An image processing apparatus and method are disclosed. The apparatus may include: a wavelet transform device for performing wavelet transform on an input image to decompose the input image into a plurality of levels of different scales, each level including a low frequency component and a plurality of high frequency components; a compensation template generating device for generating a compensation template for each level according to the plurality of high frequency components in the level, the compensation template reflecting combination feature of the plurality of high frequency components; a de-noising device for de-noising the low frequency component of each level and performing edge compensation on the low frequency component with the compensation template to acquire a compensated low frequency component; and a wavelet inverse transform device for performing inverse wavelet transform with the compensated low frequency component and the high frequency components of each level to acquire a de-noised image.

Image de-noising is an important branch in the field of image processing. As an effective de-noising algorithm, the application of wavelet transform to image de-noising becomes popular.
In a known wavelet de-noising method, an input image is firstly decomposed into a plurality of levels by using wavelet transform, and then the wavelet coefficients of at least two of the levels are modified by scaling the wavelet coefficients using different scale-dependent parameters for each of the levels, thereby improving the de-noising effect. Related references include U.S. Patent Application U.S. 2006/0210186 A1.


A flashlight having a casing containing a pair batteries, a head assembly mounted on an upper end of the casing, and a tail assembly mounted on a lower end of the casing disclosed wherein the head assembly includes a swivel head carrying a bulb and a reflector and is rotatable about an inclined swivel axis aligned with a bulb extending through a side of a reflector. The flashlight includes a terminal mechanism for electrically connecting the bulb to the battery irrespective of the rotated position of the swivel head relative to the casing. A rotary switch mechanism is provided in the tail assembly to control the illumination of the bulb through a cam mechanism actuated by a rotation of the tail cap switch.

This invention relates generally to flashlights and, particularly, to a flashlight having a swivel head rotatable in a plane oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the casing, and also particularly to a rotary tail cap switch for flashlights.
Flashlights typically are constructed with an elongated casing to hold a supply of batteries electrically connected to a light bulb positioned to cast a beam of light along the general direction of the major axis of the casing. Specialty flashlights have been devised to provide a swivel head that rotates in a plane oriented at approximately 45 degrees to the major longitudinal axis of the casing. Such a swivel head structure would permit the beam of light cast by the illuminated light bulb to project along a path ranging from being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the casing to being perpendicular thereto.
The use of parabolic reflectors in flashlights has improved the quality of the beam of light projecting therefrom. Slight adjustable movements of the light bulb relative to the focal point of the parabolic reflector enables the beam of light to be focused for maximizing the quality of the projected light beam. Combining the use of a parabolic reflector with a swivel head flashlight structure has resulted in problems associated with the mounting of the light bulb and the electrical connection thereof to the batteries supplying a source of electrical current, which in turn provides opportunity for improvement to such flashlights.


The present invention relates to a recombinant expression vector which is prepared by inserting a human parathyroid hormone gene containing a urokinase-specific cleavage site into an L-arabinose inducible vector containing a phosphoribulokinase gene fragment of Rhodabacter sphaeroides or its mutated gene as a fusion partner, or its mutate gene as a fusion partner, a recombinant microorganism transformed with the said expression vector, and a process for preparing human parathyroid hormone on a large scale by cultivating the said microorganism in a medium containing L-arabinose. In accordance with the invention, a recombinant human PTH having the same activity of the native human PTH can be prepared in a high yield through the precise control of induction by a manufacturing process which comprises a step of inducing expression of fusion protein in the microorganism transformed with the recombinant expression vector by L-arabinose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recombinant expression vector using phosphoribulokinase as a fusion partner and a process for preparing human parathyroid hormone therewith, more specifically, to a recombinant expression vector which is prepared by inserting a human parathyroid hormone gene containing an urokinase-specific cleavage site into a L-arabinose inducible vector containing a phosphoribulokinase gene fragment of Rhodobacter sphaeroides or its mutated gene- as a fusion partner, a recombinant microorganism transformed with the said expression vector, and a process for preparing human parathyroid hormone on a large scale by cultivating the said microorganism in a medium containing L-arabinose.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Osteoporosis is a disease causing harmful effects such as fracture even by small impact which results from reduction in mass of bone compared with normal people and weakness of bone tissue. The advance of medical science and biology leads to continuous increase in population of old age, which results in continuous increase of patients suffering from osteoporosis. Therefore, osteoporosis becomes a big social problem at present when number of old people living alone increases gradually according to a tendency of a nuclear family.
In general, in a normal bone tissue, balance between activities of osteoclast, a bone-destructing cell and osteoblast, a bone-forming cell is accomplished, which results in constant remodeling of bone tissue. In a normal body, osteoclast surpasses osteoblast in functioning according to increase in age, which results in overall decrease in bone density. In a patient suffering from osteoporosis, such a disruption in balance between activities of osteoclast and osteoblast is much higher than in normal case.
Although the cause of disruption in balance between activities of osteoclast and osteoblast has not been known clearly, it has been found that reduction in secretion of estrogen, a female hormone after the menopause causes osteoporosis type 1 which suffers women after the menopause largely. Thus, estrogen has been administered for the treatment of osteoporosis type 1, and many patients are, however, reluctant to use estrogen because of side effects such as high probability of attack of breast cancer, endometrium cancer, etc. Also, estrogen cannot be used for the treatment of osteoporosis type 2 which has been known to be induced by a cause different from that inducing osteoporosis type 1.
Calcitonin which inhibits activities of osteoclast to suppress resorption of bone tissue has been used as an agent which compensates for shortcomings of estrogen, an agent for the treatment of osteoporosis type 1 and treats osteoporosis type 2 not to be cured by estrogen. However, estrogen and calcitonin have no effect on increase in mass of bone which is already lost and only prevent further decrease in bone density. Therefore, they are improper for the effective treatment of osteoporosis.
Recently, parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been noticed as a good agent for the treatment of osteoporosis since PTH has an effect of increasing bone density as well as an effect of preventing reduction in bone density and its side effects have not been reported. Preproparathyroid hormone (preproPTH) which consists of 115 amino acids and is produced in main cells of parathyroid gland is processed and transformed into proPTH consisting of 92 amino acids while traveling through endoplasmic reticulum. Then, proPTH is further processed and transformed into mature PTH consisting of 84 amino acids while traveling through Golgi apparatus. PTH synthesized by the said processes is secreted into blood and transported to target organs, i.e., bone and kidney. Secreted PTH has a half-life of only 18 minutes.
PTH activates Ca2+ pump in bone cell membrane to promote CaHPO4 mobilization from bone which results in increase in blood Ca2+ level within several minutes. Moreover, when PTH is secreted continuously, it activates osteoclasts already existed, stimulates formation of new osteoclasts, and inhibits activities of osteoblasts temporarily, which results in inhibition of Ca2+ deposition into bone and stimulation of Ca2+ release to increase secretion of Ca2+ and PO43xe2x88x92 into blood. On the other hand, secretion of PTH is regulated by blood Ca2+ concentration through strong feedback mechanism. That is, 10% reduction-of blood Ca2+ concentration in a short time doubles secretion of PTH. When blood Ca2+ concentration is low for a long time, even 1% reduction of blood Ca2+ . concentration doubles secretion of PTH.
Unlike such a regulatory function of PTH in a living body, it has been reported that PTH stimulates formation of bone when external PTH is administered in a small dose intermittently (see: Tam, C. S. et al., Endocrinology, 110:506-512(1982)). The use of PTH for the treatment of osteoporosis is based on the said stimulatory function of PTH in formation of bone. Although the mechanism of stimulatory function of PTH in formation of bone has not been clearly understood, hypotheses such as inhibition of PTH secretion by the administered PTH, direct stimulation of osteoblasts and indirect stimulation of formation of bone through growth factor including insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor-xcex2 (TGF-xcex2) have been suggested.
In order to treat osteoporosis by using PTH, administration of PTH for a long time is essentially required. However, processes for mass production of PTH have not been established so far, and practical application of PTH for the treatment of osteoporosis has been in a difficult situation. Thus, the present inventors have studied mass production of PTH from a recombinant microorganism employing genetic engineering technology and made an effort to remove amino-terminal methionine residue during expression of PTH in E. coli since Ser-Val-Ser amino acid sequence at amino-terminus of PTH has been reported to be essential for biological activity of PTH.
Methionine-specific amino peptidase, an enzyme removing translation-initiating methionine at amino-terminus of expressed proteins exists in E. coli which is widely used as a host cell for expression of a recombinant protein. However, when foreign proteins are expressed in large quantities in E. coli, removal of amino-terminal methionine is not achieved occasionally. Such a phenomenon has to be solved to construct an expression system of a protein whose amino acid sequence at amino-terminus affects its own biological activity, e.g., PTH.
In order to solve the said problem, three methods may be used mainly as followings: First, a desired protein is secreted into periplasm of E. coli or cultured medium in an amino-terminus processed form by expressing the desired protein in a fused form with secretion signal sequence at amino-terminus. The said method has an advantage that a mature protein is obtained by intracellular activity, while it has a shortcoming that yield of expression is relatively low. Secondly, after only a desired protein is expressed in E. coli and isolated from E. coli in a methionine-attached form at amino-terminus, it is digested with amino peptidase to obtain a mature protein. The said method has a shortcoming that purification of the protein is complex since separation of amino-terminal methionine-removed proteins from methionine-attached proteins is difficult. Thirdly, after a fusion protein where a desired protein is fused with another protein is expressed in E. coli and isolated, the fused partner is removed from the fusion protein employing an enzyme or a chemical agent to obtain a mature desired protein. The said method has an advantage of high efficiency of expression of a desired protein as well as production of an amino-terminal methionine-free protein.
On the other hand, methods for obtaining a desired protein from a fusion protein are largely classified into cleaving methods employing chemicals and enzymes. Among them, the cleaving methods employing chemicals have an advantage of low cost because of an use of chemicals of low-price. However, they have a shortcoming that an additional step for purifying a desired protein from byproducts is required since use of chemicals gives rise to produce various byproducts as well as a desired protein due to low specificity of chemicals to a cleaved site. On the contrary, the problem of the cleaving methods employing chemicals can be solved by the usage of enzymes due to their high specificity to a cleaved site. However, the cleaving methods employing enzymes have difficulties in practical application on industrial scale since price of enzymes is high.
In this regard, studies on the economical use of enzymes cleaving a fusion protein have been carried out in the art. However, mass production of Factor Xa, thrombin, enterokinase, etc. which are enzymes used for the said purpose is rather limited. Thus, the cleaving methods employing enzymes have not been used widely on an industrial scale regardless of their various advantages. Accordingly, there are strong reasons for exploring a third enzyme which can be produced in large quantities economically to be used efficiently for the cleaving methods employing enzymes. Since mass production of urokinase (two chain urokinase type plasminogen activator), a serine protease used as a thrombus-dissolving agent have been already developed and active urokinase can be prepared in large quantities employing expression system of prokaryote such as E. coli (see: W. E. Holmes et al, Bio/Technology, 3:923-929 (1985)), urokinase can be produced and obtained in large quantities economically compared with other enzymes such as Factor Xa, etc. Naturally, urokinase has been proposed as a potential candidate for the economical cleavage of a fusion protein and isolation of a desired protein.
Under the circumstances, the present inventors have determined amino acid sequence of urokinase-specific cleavage site within a protein, and discovered that cleavage efficiency is high when an amino acid sequence of -X-Gly-Arg (wherein, X represents Pro, Thr, Ile, Phe or Leu), an urokinase-specific cleavage site is present between a desired protein and a fusion partner in a fusion protein. Also, they have discovered that the highest cleavage efficiency cab be obtained in the presence of -Thr-Gly-Arg among the sequences (see: Korean patent laid-open publication No. 97-6495).
The present inventors have made an effort to prepare amino-terminal methionine-free PTH from a recombinant E. coli in large quantities, and discovered that recombinant PTH having an activity of native human PTH can be prepared on a large scale, by a process which comprises the steps of: inserting a human PTH gene which contains a urokinase-specific cleavage site and uses universal codon of E. coli into a L-arabinose inducible vector containing a phosphoribulokinase (xe2x80x9cPRKxe2x80x9d) gene fragment of Rhodobacter sphaeroides or its mutated gene as a fusion partner to construct an expression vector, transforming E. coli with the said expression vector, isolating a fusion protein from the said transformed cell, and cleaving the fusion protein with urokinase.
A primary object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a recombinant expression vector which is prepared by inserting a human PTH gene containing an urokinase-specific cleavage site into a L-arabinose inducible vector containing a PRK gene fragment or its mutated gene.
The other object of the invention is to provide a recombinant microorganism transformed with the said expression vector.
Another object of the invention is to provide a process for preparing human PTH on a large scale by cultivating the said microorganism in a medium containing L-arabinose.

Recombinant expression vector of human parathyroid hormone


As part of an integrated oxidative alkane dehydrogenation and hydrogen generation process, carbon dioxide from Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) off gas stream of Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU), and alkane from any known source are sent to oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) unit for producing high value olefins, such as ethylene, propylene and butenes. Products formed from ODH reactor are separated and the stream comprising of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane are recycled to Shift reactor of HGU unit for enhanced production of hydrogen at PSA.

On purpose light olefin production technologies such as propane dehydrogenation have gained momentum in the recent past due to the increased demand of light olefins that are used as petrochemical feedstock. This trend has further strengthened production of propylene and butene since the conventional technologies such as steam cracking favor production of ethylene. A handful of commercial processes are available for alkane dehydrogenation; however, the oxidative dehydrogenation route is not common.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,942 B2 describes an oxidative dehydrogenation process for converting alkane into alkene using a chromium-based dehydrogenation catalyst which comprises of 12 wt % to 18 wt % chromium in presence of carbon dioxide at a temperature of 400° C. to 700° C. and at a pressure of 0.1-10 atm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,371A describes an oxidative dehydrogenation process of a dehydrogenatable hydrocarbon, using a noble metal catalyst, utilizing steam and an oxygen containing gas in a reaction zone at conditions sufficient to promote both oxidation and dehydrogenation reactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,523 B1 describes the process for the dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon feed, where the hydrocarbon feed is dehydrogenated, and hydrogen formed during reaction is removed by its oxidation with a redox oxide. The dehydrogenation and hydrogen removal steps are performed simultaneously, using a dehydrogenation catalyst combined with a metal phosphate; thereby higher overall conversion and selectivity are achieved for the dehydrogenation process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,476 B1 describes methods for manufacturing olefins such as ethylene and propylene from lower alkanes, that is, methane, ethane and/or propane, by oxidative dehydrogenation at elevated pressure. The olefins are selectively recovered from unconverted lower alkane feed and reaction byproducts by using complexation separation, such as an absorption separation that uses aqueous silver nitrate as the complexation agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,979 describes a process for converting alkane to alkene where the alkane feed is dehydrogenated by a dehydrogenation catalyst in the first reactor, and the effluent from the first reactor, along with oxygen, is then passed into a second reactor containing a metal oxide catalyst where the selective combustion of hydrogen is catalyzed. The dehydrogenation catalyst comprises platinum and the oxidation catalyst contains bismuth, antimony, indium, or molybdenum or their mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,993,798 B2 describes an integrated process consisting of a steam cracker where an oxidative dehydrogenation unit is placed upstream and/or downstream of C2 splitter for enhancing ethylene production.
US20190194092A1 (RU 2702895) describes an integrated process for enhancing the yields of propylene and other light olefins in FCC process by integrating FCC with OPDH process where the feed for OPDH process are propane from FCC C3 splitter and carbon dioxide from FCC flue gas. The product stream from OPDH reactor is routed to Gas-con section of FCC such that higher propylene and ethylene yields are achieved from the integrated process.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,041,271B2 relates to a method in which natural gas is injected into the separated light ends prior to the treatment thereof to produce hydrogen.
WO2018037315A concerns in integrated process of a photocatalytic water splitting process and oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane process to produce hydrogen and ethylene.
US20090312591A1 relates to a process for preparing propene from propane. Here propane and, optionally, steam and an oxygenous gas stream is send to a dehydrogenation zone and from the product gases, propylene is selectively removed from propane by selective adsorption.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,545,610B2 and U.S. Ser. No. 10/357,754B2 relates to integration of oxidative dehydrogenation process with steam cracker for conversion of ethane to ethylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,829B2 relates to an apparatus for oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,519,210B2 relates to a process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene, where ethane and oxygen-containing gas is contacted in the presence of at least one of water and steam and an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst comprising MoaVbNbcYdTeeOn wherein Y═Sb or Ni; a=1.0; b=0.05 to 1.0; c=0.001 to 1.0; d=0.001 to 1.0; e=0.001 to 0.5; and n is determined by the oxidation states of the other elements. The product stream is contacted with an oxygen elimination catalyst in an oxygen elimination reaction zone to combust at least a portion of the oxygen and followed by separation of water, carbon dioxide, unreacted ethane and ethylene.
U.S. Ser. No. 10/058,850B2 relates to the oxidative dehydrogenation of light paraffins using a tellurium-free multi-metallic oxide catalyst. More particularly, it relates to preparation of highly active and selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to produce ethylene at moderate temperatures, <500° C., without the formation of acetic acid and/or other oxygenated hydrocarbons.
The prior art mentioned above suffer from the drawback of requiring a clean stream of oxidative agent to facilitate oxidative dehydrogenation process and carbon dioxide is preferred due to its mild oxidation activity. The major sources for carbon dioxide in refineries are flue gases from furnaces and FCC regenerator that have a concentration of carbon dioxide in the range of 10-30 wt %. However, flue gas stream has oxygen (1-5 wt %) present in it that hinders its use in an ODH process. This calls for a separation step to purify carbon-dioxide from the flue gas streams before utilizing it in an ODH process. The present invention utilizes the PSA off gas stream from Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU) as a carbon dioxide source. The PSA off-gas stream has atypical composition of carbon dioxide in the range of 80 wt %-95 wt % and rest hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and steam. This stream can directly be routed to the ODH process due to higher concentration of carbon dioxide and absence of oxygen, thereby eliminating a separation process.
The ODH process utilizing carbon dioxide, converts alkane to alkene and produces water and carbon monoxide as by products because of the reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide (reverse water gas shift reaction). This reverse water gas shift reaction helps in shifting the equilibrium limited alkane to alkene reaction in the forward direction. However, this reduces the potential of hydrogen production from the dehydrogenation process. The integration of ODH with HGU addresses this issue by converting carbon monoxide formed in ODH process to hydrogen by water gas shift reaction in the Shift Reactor of HGU. Thus, the overall hydrogen production potential from the dehydrogenation process remains intact. This integration has an additional advantage that the hydrogen so generated as a part of dehydrogenation reaction is captured as pure hydrogen in PSA unit of HGU, thereby eliminating the requirement of standalone hydrogen separation system.
The present invention has the following advantages over the prior arts:                1. Production of high valued petrochemical feed stocks such as ethylene and propylene by utilizing existing units in the oil refinery;        2. Utilization of carbon dioxide from existing HGU PSA off gas thereby eliminates requirement of additional carbon dioxide purification system;        3. Potential of producing hydrogen from ODH process which otherwise would have been lost as water;        4. Increased production of hydrogen from HGU by recycling CO from ODH reaction;        5. No separate hydrogen separation system requirement; and        6. No separate CO mitigation/conversion system requirement.

Integrated oxidative alkane dehydrogenation and hydrogen generation process


Aspects of the disclosure relate to enhanced dynamic training response output generation control systems with enhanced dynamic training response output determinations. A computing platform may receive, from the user device and in response to an initial dynamic training interface, a training request input. The computing platform may send, to an NLU engine, the training request input and commands directing the NLU engine to perform natural language understanding and processing on the training request input to determine a natural language result output. Using the natural language result output, the computing platform may determine third party data sources that correspond to the natural language result output, and may request source data from the third party data sources. Using the source data and the natural language result output, the computing platform may generate a dynamic training response output, and may direct the user device to cause display of the dynamic training response output.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to enhanced processing systems for providing a dynamic training response output with improved dynamic training response output determination capabilities. In particular, one or more aspects of the disclosure relate to dynamic training response output generation control platforms that utilize natural language processing and understanding to facilitate dynamic training interactions.
Because many organizations and individuals rely on portals as a method for receiving information related to products and concepts, improving the quality of such portals for their managing organizations is important. In many instances, however, it may be difficult to effectively generate dynamic training response outputs tailored to a user.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Processing system performing dynamic training response output generation control


A surgical incise drape including a flexible film having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a film handle applied at the leading edge of the flexible film. A liner substantially covers the major portion of the flexible film, which is coated with an adhesive. The liner may include a liner handle at the leading edge, and one of the liner handle and film handle are of a size for wrapping about at least a portion of the drape when the drape is in a folded configuration. A tensioning strip may be applied to the liner at a position away from the leading edge of the liner to hold at least a portion of the flexible film lying between the film handle and the tensioning strip in a wrinkle-free state when the liner is being removed from the major portion of the flexible film. Further, the liner may be stiff relative to the flexible film such that the liner and the film handle hold the flexible film in a wrinkle-free state when the liner is being removed from the major portion of the flexible film. Methods for using these surgical incise drapes, tear lines, and connecting or reinforcement strips are also described.

Many of today's surgical procedures involve the use of a surgical incise drape. The incise material is usually a clear polymeric film with an adhesive on one side that is covered with a release liner. Two suppliers of incise materials are Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., and T. J. Smith and Nephew Ltd. Examples of incise material can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,310,509; 4,323,557; 4,452,845; Re. 31,886; and Re. 31,887.
Typically, incise material is used in connection with towels or surgical drapes to maintain the surgical area as clean and sterile as possible to help reduce the risk of infection. Once the surgical area of the patient has been cleaned and treated with an antimicrobial, the surgical site is squared-off by the use of sterile towels and a surgical drape that has a fenestration (i.e., a specifically designed shape and opening formed therein) of a size that is larger than the expected size of the incision. An incise material is then used to cover all or a portion of the patient's skin left exposed by the towels or the fenestration in the surgical drape or main sheet.
One purpose for using the incise material is to help reduce the migration of germs and bacteria into the incision site. This reduction is needed, because despite the cleansing of the skin, the pores still contain additional germs and bacteria, which can migrate to the surface as the skin is moved and worked during the course of the surgical procedure. By covering the skin with incise material, it has been found that a lower incidence of surgical site contamination occurs.
Common practice is to take the sterile incise drape out of a disposable, protective bag (e.g., made from polyethylene), further remove any other protective coverings, and deliver it to the sterile field in an aseptic manner. For example, the protective coverings may be materials such as paper wraps for wrapping around the drape to allow the drape to be inserted into the disposable protective bag without tearing or wrinkling the drape in the packaging process. The use of multiple protective coverings result in added waste in the surgical area.
The surgical incise drape typically comes in sizes as small as 13.times.18 cm (5.times.7 inches) but are usually 40.times.30 cm (16.times.12 inches) up through 90.times.120 cm (36.times.48 inches) and larger. Conventional surgical incise drapes usually consist of an adhesive coated incise material covered by a one-piece coated paper release liner with equal dimensions as the film so that the adhesive is protected.
Typical practice is for two people to stand on opposite sides of the operating table, each within the sterile field with sterile gloved hands. One person grips a handle portion of the drape (a 10 to 15 cm film margin free of adhesive) while the other person takes the paper liner and pulls it way from the underside exposing the adhesive. The drape is then applied to the patient at the surgical site and subsequently smoothed out and pressed onto the patient with a sterile towel. With larger drapes, this might require three or more people.
Current incise drapes are usually large and cumbersome to apply to the patient without wrinkles and without the drape sticking to itself in the process. As described above, drape application usually requires two or three people, creating a drain on operating room personnel and contributing to rising hospital costs. Applying conventional incise drapes can be a frustrating experience, even for those skilled in the art of applying these drapes. The drape is flimsy (so as to be very conformable to the contours of the skin) with an aggressive pressure sensitive adhesive for adhesion to the skin. These two characteristics, when combined with the large size of many incise drapes, frequently results in the application of a wrinkled drape.
For proper functioning of a surgical incise drape, it is important that the incise drape be wrinkle-free after it is applied, especially directly at the incision point in order for the surgeon to be able to make a clean surgical incision. Wrinkles in the drape make it difficult for the surgeon to see through to the skin (translucency and visibility are important). Furthermore, if the incise drape includes wrinkles, the incise drape may not prevent bacteria on the skin from getting into the wound. Maintaining a sterile surface at the point of incision helps prevent surgical wound infections. Further, it is important that the incise drape be easily applied with as few steps as possible, and that waste resulting from use of the incise drape be minimized.


Fluid flowrate measuring apparatus in which magnet coils, positioned symmetrically about a pipe through which fluid flows, are excited to generate magnetic fields during four periods of an excitation cycle which are additive during the first period of excitation, opposing during the second period of excitation, additive during the third period of excitation in an opposite sense to that during the first period, and opposing during the fourth period of excitation in an opposite sense to that during the second period. Electrodes, which sense fluid flow through the magnetic fields, develop signals representative of fluid flow through the pipe during the four excitation periods and these signals are processed to develop a flowrate measurement signal.

The present invention relates to circuitry for measuring the volume flowrate of a fluid in a pipe which has two magnet coils positioned on opposite sides of the pipe and at least one pair of electrodes mounted on the inner surface of the pipe symmetrical to a plane defined by the pipe axis and the common axis of the coils. Also included are an excitation circuit for the coils which produces aiding and opposing magnetic fields and an evaluation circuit connected to the electrodes which produces a measurement signal proportional to the volumetric flowrate.
Circuitry of this type is known from German Patent 2 743 954. The use of opposing magnetic fields serves to recognize the presence of a non-symmetrical flow profile and is used to correct the flow signal. According to the European Patent Application 90 106 783 (not yet published), this method also serves to determine whether the pipe is full or not.
In the known circuits, it is possible that saturation may occur, which produces unstable signals due to electrochemical potential variations between the fluid and the electrodes.


A power distribution system includes controller of a switching power converter to control the switching power converter and determine one or more switching power converter control parameters. In at least one embodiment, the switching power converter utilizes a transformer to transfer energy from a primary-side of the transformer to a secondary-side of the transformer. In at least one embodiment, the switching power converter control parameters includes a secondary-side conduction time delay that represents a time delay between when the primary-side ceases conducting a primary-side current and the secondary-side begins to conduct a secondary-side current. In at least one embodiment, determining and accounting for this secondary-side conduction time delay increases the prediction accuracy of the secondary-side current value and accurate delivery of energy to a load when the controller does not directly sense the secondary-side current provided to the load.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of electronics, and more specifically to a method and system for utilizing secondary-side conduction time parameters of a switching power converter to provide energy to a load.
Description of the Related Art
Many electronic systems utilize switching power converters to efficiently convert power from one source into power useable by a device (referred to herein as a "load"). For example, power companies often provide alternating current (AC) power at specific voltages within a specific frequency range. However, many loads utilize power at a different voltage and/or frequency than the supplied power. For example, some loads, such as light emitting diode (LED) based lamps operate from a direct current (DC). "DC current" is also referred to as "constant current". "Constant" current does not mean that the current cannot change over time. The DC value of the constant current can change to another DC value. Additionally, a constant current may have noise or other minor fluctuations that cause the DC value of the current to fluctuate. "Constant current devices" have a steady state output that depends upon the DC value of the current supplied to the devices.
LEDs are becoming particularly attractive as main stream light sources in part because of energy savings through high efficiency light output, long life, and environmental incentives such as the reduction of mercury. LEDs are semiconductor devices and are best driven by direct current. The brightness of the LED varies in direct proportion to the DC current supplied to the LED. Thus, increasing current supplied to an LED increases the brightness of the LED and decreasing current supplied to the LED dims the LED.
FIG. 1 depicts power distribution system 100 that converts power from voltage source 102 into power usable by load 104. Load 104 is any type of load, such as a load that includes one or more LEDs. A controller 106 controls the power conversion process. Voltage source 102 is any voltage source such as a rectified alternating current (AC) input voltage or a DC voltage source. In at least one embodiment, the voltage source 102 is, for example, a public utility, and the AC voltage VIN is, for example, a 60 Hz/110 V line voltage in the United States of America or a 50 Hz/220 V line voltage in Europe. The switching power converter 110 serves as a power supply that converts the AC voltage VX into a DC link voltage VLINK.
The controller 106 provides a control signal CS1 to control conductivity of the current control switch 112 of flyback-type switching power converter 110 to control the conversion of the input voltage VIN into a secondary voltage VS. When control signal CS1 causes switch 112 to conduct, a primary-side current iPRIMARY flows into a primary coil 114 of transformer 116 to magnetize the primary coil 114. When control signal CS1 opens switch 112, primary coil 114 demagnetizes. The magnetization and demagnetization of the primary coil 114 induces a secondary voltage VS across a secondary coil 118 of transformer 116. Primary voltage VP is N times the secondary voltage VS, i.e. VP=N·VS, and "N" is a ratio of coil turns in the primary coil 114 to the coil turns in the secondary coil 118. The secondary-side current iSECONDARY is a direct function of the secondary voltage VS and the impedance of diode 120, capacitor 122, and load 104. Diode 120 allows the secondary-side current iSECONDARY to flow in one direction. The secondary-side current iSECONDARY charges capacitor 122, and capacitor 122 maintains an approximately DC voltage VLOAD across load 104. Waveforms 123 depict exemplars of control signal CS1, primary-side current iPRIMARY, and secondary-side current iSECONDARY. It is commonly assumed that the secondary-side current iSECONDARY rises virtually instantaneously after the primary-side winding 114 stops conducting the primary-side current iPRIMARY.
Since the control signal CS1 generated by the controller 106 controls the primary-side current iPRIMARY, and the primary-side current iPRIMARY controls the voltage VP across the primary coil 114, the energy transfer from the primary coil 114 to the secondary coil 118 is controlled by the controller 106. Thus, the controller 106 controls the secondary-side current iSECONDARY.
The controller 106 operates the switching power converter 110 in a certain mode, such as quasi-resonant mode. In quasi-resonant mode, the control signal CS1 turns switch 112 ON at a point in time that attempts to minimize the voltage across switch 112, and, thus, minimize current through switch 112. Controller 106 generates the control signal CS1 in accordance with a sensed primary-side current iPRIMARY_SENSE, obtained via signal iLINK_SENSE from link current sense path 126.
To attempt to deliver a known amount of power to the load 104, the controller 106 can determine the amount of power delivered to the load 104 by knowing the values of the secondary-side voltage VS and the secondary-side current iSECONDARY. The controller 106 can derive the secondary-side voltage VS from the primary-side voltage VP in accordance with VP=N·VS, as previously discussed. The controller 106 determines the value of the secondary-side current iSECONDARY by monitoring the value of iSECONDARY_SENSE, which is a scaled version of the secondary-side current iSECONDARY with a scaling factor of M. "M" is a number representing fractional ratio of the secondary-side current iSECONDARY to the secondary-side sense current iSECONDARY_SENSE. Thus, the power PLOAD delivered to the load 104 is PLOAD=VP/N·M·iSECONDARY_SENSE.
However, directly sensing the secondary-side current iSECONDARY generally requires an opto-coupler or some other relatively expensive component to provide connectivity to the secondary-side of transformer 116.

Utilizing secondary-side conduction time parameters of a switching power converter to provide energy to a load


A brake disk for a disk brake includes a brake disk chamber and a friction ring fastened thereto. By way of particularly six to twelve centering and/or fastening extensions directed inward from an inner diameter of the friction ring, the friction ring is placed in the axial direction on the face side on centering attachments of the brake disk chamber, and is fixed on the brake disk chamber by way of fastening devices, particularly screws and/or rivets that extend in the axial direction. The centering attachments of the brake disk chamber are recesses in the brake disk chamber edge or in the brake disk chamber edge and in the brake disk chamber jacket, one centering and/or fastening extension of the friction ring respectively projecting into them.

The invention relates to a brake disc for a motor vehicle having at least a brake disc chamber and a friction ring fastened thereto. The friction ring, by way of particularly six to twelve radially inward directed centering and/or fastening extensions, placed in the axial direction on the face side on centering attachments of the brake disc chamber, and is fixed on the brake disc chamber by way of fastening devices, particularly screws and/or rivets, extending in the axial direction.
Composite brake discs are known which have friction rings made of gray cast iron, connected with a brake disc chamber made of light metal. German Patent document DE 10 2009 017 234 A1 describes a brake disc constructed in such a fashion, where the friction ring and the chamber are joined by separate elements, such as pins, screws, etc. In this case, the brake disc chamber has a base,—the chamber disc—, a surrounding wall,—the chamber jacket—, and an edge—the chamber edge—and is made of an aluminum alloy. The friction ring is fastened to the chamber edge by way of fastening devices, such as screws and/or rivets, extending in the axial direction; specifically by way of centering and/or fastening extensions of the friction ring, which point inward from an inner diameter of the friction ring and are placed in the axial direction on the face side onto centering attachments of the chamber edge and are connected with the fastening devices.
Light metal and gray cast iron expand differently when heated. In addition, the brake disc chamber and the friction ring are heated differently during braking. As a result, depending on the heat input into the friction ring during the braking, tensions occur in the brake disc by way of the connection between the brake disc chamber and the friction ring.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a brake disc, mainly for a motor vehicle, which has a connection between the brake disc chamber and the friction ring, by which connection as few tensions as possible will build up in the brake disc during the braking.
According to the invention, this and other objects are achieved by a brake disc for a disc brake, which comprises of at least a brake disc chamber and a friction ring fastened thereto which, by way of particularly six to twelve centering and/or fastening extensions directed inward from its inner diameter, placed in the axial direction on the face side on centering attachments of the brake disc chamber, is fixed on the brake disc chamber by way of fastening devices, particularly screws and/or rivets, extending in the axial direction. The centering attachments of the brake disc chamber are recesses in the brake disc chamber edge or in the brake disc chamber edge and in the brake disc chamber jacket, one centering and/or fastening extension of the friction ring respectively projecting into them.
If the brake disc and the brake disc chamber are mutually separable parts, the manufacturing of each part will be simple and cost-effective. Furthermore, the brake discs can be exchanged without the necessity of demounting the entire wheel assembly, and weight is also saved. It is advantageous for the brake disc chamber to center the brake disc in the radial and axial direction. When the friction ring is guided by way of its centering and/or fastening extensions in grooves of the brake disc chamber and is not connected directly with the latter by way of fastening devices, this has the advantage that, when heated, the friction ring and the brake disc chamber can expand relative to one another to a certain extent, without the occurrence of significant material tensions because of a different expansion.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the brake disc is characterized in that, by way of the fastening devices, a fastening ring is mounted at the brake disc chamber edge. The fastening ring covers the recesses in the brake disc chamber edge and thereby fixes the centering and/or fastening extensions of the friction ring at least in the axial direction at the brake disc chamber.
As a result, the brake disc chamber and the friction ring are advantageously fixed to one another such that heat expansion movements, as a result of different materials, can still take place without causing excessive material tensions because of the fastening by way of balancing features of the fastening device. For this purpose, it is also advantageous for the centering and/or fastening extensions of the friction ring to form a clearance fit in the circumferential direction with the recesses in the brake disc chamber. This also facilitates the joining of the brake disc chamber and the friction during the mounting of the brake disc. When the recesses in the brake disc chamber in the axial direction are then less deep, particularly by 0.1 to 0.8 mm, than the depth of the centering and/or fastening extensions in the axial direction, the fastening ring will become wavy during the connection with the brake disc chamber as a result of the depth difference of its supporting surfaces. On the one hand, this causes the connection of the brake disc chamber and the friction ring to be free of play in the axial direction and, on the other hand, causes it to be flexible because of the elasticities of the material.
An embodiment of the invention is particularly simple for the mounting of the brake disc, in which the brake disc centering device and/or the brake disc fastening device is constructed on the brake disc chamber jacket profiles, situated on the exterior side in the axial direction, on one side, and the chamber disc is constructed on the other side; i.e. viewed from the friction ring, the brake disc chamber extends essentially in one direction. In this case, the brake disc chamber jacket may extend as a cylinder jacket parallel to the center axis of the brake disc chamber parallel to the center axis of the brake disc chamber or may be constructed in a beveled fashion as a conical jacket.
When then the one-piece internally cooled friction ring of the brake disc consists of two friction discs with cooling-air ducts, which connect the latter and are situated in-between, and when the centering and/or fastening extensions are situated on only one friction disc, particularly on that friction disc which faces the brake disc chamber, this has the advantage that the cooling of the friction ring is less affected by the brake disc chamber.
Furthermore, the brake disc chamber jacket can be reinforced at least by a chamber disc extending in the radial direction, which is situated at the end of the brake disc chamber jacket further away from the friction ring. In this case, the brake disc chamber jacket and/or the chamber disc will then consist of a light metal alloy and can both advantageously be cast together in one operation. In comparison to the gray cast iron material, the weight can thereby be reduced enormously.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


Processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called communication station includes detecting signalling information for the call, including determining whether standard caller identification for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station and detecting a privacy level selected by a called party at the called communication station. The call is routed in response to the signalling information and the privacy level. This permits management of privacy levels at the called communication station using the signalling information for the call/

The present invention relates generally to telecommunications services and more particularly to caller identification. More particularly, the present invention relates to automatic management of incoming calls at a called telephone.
Telecommunications service providers typically offer services that attempt to provide customers with information that enables them to determine whether or not to accept a call before answering the call. One service that provides such information is caller identification (xe2x80x9cCaller IDxe2x80x9d). Standard Caller ID services generally provide a customer with an indication of who is calling without requiring the customer to answer the call. These systems typically retrieve information about the calling party from a database and provide that information to the called party. Customer premise equipment (CPE) in the form of a display device is generally used to provide the called party with a visual readout of the name and/or telephone number associated with the calling party.
However, the effectiveness of Caller ID systems can be reduced due to a number of different occurrences. One common occurrence that decreases the effectiveness of Caller ID systems is the inability of a service provider to provide the standard Caller ID information for a particular incoming call. A service provider may not be able to provide the standard Caller ID information if the Caller ID information is blocked by the calling party, or if the Caller ID information is unavailable or incomplete, or if the calling party has caused his Caller ID information to be marked private. When the standard Caller ID information cannot be provided, the called party is not adequately informed about who is calling and cannot determine whether or not to accept the incoming call before answering the call. Because the effectiveness of Caller ID systems is greatly reduced when information cannot be provided, an improved system and method for providing caller identification information that overcomes these deficiencies are needed.
One known system determines if standard Caller ID information associated with a calling party can be provided to the called party. Such a system is described in copending application Ser. No. 09/122,484, filed Jul. 24, 1998, commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference. If the standard Caller ID cannot be provided, the system transmits a request for audible caller identification information to the calling party. The provided audible caller identification information is then provided to the called party to decide to answer the call.
Some subscribers prefer additional flexibility in managing incoming calls. Such subscribers prefer to vary the levels of privacy according to their daily schedule or circumstances. One system allows the subscriber to establish a schedule of times when incoming calls are blocked. Also, the system allows establishment of tiers of access in which calls on some tiers are blocked while others are permitted. This system provides some additional flexibility for the subscriber but requires substantial time and effort to set up the access tiers and to assign calling numbers to the tiers. A less cumbersome system and method for managing incoming calls are required.

Method and system for providing enhanced caller identification and privacy management


A high pressure transducer has an H shaped cross-section with a center arm of the H having a top and bottom surface with the top surface of the H accommodating four strain gauges. Two strain gauges are located at the center of the top portion of the center arm of the H and are positive strain gauges, while two strain gauges are located near the periphery of the center arm of the gauge. The bottom surface of the center arm of the gauge has an active area of a smaller diameter than the circular diameter of the center arm portion of the transducer. The smaller active area is surrounded by a thicker stepped area which surrounds an active area on the pressure side of the H shaped member. The surrounding stepped area enables one to position the two negative strain gauges on the opposite surface of the center arm and near the periphery to thereby cause the negative gauges to respond to a negative stresses and therefore to enable one to provide a full Wheatstone bridge which includes the two positive strain gauges located at the center of the center arm of the H and the two negative peripheral gauges.

The prior art is filled with numerous examples of pressure transducers. Diaphragm based pressure transducers convert applied pressure into stresses in the plane of the diaphragm. These stresses can be conveniently measured and converted into electrical signals by the use of piezoresistive sensors or other strain gauge devices which are mounted on or which are part of the diaphragm. A common arrangement is that of a clamped edge diaphragm wherein the outer portion of the diaphragm is fixed and a central region deflects under applied pressure. In conventional terminology the central region which constitutes a diaphragm region is referred as the active region. In a conventional clamped diaphragm, the stress on the surface of the diaphragm varies from a maximum tensile stress at the clamped edges to a maximum compressive stress in the center of the diaphragm. Such diaphragms can be made of metal to which sensors are cemented or in other cases from a semiconductor material such as silicon on which the sensors are either embedded or affixed.
The operation of such diaphragms as well as the stresses that incur in such diaphragms have been widely explained. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,678, entitled "High Pressure Piezoresistive Transducer", issued Mar. 25, 1997 to A. D. Kurtz et al. an inventor herein and assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., the assignee herein. Many prior art pressure transducers utilize metal diaphragms where the sensors are cemented or otherwise secured to the metal diaphragms. Such devices are capable of operating at extremely high pressures. For example, such pressures can be between 15,000 and 30,000 psi or higher. Other devices in the prior art show high pressure transducers which incorporate metal diaphragms whereby the transducer is an oil filled pressure transducer. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,993, entitled "Oil Filled Pressure Transducer" issued on Sep. 27, 1983, to A. D. Kurtz and assigned to the assignee herein.
Thus, as one can ascertain from the prior art there are employed high pressure transducers which utilize metal diaphragms. There transducers are capable of operating at extremely high pressures, but such pressures of operation are below about 60,000 psi. Pressure measurements at or above about 60,000 psi provide a problem in regard to operation. At such high pressures when employing a metal diaphragm, the diaphragm thickness increases considerably. In fact, the diaphragm becomes so thick that it can only respond to positive stresses and therefore only positive strain gauges can be employed. With only positive stresses, only a half-bridge design can be utilized. A half-bridge consists of two piezoresistors whereby fixed resistors can also be employed to complete a full Wheatstone bridge. In any event, a half-bridge has significant losses in output and accuracy. The prior art, when operating at such high pressure required the use of only a half bridge design, thus resulting in lower accuracy and lower output.
The prior art also used transducers and diaphragm constructions which basically had an H shape cross-sectional configuration. Such a configuration has certain advantages in regard to handling as well as mounting of the device. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,315, entitled "Semiconductor Transducer Having H Shape Cross-sectional Configuration" by A. D. Kurtz et al. and assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., the assignee herein, and issued on Jun. 12, 1973.

High pressure transducer having an H shaped cross-section


The present invention provides a fluorinated alcohol for manufacturing an optical recording medium that is superior in the characteristics and weatherability, and an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer formed by using the fluorinated alcohol.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluorinated alcohol which, upon manufacturing an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer, is used for forming the organic dye layer, and also concerns an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer formed by using the fluorinated alcohol.
2. Description of the Related Art
That an organic dye such as a cyanine type, phthalocyanine type or azo type is used for recording layers of writable so-called recordable type optical recording media as represented by CD-R and DVD-R has been known.
In general, the formation of such an organic dye recording layer is carried out as follows: To an organic solvent containing, alone or in combination, such as cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, butyl acetate or fluorinated alcohol, a dye as aforementioned is added and dissolved to prepare a dye solution, and this dye solution is applied onto a substrate by a spin coating method.
In recent years, fluorinated alcohol has come to be used for a dye-applying solvent, and many patent applications have been filed concerning this technique. For example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-96333/1995 discloses the use of fluorinated alcohol. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-8585/1992 discloses the use of fluorinated alcohol having a purity of not less than 99% by weight. Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-137448/1995 discloses the use of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-pronanol having a pH of not less than 6.0.
Here, an optical recording medium needs to have superior weatherability by taking into consideration various working environments. Thus, it is a prerequisite for a solvent for dissolving an organic dye not to give adverse effects to the weatherability of the optical recording medium.
The inventors of the present invention have studied extensively about the weatherability required for the optical recording medium, and have found that, among optical recording media manufactured by using fluorinated alcohol as an organic dye applying solvent, some of them are inferior in the characteristics and weatherability, as compared with the other media.
In general, fluorinated alcohol has been known as aliphatic alcohol containing fluorine atoms, and represented by a general formula: Axe2x80x94CH2OH (where A represents CF3 or H(CF2-CF2)n, and n is a positive integer), and among these, those having a molecular weight in the range of 132 to 332 (n=1 to 3) and a boiling point in the range of 109 to 170xc2x0 C. have been well known.
As a result of further researches, it has been found that those optical recording media that are inferior in the weatherability have further degradation in the characteristics and weatherability, when the fluorinated alcohol to be used contains a high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol with a boiling point of not less than 120xc2x0 C. in an amount of not less than a certain amount, when the high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol has a molecular weight in the range of 150 to 500, and when the high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol is fluorinated alcohol represented by a general formula: Axe2x80x94CH2OH, where A represents H(CF2xe2x80x94CF2)n and n is in the range of 2 to 4. Here, even in the case when the fluorinated alcohol to be used contains such a high-boiling-point fluoric alcohol, if the content thereof is 0.001% by weight or less, the resulting optical recording medium are superior in the characteristics and weatherability.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol for manufacturing an optical recording medium that is superior in the characteristics and weatherability. Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide an optical recording medium that is superior in the characteristics and weatherability and that has an organic dye layer formed by using the ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol.
The present invention is a fluorinated alcohol for manufacturing an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer and a reflecting layer in this order on a light-transmittable substrate, wherein a content of a high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol with a boiling point of not less than 120xc2x0 C. is 0.001% by weight or less.
The molecular weight of the high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol is, for example, 150 to 500. Moreover, the high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol is mainly represented by, for example, general formula (1):
H(CF2xe2x80x94CF2)nxe2x80x94CH2OHxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
(where n is an integer of 2 to 4).
The present invention is an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer and a reflecting layer in this order on a light-transmittable substrate, wherein said organic dye layer is formed by using a solvent containing a fluorinated alcohol in which a content of a high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol with a boiling point of not less than 120xc2x0 C. is 0.001% by weight or less.
In accordance with the present invention, an ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol in which the content of a high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol with a boiling point of not less than 120xc2x0 C. is 0.001% by weight or less is used as a manufacturing solvent of an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optical recording medium that is superior in the electric characteristics and reliability.
The structure of the optical recording medium of the present invention is fundamentally the same as those of current Recordable type optical recording media. In the structure, an organic dye recording layer which serves to record and reproduce using laser light is formed on a light-transmittable substrate formed with a pregroove, a reflecting layer increasing light-reflectance is formed on the organic dye recording layer and further a protective layer which protects the organic dye recording layer and the reflecting layer is formed on the reflecting layer.
An optical recording medium obtained by using the optical recording medium having such a layer structure as at least one party and by laminating it to the other through an adhesive layer is also included in the present invention. Alternatively, an optical recording medium in which the adhesive layer doubles as a protective layer on the reflective layer is also included in the present invention. Further, in order to arise the scuff resistance of the light-transmittable substrate, an organic protective layer may be formed on the opposite surface of the substrate with respect to the organic dye layer.
As materials of the light-transmittable substrate, for example, a polymer material typified by a polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, polystyrene resin, epoxy resin, polyester resin, vinyl chloride resin or polyolefin resin or an inorganic material such as glass may be used. A pregroove of stamper is transferred by primarily injection molding in the case of using a resin material and by primarily a 2P method in the case of using glass, thereby preparing the substrate.
Then, the organic dye layer including an organic dye as its major component is formed on the substrate.
The organic dye layer may be any one of those which can read a variation, in shape or optical properties, which is made due to a physical and/or chemical change caused by the absorption of recording laser light, by using reproducing laser light. For the formation of a locally denatured portion, for instance, a phthalocyanine dye, cyanine dye or azo dye which has an absorption area in the wavelength range of a semiconductor laser is used very often. These dyes may be used either singly or in combinations of two or more, to which a singlet oxygen quencher, a UV-ray absorber or the like may be added as required. It is also preferable to use an ionic bonding material of a dye cation and an anion of singlet oxygen quencher as the organic dye.
In the present invention, a coating solution is prepared by dissolving an organic dye in an organic solvent and the coating solution is applied onto the substrate by a spin coating method to form the organic dye layer. It is desirable to control the concentration of an organic dye component in the coating solution and the thickness of the organic dye layer to be formed so that sufficient reflectance can be obtained after the reflecting layer is formed.
With respect to the organic solvent used for the preparation of the coating solution, 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol (TFP) may be used alone as an ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol, or a solvent other than the fluorinated alcohol may be mixed therewith, if necessary. Here, upon selection of the other solvent to be mixed, it is necessary to select such a solvent that not only dissolves the organic dye, but also gives no adverse effects on the light-transmittable substrate to be used. With respect to the other solvent, examples thereof include: cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, butyl acetate, etc. In the case when a solvent other than the fluorinated alcohol is added, the amount thereof is preferably approximately less than 10% by weight with respect to the amount of the fluorinated alcohol.
The main feature of the present invention is that fluorinated alcohol is further distilled up to a purity level where the content of a high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol having a boiling point of not less than 120xc2x0 C. and a molecular weight of 150 to 500, and represented by the above-mentioned general formula (1) where n is an integer from 2 to 4, is 0.001% by weight or less, and resulting ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol is used. The content may be any content as long as it is not more than 0.001% by weight, and may be 0% by weight. Fluorinated alcohol tends to include those having high molecular weights (n=2, 3, 4) due to its inherent manufacturing process. Such an ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol has not been used in the manufacturing process of an optical recording medium.
As indicated by the relationship between the value of n in the general formula (1) and the molecular weight or the boiling point shown in Table 1, as the value n increases, the boiling point also rises in order; therefore, it is possible to increase the purity through distillation.
The organic dye layer is formed by a spin coating method in the same manner as the conventional process. That is, a dye and, if necessary, singlet oxygen quencher and a binder are dissolved in ultra high-purity fluorinated alcohol to prepare an coating solution, and this solution is applied on a substrate by a spin coating method, and then the coat layer is dried, if necessary. Here, another application method, such as a screen printing method and a dipping method, may be used. The thickness of the organic dye layer is generally in the range of 10 to 500 nm at groove portions, and more preferably, 50 to 300 nm.
A reflecting layer having a thickness of about 10 to 500 nm, made of metal, is directly formed on the organic dye layer. This reflecting layer is formed by using elements, such as Au, Ag, Al, Cu, Cr, Ni, Si and Ge, alone or with another element being contained, through a formation method such as a sputtering method and a vacuum vapor deposition method.
A protective layer with a thickness of, for example, 1 to 50 xcexcm is formed on the reflecting layer. Layers which can protect the organic dye recording layer and the reflecting layer suffice for the protective layer, and there is no particular limitation to the structural material of the protective layer. As the material of the protective layer, a UV-ray curable type acrylic resin is usually used from, for example, the reason that the protective layer can be formed with ease. The material of the protective layer may also be an organic material such as a vinyl chloride resin, epoxy resin or polyester resin or an inorganic material such as SiO2 or AlN. These materials may be either singly or as a mixture. The protective layer may comprise multiple layers in which different materials are laminated.
On the protective layer, a label printing layer may be further formed.
Moreover, when such an optical recording medium is laminated with an adhesive layer being provided on the side opposite to a plane of incidence of light, the adhesive layer may double as the protective layer.
Preferably the protective layer is formed by a spin coating method in order to avoid damages to the reflecting layer. However, the protective layer may be formed by a screen printing method, dipping method or spray coating method etc.
In the present invention, upon formation of the organic dye layer, ultra high-purity fluorinated alcohol is used so that the resulting optical recording medium has superior characteristics and weatherability.

Fluorinated alcohol for manufacturing optical recording medium and optical recording medium using the same

Abstract: A fluorinated alcohol for manufacturing an optical recording medium having an organic dye layer and a reflecting layer in this order on a light-transmittable substrate, wherein a content of a high-boiling-point fluorinated alcohol with a boiling point of not less than 120xc2x0 C. is 0.001% by weight or less. An optical recording medium is provided with an organic dye layer formed by using the ultra-high purity fluorinated alcohol.


An image processing device includes: a first feature amount extraction unit configured to extract a first feature amount from an image; a position detection unit configured to detect observation positions from the image based on a position detection dictionary, and the first feature amount extracted from the image; a second feature amount extraction unit configured to extract a second feature amount from the observation position; an observation-order determining unit configured to determine the order of observing the observation positions based on an order generation dictionary, and respective second feature amounts of the observation positions; and an image generation unit configured to generate observation images for displaying the observation positions in the observation order based on the image, the detected observation positions and the determined observation order.

There are cases where a doctor or the like observes pathological images obtained by using a microscope and so on to make a pathological diagnosis, and techniques useful in making a diagnosis by using pathological images have been proposed.
As one of techniques, there is proposed a technique of generating a screening (moving observation) moving image, a zooming moving image and a focusing moving image using microscopic images taken by the microscope in accordance with, for example, an operation input by a user (for example, see JP-A-2006-228185 (Patent Document 1)). In the technique, the moving image can be generated in accordance with histories of operation inputs in the past and the operation input at present.
Additionally, there is also provided a technique of generating images for teaching materials of pathological diagnostics by imaging observed regions of a sample with resolution necessary for observation, associating the images obtained by the imaging with each other and recording them based on an observation log by an advising doctor (for example, see JP-A-2005-266718 (Patent Document 2)).

Image processing device, image processing method and program


A driving force distribution control apparatus includes: a driving force transmission device including a clutch which can change distribution of a driving force to front wheels and rear wheels of a four-wheel drive vehicle; and a controller which controls an engagement force of the clutch in accordance with a traveling state. The controller includes a different-diameter tire detector which detects an attachment of a different-diameter tire to one of the front wheels and the rear wheels when a rotation speed ratio between the front wheels and the rear wheels continues to be equal to or larger than a reference rotation speed ratio for a predetermined time. The different-diameter tire detector performs detection of the attachment of the different-diameter tire when it is determined that the wheels are unlikely to slip based on an outside condition.

1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a driving force distribution control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In the background art, there is known a driving force distribution control apparatus provided with a clutch which can change distribution of a driving force to front wheels and rear wheels, and a controller which controls an engagement force of the clutch in accordance with a traveling state (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In the driving force distribution control apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, pre-torque T1 corresponding to a quantity of accelerator operation performed by a driver and ΔN torque T2 corresponding to a differential rotation frequency between the front wheels and the rear wheels are calculated, and a driving force is transmitted to the rear wheels (driven wheel side) through the clutch based on command torque T which is a summation of the pre-torque T1 and the ΔN torque T2.
The driving force distribution control apparatus also includes a different-diameter tire attachment determination unit which determines whether a different-diameter tire has been attached or not based on a difference in wheel speed between the front wheels and the rear wheels in a steady traveling state. When it is determined that a different-diameter tire has been attached, the clutch is controlled to prevent a driving force corresponding to the pre-torque T1 from being transmitted to the rear wheels. Thus, suppressed is a bad influence which may occur due to the clutch engaged in the state where the different-diameter tire has been attached.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-90703

Driving force distribution control apparatus


An amide derivative represented by the following Formula (1) is provided as an amide derivative showing a significantly excellent effect for a pest control action. In the following Formula (1), A represents a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, or the like, and K represents a non-metal atomic group necessary for forming a cyclic linking group derived from benzene or a heterocyclic. X represents a halogen atom or the like; n represents an integer of from 0 to 4. R1 and R2 represent hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups, or the like. T represents —C(=G1)-Q1 or —C(=G1)-G2Q2, and G1 to G3 each represent oxygen atoms or the like. Q1 and Q2 each represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or the like. Y1 and Y5 each represent a halogen atom or the like, Y2 and Y4 each represent a hydrogen atom or the like, and Y3 represents a C2-C5 haloalkyl group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pest control agent, an amide derivative contained in the pest control agent, and a method for using the amide derivative.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various amide derivatives are described in the pamphlets of International Publication WO 2005/21488, International Publication WO 2005/73165, International Publication WO 2006/137376, and International Publication WO 2006/137395.

Amide derivative, pest control agent containing the amide derivative, and use of the amide derivative


Data is transmitted over a wireless channel. Convolutionally encoded data is received and the data is repetition encoding where a repetition rate associated with the repetition encoding is set to one of a plurality of possible rates. In some embodiments, data is repeated in the frequency domain. In some embodiments, data is repeated in the time domain.

The IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g standards, which are hereby incorporated by reference, specify wireless communications systems in bands at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The combination of the 802.11a and 802.11g standards, written as the 802.11a/g standard, will be referred to repeatedly herein for the purpose of example. It should be noted that the techniques described are also applicable to the 802.11b standard where appropriate. It would be useful if alternate systems could be developed for communication over an extended range or in noisy environments. Such communication is collectively referred to herein as extended range communication. The IEEE 802.11a/g standard specifies a robust data encoding scheme that includes error correction. However, for extended range communication, a more robust data transmission scheme at reduced data rates is required.


An optical disk exhibiting no detrimental thickness increase (edge wedge effect) that arises at the outer diameter of an optical disk substrate during an injection molding manufacturing process, and an apparatus and method for making such a disk. The optical disk of the present invention is designed for use with an optical disk player, especially where the data on the optical disk is stored air incident. This optical disk includes a disk substrate made from a molded polymeric material. The disk substrate has a first major surface, a second major surface, and an outer edge. The first major surface of the optical disk includes a data region having an intermediate portion and an outer portion. The outer portion extends to the outer edge of the optical disk. The disk substrate has a thickness defined by the distance between the first major surface and the second major surface. The optical disk also includes an information layer covering the data region. In the present invention, the thickness of the intermediate portion of the data region is substantially equal to the thickness of the outer portion of the data region such that the outer portion of the data region is capable of being used by the optical disk player.

Data storage disks are produced using a disk replication process. A master disk is made having a desired surface relief pattern formed therein. The surface relief pattern is typically created using an exposure step (e.g., by laser recording) and a subsequent development step. The master is used to make a stamper, which in turn is used to stamp out replicas in the form of replica disk substrates as part of a disk molding process. As such, the surface relief pattern, information and precision of a single master can be transferred into many inexpensive replica disk substrates.
Conventional mold assemblies typically include a fixed side and a moving side. The stamper is typically attached to either or both sides of the mold assembly for replicating a desired surface relief pattern (i.e., lands, grooves and/or pits) into the replica disk substrate. A movable gate cut may be provided for cutting a central opening in the replica disk substrates. The stamper may be secured to the moving side using an inner holder and outer holder, wherein the inner holder and outer holder fit over the stamper. Several more tooling parts may be located at the center of the mold assembly to assist in ejection of the component.
During the disk molding process, a resin, typically optical grade polycarbonate, is forced in through a sprue channel into a substrate cavity within the mold assembly to form the replica disk substrate. The surface relief pattern or formatted surface is replicated in the replica disk substrate by the stamper as the cavity is filled. After filling, the gate cut is brought forward to cut a center hole in the replica disk substrate. After the replica disk has sufficiently cooled, the mold assembly is opened and the gate cut and a product eject may be brought forward for ejecting the formatted replica disk substrate off of the stamper. The inner holder and outer holder may be removable to allow changeout of the stamper.
In injection—compression molding, while the resin is forced into the substrate cavity of the mold assembly by the molding press, injection pressure overcomes clamp force causing mold to open a small amount (commonly termed "mold blow"). Pressure is then increased to the mold assembly to clamp the mold shut, forcing the resin into the microscopic surface relief pattern of the stamper (which contains the reverse image of the desired replica disk surface relief pattern). Thus, the above process is commonly termed "injection compression" or "micro-coining".
For disk formats utilized in flying head applications, as disk capacity increases the design tolerances for the desired surface relief pattern become more critical. For high capacity disks the flying heads may be required to pass closer to the disk substrate, requiring tighter disk specifications, including a reduction or elimination of disk surface geometry imperfections.
One such disk surface geometry imperfection is the thickness increase that has been consistently seen at the outer edge of a typical polymeric optical disk substrate. This phenomenon has been given the name "edge wedge" or "ski jump" effect. This "edge wedge" is shown schematically in prior art FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. "Edge wedge" causes problems in a hard disk-type system where a read/write head is designed to fly as close as possible (i.e., on the order of 1–5 micro-inches) to the surface of the media substrate. For example, one typical polycarbonate disk substrate has an average thickness of about 2 mm (as shown at T1), and a radius of 65 mm. The "edge wedge" effect is primarily seen at the outer radius region of the polycarbonate disk between 62 mm and 65 mm, where the maximum substrate thickness (i.e., bump height) T2 at radius 65 mm is approximately 10–20 microns thicker than the substrate thickness at radius 63 mm. When the bump height differential (T2−T1) divided by the average thickness (T1) exceeds 0.01 (1 percent), read/write flyability problems are often encountered.
The "edge wedge" phenomenon can be attributed to many factors. During cooling of the disk substrate in the mold, the plastic "freezes" at different rates in different radii of the part. The outer edge of the disk substrate freezes through the thickness faster due to its contact with the cold outer holder. Other factors include the tendency of the disk substrate material molecules to be in substantial radial alignment near the center of the disk substrate, and relatively misaligned near the outer edge due to the mold filling process. All of these factors result in the outer edge of the disk substrate exhibiting a greater thickness than the remainder of the disk substrate.
The "edge wedge" phenomenon can be further described as follows. When the optical disk substrate is molded in the micro-coining process described earlier, the densification that is associated with the cooling plastic is accommodated through a corresponding reduction in the mold cavity size (as opposed to reduction in mold cavity pressure as in conventional injection molding). During the filling phase, the mold halves are forced slightly apart by the fluid pressure applied from the injection unit. As the plastic in the mold cools, it shrinks, and the mold halves translate into closer proximity as the press maintains a constant clamp force or pressure on the solidifying melt. The part will freeze through the thickness at slightly different rates at different radii. Regions that are frozen fully through early will do so while the mold is blown to a greater extent or whilst the cavity z-dimension is larger in the earlier phases of the micro-coining molding process. These fully frozen regions will then strain due to clamp force in an elastic fashion (meaning that the solid material will spring back upon release of applied force). Regions that remain liquid at the center will strain in a viscous fashion (this is non-recoverable strain) and will continue to shrink in size or density as they more slowly solidify and eventually take on a thickness of a smaller cavity dimension from later in the coining/cooling process. Therefore, after the clamping force is removed, the early-freezing regions (outer circumference areas) will spring back to a larger thickness than those areas that froze completely through later in the process (the inner disk area).
For a traditional optical disk, where information is stored "substrate incident" the "edge wedge" effect does not present a major problem. In substrate incident applications, a transparent protective layer covers the information layer of the disk. An optical disk player including a laser light source positioned away from the disk surface, focuses a laser beam through the protective layer at the information layer to access (i.e., read) the data stored on the disk. However, for "flying head" applications where information is stored on a disk surface (i.e., where information is stored "air incident"), a read/write head is flying 1–2 micro-inches above the substrate surface. The "edge wedge" phenomena is associated with a loss of flyability of the read/write head where the outer edge of the head comes into contact with the rising surface of the media substrate, resulting in a "head crash" if the head were allowed to fly over the outer portion of the disk. The outer edge of the disk is unusable for data storage, since the curvature of the surface becomes too great to provide a functional air bearing between the head and the surface of the disk. This limits the capacity, functionality and robustness of the disk data storage system.
Unfortunately, the outer circumference of the disk substrate where the "edge wedge" effect occurs is also the most desirable area for data storage. This outer circumference provides a large area for data storage since the data tracks are larger. Therefore, the need exists to eliminate the "edge wedge" to prevent disk crashes and to increase the useable area of the disk.

Optical disk mold tooling for reduced edge wedge


A Francis pump-turbine includes a runner provided with runner blades arranged around in a circumferential direction of a main shaft of the runner, each of the runner blades being supported by a band at a bottom side thereof in a blade height direction and supported by a crown at a head side in the blade height direction, in which the runner blade is formed, at a trailing edge thereof, with a curved portion expanding to the main shaft when the turbine is in operation, the curved portion has a maximum point with respect to a straight line connecting a crown-side trailing edge connecting end at which the trailing edge and the crown are connected and a band-side trailing edge connecting end at which the trailing edge and the band are connected, and an angle α formed by a straight line connecting the maximum point and the crown-side trailing edge connecting end and a straight line connecting the maximum point and the band-side trailing edge connecting end is set to be within a range of α≦150°.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Francis pump-turbines and, in particular, to a Francis pump-turbine capable of being operated at high-efficiency when the turbine is in a partial load operation.
2. Related Art
General Francis pump-turbines can freely select either a generating mode or a pump mode by switching the rotation of a motor generator from normal rotation to reverse rotation or vice versa.
FIG. 11 illustrates a general structure of a Francis pump-turbine, and as shown in FIG. 11, when the turbine generator is in operation, the Francis pump-turbine with this structure guides driving (operating) water, which is supplied from a high-level reservoir and a hydraulic pipe, both are not shown, to a spiral casing 1, to a runner 4 through a stay vane 2 and a guide vane 3 to rotate the runner 4, and supplies the power (running torque) generated at that time to a motor generator, not shown, via a main shaft (rotation shaft) 5.
While the pump is in operation, the Francis pump-turbine rotates the runner 4 in a direction reverse to that at the turbine generation by a driving force of the motor generator to guide the driving water from a draft tube 6 communicating with a lower reservoir to a runner chamber 7, where the driving water is given with energy from the runner 4 and pumped to the upper reservoir through the guide vane 3, the stay vane 2, and the casing 1.
The guide vane 3 opens or closes the vane according to fluctuations in electric power demand to control the flow rate of the driving water supplied from the casing 1 during the turbine generation.
The runner 4 has runner blades 8 mounted around the circumferential direction of the main shaft 5 at regular intervals, in which both ends in a height direction of the runner blade 8 is supported by a crown 9 and a band 10 to provide a flow channel between the runner blades 8.
FIG. 12 is a meridian view of the runner 4, extracted from part "A" of FIG. 11, where the meridian view is a developed view including the main shaft 5.
The trailing edge 11 of the runner blade 8, having both ends supported by the crown 9 and the band 10, has generally been constructed such that the radial position of the crown-side end 12 is set at about 50 percent of the radial position of the band-side end 13 from the main shaft 5 of the trailing edge 11.
In other words, the curved portion connecting the crown-side end 12 defined by the trailing edge 11 of the runner blade 8 and the crown 9 and the band-side end 13 defined by the trailing edge 11 and the band 10 bulges or expands out smoothly to the main shaft 5, wherein the relationship between a distance Rc from the main shaft 5 to the crown-side end 12 and a distance Rb from the main shaft 5 to the band-side end 13 has substantially been set to Rc=0.5 Rb.
As shown in FIG. 13, the runner 4 viewed from the outlet of the runner blade 8 (adjacent to the draft tube 6) has a structure in which the crown-side end 12 and the band-side end 13 of the trailing edge 11 of the runner blade 8 are connected with a straight line.
The crown-side ends 12 and the band-side ends 13 of all the trailing edges 11 have the same circumferential angle in the polar coordinates indicated by a radial distance from the main shaft 5 and a circumferential angle.
The runner 4 having the runner blades 8 of such a shape decreases significantly in runner efficiency if the flow rate goes out of a design point. For example, when the flow rate of the water falls below a design point, the driving water is affected by a centrifugal force to drift toward the band 10. When the flow rate of the water exceeds a design point, the water drifts toward the crown 9, causing a loss due to so-called secondary flow.
In order to reduce the loss due to the secondary flow to improve the partial load efficiency of the turbine, it has been proposed that the curved portion connecting the crown-side end 12 and the band-side end 13 of the trailing edge 11 of the runner blade 8 is changed from the position indicated by the broken line in a conventional structure to the position adjacent to the main shaft 5, indicated by the solid line, with which the flow line ST1 indicated by the broken line is shifted to the flow line ST2 indicated by the solid line to make the flow uniform. This method, however, has induced backflow to the runner blades 8 during the operation of the pump, extremely decreasing pump operation efficiency.
This leads to a need for tradeoff in designing hydraulic machinery in which not only the partial load efficiency of the turbine but also pump operation efficiency are improved.
A technique for improving the runner efficiency when the pump is in operation is disclosed in JP-A-2000-136766 (Patent Document 1), in which the leading edge of the runner blade is in form of a curve recessed in the rotating direction during the operation of the pump.
The Patent Document 1 discloses a pump-turbine runner having blades whose portions of leading edges (that is, trailing edges when the turbine is in operation) are in the form of curves recessed in the rotating direction during the operation of the pump. However, it provides no solution to the drift of the driving water when the turbine is in operation.
On the other hand, the technique proposed in FIG. 14 does not solve the problem of backflow induced when the pump is in operation even if the position of the trailing edge 11 indicated by the broken line in the conventional structure is shifted downstream to the position indicated by the solid line to make the flow line ST2 uniform, thereby improving the partial load efficiency of the turbine. Therefore, the tradeoff is needed as well as in the Patent Document 1.


The invention relates to a device (2), in a plant for coating pistons, for holding a piston (1) of an internal combustion engine, comprising an aligning piece (7), which is arranged on a surface (3) of the device (2) in the direction of the axis (17) of the piston (1) in an elastically flexible manner and which comprises two opposing surfaces resting on the inner surface of the gudgeon pin boss (18) of the piston (1) conically tapering in the direction of the piston crown. A simple construction of the piston holder which permits a fault-free and even coating of the piston which can be rapidly and simply fixed to the piston is achieved.

The invention relates to a device for holding a piston in a system for coating pistons, according to the preamble of claim 1.
A system for coating pistons is known from the U.S. patent having the U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,873, in which the pistons are held by an immersion piston attached to the axle of rotation of an electric motor, the piston-shaped end and the sleeve-shaped end of which immersion piston are held at a distance from one another by a pressure spring, and are introduced into a pin bore of the piston, in each instance. The electric motor sets the pistons into rotation, so that the pistons, each disposed in a separate tub for accommodating the coating material, in each instance, are coated. It is a disadvantage in this connection that the known piston holder has a very complicated structure, and that great effort is required to attach the piston to the holder.

Device for holding a piston in a system for coating pistons