A method in which a surface layer material whose amount of reduction is to be measured is activated to find a distribution ratio of two or more kinds of radioactive nuclides that are produced in the space in the surface layer of the material, and the distribution ratio is used as an index for the amount of reduction of surface layer material. The amount of reduction in the surface layer material is measured in situ, nondestructively, easily and irrespectively of obstacles and the distance that exist between the detector and the material that is to be measured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of measuring reduction of surface layer material and to an apparatus therefor. More specifically, the invention relates to a method of measuring reduction of surface layer material utilizing activation by neutrons and activation by charged particles and to an apparatus therefor.
2. Prior Art
Machinery and structures, made of various materials, in general, lose their surface layer materials with use because of action such as wear, corrosion, or erosion. A method of measuring such surface layer material reduction by utilizing activation by neutrons and activation by charged particles has heretofore been known. This method comprises essentially the following four steps.
First step (activation)--portions of two objects, which are a component to be actually measured and a reference calibration part, and which are made of the same material, are activated.
Second step (calibration)--a relationship is found for the reference calibration part between the radioactivity and the amount of reduction.
Third step (measurement)--radioactivity is measured for the component while the surface layer is being reduced gradually.
Fourth step (analysis)--the amount of reduction is found from the radioactivity measured in the third step and from the reference calibration obtained in the second step.
However, this method involves problems with regard to the following two points.
(1) Positional relationship between a detector and an object to be measured.
With reference to the above-mentioned third step (measurement), it was not so far possible to change the positional relationship between the detector and the object to be measured during the measurement. That is, the count rate and the amount of reduction could not be related to each other unless the intensity of gamma-rays was measured while maintaining the same positional relationship between the object to be measured and the detector. The intensity of gamma-rays at this positional relationship, was 100% at zero reduction on the calibration curve. This is because a change in the positional relationship between the detector and the object to be measured during the measurement results in a change in the counting efficiency of the detector. The counting efficiency of the detector is represented by the ratio of how much gamma-rays the detector detects out of the total gamma-rays emitted by the object that is to be measured. This varies depending upon how much gamma-rays reach the detector out of the total gamma-rays emitted by the object to be measured, but neglecting the specific response of the detector to the gamma-rays. That is, the counting efficiency for the gamma-rays decreases with the increase in the amount of obstacles and/or the distance that exist between the detector and the object to be detected, and the counting efficiency increases with the decrease in the amount of obstacles and/or the distance. As a result according to the conventional method, the count rate markedly decreases and error increases when the reduction of surface layer material proceeds and radioactivity remaining in the surface layer greatly decreases.
(2) Shape of beam
Charged particles travel in a straight path in a vacuum. Microscopically, however, their paths in a substance are not straight, the paths are bent due to interaction by the atomic nuclei, and the particles travel while losing their energy. When an irradiation field is great to some extent, a multi-bending path of the incident beam in the target substance does not matter much because cross sections of the activated region through the whole depth appear identical with a cross section of the incident beam. In practice, however, the edges swell outwardly beyond the circumference of the incident beam due to multi-bending of the path, but there is almost no effect on the calibration relationship since the swollen portion is very small compared with the irradiation field. When the beam has a very small cross section, on the other hand, the edge of the beam swells to a degree that can no longer be neglected with respect to the irradiation field. Even when the incident energy is the same, therefore, the calibration function varies depending upon the irradiation field, and the calibration operation must be carried out for each case.

Method of measuring reduction of surface layer material and apparatus therefor


A multipurpose connection box for connecting an electrical energy source to at least two different function modules having different electrical functions. Each function module has a different arrangement of male prongs and the connection box has corresponding terminals for receiving those prongs for plugging in either of the function modules one at a time. The terminals include serrated clamping jaws for penetrating insulated wires to provide electrical contact without removal of the insulation. The connection box may include features for mounting modules supporting ceiling fixtures.

Conventional wiring systems include large circuit breaker panels from which wires for electrical circuits are routed to smaller electrical boxes that may be nailed between the studs and joists of a house, office building or other structure to provide electrical power at various locations in each room of the structure. Then, electrical switches, dual outlet receptacles, wiring junctions and other functional circuit assemblies are mounted in these small electrical boxes and connected to wires of electrical circuits within the structure.
To attach an electrical wire to a conventional function assembly, the electrical wire is passed through an opening in the box, the end of the wire is stripped of its insulation, and then the stripped end is bent around a screw of an assembly contact and secured into place by tightening the screw. The functional assembly is then pushed back into the box where it is retained by passing screws through a flange of the assembly and into a corresponding flange of the box. Similarly, where a conventional box is used to form a junction between input and output electrical wires, the respective wires may be inserted into the box through opposing openings in the sides thereof, then pulled out, stripped and twisted together by means of wire nuts, and then pushed back into the box so as to be secured therein by a cover.
In order to change a previously installed switch, outlet or other assembly in a conventional box, it is necessary to remove the box cover, then pull out the old assembly with the wires attached thereto, then detach the wires from the old assembly and reattach them to the new assembly, and then push the new assembly back in the box and secure it therein as previously described. During this changing of assemblies, the power to the box must be turned off in order to avoid the possibility of an electrical shock should the installer inadvertently touch a live wire or component that is exposed during the changing process.

Multipurpose connection box for electrical modules


Systems and methods for power distribution in a hybrid fixed-wing VTOL drone aircraft are disclosed. In an embodiment, a drone aircraft is capable of two modes of operation. In a first mode of operation, the internal combustion engine is shut off while an electric motor-based VTOL system provides lift and thrust. In a second mode of operation, an internal combustion engine provides thrust while a set of fixed wings provide lift. In the second mode of operation, mechanical power from the internal combustion engine provides for power generation to charge an electrical battery to power the electric motor-based VTOL system.

Drone aircraft are typically one of two types. A first type is a fixed-wing design, where lift is provided by one or more fixed wings and forward thrust is provided by a spinning propeller, ducted fan, or jet engine. A second type is a helicopter-type design where lift and forward thrust are provided by one or more vertically oriented rotors or rotary wings. Included in this second type is the so-called 'quad-copter' design which incorporates four vertical rotors. Manipulation of the relative thrust provided by each of the four rotors provides for variable vertical thrust and forward and lateral movement. Fixed-wing aircraft of the first type are generally efficient in long distance transportation. The various multicopter designs of the second type are generally less efficient but have the unique ability to take off vertically. These aircraft designs are said to be capable of Vertical Take-Off and Landing, or VTOL.
Aircraft may use various types of power for thrust and propulsion as well. One type of thrust or propulsion is electric thrust powered by battery power. Electric power may be easy to control by solid state electronics, but battery power storage density is relatively low, such that battery weight is often a significant concern in designing an aircraft. Furthermore, a fully-charged battery weighs approximately the same as a depleted battery. Fossil fuel burning internal combustion engines may also be used in drone aircraft. Liquid fuel provides several advantages. First, it is very energy dense, so an internal combustion engine may produce significant lift or thrust from a given amount of fuel. Second, is that the weight of fuel decreases as it is consumed, such that a plane becomes lighter as it flies.

Systems and methods for power distribution in a drone aircraft


An inlaid tile gutter system for use in swimming pools contains a channel, braces mounted atop the primary gravity flow channel and stiffeners mounted on the poolside of the channel provide a relatively stiff gutter system capable of withstanding deformations due to excessive loadings and impact. Ferro concrete material may be placed within channels formed by the vertical stiffeners to provide a support and a base upon which to set tile.

This invention relates to the field of swimming pools and, more particularly, to an inlaid tile gutter system.
In the swimming pool industry, it is often desirable to have a stainless steel perimeter gutter system which is capable of handling large amounts of water for filtration. One disadvantage with the stainless steel gutter systems is that they have a very slippery stainless steel poolside surface. Consequently, it is difficult for swimmers to firmly support themselves along the inside pool wall.
In pools used for competitive swimming, swimmers use the upper portion of the inside of the pool to turn when they reach the end of the pool during a race. Typically, the swimmer inverts his body 180.degree. prior to touching the side of the pool and then pushes off the side with his or her feet. Therefore, a non-slippery surface is preferable so that the competitive swimmers may get the optimum push off of the pool wall to more efficiently transfer his or her momentum in the opposite direction. Also, competitive swimming rules require backstroke swimmers to utilize the interior surfaces of the pool's gutter for the starts of their races. The backstroker must be in contact with the sidewall of the pool prior to the start of the race and push off the upper inner side of the pool (i.e., the gutter) to begin the race. The more slippery the gutter wall is, the more difficult it is for the backstroker to get a quick start thereby putting him or herself at a competitive disadvantage from the rest of the field.
Apart from competitive swimming, it is otherwise desirable to have a non-slippery inside upper portion of the swimming pool. For example, lifeguarding classes, swimming classes, children's swimming sessions, wading, etc. would be made easier with a non stainless steel perimeter. As a result, it is desirable to create a gutter system which is capable of supporting a non-slippery surface within the water.
Because of its slipperiness and propensity for deformation, it is preferable to have a material other than stainless steel on the outer poolside surface of the gutter while having stainless steel for the inner gutter lining. Tile is preferably used on upper walls in swimming pools not having perimeter stainless steel gutter systems because of its hardness, non slippery surface and resistance to water. Typically, it has not been possible to utilize tile on the outer walls of the stainless steel gutter systems. Stainless steel is not a surface upon which tile may be successfully applied because tile cements, glues, grouts and mortars do not bond well to stainless steel. Any attempt to glue or cement tile directly to the stainless steel gutter typically results in the tile falling off the gutter wall.
Another problem with conventional stainless steel gutter systems is that the thickness of the stainless steel wall of the gutter is propensive to flexation and deformation. If the wall is subjected to a sufficient force it will bend, deflect or even deform. This problem is compounded with the advent of rolling bulkheads which use the gutters of swimming pools as bearings to support the bulkhead weight. These bulkheads are long spans which cover the width of a pool to effectively divide a swimming pool into two separate pools. The bulkheads are capable of rolling along the gutter system at different pool lengths to change the effective pool size. Because the weight of these bulkheads is supported by the gutter systems, the walls of the stainless steel gutters will deform due to stress placed on the gutters. Bonding tile to the stainless steel is, therefore, further compounded by the problem of the gutter walls bending and deforming due to impacts and bulkhead loadings.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stainless steel gutter system which is capable of supporting rolling bulkheads without excessive deformation of the gutter walls.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a gutter system which contains an outer surface which forms the upper inner wall surrounding the entire perimeter of a swimming pool.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stainless steel gutter system, preferred because of the smoothness of the inner lining and propensity to allow water to flow therethrough without the accumulation of debris and other foreign substances therein, which contains an outer tile surface forming the upper inner wall of the swimming pool.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a technique for an inlaid tile gutter system.


A monoolefin oligomerization process which gives high yields of diner and trimer at high monoolefin conversions in a single stage reaction is described. The process involves contacting a C.sub.6-20 oligomerizable olefin with a catalyst comprising boron trifluoride and from 0.05 to 2.5 mol %, based on the total quantity of monoolefin being used, of an alcohol catalyst promoter which is added portionwise during the oligomerization. The oligomerization is performed at a temperature of 45-90.degree. C. and under a pressurized atmosphere of boron trifluoride until the monoolefin conversion is at least 90% and the combined total of dimer and trimer in the liquid reaction mixture is at least 70% by weight.

It is known to produce monoolefin oligomers by use of boron trifluoride as the catalyst together with a co-catalyst component. A variety of co-catalysts have been proposed for this use including water, alcohols, ethers, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and acid anhydrides. Oligomers produced in this manner are useful in the production of synthetic lubricating oils of different viscosities. Typically the production of such products, often referred to as PAOs, involves oligomer fractionation, hydrogenation and back blending to achieve desired properties. Usually the dimers and triers, especially those of 1-decene, are of greatest utility in the production of low viscosity PAOs for various end use applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,507 to Cupples, et al. describes a multi-stage process for oligomerizing 1-decene which includes use of a series of two or more tank type reactors. The patentees found that the trimer to tetramer ratio decreases with increasing 1-decene conversion in both stages of a two-stage operation, and that this ratio is higher in the second and succeeding reactors. Thus the process described in the patent operates at low conversion in the first stage and at higher conversions in succeeding stages of the process. The patent shows in Examples 5 and 6 of Table I that at 1-decene conversions of 83.4% and 90.5%, the amount of dimer in the product was only 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively. In addition, the combined total of dimer and trier in the products was 47.8% at 83.4% conversion and 38.9% at 90.5% conversion.
To satisfy commercial requirements, it would be highly desirable to provide a single stage process which can be operated at high olefin conversions (e.g., above 90%) and which can produce a reaction mixture containing a combined total of dimer and trimer above 70%, and in which at least 20% (preferably at least 30% and more preferably at least 40%) of the reaction mixture is dimer. This invention makes it possible to achieve all of these goals.


Disclosed are a method, information processing system, and computer readable medium for managing data collection in a distributed processing system. The method includes dynamically collecting at least one statistical query pattern associated with a selected group of information processing nodes. The statistical query pattern is dynamically collected from a plurality of information processing nodes in a distributed processing system. At least one operating attribute distribution associated with an operating attribute that has been queried for the selected group is dynamically monitored. The selected group is dynamically configured, based on the query pattern and the operating attribute distribution, to periodically push a set of attributes associated with the each information processing node in the selected group.

Federated computing infrastructures such as Computational Grids and service overlay networks ("SON") have become increasingly important to many emerging applications such as web service composition, distributed stream processing, and workflow management. As these computing infrastructures continue to grow, the efficient management of such large-scale dynamic distributed systems to better support application needs has become a challenging problem. Distributed information management services (which are further described in Robbert van Renesse, Kenneth Birman and Werner Vogels. Astrolab: A robust and scalable technology for distributed system monitoring, management, and data mining. ACM Transactions on Computer Systems, 21(2):164-206, May 2003; P. Yalagandula and M. Dahlin. A Scalable Distributed Information Management System. Proc. of SIGCOMM 2004, August 2004; and David Oppenheimer, Jeannie Albrecht, David Patterson and Amin Vahdat. Design and implementation trade-offs for wide area resource discovery. In HPDC-14, July 2005, respectively, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties) is one of the fundamental building blocks of system management, which can track dynamic system information and make it available via some query interfaces.
Applications running in the distributed environment can then query the current status of the system and make appropriate management decisions. For example, when a new application needs to be executed on a Grid system, a query "find 10 machines that have at least 20% free CPU time, 20 MB memory, and 2G disk space" can be issued to discover necessary resources.
However, providing scalable and efficient information management service for large-scale, dynamic distributed systems such as SONs is a challenging task. On one hand, quality sensitive applications running in such environment desire up-to-date information about the current system in order to better accomplish their application goals. On the other hand, the system can include a large number of geographically dispersed nodes (e.g., the World Community Grid consists of many thousands of nodes), and each node can be associated with many dynamic attributes (e.g., CPU load, memory space, disk storage, and other application level attributes). Obtaining accurate information about all nodes with their complete information inevitably involves high system overhead.
Distributed information management is critical for any large-scale system management infrastructure. For example, both the CoMon PlanetLab monitoring service and the Grid Monitoring/Discovery Service, (which are further described in K. Park and V. S. Pai. Comon: A mostly-scalable monitoring system for planetlab. Operating Systems Review, Vol 40, No 1, January 2006, and K. Czajlowski, S. Fitzgerald, I. Foster, and C. Kesselman. Grid information services for distributed resource sharing. In HPDC-10, 2001, respectively, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties), have proven extremely useful for their user communities. However, both systems are statically configured. Every node pushes all attribute data to a central server at fixed intervals, even when the attribute data are unlikely to satisfy application queries.
Astrolabe and SDIMS, (which are further described in enter Robbert van Renesse, Kenneth Birman and Werner Vogels. Astrolab: A robust and scalable technology for distributed system monitoring, management, and data mining. ACM Transactions on Computer Systems, 21(2):164-206, May 2003; P. Yalagandula and M. Dahlin. A Scalable Distributed Information Management System. Proc. of SIGCOMM 2004, August 2004, respectively, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties), are two representative scalable distributed information management systems. The primary focus of these systems is aggregation queries such as MIN, MAX, and SUM.
Other systems such as Mercury, SWORD and PIER, (which are further described in Ashwin R. Bharambe, Mukesh Agrawal, and Srinivasan Seshan. Mercury: Supporting scalable multi-attribute range queries. In SIGCOMM 2004, August 2004; David Oppenheimer, Jeannie Albrecht, David Patterson and Amin Vahdat. Design and implementation trade-offs for wide area resource discovery. In HPDC-14, July 2005, and Ryan Huebsch, Joseph M. Hellerstein, Nick Lanham, Boon Thau Loo, Scott Shenker and Ion Stoica. Querying the internet with PIER. In Proceedings of 29th VLDB Conference, 2003, respectively, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties), can support multi-attribute queries. However, their focus is on how to resolve queries in different decentralized architectures.
Additionally, there has been work on query pattern/workload estimation (such as that described in N. Bruno, S. Chaudhuri, and L. Gravano. Stholes: A multidimensional workload-aware histogram. In ACM SIGMOID 2001, May 2001, and Yi-Leh Wu, Divyakant Agrawal, and Amr El Abbadi. Query estimation by adaptive sampling. In 18th International Conference on Data Engineering (ICDE'02), 2002, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties), in the database community. The goal is often to build appropriate histograms to estimate the data distribution, so that different query plans can be evaluated more accurately.
Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.

Model-based self-optimizing distributed information management

International Business Machines Corporation


A radio wave absorber for use in an electromagnetic field probe that measures an electromagnetic field by means of an antenna section provided therewith, the radio wave absorber including: a first end section; a second end section that is located at a position opposite the first end section; and an intermediate section that is located between the first and second end sections, the intermediate section having outer dimension and thickness that increase in accordance with a distance from the first end section toward the second end section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic field measurement system for measuring an electromagnetic field by means of an electromagnetic field probe, and to a radiated immunity system.
The present invention also relates to an electromagnetic field probe used for measuring an electromagnetic field, and to a radio wave absorber and an exterior body that cover an electromagnetic field probe for measuring an electromagnetic field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many electromagnetic wave sources, such as electronic equipment, electrical appliances, and radio equipment, have recently become prevalent in home. Electromagnetic waves originating from the electromagnetic wave sources have the potential risk of affecting the ambient electromagnetic-wave environment in various manners, and the electronic equipment, or the like, which becomes the source of electromagnetic waves may also be affected by the electromagnetic environment originating from another electromagnetic wave source. For these reasons, the electronic equipment is desired to prevent emission of electromagnetic waves outside the equipment and to have EMC (Electro-Magnetic Compatibility) measures of resistance to the ambient electromagnetic environment.
The EMC measures must be adopted so as to address emission or EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interface) and immunity or EMS (Electro-Magnetic Susceptibility).
IEC61000-4-3 is available as upstandards for evaluating immunity of such electronic equipment or the like. In order to evaluate resistance of electronic equipment to electromagnetic interference, a test defined by the regulations is conducted by exposing a device under test or EUT (Equipment under Test) to electromagnetic interference to which electronic equipment is presumed to be exposed, and observing the behavior of the device or EUT.
A specific configuration for an immunity test is described in JP-A-4-029069. The document JP-A-4-029069 describes the steps of: emitting electromagnetic wave noise toward a device under test placed in a radio wave shielded chamber whose wall surfaces are filled with radio absorbers; and a technician monitoring whether or not the device under test performs faulty operation when exposed to this disturbance factor, by way of a monitor. Evaluation of immunity of such electronic equipment to radiation noise entails prevention of influence of electromagnetic wave noise to the outside and highly accurate measurement of a characteristic.
In order to conduct an immunity test, formation of a uniform electric field region within the radio wave shielded chamber must have been ascertained in advance. Ascertaining the performance of such a radio wave shielded chamber requires measuring the value of electric field intensity in the radio wave shielded chamber through use of a field sensor; and recording the resultant deviation.
As to a field sensor, a product capable of measuring a broadband frequency exceeding 1 GHz is commercially available (e.g., a probe manufactured by ETSLINDGREN Co., Ltd.), and the value of field intensity in the radio wave shielded chamber is measured by use of the field sensor.

Radio wave absorber, electromagnetic field measurement system and radiated immunity system


The present invention provides systems and methods that isomorphically maps constructs between domain spaces (e.g., object, markup, relational and user interface domains). The systems and methods employ a mapping component that utilizes at least one suppress label(s), introduce label(s) and/or mediating schema to facilitate construct mapping. Examples of such mapping include transforming a named construct to an anonymous construct, a named construct to a named construct, an anonymous construct to a named construct, and an anonymous construct to an anonymous construct. In general, introduce labels can be utilized to provide names for anonymous constructs and/or modify existing names; suppress labels typically are utilized to suppress names such as introduced names or names a user desires to be suppressed; and mediating schema can be utilized to provide a default or user customized mapping to an intermediate schema before, during and/or after construct mapping.

Applications commonly are built using object-oriented programming languages, wherein information is often modeled as domain objects. Such objects can be utilized to encapsulate information (e.g., business related), wherein various components can manipulate these objects during the process of implementing use cases. In many instances, it is desirable to build such applications such that the information is expressed in the form of markup language, such as XML (Extensible Markup Language) or SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) artifact, for example.
Today, there are a variety of technologies that generate XML artifacts from object code or instances of object code and process the XML artifacts. For example, standard APIs (Application Program Interfaces) such as SAX (Simple API for XML) and DOM (Document Object Model) are often employed. In addition, industry language standards such as XSL (Extensible Style Language) and XPath are commonly utilized. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as schema compilers and data binders, and homegrown XML programming APIs (which are often built on top of SAX and DOM) that simplify specific application needs are becoming more and more prevalent.
However, there often is a large impedance mismatch between the structure utilized to represent XML artifacts and objects. Thus, to enable programmers in the object world to work seamlessly in the XML world as if the XML representation were objects, this impedance mismatch must be resolved. One common technique utilized to bridge the gap is to employ a data-binding or mapping tool. Such tools typically provide some form of mapping between the XML and the object domains, or space. For example, given an XSD (XML Schema Definition) schema, a data binder can be utilized to serialize schema values to a type-declaration (e.g., class type) with corresponding field labels. In another example, a data binder can be utilized to generate the XSD schema from the type-declaration. This impedance mismatch is not limited to structural differences between XML and object domain representations. For example, this mismatch can be found between structures in relational, object, markup and/or user interface domains.
Because of the structure mismatch, suitable data-binding tools must provide users with at least some control over construct mappings. For example, the user may desire to utilize different field names for disparate domains, serialize particular fields to one or more attributes instead of child elements, prevent particular elements from being serialized, etc. Techniques to achieve such customization include annotating types and/or annotating schemas.
One particular difference between a markup language representation and an object-oriented representation that amplifies the structure mismatch is the fact that type-systems of mainstream object-oriented languages generally are nominal (named) types whereas many markup language constructs are anonymous constructs. Mapping between such different structures is not handled very well with conventional data-binding tools. For example, many conventional systems when generating objects from markup language interpret constraints for anonymous elements in the markup language representation as if the constraints were distributed over named child elements in the markup language representation. However, this interpretation can result in a completely different content model than what is intended by the original schema. Consequently, it might be impossible to ascertain whether the original schema was the anonymous schema with constraints for anonymous elements or whether the constraints were associated with the child elements. Thus, there is a need to provide more versatile data binding techniques that overcome the aforementioned shortcomings associated with conventional data binding systems.

Systems and methods that transform constructs from domain to domain


A device for harvesting bone, including a hollow cylindrical rod having a sharpened distal end, a proximal end with a handle thereon, and a chamber therein extending axially between the proximal and distal ends. A plunger rod is inserted into the proximal end of the cylindrical rod, the plunger rod being slidable axially within the chamber. A sealing support is provided on the proximal end of the hollow cylindrical rod for engaging the plunger rod to establish a slidable hermetic seal therebetween and prevent retrograde flow of air into the chamber from the proximal end of the cylindrical rod. The device also includes a side opening in the cylindrical rod communicating with the chamber, which is connectable to a source of vacuum for evacuating fluid from the chamber into a fluid reservoir connectable to the side opening for collecting fluid therein.

1. Field of the Invention
Bone grafting is among one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures by surgeons challenged with reconstructing or replacing skeletal defects. Over the years, several techniques have been devised to obtain and implant autologous bone. Scientist and clinicians have sought and defined the essential elements of bone healing and have further desired to secure these elements when considering the benefits of various types of bone grafting techniques. The essential elements required for bone regeneration are osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenic cells. In this regard, autogenous bone is the gold standard for bone harvesting. Cancellous bone contains all of these elements but lacks structural integrity. Cortical bone has structural integrity but is limited in quantity. Further, clinicians have recognized the consequences of donor site morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. To circumvent some of these issues, numerous synthetic bone like products have been made available for general use. Each product attempts to exploit one or more of the three essential elements of bone regeneration described above. Although many of these products, e.g., Pro Osteon, INTERPORE, Collagraft, ZIMMER, and others are unique, they all are very expensive and continue to escape the concepts of healthcare reform: A standard of care, with standard products, at a standard cost..COPYRGT.
To define a less invasive technique for bone harvesting, percutaneous methods have been described. The recently developed techniques simply involve using a coring cylindrical device to obtain a segment of bone. David Billmire, M.D. describes this technique in his article, Use of the CORB Needle Biopsy for the Harvesting of Iliac Crest Bone Graft, PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, February 1994. Billmire makes no effort to ensure the quality of the harvested bone but rather describes a power-driven counter-rotating hollow needle as cutting through bone and soft tissue. Michael Saleh describes a percutaneous technique for bone harvesting in his article, Bone Graft Harvesting: A percutaneous Technique, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery [Br] 1991; 73-B: 867-8. The author describes using a trephine to twist and lever out a core of bone of 8 mm in size. INNOVASIVE DEVICES describes using their COR.TM. System for arthroscopic bone graft harvesting. This system describes a disposable cutter having a distal cutting tooth projected into the lumen of the Harvester. This cutting tooth ensures that all harvested osteochondral bone grafts taken will be a uniform depth. This cutting tool also serves as means for removing the harvested bone from its donor site. Further, the plunger of the COR.TM. System is used to gently disengage the harvested bone so as to maintain the overall height of the graft. This concept is absolutely essential to the successful use of the COR.TM. System as these precisely obtained samples of osteochondral bone are implanted into pre-drilled osteochondral defects within the knee. Further, a vacuum of any sort could not be used on the COR.TM. System as the vacuum would simply continue to extract water from the knee joint, thereby failing to create an effective pressure drop across the harvested bone, and loss of operative visualization.
When considering bone for grafting purposes, the recipient site must be considered as well. Failure to achieve bony union at a fracture site may be caused by several reasons. Frequently, the blood flow is inadequate in the fracture area as a consequence of local trauma during the inciting event. Thus, when considering augmentation of the healing process with bone graft, it is imperative that the grafted bone contain all of the essential elements germane to successful osseous regeneration, namely, osteoconductive elements, osteoinductive elements, and osteoprogenitor cells. All current devices used for bone grafting focus on quantity, the osteoconductive portion of the harvested bone, and not quality, the osteoinductive portion of the harvested bone. Bone is viscoelastic, see below, and includes elements that are both elastic, osteoconductive, and viscous, osteoinductive. The osteoprogenitor cells and various proteins are within this viscous fluid state. Therefore, any device used to harvest bone to promote osseous union must consider the issues of osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteoprogenitor cells. Regarding cancerous bone, these fluid elements are within the interstices of the bone.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
To recognize the issues at hand governing the invention described herein, a simple discussion of biomechanics, physiology, and some general physics is warranted and presented in support hereof.
Bone is a viscoelastic material, and as such, it behaves predictably along its stress strain curve when axially loaded in either tension or compression. The key word here is viscoelastic. The prefix "visco" describes the fluid component of the material being tested and the suffix "elastic" describes the recoil potential of the material being tested. The ratio of stress:strain is Young's Modulus. Clearly, a spring is fully elastic. One may place a tension force on a spring, but when the tension is released, the spring recoils to its original length. A syringe, on the other hand, with a thin hypodermic needle attached, is considered viscoelastic. In other words, the amount of deformation observed is time dependent. Simply, the deformation will remain after the tension is removed. Consider one throwing Silly Putty against the ground and observing it bounce versus letting the material sit on a counter for several hours. One should appreciate that minimal deformation occurs when the Silly Putty bounces from the floor versus sitting on a counter for several hours. The deformation is time dependent as a consequence of the internal fluid properties of the material, an amount of time is required to observe a net fluid flow. Bone behaves in a similar fashion, but has the additional property of being able to respond to a given stress by forming new bone. When bone fails to respond favorably, it fractures.
The physiologic properties of bone hinge on the fluid elements that govern bone regeneration, namely, bone morphogenic protein, various hormones, and osteoprogenitor cells. These fluid elements are integral to the physiologic function of bone and are found within the bone marrow and the circulatory system. Appreciate that there is a net flow of these elements as bone bares a daily physiologic load during normal walking. Since the circulatory system is a closed system, a net loss of these fluid elements is not observed but rather metabolic maintenance of the various cells and proteins as they age and become nonfunctional.
Bone is incompressible above or below its elastic limit, i.e., Young's Modulus. Poisson's ratio is used to describe this behavior and can be defined as follows: EQU .nu.=-(.DELTA.d/d.sub.0)/(.DELTA.l.LAMBDA..sub.0) (1),
Poisson's ratio can be thought of as a measure of how much a material thins when it is stretched, consider taffy, or how much a material bulges when it is compressed. Regarding bone, one does not necessarily observe an increase in volume when it is compressed, but rather an increase in the density as bone remodels along the lines of stress, i.e., form follows function, Wolff's Law. When bone is compressed beyond its elastic limit, it fractures, therefore, its area will increase in a direction.apprxeq.perpendicular to the line of force. The fracture observed occurs in the osteoconductive portion of bone, and a fluid flow will occur within the osteoinductive portion of bone having the osteoprogenitor cells.
When obtaining autogenous bone for grafting, one should have an appreciation for the above principles as they will govern the quality of the bone graft material obtained. Additionally, traditional open techniques involve uncontrolled morselization of the bone graft material, thereby decreasing the amount of harvested osteoconductive bone for grafting purposes. The invention described herein exploits these principles uniquely so as to obtain unequivocally the optimum quantity and quality of bone graft material. The inventor recognizes the desire of all clinicians to eliminate donor site morbidity and promote rapid osseous incorporation of the grafted material at the recipient site. Importantly, these noble objectives will be tempered by healthcare reform.


A method, system and computer readable code for instrumenting code into database access modules are disclosed. According to some embodiments, specific functions within the database access module are identified as query-execution functions, and instructions for logging at least one of database access strings and database connection string during runtime are instrumented into the identified query-execution functions. Exemplary database access strings include database query strings, such as an SQL query string, and stored procedure names. Optionally, additional instructions for extracting various parameters, such as database identifiers, performance parameters, and security policy parameters, from the database connection strings are instrumented. According to some embodiments, the identifying of query-execution functions includes determining if an identity of a candidate function of a database access module matches one of the identifiers of a known execution function. According to some embodiments, a repository of known query execution functions and/or a repository of encoding schema for database connection strings is maintained, for example, using one or more configuration files.

There is an ongoing need for tools that effectively locate performance bottlenecks in applications that access one or more databases. In particular, there is a need to distinguish between delays attributable to bottlenecks in the database tier (e.g. delays associated with execution of a given SQL statement and/or database stored procedure) and delays derived from execution of the client application code. In some systems, this problem is complicated by the fact that distributed application code residing on one or more client machines accesses a plurality of different databases residing on different database machines. Furthermore, it is noted that in many situations the accessed databases are not accessed exclusively by the performance-monitored application, but rather are simultaneously accessed by other applications.
In order to address the aforementioned issues, there is an ongoing need for systems and methods for monitoring which database services are being accessed by the performance-monitored application, and under which conditions these services are being accessed.
In particular, there is an ongoing need for systems and methods operative to instrument into application code instructions for maintaining a log of database access strings invoked by a particular performance-monitored application. This would, for example, enable the tracking of particular query strings and/or the names of stored procedures invoked by the application.
Furthermore, there is a need for systems and methods operative to instrument into application code instructions for maintaining a log of database connection string, or database connection description strings. In general, connection strings encode a plurality of paramaters related to the database connection used for a specific database call, such performance parameters, database identifiers, and security parameters. Therefore, the logging of database connection strings during runtime is useful for performance-monitoring a given application.
Furthermore, is noted that many database related strings such as SQL statements, stored procedure names, and database connection strings may be generated dynamically during runtime. Therefore, there is an ongoing need for tools which can extract and/or monitor dynamically generated strings during runtime.

Method, system and computer-readable code for instrumenting code for logging database-related strings


A child safety restraining device comprising: (a) one ankle strap having a first end and a second end; (b) means for fastening the first end and the second end of the ankle strap to each other; (c) one anchor strap having a first end and a second end; (d) means for attaching the first end of the anchor strap and the ankle strap to each other; and (e) means for anchoring the second end of the anchor strap to an apparatus, e.g. a shopping cart, in which a child may be seated, at an anchoring point on the apparatus. Also provided are methods of using such a device to restrain seated children and increase their safety.

This invention relates to safety devices for children. More particularly, it relates to child safety restraining devices for use where a child is seated, for example, a shopping cart, high-chair, stroller, infant seat, or similar apparatuses.
Shopping carts were introduced in the 1930's and in the following decades they were fitted with child seats, allowing child-caretakers more freedom to move about while placing the child in what was believed to be a relatively safe and immobile position. While it took a long time for adults to develop shopping carts, the period was brief before children figured out how to escape from child seats, and unknowingly place themselves in danger of falling or other bodily peril. Most shopping carts are presently equipped with a child carrier, either integral or retro-fitted, designed such that children are in a seated position, facing the driver of the cart, straddling a divider between the child's legs. This is also how many high-chairs, strollers, infant seats and other items in which children are seated, are designed, and thus the difficulties associated with restraining children in them are similar to those encountered with shopping carts.
Children often wiggle around in these seats and may reposition their legs so that both extend through the same side of the divider. This may allow the child to slip through and fall or slip through only partially and become stuck therein, thus either dangling or causing the entire cart or chair to fall over. Some shopping carts or like apparatuses are fitted with safety belts to restrain a child's movements. U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,046 (Gordy, et al.) describes a waist belt restraint. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,726 (Wood) describes a safety belt that extends around the waist and also between the legs of a child. U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,200 (Howell) describes a child restraint seat including shoulder straps and lap straps that are crossed around a child. U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,521 (Divoky, et al.) describes a child restraint system with a pair of shoulder straps and a crotch strap. For high-chairs, U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,750 (Tsai) describes a waist belt.
The safety systems provided in the art, however, suffer from various shortcomings. Some are too complex for many consumers who desire simpler systems to operate. Complex systems may encourage non-use altogether, or may result in partial or incorrect use, which may be more harmful to the child than if no safety device were employed. Safety systems that only provide waist restraint may be compromised by children who manage to wiggle out of the waist strap and then may risk getting their necks caught in the strap. Still other safety systems have fastening means that are within the grasp of the child and such means are liable to be unfastened by the child being restrained or accompanying children. Accordingly, there remains a need to provide a child safety restraining device that is not unduly complex to properly operate, is more resistant to being wiggled-free from, is not likely to cause further risk if it is compromised, and/or is less susceptible to being unfastened by the child it is intended to protect or by accompanying children.
It is desirable to have safety systems that may be either permanently attached or removably attached to the apparatus in which the child is seated. Removable ones may be susceptible to theft; however, they may be removed and cleaned. Permanent ones reduce the opportunity for theft and avoid the need for caretakers to carry the systems with them wherever they go. The skilled person will necessarily consider the circumstances around which the use of the device is contemplated to determine whether to employ removable or permanent systems.
The applicants have found, surprisingly, that many of the above mentioned difficulties may be remedied with a child safety restraining device that restrains a child's legs at or near the ankle, anchoring the leg to the apparatus in which the child is seated. Such child safety restraining devices comprise an ankle strap having ends that can be fastened to each other, an anchor strap that can be attached to the ankle strap at one end and can be anchored to the apparatus at another end.

Child safety restraining device for use where a child is seated


The present disclosure provides a speaker recognition method and apparatus, a computer device and a computer-readable medium. The method comprises: receiving target speech data of a to-be-recognized user in a target group; according to the target speech data, a pre-collected speech database and a pre-trained speaker recognition model, obtaining speech output features corresponding to the target speech data and speech output features corresponding to each of said speech data in the speech database; the speaker recognition model employs a convolution neural network model; recognizing the user corresponding to the target speech data according to the speech output features corresponding to the target speech data and the speech output features corresponding to each of said speech data in the speech database. By employing the speaker recognition model based on the convolution neural network model, the present disclosure can accurately obtain the speech output features of each speech data, thereby more accurately recognizing the user corresponding to the target speech data and thereby substantially improving the efficiency of recognizing speakers.

Speaker Recognition (SR), also called Voiceprint Recognition (VPR), is a type of biological recognition technology, and specifically means judging who speaks a sentence through speech.
The voiceprint recognition in the prior art comprises text-dependent voiceprint recognition and text-independent voiceprint recognition. A text-dependent voiceprint recognition system requires a user to utter a speech according to prescribed content, and each person's voiceprint model is precisely built. Upon recognition, the user must utter the speech according to the prescribed content to thereby achieve a better recognition effect. However, the system needs the user's cooperation. If the speech uttered by the user does not conform to the prescribed content, the user cannot be correctly recognized. A text-independent recognition system does not prescribe the content uttered by the speaker, and it is relatively difficult to build a model. However, the user uses the system conveniently and the system can be applied in a wider scope. For example, in a text-independent speaker recognition scheme in the prior art, a Gaussian mixture model is mainly used to learn a Gauss cluster center from a lot of speech and background sound data, as i-vecotr corresponding to the speaker's speech data. As for each speech data to be recognized, the i-vecotr of the speech data to be recognized is obtained. Then, similarity calculation is performed for the i-vecotr of the speech data to be recognized and i-vecotr of each known speaker's speech data, and the speaker to be recognized is recognized as a speaker corresponding to speech data with the highest similarity.
However, the scheme in the prior art of using a Gaussian mixture model to learn a Gauss cluster center from a lot of speech and background sound data, as i-vecotr corresponding to the speaker's speech data is a linear processing scheme. The learnt i-vecotr cannot very accurately characterize features of the speaker's speech data, which causes a lower speaker recognition efficiency.

Speaker recognition method and apparatus, computer device and computer-readable medium

BAIDU ONLINE NETWORK TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.


This invention aims to provide a method and apparatus for detecting a synchronization shift in which the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image can be accurately detected even if noises are generated by a video codec or the like. An original image sent out from an image source 1 has a sine wave for synchronization overwritten thereon in a frame memory. The image on which the sine wave has been overwritten is decoded in a codec and stored in another frame memory. The two images srored. in two frame memories are simultaneously started to be read out. From the image from the other frame memory, only the sine wave is extracted in a notch filter, subjected to an offset correction in an adder, and inputted to asynchronization shift detecting unit. The synchronization shift detecting unit uses the sine wave to detect line, frame and horizontal pixel shifts. Since a sine wave is used as a synchronization marker and only the sine wave is extracted in the notch filter, the synchronization shift can be accurately detected.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention is related to a method and apparatus for the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image of video signal, and particularly to a method and apparatus for accurately detecting the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image of video signal outputted from a video codec or the like in a system for evaluating the video codec.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of the conventional method and apparatus for synchronizing an original image with a reproduced image of video signal, there is a method invented by the present inventors and described in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 8-205156 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,500), etc. This method is outlined with reference to FIG. 10.
When an original image is inputted from an image source 51 to a first input unit 52, the first input unit 52 performs an A/D conversion of this image, and then outputs it to a synchronization marker adding unit 53. The synchronization marker adding unit 53 adds a synchronization maker, for instance, of a rectangular wave to incoming digital data. The digital data to which the synchronization marker has been added is sent to a system to be evaluated 57 via an output unit 56.
The system to be evaluated 57 is a digital television codec which is a subject to be tested, and the system to be evaluated 57 codes incoming digital data, and thereafter decodes and outputs it to a second input unit 58. The second input unit 58 digitizes the decoded data and outputs it. The reproduced image data outputted from the second input unit 58 is inputted to a synchronization control unit 54. The synchronization control unit 54 controls the delay by a delay unit 55 so that the marker of the original data delayed at the delay unit 55 matches that of the reproduced image data. The delay is, for instance, one frame or several frames. Consequently, the original image data can be synchronized with the reproduced image data.
However, in the above described prior art, a rectangular wave was used as a waveform for the synchronization marker. A rectangular wave contains many frequencies, and if noises of various frequencies are superposed on the rectangular wave by video codec or the like, the waveform of the rectangular wave collapses. It is substantially impossible to remove the noises to restore the waveform: of the marker to the rectangular wave. Accordingly, the synchronization must be performed by detecting the synchronization shift by the collapsed marker waveform, and a synchronization shift cannot be accurately detected, which leads to a problem that an accurate synchronization is not provided.
It is the object of the present invention to remove the above described prior art problem and provide a method and apparatus for the detecting a synchronization shift, in which the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image of video signal can be accurately detected even if a noise is generated by a video codec or the like.
To accomplish the above object, the present invention is a method for detecting the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image of video signal, characterized in that a signal of a substantially single frequency is used as the synchronization marker for the original image and the processed image, and the signal is overwritten on-a plurality of predetermined lines of the original image.
Further, the present invention is characterized by subjecting the reproduced image to a narrow-band band-pass filtering to extract the signal-frequency signal, and calculating the inner product of a signal obtained by subjecting the signal-frequency signal to an offset processing and the signal-frequency signal overwritten on the original image between the lines of the reproduced image and the original image which are corresponding to each other, thereby to detect at least one of the line shift and the frame shift; and subjecting the reproduced image to a narrow-band band-pass filtering to extract the signal-frequency signal, and calculating the inner product of a signal obtained by subjecting the signal-frequency signal to an offset processing and each inter-pixel interpolation of the signal-frequency signal overwritten on the original image between the lines of the reproduced image and the original image which are corresponding to each other, thereby to detect the horizontal pixel shift.
Furthermore, the present invention is an apparatus for detecting the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image, characterized by comprising an overwriting means for overwriting a sine wave or a cosine wave on a plurality of predetermined lines of the original image, a narrow-band band-pass filter means for extracting only the sine wave or cosine wave with respect to the reproduced image on which the sine wave or cosine wave has been overwritten, an offset correction means for performing a direct-current offset correction on the sine or cosine wave having passed through the band-pass filter means, and a detecting means for detecting at least one of the line shift, frame shift and horizontal pixel shift by using the original image and the sine or cosine wave of the reproduced image on which the offset correction has been made.
In accordance with the present invention, since a signal of a substantially signal frequency is used as the synchronization marker for the original image and the reproduced image, noises of the various frequencies generated by the processing by a video codec or the like and superposed on the synchronization marker can be completely removed. Accordingly, the line shift, frame shift and horizontal pixel shift between the original image and the reproduced image can be accurately detected.

Method and apparatus for detecting synchronization shift between original image and reproduced image of video signal


The present invention relates to phenyl-substituted heterocyclyl derivatives of the formula (I),

As a response to allergen exposure in allergic conditions, mast cells are activated and release mediators like histamine, thromboxane A2 (TxA2), cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2). These mediators interact with their respective receptors and cause physiological effects such as increased vascular permeability, edema, pruritus, nasal and pulmonary congestion, bronchoconstriction, and mucus secretion. An increased vascular permeability for example, allows excessive infiltration of eosinophilic and basophilic leukocytes into the tissue and thus amplifies the allergic response. Current treatments of allergic diseases comprise agents that can block or otherwise interrupt such interactions, e.g. anti-histamines (histamine H1 receptor antagonists), leukotriene receptor antagonists, beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, and corticosteroids. Generally, treatments with anti-histamines and leukotriene antagonists are limited in efficacy, and long-term usage of corticosteroids is often associated with unwanted side effects.
PGD2 is an agonist known to act on two G-protein-coupled receptors, the PGD2 receptor DP1 and the recently identified CRTH2 (chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells) receptor (also referred to as "DP2 receptor").
Elevated PGD2 levels are considered to cause inflammation as observed in allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and the like. Therefore, blocking the interaction of PGD2 with its receptors is considered a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of such diseases.
GB 2388540 discloses the use of ramatroban ((3R)-3-(4-fluorobenzene-sulfonamido)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole-9-propionic acid), a TxA2 receptor (also referred to as "TP receptor") antagonist with additional antagonistic activity on CRTH2, for the prophylaxis and treatment of allergic diseases, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis or allergic conjunctivitis. In T. Ishizuka et al., Cardiovascular Drug Rev. 2004, 22(2), 71-90 effects of ramatroban on late-phase inflammation are described. Furthermore, oral bioavailability of ramatroban and its ability to inhibit prostaglandin D2-induced eosinophil migration in vitro has been reported (Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 305(1), p. 347-352 (2003)). A different CRTH2 receptor antagonist has been recently described to have positive clinical effects in the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (F. Horak et al., Allergy, 2012, 67(12), 1572-9) and asthma (N. Barnes et al., Clin. Exp. Allergy, 2012, 42(1), 38-48).
CRTH2 receptor antagonists containing a biphenyl-acetic acid moiety have been for instance described in WO 2009/099901, WO 2009/099902, WO 2009/108720, WO 2010/042652 and WO 2011/017201. Biphenyloxy-acetic acid derivatives as CRTH2 receptor antagonists have been disclosed in WO 2009/089192. Phenyl-substituted heterocyclyl derivatives have been described in WO 2012/004722.

Heterocyclyl derivatives and their use as prostaglandin D2 receptor modulators

Abstract: wherein Z, n, m, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are as described in the description and their use as prostaglandin receptor modulators, most particularly as prostaglandin D2 receptor modulators, in the treatment of various prostaglandin-mediated diseases and disorders, to pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds and to processes for their preparation.


Monogastric digestion animals, such as pigs and chickens, are raised in a completely environmentally sound and effective manner that has numerous other advantages over conventional feed lot confinement. The animals are allowed to roam and feed freely in a confined and managed at least one acre fodder tree orchard with pasture base (20-40% swine-compatible legumes, 80-55% grasses). The fodder trees are at least primarily honey locust, mulberry, chestnut, and persimmon, about 30-45 mature trees per acre. Swine may first be raised on primarily pasture alone, and the pasture base from the orchard harvested to produce hay, which is removed for use at a later time and/or place. A hog may be raised having a weight of about 250-340 pounds, and a lean weight of at least about 38%, and at least 5% leaner and heavier on average than if raised in feed lot confinement.

The invention relates to raising monogastric digestion animals—such as pigs, chickens, and turkeys, but particularly suitable and advantageous for raising pigs—in a cost effective, humane, and environmentally sound manner.
When pigs were first used for food by humans, they typically were allowed to roam freely in forests, much as they did before they were domesticated. However as alternative uses for land became more common, and when the need for higher yields of meat became important as human populations increased, farmers moved increasingly restricted confinement of the pigs. At present, in the United States particularly, most hogs are now raised with a high level of confinement (feed lots), which results in unhealthy living conditions, erosion, pollution, a high cost of feed vs. return on production, and limited marketability.
There are a significant number of hogs that are now raised primarily on pasture land. This overcomes a number of the problems discussed above, but still requires that the animals be fed a significant amount of grain—such as corn—and requires a significant amount of land. There also are proposals for feeding hogs fruit from fodder trees, by harvesting the fruit and bringing it to the hogs in a confined area, but such proposals have not been particularly successful.
According to the present invention, an optimized method is provided for raising monogastric digestion animals, and perhaps best suited for raising hogs for market. The invention has all of the advantages that pasture raising has over confinement techniques (e.g. feedlots), and additionally minimizes the amount of additional feed and land area that need be used to grow hogs of a particular size. The invention uses about half the grain of feed lot systems for growing hogs of marketable size, typically grows hogs with more lean meat than feed lots, has lower production, break-even, and start-up costs, results in happier animals and farmers, renovates pasture land, results in excellent erosion control, mitigates environmental extremes, optimizes space utilization (including being able to use land that might otherwise be non-productive), and is simply environmentally superior to feed lots, or most other techniques. While there are some potential drawbacks, such as additional labor requirements, the animals may be slower to reach market weight, non-conventional breeds may be optimal, etc., they are typically enormously overshadowed by the advantages.
According to one of the most basic aspects of the present invention, there is provided a method of raising animals with monogastric digestion, comprising a) feeding the animals with monogastric digestion in a confined and managed fodder tree orchard with pasture base. Preferably a) is practiced with a pasture base that comprises about 20-40% swine-compatible legumes and about 85-55% grasses. The legumes are preferably selected from alfalfa, ladino clover, lespedeza clover, and combinations thereof, and the grasses are preferably selected from small grain cereals including barley, oats, and winter wheat, orchard grass, endophyte-free fescue, timothy, brome grass, sorghum sudangrass hybrid, and combinations thereof, although many other types of legumes or grasses may be utilized. Also, a) may be further practiced by strip seeding the pasture base with brassicas, rape, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, or combinations thereof, as well as other plants that are particularly nutritious for hogs, turkeys, or the like.
The preferred fodder trees used in the practice of a) include primarily honey locust, mulberry, chestnut, persimmon, and combinations thereof, although other types of trees may be dispersed in the orchard, such as apple or pear trees. Procedure a) is preferably practiced using about 30-45 (e.g. about 35) mature (e.g. about 8-80 years old) fodder trees per acre of the orchard. When a) is practiced using at least primarily dioecious trees (such as honey locust) in the orchard, instead of providing male trees in the orchard, the method may be facilitated by grafting male branches on female trees at sufficient intervals to properly pollinate the female trees. Also, a) may be practiced using honey locust trees of a type which can produce about 40% sugar in the fruit pulp. The fooder trees may be produced from clones, or by planting about 120-180 seedling per acre and then thinning them as the grow depending upon location and health and fruit production of the seedlings.
In the method a) is most preferably practiced on old pasture land, hillsides, or other land not well suited for row crops but suitable for fodder tree and pasture growth.
Particularly when the animals are pigs, the method may further comprise: b) shortly prior to a) raising the pigs on primarily pasture alone. In order to prevent the orchard land from being trampled too much, with possible damage to the trees, in the wettest weather (typically the spring), the pigs are first raised on substantially pasture alone. At this time the pasture plants, including grasses, grow almost twice as quickly as later in the year, and the grass roots hold the soil well, particularly if there is at least about 60% grasses (or plants with like soil holding and hog feed-compatible properties). The pasture land used in b) may have approximately the same composition and types of plants as described above with respect to the orchard pasture base, except that the pasture plants used in the practice of a) should likely be slightly more shade tolerant, even though the orchard tree type and density is not such as to significantly adversely affect the growth of most desirable grasses and legumes.
The method also preferably further comprises c) harvesting the pasture base from the fodder tree orchard primarily prior to a) to produce hay, and removing at least the majority of the hay from the orchard for use at a later time and/or place (such as silage for sows during the winter time). With about 35 trees per acre, substantially uniformly spaced in a grid, they will be located about 36 feet apart. This allows four passes of a conventional eight foot mower bar during harvesting of the pasture plants, making harvesting simple and easy, and insuring no damage to the trees.
Preferably a)-c) are practiced in temperature zones 5-8 from about April to about November.
In the practice of the method, it is most desirable if substantially each pig is fed about 1-2 pounds of grain (one pound for feeder pigs, two pounds for sows) per day, and also conventional vitamin and/or mineral supplements, during the practice of a) and b). Typically, a) is practiced with about 15-25 feeder hogs per acre.
In the method a) is typically practiced at least in part by providing an electric fence around an orchard of at least one acre, although natural barriers, such as cliffs and deep ravines, can provide part of the confinement. Orchards about 10-20 acres is size would likely be ideal. In the orchards, water sources can be provided for the pigs in the form of conventional nipples, or troughs surrounded by concrete to minimize damage caused by wallowing.
The method further comprises butchering the pigs after a) when the pigs have reached a desired weight and lean content. When practicing the method of the invention, the weight and lean content may each be at least 5% greater on average than if the pigs were grown in feed lots. The pigs raised according to the invention may have a weight of about 250-340 pounds, and a lean weight of at least about 38%. While a number of different breeds of pigs may be utilized, breeds with particularly desirable qualities for use in the present invention include Tansworth, Old Spot, and Kune Kune.
The method may further comprise locating the fodder tree orchard substantially immediately above a row crop area so that any excess manure from the orchard will be carried (by natural drainage) to fertilize of the row crop area.
Normally, especially if care is taken in selecting the fodder trees to be utilized, the fruit from the trees will fall on the pasture base of the orchard with sufficient regularity to achieve the desired feeding of the animals being raised. However, if the fall of fruit is retarded, the method may further comprise facilitating timely release of fruit from the fodder trees by spraying plant hormone—such as gibberellin—on the trees, and/or mechanically shaking the trees.
The invention also comprises a pig having a weight of about 250-340 pounds, and a lean weight of at least about 38%, and raised by practicing the method described above.
Still further, the invention relates to an orchard on old pasture land, hillsides, or other land not well suited for row crops but suitable for fodder tree and pasture growth, the orchard having approximately 30-45 mature fodder trees per acre and a pasture base. The pasture base typically comprises about 20-40% monogastric animal-compatible legumes and about 85-55% grasses, of the types described above, and the fodder trees preferably are also primarily as described above. The orchard may be substantially immediately above a row crop area so that any excess manure from the orchard will be carried to fertilize the row crop area. While the orchard can be adapted to many climate and temperature zones, the orchard is most advantageous when located in temperature zones 5-8, inclusive.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the advantageous raising of animals with monogastric digestion, particularly in an environmentally friendly and responsible manner. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from the detailed description of the invention, and the appended claims.

Fodder tree utilization in pasture based monogastric digestion animal management


A device for generating a motive force includes a tubular housing, a driving member, and a magnetic unit. The driving member is movably disposed in the tubular housing and includes a magnet. The magnetic unit includes first and second magnets, each of which covers a respective one of first and second open ends of the tubular housing. The construction as such permits alternate reversal of a polarity of a magnetic field of the magnet of the driving member to cause reciprocating movement of the driving member in the tubular housing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for generating a motive force, more particularly to a device for generating a motive force using electrical energy.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional device for generating a motive force involves the use of fuel, which is relatively expensive. It has been proposed heretofore to use electric motors. While numerous electric motors of a conventional type have been proposed in the art, the existing electric motors, particularly those used in motor vehicles, are undesirably bulky and heavy.


There are provided sufficiently strong, hard, and heat resistant, dense and homogenous polycrystalline diamond applicable to cutting tools, dressers, dies and other working tools and excavation bits and the like, and a cutting tool having a cutting edge of the polycrystalline diamond. The polycrystalline diamond is formed substantially only of diamond formed using a composition of material containing a non diamond type carbon material, the composition of material being converted directly into diamond and sintered at ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature without aid of a sintering aid or a catalyst, and has a mixed microstructure having a fine crystal grain of diamond having a maximal grain size of at most 100 nm and an average grain size of at most 50 nm and a coarse crystal grain of diamond in the form of one of a platelet and a granule having a grain size of at least 50 nm and at most 10,000 nm.

Polycrystalline diamond applied to conventional cutting tools, dressers, dies and other tools and excavation bits and the like is prepared with Co, Ni, Fe or a similar iron group metal, SiC or similar ceramic, or the like used as a sintering aid or a binder. A polycrystalline diamond prepared with carbonate used as a sintering aid is also known (see patent documents 1 and 2).
They are obtained by sintering powdery diamond together with a sintering aid and/or a binder at high pressure and high temperature that allow diamond to thermodynamically stabilize (normally, a pressure of 5-8 GPa and a temperature of 1,300-2,200° C.). The high pressure and high temperature allowing diamond to thermodynamically stabilize, as referred to herein, is for example a temperature-pressure range indicated in non patent document 1, FIG. 1. On the other hand, natural polycrystalline diamonds (e.g., carbonate and ballas) are also known and some of them are applied to excavation bits. However, they significantly vary in material property and their yields are also small. They are thus not positively used industrially.
When Co or a similar iron group metal catalyst is used as a sintering aid to prepare a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact, the sintering aid is contained in the sintered polycrystalline compact, and acts as a catalyst helping diamond to graphitize. The sintered compact is thus inferior in thermal resistance. More specifically, even in an atmosphere of inert gas, the diamond would be graphitized at approximately 700° C.
If the sintering aid as described above is used in a large amount, the difference in thermal expansion between the sintering aid and the diamond facilitates causing micro cracks in the polycrystal. Furthermore, between grains of diamond, Co or other metal of the sintering aid exists as a continuous layer, which is a factor reducing the polycrystal in hardness, strength and other similar mechanical properties. The sintering aid or the binder is contained in the polycrystalline diamond by at least 10% by volume and, as has been aforementioned, acts as a catalyst helping diamond to graphitize. This not the least affects the polycrystalline diamond in hardness, strength and other mechanical properties, and thermal resistance. Accordingly there is a strong demand for a sintered compact of single-phase diamond that does not contain a sintering aid, a binder or the like.
It is also known that the aforementioned sintered polycrystalline diamond compact is increased in thermal resistance by removing metal at grain boundaries of the diamond. While this approach provides thermal resistance increased to approximately 1,200° C., the polycrystal becomes porous and is hence decreased in strength.
When a binder of SiC, which is non metallic material, is used to prepare a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact, the sintered compact has excellent thermal resistance and does not have pores as aforementioned. However, it does not have diamond grains bonded together and is thus small in strength.
When a sintering aid of carbonate is used to prepare a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact, the sintered compact is superior in thermal resistance to a sintered polycrystalline compact prepared with a binder of Co. However, it has a carbonate material at a grain boundary, and would thus be insufficient in mechanical properties.
On the other hand, diamond can be prepared by a method converting graphite, glassy carbon, amorphous carbon or other similar non diamond carbon at ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature directly into diamond without a catalyst or a solvent. This method allows the carbon to be converted from non diamond phase directly to diamond phase and simultaneously sintered to obtain a polycrystal of single-phase diamond.
For example, non patent documents 2-4 disclose that graphite is used as a starting material and subjected to direct conversion at ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature of at least 14-18 GPa and 3,000K, respectively, to provide polycrystalline diamond.
If these methods are used to prepare polycrystalline diamond, however, graphite or a similar, electrically conductive, non diamond carbon is heated by passing an electric current directly therethrough, and it is unavoidable that the polycrystalline diamond has unconverted graphite remaining therein. Furthermore, the methods also provide diamond grains varying in size and tend to provide partially insufficient sintering. This provides unreliable hardness, strength and other mechanical properties, and can only provide a polycrystal in the form of a chip. Furthermore, the methods require ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature exceeding 14 GPa and 3,000K, respectively, and thus entail extremely high production costs and are low in productivity. They are thus inapplicable to cutting tools, bits and the like and have not reached practical utilization.
The present inventors have found in the preparation of polycrystalline diamond by the direct conversion as described above that non diamond carbon or highly pure graphite-like carbon mechanically pulverized in inert gas to be a carbon material which has a microstructure of fine crystal grains of at most tens nm in size or is amorphousized can be used as a material to allow conversion into diamond even at relatively mild, ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature and simultaneously allow crystal grains of diamond having a small grain size of at most tens nm and having a narrow grain size distribution to be firmly bonded together to provide dense polycrystalline diamond formed of substantially 100% diamond, and the present inventors have filed a patent application therefor (see patent document 3).
Furthermore, for example, patent document 4 describes a method heating carbon nanotube to at least 10 GPa and at least 1,600° C. to synthesize fine diamond. However, the carbon nanotube used as a material is expensive and thus contributes to high production cost. Furthermore in the method, the carbon nanotube is pressurized by a diamond anvil transmitting light, and heated by condensed CO2 gas laser light through the anvil. The method in reality cannot produce homogenious polycrystalline diamond of a size applicable to cutting tools and the like.
Accordingly the present inventors have invented a method using high purity graphite as a starting material and subjecting it to direct conversion and sintering by indirect heating at ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature of at least 12 GPa and at least 2,200° C., respectively, to obtain a dense and highly pure polycrystalline diamond (see non patent documents 5 and 6). A polycrystal of single-phase diamond obtained by direct conversion and sintering at ultra high pressure and ultra high temperature with graphite used as material, was applied to a cutting tool for evaluation in performance. It has been found to, on one hand, be significantly superior to a sintered diamond compact containing a binder as conventional, but on the other hand, vary in performance between samples.
In other words, this method provides diamond which on one hand may be significantly hard but on the other hand is insufficient in reproducibility, varies in mechanical property and provides insufficient cutting performance.
A diamond crystal normally provides a first-order Raman spectral line appearing at 1,332.0 cm−1, which is a value of almost defectless and strainless, high quality, synthetic diamond, and it is known that when diamond experiences stress for compression, the value shifts to a higher wave number. It shifts by an amount of approximately 2 cm−1 for 1 GPa, although it depends on how the stress is exerted.
Furthermore, it is also known that a diamond crystal having a diamond grain smaller in size provides spectra weakened and broadened, and a first-order Raman spectral line shifted to a lower wave number (see non patent documents 7 and 8). For example, a diamond grain having as small a size as approximately 1 μm provides a first-order Raman spectral line shifted positionally to a lower wave number by approximately 5 cm−1. More specifically, diamond which is highly pure and devoid of crystal defect and has a grain size of at least 10 μm provides a first-order Raman spectral line appearing at 1,332 cm−1, whereas diamond having as fine a grain size as approximately 1 μm provides a first-order Raman spectral line shifted to 1,327 cm−1.
Patent document 5 discloses a method adding i-carbon or diamond-like carbon to powdery diamond and processing them at high temperature and high pressure in a range allowing diamond to thermodynamically stabilize, to obtain polycrystalline diamond. This method, however, employs powdery diamond having a grain size of at least 1 μm, and furthermore, converts i-carbon into diamond and grows it on a surface of the powdery diamond. As such, the method provides polycrystalline diamond which tends to have unconverted graphite, a void and the like remaining therein (a density of 3.37 g/cm3; approximately 96% of true density of diamond) and also has a hardness of 6,600 kg/mm2, which is a small value for a polycrystal of single-phase diamond.
Furthermore, non diamond type carbon mainly composed of C13 is used as a material to prepare diamond in a method. More specifically, C13 methane is used as a material and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is employed to obtain C13 polycrystalline diamond. Normally, however, polycrystalline diamond obtained through CVD does not undergo a sintering process. It thus has its grains bonded with small force and also having oriented growth. It is thus insufficient in mechanical property to be applied to cutting tools, anti-wear tools and the like. Furthermore, monocrystalline diamond grown with the CVD-synthesized C13 used as a material is also known (see for example non patent document 9). However, as this diamond is monocrystalline, it is cleavable and has anisotropy in hardness, and is thus inapplicable to a wide range of tools.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 4-74766    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 4-114966    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2004-131336    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-66302    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 61-219759    Non-Patent Document 1: F. P. Bundy, et al., Carbon, Vol. 34, No. 2 (1996) 141-153    Non-Patent Document 2: F. P. Bundy, J. Chem. Phys., 38 (1963) 631-643    Non-Patent Document 3: M. Wakatsuki, K. Ichinose, T. Aoki, Jap. J. Appl. Phys., 11 (1972) 578-590    Non-Patent Document 4: S. Naka, K. Horii, Y. Takeda, T. Hanawa, Nature 259 (1976) 38    Non-Patent Document 5: New Diamond and Frontier Carbon Technology, 14 (2004) 313 [T. Irifune, H. Sumiya]    Non-Patent Document 6: SEI Technical Review, 165 (2004) 68 [Sumiya, Irifune]    Non-Patent Document 7: J. Appl. Phys., 72 (1992) 1748 [Y. Namba, E. Heidarpour, M. Nakayama]    Non-Patent Document 8: Appl. Phys. Lett., 62 (1993) 3114 [M. Yoshikawa, Y. Mori, M. Maegawa, G. Katagiri, H. Ishida, A. Ishitani]    Non-Patent Document 9: W. Banholzer et al., New Diamond Science and Technology, 1991, MRS Int. Conf. Proc., pp. 857-862

High-hardness polycrystalline diamond and method of preparing the same


Methods and systems for transferring a communications exchange using a mobile handset are described. A radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted from a mobile handset to a base station to provide a communications exchange. The communications exchange exists between the mobile handset and a first communications device. The mobile handset automatically detects a second communications device when it is in close proximity to the second communications device. The second communications device is capable of receiving a call handoff. If the mobile handset is in close proximity to the second communications device, then a transfer request including information associated with the second communications device is received from the second communications device. The transfer request is accepted and the communications exchange is seamlessly transferred to the second communications device form the mobile handset.

For a variety of reasons, a user may want to transfer a communications exchange, such as a phone call, from one communications device to another. For example, a user talking on a cellular phone may be experiencing less than optimal reception and suffering from poor voice quality. In this scenario, the user may wish to transfer the phone call to a landline phone to improve the voice quality of the conversation. In a different example, a user talking on a landline phone may find it convenient on some occasions to be able to transfer the conversation to a cellular or wireless phone so he or she does not have to be restricted by the physical location of the landline phone.
However, transference of a communication exchange faces several difficulties. For example, conventionally, if a user wants to transfer a communications exchange he or she has to either end the current communications exchange and start a new communications exchange or place the current communications exchange on hold, initiate a consult transfer call to the phone intended for the transfer, and manually answer it to complete the transfer.
Unfortunately, both ending the current communications exchange and placing the current communications exchange on hold causes an undesirable disruption to the natural flow of the communications exchange. Ending the current communication exchange and initiating a new communications exchange is inconvenient and may even be irritating to users. In the business context, significant interruptions to conversations may lead to lost sales. Similarly, placing the current communications exchange on hold and manually performing the series of steps required to finally make the communications exchange transfer is troublesome.


An apparatus for removing a needle from a needle holder, including a grasping unit for selectively grasping the needle; a receiving unit for receiving the needle holder, displaceably disposed relative to the grasping unit; a biasing member biasing the receiving unit in a first direction; and separating means for separating the entire needle from the needle holder. Preferably, the needle is heated to melt, soften, or otherwise weaken a material and/or adhesive connecting the needle with the needle holder. Preferably the heating is electrical heating, including completing an electrical circuit through the needle and passing current through the needle, and/or passing current through a heating element.

After a needle, such as a hypodermic needle, or a pen needle has been used for an injection, it is desirable to remove and store the needle in a safe container. A sharps container for storing needles, which is known in the art, includes an inner box member and an outer housing member. The box and the housing each have an aperture that is dimensioned to receive a hypodermic needle. The box and the housing are hingedly connected to each other so that in an open position the apertures of the box and the housing overlap and the needle may be inserted through both of the apertures to project into the box. After the needle has been inserted into the apertures, the box and the housing are moved with respect to each other, for example in a scissor motion, so that the needle is clipped. After being clipped, the needle drops into the box for storage and subsequent disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,242 to Butler discloses a device that, subsequent to insertion of a portion of a needle, heats at least a portion of the needle to approximately 1750° C., and then shears the needle, leaving a portion in the needle holder or hub. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,869 to Piva discloses a device that melts a portion of a blade or needle and cuts the stump of the blade or needle, leaving a portion of the blade or needle in the needle/blade holder or hub. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,309 to Germain discloses a device that holds a needle and its holder or hub by the needle stem, so that a user can twist the hub off of a syringe, or pull off the hub if the hub is friction-fitted on the syringe.
With each of these devices, however, a portion of the needle remains in the needle holder. Therefore, the potential for a needle-stick injury may remain. Additionally, the needle holder must be disposed of as medical waste, and cannot be recycled. Consequently, an improved medical needle removal device that removes the needle entirely is desirable. Storage of the removed needles is also desirable.

Medical needle removal and storage device


Techniques are presented for reusing business measures within a data store. A measure is associated with a measure type. Each measure is associated with a particular data store schema or schema element and includes metadata for fields and calculations against those fields. Requestors can select existing measures, create new measures, delete existing measures, and/or modify existing measures. A measure, when processed against the data store, produces results from a data store that are associated with the data store schema or the schema element and which conform to the fields and calculations defined within the measure's metadata.

Enterprises are regularly evaluating their business and customer data for purposes of analyzing that data and discerning patterns or opportunities. In fact, a variety of databases, database query languages, data mining, and data reporting tools and services exist within the industry for purposes of automating an enterprise's data collection, data mining, data analysis, and data reporting.
One aspect of data analysis is related to business measurements. A business measurement is where a piece of information is aggregated in some manner. For example, an attribute might be discrete groupings within age data that conforms to a range of predefined ages for customers, such as customer group 1: ages 17 and under, customer group 2: ages 18-24, customer group 3: ages 25-34, and so on. A measure may then be used to count the number of people in the 18-24 age grouping or even average the cost of insurance for people over age 60, etc.
Generally, these measures are manually established by a business analyst by creating custom queries and performing operations on the queries to generate intermediate tables of information. The intermediate information then forms a measurement that can be evaluated by the business analyst.
One obvious drawback to this approach is that it is not reproducible and it leads to a lot of rework. That is, unless one business analyst is familiar with the work of another, a particular measure is not reusable and is recreated. Moreover, even if an existing measure is communicated, it is often not directly on point and requires manual modification to be useful.
Additionally, measures are often not categorized in any automated sense such that measures, which are related to one another, are easily located. Thus, even if there is a manual attempt to share measures; that manual process is likely fraught with comprehension problems because measures are not typically classified in related areas such that locating a desired measure is something practically and efficiently achievable.
Thus, it can be seen that improved business measurement construction, management, and processing are desirable.


A semiconductor package includes: a plurality of lead members disposed with a space therebetween over a surface of a substrate, a first semiconductor chip disposed in a face-up manner over the first surface of the substrate between at least two of the plurality of lead members; a second semiconductor chip disposed in a face-up manner over the first semiconductor chip and the at least two lead members, and a connection member for connecting the substrate, the at least two lead members, the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip with one another.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package manufactured by stacking two or more semiconductor chips.
2. Related Art
In the semiconductor industry, packaging technology is continuously being improved to satisfy demands for miniaturization and mounting reliability of integrated circuits. For example, the demand for miniaturization has expedited the development of techniques for a package having a size approaching that of a chip size, and the demand for mounting reliability has highlighted the importance of packaging techniques for improving the efficiency of mounting work and mechanical and electrical reliability after mounting.
As miniaturization and high performance are demanded in electric and electronic products, new techniques for providing a semiconductor module having a high capacity should be developed. One method for providing a semiconductor module have a high capacity includes the high integration of a memory chip. A high integration of a memory chip can be accomplished by integrating an increased number of cells in the limited space of the semiconductor chip.
However, high integration of a memory chip requires high precision techniques, such as a fine line width, which may require a lengthily development period. Under these situations, a stacking technique has been suggested as another method for providing a semiconductor module having high capacity.
The stacking techniques can generally be divided into methods of embedding two stacked chips in one package and methods of stacking two separate packages which are independently packaged. However, the method of stacking two separate packages is limited in how much the method can decrease the height of the stacked semiconductor package. Thus, the method of stacking to separate package will have difficulties meeting the trend toward miniaturization of electric and electronic products. Therefore, a stack package or a multi-chip package realized by embedding at least two semiconductor chips in one package has been actively studied.
This chip stack package is advantageous in miniaturization and weight reduction in terms of a size, a weight and a mounting area, as compared with a single package in which a single semiconductor chip is embedded therein.