A process for producing detergent tablets containing more than 10% by weight of anionic surfactant wherein the detergent tablets contain detergent components which are at least partly in hydrated form and the anionic surfactant is present in the form of one or more compounds containing up to 95% by weight of surfactants, by exposing a mixture of the detergent components and the anionic surfactant to microwaves in the frequency range from 3 to 300,000 MHz.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the production of surfactant-containing detergent or cleaning tablets using microwaves.
The disadvantage of conventional detergent or cleaning tablets, particularly detergent tablets, which are normally produced by compression molding was that these tablets did not dissolve sufficiently quickly on account of their compactness and the active substances were released too slowly in the wash cycle. In addition, detergent tablets in particular had an inadequate disintegration rate.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Earlier hitherto unpublished International patent application PCT/EP94/01330, to the disclosure of which reference is specifically made, describes in detail the production of washing- and cleaning-active tablets with an extremely high dissolving or disintegration rate using microwaves. A crucial requirement for the production of tablets from powder-form or granular raw materials using microwaves is that these starting materials should be at least partly present in hydrated form, "hydrated" meaning "hydrated under certain conditions in regard to the temperature, pressure or relative humidity of the atmosphere to which the raw material is exposed or with which the raw material is in equilibrium". By "microwaves" in the context of the invention is meant the entire frequency range from 3 to 300,000 MHz which covers not only the actual microwave range above 300 MHz, but also the radio wave range from 3 to 300 MHz. So-called macrosolids, including for example blocks in addition to tablets, which may normally contain up to 40% by weight of surfactants can be produced by this technique. If one of the raw materials used in substantial quantities is a crystalline layer silicate, more particularly of the SKS-6.RTM. type (crystalline sodium disilicate, a product of Hoechst AG, Germany), the surfactant content may even be as high as 60% by weight. Other possible ingredients are, on the one hand, the microwave-active hydrated inorganic or organic salts, such as alkali metal phosphate, alkali metal carbonate, alkali metal bicarbonate, alkali metal sulfate and citrate, and also zeolite and even peroxy bleaching agents, such as perborate or percarbonate. These are preferably used in encapsulated form.
Difficulties are still involved in the production of microwave tablets containing anionic surfactants in substantial quantities, for example in quantities above 10% by weight, and inorganic salts in quantities below 60% by weight. Although tablets such as these can be produced on an industrial scale in accordance with the teaching of PCT/EP94/01330, sulfate- and sulfonate-containing anionic surfactants in particular tend to turn brown in color in concentrations as high as these so that, although washing performance is not affected, the discoloration is not accepted by the consumer. In addition, the dissolving behavior of the tablets deteriorates with increasing surfactant content.
It has now been found that the dissolving behavior of surfactant-containing microwave tablets can be increased providing a significant proportion of the surfactants is not incorporated in the tablets as an individual raw material.

Process for the production of detergent or cleaning tablets


A wireless network system includes a base station of a first network and a user equipment camping on the first network. The base station is configured to set an indicator to a specific value when determining that the first network is not loaded balancedly. The base station then sends the indicator, an update amount, a timer length, and at least one RAN rule including a threshold to the user equipment. The user equipment is configured to start a timer when receiving the at least one RAN rule with the indicator set to the specific value from the base station, adjust the threshold by the update amount when the timer expires according to the timer length, and steer traffic from the first network to a second network or from the second network to the first network when the at least one RAN rule is satisfied according to the adjusted threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method of performing traffic steering in a wireless network system, and more particularly, to a method of performing high efficient and real-time traffic steering in a wireless network system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With rapid development in technology, a user may easily connect to a network using desktop computers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or smart phones. As successive generations of operating standards proliferate, a wireless device is sometimes constructed to be operable in conformity with multiple communication standards associated with a single radio communication system-type or multiple communication system-types. For instance, a multi-mode device may provide a user with the capability of communicating with an Internet Protocol (IP)-based radio network and a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-based cellular network.
According to relevant 3GPP specifications (such as TS. 34.108), a base station is configured to broadcast various system information blocks to a user equipment (UE). System information block type 1 (SIB1) contains cell access related information when evaluating if a user equipment is allowed to access a cell, such as public land mobile network (PLMN) identity list, tracking area code, cell identity, information for cell selection, maximum power value (p-Max), frequency band indicator, scheduling information, time division duplex (TDD) configuration, system information window length and system information value tag. In a wireless network system, radio access network (RAN) rules associated with interworking between a 3GPP-based network and an IP-based network are included in a system information block type 17 (SIB17). SIB1 uses a fixed schedule with a periodicity of 80 ms and repetitions made within 80 ms. Upon receiving the SIB1 message, the user equipment can decide how to access the SIB17 message. Based on the RAN rule, the user equipment may perform traffic steering between the 3GPP-based network and the IP-based network, such as data offloading from the 3GPP-based network to the IP-based network. If it is determined that the 3GPP-based network is still overloaded, the base station is configured to update the threshold of the RAN rule in SIB17 and notify the user equipment to read the updated SIB17 message in SIB1 for encouraging the user equipment to steer traffic from the 3GPP-based network.
In the prior art traffic steering method, the efficiency of the base station may be influenced when the threshold of the RAN rule needs to be updated many times before a congested network is sufficiently offloaded. The user equipment is required to read both SIB1 and SIB17 each time when the threshold of the RAN rule is updated. Also, since the user equipment user only reads SIB1 periodically, it may not be able to immediately respond to any update made to the RAN rule. Therefore, there is a need for a method of performing high efficient and real-time traffic steering in a wireless network system.

Method of performing traffic steering in a wireless network system and related wireless network system


A laser diode epitaxial wafer has an n-type GaAs substrate, an n-type cladding layer formed on the n-type GaAs substrate, an active layer formed on the n-type cladding layer, and a p-type cladding layer formed on the active layer. The n-type cladding layer, the active layer, and the p-type cladding layer are formed of an AlGaInP-based material. The p-type cladding layer has carbon as a p-type impurity. The p-type cladding layer has a carrier concentration in the range of not less than 8.0×1017 cm−3 and not more than 1.5×1018 cm−3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an epitaxial wafer for laser diodes, preferably suitable for AlGaInP-based red laser diodes, and a method for producing the epitaxial wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Red laser diodes (LDs) using AlGaInP-based semiconductors are widely used as a light source for DVD read/write.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional schematic structure of a conventional AlGaInP-based LD epitaxial wafer.
As shown in FIG. 3, the epitaxial wafer is formed by using metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), sequentially stacking, on an n-type GaAs substrate 11, an n-type AlGaInP cladding layer 12, an undoped active layer 13, a p-type AlGaInP cladding layer 14 and a p-type cap layer 15.
During the p-type AlGaInP cladding layer 14 growth, diethylzinc (DEZ), dimethylzinc (DMZ) or the like is supplied as a doping raw material to cause zinc (Zn) (=p-type carrier) to be contained in the p-type AlGaInP cladding layer 14, to form the p-type AlGaInP cladding layer 14 (See, e.g., JP-A-2002-25920).
As mentioned above, in the conventional LD epitaxial wafer, the p-type AlGaInP cladding layer is caused to contain zinc (Zn) as its p-type carrier, but Zn is highly diffusive, and therefore diffuses into its adjacent layer. The Zn diffusion causes the problems of (1) non-uniform carrier concentration (═Zn concentration) in the depth direction of the p-type cladding layer, and (2) Zn invasion into the adjacent active layer. The device processing of the epitaxial wafer having the problems of (1) and (2) causes deterioration in laser diode properties, such as an increase in operation current Iop that is an important device property. Thus, the increase in operation current Iop will lead to a serious problem of being low in laser diode reliability, i.e., in its lifetime.

Laser diode epitaxial wafer and method for producing same


A confocal microscope for generating an image of a sample includes a first scanning element for scanning a light beam along a first axis, and a second scanning element for scanning the light beam at a predetermined amplitude along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. A third scanning element scans the light beam at a predetermined amplitude along a third axis perpendicular to an imaging plane defined by the first and second axes. The second and third scanning element are synchronized to scan at the same frequency. The second and third predetermined amplitudes are percentages of their maximum amplitudes. A selector determines the second and third predetermined amplitudes such that the sum of the percentages is equal to one-hundred percent.

The invention relates to confocal microscopes.
Confocal microscopy involves focusing and scanning light at a sample plane in order to form a high-resolution, highly magnified image. Conventional confocal microscopes image samples by generating a series of thin "optical sections" which are high-resolution images of thin planes within the sample (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,827,125; 4,198,571, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). Confocal microscopy usually is done in vitro.
There are two conventional types of confocal scanning microscopes. The tandem scanning confocal microscope ("TSCM") employs a rotating pinhole disk illuminated by a light source such as a mercury lamp. During operation, the disk sweeps a focal spot through a sample, and is additionally used to spatially filter back-scattered light. This instrument has been used, for example, to image sections of skin. A similar device, the confocal laser scanning microscope ("CLSM"), uses a laser beam to image a sample, such as a biopsied tissue sample. In this instrument, the laser beam is focused to a nearly diffraction-limited spot within a single plane of the sample. The spot is then scanned across the plane, or alternatively, the sample is translated using a micrometer stage. In general, the CLSM has greater detection power, superior wavelength selectivity, and better illumination power than the TSCM.

Three-dimensional scanning confocal laser microscope


Apparatus comprising a support member having a flat surface adapted to receive and support a seam region of a flexible belt comprising thermoplastic polymer material having a predetermined glass transition temperature, a heatable member having a smooth heatable flat surface for compressing at least a portion of the seam region of a flexible belt placed on the smooth flat surface of the support member to heat the portion to at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material, the smooth surface of the heatable member having a profile which is parallel to the smooth flat surface of the support member, and wherein the heatable flat surface comprises a low surface energy or abhesive material.

This invention relates in general to a seam surface treatment system and, more specifically, to a post ultrasonically welded seam treatment system for flexible imaging member belts.
Flexible electrostatographic belt imaging members are well known in the art. Typical electrostatographic flexible belt imaging members include, for example, photoreceptors for electrophotographic imaging systems, electroreceptors such as ionographic imaging members for electrographic imaging systems, and intermediate image transfer belts for transferring toner images in electrophotographic and electrographic imaging systems. These belts are usually formed by cutting a rectangular sheet from a web containing at least one layer of thermoplastic polymeric material, overlapping opposite ends of the sheet, and joining the overlapped ends together to form a welded seam. The seam extends from one edge of the belt to the opposite edge. Generally, these belts comprise at least a supporting substrate layer and at least one imaging layer comprising thermoplastic polymeric matrix material. The "imaging layer" as employed herein is defined as the dielectric imaging layer of an electroreceptor belt, the transfer layer of an intermediate transfer belt and, the charge transport layer of an electrophotographic belt. Thus, the thermoplastic polymeric matrix material in the imaging layer is located in the upper portion of a cross section of an electrostatographic imaging member belt, the substrate layer being in the lower portion of the cross section of the electrostatographic imaging member belt. Although the flexible belts of interest include the mentioned types, for simplicity reasons, the discussion hereinafter will be focus on the electrophotographic imaging member belts.
Flexible electrophotographic imaging member belts are usually multilayered photoreceptors that comprise a substrate, an electrically conductive layer, an optional hole blocking layer, an adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, and a charge transport layer and, in some embodiments, an anti-curl backing layer. One type of multilayered photoreceptor comprises a layer of finely divided particles of a photoconductive inorganic compound dispersed in an electrically insulating organic resin binder. A typical layered photoreceptor having separate charge generating (photogenerating) and charge transport layers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990, the entire disclosure thereof being incorporated herein by reference. The charge generating layer is capable of photogenerating holes and injecting the photogenerated holes into the charge transport layer.
Although excellent toner images may be obtained with multilayered belt photoreceptors, it has been found that as more advanced, higher speed electrophotographic copiers, duplicators and printers were developed, fatigue induced cracking of the charge transport layer at the welded seam area is frequently encountered during photoreceptor belt cycling. Moreover, the onset of seam cracking has also been found to rapidly lead to seam delamination due to fatigue thereby shortening belt service life. Dynamic fatigue seam cracking and may possibly happen in ionographic imaging member belts as well.
The flexible electrostatographic imaging member belts are fabricated from a sheet cut from an imaging member web. The sheets are generally rectangular in shape. All edges may be of the same length or one pair of parallel edges may be longer than the other pair of parallel edges. The sheets are formed into a belt by joining overlapping opposite marginal end regions of the sheet. A seam is typically produced in the overlapping marginal end regions at the point of joining. Joining may be effected by any suitable means. Typical joining techniques include welding (including ultrasonic), gluing, taping, pressure heat fusing, and the like. Ultrasonic welding is generally the preferred method of joining because is rapid, clean (no solvents) and produces a thin and narrow seam. In addition, ultrasonic welding is preferred because the mechanical pounding of the welding horn causes generation of heat at the contiguous overlapping end marginal regions of the sheet to maximize melting of one or more layers therein. A typical ultrasonic welding process is carried out by holding down the overlapped ends of a flexible imaging member sheet with vacuum against a flat anvil surface and guiding the flat end of an ultrasonic vibrating horn transversely across the width of the sheet, over and along the length of the overlapped ends, to form a welded seam.
When ultrasonically welded into a belt, the seam of multilayered electrophotographic imaging flexible member belts may occasionally contain undesirable high protrusions such as peaks, ridges, spikes, and mounds. These seam protrusions present problems during image cycling of the belt machine because they interact with cleaning blades to cause blade wear and tear which ultimately affect cleaning blade efficiency and service life. Moreover, the protrusion high spots in the seam may also interfere with the operation of subsystems of copiers, printers and duplicators by damaging electrode wires used in development subsystems that position the wires parallel to and closely spaced from the outer imaging surface of belt photoreceptors. These closely spaced wires are employed to facilitate the formation of a toner powder cloud at a development zone adjacent to a toner donor roll and the imaging surface of the belt imaging member. Another frequently observed mechanical failure in the imaging belts during image cycling is that the ultrasonically welded seam of an electrophotographic imaging member belt can also cause initiation of cracks in the seam which then propagate and lead to delamination after being subjected to extended bending and flexing cycles over small diameter belt support rollers of an imaging machine or when due to lateral forces caused by mechanical rubbing contact against stationary web edge guides of a belt support module during cycling. Seam cracking and delamination has also been found to be further aggravated when the belt is employed in electrophotographic imaging systems utilizing blade cleaning devices and some operational imaging subsystems. Alteration of materials in the various photoreceptor belt layers such as the conductive layer, hole blocking layer, adhesive layer, charge generating layer, and/or charge transport layer to suppress cracking and delamination problems is not easily accomplished. The alteration of the materials may adversely impact the overall physical, electrical, mechanical, and other properties of the belt such as well as coating layer uniformity, residual voltage, background, dark decay, flexibility, and the like.
For example, when a flexible imaging member belt used in an electrophotographic machine is a photoreceptor belt fabricated by ultrasonic welding of overlapped opposite ends of a sheet, the ultrasonic energy transmitted to the overlapped ends melts the thermoplastic sheet components in the overlap region to form a seam. The ultrasonic welded seam of a multilayered photoreceptor belt is relatively brittle and low in strength and toughness. The joining techniques, particularly the welding process, can result in the formation of a splashing that projects out from either side of the seam in the overlap region of the belt. The overlap region and spashings on each side of the overlap region comprise a strip from one edge of the belt to the other that is referred herein as the "seam region". Because of the splashing, a typical flexible imaging member belt is about 1.6 times thicker in the seam region than that of the remainder of the belt (e.g., in a typical example, 188 micrometers versus 116 micrometers).
The photoreceptor belt in an electrophotographic imaging apparatus undergoes bending strain as the belt is cycled over a plurality of support and drive rollers. The excessive thickness of the photoreceptor belt in the seam region due to the presence of the splashing results in a large induced bending strain as the seam travels over each roller. Generally, small diameter support rollers are highly desirable for simple, reliable copy paper stripping systems in electrophotographic imaging apparatus utilizing a photoreceptor belt system operating in a very confined space. Unfortunately, small diameter rollers, e.g., less than about 0.75 inch (19 millimeters) in diameter, raise the threshold of mechanical performance criteria to such a high level that photoreceptor belt seam failure can become unacceptable for multilayered belt photoreceptors. For example, when bending over a 19 millimeter diameter roller, a typical photoreceptor belt seam splashing may develop a 0.96 percent tensile strain due to bending. This is 1.63 times greater than a 0.59 percent induced bending strain that develops within the rest of the photoreceptor belt. Therefore, the 0.96 percent tensile strain in the seam splashing region of the belt represents a 63 percent increase in stress placed upon the seam splashing region of the belt.
Under dynamic fatiguing conditions, the seam provides a focal point for stress concentration and becomes the point of crack initiation which is further developed into seam delamination causing premature mechanical failure in the belt. Thus, the splashing tends to shorten the mechanical life of the seam and service life of the flexible member belts used in copiers, duplicators, and printers.
Although a solution to suppress the seam cracking/delamination problems has been successfully demonstrated, as described in a prior art, by a specific heat treatment process of a flexible electrophotographic imaging member belt with its seam parked directly on top of a 19 mm diameter back support rod for stress-releasing treatment at a temperature slightly above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the charge transport layer of the imaging member, nevertheless this seam stress release process was also found to produce various undesirable effects such as causing seam area imaging member set and development of belt ripples in the active electrophotographic imaging zones of the belt (e.g., the region beyond about 25.2 millimeters from either side from the midpoint of the seam). Moreover, the heat treatment can induce undesirable circumferential shrinkage of the imaging belt. The set in the seam area of an imaging member mechanically adversely interacts with the cleaning blade and impacts cleaning efficiency. The ripples in the imaging member belt manifest themselves as copy printout defects. Further, the heat induced imaging belt dimensional shrinkage alters the precise dimensional specifications required for the belt. Another key shortcoming associated with the prior art seam stress release heat treatment process is the extensive heat exposure of a large seam area. This extensive heat exposure heats both the seam area of the belt as well as the rod supporting the seam. Since the belt must be cooled to below the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material in the belt prior to removal from the support rod in order to produce the desired degree of seam stress release in each belt, the heat treatment and cooling cycle time is unduly long and leads to very high belt production costs.
Since there is no effective way to prevent the generation of localized high protrusions at the seam, imaging member belts are inspected, right after seam welding belt production process, manually by hand wearing a cotton glove through passing the index finger over the entire seam length and belts found catching the glove by the protrusions are identified as production rejects. Both the time consuming procedure of manual inspection and the number of seamed belts rejected due to the presence of high seam protrusions constitute a substantial financial burden on the production cost of imaging member belts.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide seamed flexible imaging belts with an improved seam morphology which can withstand greater dynamic fatigue conditions thereby extending belt service life. It is also important, from the imaging member belt production point of view, that effective cutting of unit manufacturing cost of seamed imaging belts can be realized if an innovative post seaming treatment process can be developed to provide the triple improvements of seam region thickness reduction, morphological seam surface smoothing, and elimination of seam protrusions to achieve smooth seams.

Flexible imaging member belt seam smoothing method


The invention is concerned with a process for the production of an aqueous amine-oxide solution used in the amine-oxide process for the production of a mouldable cellulose solution, wherein aqueous, amine-oxide containing solutions produced in said amine-oxide process particularly as precipitation baths are purified and concentrated, characterized in that a microbiocide agent is added to said aqueous, amine-oxide containing solutions before, during or after purification.

For some decades there has been searched for processes for the production of cellulose moulded bodies able to substitute the viscose process, today widely employed. As an alternative which is interesting for its reduced environmental impact among other reasons, it has been found to dissolve cellulose without derivatisation in an organic solvent and extrude from this solution moulded bodies, e.g. fibres, films and other moulded bodies. Fibres thus extruded have received by BISFA (The International Bureau for the Standardization of man made fibers) the generic name Lyocell. By an organic solvent, BISFA understands a mixture of an organic chemical and water.
It has turned out that as an organic solvent, a mixture of a tertiary amine-oxide and water is particularly appropriate for the production of cellulose moulded bodies. As the amine-oxide, primarily N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) is used. Other amine-oxides are described e.g. in EP-A-0 553 070. A process for the production of mouldable cellulose solutions is known e.g. from EP-A-0 356 419. For the purposes of the present specification and the present claims, the production of cellulose moulded bodies using tertiary amine-oxides generally is referred to as amine-oxide process.
In EP-A-0 356 419, an amine-oxide process for the production of spinnable cellulose solutions is described, wherein as a starting material among others a suspension of cellulose in liquid, aqueous N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) is used. This process consists in transforming the suspension in a thin-film treatment apparatus in one single step and continuously into a mouldable solution. Finally, the mouldable solution is spun into filaments by a forming tool such as a spinneret and the filaments are passed through a precipitation bath.
In the precipitation bath the cellulose is precipitated. The tertiary amine-oxide is accumulated in the precipitation bath. The precipitation bath may contain up to 30% by weight of amine-oxide. For the economy of the amine-oxide process it is of vital importance to recover the amine-oxide as completely as possible and reuse it for the production of a mouldable cellulose solution. Thus it is necessary to recover NMMO from the precipitation bath.
In addition to the amine-oxide however, degradation products of the amine-oxide are also accumulated in the precipitation bath. These degradation products may be intensively coloured, thus deteriorating the quality of the cellulose moulded bodies produced. On the other hand, other substances may represent an additional safety risk, since under certain conditions the amine-oxide tends to show highly exothermic decomposition reactions and these decomposition reactions may be induced or accelerated by certain substances. These substances have to be removed from the precipitation bath which is to be regenerated before the NMMO is concentrated and separated in accordance with purification process described in WO 97/07268.
In addition to these substances, in the amine-oxide process also substances in a colloidal state may occur. Moreover, coatings may form at the walls of pipes and the like which may impair the flow and may even lead to an obstruction of the pipe.
After removing these unwanted substances, water is withdrawn from the purified precipitation bath which optionally is combined with other process liquids of the amine-oxide process such as vapour condensates formed during the production of the cellulose solution. This may be carried out for instance by means of evaporation. In the residue of this evaporation, highly concentrated aqueous amine-oxide is produced which is recycled again into the amine-oxide process.

Process for the production of an aqueous solution of a tertiary amine-oxide


An rf magnetic field pulse generator for generating an rf magnetic field pulse for use in an NMR investigation. The generator includes two arms connected in parallel between a pair of input terminals, each arm having two serially connected solid-state switches, a transmitter coil connected between output terminals defined between each pair of serially connected solid-state switches respectively, the transmitter coil being adapted to transmit the magnetic field pulse in response to an alternating rf signal at the output terminals, a power source connected to one or both input terminals, and a controller adapted to alternatively operate a respective switch in each arm at a required radio frequency in use whereby the power source is connected with alternating polarity across the transmitter coil and generates an alternating rf signal at the output terminals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic field pulse generator, in particular for generating an rf pulse for use in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigation. The invention is particularly concerned with providing such a generator for use in a down-hole oil well logging application.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional NMR pulse signal amplifiers employ linear class A/B amplifiers (typically valve amplifiers).


A motion sensing, lighting and alarming system includes a mounting base, a motion sensor and alarm housing pivotally mounted to the mounting base for receiving motion sensor and audible alarm electronics therein, a first swivel assembly for engaging the housing to the mounting base, a pair of light holders pivotally mounted to a mounting base, each for receiving a light therein, and a pair of second swivel assemblies for engaging the light holders to the mounting base and allowing the light holders to swivel with respect the mounting base. The mounting base also establishes electrical and mechanical connections with a source of 120 V.A.C. electrical power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally motion sensing and lighting systems, and more particularly, to a motion sensing, lighting and alarm system that includes an audible alarm which operates in conjunction with, or independently from, the lights.
2. Description of Related Art
Security lighting systems are widely used for prevention of crime and vandalism in many communities. These security systems are commonly used to monitor residential and business properties, particularly the areas encompassing entrances to buildings, during nighttime hours. One conventional security lighting system employs a light capable of illuminating a given protected area and a motion detector capable of turning on the light. The motion detector typically utilizes either ultrasound, infrared or some other suitable form of energy. The motion detector senses and is activated by the motion of an intruder or other individual entering into the given protected area which is being monitored by the motion detector. Activation of the motion detector, in turn, turns on the light to illuminate the protected area for a given period of time. However, one important drawback of the system is that it fails to alert the user of the system of the possible presence of an intruder.
The related art is represented by the following patents of interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,584, issued on May 29, 1973 to Kenneth R. Hackett et al., describes an intruder alarm system having a plurality of sound producing transducers designed to generate sound at a predetermined reference frequency. Hackett et al. do not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,066, issued on Oct. 14, 1975 to Manfred Kehry et al., describes an alarm system for motor vehicles that provides for the emission of intermittent acoustic and/or optical alarm signals by means of a pulse transmitter, adapted to be turned on by way of a push-button reachable from the driver seat and adapted to be turned off by way of a further push-button reachable only from the outside. Kehry et al. do not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,779, issued on Nov. 14, 1978 to William J. Malinowski, describes a smoke detector including a light-emitting diode and a photo-voltaic cell so arranged that the cell receives light from the diode reflected from smoke particles in ambient atmosphere, and circuit means for amplifying the cell output to provide an alarm output signal. Malinowski does not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,390, issued on Jan. 29, 1980 to Robert B. Enemark, describes a scatter type of smoke detector. Enemark does not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,327, issued on Sep. 7, 1993 to Allan J. Bentz et al., describes a small, compact motion detector alarm which emits an alarm sound when a low frequency vibration is detected. Bentz et al. do not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,256, issued on Apr. 11, 1995 to Jeffrey W. Ledel et al., describes a motion detector which includes a motion-sensitive switch in series arrangement with a timing circuit, the timing circuit permitting activation of an encoder/transmitter circuit, which transmits a radio signal encoded according to the manual settings of encoder switches. A radio receiver receives the transmitted radio signal and develops corresponding signals into a decoder circuit which is selectively set with decoder switches to recognize only a predetermined sequence of input signals. A decoder output is connected to a latch circuit which in turn drives an audible or visible alarm. Ledel et al. do not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,595, issued on Oct. 31, 1995 to Arne Rodhall et al., describes a portable security system including a motion detector and an alarm which is activated upon sensing an intrusion within a monitored area. Rodhall et al. do not suggest the motion sensing, lighting and alarm system according to the claimed invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

Motion sensing, lighting and alarming system


Video data from sources, such as cameras, is analyzed to create metadata descriptive of the events and objects occurring in the video. This metadata, which consists of data about the video, is then analyzed on a transaction basis to determine if a suspicious activity, such as a fraudulent Point of Sale (POS) return event, has occurred in relation to a transaction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of video information analysis and in particular fraud detection using an intelligent video monitoring system, for example, relating to point-of-sale (POS) activities.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Retail stores have found that customer returns have been associated with fraud. For example, unscrupulous employees process customer return receipts through the point of sale (POS) computer system without the customer actually being present, issuing fraudulent refunds that can be pocketed by the employee. Retail establishments have attempted to combat this with increased supervision, as well as monitoring of video cameras located near the return aisle. However, it is impractical to have a human supervisor continually monitor either a live camera feed, recordings made by the camera, or the return aisle itself.
Intelligent video monitoring has become known in recent years. This type of monitoring allows certain suspicious activities to be detected by analyzing video information stored on a computer video surveillance system. However, the sheer amount of video to be searched makes this a daunting task.
Prior video monitoring systems for detecting consumer return fraud intercepted the return receipt event and the video is analyzed in real time. However, this takes an extremely large amount of CPU time and limits the times at which the analysis can be done to relatively contemporaneously with the potentially fraudulent event.


A system or method to distribute curvature in a set of target vertices by computing curvature at boundary vertices of the set of target vertices by use of an umbrella operator. The boundary curvatures may be distributed into the set of target vertices by solving for a system of Umbrella operator equations for curvatures of respective vertices of the set of target vertices, with the computed curvature at the boundary vertices as a boundary condition for the system of equations. The vertices of the set of target vertices may be repositioned relative to the their neighbors according to the solved curvatures of the respective vertices of the set of vertices. The computing, distributing, and repositioning may be repeated, thereby changing the overall shape of the set of target vertices according to the curvature at the boundary vertices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method and system for fairing meshes. More specifically, the present invention relates to diffusing curvature in meshes or clouds of vertices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of computer graphics, surface fairing is performed to improve the shape of a mesh. Fairing has been described as the process of smoothing a mesh or surface, often by minimizing a fairness function. In some cases, meshes have holes or gaps, which may be the result of inadequate sampling, a user deleting part of a mesh, etc. Fairing is useful for constructing mesh patches that give a fair interpolation of the shape of the adjoining mesh. Further background information may be found in "Filling Holes in Meshes", Proceedings of the Eurographics/ACM SIGGRAPH symposium on Geometry processing, p. 200-205, June 2003", by Peter Liepa; "Geometric Fairing of Irregular Meshes for Free-Form Surface Design", Computer-Aided Geometric Design, 18(4):359-379, May 2001, by Schneider and Kobbelt; and "Implicit Fairing of Irregular Meshes Using Diffusion and Curvature Flow", SIGGRAPH 99 Conference Proceedings, pages 317-324, by Desbrun, Meyer, Schröder, and Barr.
There is a need for an efficient fairing process that produces reasonable diffusions or distributions of boundary curvature into a mesh that is being faired.

System and method for diffusing curvature


A solenoid valve system, wherein the valve member is provided with a seal member disposed thereabout. The solenoid valve is especially suitable for use with exhaust gas recirculation systems. The seal member is operable to slide axially relative to the valve member, including the stem portion thereof. An optional lubricant is provided between the valve member and the seal member so as to provide a relatively low friction environment therebetween when the valve member is in motion. An optional biasable member, in operable association with the seal member, is provided so as to maintain proper positioning of the seal member, e.g., during operation of the solenoid valve system.

Current Federal and State legislation generally requires control of vehicle exhaust emissions. Oxides of Nitrogen ("NOx") are one of the exhaust gas emissions that must be controlled. Formation of NOx typically occurs at higher combustion temperatures. A system, generally referred to as the exhaust gas recirculation ("EGR") system, has been developed to reduce combustion temperatures and control NOx emissions. In this type of system, a portion of the exhaust gas is recirculated back to the intake manifold where it is combined with incoming air. When this mixture is compressed and ignited in the cylinder, the result is a lower combustion temperature and a reduction in NOx.
Electric solenoids have been used to provide a number of functions in automotive applications including, but not limited to exhaust gas recirculation valves and the like. These types of systems are generally referred to as solenoid (or solenoid-actuated) exhaust gas recirculation ("SEGR") systems. These systems typically employ a selectively moveable armature member with a stem or shaft member extending therefrom with a valve member formed at an end thereof that is selectively operable to contact a valve seat so as to allow access to or deny access to, as the case may be, a housing or chamber such that the recirculated exhaust gas may or may not pass therethrough, as the case may be.
Unfortunately, the recirculated exhaust gas contains particulates and vapors (especially acidic compounds) that are potentially harmful to the various components of the solenoid (especially the electrical components) and may cause the solenoid to fail or adversely affect the performance thereof. This problem is exacerbated when any seal around the components of the solenoid valve is poor, especially around the stem member, thus allowing additional recirculated exhaust gas to infiltrate the solenoid.
Therefore, there exists a need for new and improved solenoid valves, especially those with enhanced sealing characteristics about the stem member.


A computerized system for keyboard control of a pointing device of a computer. The computer has a computer keyboard, a controller and a basic input/output system (BIOS). The keyboard has a plurality of keys for entry of one or more predetermined sequences of one or more keystrokes by a user of the computer, each sequence corresponding to a control instruction of the pointing device. The controller detects entry of the sequences by the user on the keyboard, and furthermore processes signals received from the pointing device. The BIOS is operatively coupled to the controller, and in response to the controller detecting a predetermined sequence of keystrokes entered by the user on the keyboard operating sends the controller a corresponding instruction as to whether the controller should listen to or ignore signals received from the pointing device. Alternatively, the functionality of the BIOS as to the pointing device is incorporated within the keyboard. Alternatively still, the BIOS acts on the instructions, instead of the controller acting on the instructions.

Personal computers, such as the Gateway 2000 personal computer, typically come equipped with a pointing device such as a touch pad or a mouse. Furthermore, laptop computers, such as the Gateway Solo, increasingly come equipped with a pointing device built in, which is more convenient for a user of the computer than if he or she were always forced to plug in an external pointing device in the back of the computer. Keyboards for desktop computers are mirroring this trend, and are increasingly including a built-in pointing device such as a touch pad as well. A pointing device allows the computer user to, among other things, control a pointer on the screen in a windows-based operating environment, such as Microsoft Windows 3.11 or 95.
A touch pad is a touch-sensitive pad. The pad detects the positions at which the user is moving his or her finger on the pad, and conveys this information to the computer. The computer then moves the pointer based on the information. The touch pad typically allows the "clicking" of a button within a window in the windows-based operating environment in one of two ways. First, the touch pad may have separate buttons for this function. Second, the touch pad may allow the user to tap the pad to effect a click.
A mouse is a device that has freedom of movement within a two-dimensional plane. The mouse detects the direction, and typically the speed, in which the user is moving the device, and conveys this information to the computer. The computer then moves the pointer on the screen in the corresponding direction, with the corresponding speed. The mouse typically allows for clicking via one or more separate buttons located on the mouse.
Regardless of which pointing device is installed on a particular computer, there are situations in which the user needs to disable the pointing device. Many users adopt a hand position over the keyboard that increases the likelihood that the pointing device will be accidentally touched. For example, many users place their thumb below the space bar so that the bar can be easily pressed when needed. However, laptop computers with integral pointing devices, as well as keyboards with integral pointing devices, typically position the pointing device in just this same place. Thus, the potential for such users to accidentally press the pointing device is quite high.
Furthermore, the user may have more than one pointing device at his or her disposal. This is frequently the case where a user using a laptop computer having an internal touch pad on a desktop plugs in an external mouse. The user may wish to disable the internal touch pad so that only the external mouse is active, so that the potential for accidental pointer movement or clicking is diminished. However, most laptop computers do not usually allow for the disabling of an internal pointing device, and the user cannot easily unplug the device because it is internal.
The user may also have more than one pointing device at his or her disposal on a desktop computer. Even though such devices are external and hence capable of being unplugged, unplugging an unwanted or unnecessary device in such a situation is frequently difficult and undesirable. The device typically is plugged into the back of the computer, which is usually hard to get to. Furthermore, frequent plugging and unplugging of a device into a port on back of the computer may wear out the port, such that it no longer allows for a pointing device to make a stable connection to the computer.
There is a need, therefore, for providing for control of one or more pointing devices attached to a computer, so that any of the devices can be selectively disabled or enabled by a user of the computer. There is a further need for providing such control in a way that does not require the user to physically unplug a pointing device in order to disable it.

Keyboard control of a pointing device of a computer


A multi-chips stacked package mainly comprises a substrate, a first lower chip, a second lower chip, an upper chip and a carrier. The substrate has an upper surface, and the first lower chip and the second lower chip are disposed on the upper surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the substrate. The carrier is disposed on and electrically connected to the first lower chip and the second lower chip simultaneously, and the upper chip is mounted on the carrier. Moreover, the upper chip is electrically connected to the substrate through the carrier, the first lower chip or the second lower chip.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a multi-chips stacked package. More particularly, the present invention is related to a multi-chips stacked package having a carrier for carrying the upper chip for preventing the upper chip from being directly disposed on the lower chip.
2. Related Art
Recently, integrated circuit (chip) packaging technology is becoming a limiting factor for the development in packaged integrated circuits of higher performance. Semiconductor package designers are struggling to keep pace with the increase in pin count, size limitations, low profile, and other evolving requirements for packaging and mounting integrated circuits.
Due to the assembly package in miniature and the integrated circuits operation in high frequency, MCM (multi-chips module) packages are commonly used in said assembly packages and electronic devices. Usually, said MCM package mainly comprises at least two chips encapsulated therein, for example a processor unit, a memory unit and related logic units, so as to upgrade the electrical performance of said assembly package. In addition, the electrical paths between the chips in said MCM package are short so as to reduce the signal delay and save the reading and writing time.
Generally speaking, conventional MCM packages shall be a multi-chips side-by-side package or a multi-chips stacked package. As shown in FIG. 1, it illustrates a multi-chips stacked package and said stacked package is formed by disposing upper chips 12 and 13 on a lower chip 14 by wire-bonding and chip-stacking technology, electrically connecting the upper chips 12 and 13 to a substrate 16 respectively and electrically connecting the upper chips 12 and 13 with each other via the electrically conductive wires 18. However, the upper chip 12 is partially disposed on the lower chip 14 and overhangs over the lower chip 14. Similarly, the upper chip 13 is also partially disposed on the lower chip 14 and overhangs over the lower chip 14. Thus, the upper chips 12 and 13 will be damaged and cracked more easily in the operation of the wire-bonging process. Referring to FIG. 2, lower chips 22 and 23 are disposed on the substrate 26, and the upper chip 24 is mounted on the lower chips 22 and 23 simultaneously so that the upper chip 24 can be supported firmly by the lower chips 22 and 23 and the substrate 26, and prevented from being damaged and cracked.
As mentioned above, however, there are several disadvantages as following shown. When the lower chips 22 and 23 are adjacent to each other and connect with each other, the lower chip 22 will be pressed against the lower chip 23 due to thermal expansion. Thus, in order to prevent the above-mentioned problem, the lower chips 22 and 23 shall be apart from each other in a distance. However, when the distance between the lower chips 22 and 23 is larger than 50 μm, the portion 242 of the lower surface of the upper chip 24 not supported by the lower chips 22 and 23 will be damaged easily in the performance of the wire-bonding process.
Therefore, providing another assembly package to solve the mentioned-above disadvantages is the most important task in this invention.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.


The invention is directed toward systems and methods for the formation of two dimensional monolayer structures of ordered biomacromolecules, such as viruses, atop cohesive polyelectrolyte multilayers to create functional thin films. Methods for the formation of such thin films are disclosed that involve an interdiffusion-induced assembly process of the biomacromolecules. The inventive systems provide a general platform for the systematic incorporation and assembly of organic, biological and inorganic materials and will enable many potential technological applications such as, for example, chemical and biological sensors, power devices and catalytic membranes.

A significant prerequisite in nano-involved and bio-inspired approaches for the fabrication of electrical and optical devices or organization of building blocks to hierarchical structures, is the construction of well-ordered two-dimensional monolayers. It plays a key role not only in embedding a specific functionality on the focused area but also stacking to a multicomponent layer for further higher dimensional integration. Effects to date have primarily focused on two main methods: self-assembly monolayer (SAM) and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer (LBM).
The self-assembly monolayer technique is based on the formation of covalent or coordination bonding between assemblable species and surface. It can generate dense and stable monolayers and serve as a template for bottom-up based nano-assembly. Due to the requirement of specific binding, however, the range of material applicability is limited to some chemical species, such as those amenable to thiol or silane chemistry. The Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer technique utilizes the hydrophobic-hydrophilic interactions at the interface between specific molecules and water surface. In this technique, molecules are spread to form a monolayer over the water surface and then transferred to the other processible solid surface. By varying an external force to guide the monolayer spreading, molecular density and orientation can be tuned as desired. In spite of these advantages of controllability in film properties, LBM has shown some drawbacks typically in film processiblity and stability due to the use of fluidic and unstable water surface.
Electrostatic interaction has been one of the important driving forces for molecular self-assembly. The most widely accepted technique is layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. The technique takes advantage of electrostatic attractive forces between charged polymers and oppositely-charged surfaces, and film growth is typically achieved stepwise by the repetitive exposure of substrate to dilute polycation and polyanion solutions. Using this approach it is possible to control film thickness on the nanometer scale by simply increasing the number of adsorbed polycation/polyanion layers, or to fabricate films possessing gradients of different polyelectrolyte components by manipulating the sequences in which multiple different polymer components are adsorbed (G. Decher, Science, 1997, 277: 1232-1237; F. Caruso et al., Science, 1998, 282: 1111-1114; Z. Tang et al., Nature Mater., 2003, 2: 413-418; C. S. Peyratout and L. Dahne, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 2004, 43: 3762-3783). This assembly process has the added advantage of strong compatibility with biomolecular species without loss of biological function. Thus, LBL assembly has a wide variety of potential applications, including surface modification, sensors, conducting or light-emitting devices, drug delivery, nano-reactors, etc.
However, the formation mechanism, internal structure, and molecular properties of LBL-produced polyelectrolyte multilayers are still poorly understood, and this has hindered taking full advantage of this powerful technique.

Self-assembly of macromolecules on multilayered polymer surfaces


Provided is a polyamide resin having excellent color tone and elastic modulus, excellent gas barrier properties and low water absorption. The polyamide resin comprises a diamine structural unit and a dicarboxylic acid structural unit, wherein 70 mol % or more of the diamine structural unit is derived from xylylenediamine (A-1) and/or bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane (A-2) and 50 mol % or more of the dicarboxylic acid structural unit is derived from sebacic acid (B), characterized in that it has a sulfur atom concentration of 1 to 200 ppm by mass.

Polyamide resins are widely used as engineering plastics having excellent mechanical strength such as impact resistance and friction/abrasion resistance as well as excellent heat resistance and oil resistance in the fields of automotive parts, electronic/electric equipment parts, office automation equipment parts, machine parts, construction materials/housing parts and the like, and recently have found increasingly wide application.
Many classes of polyamides including e.g., polyamide 6 and polyamide 66 are known, among which m-xylylene adipamide (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "MXD6 polyamide") derived from m-xylylenediamine and adipic acid is positioned as a very excellent polyamide resin because it contains an aromatic ring in the main chain unlike polyamide 6 and polyamide 66 so that it has high rigidity, low water absorption and excellent oil resistance as well as a low shrinkage ratio during molding and causes little shrinkage or warp, which means that it is also suitable for precision molding. Thus, MXD6 polyamide has recently been more widely used as a molding material, especially extrusion molding material in various fields including parts of vehicles such as automobiles, general machine parts, precision machine parts, electronic/electric equipment parts, leisure/sports goods, civil engineering and construction materials, etc.
MXD6 polyamide has low water absorption as compared with other polyamide resins such as polyamide 66, but there is a need for molding materials having even lower water absorption to meet recent demanding requirements.
Lighter and stronger polyamide resin materials are also needed. A xylylene polyamide resin lighter than MXD6 polyamide and having lower water absorption includes a xylylene sebacamide resin derived from xylylenediamine and sebacic acid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "XD10 polyamide").
However, polyamide resins containing xylylenediamine as a structural unit are more liable to yellowing than polyamide 6 and the like because they tend to generate radicals at the benzylmethylene sites for structural reasons. The applicant proposed a method for preventing yellowing of MXD6 polyamide by adding a phosphorus antioxidant and an alkaline component in the polyamide resin (patent document 1). An anti-yellowing effect can be achieved by this method, but this method was difficult to use for some applications because the addition of a phosphorus antioxidant enough to prevent yellowing may increase costs or a phosphorus compound may deposit on a filter or the like during extrusion molding of a film.
As alternative to polyamide resins containing a xylylenediamine-derived unit as a structural unit, polyamide resins derived from bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane having no benzylmethylene site and a dicarboxylic acid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "BAC polyamides") are expected to have high heat aging resistance. However, even BAC polyamides are not free from yellowing problems, and a polyamide resin derived from bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane and sebacic acid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "BAC 10 polyamide") recently remarked as a BAC polyamide having especially low water absorption also had problems in yellowing and heat aging resistance.


Pharmaceutical compositions that stabilize a Clostridial toxin active ingredient are described. The compositions can be liquid or solid compositions, and comprise a surfactant and an antioxidant. In some embodiments, the compositions comprise a surfactant selected from a poloxamer and a polysorbate; an antioxidant selected from methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and combinations thereof, and, optionally, a tonicity agent and/or a lyoprotector selected from, for example, trehalose, sucrose.

A pharmaceutical composition is a formulation which contains at least one active ingredient (such as a Clostridial toxin) as well as, for example, one or more excipients, buffers, carriers, stabilizers, preservatives and/or bulking agents, and is suitable for administration to a patient to achieve a desired diagnostic result or therapeutic effect. The pharmaceutical compositions disclosed herein have diagnostic, therapeutic and/or research utility.
For storage stability and convenience of handling, a pharmaceutical composition can be formulated as a lyophilized (i.e. freeze dried) or vacuum dried powder which can be reconstituted with a suitable fluid, such as saline or water, prior to administration to a patient. Alternately, the pharmaceutical composition can be formulated as an aqueous solution or suspension. A pharmaceutical composition can contain a proteinaceous active ingredient. Unfortunately, a protein active ingredient can be very difficult to stabilize (i.e. maintained in a state where loss of biological activity is minimized), thereby resulting in a loss of protein and/or loss of protein activity during the formulation, reconstitution (if required) and storage of the pharmaceutical composition prior to use. Stability problems can arise due to surface adsorption of a protein active ingredient, physical instability, such as, e.g., denaturation or aggregation, or chemical instability, such as, e.g., cross-linking, deamidation, isomerization, oxidation, formation of acidic or basic species, Maillard reaction, and fragmentation. To prevent such instability, various protein-based excipients, such as albumin and gelatin, have been used to stabilize a protein active ingredient present in a pharmaceutical composition.
Unfortunately, despite their known stabilizing effects, significant drawbacks exist to the use of protein excipients, such as albumin or gelatin, in a pharmaceutical composition. For example, albumin and gelatin are expensive and increasingly difficult to obtain. Furthermore, blood products or animal derived products such as albumin and gelatin, when administered to a patient can subject the patient to a potential risk of receiving blood borne pathogens or infectious agents. Thus, it is known that the possibility exists that the presence of an animal-derived protein excipient in a pharmaceutical composition can result in inadvertent incorporation of infectious elements into the pharmaceutical composition. For example, it has been reported that use of human serum albumin may transmit prions into a pharmaceutical composition. Thus, it is desirable to find suitable non-protein excipients, such as, e.g., stabilizers, cryo-protectants and lyoprotectants, which can be used to stabilize the protein active ingredient present in a pharmaceutical composition.
The unique characteristics of Clostridial toxins further constrain and hinder the selection of suitable non-protein excipients for a pharmaceutical composition comprising a Clostridial toxin. For example, Clostridial toxins are large proteins having an average molecular weight of approximately 150 kDa, and are further complexed with non-toxin associated proteins that increase the size to approximately 300-900-kDa. The size of a Clostridial toxin complex makes it much more fragile and labile than smaller, less complex proteins, thereby compounding the formulation and handling difficulties if Clostridial toxin stability is to be maintained. Hence, the use of non-protein excipients, such as, e.g., stabilizers, cryo-protectants and lyoprotectants must be able to interact with the Clostridial toxin in a manner which does not denature, fragment or otherwise inactivate the toxin or cause disassociation of the non-toxin associated proteins present in the toxin complex.
Another problem associated with a Clostridial toxin, is the exceptional safety, precision, and accuracy that is necessary for at all steps of the formulation process. Thus, a non-protein excipient should not itself be toxic or difficult to handle so as to not exacerbate the already extremely stringent requirements.
Still another difficulty linked with a Clostridial toxin, is the small amount of Clostridial toxin that is used in a pharmaceutical composition. As with enzymes generally, the biological activities of the Clostridial toxins are dependent, at least in part, upon their three-dimensional conformation. Thus, a Clostridial toxin is detoxified by heat, various chemicals, surface stretching, and surface drying. Additionally, it is known that dilution of a Clostridial toxin complex obtained by the known culturing, fermentation and purification methods to the much lower concentration used in a pharmaceutical composition results in rapid inactivation of the toxin. The low amount of a Clostridial toxin that is used in a pharmaceutical composition, makes this active ingredient very susceptible to adsorption to, e.g., the surfaces of laboratory glassware, vessels, to the vial in which the pharmaceutical composition is reconstituted and to the inside surface of a syringe used to inject the pharmaceutical composition. Such adsorption of a Clostridial toxin to surfaces can lead to a loss of active ingredient and to denaturation of the remaining Clostridial toxin, both of which reduce the total activity of the active ingredient present in the pharmaceutical composition. Hence, the use of non-protein excipients, such as, e.g., stabilizers, cryo-protectants and lyoprotectants must be able to act as surface blockers to prevent the adsorption of a Clostridial toxin to a surface.
Yet another problem connected to a Clostridial toxin, is the pH-sensitivity associated with complex formation. For example, the 900-kDa BoNT/A complex is known to be soluble in dilute aqueous solutions at pH 3.5-6.8. However, at a pH above about 7 the non-toxic associated proteins dissociate from the 150-kDa neurotoxin, resulting in a loss of toxicity, particularly as the pH rises above pH 8.0. See Edward J. Schantz et al., pp. 44-45, Preparation and characterization of botulinum toxin type A for human treatment, in Jankovic, J., et al., Therapy with Botulinum Toxin (Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1994). As the non-toxic associated proteins are believed to preserve or help stabilize the secondary and tertiary structures upon which toxicity depends, the dissociation of these proteins results in a more unstable Clostridial toxin. Thus, non-protein excipients useful to formulate a pharmaceutical composition comprising a Clostridial toxin must be able to operate within the confines of a pH level necessary to maintain the activity a Clostridial toxin.
What is needed therefore is a Clostridial toxin pharmaceutical composition wherein a Clostridial toxin active ingredient (such as a botulinum toxin) is stabilized by a non-protein excipient. The present compositions relate to solid and liquid Clostridial toxin active ingredient pharmaceutical compositions with one or more non-protein excipients which functions to stabilize the Clostridial toxin active ingredient present in the solid or liquid pharmaceutical composition.

Non-protein clostridial toxin compositions


A semiconductor package stack may include a lower semiconductor package and an upper semiconductor package stacked on a lower package board. The upper semiconductor package may include an upper semiconductor chip mounted on an upper package board with an opening configured to expose a lower surface of the upper semiconductor chip and a first heat slug disposed within the opening, contacting the lower surface of the upper semiconductor chip, and contacting an upper surface of a lower semiconductor chip.

Embodiments relate to a semiconductor package stack having a heat slug.
System-on-chip (SoC) is a technology-intensive semiconductor field in which complex systems having various functions are implemented in a single chip. As computers, telecommunications, broadcasting, etc. gradually converge, demand for an application specific IC (ASIC) and an application specific standard Product (ASSP) converted into an SoC increases. In addition, a trend for light, thin, short, small, and high-performance IT products becomes a factor in accelerating SoC development. However, a SoC-type semiconductor chip may generate high heat during operation that may result in damage.

Semiconductor package stack having a heat slug


A heat exchanger (1) for thermally coupling a first fluid to a second fluid so as to transfer heat and in a fluidically separate manner includes a securing assembly (8) of two cover parts (9) and at least one, preferably a plurality of guide parts (11), through which duct tubes (5) of the heat exchanger (1) pass. The duct tubes (5) extend inside a housing tube (2) along the longitudinal axis of the housing tube (2). The first fluid passes through the housing tube (2) outside of the duct tubes (5), and the second fluid passes through the duct tubes (5). The duct tubes (5) may have circular or flattened cross-sections.

Heat exchangers of this type have been known for a long time and serve the purpose of exchanging or of transferring, respectively, thermal energy between a first fluid and a second fluid. They can be used, for example, in vehicle applications. Generic heat exchangers are described in an exemplary manner in the documents US20150159957 A1, US20160040938 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 9,175,883 A1, EP1975534 A3 and WO2002095303 A1.
In spite of the need for more powerful, more efficient and more environmentally friendly heat exchanger solutions, the known heat exchangers have only relatively low power and, due to the frequently used all-copper material, are generally of relatively high dead weight and are unsatisfactory in terms of the burst pressure, which can be attained.


A silica glass production process that can prevent cracks from occurring during the step of gel drying. In a process for producing silica glass, comprising the steps of subjecting a partial polycondensation product of alkoxysilane to hydrolysis in the presence of a solvent, an organic polymeric compound and a basic catalyst to form a sol, making the sol into a gel, drying the gel to form a dry gel, and firing the dry gel to obtain a glass, a salt is caused to exist in a concentration not less than 1.times.10.sup.-4 mol based on 100 g of the partial polycondensation product of alkoxysilane in the step of subjecting the partial polycondensation product of alkoxysilane to hydrolysis to form a sol.

Silica glass is an important material indispensable for the fabrication of semiconductor devices because of its superior heat resistance, corrosion resistance and optical characteristics, and is also used in optical fibers, photomask substrates for producing lCs, TFT substrates and so forth, showing increasingly wide uses.
The sol-gel method, which enables synthesis of high-purity silica glass at a low cost, has attracted notice. This method will be simply outlined below.
To an alkoxysilane represented by the general formula Si(OR)4 (R: an alkyl group), water (its pH may be adjusted with a base or an acid) is added to carry out hydrolysis to form a silica hydrosol (in the present invention, called a "sol"). Here, a suitable solvent is commonly added so that the alkoxysilane and the water are homogeneously mixed. This sol is gelled by leaving it to stand or raising its temperature. Thereafter, the liquid phase (an alcohol formed as a result of the hydrolysis of alkoxysilane, the solvent added, or the water) in the gel is evaporated, followed by drying to form a silica dry gel (in the present invention, called a "dry gel"). This dry gel is fired in an appropriate atmosphere to obtain silica glass.
As a problem in the process for producing silica glass by the sol-gel method described above, the gel may crack during the step of drying. As a method for preventing it from cracking, various methods are proposed in which, e.g., a partial polycondensation product of alkoxysilane is used as a material for the alkoxysilane (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 61-270225), choline is used as a catalyst for the hydrolysis of alkoxysilane (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 62-265128), an organic polymeric compound is added when the sol is prepared (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 62-265130, the polycondensation product of a partial polycondensation product of alkoxysilane is made compositionally optimum (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 3-247515), and a solvent having a higher boiling point and a smaller surface tension than water is used as a solvent (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-14835).
However, even when these proposed methods are used, the gel may often crack during the step of drying when the dry gel is large in size, and the yield abruptly decreases with an increase in size of the dry gel.


In order to supply the optical fiber for attenuating optical signal enable the attenuation amount to become flat in wide wavelength scope, simultaneously adding at least two kinds of dopants for attenuating optical signal over the core and the cladding of the optical fiber. Then, properly adjusting the kind and the concentration of dopants for manufacturing the optical fiber 1 for attenuating optical signal; simultaneously adding the dopant enabling the absorption of optical signal to increase with the wavelength become long and the dopant enabling the absorption of optical signal to decrease with the wavelength become long. As the dopant, it is desired to select at least two kinds of transitional metals from Co, Ni, Cr, V, Fe, Mn, Tb and Tm. Further, as the doped area, it is desired to dope the 6 times of the center portion of the core from the center of the core.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber for attenuating optical signals, which is used in an optical attenuator, optical terminal device or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, optical fiber communication networks have made rapid progress. In the optical fiber communication network, a variety of optical devices are used.
As one of the optical devices, there is an optical fixed attenuator, which is used to positively attenuate optical signals and adjust the light power level in the optical fiber communication network into proper scope.
Further, as another of the optical devices, there is an optical terminal device, which is used to reflect the input light in the output side and make the reflected light return, then attenuate the light having returned, for removing the influence of unnecessary optical signal.
In these optical devices, generally, optical fiber for attenuating optical signals is used. The optical fiber for attenuating optical signals has a core formed from quartz glass, which has a higher refractive index by doping with Ge (germanium). In the core, Co (cobalt) is contained as a dopant (doped material) to positively attenuate optical signal.
Moreover, in a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexer) network, the optical fixed attenuator or the optical terminal device is needed. In the WDM network system, there are many kinds of wavelengths with respect to various transmitted light signals, and the attenuation amount of the optical fixed attenuator or the optical terminal device must correspond to any one of the wavelengths.
Therefor, the optical fiber for attenuating optical signals used in the optical fixed attenuator or the optical terminal device, it is desired to obtain the same attenuation amount, not only corresponding to the optical signal having the wavelength of 1310 nm or 1550 nm, but also corresponding to the optical signals having wider wavelength scopes.
Conventionally, in order to obtain such fiber for attenuating optical signal, whose light attenuation amount is constant, there is a method described in Japanese Patent publication 8-136736. This method uses a characteristic that mode field diameter (MFD) depends upon the wavelength of the transmitted optical signal, and adds dopant to a narrow area in core, then provides an appropriate construction.
However, in the conventional art, there are some problems that need to be solved. That is, Co is a dopant used in the optical fiber for attenuating optical signal as usual. As a characteristic of the Co, the longer the wavelength of optical signal, the greater the Co absorbs the optical signal. Because the dopant absorbs the optical signal, the optical signal is attenuated. By using the Co having such characteristic and adding it to core, the optical fiber for attenuating optical signal is formed, which can obtain stable attenuation amount with respect to various optical signals having various wavelengths. Thus, as stated above, it is possible to use a characteristic depending upon the wavelength of optical signal transmitted by mode field diameter (MFD), to add dopant to the narrow area in core, and to provide an appropriate construction.
However, when using such a method, which adds dopant to the narrow area in core, the passage of the optical signal becomes narrow. Therefore, in order to obtain the desired attenuation amount, it is necessary to improve the concentration of the Co. In the case, when using a method called sinking method, it is difficult to add Co at a higher concentration.

Optical fiber for attenuating optical signal


Provided is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having excellent adhesiveness at ultra-low temperatures as well as fine spangles, and a method of manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having excellent adhesiveness at ultra-low temperatures includes a base steel sheet, a composite layer formed on the base steel sheet and including transition metal, an inhibition layer formed on the composite layer and including a iron-aluminum (Fe—Al) based intermetallic compound, and a zinc (Zn)-plated layer formed on the inhibition layer, in which an average diameter of spangles in the zinc-plated layer is 150 μm or less, and a method of manufacturing the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet is provided.

Zinc (Zn)-plated steel sheets have been frequently used as automotive steel sheets for the purpose of surface appearance and corrosion resistance. Zn-plated steel sheets are broadly classified as hot-dip galvanized (GI) steel sheets and electro galvanized (EG) steel sheets. Hot-dip galvanized steel sheets are manufactured by using a method of plating a steel sheet through dipping in a hot-dip galvanizing bath, and electro galvanized steel sheets are plated by using an electroplating method.
Hot-dip galvanized steel sheets have better price competitiveness than electro galvanized steel sheets, but demand therefor is limited due to poor image clarity and appearance quality after coating. In order to address the foregoing limitations, a technique of refining spangles in a plated layer by using a technique (Patent Document 1) of electrostatic atomization of a phosphate solution on the zinc-plated layer after galvanizing has been developed. When the technique is used, a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet (GI-ACE steel sheet) having a spangle diameter ranging from about 50 μm to about 1000 μm in a zinc plated layer may be manufactured. The GI-ACE steel sheet obtained through the refinement of the spangles in the plated layer has excellent coating surface characteristics, such as coatability, corrosion resistance, and surface appearance, and has superior economic factors due to an insignificant change in price in comparison to that of a general GI steel sheet. That is, the GI-ACE steel sheet may be more suitable for the requirements of automotive steel sheets in comparison to a typical GI steel sheet.
Meanwhile, when automobiles are manufactured, structural adhesives may be, used in order to reinforce collision performance or as a substitute for welding. In order to use a structural adhesive, excellent adhesiveness is required to be secured through an impact peel test at an ultra-low temperature (about −40° C.).
In the case that the impact peel test is performed on the typical GI steel sheet, fractures may occur in the adhesive. This denotes that the zinc-plated layer has excellent adhesiveness. In contrast, with respect to the GI-ACE steel sheet, fractures may occur in the zinc-plated layer.
In general, it is known that brittle fractures occur in zinc in a (0001) plane and three {10-10} planes at low temperatures, and activity of zinc fracture mechanisms changes according to temperature from a brittle+grain boundary+ductile fracture type at a high temperature to a brittle fracture type at a low temperature. It is also known that fractures in a plated layer occur at spangle boundaries of the plated layer or an interface between a base steel sheet and the plated layer.
The occurrence of fractures at spangle boundaries or an interface may be due to the fact that voids are generated in spangle boundaries after hot-dip galvanizing, because volume changes due to shrinkage occurring when zinc solidifies. Also, since the difference between a thermal expansion coefficient of zinc (about 1.5 to 6.1×10−5/K) and a thermal expansion coefficient of iron (about 1.18×10−5/K) exists, the fracture at an interface may occur due to thermal misfit. Further, it is known that a relatively large amount of stress is applied to the spangle boundaries having a preferred orientation of the plated layer integrated on a (0001) plane and, as a result, fractures start at an interface between the base steel sheet and the plated layer.
Therefore, with respect to the GI-ACE steel sheet, the interface between the plated layer and the base steel sheet or the spangle boundaries having a preferred orientation integrated on a (0001) plane may act as crack initiation sites to generate a fracture.
In order to address the foregoing limitations of the GI-ACE steel sheet, a technique (Patent Document 2) of increasing an average diameter of spangles in the plated layer has been developed. However, surface qualities, such as image clarity, galling resistance, and corrosion resistance, may deteriorate as the diameter of spangles increases.
(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-0076214
(Patent Document 2) Korean Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-0075612

Hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having excellent adhesiveness at ultra-low temperatures


A lighting system may include a housing for a lighting module and at least one profiled element which can be coupled to the housing and protrudes from the housing when coupled to the housing. The housing has an external surface with a plurality of channels and comprises a plurality of seats. The profiled element may have a first engagement formation insertable into one of the channels of the housing and a second engagement formation insertable into one of the seats of the housing when the first engagement formation is inserted in the channel. Blocking means movable into a first and into a second operative position, may be.

Lighting systems which comprise at least one light source, such as for example one or more LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), are known. These modules may require a cooling system to ensure stability of the LEDs over time.
By way of example, WO 2009/039907 describes a lighting system in which a cylindrical body which is made of a metallic material and comprises a plurality of longitudinal channels for the passage of air is used as a heat sink. In particular, said document highlights the fact that such a cylindrical body may have an attractive esthetic appearance, so that it does not require an external housing that covers the entire lighting system. However, this lack of an external housing means that the lighting system is not very flexible both from an esthetic and a functional point of view.


A pest repellent comprising improthrin as an active ingredient and inert carrier has excellent effect for repelling arthropod, mollusca and annelida. It is especially useful for repelling cockroaches.

Pests such as cockroaches transmit diseases. The presence of these pests in environments wherein humans inhabit increase the chances to be exposed to diseases. Efficacious agents and methods which control pests from inhabiting the human environment have been desired. Since pests can adapt to exposure, it would be an advantage if a multiplicity of methods and agents are available for controlling these pests.
Aerosol compositions comprising of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide have been utilized to repel mosquitoes and black flies. However, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide may be insufficient as a pest repellent. The deficiency of sustaining any repelling activity after a long period of time has deemed N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide as an unpalatable candidate for a pest repellent. In addition, the efficacy of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide is insufficient when certain pests such as cockroaches are targeted.
Japanese Laid-open patent No. sho56-92803-A discloses ester compounds such as empenthrin as an active ingredient of a cockroach repellent. These ester compounds may have the ability to repel pests for a given period, but also greatly decrease efficacy after a long period of time.
It is tedious to continually dispose an agent to repel pests. Therefore, it would be of advantage if a pest repellent can efficaciously repel pests for a long period of time with one disposal. It would also be of advantage if a pest repellent were developed to target a larger variety of pests and include pests which have been difficult to repel such as the cockroach.


An adjusting device for an optical system has a first slider for a first optical element, which is arranged displaceably along an axial direction, a second slider for a second optical element, which is arranged displaceably along the axial direction, a control cam contour fixed in relation to the axial direction, a coupler between the first slider, the second slider and the cam contour, and a force element to exert force between the first slider and the second slider, so that the coupler is in contact with the first slider at a first point, is in contact with the second slider at a second point and is in contact with the control cam contour at a third point, the coupler including a first lever arm formed between the first and third points, and the coupler including a second lever arm formed between the second and third points.

Optical systems often comprise mechanically moved optical elements or assemblies of optical elements. These are typically zoom devices or focussing devices. At least one optical element is in this case guided along a predetermined path of movement between two end positions. For example, the movement of a first optical element may take place along an axis in a non-linear way, while the movement of the second optical element has a different movement sequence in relation to the position of the first optical element. A non-linear movement sequence of the optical elements often arises from the necessity of adapting the focal length and the depth of field of the optical system to an observing situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,496 discloses an adjusting device for a pancratic objective of a stereo microscope with two lens elements that are displaceable in relation to one another along the optical axis. The adjusting device has a first slide element for a first lens element and a second slide element for a second lens element. The slide element is referred to in this document as a support. The first slide element can be displaced by means of a handle. Arranged between the first slide element and the second slide element is a coupling element, which is referred to in the document as a hinge element. The coupling element is in engagement with a control cam. The coupling element consists of a toggle lever, which is respectively supported by one leg on one of the slide elements that are pretensioned against one another by spring force and is supported by its folding location on the fixed-in-place control cam by way of a wheel that is rotatable about a folding axis.
This device has the disadvantage that a number of components are necessary for the coupling element, to be specific two legs and a rotatable wheel. In particular in the case of very small optical systems, this involves increased production and assembly costs. Moreover, in certain positions great forces must be expected in the toggle lever and on the control cam. For example, to achieve a short distance between the two slide elements, a small enclosed angle is necessary at the folding location between the two legs. Since the folding location is supported on the control cam, this leads to great forces in this region, in particular to great forces within the two legs and on the bearing devices of the two legs. If the device is moved from one operating state into another operating state, this involves unfavorable force conditions of the forces that are transferred from the first slide element to the second slide element, since the transfer of the forces that act in the axial direction from the first slide element to the second slide element also takes place by way of the legs of the toggle lever. The unfavorable force conditions necessitate the use of a strong spring in order to connect the second slide element to the first slide element by way of the coupling element reliably and without play.


A reconfigurable channel CODEC (encoder and decoder) processor for a wireless communication system is disclosed. A high degree of user programmability and reconfigurability is provided by the channel CODEC processor. In particular, the reconfigurable channel CODEC processor includes processor cores and algorithm-specific kernels that contain logic circuits tailored for carrying out predetermined but user-configurable decoding and encoding algorithms. The interconnects between the processor cores and the algorithm-specific kernels are also user-configurable. Thus, the same hardware can be reconfigured for many different wireless communication standards.

The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communication. In particular, the present claimed invention relates to a processor for performing coding and decoding operations in a wireless communication system.
Wireless communication has extensive applications in consumer and business markets. Among the many communication system applications are: fixed wireless, unlicensed (FCC) wireless, local area network (LAN), cordless telephony, personal base station, telemetry, mobile wireless, encryption, and other digital data processing applications. These wireless applications utilize different and usually incompatible protocols. Consequently, each application may require specialized hardware, software, and methodology. This is especially true for channel CODECs (encoders and decoders) because different communication standards typically utilize different channel coding and decoding algorithms. ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) solutions, which can be costly in terms of design, testing, manufacturing, and infrastructure resources, are inflexible and are therefore unsuitable for the changing wireless communication standards. DSP (Digital Signal Processor) solutions, while offering the advantage of flexibility, have other limitations. For instance, many DSPs are not powerful enough to handle the high data rate requirements of the more advanced wireless communication standards.
Accordingly, a need arises to overcome the limitations associated with the varied hardware, software, and methodology of encoding and decoding digital signals in each of the varied wireless applications.

Channel CODEC processor configurable for multiple wireless communications standards