum accessible bit data number significantly clouds the aforementioned merit of the nibble mode.
It has been tried to apply the nibble mode to a serial accessing operation in order to provide high-speed serial access. In this case after multiple pieces of data stored in a column of memory cells are transferred to a data-latch register by activating one column address-select line, the sense operation gets started in the data-latch register. The number of selected cells is called "bit length," which corresponds to the maximum accessible data-bit number in nibble mode.
To achieve the serial access, a column address counter is typically mounted on the DRAM chip. The column address counter sequentially increases the internal address. It is necessary to activate a sense-activation signal QSE in the data latch register each time for specific CAS cycles (4n+1 CAS cycles when the accessible bit number is "4" where n=1, 2, . . . ). That is, the access time is delayed before 4n+1 CAS cycles come. The delayed sense time is twice as long as or longer than the ordinary sense time. The delay of sense time inevitably occurs in a specific time interval; this is a bottleneck in improving the total access speed of DRAMs.

Dynamic semiconductor memory device with high-speed serial-accessing column decoder


The present invention relates to coding of audio signals, and in particular to high frequency reconstruction methods including a frequency domain harmonic transposer. A system and method for generating a high frequency component of a signal from a low frequency component of the signal is described. The system comprises an analysis filter bank (501) comprising an analysis transformation unit (601) having a frequency resolution of Δf; and an analysis window (611) having a duration of DA; the analysis filter bank (501) being configured to provide a set of analysis subband signals from the low frequency component of the signal; a nonlinear processing unit (502, 650) configured to determine a set of synthesis subband signals based on a portion of the set of analysis subband signals, wherein the portion of the set of analysis subband signals is phase shifted by a transposition order T; and a synthesis filter bank (504) comprising a synthesis transformation unit (602) having a frequency resolution of QΔf; and a synthesis window (612) having a duration of DS; the synthesis filter bank (504) being configured to generate the high frequency component of the signal from the set of synthesis subband signals; wherein Q is a frequency resolution factor with Q≥1 and smaller than the transposition order T; and wherein the value of the product of the frequency resolution Δf and the duration DA of the analysis filter bank is selected based on the frequency resolution factor Q.

HFR technologies, such as the Spectral Band Replication (SBR) technology, allow to significantly improve the coding efficiency of traditional perceptual audio codecs. In combination with MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), HFR technologies form very efficient audio codecs, which are already in use within the XM Satellite Radio system and Digital Radio Mondiale, and also standardized within 3GPP, DVD Forum and others. The combination of AAC and SBR is called aacPlus. It is part of the MPEG-4 standard where it is referred to as the High Efficiency AAC Profile (HE-AAC). In general, HFR technology can be combined with any perceptual audio codec in a back and forward compatible way, thus offering the possibility to upgrade already established broadcasting systems like the MPEG Layer-2 used in the Eureka DAB system. HFR transposition methods can also be combined with speech codecs to allow wide band speech at ultra low bit rates.
The basic idea behind HRF is the observation that usually a strong correlation between the characteristics of the high frequency range of a signal and the characteristics of the low frequency range of the same signal is present. Thus, a good approximation for a representation of the original input high frequency range of a signal can be achieved by a signal transposition from the low frequency range to the high frequency range.
This concept of transposition was established in WO 98/57436 which is incorporated by reference, as a method to recreate a high frequency band from a lower frequency band of an audio signal. A substantial saving in bit-rate can be obtained by using this concept in audio coding and/or speech coding. In the following, reference will be made to audio coding, but it should be noted that the described methods and systems are equally applicable to speech coding and in unified speech and audio coding (USAC).
In a HFR based audio coding system, a low bandwidth signal is presented to a core waveform coder for encoding, and higher frequencies are regenerated at the decoder side using transposition of the low bandwidth signal and additional side information, which is typically encoded at very low bit-rates and which describes the target spectral shape. For low bit-rates, where the bandwidth of the core coded signal is narrow, it becomes increasingly important to reproduce or synthesize a high band, i.e. the high frequency range of the audio signal, with perceptually pleasant characteristics.
One of the underlying problems that exist with harmonic HFR methods are the opposing constraints of an intended high frequency resolution in order to get a high quality transposition for stationary sounds, and the time response of the system for transient or percussive sounds. In other words, while the use of a high frequency resolution is beneficial for the transposition of stationary signals, such high frequency resolution typically requires large window sizes which are detrimental when dealing with transient portions of a signal. One approach to deal with this problem may be to adaptively change the windows of the transposer, e.g. by using window-switching, as a function of input signal characteristics. Typically long windows will be used for stationary portions of a signal, in order to achieve high frequency resolution, while short windows will be used for transient portions of the signal, in order to implement a good transient response, i.e. a good temporal resolution, of the transposer. However, this approach has the drawback that signal analysis measures such as transient detection or the like have to be incorporated into the transposition system. Such signal analysis measures often involve a decision step, e.g. a decision on the presence of a transient, which triggers a switching of signal processing. Furthermore, such measures typically affect the reliability of the system and they may introduce signal artifacts when switching the signal processing, e.g. when switching between window sizes.
In order to reach improved audio quality and in order to synthesize the required bandwidth of the high band signal, harmonic HFR methods typically employ several orders of transposition. In order to implement a plurality of transpositions of different transposition order, prior art solutions require a plurality of filter banks either in the analysis stage or the synthesis stage or in both stages. Typically, a different filter bank is required for each different transposition order. Moreover, in situations where the core waveform coder operates at a lower sampling rate than the sampling rate of the final output signal, there is typically an additional need to convert the core signal to the sampling rate of the output signal, and this upsampling of the core signal is usually achieved by adding yet another filter bank. All in all, the computationally complexity increases significantly with an increasing number of different transposition orders.
The present document addresses the aforementioned problems regarding the transient performance of harmonic transposition and regarding the computational complexity. As a result, improved harmonic transposition is achieved at a low additional complexity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Oversampling in a combined transposer filter bank


A method of providing a suspended ceiling in a storage tank involves building a deck on the floor of the storage tank and raising it into place by using an external hoist mechanism. The hoist mechanism is connected to the deck by cutting holes in the roof of the tank and feeding cables through the holes. The cables are attached to a series of extenders, such as metal bars, that are fixed to lift points on the deck. The extenders are long enough so that, once the ceiling is raised to its final position, portions of the extenders project into the holes in the roof. The ceiling is then fixed in position by securing the extenders to the roof. After the ceiling is secured in position, the holes in the roof are sealed.

This invention relates generally to outdoor industrial storage tanks. In particular, the invention relates to a method for installing a suspended ceiling in a storage tank such as those commonly used to store liquid materials at temperatures above or below ambient temperature. For example, liquefied gases such as methane, ethylene, propylene, propane, butane, and ammonia are commonly stored at temperatures below ambient temperature in flat-bottomed insulated storage tanks that operate at near atmospheric pressure. Such a storage tank must have adequate insulation on the roof of the tank, as well as on its bottom and shell.
Installing and maintaining insulation on the bottom and shell of a tank generally present no special problems. The tank bottom is generally flat and the shell is generally cylindrical with only one radius of curvature. Panels of insulation can be easily applied to such surfaces. Alternatively, Larsen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,842, describes a movable, vacuum-secured apparatus that can apply polyurethane insulating foam on the exterior surface of a shell and simultaneously cover the exterior surface with a metallic vapor barrier. As another alternative, Wissmiller, U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,878, describes a shell insulation that incorporates a second, outer shell that is spaced apart from the inner tank shell, establishing an insulating space between the two shells. A resilient blanket consisting, for example, of a material such as glass fibers is applied to the exterior surface of the inner shell while a free-flowing, lightweight, thermal insulation material consisting of a material such as expanded perlite is placed between the resilient blanket and the outer shell.
The more complicated shape of the roofs of most industrial storage tanks makes installation of roof insulation more difficult. The roof of such a storage tank may be conical, spherical, or ellipsoidal. Pre-assembled insulation panels for such shapes are difficult to fabricate and install. Because of these difficulties, special alternative insulating techniques have been developed. One common technique is to spray polyurethane foam directly on the exterior surface of the tank roof. Bellafiore et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,973, describes one apparatus and method for spraying polymeric foamed-in-place insulation on horizontal and sloped surfaces such as tank roofs.
In addition to the installation problems, the exposure of roof insulation to ambient environmental conditions makes maintenance of roof insulation more troublesome. Rainwater and water vapor degrade the insulating effectiveness of externally-applied roof insulations. To delay such degradation, roof insulation for storage tanks is conventionally provided with a vapor barrier. However, the vapor barrier is exposed to the daily and annual changes in ambient temperature and solar insolation, as well as to rain, wind, ice, and snow, and generally deteriorates after a period of years. Deterioration of the vapor barrier can also result from thermal expansion and contraction of the tank, from personnel and equipment moving over the insulation surface, and from animal activity, all leading to degradation of the roof insulation.
Often, it is not possible or cost-effective to repair degraded roof insulation, and the insulation is instead entirely removed and replaced. This often requires that the tank be taken out of service for a period of time while the old insulation is removed and replaced.
Since the effective life of externally-applied tank roof insulation is relatively short, it has been found to be desirable to look for other types of roof insulation for insulated storage tanks.
Sattelberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,443, describes an insulating ceiling that can be suspended from the inside surface of the roof of a storage tank. Because the metal tank roof protects the insulation carried by the suspended ceiling, such internal suspended ceilings have a significantly longer working life than externally-applied roof insulations. As a result, there would be a benefit in converting existing insulated storage tanks with externally-applied roof insulations into tanks with insulation supported by an internal suspended ceiling.
The Sattelberg et al. method of installing a suspended ceiling in an existing storage tank requires direct access to the underside of the tank roof in order to fasten the ceiling to the internal structural framework inside the tank roof. Unfortunately, since the roof is often 50 or more feet above the ground, this is not always easy or convenient, and externally-applied roof insulation remains in common use.

Method for installing a suspended ceiling in a storage tank


A method and a device for the formation of holes in a layer of photosensitive material, in particular for the manufacture of electron sources.. This method is characterized in that a membrane (121) with micro-perforations (122) is laid onto the layer of photosensitive material (120); the layer of photosensitive material is insolated through the membrane (121) in order to print areas (125) corresponding to the micro-perforations (122); the membrane (121) is separated from the layer of photosensitive material (120) thus insolated and the photosensitive layer (120) is then developed in order to form holes in it corresponding to the insolated areas (125).

This invention relates to a method and a device for the formation of holes in a layer of photosensitive material.
It is notably applicable to the manufacture of micro-point cathode electron sources which are used particularly for the production of imaging devices operating by cathodoluminescence excited by field emission.
The invention allows, for example, manufacturing of flat micro-point screens of a large size, for example greater than 14 inches (about 35 cm), and even flat micro-point screens having a surface area close to 1 m.sup.2.
It is of course understood that screens of a size significantly greater can be developed thanks to this invention.
Micro-point cathode electron sources and their manufacturing methods are described, for example in documents (1), (2), (3) an (4) given as references at the end of this description to which reference can be made.
To facilitate the understanding of the technical problem which has been solved by this invention, a known example of a method of manufacturing a micro-point cathode electron source is described below.
Reference will be made to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the appended drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a structure already developed which includes a substrate 2 with an insulator 4 mounted thereon, a system of cathode conductors 6, a resistive layer 7 and superimposed intersecting grids 8, with an intermediate insulator 10, and a layer 12, for example of nickel, deposited on the surface, used as a mask during the micro-point production operations.
This layer 12 of nickel, the grids 8 and the insulator 10 have holes 14, at the bottom of which micro-points will be subsequently deposited comprising a metal conductor electrically linked to the cathode conductors 6 through the resistive layer 7.
The production of the micro-points will now be explained with reference to FIG. 2.
First one begins by carrying out, for example, the deposition of a layer of molybdenum 16 on the entire structure.
This layer 16 has a thickness of about 1.8 .mu.m.
It is deposited at an angle of incidence normal to the surface of the structure.
This deposition technique allows obtaining cones 18 of molybdenum housed in the holes 14 and having a height of 1.2 to 1.5 .mu.m.
These cones comprise the electron emitting micro-points.
Selective dissolution of the nickel layer 12 is then carried out by an electrochemical method, in such a way that the perforated grids 8, made for example of niobium, are separated as may be seen in FIG. 3, and the electron emitting micro-points 18 are made apparent.
With a few technological variations, the known method which has been described, with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is one of those which have been applied up to the present time to produce the micro-points of micro-point cathode electron sources.
In order for the size and the positioning of the micro-points 18 to be correct, it is of course necessary to control perfectly the size of the holes made in the grids 8 and in the insulator 10.
The problem is therefore the following:
Holes having a mean diameter of, for example, 1.3 .mu.m or less, are to be made in all the surfaces which are to receive micro-points.
The methods used at present to produce these holes involve photolithographic methods using direct projection or the photorepetition of an elementary pattern reproduced on all these surfaces.
In the case of large size electron sources, greater than 14 inches (about 35 cm) for example, these methods rapidly become very restricting.
Direct projection requires the production of a large size mask 1 comprising submicron patterns. These patterns are generally made of metal deposited in a thin layer on a silica or glass substrate.
This mask is difficult to make when greater than 14 inches diagonal, with the traditional techniques used in micro-electronics.
With regard to photorepetition, a small size mask is used, the size being determined by the resolution of the patterns used.
For a resolution of 1 .mu.m, a mask with a side of 20 to 50 mm is used, which requires the insolation operation necessary for the photolithography to be repeated a large number of times in order to cover the total surface of the electron source.
Both of these methods (the one using direct projection and the other photo-repetition) are therefore difficult to apply to the production of electron sources of large size.
One aim of this invention is to provide a device and a method allowing the formation of holes in a uniform fashion on large surfaces and which does not have the limitations of the above mentioned methods.
Another aim is to provide a method and a device allowing the simultaneous production of all the holes by a single insolation step. Still another aim is to provide an implementation method which is simple, has a low cost and is suited to the requirements of mass production.
An aim of the invention is also to apply the method to the manufacture of electron sources.

Method and device for the formation of holes in a layer of photosensitive material, in particular for the manufacture of electron sources


Recovery of a redundant node controller in a computer system including determining a loss of a heartbeat for a predefined period of time between a system controller and the redundant node controller; in response to determining the loss of the heartbeat for the predefined period of time, checking network connectivity between the system controller and the redundant node controller; if there is network connectivity between the system controller and the redundant node controller, determining whether an application on the redundant node controller is running; and if an application on the redundant node controller is running, resetting the redundant node controller through a primary node controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for recovery of a redundant node controller in a computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
The development of the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer ('EDVAC') computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely complicated devices. Today's computers are much more sophisticated than early systems such as the EDVAC. Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware and software components, application programs, operating systems, processors, buses, memory, input/output devices, and so on. As advances in semiconductor processing and computer architecture push the performance of the computer higher and higher, more sophisticated computer software has evolved to take advantage of the higher performance of the hardware, resulting in computer systems today that are much more powerful than just a few years ago.
The combination of hardware and software components in computer systems today has progressed to the point that computer systems can be highly reliable. Reliability in computer systems may be provided by using redundant components in the computer system. When one component fails another component replaces it. In some computer systems, for example, components such as node controllers that manage hardware error requests in nodes of the computer system are provided in redundant pairs—one primary node controller, one redundant node controller. When such a primary node controller fails, the redundant node controller takes over the primary node controller's operations.
From time to time a redundant node controller loses communication with other components in the computer system. Typical methods of recovery of the redundant node controllers are reactive. That is, recovery of the redundant node controller is not attempted until the redundant node controller is called upon to replace the primary node controller. Recovery of the redundant node controller at this point is typically too late for reliable operations of the node controllers. Because the redundant node controller cannot communicate with other components in the computer system when called upon to replace the primary node controller, the redundant node controller cannot operate effectively as the primary node controller. Reactive recovery of redundant node controllers therefore reduces the reliability of node controllers in a computer system.
In other methods of recovery of redundant node controllers both the redundant node controller and the component with which the redundant node controller lost communication must agree on the failure before attempting recovery of the redundant node controller. Typically, however, one of the components is unaware of the loss of communication due to software errors. In such cases, recovery of redundant node controller is not even attempted. Readers of skill in the art will recognize therefore that there exists room for improvement in recovery of a redundant node controller in a computer system

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention pertains to cooling agents comprising N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides, menthyl acetate and solubilizer, and methods for making the cooling agents. The invention also concerns pharmaceutical compositions comprising the cooling agents, including tablets, suspensions and liquid solutions having active pharmaceutical agents for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress, and methods for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress in humans.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cooling agent compositions that impart a cooling sensation to the skin and mucous membranes of the body, particularly the mouth, nose, throat and gastrointestinal tract during consumption and methods for making cooling agents. The cooling agents comprise N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides, menthyl acetate and a solubilizer, in spray dried form. The invention also concerns pharmaceutical compositions comprising the cooling agents, including tablets, suspensions and liquid solutions having active ingredients for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress, and methods for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress in humans. The cooling agents may also be used in a sundry of edible products such as confectionary products, including chewing gum, hard and soft candies and the like.
2. The Prior Art
Cooling agents and compositions are used in a sundry of consumer goods. U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,163 describes the use of N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides in edible and potable compositions, toiletries, medicaments, and miscellaneous compositions such as envelopes, postage stamps and adhesive compositions. The N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides are described as having a physiological cooling effect on the skin and on the mucous membranes of the body, particularly the mouth, nose, throat and gastrointestinal tract. U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,091 describes the use of N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides in tobacco or tabacco containing products.
In pharmaceutical compositions, such as antacids, useful for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress, such as heartburn, indigestion, stomachache and the like, cooling agents are generally employed as excipients to provide cooling sensation when the pharmaceutic composition is consumed. Generally, the active pharmaceutical agent in pharmaceutical compositions for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress will not immediately begin to relieve the condition causing the distress. Cooling agents, used in the pharmaceutical compositions as excipients, however, provide cooling sensation to the mouth, throat and gastrointestinal tract so that the pharmaceutical composition will be perceived by the consumer as acting faster to alleviate the gastrointestinal distress. Thus, the consumer is provided with the sensation of relief although the active principle of the pharmaceutical composition has not begun to alleviate the conditions causing the distress.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,670 describes ingestible pharmaceutical compositions for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress comprising active principle and 3,1-methoxy propane 1,2-diol ("MPD"). U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,893 describes chewing gum compositions comprising a cooling agent having from about 5% to about 70%, by weight, of menthol and from about 30% to about 95%, by weight, of N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamide compounds. The combination of the menthol and the carboxamide compounds in the amounts specified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,893 are said to be necessary for cooling and breath freshening properties. U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,181 describes breath-freshening edible compositions comprising a cooling composition of essential ingredients of about 94% to about 99.999%, by weight, menthol and about 0.001% to about 6%, by weight, N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides.
There is a consumer demand, and consequently a need, for cooling agents that provide faster cooling sensation when consumed and longer lasting effect. The art of cooling agents for pharmaceutical compositions, confectionary products and like comestibles is constantly evolving.
It was an object of the invention to develop new cooling agents for use in comestible goods, like pharmaceutical compositions, and confectionary products, like gum, that provide cooling effect and long lasting freshness.
We have discovered that cooling agents comprising the combination of N-substituted p-menthane-3-carboxamides, menthyl acetate and solubilizer, in spray dried form, act synergistically to provide cooling sensation and a long lasting freshness effect. The cooling agents are particularly useful in pharmaceutical compositions for treating upper gastrointestinal tract distress.
In the present Specification, all parts and percentages are by weight/weight unless otherwise specified. The term "by weight of cooling agent components" as used herein means the weight percentage based on the total weight of all of the components of the cooling agent, such as the carboxamide, menthyl acetate and solubilizer. The term "by weight of the combination" as used herein means the weight percentage based on the total weight of all of the components of the cooling agent and the carrier and residual water in the spray dried particles. The term "by weight of the pharmaceutical composition" as used herein means the weight percentage based on the total weight of all components of the pharmaceutical composition.

Cooling agents, pharmaceutical compositions having cooling agents and processes for making and using same


The electrical cross talk in color solid-state image sensor is estimated or characterized by acquiring image data from an array of imaging cells which is a portion of a much larger array, extracting cross talk data from the acquired image data, and characterizing the cross talk based on the extracted coefficients.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging cells and, more particularly, to a method of estimating electrical cross talk in an array of imaging cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color solid-state image sensor has a large number of imaging cells that are arranged in rows and columns, and a color filter that lies over the imaging cells. When exposed to light, the photons which pass through the color filter are absorbed by the imaging cells which, in turn, generate electron-hole pairs. Some of the photogenerated electrons can diffuse laterally a few cells, usually not more than two, before being collected by an adjacent imaging cell.
This lateral diffusion of electrons, known as electrical cross talk, causes color-shifting problems among image cells (pixels) in color solid-state image sensors. As a result, the captured view of monochromatic light shifts from its true color due to the addition of other color components.
In addition, the problem of electrical crosstalk becomes worse as the pitch between imaging cells shrinks (e.g., less than 5 um). The magnitude of the cross talk is a function of the doping profile, the charge free running distance, and the layout structure. For small pixels (e.g. 3.2 um pitch pixel with 0.18 um advanced CMOS processing), cross talk of red light can be as high as 20%, which causes a very bad color shifting problem that results in failed products.
A number of studies have been reported utilizing a laser-scanning technique to characterize a modulation transfer function (MTF) that is related to cross talk in CMOS image sensors. (See O. Yadid-Pecht, "The Geometrical Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) for Different Pixel Active Area Shapes", Optical Engineering, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2000, pp. 859-865; I. Shcherback and O. Yadid-Pecht, "CMOS APS MTF Modeling", IEEE Trans. On Electron Devices, Vol. 48, No. 12, 2001, pp. 2710-2715; and C. Marques and P. Magnan, "Experimental Characterization and Simulation of Quantum Efficiency and Optical Cross Talk of CMOS photodiode APS", Electronic Imaging 2002, Conf. 4669A—Sensors, Cameras and Systems for Scientific/Industrial Applications IV, San Jose, Calif. 2002).
Further, cross talk and its effect on solid-state sensors and deblurring operations by employing convolution theorem are described in J. S. Lee, J. Shah, M. Ed Jernigan and R. I. Hornsey, "Empirical Characterization of Lateral Cross Talk for CMOS Image Sensors and Deblurring Operations", IEEE Workshop on Charge-Coupled Devices and Advanced Image Sensors, Schloss Elmau, Elmau, Germany, 2003 and E. Stevens, "A Unified Model of Carrier Diffusion and Sampling Aperture Effects on MTF in Solid-State Image Sensors", IEEE Trans. On Electron Devices, Vol. 39, No. 11, 1992, pp. 2621-2623. Micron lens study on reducing cross talk is discussed by G. Agranov, V. Berezin and R. Tsai, "Cross talk and Microlens Study in a Color CMOS Image Sensor", IEEE Trans. On Electron Devices, Vol. 50, No. 1, 2003, pp. 4-11. All the studies are focused on either MTF or methods of reducing cross talk.
There has not been an efficient way to estimate electrical cross talk in the industry such that sources of cross talk and the amount of cross talk in different directions can be quantified and the performance of an array of imaging cells can be predicted from monochrome image sensor results. Thus, there is a need for a method of estimating cross talk in an array of imaging cells to predict the performance of the array of imaging cells.

Method of estimating electrical cross talk in an array of imaging cells


A rubber composition which prevents the rise in rubber hardness over time and can maintain good performance on snow and ice over a long period, which includes (A) a diene rubber containing, as a main component, at least one member selected from the group consisting of natural rubber and butadiene rubber, and (B) 5 to 60 parts by weight of vegetable oil which has an iodine value of at least 80 and contains at least 70% by weight of unsaturated fatty acid having at least 18 carbon atoms, based on 100 parts by weight of the diene rubber (A), the rubber composition having a tan δ peak temperature Tg of at most −50° C. and a rubber hardness of at most 64 at 0° C. The present invention also relates to a pneumatic tire using the rubber composition as the tread.

The present invention relates to a rubber composition and a tire using the rubber composition as the tread. More specifically, the present invention relates to a rubber composition, which can prevent a rise in rubber hardness over time and maintain good snow and ice performance over a long period of time, and a tire which uses the rubber composition as a tire tread.
In snow tire development, a tire, which can be stably used over a long period on snow and ice in wintertime, is in demand. For example, known is the technical art of maintaining low rolling resistance and wet skid resistance while improving traction and braking performance on snow and ice surfaces, by compounding rape seed oil as a softening agent to a rubber composition containing styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) as a main component (JP-A-8-302077). However, in a rubber composition containing SBR as a main component, because tan δ peak temperature Tg becomes higher than −50° C. and hardness at a low temperature rises, sufficient performance on snow and ice could not be obtained.
A rubber composition obtained by compounding palm oil in the rubber component comprising natural rubber and butadiene rubber is also known (JP-A-58-74731). However, in a tire made from a rubber composition compounded with palm oil, rubber hardness at a low temperature became high and performance on snow and ice could not be maintained over a long period of time.
As stated above, the technical art of maintaining performance on snow and ice over a long period is still not quite satisfactory.


A tough polymer alloy is provided and comprises:. (i) from 30 to 83 weight percent of a brittle polymer; PA0 (ii) from 3 to 50 weight percent of a rubbery polymer; and PA0 (iii) from 15 to 67 weight percent of a ductile polymer provided that the ductile polymer and the rubbery polymer are at least compatible.

It is known in the art that some physical properties of styrenic or acrylic type polymers may be improved by alloying them with one or more additional polymers. In some cases, the resulting mixture can have improved mechanical properties, such as improved impact strength or toughness.
Chemical Abstracts 109:171278v [Polym. Prepr. (Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Polym. Chem.) 1988, 29(2), 180-1] discloses that physical blends of block SBR (styrene content: 75.2 weight percent) and a copolymer of methyl methacrylate and styrene are partially compatible. The morphological and mechanical properties of the blend are strongly dependent on the molding/mixing process used to produce the blend. The SBR could only be toughened when the ideal morphology of the blend was obtained.
Chemical Abstracts 106:85901z [JP 61/200,151] discloses thermoplastic compositions comprising from 5 to 95 weight percent of a block copolymer and from 95 to 5 weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer (e.g. ABS). The block copolymer is derived from coupling an aromatic vinyl polymer block with an aromatic vinyl monomer-conjugated diene copolymer block. The subject thermoplastic compositions apparently have improved impact strength.
Chemical Abstracts 112:8285y [JP 61/291,610] discloses the use of "impact modifiers" for thermoplastic polymers. The modifiers are basically similar to the block copolymer disclosed by Chemical Abstracts 106:85901z.
Chemical Abstracts 99:196070j [JP 58/122,954] discloses improvement of anisotropy of a styrene hydrocarbon-conjugated diene block copolymer by blending it with a styrene-methacrylic ester copolymer. Such a blend, when extruded to form a molded plate, apparently possesses superior physical properties.
Chemical Abstracts 111:8522c [JP 01/45614] discloses high-impact styrene polymer compositions comprises a major amount of a styrene (50 to 90 weight percent)-conjugated diene (50 to 10 weight percent) block copolymer and a minor amount of a styrene-based polymer (e.g. styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer).
It would be desirable to have a composition which possesses a combination of improved properties, including improved impact strength. Typically the alloys of the present invention should have a notched Izod impact strength of greater than about 0.5, preferably greater than 1.0 ft.lb./in. In a particularly perferred aspect of the present invention, the alloys may have a haze of less than 10, most preferably less than 5.


The invention relates to a device for monitoring a probe for measuring the pressure of a flow; the probe comprising an internal volume; the device comprising: an acoustic transmitter and receiver, a connection intended to connect the device to the probe, for the transmitter to transmit an acoustic signal in the internal volume and for the receiver to pick up an acoustic signal in the internal volume. The device also comprises an electronic module comprising: an audio transmission and reception circuit, linked to the transmitter and to the receiver by analog link, a non-erasable memory comprising a digital encryption key, an erasable read-only memory, a digital communication interface, configured to transmit or receive digital signals between the outside of the device and the audio circuit, the non-erasable memory and the erasable read-only memory.

Piloting any aircraft entails knowing its relative speed in relation to the air, that is to say to the relative wind. This speed is determined using static pressure Ps and total pressure Pt measurement probes. The total Pt and static Ps pressures give the modulus of this speed vector. As is known, the total pressure Pt can be measured using a so-called Pitot tube. This is a tube that is open at one of its ends and blocked at the other. The open end of the tube faces substantially into the flow. The air stream situated upstream of the tube is progressively slowed down until it reaches an almost zero speed at the tube inlet. The slowing down of the speed of this air stream increases its pressure. This increased pressure forms the total pressure Pt of the air flow.
The principle of a total pressure measurement probe is recalled by FIG. 1. The probe 10 is intended to be fixed through an opening 11 produced in the skin 12 of an aircraft. The probe 10 comprises a part 13 external to the skin 12 and formed by a Pitot tube 14 borne by a strut 15. The probe 10 also comprises an internal part 16 essentially comprising an electrical connector 17 and a pneumatic connector 18. The connector 17 makes it possible to electrically connect the probe 10 to the aircraft, for example to connect heating means for the de-icing of the probe 10. The connector 18 makes it possible to pneumatically connect the Pitot tube 14 to a pressure sensor or other measurement device, situated inside the skin 12 of the aircraft. The probe 10 is positioned on the skin 12 of the aircraft in such a way that the Pitot tube 14 is oriented substantially along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, outside the boundary limit, so that the direction of the flow, represented by an arrow 19 substantially faces an inlet orifice 20 situated at a first end 21 of the Pitot tube 14. In the example represented, the Pitot tube 14 is fixed relative to the skin 12 of the aircraft. It is of course possible to mount the Pitot tube 14 on a mobile strut such as, for example, a vane that can be oriented in the axis of the flow as for example described in the patent published under the number FR 2 665 539.
In practice, the air flow can carry solid or liquid particles, such as, for example, water from the clouds, likely to penetrate into the Pitot tube and to build up in the tube at the blocked end. To prevent such a build-up from disturbing the pressure measurement, there are generally provided one or more drain holes and water traps, to avoid any risk of obstruction of the pipe work responsible for transmitting the total pressure to the pressure sensors situated inside the skin of the aircraft or to the instruments of the aircraft instrument panel. As represented in FIG. 2, the Pitot tube 14 thus comprises, in proximity to an end 22, a drain hole 23 making it possible to evacuate particles likely to penetrate inside the tube 14. Still at the end 22 of the tube, a pneumatic line 24 opens into the tube 14 to form therein a pressure tap 40 where the air pressure is to be measured. The pressure tap 40 is generally constructed so as to avoid the ingress of water into the tube 14 and thus form a water trap. The line 24 is, for example, linked to a pressure sensor which is not represented in FIG. 2. The pressure sensor makes it possible to effectively measure the pressure of the air prevailing inside the tube 14 at its end 22. Apart from the drain hole or holes 23, whose sections are small compared to that of the tube 14, the tube is closed at its end 22. The pressure measured at this end therefore represents the total pressure Pt of the air flow.
The drain holes make it possible to evacuate the liquids and any particles that might penetrate into the tube. The slowing down of the air in the tube is not therefore complete and the total pressure Pt measurement is corrupted. More specifically, the greater the efforts made to avoid the build-up of water or of particles of significant size, the more the total pressure measurement is affected by increasing the dimensions or the number of drain holes. Conversely, the greater the efforts to improve the total pressure Pt measurement by reducing the dimensions or the number of drain holes, the more the risk of build-up of water or of particles increases. With the Pitot tube, a trade-off therefore has to be found between quality of the total pressure Pt measurement and risk of disturbing the measurement because of the penetration of water, and of particles conveyed by the air flow where the measurement is performed.
In the operational life of the aircraft, the drain holes can be polluted, because of the ingress of dust, of insects, of plant residues or other foreign bodies. Because of their size and the position of the Pitot tubes on the fuselage of an aircraft, periodically monitoring the integrity of the drain holes is not easy.
The drain holes of the Pitot tubes are generally checked visually. The operator responsible for the maintenance of the airplanes inspects the drain hole or holes using a small lamp. If foreign bodies are observed, the probe is dismantled, and its pneumatic circuits cleaned. This operation becomes all the more difficult when the airplane is of large size. Access to the probe and to the drain holes whose diameter is generally less than 1 mm is difficult.
Also known from the applicant is a monitoring device intended to be temporarily connected to the pressure measurement probe, and that makes it possible to monitor, using an acoustic transmitter and receiver, that the internal cavities and the drain holes of the probe are not blocked. The principle of such a device is notably described by the patent published under the reference FR 2 959 822. It is also reviewed in FIG. 2 of the present application. The monitoring device 25 comprises a transmitter 26 and a receiver 27 intended to be connected to an internal volume 30 of the probe, formed by the interior of the tube 14, the drain hole or holes 23 and the line 24. The transmitter transmits an acoustic signal that is propagated in the internal volume 30 and the receiver is configured to pick up an acoustic signal observed in the internal volume 30. The device also comprises processing means 28 that make it possible to compare the acoustic signal observed in the internal volume to a reference acoustic signal measured on a probe that is not clogged up, in order to establish the presence of particles in the internal volume.
As represented in FIG. 2, the processing means 28 are incorporated in the probe monitoring device. When the difference between the observed signal and the reference signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, the processing means alert the user, for example by means of a lamp 29 mounted on the device. This approach does, however, have limitations. In effect, to improve the reliability of the diagnosis of clogging of the probe, processing algorithms are considered that are more complex than simply comparing a signal difference to a threshold. These more complex algorithms can notably require various interactions with an operator. The incorporation of the processing means in the device connected to the probe mounted on the fuselage of the aircraft make these interactions between the operator and the device difficult. It is therefore desirable to have an apparatus that makes it possible to monitor a pressure measurement probe that is simultaneously reliable, safe and simple for a maintenance operator present in proximity to the aircraft equipped with the probe to be monitored.

Device for monitoring a probe for measuring the pressure of a flow


A free stall divider which eliminates the need for structural elements in front of each free stall, thereby increasing the space in front of each animal and minimizes the structural elements at the side of each animal thoroughly allowing each animal to position its head comfortably to either side while lying in the stall. The free stall divider comprises a base, at least one mounting member, and at least one dividing element. All of the structural elements required to retain the dividing element upright are mounted to the base. When an animal is in a stall, therefore, all of the mounting members are located to the side of the animal. Therefore, no obstructions prevent the animal from moving in a forward direction.

This invention relates generally to devices used to separate animals and, more particularly, to a free stall divider that eliminates various obstructions in each stall, thereby increasing the space available for each animal.
Free stalls, or stalls which allow animals to move freely within a limited area, are well known in the art. While effective in some circumstances, pnor art free stall dividers suffer from several disadvantages. First, traditional free stall dividers must be mounted to barn structural elements such as walls, building columns, or center posts, all of which restrict animal movement in the forward direction. These restrictions make it difficult for animals, and particularly cows, to move in a natural way. When cows lie down or rise from a lying position, they naturally move forward or "lunge," and can be injured when they strike these obstructions. Second, when cows lie in a stall, they are most comfortable with their heads positioned to one side. The aforementioned structural restrictions can prevent cows from resting their heads in the most comfortable positions. This is particularly important because it has been shown that cows that live in comfortable quarters produce more milk than other cows. Third, because many of these devices depend on structural elements in the barn for mounting, the placement of the stalls is limited by the existing position of these elements in a barn. Other free stall dividers require the permanent installation of mounting members such as center posts or sockets which are cemented directly to the barn floor. Consequently, once these stalls are positioned in the barn, they are difficult or impossible to move, remove or replace. Third, these prior art free stall dividers require numerous parts, which are heavy, expensive to ship, and difficult to install. In addition, prior art free stall designs often require that two legs be cemented to the floor at opposite ends of the stall to provide structure and stabilization. Once these legs are installed, it is difficult to clean under the stalls, especially when using automatic cleaning equipment.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which increases the "lunge" room available to animals.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which allows a cow to comfortably position its head.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which is independent of barn structural elements for mounting.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which can be readily moved within or removed from a barn.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider in which parts can be easily replaced.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which is easy to install.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which requires fewer parts.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which is simple in construction and less costly to ship.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved free stall divider which can be adapted for use in single and double row installations.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved free stall which is easy to clean.
The present invention provides a free stall divider comprising a substantially horizontally extending base, at least one mounting member coupled substantially vertically to the base, and at least one dividing element including a substantially vertically extending mounting portion coupled to said one mounting member. The base provides a platform for mounting the dividing elements, thereby eliminating the necessity to mount structural elements directly to the barn floor, walls, or columns. All of the structure necessary to retain the dividing elements upright is provided by the mounting members, which are located on the base. The dividing elements act essentially like walls, and are positioned to the side of the animals in a stall. Therefore, all of the mounting members are positioned to the side of the animal, rather than in front of the animal. The space in front and to the side of the animals is therefore free of obstructions, thereby increasing the "lunge" room and providing additional room for the animals to place their heads at the side of the stall. Moreover, the majority of the free stall divider is elevated above the floor level so that it is easier to clean under than traditional free stall systems.
Furthermore, because the free stall divider of the present invention is installed independent of the barn structure, it can be readily moved or replaced. In addition, the free stall divider of the present invention can be easily disassembled, and is easier to ship than previous devices. The free stall divider of the present invention can also be adapted for use in both single and double rows of stalls, thereby decreasing the number of different parts which must be acquired when assembling a free stall system.
Other advantages and features of the invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the drawings.


Nanoparticles made from a select group of lipids and optionally containing a therapeutically active agent are employed in pharmaceutical compositions for delivery to targeted tissues and/or cells for the treatment or diagnosis of such diseases as cancer.

An ability to deliver therapeutically active agents to diseased tissues and cells while avoiding damage to healthy tissues and cells, or the identification of drugs that are pharmacologically selective for one tissue or cell type over another has presented a difficult and long-standing problem for physicians treating patients. This is especially true for cancer.
Cancer may be considered the result of rapid and endless division of diseased cells and the growth of cell clusters to form tumors. Malignant cells, spreading from a primary tumor mass and lodging elsewhere in the body to form a secondary tumor burden. Differences between cancer cells and healthy cells are subtle and historically most anticancer chemotherapeutic agents have sought to destroy tumor cells based on the rapid and extensive cell division rate characteristic or cancer.
Examples of cell division related targets are DNA intercalation or cutting agents, replication, transcription and expression and repair or polymerase enzyme activity inhibitors and microspindle polymerization poisons. Such agents include, but are not limited to, alkylating agents, antibiotics, antimetabolites, DNA intercalating agents, topoisomerase inhibitors, taxanes, vinca alkaloids, cytotoxins, hormones, podophyllotoxin derivatives, hydrazine derivatives, triazine derivatives, radioactive substances, retinoids and nucleoside analogs (specific therapeutic agents include, for example, paclitaxel, camptothecin, doxorubicin, vincristine, vinblastine, bleomycin, nitrogen mustards, cisplatinum, 5-fluorouracil and their analogues). However, healthy tissues such as bone marrow and the epithelial lining of the gut for example, also have rapidly dividing cell populations and chemotherapy agents typically fail to distinguish between these and other healthy and diseased cells. The result is dose limiting and even life threatening side effects that have become characteristic of cancer chemotherapy. For poorly aqueous soluble agents such as paclitaxel the use of emulsifying agents such as Cremaphor has been suggested. Cremaphor has been shown to further contribute to the adverse side effect profile of paclitaxel.
One approach to making chemotherapy more selective for cancer cells is the development of drugs that are based upon more recently discovered biochemical and metabolic differences between cancer and healthy cells. Such differences for example have now been described in receptor and signal transduction pathways and oncogenes and gene regulators that control growth and differentiation or regulate apoptosis. Other examples are tumor cell metabolic requirements for specific amino acids. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells for example are dependent on external sources of the amino acid asparagine. The enzyme asparaginase has been utilized to deplete circulating levels of asparagine in an attempt to treat disease. Newer classes of drugs, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being explored and with promising results. Tyrosine kinase activity has been linked to receptors such as epidermal growth factor which may be upregulated in certain tumor types. Troublesome side effects and dose limiting toxicities as well as emerging drug resistance have persisted and remained problems even with these more selective agents.
Additional differences between cancer and healthy cells have also been observed in the expression of cell surface antigens. Monoclonal antibodies and their fragments have been extensively studied for the selective diagnosis and therapy of cancer either by direct binding of an antibody to its antigen or the delivery of radioisotopes or chemotherapeutic agents that have been conjugated to the antibody backbone. Typically monoclonal antibodies are specific for a limited number of cancer types and a "pancarcinoma" antibody has not yet been identified. Traditional cell division directed chemotherapeutic agents as well as newer signal transduction directed agents and monoclonal antibodies or their fragments may fail to penetrate fully into a tumor mass or accumulate sufficiently in tumor cells to achieve optimal results (i.e. the active agent is not sufficiently internalized in the tumor cells). Such failures are usually associated with the physical or chemical features of the agents including charge, size, solubility, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, and other factors. Cure rates remain relatively low for many solid tumor types and even modest improvements in life expectancy are considered significant.
It has been reported that accumulation of a chemotherapy agent into a tumor mass can be promoted by increases in the molecular mass of the chemotherapy agent. Lack of lymphatic drainage and other features of tumor associated vasculature such as leakiness are believed to play a role in this phenomena. Increases in molecular mass can be achieved by lipid acylation, conjugation to inert polymers such as polyethylene glycol, polyglutamic acid, dextran and the like or by encapsulation of drugs into liposomes or nanoparticles of various sizes and compositions. Particles below 1 micron in size are believed to pass through the leaky tumor vasculature and accumulate in the extracellular space of a tumor mass. Polymer conjugation or encapsulation can also be utilized to improve aqueous solubility or decrease plasma protein binding and accumulation into healthy tissue.
Liposome encapsulated drugs such as doxorubicin are currently in clinical use for treatment of AIDS related Kaposi's sarcoma and ovarian cancer. Polyethylene glycol or polyglutamic acid conjugated paclitaxel and polyethylene glycol conjugated camptothecin are presently in human clinical trials.
In general, liposome or nanoparticle encapsulation and polymer conjugation while enhancing drug accumulation in a tumor mass may actually slow or inhibit uptake or internalization of drug into tumor cells. Drugs are then left to diffuse out of degradable liposomes or nanoparticles. For polymer conjugation a prodrug strategy has been adopted. Decreased rates of plasma clearance of these formulations has also been reported and suggested to contribute to increase tumor mass accumulation. In a prodrug strategy active drug is released from a carrier as the conjugate circulates through the blood.
One effort at addressing the issue of selective tumor destruction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,680. A moderately hydrophobic neutral amino acid polymer is labeled with a paramagnetic complex comprising a metal ion and organic chelating ligand. The labeled reagent is combined in solution with a surfactant mixture and then shaken in a gaseous atmosphere to form a gas in liquid emulsion or microbubble. Although principally employed for the enhancement of ultrasonic and MRI imaging, mention is made of pooling or concentrating the microbubbles in tumors to act as heat sinks as well as cavitation nuclei to disrupt the tumor structure.
Another approach has been to develop solid lipid nanoparticles as a delivery system for drugs, including for sustained release or oral delivery fromuations (See for example, Wolfgang Mehnert et al., "Solid Lipid Nanoparticles, Production Characterization and Applications", Adv. Drug. Del. Reviews, Vol. 47, pp. 165-196 (2001) incorporated herein by reference. However, delivery systems employing solid lipid nanoparticles for tumor targeting have been problematical at least in part because of low drug-loading capacities, as well as unwanted accumulation in the liver and spleen or leaching of toxic agents remaining after particle formation.
Administering therapeutically active agents with an appropriate delivery vehicle that would limit accumulation in healthy tissues while promoting accumulation in a tumor mass and cellular internalization is highly desirable. With more efficient delivery, systemic and healthy tissue concentrations of cell division linked cytotoxic agents may be reduced while achieving the same or better therapeutic results with fewer or diminished side effects. Such delivery of agents with inherent degrees of tumor cell selectivity would offer additional advantages. Further, a delivery vehicle that would not be limited to a single tumor type but would allow for selective accumulation into a tumor mass and promotion of celluar internalization into diverse cancer cell types would be especially desirable and allow for safer more effective treatment of cancer. A delivery vehicle that would also allow for elevated loading capacity for the therapeutic agent would likely be a significant advance in the art.
Accordingly, there is a need for delivery vehicles which improve the efficiency of delivery of therapeutically active agents to targeted tissues including tumors with promotion of internalization into the targeted cells (e.g. cancer cells) preferably without the need for chemical modification or conjugation of drug and which have high therapeutic agent loading capacities. There is a further need for a method of preparing and using such vehicles for delivery of a wide variety of therapeutically active agents to targeted tissues and cells.

Pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions containing nanoparticles useful for treating targeted tissues and cells


A cutting implement configured to be attached to an implement carrier of a power machine. The cutting implement includes an attachment structure that is capable of engaging and being secured to the implement carrier. The cutting implement further includes a boom having a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal end is attached to the attachment structure. A trolley is selectively positionable between the proximal end and the distal end of the boom. An undercarriage is operably coupled to the trolley and has a cutting element attached to it. The undercarriage is moveable under power in a lateral direction with respect to the trolley so that the cutting element is capable of being offset along a lateral direction with respect to the boom.

The present invention relates to slab cutters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hydraulically controlled apparatus that can be mounted onto a skid-steer loader for cutting paved surfaces.
Paved surfaces such as streets, curbs, sidewalks, and driveways generally must be made from highly durable materials that are able to withstand heavy and frequent traffic. Materials such as concrete, asphalt, masonry, and stonework are well-suited for such applications because of their relatively high hardness. For a variety of reasons, it is often necessary to cut these materials after they have been set into place. In such situations, the relative hardness of the materials from which the surfaces are made and other factors can significantly increase the difficulty of effecting cuts.
A common situation in which a surface requires cutting is when concrete has been poured and begins to cure. As concrete cures, it typically contracts approximately one-sixteenth of an inch for every ten feet of concrete poured. This contraction can cause irregular cracking that will diminish the performance, longevity, and aesthetic appeal of the surface. When concrete is used in forming relatively large slabs, such as sidewalks or streets, cracking is a virtual certainty.
The cracking that occurs once concrete is poured can, however, be controlled by cutting grooves, or control joints, into the concrete at regular or semi-regular intervals before the concrete completely cures. Generally, these control joints act as pre-weakened stress points that encourage the concrete to crack along the control joints during the curing process. As a result, cracking that occurs can be contained to grooves of regularly spaced control joints.
Concrete, as well as other materials used to form paved surfaces, may also require cutting for other purposes. Road repair, for example, often requires discrete segments or areas of a paved surface to be removed or replaced. Similarly, utilities buried under roadways typically cannot be repaired or replaced unless portions of the roadway are first removed. In other instances, demolition, construction, or reconfiguration of paved surfaces such as parking lots, patios, streets, and sidewalks require that portions or segments of these surfaces be removed.


A system for detecting presence, identifying, and detecting directional movement of an object or personnel is directional movement installed at points of access for vehicle, object, or personnel tracking. The system has at least a pair of IR heat and/or motion-sensing detectors installed on a scanner panel with a space approximately 2 feet apart from each other for transmitting and receiving optical beams across the point of access. An RFID reader with an antenna is incorporated within the scanner panel. When an object passes through the point of access, the panel scanner is capable of detecting which direction the object traveled. The scanner panel also has the ability to distinguish whether the object is a human or an object. This functionality is dependent on the triggering of heat and or motion sensors/detectors, which can authenticate the objects and/or personnel carrying an RFID tag and information of the RFID tag to a computer interface.

The present invention relates to a system and a method for tracking, storing, and maintaining objects or personnel having RFID tags attached thereto in a defined zone or geographic area such as buildings, factories, tractor-trailers, aircraft, railroad cars or other areas where the zones have plurality of points of access or within a defined area. The present invention further relates to an improved object or personnel tracking and control system which makes use of a portal RF antenna with infrared optical sensors that can scan the object or personnel RFID tag and detect and determine the direction in which objects or personnel are moving. With the use of IR heat sensing and motion sensing sensors, the presence or absence of an object without an RFID tag and the moving direction of such object as well as whether said moving object is a person or not can be determined.
A number of different methods has been used in the past to track the location of large numbers of objects (pallets of cargo, packages etc.) or personnel located within buildings, trailers, containers, buses, and aircrafts. These methods have been used for purposes of tracking cargo, employee attendance, school attendance, or logging in passenger manifest along with carry-on luggage. The oldest of this method is by keeping an inventory register of each warehouse or vehicle content and it's delivery records in a paper journal, attendance punch cards, or more recently, with the use of computers or a hand held computerized device and database. The accuracy of inventory or personnel registry depends on each individual operator to properly input information relating to packages or personnel. Such a system is limited to assessing the number of objects or pallets and cannot accurately identify the location of each and every pallet, package or personnel and entails significant costs from a human resources standpoint.
As one might expect, a variety of different approaches has been taken to solve the problem of monitoring large numbers of vehicles, cargo pallets, packages and/or personnel at a specific location (such as a warehouse or office building) or in a vehicle/trailer. From a security perspective, certain applications for purposes of monitoring cargo pallets, packages, luggage, personnel and/or passengers relating to vehicle content, warehouse site, retail stores, schools, at ports of entry, and airports also require tremendous recourses including security guards, video monitors, magnetic tag detectors, metal detectors, access controls, bar-code readers as well as mechanical or optical counters. While such approaches may reduce the incident of theft, hijacking, personnel attendance, they are not useful in addressing the primary problem contemplated by the present invention, namely, how to keep track of the location of a plurality of cargo pallets, packages and/or personnel carried in various modes of transportation and/or within a defined geographic area or zone such as warehouses or buildings.
One such system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,389 to Lindholm. Apparatus for the automatic counting of passengers that detects the number of passengers entering and/or leaving a collective passenger vehicle projecting a pair of light-beams of invisible light across passenger door way and detecting with the light beam in response to first and second light is disclosed.
Another example is an automatic counting system for passengers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,679 issued to Shahbaz et al. The automatic counting system counts the passengers moving into and out of a common carrier vehicle. Three ultrasonic detectors are used to determine the presence and absence of passengers, while the sequence of detection of passengers at the three different ranges establish a count of number of passengers entering or leaving.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,347 issued to Miura discloses a situation Guiding Management System used with plural of cars constituting a train, and an up/down counter for counting passengers getting on and off each car with passenger sensor/counter provided at doorways and pass ways of cars. The infrared temperature sensors element are used for sensing temperature and a pair of photo sensors serves as direction sensor for determining whether a passing passenger is getting on or off a car.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,537 issued to Ishikawa et al. describes a passenger number sensor System wherein a plurality of infrared ray sensors are disposed on a straight line to detect temperature change, a plurality of optical lenses are provided the corresponding one of the plurality of infrared sensors, and a counter is provided to select one of the addition value in a predetermined range according to sense pattern on the temperature change of infrared ray sensors and to add the selected addition value to accumulate count value.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,887 issued to Hashimoto et al describes an apparatus for detecting the number of passers. A plurality of rows of distance variation measuring sensors is provided on a ceiling. Each of the distance variation measuring sensors includes a light emitter and a light receiver in an orthogonal direction to the direction along which human pass. The number of passers is detected on the basis of the number of the distance variation measuring. The traveling direction of human bodies is detected on the basis of the change in distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,946 issued to Kim discloses a system for detecting the presence and direction of an object passing through a gate. The system uses a first and a second infrared beams to emit reflector, receives a mixed beam superimposed by the first and second beams reflected by the reflector, and determines the presence and direction of the object passing through the gate on the mixed beam
U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,457 issued to Ghaffari et al. teaches a directional antenna configuration for a tracking system used in an article tracking. The antenna configuration includes a pair of shorted loops antenna one on respective side of portal. The antenna configuration also includes a second pair of passage antennas arranged in parallel to the path of travel through the doorway. The antenna configuration permits detection of direction of movement of marked object through a portal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,423 issued to Ghaffari et al. discloses a zone-based tracking and Control System incorporated with a data processing system that maintains records of a plurality of objects. Each object has a marker. At least four sensor devices are installed on each side of the respective doorway. Each marked object is expected to move through the doorway. The sensor devices detect from the identification signal a direction in which object is being moved. The data processing system receives the detection signal and maintains a data record indicating object present location in the building.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,389 issued to Lindhom, U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,347 issued to Miura, U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,537 issued to Ishikawa et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,887 issued to Hashimoto et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,946 issued to Kim discloses using optical sensors for detection of directional movement, and counting of human at an entry/exit point.
The teachings in the prior art are not capable of authenticating objects, passers or passengers passing through a particular entry/exit point. U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,679 issued to Shahbaz discloses a similar art using ultrasonic sensors instead of optical sensor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,457 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,423 issued to Ghaffari disclose asset tracking by use of multiple portal antennas for reading RFID markers and indicating directional movement of objects or personnel carrying markers. The art found in Ghaffari is useful but not practical in use. In order to fill an average trailer or building entry/exit way with RF field, an antenna loop is being used to cover an entry/exit opening area usually about 8 feet (4 m). Since RFID read antennas radiates a 360 degree RF field, as per Ghaffari teaching, in order to detect marked objects or personnel directional movements, minimum of 2 antennas use is required on one side towards an entry way (one after the other, along the entry way), these 2 antennas have to be away from each other by at least 8 feet to allow the RFID antenna reader CPU to detect directional movement of the object or person carrying marker.
First the reader must determine the actual physical location of a moving object or personnel carrying a marker by determining which one of 2 antennas interrogated first and which one interrogated second in order to register a marked object or personnel direction movement detection, depending on physical position of the object or personnel carrying RFID tag at the time of antenna reading. If antennas are less than 8 feet apart, the reader CPU cannot differentiate the tag position because both antennas can read a particular RFID tag at the same time even though Ghaffari discloses only one antenna reading being initiated by the reader CPU at a given time to avoid RF collision. Ghaffari requires a large unusable area in an entry/exit way. One cannot store objects or seat tagged passengers in an entry/exit way (Half of a container, trailer, passenger car) where such antennas are installed. In order to avoid false marker reading, one has to consider unusable valuable space to be wasted for antennas use. Unusable space is a crucial matter, especially in a cargo trailer, passenger car or within small building with partitions.
It should be noted Ghaffari teaches use of 4 antennas in a portal entry/exit for moving marker directional detection. The antennas are operating one at a time interval, one after the other in order to avoid RF collision, thus delaying marker reading speed. Therefore, an object or personnel carrying the marker passing portal antenna zone at fast speed will not be detected, or even if it is detected, the CPU will not be able to differentiate object or personnel carrying marker movement direction. Finally, since Ghaffari relies only on an RFID antenna interrogation system to detect movement of marked object, one can pass a marked object behind a antenna panel, a wall patrician, or an object or personnel tag on the outer side of a cargo trailer, or a passenger car without physically going through the portal and falsely log an object or a personnel into the system database.
Although the prior art cited above is useful, none of the inventions include a secure portal scanner for tracking objects and personnel, a portal scanner that can ascertain in a particular location the presence of a particular objects or particular personnel being carried by several modes of transportation such as vehicles, tractor-trailers, or within a defined geographic area such as warehouses and buildings. It is accordingly a substantial need to provide a secure electronic vehicle, cargo, and personnel tracking information system, which uses a portal scanner for tracking the present location of in a plurality of modes of transportation or at a plurality of physical locations.

Electronic vehicle product and personal monitoring


A safety dispenser suitable for dispensing a jet of material the active ingredient of which can incapacitate an attacker, having a rugged unitary housing defining a trigger finger access opening and an opening through which said jet may issue, a container for housing the material under pressure, being captively housed within the housing and being closed by a manually operable valve spring biased into a closed position, a valve cap attached to the valve and carrying a nozzle for emission of a jet of the material upon operation of the valve by application of pressure by a trigger finger of a user extending through the finger opening, the orientation of the nozzle being restrained such that a jet when emitted will pass through the jet emitting opening.

There are many designs of pressurized dispenser already on the market for the purpose of providing personal protection and for use by law enforcement agencies, postman, etc. for deterring violent attacks. Most of the designs issue a spray of MACE for the purpose of disabling the attacker. The disabling material used in most of the dispensers is oleo-resin, capsicum which is present in a strength of 5% to 8%. Most of the oleo-resin capsicum material is inactive and consists of oils and coloring matter. The only active ingredient in this material is capsaicin which is normally present in the strength of 0.1% to 1% depending upon the kind of peppers used in its production. Various carriers and solvents are used in the various brands presently on the market with some brands using trichlorethylene (a known carcinogen) while others use kerosene, benzene or other solvents many of which are highly flammable and can be set a fire, for example, by being sprayed while lighting a cigarette.
Prior art dispensers are invariably of thin aluminum such as is used in insect sprays and oven cleaners. Due to their light construction, and the thin aluminum wall, available pressure is quite limited. This, in turn, dictates the use of a "mist" type spray rather than the much more effective "jet". These containers are easily damaged and easily crushed. Some of the brands make no effort to provide a safety mechanism with the result that accidental discharge is very easy to achieve. Many have accidentally fired while being placed in a holster. Safety devices inevitably delay use of the devices. The various brands available on the market which provide some means of reducing the chance of an accidental ejection of the material in the dispenser do so by the provision of a variety of means obstructing ready access to the valve used to release the content of the dispenser, including spring loaded flaps, twisting covers, flaps that have to be lifted and/or pushed aside, etc. All of the devices are "throw aways" designed to be used and discarded.
These known designs of dispenser use various pressurizers including freon and propane, the first of which is ecologically undesirable and the second of which is highly flammable.
The various designs intended to reduce the chance of an accidental discharge of the content of the dispenser fall short of the ideal for a number of reasons. Some of them rely on moving parts, not particularly reliable, some can be overcome by the simple application of force which might occur other than in the emergency situation intended for the use of the dispenser, some are too awkward to use effectively, without substantial practice, when faced with an emergency and the associated usual panic. Some rely on the removal of clips (often small and difficult to access) and some are very specific as to the orientation of the dispenser. The resulting substantial, in the circumstances, loss of time in bringing the dispenser into action when it is needed can be disastrous.
It is an object of the present invention to provide safety dispenser for dispensing a disabling agent which is substantially tamper proof, has no moving parts associated with its security and safety, is robust, reliable and easy to use, and which uses an active material, which provides the dispenser with an unlimited shelf life, and a pressurizer which is inert.


An improved construction of a ..Randel.!. .Iadd.Lundell.Iaddend.-type rotor of a vehicle-mounted alternator, capable of reducing the windage noise which is produced as a result of interference between the rotor and the stator of the alternator. The rotor has a pair of pole cores provided with a plurality of mutually meshing claws, and an exciting coil disposed at the inner side of the pole cores. Spacers in the form of an integral ring or discrete wedges are fitted in the spaces between adjacent pole core claws so as to provide a substantially smooth cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the rotor portion facing the radial teeth on the stator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotor of an alternator for use on vehicles and, more particularly, to an alternator rotor provided with a ..Randel.!. .Iadd.Lundell.Iaddend.-type pole core having a plurality of meshing claws.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 79455/1983 discloses an example of the construction of rotor of a vehicle mounted alternator, improved to provide a greater cooling effect. In this alternator rotor, a pair of rotor cores, each having pole cores in the form of a plurality of axially projecting claws, are fixed to the rotor shaft such that exciting coils fixed to a yoke are clamped between the pair of rotor cores. The pole core arrangement in which the pole cores of a pair of rotor cores oppose and mesh each other is generally referred to as "..Randel.!. .Iadd.Lundell.Iaddend.-type Pole Core". The invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 79455/1983 is intended for reducing the air flow resistance to increase the flow rate of the cooling air, and the alternator disclosed therein meets this requirement.


An apparatus for use in a wireless communication network includes a UE configured to communicate with a plurality of serving cells with at least a first serving cell and a second serving cell. The UE is configured to operate in at least two carrier frequencies. The UE includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to detect one or more scheduling assignments for receiving one or more respective PDSCHs from a respective one or more of the plurality of serving cells. The processing circuitry is also configured to receive the one or more PDSCHs from the respective one or more of the plurality of serving cells based on the one or more scheduling assignments. The processing circuitry is further configured to transmit HARQ-ACK information on a PUCCH in response to receiving the one or more PDSCHs. The processing circuitry is configured to utilize first and second power control loops.

Physical uplink control channel procedures are discussed in Release 10 of the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, as described in 3GPP Technical Specification No. 36.213 version 10.1.0 Release 10, "Physical layer procedures." Coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission and reception have been considered for LTE-Advanced as a way to improve the coverage of high data rates, to improve cell-edge throughput, and to increase system throughput.
When only a primary serving cell transmits physical downlink shared channel data to a user equipment configured with multiple serving cells, the user equipment transmits the corresponding hybrid automatic repeat request and acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) using physical uplink control channel format 1a/1b. When a secondary serving cell transmits physical downlink shared channel data to the user equipment, the user equipment transmits the corresponding HARQ-ACK using physical uplink control channel format 3.

Transmissions/receptions of uplink acknowledgement signals in wireless networks