The invention relates to an electromagnetically controllable suction valve (1) for a high-pressure fuel pump (2), comprising a magnet assembly (3) and a hydraulic module (4), the hydraulic module (4) engaging at least in sections in an annular magnet coil (5) of the magnet assembly (3). According to the invention, a heat-conducting material (6) and/or a heat-conducting body (7) is/are arranged between the magnet coil (5) and the hydraulic module (4). The invention further relates to a method for producing an electromagnetically actuatable suction valve (1).

The invention relates to an electromagnetically actuatable suction valve for a high-pressure fuel pump. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing an electromagnetically actuatable suction valve.
By way of example, DE 10 2014 220 757 A1 discloses an electromagnetically actuatable suction valve for filling a high-pressure element chamber of a high-pressure pump with fuel. For this purpose, the suction valve is integrated into a housing part of the high-pressure pump, thus ensuring that a valve piston of the suction valve, which can execute a stroke motion, is guided by means of the housing part. To actuate the valve piston, the suction valve has a magnet assembly having an annular magnet coil. The magnet coil surrounds a pole core, which is connected via a sleeve to a valve body, in which an armature that can be coupled to the valve piston is accommodated for a stroke motion. A spring arranged between the armature and the pole core preloads the armature in the direction of the valve piston, ensuring that this is held in an open position by the spring force of the spring when the magnet coil is not energized. If the magnet coil is energized, the armature moves in the direction of the pole core against the spring force of the spring in order to close a working air gap formed between the pole core and the armature. During this process, the armature is released from the valve piston, and a valve spring supported on the valve piston can close the suction valve. For opening, the energization of the magnet coil is ended, with the result that the spring arranged between the pole core and the armature raises the valve piston out of its sealing seat with the aid of the armature and opens the suction valve.
During energization, the magnet coil heats up. In this context, the temperatures can rise so sharply that a plastic encapsulation surrounding the magnet assembly, at least in some section or sections, softens or even breaks. This can lead to contacting errors in the region of a plug formed by the plastic encapsulation, and therefore the operation of the suction valve is no longer guaranteed.

Electromagnetically actuatable suction valve and method for producing an electromagnetically actuatable suction valve


In certain embodiments, a system includes an inlet guide vane assembly. The inlet guide vane assembly includes a plurality of inlet guide vanes disposed in a radial pattern around a central axis and configured to rotate about axes orthogonal to the central axis. The inlet guide vane assembly also includes a plurality of vane shafts, each connected to a respective inlet guide vane and configured to rotate with the respective inlet guide vane about the respective orthogonal axis. The inlet guide vane assembly further includes a drive shaft directly connected to one of the vane shafts and configured to directly cause rotation of the vane shaft to which it is directly connected and to indirectly cause rotation of the remaining vane shafts in the plurality of vane shafts. In addition, the inlet guide vane assembly includes a rotary actuator connected to the drive shaft and configured to cause rotation of the drive shaft.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Gas compressors are used in a wide variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, power generation, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, and the like. The compressed gas may include air, nitrogen, oxygen, natural gas, or any other type of gas. Gas compressor systems generally include devices that increase the pressure of a gas by decreasing (e.g., compressing) its volume. Certain types of gas compressors employ one or more mechanisms that employ a rotational torque to compress an incoming gas. For instance, in a centrifugal gas compressor system, a gas is drawn into a housing through an inlet, the gas is compressed by a rotating impeller, and the gas is expelled from the housing. However, quite frequently, these gas compressors occupy a great deal of space. In addition, these gas compressors are often quite complex, thereby making maintenance and servicing more time consuming and expensive.

Removable throat mounted inlet guide vane


A plant consisting essentially of cells which comprise in their genome a homozygous male-sterility genotype at a first genetic locus; and a color-linked restorer genotype at a second genetic locus, which is heterozygous (Rf/-) for a foreign DNA Rf. The foreign DNA Rf comprises: a) a fertility-restorer gene capable of preventing the phenotypic expression of the male-sterility genotype, and b) at least one anthocyanin regulatory gene involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in cells of seeds of the plant which is capable of producing anthocyanin at least in the seeds of the plant, so that anthocyanin production in the seeds is visible externally. Preferably, the anthocyanin regulatory gene is a shortened R, B or C1 gene or a continuation thereof. The invention also relates to DNA sequences encoding shortened R, B or C1 anthocyanin regulatory genes and to a process for maintaining a line of male-sterile plants which comprises crossing a male-sterile parent plant and a maintainer parent plant comprising homozygous male-sterility genotype and a restore genotype comprising fertility-restorer gene and an anthocyanin regulatory gene.

In many, if not most plant species, the development of hybrid cultivars is highly desired because of their generally increased productivity due to heterosis: the superiority of performance of hybrid individuals compared with their parents (see e.g. Fehr, 1987, Principles of cultivar development, Volume 1 : Theory and Technique, MacMillan Publishing Company, New York; Allard, 1960, Principles of Plant Breeding, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.).
The development of hybrid cultivars of various plant species depends upon the capability of achieving essentially almost complete cross-pollination between parents. This is most simply achieved by rendering one of the parent lines male sterile (i.e. bringing them in a condition so that pollen is absent or nonfunctional) either manually, by removing the anthers, or genetically by using, in the one parent, cytoplasmic or nuclear genes that prevent anther and/or pollen development (for a review of the genetics of male sterility in plants see Kaul, 1988, `Male Sterility in Higher Plants`, Springer Verlag).
For hybrid plants where the seed is the harvested product (e.g. corn, oilseed rape) it is in most cases also necessary to ensure that fertility of the hybrid plants is fully restored. In systems in which the male sterility is under genetic control this requires the existence and use of genes that can restore male fertility. The development of hybrid cultivars is mainly dependent on the availability of suitable and effective sterility and restorer genes.
Endogenous nuclear loci are known for most plant species that may contain genotypes which effect male sterility, and generally, such loci need to be homozygous for particular recessive alleles in order to result in a male-sterile phenotype. The presence of a dominant `male fertile` allele at such loci results in male fertility.
Recently it has been shown that male sterility can be induced in a plant by providing the genome of the plant with a chimeric male-sterility gene comprising a DNA sequence (or male-sterility DNA) coding, for example, for a cytotoxic product (such as an RNase) and under the control of a promoter which is predominantly active in selected tissue of the male reproductive organs. In this regard stamen-specific promoters, such as the promoter of the TA29 gene of Nicotiana tabacum, have been shown to be particularly useful for this purpose (Mariani et al., 1990, Nature 347:737, European patent publication ("EP") 0,344,029). By providing the nuclear genome of the plant with such a male-sterility gene, an artificial male-sterility locus is created containing the artificial male- sterility genotype that results in a male-sterile plant.
In addition it has been shown that male fertility can be restored to the plant with a chimeric fertility-restorer gene comprising another DNA sequence (or fertility-restorer DNA) that codes, for example, for a protein that inhibits the activity of the cytotoxic product or otherwise prevents the cytotoxic product from being active in the plant cells (European patent publication "EP" 0,412,911). For example the barnase gene of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens codes for an RNase, called barnase, which can be inhibited by a protein, barstar, that is encoded by the barstar gene of B. amyloliquefaciens. The barnase gene can be used for the construction of a sterility gene while the barstar gene can be used for the construction of a fertility-restorer gene. Experiments in different plant species, e.g. oilseed rape, have shown that a chimeric barstar gene can fully restore the male fertility of male sterile lines in which the male sterility was due to the presence of a chimeric barnase gene (EP 0,412,911, Mariani et al., 1991, Proceedings of the CCIRC Rapeseed Congress, Jul. 9-11, 1991, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Mariani et al., 1992, Nature 357:384). By coupling a marker gene, such as a dominant herbicide resistance gene (for example the bar gene coding for phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT) that converts the herbicidal phosphinothricin to a non-toxic compound [De Block et al., 1987, EMBO J. 6:2513]), to the chimeric male-sterility and/or fertility-restorer gene, breeding systems can be implemented to select for uniform populations of male sterile plants (EP 0,344,029; EP 0,412,911).
The production of hybrid seed of any particular cultivar of a plant species requires the: 1) maintenance of small quantities of pure seed of each inbred parent, and 2) the preparation of larger quantities of seed of each inbred parent. Such larger quantities of seed would normally be obtained by several (usually two) seed multiplication rounds, starting from a small quantity of pure seed ("basic seed") and leading, in each multiplication round, to a larger quantity of pure seed of the inbred parent and then finally to a stock of seed of the inbred parent (the "parent seed" or "foundation seed") which is of sufficient quantity to be planted to produce the desired quantities of hybrid seed. Of course, in each seed multiplication round larger planting areas (fields) are required.
In order to maintain and enlarge a small stock of seeds that can give rise to male-sterile plants it is necessary to cross the male sterile plants with normal pollen-producing parent plants. In the case in which the male-sterility is encoded in the nuclear genome, the offspring of such cross will in all cases be a mixture of male-sterile and male-fertile plants and the latter have to be removed from the former. With male-sterile plants containing an artificial male-sterility locus as described above, such removal can be facilitated by genetically linking the chimeric male sterility gene to a suitable marker gene, such as the bar gene, which allows the easy identification and removal of male-fertile plants (e.g. by spraying of an appropriate herbicide).
However, even when suitable marker genes are linked to male-sterility genotypes, the maintenance of parent male- sterile plants still requires at each generation the removal from the field of a substantial number of plants. For instance in systems using a herbicide resistance gene (e.g. the bar gene) linked to a chimeric male-sterility gene, as outlined above, only half of the parent stock will result in male- sterile plants, thus requiring the removal of the male-fertile plants by herbicide spraying prior to flowering. In any given field, the removal of male-fertile plants effectively reduces the potential yield of hybrid seed or the potential yield of male-sterile plants during each round of seed multiplication for producing parent seed. In addition removal of the male- fertile plants may lead to irregular stands of the male-sterile plants. For these reasons removal of the male-fertile plants is economically unattractive for many important crop species such as corn and oilseed rape.
Anthocyanins are pigments that are responsible for many of the red and blue colors in plants. The genetic basis of anthocyanin biosynthesis has been well characterized, particularly in corn, Petunia, and Antirrhinium (Dooner et al, 1991, Ann.Rev.Genet. 25:179-199; Jayaram and Peterson, 1990, Plant Breeding Reviews 2:91-137; Coe, 1994, In `The Maize Handbook`, Freeling and Walbot, eds. Springer Verlag New York Inc., p. 279-281). In corn anthocyanin biosynthesis is apparently under control of 20 or more genes. The structural loci C2, Whp, A1, A2, Bz1, and Bz2 code for various enzymes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and at least 6 regulatory loci, acting upon the structural genes, have been identified in corn i.e. the R, B, Cl, P1, P and Vp1 loci.
The R locus has turned out to be a gene family (in corn located on chromosome 10) comprising at least three different genes i.e. R (which itself may comprise duplicate genes organized in a tandem array), and the displaced duplicate genes R(Sn) and R(Lc). R typically conditions pigmentation of the aleurone but various alleles are known to confer distinct patterns of pigmentation. R(Lc) is associated with unique pigmentation of leaves and R(Sn) with unique pigmentation of the scutellar node. One state of R is associated with pigmentation of the whole plant (R(P)), while another is associated with pigmentation of the seeds (R(S)).
Alleles of the unlinked B locus (in corn located on chromosome 2) rarely condition pigmentation of the aleurone, but are frequently associated with pigmentation of mature plant parts. The B-peru allele however, pigments the aleurone (like R(S)). Analysis at the molecular level has confirmed that the R and B loci are duplicate genes.
In order that the R and B loci can color a particular tissue, the appropriate allele of C1 or P1 loci also needs to be present. The C1 and C1-S alleles, for instance, pigment the aleurone when combined with the suitable R or B allele.
Alleles of the C1 locus have been cloned and sequenced. Of particular interest are C1 (Paz-Ares et al, 1987, EMBO J. 6:3553-3558) and C1-S (Schleffer et al, 1994, Mol.Gen.Genet. 242:40-48). Analysis of the sequences revealed the presence of two introns in the coding region of the gene. The protein encoded by the C1 and C1-S alleles shares homology with myb proto-oncogenes and is known to be a nuclear protein with DNA-binding capacity acting as transcriptional activators.
The cDNA of the B-peru allele has also been analyzed and sequenced (Radicella et al, 1991, Plant Mol. Biol. 17:127-130). Genomic sequences of B-peru were also isolated and characterized based on the homology between R and B (Chandler et al., 1989, the Plant Cell 1:1175-1183; Radicella et al., 1992, Genes & Development 6:2152-2164). The tissue specificity of anthocyanin production of two different B alleles was shown to be due to differences in the promoter and untranslated leader sequences (Radicella et al, 1992, supra).
Various alleles of the R gene family have also been characterized at the molecular level, e.g. Lc (Ludwig et al, 1989, PNAS 86:7092-7096), R-nj, responsible for pigmentation of the crown of the kernel (Dellaporta et al, 1988, In "Chromosome Structure and Function," Impact of New Concepts, 18th Stadeler Genetics Symposium, Gustafson and Appels, eds. (New York, Plenum press, pp. 263-282)), Sn (Consonni ei al, 1992, Nucl. Acids. Res. 20:373), and R(S) (Perrot and Cone, 1989, Nucl. Acids. Res. 17:8003).
The proteins encoded by the B and R genes share homology with myc proto-oncogenes and have characteristics of transcriptional activators.
It has been shown that various structural and regulatory genes introduced in maize tissues by microprojectiles operate in a manner similar to the endogenous loci and can complement genotypes which are deficient in the introduced genes (Klein et al., 1989, PNAS 86:6681-6685; Goff et al., 1990, EMBO J. 9:2517-2522). The Lc gene was also used as a visible marker for plant transformation (Ludwig et al., 1990, Science 247:449-450). Apart from the above other genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis have been cloned (Cone, 1994, In `The Maize Handbook`, Freeling and Walbot eds., Springer Verlag New York Inc., p. 282-285).
In Barley, Falk et al (1981, In Barley Genetics IV, proceedings of the 4th International Barley Genetics symposium, Edinburgh University press, Edinburgh, pp. 778-785) have reported the coupling of a male-sterile gene to a xenia-expressing shrunken endosperm gene which makes it possible to select seeds, before planting, that will produce male-sterile plants. Problems asociated with such proposal include complete linkage of the two genes (Stoskopf, 1993, Plant Breeding : Theory and Practice, Westview Press, Boulder, San Francisco, oxford). In sweetcorn, a genetic system to produce hybrid corn seeds without detassling, which utilizes the closely linked genes y (white endosperm) and ms (male sterility) was suggested but was never used because of contamination from 5% recombination. Galinat (1975, J. Hered. 66:387-388) described a two-step seed production scheme that resolved this problem by using electronic color sorters to separate yellow from white kernels . This approach has not been utilized commercially (Kankis and Davis, 1986, in <<Breeding vegetable Crops>>, the Avi Publishing Company Inc. Westport, Conn., U.S.A., p. 498).
EP 0,198,288 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,219 describe methods for linking marker genes (which can be visible markers or dominant conditional markers) to endogenous nuclear loci containing nuclear male-sterility genotypes.
EP 412,911 describes foreign restorer genes (e.g. barstar coding region under control of a stamen-specific promoter) that are linked to marker genes, including herbicide resistance genes and genes coding for pigments (e.g. the Al gene) under control of a promoter which directs expression in specific cells, such as petal cells, leaf cells or seed cells, preferably in the outer layer of the seed.

Use of anthocyanin genes to maintain male sterile plants


A system monitors and controls the injection of additives into formation fluids recovered through a subsea well. The system includes a chemical injection unit and a controller positioned at a remote subsea location. The injection unit uses a pump to supply one or more selected additives from a subsea and/or remote supply unit. The controller operates the pump to control the additive flow rate based on signals provided by sensors measuring a parameter of interest. A one mode system includes a surface facility for supporting the subsea chemical injection and monitoring activities. In one embodiment, the surface facility is an offshore rig that provides power and has a chemical supply that provides additives to one or more injection units. In another embodiment, the surface facility includes a relatively stationary buoy and a mobile service vessel. When needed, the service vessel transfers additives to the chemical injection units via the buoy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to oilfield operations and more particularly to a subsea chemical injection and fluid processing systems and methods.
2. Background of the Art
Conventional offshore production facilities often have a floating or fixed platforms stationed at the water's surface and subsea equipment such as a well head positioned over the subsea wells at the mud line of a seabed. The production wells drilled in a subsea formation typically produce fluids (which can include one or more of oil, gas and water) to the subsea well head. This fluid (wellbore fluid) is carried to the platform via a riser or to a subsea fluid separation unit for processing. Often, a variety of chemicals (also referred to herein as "additives") are introduced into these production wells and processing units to control, among other things, corrosion, scale, paraffin, emulsion, hydrates, hydrogen sulfide, asphaltenes, inorganics and formation of other harmful chemicals. In offshore oilfields, a single offshore platform (e.g., vessel, semi-submersible or fixed system) can be used to supply these additives to several producing wells.
The equipment used to inject additives includes at the surface a chemical supply unit, a chemical injection unit, and a capillary or tubing (also referred to herein as "conductor line") that runs from the offshore platform through or along the riser and into the subsea wellbore. Preferably, the additive injection systems supply precise amounts of additives. It is also desirable for these systems to periodically or continuously monitor the actual amount of the additives being dispensed, determine the impact of the dispersed additives, and vary the amount of dispersed additives as needed to maintain certain desired parameters of interest within their respective desired ranges or at their desired values.
In conventional arrangements, however, the chemical injection unit is positioned at the water surface (e.g., on the offshore platform or a vessel), which can be several hundred to thousands of feet) from the subsea wellhead. Moreover, the tubing may direct the additives to produced fluids in the wellbores located hundreds or thousands of feet below the seabed floor. The distance separating the chemical injection unit and the locus of injection activity can reduce the effectiveness of the additive injection process. For example, it is known that the wellbore is a dynamic environment wherein pressure, temperature, and composition of formation fluids can continuously fluctuate or change. The distance between the surface-located chemical injection unit and the subsea environment introduces friction losses and a lag between the sensing of a given condition and the execution of measures for addressing that condition. Thus, for instance, a conventionally located chemical injection unit may inject chemicals to remedy a condition that has since changed.
The present invention addresses the above-noted problems and provides an enhanced additive injection system suitable for subsea applications.

Subsea chemical injection unit for additive injection and monitoring system for oilfield operations


The present disclosure provides immunogenic compositions for the prevention and/or treatment of disease caused by dengue virus.

Dengue is an acute viral disease of man which is transmitted by mosquitos. It is endemic in the tropics and subtropics, worldwide, where an estimated 100,000,000 cases occur annually Although relatively rare, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) are significant causes of death in children. At present, there is no vaccine to protect against dengue and attempts to prevent disease by controlling the mosquito vector have proven largely ineffective. Thus, there remains a need for a safe and effective vaccine to protect against disease caused by dengue virus.

Inactivated dengue virus vaccine with aluminium-free adjuvant


An auto-play apparatus for an electronic musical instrument generates auto-play tones or auto-accompaniment tones such as melody, chord, bass, and drum tones on the basis of preprogrammed auto-play data. The apparatus includes a detector for detecting note data in the auto-play data. Every time a tone corresponding to note data in the auto-play data is generated, a pre-programmed display sequence of animation patterns advances. Animation display pattern data representing motions of a person or animal are sequentially sent to a display on the basis of the animation display sequence. Every time a tone corresponding to note data in the auto-play data is generated, the display patterns change motion by motion, thus obtaining an animation display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auto-play apparatus for performing an auto-play operation on the basis of auto-play data and, more particularly, to an electronic musical instrument, which performs an animation display by changing display patterns on a display in response to every note data in the auto-play data.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, an auto-play apparatus is known. The auto-play apparatus is arranged integrally with or separately from an electronic musical instrument such as an electronic keyboard, an electronic piano, or the like, and performs an auto-play operation on the basis of auto-play data stored in an internal memory such as a ROM or of externally input auto-play data.
The auto-play apparatus has a display (integrally or separately), and can display a selected rhythm name, tone color name, song name, and the like.
However, the display of the conventional auto-play apparatus is exclusively used for displaying the rhythm name, song name, and the like, and does not provide visual amusement to a user by, e.g., variously changing a display according to played-back tones. Thus, the display function of the display is not fully utilized.

Auto-play musical instrument with an animation display controlled by auto-play data


A preform for the composite material and an aluminum composite material which can form a composite material has excellent abrasion resistant property and high strength and a manufacturing method of the same are disclosed. A pre-mixture 9 comprising aluminum borate whisker 3 and potassium titanate whisker 4 in the range of 5% to 20% by volume was sintered at certain temperature. The titanium oxide 11 produced by the whisker reaction was bound to the surface of aluminum borate whisker 3, and the preform having high strength was obtained accordingly. Aluminum composite material 10 having excellent abrasion resistant property and high strength was obtained by impregnating aluminum alloy 6 to preform 1 for composite material.

(1) Filed of the Invention
The present invention relates to a preform for a composite material forming a composite material by compounding a light metal such as an aluminum alloy, an aluminum composite material formed by impregnating a hot solution of an aluminum alloy to the preform for the composite material, and a manufacturing the same.
(2) Description of the Background Art
A part made of a light metal such as aluminum which is excellent to lower its weight and to provide high durability and high thermal expansion coefficient property, for example, in an automobile to increase such fuel efficiency and stable running is increasing. Some part such as a piston part of an engine composing the automobile is being used under severe condition including such as pressure and temperature to improve fuel efficiency and lower hazardous substances in the exhaust. For example, a piston thread portion formed in the piston of the engine which is under severe use condition requires high abrasion resistant property and strength. Accordingly, application of an aluminum composite material made of an aluminum alloy reinforced by a reinforcement material such as ceramics is increasing in such part.
Such aluminum composite material formed by impregnating the hot solution of the aluminum alloy to the preform for the composite material pre-composed of a reinforcement material of such as particle, short fiber and whisker is well known. For example, when only a certain portion of the part is reinforced, the structural part is integrally formed by cast forming in which the hot solution of the aluminum alloy is pored into the metal mold after the preform for the composite material is installed at the potion where the certain portion is formed. For example, when the piston in which the above piston thread portion is reinforced is formed, the piston in which the thread portion is reinforced is integrally formed by casing the hot solution of the aluminum alloy with high pressure after the preform for the composite material using aluminum borate whisker as the reinforcement material is installed at the piston ring thread portion forming position of the casting metal mold for the piston. Aluminum borate whisker is being optimally used because it has excellent abrasion resistant and strong property and is relatively inexpensive.
For example, the preform for the composite material composed of the aluminum borate whisker can be formed by sintering at approximately 1200° C. after stirring the aluminum borate whisker and an alumina sol as inorganic binder in water and suctioning water of the aqueous mixture using a certain filter, which is a general method to form a preform for a composite material. In the preform for the composite material, each adjacent aluminum borate whisker is bound respectively by gelation of the alumina sol and crystallization.
On the other hand, the preform for the composite material composed of the aluminum borate whisker is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication H9-316566, which is formed by adding an inorganic binder (alumina sol) to aqueous mixture of a ceramics particle (titanium oxide), an aluminum borate whisker, a potassium titanate whisker, a short fiber (alumina fiber), and powder with sintering property (such as graphite) followed by sintering at certain temperature after suctioning water. The preform for the composite material has a structure in which the ceramics particle adheres on the surface of the aluminum borate whisker. A potassium titanate whisker has a superior sintering property and eases directly or indirectly to bind the ceramic particle and the aluminum borate whisker by sintering with them. Further, the binding force which can hold such binding status is performed by action of the inorganic binder on sintering the ceramic particle and the aluminum borate whisker. Then, the aluminum composite material having an excellent abrasion resistant property is formed by impregnating a hot solution of an aluminum alloy to the preform for the composite material. Further, volumetric percentage of the potassium titanate whisker is adjusted less than 5% because the potassium titanate whisker softens the preform for the composite material and acts to lower its strength.
Meanwhile even though the inorganic binder is added and the sintering temperature is set to relatively high approximately 1200° C., the preform for the composite material formed from the aluminum borate whisker and the inorganic binder cannot be strong sufficiently because the binding force of each whisker is weak. Accordingly, when cast forming in which the hot solution of the aluminum alloy is impregnated is carried out at relatively high pressure to increase impregnating property of the hot solution, problematic deformation and break take place easily. The aluminum composite material formed from such preform for the composite material having insufficient strength could not satisfy required property for an engine piston.
On the other hand the preform for the composite material comprising the aluminum borate whisker formed based on Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication H9-316566 had limited strength because the binding force sintering the aluminum borate whisker, the ceramics particle and the potassium titanate whisker depended mainly on crystallization of the inorganic binder. Accordingly there was limitation to increase productivity because it was difficult to use high impregnation pressure and increase impregnation rate on cast forming. Further, the abrasion resistant property increased by addition of the aluminum borate whisker was possibly lowered because the potassium titanate whisker was relatively soft. Further, in such preform for the composite material, a powder with burnout property was added to increase impregnating property of the hot solution and during sintering the powder with burnout property was burnt out to increase breathability and generally graphite or activated charcoal was used as the powder with burnout property. Nevertheless the aluminum composite material in which graphite or activated charcoal was burnt out had limitation in performing sliding property and vibration damping property because graphite and activated charcoal was active to increase sliding property and vibration damping property of the aluminum composite material.

Preform for composite material and aluminum composite material having the preform for composite material and a manufacturing method of the same


Each of pixels in an imaging device includes a photoelectric converter and a first transistor. A signal based on a charge generated by the photoelectric converter is to be input into the first transistor. The imaging device includes a second transistor arranged at a ratio of one as to the pixels. A reference signal is to be input into the second transistor. The second transistor defines a differential pair together with the first transistor. The imaging device includes a comparator including the first transistor and the second transistor. Each of the pixels includes a selecting unit configured to turn off the first transistor by applying the first voltage to a control node of the first transistor.

Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to an imaging device, an imaging system, and a driving method of an imaging device.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, an imaging device including a comparator for comparing a signal based on a charge generated by a photoelectric converter with a reference signal has been proposed.
According to an imaging device disclosed in FIG. 2 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-223566, one comparator is used as to multiple pixels. Specifically, one pixel has a photoelectric converter 201, a transistor 204 disposed in a current pathway, and a selecting transistor 207 connected serially to the transistor 204. The transistor 204 and selecting transistor 207 that are included in the pixel define a first current pathway block 210. On the other hand, a transistor 213 connected to a reference voltage input terminal and a dummy selecting transistor 214 define a second current pathway block 211. Also, the first current pathway block 210 and second current pathway block 211 define a differential pair. According to the imaging device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-223566, one second current pathway block 211 is disposed as to multiple first current pathway blocks 210, i.e. as to multiple pixels.

Imaging device, imaging system, and driving method of imaging device using comparator in analog-to-digital converter


A method for manufacturing an electrical connector (20) comprises the steps of forming an insulative housing (24) defining a mating opening (33) in a front face thereof for mating with a second electrical connector and a central cavity (38) defined in a rear face of the housing (24), forming a contact module (26) including at least one row of conductive contacts (27) received therein, the contacts (27) each defining a contact section (52) for mating with a second contact of the second connector and a tail section (56) for engaging with a printed circuit board, and inserting the contact module (26) into the central cavity (38). An electrical connector (20) formed by such a method and the contact module (26) used with such an electrical connector (20) are also disclosed.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing for an electrical connector and an electrical connector resulting from such method.
2. The Prior Art
In a conventional electrical connector, such as the connector 10 shown in FIG. 1, a conductive contact 12 is inserted into a passageway 16 defined in an insulative housing 14 thereof. To minimize the size of an electrical connector to meet the requirements of portable computers having reduced size, the distance between two contacts 12 becomes so small that it is difficult to insert them into the passageways.
Hence, it is requisite to provide an improved manufacturing technique to improve this situation.

Method for manufacturing an electrical connector and electrical connector manufactured by the same


A hearing device includes: a processing unit configured to compensate for hearing loss of a user of the hearing device; and a memory unit; wherein the processing unit is configured to: obtain an access right certificate, the access right certificate comprising an access right identifier, verify the access right certificate, and if the access right certificate is verified, provide an access right according to the access right identifier.

Development and testing of hearing device software requires access to a hearing device and the functionalities of a hearing device. Security architectures for hearing devices may limit the access and ability to test and run unauthorized software/firmware in a hearing device. Further, a hearing device manufacturer may in the interest of security prevent or limit access to the hearing device, e.g. by preventing a hearing device from running or even downloading unauthorized software. Further, a hearing device manufacturer may be interested in limiting the sharing of or access to security material, such as keying material, for authorizing firmware.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A paint palette system for holding and dispersing paint wherein a painter can pour paint into a low profile receptacle for later removal with a paintbrush or like tool is provided. A disposable and removable paint retaining fabric retains the paint in a drip-less and mess free fashion. The paint can be transported and stored in an improved manner allowing for a faster and more efficient painting effort.

This invention relates to a painters tool used for storing, holding and dispensing paints in an improved manner. In particular the invention relates to an improved low profile receptacle apparatus and system to carry paint from one location to another without spillage and to disperse paint to a brush or painting tool.


The present invention provides a composition comprising HMB and Vitamin D. Methods of administering HMB and Vitamin D to an animal are also described. Vitamin D and HMB are administered to increase muscle mass, strength, and functionality. The combination of Vitamin D and HMB together has a synergistic effect, which results in a surprising and unexpected level of improvement in muscle mass, strength and functionality.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a composition comprising β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) and Vitamin D, and methods of using a combination of HMB and Vitamin D to improve muscle mass, strength, or functionality.
2. Background
HMB
The only product of leucine metabolism is ketoisocaproate (KIC). A minor product of KIC metabolism is β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB). HMB has been found to be useful within the context of a variety of applications. Specifically, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,613 (Nissen), HMB is described as useful for reducing blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,979 (Nissen et al.), HMB is described as useful for promoting nitrogen retention in humans. U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,440 (Nissen) discusses the usefulness of HMB to increase lean tissue development in animals. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,470 (Nissen), HMB is described as effective in enhancing the immune response of mammals. U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,000 (Nissen et al.) describes use of HMB and at least one amino acid to treat disease-associated wasting.
It has previous been observed that HMB alone or in combination with other amino acids is an effective supplement for restoring muscle strength and function in young athletes. Further, it has been observed that HMB in combination with two amino acids, glutamine and lysine, is effective in increasing muscle mass in elderly persons.
HMB is an active metabolite of the amino acid leucine. The use of HMB to suppress proteolysis originates from the observations that leucine has protein-sparing characteristics (1-4). The essential amino acid leucine can either be used for protein synthesis or transaminated to the α-ketoacid (α-ketoisocaproate, KIC)(1, 3). In one pathway, KIC can be oxidized to HMB. Approximately 5% of leucine oxidation proceeds via the second pathway (5). HMB is superior to leucine in enhancing muscle mass and strength. The optimal effects of HMB can be achieved at 3.0 grams per day, or 0.38 g/kg of body weight per day, while those of leucine require over 30.0 grams per day (3).
Once produced or ingested, HMB appears to have two fates. The first fate is simple excretion in urine. After HMB is fed, urine concentrations increase, resulting in an approximate 20-50% loss of HMB to urine (4, 6). Another fate relates to the activation of HMB to HMB-CoA (7-16). Once converted to HMB-CoA, further metabolism may occur, either dehydration of HMB-CoA to MC-CoA, or a direct conversion of HMB-CoA to HMG-CoA (17), which provides substrates for intracellular cholesterol synthesis. Several studies have shown that HMB is incorporated into the cholesterol synthetic pathway (12, 16, 18-20) and could be a source for new cell membranes that are used for the regeneration of damaged cell membranes (3). Human studies have shown that muscle damage following intense exercise, measured by elevated plasma CPK (creatine phosphokinase), is reduced with HMB supplementation within the first 48 hrs. The protective effect of HMB lasts up to three weeks with continued daily use (21-23).
In vitro studies in isolated rat muscle show that HMB is a potent inhibitor of muscle proteolysis (24) especially during periods of stress. These findings have been confirmed in humans; for example, HMB inhibits muscle proteolysis in subjects engaging in resistance training (4). The results have been duplicated in many studies (25) (21-23, 26-28).
The molecular mechanisms by which HMB decreases protein breakdown and increases protein synthesis have recently been reported (29-31, 31-33). In mice bearing the MAC16 cachexia-inducing tumor, HMB attenuated protein degradation through the down-regulation of key activators of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (30). Furthermore, HMB attenuated proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF) activation and increased gene expression of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in murine myotubes, thereby reducing protein degradation (31). PIF inhibits protein synthesis in murine myotubes by 50% and HMB attenuates this depression in protein synthesis (29). Eley et al demonstrated that HMB increases protein synthesis by a number of mechanisms, including the down-regulation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) phosphorylation through an effect on dsRNA-dependant protein kinase (PKR) and upregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin/70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (mTOR/p70S6k) pathway. The net result is increased phosphorylation of 4E-binding protein (4E-BP1) and an increase in the active eIF4G·eIF4E complex. Leucine shares many of these mechanisms with HMB, but HMB appears to be more potent in stimulating protein synthesis (29).
HMB can also increase protein synthesis by attenuating the common pathway that mediates the effects of other catabolic factors such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-α/interferon-γ (TNF-α/IFN-γ), and angiotensin II (Ang II) (32, 33). HMB acts by attenuating the activation of caspases-3 and -8, and the subsequent attenuation of the activation of PKR and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation via down-regulation of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK). Increased ROS formation is known to induce protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. HMB accomplishes this attenuation through the autophosphorylation PKR and the subsequent phosphorylation of eIF2α, and in part, through the activation of the mTOR pathway.
Numerous studies have shown an effective dose of HMB to be 3.0 grams per day as CaHMB (˜38 mg/kg body weight-day−1). This dosage increases muscle mass and strength gains associated with resistance training, while minimizing muscle damage associated with strenuous exercise (34) (4, 23, 26). HMB has been tested for safety, showing no side effects in healthy young or old adults (35-37). HMB in combination with L-arginine and L-glutamine has also been shown to be safe when supplemented to AIDS and cancer patients (38).
Studies in humans have also shown that dietary supplementation with 3 grams of CaHMB per day plus amino acids attenuates the loss of muscle mass in various conditions such as cancer and AIDS. (3, 4, 26, 34, 39, 40) A meta-analysis of supplements to increase lean mass and strength with weight training showed HMB to be one of only 2 dietary supplements that increase lean mass and strength with exercise (34). More recently it was shown that HMB and the amino acids arginine and lysine increased lean mass in a non-exercising, elderly population over a year-long study.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has classically been associated with calcium and phosphorous metabolism and bone strength. Until recently, an adequate Vitamin D level has been defined using the Vitamin D deficiency disease rickets. While 1,25OH2-VitD3 is the active metabolite of Vitamin D, a measure of Vitamin D status widely accepted is serum (blood) circulating 25OH-VitD3. A circulating blood level between 10 and 15 ng 25OH-VitD3/mL will cause rickets in young children and has been accepted as the deficiency level for Vitamin D. Vitamin D can be synthesized by humans with adequate sun exposure or can be obtained through the diet and through supplements to the diet. Many factors influence the amount and effectiveness of Vitamin D found in the body. These factors include dietary intake, sun exposure, Vitamin D receptor number (VDR), conversion rate from cholecalciferol to 25OH-VitD3 and finally the conversion of 25OH-VitD3 to 1,25OH2-VitD3.
Most of the population in northern latitudes (most of the United States) do not produce Vitamin D in the winter regardless of sun exposure because the sun's ultraviolet B rays do not reach the earth during that time and therefore the only source of Vitamin D is dietary (42). As the 25 hydroxylation occurs in the liver and the 1 hydroxylation occurs primarily in the kidney, these two organs play a large role in determining the circulating levels of Vitamin D, and the functioning of these organs and thus Vitamin D status tends to decrease with age (42).
In a recent review, Holick details research showing that circulating levels of 25OH-VitD3 must reach as high as 30-40 ng/mL before parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels begin to plateau (43). Other researchers have found that increasing 25OH-VitD3 from 20 to 32 ng/mL increased intestinal calcium transport (44). Both of these criteria would point to a 25OH-VitD3 level of 30 ng/mL or greater being required for optimal regulation of calcium metabolism in the body. A recent review by Heaney describes the optimal level of 25OH-VitD3 to be 32 ng/mL or greater for optimal health which takes into account a number of aspects other than bone health and calcium metabolism (45). By these standards, from 40 to 100% of independent elderly men and women are Vitamin D deficient (43).
The 1-alpha, 25-Vitamin D hydroxylase in the kidney has been considered the primary source for synthesis of the circulating active metabolite of Vitamin D, 1,25OH2-VitD3. The activity of this enzyme is regulated on a whole body level by parathyroid hormone (PTH). Regulating 1,25OH2-VitD3 on a whole body level probably does not provide for optimal levels of the active vitamin for all body tissues at one time. Relatively recently tissue specific 1-alpha, 25-Vitamin D hydroxylases have been identified and are thought to mediate autocrine responses of Vitamin D at the tissue specific level (46, 47). Human vascular smooth muscle has 1-alpha, 25-Vitamin D hydroxylase activity with a Km of 25 ng/mL. This means that the enzyme is operating at one half maximal capacity at a 25OH-VitD3 concentration of 25 ng/mL (48). Therefore serum levels of >25 ng/mL may be necessary for optimal active Vitamin D for vascular smooth muscle cells.
Muscle strength declines with age and a recently characterized deficiency symptom of Vitamin D is skeletal muscle weakness (43). Deficiency of Vitamin D and its hormonal effect on muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) has been described as a risk factor in falls and bone fractures in the elderly (49). Loss of muscle strength has been correlated with a loss of Vitamin D receptors (VDR) in muscle cells (50). Supplemental Vitamin D of at least 800 IU per day may result in a clinically significant increase in VDR in muscle cells which may be in part be the mechanism whereby other studies have shown improvement in body-sway, muscle strength and falling risk were seen with Vitamin D supplementation at this level (51). While this muscular weakness associated with Vitamin D may not be surprising at classical Vitamin D deficiency levels (blood 25OH-VitD3 of <15 ng/mL), Bischoff-Ferrari et al continued to see improvement in lower extremity function up to and beyond 40 ng 25OH-VitD3/mL which are levels well above what previously might have been thought necessary for maximal benefit (52). This observation has been confirmed by other researchers that in fact minimal Vitamin D levels necessary to prevent rickets do not allow for maximal physical performance (53). A recent editorial in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that all the literature available would indicate a 25OH-VitD3 level of at least 30 ng/mL is most optimal for health and disease (54).
While the exact mechanism is still unclear, it is clear that both the active metabolite, 1,25OH2-VitD3 and its precursor, 25OH-VitD3, play a significant role in normal functioning of muscle. Muscle contains VDRs for 1,25OH2-VitD3, found in both the nucleus and at the cell membrane (55-57) and these are also involved in non-specific binding 25OH-VitD3 as well (58). Studies by Haddad and Birge, published in the 1970s, show that feeding D3 to vitamin D deficient rats 7 hours prior to measurement increased protein synthesis as measured by 3H-leucine incorporation into muscle cell proteins. However, when the muscles were removed from the Vitamin D deficient rats and studied, only 25-OH Vit D3 acts directly in the muscles (58-60).
Early clinical evidence pointed to a reversible myopathy associated with Vitamin D deficiency (61). Vitamin D receptors were discovered in muscle tissue, thus providing direct evidence of Vitamin D's effect on muscle function (51, 62). Muscle biopsies in adults with Vitamin D deficiency exhibit mainly type II muscle fiber atrophy (63). Type II fibers are important because they are the first initiated to prevent a fall. A recent randomized controlled study found that daily supplementation of 1,000 IU of Vitamin D2 in elderly stroke survivors resulted in an increase in mean type II fiber diameter and in percentage of type II fibers (64). There was also a correlation between serum 25OH-VitD3 level and type II fiber diameter.
Vitamin D conveys its action by binding to VDR. VDR is expressed in particular stages of differentiation from myoblast to myotubes (55, 65, 66). Two different VDRs have been described. One is located at the nucleus and acts as a nuclear receptor and the other is located at the cell membrane and acts as a cellular receptor. VDR knockout mice are characterized by a reduction in both body weight and size as well as impaired motor coordination (67). The nuclear VDR is a ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factor that belongs to the steroid-thyroid hormone receptor gene superfamily (68). Bischoff et al (69) reported the first in situ detection of VDR in human muscle tissue with significant associated intranuclear staining for VDR. Once 1,25OH2-VitD3 binds to its nuclear receptor, it causes changes in mRNA transcription and subsequent protein synthesis (70). The genomic pathway has been known to influence muscle calcium uptake, phosphate transport across the cell membrane, phospholipid metabolism, and muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. 1,25OH-VitD3 regulates muscle calcium uptake by modulating the activity of calcium pumps in sacroplasmic reticulum and sacrolemma (61). Modifications of calcium levels impact muscle function (71). In vitro experiments support these findings by demonstrating an increased uptake of 45Ca in cells exposed to physiological levels of 1,25OH2-VitD3 (72). The calcium binding protein calbindin D-9K is synthesized as a result of activation of nuclear VDR (62). 1,25OH2-VitD3 plays a role in regulating phosphate metabolism in myoblasts by accelerating phosphate uptake and accumulation in cells. 1,25OH2-VitD3 acts rapidly, presumably through cell membrane VDRs (56, 57). While binding to these receptors, there is an activation of second-messenger pathways (G-proteins, cAMP, inositol triphosphate, arachidonic acid) (73-75) or the phosphorylation of intracellular proteins. These would in turn activate protein kinase C (PKC), leading to release of calcium into muscle cells, and ultimately resulting in active transport of Ca into the sacroplasmic reticulum by Ca-ATPase. This process is important for muscle contraction. Additionally, PKC affects enhancements of protein synthesis in muscle cells (76). Recent data (77) indicate that 1,25OH-VitD3 has a fast activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, which in turn forward signals to their intracellular targets that effect the initiation of myogenesis, cell proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis.
Vitamin D may also regulate formation and regeneration of tight junctions and neuromuscular junctions. In vitro studies that found that Vitamin D regulates expression of VDR and the neural growth factor (NGF) in Schwann cells (78). Recent studies have shown that Vitamin D enhances glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in rats and that this may have beneficial effects in neurodegenerative disease (79). Therefore, Vitamin D could act through several mechanisms of cellular function and neural interaction to improve overall muscle strength and function.
A need exists for a composition and methods to increase muscle mass and improve function and strength. The present invention comprises a composition and methods of using a combination of Vitamin D and HMB that results in such an increase in muscle mass and improvement in strength and function.

Nutritional intervention for improving muscular function and strength


An input device is created on a touch screen in response to a user's placement of their hand. When a user places their hand on the touch screen, an input device sized for their hand is dynamically created. Alternatively, some other input device may be created. For example, when the user places two hands on the device a split keyboard input device may be dynamically created on the touch screen that is split between the user's hand locations. Once the input device is determined, the user may enter input through the created device on the input screen. The input devices may be configured for each individual user such that the display of the input device changes based on physical characteristics that are associated with the user.

Computer display devices have been configured to function both as an input device and as a video output device. For example, computer display devices can be configured with touch surface mechanisms that allow users to enter user input data through a display surface. Sensors can detect when one or more objects contact a particular location on the display surface. A computer system can then perform some action in response to detecting the contact. For example, in response to detecting contact between an object and a display surface at a location corresponding to user-interface control, a computer system can perform some action associated with the user-interface control.

Virtual input devices created by touch input


A method and a system for catalytically converting a hydrogen component in a hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed to dissolved hydrogen and for oxidizing the dissolved hydrogen to water is disclosed. Hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed, such as municipal garbage, low grade fuel oil and organic or inorganic sludge, is introduced to a molten bath system. The molten bath system includes first and second immiscible molten metal phases. Carbon and hydrogen component in the feed are converted to dissolved carbon and dissolved hydrogen, respectively. The dissolved carbon is oxidized in the first molten metal phase to carbon monoxide, which then migrates out of the first molten metal phase. As dissolved hydrogen accumulates in the first molten metal phase, it nucleates and migrates to the second molten metal phase, where it is oxidized and forms water vapor.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that the annual generation of hazardous wastes in the United States to be in excess of seventy billion gallons. Hazardous wastes include organic materials, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, herbicides, municipal garbage, hospital wastes including pathogens, paints, inks and contaminated solvents, black liquor and explosives. Examples of inorganic wastes which are a serious environmental problem include oxides of iron, zinc, copper, lead, magnesium, aluminum, chromium and cadmium, various powdered metal manufacturing residues and metal-containing sludges.
Further, the EPA classified as toxic, ignitable, corrosive or dangerously reactive many common waste materials, such as paint sludge from appliance factories, dregs of chrome and nickel from metal plating shops, spent raw materials for varnish, carpets and detergents at chemical plants, solvents from dry-cleaned clothes and degreased microchips from computers, mercury from exhausted watch batteries, butane residue from disposable cigarette lighters and lye from cans of oven cleaners.
Landfills are becoming less available as a means of disposing of such wastes. In the absence of suitable landfills, hazardous wastes must be transformed to benign and preferably useful substances. There has been tremendous investment in development of alternative methods of treating hazardous wastes. Various types of reactors which have been employed for decomposition of hazardous wastes include for example, rotary kiln, liquid injection, multiple hearth, multiple chamber, fluidized bed, molten salt and high efficiency boilers.
A common reactor for pyrolytic and combustive destruction of organic wastes is the rotary kiln. Pyrolysis in rotary kilns typically is initiated by a high temperature flame. The reactive species generated by the flame are then oxidized by contact with oxygen. However, because the waste material is often highly viscous, it is generally difficult to contact reactive species with oxygen for combustion of the reactive species. The rate of destruction of the waste, therefore, can be impeded. Moreover, heat released by combustion occurs away from the flame tip as reacting materials are fed through the rotary kiln, thereby limiting the heat which can be utilized for the initial pyrolysis step.
Titus et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,620, disclose a molten pool of glass and miscellaneous metals formed during incineration of "heterogenous waste materials," such as municipal garbage. Various organics in the waste materials are pyrolyzed in the molten pool at temperatures of up to 10,000.degree. F. However, the decomposed materials are not contacted with oxygen introduced into the molten pool.
Rummel, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,647,045, 2,923,260 and 3,953,445, disclose molten slag bath formed from reduction of iron ore or from the "non-combustible residues of coal products." Finely divided coal is injected into the bath and separate addition of air is conducted with "an endothermic reactant," i.e., water. The process is preferably conducted in two separate endothermic and exothermic zones.
Rassor et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,187,672 and 4,244,180 disclose molten iron employed as a solvent for carbon generated by thorough topside introduction of coal. The coal is then partially oxidized by iron oxide and by introduction of oxygen from above. However, carbonization and oxidation are conducted in distinct carbonization and oxidation chambers.
Molten salt processes are also known, and are typified by the reaction of alkali metal carbonates in a basic, or caustic, molten bath into which oxygen and wastes are injected. However, such baths generally rely principally upon thermal distribution rather than chemical reaction to degrade waste materials. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,447,262, 4,246,255 and 4,017,271.
Large scale destruction of PCBs can be done in large scale high efficiency boilers by their addition to conventional fuel in amounts up to 5%. See "Destruction of High Concentration PCBs in a Utility Boiler," by Siedhoff, Zale and Morris, Proceedings of the 1983 PCB Seminar, Electric Power Research Institute. However, the long-term corrosion and other effects on such high efficiency boilers is largely unknown.
Oxidation of wastes by reaction of organic materials and oxygen in the presence of water at high temperature and pressure is another alternative method of disposal. See, Wilhelmi, A. R. and Knoop, P. V., "Wet Air Oxidation--An Alternative to Incineration," Chemical Engineering Progress, 75:46-52 (1979). However, inorganic salts, char and metal-containing solids can accumulate at the walls of apparatus employed for such methods, thus necessitating removal of accumulated deposits, causing corrosion and limiting the operating capacity and useful life of such apparatus.
Bach et al , U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,574,714 and 4,602,574 disclose a unitary process wherein organic and inorganic wastes are injected conjointly with oxygen into a molten metal bath. The molten metal bath is comprised of metals and oxides of metals having free energies of oxidation under the conditions of the molten metal bath which are greater than the free energy of oxidation of carbon to carbon monoxide. The waste materials are pyrolytically decomposed and oxidized in the presence of the molten metal bath to form carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide can be oxidized by contact with oxygen gas introduced into the molten metal bath.

Method and system for oxidizing hydrogen- and carbon-containing feed in a molten bath of immiscible metals


Substantially non-antigenic polymers containing pI and/or pH optimum modulating moieties are disclosed. The polymers are useful as intermediates for synthesis of amine-based polymers and in the formation of activated polymers for conjugation with nucleophiles. Conjugates and methods of preparation and treatment with the conjugates are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polymers which are useful in extending the in vivo circulating life of biologically active materials. The invention also relates to conjugates made with the polymers.
2. Description of Prior Art
Some of the initial concepts of coupling peptides or polypeptides to poly(ethylene glycol) PEG and similar water-soluble poly(alkylene oxides) are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,337, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Polypeptides modified with these polymers exhibit reduced immunogenicity or antigenicity and circulate in the bloodstream longer than unmodified versions.
To conjugate poly(alkylene oxides), one of the hydroxyl end-groups is converted into a reactive functional group. This process is frequently referred to as "activation" and the product is called an "activated poly(alkylene oxide)". Other substantially non-antigenic polymers are similarly "activated" or functionalized.
The activated polymers are reacted with a therapeutic agent having nucleophilic functional group(s) that serve as attachment site(s). One nucleophilic functional group commonly used as an attachment site is the epsilon-amino group of lysines. Free carboxylic acid groups, suitably activated carbonyl groups, oxidized carbohydrate moieties, hydroxyl and mercapto groups have also been used as attachment sites.
Over the years, one shortcoming observed with polymer conjugation is that the conjugate has a different pI than the unmodified protein, enzyme, etc. For example, pegylation, i.e. attachment of the polymer, of lysine amino groups result in a decrease in the isoelectric point and changes the pH optimum, i.e the pH at which maximum bioactivity is observed. In some cases, it would be beneficial to restore the original pI or even alter the pI value of the polymer conjugate in order to optimize bioactivity at physiologic pH.
The present invention provides solutions to this problem.

Non-antigenic amine derived polymers and polymer conjugates


A band gap circuit includes a voltage generating circuit, and a first and a second switched capacitor circuits (SCC). Operational amplifier in the first and the second SCC are connected though a coupling capacitor. Capacitance of the coupling capacitor is smaller than that of a feedback capacitor in the first SCC. A PTAT voltage is obtained by multiplying a thermal voltage by a coefficient determined based on capacitances of input capacitors and feedback capacitors in each of the first and the second SCC, and the coupling capacitor. The voltage generating circuit generates a forward bias voltage that has a negative temperature-dependency at a p-n junction. The PTAT voltage is added to the forward bias voltage to generate a reference voltage independent of temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a band gap (or bandgap) circuit based on a switched-capacitor technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
A band gap circuit is commonly used in analog integrated circuits (ICs) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) analog circuits as a reference-voltage circuit. The band gap circuit generates a constant reference voltage that is independent of temperature and power source voltage.
However, a band gap circuit utilizes a potential of a forward biased positive-negative (p-n) junction that has a negative temperature-dependency. In other words, the potential decreases as temperature increases. Therefore, a voltage that is proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) is added to generated reference voltage to obtain a reference voltage that is independent of temperature.
The band gap circuits based on a switched capacitor technique (hereinafter, "switched-capacitor band gap circuit") are known in the art. In the switched-capacitor band gap circuit, a capacitance ratio is used to obtain a desirable PTAT voltage by multiplying a thermal voltage k·T/q by a coefficient, where q is an electrical charge of electrons, k is the Boltzmann constant, and T is absolute temperature. In an integrated circuit, the capacitance ratio can be obtained at the highest accuracy. Therefore, in the switched-capacitor band gap circuit, which uses the capacitance ratio, a desirable PTAT voltage can be obtained with high accuracy based on the thermal voltage. In other words, switched-capacitor band gap circuits can generate highly accurate reference voltage.
A switched-capacitor band gap circuit shown in FIG. 1 has been disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,504. In the conventional switched-capacitor band gap circuit, an emitter of a positive-negative-positive (PNP) bipolar transistor Q1 is connected to a noninverting input (+) of an operational amplifier circuit OP1. A base and a collector of the PNP bipolar transistor Q1 are connected to a ground GND. An inverting input (−) of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 is connected to the ground GND via a capacitor C1.
The inverting input (−) is connected to an output of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 via a capacitor C2. A switch S1 is connected in parallel with the capacitor C2. A current source I1 is connected to the emitter of the bipolar transistor Q1 and a current source I2 is coupled between the emitter of the bipolar transistor Q1 and a positive power source Vdd via a switch S2.
The current sources I1 and I2 output currents I1 and I2 respectively. The capacitors C1 and C2 have capacitances C1 and C2 respectively. Vo is an output reference potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP1. N1 and N2 are nodes.
When a base-to-emitter voltage, which is a forward bias voltage at the p-n junction, is Vbe, a relationship between Vbe and absolute temperature T is expressed asVbe=Veg−a·T  (1)where Veg is a band gap voltage (approximately 1.2 volts (V)) of silicon, and a is temperature dependency (approximately 2 mV/° C.) of Vbe.
Furthermore, a relationship between a current I of the emitter, which is a current of a diode, and Vbe is expressed asI=I0 exp(q·Vbe/k·T)  (2)where q is an electrical charge of electrons, and k is the Boltzmann constant.
As shown in FIG. 1, at the beginning, the switch S1 is closed and the switch S2 is open. Since the switch S1 is closed, a potential of the node N2 is equal to an output potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP1. In addition, since the switch S2 is open, the current I1 flows through the PNP bipolar transistor Q1. A potential of the node N2 is Vbe1 when the base-to-emitter voltage is Vbe1. Consequently, an electrical charge that can be accumulated at the node N2 while the switch S1 is closed is C1×Vbe1.
Then, the switch S1 is opened and the switch S2 is closed. As the switch S1 is open, the electrical charge of the node N2 is conserved. In addition, currents flow into the PNP bipolar transistor Q1 from both of the current sources I1 and I2. Thus, the current flowing through the PNP bipolar transistor Q1 increases from I1 to I1+I2, and the potential of the node N1 increases.
When I1+I2=m·I1 where m is a coefficient, relationships between I1 and Vbe1, and between I2 and Vbe2 are expressed asI1=I0 exp(q·Vbe1/k·T)  (3)m·I1=I0 exp(q·Vbe2/k·T)  (4)where the base-to-emitter voltage when the current m·I1 flows through the PNP bipolar transistor Q1 is Vbe2.
By performing division on Equation 3 and Equation 4, the following Equation 5 is obtained.m=exp(q·Vbe2/k·T−qVbe1/k·T)  (5)When Equation 5 is solved for ΔVbe assuming Vbe2−Vbe1=ΔVbe, Equation 6 is obtained.ΔVbe=(k·T/q)ln(m)  (6)
The potential of the node N1 increases by ΔVbe from Vbe1 to be Vbe2. Therefore, if a gain of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 is sufficiently large, the potential of the node N2 also increases by ΔVbe to be Vbe2. An output potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 is determined to conserve the electrical charge of the node N2. As the potential of the node N2 increases, the electrical charge of the node N2 increases. The increased amount Δq1 is expressed asΔq1=C1·ΔVbe  (7)
On the other hand, if the output potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 increases, the electrical charge of the node N2 decreases. The decreased amount Δq2 is expressed asΔq2=C2(ΔVo−ΔVbe)  (8)where the increased amount in the output potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 is ΔVo.
Since Δq1 and Δq2 are equal to each other, the following Equation 9 is obtained.C1·ΔVbe=C2(ΔVo−ΔVbe)  (9)When Equation 9 is solved for ΔVo, Equation 10 is obtained.ΔVo=ΔVbe+(C1/C2)ΔVbe  (10)
Consequently, the output reference potential Vo of the operational amplifier circuit OP1 is finally obtained by the following Equation 11.
                                                        Vo              =                              Vbe1                                                                                +                                  Δ                                                                                Vbe                                +                                                                            (                                              C                                                                                1                          /                          C                                                                                2                                            )                                        ·                    Δ                                                                                Vbe                                                                                =                                                Vbe                                                                                2                                +                                                                            (                                              C                                                                                1                          /                          C                                                                                2                                            )                                        ·                    Δ                                                                                Vbe                                                                                (        11        )
The forward bias voltage Vbe2 at the p-n junction has a negative temperature-dependence as shown in Equation 1. On the other hand, ΔVbe increases in proportion to temperature as shown in Equation 6. Therefore, by setting C1/C2 at an appropriate value, the circuit can be designed so as to obtain the output reference potential Vo independent of temperature. In such a condition, Vo corresponds to a band gap voltage of silicon, and is 1.2 V. Thus, in the circuit shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to obtain a reference voltage independent of temperature by appropriately setting the circuit constant.
A circuit shown in FIG. 2 is also an example of the conventional switched-capacitor band gap circuit. As shown in FIG. 2, an emitter of a PNP bipolar transistor Q2 is connected to a noninverting input (+) of an operational amplifier circuit OP2. A base and a collector of the PNP bipolar transistor Q2 are connected to the ground GND. Moreover, an emitter of a PNP bipolar transistor Q3 is connected to an inverting input (−) of the operational amplifier circuit OP2 through a capacitor C3. A base and a collector of the PNP bipolar transistor Q3 are connected to the ground GND.
The noninverting input (+) of the operational amplifier circuit OP2 is connected to a switch S3. A capacitor C4 is coupled between the switch S3 and the inverting input (−). A switch S4 is coupled between an output of the operational amplifier circuit OP2 and the capacitor C4. A switch S5 is coupled between the output and the inverting input (−). A current sources I1 and nI1 are coupled through switches S6 and S7 respectively, between the positive power source Vdd and each of the emitters of the PNP bipolar transistor Q2 and Q3.
In the following explanation of an operation of the band gap circuit shown in FIG. 2, I1 and nI1 represent currents of the current sources I1 and nI1, C3 and C4 represent capacitances of the capacitors C3 and C4, and Vo represents an output reference potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP2. Nodes between an internal circuit and each of the noninverting input (+), the emitter of the PNP bipolar transistor Q3, and the inverting input (−) are nodes N3, N4, and N5 respectively. A node between the capacitor C4 and both of the switches S3 and S4 is a node N6. Sizes of the PNP bipolar transistors Q2 and Q3 are equal to each other.
As shown in FIG. 2, at the beginning, the switch S6 is closed on a side of the PNP bipolar transistor Q2, and the switch S7 is closed on a side of the PNP bipolar transistor Q3. The switches S3 and S5 are closed, and the switch S4 is open. The current I1 flows through the PNP bipolar transistor Q2. A base-to-emitter voltage of the PNP bipolar transistor Q2 is Vbe1. The current nI1 flows through the PNP bipolar transistor Q3. A base-to-emitter voltage of the PNP bipolar transistor Q3 is Vbe2.
Since the switch S3 is closed, a potential at the node N6 is Vbe, which is equal to a potential of the node N3. Moreover, since the switch S5 is close, a potential of the node N5 is approximately Vbe1, which is substantially equal to the potential of the node N3. It is assumed that an ideal condition in which an offset voltage becomes zero in the operational amplifier circuit OP2 is obtained. Because a potential of the node N4 is Vbe2, an electrical charge to be accumulated in the capacitor C3 is −(Vbe2−Vbe1)C3. In addition, since the potentials of the nodes N5 and N6 are equal to each other, an electrical charge to be accumulated in the capacitor C4 becomes zero. Therefore, an electrical charge to be accumulated in the node N5 is −(Vbe2−Vbe1)C3.
When the switch S5 is switched to be open in this condition, the electrical charge accumulated in the node N5 is conserved. Then, the switch S3 is switched to be open, the switch S6 is switched to be closed on a side of the PNP bipolar transistor Q3, and the switch S7 is switched to be closed on a side of the PNP bipolar transistor Q2. Furthermore, the switch S4 is switched to be closed. Thus, the current nI1 flows through the PNP bipolar transistor Q2. Therefore, the base-to-emitter voltage of the PNP bipolar transistor Q2 becomes Vbe2. On the other hand, the current I1 flows through the PNP bipolar transistor Q3. Therefore, the base-to-emitter voltage of the PNP bipolar transistor Q3 becomes Vbe1.
Since the potential of the node N3 becomes Vbe2, if a voltage gain of the operational amplifier circuit OP2 is enough large, the potential of the node N5 also becomes Vbe2. An output potential of the operational amplifier circuit OP2 is determined to conserve the electrical charge of the node N5. The electrical charge qN5 of the node N5 is expressed asqN5=C3(Vbe2−Vbe1)−(Vo−Vbe2)C4  (12)where Vo is output potential.
As described above, the electrical charge of the node N5 before each of the switches is switched is −(Vbe2−Vbe1)C3. Based on this, the following Equation 13 is obtained.−(Vbe2−Vbe1)C3=C3(Vbe2−Vbe1)−(Vo−Vbe2)C4  (13)
When Equation 13 is solved for Vo where Vbe2−Vbe1=ΔVbe, the following Equation 14 is obtained.Vo=Vbe2+ΔVbe×2C3/C4  (14)
In the circuit designed such that ΔVbe is generated depending on a predetermined current ratio, ΔVbe has dependency that is proportional to the absolute temperature T. Therefore, with the circuit shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to obtain a reference voltage independent of temperature by appropriately setting the circuit constant, similarly to the case with the circuit shown in FIG. 1.
Various other switched-capacitor band gap circuits are know in the art. A circuit disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-181556 is configured as follows. The circuit includes a first current source and a first diode element, a second current source and a second diode, a first switch, a second switch, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third switch, an amplifier, a fourth switch, and a third capacitor. The first current source and the first diode element are joined at a first node and connected in series between a first and a second voltage terminals. The second current source and the second diode element are joined at a second node and connected in series between the first and the second voltage terminals. The first and the second current sources have different currents. The first switch includes a first terminal selectively connectable to a second and a third terminals thereof. The second switch is selectably connected to a first, a second, and a third terminals. The second and third terminals are connected respectively to the second node and the second voltage terminal. The first capacitor includes a first terminal that is connected to the first terminal of the first switch. The second capacitor includes a first terminal that is connected to the first terminal of the second switch. Second terminals of the first and the second capacitors are connected in common to a third node. The third switch includes a first and a second terminals. The first terminal of the third switch is connected to the third node. The amplifier includes an input and an output, and the input is connected to the second terminal of the third switch. The fourth switch includes a first and a second terminals connected between the input and the output of the amplifier. The third capacitor includes a first terminal connected to the input of the amplifier and a second terminal connected to the output of the amplifier.
A circuit disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-154749 is configured as follows. The circuit includes a band gap circuit, a switched capacitor circuit, and a filter. The band gap circuit outputs a bandgap output voltage from a first output terminal. The switched capacitor circuit operates in response to a control clock. The filter receives the bandgap output voltage, and outputs received bandgap output voltage to a second output terminal. The bandgap output voltage is controlled based on a frequency of the control clock.
A circuit for generating a reference voltage independent of temperature disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S58-500045 is configured as follows. The circuit includes a first and a second bipolar transistors, a clock, a first and a second switched capacitors, and an amplifier. The first and the second bipolar transistors have a predetermined base voltage. The first and the second bipolar transistors are biased to different current density, and generate a first emitter voltage and a second emitter voltage at each emitter. The clock generates a first and a second clock signals that do not overlap with each other. The first switched capacitor is coupled to the base voltage in response to the first clock signal, is coupled to the first emitter voltage in response to the second clock signal, and generates a first electrical charge relating to Vbe of the first bipolar transistor. The second switched capacitor is couple to the second emitter voltage in response to the first clock signal, is couple to the first emitter voltage in response to the second clock signal, and generates a second electrical charge relating to a difference between Vbe of the first bipolar transistor and Vbe of the second bipolar transistor. The amplifier is connected to the first and the second switched capacitors, and generates a reference voltage that is proportional to a sum of the first electrical charge and the second electrical charge. Such conventional circuit is also disclosed in, for example, IEEE JOURNAL OF SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS, Vol. 33, No. 7, 1998, pp. 1117-1122 titled "A Switched-Current, Switched-Capacitor Temperature Sensor in 0.6− μm CMOS" by Mike Tuthill.
As described above, in the conventional switched-capacitor band gap circuit, in multiplying the thermal voltage k·T/q by a predetermined coefficient, a capacitance ratio of a switched capacitor, for example, C1/C2 in Equation 11 and C3/C4 in Equation 14, is used as the coefficient. Generally, to obtain the capacitance ratio with high accuracy and high reproducibility in an IC, plural units of capacitors each of which has a predetermined unit capacitance are prepared. A desirable capacitance ratio is obtained by adjusting a ratio in the number of such capacitors. Therefore, the capacitance ratio, which is the coefficient, is an integer ratio. To approximate the integer ratio to a desirable coefficient, it is preferable that the integer ratio can be set more precisely. To set the integer ratio in detail, however, it is necessary to increase the number of such capacitors. The capacitors disadvantageously occupy silicon area.


In a method for manufacturing a package for holding multiple media discs, comprising, a plurality of media disc trays is provided, each tray having a side hinging surface. The trays are arranged into a stack, such that their respective side hinging surfaces line up with each other to form a composite hinging surface. A label is positioned over the composite hinging surface. The label is affixed to the composite hinging surface, such that the label provides a hinge between each tray in the stack and at least one adjacent tray.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in the field of packaging goods for retail sale, and more specifically to improved systems and methods for packaging media discs.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is becoming increasingly common for CDs, DVDs, and other types of media discs to be sold in sets. The design of suitable packaging for holding a plurality of media discs presents an ongoing challenge to the packaging industry. A key consideration in a successful package design is manufacturing cost. Packages are sold in extremely high volumes. Thus, even a difference of a fraction of a cent per unit can be a significant factor in the success or failure of a particular package design. However, the packaging industry is highly competitive. Thus, in order to compete successfully in the marketplace, it is also important for a package manufacturer to produce packages that are functional, durable, and esthetically pleasing.

Systems and methods for packaging media discs


A heated and softened glass sheet is put on a bending surface of a frame unit to be preliminarily bent by gravity before the glass sheet is pressed by an upper mold and the frame unit. There are steps for using a certain means for controlling an amount of preliminary bending to control deformation of the glass sheet caused by the preliminary bending; and pressing the preliminarily bent glass sheet by the upper mold and the frame unit.

Heretofore, curved glass sheets having various shapes or curvatures have been used as automobile windows. Various kinds of methods have been proposed as the method for producing that sort of curved glass sheets. Among these methods, a method for press-bending in a heating furnace is suited to realize a complicated shape, such as a shape having a vertical section substantially like the letter S, or a deeply bent shape, since this method can bend a glass sheet in a high temperature state. For example, JP-A-1-52628 discloses a technique that a hollow member having a box-like shape is used as a lower mold to put a glass sheet thereon and that air is supplied into the hollow member to raise the pressure in the hollow member to push the entire area of a rear side of the glass sheet against an upper mold by the air pressure. This technique is said to be able to easily realize a complicated shape since it is possible to uniformly pressurize the rear side of the glass sheet in a wide range.
However, since the above-mentioned conventional technique utilizes both press-bending and air-pressuring to instantly bend a substantially flat glass sheet in a desired complicated shape or a desired deeply bent shape, this conventional technique has a problem in that the glass sheet has an optical distortion created in several portions or has a crease formed in a surface. That sort of problem is caused because a substantially flat glass sheet is greatly bent in a short time period by press-bending and air-pressuring. Although that sort of problem may be avoided by providing a sufficient time period for bending, a new problem that the productivity of curved glass sheets lowers is caused in this case.
It is normal that the lower mold and the upper mold utilized for press-bending have bending surfaces covered with woven cloth, such as heat-resistant cloth, in order to prevent a glass sheet from being damaged. In order to provide a glass sheet with a complicated shape or the like, both molds are formed in greatly curved shapes to conform to the shape of a curved glass sheet to be produced. The molds are quite different from the glass sheet in terms of shape before bending. For this reason, the glass sheet is apt to have local portions brought into strong contact with a mold. As a result, there has been caused a problem that the heat-resistant cloth on these local portions is apt to be broken while repeatedly making press-bending of glass sheets.
In some cases, when a glass sheet, which is quite different from the molds in terms of shape, is forcibly pressed, the glass sheet has the impression of a ring for supporting the glass sheet marked on a peripheral portion of the glass sheet.
The present invention is proposed to avoid the problems of the conventional technique. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for bending a glass sheet, which are capable of producing, with high productivity, a glass sheet having such a complicated shape or a deeply bent shape that is difficult to be realized by the conventional technique, or which are capable of rapidly making preliminary bending.

Method and apparatus for bending a glass sheet


Various aspects of the subject technology relate to a system configured to store preferences in a file that is accessible to other applications on a computing device. The preferences stored in the file may include application use preferences that specify an application to be launched and the conditions in which the application is to be launched. The system further includes features for protecting the preferences in the file from modification by unauthorized parties or applications.

The present disclosure generally relates to user preferences and, in particular, to setting and sharing user preferences in multi-application environments.
Many operating systems for computing devices enable multiple applications to run on the computing device. Each operating system may be configured to determine what application is to be launched or otherwise used to load content, run a file, or execute a command or instruction. In some cases, the operating system does not allow an application running on the computing device to alter the applications that are to be launched for specific circumstances. Accordingly, a user of the computing device is not able to change which application is used to load particular content. In other cases, the operating system does allow applications to alter the settings. However, some applications may maliciously alter the applications that are to be used without user consent.

Shared preferences in a multi-application environment