The invention relates to imaging systems that include a coded aperture detection system and an optical detection system. The coded aperture detection system is configured to detect radiation emitted by a radionuclide present within an object and to provide a first detector signal from the detected radiation. The optical detection system is configured to detect optical radiation from the object and to provide a second detector signal from the detected optical radiation. The system also includes a processor configured to prepare first image data from the first detector signal, second image data from the second detector signal, and registered data indicative of a spatial relationship in at least one dimension between the first and second image data. The invention also includes methods of using the new systems, e.g., for sentinel lymph node mapping and tissue resection.

Medical imaging can provide health professionals with information about the anatomy, physiology, and histology of humans and animals. Images can be displayed and acquired in both two and three dimensions. In some imaging procedures, a contrast agent is used to accentuate differences between a region of interest and surrounding tissues. Some contrast agents, for example, have an affinity for particular types of tissues or cells, e.g., cancerous cells. When introduced to a subject, the contrast agent tends to concentrate near cancerous cells allowing the visualization of otherwise hidden cancers. Other contrast agents may lack a particular affinity for a particular cell or tissue. Such contrast agents may be used to, e.g., visualize pathways such as vessels and lymph ducts.
One application of medical imaging is to perform sentinel lymph node (SNL) mapping. In this technique, a health professional seeks to identify lymph nodes associated with a cancerous tumor. The underlying hypothesis behind SNL mapping is that the first lymph node, defined as the SLN, to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor site will exhibit tumors if there has been lymphatic spread. If no malignant cells are found in the SLN during frozen section analysis in the operating room, then the patient is spared the significant morbidity associated with a radical dissection of all lymph nodes surrounding the tumor. In breast cancer, for example, auxiliary node dissection, and its associated lymphedema, can be avoided in patients whom the SLN is negative histologically. Another benefit of SLN mapping is that it affords a regional control in patients with palpable tumor-containing nodes.
Sentinel lymph node mapping and resection are presently the standard of care for both breast cancer and melanoma. Although tumors that are already malignant at the time of resection may not benefit from SLN mapping, large clinical studies have shown that only approximately 5% of SLN-negative breast cancer patients will manifest metastatic disease at a later time. These results suggest that SLN mapping and resection may be a reasonable approach for most solid tumors, and indeed, clinical studies in colon cancer have already begun.

Systems and methods for multi-modal imaging having a spatial relationship in three dimensions between first and second image data

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.


A system is provided which, when integrated with an internal combustion engine, generates hydrogen and oxygen gases to enrich an internal combustion engine's petroleum fuel source. The system's primary components are a gas generation unit, heated water supply tanks, and a gas combiner for mixing generated hydrogen and oxygen gas with petroleum fuel to create hydrogenated and oxygenated petroleum fuel. The gas generation unit includes at least one cathode, at least one anode, vacuum regulatory units, a thermal transfer system, an electrical heating element, a feedwater management system, a gas collection and supply system, and water traps. The heated water tanks include a thermal transfer system, pressure and regulatory units as well as a distillation apparatus for producing distilled water. Electrical power is supplied to the system's power amplifier from the internal combustion engine's alternator or associated electrical system.

Water is one of the most abundant liquids on earth. As a highly stable liquid, all forms of life known to man depend on it for survival. For centuries man has dreamed of splitting this readily available liquid into its base components—hydrogen and oxygen in order to create a cheap, renewable, clean burning power source.
Several device designs exist that use electrolysis to generate hydrogen and oxygen to either replace or supplement fuels burned in internal combustion engines. Although each device has its merits, all have limitations based upon the high amount of energy required to chemically split pure water into its basic subcomponents to create gaseous hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). Known apparatus and methods require either a device that is too large for practical use in personal travel vehicles such as cars, trucks, small planes, and motorcycles, or a device that provides inadequate efficiency and economic returns to offset the costs associated with implementing the devices in motor vehicles.
Electrolysis-associated issues include a loss of efficiency due to the generation of undesirable contaminants and reaction by products such as sediment from electrolytes, as well as decomposition and eventual destruction of the anode components due to oxidation and corrosion. The use of acetic acids and precious metals in known systems helps to mitigate the corrosive nature of electrolysis and its generated by-products, but also creates new problems with respect to safety, environmental concerns, as well as economic concerns of cost, thus making known devices impractical. Additionally, known systems that introduce zinc anodes as sacrificial components of the electrolytic process add unnecessary weight and cost while not significantly increasing the generation rate of hydrogen and oxygen gases.
By volume hydrogen is 22 times less explosive than gasoline; however its low flash point brings many safety concerns. Known electrolytic apparatus designs have attempted to deal with the low flash point issue by separating the generated hydrogen and oxygen gases until mixture inside the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. However, these designs do not adequately deal with the hazard of an engine backfire, and the resulting potential of a flame manifesting itself all the way back to the gas generation system components.
All internal combustion engine fuels have varying degrees of volatility; however under the right conditions they are all explosive. Known fossil-fuel burning internal combustion engines have a fuel delivery system that maximizes safety while providing liquid fossil fuel to the engine for its combustion. To maximize safety and minimize undesired explosive potential of stored hydrogen and oxygen gases, a gas generation unit needs to have a short transition time and distance from gas generation to introduction into the internal combustion engine's fuel delivery system, thereby minimizing the risk associated with the transport of the generated gases.
Electrolysis itself is not new. The use of electrolysis as an electrochemical process for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen was documented in the 1820's by Michael Faraday. Today, nearly every high school and college chemistry class demonstrates Faraday's safe electrolytic method of generating and capturing hydrogen gas from water. Knowledge of the electrolysis process is necessary to understand how this invention incorporates electrolysis while not relying on it exclusively as a gas generation process. Applying an electrical potential across a pair of conductors that are immersed in water creates cations that move towards the cathode and anions that move towards the anode. Hydrogen ions (cations), have a positive charge and are attracted to the cathode where they accept an electron, becoming a neutral atom. The neutral hydrogen atom then combines with another to form hydrogen gas, H2.
More interestingly is what occurs at the anode, where a similar process is taking place. The anions are negatively charged hydroxide ions (OH—). When the hydroxide ion gets to the anode, it gives up its extra electron to the anode and combines with three other hydroxide ions, forming 1 molecule of oxygen gas and two molecules of water, as represented by the below reaction equation:4OH—→O2+2H2O+4e-
In summary, for every two hydrogen (H2) molecules freed from water, one oxygen (O2) gas molecule is freed and two water molecules are recombined. Note the four free electrons (4e-) that result in measurable current make the electrolysis process appear highly efficient; however the reaction at the anode results in the recombining of atoms to reform water molecules. Energy used in the recombining process can be defined as entropic energy in that it does not provide an additive effect to the desired process. Nonetheless, electrolysis is electrically efficient—meaning that very little energy is lost to the production of heat. Electrolytic processes exist that achieve electrical efficiency rates of close to 100 percent; however this does not measure the loss of energy used to recombine the anions into neutrally stable water.
Because of the recombining effect that occurs at the anode, electrolysis alone does not produce enough hydrogen to economically power an internal combustion engine. A catalyst is necessary to invigorate the electrolysis process without introducing too much thermodynamic entropy.
A well-designed internal combustion engine runs at less than 30 percent efficiency. The wasted energy is lost in the production of heat. Heat is a form of energy, and the present invention, seeks to capture the energy lost as heat in an internal combustion engine assembly for use in the excitation of water molecules to permit generation of increased volumes of hydrogen and oxygen gases by an electrolysis system. In short, the present invention recapitalizes an internal combustion engine's lost energy (in the form of heat) to improve the electrolytic energy conversion process and economically produce enough clean hydrogen and oxygen gas to supplement the fuel system of nearly any internal combustion engine.

Hydrogen oxygen generation system for an internal combustion engine


An electric propulsion pod for a ship having a electric propulsion pod heat rejection member. The electric propulsion pod is attached below the ship by a hollow ship access shaft. The electric propulsion pod contains an electric motor for producing a water propulsion. The electric motor generates an amount of heat that is conducted and subsequently released into the water through the electric propulsion pod and ship access shaft surfaces. The heat rejection member is fitted for increasing the conduction and subsequent release of the electric motor heat.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric propulsion pod for a ship, which pod has an electric motor fitted into a design of propulsion pod which ensures favorable flow of the water around the pod, the propulsion pod being located on the bottom of the ship by means of a hollow -access shaft and the heat generated by the electric motor being rejected via the surface of the propulsion pod to the water flowing around it.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electric propulsion pod for a ship corresponding to the above can be seen in the applicant""s publication with the title: Siemens-Schottel-Propulsor (SSP) xe2x80x9cThe Podded Electric Drive with Permanently Excited Motorxe2x80x9d, presented to the AES 97xe2x80x94All Electric Ship 13-14.03.97, Paris. The publication on the Siemens-Schottel-Propulsor (SSP) shows an electric propulsion pod for a ship with a motor surface-cooled which is in a simple manner and is in the form of a permanently excited synchronous motor.
This motor, whose more precise details can be seen from FIG. 2 of the publication, is completely encapsulated and maintenance-free.
The object of the invention is to provide a solution which permits reliable cooling of the motor even when the electric propulsion pod is employed at overload in tropical waters with high water temperatures. In addition, the working temperature of the electric motor is to be lowered and a more uniform temperature of the individual components of the motor, for example the coil winding heads, is to be achieved.
The object is, in principle, achieved in that the heat is rejected, by heat rejection areas in the water both from the propulsion pod (17, 23) and from the access shaft (16, 18), that are employed to improve the heat conduction and rejection. The inclusion of the access shaft in the heat rejection from the motor very advantageously achieves the effect that the cooling of the motor is not limited to the surface of the propulsion pod only. This can advantageously occur, in accordance with the invention, without departure from the simple surface cooling as the cooling principle.
An embodiment of the invention provides for improving the heat rejection to be an increase in the effective heat rejection area. In the electric propulsion pod known from the prior art, only the outer wall of the propulsion pod, in the winding region of the electric motor, is provided as the effective heat rejection area. In this case direct heat rejection from the shrunk-in inner part takes place at the outer wall. This effective heat rejection area is substantially increased according to the present invention. The result is an advantageously improved thermal behavior of the propulsion pod.
A further embodiment of the invention provides for improving the heat rejection to be an increase in the temperature of the effective heat rejection area. Increasing the temperature of the effective heat rejection area advantageously increases the temperature difference relative to the surrounding sea water and satisfactory cooling of the propulsion system is ensured even in the case where the propulsion system is employed in tropical waters with water temperatures of between 30xc2x0 C. and 35xc2x0 C. This is important, particularly for cruise ships which pass through the Red Sea, for example.
In order to improve the heat conduction, in particular to improve the heat conduction from the winding region of the electric motor, provision is made for a material with higher thermal conductivity than steel to be used. For this purpose, a material made of non-ferrous alloy with good thermal conductivity is particularly advantageous. Copper-containing non-errous alloys, in particular, have a higher thermal conductivity than steel. When special copper bronzes are used, there is a further essential advantage that no growth occurs on the surface. It is therefore possible to dispense with the use of an anti-fouling paint on the surface of the pod and that of the transition between the pod and the access shaft. Dispensing with a coat of paint, in this way, leads to a not insubstantial increase in the surface temperature of the heat rejection area because anti-fouling paint coats have a thermal conductivity which is lower than that of metal by a power of 10. They act as an insulating layer and impair the heat rejection. An unexpected advantage is achieved by the use of a special copper bronze, the so-called propeller bronze G-CU Al 10 Ni being recommended in this case; not only is the thermal conductivity improved because such materials are better heat conductors than steel but a substantially increased heat rejection temperature is also achieved.
Provision is also made in the electric propulsion pod for the propulsion pod to have a reduced wall thickness, in the part directed into the access shaft, as compared with the wall thickness present in the part with the favorable flow configuration. This advantageously provides particularly good heat rejection into the access shaft from the part of the pod surface not directly cooled by the sea water. The wall thickness in the part of the propulsion pod directed into the shaft can be reduced as much as is permitted by the casting technique. There is, therefore, an essentially higher surface temperature in this region as compared with the rest of the central region of the motor pod, which has to have a favorable flow configuration and therefore has a relatively large wall thickness in the center.
Provision is also made for the propulsion pod to have an enlarged surface on the part directed into the access shaft, an enlarged surface due to ribs, beads or honeycomb sheet, for example. This advantageously achieves the effect that the heat rejecting surface is essentially enlarged so that, in this region, increased heat rejection can occur. The heat rejected is convectively distributed by the air located in the hollow access shaft and, in this way, passes via the large surface of the access shaft into the sea water.
An embodiment of the invention provides for components of the enlarged surface to have heat conduction devices (heat ducts) which are in connection with the inside of the electric motor. In this way, the surface temperature of the enlarged surface can be raised and, therefore, the heat rejection to the air circulating within the access shaft can be still further increased. This does not depart from the simple cooling which is a principle of the invention.
Additionally, or as an alternative, the access shaft can have a lower part which has, at least in part, a double-walled configuration, the inside of the double-walled part having heat conducting media such as air or water. Devices, for example fans, are also, if appropriate, provided in the access shaft for circulating the access shaft air, these devices being used to maintain a stable circulation. By this way, the heat rejected by the pod into the access shaft can be satisfactorily rejected to the access shaft wall and be led along the latter and through it to the sea water in a satisfactory manner.
The above devices are advantageously located in the lower part only of the access shaft, around which sea water always washes. The transition between the access shaft and the ship is located above the water line and thus sea water only washes around parts of the upper part of the access shaft. Reliable heat removal is achieved by the arrangement of the devices for increasing the heat removal in the lower part of the access shaft. If the propulsion pod is arranged on a short access shaft whose transition to the ship occurs below the water line, for which provision is likewise made, the corresponding devices are of course located in the whole of the access shaft. Because, in principle, no provision is made for the arrangement of the transition between the access shaft and the ship at the water line, only these two alternatives need to be considered for the arrangement of the heat rejection components in the access shaft.
As a supplement, or likewise as an alternative, provision is made for the propulsion pod to have devices which contain heat transfer media (heat ducts); such that, the heat can be advantageously led away directly, so that a particularly effective, low-cost and simple solution results. Pursuing this principle, furthermore, provision is made for the electric motor to have a hollow shaft, which is open at both ends, through which sea water can flow and which has, if required, a conical configuration. In consequence, cooling of the electric motor also takes place from the inside.
In another embodiment, provision is made for a convective cooling circuit to be arranged in the shaft of the electric motor, which circuit transports heat from the center of the electric motor to the cool ends. Thus, the area of the hub and, in fact, a part of the propeller surface can be advantageously used for conducting away the heat.
Provision is also made for the coil winding heads of the electric motor to have convectively operating heat ducts, which lead to the cool outer ends, to side fins or into the lower part of the access shaft. The coil winding heads are not in direct contact with the outer wall of the propulsion pod but they develop a substantial quantity of heat because of the currents flowing within them. In some cases, therefore, additional cooling of the coil winding heads is necessary and this can take place in a particularly simple manner by the heat ducts described above. The surface of the cool outer ends, the side fins or the lower part of the access shaft is utilized particularly favorably for this purpose.
In order to conduct away the heat developed by the coil winding heads directly the latter are also advantageously provided with heat bridges to the outer wall of the propulsion pod. In the case of smaller propulsion systems, it is then even possible to dispense with heat ducts and further cooling components. The cooling of the propulsion pod at the outer wall is then sufficient.
These heat conducting bridges advantageously consist of heat conducting plastic with a filler material of a material which conducts heat particularly well. Epoxy resin can, for example, be considered as the plastic, while minerals can be used as the filler material. In this arrangement, the heat conducting bridges can be larger than the coil winding head dimensions and can, for example, be configured as heat conducting rings, which advantageously have parting lines between the individual coil winding head sections. The result is a particularly large-volume configuration of the heat conducting bridges with good thermal conduction from the coil winding heads to the outer wall of the propulsion pod.
Provision is also made for the propulsion pod and/or the lower part of the access shaft to have surface enlarging elements, for example external ribs or external beads, to improve the cooling. This likewise achieves improved heat removal from the motor into the sea water, it being possible, in a particularly advantageous manner, for these external ribs or external beads also to undertake flow guidance functions which support the action of fins.
Cooling ducts, through which water flows and which have a conical configuration to avoid blocking due to flotsam, are likewise provided at the transition between the access shaft and the propulsion pod; this provides particularly good cooling for this region. Heat ducts, which are led out from the inside of the propulsion motor, can advantageously end at the cooling ducts.
Provision is also made, if appropriate, for the external region of the motor and/or the motor/access shaft transition region to have an at least partially double-walled configuration, the space between the two walls being configured so that a coolant, in particular water, can flow through it. In such double-walled spaces, a circulation occurs due to the one-sided supply of heat so that these double-walled regions can be used as good heat rejection regions. In addition, they have the advantage that they can, for example, reinforce the lower part of the access shaft or that they can contribute to the formation of a shape which is particularly favorable to flow. This therefore makes it possible to achieve a combined effect.
The heat conducting devices, like the electric motor, are of maintenance-free design. This is readily possible because they operate without circulating pumps. They can therefore be configured as a unit forming a block with the propulsion pod motor, for which no provision is made for maintenance, or even for repair, in service operation. Because the heat conducting and rejection devices are completely located in the lower part of the access shaft, they do not interfere with the dismantling of the lower part of the access shaft. This dismantling work takes place by divers when the propulsion pod is exchanged for repair, the ship remaining in the water. As compared with the known heat-exchanger solutions with heat exchangers in the ship or on deck, there are therefore substantial handling and cost advantages.

Electric motor pod drive system for a vessel with a cooling device


A computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by a computing device, a plurality of journal entries from a plurality of transactional systems; determining, by the computing device, association scores for a plurality of pairs of journal entries selected from the plurality of journal entries; generating, by the computing device, a reconciliation graph including a plurality of nodes representing the plurality of journal entries and a plurality of edges based on the determined association scores; recommending, by the computing device, actions to apply to at least one journal entry of the plurality of journal entries to minimize a number of nodes not connected by the plurality of edges in the reconciliation graph; receiving, by the computing device, feedback regarding the recommended actions to apply to the at least one journal entry; and updating, by the computing device, the reconciliation graph based on the feedback.

The present invention generally relates to computing devices and, more particularly, to methods and systems for multi-way optimal reconciliation and recommendation.
Reconciliation is an accounting process that typically uses two sets of records to ensure figures are correct and in agreement. In particular, reconciliation is used to determine whether or not an amount of money leaving an account matches an amount of money that has been spent and ensure that the two amounts are balanced at the end of a recording period. Reconciliation provides consistency and accuracy in financial accounts. Additionally, reconciliation is useful for explaining the difference between two financial records or account balances. Some differences may be acceptable due to the timing of payments and deposits. However, unexplained or mysterious discrepancies may be signs of unacceptable actions.

Multi-way optimal reconciliation and recommendation

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Embryogenesis from plant microspores is routinely induced with a 16-24 h temperature treatment of 32.5.degree. C. Continuous culture at 25.degree. C. results in pollen development. However, microspore treatment with anti-cytoskeletal agents, or protein synthesis inhibitors, at the non-inductive temperature of 25.degree. C., can induce embryogenesis, thus demonstrating that heat shock is not required for embryogenic induction. Furthermore, when anti-microtubule agents (e.g. colchicine) are used, embryo induction and chromosome doubling occur simultaneously, thus generating doubled haploids, whereas heat induction generates haploids. Thus, the use of microtubule inhibitors will provide a simple one-step process to simultaneously induce embryogenesis and chromosome doubling for the production of fertile plants, thus providing minimal manipulation which will be very advantageous for genetic studies and plant breeding programs. As noted, heat shock induces haploids. A low level of chromosome doubling can be obtained by adding colchicine to microspore cultures during the heat treatment. However, the use of trifluralin with the heat treatment, to generate doubled haploid plants results in an improved recovery of fertile doubled haploid plants than previously shown in the prior art.

The production of haploid plants generated through either anther or isolated microspore culture has succeeded in over 240 species from 85 genera in 38 families (Srivastava and Johri 1988). Microspore culture of Brassica napus has become one of the most efficient embryogenic systems and has been exploited for developmental studies (e.g. Zaki and Dickinson 1991; Telmer et al. 1992, 1993, 1994), for mutagenesis and gene transfer (Swanson et al. 1989; Huang 1992), and for development of doubled haploid homozygous breeding lines (Chen and Beversdorf 1992). The use of haploid plants, generated from anther or microspore culture, has enhanced the efficiency of crop improvement programs (Collins and Genovesi 1982, Chen and Beversdorf 1992). Although haploid plants can be readily regenerated, the haploids cannot be used directly in genetic studies and breeding programs because they are sterile (Subrahmanyam and Kasha 1975). The current methods of doubling the chromosome complement of haploids to produce fertile homozygous doubled haploids are inefficient and labor intensive.
Efficient induction of embryogenesis is necessary for developmental and biochemical studies. The efficiency of embryogenesis of B. napus has been improved by using donor plants grown at low temperatures (Keller et al. 1986), by optimizing the microspore culturing conditions (Keller et al. 1986; Lichter 1981; Fan et al. 1988; Chuong and Beaversdorf 1985; Kott et al. 1988; Gland et al. 1988; Huang et al. 1990) and by using microspores at the competent developmental stages (Telmer et al. 1992).
Exposure of microspores to a high temperature (32.5.degree. C.) is considered to be a key factor for induction of embryogenesis (Keller and Armstrong 1978; Cordewener et al. 1994) and it has been proposed that heat shock proteins play a role in the inductive process (Pechan et al. 1992). Several unique proteins, synthesized during heat induction, have been identified and it has been suggested that they may be early markers of embryogenesis or heat shock proteins involved in the induction process (Cordewener et al. 1994). However, with the use of heat shock to induce embryogenesis, it is very difficult to distinguish between factors associated with the heat shock process and those specific to the embryogenic process. Attempts to replace heat induction with alternate methods such as gamma irradiation or ethanol treatments resulted in very low embryo induction (Pechan and Keller 1989). However, the induction of sporophytic development, by means other than heat, would be very valuable to allow discrimination of heat shock factors and embryogenic factors and thereby identify the critical events involved in the change from gametophytic to sporophytic development.
Microspore morphology is altered by the 32.5.degree. C. heat treatment. Although several morphological changes have been identified in B. napus cv. Topas, including the appearance of cytoplasmic granules and organelle-free regions, plasma membrane associated electron-dense deposits, and microtubule reorganization, the most prominent change is the dislocation of the nucleus (Fan et al. 1988; Simmonds et al. 1991; Telmer et al. 1993, 1994; Simmonds 1994). During pollen ontogenesis the nucleus of an early and mid-unicellular (MU) microspore is centrally located; during vacuolar enlargement, it is relocated to a lateral position, the unicellular-vacuolate stage (UV); and it remains appressed to the edge of the cell in the late-unicellular (LU) stage after the disappearance of the large vacuole (Telmer et al. 1992, 1993). The LU microspore enters the first pollen mitosis which is acentric and results in an asymmetrical division comprising a small generative cell and a large vegetative cell separated by an unstable cell wall (Telmer et al. 1993). If the LU microspore is subjected to the heat treatment, the nucleus migrates to a more central position where mitosis occurs and ultimately results in a symmetrical division with two daughter cells similar in size and organelle distribution, and separated by a stable cell wall (Fan et al. 1988; Telmer et al 1993; Simmonds 1994); the symmetric division blocks further pollen development and identifies the induced structures (Telmer et al. 1994). An early structural marker which predicts a change in microspore division symmetry is a preprophase band (PPB) of microtubules; the PPB, a cortical ring of microtubules, appears in the medial region of the microspore after only about 6-8 h of heat treatment (Simmonds et al. 1991; Simmonds 1994). PPBs have not been observed during pollen development (Van Lammeren et al. 1985; Terasaka and Niitsu 1990; Simmonds et al. 1991). As the PPBs predict the position of the future division plane in organized (Gunning and Hardham 1982) and disorganized tissue (Simmonds 1986), and may have a role in wall stabilization (Mineyuki and Gunning 1990), it has been proposed that microtubule reorganization is a key event in changing developmental patterns where altered division symmetry and cell wall dynamics define the induced embryogenic structure (Simmonds 1994).
Spontaneous diploids have been reported to arise from anther culture of barley (Subrahmanyam and Kasha 1975), tobacco (Burk et al. 1972, Kasperbauer and Collins 1972;), corm (Ku et al. 1981) and B. napus (Charne et al. 1988). It has been hypothesized that diploids may occur through endomitosis, endoreduplication and/or nuclear fusion within the cell during early stages of culture (Sunderland et al. 1974, Keller and Armstrong 1978) and possibly from unreduced gametes (Wenzel et al. 1977, Chen and Beversdorf 1992). However, as the occurrence of spontaneous diploids is an infrequent and inconsistent event, colchicine has been used to increase the frequency. The techniques of colchicine application has not changed much since Levan (1938) soaked onion roots in colchicine solutions. Currently, apical meristems, secondary buds, tillers or roots are treated with colchicine (see Wong 1989, Swanson 1990, Mathias and Robbelen 1991). Generally, about 50% of the treated plants are responsive. These procedures are labor intensive (Chen and Beversdorf 1992), hazardous (Depaepe et al. 1981, Hansen et al. 1988, Barnabas et al. 1991, Hassawi and Liang 1991) and costly (Hassawi and Liang 1991) because high concentrations of colchicine are needed. Furthermore, three months can be added to the plant regeneration time to recover homozygous lines (Beversdorf et al. 1987). Additional drawbacks to using this approach include the regeneration of chimeras (Hansen et al. 1988, Wan et al. 1989, Wong 1989, Swanson 1990, Bamabas et al. 1991), aneuploids (Zhao and Davidson 1984), abnormalities in plant development (Hart and Sabnis 1976, Loh and Ingram 1983) and low seed yield. Application of colchicine to cultures prior to organ formation has produced non-chimeric doubled haploids from corn callus (Wan et al. 1989) and wheat anther culture (Barnabas et al. 1991). An effective alternative to colchicine has not been reported to date but would be highly desirable (Wan et al. 1989, Hassawi and Liang 1991).
Trifluralin, a dinitroaniline herbicide (Probst et al. 1976), acts in a manner similar to colchicine, by disrupting spindle microtubules (Bartels and Hilton 1973). Trifluralin, unlike colchicine, has a higher affinity for plant tubulin than for animal tubulin (Hess and Bayer 1977, Morejohn and Fosket 1984, Morejohn et al. 1984).
Non-chimeric doubled haploid plants were recovered from B. napus cv. Topas microspores cultured in the presence of colchicine or trifluralin, according to the present invention. These antimitotic agents were applied during the initial stages of culturing, while the microspores were undergoing the heat treatment (32.5.degree. C.) used to induce embryogenesis. Trifluralin treated cultures generated normal embryos which germinated directly upon transfer to regeneration medium and produced doubled haploid plants at frequencies approaching 60%. However, only about 20% of the plants recovered from colchicine treated cultures were doubled haploids. Longer colchicine treatments resulted in higher frequencies of fertile plants but embryo development was abnormal and several subcultures were required to induce plant development. Chen et al. (1994) also found that the cv. Topas responded negatively to colchicine treatment, however other cultivars responded positively by increasing the production of embryos and the frequency of fertile plants. However, it has been shown that colchicine can be used, instead of heat, to induce embryogenesis from B. napus cv. Topas microspores. The embryos generated from colchicine-induced cultures, at non-inductive temperatures were normal. Ninety percent of the plants recovered from these embryos were fertile.
Desirable genetic recombinants resulting from microsporogenesis can be exploited by recovering haploid plants from microspore derived embryos. The interesting recombinants can be used for the development of new varieties or homozygous breeding lines. As haploid plants are sterile, the practical utilization of haploids in breeding programs relies on an efficient chromosome doubling technique to obtain fertile diploid plants (Subrahmanyam and Kasha 1975, Loh and Ingram 1983).

Induction of embryogenesis using cytoskeleton inhibitors or protein synthesis inhibitors

Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by Agriculture


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a buried channel structure, in which impurities having the same conductive type as a well are ion implanted, to increase the ion density beneath the buried channel, thereby enhancing the short channel characteristic and smooth on/off characteristic of MOSFET.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device applicable for DRAM or ASIC and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a buried channel structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical process for FET, an implant which is different in type from the well formed on the surface of a semiconductor device (hereinafter referred to as "counter implant"), is used to form a buried channel at the lower channel region between a source and a drain. Such a buried channel plays the role of controlling the threshold voltage of the resulting FET device, to minimize the short channel effect.
In order to better understand the background of the invention, a description will be given of conventional channel structures, in conjugation with various drawings.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional device of buried channel structure is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, an N-type well 2 is formed in the upper region of a P-type semiconductor substrate 1 in a diffusing manner. Then, impurities are implanted in the N-type well 2 to a certain depth, to form a buried channel 3, after which a gate oxide film 4 and a gate 5 are formed in sequence over the N-type well 2, followed by the formation of an oxide film spacer 6 at the side wall of the gate 5. Using the gate 5 and the oxide film spacer 6 as a mask, P-type ions are doped in the N-type well 2, to form a drain/source 7.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is plotted the doped N-type ion densities of the N-well cut through line A-A' of FIG. 1. In this plot, reference symbol "a" represents the N-type ion density within the N well 2 whereas reference symbol "b" stands for the doped ion density in a buried channel converted into P-type and reference symbol "c" for the doped N-type ion density when the buried channel 3 is not formed.
Such formation of a well through diffusion as mentioned above, has a significant problem in that heat treatment is required at a high temperature for an extended period of time.
To overcome this problem, a profiled or retrograde well formation technique, which can bring a significantly improve the performance of the device, has been developed. For example, a buried channel PMOSFET can be created with a counter implant in a semiconductor device having a profiled N well structure. This characteristic can be in described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a plot showing the doped ion densities of the profiled well cut like FIG. 1 (that is, line A-A') in a MOSFET having a buried channel 3 structure.
In the figure, reference symbol "d" represents the doped ion density within the N well 2, reference symbol "e" represents the doped ion density in the area where the buried channel is created, reference symbol "g" represents the doped ion density of the N well 2 located at the lower portion of the buried channel 3 and reference symbol "f" represents the doped ion density in the upper part of the N well 2 when omitting the count implant for the buried channel. It is apparent that the doped ion densities constructed by the profiled or retrograde well technique is much lower than those in the N well constructed through diffusion. In other words, the dose of impurity required for forming the buried channel 3 is lower than that required for forming a well by diffusion.
However, the MOSFET of such a buried channel structure is significantly problematic in that the short channel characteristic is deteriorated because the N type ion density in the region beneath the buried channel is low, as indicated by reference symbol "f".

Method for fabricating semiconductor device having a buried channel


Micro-speaker assemblies and mobile terminals including micro-speaker assemblies are provided. The micro-speaker assembly includes a micro-speaker positioned in a housing. A low frequency back tuning volume is adjacent a front face of the micro-speaker and a high frequency forward tuning volume is adjacent a back face of the micro-speaker. A passageway extends from the forward tuning volume to an opening in the housing.

The present invention relates to speaker assemblies for personal use such as in mobile terminals and, more particularly, to tuned micro-speaker assemblies.
Manufacturers and designers of personal electronic devices, such as cellular radio telephones, frequently seek to reduce the overall dimensions of such devices while maintaining attractive style characteristics for the devices. One consequence of the reduced size for such devices that include a speaker is that less space may be available for the speaker. Furthermore, a variety of audio signal generation capabilities may be desired in such personal electronic devices including buzzers, voice signal generation and/or music or other higher frequency band signal reproduction and playback.
As the space available for the hardware supporting the audio signal generation capabilities decreases in the personal electronic devices, it may become more difficult to support multiple sound emitting output devices and the space available for each such device may become smaller. Furthermore, increased functionality in such personal electronic devices may require more of the reduced available space to be utilized for other functionality of the device. The reduction in the size of the audio output devices may also increase the difficulty of providing a desirable loudness level for signals, such as buzzer alert signals. In addition, to the extent features of the audio output device(s) are presented externally on the personal electronic device, the impact of those features on the appearance of the product and the flexibility to place such visible features at different locations on the device may become important.
A micro-speaker is typically positioned in a personal electronic device with its front face or side ported (acoustically connected) to outside of the device while the back side is ported to a back tuning volume. As a result, positioning of the micro-speaker in the device may be limited. For example, placement on a reverse side of a printed circuit board of the personal electronic device may be precluded. It may also be difficult to seal the back tuning volume, which may result in weaker bass output and higher distortion. In addition, user dissatisfaction may result if higher volume signals port high acoustic levels too close to a user's ear.
For audio performance, it is known to use a speaker having relatively uniform frequency characteristics in the 300 hertz (Hz) to 3400 Hz voice frequency band. Where music or other complex signals are provided by the device, a speaker with a frequency range providing a bandwidth up to at least about 8000 Hz may be used. In addition, louder alert signals may be provided in various personal electronic devices.

Reverse mounted micro-speaker assemblies and mobile terminals including the same


A data compression and display memory apparatus which is capable of obtaining a better compression efficiency by using a DPCM and a line interpolation technique and providing a simple hardware construction. The apparatus includes a DPCM and quantization unit for quantizing 8-bit luminance signal Y and chrominance signal C, which is an ODD field signal, in accordance with a clock signal CK1 from the control signal generator for thus outputting 4-bit luminance signal Y and chrominance signal C, a bit converter for converting quantized 4-bit luminance signal Y and chrominance signal into 8-bit, respectively, a memory for storing an output from the bit converter in accordance with read/write signals RD and WR from the control signal generator, a bit converter for converting 8-bit luminance signal Y and chrominance signal C from the memory into 4-bit, respectively, a reverse DPCM and dequantization unit for reverse-DPCM-processing and dequantizing an output from the bit converter in accordance with the clock signal CK1 and outputting an ODD field signal, an interpolation unit for generating an EVEN field signal from the ODD field signal from the reverse DPCM and dequantization unit in accordance with the clock signal CK1, and a multiplexor for multiplexing the ODD field signal and EVEN field signal in accordance with a control signal CT from the control signal generator and outputting 8-bit luminance signal Y and chrominance signal C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data compression and display memory apparatus, and in particular to an improved data compression and display memory apparatus which is capable of providing a desired compression ratio by using a differential pulse code modulation and line interpolation technique for thus simplifying the construction of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
The image compression technique is widely used. In the field of a television broadcast system, the image compression technique is used for transmitting an image data using a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system.
As the technique, there is known an MPEG II. The MPEG II is capable of obtaining a high compression ratio of an image data and a high resolution image compared to other image compression techniques.
In addition, the image compression technique is further used for storing a part of television image data using a storing apparatus installed in a television set. Among the techniques, there is known a compression technique of a wavelet method used for a television system with a play-back apparatus (Matsusita Co.).
However, the wavelet method has a good compression ratio but requires a floating operation since the same needs a multiple resolution technique, for thus causing a complicated hardware.
In addition, the differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) technique is directed to eliminating a redundancy component which exists in a neighboring pixel of a video signal and then compressing video signals. This compression technique does not have a desired compression ratio. However, the construction of the same is simple, so that the compression technique is used in various fields.
The method for compressing the data using the DPCM is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,771, and the method for converting the input data and the reading/writing the data from/into the memory is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,101,926 and 4,134,131.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional video signal capture system.
As shown therein, the conventional video signal capture system includes a synchronous separator 11 for separating a synchronous signal from a video signal, a clock signal generator 12 for generating a clock signal in accordance with a synchronous signal from the synchronous separator 11, an analog/digital (A/D) converter 13 for digitally converting a video signal inputted, an interleaver 14 for interleaving the digital data from the AND converter 13 by the line unit in accordance with the synchronous signal from the synchronous separator 11, a prediction encoder 15 for prediction-coding the output from the interleaver 14 and for outputting the output to a transmission channel, a timing signal separator 16 for separating a timing signal from the prediction-coded data from the transmission channel, a clock signal generator 17 for generating a clock signal in accordance with a timing signal from the timing signal separator 16, a prediction decoder 18 for decoding the prediction-coded data inputted through the transmission channel, a reverse interleaver 19 for reversely interleaving the output from the prediction decoder 18, and a digital/analog (D/A) converter 20 for converting the output from the reverse interleaver 19 into an analog video signal.
Here, the clock signal from the clock signal generator 12 having a sample frequency fs is inputted into the A/D converter 13, the interleaver 14, and the prediction encoder 15, respectively, and the clock signal from the clock signal generator 17 having the sample frequency fs is inputted into the prediction decoder 18, the reverse interleaver 19, and the D/A converter 20, respectively.
The operation of the conventional video signal capture system will now be explained with reference to FIG. 1.
When a video signal is inputted, the synchronous separator 11 separates a synchronous signal (a horizontal or vertical synchronous signal) from the video signal and outputs the signal to the clock signal generator 12 and the interleaver 14, and the clock signal generator 12 generates a clock signal in synchronization with the synchronous signal and then outputs the signal to the A/D converter 13, the interleaver 14, and the prediction encoder 15, respectively.
As a result, the video signal inputted is converted into the digital video signal by the A/D converter 13, and then is interleaved by the line unit by the interleaver 14. The interleaved data is coded by the prediction encoder 15, and is outputted to the transmission channel. At this time, the interleaver 14 performs a line delay which is needed for a prediction encoding and mixes two lines as one line.
In addition, the prediction-coded data from the transmission channel is processed in the reverse sequence of the above-described process, and then is demodulated into a video signal.
Namely, the timing signal separator 16 separates a timing signal from the prediction-coded data from the transmission channel and then outputs the signal to the clock generator 17 and the reverse interleaver 19, respectively, and the clock signal generator 17 generates a clock signal in accordance with the timing signal and then outputs the signal to the prediction decoder 18, the reverse interleaver 19, and the D/A converter 20, respectively.
Therefore, the prediction-coded data from the transmission channel is decoded by the prediction decoder 18, and the thusly decoded data is reversely interleaved by the reverse interleaver 19 and then is analog-converted by the D/A converter 20 and is outputted as a video signal. At this time, the reverse interleaver 19 changes the data in which two lines are mixed to an original state.
However, since the conventional video signal capture system uses simples the differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), the compression efficiency is significantly decreased.

Data compression and display memory apparatus


A semiconductor integrated circuit enables an easy check of operations in a user logic section or of internal malfunction. A controller in an application specified integrated circuit (ASIC) includes a CPU, RAM, ROM and a user logic section which are mutually connected to one another. The ROM is connected to the user logic section through a first bus control circuit, and the RAM and CPU are connected thereto through a second bus control circuit. The first bus control circuit disconnects the ROM from the user logic section in accordance with a selection signal SA, and the second bus control circuit disconnects the RAM and CPU 16 from the user logic section in accordance with a mode selection signal SA1. Thus, three modes can be selectively set, which include a normal mode in which none of the CPU, RAM and ROM is disconnected, an external ROM mode in which only the ROM is disconnected, and an external CPU mode in which the ROM, RAM and CPU are disconnected. When the external CPU mode is set, the operational check of the user logic section can be performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU), memories and a user programmable logic circuit mutually connected to one another through internal buses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, there has been known an application specified integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as "ASIC") provided with a user logic section including a logic circuit programmed by a user to meet with a specified application or special purpose. To accomplish a higher level function, some of the ASICs incorporate CPU and memories therein. When it is designed so that the ASCI operates in accordance with a control signal issued from the CPU incorporated in the ASCI, operation of the user logic section cannot be achieved externally. This results in difficulty in testing the operations of the user logic section per se. Further, when there is a malfunction in such an ASIC, it has been difficult to know which component of the CPU, memories, user logic section is suffering from the malfunction.

Application specified integrated circuit with user programmable logic circuit


Systems and methods are disclosed for applying sketch effects to digital images. An exemplary method may comprise comparing an original image to a filtered image. The method may also comprise rendering changes in the filtered image as lines. The method may also comprise applying connected component labeling to lines in the filtered image to reduce noise. The method may also comprise rendering the filtered image with a sketch effect after reducing noise in the filtered image.

Conventional film and more recently, digital cameras, are widely commercially available, ranging both in price and in operation from sophisticated single lens reflex (SLR) cameras used by professional photographers to inexpensive "point-and-shoot" cameras that nearly anyone can use with relative ease. Digital cameras are available with user interfaces that enable a user to select various camera features (e.g., ISO speed and red-eye removal). Some camera systems also allow the user to add creative effects (e.g., sepia tones, borders, etc.) to their photographs
Little is commercially available for allowing the user to create images from their photographs that appear as line drawings or "sketches" of the scene being photographed. Although photo-editing algorithms have been developed to create so-called "cartoon" effects, these are fairly sophisticated, requiring extensive processing power, and therefore are only suitable for use on computer systems. Digital camera users would need to download their photos to a personal computer (PC) to use the software before they can add such creative effects to their digital images.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Embodiments are directed to managing operations. If Operations events are provided, event clusters may be associated with one or more Operations events, such that the Operations events may be associated with the event clusters based on characteristics of the Operations events. Metrics including resolution metrics, root cause analysis, notes, and other remediation information may be associated with the event clusters. Then a modeling engine may be employed to train models based on the Operations events, the event clusters, and the resolution metrics, such that the trained model may be trained to correlate and predict the resolution metrics from real-time Operations events. If real-time Operations events may be provided, the trained models may be employed to predict the resolution metrics that are associated with the real-time Operations events. If model performance degrades beyond accuracy requirements, new observations may be added to the training set and the model re-trained.

IT systems are increasingly becoming complex, multivariate, and in some cases non-intuitive systems with varying degrees of nonlinearity. These complex IT systems may be difficult to model or accurately understand. Various monitoring systems may be arrayed to provide alerts, notifications, or the like, in an effort to provide visibility to operational metrics, failures, and/or correctness. However, the sheer size and complexity of these IT systems may result in a flooding of disparate event messages from disparate monitoring/reporting services. Today with the increased complexity of distributed computing systems event reporting and/or management may overwhelm IT teams tasked to manage them. At enterprise scale, IT systems may have millions of components resulting in a complex inter-related set a monitoring systems that report millions of events from disparate subsystems. Manual techniques and pre-programmed rules are labor intensive and expensive, especially in the context of large centralized IT Operations with very complex systems distributed across large numbers of components. Further, these manual techniques may limit the ability to scale and evolve for future advances in IT systems capabilities. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.

Real-time adaptive operations performance management system using event clusters and trained models


A hand tool for a craft knife has a handle, a blade tray and a connector. The handle has a mounting chamber, a mounting tube, a cap, a socket bit and an ejector tube. The blade tray is mounted in the mounting chamber and the mounting tube of the handle and has a base and a casing. The base has two mounting protrusions formed on an internal surface of the base. The casing is pivotally mounted in the base and has two mounting holes and a blade chamber. The connector is detachably connected to the handle and has a socket bar, a clamping tube and a pressing tube. The socket bar is detachably mounted in the socket bit. The clamping tube is mounted securely in the socket bar. The pressing tube is mounted around the clamping tube and presses against the socket bar and the clamping tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand tool, and more particularly to a multi-use hand tool for a craft knife.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional craft knife has a handle and a blade box. The handle has a front end, a rear end, a connector, a blade and a cover. The connector is mounted on the front end of the handle and comprises a mount and an annulus. The mount is tapered and has a slot and a thread. The annulus is rotatably mounted around the mount. The blade is detachably mounted in the slot of the connector. The cover is detachably mounted around the connector to cover the knife blade. The blade box is separately disposed for storage of replacement blades to prevent the blades from being lost, damaged or causing injury.
When the blade requires changing, the annulus is rotated, allowing the slot to open and release the blade from the connector to allow a replacement blade from the blade box to be mounted in the slot of the connector and held securely by rotation of the annulus. However, the blade box is separated from the conventional craft knife. Therefore, when using or carrying the conventional craft knife, the handle and the blade box must both be carried which is inconvenient since space in a tool box, tool bag or tool belt is limited and when carried in a tool box or bag, the blade box may open scattering very sharp blades in the box or bag so causing a safety concern.
Furthermore, the conventional craft knife only can used to cut an object, but cannot use to fasten or loosen a nut, bolt or screw so requiring multiple tools to be carried, especially inconvenient when working up ladders or with limited space on a tool belt.
The hand tool for a craft knife in accordance with the present invention mitigates or obviates the aforementioned problems.


A novel process for preparing aminomethylphosphonate derivatives involves the hydrogenation of cyanophosphonate derivatives in the presence of a catalyst to produce aminomethylphosphonate derivatives.

Organophosphorus compounds have numerous and varied applications, for example, in herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, flame retardants and plasticizers and as precursors for the synthesis of other organophosphorus compounds. Aminomethylphosphonates are of particular interest due to their versatility in synthetic pathways and a wide range of chemistries can extend from both the phosphorus and amino moieties. In particular, aminomethylphosphonates are important precursors in the synthesis of N-phosphonomethylglycine, a highly effective commercial herbicide (available under the trade name Roundup.TM.) useful for the control of a large variety of weeds.
There exists a need for organophosphorus compounds and methods for their preparation to enable the preparation of organophosphorus materials with a variety of beneficial uses. There is a further need for such methods and compounds that are economical and environmentally safe.

Method for preparing aminomethylphosphonate derivatives via hydrogenation of cyanophosphonate derivatives


A therapy apparatus includes a container having an interior volume and having an opening providing access to the interior volume and massaging elements freely located in the interior volume of the container. Each massaging element has a generally spherical exterior and has multiple protrusions projecting from its generally spherical exterior. A patient's hand may be inserted into the container through the opening and be moved among the massaging elements to be stimulated by massaging elements contacting the fingers and both the front and the back of the hand.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for passive and active hand and finger exercise, particularly for development of the functions of hands and fingers and of sensory faculties, and for stimulation of neuropsychic and speech development in children suffering from infantile cerebral paralysis.
An apparatus for passive and active hand and finger exercise, comprising a container and massaging elements in the container, is known. See, for example, USSR Author's Certificate No. 1537250 published Jan. 23, 1990. In this apparatus the massaging elements are particles made of electrifying materials, such as copper, zinc, ebonite, etc. When using this apparatus during physical exercise, the particles contact the hand and carry out physical and electrical stimulation of biologically active points.
Another apparatus for passive and active exercise of the hands and fingers is disclosed in G. V. Dedyukhina, L. D. Mogutchaya, T. A. Yanshina, "Logopedic massage and therapeutic physical training for 3-5 year old children, suffering from infantile cerebral paralysis," M., "Gnom-Press," 1999, p. 17. This apparatus comprises a container and working elements freely placed in the interior space of the container. The working elements are peas or kidney beans. A patient exercises by immersing the hands in the mass of working elements or rolling the working elements between the palms of the hands. In this manner the muscles of the hand are massaged. Finger exercises, such as selecting and removing individual working elements and distributing the working elements according to size, help activate motor functions of the hands, manipulation skills, and small motor functions. Massage and exercise with this apparatus are not satisfactory because they do not influence the biologically active points to a significant degree. The working elements, being practically uniform in size, shape and color, do not affect the psychoemotional status of the child and do not favor teaching through play. Accordingly the apparatus has only a small influence on medical factors. Further, since the working elements are small, use of the apparatus with children of 6-7 years or younger is not advisable due to the danger of swallowing or penetration into a respiratory passage or the ear.

Apparatus and method for passive and active therapeutic exercise


Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for mapping hierarchical data from a query result into a tabular display, such as a spreadsheet. The tabular display allows some (or all) of the elements included in the hierarchical display to be mapped to positions on the report. In one embodiment, a field of the result that stores hierarchical data with repeating elements (e.g., an XML document) is mapped into the tabular report using jagged rows. This approach allows a user to map both the hierarchical and relational data in the result set to cells in the spreadsheet, and in the process, handle any embedded collection (repeated element) in the hierarchical data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data processing systems, and more particularly to representing hierarchical data from a database query result in a tabular display, such as a spreadsheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mapping the results of a relational database query to a spreadsheet is often a straightforward process, as both formats are basically tabular. Typically, each field in a result table is mapped to a column in the spreadsheet. This way each row in the query result is mapped to a row in the spreadsheet. So long as the fields in the query result provide simple values such as a text-string, a date, an integer, or real number, etc., all of the values in the query result may readily be presented in the spreadsheet. However, problems arise when a field of the result set includes more complex information, such as a hierarchical data structure. For example, one of the fields in the result set may be an XML document. Since XML data is hierarchical, each element inside the XML document could potentially map to multiple rows in the spreadsheet.
Spreadsheet applications may provide some features for presenting an XML document in a spreadsheet. These features, however, are generally only applicable for a single XML document and not for multiple XML documents included a field of a query result. Further, even with this approach (commonly referred to as XML document mapping) there is no provision for mapping an XML document with an embedded hierarchy of data to the cells of a spreadsheet. Instead, spreadsheet applications may treat the XML value in the query result as just a character string and add it to the spreadsheet cell as such. Since the XML data actually represents a hierarchy of elements, this approach is insufficient for creating reports on XML data. Another approach is to view the XML result field in hierarchical grids, where each element in the hierarchy is represented by a row in the grid. When a row or field is clicked, the row or field may expand to an encapsulated grid set. That is, the field is presented essentially as a spreadsheet within a spreadsheet. The problem with this approach is that it is not very useful for reporting since it is still representing the data in a hierarchical fashion. The structure of the grid is fixed and it directly maps to the hierarchy of the result and not to a user defined report format which is much more tabular.
Another approach is to flatten the XML inside the query using known SQL/XML functions like XMLTable. This produces a tabular result set with many of the field values repeated for each row. There are a number of drawbacks with this approach, however. First, since each row may contain a lot of repeated data, this makes a report appear unnecessarily cluttered. Second, the query to create a flattened result set can be quite complicated since the query needs to be composed to manipulate the hierarchical data and flatten it out as part of the query. Thus, this approach ends up doing unnecessary transformation to the XML data just because the reporting tool cannot handle hierarchical result sets, resulting in more expensive queries. Nevertheless, many reporting tools follow this approach since it is least disruptive for existing infrastructures.
Accordingly, as demonstrated by the forgoing discussion, there remains a need for techniques for presenting query result data that includes fields of hierarchical data in a tabular representation, such as a spreadsheet.

Mapping hierarchical data from a query result into a tabular format with jagged rows

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for measuring hypochlorite ion, which comprises the steps of:    (A) reacting, with hypochlorite ion, a compound represented by the following general formula (I):

Hypochlorite ion is one of reactive oxygen species whose function in organisms has recently been focused. It is considered that bactericidal action of neutrophils is mainly derived from hypochlorite ion. Hypochlorite ion has been shown to be generated from hydrogen peroxide and chloride ions by myeloperoxidase in azurophilic granules in vitro (Klebanoff, S. J., and Clark, R. A. (1978) The Neutrophils: Function and Clinical Disorders, North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, Netherlands). In addition, hypochlorite ion is considered to play an important role in injury to the vascular endothelial surface in platelet-activating factor-induced microvascular damage (Suematsu, M., Kurose, I., Asako, H., Miura, S., and Tsuchiya, M. (1989) J. Biochem. 106, 355-360). However, it has been difficult to conclude that hypochlorite ion participates directly in the aforementioned mechanism in organisms, because a completely selective measuring method for hypochlorite ion, especially a measuring method in vivo had not been established.
Ten and several methods such as chemiluminescence, electron spin resonance (ESR), and luminescence are known as methods for measuring reactive oxygen species. Among them, the fluorescence detection method is superior from viewpoints of sensitivity and experimental convenience. In the fluorescence detection method, DCFH (2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein) or the like is used as a fluorescence probe for measuring reactive oxygen species. However, DCFH cannot successfully distinguish types of reactive oxygen species, and as a consequence, fails to selectively measure hypochlorite ion.

Abstract: wherein R1 represents a 2-carboxyphenyl group which may be substituted; R2 represents a phenyl group which is substituted with a substituted or unsubstituted amino group; X1 and X2 each independently represents either hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; or a salt thereof; and    (B) measuring fluorescence of a dearylated compound generated in the aforementioned step (A) or a salt thereof.


A drive shaft permits driving two different driven shafts, such as those used on powered earth augers, from a single power source, whether the driven shaft has a circular cross section drive coupling, or a hexagonal cross section drive coupling. In one form an adapter can be slipped over a hexagonal shaft to receive a circular cross section drive coupling, and in another form, a shaft is provided with two axially displaced portions. An outer end portion has a hexagonal cross section, and a slightly larger circular cross section shaft portion is positioned adjacent the power unit.

The present invention relates to devices for adapting an auger drive so that it will accommodate both a round cross section drive socket or a hexagonal shaped cross section drive socket of an earth auger that is to be drivably coupled to a power unit.
Powered augers that are mounted onto a skid steer loader, backhoe arm, an excavator arm, or any other desired carrier, are presently made and have both round bore couplings and hexagonal (hex) socket couplings. The augers are driven by a powered output shaft, which could be powered by a hydraulic motor. The output shaft having a corresponding cross section. The circular coupling or socket drives the auger through a cross pin that passes through a cross bore in the drive shaft. The hex socket coupling is effected by the cross sectional shape of the hex socket mating with a hex shaped drive shaft.
In order to have a full selection of auger sizes and power units, customers may want a hex drive or a round shaft with a cross pin drive from the same power source. The drive units generally come in several sizes (at least two) . That means that to have direct coupling for augers, there are a minimum of four power units, two with different sized cylindrical shaft drives and two with different size hex shaft drives, to fit the sockets or couplers on augers that are available.
The present invention reduces the number of drives necessary for driving to both hex and round drive shafts.
While various adapters have been advanced for adapting a shaft to drive different size couplings, the present invention relates to adapters that provide an output shaft that drives either a cylindrical socket or coupler or a hex cross section socket or coupler.


A process for decomposing a cumene oxidation product mixture containing cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and dimethylphenolcarbinol (DMPC) to produce phenol and acetone.

Phenol is manufactured via air oxidation of cumene to cumene hydroperoxide (CHP), followed by acid-catalyzed cleavage of the latter to phenol and acetone, and is known as CHP decomposition. CHP decomposition is a very exothermic reaction which is normally carried out on a commercial scale in continuous stirred or back-mixed reactors. In such reactors only a small fraction of CHP is unreacted at any given time and the reaction medium consists essentially of the products of decomposition of CHP, i.e., phenol and acetone, plus any solvent (e.g., cumene) and other materials added with CHP to the reactor. During cumene oxidation small amounts of dimethyl phenyl carbinol (DMPC) and acetophenone are also formed. In the presence of acid catalyst, DMPC dehydrates to alphamethylstyrene (AMS), a useful by-product. Very high yields of AMS can be obtained from pure DMPC, e.g., 98% yield upon dehydration over acidic silica at 300° C. In the presence of phenol, however, and more specifically in a phenol/acetone/cumene mixture which is a solvent in the decomposition of CHP/DMPC mixtures, the ultimate AMS yield is normally about 50–60 mol % of the DMPC. Main by-products are AMS dimers and cumylphenol which have no commercial value. Formation of cumylphenol also reduces the phenol yield.
Although phenol and acetone have been produced by the decomposition of the cumene oxidation product for decades, there is a continuing incentive to produce at a lower cost and with reduced by-product formation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for relaying data packets to a subscriber station (SS) by taking a relay station (RS) into consideration when a base station (BS) establishes a data packet scheduling is disclosed. According to the method, a data packet is relayed by RSs, which have a signal intensity greater than a threshold value for all RSs appointed by the BS. Each SS determines whether the SS receives the data packet directly from the BS or via an RS, based on signal intensities between the SS and the BS and between the SS and RSs, and feeds channel information corresponding to the determination back to the BS, thereby allowing the data packet to be transmitted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for relaying data packets in a downlink of a wireless communication system, and more particularly to a method for relaying data packets to a subscriber station (SS) by taking a relay station (RS) into consideration when a base station (BS) establishes a data packet scheduling.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional wireless communication system, a BS transmits data packets to an SS either directly or via an RS. The BS selects one of the two transmission schemes depending on the transmission efficiency thereof.
The SS feeds a current channel status back to the BS, and the BS performs a scheduling operation with respect to the SS to receive a service in the next frame, by using information about the current channel status.
However, there is not yet a detailed algorithm for either a scheme for selecting an optimum RS for each SS or for simultaneously transmitting data packets via a plurality of RSs to an SS, when the BS establishes a data packet scheduling for downlink by taking the RSs into consideration.

Method for relaying data packet for downlink in wireless communication system


Method and device for reduction of a gas component in an exhaust gas flow of a combustion engine (1) that is adapted for operation by a lean air/fuel mixture. An exhaust pipe (21) is included for transport of the exhaust gas flow from the engine (1). A separation unit (22) is also included that is arranged along the exhaust pipe (21), which separation unit (22) has a wall structure (32) of a material which provides separation of the gas component from the exhaust gas flow by means of a selective passage of the gas component before other gas components in the exhaust gas flow. The method provides for a reduction and a separation unit that is intended to be utilized during such a reduction. An improved reduction of in particular NOx compounds from a so-called “lean-burn” engine is also provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a device for reducing at least one gas component in an exhaust gas flow of a combustion engine. The engine is adapted for operation on a lean air/fuel mixture and includes an exhaust pipe for transport of the exhaust gas flow from the engine. The invention is particularly intended for reduction of harmful emissions from the exhaust gas flow; and more particularly, via a method and arrangement incorporating a separation unit for this purpose.
2. Background of the Invention
In the field of vehicles that are operated by combustion engines, there is a general demand for low emissions of harmful substances in the exhaust gases from the engine. These substances are primarily constituted by pollutants in the form of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbon compounds (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO). Regards conventional petrol engines, the exhaust gases are typically purified by means of an exhaust catalyst that forms part of the exhaust system and through which the exhaust gases are guided. In a so-called three-way catalyst, the major part of the above-mentioned harmful compounds is eliminated by means of conventional catalytic reactions. In order to optimize the function of the catalyst so that it provides an optimal degree of purification for NOx HC, and CO, the engine is in most operating conditions operated by a stoichiometric air/fuel mixture; that is, a mixture where lambda=1.
Furthermore, in today's vehicular environment, there is a general demand for reducing the fuel consumption of the engine to the highest possible degree. To this end, during the last few years, engines with new types of combustion chambers in the engine's cylinders have been developed; in particular in ways that enable the engine to operate by increasingly lean fuel mixtures, i.e. where lambda=1. In such an engine, which normally is called a "lean-burn" engine, or alternatively a "Dl engine" direct-injected Otto cycle engine), the respective combustion chamber in the engine is arranged in such manner that the supplied fuel to a great degree can be concentrated at the respective ignition plug. This mode of operation is generally termed "stratified" operation and during continuous driving at a low or a medium-high torque and engine speed of the engine, it can operate on a very lean air/fuel mixture; more precisely, up to approximately lambda=3. In this manner, a substantial savings in fuel consumption is obtained using this type of engine. The engine can also be operated in an additional, "homogeneous" mode of operation with an essentially stoichiometric mixture (lambda=1) or a comparatively rich mixture (lambda=1). This latter mode of operation normally prevails during driving situations with comparatively high torques and speeds of the engine.
During stratified operation, a lean exhaust gas mixture will flow through the three-way catalyst. This corresponds to an exhaust gas mixture with a surplus of oxygen in relation to what is the case during lambda=1. This results in the three-way catalyst not being properly utilized for reduction of the NOx compounds in the exhaust gases due to the fact that it is constructed for an optimal purification capacity during stoichiometric mixture. In such cases, there becomes a demand for additional devices and methods for the reduction of NOx compounds. This demand also arises in other types of engines that are operated by a surplus of oxygen and where NOx compounds are generated during operation, which, for example, is the case with diesel engines.
In order to provide a reduction of NOx compounds from a "lean-burn engine" the engine can be provided with a nitrogen oxide adsorbent (also-called NOx adsorbent, or "NOx trap" for absorption of NOx compounds in the exhaust gases from a combustion engine. The NOx adsorbent can be utilized as a complement to a conventional three-way catalyst either as a separate unit upstream of the three-way catalyst or as an integral part of the three-way catalyst; that is, together with the catalytic material of the three-way catalyst.
The NOx adsorbent is constructed in such manner that it takes up (adsorbs) NOx compounds from the exhaust gases if the engine is operated by a lean air/fuel mixture and gives off (desorbs) the NOx compounds if the engine is operated by a rich air/fuel mixture during a certain time period. Furthermore, the NOx adsorbent has the property of being able to adsorb NOx compounds only up to a certain limit; that is, it is eventually "filled" and thus reaches a limit for the adsorption. In this situation, the NOx adsorbent must be regenerated; that is to say, it must be influenced or caused to desorb, and thus release the accumulated NOx compounds. If a conventional three-way catalyst is provided downstream of a NOx adsorbent, or if alternatively a three-way catalyst is formed as an integral part of at NOx adsorbent, provided that the latter has reached its ignition temperature.
A NOx adsorbent can typically be regenerated by means of the fact that the exhaust gas mixture that flows through the NOx adsorbent is made comparatively rich during certain time periods usually extending over approximately a few seconds. In practice, this is achieved by the fact that the engine, during this time period, is operated in the above-mentioned homogeneous mode of operation, wherein the engine is operated on a comparatively rich air/fuel mixture. By means of this "rich pulse" a surplus of CO and H2 molecules is generated that functions as a reduction agent which in turn reacts with NOx compounds according to the following:Ox+R−>N2+CO2+H2O                where R schematically indicates the relevant reduction agent. In this manner, a large part of the NOx compounds in the exhaust gas flow can be eliminated by means of transformation into molecular nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water. Then, the engine once again can be reset to lean operation, by means of which the NOx adsorbent absorbs NOx compounds during a certain time period that lasts until a new regeneration becomes necessary.
Thus, according to what has been described above, the NOx compounds are reduced by means of a reduction agent which is taken from the engine's own fuel; that is, it is generated in the engine during the short time period during which the engine is operated during rich conditions. Furthermore, a control unit is utilized with a suitable strategy for switching the combustion engine between homogeneous and stratified operation depending on whether a NOx regeneration is necessary and depending on the engine's mode of operation in other respects such as depending on the relevant degree of throttle application and the engine speed.
Although the above-mentioned course of events for regeneration of a NOx adsorbent in principle functions satisfactorily, it suffers from certain drawbacks. For example, it can be noted that it is necessary to operate the engine by a rich exhaust gas mixture for regeneration of the NOx adsorbent, and this requires an accurate control of the engine's mode of operation, particularly for switching between rich and lean operation, respectively. Moreover, the regeneration results in a surplus of fuel being supplied to the engine during the rich pulse. This in turn causes the engine's fuel consumption to be influenced in a negative way.
An additional drawback associated with the regeneration of a NOx adsorbent by means of supply of a reduction agent is that a large part of the reduction agent reacts with the oxygen molecules that are present in the exhaust gas flow. Thus, the HC, H2 or CO molecules in the exhaust gas flow that could react with NOx compounds in the exhaust gases and form harmless N2 instead, to a great extent, react with oxygen molecules in the exhaust gases and this impairs the efficiency of the process.
Another known manner of reducing NOx compounds is to supply a reduction agent in the form of ammonia/urea (so-called SCR technique) to the relevant gas flow. A drawback of this method, however, is that it requires special arrangements for storage and supply of ammonia/urea, and that a NOx reduction by means of this technique only is allowed within a certain temperature interval; more precisely, approximately 300-5000°.
Still another known manner for reducing NOx compounds in engine exhaust gases is to utilize a so-called EGR system (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), wherein a certain amount of the exhaust gases from the engine is returned to the inlet of the engine.
Yet another known manner of reducing NOx compounds in engine exhaust gases is to utilize zeolite structures with pores of two different sizes (so-called "dual pore size" technique). In this case, NOx molecules, for example, in a gas flow which passes the zeolite structure will be transformed into NO2 molecules in the pores of the smaller size whereupon the NO2 molecules react with a reduction agent such as an HC compound in the pores of the larger size. In this case, by means of the last-mentioned reaction, N2, CO2 and H2O are formed.
Other HC-based systems can also be utilized for NOx reduction such as in a system that is based on an oxide of aluminum (Al2O3) to which silver atoms have been supplied. In such a structure, an HC compound can be supplied at the same time as a gas flow containing NOx compounds is allowed to pass the structure. This results in a decrease of the NOx compounds in the gas flow.

Device and method for reduction of a gas component in an exhaust gas flow of a combustion engine