The invention provides, inter alia, front ends to a database search engine or engines, that process a user query to generate a new search request that will more effectively retrieve information from the database that is relevant to the query of the user. To this end, in one embodiment the systems can be realized as computer programs present to a user interface to a user and which prompt the user to enter one or more key phrases that are representative of a user search request or user query. The user interface can collect the key phrases provided by the user and can analyze these key phrases to identify at least one meaning that can be associated with this user query. The systems can then process the user query and the identified meaning to generate an expanded search request that can be represented as a boolean search strategy. This boolean search strategy can then be processed to create one or more expanded user queries that can be presented to a search engine to collect from a search engine information that is relevant to the interest of the user.

The growth rate of the Internet is unmatched by any other medium in history. The number of U.S. Internet users has grown from 49 million in 1996 to over 96 million as of March 1999. These numbers are expected to increase by at least 20% over the next few years. Accordingly, each day thousands of new users, from all over the world, begin accessing the Internet and using the Internet as a communication and data processing tool. Research has shown that both new users and experienced users see the highest value of the Internet to be as a research tool that allows a user to collect information, including information related to commercial transactions, and information related to entertainment. In fact, Internet users rank searching as their most important activity on the Web with over 50% of all Web-active individuals (approximately 50 million) visiting a search engine each month. However, research has also shown that a major frustration for Internet users is the inability to quickly locate information available on the Internet.
To locate information, a user typically employs a search engine, such as the Yahoo™ or Lycos™ search engines, to identify information of interest. These Internet search engines are services that monitor the content of the Internet, typically focusing on the content provided through the World Wide Web Internet service. While monitoring the content, the company builds a database of index terms that can be associated with different sites, or pages of available on the Internet. For example, two of the leading search engines, Excite.™. and Yahoo.™. employ a staff of editors that browse the content of the World Wide Web and manually classify and index the Web pages they review. Other search engines rely on computer programs to search through the content of the Web and to automatically classify and index the Web pages that are visited. In either approach, when the process is completed a datafile is created that includes thousands of index terms, each of which has been associated with a plurality of pages on the Web. When a user accesses a search engine and submits a keyword, or user query to the search engine, it is this index that is searched and it is the pages associated with keywords related to the user query that are returned to the user as the search results.
Although search engines generally work quite well, they require a certain facility on the part of the user to return accurate and useful results. However, as a large portion of Internet users are novices, the conventional search engine fails to provide a large portion of the Internet population with a help full tool for navigating among the countless web sites.
To help make search engines more accessible and effective, most search engines now give users the option of directory or keyword searches. However, neither of these techniques is truly sufficient, and frustration among search engine users is increasing. Some studies have shown that having a keyword search on a particular site is actually less helpful than having people navigate through links. This inability of users to find what they are searching for is one reason why most search engines share much of their audience with the competition. While satisfaction with search engines remains high, it has dropped recently. Moreover, this frustration might also explain why approximately 25% of all people who try the Internet become discouraged and never return.
To address these issues, many search engines are attempting to improve performance by modifying the back end-determining what pages should be catalogued and how. One web search engine uses the popularity of a site to rank its relevance. Another uses a question and answer paradigm to match related queries. Various metacrawlers, which return results from a number of different search engines, take into account the problems of shared audience. However, the interfaces of these search engines differ little beyond the cosmetic.
So far, only a few search engines have tackled the problem of the front-end interface. That is, how to get the user to give more information, so the resultant search query is more directed and effective. One has constructed a paradigm in which people ask a question, then choose among a list of alternative questions. These pre-determined questions have known answers among the sites catalogued by the search sites. Other search engines have users enter the search string in one of a number of different categories (e.g., Jobs, Medicine, and Sports) and then send the query to different search engines.
Neither of these methods is ideal. The search engine market thus needs an interface that allows novice users to produce effective search queries, allow for disambiguating words with multiple meanings, and learn from previous interactions with a client to more quickly focus on the real interests of a user.


A method for reducing test case infrastructure includes generating a first plurality of fingerprints for a first plurality of test cases. Each of the first plurality of fingerprints is associated with one of the first plurality of test cases. Each of the first plurality of fingerprints uniquely identifies a specific code path covered by a corresponding test case. A second plurality of test cases is generated based on a functional coverage model of the SUT. A second plurality of fingerprints is generated for the second plurality of test cases. Each of the second plurality of fingerprints is associated with one of the second plurality of test cases. The first plurality of fingerprints is compared to the second plurality of fingerprints to identify one or more matching fingerprints. One or more test cases is identified within the first plurality of test cases associated with the one or more matching fingerprints.

The present invention relates to testing of a computer program and, more specifically, the reduction of test case infrastructure.
Computerized devices control almost every aspect of our life-from writing documents to controlling traffic lights. However, computerized devices are bug-prone, and thus require a testing phase in which the bugs should be discovered. The testing phase is considered one of the most difficult tasks in designing a computerized device. The cost of not discovering a bug may be enormous, as the consequences of the bug may be disastrous.
Coverage tools for checking software provide a measure of how well the software being evaluated has been exercised during testing and thereby give a level of assurance that the software is of high quality. There are a number of types of coverage known in the art, such as statement coverage, line coverage, condition coverage, path coverage, method coverage, and the like. One additional coverage method is functional coverage. Functional coverage is designed to measure amount, portion or a similar metric of tests that examined predetermined functional behaviors. Once functional coverage is measured, quality assurance (QA) personnel may design additional tests to examine untested behaviors.
However, test infrastructure can become incredibly expensive and cost per test cycle will increase without continuous optimization of products, tests, and environments. As more tests are added, more test suites are run, and the complexity of the supporting services increases so will the cost of each test cycle. Test environments, test dependencies, and test suites need to be managed with the same rigor as the product being shipped. What is needed is a method enabling efficient reduction of test infrastructure.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Improved techniques for validating timestamps used in a client-server environment are disclosed. A client can associate client-provided timestamps with events that occur at the client. The client can then send event information as well as the timestamps to a server. Preferably, the event information and timestamps are sent in a batch pertaining to a plurality of events that have occurred at the client. The server, which has greater time accuracy, can then validate the client-provided timestamps. The server can also modify the client-provided timestamps so as to improve accuracy of the timestamps. Once modified, the timestamps can pertain to a range (e.g., window) of time during which the associated events can be known to have reliably occurred. In one embodiment, the client-server environment is a distributed file security system in which the events and event information pertain to audit files. The distributed file security system provides efficient and reliable techniques to ensure accuracy of client-provided timestamps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to time stamping in a client-server environment and, more particularly, to security systems that provide reliable timestamps for audit purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Security systems can be used to restrict access to files (e.g., documents) through use of cryptography. Such security systems are often called file security systems or document security systems. Typically, the files (e.g., documents) are encrypted using a public key and then later decrypted by only those authorized users having an appropriate private key. It is advantageous to monitor events (e.g., security events or audit events) of file security systems that occur over time. In this regard, file security systems can audit or log security events to an audit file (or log file). In cases where access to files cannot be restricted, it is still of interest to log security events, such as successful attempts to open files.
Furthermore, after audit files have been made, the audit files can be reviewed. An audit file allows a security administrator to later review the security events that have occurred over time with respect to the file security system. Examples of security events could be successful attempts to open files, failed attempts to open files, changes to authorized users, new security classifications, etc. The audit files enable the security administrator to diagnose conditions of the file security system. Typically, file security systems are often distributed across multiple machines and multiple locations, but are interconnected via a network (e.g., client-server environment). In contrast, the security administrator often resides at a central location. Hence, the file security system needs to transfer audit files to the central location.
Auditing requires that events being monitored be time stamped. Although clients have clocks and can provide timestamps, time stamping by clients can be inaccurate or unreliable due to inaccurate clocks or tampering of clocks at the clients. Alternatively, time stamping by a server is accurate and reliable, but requires large amounts of network bandwidth, because time stamping at the server must be synchronized with events occurring at the clients. The reliability of a timestamp may be partially conferred by cryptographic signing of the timestamp (this may require specialized hardware for speed—which is impractical to install on every client and may also require presence of sensitive cryptographic keys at the clients which is undesirable in a secure environment and subject to tampering). The reliability of a timestamp may also be partially conferred by synchronization of system time with a provably good source, such as an RFC-1305 transmission from a NIST time server. However, synchronization of system time at client devices entails extra machine code, processing resources, network bandwidth, and network access on the client that receives such RFC-1305 transmissions.
Thus, there is a need for reliable and bandwidth-efficient methods to time stamp events (e.g., audit events) on the server, after they occur at clients of a client-server environment.

Method and system for validating timestamps


A head-mounted navigation system may include an image sensor configured to sense one or more objects forward of a person and to generate image information representative of the one or more objects. A bearing sensor may be included and configured to detect bearing and to generate bearing information representative of the bearing. Securing apparatus may be included and configured to secure the bearing sensor to the person. The securing apparatus may be configured to secure the bearing sensor to the torso of the person, such as to his or her back. A processing system may be included and configured to receive the image information and/or the bearing information and to generate display information representative of the one or more objects and/or the bearing. A display may be included and configured to receive the display information and to display visual information representative of the one or more objects and/or the bearing. Head gear may be included and configured to mount on the head of the person and to position the display along a sight path of the person.

1. Field
Navigation systems and, more particularly, navigation systems that assist individuals in navigating through environments having poor visibility.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous situations in which an individual needs to navigate through environments that have poor visibility. These include environments that contain smoke, dust, fog, snow, sand, rain, flames, and/or are poorly lit.
Firefighters are an example. They often need help walking through smoke or fire-filled rooms for self rescue, such as when trying to locate exits, obstacles and/or other dangers. They also often need help locating persons needing to be rescued.
Military personnel are another example. They may need assistance running or walking on a smoke-filled battlefield or traveling through a smoke-filled room filled to rescue a hostage or to capture or incapacitate an enemy.
Police are a still further example. They may similarly need assistance traveling through a smoke-filed filled room to rescue a hostage or to capture or incapacitate a criminal.
It may be impractical for these individuals to carry heavy or bulky equipment to assist in their effort. It may also be costly to purchase expensive navigation equipment for a large number of them.


The invention relates to a device (10) for heating an aircraft cabin and comprises a first hot air supply line (12) that leads to an air conditioning unit (14), a flow control valve (16) that is disposed in the first hot air supply line (12) upstream from the air conditioning unit (14), and a second hot air supply line (18) that branches off from the first hot air supply line (12) between the flow control valve (16) and the air conditioning unit (14) and bypasses the air conditioning unit (14). In order to assure air conditioning of the aircraft cabin in the event of a failure of the air conditioning unit (14) a third hot air supply line (20) branches off from the first hot air supply line (12) upstream from the flow control valve (16), which third hot air supply line (20) connects the first hot air supply line (12) to the second hot air supply line (18). Further a first close off mechanism is disposed in the second hot air supply line (18) upstream from the junction with the third hot air supply line (20), which first close off mechanism in its closed position prevents a flow from the second hot air supply line (18) back into the first hot air supply line (12). Finally a second close off mechanism is disposed in the third hot air supply line (20) upstream from the junction with the second hot air supply line (18).

For controlling the climate of aircraft cabins hot air is normally taken from the engines of an aircraft. This hot air, which is called bleed air, passes through an air line including a flow control valve for controlling the flow volume to an air conditioning unit wherein the hot air is cooled to the temperature required in the aircraft cabin. In aircrafts in the cabins of which different climate zones are to be set it is also known to cool down the hot air intake by means of the air conditioning unit to the lowest temperature requirement of the various climate zones and, in order to be able to provide air for climate zones with higher temperature requirements, to guide away a certain portion of the hot air upstream from the air conditioning unit and to mix it with the air cooled by the air conditioning unit in accordance with the respective temperature requirement. With such a system, known also as the "Trim Air System", the required temperature in the individual climate zones of an aircraft cabin can be adjusted individually. If the aircraft cabin to be air-conditioned is very large, such systems are provided in multiples, e.g. double, i.e. two or more air conditioning units are provided, each comprising its own hot air supply and flow control.
There is a problem with the aforementioned systems in that in the event of a failure of all available air conditioning units the flow control throttles the volume of the hot air intake to the air conditioning units to zero in order to prevent the air conditioning unit from being damaged by the hot air. In such an event pressurization and temperature control of the aircraft cabin are no longer possible (it is to be noted in this context, that the term "aircraft cabin" as used herein includes the cockpit of an aircraft). In order to supply the aircraft occupants with the necessary fresh air in the event of a failure of all available air conditioning units it is known according to the state of the art to open a flap in the aircraft fuselage and to thereby allow ambient air to enter the aircraft. However at the normal flight altitudes of an aircraft and in cold regions even in a low-flying aircraft, the ambient temperature can be below −50° C. or even −60° C. with the result that the temperature in the aircraft cabin can fall to values below 18° C. due to the intake of cold outside air. Such low internal temperatures, however, are impermissible for either the passengers of an aircraft or its crew without additional protection.
Starting from the prior art system as described at the outset the object of the invention is to provide remedy and to propose a system that permits temperature control of the aircraft cabin even in the event of failure of all available air conditioning units.

Device and process for heating an aircraft cabin


The present invention provides compositions comprising insulin receptor partial agonists in association with GLP-1 analogues (e.g., liraglutide) as well as methods for using the compositions for example, to treat or prevent diabetes or to decrease body weight.

Insulin is an essential therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients and many type 2 mellitus diabetics (T2DMs), prescribed to close to one third of U.S. patients among all anti-diabetic drug users in the past decade. The worldwide market for insulins was US$20.4 billion in 2013 and is growing at a faster rate than all other anti-diabetic agents combined. However, challenges of current insulin therapies, including narrow TI (therapeutic index) to hypoglycemia and body weight gain, limit their wider adoption and potential for patients to achieve ideal glycemic control.
In addition to prandial insulin secretion in response to meals, the pancreas releases insulin at a "basal" rate, governed largely by plasma glucose levels to maintain appropriate fasting glucose regulation. This is achieved mainly by controlling hepatic glucose release, through endogenous insulin's hepato-preferring action. Modern insulin analogs include rapid acting and basal insulins, as well as mixtures of these two. Rapid-acting insulin analogs (RAA) are developed to control post-prandial hyperglycemia while insulins with extended duration of action regulate basal glucose levels. Long-acting insulins are used by all T1DM (in combination with prandial injections) and the majority of T2DM patients start their insulin therapy from a basal product. Basal insulin consumption is growing rapidly as the worldwide diabetes population (particularly T2DM) soars.
Despite continuous development efforts over the past several decades, available long-acting insulins are still not optimized compared to physiological basal insulin. This is partially because major focus was on improving PK flatness of these analogs but not fixing the relative over-insulinization of peripheral tissues, which contributes to increased hypoglycemia risk. As a result, hypoglycemia remains a key medical risk with huge burden on patients and causes significant morbidity and mortality.
GLP-1 mediates effects through receptors belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor family. Augmentation of GLP-1 results in improvement of, for example, Beta cell health in a glucose-dependent manner (post-prandial hyperglycemia) and suppression of glucagon (fasting hyperglycemia). Native GLP-1 has a very short plasma half-life. Modifying certain sites on GLP-1, to generate GLP-1 analogue peptides, can help prolong the half-life of GLP-1. These make such analogues interesting options for treatment of diabetes. Potential benefits of combining IRPAs and GLP-1 analogues as well as the safety of using such combinations has not yet been elucidated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Insulin receptor partial agonists and GLP-1 analogues


Exemplary embodiments provide methods and systems for delivering a prosthesis to a target location in a lumenal system of a patient. At least one tether is secured proximate the target location to serve as a rail, and a prosthesis is advanced along the rail to the target location and secured in place. Exemplary methods and systems provide for repair of the mitral and tricuspid valves, as well as abdominal aortic aneurysms, stomach valves, fallopian tubes and the pulmonary system, among others. Also disclosed are various prostheses suitable for use with the disclosed methods and systems.

Valvular heart diseases include mitral valve prolapse in which a leaflet of the mitral valve is displaced into the left atrium during the systolic phase of a cardiac cycle. Mitral valve prolapse can lead to mitral regurgitation in which the mitral valve does not close properly during the systolic phase, causing abnormal leaking of blood from the left ventricle, through the mitral valve and into the left atrium.
Valvular heart diseases also include mitral stenosis in which the orifice of the mitral valve is abnormally narrowed, thus impeding blood flow into the left ventricle. Similarly, tricuspid stenosis can impede blood flow into the right ventricle. Some patients may be affected by a combination of mitral/tricuspid stenosis and mitral/tricuspid valve regurgitation, while others may be affected by either one or the other. Serious valvular heart diseases may be treated by replacing or repairing the defective heart valve in an open heart surgical procedure in which a patient's defective heart valve is manually or robotically replaced with a different valve. The open heart surgical replacement procedure requires placing the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass to stop blood flow through the heart when the heart is opened up.

Methods and systems for delivering prostheses using rail techniques


A random number generator includes a noise signal generating device for supplying a noise signal, a sampling device connected between an output of the noise signal generating device and an output of the random number generator and sampling the noise signal in a sampling state and not sampling the noise signal in an idle state. The random number generator further includes a control oscillator for supplying a control alternating signal, the frequency of the control alternating signal of the control oscillator not being rigidly coupled to the frequency of the noise signal. The random number generator further includes an enabling device which puts the sampling device in the sampling state when the noise signal or the signal derived from the noise signal is in a first trigger state, and when, subsequently, the control alternating signal of the control oscillator is in a second trigger state. This is to ensure that the frequency of the output samples of the random number generator depends on the frequency of the noise signal, whereas the phase position is determined by the frequency of the control oscillator. Thus, the frequency of the output samples can be set and adjusted to existing requirements in a simple manner using the frequency setting functionality of the noise signal generating device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to random number generators and in particular to random number generators that can be used in connection with cryptographic applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many fields in the art where random numbers are needed. Some of these fields, for example, are simulations where random numbers are used so as to be able to simulate deterministic physical processes. By randomly changing various values of the simulation one can achieve that a simulation method which is "trapped" in a local maximum or minimum, becomes detached from this local maximum or minimum so as to perhaps succeed, eventually, in finding the global maximum or the global minimum.
Random numbers are also used for testing hardware or software. These random numbers are needed, if it is not possible to test all occurring digital signal vectors, to examine the system's performance/behavior in random signal vectors that have not been generated systematically.
A very important application for random number generators is cryptography. Modern cryptography methods are based on a random key which should be as long as the data to be encrypted. Their security is directly related to the randomness of the key. In general, key generation for cryptographic schemes should be based on random numbers, since random numbers are the only thing a potential attacker cannot guess. This is true both for symmetrical and for asymmetrical encryption methods. In most symmetrical encryption methods, sequences of randomly generated bits are used as keys. In asymmetric encryption methods, the structure of the keys is often more complex. For example, RSA keys are based on high prime numbers that must remain secret. Random numbers should be used for generating the prime numbers. They can be used, for example, to provide the starting number for a sequential search for prime numbers.
Further applications of random numbers as well as a general overview of the generation of random numbers are disclosed in "A High Quality Physical Random Number Generator", M. Dichtl and N. Janssen, Eurosmart Security Conference —Proceedings, Marseille, 2000, pages 277–278.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,690 describes a random number generator which uses, as a basic parameter, samples of an output signal of an oscillator with variable frequency. Such a circuit is shown in FIG. 3. The random number generator includes an analog oscillator 300, a voltage-controlled digital oscillator 400, a logic circuit 500 which typically includes a flip-flop circuit, a clock oscillator 600, a central processing unit (CPU) 700, and a sampling device 800. Analog oscillator 300 generates a triangular signal which is fed into a control input of voltage-controlled digital oscillator 400. The sampling of the output signal of the voltage-controlled digital oscillator is effected by putting the sampling device in a sampling state by means of logic circuit 500. In the sampling state the current value of the output signal of VCO 400 is present at the output of the random number generator. In the idle state of the switching device, however, a signal is present at the output. The sampling device is then put into the sampling state by the logic circuit if two conditions are met. The first condition is that CPU 700 outputs an enable signal. The second condition is that the output signal of the clock oscillator exhibits a certain state, for example a rising edge. A chain of random output values is then generated when the CPU outputs the enable signal, which will be the case once the CPU has received the command to activate, i.e. to switch on, the random number generator. The frequency of the random values at the output of the random number generator corresponds exactly to the frequency of clock oscillator 600, since logic circuit 500 is arranged such that it drives, whenever the output signal of the clock oscillator is in a certain state, the sampling device 800 in such a manner that it supplies a sample at the output. However, this means at the same time that the frequency of the output values and/or temporal control of the sampling is independent of the frequency of analog oscillator 300 or of digital VCO 400. The output samples always exhibit the same frequency as the clock oscillator, it no longer being possible to determine the frequency of analog oscillator 300 and/or the frequency of digital VCO 400 in the sequence of samples at the output of the random number generator.
Not in all cases is it desirable that the frequency of the output samples be independent of the frequency of the analog oscillator and/or the voltage-controlled digital oscillator. The security of some applications, e.g. with payment cards, is jeopardized when the oscillator serving as a random source is sampled too often, so that the values obtained are strongly correlated. Such too frequent sampling might be intentionally caused by an attacker if he or she succeeds in increasing the frequency of clock oscillator 600. This threat is realistic in particular with chip card systems, as these frequently work with a clock which is fed in externally.
When the frequencies of oscillators 300 and 400 are raised, the sampling frequency, on the other hand, can also be raised, so that the existing resources are better utilized due to the higher data rate of the random number generation.

Random number generator and method for generating a random number


A barrier for blocking access to an enclosed space so that wildlife cannot enter the space for either nesting or other habitation is disclosed. Plural resilient spikes extend outwardly in an array from a base. When the apparatus is inserted into a space, the spikes bend so that the tips engage the walls of the space to lodge the barrier in place and resist extraction. The spikes discourage wildlife from entering and nesting in the space.

Wildlife such as birds, squirrels and a variety of other animals are well-known to prefer to construct nests and homes in confined spaces. For a variety of reasons such as security and safety for the wildlife, nests are often preferably located in enclosed or partially bounded spaces. All too often, these confined spaces are in man-made places where the presence of wildlife is undesirable and in many situations dangerous. For example, wildlife that nest in or congregate around substations and similar electrical equipment and transmission/distribution facilities often cause power outages and "blinks" when an animal comes into contact with energized electrical equipment. Power companies must deal with blinks and other similar outages on a regular basis and the repair costs—both to power companies and consumers—can be substantial. As another example, wildlife can build nests in drain and gutter systems in buildings, disrupting water runoff and often causing water backup and flooding, with associated damage and costs of repair.
Given the scope of the problems caused by wildlife nesting, it is not surprising that there are many wildlife guards available on the market. The electric utility industry uses a variety of guards such as spiral-type guards that slide over equipment and parts of substations, held in place with clips or ties. These guards are effective to a degree, but they are relatively difficult to install and do nothing to prevent wildlife from nesting in their preferred, bounded spaces.
Despite the many wildlife guards on the market there is a need for a wildlife barrier system that is simple to install and defines an effective way to prevent animals from nesting in places where the animals are not wanted.
The subject invention is an apparatus for blocking or occluding access to an enclosed space so that wildlife cannot enter the space for either nesting or other habitation.
In one embodiment the apparatus is preferably defined by a base member that has plural protruding resilient mechanical members—spikes—that facilitate insertion of the device into a bounded space and which resist subsequent extraction forces. When the apparatus is inserted into a space, the spikes discourage and/or blocks wildlife from entering the space, yet the spikes do not injure or otherwise harm the wildlife.
In an illustrated embodiment, the barrier apparatus is fabricated from molded plastic materials that are assembled into a finished unit. A main body or base is fabricated in the shape of a sphere that is defined by two separate hemispheres, each of which has plural through-opening for plural spikes. The resilient spikes are formed by a group of spikes extending from a cylindrical base structure—two groups of such structures are nested together and held in each hemisphere. The two hemispheres are interconnected to complete the assembly of the barrier apparatus.
According to one aspect of the invention the wildlife barrier apparatus is adapted for installation in and around electrical transmission facilities such as electrical substations. The apparatus includes a loop that may be attached to the hook of a conventional lineman's hot stick; the hot stick is used to grasp the apparatus and the wildlife barrier may be installed in the desired location with the hotstick. Once installed in a bounded space, the hook of the hotstick is disengaged from the loop of the wildlife barrier, leaving the barrier engaged in the space.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the wildlife barrier may be installed by hand—the barrier is inserted into a bounded space in a desired position. Hand installation is appropriate when the barrier apparatus is installed in bounded spaces that are relatively easily reached and in which there is no danger to a worker from live electrical wires and the like.
Regardless of how and where the wildlife barrier apparatus is installed, the barrier blocks entry of wildlife into the bounded space in which the apparatus is inserted. The plural spikes define a deterrent to wildlife from entering the space—the spikes form a physical block to animals attempting to enter the space and because the spikes are pointed, the animals will not try to force passage past the barrier. The spikes are resilient and lodge against the walls of the bounded space, thereby preventing removal of the barrier both by wildlife and otherwise.
The barrier does not injure wildlife but does provide an effective barrier to prevent animals from entering and nesting in locations where they should not be.


The present invention relates to methods of diagnosing peripheral neuropathies by determining the titer of autoantibodies directed toward particular nervous system antigens. It also provides for substantially purified preparations of specific antigens, namely neuroprotein-1, histone H3 (neuroprotein-2), .beta.-tubulin (neuroprotein-3), neuroprotein-4, neuroprotein-5, and NP-9 antigen which can be used in such diagnostic methods.

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIES
A patient who exhibits a disorder of one or more peripheral nerves is said to suffer from a peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral nerves extend beyond the brain and spinal cord into tissues that lie outside the central nervous system to provide a bidirectional communication network. They serve as conduits of impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body; for example, motor neurons carry signals to direct movement. Peripheral nerves are also capable of transmitting sensory information gathered by specialized receptors to the brain. In short, peripheral nerves provide the connection between brain, body, and environment, and serve to coordinate the relationship between an organism's brain and the outside world.
A peripheral neuropathy may manifest itself in a number of ways. If a motor nerve is affected, the patient may exhibit weakness in the muscle groups supplied by that nerve. If a sensory nerve is involved, the patient may experience numbness, tingling, loss of sensitivity to temperature, touch, and/or vibration, or even increased sensitivity in the area innervated by the diseased nerve.
Numerous varieties of peripheral neuropathy exist. Some are common, others are extremely rare. The etiology of certain peripheral neuropathies is well understood but some remain a mystery. Many neuropathies have been classified into particular syndromes. Each syndrome is associated with its own set of clinical symptoms, signs, prognosis, and treatment options. It is extremely important to be able to match a particular patient with the syndrome that corresponds to his or her clinical condition. Such matching, like a road map, permits the physician to choose a course of treatment and to counsel the patient as to prognosis. Often the identification of a syndrome alerts the physician to another medical condition associated with the patient's peripheral neuropathy which requires a particular course of treatment and carries its own prognosis. Accordingly, the ability to make a correct and precise diagnosis is exceedingly important in the management of a patient suffering from a peripheral neuropathy. Making the correct diagnosis may, however, be difficult. In the past, such diagnosis has depended upon an analysis of the patient's symptoms and an extremely detailed physical examination. To further complicate matters, many peripheral neuropathy syndromes have not yet been fully characterized.
Peripheral neuropathies may appear as manifestations of a wide variety of disease processes, including genetic, traumatic, metabolic, immune, and vascular disorders, as shown by Table I (see, for review, Plum and Posner, 1985, in "Pathophysiology--The Biological Principles of Disease," Smith and Thier, eds., Second Edition, W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, Pa., pp. 1085-1090).
TABLE I ______________________________________ ANATOMIC CLASSIFICATION OF PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY TWO OVERALL TYPES 1. SYMMETRICAL GENERALIZED 2. FOCAL AND MULTIFOCAL ______________________________________ 1. Symmetrical Generalized Neuropathies (Polyneuropathies) Distal Axonopathies Toxic - many drugs, industrial and environmental chemicals Metabolic - uremia, diabetes, porphyria, endocrine Deficiency - thiamine, pyridoxine Genetic - HMSN II Malignancy associated - oat-cell carcinoma, multiple myeloma Myelinopathies Toxic - diphtheria, buckthorn Immunologic - acute inflammatory polyneuropathy (Guillain-Barre), chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy Genetic - Refsum disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy Neuronopathies Undetermined - amyotrophic lateral somatic motor sclerosis Genetic - hereditary motor neuronopathies somatic sensory Infectious - herpes zoster neuronitis Malignancy-associated - sensory neuronopathy syndrome Toxic - pyridoxine sensory neuronopathy syndrome Undetermined - subacute sensory neuronopathy syndrome autonomic Genetic - hereditary dysautonomia (HSN IV) 2. Focal (Mononeuropathy) and Multifocal (Multiple Mononeuropathy) Neuropathies Ischemia - polyarteritis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis Infiltration - leukemia, lymphoma, granuloma, Schwannoma, amyloid Physical injuries - severance, focal crush, compression, stretch and traction, entrapment Immunologic - brachial and lumbar plexopathy ______________________________________ From Schaumburg, H., Spencer, P., and Thomas, P. K.: Disorders of Peripheral Nerves, Philadelphia, F. A. Davis Co., 1983.
Neuropathies may be classified on the basis of the anatomic component of peripheral nerve most affected. For example, some peripheral neuropathies, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is associated with inflammation of peripheral nerve, is classified as a demyelinating neuropathy because it is associated with destruction of the myelin sheath that normally surrounds the nerve cell axon. In contrast, axonal neuropathies result from damage to the axon caused either by direct injury or, more commonly, from metabolic or toxic injury. In axonal neuropathy, the myelin sheaths disintegrate, as in demyelinating neuropathy, but myelin loss is secondary to deterioration of the axon. Still other neuropathies, classified as neuronopathies, are caused by degeneration of the nerve cell body; examples include amyotrophlc lateral sclerosis and herpes zoster neuronitis.
Peripheral neuropathies are also classified according to the distribution of affected nerves. For example, as shown in Table I, some neuropathies are symmetrically, generally distributed, whereas others are localized to one or several areas of the body (the focal and multifocal neuropathies).
Yet another characteristic used to categorize peripheral neuropathies is the nature of the patient's symptoms, i.e., whether the patient suffers predominantly from sensory or motor abnormalities. Some peripheral neuropathies, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the recently described Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) with conduction block are associated primarily with motor dysfunction. Others, such as paraneoplastic sensory neuropathy and neuronopathy associated with Sjogren's syndrome, are manifested by sensory abnormalities.
A brief description of several disorders of peripheral nerves as follows.
AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS
Of the predominantly anterior horn cell (AHC) disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) is the most common (see Williams and Windebank, 1991, Mayo Clin. Proc. 66:54-82 for review).
The initial complaint in most patients with ALS is weakness, more commonly of the upper limbs (Gubbay et al., 1985, J. Neurol. 232:295-300; Vejjajiva et al., 1967, J. Neurol. Sci. 4:299-314; Li et al., 1988, J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 51:778-784). Usually the early pattern of weakness, atrophy, and other neurological signs is asymmetric and often focal (Munsat et al., 1988, Neurol. 38:409-413). Muscle cramps, paresthesias (tingling sensations) and pain are frequent complaints (Williams and Windebank). Widespread fasciculations are usually present (id.). The rate of progression of the disease varies from patient to patient (Gubbay et al., 1985, J. Neurol. 232:295-300), but in virtually all cases the disease eventually results in complete incapacity, widespread paralysis (including respiratory paralysis) and death.
Anatomically, the most prominent changes are atrophy of the spinal cord and associated ventral roots and firmness of the lateral columns (hence the name, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Williams and Windebank). Upper motor neurons are also involved and degenerate in ALS. The brain may appear normal macroscopically, although atrophy of the motor and premotor cortices is usually present due to upper motor neuron involvement. There is widespread loss of Betz cells and other pyramidal cells from the precentral cortex, with consequent reactive gliosis (Hammer et al., 1979, Exp. Neurol. 63:336-346).
Current treatment consists of symptomatic therapy to diminish muscle cramps, pain, and fatiguability. Prosthetic devices are used to compensate for muscle weakness. Pharmacologic therapy to alter the progress of the disease has, however, been largely unsuccessful. Putative therapeutic benefits of thyrotropin releasing hormone have met with conflicting results (Brooks, 1989, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 553:431-461). Administration of gangliosides has been ineffective (Lacomblez et al., 1989, Neurol. 39:1635-1637). Plasmapheresis has shown no therapeutic advantage both alone and in combination with immunosuppressive treatment (Olarte et al., 1980, Ann. Neurol. 8:644-645; Kelemen et al., 1983, Arch. Neurol. 40:752-753). The antiviral agent guanidine was reported to have potential short-term benefits, but the results were not reproducible (Munsat et al., 1981, Neurol. 31:1054-1055). Administration of branched-chain amino acids to activate glutamate dehydrogenase was reported to slow the rate of decline of patients in an abbreviated study (Plaitakis et al., 1988, Lancet 1:1015-1018). Most recent therapeutic trials, some in progress, involve whole-body total lymphoid irradiation, the use of amino acids N-acetyl-cysteine, N-acetylmethionine, L-threonine, and long-term intrathecal infusion of thyrotropin releasing hormone (Williams and Windebank).
Animal models that bear clinical and pathologic resemblances to ALS include the MND mouse, an autosomal dominant mutant exhibiting late-onset progressive degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons (Messer and Flaherty, 1986, J. Neurogen. 3:345-355); the wobbler mouse, that exhibits forelimb weakness and atrophy in early life due to muscle denervation, and hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy in the Brittany spaniel (Sack et al., 1984, Ann. Neurol. 15:369-373; Sillevis et al., 1989, J. Neurol. Sci. 91:231-258; Bird et al., 1971, Acta Neuropathol. 19:39-50).
MULTIFOCAL MOTOR NEUROPATHY WITH CONDUCTION BLOCK
In previous years, patients suffering from multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) with conduction block were often considered to have pure motor forms of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) or lower motor neuron (LMN) forms of ALS (Bird, 1990, Current Opinion Neurol. Neurosurg. 3:704-707). MMN has recently been characterized as a distinct clinical syndrome. MMN appears to be characterized clinically by asymmetric, progressive, predominantly distal limb weakness; arms are involved more frequently than legs and there is generally no bulbar, upper motor neuron, or sensory involvement (Id.). In more than eighty percent of patients the weakness begins in the hands and may progress slowly for periods up to twenty years. MMN is more common in males than females (2:1) and frequently (66 percent) begins in patients younger than 45 years of age. Nerve conduction studies show evidence of multifocal conduction block on motor but not sensory axons (Chad et al., 1986, Neurology 36:1260-1266; Parry and Clarke, 1988 Muscle Nerve 11:103-107; Pestronk et al., 1988, Ann. Neurol. 24:73-78).
Patients suffering from MMN appear not to improve clinically with corticosteroid therapy; Pestronk et al. (1990, Ann. Neurol. 27:316-326) noted improvement in only one out of seven patients treated with high-dosage prednisone; treatment with cyclophosphamide appeared to be more successful. Pestronk e al. (1989, Neurology 39:628-633) have suggested that prednisone and cyclophosphamide may exert different effects on autoantibodies in neuromuscular disorders.
MMN may be distinguishable from another motor neuropathy syndrome that more clearly meets criteria for a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Although both are predominantly motor neuropathies, MMN and motor CIDP differ in their clinical features, physiologic changes, serologic findings and response to immunosuppression. In contrast to MMN, patients with motor CIDP usually have symmetric weakness that involves proximal muscles early in the course of the disease. While nerve conduction studies in CIDP may show evidence of conduction block, there is often evidence of more diffuse demyelination on both motor and sensory axons. Physiologic changes in motor CIDP that are found in only a minority of patients with MMN include slowing (less than 70% of normal) of conduction velocities, and prolonged distal latencies to the range found in demyelinating disorders. High titers of IgM anti-GM1 ganglioside antibodies are only rarely found in motor CIDP patients. A further contrast to MMN is the response to treatment. As has been reported for the overall population of CIDP patients, those with motor CIDP often demonstrate increased strength within a few weeks to months after treatment with prednisone, plasmapheresis or intravenous human immune globulin.
DISTAL LOWER MOTOR NEURON SYNDROME
Distal Lower Motor Neuron (LMN) Syndrome has a clinical syndrome of slowly progressive, distal and asymmetrical weakness that begins in a hand or foot which is similar to that of MMN (1991 Muscle & Nerve 14: 927-936). However, distal LMN begins more frequently in the legs than MMN and there is an absence of motor conduction block in physiologic studies of distal LMN. Id.
Patients with distal LMN syndromes, particularly those in the early stages of the disease or with preserved reflexes in areas of weakness, may be difficult to distinguish from patients with ALS. Id. Distal LMN differs clinically from ALS in that distal LMN progresses more slowly than ALS, patients with distal LMN lack very brisk (4+) reflexes, and there is a general absence of bulbar dysfunction. Id.
Fifty-five percent of distal LMN patients have high titers of serum IgM anti-GM1 ganglioside antibodies, and 15% to 20% of antibody-positive patients have an associated serum IgM-protein. Id.
Some patients with distal LMN and high anti-GM1 ganglioside antibody titers improve after treatment with cyclophosphamide or chlorambucil. However, they respond less frequently to immunosuppression than patients with MMN.
SENSORY NEUROPATHIES
A variety of neuropathies are primarily sensory in nature, including leprous neuritis, sensory perineuritis, hyperlipidemic neuropathies, certain amyloid polyneuropathies, and distal symmetrical primary sensory diabetic neuropathy. These are primary axonal or demyelinating neuropathies.
In addition, pure sensory syndromes, known as sensory neuronopathies, have been identified that result from primary pathological events in the dorsal root ganglion or trigeminal cell bodies (Asbury and Brown, 1990, Current Opinion Neurol. Neurosurg. 3:708-711; Asbury, 1987, Semin. Neurol. 7:58-66). Some examples of sensory syndromes follow.
A severe subacute primary sensory neuropathic disorder may occur in the context of concurrent malignancy, particularly small-cell lung cancer, and may in fact precede the diagnosis of malignancy (Asbury and Brown).
Sjogren's syndrome, characterized by dry mucous membranes and skin and the destruction of salivary and lacrimal glands, appears to be associated with a sensory neuronopathy. Griffin et al. (1990, Ann. Neurol. 27:304-315) found that eleven women and two men with undiagnosed ataxic sensory neuronopathy and autonomic dysfunction all had primary Sjogren's syndrome.
Furthermore, hundreds of commonly encountered chemicals, including environmental toxins, vitamins, and various prescription drugs, can cause a polyneuropathy that begins as a distal symmetrical sensory neuropathy and may progress to a mixed sensory-motor-autonomic disorder. Examples of such chemicals include cis-platinum (Mollman, 1990, N. Engl. J. Med. 322:126-127), vitamin B.sub.6 (Xu et al., 1989, Neurology 39:1077-1083), taxol (Lipton et al., 1989, Neurology 39:368-373) and doxorubicin (in experimental animals) (Asbury and Brown).
However, the majority of predominantly sensory neuropathies in patients remain undiagnosed.

Autoantibodies and their targets in the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathies


An optical fiber assembly includes a prism, four first collimating portions, four second collimating portions, two third collimating portion, two light emitting elements, two light receiving elements, four optical fibers, and two light intensity detectors. The prism includes an incident surface, a first reflecting surface, a first emergent surface, a second reflecting surface, and a second emergent surface. The first collimating portions are positioned on the incident surface. The second collimating portions are positioned on the first emergent surface. The third collimating portions are positioned on the second emergent surface. Each light emitting element faces one of the first collimating portions for emitting light beams. Each light receiving element faces one of the first collimating portions. Each optical fiber faces one of the second collimating portions. Each light intensity detector faces one of the third collimating portions for detecting light intensity of a corresponding light emitting element.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to optical fiber assemblies and, particularly, to an optical fiber assembly capable of detecting light intensity.
2. Description of Related Art
An optical fiber assembly includes a light emitting element, an optical fiber, and a prism. The prism includes a reflecting surface, which is positioned in a light path between the light emitting element and the optical fiber. In use, the light emitting element emits light beams, and the reflecting surface reflects the light beams to the optical fiber and thus to external optical elements. The light beams may be attenuated at the reflecting surface. However, the optical fiber assembly cannot detect light intensity of the light beams reflected off the prism and determine if the attenuation of the light beams is acceptable.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an optical fiber assembly that can overcome the above-mentioned problems.

Optical fiber assembly with prism to detect light intensity of light beam entering optical fiber


An apparatus for holding a semiconductor substrate comprises a plate having a pocket which holds the substrate, wherein the pocket comprises a lower surface and an inner edge. The inner edge comprises a plurality of members extending radially inward to reduce the area of contact between the inner edge and the substrate. The beveled edge is inclined so that there is an acute angle between the lower surface of the pocket and the beveled edge.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor wafer processing and, in particular, to an apparatus for supporting semiconductor wafers during processing and for providing film uniformity improvements on wafers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional wafer support mechanisms, such as susceptors, do not guarantee good film uniformity for single wafer tools. Often, these conventional susceptors yield films with poor and uneven uniformities, and with WOOPS (Wafer Out Of Pocket) errors, which results in subsequent reworking procedures. Moreover, conventional tools attempt to level the susceptor to prevent any sliding of the wafer. In fact, conventional tools use a leveling kit to set up the susceptor. However, the level of the susceptor shifts with time, thereby creating uniformity problems.
In the semiconductor wafer and substrate processing fields, various types of processing equipment are utilized which provide for automated handling of wafers in a vacuum environment. One of the more important concerns in the handling and processing of such wafer substrates is the need to minimize particle generation that could contaminate the wafers, subsequently damaging the devices being formed thereon. In an effort to ameliorate this, most semiconductor device fabrication is conducted within a "clean room" environment where extreme measures are taken to minimize the presence of particulate matter.
At a process station, it may be necessary to hold the wafer firmly against a support surface with a clamp during processing, for example, to maintain the position of the wafer relative to the processing equipment or to maintain good thermal contact to a heat transfer element. One conventional technique for maintaining the temperature of a wafer undergoing processing in a vacuum environment is to introduce a conductive gas in a narrow space at the backside of the wafer, thereby thermally coupling the wafer to a temperature control element. When using a backside gas, which is introduced at a pressure higher than the ambient pressure of the processing chamber, clamping means are required to ensure that the backside gas does not move the wafer off of the support surface.
In most cluster tool systems, and many other types of semiconductor processing systems, the wafers are loaded onto and removed from the process platform in a horizontal orientation. This allows gravity to be used to hold the wafer in place on the surface of the platform while the wafer is clamped and un-clamped. Therefore, unclamping normally involves simply translating the clamp mechanism in an upward direction, and relying on gravity to cause separation of the wafer and the clamp.
Unfortunately, the conventional methods used in a process chamber may cause the clamp to adhere to a wafer after completion of processing of the wafer at the process station, thus preventing the wafer from being picked up by the transport mechanism such as an automated clasp. For example, this may occur when a metal layer is deposited over a wafer which causes the wafer to stick to the clamp. Another example is when the top layer of a wafer melts at an elevated temperature, causing the top layer to adhere to the clamp.
When a semiconductor wafer sticks to a clamp, the processing system typically must be shut down to free the stuck wafer, a procedure that normally involves manual intervention at atmospheric pressure. After the process chamber is vented to atmosphere to permit manual wafer removal, it can take several hours before the chamber can be placed back in service due to the need to pump down the chamber and allow out-gassing of contaminants (e.g., water vapor, etc.) that have become adsorbed to the chamber surfaces. Thus, it can easily take several hours to recover from a stuck wafer.
Conventional systems have not adequately solved this problem. Moreover, the conventional systems have not adequately provided a device which improves the film uniformity of the semiconductor wafer undergoing processing. As such, wafers are constantly being processed with defects, thereby resulting in time consuming and costly rework procedures. Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, which greatly improves the film uniformity of the wafer during processing, and which can be installed easily.

Susceptor pocket with beveled projection sidewall

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed is a method and an apparatus which act as a retroreflector of circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation over a broad range of incident angles. The apparatus includes dipole antenna pairs which are orthogonally disposed in relation to one another about a central point to create antennas which consist, for example, of crossed dipoles but can be other circular polarization sensitive antennas. Antenna pairs are then arranged symmetrically in an array and interconnected by means which control the circular polarization of the returned signals to provide retroreflection of impinging signals while maintaining the same sense of polarization. The array thereby provides enhancement of the radar cross-section of a target when circularly polarized radar is employed. Conversely, the array can be connected so as to enhance opposite-polarization returns should there be any desire to do so.

This invention relates to radar retroreflectors, and particularly, to retroreflectors which control the polarization of reflected electromagnetic radiation.
Radar systems detect a "target" such as an aircraft by irradiating an area with electromagnetic radiation from a radar transmitter and analyzing the radiation reflected back to a radar receiver to ascertain the presence of the target. When reflective surfaces other than the target are present, they produce reflected waves called "clutter." Clutter may be caused by many things including weather conditions, such as ice crystals, rain drops, hail stones, etc. When an aircraft is immersed in rain, it is often difficult to discriminate the presence of the aircraft target from the rain clutter.
Circular polarization is sometimes employed in radar systems to distinguish targets from clutter. By transmitting circularly polarized electromagnetic waves and receiving only waves having the same sense of circular polarization (clockwise or counterclockwise) as the transmitted wave, it is possible to suppress reflections caused by rain clutter. This is accomplished by using receiving equipment which is sensitive only to waves having the same sense of polarization as that of the transmitted wave and insensitive to waves having the opposite sense of polarization.
It is well understood in the art that radiation reflected from rain clutter will have a reverse sense of circular polarization. In contrast, a target such as an aircraft will reflect substantial radiation having the same sense of circular polarization as the transmitted waves. Circularly polarized waves reflected by rain clutter are received having a sense of polarization which is opposite to the sense of polarization of the transmitted waves. However, a substantial portion of circularly polarized waves reflected from targets is received having the same sense of polarization as the transmitted waves. Thus, suppression of rain clutter is accomplished by rejecting waves having a reverse sense of polarization from the transmitted waves.
The same-sense radar return from most perspectives of an aircraft is acceptable for use with a radar system employing circular polarization to discriminate targets from clutter. Even though an aircraft is a complex target with many equivalent corners, circularly polarized waves doubly bounced from corners will return with the same sense of polarization, so aircraft returns typically undergo but little suppression. However, viewed nose-on the same-sense radar return from an aircraft is weak, therefore it is desirable to enhance this return.
One known way of enhancing the cross-section of a target is by the use of a retroreflector. A retroreflector is an apparatus which receives an electromagnetic radiation wave from a source and returns the received wave back toward the source. A corner reflector which resembles a corner cut off from a cube is one type of retroreflector. In general, electromagnetic radiation incident on such a corner reflector bounces three times and is reflected back substantially in the opposite direction to the direction of arrival. Retroreflection takes place with a corner reflector over a broad range of incident angles so that the corner reflector does not have to be aligned with the source. The reflection from a circularly polarized incoming radar wave, however, will be polarized in the opposite sense to that transmitted since it will have been reflected three times within the corner. Thus, a rain rejection radar which rejects oppositely polarized waves will also reject waves reflected from a corner reflector.
A dipole antenna can also be used to return an enhanced reflection wave. However, if circular polarization is employed, only half of the returned radiation will have the same sense of polarization. Also, the returned radiation from a dipole is not retroreflected, but scattered in nearly all directions.
Retroreflection can be achieved by arranging a group of dipoles in a conventional linear or planar van-Atta array configuration to concentrate the return energy back towards the source. The conventional van-Atta array works well with waves polarized in a single plane. But circularly polarized waves retroreflected from a van-Atta array will have only half of the reflected radiation polarized in the same sense as the impinging radiation. Thus, the conventional van-Atta array may provide less enhancement than is desired.
A need exists for a method and an apparatus for enhancing the radar cross-section of a target to circularly polarized radar waves which provide retroreflection while at the same time controlling the sense of circular polarization of the returned waves, so rain clutter suppression can be used effectively.

Radar retroreflector with polarization control


A personal digital assistant 1 composed of a main body 2 formed with an operation section 212; a cover body 3 which is freely attached and slides parallel to the operating section 212 from a position overlapped on the operation section side of the main body 2; and an energization spring 45 formed in the cover body 3 which applies force along a direction which maintains an opened state in an opened position where the cover body 3 has been made to slide from the main body 2. Accordingly, a sliding type personal digital assistant can be stabilized in a closed position and/or an opened position and prevent opening or closing in a midway through position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a personal digital assistant, for example, a cellular phone, etc. with two housings (a main body and a cover body) formed with a practicable slide.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional prior art cellular phone, there is what is called a foldable cellular phone in which a display section is formed in the cover body and a key input section formed in the main body. Both the cover body and the main body are attached so as to be foldable and overlapped with a hinge part. In addition, there is also a cellular phone which enables the cover body to slide on the main body. Guide grooves are formed in the lengthwise direction of the main body. Also, engagement tabs which freely engage during movement along the guide grooves are formed in the cover body. The cover body overlapped upon the main body and the guide grooves are made to engage with the engagement tabs. In such a cellular phone, the main body can be placed on a user's palm and the cover body slid against the main body by pressing the cover body with a person's thumb. In this manner, the operation section which is covered by the cover body can be exposed (for example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-110675 titled "MOBILE PHONE").
However, in the conventional prior art cellular phone having the above-mentioned sliding mechanism, because the slide stops midway through the closed position which overlaps the cover body upon the main body as well as the opened position in which the cover is made to slide completely away from the main body, there is the anxiety of not being able to switch functions. Thus, manipulation by the user to perform a sliding movement completely is complicated.

Personal digital assistant with slide mechanism

Casio Hitachi Mobile Communication Co., Ltd.


A system, method, and computer-usable medium are presented for controlling viewing angle characteristics by performing a color palette gradation control of a liquid crystal display, such that adjustment effects on a viewing angle range are improved.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique of controlling viewing angle characteristics of a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus, a method of controlling a display of a liquid crystal display, and a program for executing the method of controlling the display that provide a narrow viewing angle characteristic by controlling gradation of the liquid crystal display.
2. Description of Related Art
A liquid crystal display is used for an information processing apparatus, such as a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, and a mobile phone in many cases to thereby provide a display to a user. Particularly, in recent years, due to downsizing of the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus is increasingly used under a situation where persons other than the user are present within easy reach. Especially, information displayed on the liquid crystal display of a portable information processing apparatus includes privacy information in many cases, and therefore preferably the persons other than the user are prevented from being able to recognize the information.
Various kinds of methods for controlling a viewing angle in the liquid crystal display have been disclosed so far. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-295160, there is disclosed a liquid crystal display in which high contrast is provided even in a wide viewing angle by adjusting distortion due to a viewing angle of a gradation curve on a display screen, and on the contrary, by providing a display image with an narrow viewing angle, information that user does not want to be seen by others is displayed. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-131230, there is disclosed a display unit that obtains a narrow viewing angle characteristic by using a prism sheet almost meeting with an optical property in a viewing angle being narrowed. Moreover, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-318112, there is disclosed a liquid crystal display provided with a look-up table for controlling a driving voltage supplied to a liquid crystal panel for the purpose of providing a narrow viewing angle. Furthermore, in Rocket_SecurityShades, there is employed a method of controlling the viewing angle, in which a display gradation range is narrowed by not using gradation levels at both sides of higher gradation levels and lower gradation levels for the display, to thereby reduce visibility with respect to a large viewing angle.
According to the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-295160, in order to adjust the distortion due to the viewing angle of the gradation curve, there is employed the method, in which a plurality of look-up tables to be referenced are prepared, and one pixel is further divided into a plurality of sub-pixels to thereby provide different gradation curves to respective sub-pixels. For this reason, according to the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-295160, there has been such inconvenience that a configuration of a liquid crystal display panel has needed to be changed significantly, and in addition to that, contrast characteristics with respect to the viewing angle might not be necessarily controlled sufficiently.
Meanwhile, according to achieving the narrow viewing angle using the prism sheet described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-131230, a configuration of an LCD panel needs to be changed, for example, by preparing the prism sheets with different dimensions or the like for respective LCD panels. Additionally, in the liquid crystal display for controlling the driving voltage of the LCD to provide the narrow viewing angle disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-318112, in attempting to achieve the narrow viewing angle, there is employed the method of generating a gradation collapse in a diagonal viewing angle by increasing the driving voltage on a low gradation side. According to the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-318112, in order to control the driving of the liquid crystal display, it is necessary to change the driving voltage of the LCD panel, so that there is such an inconvenience that flexibility to the liquid crystal display cannot be obtained, for example a dedicated driver for LCD is required.
Furthermore, also in the conventional art described in Rocket_SecurityShades, since the narrow viewing angle has been achieved by only reducing a gradation width to be displayed, contrast has wholly been decreased, so that there has been such an inconvenience that contrast at the time of being seen from the front has been decreased. Additionally, according to the method described in Rocket_SecurityShades, even when the LCD panel is seen from the large viewing angle, a displayed image will be visible to some extent, so that there is such an inconvenience that good privacy protection cannot necessarily be provided to the user.
Other than this, in order to narrow the viewing angle, there has been employed a method of pasting a film formed into a louver structure, the so-called privacy filter on the liquid crystal display panel or the like. However, this causes other problems, in that the user needs to purchase the privacy filter, mounting the privacy filter has been troublesome, the viewing angle has not been dynamically controllable in response to a user's request, brightness has been reduced, a film exchange has been required because of durability of the film, or the like, so that the method has not been able to provide sufficient visibility and permanency.

Method for controlling viewing angle characteristics of a liquid crystal display


Provided is a paper structure comprised of two outside layers and at least one inside layer. The two outside layers are comprised of substantially cellulosic pulp fiber, and the inside layer is comprised of a high temperature fiber and a polymeric binder, and preferably cellulosic pulp fiber. In a preferred embodiment, the structure comprises at least three inside layers, all comprised of cellulosic pulp fiber, high temperature fiber and a polymeric binder. The resulting paper structure finds particular use as a high temperature transformer paper in the manufacture of transformers.

1. Field of the Invention
Provided is a high temperature paper structure comprised of two outside layers and at least one inside layer. The two outside layers are generally comprised of substantially cellulosic pulp fiber, and the inside layer is comprised of cellulosic pulp fiber, a high temperature fiber and a polymeric binder. The paper structure can be used as a high temperature E-board for application in transformers, and offers enhanced thermal resistance.
2. Description of Related Art
High temperature E-board is used in transformers and performs two functions. First, the E-board provides electrical insulation. This keeps the coils in the transformer from short circuiting. Secondly, the board provides mechanical strength. When there is a large passage of current through the transformer, there is force on the layers of the coil to move the board, which is glued to the coils. The glueing of the board to the coil keeps the various coils from telescoping. Each coil acts like a solenoid and tries to move. It is the E-board which prevents this telescoping.
Improving the mechanical strength of the E-board would aid in avoiding problems with telescoping coils. Having a reinforced E-board to strengthen the paper would help to provide the necessary mechanical strength. The paper, however, would have to be made in an efficient and effective manner.
There is also interest in increasing the temperature resistance of E-board for use in transformers so that a less expensive transformer could be designed. By reducing the diameters of the wires in a transformer, the coils would become smaller. Smaller coils require smaller cores and smaller metal containers. Smaller containers hold less oil, and this means that less copper for the wire, steel for the cores and oil for the insulation are needed. Because of the thinner wire, however, the transformer would have more electrical resistance and would run hotter. Thus, the E-board would have to exhibit enhanced thermal resistance before such a transformer would be practical.
A paper which exhibits such enhanced thermal resistance, as well as enhanced mechanical strength would allow the industry to design transformers which can recognize the economic benefits and performance benefits discussed above.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper structure which exhibits enhanced thermal resistance.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a paper structure which exhibits enhanced mechanical strength.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to the skilled artisan upon a review of the following description, and the claims appended hereto.


The invention relates to methods of handling wind turbine blades and mounting said blades on a wind turbine, said method comprising the steps of lifting a wind turbine hub to the nacelle of wind turbine with a lifting system and mounting the hub on the nacelle. Further, the method comprises the steps of gripping at least one wind turbine blade with a lifting system including at least one gripping unit for handling wind turbine blades, lifting said at least one wind turbine blade into close proximity to said hub, and mounting said at least one wind turbine blade on said hub.

The invention relates to methods of handling wind turbine blades and mounting said blades on a wind turbine, and a system and gripping unit for handling a wind turbine blade.
Modern wind turbines usually comprise a rotor with a considerable diameter and weight, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The diameter of modern rotors is approaching 100 to 150 meters and the rotor including the wind turbine hub and e.g. three wind turbine blades may add up to around 40 to 50 tons.
The usual way of mounting a wind turbine includes the steps of transporting the different elements to the site of the wind turbine, assembling the tower sections and the tower, lifting the wind turbine nacelle with a crane and mounting the nacelle on top of the tower, assembling the wind turbine rotor on the ground, and lifting the wind turbine rotor with the crane and mounting the rotor to the low speed shaft extending from the nacelle.
The usual way comprises a number of disadvantages which have become more and more problematic with the increasing size and weight of the wind turbine rotor.
Especially assembly of the wind turbine rotor on the ground is problematic as it requires a large area free of obstacles, which is planar and stable in order to be accessible for the assembly workers and the crane. With a rotor diameter of 100 meters, the area in question must exceed 5000 m2.
Further, lifting of the rotor to the nacelle is rather complicated, as the rotor must be turned 90 degrees in midair.
In other lifting systems, it is known to pre-mount the wind turbine hub on the nacelle and then lift each wind turbine blade successively to a position next to hub and perform the mounting of the blades. The lifting is performed with the wind turbine blades lying in a number of slings.
This lifting system comprises a number of disadvantages and one of them is the fact that the blade has to be horizontal during lifting and mounting.
Further, the blade has to be positioned with the front facing downwards to the bottom of the slings in order not to be damaged. This only allows mounting of the blade on the hub in a production position which means that the hydraulic pitch system of the wind turbine has to be manually overruled and mechanical break force to be added to the low-speed axle of the turbine in order to keep the rotor system from rotating during mounting.

Methods of handling wind turbine blades and mounting said blades on a wind turbine, system and gripping unit for handling a wind turbine blade

Abstract: The invention also relates to a gripping unit for handling a wind turbine blade during transport.


A rail vehicle having a single frame assembly and a movable platform coupled thereto is provided. The rail vehicle indexes, i.e. advances intermittently, along railroad rails. The movable platform advances in a single direction at a generally steady speed as the rail vehicle indexes along a railroad. The platform is the floor of, or a base for, a cabin preferably having a seat, roof support, and controls for the operator. The platform rides longitudinally with the machine on rollers or slides, thus separating the operator and controls from the rest of the machine. Thus, while the rail vehicle moves in an abrupt stop-and-go manner, the platform and the operator move generally consistently in a single direction.

Generally, a railroad includes at least one pair of elongated, substantially parallel rails coupled to a plurality of laterally extending ties and which are disposed on a ballast bed. The rails are coupled to the ties by metal tie plates and/or spring clips. The ballast is a hard particulate material such as, but not limited to, gravel. Ties may be made from either concrete or wood. The ballast filled space between ties is called a crib. Concrete ties are typically spaced about twenty-four inches apart, whereas wood ties are spaced about nineteen and a half inches apart.
During installation and maintenance various operations must be performed at each tie location. For example, ballast must be "tamped," or compressed, to ensure that the ties, and therefore the rails, do not shift. A tamping device, not surprisingly called a "tamper," typically consists of at least two pairs of work heads mounted on a motorized vehicle structured to travel on the rails. A work head includes a pair of elongated, vertically extending tools structured to move together in a pincer-like motion as well as being structured to move vertically. The tools, preferably, have two prongs spaced so that each prong may be disposed on opposite lateral sides of a rail. The work head further includes a vibration device structured to rapidly vibrate the tools. In this configuration, a work head may be disposed above a tie with one tool on either side of the tie. Further, the prongs of each tool are disposed on either sides of the rail. Thus, a tool prong is disposed above, and just outside, of each corner of the rail/tie interface. At least two work heads are used so that one work head may be placed over each rail.
Initially, the tools are generally vertical and parallel to each other. When actuated, the tool head moves vertically downward so that the tips of the tools, that is the tips of the prongs, are inserted into the ballast to a predetermined depth that is, preferably, below the bottom of the tie. The tools are then brought together in a pincer-like motion thereby compressing the ballast under the tie. Actuation of the vibration assembly further compresses the ballast under the tie. Once the vibration operation is complete, the tools are returned to a substantially vertical orientation and lifted out of the ballast. The tamper then advances to the next tie and the operation is repeated. Typically, a tamping operation lasts about three seconds.
The act of advancing the tamper to the next work location may be called "indexing." Indexing may be performed one tie at a time, or multiple ties at a time. For example, some tamping machines include a set of tamping tools at the front end of the rail vehicle and another set of tamping tools at the back end of the vehicle. After identifying a tie at the work site as the first tie, the front set of tamping tools may work upon the "odd" ties and the back set of tamping tools may work upon the "even" ties. In this situation, the tamper vehicle would index, i.e. move forward, two ties at a time. The tamper vehicle, as well as other rail installation and maintenance vehicles, typically locates the tie/rail interface by locating the tie plate that connects the rail to the tie, e.g. by utilizing a metal detector that travels beside the rail.
On conventional indexing machinery, such as, but not limited to tampers, the equipment starts and stops at different intervals as required by the work that has to be performed. In most railroad applications, the indexing motion of different machines is dictated by the tie spacing. Most of the work required on the track is usually performed at each tie location, i.e., tamping of the ballast supporting the ties, lifting and lining of the track panel, spiking of the tie plates for fastening the ties to the rail, anchor removal and/or application, plugging of spike holes, clip application and removal, etc.
Conventional equipment performing track maintenance consists mostly of machines carrying one or two operators. These machines accelerate (under their own power), to the ties requiring work. As they approach the tie, they rapidly slow down to a stop, perform the required work and index to the next tie to repeat the cycle. This work is performed sometimes at a cycle rate of less than three seconds. During this acceleration and deceleration, the operator is being pushed backward and forward by the dynamics of the machine he is riding. The operator is working in a very uncomfortable environment, subject to fatigue, stress and difficulty to perform the required duties of his work.
One existing machine designed to alleviate the problem on the operator, consists of splitting the machine in two segments: one half of the machine does the indexing and a first work function while the other half moves at a constant speed while sometimes performing a different work function. The operator sits on the continuous moving portion of the machines. This system is normally employed on large machines and works in a satisfactory manner, however, the system is very expensive and cumbersome. For example, two different machines and two drives are required, the system is not practical for smaller and lighter machines due to the additional weight required to achieve an effective tractive effort, and the system requires sophisticated electronics required to control the motion of the two segments relative to each other. That is, without sophisticated electronics controlling the motion of the two segments, the two segments may collide and damage each other and/or injure an operator.


Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, devices, systems and methods of channel switching. For example, a Peer to Peer (P2P) client device may include a radio to transmit a request to a P2P Group Owner (GO) via a first wireless communication channel, the request including a request to switch to a second wireless communication channel, the radio to receive from the P2P GO a response in response to the request; and a controller to, based on the response, switch the radio to the second wireless communication channel to communicate with the P2P GO.

A wireless computing device, e.g., a personal computer (PC), a Smartphone, a Tablet, and/or the like, may communicate with a wireless display via a first wireless channel to display content on the wireless display.
The wireless computing device may communicate with an access point via a second wireless channel, e.g., in addition to the communication with the wireless display, for example, to gain access to the Internet.
Communicating via two different wireless communication channels, e.g., using a Different Channel Mode (DCM), may require channel switching between the different wireless communication channels and/or using a time sharing mechanism to enable communication via the different wireless communication channels, which may reduce performance of the wireless computing device.

Apparatus, system and method of channel switching


An adjuster for an air disc brake assembly is used to drive tappet members on opposing sides of a rotating brake disc to adjust brake pad position in response to pad wear. The adjuster includes a one-way clutch that permits the tappet members to be driven for adjustment in a brake apply direction and prevents adjustment in a brake release direction. The adjuster includes an adjuster input shaft, which is actuated by a brake operating shaft, and an adjuster body that supports first and second adjuster members. The one-way clutch couples the adjuster input shaft to the adjuster body such that the first adjuster member drives a first tappet assembly to adjust a first brake pad on one side of the rotating brake disc, and the second adjuster member drives a second tappet assembly to independently adjust a second brake pad on an opposite side of the rotating brake disc.

An air disc brake assembly includes a first brake pad positioned on one side of a rotating brake disc and a second brake pad positioned on an opposite side of the rotating brake disc. The first and second brake pads are supported by a brake caliper that is mounted to a non-rotating vehicle structure. The brake caliper includes a brake housing having a main section and a bridge section. The main section defines a cavity that receives an actuating mechanism and the bridge section extends over the rotating brake disc. The actuating mechanism includes tappets that move the first brake pad into engagement with the rotating brake disc. Input from a brake operating shaft moves the tappets in response to a braking demand.
The brake housing straddles the rotating brake disc and is slidably mounted on a torque taking member with guide pins. Movement of the brake operating shaft causes the first brake pad to move into engagement with the rotating brake disc, and continued pressure causes the brake housing to slide on the guide pins relative to the torque taking member and rotating brake disc. This causes the bridge section of the housing to press on the second brake pad to move the second brake pad into engagement with the rotating brake disc.
One disadvantage with this traditional air brake configuration is that it cannot be used with some vehicle suspensions. For example, certain independent front suspensions do not have packaging space available to permit the use of a conventional sliding caliper. As the first and second brake pads wear, the brake caliper moves in an inboard direction. These types of suspensions are not capable of providing a sufficient area into which the brake caliper can move as the first and second brake pads wear.
Thus, there is a need for a disc brake assembly that actuates opposing brake pads and adjusts for brake pad wear without requiring a conventional sliding brake caliper.