A microwave system for driving a linear accelerator is provided. The inventive microwave system employs a plurality of magnetrons, at least one pulse generator to energize the magnetrons, means for synchronizing outputs from the magnetrons, and at least one waveguide for transmitting synchronized outputs or power from the magnetrons to a linear accelerator. The linear accelerator that is driven by the inventive microwave system demonstrates increased efficiency and dependability, higher energy and power outputs, as well as, different energy outputs that can take the form of successive pulses that alternate between at least two different energy levels.

Linear accelerators require power in the form of high power pulses of short duration. This form of power can be supplied by either a magnetron or a klystron.
Magnetrons are relatively high efficiency, self-oscillating, diode-type electron tubes that are used to produce microwave energy. These electron tubes, which are typically small, light weight and relatively inexpensive, with some models being readily available for purchase, offer peak power levels of up to 5 megawatts (MW) and average power levels of about 10 kilowatts (kW). Power levels, however, are not as high as those offered by klystrons. In addition, magnetrons have a relatively short lifespan (i.e., 3,000 operating hours), cannot easily be rebuilt, and their self-oscillation operation is affected by feedback, especially from highly reactive loads.
Klystrons are specialized vacuum tubes called linear-beam tubes. These tubes offer relatively high power (i.e., up to 30 MW peak power and up to 100 kW average power for an S-band tube, with even higher powers for L-band (1 gigahertz (GHz)) and lower frequency tubes). Tube operation is relatively quiet electrically, but efficiency is low. While these tubes can be rebuilt and offer a relatively long lifespan of up to 20,000 operating hours, they are large and heavy and require a large solenoid. In addition, these tubes are relatively expensive and are not readily available, in some cases requiring delivery times of greater than one or two months.
A need exists for a microwave system to drive a linear accelerator that addresses at least some of the drawbacks associated with these conventional power sources.
The present invention satisfies this need by providing a microwave system for driving a linear accelerator that employs a plurality of magnetrons. More specifically, the inventive system, which offers, among other things, increased magnetron life and improved system reliability, comprises: a plurality of magnetrons; at least one pulse generator to energize the magnetrons; means for synchronizing the frequency and phase of outputs from the magnetrons; and at least one waveguide for transmitting the synchronized outputs or power from the magnetrons to the linear accelerator.
In one embodiment, outputs from the magnetrons are synchronized by arranging at least one pair of magnetrons in parallel and for each such magnetron pair, reflecting a small amount of power from each magnetron in the pair back into the other magnetron, thereby locking their respective outputs. In this embodiment, the inventive microwave system comprises:                (a) at least one pair of magnetrons arranged in parallel and having equal waveguide lengths;        (b) one or two high power pulse generators for each magnetron pair, wherein the pulse generator(s) is connected to one or both magnetrons in the magnetron pair;        (c) coupling means for coupling outputs from each magnetron in a magnetron pair, and optionally for further coupling already coupled outputs from the magnetron pairs; and        (d) at least one waveguide for transmitting coupled output from the coupling means to the linear accelerator, wherein the waveguide has a section with a mismatch for reflecting a small amount of power from each magnetron in a magnetron pair into output from the other magnetron.
In another embodiment, the magnetrons are synchronized by designating at least one magnetron as a master and one or more remaining magnetrons as slaves and by injecting small amounts of power from the master magnetron(s) into output from the slave magnetron(s). In this embodiment, the inventive microwave system comprises:                (a) a plurality of magnetrons including at least one master magnetron and at least one slave magnetron;        (b) at least one high power pulse generator, wherein the pulse generator(s) is connected to one or more magnetrons;        (c) a coaxial line or waveguide in communication with the master magnetron(s) and the slave magnetron(s) for injecting small amounts of power from the master magnetron(s) into output from the slave magnetron(s); and        (d) at least one waveguide for transmitting the outputs from the magnetrons to the linear accelerator.
The present invention also provides a radiation (i.e., electron, x-ray) source comprising a linear accelerator, and connected thereto, a microwave system, as described herein above. The inventive radiation source offers increased efficiency and dependability, higher energy and power outputs, as well as, different energy outputs that can take the form of successive pulses that can alternate between at least two different energy levels.
The present invention further provides a method of driving a linear accelerator, the method comprising: employing a plurality of magnetrons; synchronizing outputs from the magnetrons; and delivering the synchronized outputs or power to a linear accelerator.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

Microwave system for driving a linear accelerator


A holding device for holding an object, which is disposed on an electronic device in a detachable manner, is disclosed. The holding device comprises a first holding portion, a second holding portion and a connecting portion. The first holding portion comprises a first holding member and a second holding member. The first holding member and the second holding member are foldable toward a first direction and a second direction, respectively to form an accommodating space for accommodating the electronic device. The second holding portion holds the object. The connecting portion connects the first holding portion with the second holding portion in a foldable manner. Additionally, the connecting portion, the first holding portion and the second holding portion are integrally formed as a single piece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holding device, and in particular, to a foldable holding device with a lighter volume.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional business card scanner usually comprises a web camera and a base. The web camera and the business card are placed on the base, and the web camera captures the image of the business card. By connecting to the computer through an external wire, the web camera can transmit the image to the computer. However, the web camera, the base and the wire of the conventional business card scanner respectively take up a certain amount of volume, which results in a more complex packaging procedure and inconvenience for users when carried.


Adaptive programming methods and supportive device architecture for memory devices are provided. Methods include partitioning words into variable length segments. More particularly, methods include receiving a word of data, parsing the word into a plurality of write-subsets, where the size of the write-subsets depends on values of the data and constraints that are specific to the memory circuit, and writing the data in cells of the memory circuit, one write-subset at a time. A memory device includes a digital controller capable of parsing words into a plurality of write-subsets, where the length of write-subsets are depending on values of the data and constraints that are specific to the memory device.

Memory devices are electronic devices arranged to store electrical signals. A plurality of memory elements can be combined in various arrangements in order to store multiple bits arranged in words or other combinations. Various electronic circuits including semiconductor devices such as transistors are used as memory elements.
Memory elements may be classified in two main categories: volatile and nonvolatile. Volatile memory loses any data as soon as the system is turned off. Thus, it requires constant power to remain viable. Most types of random access memories (RAM) fall into this category. Non-volatile memory does not lose its data when the system or device is turned off.
Demand for embedded nonvolatile memory (NVM) in integrated circuits has grown steadily over the past decade. Desirable characteristics of embedded NVM include low cost, low power, high speed, and high reliability (data retention and program/erase cycling endurance). NVM may be embedded in various integrated circuit (IC) technologies such as, for example, the widely used Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Some embedded NVM in CMOS applications include, for example, storing: chip serial numbers, configuration information in Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), product data, security information and/or serial numbers in radio frequency identification integrated circuits, program code, and data in embedded microcontrollers, analog trim information, and the likes.
Programming time for embedded NVM devices may be long when a whole row (or word) cannot be programmed at the same time due to some constraints. In such a case, the programming method partitions the word into fixed length word segments, and performs the programming, segment by segment. The disclosure addresses this shortcoming of prior art by introducing word segmentation methods that take into consideration existing and changing programming constraints.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for adaptive programming of memory circuit including writing data in cells of a memory circuit


Inside frame of a compressor including a frame body having a pass through hole for a crankshaft, legs formed by bending, and extending from, opposite ends of the frame body, respectively, and component fastening parts formed by extending from the legs in parallel to the frame body, respectively, wherein the component fastening parts have opposite inward extensions, and the frame body is formed such that component fastening to the component fastening parts is possible without interference with the frame body, thereby minimizing a size of the compressor and enhancing an assembly precision and strength.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compressors for compressing a working fluid such as refrigerant to a required pressure, and more particularly, to an inside frame of a compressor inside of a shell of the compressor for mounting various components of the compressor thereon.
2. Background of the Related Art
The compressor compresses the working fluid, such as gas or a refrigerant, to a required pressure. In the compressors, there are turbo compressors, such as axial compressors, and centrifugal compressors, and displacement compressors, such as rotating compressors, and reciprocating compressors.
Of the compressors, the reciprocating compressor has a piston in a cylinder for reciprocating therein to draw gas or refrigerant into the cylinder, and compress, and discharge the gas or refrigerant.
FIG. 1 illustrates a section of a related art reciprocating compressor.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art reciprocating compressor (hereafter called as a compressor) is provided with a shell 1 having an upper case 1a and a lower case 1b, for holding various components, and a frame 2 supported on springs 2S inside of the shell 1 for mounting various components of the compressor thereto.
There is a boss having a vertical pass through hole in a central part of the frame 2, with a crankshaft 5 rotatably mounted therein.
The crankshaft 5 has an oil passage 5a, for guiding oil L held in a bottom part of the shell 1 to an upper part of the shell, and spraying the oil onto the frame 2. There is a pumping mechanism 5d at a lower end of the crankshaft 5 for pumping the oil 'L' to the oil passage 5a.
The crankshaft 5 rotates by a motor part having a stator 3 and a rotor 4 fixed to the crankshaft 5 for rotating by an electrical interaction with the stator 3, under the frame.
There is a crank pin 5b on top of the crankshaft 5 eccentric from a rotation center of the crankshaft 5. There is a balance weight 5c opposite to the crank pin 5b, for making a rotation speed of the crankshaft 5 uniform.
In the meantime, there is a cylinder 6 formed as one unit with the frame 2 at one side of an upper part of the shell, with a compression chamber formed therein. There is a piston 7 in the cylinder for compression of refrigerant or gas, connected to the crank pin 5b at top of the crankshaft 5 with a connecting rod 8.
There is a valve assembly 9 on the cylinder 6 for controlling flow of refrigerant into/out of the compression chamber. The valve assembly 9 is provided with a suction valve for drawing refrigerant, and a discharge valve for discharging compressed refrigerant.
The valve assembly 9 is mounted between the cylinder 6 and the head cover 10, and there is a suction silencer 11 at one side of the head cover, connected to the valve assembly, for attenuating noise from the refrigerant.
The shell has one side having a suction pipe 12 fitted thereto for guiding the refrigerant from an outside of the compressor to the suction silencer 11, and the other side having a discharge pipe 13 for discharging compressed refrigerant.
Though the frame 2 is cast together with the boss 2a, the cylinder 6, and the like, the frame 2 may be fabricated separate from the boss 2a or the cylinder 6 and mounted on the frame depending on design conditions.
A structure of a related art frame for mounting the various components of the compressor will be described with reference to FIG. 2, wherein the boss, and the cylinder are fabricated separate from the frame.
Referring to FIG. 2, the frame is pressed or forged. The frame 20 is provided with an upper plate 21 having a boss hole in a central part for inserting a boss 24 therein, legs 22 bent downward, and extended from opposite ends of the upper plate 21, and stator fastening parts 23 bent outward, and extended perpendicular from lower ends of the legs 22 parallel to the upper plate 21.
Each of the stator fastening parts 23 has fastening holes 23a for fastening the stator 3 thereto which is mounted on an underside of the stator fastening parts 23 with fastening means 3a.
However, the related art frame has the following problems.
First, the stator fastening parts 23 of the frame 20 formed by outward bending, and extension from the legs 16 results in a long total length 'L' of the frame 20, that impedes fabrication of a smaller compressor.
Second, the contact of an entire bottom surface of the flange 24a formed at a top of the boss 24 with an edge of the boss hole is liable to cause the boss and the upper plate 21 to misalign so as to be out of a right angle, that impedes smooth rotation of the crankshaft inserted in the boss 24.
Third, the low rigidity of the bent parts 22a and 22b of the frame is liable to cause breakage, or deformation due to stress concentration.
Fourth, in a case of deformation of the frame, relative positions of components mounted on the frame change, to make a performance of the compressor poor.


The invention relates to a warming arrangement having a warming system for warming a steam turbine. The warming system has a makeup line and recycle line fluidly connected to the steam turbine. A gas moving device and a heater are located in either of these two lines. The warming system further includes a pressure measurement device that is configured and arranged to determine a gauge pressure in the steam turbine as well as a controller. The controller is configured to control a flow rate of the warming gas through the steam turbine, based on the pressure measurement device.

Shortening start-up times and improving starting reliability while increasing the number of starts is one of many new requirements with respect to plant flexibility that has arisen as a result of the increased use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
A major factor limiting the load output of an existing combined cycle power plant is the allowed pressure and temperature transients of the steam turbine and the heat recovery steam generator as well as the waiting time required to establish warm-up times in the balance of plant and the main piping system. These limitations may also influence the start-up capability of the gas turbine of a combined cycle plant by linking the start-up of the gas turbine with the start-up of the steam turbine.
A method of warming a steam turbine involves using main steam generated from the start-up of a gas turbine or auxiliary steam from other sources generated from within the power plant. This pre-warming is required even for small steam turbines in order to avoid differential temperatures between inner and outer walls of the steam chest, and within the rotor. Unless this is done before the unit is exposed to nominal steam system pressures and temperatures, temperature differentials may create excessive stress in the turbine and/or the turbine steam control valve(s).
Larger steam turbines typically include the step of rolling the turbine during pre-warming. If steam is used to pre-warm the turbine, this introduces further constraints on the pre-warming process by restricting the flow rate of the pre-warming medium. For example, is the turbine is being rolled during the pre-warming process, if the flow rate of the pre-warming medium is too high through the nominal steam path, the turbine may rolling-off the turning gear as it accelerates prematurely. However, lower pre-warming medium flow rate will increase the heat-up time.
US Patent Application No. 2004/0088984 A1 describes a method for operating a steam turbine within a Rankine cycle comprising several no-load or light load and further distributing steam to individual stages during idle or low-load operation. This is achieved by measuring an enthalpy difference across a steam turbine stage and controlling a bypass around the steam turbine based on the enthalpy measurement so as to minimise the enthalpy difference.
An alternative to steam pre-warming is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,898. This solution, which is applicable only to combined cycle power plants where the gas turbine compressor is in operation, involves directing hot air bled from the gas turbine air compressor through the flow path of the steam turbine to pre-warm a steam turbine. As the compressed air is sourced from the gas turbine system, this solution, like the solutions discussed previously, links the start-up of the gas turbine with pre-warming of the steam turbine and therefore has only a limited effect on overall start-up time and further cannot be used to keep the steam turbine on hot standby.


A non-line of sight (NLOS) communications system and method are provided that implement orthogonal frequency, division multiplexing. A data generator produces a digital data stream, which is converted into M parallel frequency sub-carrier digital data streams (where M is an integer), each sub-carrier is encoded with data and an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform operation is applied, and an output signal is converted to an analog signal, which is imposed onto an optical beam generated by a light source. The beam is transmitted skywards at an elevation angle above the horizon in at least one direction. The beam is scattered due to Mie and Raleigh effects, forming a scattered waveform. At least a part of the scattered waveform is received by a receiver outputting an electrical signal, which enters a DSP unit. The DSP unit digitizes the electrical signal, performs Fourier transformation and recovers data from M sub-carrier signals.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,051 by Geller discloses a covert communication system that uses ultraviolet light as a medium for communication. Suitable wavelengths are chosen by examining atmospheric penetration, attenuation by clouds, presence of interfering sources, and ease of generation and detection.
It is well known that atmospheric gases such as ozone and oxygen strongly absorb light in the spectral range between 200 and 280 nm. It is called "solar blind" region of spectrum. It is beneficial to create a free-space communication link operating in this range since solar radiation will not interfere with the data transmission. Non-line of sight communication is based on the light scattering in atmosphere and detecting of at least some portion of the scattered light. Raleigh theory indicates a strong wavelength dependence of the scattering (˜λ−4) which means that blue light is scattered much more than red light. It is advantageous to use blue or UV light in NLOS communications since more light can be collected.
An optical communications transceiver of U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,609 comprises a transmitter that sends out the same information simultaneously in two channels with different wavelengths and a receiver for detecting and comparing the received data. Additional reliability of the communications is achieved by the transmission doubling.
Traditionally photomultipliers are used for UV light detection. Recently developed low noise high sensitive avalanche photodiodes are compatible with the photomultiplier in their characteristics while providing setup compactness. US patent application No. 20050098844, which addresses manufacturing of such detectors, is incorporated herein by reference.
There is still a need for improved communications system architecture to enhance detector sensitivity, information capacity and overall system reliability of non-line of sight UV optical communications.

Optical frequency division multiplexed communications over the horizon


A method of growing a mixed compound semiconductor layer comprises the following steps of: providing a reaction chamber comprising a rotatable substrate stage, a plurality of nozzles aligned in a line, the nozzle being arranged vertical to a substrate surface, and a mechanism for moving the substrate stage at least in the nozzle alignment direction and parallel to the substrate surface; disposing the substrate on the substrate stage which is rotated around its axis; flowing a mixed source gas into the reaction chamber through the nozzles, thereby a flow rate of the most reactive gas in the mixed source gas flowing through each nozzle being controlled to increase depending on a distance between the center axis of the substrate rotation and the nozzle; and heating the substrate. An apparatus for applying the above method comprises a particular feature for moving the substrate stage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of growing a mixed compound semiconductor by vapor phase epitaxy and an apparatus used therefor, and more particularly to the method of growing a group II-VI mixed compound semiconductor layer of Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te and an apparatus used therefore.
The compound semiconductor Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te has a characteristic of a small energy bandgap and is known as a detector material for infrared rays. The mixing ratio x included in the above expression Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te is defined as a ratio of binary compound semiconductor CdTe comprised in ternary compound semiconductor HgCdTe and plays an important role to determine the most sensitive wavelength of infrared rays in detection. The present invention relates to the method and apparatus for growing a compound semiconductor layer of Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te having a uniform x-value throughout the entire grown crystal layer on a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general concept of growing a mixed compound semiconductor layer of Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te using an apparatus comprising a reactor chamber of a vertical type is first explained using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the apparatus, wherein a substrate 3 of such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) is disposed on a substrate stage 2 which is rotated around the axis of a center support 10 during the growth. A mixed source gas for growth is supplied into the reactor chamber 1 through a nozzle 4 and the source gas is spouted out vertically onto the substrate 3. In FIG. 1, only a single nozzle is illustrated, however, a plurality of nozzle can be substituted therfor. The reactor chamber 1 is arranged on a fixed flange 6 with which an outlet pipe 7 is provided for exhaust. A RF coil 5 is arrange outside the reactor chamber 1 for heating the substrate stage 2 which is made of graphite.
A plurality of gas sources are provided which are shown in FIG. 2. A mercury (Hg) bubbler 30 supplies mercury vapor contained in a bubbling hydrogen gas. The mercury bubbler 30 comprises a valve 22, a mass flow controller 23, and a pressure gauge 28. A hydrogen gas is supplied to two mass flow controllers 23 and a partial pressure of mercury contained in the mixed hydrogen source gas is precisely controlled. The similar bubblers 32 and 34 for tellerium and cadmium are respectively also provided, but the details are omitted in FIG. 2 for simplicity. A di-isopropyltelluride (abbreviated hereinafter as DIP-Te) bubbler 32 supplies DIP-Te vapor contained in a bubbling hydrogen gas. A dimethyleadmium (abbreviated hereinafter as DM-Cd) bubbler 34 supplies DM-Cd vapor contained in a bubbling hydrogen gas.
During the growth, the above three source gases are mixed and introduced into the reactor chamber 1 through the gas nozzle 4, and the mixed gas is spouted out onto the substrate 3. The rotating substrate stage 2 together with the substrate 3 is heated by the RF coil 5. DIP-Te and DM-Cd source gases are decomposed into element gases, and the decomposed elements and Hg of the Hg source gas react with each other in the reactor chamber 1 forming mixed compound semiconductor Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te, which deposits on the substrate 3 epitaxially on the substrate. The method falls under the category called MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition).
The above method includes the problem that, when source gases are heated in the reaction chamber 1, binary compound semiconductor CdTe is formed much easier than the formation of binary compound semiconductor HgTe. Most of decomposed Cd molecules are consumed on the substrate surface area directly under the nozzle 4, since formation energy of CdTe is smaller than that of HgTe. This results in forming Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te compound layer which has a higher x-value on the central portion of the substrate 3 and a lower x-value on the peripheral substrate area thereof. Therefore, the x-value of the grown ternary compound semiconductor Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te is not uniform on the substrate surface.
This is schematically shown in FIG. 3. The abscissa shows a position on the substrate 3 which has a diameter 2r, and the ordinate shows an x-value of the grown compound semiconductor Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te layer. FIG. 3 shows that the grown ternary semiconducotr Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te has a composition such that the x-value thereof has a peak value at the center of the substrate 3 and gradually decreases toward the periphery thereof.
A plurality of nozzles are used in order to improve a uniformity in x-values of the grown semiconductor. An exemplary result is shown in FIG. 4, in which four nozzles 4-1 to 4-4 are utilized. The result shows a remarkable improvement compared with that shown in FIG. 3, however, fluctuation in x-values is not improved to a satisfactory level.
In order to improve uniformity of the grown semiconductor, the following patent application have been published. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication SHO 62-297296 published Dec. 24, 1987 discloses an MOCVD apparatus, wherein a substrate is disposed on a susceptor and rotates around the center axis thereof, the substrate surface is arranged to be parallel to the gas flow direction, and further the susceptor can move back and forth in the transversal direction to the gas flow. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI 1-140712 published Jun. 1, 1989 (the same patent was filed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and allowed as U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,204) discloses a CVD apparatus similar as that described in FIG. 4, wherein each gas flow through a plurality of nozzles is individually and precisely controlled. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI 3-271195 published Dec. 3, 1991 discloses a mechanism for moving a substrate stage in a CVD apparatus, in which a substrate disposed on a substrate stage rotates around the center axis of the substrate and the rotating substrate stage further receives around the center axis of the CVD apparatus, whereby the substrate stage moves back and forth inwardly and outwardly in the radial direction.

Method of growing group II-IV mixed compound semiconductor and an apparatus used therefor


Disclosed is a synthetic resin grommet comprising a head portion having a screw insert hole, a bottom cylindrical portion having a cylindrical hole, and a pair of locking claws. With this arrangement, the syntheric resin grommet can improves its water-proof property.

Conventionally, this type of synthetic resin grommet is usually composed of a grommet main-body having locking claws such as wings, ribs or the like obliquely, and upwardly formed on the side thereof (refer, for example to Japanese Utility Model Application No. Sho 60-18314).
However, the conventional grommet has some problems. That is, since the locking claws are formed along the body of the grommet itself, the body is difficult to flex because the claws are relatively rigid. Consequently the grommet cannot be easily inserted well into a member to be attached. Additionally the conventional grommet has poor water-proof sealing properties, and when the grommet is inserted into the member to be attached, a chattering is caused therebetween. The chattering results from a gap left between an upper end of the locking claws and the member to be attached. The chattering lasting generally until a tapping screw is tapped into the grommet main body to fix it in place.


A novel electroporation device for the delivery of vaccines that is both effective in generating a protective immune response and tolerable delivery to a subject (or near painless); and also methods of using same device to vaccinate a subject against a variety of infectious diseases and types of cancer in a near painless.

The magnitude of the immune response to a DNA vaccine can often times depend on three main criteria—the optimized vector design, the use of a suitable adjuvant and the successful delivery and subsequent expression of the plasmid in the target tissue. In vivo electroporation has proved to be particularly effective in efficiently delivering DNA immunogens to the muscle and the skin and indeed several devices have entered into human clinical trials.
Drug delivery to dermal tissue (intradermal, ID) is an attractive method in a clinical setting for a number of reasons. The skin is the largest organ of the human body, the most accessible, most easily monitored, as well as being highly immuno-competent. However, the impervious, barrier function of the skin has been a major obstacle to efficient trans-dermal drug delivery.
Human skin extends to approximately 2 m2 in area and is around 2.5 mm thick on average, making it the largest organ of the human body. Conventionally, the skin has two broad tissue types, the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is a continually keratinizing stratified epithelium. The outer most layer of skin is the stratum corneum (SC) and acts as the primary barrier function for skin. The SC is a 15-30 cell thick layer of non-viable but biochemically active corneocytes. The other three strata of the epidermis (S. granulosum, S. spinosum, S. basale) all contain ketatinocytes at different stages of differentiation as well as the immune Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells.
Both physical and chemical methods for trans-dermal drug delivery and gene delivery have been detailed by groups worldwide. Iontophoresis, lipid delivery and gene gun are such examples. One other physical method to temporarily increase skin permeability is electroporation. Electroporation involves the application of brief electrical pulses that result in the creation of aqueous pathways within the lipid bi-layer membranes of mammalian cells. This allows the passage of large molecules, including DNA, over the cell membrane which would otherwise be less permeable. As such, electroporation increases the uptake, as well as the extent to which drugs and DNA are delivered to their target tissue. For electroporation to cause the formation of pores, a threshold energy needs to be achieved and the movement produced by the electrophoretic effect depends upon both the electric field and the pulse length.
In the case of DNA vaccines, electroporation has been shown to quantitatively enhance immune responses, increase the breadth of those immune responses as well as improve the efficiency of dose. The many advantages of skin delivery, most notably presence of a variety of immune relevant cells, easy clinical accessibility as an immunization target organ, and the minimal depth of delivery (minimally invasive) is attractive; however, questions persist as to the ability of achieving high transfection rates and subsequently robust immune responses.
The delivery of naked DNA through a standard intramuscular (IM) injection is notoriously inefficient outside of rodent models. This has lead to an inability to achieve robust immune responses in large mammals and humans. Several strategies have been developed to enhance the expression of DNA-based vaccines, such as codon-optimization, RNA optimization, leader sequence addition and the development of optimized consensus sequences.
Despite the improvements in vector design and use of molecular adjuvants, there still remains a need for an efficient method of administrating DNA vaccines that results in high level expression of the plasmid in the desired cell type of the desired tissue, most commonly, muscle, tumor or skin. Furthermore, there remains a need for an electroporation device and method of delivering vaccines that is both effective in generating a protective immune response and tolerable (or near painless).

Tolerable and minimally invasive skin electroporation device


A handle for a paint roller frame includes an inner core made of a substantially rigid plastic material and an outer grip made of a softer rubber-like material surrounding the inner core and extending part way around both ends thereof. At the outer end of the inner core is an internally threaded opening surrounded by a planar end wall. The outer grip includes an outer end portion overlying the planar end wall which acts like a locking washer, resisting unscrewing of an extension pole from the threaded opening when the extension pole is screwed down tight and a flange at a base of the extension pole threads comes into contact with the outer end portion of the outer grip overlying the planar end wall.

It is generally known to provide handles for different types of hand tools with an inner core of a substantially rigid plastic material to give the handle the required strength and rigidity for supporting the tool during use and an outer grip of a softer thermoplastic rubber-like material to give the handle a softer feel and more comfortable gripability. A common way of making such a handle is to overmold the outer grip onto the inner core. However, oftentimes the outer grip is only molded around portions of the inner core, leaving areas of the inner core exposed. This gives the undesirable appearance that the outer grip is a separate piece that is slid onto the inner core rather than integrally molded thereto. Indeed, if the material of the outer grip is not chemically compatible with the material of the inner core, or if the outer grip is not molded around the inner core at a sufficiently high temperature to cause a thermobond to take place between the outer grip and inner core, the outer grip may be susceptible to being pulled or peeled off the inner core.
It is also generally known to mold the outer grip completely around and into an opening in the outer end of the inner core to preclude any tendency of the outer grip from becoming dislodged laterally with respect to the inner core. However, this has the disadvantage that it does not permit a threaded opening to be provided in the outer end of the inner core for threaded engagement by an extension pole or the like.

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A method of forming a multilayer ceramic coating system on a substrate that requires thermal protection from a hostile thermal environment. The method generally entails forming at least one tape that contains ceramic particles dispersed in an organic constituent, such as a binder and/or plasticizer. If a single tape is used, the tape is formed of multiple layers of different compositions and applied as a unit to the substrate, thereby forming at least an innermost layer and an outermost layer on the substrate. If multiple tapes are used, a first tape is applied to the substrate to form the innermost layer, and a second tape is applied to form the outermost layer. The tape/tapes are then sintered to form innermost and outermost ceramic layers, respectively, on the substrate. The tape/tapes are formed and processed such that the innermost ceramic layer has submicron voids to provide a desired level of porosity, while the outermost ceramic layer is thinner, smoother and less porous than the innermost ceramic layer.

This invention relates to ceramic coatings of the type used to protect components exposed to high temperature environments, such as the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. More particularly, this invention is directed to a multilayer ceramic coating system that is built up on a substrate with one or more ceramic-containing tapes to produce an outermost ceramic layer with a smooth outer surface and at least one interior ceramic layer whose mechanical and physical properties are selected to provide a transition between the substrate and outer ceramic layer.
Components located in certain sections of gas turbine engines, such as the turbine, combustor and augmentor, are often thermally insulated with a ceramic layer in order to reduce their service temperatures, which allows the engine to operate more efficiently at higher temperatures. These coatings, often referred to as thermal barrier coatings (TBC), must have low thermal conductivity, strongly adhere to the article, and remain adherent throughout many heating and cooling cycles.
Coating systems capable of satisfying the above requirements typically include a metallic bond coat that adheres the thermal-insulating ceramic layer to the component. Metal oxides, such as zirconia (ZrO2) partially or fully stabilized by yttria (Y2O3), magnesia (MgO) or other oxides, have been widely employed as the material for the thermal-insulating ceramic layer. The ceramic layer is typically deposited by air plasma spraying (APS), low pressure plasma spraying (LPPS), or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique, such as electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) which yields a strain-tolerant columnar grain structure. Bond coats are typically formed of an oxidation-resistant diffusion coating such as a diffusion aluminide or platinum aluminide, or an oxidation-resistant alloy such as MCrAlY (where M is iron, cobalt and/or nickel). Aluminide coatings are distinguished from MCrAlY coatings, in that the former are intermetallics while the latter are metallic solid solutions.
While coating systems of the type described above are widely employed, the requirement that the coating system remain adherent throughout many heating and cooling cycles is particularly demanding because the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of ceramic materials is significantly lower than those of the superalloys typically used to form turbine engine components. Such differences in CTE, in combination with oxidation of the underlying bond coat or substrate, eventually lead to spallation of the coating system.
An additional desired characteristic for a coating system of a gas turbine engine component is for the outermost surface of the coating system to be extremely smooth in order to promote the aerodynamics of the component surface. While relatively smooth ceramic coatings can be produced with spray methods -such as those noted above, particularly with PVD techniques, smoother surface finishes would be desirable. In general, deposition techniques noted above tend to produce ceramic coatings that are relatively porous, which is advantageous in terms of achieving a low coefficient of thermal conduction. However, porosity promotes surface roughness-ceramic coatings deposited by PVD generally have surface roughnesses of about 60 xcexcinch (about 1.5 xcexcm) Ra and higher, and those deposited by APS and LPPS typically have surface roughnesses of about 260 to 400 xcexcinch (about 6.6 to 10.2 xcexcm) Ra. Ceramic coatings deposited by conventional spray methods on components with complex geometries are further prone to such surface flaws as shadowing effects (thin or beaded regions caused by partial masking due to part shape) and slumping (thicker regions formed by movement of material to low portions of a part due to gravity).
In view of the above, it can be appreciated that there is an ongoing demand for gas turbine engine components that can be produced with adherent thermal barrier coatings having exterior surfaces that are denser and smoother for improved aerodynamical performance.
The present invention generally provides a method for forming a ceramic coating on a substrate that requires thermal protection from a hostile thermal environment, such as the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections of a gas turbine engine. The method is particularly directed to producing a multilayer ceramic coating system whose outer surface is dense and smooth for improved aerodynamics, while the remainder of the coating system is more porous to promote the ability of the coating system to thermally insulate the component and provide a more uniform transition of mechanical and physical properties between the component surface and the dense surface of the coating system, thereby promoting the spallation resistance of the coating system.
The method of this invention generally entails forming at least two tape compositions that contain ceramic particles dispersed in an organic constituent, such as a binder and/or plasticizer. In one embodiment, a tape is formed of the first composition and then applied to the substrate to form a n innermost tape layer on the substrate, after which at least one additional tape is formed of the second composition and then applied to form an outermost tape layer. The tapes are then processed (cured then sintered) to form innermost and outermost ceramic layers, respectively, on the substrate (along with any intermediate tapes that can be applied between the innermost and outermost tape layers to form intermediate ceramic layers upon curing and sintering). Alternatively, a single multilayer tape can be formed to contain both tape compositions, with the first tape composition forming a lower layer of the tape and the second composition forming the upper layer of the tape. After applying the tape to a substrate and then curing and sintering, the first and second compositions form innermost and outermost ceramic layers, respectively, on the substrate. This embodiment also permits the use of intermediate compositions to form intermediate layers within. the tape and, subsequently, intermediate ceramic layers on the substrate.
According to the invention, the tape or tapes are formed and processed such that the innermost ceramic layer has submicron voids to provide a desired level of porosity, while the outermost ceramic layer is thinner, smoother and less porous than the innermost ceramic layer. As a result, this invention provides a multilayer ceramic coating system having a sintered inner ceramic layer whose porosity can be tailored to yield mechanical and physical properties that promote the adhesion of the coating system, and a denser and smoother sintered outer ceramic layer whose density and surface roughness can be tailored to promote the aerodynamic performance of the component on which the coating system is formed. Additional ceramic layers between the inner and outer layers can be formed if desired to further grade the transition between the substrate and coating surface. The result is a coating system that, as a whole, has a smooth aerodynamic surface, a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, and resists spalling throughout many heating and cooling cycles.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.

Method of forming a multilayer ceramic coating


A Waste-to-Energy plant comprising: an incineration chamber in which waste is combusted generating flue gas; an economizer heating feedwater using heat from the flue gas; an evaporator producing steam from the heated feedwater using heat from the flue gas; a steam drum receiving heated feedwater from the economizer and supplying heated feedwater, the steam drum receiving steam from the evaporator and supplying steam; and a superheater receiving and heating steam from the steam drum to a superheated steam using heat from the flue gas; the incineration chamber comprising a first PCM-wall and a second PCM-wall each comprising a plurality of pipes and a layer of PCM provided between the pipes and the incineration chamber, the pipes in the first PCM-wall receiving heated feedwater from the steam drum and producing additional steam therein and the pipes of the second PCM-wall additionally heating steam therein using radiant heat from the incineration chamber.

In Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants, hot flue gas generated during combustion of waste is used to produce steam by heating feedwater and thereby regain energy by using the steam to drive turbines or for other energy processes such as cogeneration. Heat recovery of thermal power in the gas generated during the combustion process is currently completely carried out by traditional steam generation boilers which usually comprise an incineration chamber having water-walls (i.e. radiant evaporators), as well as evaporators, economizers and superheaters that use heat from the hot flue gas as their energy source. In the economizer, feedwater is heated prior to being fed to the evaporator which produces steam by converting the heated feedwater into wet steam. The wet steam is then converted into dry steam and raised to useful temperatures by the superheater. Dry heated steam from the superheater is channelled to produce useful work as electricity and/or heat. The water-walls of the incineration chamber where combustion of waste takes place also absorb heat released during combustion and this heat is also used to evaporate feedwater into steam that is channelled into the superheater.
However, steam generation boilers suffer thermal power fluctuation due to the waste combustion being characterized by a high variability in net calorific value. This leads to a few technical issues which limit the maximum net electric efficiency achievable in existing WtE plants, namely:                i. the maximum steam temperature achievable by the superheater is limited due to corrosion of the superheater occurring at high metal surface temperature; and        ii. steam production by the evaporator fluctuates due to non-homogeneous composition of waste resulting in inconstant temperature of the hot flue gas that heats the feedwater into steam.


A resonator includes a substrate to which are attached trimmable capacitance and inductance portions which together with a varactor and transistor form an oscillator circuit. The substrate mounts orthogonally in a slot on an oscillator board to reduce microphonic effects from a cover that otherwise would degrade the oscillator performance.

In high frequency oscillators stray capacitances and lead inductances become very important in determining the oscillation frequency, output power, feedback fraction and other ac quantities. High frequency oscillators heretofore provided have an oscillator circuit board with a resonator or tank circuit in the form of a quarter wave transmission line section printed or etched on the circuit substrate, and a metal cover over the oscillator circuit. The capacitance between the resonator and the cover causes large cover frequency shift effects. The oscillator frequency is frequency modulated by microscopic movements of the cover caused by noise and vibration creating microphonic effects that appear as degraded electrical phase noise performance of the oscillator.

Orthogonally mounted substrate based resonators


The vehicular deceleration control apparatus applies deceleration to a vehicle in accordance with the amount of operation of an accelerator. The deceleration control apparatus determines whether there is an abnormality based on a deviation between a set target deceleration and a detected actual deceleration. If an abnormality of a system is detected, the apparatus discontinues the control, and transmits a system abnormality signal to indicate the abnormality to other systems and to an operator.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-131185 filed on Apr. 28, 2000 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a vehicular deceleration control apparatus and method for adding deceleration to a vehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicular deceleration control apparatus that detects the state of operation of an accelerator and adds deceleration to a vehicle in accordance with the state of operation, and to a method of controlling a braking system.
2. Description of Related Art
As an art related to the invention, a deceleration control apparatus that adds deceleration to a vehicle by generating a braking force when an operating person discontinues depression of an accelerator pedal is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-95222. The deceleration control apparatus described in this laid-open patent application adds a braking force to a main brake system when the accelerator pedal is within a deceleration range.
If this deceleration control apparatus is installed in a vehicle, it becomes unnecessary to operate the brake pedal frequently when the vehicle is to be gently accelerated or decelerated. Furthermore, deceleration responsiveness is enhanced. Thus, easy driving can be realized.
However, the aforementioned laid-open patent application does not disclose detection of or response to a failure in the system.
Accordingly, the invention provides a vehicle deceleration control apparatus capable of detecting a system abnormality during an early period.
In order to achieve the foregoing, a vehicular deceleration control apparatus in accordance with a first aspect of the invention includes an accelerator operation state detector and a deceleration adder. The apparatus controls the additional deceleration based on a target deceleration set in accordance with detection results by the accelerator operation state detector. The deceleration control apparatus of the invention determines whether the system is abnormal based on a deviation between the target deceleration and a detected actual deceleration.
A vehicular deceleration control apparatus in accordance with a second aspect of the invention includes an accelerator operation state detector and a deceleration adder. The apparatus controls the additional deceleration by the deceleration adder in accordance with detection results by the accelerator operation state detector. The deceleration control apparatus of the invention determines whether the system is abnormal based on a deviation between a target braking torque to be applied by the deceleration adder and a detected actual braking torque.
A vehicular deceleration control apparatus in accordance with a third aspect of the invention has an accelerator operation state detector and a deceleration adder. The apparatus controls the additional deceleration by the deceleration adder in accordance with detection results by the accelerator operation state detector. The deceleration control apparatus of the invention determines whether the system is abnormal based on a correspondence between the state of operation of the accelerator and the actual deceleration.
If the deceleration adder has an abnormality, the actually applied deceleration will not equal a target deceleration. According to the invention, it is possible to determine whether the system is abnormal by detecting a braking torque or a deceleration that is actually generated, and by examining a deviation between the detected braking torque or deceleration and a braking torque or deceleration that is to be generated or examining a correspondence between the detected braking torque or deceleration and the state of operation of the accelerator. Thus, the invention makes it possible to detect an abnormality in the deceleration control system during an early period, and to prompt an operator to take an appropriate measure.
If it is determined that the system is abnormal, the deceleration added by the deceleration adder may be decreased with a predetermined time gradient. Therefore, it becomes possible to discontinue the deceleration adding control without sharply changing the deceleration, if it is determined that there is an abnormality.
The deceleration adder may add a deceleration by operating a braking device that applies braking torque to a wheel based on a braking operating performed by the operator. In this case, the deceleration adder constitutes a braking system as well. Therefore, an abnormality in the braking system can be detected during an early period.
The invention is not limited to the aforementioned vehicular deceleration control apparatus. Further aspects of the invention include, for example, a vehicle equipped with a vehicular deceleration control apparatus, and a method of controlling a braking system that applies deceleration to a vehicle.

Vehicular deceleration control apparatus, and braking system control method


An instrument incorporating a refractometer for measuring parameters of a fluid such as a metalworking fluid, avoids impairment of measurement accuracy due to contact of entrained air and oil with a refractometer window by temporarily interrupting the flow of the fluid through a refractometer chamber and orienting the window so that air and oil will readily separate from the window during the interruption of flow. Continued flow of metalworking flow while refractive index measurements are taken can be achieved by the use of by-pass valving arrangements.

Metalworking operations often use water-dilutable products such as metalworking fluids, cleaners, aqueous quenchants, and hydraulic fluids. The concentration of the product in water can be measured by a refractometer, which measures the refractive index of a fluid. The value of the refractive index can then be used to determine the concentration of the product diluted in water.
In many metalworking operations, extraneous oils (referred to as "tramp oils") contaminate the metalworking fluid due to leakage from hydraulic oil systems, way lubricant systems, and other sources of machining oils. When these oils become mixed with the metalworking fluid they can cause errors in the measurement the refractive index of the fluid. The tramp oils do not completely emulsify in the metalworking fluid, but become dispersed throughout the fluid and are generally unstable. The errors in the measurement of the refractive index of the metalworking fluid arise because the oil does not have a refractive index, and the oil can coat the lens (also referred to as the "window") of the refractometer, preventing the sensor of the refractometer from responding accurately to light reflected by the metalworking fluid.
In a laboratory environment, the tramp oil is typically removed by advanced methods including the use of oil-separating chemicals such cationic polymers or quaternary amines, oil-separation with strong acids and/or salts, heating the fluid to reduce separation time, centrifuging, and combinations the above methods.
The density of the tramp oil is lower than that of a metalworking fluid. The oil floats to the surface when the fluid is when left undisturbed. Thus separation can also be carried out by flotation and skimming. However, separation by flotation often takes large amounts of time. The amount of time it takes for tramp oils to float is dependent in part on the type of metalworking fluid, the type of oil, temperature of the metalworking fluid/oil mixture, the viscosities of both the metalworking fluid and oil, and the mutual partial solubility of the metalworking fluid and oil. The amount of time required for the tramp oil to float can range from several minutes to a day or more.
During metalworking operations, metalworking fluids are typically sprayed, pumped, and mixed. Agitation in the spraying, pumping and mixing processes will often cause entrainment of air, i.e., dispersion or solution of air into the metalworking fluids. Thus entrained air includes air bubbles, micro bubbles, and dissolved air. This entrained air can also cause errors in the measurement of the refractive index of the metalworking fluid, by preventing the sensor of the refractometer from responding accurately to light reflected by the metalworking fluid.
Entrained air will float to the surface over time when the fluid is allowed to sit undisturbed. The amount of time it takes for the air to completely float to the surface is dependent on, but not limited to the viscosity of the metalworking fluid, its temperature, the type of the entrained air (bubbles, micro bubbles, and dissolved air) and the size of the air bubbles. The time required for extraneous air to evacuate the fluid can range from several minutes to around one hour.
A typical inline or in-process refractometer operates by having a continuous stream of fluid flowing across the sensor=lens. This allows the sensor to measure the fluid continuously and provides real-time fluid measurements. The continuous flow causes both the entrained air and tramp oil dispersion to remain relatively stable. Consequently the sensor is unable to measure accurately the refractive index of the metalworking fluid.
Laboratory tests have shown that an emulsifiable-oil metalworking fluid with 4% by volume of tramp oil and a high level of entrained air will usually cause an inline refractometer installed in accordance with manufacturer=s recommendation (i.e., utilization of continuous fluid flow across a horizontally-facing lens) to stop reading a sample.


A point-to-multipoint telecommunication system can be made more flexible by providing upstream units with generators and locators for generating at least two subsequent overhead cells located next to each other and neighbouring a larger number of data cells for supplying system information. Downstream units are provided with detectors for detecting the subsequent overhead cells. This new signal flame structure allows a larger number of data cells to be exchanged without being interrupted by an overhead cell. Each cell consists of at least 53 bytes in accordance with the Asynchronous Transfer Mode or ATM standard. The at least two overhead cells comprise two overhead cells for supporting 54 data cells, or comprise three overhead cells for supporting 103 data cells. The point-to-multipoint telecommunication systems comprise passive optical networks, with upstream units corresponding to line terminators, and with downstream units corresponding to network terminators.

The invention relates to a point-to-multipoint telecommunication system comprising at least one upstream unit and at least two downstream units for sending cells from at least one upstream unit to at least two downstream units, with at least one overhead cell supplying system information and neighbouring at least a first number of data cells.
Such a point-to-multipoint telecommunication system is for example based upon a standardised frame structure like for example G.983.1, in which one overhead cell supplies system information and neighbours 27 following (neighbouring) data cells.
A prior art point-to-multipoint telecommunication system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,374, which is hereby incorporated by reference and which discloses in its abstract a headend facility (upstream unit) and downstream network units (downstream units) for, as shown in its FIG. 2, downstreaming one framing cell (overhead cell) followed by 89 ATM cells (first number of data cells) and so on.
The known point-to-multipoint telecommunication system is disadvantageous, inter alia, due to being designed for a specific format.

Point-to-multipoint telecommunication system with downstream frame structure


A process for conveniently and efficiently producing a highly pure cinnamaldehyde derivative, for example, (2E)-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxy)cinnamaldehyde, which comprises reacting a benzaldehyde derivative, such as isovanillin and the like, with acetaldehyde in the presence of an alkali, in particular preferably, dropping acetaldehyde little by little thereto in an aqueous solution at a low temperature for the reaction thereof. The cinnamaldehyde derivative thus obtained is selectively reduced to produce 3-(3-hydroxy-4-substituted (with methoxy group or the like)phenyl)propionaldehyde. Further, through a reductive alkylation reaction of the compound thus produced with an aspartame, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-substituted (with methoxy group or the like)phenyl)propyl]-L-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, which is useful as a sweetener having a high sweetening potency, can be industrially and efficiently produced. The processes therefor are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel process for producing cinnamaldehyde derivatives, which are useful as various intermediates for production of foods, medicaments and the like, in particular, as an intermediate for production of aspartyl dipeptide ester derivatives, which are superior as a sweetener (sweetening agent) having a high sweetening potency (degree of sweetness), and a use thereof as the intermediates and the like.
2. Discussion of the Background
In recent years, as eating habits have been improved to a high level, weight gain caused by excessive sugar intake and diseases accompanied by weight gain have been at issue. Accordingly, the development of a low-calorie sweetener (sweetening agent), which replaces sugar, has been in strong demand. An example of a sweetener that is widely used at present is Aspartame, which is excellent in terms of safety and quality of sweetness. However, Aspartame is somewhat problematic in terms of stability.
An aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative represented by the following general formula (IV) has been found to be a sweetener, and has excellent stability and is better by far in terms of sweetening potency, i.e., has an advantage in cost per sweet taste (see the Description in the International Patent Publication WO99/52937).

In the above formula (IV), R denotes any one of a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and a lower alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
Accordingly, it is an important goal to develop an industrially efficient process for producing such an aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative.
A process for producing the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative described above efficiently, in particular a production route therefor, and a process for production of the intermediate therefore, have been studied. As a result, it has been found that by reducing a carbon-carbon double bond in a cinnamaldehyde derivative represented by the following general formula (II) selectively, the derivative can be converted into a novel propionaldehyde derivative represented by the following general formula (III) (see the Description in the Japanese Patent Application 11-371284; PCT/JP00/06626), and, on the other hand, that by reacting this aldehyde derivative (III) and an aspartame with hydrogen in the presence of a reduction catalyst for a reductive alkylation reaction, the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative (IV) which is useful as a sweetener, described above can be industrially and conventionally produced (see the Description in the Japanese Patent Application 11-287398; PCT/JP00/06626).

In the above formulae (II) and (III), R denotes any one of a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and a lower alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
Therefore, it is a purpose of the present invention to produce the cinnamaldehyde derivative represented by the general formula (II) described above industrially and efficiently, and further, by using the compound thus produced, to produce the aspartyl dipeptide ester derivative described above as an objective and an important intermediate thereof (propionaldehyde derivative).
The present inventors have researched and studied on an industrial process for producing the cinnamaldehyde derivative described above. As a result, during the production of such cinnamaldehyde derivative, as shown in the following Reaction Process 1 (see Holzforschung Vol. 46, No. 1, p. 21–24 1992), it has become clear that a process of synthesizing the derivative through 3 steps of reactions starting from cinnamic acid is known. However, it is necessary to use phosgene as a raw material in this process, and thereby this process becomes troublesome, and an yield thereof is also extremely low. Therefore, it is difficult to say that this process is an industrially profitable process to produce the synthetic intermediate described above.
Further, the following Reaction Process 2 (see Cellulose Chem. Technol., 9, 51–59 1975) is also known. In this process, benzaldehydes are used as a starting material, similar to the present invention, but because many reactions are necessary, this process is troublesome, and therefore it is difficult to say that this process is an industrially profitable process.
On the other hand, an aldol reaction is known as a reaction which can be used for a general process of production thereof. For example, in the condition for the aldol reaction described in Organic Reaction, Volume 16 (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1968), it is explained that the best result is obtained in the reaction at a temperature of 5 to 25° C. and for a time of 12 to 24 hours. Further, it is thought that the reactivity thereof is affected by a variety of substituent group(s), a position of substitution thereof on a benzene ring and the like, and a prior knowledge showing a fact that an aldol reaction of benzaldehyde derivative having an electron-donating group, such as a hydroxyl group, a methoxy group or the like, with acetaldehyde has been conducted at a high yield, is not found.

In view of the above, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a process for producing the cinnamaldehyde derivative described above industrially and conventionally, and further in a high purity and at a high yield.

Process for producing cinnamaldehyde derivatives, use thereof and the like


Techniques for simulating real (or live) gaming environments are disclosed. A virtual gaming environment effectively connects a number of people together by connecting a number of computing devices (e.g., personal computers, gaming machines). The virtual gaming environment provides a view of a virtual gaming area (e.g., a virtual gaming table) where a number of individuals (or players) and a person acting as the host are effectively represented. In this virtual gaming area, the players and host can interact with each other via audio and/or video input/output devices. As a result, a live gaming environment where players can see, hear, and converse with each other, as well as a live host (e.g., a dealer) is effectively simulated.

The U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,390 describes a gaming environment configured to allow a "gaming tournament" (or tournament) to be conducted by a person acting as a host for a tournament between a number of individuals and/or one or more groups of individuals (or players). By way of example, each player can use (or interface with) a computing system (e.g., via gaming unit or machine located on a casino floor) to effectively listen and/or see a person acting as the host of the gaming tournament. The host can also interface with a computing system (e.g., via a server or host computer) to input audio, visual, or text. The input received from the host can be provided to the players in a "live" manner as they engage in the tournament. The host can, for example, provide live commentary and additional rewards or incentives for the players as they play the tournament. By way of example, each player can use a gaming machine (or unit) located on a casino floor to sign up (or enroll) as an individual or sign up a number of individuals as a group for participatation in a gaming tournament. Players or groups of players can compete by playing one or more games that can be individually played on a gaming machine (e.g., slots, video poker, video blackjack). As the players compete in the tournament, they can see an image of the host and hear the voice of the host, for example, via video and audio output (e.g., displays, speakers) configured for the gaming machines on the casino floor. In this situation, the host can interact with the players both visually and aurally to effectively conduct the tournament as a real host would in a real live gaming environment such as when a number of players and a host gather at the same location and compete in a game or tournament conducted by a person acting as the host.

Simulating real gaming environments with interactive host and players


A method of processing image data elements derived from lifting an image of an item to reorient the image data elements comprises the steps of (a) selecting a first portion of the image data elements, (b) reorienting the first portion of the image data elements selected in step (a), (c) selecting a second portion of image data elements after the first portion of the image data elements has been reoriented in step (b), and (d) reorienting the second portion of the image data elements selected in step (c). Preferably, each of the selected first and second portions of image data elements is copied only once into level one cache memory.

The present invention relates to processing documents in an image-based document processing system, and is particularly directed to method of processing image data to reorient a document image represented by the image data in an image-based document processing system, such as an image-based check processing system, and an apparatus therefor.
A typical image-based check processing system includes a number of different types of workstations. The different types of workstations may include a document preparation workstation, an image capture workstation, a recognition workstation, a keying and balancing workstation, and an encoding workstation. Items such as bank checks are initially prepared at the document preparation workstation (e.g., removing staples, paper clips, and the like) for further processing at workstations downstream from the document preparation workstation. Each prepared item is fed along a document feed path of the image capture workstation which captures front and rear images of the item. The image capture workstation creates units of work and submits the created work to a workflow manager in a known way.
Workstations downstream from the image capture workstation poll the workflow manager in a known manner for work to perform, and may also create units of work which are submitted back to the workflow manager. The different workstations downstream from the image capture workstation process the front and rear images of each item. More specifically, the front and rear images of each item are sent to the recognition workstation which provides recognition results associated with the item. Operation of each workstation downstream from the recognition workstation, such as the keying and balancing workstation, and the encoding workstation, depends upon the recognition results provided by the recognition workstation.
When an image of an item is sent to the recognition workstation, the image is sometimes not oriented in a correct orientation for viewing by a human operator. This occurs because hardware associated with the image capture workstation does not scan the item in a right-side up orientation. When an image of an item is not oriented in a correct orientation, grayscale image data which is representative of the document image cannot be binarized and compressed for subsequent storage in an image archive. Eventually the misoriented image of the item needs to be oriented, either manually or automatically by a processor, before the grayscale image data which is representative of the image of the item can be binarized and compressed.
A typical misoriented image of an item needs to be rotated 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees to proper orientation for viewing by the human operator. To rotate the misoriented image of the item to proper orientation for viewing by the human operator, the grayscale image data which represents the image of the item needs to be processed and reoriented. The amount of grayscale image data representative of the misoriented image of the item is usually quite large. For example, a front image of a typical check is represented by about 1200×600 pixels of grayscale data. With such a large amount of grayscale image data to process, the rotation of the front image of the check may take a relatively long time. It would be desirable to process the grayscale image data in a manner which quickly reorients the image of the check to proper orientation for viewing by the human operator.

Method of processing image data to reorient an image represented by the image data in an image-based item processing system and an apparatus therefor


Novel, sensitive and specific markers for diagnostics and monitoring of liver injuries, including, but not limited to ischemic liver damage, are provided. This includes identification of several enzymes of arginine/urea/nitric oxide cycle, sulfuration enzymes and spectrin breakdown related products, among others.

The liver is an extremely important organ. As the major metabolic organ of the body, the liver plays some role in almost every biochemical process, including the deamination of amino acids and the formation of urea, the regulation of blood sugar through the formation of glycogen, the production of plasma proteins, the production and secretion of bile, phagocytosis of particulate matter from the splachnic (intestinal) circulation, and the detoxification and elimination of both endogenous and exogenous toxins.
The many functions of the liver depend on its intimate association with circulating blood. Each liver cell is exposed on at least one face to a blood sinusoid which contains oxygenated arterial blood mixed with venous blood from the splanchnic circulation. This profuse blood supply is necessary for the liver to function. The blood from the sinusoids supplies the hepatocytes with oxygen and nutrients. The hepatocytes use the nutrients both for their own metabolic needs and for the synthesis of the liver's many essential products. Abnormalities in the blood or vasculature can have immediate and severe effects on the liver. For example, liver cells are exposed to high concentrations of any toxic compounds that are ingested orally, such as ethyl alcohol. Even when the ingested compound is not itself toxic, intermediate derivatives produced during hepatic metabolism of the compound may damage the hepatocytes. This phenomenon occurs, for example, in carbon tetrachloride poisoning. Since the blood moves slowly through hepatic sinusoids, liver cells are also quite vulnerable to blood-borne infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria. Furthermore, derangements in hepatic blood pressure can damage liver tissue. Right-sided cardiac failure increases hepatic blood pressure and can lead to pressure necrosis (hepatocellular death) and fibrosis. Left-sided cardiac failure can reduce hepatic perfusion and lead to hepatocellular anoxia and death.
Liver damage from any source may result in liver regeneration, necrosis (cell death), degeneration, inflammation, fibrosis, or mixtures of these processes, depending on the type and extent of injury and its location within the liver. The liver has great functional reserves, but with progressive injury, disruption of liver function can have life-threatening consequences. Cirrhosis, which is a type of end-stage liver disease, is one of the top ten causes of death in the Western world.
There are a few markers of liver injury (e.g. ALT, LDH), which have been used for diagnostics or monitoring of clinical conditions where liver injury, such as, ischemia/reperfusion is a major pathogenic cause of liver damage. These conditions are traumatic and thermal injury, abdominal surgery, hemorrhagic and septic shock, abdominal gunshot wounds, and liver transplantation. However, ALT, LDH and other classic markers are either not sensitive or not specific.
There is thus a need in the art for specific, sensitive and reliable detection of biomarkers that are diagnostic of liver injury and disease.

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


An object is to provide a zoom lens system with a high zoom ratio capable of preferably correcting aberrations with securing sufficient amount of back focal length by well-suited power arrangement. The zoom lens system includes, in order from an object, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group having positive refractive power. When zooming from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the first and the second lens groups increases, a distance between the second and the third lens groups decreases, a distance between the third and the fourth lens groups increases and a distance between the fourth and the fifth lens groups decreases. A given conditional expression is satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system in particular to a zoom lens system with a high zoom ratio.
2. Related Background Art
As a zoom lens system with a high zoom ratio, it has been known a five-group type zoom lens composed of, in order from an object, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group having positive refractive power, for example, by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 8-179213 and 9-304697.
However, when a zoom lens having a short focal length is to be constructed on the basis of a zoom lens disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-179213, it is difficult to secure sufficient amount of back focal length.
Moreover, since a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, and a fourth lens group of a zoom lens disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-304697 have strong refractive power, it becomes difficult to correct aberrations.


An antifriction mounting includes a bearing having an inner and an outer ring and rolling bodies between them. A seal closes the lateral side of the bearing between the rings. A pulse generator is rotatable with a rotatable one of the rings, which is either the inner or the outer ring. A non-ferromagnetic cover is outside the pulse generator and also seals the opening into the space between the rings. A rotational speed sensor on or outside the cover scans the pulse generator magnetically without hindrance from the non-ferromagnetic cover. Radio signals may transmit other information besides rotation speed. Appropriate transmitters and receivers for those signals can be placed at the pulse generator and/or the sensor.

The invention relates to an antifriction mounting including a bearing with a rotation speed indicator and relates to a seal for the bearing and for part of the indicator.
There is a need to provide many types of antifriction mountings with a device for detecting rotational speed. Thus, the prior art discloses fitting a wheel bearing of a motor vehicle with a rotational speed detector, for example, to derive the speed from the signals obtained and to use the speed information to control an antilock system. For this purpose, a pulse generator is fastened to a rotating bearing part, and a stationary rotational speed sensor is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the pulse generator so that it can detect the position or movement of the pulse generator part.
An antifriction bearing having a pulse generator disk integrated into the seal at one axial side of the bearing is disclosed in DE 37 35 070 A1. This pulse generator disk has the form of a perforated plate. The position of the perforated plate can be detected, for example, by a suitable arrangement of a permanent magnet and a HALL sensor. The disadvantage of this principle is that damage occurs to the perforated plate pulse generator, which is arranged outside on the bearing.
EP-A 0 607 719 A1 discloses integrating an elastomer pulse generator, magnetized in a multipolar fashion, into the rotating bearing seal such that it is situated on the outside as a centrifugal disk. The magnetic multipolar generator has the advantage that the sensor head can be kept small. However, this arrangement has the disadvantage that the multipole magnet is open to the outside, enabling magnetic particles to be attracted from the environment. These particles accumulate on the pulse generator surface and lead to short circuiting of the magnets. They can cause false signals, reaching as far as functional failure of the rotational speed measuring system.

Antifriction mounting having a rotational-speed measuring device protected from contamination


In an end sealing step, an end is sealed by which the core material of the end of a spring member is gathered by machining. For example, a squeezing roller is moved in an axial direction as necessary, while the end of the spring member is pressed to the inside in a radial direction by the squeezing roller. As a result, the end of the spring member is sealed and therefore, it is not necessary to use another member such as a lid member. For example, the end sealing step can be immediately carried out after an inner surface processing step. In a coil forming step after the end sealing step, formation of clearance can be prevented at the end even if the end of the spring member is gripped and the spring member is wound around the rod.

In order to reduce the weight of vehicles (such as cars and the like), it has been proposed that hollow coil springs be used as spring parts (for example, Patent Document 1). The hollow coil spring of Patent Document 1 is produced by performing a hot hydrostatic extrusion step, a thickness reduction step, a rolling step, a coil forming step, a heating step, an end surface polishing step, a surface processing step, a setting step, and a coating step in turn. In the hot hydrostatic extrusion step, a seamless spring steel pipe is formed. In the hollow coil spring, a spring member (a seamless spring steel pipe or the like) is used, so that fatigue strength to torsional stress and bending stress can be improved.
Patent Document 1 is Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-127227.

Hollow coil spring and method for manufacturing same


The present invention relates generally to computer programming, and more particularly to systems and methods for parallel distributed programming. Generally, a parallel distributed program is configured to operate across multiple processors and multiple memories. In one aspect of the invention, a parallel distributed program includes a distributed shared variable located across the multiple memories and distributed programs capable of operating across multiple processors.

Developing a software application for a system with a single processor and a single memory can be straight forward. When viewing the source code for such an application, the source code is often very similar to its original algorithm that describes the computable operations needed to be executed, and thus is generally not too burdensome to follow or analyze given the original algorithm. On the other hand, a software application for operation on multiple processors that uses multiple memory areas may be more complex. Such applications are often referred to as "parallel distributed programs," and there are generally two approaches to developing such programs.
One approach to developing a parallel distributed program is often referred to as "message passing" ("MP"), which is illustrated in FIG. 1a. With this approach, the system is programmed as multiple tasks or threads, X and Y, that operate or execute on multiple processors, Processors 1 and 2, and handle data residing in multiple memories (not shown). The tasks or threads, X and Y, communicate and cooperate with each other by sending and receiving "messages". This approach allows for the different tasks and threads to operate in parallel and communicate with each other when necessary, which may result in an efficient and high-performing system. However, the source code for such a system may be burdensome to develop because programming the multiple tasks and threads and having them send and receive messages to each other may dramatically change the code structure and data structure of the original algorithm, and hence may be complicated, tedious, and error-prone. The code structure and data structure of the MP-based programs may lose much of their original characteristics. The abilities to preserve these original characteristics are referred to as algorithmic integrity and data structure integrity. MP programs typically do not preserve algorithmic integrity and data structure integrity.
Another approach is often referred to as "distributed shared memory" ("DSM"), which is illustrated in FIG. 1b. In this approach, a memory space, which may span across multiple memories indifferent processors, Processors 1 and 2, is dedicated for multiple threads or tasks to access, i.e., it is a globally accessible memory space built on distributed memories. Thus, a thread, X, on one processor, Processor 1, can access data in a memory on another processor, Processor 2, without having to establish another thread. Developing parallel distributed programs using this approach is often easier than using the MP approach, because DSM alleviates the need for major changes in code structure and data structure. However, this approach is generally not as efficient, because it may require a transfer of large amounts of data from the memory on the other processor, Processor 2, to the processor having thread X, Processor 1 and thus may not satisfy the need for high performance parallel computing.
Accordingly, improved systems and methods for parallel distributed programming are desirable.

Systems and methods for parallel distributed programming

The Regents of the University of California


A system and method for communicating artificial intelligence (AI) tasks between AI resources are provided. The method comprises establishing a connection between a first AI resource and a second AI resource; encapsulating a request to process an AI task in at least one request data frame compliant with a communication protocol, wherein the at least one request data frame is encapsulated at the first AI resource; and transporting the at least one request data frame over a network using a transport protocol to the second AI resource, wherein the transport protocol provisions the transport characteristics of the AI task, and wherein the transport protocol is different than the communication protocol.

The demand and need for efficient AI processing systems, in terms of AI computing performance, power and cost, are increasing. These needs and demands are due in part to the increased popularity of machine learning and AI applications. The execution of such applications is performed by servers configured as a dedicated AI server or AI appliance, including software and hardware. The software may be, for example, TensorFlow®, Caffe, Pytorch® or CNTK®, usually implementing the framework's APIs. The hardware may be, for example CPU or a combination of CPU and a dedicated hardware accelerator, also known as a deep learning accelerator (DLA). The DLA may be, for example, GPU, ASIC or FPGA devices.
Although the DLA computation is typically implemented in hardware, the management and control of the computation is performed in software. Specifically, in an architecture that includes several dedicated hardware (HW) accelerators there is an increased need to manage and control the jobs to be executed by the different accelerators. The management and control tasks are typically performed by an asset of software processes responsible for various functions, such as multiple tasks queue management, scheduling of jobs, drivers that interface and control the hardware programming model, etc. As such, the functionality and the performance of the entire DLA's architecture is sometimes limited by the host CPU running these processes in software.
To better utilize AI compute resources in the cloud and enterprise datacenters, a disaggregation approach is being introduced. Here, primary compute resources and AI compute resources are logically and physically being disaggregated and located in separate locations in the datacenter. This allows a dynamic orchestration of the virtual machines executing AI applications on primary compute servers, as well as the AI compute resources running AI tasks on AI servers. AI tasks include, for example, machine learning, deep learning, and neural network processing tasks, for various types of applications, for example, natural language processing (NLP), voice processing, image processing, and video processing, with various usage models, for example recommendation, classification, prediction, and detection. In addition, tasks can also include preprocessing and postprocessing computation, for example, image (jpeg) decoding, non-maximum suppression (NMS) after object detection and the like.
As compute resources are disaggregated, and datacenters are being distributed, the communication between the various resources is now a performance bottleneck as it is still performed by traditional communication protocols, such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) over Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or GRPC. This approach requires high CPU resources (e.g., due to networking software stack and the networking drivers) and adding redundant latency to the processing pipeline.
The traditional communication protocols are not designed to efficiently support AI computing tasks. As such, datacenters designed to support AI compute resources cannot be fully optimized to accelerate execution of AI tasks, due to the latency and low performance of the traditional communication protocols that are not being optimized to support AI compute tasks to the clients. An optimized protocol allows to increase the efficiency of the primary/AI disaggregation in terms of latency, performance, power, and overheads as well as introducing end to end quality of service features such as service level agreement (SLA) based communication, load balancing and the like.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a solution that would overcome the challenges noted above.

Communication protocol, and a method thereof for accelerating artificial intelligence processing tasks


A control system and method for detecting variable load types and controlling the operation of a PTO clutch to effect engagement of the clutch with variable loads, and especially to more optimally effect the engagement of a clutch with a heavy load is disclosed. The control system includes a controller that receives input and output clutch shaft speed signals and generates control signals to control the pressure applied by the clutch. When heavier loads are applied to the PTO shaft, during the time when control signals are being generated before detection of initial movement of the output shaft, the controller generates one or more shock signals of short duration to cause momentary applications of significantly greater pressure to the clutch in order to break loose the applied load. Based upon the time of detection of initial movement by the output shaft, load categorization can be made, and control signals that are thereafter generated before lockup may be dependent, in part, upon the determined load categorization.

PTOs are used on many types of vehicles, including on agricultural vehicles such as tractors, to provide power for equipment or implements, such as, for agricultural purposes, combines, mowers, balers, forage harvesters and spreaders.
Modern tractors commonly have horsepower ratings in excess of 100 horsepower. However, the shaft sizes for PTOs have not changed due to the need to maintain compatibility with older equipment and maintain the standardization for PTOs. Thus, the torque output of PTOs for many modern tractors is no longer limited by the tractor horsepower. Rather, the torque output is limited by the strength of the PTO shaft and the failure thereof. In addition to causing PTO shaft failures, the torque produced by the high horsepower tractors can accelerate equipment attached to the respective PTO at a rate which can damage the equipment.
In view of the problems associated with the control of PTO shafts in high horsepower tractors, it was found desirable to provide a PTO clutch control system for protecting PTO shafts from catastrophic failure and for providing PTO shaft accelerations at rates which protect the shafts and attached equipment during clutch engagement.
Typical of such a system is the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,142, which discloses a PTO control system for vehicles, such as farm tractors including a power take-off (PTO) shaft, for supplying rotational motion to an implement of the type which may be stationary or towed by the tractor. Power is transferred to the PTO shaft by a clutch including an input shaft coupled to a power source and an output shaft coupled to the PTO shaft. The clutch transmits a maximum torque between the input and output shafts in response to a maximum clutch pressure and transmits a variable torque between the input and output shafts in response to a given clutch engagement pressure that is less than the maximum clutch engagement pressure. Typically, a generally linear, gentle ramping up of current/pressure is employed to achieve smooth engagement.
The control system includes a first transducer disposed to generate an input signal representative of the rotational speed of the input shaft, a second transducer disposed to generate an output signal representative of the rotational speed of the output shaft, and a control circuit. The control circuit is coupled to the clutch control, the first transducer, and the second transducer.
While such a control system has been of great value and effectiveness, it and other control systems have continued to experience difficulties when attempts are made to drive PTO under extreme conditions. With such systems, no differentiation was made with respect to the loads applied, be they very light or very heavy. With a light applied load, initial PTO shaft movement could occur at a relatively early time and the full shaft speed would be reached before a modulation is effectively executed. With a heavy load, however, initial PTO shaft movement would not occur until a later time, leaving very little time for modulation.
The strategy of employing a generally linear, gentle ramping up of current/pressure to achieve smooth engagement, while effective and beneficial in many instances, has nevertheless been found to be not as effective as would be desirable in effecting initial movement of extreme loads and smooth engagement. In various instances, the difficulty in initiating movement could result in either abandonment by the system of the engagement or by a sudden and abrupt engagement, which, in severe cases, could lead to breakage of the shaft or unsafe operation.