The invention provides a continuous layer of polymer that is shaped to act as the suspension, the former, and an attachment to the diaphragm. The coil may be located within the pocket providing insulation to the coil thus preventing electrical short circuiting of the voice coil as the voice coil expands or contracts based on its operating temperature. The invention also provides an inner flange area of a suspension that may act as a spring generating additional acoustic energy from the compression driver. The inner flange area may also be tuned to vibrate at a predetermined high frequency. Thus, in certain applications, where more acoustic energy is desired at high frequency, the inner flange area may be tuned to provide that extra acoustic energy. To further increase the high frequency energy generated by the compression driver, the diaphragm may be coupled to the bottom side of the inner flange area. Such an arrangement places the diaphragm closer to the phasing plug to minimize the space or cavity between the two. With a smaller cavity, the resonance in the cavity increases, so that the compression driver generates more energy at high frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a loudspeaker coil suspension and dome system that acts to protect the coil from electrical shorting.
2. Related Art
A loudspeaker is a device for converting variations of electric energy into corresponding variations of acoustic energy. To convert the electrical energy into sound, a combination of a diaphragm and a compression driver is coupled to the throat of a horn. The compression driver typically includes a phasing plug made of ferromagnetic material having a plurality of bores between the rear side and the front side of the phasing plug.
Generally, the coil is wrapped around the exterior side of a cylindrically shaped former. The combination of the former and coil are then disposed within an annular magnetic gap enabling free vibration in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the former. The vibration causes a corresponding vibration of the diaphragm generating sound. The suspension needs to flexible in order to accommodate the excursion of the cone or diaphragm. At the same time, the suspension needs to keep the cone or diaphragm from tipping or becoming "de-centered."
To suspend the diaphragm adjacent to the rear side of the compression driver, the outer perimeter of the diaphragm is coupled to a suspension, which in turn is attached to a mounting plate. With the configurations that have been used in the past, the outer surface of the voice coil is substantially exposed and not insulated.
To generate sound, a static magnetic field, usually produced by a permanent magnet, is applied so that an alternating signal current flowing through the voice coil causes it to vibrate along its cylindrical axis. This in turn causes the diaphragm to vibrate along the axis of the plurality of bores and generate sound waves corresponding to the signal current. The sound waves are directed through the bores toward the front side, which then radiates the sound waves into the air through the horn.
Despite best manufacturing efforts, speakers may fail due to excessive mechanical and thermal stresses. For example, suspensions can fail due to environmental factors such as exposure to heat, UV rays or humidity. Adhesives attaching the suspension to the diaphragm can also fail if applied improperly or if excess mechanical stress is applied to the jointing area. Likewise, adhesives attaching the former to the diaphragm can fail. This happens because applying adhesive between the suspension and the diaphragm, and between the former and the diaphragm, can be a delicate process and possibly misapplied. Another way the loudspeaker might fail is due to over heating of the voice coil. If the voice coil experiences excessive heat expansion, it may come into contact with the sidewalls of the magnetic gap. If this condition occurs and the voice coil is not insulated, the resulting contact between the voice coil and the sidewalls can cause an electrical short circuit and terminal failure will occur.
Another shortcoming of current compression driver devices is that additional acoustic energy may not be provided in high frequency applications. In high frequency applications, additional acoustic energy is desired from the compression driver, but with current designs such additional acoustic energy may not be provided. Therefore, there is a need for a compression driver that can generate additional acoustic energy at high frequency application, a coil and suspension assembly system whose manufacturing process is simplified and a system for protecting the voice coil from experiencing electrical short circuits.


A hybrid arched overfilled structure includes a combination of pre-cast side elements and at least one cast-in-place crown sector element. The side elements are pre-cast generally in a horizontal orientation and subsequently lifted into place. The crown sector element is cast in place between the side elements. In one form of the invention, each of the three sections makes up about one-third of the overall arch span.

Frequently, overfilled bridges formed of precast or cast-in-place concrete are used to support one pathway over a second pathway, which can be a waterway, a traffic route or the like. The terms "overfilled arch" or "overfilled bridge" will be understood from the teaching of the present disclosure, but in general, an overfilled bridge or an overfilled arch is a bridge formed of arch elements that rest on the ground or on a foundation and has soil or the like resting thereon and thereabout to support and stabilize the bridge. The arch form is generally cylindrical in circumferential shape, and in particular a prolate shape; however, other shapes can be used. An example of an overfilled bridge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,482,406 and 4,458,457, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Presently, reinforced concrete overfilled arches are usually constructed by one of two methods. The first method includes completing the entire arch structure in place, with formwork used to create the arch profile. This method generally requires formwork on both the inside and the outside of the arch profile as the sides of the arch are generally too steep to be cast without the support provided by formwork. Formwork on the outside of the arch may generally be omitted at the apex of the arch where the gradient of the arch shell is less than about 20° to 30° from horizontal. The provision of such outside form work is both costly and time consuming and may reduce the finished quality of the formed concrete. Furthermore if outside formwork is used, there are restrictions on the thickness of the vault, such as to ensure good quality concrete the arch vault cannot be less than roughly one foot thick.
A second common method of constructing reinforced concrete overfilled arches is to pre-cast the complete arch or arch halves in sections (elements) and to subsequently place the pre-cast elements onto prepared footings. An example of this type of construction method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,406. This construction method requires construction of re-usable molds and the transport and lifting of the finished arch profiles into their permanent locations. The aforementioned re-usable mounds are a significant initial investment. This renders this method of construction uneconomical if the molds cannot be re-used to supply elements for the construction of many arch bridges. Investment in such molds is therefore made by pre-casting manufacturers and the arch elements are produced in their factories and transported to the bridge construction site. Problems associated with the transport of such arches and the requirement of a construction crane large enough to lift complete arch elements are disadvantages of this method.
Furthermore, transporting large pre-cast structures may involve complex and expensive transportation problems. Roadways, permits, escorts and clearance requirements must be accounted for, as well as traffic problems and schedules. Still further, in some constructions, very large cranes are required which further exacerbates all of the above-mentioned problems.
Therefore, there is a need for an economical and efficient overfilled bridge and method of constructing an overfilled bridge.
Pre-cast structures are not as versatile as possible, especially if unusual terrain or specifications are present. In particular, precast structures are limited in the forms of curtailment which can be applied at the ends of the bridge. Therefore, there is a need for an overfilled bridge and method of constructing an overfilled bridge that is versatile and amendable to design variations.


To permit individual identification of each of the tubes (10) of a steam generator, the tubes are marked with the aid of a binary bar code (12a) formed from circular impressions (24) and the absence of impressions. The impressions, formed without material removal, make it possible to read the bar code with the aid of an eddy current probe. The impressions (24) can be made on the exterior of the tubes (10) during their manufacture, or on the interior of the tubes after they have been fixed to the tube plate (16).

The steam generators equipping nuclear power stations have several thousand inverted U-tubes arranged in the form of groups or bundles and whose two ends traverse a thick plate, called a tube plate, in which each of the tubes is welded and then expanded. This tube plate ensures the heat exchange between the water, known as the primary water, flowing in the primary circuit of the reactor and water flowing in the secondary circuit, known as the secondary water. The temperature of the primary water within each of the tubes consequently decreases significantly between their intake end and their outlet end. For this reason, the term "hot branch" and "cold branch" is commonly used for the upward and downward branches of the tubes, respectively extending the intake and outlet ends for the primary water.
The inverted U-shaped tubes of the tube bundle of a steam generator are housed within a vertically axial, cylindrical envelope, in which the tube plate is fixed. As a result most of the tubes have geometrical characteristics which differ from one another. In view of the fact that the location of manufacture of the tubes is generally different from that of the steam generator assembly, the individual identification of the tubes must take place before they are moved to the assembly point. At present, this identification takes place by placing on each of the tubes an adhesive label, on which is written a code guaranteeing its installation at the appropriate location on the steam generator tube plate. As soon as this location has been identified, the label is removed and the tube is put into place in the steam generator and welded to the tube plate.
This procedure for the identification of the tubes is only partly satisfactory. Thus, the adhesive labels can be lost during tube handling operations and they require a not insignificant, subsequent control time, with all the associated error risks. Moreover, the present individual tube identification procedure in no case makes it possible to identify the tubes in cartesian coordinates on the tube plate, in order to carry out on the tubes machining, checking or maintenance operations, after they have been fixed to the tube plate.
In particular, it is not at present possible to individually identify the tubes of a generator in cartesian coordinates, in order to carry out automatically machining in the factory or sealing on site of certain of these tubes, following an inspection carried out using an eddy current probe. There is consequently an appreciable time loss, and on the actual site the inspection personnel is exposed to the highly irradiating medium of the primary circuit for a much longer time than is strictly necessary for sealing certain of the tubes.
Moreover, the individual identification of the tubes from the start of their manufacture would make it possible to control the latter under particularly advantageous conditions, which is not possible when the tubes are identified with the aid of labels which can only be placed on the tubes when their manufacture is completed.

Process for individual identification of the tubes of a heat exchanger


A gas friction pump with rotor and stator, a motor for driving the rotor, and a circuit serving as a power supply to the motor, the circuit having electronic components for representing the current drawn by the motor.

The invention relates to a gas friction pump circuit with a gas friction pump with rotor and stator, with a motor for driving the rotor, and with a circuit serving as a power supply for the motor.
The gas friction pumps include molecular and turbomolecular pumps, whose operation is described in detail in the textbook by Wutz/Adam/Walcher, "Theorie und Praxis der Vacuumtechnik," pages 202 ff. They have rotating and stationary components, which are so configured and spaced apart that the pulses transferred by the components to the gas molecules between them have a preferred direction. Gas friction pumps are high-vacuum pumps that have no tolerable back pressure, and therefore backing pumps must be connected to their discharge.
To determine whether a specific pressure has been reached in a vessel connected to a vacuum pump, it is known to use vacuum gauges. Vacuum gauges of this kind are relatively expensive. They are complicated to use, especially when all that is to be determined is whether or not a specific pressure limit has been reached. This is the case, for example, in the evacuation of hollow glass bodies for cathode ray tubes, which are sealed by fusion after a certain pressure is reached.
The present invention is addressed to the problem of creating a gas friction pump circuit of the kind described above, which in a simple manner will make it possible to know that a pressure limit has been reached by the pump.
This problem is solved in accordance with the invention by providing the circuit serving to supply power to the motor with electronic components by which the current drain of the motor can be recorded.
In the present invention use is made of the known fact that the current consumed by the motor of the gas friction pump is dependent on the pressure produced by the pump, and that this pressure is an indication of the pressure reached in the connected hollow body. In the study of this relationship I obtained the knowledge that there is a pressure range in which the friction power produced by the gas friction diminishes relatively rapidly with the reduction of pressure, while the friction power caused by the bearing friction varies but little. In this pressure range the gas friction becomes negligible, so that below the stated pressure range only the bearing friction remains to be overcome. I have found that these circumstances, in friction pumps of the same type, i.e., with a specific pump output, differ but little, so that it is possible to know, on the basis of the power drain, whether or not a specific pressure has been reached. It is therefore possible within the relatively great dependency of dI/dp, to establish a threshold which permits a repeatable pressure-related "go/no go" decision, where I represents current (in mA) and p represents pressure (in mbar). The means that are necessary for the establishment of such a switching threshold are substantially simpler than a complete vacuum gauge.
A desirable further development consists in indicating the current drain by a display. Such a display supplies relatively rough but reliable information on the pressure conditions that have been reached.


A gasifier internal refractory coating has at least one region of a sintered material containing at least 45% by weight of chromium oxide (Cr2O3) and at least 1% by weight of zirconium oxide, at least 20% by weight of the zirconium oxide (ZrO2) being stabilized in the cubic and/or quadratic form.

1. Field of the invention
The invention concerns a gasifier reactor internal coating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known in the art in particular a gasifier used to gasify coal. The coal gasification process, that has been known in the art for around fifty years, is currently experiencing strong growth because it can be used, starting from highly diverse hydrocarbon materials, for example coal, petroleum coke, and even heavy oils to be recycled, to produce synthesis gases serving as an energy source and as basic compounds for the chemical industry. This process also eliminates unwanted components, for example NOx, sulfur or mercury, before discharge into the atmosphere.
The principle of gasification consists in controlled partial combustion, under pressure and in a steam or oxygen atmosphere, at a temperature from approximately 1000° C. to approximately 1600° C.
There exist different types of reactor, known as "gasifiers", with fixed, fluidized or driven beds. These reactors differ in the mode of introduction of the reactants, the manner in which the fuel and the oxidizer are mixed, the temperature and pressure conditions, and the method of evacuating liquid residual slag or ash resulting from the reaction.
The article "Refractories for Gasification" published in the journal "Refractories Applications and News", Volume 8, Number 4, July-August 2003, written by Wade Taber of the Energy Systems department of the Saint-Gobain Industrial Ceramics Division, describes the structure of a gasifier internal coating. The gasifier is coated with various layers of refractory products capable of withstanding the conditions of temperature, pressure and chemical environment to which they are subjected during gasification. The layers of refractory products thus protect the metal interior wall of the gasifier from heat and from corrosion by gases and slag.
The refractory product at the hot face is more particularly subjected to erosion and chemical attack by ash or slag, which leads to the infiltration of compounds from the liquefied ash or slag into the pores of the refractory product. As a result of erosion and thermal cycling, this infiltration can cause spalling of the coating, and finally to shutting down of the reactor.
To increase the service life of refractory coatings, researchers have attempted to increase their thickness. However, this solution has the drawback of reducing the usable volume of the gasifier and therefore its yield.
James P. Bennett, in the article "Refractory liner used in slagging gasifiers" published in the journal "Refractories Applications and News", Vol 9, Number 5, September/October 2004, pages 20-25, explains that the service life of current gasifier refractory coatings, in particular in air-cooled systems, is very limited despite their high content of chromium oxide. He mentions in particular the report by S. J. Clayton, G. J. Stiegel and J. G. Wimer "Gasification Technologies, Gasification Markets and Technologies—Present and future, an Industry Perspective", US DOE report DOE/FE 0447, July 2002.
There is therefore a requirement for a refractory coating adapted to resist the corrosion encountered in gasifiers more effectively and more durably than prior art products.
The object of the invention is to satisfy this requirement.

Saint-Gobain centre de Recherches et d'Etudes Europeen


This invention is directed to didemnin derivatives, including N-acyl congeners of didemnin A (DA); several DDB-type analogues of DA in which either pyruvic acid has been replaced (with phenylpyruvic acid or alphaketobutyric acid) or proline at position 8 has been replaced [with L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZT), L-pipecolic acid (Pip), 1-amino-1-carboxylic cyclopentane (acc.sup.5), D-Pro or sarcosine (sar); and other cyclic depsipeptides related to the didemnins, which were isolated from a relatively polar extract of the tunicate T. solidum; namely the didemnins--X [(R)-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-(Gln).sub.3 -Lac-Pro didemnin A]; Y [(R)-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-(Gln).sub.4 -Lac-Pro didemnin A]; M (pGlu-Gln-Lac-Pro-didemnin A); N ([Tyr.sup.5 ] didemnin B); nordidemnin N ([Tyr.sup.5 ] nordidemnin B); and epididemnin A ([2S,4R-Hip.sup.2 ] didemnin A).

The didemnins (A, B, C, D, E, X and Y) are members of a novel class of cyclic depsipeptides isolated from the Caribbean tunicate Trididemnum solidum (family Didemnidae). See, Rinehart, K.L., et al., J. Nat. Prod., 1988, 51, 1.
These peptides exhibit a wide variety of biological activities both in vivo and in vitro including antiviral, antitumor, antiproliferative and immunosuppressive activities.

Pharmaceutical compositions containing didemnins

The Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois


An electronic flasher system in which a first hazard switch is mounted on a combination switch body of a steering column together with a semiconductor switch and a flasher circuit, and a second hazard switch is mounted in a location where a person sitting on a seat other than a driver's seat can operate it. In one embodiment, an electric current detection resistor having a bimetal structure serving also as a sound source is connected to the semiconductor switch for flashing the direction indication lamps. The electric current detection resistor is welded to terminals on a module composed of the semiconductor switch and the flasher circuit, which module is mounted on the combination switch body. A protrusion is formed on the module to produce a striking sound by colliding with the electric current detection resistor. In another embodiment, the sound source is connected with the flasher circuit, and a blowing sound generated from the sound source is different in the turn signal flashing mode than in the hazard flashing mode, the blowing sound preferably being generated only in the turn signal flashing mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic flasher systems and, in particular, to an improved electronic flasher system wherein semiconductor switches are intermittently operated in response to operations of a turn signal switch and a hazard switch whereby a direction indication lamp can be selectively operated in a turn signal flashing mode and a hazard flashing mode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional electronic flasher systems are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. SHO 64-90831 and HEI 2-164629. These conventional flasher systems include a semiconductor switch connected with a lamp, a flasher circuit for supplying an intermittent signal to the semiconductor switch, and a switch connected with the flasher circuit. These conventional flasher systems are adapted such that the semiconductor switch is intermittently actuated in response to the operation of the switch to flash the lamp. In such an electronic flasher system, no operation sound is produced from a semiconductor switch itself so that, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. SHO 55-87630, it is necessary to utilize a speaker of a car stereo or provide a buzzer exclusively for use with the electronic flasher system in order to generate an actuation sound tied to an operation state of the flasher system for checking flashing operation.
In these conventional electronic flasher systems, when the hazard switch is mounted on a combination switch body of a steering column together with the semiconductor switch and the flasher circuit, a driver can easily operate the hazard switch. However, it is difficult for a person on the passenger's seat and the like to reach the hazard switch. Accordingly, when a person on a seat other than the driver's seat tries to operate the hazard switch instead of the driver during an emergency, for example, the person cannot operate the hazard switch because he or she cannot reach the hazard switch.
In older mechanical flasher systems using relays and valve springs, an actuation sound of a switch is naturally produced, thereby making it easy to check flash operation. However, in an electronic flasher system of the type disclosed in the above mentioned references, no operation sound is produced from the semiconductor switch itself so that, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. SHO 55-87630, it is necessary to utilize a speaker of a car stereo or provide a buzzer for use exclusively with the electronic flasher system in order to produce an actuation sound tied to an actuation state of the flasher system.
In conventional mechanical flasher systems and electronic flasher systems, there is no difference between the flasher flashing mode and the hazard flashing mode, and an operation sound is generated the same with either flashing mode. Accordingly, in the hazard flashing mode, which is frequently used upon parking, for example, the operation sound acts as noise.


There is provided a control system for a plant and an internal combustion engine, which is capable of enhancing controllability and control accuracy in controlling a plurality of control amounts while eliminating a mutual interaction existing between a plurality of control inputs and the control amounts. The control system 1 for the plant 90 in which a mutual interaction exists between TH_cmd and Liftin_cmd as control inputs and PB and Gcyl as control amounts calculates the two control inputs TH_cmd and Liftin_cmd as two non-interacting inputs for causing PB and Gcyl to follow target values PB_cmd and Gcyl_cmd, respectively, the two control inputs TH_cmd and Liftin_cmd eliminating the mutual interaction, with a predetermined algorithm in which a predetermined response-specifying control algorithm (equations (2) to (8)) and a predetermined non-interacting control algorithm (equation (9)) are combined based on a plant model (equation (20)) formed by modeling the plant 90 into a discrete-time system model.

Conventionally, a control system for controlling a polishing robot is known which is described in Patent Literature 1. This control system controls the polishing robot with a sliding mode non-interacting control algorithm in which a sliding mode control algorithm and a non-interacting control algorithm are combined, in the following manner:
First, a polishing system including the polishing robot is regarded as a plant to which driving forces fmx and fmy of the polishing robot in the X direction and the Y direction are inputted as two control inputs, and in which respective positions Px and Py of a work in the X direction and the Y direction are used as two control amounts, and in which a mutual interaction exists between the two control inputs fmx and fmy and the two control amounts Px and Py. Then, as plant models, there are used a continuous-time system model indicative of the relationship between the control input fmx and the control amount Px, and a continuous-time system model indicative of the relationship between the control input fmy and the control amount Py.
The control inputs fmx and fmy are determined with the sliding mode control algorithm such that the control amounts Px and Py are caused to converge to two target values, respectively, and are at the same time determined with the non-interacting control algorithm such that the mutual interaction existing between the two control inputs fmx and fmy and the two control amounts Px and Py is eliminated. More specifically, the control inputs fmx and fmy are determined with the sliding mode non-interacting control algorithm such that the control amounts Px and Py are caused to converge to the two target values, respectively, while eliminating the mutual interaction existing between the two control inputs fmx and fmy and the two control amounts Px and Py, whereby the polishing robot is controlled.
In the above conventional control system, since the continuous-time system models are used as the plant models, it is difficult to directly identify model parameters of the plant models directly from experimental data of the plant. For this reason, it is necessary, as a specific identification method, to approximately transform the continuous-time system models to discrete-time system models and identify the model parameters based on the discrete-time system models. Such approximate transform degrades the accuracy of identification of the model parameters. Furthermore, it is required to approximately transform the discrete-time system models to the continuous-time system models again, which increases modeling errors in the plant models. Consequently, to ensure a large margin of the stability of the control, it is necessary to reduce the controller gains, resulting in further degraded controllability and control accuracy.
Furthermore, when the continuous-time system models are employed, differential values of the control amounts are used as variables constituting switching functions, and when the control period is short, such differential values fail to indicate the rates of change in the control amounts, and are placed in a state close to noise components. As a result, the robustness as the advantageous feature of the sliding mode control is lost, which further degrades the controllability and the control accuracy.
Further, conventionally, a control system for an internal combustion engine is known which is described in Patent Literature 2. This control system controls an intake air amount, and is comprised of an air flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of air flowing through an intake passage of the engine, a crank angle sensor for detecting rotation of a crankshaft, an accelerator pedal opening sensor for detecting opening of an accelerator pedal (hereinafter referred to as "the accelerator pedal opening"), and a controller to which are inputted detection signals from these sensors. The controller calculates an engine speed based on the detection signal from the crank angle sensor, and the intake air amount based on the detection signal from the air flow sensor. Further, the engine is provided with a throttle valve mechanism and a variable valve lift mechanism as mechanisms for changing the intake air amount. The throttle valve mechanism changes the opening of a throttle valve disposed in the intake passage (hereinafter referred to as "the throttle valve opening"), as desired, to thereby change the intake air amount. Further, the variable valve lift mechanism changes the lift of intake valves (hereinafter referred to as "the valve lift") as desired, to thereby change the intake air amount.
In the control system, the controller controls the intake air amount in the following manner: First, it is determined based on the engine speed, the accelerator pedal opening, and the intake air amount, in what operating load region the engine is. Then, when it is determined that the engine is in a low-load region, the valve lift is controlled to a predetermined low lift by the variable valve lift mechanism, and the throttle valve opening is controlled to a value corresponding to the engine speed and the accelerator pedal opening, by the throttle valve mechanism. On the other hand, when it is determined that the engine is in medium-load and high-load regions, that is, when the engine is in a normal operating load region, the throttle valve is held in a fully-open state, and the valve lift is controlled to a value corresponding to the engine speed and the accelerator pedal opening.
Generally, in the engine, during operation thereof, intake pipe pressure very negatively pressurized is sometimes demanded by a master vac and an evaporative fuel processing system. In such a case, to ensure the negative pressure, it is necessary to control the throttle valve opening to a considerably small value (value on a closed side). For example, in the master vac, negative pressure stored therein is used as a power source of an assisting force for making up for a braking force, and therefore when the amount of the stored negative pressure becomes small, that is, when pressure rises, to avoid a state where the assisting force cannot be properly ensured, it is required to control the throttle valve opening to a considerably small value so as to introduce intake pipe pressure made very negative from the intake pipe.
Further, in the evaporative fuel processing system, evaporative fuel temporarily stored in a canister is released from the canister and introduced into the intake pipe by the negative pressure in the intake pipe, so that e.g. when a large amount of evaporative fuel has been generated, to change the intake pipe pressure to a very negative value, it is required to control the throttle valve opening to a considerably small value.
In the conventional control system, however, when the engine is in the normal operating load region, the intake air amount is controlled by changing the valve lift in a state where the throttle valve is held in the fully-open state. Therefore, in the above state of control of the intake air amount, if the throttle valve opening is controlled to a considerably small value so as to change the intake pipe pressure to a very negative value, the intake air amount varies due to the influence of the control of the throttle valve opening, which makes it impossible to properly control the intake air amount to the target value. Inversely, if the intake air amount is controlled, the intake pipe pressure varies due to the influence of the control of the intake air amount, which makes it impossible to properly control the intake pipe pressure to the target value.
More specifically, the above control system is configured as an interacting system in which a mutual interaction exists between the throttle valve opening and the valve lift as control inputs, and the intake pipe pressure and the intake air amount as control amounts. If the valve lift is changed, both the intake air amount and the intake pressure vary due to the influence of the change in the valve lift, and if the throttle valve opening is changed, both the intake pipe pressure and the intake air amount vary due to the influence of the change in the throttle valve.
The present invention has been made to provide a solution to the above-described problems, and a first object thereof is to provide a control system for a plant, which is capable of enhancing controllability and control accuracy when controlling a plurality of control amounts while eliminating a mutual interaction existing between a plurality of control inputs and the control amounts.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of enhancing controllability and control accuracy when a mutual interaction exists between a plurality of control inputs and a plurality of control amounts of the engine.
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H10-301602
[Patent Literature 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-254100

Control system for plant and internal combustion engine


A correction method and a system thereof automatically perform a measurement and an analysis for a photomask critical dimension (CD), to satisfy a desired CD uniformity and a desired mean-to-target (MTT) data. A correction for a portion where a CD error has occurred may be performed.

Photomask processes are used in manufacturing microelectronic devices. The photomask includes a mask pattern defining a variety of elements. The size of the mask pattern may decrease as the integration density of microelectronic devices continues to increase. Since a high quality photomask may be difficult to obtain in the case of the development of a device of less than about 100 nm, and a manufacturing cost of the photomask may increase, may be desirable to obtain the high quality photomask to reduce the photomask manufacturing cost and/or a turn around time (TAT).
As the size of the mask pattern gets so small as to reach a resolution limit of the exposure tool, it may be difficult to transfer on the electronic device substrate a pattern of the same shape and critical dimension (CD) that correspond to the mask pattern formed on the photomask due to an optical proximity effect.
Generally, since a correction process such as an optical proximity effect correction (OPC) may have a small correction range, the process may not effectively deal with a process effect of a wide range and may not deal with a process variation. It may also be difficult to estimate and correct an influence due to a pattern density or a pattern dependence when manufacturing the photomask for the development of devices of less than about 100 nm.
Also, as illustrated in FIG. 1, as a design rule of the microelectronic device reduces, a mask pattern may not be uniformly transferred according to the CD of an initially designed pattern 8 but may vary as shown at 9, depending on the position when a mask pattern 5 of a photomask 3 is transferred on a wafer 7 by illumination from an exposure light source 1 (e.g., KrF excimer laser or ArF excimer laser). In other words, deterioration in a shot uniformity on a wafer may occur.
Efforts have been made to attempt to improve the shot uniformity on a wafer. Generally, there is provided a method of correcting a CD deviation, including: manufacturing a photomask; performing an exposure on a wafer; measuring a CD to obtain a CD deviation; and etching a backside of the photomask on which light is incident. However, the above method of attempting to improve the shot uniformity on a wafer by controlling transmittance of the backside of the photomask may not solve the problem that a light intensity (or exposure dose) may vary for each position due to various optical phenomena while the light incident on the backside of the photomask passes through the photomask. Since a wide area of the backside of the photomask should be etched so that a predetermined CD deviation correction effect can be obtained, a global shot uniformity improvement for a repeated cell pattern of a DRAM may be possible but it may be difficult to improve a local shot uniformity for a core/peripheral circuit region for which the OPC is performed. To improve the local shot uniformity, an appropriate treatment of a front surface of the photomask and an automated local CD measurement may be needed.
Also, although a wide range of CD measurement data for the entire region of the photomask may be needed to obtain exact correction data, the number of measurement points may be limited practically. Also, selected measurement points may not be representative for the entire region of the photomask. Particularly, a method of automatically measuring the CD may be needed in order to obtain exact information for the local CD of the core/periphery regions having a variety of pattern sizes and pitches, but it may be difficult to grasp the CD distribution and the tendency for the entire region of the photomask by mere measurement of the partial region of the photomask using OPC.
Aerial imaging is widely used for inspection of photomasks. As is understood by those having skill in the art, the aerial image of a mask defines the light intensity distribution at the wafer plane as produced by an exposure light source and projection optics. An inspection technology based on aerial imaging can, thus, alert an operator to defects that actually print, and allow an operator to ignore those that may be present on the mask but have no impact on the final result. Aerial imaging for photomask inspection are described, for example, in the publications to Hemar et al., entitled "The View from Above", SPIE's oemagazine, February 2004, pp. 22-25; Stegeman, entitled "10 Years of Aerial Image Measurement Systems—AIMSTM™", Future Fab International, Vol. 16, and Budd et al., entitled "Development and application of a new tool for lithographic mask evaluation, the stepper equivalent Aerial Image Measurement System, AIMS", IBM J. Res. Develop., Vol. 41, No. 1/2, January/March 1997. pp. 119-128.

Methods, systems and computer program products for correcting photomask using aerial images and boundary regions


A landscape edging form assembly for forming a concrete edging in place, includes first and second sidewalls and a series of flexible connectors extending between and interconnecting the sidewalls. The flexible connectors are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the length of the landscape edging form and enable the landscape edging form to be extended from a non-erected width where the flexible connectors are in a slack condition to an erected width where the flexible connectors are in a taut condition. Preferably, the sidewalls and the interconnecting flexible connectors of the landscape edging form assembly are a prefabricated component of the assembly. Another form assembly includes bendable sidewalls, spacers, and positioning brackets and is used to form a sinuous concrete landscape edging in place.

The subject invention relates to concrete landscape edging and in particular to an easy to use, inexpensive, landscape edging form assembly and method of utilizing the landscape edging form assembly to construct concrete landscape edging in place. While the landscape edging form assembly of the subject invention is particularly well suited for use in making concrete landscape edging such as but not limited to concrete edging bordering a garden or lawn, surrounding a tree, plants, or shrubbery, or adjacent a walkway, a driveway, it should be understood that the landscape edging form assembly of the subject invention may also be used to make other concrete edgings associated with landscaping such as but not limited to the edging for a patio or deck, the edging surrounding a swimming pool deck, sandbox or play area, retaining walls, and other applications where an elongated concrete structure having a transverse cross section up to about two feet wide is desired. As used herein, the term "landscape edging form assembly" includes an edging form assembly used for any of the applications set forth in this paragraph.
The landscape edging form assembly of the subject invention can be made of inexpensive disposable or reusable materials and can be erected into straight, angled, curved, sinuous, circular, and oval configurations at the job site. Preferably, the components of the landscape edging form assembly of the subject invention can be easily packaged in a very flat and compact configuration for storage, shipment, and handling and can be quickly and easily unpacked and erected at the job site. While the easy to use and inexpensive landscape edging form assembly and method of the subject invention are particularly well suited for use by the home handy-man, small size contractors, and other entities typically operating on a limited budget and/or with unskilled labor, large contractors can also benefit from the use of the landscape edging form assembly and method of the subject invention.
Concrete landscape edging is desirable because it is durable, can come in different colors, and gives a more substantial break between different landscaping materials than other commonly used landscape edging such as plain or corrugated steel edging strips, plain or corrugated plastic edging strips, composite edging strips, pre-cast concrete blocks, and most wood edging strips. Concrete landscape edging is typically 3″ to 6″ wide, 3″ to 6″ high, and typically has a transverse cross-sectional shape that is rectangular or "L" shaped.
There are currently three general ways to form concrete landscape edging in place: 1) build concrete forms using existing building materials such as 2×4 and 2×6 dimensional lumber; 2) use a concrete edging extrusion machine such as that produced by Tygar Inc. of Canton, Ga. to extrude continuous concrete edging; and 3) assemble reusable forming systems, typically made out of steel and typically used on large commercial jobs. While a concrete edging extrusion machine can be used to form a continuous concrete edging, with the expense, expertise, and labor required in connection with the use of a concrete edging extrusion machine, such a machine is not a practical option for a home handy-man, a small contractor, or even a large contractor when the edging job to be performed is a relatively small job, such as the concrete landscape edging requirements for a home owner. Reusable forming systems, such as those made of steel and commonly used for large commercial applications, are also too expensive and cumbersome to transport, handle, and set up for a home handy-man, a small contractor or even a large contractor when the edging job to be performed is a relatively small job, such as the concrete landscape edging requirements for a home owner.
Of the three general ways to form concrete landscape edging in place listed above, the building of landscape edging forms from existing materials appears to be the best option in the prior art for small jobs. However, there are several problems inherent in the building of landscape edging forms from existing building materials for the in place formation of concrete landscape edging. To fabricate a landscape edging form from existing building materials, basic building materials, such as 2×4's or 2×6's, at least equal to two times the length of the landscape edging form must be purchased and assembled. For example, more than 20 feet of forming material would be required (10 feet for each side plus short sections for the ends) to fabricate an edging form designed to make a concrete landscape edging that is 10 feet in length. In addition to the expense, dimensional lumber is relatively bulky, heavy, and increasingly not very straight. The fabrication of landscape edging forms from dimensional lumber normally requires the measuring and marking of the dimensional lumber so that the dimensional lumber can be cut to the required lengths; the cutting of the dimensional lumber to the measured lengths with an electric saw or other tool, and the use of numerous fasteners to assemble the edging form offside or onsite. Where an edging form or series of edging forms are fabricated offsite, the edging form(s) need to be transported to the job site and then, maneuvered around and located at the job site prior to introducing concrete into the form(s).
Fabricating landscape edging form(s) from existing building materials also requires ensuring that the pieces of dimensional lumber comprising the two sidewalls of the landscape edging form(s) extend parallel with respect to each other. This is typically done by placing wooden or metal stakes in the ground on the outside of the landscape edging form(s) to hold the dimensional lumber sidewalls of the form(s) in place. These stakes are typically heavy, bulky, and expensive and can be easily misaligned so that the dimensional lumber sidewalls of the form(s) are not parallel with respect to each other. In addition, it is very common for the sidewalls in this type of landscape edging form to shift prior to or during the introduction and working of the concrete within the form so that a finished concrete landscape edging made with the form is not uniform in width. This shifting of the form sidewalls can be caused by not using enough stakes to secure the form; by soft or rocky ground that either allows the stakes to shift or prevents the stakes from being driven an adequate distance into the ground to prevent subsequent movement of the sidewalls especially when the concrete is introduced into the form; etc.
Building landscape edging forms for concrete landscape edging from existing building materials also introduces additional fabrication steps that should be followed when constructing such landscape edging forms. After the landscape edging forms are built and prior to introducing the concrete into the forms, these wooden forms should be treated with a release agent to ensure that the forms can be easily separated from the concrete landscape edging once the concrete has set and the formation of the landscape edging is complete. The release agent may be an oil-based product and, like many of the other fabrication steps required in the construction of these wooden edging forms, the application of the release agent to the wooden forms by hand brushing or spraying is labor intensive and time consuming. In addition, the application of the release agent to the wooden forms at the job site typically results in some ground contamination. After these wooden forms are built and treated with a release agent, concrete is poured or shoveled into the forms. Then, a short, straight, rigid object (typically a short section of dimensional lumber) is used to level off the wet concrete to a level substantially even with the top of the form sidewalls. Where the top portions of the stakes used to position the form sidewalls are higher than the forms, the stakes get in the way of leveling off the wet concrete with the dimensional lumber.
In addition to the time, work, expense, and expertise required to fabricate landscape edging forms from dimensional lumber, the use of such forms often presents disposal problems. After the concrete has set up in the wooden forms to fabricate the concrete landscape edging, the wooden forms are normally removed from the edging. However, the dimensional lumber of these wooden forms is typically covered with a thin layer of hardened concrete. Disposing of lengths of dimensional lumber covered with concrete and a release agent can be expensive and/or labor intensive. Many residential trash collectors will not take building products and recyclers typically require all dried concrete be removed from lumber prior to recycling the lumber into mulch. Another drawback to using dimensional lumber for the fabrication of landscape edging forms is that dimensional lumber landscape edging forms are best suited for the creation of straight sections of concrete landscape edging. For many applications where a circular or smooth curved section of concrete landscape edging is desired, it is not practical for a home-handyman or small contractor (due to a lack of skill and/or time) to construct a landscape edging form from dimensional lumber that can be used to make such a circular or smooth curved section of concrete landscape edging.
In addition to the systems discussed above for forming concrete landscape edging in place, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,197 to Johnson discloses a system for forming concrete garden curbing in place. The Johnson patent discloses a concrete receiving form B made of cardboard, paper mache, peat moss or the like. The form B has a generally V-shaped transverse cross section, is formed by folding a blank A, and utilizes rigid clips C to keep the sidewalls of the form B in a fixed transverse relationship. The form B cannot be flexed or bent into a curved configuration and thus, can only be used to make straight-line forms. For a curved configuration, the Johnson patent discloses the use of forms that are molded or extruded from a suitable material such as plastic.
In addition to forming concrete landscape edging in place, landscape edging can be assembled onsite from preformed members. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,140 to Russo; U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,093 to Yanna; and Des. 323,604 to Deschryver disclose landscape edging systems that utilize preformed landscape edging members to assemble landscape edging onsite. Another system for forming landscape edging utilizes reusable plastic molds that form two concrete "bricks" at a time. Once the concrete has set up in the mold to form the two "bricks", the mold is removed and used to form another two "bricks".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,200 to Stegmeier; U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,068 to Ferland; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,753 to Speidel are exemplary of landscape edging form systems that utilize wooden, steel, or plastic form boards that can be flexed or are bendable to assume other than a straight configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,837 to Oswald; U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,725 to Sims; U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,895 to Johnson, Jr. et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,487 to Ringler; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,187 to Reimann are exemplary of landscape edging form board holders that can be used with dimensional lumber in the fabrication of forms for concrete edging.

Landscape edging form assembly and method


A two-piece valve stem guide allows the guide to be reamed in-place without damaging an installed valve seal. A first section of the guide is press fitted into an axially extending bore of an internal combustion engine component. Next, a multi-piece seal comprising a metallic retainer, elastomeric seal element and optional spring is inserted into the bore. Then a second section of the stem guide is partially installed into the bore. The two sections are reamed to create a common inner radial diameter that is adapted to receive a valve stem. Finally, the second section is pressed axially downward, engaging the seal and forcing the elastomeric seal element radially inwardly until it comes into contact with an installed valve stem.

In conventional overhead valve internal combustion engines at least two valves reciprocate to provide intermittent communication between intake and exhaust manifolds and a combustion chamber. The valves have valve stems which are commonly disposed in valve stem guides, supporting axial motion in an engine component such as an engine head. Lubrication is provided to upper portions of the valve stems by a spray of lubricating oil within a valve cover disposed over the head, or by gravity flow from an associated rocker arm. Oil flows by the force of gravity and may be encouraged by a pressure differential in the manifold versus crankcase pressure along a free upper end of the valve stem toward the manifolds and valve heads.
Valve guide seals located between the valve stem and the valve guide serve various purposes. First, they minimize engine oil consumption by restricting oil entry into the manifold and the combustion chamber. Second, they help to minimize exhaust particulates which contribute to pollution. Third, they are helpful in minimizing guide wear, which is of particular importance with diesel engines due to the nature of their operation.
Valve stem seals have been commonly located on the upper end of the valve guide. The upper end of the valve guide is distal to the combustion chamber, thereby distancing the seal from the intense heat of the combustion gases. However, despite such heat, the ideal location of a valve stem seal is near the lower end of the valve guide because lubricating oil may then be freely presented to the stem and guide wear surfaces. As a compromise between heat and function, it would be desirable to locate a valve stem seal within the guide, but somewhere above the lower end of the guide where temperature exposure is reduced. Locating a conventional seal in such a location is impossible since it is spaced away from both axial ends of the guide and would be destroyed when the guide is reamed to a final guide bore size, location and finish.


In a method, identifiers are obtained of N to-be-upgraded nodes. An upgrade sequence of the N to-be-upgraded nodes is set according to the identifiers of the N to-be-upgraded nodes. A backup node of each to-be-upgraded node is determined according to the upgrade sequence of the N to-be-upgraded nodes, to obtain node backup information. A backup node of the Xth to-be-upgraded node is at least one node in a set that includes a to-be-upgraded node prior to the Xth to-be-upgraded node and a to-be-upgraded node following the (X+[Z+1])th to-be-upgraded node. Z is a ratio of a time required by the Xth to-be-upgraded node for migrating back service data to an online upgrade time of the Xth to-be-upgraded node. The node backup information is sent to the N to-be-upgraded nodes.

In a distributed storage system, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) technology may be used to store strips in a same stripe onto different storage nodes. A strip may be a data strip or a redundant strip. In a same stripe, there are a specific quantity of data strips and a specific quantity of redundant strips. For example, one stripe includes four data strips and one redundant strip, and the one redundant strip and any three of the four data strips may be used to restore a remaining one data strip. That is, in one stripe, a quantity of unavailable data strips should be less than a quantity of redundant strips, so as to ensure effective restoration of the unavailable data strips.
As shown in FIG. 1, four data strips and one redundant strip in a stripe 1 are separately stored on five storage nodes. When a storage node 1 is upgraded online, a storage node 2 is determined as a backup node of the storage node 1, and is configured to store write data that needs to be written during the online upgrade of the storage node 1. For example, the write data is data in a stripe 2. Likewise, the stripe 2 also includes four data strips and one redundant strip. In this case, the storage node 2 not only stores one data strip that is in the stripe 2 and that is originally written onto the storage node 2, but also stores one data strip that needs to be written onto the storage node 1. That is, the storage node 2 stores two data strips in the stripe 2.
In this case, when the storage node 1 completes the online upgrade, if a next to-be-upgraded node is the storage node 2, and if the storage node 2 is directly powered off for an online upgrade, the two data strips that are in the stripe 2 and that are stored on the storage node 2 cannot be restored from the one redundant strip and two data strips that remain in the stripe 2. As a result, a user cannot read the two data strips that are in the stripe 2 and that are stored on the storage node 2. Therefore, before the storage node 2 is upgraded, one data strip that needs to be written onto the storage node 1 and that is stored on the storage node 2 needs to be migrated back to the storage node 1. Further, a backup node needs to be selected for the storage node 2 to complete the upgrade of the storage node 2, until upgrades of the five storage nodes are all completed.
It can be learned that, each time a current storage node is upgraded, an extra time further needs to be waited to migrate, back to a previously upgraded storage node, service data that is temporarily written onto the storage node serving as a backup node. Consequently, an online upgrade time of the overall distributed storage system increases.

Online upgrade method, apparatus, and system


An improved method for the production of single walled carbon nanotubes that utilizes an RF-induction heated side-pumped synthesis chamber for the production of such. Such a method, while capable of producing large volumes of carbon nanotubes, concurrently permits the use of a simplified apparatus that allows for greatly reduced heat up and cool down times and flexible flowpaths that can be readily modified for production efficiency optimization. The method of the present invention utilizes a free electron laser operating at high average and peak fluence to illuminate a rotating and translating graphite/catalyst target to obtain high yields of SWNTs without the use of a vacuum chamber.

Since the first reports of the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (hereinafter SWNT) in 1991 by researchers at NEC and IBM, a variety of synthesis routes have been developed to improve both the production rate and the fractional conversion of carbon feedstocks to SWNTs. Among the methods developed for this purpose, all of which are well known and well documented in the art are: Arc Discharge (AD); Pulsed Laser Vaporization (PLV); and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Much of the work with PLV techniques has been carried out at Rice University as reported by A. Thess et al. in Science 273, 483 (1996). While this work still represents, to the best of our knowledge, the state of the art in the production of high quality SWNTs, it must be noted that the production rates for the processes described by these researchers are only on the order of milligrams per hour. The results of this work and the application of the SWNTs thus produced indicate that there exist many applications for SWNTs, but only if adequately high production rates can be achieved while maintaining the quality of the SWNT, i.e. the integrity of the tube wall.
One such application is as reinforcement for lightweight polymeric structures, especially inflatable structures for use in outer space where in addition to the strength imparting properties of the SWNTs, their electrical conductivity provides a means of reducing static charge buildup on such devices. Other potential applications reside in the areas of hydrogen storage at "low", i.e. about atmospheric pressure, although debate still rages as to this application and in NEMS or nano electro-mechanical structures useful in, for example, quantum computing devices.
It has been demonstrated that the longer the SWNT the better its properties as a reinforcing agent. Similarly, it is highly desirable that the SWNT "bundles" be small to permit better dispersal in the foregoing reinforcement applications. According to evaluations of SWNTs produced in accordance with the work at Rice University their SWNTs are on the order of 3-5 μm in length and occur in bundles about 10-25 nm in length. Evaluation of SWNTs produced in accordance with the present invention are generally 4-10 μm in length and occur in bundles of from 4-18 nm in length, thus making them more desirable candidates for application in reinforcing applications.
Thus, while there exist numerous areas of potential and actual application for SWNTs, what has been, and is currently lacking, is a method for the production of SWNTs of high quality in sufficient quantities as to provide a reliable and adequate source of desirable raw material for the development and implementation of such applications.
While numerous attempts have been made to improve the production rates of these materials, most such attempts have resulted in the design of carbon nanotube production apparatus and operating procedures that were extremely complex due to operating conditions below atmospheric pressure, required extended heat up and cool down times on the order of hours and/or provided limited flowpaths that could not be readily modified for optimal apparatus operation.
There therefore remains a significant need for an apparatus and operating method that while capable of producing large volumes of carbon nanotubes provide simplified apparatus, greatly reduced heat up and cool down times and flexible flowpaths that can be readily modified for production efficiency optimization.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Laser ablative synthesis of carbon nanotubes


The present invention relates to an agent for cleansing the skin, containing a liquid natural and/or synthetic water-based latex emulsion excluding styrene-butadiene latices, exclusively at least one organic solvent which has a lower volatility than ethanol and a boiling point  greater than 78.32xc2x0 C., and water.

The present invention relates to an agent for cleansing the skin, containing a liquid natural and/or synthetic water-based latex emulsion excluding styrene-butadiene latices, exclusively at least one organic solvent which has a lower volatility than ethanol and a boiling point  greater than 78.32xc2x0 C., and water.
Agents for cleansing the skin, and particularly so-called hand washing pastes with which the dirt is removed without the addition of water, have been familiar for some time. Since with these agents the skin does not have to be rinsed with water after cleansing, there is no need to use a drying cloth.
Well-known from DD 272 099 is a washing paste for the cleansing of oil- and grease-soiled hands which does not require the use of water. The hand washing paste contains 1-3% of an aqueous copolymerizate latex consisting of styrene, 1,3-butadiene, methacrylic acid and a esterification product of the Diels-Alder adducts of maleic acid.
WO 00/17300 teaches a skin cleansing agent, which consists of a latex emulsion, an organosilicone compound, emollients, surface-active agents and water. The latex emulsion preferably has a styrene-butadiene copolymer.
The disadvantage of the above-mentioned skin cleansing agents is that they only have limited skin compatibility, are not toxicologically safe and/or pose environmental risks.
The object is therefore to provide a skin cleansing agent which is toxicologically safe, skin-compatible and less harmful to the environment without adversely affecting the cleansing performance.
According to the invention, said object is accomplished by an agent for cleansing the skin which contains a liquid natural and/or synthetic water-based latex emulsion excluding styrene-butadiene latices, exclusively at least one organic solvent which has a lower volatility than ethanol and a boiling point  greater than 78.32xc2x0 C., and water.
According to the invention, the agent for cleansing the skin contains a liquid natural and/or synthetic water-based latex emulsion excluding styrene-butadiene latices. Latex emulsions in the meaning of the invention are dispersions of finely distributed natural and/or synthetic polymers in an essentially aqueous dispersing agent. The polymers comprise natural and synthetic rubber, synthetic resins and/or plastics such as polymerisates, polycondensates and polyaddition compounds. The diameter of the polymer particles preferably is from 0.05 to 5 xcexcm.
In a preferred embodiment, the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention contains:
a) 10-80% by weight of a liquid natural and/or synthetic water-based latex emulsion,
b) 1-15% by weight of an organic solvent having a lower volatility than ethanol and a boiling point  greater than 78.32xc2x0 C.,
c) 0-10% by weight of at least one surfactant, preferably at least one fatty alcohol ethoxylate, fatty alcohol ether sulphate, succinate, sarcoside and/or glucoside,
d) 0-10% by weight abrasives, preferably bleached walnut shell meal and/or non-swellable starch,
e) 0-0.1% by weight thickener,
f) optionally, cosmetic adjuvants and additives and/or active ingredients,
g) 10-60% by weight water,
to make a total of 100% by weight.
According to the invention, the agent for cleansing the skin contains an organic solvent with a lower volatility than ethanol and a boiling point  greater than 78.32xc2x0 C., the boiling point being measured at a pressure of 1.013 bar. The solvent is preferably at least one
polyhydric alcohol or derivative of a polyhydric alcohol, particularly a polydiol, preferably an alkylene glycol, a polyalkylene glycol, a polydiol derivative, and preferably a polyalkylene glycol ether and/or polyalkylene glycol ester,
mono- or polyester of a saturated or unsaturated mono- or polyvalent carboxylic acid with 2 to 30 carbon atoms with n- and isoalkanols with 2 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably a diester of aliphatic and/or aromatic di- and/or tricarboxylic acids, and/or
aliphatic hydrocarbon with 12 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably with 16 to 20 carbon atoms and particularly preferably isohexadecane,
or a mixture of at least two of the above-mentioned substances.
Preferred polyalkylene glycols or their esters or ethers are listed in the tables from Ullmann, 4th edition, volume 8, pages 200, 204, 205, 207 and volume 19, pages 426 and 428. These tables are hereby incorporated by reference and are thus deemed part of the disclosure.
Dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether is particularly preferred as solvent.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the polymer in the water-based latex emulsion is polyisoprene, which preferably has a cis-1,4 content of at least 90%. The latex emulsion preferably has a solids content of 50 to 80 and especially preferably 60 to 70% by weight. The particle size of the polyisoprene is preferably 1.8 xcexcm maximum.
The ratio of latex emulsion to solvent is preferably 8:1 to 1:1, and particularly preferably 4:1 to 2:1. These ratios apply extremely preferably if a polyisoprene emulsion is employed as the latex emulsion.
The agent for cleansing the skin can possibly contain a surfactant. This surfactant is preferably a fatty alcohol ethoxylate of general formula: Rxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94O)n with R=C8-18 and n=1-8, preferably R=C12-14 and n=4-6. The surfactant is also preferably a fatty alcohol ether sulfate of general formula: Rxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94O)nSO4X2 with R=C10-16 and n=1-4 and X=Na+, K+, xc2xd Mg2+or NH4+.
The agent for cleansing the skin preferably contains at least one abrasive. The abrasives can be conventional abrasives or mixtures thereof, and preferably bleached walnut shell meal, non-swellable starch or a mixture thereof.
To modify the consistency of the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention, the latter can also contain water-swellable polymers as thickeners, where polymers and copolymers obtainable from the polymerization of acrylic acid optionally with other acrylic acid derivatives as comonomers preferably are employed.
The agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention can contain cosmetic adjuvants or additives and/or active ingredients, e.g. care derivatives, emollients, perfume (fragrances), preservatives, etc.
The advantage of the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention is that it is toxicologically safe and less harmful to the environment. The cleansing performance of the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention corresponds to those of the prior art. The agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention can be employed in painting installations.
The agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention is particularly suitable as a washing paste. The invention therefore is also directed to the use of the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention as a washing paste and particularly as a hand washing paste.
The advantage of the use according to the invention is that it is toxicologically safe and less harmful to the environment. The cleansing performance of the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention corresponds to those of the prior art. The use according to the invention can be beneficially practised in painting installations.
Another object of the present invention is a method for cleansing the skin in which the agent according to the invention is applied to the skin and distributed by rubbing in order to form particles which fall from the hand during further rubbing. The rubbing, for instance when cleansing the hands, takes 10 to 60 seconds and preferably 10 to 30 seconds.
The advantage of the method according to the invention is that it is toxicologically safe and less harmful to the environment. The cleansing performance of the agent for cleansing the skin according to the invention corresponds to those of the prior art. The process according to the invention can be employed in assembly plants, workshops and painting installations, whereby wetting problems on material surfaces are largely avoided.
The invention will be explained below with reference to the Examples. These explanations merely exemplify and do not limit the general idea of the invention.
Test Methods
1. Skin Compatibility Test with the Duhring Chamber Test
This method is an in vivo test model for examining the skin compatibility of various test products in a direct comparison. The products being tested are applied in air-permeable aluminum chambers (18 mm diameter Finn Chambers(copyright)) each time to the same test area on the volar side of the lower arms of 20 test subjects on four successive days. The application times are two hours on the first, four hours on the second and six hours on the third and fourth days respectively. The Finn Chambers(copyright) are fastened with strips of adhesive plaster. In the event of strong dermal effects, the test is discontinued for each test field before the completion of the overall application time. The skin irritations produced are assessed according to the scale given below and the application times.
R=Reddening (erythema): 0=no erythema, 4=pronounced erythema
P=Peeling: 0=no peeling, 4=pronounced peeling
F=Fissures: 0=no fissures, 4=pronounced fissures
The resultant assessment criteria are
a) Irritation as the mean of the sum of irritation values of R, P and F of n test subjects;
b) Application time as the mean of the tolerated application times in hours of n test subjects.
2. Testing Cleansing Performance
Two products are tested in a comparison on at least eight test subjects. Essential for this is that the palms of the hands of all test subjects have a skin structure typically attributable to manual labour. The following test is carried out in the morning and afternoon with one product in each case:
A defined quantity of model dirt (0.2 to 0.5 g) is spread onto the palm and back of the hand and rubbed for 45 s.
It is left to dry for 1xc2xd min.
A defined quantity of the test product (0.3 to 1.8 g) is applied and rubbed in.
Rubbing is continued until the dried product with the collected dirt has been detached from the skin by rubbing and removed.
Visual assessment of the residual soiling (RS) on the back and palm of the hand in accordance with the scale (see below).
0=clean; 5=no cleansing effect (0.5 gradations are possible)
RSpalm=mean residual soiling of the palm of the hand from n series of measurements (test subjects)
RSback=mean residual soiling of the back of the hand from n series of measurements (test subjects)
Composition of a model dirt suitable for the test:
3. Toxicological Test
The toxicological effect of the natural and/or synthetic water-based latex emulsion can be ascertained by determining cytotoxity and by employing the neutral red test.
The test is carried out in accordance with European Standard EN 30 993-5, whereby, with omission of the 72 h incubation period, the test substance is diluted in the cell culture medium and applied to the cells.
The latex emulsion employed was a polyisoprene latex with the designation KRATON(copyright) IR-RP 401 from Shell AG.
Neutral Red Uptake
NR50 value:
PT: 7.0 mg/ml (preliminary test)
T: 9.0 mg/ml (test)
Assessment
The tests yield NR50 values of 7.0 mg/ml and 9.0 mg/ml respectively. The product can therefore be classified as slightly cytotoxic.


In one aspect the invention provides a gas field ion source assembly that includes an ion source in connection with an optical column such that an ion beam generated at the ion source travels through the optical column. The ion source includes an emitter having a width that tapers to a tip comprising a few atoms. In other aspects, the methods provide for manufacturing, maintaining and enhancing the performance of a gas field ion source including sharpening the tip of the ion source in situ.

Charged particle microscopes typically use electrons or metal ions. Both types of microscopes are moderately reliable, and the electron microscope provides very high resolution. However, helium ion microscopes have certain advantages over the electron microscope. Light ions significantly reduce the optical diffraction effects that electrons cause and they have a smaller interaction volume when focused onto the surface of a sample by a lens. Helium ions can also provide better chemical contrast than electrons. Furthermore, the Helium ion sources can be built smaller than electron sources, providing a smaller final spot size for a given optical condition. Typically, the coherence, or energy spread, of this type of ion source is better than electron sources minimizing chromatic aberration effects that cause resolution reduction. However, prior efforts to utilize ion sources for imaging applications haven proven to be unstable and unreliable.
There is a need for a reliable and bright ion source. Such a source incorporated into an ion electro-optical system will provide very high resolution pictures having near atom resolution.

Systems and methods for a gas field ionization source


There are provided measures for configuration of power saving groups. Such measures, for determining, in a network including a plurality of radio cells, at least one power saving group comprising at least two radio cells of said plurality of radio cells, exemplarily comprise retrieving neighboring data including a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of combinations of respective two radio cells of said plurality of radio cells, wherein each of said plurality of entries represents overlapping amount information in relation to said respective two radio cells, identifying radio cells of said plurality of radio cells as power saving group reference cells based on said neighboring data, identifying radio cells of said plurality of radio cells as power saving group helping cells respectively for at least one identified power saving group reference cell based on said neighboring data, and assigning each of said identified power saving group helping cells to one of said identified power saving group reference cells based on said neighboring data, wherein each of said at least one power saving group comprises one of said identified power saving group reference cells and at least one identified power saving group helping cell assigned to said one of said identified power saving group reference cells.

Example heterogeneous networks are introduced with reference to FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example Multi-layer, multi-RAT Ultra Dense Network. Macro cells A, B1 and B2 could be in an older radio access technology (RAT) (e.g. 3G), while micro/pico cells (C, D, E, H) could be Long Term Evolution (LTE) and/or 5G, and the beam forming cells (F) are in 5G new radio.
Generally, such heterogeneous networks are characterized by cells deployed in multiple network or radio layers and by a blurred coverage-capacity boundary in that some small cells are so crucial that they are important as coverage cells.
Namely, with respect to the cells deployed in multiple network or radio layers, network layers with at least one macro layer (e.g. 3G and/or LTE/A) and multiple small (micro/pico/etc.) cell helper layers and with multiple radio interfaces (B6G, cm wave and/or mm wave) in a single base station/eNB are provided.
Further, with respect to the blurred coverage-capacity boundary, the distinction among layers is ambiguous in that macro cells and pico cells could be different radio access technologies (RAT) e.g. respectively 3G, LTE/A or new 5G radios and it is no longer trivial to distinguish between macro coverage layers and capacity or helper layers.
For Energy Savings Management (ESM) through deactivation of cells during periods of low traffic, it is necessary that the cells are grouped together, into a power saving group (PSG), created in such a way that when one cell is deactivated, the other cells in the group are able to cover the area—i.e. there should be no loss of coverage.
The PSG concept includes grouping cells into groups, among which some cells can be deactivated without loss of coverage. Such a group has one cell, called the reference cell, as the one primarily responsible for coverage (thus also called coverage cell) so that all the others, called helper cells, are only available to reinforce the capacity (thus also called capacity cell) in the area.
The PSG concept assumes that cells have been grouped in a way that each cell belongs to exactly one PSG. For example, one LTE carrier could be the reference cell, with all other cells (be it LTE or 5G) could be helper cells. The PSG concept is also applicable to older technologies (2G and 3G) but using a centralized ESM solution. This invention is applicable to both the new technologies LTE and 5G and future network technologies as well as the mentioned older technologies.
Previously, solutions for ESM have focussed on how energy savings should be realized. They typically assumed that the operator has organized the cells into PSGs so that the solution only needs to figure out the sequence in which cells should be activated or deactivated.
Power saving groups may be elaborated based on relationships among respective cells.
A cell proximity coupling (CPC) concept describes such relationship among cells. For any two cells A and B, the CPC describes the percentage to which the geographical coverage of the target cell (e.g. B) overlaps with that of the source cell (e.g. A). Since the two cells may be of different sizes, the CPC (as seen from each cell) will not necessarily be symmetric.
For example, a network shown in FIG. 7 (illustrating an example evaluation of neighborliness of three cells) is considered. The network shown in FIG. 7 has the macro cell A with three possible neighbor sites: two LTE outdoor sites C and D, a set of a 5G indoor cells E, and 5G beamforming outdoor site F. According to certain calculation instructions, the CPCs for this exemplary network may be computed from deployment data of the respective sites with a resulting CPC matrix that is similar to the following table.
ClsAB1B2C1C2C3D1D2D3E1E2E3F1F2F3G1G2HA— 28 2312212017 517 12 12 12161519 11 11 23B1 28—  7———252521———191912———B2 23  7—1217 5 2——  9  9  9191319 12 12 38C1 48— 47—1414————————————C2 84— 6614—14————————————C3 78— 211414———— 28 28 28——————D1 68100  9————3131——— 13617—— 10D2 20100————31—31———— 7————D3 66 82————3131——————————E1100— 75——55————100100——————E2100— 75——55———100—100——————E3100— 75——55———100100———————F1 85100100——— 1——————3131—— 29F2 78100 70———47 9————31—31—— 11F3100 62100———22—————3131——— 55G1 85—100—————————————100100G2 85—100————————————100—100H 46— 76——— 5—————11 420 25 25—
The CPC might be used to configure PSGs.
However, the configuration of power saving groups whether based on the CPC or not is complex and not straight forward and can be too involving in particular for highly dense networks. In particular, for multi-RAT scenarios without a clear distinction between coverage and capacity cells, the selection of a cell to either be the reference for a PSG or to be helper in another PSG may need to be reconfigured depending on network situations and this requires a dynamic flexible/reconfigurable automated approach.
Hence, the problem arises that automatic elaboration of PSGs including an assignment of cells to become reference cells or helper cells for respective PSGs (cell layers) based on conditions of the network in question and without making intervention by the operator necessary is to be provided for.
Hence, there is a need to provide for configuration of power saving groups.


Disclosed is an architecture enabling premium services to be provided over fiber to high-end users/customers. The architecture has a plurality of nodes and a passive optical device inserted prior to one of the nodes. The optical device allows wavelengths provisioned for original service(s) to pass through with minimal loss, while other wavelengths provisioned for the premium services are diverted onto a new fiber. This new fiber may be installed at the time of the upgrade, but, sometimes, dark fiber is available. Dark fiber is fiber that carries no optical signals.

HFC systems have been and continue to be deployed to meet the ever-increasing demand for high-speed communications. Upgrading the existing and planned HFC systems to provide for new and additional services such as high data rate connection, which support Gigabit-Ethernet (GbE) to a Local Area Network (LAN), or a passive optical network that serves a number of customers is problematical. HFC systems/architectures use the Data Over Cable Service Interface Standard (DOCSIS) for data services. Due to constraints imposed by the coax portion of the HFC infrastructure, DOCSIS provides limited upstream capability (from the customer to the central office). This translates to limited upstream capacity that is extremely reliant on RF technology.
While power-splitting passive-optical networks (PS-PONs) are not reliant upon RF technology, they also have a limited capacity, as both the upstream and downstream channels must be shared (typically using Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM)), which can limit the bit-rate available to customers. See the FSAN standard, ITU Standard: (G.983.1).
Both HFC and PS-PONs carry the same downstream signals to multiple customers. Beyond the first node of the system multiple paths are typically used. In a PS-PON, the first node is a passive splitter and the multiple paths are multiple fibers. These fibers carry signals to additional splitters, or to optical-network units (ONUs), where optical-to-electronic conversion takes place. In a typical HFC architecture the first node is a fiber-node, where the optical signal is converted into an electronic signal, and carried over multiple coax buses for distribution throughout a neighborhood. In some instances the fiber-node will only serve a single coax bus. In a recently demonstrated HFC architecture, known as LightWire™ the first node is a Mux-Node, containing an optical splitter. Downstream signals are split, and carried over multiple fibers to mini-fiber-nodes, where the optical-to-electronic conversion takes place. In another HFC architecture, known as Oxiom, nodes are "daisy-chained" together. In these nodes, referred to as Ox-nodes, part of the optical power carrying the downstream signal is tapped off, converted to an electronic signal and sent via coax to customers, the remaining optical power continues to the next Ox-node in the "daisy chain". Therefore, in the Oxiom architecture the downstream signals are carried to multiple customers via paths comprising both coax and fiber.
These and other problems have been overcome by the present invention.

Fiber access architecture capable of being seamlessly upgraded