A final drive unit includes a sprocket, a hub unit and a holding portion. The hub unit is arranged inside the sprocket and includes a hub portion and a cover member mounted to the hub portion. At least the hub portion is configured and arranged to rotate about a rotational axis together with the sprocket. The holding portion is arranged on one of the hub portion and the cover member of the hub unit in proximity to an outer end of the one of the hub portion and the cover member with respect to an axial direction of the rotational axis. The holding portion is configured and arranged to hold an end of a wire-shaped member that pulls a crawler belt when the crawler belt is wound around the sprocket.

Construction machines such as a bulldozer include a transmission, and a gear-type reduction gear such as a final drive unit. The transmission has a plurality of gears for transmitting power from an engine to a traveling unit that moves crawler belts or the like.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication TOKUKAI No. 2003-112672 (published on Apr. 15, 2003) discloses a final drive unit that includes a cross roller bearing, and an outer race and/or an inner race of the cross roller bearing that are integrally configured with components of the final drive unit. The cross roller bearing is disposed in one row to rotatably support a sprocket hub.

Final drive unit, construction machine equipped with the same, and method of winding crawler belt


Disclosed are a device and a method for bonding an auxiliary secondary barrier for an LNG storage tank. The device for bonding an auxiliary secondary barrier includes: a frame; a driving unit, a portion of which is arranged in the frame, and which enables the frame to move on an upper heat insulation board corresponding to an exposed portion of a main secondary barrier; an adhesive applying unit arranged in the frame to apply an adhesive on the exposed portion; an auxiliary secondary barrier supply unit arranged in the frame to supply an auxiliary secondary barrier on the adhesive applied on the exposed portion; and one or more heating unit arranged in the frame to heat at least one of the exposed portion to which the adhesive contained in the adhesive applying unit is to be applied and the auxiliary secondary barrier to be supplied on the applied adhesive.

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) is in a colorless liquid state in which a natural gas containing methane as a main component is cooled at a temperature of −163° C. to reduce a volume thereof to 1/600. LNG storage tanks for storing an LNG are manufactured with a structure and material which endures an ultralow temperature for gas liquefaction.
Such an LNG storage tank, for example, has a dual sealing structure including a primary barrier, an upper heat insulation board, and a lower heat insulation board. The primary barrier contacts an LNG to primarily seal the LNG. The secondary barrier secondarily seals a leaking LNG when the LNG leaks through the primary barrier to prevent the LNG to contacting an inner hull.
The secondary barrier includes main secondary barriers and auxiliary secondary barriers. The main secondary barrier is disposed on the lower heat insulation board in parallel with the lower heat insulation board with a gap therebetween. The auxiliary secondary barrier is attached to the main secondary barriers between the upper heat insulation boards while covering a gap between the main secondary barriers. The secondary barrier may be secured in sealing property by the auxiliary secondary barriers.
In installation of the conventional auxiliary secondary barrier, an adhesive is applied to an edge of the main secondary barrier, and the auxiliary secondary barrier and a protection sheet are disposed on the adhesive. Then, the auxiliary secondary barrier is pressed by using a heating skate plate or hot pad to cure the adhesive. A prior document related to the above-described installation process is disclosed in Korean Registration Patent No. 0928316.

Device and method for bonding auxiliary secondary barrier for liquefied natural gas storage tank


A laminated sheet construction for use in product packages has a substrate layer onto which there is laminated a transparent solid plastic film with an exposed surface having a transparent thermosetting adhesive coating. The surface beneath the coating may be printed with text and/or graphics which is visible through the film and adhesive. A container for a product may be directly affixed to the adhesive surface. Panels of the laminated substrate may be bonded together for increased strength or for capturing the flange of a container which can project through a window in one of the panels while displaying printing on the other panel through the window.

The present invention relates primarily to the construction of product display packages although it can have other applications. More particularly, the present invention is directed to providing printed substrates made of paper, cardboard, plastic and the like with transparent thermal adhesive surfaces to which items may be readily adhered. Such items may include, for example, transparent plastic containers for products to be displayed in their packages.
Prior art transparent containers which hold products are applied to backing cards by using a sandwich of two overlapping cards into which a window has been cut in one or both of the panels. A plastic container having integral flanges is then placed in the window with the flanges sandwiched between the overlapping card panels which are cemented together. Although it is know to produce web materials which have thermosetting adhesive surfaces, until now, their application has been limited to serving as outer layers for packages for security and aesthetics.
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it is known to coat a web of paper, cardboard, plastic or similar stock 1 with an adhesive 3, either a liquid drying one or a molten extrusion. Thereafter a web of plastic film 5 is layered over the adhesive to form a laminate of the paper, cardboard, plastic or similar stock and the web of plastic film. Next an extrusion of a molten thermal adhesive 7 is coated onto the surface of the plastic film to provide a laminate 9 having a paper, cardboard, plastic or similar material substrate and a thermal adhesive surface 11.
The prior art process by which thermal adhesive is applied requires that the thermal adhesive material be heated to above its melting point and layered onto a continuous web fed at a uniform rate between a supply spool and a takeup spool without starting and stopping or otherwise upsetting the rate of travel of the web as the coating of molten thermal adhesive is uniformly applied. The laminate 9 can only be produced from web materials which are conveyed through a process line wherein the adhesives and plastic film are assembled.
In some applications it is desired to print relatively small sheets of paper, cardboard, plastic or similar material and thereafter apply a thermal adhesive to the printed surface. Such printed sheets cannot be treated in a web conveyor apparatus. Nor can a molten thermal adhesive be applied to single sheets of paper, cardboard, plastic or the like.
Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it is also known in the art to produce plastic film material in rolls onto which a thermal adhesive has been coated in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but without the paper, cardboard, plastic or similar material substrate. A laminate of plastic film material 13 coated on one side with a thermal adhesive has been found useful for enhancing the appearance and strength of containers used in product packaging. In such applications, the plastic film laminate 13 is applied to a package 15 made of paper, cardboard, plastic or similar stock with the thermal adhesive side of the plastic film 13 against one or more of the panels which form the package. After the laminate 13 is adhered to the package by application of heat, the opposite uncoated side of the plastic film provides a glossy, satin, or matte (depending of the film surface) look and feel to the package which makes it aesthetically attractive and resistant to tearing.

Laminated sheet construction with thermal adhesive surface and method for making same


The present invention relates to a process for the microbial in-chain hydroxylation of C12 to C16 fatty acids, alcohols and alkanes at position ω-7, the process including the use of a microorganism expressing a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP505E3 or related fungal cytochrome P450 monooxygenases sharing at least 70% amino acid identity in the production of a hydroxylated product or secondary product. The present invention further relates to a process for the preparation of lactones, esters and polymers by hydroxylation of the corresponding fatty acids, fatty alcohols and alkane precursors by a recombinant cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP505E3 or related fungal cytochrome P450 monooxygenases sharing at least 70% amino acid identity.

Since time immemorial, man has unwittingly used microorganisms to produce flavours, especially when preparing fermented foods and drinks, the original benefit being the increased shelf life of such products. It was only around the turn of the 20th century, that the relationship between the typical desirable flavour of fermented foods and beverages, and the microorganisms involved became recognized (Vandamme, 2003).
Further analysis and optimisation of food fermentations, led to the study of pure microbial strains as to their capacity to produce specific single flavour molecules either de novo or by converting an added substrate/precursor molecule. In only a few cases, detailed research has led to the identification of the biochemical pathways involved, but much work still lays ahead here; similarly several enzymes/enzyme systems have been characterised and are now being exploited for enzymatic flavour synthesis.
Flavours and fragrances nowadays have a wide application in the food, feed, cosmetic, chemical and pharmaceutical sector. Many flavour compounds on the market are still produced via chemical synthesis or via extraction from plant and animal sources; however, a rapid switch towards the bio-production and use of flavour compounds of (micro) biological origin—bioflavours—is observed. Reasons are among others, the fact that chemical synthesis results often in an environmentally unfriendly production process and in undesirable racemic mixture compounds. Furthermore, the consumer has developed a "chemophobia"-attitude towards chemical or synthetic (even nature-identical) compounds, especially when related to his food and home-care products (Vandamme, 2003).
Products that occur in nature but are now produced via a chemical (a non-natural) process are called "nature-identical"; this mode of production is no longer accepted as consumer friendly.
The word "natural" is defined legally by American and European regulations (CFR 1990 and the European regulation CE 1334/2008) and a substance can be considered as natural when it comes from a plant, animal or microbial origin with a physical, microbial or enzymatic process.
Up to now, certain plant and animal sources remain an important source of bioflavours, but these bio-active compounds are often present in minor quantities, making extraction, isolation and formulation very expensive, or they are found only in exotic (plant) species.
The other bio-route for flavour synthesis is based on de novo microbial processes (fermentation) or on bioconversions of natural precursors with microbial cells or enzymes (biocatalysis). Biotechnological processes usually require less damaging process conditions to the environment and yield the desirable enantiomeric flavour compound.
A bottleneck often still is a lack of Fungal Diversity knowledge about the biochemical pathways, the enzymes and the metabolic (de)regulation involved, to obtain high yields (Vandamme, 2003). Nevertheless, bioflavours/biofragrances appeal to many sectors and represent already a high market value.
Lactones represent an important class of substances with applications not only in polymer synthesis but also as environmentally benign solvents, fuels, flavours, fragrances and as building blocks for synthesis. Depending on the compounds, lactones exhibit fruity and oily properties with peach, apricot or coconut notes. Among them, the pathway to γ-decalactone was first discovered by Okui et al. in 1963 and the resulting lactone is now the compound which is the most produced through biotechnology. It is used in many aroma and cosmetic preparations. It can be easily obtained from hydroxy fatty acids by a yeast transformation.
Cytochrome P450 (CYP) belongs to the superfamily of proteins containing a heme prosthetic group and, therefore, is referred to as a hemoprotein. CYPs use a variety of small and large molecules as substrates in enzymatic reactions. CYP enzymes have been identified in all domains of life—animals, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, archaea, and even in viruses. The most common reaction catalyzed by cytochromes P450 is a monooxygenase reaction, e.g., insertion of one atom of oxygen into a carbon-hydrogen bond of an organic substrate (RH) while the other oxygen atom is reduced to water:RH+O2+NADPH+H+→ROH+H2O+NADP+
Microbial monooxygenase/hydroxylase enzymes involved in the metabolism of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds have potential application in many areas including organic synthesis and production of pharmaceutically and other industrially useful compounds.
The filamentous fungi carry genes encoding an array of CYP450 enzymes essential in fungal pathogenesis, xenobiotic degradation and substrate utilization (Moktali et al., 2012).
The oxidation of substrates catalysed by CYP450s requires additional electron transfer proteins, also known as redox partner proteins, which transfer electrons from reduced cofactors to the heme. However, the discovery of a naturally fused self-sufficient system in Bacillus megaterium (CYP102A1) solved the fundamental need of a separate redox partner protein (Li et al., 2007).
The first identified fungal self-sufficient system was a sub-terminal fatty acid hydroxylase (CYP505A1) from Fusarium oxysporum which catalyses ω-1 to ω-3 hydroxylation of medium chain fatty acids (Crešnar & Petrič, 2011). The presence of members of the CYP505 family is fairly conserved within the filamentous fungi (Syed et al., 2014).
Vatsyayan and co-workers (2008) investigated the substrate specificity of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus terreus. CYP450s obtained from cells grown on glucose or n-hexadecane were studied. CYP450 distribution from the n-hexadecane grown cells was contained mainly in the cytosol while the CYP450s obtained from the glucose grown cells were obtained in the microsomes. The CYP450 containing microsomal fractions showed activity towards alkanes, alkane derivatives, alcohols, aromatic compounds, organic solvents, and steroids. Only two products were isolated and identified. The product from ethanol was identified as glycolic acid, and the product from hexadecane as 1-hexadecanal-8-one.
SDS-PAGE analysis of the microsomal protein fraction after heme staining indicated that there was only a single heme protein present. The molecular weight of the heme stained protein band was approximately 110 kDa when compared with standard protein markers. It was reported that the size of the single heme stained protein band corresponded to the self-sufficient Fusarium oxysporum CYP505A1 reported by Nakayama and co-workers (1996). Hence, the protein band was presumed to be a self-sufficient CYP450 in A. terreus and it was claimed that this self-sufficient CYP450 had both terminal and sub-terminal hydroxylase activity.
The genome of the filamentous fungus A. terreus comprises 10,406 open reading frames with 125 annotated as CYP450 genes (Park et al., 2008). Only two of these 125 CYP450 genes encode possible self-sufficient CYP450s. These two putative self-sufficient CYPs in the genome of A. terreus have been classified as CYP505A19 and CYP505E3.
One of the identified self-sufficient CYP450, CYP505A19 lacks a crucial segment of the heme domain, while there is also a large deletion in the reductase domain (Kuloyo, 2014). It was postulated that this protein will not fold properly and would be inactive or, alternatively, it would not accept small molecules such as alkanes as substrates. The second of these self-sufficient CYP450s, designated as CYP505E3, was heterologously expressed in E. coli but reported to display no detectable activity towards alkanes and alkylbenzens in whole cell biotransformations, while it hydroxylated hexylbenzoic acid to yield products hydroxylated at positions ω-1, ω-2 and ω-4. It was thus also assumed to be a sub-terminal fatty acid hydroxylase (Kuloyo, 2014).
Given the deficiencies of the prior art, there exists a present need for further investigation into the use of CYPs for the specific hydroxylation of organic substrates to produce bioflavour compounds, including lactones.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide for the use of CYP505E3 and related fungal cytochrome P450 monooxygenases in the in-chain hydroxylation at position ω-7 of, inter alia, alkanes, fatty alcohols and fatty acid substrates (FIG. 1) as precursors for the synthesis of lactones, esters and, inter alia, polymers.

Process for the modification of alkanes, fatty acids and fatty alcohols


Pan-scan is provided for a standard 4:3 aspect ratio TV displaying a 16:9 aspect ratio high definition (HD) video stream using the motion vectors that are part of MPEG-encoded streams. Specifically, if, for instance, the MPEG motion vectors indicate an object rapidly moving to the left, the left-most part of the HD video frames are shown, instead of remaining centered on the HD video frames and cutting off the left and right portions.

Digital multimedia data such as high definition (HD) video and music can be transmitted to televisions for display. The multimedia can be formatted in accordance with Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) standards such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (also used for DVD format), MPEG-4 and other block based transform codecs. Essentially, for individual video frames called "intraframes" or "I-frames", these multimedia standards use Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) compression. In JPEG, the image of a single frame is typically divided into small blocks of pixels (usually 8×8 and/or 1 6×16 pixel blocks) that are encoded using a discrete cosine transform (DCT) function to transform the spatial intensity values represented by the pixels to spatial frequency values, roughly arranged, in a block, from lowest frequency to highest. Then, the DCT values are quantized and compressed using run-length coding (essentially, storing a count of the number of, e.g., zero values that appear consecutively, instead of storing all the zero values).
Motion pictures add a temporal dimension to the spatial dimension of single pictures. MPEG is essentially a compression technique that uses motion estimation to further compress a video stream.
With more specificity, MPEG compression in general uses three kinds of video frames. Naturally, the above-mentioned I frames, in which the entire frame is a JPEG image composed of compressed, quantized DCT values, must be provided. But in MPEG compression the remaining frames (e.g., 59) that make up the rest of the video for that second are very much smaller frames that refer to the intraframes, in accordance with MPEG compression principles. In MPEG parlance these frames are called "predicted" frames ("P frames") and "bidirectional" frames ("B frames").
Of relevance to the present invention is that predicted frames contain motion vector references to the preceding intraframe or to a preceding predicted frame or B frame. If a block has changed slightly in intensity or color, then the difference between the two frames is also encoded in a predicted frame. Accordingly, MPEG computes motion vectors as part of rendering a stream, and these motion vectors, as recognized herein, are obtainable from the streams.
With respect to the above-mentioned HD video, a display having a 4:3 aspect ratio (width to height of display) such as a standard definition (SD) display that seeks to play HD video must essentially convert the 1,080 or 720 lines per image used in HD video to 480 lines per image used in SD displays or HD 4:3 displays. When the HD video has an aspect ratio of 16:9, a common feature of HD multimedia, the SD display must further trim the side portions of each image. Accordingly, so-called "pan and scan" has been introduced to selectively focus the picture received by a standard receiver on different portions (horizontal) of the HDTV picture, i.e., to pan and scan. Without a pan and scan feature, a 4:3 display will always display only the same fixed portion of HDTV picture (usually the center portion) to the exclusion of information at the edges of the HDTV picture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,856, incorporated herein by reference, a pan-scan feature is proposed in which data words are placed in the vertical blanking period of each frame of the HDTV signal. The data words are error-coded representations of the proportional relationship between the left and right panels of the HD video picture, and are used to scan the display either left or right over the picture.
As recognized by the present invention, not all HDTV programs are accompanied by the VBI pan-scan information. And, not all standard TVs are programmed to use the data words in the VBI, even if they are present. Nonetheless, the present invention recognizes a need for providing pan-scan of an HD image with a 16:9 aspect ratio in a 4:3 display, particularly under certain circumstances, so that interesting video information that otherwise would not be displayed is, in fact, presented to the user.

Method and system for pan-scan using motion vectors presentation


A temperature modifying system for heating or cooling a product including a flexible outer container containing a product and a self-enclosed temperature-changing element is disclosed. The temperature-changing element includes a flexible pouch at least partially immersed in said product. The flexible film pouch may have two components separated by a rupturable barrier that is adapted to burst under an application of pressure allowing the two components to combine or react in an exothermic or endothermic event. The flexible film pouch may alternatively include a saturated salt solution that generates as it drops out of solution.

The present invention relates to a package containing a product and a flexible, selfcontained heating/cooling element. More particularly, the invention relates to a package containing a flexible, self-contained, chemical-based heating/cooling element that is at least partially immersed in a product.
Various types of self-heating containers are known in the art for heating the contents (mainly foodstuffs) to a desired temperature. For example, various external heating systems that heat a foodstuff or beverage through conductive heating are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,135 discloses a system that utilizes a partial form of immersion heating and can be described as a container body [that] is formed of a sheet member including a metal foil and a synthetic resin layer attached on at least one side of the metal foil. The sheet member is folded to have a W-shaped cross section and is heat-sealed along the vertical and upper edges. The inverted V-shaped portion of the folded sheet defines a chamber for accommodating the envelope outside the container body. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,135 discloses a self-heating container in which the primary bag has a notch formed to permit rupture of the primary bag upon pulling of one end of the bag. The self-heating container a water permeable envelope on at least the lower surface facing the primary bag. A self-heating container wherein the outer shell member comprises a receptacle and a cover removably secured to the receptacle. This uses an activation means whereby a pull-tab is used to break the primary water bag and the pressure of the expanding gases from a first reaction breaking another fluid bag to start another reaction. Further, the invention as disclosed is an open system with the opportunity for the slurry of the mixed aqueous solution and reactant to spill out if the package is mishandled. The package is a relatively complex design in which the reactive components may come into contact with a user or the product being heated. Also, the heating element is located on an exterior of the package, which may allow heat to migrate outside of the package.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,929 describes an infusion administration container for infusing a physiologic fluid into an animal, which comprises: a first flexible bladder divided into at least two compartments separated from one another, each of the compartments containing at least one first chemical agent; a second flexible bladder disposed outside the first flexible bladder and containing at least one second chemical agent, the first and second chemical agents when combined resulting in an exothermic reaction; passageways interconnecting each of the compartments of the first bladder with the second bladder; manually openable closure means disposed within each of the passageways. The activation mechanism consists of a dial or twist-tie to turn that allows water to flow into the system from outside a connected container to the fluid to be warmed, activation means incorporates additional components outside of the package itself. Their embodiment also has a discontinuous heating element where the components are not co-located within one packaging system, thus not allowing immediate fluid uptake for a faster heating response. Also, with the discontinuous system an inefficient use of heat transfer is afforded by having additional volume outside of the package for hot air to travel to which is expended to the environment instead of the product to be heated. Last, such an embodiment would require complicated manufacturing steps and would not be an innocuous system for the dispensing of consumer heated products from small sizes packaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,164 relates generally to containers for heating or cooling materials such as food, beverages, medicines, and the like and, more specifically, to a container that includes an internal module that adds heat to or removes heat from the materials in the surrounding container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,164 further discloses a flexible embodiment of a container that comprises a container body having a tapered, tube-like or pouch-like shape and made of a flexible or pliable material such as soft plastic. Soft metal foil of the type commonly used in toothpaste tubes would also be suitable. This patent utilizes the distal end of an elongated member to break a barrier to allow mixing of reactants when the elongated member is extended. Again, the patent discloses a relatively complex activation means that requires additional activation elements.
The present invention provides a temperature modifying system for heating or cooling a product that includes a flexible outer container containing a product and a self-enclosed temperature-changing element. The temperature-changing element includes a flexible pouch at least partially immersed in said product. The flexible film pouch may have two components separated by a rupturable barrier that is adapted to burst under an application of pressure allowing the two components to combine or react in an exothermic or endothermic event. The flexible film pouch may alternatively include a saturated salt solution that generates as it drops out of solution.

Product dispenser having internal temperature changing element


A wireless data exchange system is disclosed. The system includes an electronically operated appliance including a transmitter, a receiver, and a control module configured to communicate with the transmitter and receiver. The control module provides a primary mode of operation and a secondary mode of operation and includes control logic configured to selectively change the mode of operation of the electronically operated appliance. A communication device adapted to be held in the hand of a user is configured to cooperate with the transmitter and the receiver to impart instructions wirelessly to the control logic in order to change the mode of operation of the electronically operated appliance upon receipt of a command from a user. A method of exchanging data wirelessly between an apparatus and a communication device is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field wireless data communications, and more particularly, to data communication between a handheld device having an optical interface port that transmits and receives signals with an optical interface port of an electronically operated appliance.
2. Technical Background
Standard infrared (IR) devices communicate in accordance with the Infrared Data Association Serial Infrared Physical Layer Specification (hereinafter referred to as the Serial Infrared Specification) promulgated by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA). The IrDA is a standard body that publishes specifications containing the criteria by which IR device manufacturers must comply in order to claim IrDA compliance. The Infrared Data Association Serial Infrared Specification is incorporated herein by reference.
The physical layer specification governs point-to-point communication between electronic devices, such as computers and peripherals, using directed half-duplex, serial infrared communication links through free space. The physical elements, including the optical links and active input and output interfaces, are described in the physical layer specification. In order for a device to be IrDA compliant, the device must be designed to meet the specifications as indicated in the physical layer specification.
In particular, the IrDA Physical Layer Specification places constraints on the communication procedure when a device attempts to establish an optical link with a second device. The IrDA Physical Layer Specification sets forth requirements that govern the behavior of a device having a transmitter/detector pair when establishing an optical link. Compliance with the IrDA Physical Layer Specification requires that the device sample its detection range. An IrDA compliant device will not transmit a pulse to another device to request a link until it detects 500 msecs of "media quiet." "Media quiet" means that there is no IR activity detected during the 500 msec duration.
Once an optical link is established between two devices, IrDA compliance requires that a serial interaction pulse (SIP) be emitted every 500 msecs to quiet other potentially interfering systems. In other words, the 500 msec "media quiet" requirement will ensure that the potentially interfering device detects an SIP every 500 msecs thereby precluding the device from attempting to establish a connection.
The SIP is required by the Physical Layer Specification to quiet slower systems that might interfere with the optical link established between the transmitter and the receiver. An SIP is a 1.6 microsecond pulse followed by a 7.1 microsecond off time of the transmitter. The SIP simulates a start pulse that requires a potentially interfering system to listen for at least 500 milliseconds prior to establishing an optical link.
In accordance with the Physical Layer Specification, optical sensors are commonly employed with IR transmitters which, together with processing electronics, are used to detect an object in the range of the IR transmitter. An IR pulse is emitted, and if it strikes an object in its range, the pulse is reflected. An IR sensor is placed strategically in order to detect the reflected pulse.
The dichotomous emitter/sensor technology is employed in various applications including electronically activated fluid dispensing devices. Such dispensing systems, such as hand activated water faucets, generally include an infrared emitter that emits a timed pulse. When an object, such as a user's hands, is within the emitter's range, it reflects the pulsed IR beam, and the optical sensor detects the reflected light from the user's hands. In such a system, an IrDA compliant device emits a pulse every 250 milliseconds.
Various methods have been employed to electronically control water flow through a water control device such as a faucet or spigot. Among the accepted methods is the use of an optical sensor typically employed in combination with an infrared ("IR") source or IR emitter that together with processing electronics, are used to control a solenoid valve. Generally speaking, a pulsed IR beam is reflected from an object (such as a user's hands or other body parts, for example) and sensed by a photo detector to determine whether to activate or deactivate the solenoid valve. Pulsed IR sensing remains at the forefront of sensing techniques used with these types of devices, due in part to its reasonable performance and low cost.
Automatically activated fluid dispensing devices commonly known in the art do have a myriad of operating shortcomings. For example, devices such as IR controlled faucets require extensive manual servicing and maintenance. Inherently, in an environment such as an office building having numerous floors and numerous faucets in each of the restrooms on each of the floors, servicing and maintenance of the IR controlled devices is often a burdensome and time consuming task. Many simple tasks associated with the maintenance of the faucets, including battery replacement, IR range monitoring, and solenoid malfunction detection, are typically manually performed per faucet per restroom per floor in an office building. This type of monitoring of malfunctioning units dictates manual interaction with each unit for diagnostics, maintenance, calibration, and servicing.
In addition, a common denominator for many of the problems associated with automatically activated flow control devices, such as faucets, is the environment in which such devices are installed and operate. For instance, existing IR sensor designs generally suffer from an inability to adapt to changes in the background signal level associated with a gradual discoloration of the sink in which the faucet is mounted, a gradual degradation of the sensor lens due to the use of abrasive cleaning compounds, a gradual degradation of the IR emitter performance, among other things. Generally, existing sensors employ a fixed sensitivity threshold that is set either at the factory or by the installer (or both). When the IR sensor sensitivity is fixed, the sensors performance will inevitably degrade with environmental changes, and when the degradation causes faulty operation, a service call may be required. In some instances, the gradual degradation will go unnoticed resulting in poor performance.
In addition, calibration of today's automatically activated flow control devices is often labor intensive and inefficient with respect to devices presently on the market. The low cost IR sensing devices employed in automatically activated flow control devices vary with respect to power requirements, performance, and other criteria. As a result, readings taken by these IR sensing units (such as whether a user's hands are present beneath the aerator of a faucet) are generally nonuniform from device to device and, therefore, often result in improper activation and deactivation of some devices. Similarly, as battery power for these devices decreases over time, so does the power output of the IR sensing devices. As a result, manual calibration of conventional automatically activated flow control devices is generally required during initial installation, and thereafter on a frequent basis following extended periods of use.
Unfortunately, vandalism and water damage also adversely affect the use and proper operation of automatically activated flow control devices presently available in the art. Water often travels along the wiring harness extending from the flow control device to the device's electronics causing corrosion to the parts. In addition, vandals may attempt to break into the electronics box associated with the device or pull the wires from either the electronics box or the faucet.
What is needed therefore, but presently unavailable in the art is a system and method of wireless two-way data exchange between an appliance such as, an electronically activated flow control device, and a handheld device that overcomes many of the shortcomings associated with electronically activated appliances presently available in the art. Such a system and method should be easily maintained by maintenance personnel, substantially impervious to vandalism, self-calibrating, and remotely controlled. In addition, the system of the present invention should be capable of being remotely managed and controlled by any number of portable communication devices presently available in the art. The system should consume low power, be easy to install, and low cost. Moreover, the system should be capable of receiving instruction from a remote IRDA emitting device despite the appliances rapid rate of emitted IR sensing pulses. Large numbers of appliances within the system should also be capable of being used in a distributed network environment, and should be adapted to be managed and controlled from as few as one centralized control point. It is to the provision of such a system and method that the present invention is primarily directed.

System and method for wireless data exchange between an appliance and a handheld device


A file system independent virtualized boot block with discovery volume and cover files renders a volume visible when accessed by an accessing system which differs from a source system. For example, a downlevel operating system recognizes that data is present on a volume created in an uplevel operating system, even where the uplevel data itself may not be accessible.

Access to data across multiple file systems is a significant concern for computer users. Users may encounter difficulties when trying to access file systems supported in a source system but not supported in an accessing system. For example, a source file system may incorporate features such as encryption or compression which are not recognizable by an accessing device using a different file system.
Attempts to access volumes containing a file system incompatible with the accessing device may have unintended consequences for users. The accessing system may not recognize the file system of the source system and present the volume as "raw." At the least, the accessing system may not be able to determine that data is present on that volume. At worst, an accessing system which fails to recognize the volume may prompt the user to reformat the entire volume, causing loss of the data in the volume.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Virtualized boot block with discovery volume


An adhesive form assembly for mounting a detachable form to a surface such as a car window. One version of a form assembly includes a two-sided form, an attachment strip surrounding the two-sided form, and a liner strip substantially coextensive with the attachment strip. The two-sided form may have one or two sheets, comprising a porous material such as paper suitable for type or hand-writing on both sides. To adhere the two-side form to a surface, the liner strip is removed to expose the adhesive layer of the attachment strip and then the exposed adhesive is placed against the surface. To remove the two-sided form from the surface, the two-sided form is detached from the attachment strip without damage because the two-sided form is removably attached to the attachment strip by a perforation. Information may be added to the two-sided form while attached to or separate from a surface. The form assembly also includes a cover sheet for creating duplicate copies of the form. In another embodiment, the form assembly may include a chemical coating between a liner sheet and a two-sided form for creating duplicate copies of the form.

The invention generally relates to adhesive form assemblies for mounting a form to a surface. More particularly, this invention relates to an adhesive form assembly in which a form is securely mounted to the surface, yet can be easily detached without damage.
For certain applications, forms must be reliably attached to a surface, yet must also be capable of easy removal. Federal law, for example, requires car dealers to display a form known as a "Buyers Guide" on windows of used cars before offering the cars for sale. These forms are two-sided and are typically adhesively attached to a window so that the information entered by the dealer on both sides of the form is readily visible to a buyer. The law also requires that the dealer give the buyer the original "Buyers Guide" (or accurate copy) that was displayed on the vehicle.
Typically, such forms are mounted to car windows with strips of pressure sensitive adhesives along the top and bottom of the form. While inexpensive, such forms do not remain reliably attached to the window surface. Opening and closing the window to which the form is mounted causes the form to wrinkle or even separate from the window surface. Technically a car dealer may thus violate the law unwillingly through such separation before purchase of the car. It is also important, from an aesthetic perspective that the form remains undamaged because a damaged or wrinkled form conveys an unprofessional image.
One solution to this problem is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,755 to Owens. Owens employs a transparent oversized backing sheet adhered to the back page of a multi-part form. A marginal strip of the backing sheet surrounds the form and is covered with adhesive for securing the sheet (and form) to the window. However, while this solution solves one problem, it introduces others. It is difficult for the buyer to remove the form from the window without destroying the form adhesively attached to the backing sheet. Assuming the buyer can remove the backing sheet without destroying the attached form, then the buyer must laboriously cut off the adhesive marginal area if the back page is to be kept as a record. Furthermore, the backing sheet is made of a plastic material that by its nature is difficult to write on with ordinary ink or lead pencil. A dealer must use a fast drying solvent-based pen or a blunt writing instrument such as a grease pencil to attempt to write clearly in small areas of the form displayed through the backing sheet.
Owens recognized the first drawback of the backing sheet by providing a middle page in his form so that the back page may be discarded. But using the middle page requires the dealer to enter the same information twice--both on the middle page and the back page--since the middle page is not visible when the form is secured to the window. Moreover, the additional middle page adds to the cost of the form.


The present invention provides a method for malaria testing which enables testing for the presence of malaria infection and the extent of the infection in a convenient manner; and a reagent or kit which can be used in the method. The method for malaria testing according to the present invention includes the step of detecting a liver-type fatty acid binding protein present in urine collected from a subject animal. The extent of infection is determined to be higher when a larger amount of the liver-type fatty acid binding protein is present in a test sample.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for malaria testing, and a reagent or kit for testing, which can be used in the test method.
2. Related Art
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by infection with a malaria parasite, which is mediated by mosquitoes belonging to the genus Anopheles. Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) are protozoa belonging to Apicomplexa, the members of which are obligate intracellular parasites, in other words, they can proliferate only in cells. Protozoan parasites exhibit comparatively high host specificity, and there are four kinds of malaria parasites that utilize humans as a definitive host, i.e., falciparum malaria parasites (P. falciparum), tertian malaria parasites (P. vivax), ovale malaria parasites (P. ovale), and quartan malaria parasites (P. malariae). Malaria caused by these four kinds of malaria parasites are referred to as falciparum malaria, tertian malaria, ovale malaria, quartan malaria, respectively.
It is estimated that the number of patients suffering from malaria is three to five hundred million per year throughout the world, with a death toll of 1.5 to 2.7 million per year. In addition, malaria parasites are indigenous to 100 or more countries predominantly in tropical and subtropical areas, and thus half the global population constantly faces the risk of malaria infection. Therefore, early detection and early treatment are important for preventing increases in the seriousness of the symptoms, and also for avoiding spreading of the infection.
As conventional methods for malaria testing (definitive diagnostic methods), which are widely carried out around the world, a Giemsa-stained thin-film smear preparation and a Giemsa-stained thick-film smear preparation of the blood collected from a subject are prepared, and the malaria-parasitized erythrocytes are then detected by microscopic observation of these preparations (see Non-patent Documents 1 and 2).
Furthermore, a test method in which a reagent for detecting malaria-parasitized erythrocytes is used which contains a DNA selective fluorescent dye, and a reagent for partial lysis of erythrocyte membrane capable of allowing the fluorescent dye to permeated into the erythrocyte while keeping the malaria parasites within the erythrocytes has also been proposed (see Patent Document 1). In this method, the blood collected from a subject and the reagent for detecting malaria-parasitized erythrocytes are mixed to prepare a measurement sample, and an excitation light is irradiated onto this measurement sample to identify the erythrocytes parasitized with malaria, based on the obtained scattering ray data and fluorescent data.
For the early detection and early treatment of malaria, or for disseminating the testing itself of malaria, it is necessary that the test method can be carried out in a convenient manner even in endemic areas of malaria. However, in the method described above including microscopic observation of a smear preparation, each of the steps of: production of a smear preparation; fixation; staining; and drying must be carried out, and thus complicated operations, as well as sufficient knowledge and experience are required. Therefore, training in microscopic observation has been performed for malaria testing as a national project in many endemic countries under instructions of the WHO.
Moreover, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 necessitates complicated operations, and special apparatus such as a flow cytometer is required.
Accordingly, it cannot be said that any of these test methods could be readily carried out in endemic areas of malaria.
On the other hand, fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are known to be a group of proteins having a molecular weight of about 15 kD, are present in cytosol, and are able to bind to a fatty acid. The physiological functions of these proteins are considered to participate in the regulation of metabolic enzyme systems by transfer or accumulation of fatty acids within the cells, but the detailed physiological activities of these proteins have not been clarified yet. There have been known at least seven molecules of FABP such as liver-type (L-FABP), intestine-type (I-FABP), heart muscle-type (H-FABP), brain-type (B-FABP), cutaneous/epidermal-type (C-FABP/E-FABP), fat cell-type (aP2), peripheral neuron-type (myelin-P2), etc., and the primary structures thereof have been determined. All of these FABPs are able to bind to a fatty acid, and are recognized to have a region in which part of the sequence has been duly conserved, so that it is considered that they are members of a family evolved from the common ancestor genes. However, each FABP has a different primary structure as a whole, and shows a unique histologic distribution pattern. The nomenclature of FABP such as liver-type and intestine-type refers to the organ in which such FABP was found first, but does not mean that such an FABP is present exclusively in such organs.
In recent years, it has become known that L-FABP expression in hepatocytes relates to the liver stage development (exoerythrocytic development) of malaria parasites, and that down-regulation of L-FABP expression impairs malaria parasites growth, while overexpression of L-FABP promotes growth (see Non-patent Document 3).
However, in order to apply such findings to methods for malaria testing, L-FABP expression in hepatocytes have to be determined, and thus, they are not practical as test methods. In addition, although Non-patent Document 3 is a report concerning the exoerythrocytic development stage, no symptoms are present in the host during the exoerythrocytic development stage, which may be clinically referred to as a latent period. Therefore, it is also not practical as a test method in this respect. Furthermore, the extent of infection with malaria cannot be known from this test method, in contrast to the methods including microscopic observation of a smear preparation, and the like.
Accordingly, no convenient method for malaria testing which focuses on a L-FABP has been known so far.
Non-patent Document 1: Basic Malaria Microscopy, World Health Organization, 1991
Non-patent Document 2: Yukio Yoshida, "Human Parasitology Illustrated", Sixth edition, Nanzando Co., Ltd., 2002
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-304774
Non-patent Document 3: Sebastian A. et al., L-FABP is a Critical Host Factor for Successful Malaria Liver Stage Development, Int. J. Parasitol 37: 483-489 (2007)
Non-patent Document 4: Kamijo A. et al., Urinary Liver-type Fatty Acid Binding Protein as a Useful Biomarker in Chronic Kidney Disease, J. Mol. Cell. Biochem. 284: 175-182 (2006)

Method, reagent and kit for malaria testing


An Internet telephone system is provided with an Internet terminal device capable of connecting with the Internet and transmitting and receiving audio signals for a voice communication. The Internet terminal has a communication unit through for transmitting/receiving the audio signals to/from the Internet. The Internet terminal device has a first interface for outputting/inputting the audio signals for the voice communication and a multifunction device having a telephone function and an Internet telephone function. The multifunction device has a sound input/output unit, a second interface that interfaces between the sound input/output unit and the first interface, a third interface that interfaces between the sound input/output unit and a public telephone network, and a switching system that switches the second interface and the third interface depending on whether the telephone function is used or the Internet telephone function is used.

The present invention relates to an IP (Internet Protocol) telephone system.
Conventionally, terminals capable of performing data communication through the Internet have been widespread. Among such terminals, there is known a device providing a voice communication through the Internet using a voice signal transmitting/receiving device, typically known as the IP telephone.
In such a device, the voice to be transmitted is input to the microphone and/or the voice received through the Internet is input to a speaker so that a user can use the device as a telephone system. However, depending on a position of the microphone and/or speaker or a location of a user with respect to the device, the voice output by the speaker and/or the voice input through the microphone may have insufficient volume. In such a case, audio messages may not be transmitted/received well. Therefore, when the IP telephone system is used, the terminal device is typically connected with a headset, which is a device having an integrally composed headphone or earphone, and a microphone.
The headset described above is, however, dedicated to the IP telephone system, and is not used for any other functions. Further, such a headset is typically connected with the terminal device with a wire, which restricts a positional relationship of the user with respect to the terminal device.


This invention includes a wireless transmitter comprising an IF-signal generator that modulates input signals into those of an intermediate frequency band, signal distributors that distribute signals from the IF-signal generator, and a plurality of signal-transmission units that convert the signals distributed by the signal distributors into those of a radio frequency band, and then transmit the converted radio signals. The invention also includes a wireless receiver that receives the radio-frequency-band modulated signals and restores the signals of the intermediate frequency band. In this way, effective diversity is realized and signal interruptions are prevented. In addition, a handy, low-cost wireless communications system is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a communications system used for wireless communications and, more specifically, to a technique for realizing high-performance wireless communications using a plurality of receivers or transmitters.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent increase in demand for wireless communications represented by computer communications, there is a growing need for technology that can transmit broadband digital signals and analog signals while maintaining high signal quality. As a result, some frequency bands, particularly those higher than the SHF band, have come into use due to their wide bandwidth and the shortage of available frequencies in the microwave band. These bands are now being used in, for example, millimeter-wave-based video image multiplex transmission systems, wireless LAN, wireless home-link, and wireless road-vehicle (or vehicle-vehicle) communications systems.
In many wireless communications systems using high radio frequencies, the transmitter generates modulated signals in an intermediate frequency band, multiplexes two or more channels, and then converts (upconverts) the modulated signals into those of a predetermined radio frequency band using a local oscillation source. The receiver, in turn, converts (downconverts) the received signals of a radio frequency band into those of the intermediate frequency band using a local oscillation source, and then extracts the channels and demodulates the modulated signals.
During this process of signal exchange, the local oscillation sources used in the transmitter and the receiver must be synchronized with each other. If there are time-varying fluctuations in frequency and signal phase between the employed oscillation sources, the fluctuations overlap the modulated signals that have been downconverted, and degrade the quality of demodulated signals.
Thus, both the transmitter and receiver require a local oscillation source with high frequency-stability. It is, however, technically difficult to realize a local oscillator that provides high frequency-stability even at high frequencies. Even if such an oscillator becomes available, its manufacturing cost will be very high, and the wireless communications system employing such an oscillator will be expensive as a result.
Furthermore, because a wireless communications system using a high-frequency band such as the millimeter-wave band must receive direct signals, the path of radio waves is often blocked by obstacles such as humans, making it difficult to carry out stable wireless communication.
To solve such problems, the applicant of this invention has disclosed a self-heterodyne-type wireless communications system in Japanese Patent Kokai publication No. 2001-53640. In this disclosure, the signals for transmission are converted by a local oscillation signal from those of an intermediate frequency band into those of a radio frequency band, and the local oscillation signal and modulated radio-frequency-band signals are transmitted together wirelessly. Upon signal reception, the oscillation signal and modulated signals are mixed to restore the signals of the intermediate frequency band.
Such a self-heterodyne-type system having a receiver with a simple structure can transmit signals of high quality and reduce the cost of wireless communications systems.
To solve the signal-blocking problem, it is effective to adopt a diversity technique employing a plurality of independent transmitters or receivers. However, the prior-art structure involves some problems when it is used in the millimeter-wave band and its vicinity.
Specifically, according to a prior-art technique known as switching diversity, in which signals are transmitted or received by switching transmitters or receivers, switching noise is generated by the switching operation during the transmission or the reception of signals such as video images. Furthermore, if there is a large frequency offset upon switching, it is difficult for the demodulator circuit to quickly respond to such an offset, and thus it is also difficult to maintain stable wireless communication.
In addition, according to a technique known as "combining diversity," in which a plurality of independent signals for transmission/reception are combined in-phase, it is difficult to prevent the occurrence of frequency differences between the independent oscillators, and it is also difficult to synchronize signal phases during signal combining due to independent phase fluctuations (phase noise).

Wireless communications system, wireless transmitter, and wireless receiver

National Institute of Information and Communication Technology


Methods and systems are provided for a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system of a parallel twin-turbocharged internal combustion engine. Using an EGR cooler with a single exhaust inlet and outlet to cool recirculated exhaust gas may increase the complexity and size of the engine package, along with adding unnecessary cost from extra ductwork to decrease the chance of turbocharger boost imbalance. To provide a way to reduce package size without affecting engine performance, an EGR cooler with two exhaust inlets and outlets is used to cool exhaust flows leading from two cylinder banks.

Engine systems may utilize recirculation of exhaust gas from an engine exhaust system to an engine intake system, a process referred to as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), to reduce regulated emissions. For example, a turbocharged engine system may include a high-pressure (HP) EGR system which recirculates exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold upstream of the turbocharger turbine to the intake passage downstream of a turbocharger compressor and upstream of the intake manifold. Accordingly, exhaust gas may be recirculated and combined with the fresh intake air from the turbocharger compressor, resulting in a compressed mixture of fresh intake air and recirculated exhaust gas downstream of the compressor. An EGR valve may be controlled to adjust the amount of recirculated exhaust gas flow and achieve a desired intake air dilution, the desired intake air dilution based on engine operating conditions. The HP exhaust gas routed through the EGR system is measured and adjusted based on engine speed and load during engine operation to maintain desirable combustion stability of the engine while providing emissions and fuel economy benefits.
Many engine systems utilize two banks of cylinders arranged in a V formation, also known as a V-engine. Furthermore, in turbocharged V-engines, two turbochargers may be utilized to compress the intake charge. A common configuration is a parallel twin-turbocharger engine, wherein one turbocharger is assigned to one cylinder bank. Furthermore, the two turbochargers operate individually so the compressed charge of one turbocharger is not fed into the inlet of the second turbocharger. In this type of system, each turbocharger is driven by the exhaust from the exhaust manifolds of their respective cylinder banks. If a HP EGR system is also utilized with a parallel twin-turbocharged engine, then a portion of the exhaust from both cylinder banks are routed through an EGR system. An issue that arises with implementation of a HP EGR system with parallel twin-turbochargers is that systems may experience turbocharger boost imbalance which is a result of unequal exhaust gas conduits. Turbocharger boost imbalance may lead to adverse engine operation.
In one EGR system arrangement, shown by Gladden and Mineart in U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,054, an EGR circuit is connected to two cylinder banks arranged in a v-configuration. The engine system includes two main turbochargers that discharge exhaust in parallel to aftertreatment devices in one embodiment. The EGR circuit contains two inlet ports that are fluidly connected to the two exhaust manifolds corresponding to the first and second cylinder banks. Also, the two inlet ports are fluidly connected to an EGR cooler via a fluid passage. High-pressure exhaust at elevated temperatures from the two exhaust manifolds is routed through the inlets into the fluid passage which sends the exhaust through the EGR cooler. The EGR cooler is shown to have a single inlet passage and a single outlet passage through which the exhaust flows.
However, the inventors herein have identified potential issues with the approach of U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,054. With the progression of more compact vehicles that strive to minimize total weight while maintaining engine power and performance, efficient packaging of the engine has become increasingly important. In many EGR systems, the extra ductwork and components required to maintain equal length tubes to avoid turbo imbalance are expensive to add and difficult to package in the limited engine space.
Thus in one example, the above issues may be addressed by an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler, comprising: a coolant passage with a coolant inlet positioned on a first longitudinal surface of the cooler, fluidically coupled to an external coolant circuit, and a coolant outlet positioned on a second lateral surface of the cooler, fluidically coupled to an external coolant circuit, the second lateral surface opposite and parallel to the first longitudinal surface; a first exhaust passage with an inlet and an outlet located on opposite lateral surfaces, the lateral surfaces perpendicular to the first and second longitudinal surfaces; and a second exhaust passage equal in length to the first exhaust passage, the second exhaust passage including an inlet and an outlet located on the opposite lateral surfaces, the second exhaust passage inlet on the same surface as the outlet of the first exhaust passage, and the second exhaust passage outlet on the same surface as the inlet of the first exhaust passage. In this way, the dual conduit EGR cooler design enables shorter, equal length EGR gas supply tubes and shortens the overall package space required without causing turbocharger boost imbalance or adversely affecting engine performance
For example, each of the exhaust manifolds may be configured with exhaust tubes that direct exhaust gases towards their respective turbines. Upstream of the turbine inlets and downstream of the exhaust manifolds, two supply tubes (one for each cylinder bank) may branch away from the turbines and connect to opposite sides of an EGR cooler. The two supply tubes may enter the EGR cooler and may be routed through the EGR cooler in equal lengths, emerging on opposite sides as discharge tubes. The discharge tubes may then meet to form a combined exhaust conduit that leads away from the EGR cooler to a control valve that adjusts the EGR gas flow into the intake passage and intake manifold of the engine. By using the dual inlet/outlet EGR cooler, EGR gas from both cylinder banks may be equally cooled and merged with the intake charge without adding extra piping.
Furthermore, the EGR cooler may be mounted on a portion of the engine such that the supply tubes for both cylinder banks are symmetrically routed into the EGR cooler. The EGR cooler may be attached perpendicularly to the axis of the crankshaft, reducing the supply piping distance that connects the exhaust passages to the EGR cooler. Additionally, the merged exhaust conduit leading from the EGR cooler to the intake passage may also be reduced in length.
In another example, in order to reduce package space, an engine method is provided, comprising: directing first and second exhaust gases through two separate exhaust passages into first and second opposite sides of an EGR cooler, respectively; directing the still separate first and second exhaust gases out of the EGR cooler through the second and first sides, respectively; and merging the exhaust gases to form a single exhaust conduit outside the EGR cooler. In this way, a portion of the exhaust passages mounted outside the EGR cooler in common engine systems prior to the junction may be integrated within the proposed EGR cooler with two separate exhaust passages. For example, by merging the exhaust gases to form a single exhaust conduit outside and downstream the EGR cooler, it is possible to create a more compact EGR system that may be mounted to the engine.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Dual inlet and outlet exhaust gas recirculation cooler for turbocharged engine


A device for wearing on the wrist of a user and being capable of operating multiple remote controlled devices. The device includes a band, a remote control transmitter, and a plurality of buttons. The band is worn around the wrist of a user. The remote control transmitter is disposed at the band and selectively transmits different signals. Each signal selectively transmitted by the remote control transmitter is received by a specific receiver operatively connected to a remote controlled device, and when the specific receiver receives an associated signal, the remote controlled device operatively connect thereto operates. The plurality of buttons are disposed at the band and are operatively connected to the remote control transmitter. Each button is associated with a specific signal so as to allow the specific signal to be transmitted when an associated button is activated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bracelet, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a multiple remote control capable bracelet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Remote control is not a new idea in modern society. In fact, most people have several remote controls for different objects. The problem is with convenience and size. Multiple remote controls and their bulky shape prevent a user from quickly operating a variety of devices.
An example of a vehicle control system is Duckworth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,529. However this is strictly limited to automobiles.
Additionally, another example of the prior art is Alexander, U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,436. This deals with the actual unlocking of the door and does not open a variety of other items.


A measuring device comprises at least one port, an external cable connected to the at least one port, a transmitter connected to the at least one port through a switch, a receiver connected to the at least one port through the switch and a reference path connecting the transmitter with the receiver through the switch. The cable is connected to calibration elements, e.g., short and open. The switch alternately switch in a manner that in a first state the transmitter and the receiver are connected to the at least one port and that in a second state the transmitter and the receiver are connected via the reference path.

Wireless electronic devices typically include transceiver circuitry, antenna circuitry, and other radio-frequency circuitry that provides wireless communications capabilities. During testing, wireless electronic devices under test (DUTs) can each exhibit different performance levels. For example, each wireless DUT can exhibit its own output power level, gain, frequency response, efficiency, linearity, dynamic range, etc. In an effort to take into account the radio-frequency cable path loss, a vector network analyzer (VNA) can be connected to each cable to determine its path loss. However, calibrating path loss using this approach requires a VNA and ignores path loss associated with the test fixtures and potential variations that may exist among the different test instruments in the different test stations. Failing to account for test fixture path loss and variations in the behavior of the different test instruments may result in inconsistent measurement data. For example, performance parameters measured using one test station may be offset with respect to the performance parameters measured using another test station.
In U.S. Pat. No. 8,903,672 B2, calibration equipment for calibrating multiple test stations in a test system is provided. Each test station includes a test unit, a test fixture and a radio-frequency (RF) cable that connects the test unit to the test fixture. A control test setup is used to calibrate uplink and downlink characteristics associated with each test station (e.g., to determine path loss associated with the RF cable and test fixture and variations associated with the test unit). The control test setup calibrates each test station at desired frequencies to generate a test station error (offset) table. The test unit of each test station is individually configured based on the test station error table so that offset is minimized among the different stations and so that the test stations may reliably measure hundreds or thousands of wireless electronic devices during product testing.
The cable loss of each test station is calibrated using a special control test set up. This special control test setup makes use of a calibration plate to be connected to the test fixture of each test station. This calibration setup, however, does not allow very accurate measurements and also slows down the calibration procedure.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved method for calibration and respective measuring devices allowing for calibration with sufficient accuracy.

Method for calibrating a cable and respective measuring device


The present invention relates to a method of increasing the intracellular concentration of phosphate by employing 2-(carbamimidoyl-methyl-amino)ethoxyphosphonic acid as vehicle and method to transport Phosphate into the cell. The increase in intracellular phosphate increases the availability of Adenosine Triphosphate and phosphocreatine, thereby leading to an increase in the anaerobic energy supply resulting in longer endurance and more forceful muscular contractions.

Phosphate, or phosphorus, is the second most abundant mineral in the body with calcium being the most abundant. As a Phosphate salt with calcium, Phosphate is involved in the formation of bone and teeth. In other salt complexes, Phosphate is involved in acid-base balance. Phosphate is also important for the structures of DNA and cell membranes however, one of the most important roles of Phosphate is energy production in muscle as ATP and Phosphocreatine. Phosphate is also part of a compound in red blood cells known as 2, 3 DPG (2,3-diphosphoglycerate), which facilitates the release of oxygen to the muscle tissues.
Supplemental Phosphate salts have been shown to increase the concentration of 2,3 DPG in red blood cells, increasing VO2 max (a measure of aerobic fitness and a reduction in the production of lactate (Cade R, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. (1984) June; 16(3):263-8). Moreover, Phosphate has also been shown to enhance oxygen uptake and run performance without affecting the level of 2, 3 DPG (Kreider R B, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. (1990) April; 22(2):250-6). The metabolic rate can also be increased by Phosphate supplementation (Nazar K, et al. J Physiol Pharmacol. (1996) June; 47(2):373-83).
It has been noted that 86% of body's supply of phosphate is stored in the bone, 14% exists in the in the somatic cells and only 0.3% existing in the extracellular space. Therefore, with such small amounts of phosphate existing in the somatic cells and extracellular space the supply of phosphate in the body can be rapidly depleted during periods of strenuous muscle contraction or muscular loads.
Natural phosphate enhancement can be achieved through diet and supplement consumption. However, because the majority of phosphate within a body is stored in the bone an increase in phosphate, which is useful for cellular energetics through diet or direct supplementation alone, provides little if any increase in available phosphate to the somatic cells and extracellular space. Without an increase of the intracellular concentration of phosphate the energy required for muscle contraction will be quickly exhausted during physical activity. The energy requirements of contracting muscles involved in high-intensity exercise may increase 100-fold relative to resting muscles, exceeding the aerobic energy production capacity of the cells (Westerblad H, et al. News Physiol Sci. (2002) February; 17:17-21). In this case anaerobic metabolism will provide additional energy. However, high-intensity exercise results in an eventual reduced capacity for muscle contractile function, or fatigue. Thus, there is seemingly a link between anaerobic metabolism and fatigue.
In a 2000 review on the role of creatine in skeletal muscle, Casey and Greenhaff provide a thorough overview of energy supply and utilization in muscle (Casey A, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. (2000) August; 72(2 Suppl):607S-17S). Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the direct energy source for contracting muscle as energy for muscle contraction is released from the dephosphorylation of ATP to yield Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate (HPO42− or PO43− or Pi) in the following reaction:ATP+H2O→ADP+Pi+H++energy  (reaction 1)
Therefore, the function of muscle is largely dependent on the availability of ATP. However, the concentration of ATP available in muscle at rest prior to the start of exercise is only enough to supply about 1-2 seconds of intense activity. ATP can be readily regenerated through the anaerobic dephosphorylation of available phosphocreatine. However, like ATP, the concentration of phosphocreatine in muscle is low and only enough to sustain muscle activity for about another 6 seconds. After repeated bouts of contraction, muscle phosphocreatine levels become nearly depleted (Greenhaff P L, et al. J. Physiol. (1993) January; 460:443-53). Fatigue, although likely multifaceted in terms of biochemical events, is the point at which the energy required by contracting muscle exceeds the level available either from the stored supply of ATP or the indirect synthesis of high-energy ATP through phosphocreatine dephosphorylation.
The enzyme Creatine Kinase (CK) catalyzes the following reaction to regenerate phosphocreatine:ATP+creatineADP+phosphocreatine+H+  (reaction 2)Reaction 2 is reversible depending on the energy state of the cell. In fast-twitch skeletal muscles, a large pool of phosphocreatine is available for immediate regeneration of ATP hydrolyzed during short periods of intense muscle contraction. Due to high CK activity in these muscles, the CK reaction remains in a near-equilibrium state, keeping the concentration of [ADP] and [ATP] almost constant over several seconds at the expense of phosphocreatine.
As can be noted from examination of reactions 1 and 2, a requirement of the regeneration of both ATP and phosphocreatine is a phosphate. Supplemental phosphate counters the chemically-induced reduction of ATP in rats (Rawson N E, et al. (1994) June; 266(6 Pt 2):R1792-6) and improves athletic performance in humans concomitant with increased cardiac function and aerobic capacity (Kreider R B, et al. Int J Sport Nutr. (1992) March; 2(1):20-47). Thus, ensuring adequate supply of intracellular, intercellular, extracellular and intra-tissue phosphate may decrease the reliance on anaerobic metabolism to regenerate ATP, thereby allowing ample regeneration of phosphocreatine stores, even during times of strenuous physical activity.
Therefore there is a need to supply the body with intracellular, intercellular, extracellular and intra-tissue supplemental amounts of phosphate to increase the availability of ATP and phosphocreatine, thereby aiding in periods when strenuous muscular contractions are desired.

Method of increasing intracellular concentrations of phosphate and increasing the force of muscular contractions


A wireless-operated anti-graffiti spray can system (10) which allows a pressurized spray can (162) to be electronically operated from a remote location. The system (10) is disclosed in two designs: in the first design, a spray can activating device (38) consisting of a solenoid/valve assembly (42), which operates in combination with an electromagnetic coil (40), is used to control the spray can (162). In the second design, the activating device (38) consists of an electro-mechanical solenoid (138), which operates an articulated spray control leaf (142) that is used to the control the spray can (162). In both designs, a transmitting unit (12) is utilized that can only be enabled when connected to a utility a-c power source (160). The transmitting unit (12) produces an RF signal that is received by a receiving unit (28) located remotely and adjacent to the spray can activating device (38). The receiving unit produces a power signal which, in the first design, causes the activating device (38) to produce a magnetic field, thus causing the solenoid/valve assembly (42) to be energized; in the second design the power signal is applied directly to the solenoid (138) which causes the solenoid (138) to be energized. In both designs the spray can can only be used after, either the solenoid/valve assembly (42), or the solenoid (138) has been energized.

The act of marking any public or private surface with words, symbols and/or signs, without the owner(s) permission, is known as graffiti, or tagging. In previous years graffiti artists, or taggers, would primarily deface a specific location to signify a gang's territory or for revenge. During the last few years, however, taggers have been placing graffiti on virtually every surface possible. In fact, a status symbol among taggers is one's ability to mark a surface that is particularly dangerous to reach. In most major cities graffiti has unfortunately become a common sight for residents, businesses and visitors.
In order to attempt to control the onslaught of graffiti, city governments have implemented graffiti removal and watch programs. In recent years a city such as Los Angeles, Calif. spent over $10 million annually on these programs. In New York, the Transit Authority spent $6 billion in subway cleanup campaigns. These figures only represent one small part of the total cost resulting from graffiti. There are significant additional costs which stem from paying police and private security companies to apprehend taggers and, subsequent legal costs to prosecute and, if necessary, incarcerate the offenders.
Graffiti has also resulted in noticeable hardships for both the paint companies who manufacturer spray paint, and the average consumer, who must endure difficulties just to purchase the paint. Not only must all spray paint purchasers be 18-years-of-age or older (with valid I.D. ) but, also, the paint itself is kept in locked cabinets where only an employee of the paint store has access. What should be a simple, fairly quick retail paint purchase can become a time-consuming, offensive ordeal--especially if a person who happens to appear younger than 18 accidently forgets to bring his/her I.D. Some cities have even proposed a complete ban on the sale of all spray paint. It is unlikely this will occur but it does illustrate just how serious the graffiti problem has become.
If there was some way to provide spray paint that would be impossible or, at least significantly difficult for taggers to use, some of the graffiti problem could be eliminated.

Wireless-operated anti-graffiti spray can system


A photosensitive epoxy resin adhesive composition which is capable of forming a pattern by exposure to light through a photomask and development, and which, even after having formed a pattern in that manner, may still exhibit high adhesiveness when heated while keeping its pattern as such, as well as a photosensitive adhesive film which comprises the photosensitive epoxy resin adhesive composition. The photosensitive epoxy resin adhesive composition comprises an epoxy resin and a photo-acid generator, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyfunctional epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent of from 100 to 300 g/eq and a polyfunctional epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent of from 450 to 10000 g/eq.

With the recent tendency toward downsizing and increase in circuit integration of information communication appliances, the inner semiconductor packages for the appliances are being changed from lead frame-type packages to new-type high-density semiconductor packages such as BGA, CSP; and for example, for bonding a semiconductor chip to a circuit board or for bonding plural circuit boards together, use of a patterned adhesive is proposed (for example, see Reference 1).
In general, however, a photosensitive adhesive composition heretofore known in the art is patterned by exposing it to light and developing it, whereupon the resin used in the composition is crosslinked and cured. Accordingly, when an object is adhered to the thus-patterned adhesive composition layer, then it must be applied to the layer under thermal pressure at a high temperature. In addition, as so mentioned hereinabove, the conventional photosensitive adhesive composition is crosslinked and cured when it forms a pattern, and therefore even when an object is applied to the patterned layer under thermal pressure at such a high temperature, the adhesive composition could not be fully fluid even though it may be softened in some degree, and, as a result, there may occur partial voids in the adhesive interface between the adhesive and the object to be adhered. In general, therefore, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient adhesion strength between the adhesive and the object. Needless-to-say, semiconductor chips and circuit boards that are to be bonded with such an adhesive are damaged by heat, and primarily therefore, their adhesion at a high temperature must be preferably avoided, as mentioned above.
Reference 1: JP-A-2003-297876

Photosensitive epoxy resin adhesive composition and use thereof


Methods and systems for modifying the inertial parameters used in a virtual robot model that simulates the interactions of a real-world robot with an environment to better reflect the actual inertial properties of the real-world robot. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining joint physical parameter measurements for the joints of a real-world robot, determining simulated joint physical parameter values for each of the joint physical parameter measurements, and adjusting an estimate of inertial properties of the real-world robot used by the virtual robot dynamic model to reduce a difference between the simulated joint physical parameter values and the corresponding joint physical parameter measurements.

This specification relates to techniques for determining inertial properties used in a simulated environment to model dynamic behavior of the robot in a real environment.
There is a reality gap between a simulated environment and a real environment. Control and learning algorithms that work effectively for a virtual robot in a simulation may perform poorly on a robot in the real environment. One cause of the reality gap may be attributed to various simplifications made in simulation algorithms, such as using inaccurate physical parameters, simplifying contact models, ignoring hardware limitations, noise, and latency.


Disclosed is a vehicular device comprising a tether. The tether is anchored at a first point to the frame of the vehicle, and at a second point to the knuckle of a front wheel of the vehicle, wherein the knuckle couples the front wheel to the frame. The locations of the first anchor point and second anchor point, along with the length of the tether and the routing of the tether within the vehicle, are selected such that in a collision event between the front wheel and a barrier, when the knuckle becomes separated from the frame, the motion of the front wheel is constrained to exert force on both the barrier and the frame of the vehicle.

Modern vehicles are designed with crash safety in mind. Crash safety is tested both physically (using actual crashes staged under laboratory conditions) and virtually (using computer models and numerical analysis) to determine the forces, accelerations, and deformations that a given vehicle design will experience in a given set of crash conditions. One particularly challenging scenario occurs during the frontal crash mode called small overlap rigid barrier (SOL), wherein a vehicle strikes a rigid barrier at ˜25% overlap or less to the vehicle width. Due to this small overlap between the barrier and the vehicle, the main structural members of the vehicle frame are not directly contacted by the barrier, and the deformation to the vehicle cabin can therefore be severe. To avoid large deformations to the occupant area, it is advantageous to both engage these missed structural members and to push the vehicle away from the barrier. Engaging the structural members of the frame is beneficial, as it permits the structural members to absorb some of the energy of the crash outside of the occupant area (e.g., by bending or crumpling). Pushing the vehicle off the barrier is beneficial because some of the energy is transferred to lateral kinetic energy which will not need to be absorbed by the vehicle. This motion is also beneficial because the vehicle can escape the barrier sooner, which may reduce direct contact between the vehicle cabin and the barrier.
However, loading between a rigid barrier and a front wheel often leads to the fracture of chassis parts and a separation of the wheel from the vehicle. Current vehicle designs implement strong chassis members designed to fracture (separate) only at specific times, but allow free, uncontrolled wheel motion following the fracture. Depending on the exact post-fracture motion of the wheel, it may then be ejected from the wheel well or may become entrapped in the vehicle's passenger cabin envelope as the vehicle crushes during impact. Either result may increase the damage inflicted by the SOL barrier on the vehicle's passenger cabin.
Due to the complex nature of chassis part fracture and wheel dynamics, accurately predicting motion of the wheel after separation from the vehicle can be difficult. In general, wheel motion is not repeatable, and small changes in wheel motion can drastically change crash test results. SOL crashes may represent approximately 5% of overall crashes, but because they cause disproportionate vehicle damage and disproportionate risk of injury as compared to other crash types, they are of significant concern in vehicle design and testing. Thus, currently used front wheel assemblies have numerous drawbacks, including excessive cabin deformation during SOL crash events, and otherwise. Accordingly, a need exists for improved front wheel assemblies that address the forgoing and other concerns.
The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded as subject matter by which the scope of the disclosure is to be bound.

Active retractor device for controlling wheel motion during crash

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.


The present invention is further directed towards a method for determining the efficiency of separation of a dense media separation process. This method includes determining an apparent distance a particle must travel in a dense media cyclone to be correctly beneficiated. From this apparent distance, an apparent velocity a particle must achieve to be correctly beneficiated is calculated. This apparent velocity is used, along with cyclone geometry and operational parameters to calculate a divergence value which indicates the efficiency of separation. The present invention also includes a method for selecting cyclone geometry and operating parameters which includes determining separation efficiency and adjusting geometry and parameters in a manner to obtain improved efficiency.

The burning of fossil fuels, including coal, is necessary to meet the energy requirements of our society. However, the combustion of coal, and in particular, many lower grades of coal, produces sulfur oxides which are emitted to the atmosphere. The release of these compounds produces many detrimental environmental effects. Respiration of these pollutants can cause human health problems ranging from mild respiratory irritation to more serious chronic diseases. Sulfur oxides can also react with other compositions in the atmosphere to form acid precipitation which has the effect of acidifying bodies of water and destroying the wildlife which live in such habitats. Acid precipitation also can destroy manmade structures such as buildings and statues.
Industry has sought to burn coal with low sulfur content to avoid the problems associated with sulfur oxides emissions. However, such fuel is not always readily available and the costs to recover and transport such high quality coal is in many cases prohibitive. Therefore, to meet the objective of environmentally acceptable coal combustion, effective methods are needed to remove sulfur compounds from the coal before, during, and after combustion.
Recent revisions in the Federal Clean Air Act require a ninety percent reduction in pounds of sulfur dioxide per million Btu for high sulfur coal before release to the atmosphere of combustion byproducts for new sources of air pollution. Some states have applied stringent requirements for reduction of sulfur dioxide to existing facilities. Federal and state legislation, therefore, make it necessary to achieve high reductions in the amount of sulfur compounds emitted during the combustion of coal.
A method of reducing the sulfur content of coal before combustion includes: (1) grinding the coal to a small particle size to liberate the inorganic sulfur containing compounds and other ash forming minerals from coal; and (2) separating the inorganic material bearing sulfur from the organic portion, coal. A major limitation in this technique is that when coal is ground fine enough to liberate substantial quantities of sulfur minerals and ash-forming minerals, separation of the coal from the unwanted material and subsequent recovery of the coal become difficult.
The grind size required to enable a ninety percent pyrite reduction and eighty-five percent Btu recovery for most coals is less than 0.5 mm and frequently finer than 0.1 mm. At these sizes, reported beneficiation techniques are not consistently effective in separating coal at acceptable efficiencies.
Jigs, hydrocyclones and tables are inefficient for separation of minus 0.5 mm coal. Froth flotation is ineffective when applied to oxidized coals because their surface character is not sufficiently hydrophobic to be activated by collecting reagents. For unoxidized coals, good Btu recovery is attainable by froth flotation, but pyrite rejection is difficult because of the relative ease with which pyrite floats.
Ergun, U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,310 discloses a method of cleaning fine coal material (0.400 mm-0.037 mm) by subjecting a mixture of coal and pyrite to electro-magnetic radiation which selectively magnetizes pyrite. Pyrite is then removed by magnetic means. This process is limited to magnetizable refuse material such as pyrite. Other materials frequently found in coal, such as silica, cannot be removed by this method.
Dense media cyclones are efficient devices for separating coal in the quarter inch to 0.5 mm range from refuse material on the basis of coal and refuse material having different densities. A mixture of the two materials is suspended in a dense media to form a sink product and a float product. A dense media, or a psuedo-heavy liquid, is necessary because the specific gravities of coal and refuse material are greater than one, and therefore, cannot be separated by water alone. A media with an effective media specific gravity between that of coal and of refuse material is required. A common media useful for coal beneficiation is a suspension of magnetite particles in water. By introducing a coal-refuse material mixture into a magnetite media, clean coal floats and refuse material sinks. Separation of these materials is hastened by using a dense media cyclone which increases the nominal gravitational acceleration on the mixture.
The use of dense media cyclone separations for beneficiating coal is well known. For example, Miller, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,162, is directed toward a heavy medium beneficiating process for coal particles greater than 150 mesh (about 0.1 mm). Horsfall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,628, is also directed toward a dense medium separation process. Horsfall discloses the use of magnetite particles less than 0.100 mm for beneficiation of coal fines having a particle size less than 1.000 mm and, in particular, less than 0.500 mm. This process involves separation of materials in a suspension with a dense media to form two fractions and a series of subsequent screenings and washings of magnetite from the two fractions. Horsfall, however, does not address the question of efficiency of separation of the two products.
Previous attempts to extend the performance of dense media cyclones below 0.5 mm have generally met with limited success and, in particular, have been unsuccessful in terms of teaching a general method for efficient separation. One parameter which is useful in assessing the effectiveness of separation of coal fines and refuse material by dense media and other separation techniques is the Ecart Probable (Ep). The Ep value is defined as the difference between the particle density of that fraction of the cyclone feed having a 75% chance of reporting to the overflow minus the particle density of that fraction of the cyclone feed having a 25% chance of reporting to the overflow divided by two. The separation gravity is defined as the specific gravity of a small increment of the feed which reports fifty percent to the clean coal overflow and fifty percent to the refuse underflow. The Ep value is a measure of the sharpness or efficiency of the separation, while the separation gravity defines the specific gravity at which the separation occurred. This separation gravity is different for different size fractions of feed coal even though all size fractions are cleaned in the same dense media cyclone. Generally, a smaller size fraction has a higher separation gravity. Also, the specific gravity of the dense media is generally less than the separation gravity.
A typical dense media is a suspension of magnetite particles in water. The magnetite can be natural magnetite which has been milled. Magnetite is also recoverable from fly ash. For example, Aldrich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,868 discloses that magnetite particles less than 325 mesh in diameter, having 90% magnetics, and a specific gravity between 4.1 and 4.5, can be obtained from fly ash. Aldrich further discloses that such magnetite contains a high proportion of round particles which are desirable for heavy medium separation because round particles reduce the viscosity of the heavy medium and facilitate separation.
Fourie, et al., The Beneficiation of Fine Coal by Dense-Medium Cyclone, J. S. African Inst. Mining and Metallurgy, pp. 357-61 (October 1980), discloses dense media cyclone separation of a 0.5 mm-0.075 mm coal fraction in a heavy medium cyclone with milled magnetite with at least fifty percent less than 0.010 mm using a 150 mm diameter cyclone. Ep values from 0.020 to 0.031 were achieved. While acceptable separation efficiences were achieved by Fourie, et al., the reference does not address cleaning the minus 0.075 mm coal fraction or provide a general method for determining operational parameters necessary to achieve acceptable efficiences.
Extending the capability of density separation beyond reported limits to effectively separate coal fines smaller than 0.5 mm and particularly smaller than 0.075 mm is highly advantageous. Substantial reductions in sulfur content and high Btu recovery can be achieved with such coal sizes. The ability to clean such fine coal is also economical because waste coal fines which were previously unrecoverable can now be used as an additional fuel source. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved process for the beneficiation of minerals to effectively recover fine coal.

Process for beneficiating particulate solids