A medicine cap with a timing mechanism that automatically resets upon the removal of the cap from a medicine bottle. A timing device is housed within a medicine camp, with a diaphragm housed below the timing device. The diaphragm has a rod extending upward from a central location, and fastening the cap onto a bottle or container causes the rod to be pushed up into contact with, and activate, the timing device. Upon removal of the cap from the bottle or container, the rod loses contact with the timing device, and the timer is reset. The cap may comprise multiple pieces, so the cap may be used in child-proof mode by the engagement and disengagement of splines on the cap housing and a cap insert. Means are supplied for enabling the constant engaging of the splines.

The majority of medicines and drugs require administration in a series of doses at specific times over a period of time for increased effectiveness. Outside the hospital or clinic setting, this usually requires the patient or an individual caring for the patient to be responsible for keeping track of the taking of the medication in question. A frequent problem, however, is that the patent or individual keeping track often errs in the administration of the medication. Patients may forget to take a dose of their medication, be tardy in taking a dose, or forget taking a dose and take a second dose too soon.
A number of approaches to solving this problem are found in the prior art. There are a number of devices, for example, that comprise a pill case or box with a timer or alarm to alert the patient that a certain time period has passed and that medication should be taken. These devices, however, are not suitable for many types of medication that should not be transferred from their initial container, and also may lead to problems associated with mixed medications and accumulated toxicity. In addition, these simple alarms provide no means to ensure or check compliance with administration of the medication. Furthermore, if the patient does take the medication at the proper time, the patient may fail to reset the timer or alarm.
In response to these problems, a number of devices have been developed that incorporate the timing mechanism and alarm in the cap or lid of the medication bottle or container itself. Examples of such mechanisms are found in Wirtschafter (U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,571), Albeck (U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,439), and Walters (U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,661). Several problems still are found with these devices, however, including false resetting of the timer or alarm without the medicine cap ever being removed or the medicine taken, interruption of power to the timer, breach of the medication-containing compartment, interference with child-resistant mechanisms, and delicacy of the mechanisms leading to high failure rates. An additional problem is the high cost and complex assembly of many such devices, which prohibits their wide adoption and use.
Accordingly, what is needed is an automatic timing mechanism for a medicine cap that is reliable, stable, easy to assemble and operate, low in cost, and compatible with both child-resistant and non-child-resistant medication containers.


The invention provides a method and apparatus for allowing a user to sample and order a product using an interactive ordering system. The ordering system includes a vending station to allow a user to sample a quantity of the product, an ordering station in close proximity to the vending station to allow the user to purchase a related product, and a delivery station to delivery the purchased product to the user.

Vending machines are frequently used to dispense beverages, such as sodas or coffee, and individually packaged servings of food, such as sandwiches or fruit.
Prior art efforts to increase the efficacy of vending machines in marketing products have generally focused on attracting potential customers to the machines through the use of advertising on the front and sides of the machine and placement of the machines in high traffic areas. Use of aromas in conjunction with vending machines is also known in the prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,778 discloses a vending machine that uses an aromator to draw customers toward its product. The machine of the '778 patent automatically emits an aroma when a physical proximity sensor detects a person. The '778 patent allows more than one aroma to be consecutively emitted. The emissions of the individual aromas are not based upon any user interaction other than proximity.
There is a continuing need for systems to enable vending machines to be used more effectively in marketing of consumable products.


A positioning control device having a moving body engaged with a screw shaft to be moved with the rotation of the screw shaft, and a rest bar for fixing the moving body having two long positioning retainers extending in the axial direction of the screw shaft makes it possible to securely hold a guide apparatus for rolling stock. The moving body is provided on its upper portion with a shift base for mounting the guide apparatus thereon, and on its lower portion with a shift bracket. A pair of hydraulic cylinders piercing through the shift bracket are opposed to each other across the screw shaft. A piston rod in each hydraulic cylinder is movable vertically so as to come into contact with the lower surface of the retaining portion of the rest bar. Both positioning retainers are secured on the retaining portion of the rest bar and disposed opposite to each other across the piston rods and the retaining portion of the rest bar so as to come into contact with the contact members of the shift base.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for controlling the position of a guide apparatus for rolling stock to be set at an entrance and other places of a rolling mill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As described in Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. SHO 61-241563(A) as one example, there has been so far known a positioning control device for a guide apparatus for rolling stock, which comprises a moving body for moving the guide apparatus, a feed screw shaft pierced through the lower portion of the moving body in the state engaged therewith, means for driving the feed screw shaft, and a fixing or locking means for securing the moving body.
The method of controlling the position of the guide apparatus for the rolling stock is fulfilled in the manner described below.
By operating the driving means to rotate the feed screw shaft, the moving body is moved along the roller shafts of pressure rollers in the rolling mill. The guide apparatus is controlled in position through the moving body so as to be moved to a prescribed position and secured by the fixing means at the prescribed position.
However, the conventional positioning control device involves the following problem to be solved.
Since the moving body is released from the fixing means while in movement consequently to form a gap between the contact surface thereof and the holding portion of the fixing means, there is a possibility of leaving the gap after positioning and securing the moving body and bringing the moving body out of position, as a result of which the moving body cannot be accurately positioned.
Furthermore, the moving body is prevented from moving in the axial direction of the feed screw shaft by the fixing means after being positioned, but it may possibly be displaced in the direction perpendicular to the axes of the pressure rollers, i.e. the forward and backward directions with respect to the rolling stock. As a result, accurate positioning control for the moving body cannot be fulfilled.
Also, there is a possibility of causing backlash between the male screw of the feed screw shaft and the female screw of the moving body. Accordingly, the conventional positioning control device has been required to be improved to achieve subtle accuracy in positioning the moving body.

Positioning control device for guide apparatus


Disclosed herein are magnetic recording devices and methods of using them. A magnetic recording device comprises a main pole extending to an air-bearing surface (ABS), a trailing shield extending to the ABS, a write-field-enhancing structure disposed between and coupled to the main pole and the trailing shield at the ABS, a write coil configured to magnetize the main pole, a write current control circuit coupled to the write coil and configured to apply a write current to the write coil, wherein the write current comprises a write pulse, and a bias current control circuit coupled to the write-field-enhancing structure and configured to apply a bias current to the write-field-enhancing structure, wherein the bias current comprises a driving pulse offset in time from the write pulse by a delay, wherein the delay substantially coincides with an expected magnetization switch-time lag of a free layer of the write-field-enhancing structure.

Magnetic storage systems, such as hard disk drives, are used to store large amounts of information. A magnetic head in a magnetic storage system typically includes a read/write transducer for retrieving and storing magnetically encoded information on a magnetic recording media, such as a disk.
The ability to increase the storage capacity in magnetic recording is an ongoing concern. As the amount of information to be stored on the magnetic recording media continues to increase, demands for higher-density recording also continue to increase. Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR), wherein the recorded bits are stored in a perpendicular or out-of-plane orientation in the recording layer, allows for high recording densities in magnetic recording data storage devices such as hard disk drives. The write head must be able to write data not only at high bit densities but also at high data rates.
The switching time for the write pole of the write head to switch from one magnetization direction to the other is a limiting factor as the data rate is increased in PMR. At high data rates, the available magnetic flux from the write head, as seen by the recording layer on the disk, is dominated by the low-frequency flux output of the write head. The reason for such loss of write flux includes a slow intrinsic time-constant of the magnetization reversal in the main pole of the write head. Also, lower data-rate systems require additional overshoot of the write current from the disk drive's write driver circuitry to aid in the magnetization reversal. This additional overshoot requires additional power from the write driver circuitry.
Perpendicular magnetic recording systems with high-frequency assisted writing using a spin-torque oscillator (STO) have been proposed. The STO, which comprises a field-generation layer (FGL) and spin-polarization layer (SPL), is placed within in the write gap. The write head generates a write field that, beneath the main pole, is substantially perpendicular to the magnetic recording layer, and the STO generates a high-frequency auxiliary field to the recording layer. Ideally, the auxiliary field has a frequency close to the resonance frequency of the magnetic grains in the recording layer to facilitate the switching of the magnetization of the grains. As a consequence, the oscillating field of the STO's FGL resonates with the media and provides strong writing despite having a narrow writer.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/659,767, filed Jul. 26, 2017 and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes, discloses writers with spin-torque-assisted write field enhancement that use a DC-field-generation (DFG) layer to create an auxiliary magnetic field that adds constructively to the write field and thereby enables high-density magnetic recording. A significant benefit of writers that use a DFG layer is that they enable high-density magnetic recording without requiring resonance with the media. Consequently, there is no need to jointly optimize the writer and the media of the disk drive as there would be to achieve high performance with a writer using a STO.
Regardless of whether a magnetic write head uses a STO or a configuration with a DFG layer as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 15/659,767, there is an ongoing need to improve the performance of the writer.

Magnetic recording devices and methods using a write-field-enhancement structure and bias current with offset pulses


Methods and apparatus for forming a fluid for use within in a subterranean formation including crosslinking a polymer along the surface of microspheres in a water-in-water emulsion and introducing the microspheres into the subterranean formation. Methods and apparatus for forming a fluid for use within in a subterranean formation including crosslinking a polymer along the surface of microspheres in a water in water emulsion, isolating the microspheres from the emulsion, and introducing the microspheres into the subterranean formation. Methods and apparatus for forming a fluid to treat a subterranean formation including introducing a crosslinkable polymer, partitioning agent, and crosslinker into a solvent, crosslinking the crosslinkable polymer, isolating beads of the crosslinkable polymer from the partitioning agent, introducing the beads into a fluid for treating a subterranean formation.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Fractures in oilfield reservoirs typically have the highest flow capacity of any portion of the reservoir formation. In natural fractures, the high flow capacity results when the fracture is open and the closure stress is low. In artificially created fractures, the high flow capacity results from the fracture being propped open with a permeable bed of material or etched along the fracture face with acid or other material that has dissolved part of the formation. Normally, such high flow capacity is desirable.
However, in the life of an oil well, there are various times in which it is desirable to reduce the flow capacity by plugging or partially plugging the fracture. Typically, this is when the fracture is producing unwanted fluids such as water or gas, when there is a non-uniformity of injected fluid, or when expensive materials are being injected into non-producing areas of the formation. Expensive material loss is a particularly critical reason because the flow of expensive fluid into an already open fracture wastes the material, along with manpower, etc., to produce or increase a fracture where not needed, and in many cases, it results in the growth of a fracture into a region from which undesirable fluid, such as water, is produced.
Compositions for plugging fractures to reduce flow of fluids and fluid loss have typically included clays or cement systems. The disadvantages of cement systems include setting and bridging prematurely. The hydrating clays are complex to pump, require expensive well work, must hydrate fully along the fracture, and may also bridge prematurely. Polymer systems have also been attempted for plugging fractures, but often fail due to lack of flow resistance. Further, use of such systems is expensive because of the requirements for large volumes of materials. Transportation considerations may also add to the cost of the systems.
A need therefore remains for an inexpensive and reliable drilling or well plugging material and for methods of use during well treatments such as drilling, well completion, stimulation, and fluids production.

Polymeric microspheres as degradable fluid loss additives in oilfield applications


A user host device privately controls a shared remote process that executes in a remote device, in which respective public keys between the user host device and the shared remote process are exchanged through an intermediary device, the user host device validates the process public key based on current and previous nonce values, and sends to the remote process a double-encrypted process command, and the remote process double-decrypts the process command, executes the process command, and then returns a double-encrypted response to the user host device which decrypts and validates the response. Trust between the user host device and the remote process is established by the user host device verifying a remote process response, and the trust is maintained by chaining each session nonce with the previous session nonce, without the knowledge of the intermediary process host device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and system for establishing private control by a user host device of a shared remote process executing in a remote device, through a communication link between the user host device and the remote device via an intermediary communication device. The private control is established so that the user host device can send commands to the shared remote process without the intermediary communication device having knowledge of the commands.
2. Description of the Related Art
In networked computing environments, it is common for a user of a first computing device to control a shared process executing on a remote second computing device. In many cases, the communication link between the first computing device and the second computing device for controlling the shared remote process must pass through one or more other computing devices, such as a common controller which owns, and controls access to, the remote shared process. In such cases, it may be desirable for the user of the first device to maintain privacy of the control session with the shared remote process by preventing the other computing devices from having visibility of the commands to the remote process, and of the responses from the remote process.
There are many instances where the process owner (controller) needs to grant access and specific control of a particular remote shared process to a remote user. In this context, the process host grants or denies access, and has visibility into, the communications between the user and the shared process, and the results from the shared process to the user. The aerospace industry is one example of such a situation. In particular, a remote process may be executing in a satellite, and it may be desirable for the remote process to be under the control of a user who is external to the satellite command and control infrastructure (the satellite host). Historically, in such a situation, the remote user supplies control information to the satellite host for execution and trusts the satellite host (command and control infrastructure) to return correct and accurate response information.
The foregoing method is unsatisfactory for a class of remote satellite users who insist on being segregated from the process host (satellite command and control authority), both from a process control privacy perspective, and also from a process results trust perspective. In other words, the remote user does not want the satellite host to have visibility of the control commands to the shared remote process executing in the satellite, and the remote user does not want the satellite host to have visibility of the results returned from the remote process in response to the user's commands. The problem is further exacerbated by the need of multiple users to be private from one another and to access the shared remote process simultaneously.
One specific example of this problem in the aerospace industry is the need to allow a remote user to direct a communications beam onto a specific target on the earth from a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, wherein the direction of the beam is private from the satellite control facilities and only known by the remote user, the remote process and the target. While this represents an example of one such problem, the need for remote private process control has wider application, both in the aerospace industry and in other industries where private control of a remote shared process is desired.
Known approaches to the aforementioned satellite communications beam control problem include having the satellite collect data for the entire hemispherical spectrum of interest, and then transmit the entire collected spectrum data to the user on the ground from each of thirty-five feed sets on the satellite, and then have the user beamform (establish a correct beam direction) from the collected spectrum data on the ground, and thereby detect a signal of interest. In the alternative, another known approach is to have the remote process on the satellite perform beamforming in space by using a command link that gives the satellite host (controllers) visibility to the beamformed latitude and longitude locations.
The problem with the first approach is that performing beamforming on the ground requires thirty-five times (based on the number of feeds needed) the communications bandwidth to collect the digital representation of the entire spectrum, and this approach only works in the receive mode. The problem with the second approach is that beamforming by using a command link that is visible to the satellite host does not provide the private security required by the remote users.
The classic problem of remote process control has been solved previously through the introduction of a trusted third party known as a certificate authority (CA) that vouches for the validity of the public keys of the participants. The public keys are used to establish private remote process control. In the satellite scenario, for example, the use of a certificate authority by a remote user is equivalent to sharing remote the user's control information with the satellite operators (operating as the certificate authority). This gives the operators the knowledge of the beamformed location, destroying the privacy between the remote user and the beamformer process on the satellite.
Accordingly, a solution is need that allows a remote user to privately control a remote shared process, wherein the user's commands to the remote shared process, and the results from the shared process to the user, are kept private from the host/controller of the shared process, and are known only by the remote user and the remote shared process.

Private user control of a shared remote process


Methods and apparatus for acoustic fiber fractionation using a plane ultrasonic wave field interacting with water suspended fibers circulating in a channel flow using acoustic radiation forces to separate fibers into two or more fractions based on fiber radius, with applications of the separation concept in the pulp and paper industry. The continuous process relies on the use of a wall-mounted, rectangular cross-section piezoelectric ceramic transducer to selectively deflect flowing fibers as they penetrate the ultrasonic field. The described embodiment uses a transducer frequency of approximately 150 kHz. Depending upon the amount of dissolved gas in water, separation is obtained using a standing or a traveling wave field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the separation of wood pulp fibers into various fractions such as long and short fibers for efficiencies in the paper making process, especially concerning paper mill effluents containing pulp slurry recyclable through separation of large radius fibers and small radius fibers into a concentrated paper fiber stock of the relatively larger fibers for paper making and a clean stream of the relatively smaller fibers from a stream of dilute fiber suspension. More particularly the invention relates to an acoustic cell, an acoustic fractionator and methods of separating dilute suspensions of fibers for fiber fractionation with acoustic separation using acoustic wave fields. Such acoustic wave fields induce deflections of the fibers penetrating an ultrasonic field imposing agglomeration and reorientation on the fibers of fiber suspensions to separate the fibers into two or more fractions according to the relative sizes of the fibers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Separation of virgin or reclaimed wood pulp fibers into two or more fractions which are relatively enriched in longer or shorter fibers is an important step of the paper-making process, because it allows for the efficient use of fiber properties. Fiber fractionation allows an optimized use of raw materials, increases production versatility, and contributes to waste and energy consumption reduction. Typical examples are: optimization of multi-layered products by placing fractions where they are most needed in the sheet; energy savings by restricting pulp refining to the long-fiber fraction; separation of valuable fraction from waste.
Various technologies have been devised during the past forty years to fractionate wood pulp fibers. See, e.g., P. Seifert and K. L. Long, "Fiber fractionation--Methods and Applications," Tappi J., Vol. 57(10) pp. 69-72 (1974); and T. F. Skaar, "Fractionation: Equipment, Applications and Process Control," Proc. of the Pulping Conf., Tappi Press, pp. 211-216 (1984). Pressure screen systems, which fractionate fibers based on fiber length, are generally perceived as the most successful technology on a commercial stand-point. See, H. Ibrahim, "Fiber Fractionation--An appropriate Technology for Upgrading Recycled Fibers and Saving Energy," Proc. Eucepa Symp. "Recycling of Fibres and Fillers in Pulp and Paper Industry" Ljubljana pp. 539-569 (Oct. 23-27, 1989).
In pressure screen systems, pulp slurries circulate between a stationary cylinder-shape screen and an external rotor. Pressure conditions between the screen and the rotor are such that the short fibers pass through the screen; long fibers are retained on the screen. The separation efficiency depends upon pulp furnish, use of perforated or slotted screens, pulp consistency, and input and output flow rates. The technology has high throughput. However, pressure screens have limited on-line adaptability to variable pulp furnishes, and they also have limited on-line adaptability for variable product requirements. Also, separation efficiency is not always satisfactory and multi-stage systems are used to meet separation goals. These are drawbacks when one considers the ever increasing use of reclaimed fibers from mixed grades. Moreover, pressure screen systems cannot fulfill fractionation requirements based on fiber radius, wall thickness, or coarseness, especially the separation of springwood and summerwood fibers or the separation of softwood and hardwood fibers, or in the separation of shives from the fibers.
It would be desirable to employ a versatile mechanism facilitating on-line adaptability to variable pulp furnishes and variable product requirements such as fiber fractionation with acoustic separation using ultrasonic wave fields, but very little knowledge has been available on the interaction of a sound field with fibers and more generally with prolate spheroids and cylindrical particles. Awatani was the first to calculate the acoustic force on a prolate spheroid, J. Awatani, "On the Acoustic Radiation Pressure on a Prolate Spheroid," Memo. Inst. Sci. Ind. Res., Osaka U., Vol. 10, pp. 51-65 (1953), and a rigid circular cylinder, J. Awantani, "Study on Acoustic Radiation Pressure (IV), Radiation Pressure on a Cylinder," Memo.
Inst. Sci. Ind. Res., Osaka U., Vol. 12, pp. 95-102 (1955), in plane traveling and standing wave fields. He found that the force on a prolate spheroid, whose axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the sound field direction (stable orientation), is larger than that on a disc or a sphere which has the same projective area. More recently, Zhuck and Wu et al. reported independent derivations of the acoustic force on a rigid cylinder at stable orientation, in plane traveling and standing wave fields, respectively. See, A. P. Zhuck, "Radiation Force Acting on a Cylinder Particle in a Sound Field," Sov. Appl. Mech., Vol. 22, pp. 689-693 (1987); and J. Wu G. Du, S. S. Work and D. M. Warshaw, "Acoustic Radiation Pressure on a Rigid Cylinder: An Analytical Theory and Experiments," J. Acoust. Soc. Am., Vol. 87, pp. 581-586 (1990).

Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Inc.


Relevance analysis devices, methods, and programs analyze a mutual relevance between a plurality of users utilizing a server that allows users to view information provided by target viewed users. The devices, methods, and programs specify an analysis reference user and an analysis target user. The devices, methods, and programs specify a route that spans between the analysis reference user and the target viewed user, and specify a mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on a number of component routes that make up the specified route and based on a number of the component routes in which an origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by an end-side user.

1. Related Technical Fields
Related technical fields include relevance analysis devices, relevance analysis methods, and relevance analysis programs.
2. Related Art
Services such as Twitter® and various types of social network services (SNSs) are now provided that allow other users to view statements posted to a server by a given user. Numerous users post a large quantity of information through these services, and it is sometimes difficult for viewers of posted information to determine which posts are reliable.
In view of this, a post information evaluation system for evaluating the reliability of posted information has been proposed. In this post information evaluation system, a client terminal for transmitting post information to a server includes a position data acquisition unit for acquiring position data. The position data acquired by the position data acquisition unit is transmitted together with the post information to the server. The server then evaluates the reliability of the post information based on the distance between a position of a facility included in the post information and a position specified by the position data transmitted together with the post information (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2007-304977, for example).

Relevance analysis device, relevance analysis method, and relevance analysis program


Three chrominance signals representative of a color image are represented by a coordinate system in a uniform color space, and a probability of occurrence of colors on the color space and a correlation of the chrominance signals for pixels are referenced in encoding color image information signals.

The present invention relates to a method of encoding color image information and, more particularly, to a method of encoding color image information which is suitable for efficiently transmitting and storing color image information.
Red, green and blue (RGB) signals, cyan, magenta and yellow (CMY) signals or YIQ signals which are used in a standard television system (NTSC system) have been used as chrominance signals to represent a color image.
The RGB signals are based on a spectrographic characteristic of a visual sense of human beings. Any color which can be visually sensed can be matched by a combination of the three colors R, G and B.
The CMY signals are derived as complementary colors of the RGB signals and are three-primary color signals which are utilized in printing for reproducing a color image by a subtractive combination of colors.
The YIQ signals were designed to reduce a transmission band of the chrominance signals in a television and they are calculated in accordance with the following formula. ##EQU1##
However, those chrominance signals were not designed to quantize the color image information with several-bit data width (code word length), and hence the changes in the chrominance signals do not uniformly correspond to changes in the colors visible to humans.
For example, in a color space having coordinate axes of three chrominance signals R, G and B shown in FIG. 1, the change of color caused by the change of the chrominance signal of the same magnitude may be a significant visible color change or may be a substantially invisible color change.
This is true for the CMY signals and the YIQ signals. In any case, the variations in the chrominance signals do not uniformly correspond to the variations in the visible colors.
As a result, when the chrominance signals are to be quantized by the several-bit code length, the changes in the colors caused by the changes of the chrominance signals corresponding to the quantization steps have large variations. Thus, the color reproducibility is lowered and the redundancy of the image information increases.
The RGB signals, CMY signals and YIQ signals do not have clear correspondence to hue, value and chroma (H, V and C) which are defined in the Munsell color notation system. Accordingly, even if only one of the three chrominance signals is changed, all of the H, V and C of the color may be affected.
As a result, when the chrominance signals are coarsely quantized by several-bit code words, each of the H, V and C of the color is affected if a rounding error as a result of signal processing or noise superposition is included.
One known encoding method of a multi-gradation image signal is a prediction encoding method which utilizes gradation correlation between adjacent pixel. An encoding method of a monochromatic multi-gradation image by the prediction encoding method will now be explained.
Referring to FIG. 2, it is assumed that a pixel X.sub.0 under consideration which is to be encoded and encoded reference pixels X.sub.1, X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 adjacent to the pixel X.sub.0 under consideration have gradations x.sub.0, x.sub.1, x.sub.2 and x.sub.3, respectively. Since the pixel under consideration and the reference pixels are close to each other on an image screen, it is anticipated that the gradation correlation among the pixels is high.
Thus, a prediction gradation x.sub.0 which is a prediction (e.g., estimation) of the gradation x.sub.0 of the pixel X.sub.0 under consideration can be calculated by utilizing the gradation correlation of the pixels and using a linear formula (2). EQU x.sub.0 =1/2(x.sub.1 +1/2(x.sub.2 +x.sub.3) (2)
A difference between the actual gradation x.sub.0 and the prediction gradation x.sub.0 is defined as a prediction error e. EQU e=x.sub.0 -x.sub.0 ( 3)
As described above, the gray-level image has the high gradation correlation between the adjacent pixels. Accordingly, it is anticipated that a probability of occurrence of the prediction error e shown by the formula (3) distributes with a peak at 0 as shown in FIG. 3.
Thus, by assigning a shorter code word to a pixel having a higher probability of prediction error e and a longer code word to a pixel having a lower probability of prediction error, the redundancy included in the image information can be suppressed and efficient encoding is attained.
In order to apply the prior art encoding method developed for the monochromatic image to a color image, the prior art encoding method developed for the monochromatic image is applied to each of the three chrominance signals. This technique is disclosed, for example, in an article "The Perceptual Color Space of Digital Image Display Terminals" by Antonio Santisteban, IBM J. RES. DEVELOP. Vol. 27, No. 2, March 1983.

Method and apparatus of encoding color image information


An internal combustion engine has a camshaft whose phase can be adjusted with respect to a crankshaft by means of a setting mechanism. Also provided are a crankshaft sensor which senses the crankshaft angle and a camshaft sensor which senses the camshaft angle. The method comprises the following steps: A reference value for the phase is adapted in a predefined position of the setting mechanism when a predefined condition is satisfied. A measurement value for the phase is determined depending on the sensed crankshaft angle and camshaft angle. A corrected measurement value for the phase is determined depending on the reference value and the measurement value for the phase. A control signal for controlling the internal combustion engine is determined depending on the corrected measurement value.

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a camshaft whose phase can be adjusted with respect to a crankshaft by means of a setting mechanism is known from DE 101 08 055 C1. The setting mechanism disclosed in that publication is a hydraulic system by means of which the phase relationship between the crankshaft and the camshaft can be adjusted. Setting mechanisms of this type are widely used in modern internal combustion engines and are used on the one hand to improve performance and on the other hand to reduce emissions in the internal combustion engine.
With regard to the method known from DE 101 08 055 C1, near to the time when the internal combustion engine starts up a measurement value is determined for the phase between the crankshaft and the camshaft depending on sensed camshaft and crankshaft angles. A predefined initialization value is read in from a memory. The initialization value of the phase relationship is the value of the phase which the camshaft and the crankshaft have with respect to one another when all the mechanical components are arranged in the predefined manner with respect to one another. Such initialization values are typically fixed and predefined by the manufacturer of the internal combustion engine for all internal combustion engines of a series and stored in the control facilities provided for this purpose.
A correction value for the phase is then determined near to the time when the internal combustion engine starts up, depending on the difference between the initialization value and the measurement value for the phase. During the further operation of the internal combustion engine, the current phase in each case is then determined from the sum of the measurement value and the correction value. With regard to the known method, it is assumed that errors in the measurement value for the phase can essentially be attributed to the tolerances for the crankshaft sensor and the camshaft sensor. It has become apparent however that in spite of these corrections the desired low-emission operation of the internal combustion engine is not always guaranteed.

Method for controlling an internal combustion engine


Interference induced amplitude changes in the television signals received by a receiver which receives satellite signals are eliminated by delaying the signals for an integer multiple of the receiver line time and substituting the delayed signals for the undelayed signals for the duration of the amplitude changes.

In most television receivers no appreciable degradation of the displayed picture is visible under normal reception and viewing conditions. However, degradation of the displayed picture may arise due to impulsive interference, for instance from radar signals.
Television receivers designed for reception of microwave signals, for instance from satellite transmissions, are particularly vulnerable to this type of interference, which may manifest itself as very small extreme white and dark areas superimposed on the picture information.
It is an object of the invention to minimize the visibility of such interference by simple means within the receiver.

Television receiver for microwave reception with provisions for reducing interference


A portable electronic device is disclosed. The portable electronic device includes a housing. The portable electronic device also includes computing electronics that are supported by the housing. The computing electronics include a processor, a display controller coupled to the processor, and memory coupled to the processor. The portable electronic device disclosed also includes an expandable display coupled with a display controller. The expandable display is expandable from a first size to a second size. The first size is different than the second size. A sensor is coupled to the processor. The sensor is configured to provide a signal representative of the size of the display.

The present invention relates generally to the field of handheld computing devices. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an expandable display for a handheld computing device. More particularly still, the disclosure relates to a display that automatically formats information displayed based on the current expansion state and/or the current size of the display surface exposed to a user.
Handheld computing devices usually display data stored in memory or generated by a processor on a visual display that is slightly smaller than the size of the handheld computing device. The size of the handheld computing device is generally compact and correspondingly the visual display is significantly smaller than the size of a standard computer monitor. The amount of information that is typically displayed by conventional handheld computers is limited to a relatively small display screen size. Further, the small size of the screen has prompted some handheld computing devices to focus on displaying abbreviated or simplistic content.
Accordingly, there is a need for a display screen that can display data from a handheld computer on a larger screen. There is also a need for a handheld computing device having an expandable display. Further, there is a need for methods of using a handheld computer to display greater amounts of user information compared with conventional portable electronic device displays. Further still, there is a need for an expandable display for a portable electronic device that is able to reformat information based upon the size of the display surface exposed to the user. Yet further still, there is a need for a handheld computer that can automatically determine the size of an expandable display.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.


An image forming apparatus, having a main controller for controlling access to a main memory, and a method of controlling the apparatus, determine whether the main memory is a non-volatile memory or a volatile memory, and store the result of the determination in non-volatile memory, and, erasing data stored in the main memory when transition is made to a power off state or a sleep mode when it is determined that the main memory is a non-volatile memory.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In general, in data processing apparatuses such as personal computers, DRAM (dynamic random access memory) is used as a main memory. Because this DRAM is a volatile memory, a power-supply configuration for holding stored data is necessary, and so manufacturing process miniaturization is more difficult than for non-volatile memory which does not necessarily require a power-supply configuration. For this reason, people are searching for ways in which to replace DRAM with non-volatile memory such as MRAM (a magnetoresistive memory) to break through limitations on manufacturing process miniaturization, and mount even larger capacity memory.
When changing from a volatile memory to a non-volatile memory, there is a need for a circuit arrangement in which both volatile memory and non-volatile memory can be mounted in the same configuration. For example, it is advantageous to manufacture an MRAM to have a package that is identical in shape to a package configuration (the size of a chip, the number of terminals equipped on a chip, the positioning of each terminal, the role of each terminal) of a DRAM chip. Also, in data processing apparatuses such as PCs, or the like, when DRAM is equipped, a connector for which a terminal arrangement is standardized such as for example a DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) slot is provided. Accordingly, if configuration is taken such that it is possible to mount an MRAM on a DIMM slot, it becomes possible to change a main memory from the DRAM to MRAM memory easily in a user environment.
In the field of image forming apparatuses, often a volatile memory that uses the same connector is mounted as a main memory in the same package as something standardized that is used as a main memory of a data processing apparatus such as a PC, or the like. This is because it is more possible to achieve a cost reduction by using a memory with a package and connector common to a generic data processing apparatus than when a package and a connector that are specialized for an image forming apparatus are employed. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-98788, a printer apparatus that performs an error check on a memory connected to a connector is described.
In such an image forming apparatus, when a non-volatile memory, which is mountable to a DIMM slot as described above, is used as a main memory the following kinds of problems arise. For example, there is the possibility that important information that is stored in a memory will leak due to content of the memories being read after a third party disconnects the memory from the connector in a state in which the power supply of the image forming apparatus is turned off. There is also the possibility that processing that the image forming apparatus executes will be changed due to a third party, having malice intent, replacing the program stored in the main memory with another executable program.

Memory control for power saving state based on determination of volatile memory or non-volatile memory


A method for manufacturing an electrical cable includes dividing a tube into a plurality of sectors by passage across a sectoring device, gathering the sectors into a stack by passage of the sectors through a gathering device, and surrounding the stack with an insulating layer. Additional strip features may be applied by application of one or more strip conditioners. Alternatively, strips may be supplied on individual reels for gathering or provided in a multi-end reel already stacked. Where a multi-end reel is provided, length differentials within the stack as it is unwound may be compensated for by application of a stretcher.

Traditional electrical power cables typically comprise large gauge copper conductors with a circular cross-section. However, such power cables are heavy, difficult to bend and have a high material cost directly related to the rising cost of copper metal.
Cost and weight efficient aluminum power cables are known. To deliver the same current capacity an aluminum power cable requires an increased cross-sectional area. As the diameter of a power cable increases with increasing power capacity, the bend radius of the power cable increases.
An electrical cable comprising a plurality of flat conductors arranged in a stack has numerous advantages over a conventional circular cross-section copper power cable. Because the desired cross-sectional area may be obtained without applying a circular cross-section, an improved bend radius may be obtained. If desired, the significant improvements to the bend radius enables configuration of the cable with increased cross-sectional area. This increased total cross-sectional area, without a corresponding increase in the minimum bend radius characteristic, may also enable substitution of aluminum for traditional copper material, resulting in materials cost and weight savings.
In addition to the aluminum versus copper material cost savings, the weight savings for an electrical cable with aluminum conductors installed upon a radio tower may be especially significant, as an overall weight savings enables a corresponding reduction in the overall design load of the antenna/transceiver systems installed upon the radio tower/support structure. Further, the improved bending characteristics of the flexible electrical power cable may simplify installation in close quarters and/or in remote locations such as atop radio towers where conventional bending tools may not be readily available and/or easily applied. Because complex stranding structures which attempt to substitute the solid cylindrical conductor with a woven multi-strand conductor structure to improve the bend radius of conventional circular cross-section electrical power cables may be eliminated, required manufacturing process steps may be reduced and quality control simplified.
However, compared to well known methods of materials provision/delivery and/or manufacture for conventional circular cross-section conductors, significant manufacturing issues may arise during flat conductor cable manufacture.
Competition within the electrical power transmission cable and in particular the Remote Radio Head systems market has focused attention upon reducing materials and manufacturing costs, providing cost efficiencies for radio tower electrical power delivery and overall improved manufacturing quality control.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide methods of manufacture for an electrical power cable that overcome deficiencies in such prior art.

Methods for manufacturing an electrical cable


The invention is directed to the use of .omega.-conotoxins for the prevention and treatment of retinal or optic nerve head damage in humans. Compositions and methods are disclosed.

Acute retinal or optic nerve head damage, which can result in the loss of vision, is caused by trauma and various pathological events such as ischemia, hypoxia, or edema.
Retinal or optic nerve head ischemia or hypoxia results when blood supply is significantly reduced to these tissues. Ischemia is a complex pathological episode involving numerous biochemical events. In recent years, the involvement of excitatory amino acids in ischemia-related neuronal and retinal damage has been implicated. (See Choi, Excitatory cell death, Journal of Neurobiology, volume 23, pages 1261-1276 (1992); Tung et al., A quantitative analysis of the effects of excitatory neurotoxins on retinal ganglion cells in the chick, Visual Neuroscience, volume 4, pages 217-223 (1990); Sisk et al., Histologic changes in the inner retina of albino rats following intravitreal injection of monosodium L-glutamate, Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, volume 223, pages 250-258 (1985); Siliprandi et al., N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced neurotoxicity in the adult rat retina, Visual Neuroscience, volume 8, pages 567-573 (1992); and David et al., Involvement of excitatory neurotransmitters in the damage produced in chick embryo retinas by anoxia and extracellular high potassium, Experimental Eye Research, volume 46, pages 657-662 (1988)) During ischemia or hypoxia, excitatory amino acids are markedly elevated (Benveniste et al, Elevation of the extracellular concentrations of glutamate and aspartate in rat hippocampus during transient cerebral ischemia monitored by intracerebral microdialysis, Journal of Neurochemistry, volume 43, pages 1369-1374 (1984)), the consequences of which may lead to excessive stimulation of post-synaptic excitatory amino acid receptors, and potentially resulting in cell injury. Antagonists against excitatory amino acid receptors have been shown to reduce neuronal and retinal damage in ischemic conditions. (See Sheardown et al., 2,3-Dihydorxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline: a neuroprotectant for cerebral ischemia, Science, volume 247, pages 571-574 (1990); Scatton et al., Eliprodil Hydrochloride, Drugs of the Future, volume 19, pages 905-909 (1994); and Sucher et al., N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists prevent kainate neurotoxicity in rat retinal ganglion cells in vitro, Journal of Neuroscience, volume 11, pages 966-971 (1991)). Release of excitatory amino acids has been demonstrated to cause cytotoxicity due to increases in intracellular calcium levels, which in turn affects protein phosphorylation, proteolysis, lipolysis, and ultimately causing cell death. (See Choi, Glutamate neurotoxicity and diseases of the nervous system, Neuron, volume 1, pages 623-634 (1988); Siesjo, Calcium, excitotoxins, and brain damage, NIPS, volume 5, pages 120-125 (1990) and Olney et al., The role of specific ions in glutamate neurotoxicity, Neuroscience Letters, volume 65, pages 65-71 (1986)). The elevation of intracellular levels of calcium occurs in part by excitatory amino acid-induced depolarization of the cell membrane and subsequent activation of post-synaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels.
Hence, inhibitors of post-synaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels including the dihydropyridines, such as nitrendipine and nifedipine; the phenylalkylamines, such as verapamil, the diphenylalkylamines, such as flunarizine; and the benzothiazepines, such as diltiazem, were also effective in the protection of neuronal damage after ischemia (Deshpande et al., Flunarizine, a calcium entry blocker, ameliorates ischemic brain damage in the rat, Anethesiology, volume 64, pages 215-224 (1986); and Sauter et al., Treatment of hypertension with isradipine reduces infarct size following stroke in laboratory animals, American Journal of Medicine, volume 86, pages 130-133 (1989)). Unfortunately, these same agents may block voltage-dependent calcium channels in vascular smooth muscles, potentially leading to vasodilation and possibly systemic hypotension.
A new development in the treatment of ischemia-induced neuronal damage is to minimize the release of excitatory amino acids from the pre-synaptic nerve terminal. This release is dependent upon an elevation of calcium in the nerve terminal. The pre-synaptic calcium influx into neuronal tissues is believed to be mediated by the N-type calcium channel, which can be selectively inhibited by .omega.-conotoxins (Reynolds et al., Brain voltage sensitive calcium channel subtypes differentiated by .omega.-conotoxin fraction GVIA, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, volume 83, pages 8804-8807 (1986); and McCleskey et al., .omega.-Conotoxin: Direct and persistant blockade of specific types of calcium channels in neurons but not muscle, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, volume 84, pages 4327-4331 (1987)). Indeed, treatment of animals with .omega.-conotoxins protects them against ischemic damage (Smith et al., Postischemic treatment with the .omega.-conopeptide SNX 111 protects the rat brain against ischemic damage, Fourth International Symposium in Pharmacology of Cerebral Ischemia, volume 36, pages 161-166 (1992); and Valentino et al., A selective N-type calcium channel antagonist protects against neuronal loss after global cerebral ischemia, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, volume 90, pages 7894-7897 (1993)).
The conotoxins are a class of small peptides derived from the molusk genus Conus. Over 500 species of this genus have been reported to exist (U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,155, Olivera et al.). The conotoxins of the C. geographus and C. magus species have been particularly studied. The conotoxins are further classified by their biological activity. For example, .alpha.-conotoxins block the nictotinic acetylcholine receptor, .mu.-conotoxins block skeletal muscle sodium channels, and .omega.-conotoxins block pre-synaptic neuronal calcium channels (Cruz, Conus Venoms: A Rich Source of Neuroactive Peptides, Journal of Toxicology and Toxin Review, volume 4, pages 107-132 (1985)).
.omega.-conotoxins have been researched extensively in the area of N-type pre-synaptic voltage activated calcium channels. These channels are distributed predominantly in neuronal cells. The following publications may be referred to for further background and characterization of the effects of .omega.-conotoxins on voltage activated calcium channels in neuronal tissue:
Sher et al., .omega.-Conotoxin Binding and Effects on Calcium Channel Function in Human Neuroblastoma and Rat Pheochromocytoma Cell Lines, FEBS Letters, volume 235, number 1,2, pages 178-182(1988);
Cruz et al., Characterization of the .omega.-Conotoxin Target. Evidence For Tissue-Specific Hetereogeneity in Calcium Channel Types, Biochemistry, volume 26, pages 820-824 (1987); and
Jones et al., Localization and Mobility of .omega.-conotoxin-Sensitive Ca.sup.2+ Channels in Hippocampal CA1 Neurons, Science, volume 244, pages 1189-1193 (1989).
At least 11 homologous .omega.-conotoxins have been discovered. A number of publications disclose these conotoxins including: WIPO Publication No. WO 93/13128, for use as cerebral analgesics; U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,020 (Miljanich et al.), for brain ischemia therapy; and 4,950,739 (Cherksey et al.), for use as agents for blocking, isolating and purifying of calcium channels. Nowhere in the art, however, has it been proposed to acutely administer .omega.-conotoxins to prevent or ameliorate retinal or optic nerve head damage.

Use of .omega.-conotoxin analogs for treating retinal and optic nerve head damage


An adapter for rotatably supporting a tubular end of a yarn carrier in a take-up winding assembly of a yarn processing machine which accommodates the placement of a yarn transfer tail across an end surface of the yarn carrier between the yarn carrier and the adapter without breaking or cutting of the yarn transfer tail during winding of the yarn. The adapter includes a hub portion for extending axially into the tubular end of the yarn carrier to center the yarn carrier on the adapter and which has an outside surface with a cross-sectional diameter less than the diameter of an adjacent inside surface of the yarn carrier for defining a space therebetween to accommodate the placement of the yarn tail. An annular flange portion extends radially outwardly from the rear of the hub portion and has an inside surface for being positioned adjacent the end surface of the yarn carrier. Members, preferably in the form of equally spaced ribs or spherical members, are formed on the annular flange portion (1) for abutting the end surface of the yarn carrier to define a space between the end surface of the yarn carrier and the inside surface of the annular flange to accommodate the placement of the yarn tail and (2) for engaging and, preferably slightly penetrating, the end surface of the yarn carrier to retard relative rotation between the yarn carrier and the adapter.

In the winding of textile yarn on a cone or tube carrier in a take-up winding assembly of a yarn processing machine, such as an open-end spinning, ring spinning, two-for-one twisting machine, etc., a yarn transfer tail is wrapped around the bottom of the carrier and is positioned between the carrier and an adapter in the winding assembly, which is constructed for rotatably supporting a tubular end of the yarn carrier in the winding assembly. The resulting pinching action on the yarn transfer tail between the end of the yarn carrier and the face of the adapter and friction between the yarn carrier and the adapter, created by relative rotation between the adapter and carrier during the winding operation, often causes breakage or cutting of the yarn transfer tail which is undesirable.
Various attempts have been made to modify the end of the yarn carrier to provide a groove, soft surface or some other construction to receive the yarn transfer tail and to prevent this undesirable breakage or cutting of the yarn transfer tail. In this regard, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,834; 4,700,904, 5,014,928 and 5,170,961 which relate to attempts to modify the end of the yarn carrier to prevent this undesirable breakage or cutting of the yarn transfer tail during a winding operation. Although some of these modified yarn carrier end constructions reduced some of the yarn tail breakage or cutting, this approach did not satisfactorily overcome this problem.

Adapter for rotatably supporting a yarn carrier in a winding assembly of a yarn processing machine


Disclosed is impact resistant roofing that utilizes a heavy glass mat substrate having a weight of at least 3.0 lbs/csf that meets high impact resistance roofing standards. The impact resistant roofing utilizes a heavy glass mat that is embedded between two layers of asphalt. The impact resistant roofing can be manufactured on standard, existing roofing lines without modification.

Shingle technology has advanced greatly over the past few decades. Roof shingles and roll roofing provide protection for houses and buildings to prevent leakage of rain water into the interior of the building. Various types of materials have been used to make shingles including asphalt and other materials. In addition, waterproofing materials have protected foundations and other surfaces from water penetration. As used herein, "roofing materials" includes roof shingles, roll roofing and waterproofing materials, even if such waterproofing materials are used on foundations and other places.

Heavy glass mat impact resistant roofing


Adjustable support pants or briefs are provided which include one or more of a waist section, hip support section, or leg section with leg openings. The support pants or briefs include first and second adjustable members positioned on opposite sides of a sagittal plane of the support pants or briefs which extend generally longitudinally along the garment. The adjustable members are adapted to increase or decrease at least one of the waist, hip, or leg opening circumferences to reduce the time and effort needed to don (and take off) the garment. The adjustable features of the support pants or briefs also permit the wearer to tighten one or more sections of the garment to accommodate the different physiques of wearers while providing a snug fit and support during athletic or work activities.

The subject matter described herein relates to adjustable support pants or briefs worn for athletic or work activities that involve the lifting of heavy weights, and in particular embodiments, to adjustable support pants or briefs for weightlifting.
Weightlifting suits and pants have been a staple of personal gear to increase performance during powerlifting exercises. Weightlifting suits are traditionally referred to as squat suits and deadlift suits. A squat suit is worn when performing the squat exercise. The squat, also known as the "deep knee bend," is performed by placing a barbell on the shoulders of the lifter and then squatting down and pushing back up to standing position.
A deadlift suit is worn when performing the deadlift. The deadlift is performed by grasping a barbell positioned on the floor, and pulling the barbell upward until the lifter is standing upright. Both squat suits and deadlift suits cover and support the upper portions of the legs, the buttocks, and the torso of a wearer. The suits have shoulder straps extending around both shoulders to secure the suit on the body of the lifter. Other suits are designed to provide assistance to the lifter for weightlifting competition exercises such as the snatch, clean-and-jerk, and other activities where the hips and/or torso bend during a weight-lifting movement. A similar type of weightlifting suit, known as Power Pants™ or powerlifting briefs, is commercially available. A powerlifting brief typically comprises the lower part of a squat suit without the torso portion and shoulder straps.
Squat suits, deadlift suits, powerlifting pants, and other weightlifting garments are generally made of high tensile strength fabrics such as double knit polyester, canvas, or denim, and extend tightly around the buttocks and thighs of a wearer. While such garments support and aid the wearer during lifting movements, the tautness of the fabric and snugness of the sizing makes it difficult and time consuming to don these garments compared to donning regular pants, boxer briefs, or compression shorts. Compared to other types of garments, these suits or pants typically require the help of a second person to properly position the suit and then to pull, push, and pinch the fabric of the suit onto the lower body of the wearer.
Notwithstanding the difficulties in donning such garments, they provide increased safety for the wearer during lifting activities and also supply additional support to increase the amount of weight the wearer can safely lift during a given activity. The fabric is taut and can withstand pressures up to several hundred pounds per square inch during the performance of a weightlifting exercise. As the wearer bends at the hips, up to several hundred pounds per square inch of pressure is placed on the garment fabric because of necessity to fit the garment tightly around the hips and legs. The pressure on the hip and leg areas of the garment in return pushes back on the hips and legs of the wearer to store energy. The stored energy is released as the wearer thrusts upward with the weight and returns to a standing position.
The body portion of traditional power briefs is made with openings for the legs. These are the only openings which permit ingress by a wearer. To don traditional power pants, the wearer must step in through the waist opening and try to extend his legs into the leg openings. This requires a great deal of effort to wriggle, tug, pinch, and push into the pants or briefs until the crotch of the garment is near or touching the crotch of the wearer.
As with the general population, weightlifters and powerlifters have differing physiques. For example, some have a large chest/torso and small hips. Others have a waist (measured circumferentially) smaller than their hips. Moreover, other weightlifter's hips and waist may be larger than the chest/torso. Conventional weightlifting garments must be large enough in the waist area for the buttocks to fit. Consequently, conventional garments are designed to be loose on the wearer's waist because the waist of the suit has to be large enough to accommodate wearers having differing combinations of hips, waist, and buttocks dimensions. Additionally, conventional garments lack the ability to adjust the tightness or looseness of the garment, either before, during, or after the garment is donned.
Therefore, a need exists for adjustable support pants or briefs for weightlifting or other activities involving lifting or thrusting motions which reduces the time and effort required to don the garment. A need also exists for a garment that accommodates wearers of different physiques by providing adjustability of the dimensions of the garment, while still providing support during athletic or work activities.


The use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to form a conductive titanium nitride layer produces a reliable structure for use in a variety of electronic devices. The structure is formed by depositing titanium nitride by atomic layer deposition onto a substrate surface using a titanium-containing precursor chemical such as TDEAT, followed by a mixture of ammonia and carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide alone, and repeating to form a sequentially deposited TiN structure. Such a TiN layer may be used as a diffusion barrier underneath another conductor such as aluminum or copper, or as an electro-migration preventing layer on top of an aluminum conductor. ALD deposited TiN layers have low resistivity, smooth topology, high deposition rates, and excellent step coverage and electrical continuity.

The semiconductor device industry has a market driven need to reduce the size of devices such as transistors, capacitors and electrically conductive interconnects. Smaller transistors result in improved operational speed and clock rate, and reduced power requirements in both the standby and operational modes. Smaller devices also need thinner dielectric layers, thinner diffusion layers and thinner conductive interconnect layers. Thinner conductor layers may result in what are known as step coverage issues when the thin conductor lines traverse a steep contact step or edge. These steps or edges are becoming increasingly deep and narrow. The contact edges may be substantially deeper than the diameter of the contact hole, a situation known as a high aspect ratio contact hole, which may also cause step coverage and contact filling issues. Thinner layers may also be more sensitive to intermingling or diffusion of the different materials into regions where they may cause potential reliability problems. The increasingly small and reliable integrated circuits (ICs) will likely be used in products such as processor chips, mobile telephones, and memory devices such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). One known method of improving conductor reliability is the use of a layer of conductive titanium nitride (TiN) under, or over, other conductors, such as aluminum or copper in order to prevent the metal from diffusing into surrounding insulator layers. The deposition of TiN by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods such as sputtering, often results in layers with poor conductivity with CVD, usually expressed in terms of resistivity in units of ohm-cm, or in μohm-cm, or in poor conformality with PVD resulting in incomplete coverage.


A bowstring nock and rope release loop assembly for attachment to a bowstring includes a bowstring nock having a pair of axially spaced bowstring attachment portions connected by a rigid cross-support; and a rope release loop adapted to be secured to the bowstring at opposite ends of the bowstring nock, closely adjacent the attachment clamps.

In the field of archery, it is conventional for an arrow to be provided at its rearward end with a string engaging fork also known as an arrow nock. It is also known to provide a bowstring nock which locates the arrow nock on the bowstring to facilitate good aim of the arrow. Accordingly, the bowstring nock must be located on the bowstring substantially at the center of the string and substantially horizontally aligned with the point at which the forward end of the arrow is supported at the center of the bow. Representative bowstring nocks are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,499,620; 5,361,747; 4,909,233; and 2,905,166.
It is also known to provide various forms of hand-held gripping and firing devices, also known as releases, designed to cooperate with the bowstring nock that enable an archer to apply a strong pull to the bowstring and to release the arrow without having to grip the end of the arrow and the bowstring with the fingers. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,016,603 and 4,930,485. See also my own recently issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,680,851 and 5,685,286.


Described are improved processes for production and purification of nucleic acid-containing compositions, such as non-naturally occurring viruses, for example, recombinant polioviruses that can be employed as oncolytic agents. Some of the described improved processes relate to improved processes for producing viral DNA template. Also described are improved processes for chromatography purification of nucleic acid-containing compositions, in which the nucleic acid is quantified in chromatography fractions using a rapid detection method of the one or more nucleic acid sequences of the nucleic acid-containing composition, such as detection by real time RT-qPCR. In addition, improved processes for production and purification of oncolytic poliovirus, such as PVS-RIPO, are described. Compositions generated using these methods are also provided.

Nucleic acid-based biopharmaceuticals are useful for protection from, or treatment of, a variety of diseases and conditions. For example, DNA-based vaccines can be employed as protective or therapeutic vaccines used in treatment or prevention of infectious diseases, recombinant retroviral vectors can be used for genetic therapy, and oncolytic viruses that selectively destroy tumor cells can be produced. Several types of viruses have been identified as potential oncolytic agents, for example, adenovirus, vaccinia virus and herpes simplex virus.
Poliovirus, which causes poliomyelitis in humans, is a small RNA virus of the family Picornaviridae. Modified attenuated forms of poliovirus are potentially useful as vehicles for delivery of nucleic acid sequences to the human brain, because poliovirus infects the central nervous system, possibly by crossing the blood-brain barrier and binding to CD155 receptors, as discussed in Gromeier et al. (Virology 2000 273(2):248-57). One potential application of modified attenuated forms of poliovirus is the production of therapeutic oncolytic compositions for treating brain malignancies, such as gliomas and medulloblastomas.
In the area of nucleic acid-based biopharmaceuticals, large amounts of highly purified nucleic acid material are required for clinical applications and the manufacture of clinical products, such as oncolytic viruses. Accordingly, there is a need for efficient production and purification processes of reduced complexity and reduced costs that will generate sufficient amounts of high purity nucleic acid material.

Processes for production and purification of nucleic acid-containing compositions

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services


Colorants comprising a chromophore having two methine moieties attached to a benzodifuranone backbone, wherein said moieties optionally have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain, preferably at least two such chains attached thereto are provided. Such colorants exhibit excellent thermal stability, effective colorations, excellent low extraction rates, and effective lightfastness levels, particularly when incorporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates, particularly polyesters. The optional poly(oxyalkylene) chains also increase the solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or on diverse substrates as well as provides a liquid colorant which facilitates handling. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.

This invention relates to colorants comprising a chromophore having two methine moieties attached to a benzodifuranone backbone, wherein said moieties optionally have at least one poly(oxyalkylene) chain, preferably at least two such chains attached thereto. Such colorants exhibit excellent thermal stability, effective colorations, excellent low extraction rates, and effective lightfastness levels, particularly when incorporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates, particularly polyesters. The optional poly(oxyalkylene) chains also increase the solubility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent coloring chromophores within diverse media and/or on diverse substrates as well as provides a liquid colorant which facilitates handling. Compositions and articles comprising such colorants are provided as are methods for producing such inventive colorants.
All U.S. patents cited within this specification are hereby incorporated by reference.
There continues to be a need to provide versatile colorants within various applications such that the coloring agent itself exhibits excellent colorations (particularly at low color loadings and due to inherently high quantum absorption efficiency), high thermal stability, effective lightfastness, low extraction (or drastic reduction in possibility of removal therefrom via extraction by solvents or like sources), ease in handling, ability to mix thoroughly with other coloring agents and thus to provide effective different hues and tints within or on target substrates, and acceptable toxicity levels. There has been a need to provide improved colorants meeting this criteria for certain thermoplastic media, such as polyesters, such that the colorants themselves exhibit excellent compatibility therein (for instance in terms of intrinsic viscosity loss and the other characteristics desired for such plastics as noted above). In particular, such characteristics for polyesters are desired for colorants that absorb, for example, though not necessarily, within the red portion of the visible spectrum. Other hues are available as well for such a desired, high-performing polyester plastic colorant, including blue, yellow, orange, and the like, all dependent on the presence of certain coupling or modifying moieties present on the chromophore backbone itself. It is believed and, as noted above, has been determined that such desirable polyester plastic colorations with the characteristics noted above are possible through the addition of certain pendant groups to the chromophore backbone which do not act as couplers or color modifiers [such as, for example poly(oxyalkylene) groups] and thus any chromophore (and resultant hue or tint) may be utilized with the desired benzodifuranone bismethine chromophore itself.
Previous coloring agents for such end-uses have included pigments, dyes, or dyestuffs, with each having its own drawback, be it an extraction problem from the finished article, a handling problem during manufacturing due to solid dust particles, a staining problem, due to the difficulty associated with cleaning such coloring agents from manufacturing machinery after colored plastic production, and other like issues. As a result, there is a clear desire to provide easier to handle, less extractable, easy-to-clean, etc., coloring agents for introduction within thermoplastic articles to provide decorative, aesthetic, and other like effects. However, the chromophores present within such dyes, pigments, and the like, are highly desired for the hues and shades they provide within the ultimate thermoplastic articles themselves. Facilitating the introduction of such chromophores within such formulations is thus a highly desired target within the colored thermoplastic industry, whether it be in terms of handling, extraction, cleaning, or the like.
Attempts to meet this desire have included the introduction of certain standard types of polymeric colorants within plastics (be they thermoplastics or thermoset types). These colorants are primarily poly(oxyalkylenated) compounds, such as triphenylmethanes, methines, and the like (i.e., those found within U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,204, to Kluger et al.). Some of these colorants exhibit certain problems during incorporation into thermosets and thermoplastics. In thermoplastic compositions such as polyesters, many of these previously disclosed compositions are not stable at the polyester processing temperatures. As a result, the colorations provided by such polymeric colorants may be reduced in strength or changed in shade under such circumstances. Other types of colorants have been discussed within the prior art, such as azos and bisazos, but the specific colorations provided by such compounds are limited to certain hues and their utilization within polyesters is suspect from a number of perspectives (such as thermal stability, and the like). There is thus a desire to introduce new types of colorants comprising different types of chromophores for the purpose of providing new, effective, versatile colorants for such myriad end-uses as noted above and that exhibit excellent colorations, extraction, thermal stability, mixing with other coloring agents, and low toxicity, at least.
A certain class of colorants, namely benzodifuranone derivatives, exhibit excellent colorations and have been utilized within different applications, most prominently within inks, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,150 to Schwarz, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,778 to Gregory et al. and as disperse dyes for polyester, such as in J. Soc. Dyers Colour. 110, 1994, p, 178. The chromophores disclosed in this art are significantly structurally and thus electronically different from the inventive chromophores disclosed herein, exhibiting a substituted phenyl group attached directly to the benzodifuranone core structure, and thus cannot be classified as methines. There has also been some discussion of introducing isatin-based benzodifuranones within plastics as disclosed within published PCT Application WO00/24736 to Ciba Specialty Chemicals. Such compounds are limited to non-polymeric species and, again, require the presence of isatin as a substituent (and thus a heterocyclic pendant group attached to the double bond between such an isatin adduct and the backbone benzodifuranone compound). Apparently, such compounds provide effective colorations within plastics; however, there is no discussion of the handling issues, mixing capabilities with other colorants, migratory properties, lightfastness, or other concerns with colorants for plastics. Furthermore, the reaction with isatin is rather costly and the yield is suspect thus increasing the potential costs to the end-user and/or the consumer. A new type of benzodifuranone colorant for plastic applications (at least) is thus desirable, primarily due to the potential colorations provided by such base chromophores. Furthermore, simplified methods of producing such benzodifuranone derivatives are also desired such that the end colorant can be tailored in its constitution to any end-use application through the presence of poly(oxyalkylene) groups thereon. Such an option would thus provide much-needed versatility for such desirable coloring agents within various media (including the aforementioned plastics, liquids, foams, and the like). To date, there have been no teachings or fair suggestions of such a highly desirable, specific potentially polymeric benzodifuranone derivative colorant within the pertinent prior art or within the colorant industry itself.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide novel thermally stable polymeric colorants for utilization within thermoplastic and thermoset articles based on bismethine benzodifuranone backbone structures. Yet another object of this invention is to provide excellent colorations within liquid compositions (such as inks, and the like) through the utilization of the same bismethine benzodifuranone-type compounds as noted above. The features of this new chromophore are exceptionally high color strength and exceptionally high heat stability. In the liquid embodiments demonstrated herein, the colorant exhibits low extraction from thermoplastics such as polyester, little effect on the molecular weight (intrinsic viscosity) of polyester when incorporated at high color loading, low toxicity and ease of handling (homogeneous liquid). It is a further object of this invention to provide new solid dye compositions suitable for the coloration of textile materials, in particular advantageous in the dyeing of hydrophobic fibers such as polyester.
It is to be understood that the term alkyl as used throughout is intended to encompass any straight or branched alkyl moiety, having anywhere from 1 to 30 carbons therein; the same chain length applies to the term xe2x80x9calkoxyxe2x80x9d as well. Also, the terms substituted phenyl and substituted polyphenyl are intended to encompass any phenyl system having any type of pendant group attached thereto, including, without limitation, alkyl groups, alkylene groups, alcohol groups, ether groups, ester groups, amine groups, nitro groups, amide groups, hydroxyls, thiols, and the like. Phenyl is basically an unsubstituted ring system (and thus includes hydrogens only as pendant groups).
The present invention preferably encompasses colorants conforming to the structure of Formula (I)
wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, alkenyl, hydroxy, and alkoxy; X is selected from the group consisting of any atom that provides a heterocyclic system for the cyclic ring; B is selected from the group consisting of alkenyl, phenyl, polyphenyl, substituted phenyl, substituted polyphenyl, alkenyl-Q-A, phenyl-Q-A, polyphenyl-Q-A, substituted phenyl-Q-A, and substituted polyphenyl-Q-A, wherein Q is selected from the group consisting of N, O, S, SO2, SO3, CO2, SO2N, alkyl, and alkoxy, and A either conforms to the structure of Formula (VII)
[polyoxyalkylene constituent]zRxe2x80x2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(VII)
wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is selected from the group consisting of at least three monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof; and Rxe2x80x2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkylester, halo, hydroxyl, hydrogen, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C1-20 alkoxy, amino, C1-20 alkylamino, acrylamino, C1-20 alkylthio, C1-20 C1-20 alkylsufonyl, C1-20 alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C1-20 alkylphosphonyl, C1-20 alkoxycarbonyl, phenylthio; or conforms to the structure E, wherein E is an unsaturated heterocylic residue selected from the group consisting of furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, pyridyl, pyranyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, thiadiazolyl, and s-triazoyl. Alternatively, E represents a saturated heterocyclic residue selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuryl, tetrahydrothienyl, pyrrolidyl, piperidyl, tetrahydropyranyl, piperazinyl, morphonyl, and hexahydroazepinyl. Also, E represents a hetrocyclic residue condensed with benzene rings such as benzofurnayl, benzothienyl, indolyl, benzoxazolyl, benzimidazolyl, and benzothiazolyl, as well as a phenyl substituted with any or all of R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5. Preferably, Y is hydrogen, X is O, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and Rxe2x80x2 are hydrogen, with preferably, though not necessarily, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 being Q-A; polyoxyalkylene constituent is ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), or any combinations thereof; and Q is N. Preferably, B is a moiety that exhibits conjugation when incorporated and present within the structure (I) in order to provide desired colorations, as well as a moiety including the above-defined Q-A group; more thorough descriptions of such groups are presented below.
More specifically, and preferably (though in a non-limiting capacity), the inventive benzodifuranone bismethine colorant conforms to the structure of (II)
wherein X and Y are defined as for (I), above, and wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkylester, halo, hydroxyl, hydrogen, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C1-20 alkoxy, amino, C1-20 alkylamino, acrylamino, C1-20 alkylthio, C1-20 C1-20 alkylsufonyl, C1-20 alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C1-20 alkylphosphonyl, C1-20 alkoxycarbonyl, phenylthio, and Q-A, wherein Q is selected from the group consisting of N, O, S, SO2, SO3, CO2, SO2N, alkyl, and alkoxy, and A either conforms to the structure of Formula (VII)
[polyoxyalkylene constituent]zRxe2x80x2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(VII)
wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is selected from the group consisting of at least three monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, and Rxe2x80x2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkylester, halo, hydroxyl, hydrogen, thio, cyano, sulfonyl, sulfo, sulfato, aryl, nitro, carboxyl, C1-20 alkoxy, amino, C1-20 alkylamino, acrylamino, C1-20 alkylthio, C1-20 C1-20 alkylsufonyl, C1-20 alkylphenyl, phosphonyl, C1-20 alkylphosphonyl, C1-20 alkoxycarbonyl, and phenylthio; or conforms to the structure of E, wherein E is an unsaturated heterocylic residue selected from the group consisting of furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, pyridyl, pyranyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, thiadiazolyl, and s-triazoyl. Alternatively, E represents a saturated heterocyclic residue selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuryl, tetrahydrothienyl, pyrrolidyl, piperidyl, tetrahydropyranyl, piperazinyl, morphonyl, and hexahydroazepinyl. Also, E represents a heterocyclic residue condensed with benzene rings such as benzofurnayl, benzothienyl, indolyl, benzoxazolyl, benzimidazolyl, and benzothiazolyl, as well as a phenyl substituted with any or all of R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5. Preferably, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and Rxe2x80x2 are hydrogen, with preferably though not necessarily, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 being Q-A; polyoxyalkylene constituent is ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), or any combinations thereof; and Q is N.
Further preferred inventive colorants conform to the following structures (III), (IV), (V), and (VI):
wherein A is represented by the Formula (VII)
[polyoxyalkylene constituent]zRxe2x80x2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(VII)
wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is selected from the group consisting of at least three monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof; and Rxe2x80x2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkoxy, C1-20 alkyl, and C1-20 esters.
wherein A is represented by the Formula (VII)
[polyoxyalkylene constituent]zRxe2x80x2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(VII)
wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is selected from the group consisting of at least three monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, and Rxe2x80x2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkoxy, C1-20 alkyl, and C1-20 esters.
wherein A is represented by the Formula (VII)
[polyoxyalkylene constituent]zRxe2x80x2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(VII)
wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is selected from the group consisting of at least three monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, and Rxe2x80x2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkoxy, C1-20 alkyl, and C1-20 esters.
wherein A is represented by the Formula (VII)
[polyoxyalkylene constituent]zRxe2x80x2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(VII)
wherein z is 1 or 2; polyoxyalkylene constituent is selected from the group consisting of at least three monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof, monomers of at least one C2-20 alkyleneoxy group, glydicol, glycidyl, or mixtures thereof; and Rxe2x80x2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkoxy, C1-20 alkyl, and C1-20 esters.
Compositions comprising such compounds of (I)-(VI) are also encompassed within this invention, particularly those comprising such compounds and other coloring agents, ultraviolet absorbers, bluing agents, or mixtures thereof, as liquids or as pellets for further introduction within desired molten thermoplastic or thermoset formulations (or precursor formulations). Methods of making such compositions, particularly thermoplastics, comprising such compounds of (I)-(VI) are also contemplated within this invention.
The term xe2x80x9cthermoplasticxe2x80x9d is intended to encompass any synthetic polymeric material that exhibits a modification in physical state from solid to liquid upon exposure to sufficiently high temperatures. Most notable of the preferred thermoplastic types of materials are polyolefins (i.e., polypropylene, polyethylene, and the like), polyester (i.e., polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, and the like), polyamides (i.e., nylon-1,1, nylon-1,2, nylon-6 or nylon-6,6), polystyrenes, polycarbonates, polyvinyl halides (i.e., polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl difluoride, as merely examples), and the like. Preferred thermoplastics within this invention are polyesters, and most preferred is polyethylene terephthalate.
Such thermoplastic articles include bottles, storage containers, sheets, films, fibers, plaques, hoses, tubes, syringes, and the like. Included within this list would be polyester, polystyrene and other like resinous materials in sheet form which are present within windows for strength and resiliency functions. In such an instance, the inventive colorant compounds would provide or contribute to excellent colorations to such thermoplastic articles for decorative, aesthetic, and/or protective (such as ultraviolet or infrared protection) purposes. Basically, the possible uses for such a low-migratory, thermally stable colorant for such items as thermoplastics (particularly polyesters such as transparent polyethylene terephthalate) is voluminous and cannot easily be enveloped. Other possible end-uses, however, would include within solvent systems, printing inks, within and on textiles (either on or within textiles, fibers, or fabrics), within display devices such as liquid crystal displays, and the like.
The inventive colorant compounds may be added in any amount to such thermoplastics up to their saturation limits therein. Preferably, the amount is between about 0.00001 ppm to about 25,000 ppm per total amount of resin; more preferably from about 0.001 to about 15,000 ppm; still more preferably from about 0.1 to about 5,000 ppm; and most preferably from about 100 to about 2,500 ppm. Of course, the more colorant present, the darker the shade therein. When mixed with other colorants within the target thermoplastic, the same amounts would be preferred with the saturation limit dependent upon the amount of any extra colorants therein.
The term xe2x80x9cthermosetxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cthermosetsxe2x80x9d encompasses a polymeric solid which, upon exposure to sufficient heat or in the presence of a sufficient amount of catalyst, configures itself into a pre-determined shape. Such formulations encompassed within this term includes polyurethanes, and the like. Thus, foams, sheets, articles, coverings, and the like, are all envisioned within this definition.
The inventive colorant compounds may be added in any amount to such thermosets up to their saturation limits therein. Preferably, the amount is between about 0.00001 ppm to about 25,000 ppm per total amount of resin; more preferably from about 0.001 to about 15,000 ppm; still more preferably from about 0.1 to about 5,000 ppm; and most preferably from about 100 to about 2,500 ppm. Of course, the more colorant present, the darker the shade therein. When mixed with other colorants within the target thermoset, the same amounts would be preferred with the saturation limit dependent upon the amount of any extra colorants therein.
Other types of articles contemplated within this invention for the inventive colorant compounds include, again without limitation, thermoplastic articles, such as films, sheets, bottles, containers, vials, and the like. Other colorants may be added to or incorporated therein with such inventive colorant compounds to produce different hues and tints, again for aesthetic, decorative, and/or protective purposes. Ultraviolet absorbers may also be introduced, incorporated, and the like, in order to protect the article or, if in container for, the contents therein.
Such thermoplastic and/or thermoset colorants (and other additives) are typically added to such compositions during the injection molding (or other type of molding, such as blow molding), thereof, including, and without limitation, by mixing the liquid absorber with resin pellets and melting the entire coated pellets, or through a masterbatch melting step while the resin and absorber are pre-mixed and incorporated together in pellet form. Such plastics include, again without limitation, polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, polyurethanes, polycarbonates, and other well known resins, such as those disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,690, to Baumgartner et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,407, to Kluger et al. under the term xe2x80x9cthermoplasticsxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cthermosetsxe2x80x9d. Generally, such plastics, including the colorant, UV absorber, and other potential additives, are formed through any number of various extrusion, etc., techniques, such as those disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. patents. Preferred thermoplastics are polyesters, such as, in one non-limiting embodiment, polyethylene terephthalate. xe2x80x9cPlastic packagingxe2x80x9d thus encompasses containers, sheets, blister packages, and the like, utilized for storage purposes and which include the plastics in any combination as noted above.
The term xe2x80x9cpure, undiluted statexe2x80x9d as used in conjunction with the inventive colorant compounds indicates that the compounds themselves without any additives are liquid at room temperature. Thus, there is no need to add solvents, viscosity modifiers, and other like additives to the compounds to effectuate such a desirable physical state.
The presence of surfactants, solvents, and the like, may be utilized to alter the solubility, coloring characteristics, and the like, of the ultimate inventive benzodifuranone bismethine colorant [whether poly(oxyalkylenated) or not] which would be understood and appreciated by the ordinarily skilled artisan within this particular art. It is also understood that solid versions of such inventive colorants (e.g., dyestuffs, pigments, and the like) could be dispersed within liquid media to provide stable dispersions thereof for further utilization.
Preferably, the colorant compounds (I)-(VI) are liquid in nature at ambient temperature and pressure and at substantial purity; however, pasty, waxy, or crystalline colorants are also encompassed within this invention. In order to effectuate coloring of substrates and media, any other standard colorant additives, such as resins, preservatives, surfactants, solvents, antistatic compounds, antioxidants, antimicrobials, and the like, may also be utilized within the inventive colorant compound compositions or methods.
For liquid composition applications, the amount present should range from about 0.00001 ppm to about 30,000 ppm of the total solvent present; preferably, from about 0.001 to about 15,000 ppm; still more preferably from about 0.1 to about 5,000 ppm; and most preferably from about 100 to about 2,500 ppm. Of course, the more colorant present, the darker the shade therein. When mixed with other colorants within the target solvent, the same amounts would be preferred.
The specific formulations below, as well as the following exemplified methods of producing such and methods of coloring using such are thus indicative of the preferred embodiments of this invention (all of the initial aniline derivatives and aldehyde derivatives were produced in accordance with the method taught within U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,454 to Moore et al.):
Colorant Formation

Bismethine benzodifuranone derivative colorants