An improved transfer case has fewer parts than the prior art to achieve the pneumatic three-position function. In the prior art the pneumatic cylinders were provided by bolt-on housings which required additional components to achieve a fluid tight connection. The present invention incorporates its fluid cylinders within bores formed into the transfer case housings. In this way, the required number of housing components is greatly reduced compared to the prior art.

This invention relates to a pneumatic three-position shift mechanism for use in vehicle transfer cases wherein the number of components to provide the shift mechanism is reduced compared to the prior art.
Vehicle transfer cases are typically provided with the ability to move a shift yoke between a first position at which is engages a low speed gear, a second position at which it engages a high speed gear, and a third intermediate neutral position at which neither gear is engaged. Typically, these systems have incorporated a shift rod that is movable within a two-part housing between the three positions. At one end of the shift rod are a pair of cylinders movable within three different chambers and between the several positions. At the opposed end of the shift rod is a guiding chamber in which the shift rod is movable.
In the prior art, all of the fluid chambers are provided by separate housings which are bolted to the main transfer case housings. With each separate housing, the number of seals and fluid tight connections that must be utilized increases. Thus, with the prior art, there are required seals and securing devices for separate fluid housings at each of the two ends of the transfer case.
FIG. 1 shows an example 20 of the prior art transfer case. A housing 22 has a split line 24 dividing two housings sub-portions 26 and 28. A shift rod 30 is received extending between the two, and moves a shift collar 32 to selectively engage one of the two gears 34 and 36. Gear 34 is a low speed and gear 36 is a high speed gear. The collar 32 is shown in the intermediate or neutral position.
A fluid cylinder 38 is bolted to one end of the housing 28. The other housing portion 26 receives the bolted on fluid housing 40. Housing 40 receives the rear end 42 of the shift rod 30 and housing 38 receives the forward end 44 which moves with a plurality of pistons to achieve the various positions of the collar 32.
As can be appreciated, with the separate housings 38 and 40 a good deal of additional attachments, seals, etc. are necessary.
In the disclosed embodiment of this invention, the chambers for receiving both the piston and preferably the remote end of the shift rod are formed by integral bores in the transfer case housings. In this way, the bores are self-sealed, and no separate sealing elements or elaborate fluid-type securing devices are necessary.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, both of the chambers are formed by bores. The bore for receiving a remote end is preferably a blind bore extending into the housing. The bore for receiving the piston end of the shift rod is preferably a bore which opens outwardly through a plurality of stepped bore portions. One of the pistons is preferably of a larger diameter and is movable within a first stepped portion. An end cap is received with a second outer diameter stepped portion of the bore, and provides the outer end for the fluid cylinder. This cap is all that need be secured to the housing in a fluid tight manner. As can be appreciated, the present invention thus greatly reduces the number of required components.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

Pneumatic three-position shift mechanism with fewer components


In the method a code mask for coding transmission over a traffic channel is generated based on a base station differentiator and a traffic channel differentiator. Base station differentiators are used to differentiate between different base stations and traffic channel differentiators are used by a base station to differentiate between different traffic channels assigned by a base station.

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a geographic area in which wireless services are provided by a first service provider having a first network of cells 10 and a second service provider having a second network of cell 20. Each of the cells in the first and second networks of cells 10 and 20 represents a coverage area for a corresponding base station BS in the network run by the respective service provider. A base station BS generally provides wireless communication services for mobile stations 12 within its coverage area.
As will be appreciated, the communication between one base stations BS and a mobile station 12 has great potential for interfering with the communication between another base station BS and another mobile station 12. This potential exists for base stations BSs in the same network as well as between base stations BSs in different networks. Also, the communication between the same base station BS and two different mobile stations 12 has the potential for interfering with one another. To avoid this interference, wireless communication systems such as CDMA 2000 wireless systems use codes to code and differentiate transmissions. As will be described below, base stations BSs use codes generated from different offset values to differentiate between transmissions by different base stations. Also, a base station BS uses codes to differentiate between different traffic channels assigned to mobile stations by the base station BS.
In a CDMA 2000 system, each service provider assigns an identifier BS_ID to the base stations BS within its network to uniquely identify each base station BS in the network. However, a base station identifier BS_ID does not necessarily uniquely identify base stations BSs in different networks. When transmitting, a base station codes its transmission based on a different offset such as the PN offset in CDMA 2000. In CDMA 2000, the PN offset is a 9 bit string that differentiates one base station BS from its neighboring base stations BSs even when those base stations BSs are in different networks. As illustrated in FIG. 1, base stations BSs from different networks may be neighboring base stations. While FIG. 1 illustrates neighboring base stations as having coverage areas that are adjacent or near one another (e.g., separated by one or more cells), it will be understood, that neighboring base stations may also have overlapping coverage areas. At a mobile station 12, the mobile station 12 obtains the PN offset from the base station BS to decode the transmissions from the base station BS and differentiate the transmission of one base station BS from another base station BS. In CDMA 2000, for example, the mobile station 12 obtains the PN offset as well as the base station identifier BS_ID from a message broadcast by the base station over a forward control channel.
When a base station BS assigns a traffic channel over which the mobile station 12 may communicate, the base station BS uses codes to differentiate one traffic channel transmission from another traffic channel transmission. In CDMA 2000, a different Walsh code is used to code each traffic channel of a base station BS. As with the PN offset, the Walsh code assigned to a traffic channel between the base station BS and a mobile station 12 is communicated to the mobile station 12 in a message over a forward control channel. At the mobile station 12, the mobile station 12 decodes the transmission over the traffic channel and differentiates one traffic channel from another using the Walsh code.
Codes are also used to differentiate reverse link transmissions (mobile station to base station) over traffic channels. The code used by a mobile station to code and differentiate traffic channel transmissions is referred to as a code mask. In CDMA 2000, the code mask is referred to as the long code mask, and two types of long code masks are known: private and public. In CDMA 2000, the public long code mask (PLCM) is typically formed using the electronic serial number (ESN) of the mobile station 12. FIG. 2 illustrates an example public long code mask formed according to CDMA 2000 that is 42 bits long; however, other long code mask sizes exist. As shown, the long code mask includes 2 bits indicating the type of the long code mask (private or public), 8 bits providing signaling information such as the method used to form the long code mask, and the 32 bit ESN of the mobile station 12. The 32 bit ESN is often considered the variable portion of the PLCM.
For the base station BS to decode the traffic channel transmission for the mobile station 12, the BS must obtain the mobile station's ESN, and numerous methods are known in the art for accomplishing this. As an alternative to the above-discussed PLCM generation method, CDMA 2000 also provides that the base station BS may assign a PLCM of its choosing to a mobile station 12 during a call activation (e.g., call origination or call delivery).
Presently, the supply of 32 bit ESNs is being exhausted, and discussions have begun on transitioning from the use of 32 bit ESNs to 56 bit mobile equipment identifiers (MEIDs). The use of a 56 bit MEID poses several challenges such as in the generation of public long code masks. Directly using the MEID would require hardware changes. Accordingly, several proposals exist for using the MEID to generate the public long code mask that do not require such hardware changes. One proposal is to map the 56 bit MEID to a 24 bit value, concatenate a fixed 8 bit value to the 24 bit mapped value and create a 32 bit pseudo-ESN. The pseudo-ESN could then be used as the ESN in the conventional public long code mask generation process.
However, it has been shown that this pseudo-ESN method does not result in a sufficient number of different public long code masks to prevent an undesirable number of collisions between mobile station communications. A collision is where the transmissions from two or more mobile stations are not uniquely identifiable.
Other techniques attempt to resolve this collision problem by introducing additional complexity into the system. For example, one proposal is to have the base stations assign the public long code mask using a methodology to ensure a unique value within the network. However, during inter-network hand-offs, this uniqueness can not be ensured and collisions may result. In view of this, even further layers of complexity in preventing collisions have been suggested.

Method for generating a code mask for coding transmission over a traffic channel


A tileable display panel includes an illumination layer, a display layer, and a screen layer. The display layer is disposed between the screen layer and the lamp layer and includes pixelets. Each of the pixelets is positioned to be illuminated by lamp light from the illumination layer and to project a magnified image sub-portion onto the screen layer such that the magnified image sub-portions collectively blend together to form a unified image on the screen layer. Each of the pixelets includes core pixels and peripheral pixels surrounding the core pixels on one or more sides which provide a higher image resolution in overlap regions on the screen layer when the magnified image sub-portions overlap on the screen layer.

Large wall displays can be prohibitively expensive as the cost to manufacture display panels rises exponentially with monolithic display area. This exponential rise in cost arises from the increased complexity of large monolithic displays, the decrease in yields associated with large displays (a greater number of components must be defect free for large displays), and increased shipping, delivery, and setup costs. Tiling smaller display panels to form larger multi-panel displays can help reduce many of the costs associated with large monolithic displays.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate how tiling multiple smaller, less expensive display panels 100 together can achieve a large multi-panel display 105, which may be used as a large wall display. The individual images displayed by each display panel 100 may constitute a sub-portion of the larger overall composite image collectively displayed by multi-panel display 105. While multi-panel display 105 can reduce costs, visually it has a major drawback. Each display panel 100, includes a bezel 110 around its periphery. Bezel 110 is a mechanical structure that houses pixel region 115 in which the display pixels are disposed. In recent years, manufactures have reduced the thickness of bezel 110 considerably to less than 2 mm. However, even these thin bezel trims are still very noticeable to the naked eye, distract the viewer, and otherwise detract from the overall visual experience.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Variable resolution seamless tileable display


A display corrector circuit 40 is disclosed which corrects for defocusing and horizontal and vertical spherical positional distortion of a point 22 upon a flat faced cathode ray tube display 16. The corrector 40 provides a plurality of programmable corrections and is based upon the first three terms of a Taylor series expansion of a polynomial functional representation of positional error.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display corrector and, more particularly, to a corrector to be used within a flat faced cathode ray tube display and which compensates for vertical and horizontal positional distortion and defocusing of points contained thereon.
2. Discussion
Flat faced cathode ray tube (CRT) displays are used in a wide variety of electronic applications requiring high accuracy and minimal display errors, such as in airplane displays. While these flat faced displays provide high accuracy, their geometrically flat face causes significant variation in deflection sensitivity and spot size relative to points appearing thereon. This sensitivity variation causes both horizontal and vertical positional distortion or displacement of the displayed points relative to their position upon an ideally spherically shaped display. The spot size variation causes these points to be defocused or blurred upon the display. These difficulties are well known in the art and are commonly referred to as "pin-cushion" distortion and defocusing, and are particularly obvious and troublesome at the turned edges of the flat faced display.
One approach to correcting these difficulties has utilized an electronic corrector embodying a square root approximation of the horizontal and vertical spherical positional error associated with the displayed points. This approach has only proven to alleviate a portion of the total distortion and defocusing while utilizing a complex electronic network which has proven to be relatively costly and subject to error.


A method of forming an image containing the step of: ejecting droplets of an ink-jet ink containing water, a colorant and a polymer through a nozzle of an ink-jet head onto an image recording medium, wherein the polymer has a hydrophilic main chain and a plurality of side chains which are capable of cross-linking between the side chains by irradiation with an active energy ray; and a shearing stress is continuously applied to the ink-jet ink in an ink-jet head channel of the ink-jet head during the time when the ink-jet head is in a stand-by condition to eject the droplets of the ink-jet ink.

Ink-jet recording methods enable highly detailed image recording, employing relatively simple devices and have been applied increasingly to various fields. Further, their uses have been diversified, and recording media or ink-jet inks, which meet specific requirements, have been employed.
In recent years, particularly, the recording rate has been greatly enhanced and ink-jet printers, which exhibit performance durable for the application to shortrun printing, have been developed.
However, in ink-jet printers, in order to bring out demanding performance, ink-jet exclusive paper, provided with high absorbability of ink-jet ink, is required.
When recording is carried out on coated paper and art paper provided with minimal absorbability of ink-jet ink, or plastic film provided with no ink absorbability, ink liquids which differ in color are mixed on the recording medium to result in color contamination, whereby so-called color bleed problems occur. When diversity of ink-jet recording systems is provided for recording media, the above drawbacks remain to be overcome.
In order to overcome the above drawbacks, proposed is a hot-melt type ink-jet recording method in which a hot-melt type ink composition, incorporating waxes solid at room temperature, is employed; the above composition is liquidized via heating; the resulting liquid is ejected via any of the applied energy; and is cooled and solidified after deposition on a recording medium, whereby image recording dots are formed (refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2). Since the above hot-melt type ink composition is solid at room temperature, no staining results during handling. Further, since the ink does not evaporate during melting, nozzle clogging is of no concern. Further, since the ink is solidified immediately after deposition onto the recording medium, it has become known that it is possible to provide excellent printing quality irrespective of paper quality with minimal color bleed.
However, at present, images, which are recorded employing such a hot-melt type ink composition, result in drawbacks such as quality degradation or insufficient abrasion resistance due to raised dots since recorded images are composed of soft, and waxy dots.
On the other hand, disclosed is an ink-jet recording ink which is cured via exposure to actinic radiation (Refer to Patent Document 3). Further, proposed is a non-water based ink in which pigments are incorporated as a colorant; at least three-functional polyacrylates are employed as a polymerizable compound; and ketone and alcohol are employed as a primary solvent (refer to Patent Document 4). Still further, proposed is an ink employing water based UV polymerizable monomers (refer to Patent Document 5).
In these image recording methods, in which curing is carried out via exposure to actinic radiation, the ink itself is cured employing curing components, whereby it has become possible to record images on non-absorptive recording media. However, since a large amount of curing components, other than colorants, is incorporated and such components do not sublime, the resultant recording image surface is raised due to the waxy ink dots, to result in unusual image quality, especially unnatural glossiness.
Further, some of the conventional curing components result in problems in regard to safety. Further, though safety may be secured, problems occur in which it is not possible to freely design physical properties due to the narrow range for selecting materials.
Further, considered as an image forming method, applied to low ink absorptive or non-ink absorptive recording media, is one in which fixing is carried out via incorporation of fixing resins. However, problems occur in which ink ejection properties from ink heads are degraded due to the fixing resins. Still further, the ink incorporating polymerizable compounds, as described above, carries problems in which, during ejection from the ink-jet heads, when retained in the ink standing section for an extended period of time, the ink viscosity tends to vary, whereby when ejected from nozzles, ejection variation occurs due to the viscosity variation of the ink.                (Patent Document 1) U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,365        (Patent Document 2) U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,948        (Patent Document 3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,438        (Patent Document 4) Examined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-64667        (Patent Document 5) Japanese Patent Publication for Public Inspection (herein after referred to as JP-A) No. 7-224241


A method of performing capability discovery of Rich Communication Suite (RCS) in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes displaying a predetermined number of pieces of contact information from among registered contact information when a displaying of the registered contact information is requested, displaying the registered contact information so as to correspond with a user input when the user input is determined, and selecting currently displayed contact information and performing capability discovery with respect to the selected displayed contact information, when the user input is not determined during a predetermined time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to performing capability discovery associated with the use of a Rich Communication Suite (RCS) service with respect to contact information stored in a phonebook.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rich Communication Suite (RCS) and RCS-enhanced (RCS-e) services provide various communication functions to users of a portable terminal through a communication network, based on the standard specifications set by the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA).
The RCS (or RCS-e) is being globally expanded from Europe to other parts of the world such as Korea, the United States, and the like, and provides various communication functions such as an enriched call function that shares a multimedia file, for example, a moving picture, a picture, and the like during a call, an enhanced phonebook function that obtains information associated with a communication partner registered in a phonebook in real time, an enriched messaging function that shares a file during chatting, and the like.
To utilize the RCS service that provides the various communication functions as described in the foregoing, a process of determining whether a portable terminal of a communication partner supports the RCS service may be employed. For example, a portable terminal of a user performs a process of determining whether the RCS service is supported with respect to each piece of contact information registered in a phonebook, and the process is referred to as capability discovery.
However, in the case of capability discovery performed in the current RCS service, the capability discovery is performed with respect to all contact information registered in the phonebook, and thus a large amount of time may be expended until the capability discovery with respect to all contact information is completed. This may cause a problem in that an available use time of a portable terminal is decreased since a battery charge of the portable terminal that performs the capability discovery is rapidly consumed, and a further problem in that a user is charged for data, since data traffic associated with the capability discovery is generated. The amounts of time, battery usage, and data traffic used increase with the amount of contact information in the phonebook. Thus, for example, a user who accumulates phonebook entries over time and transfers them to each new portable terminal he uses will use up a significant amount of battery charge, time, and data traffic when his portable terminal performs the RCS capability discovery with the phonebook information.
Therefore, there is a need to improve the related-art capability discovery performing method for the RCS service so as to minimize the consumption of a battery of a portable terminal and an amount of data traffic generated.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved system and method for performing a capability discovery of RCS in a portable terminal.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Method and apparatus for performing capability discovery of rich communication suite in a portable terminal


Composition and methods are disclosed that include a synergistic combination of an inhibitor of Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase, and an antiherpes substance.

Herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 (HSV1 and HSV2) infect skin and mucous membranes to cause acute lesions, which resolve within a matter of days. However, during the course of this infection virus is transported to the neurons that innervate the locally infected site and establish a lifelong latent persistence. Generally, the acute infections of the mouth, eye, and other facial regions are caused by HSV1, with the establishment of latency in the trigeminal ganglia, whereas acute infections of the genital areas are due to HSV2, with the establishment of latency in the lumbar and sacral ganglia. In both cases, lifelong latency is punctuated periodically by production of infectious virions in the ganglia, transport to the innervated epithelial tissue, and bouts of acute virus replication, shedding of infectious virus from the acutely infected site, and perhaps local lesion formation. These lesions are the familiar cold sores, which occur around the lips, herpes keratitis of the eye, and the venereal disease of the anal/genital region.
In addition to these common clinical experiences, herpes simplex viruses may also cause life-threatening encephalitis both in neonates, usually the result of massive virus exposure during birth, and in immuno-compromised adults. Herpetic encephalitis results in high mortality, and survivors are often severely handicapped. Herpetic encephalitis occurs in about 3000 newborns each year in the USA. Often this results because of massive exposure of the neonate to virus (usually HSV2) shed in the birth canal of the infected mother, and is of greatest probability if the membranes have ruptured and if the mother is experiencing a primary genital herpetic infection. The infected newborn may experience localized skin and ocular lesions, viremia, and localized central nervous system lesion development, usually starting within 6 days of birth. If infection results in disseminated disease, central nervous system (CNS) disease occurs in up to 50% of the infants and can result in 75% mortality. For the survivors of CNS involvement the outcome is bleak, with psychomotor retardation in 50 to 75% of the survivors.
The compound 2-phenylamino-6-oxo-9-(4-hydroxybutyl)purine, HBPG (U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,155) has been shown to reduce the frequency of hyperthermia-induced HSV1 and HSV2 reactivation in mice and reduce the amount of viral DNA in the relevant nerve ganglia. In addition, HBPG has been shown to reduce the frequency of recurrent ocular HSV1 disease in squirrel monkeys.


Each of an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and an image processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises image acquisition device configured to acquire image data by scanning a patient into whom an ultrasonic contrast medium has been injected, with ultrasonic beams, same-part correspondence device configured to bring same parts into correspondence with each other, between a plurality of images concerning the same parts of the identical patient and acquired by the image acquisition device, arithmetic operation device configured to arithmetically operate image information items on changes of intensities between the plurality of images by using the intensities of those corresponding pixels of the plurality of images which have been brought into correspondence by the pixel correspondence device, and display device configured to display results operated by the arithmetic operation device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and an image processing apparatus which offer information reflective of the blood flow velocity of a myocardial tissue by employing contrast echoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of ultrasonic diagnostic equipments, the spotlight of attention has recently been focused upon contrast echocardiography wherein, in examining the heart, an abdominal organ or the like, an ultrasonic contrast medium is injected from a vein so as to estimate a blood flow movement. The technique of injecting the contrast medium from the vein is less invasive than the technique of injecting the same from an artery, and diagnoses based on the estimation method are coming into wide use. The ultrasonic contrast medium is principally constituted by microbubbles, which form reflection sources reflecting ultrasonic signals. As the dose or density of the contrast medium is higher, a contrasting effect enlarges more. In relation to the property of the bubbles of the contrast medium, however, such a situation occurs that the duration of the contrasting effect is shortened by ultrasound projection.
In case of performing the contrast echocardiography, the contrast medium is successively supplied to the region of interest (ROI) of a patient part by a blood flow. It is therefore supposed that, even when the bubbles have been once caused to disappear by projecting an ultrasound, the contrasting effect will be maintained if new bubbles flow into the ROI at the time point of the next ultrasound projection. In actuality, however, ultrasounds are usually transmitted and received several thousand times in one second, and an organic parenchyma of low blood flow velocity or the blood flow movement of a comparatively fine blood vessel is existent. In consideration of these facts, the bubbles will disappear in succession before intensity enhancement based on the contrast medium is confirmed on the image of such a diagnosis, with the result that the contrasting effect will weaken instantly.
The most fundamental one of diagnostic method among those employing the contrast medium consists in that the amount or presence of the blood flow of the part to-be-diagnosed is found by checking the presence of the intensity enhancement based on the contrast medium.
Further, an imaging technique which is called "flash echo imaging method" (or also called "transient response imaging method") has been proposed by utilizing the phenomenon that the microbubbles disappear by the projection of the ultrasounds as stated above, and it has been reported that the intensity enhancement can be bettered by the imaging method (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1). In principle, the imaging method is a technique wherein the conventional continuous scan of, e.g., several tens frames in one second is replaced with the intermittent transmission of, e.g., one frame in several seconds. The microbubbles densified without being burst during the time interval of the intermittence are extinguished at one time, thereby intending to obtain a high echo signal.
In myocardial contrast echocardiography, however, enhancement is nonuniform due to nonuniformity in the acoustic field of a sector probe, and nonuniformity in an acoustic field as is induced by an in-vivo structure. The nonuniformity forms an obstacle to the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia or a myocardial infarction part.
Here, the "nonuniformity in the acoustic field of the sector probe" is as stated below. In the sector probe which is generally used in the examination of a circulatory organ employing an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, transmission conditions are constant for individual scan lines constituting an image. Accordingly, when the deflection angle of a beam enlarges, there arise the phenomena in which a transmission acoustic field differs depending upon the scan lines, 1) that the acoustic pressure of the transmission beam formed on the scan line lowers, and 2) that a beam width becomes thicker than in a case where the transmission beam is not deflected, so a spatial resolution degrades.
In the prior-art B-mode scan of an ultrasonic beam, therefore, the endeavor of generating a more uniform image is made as a measure against the phenomena, by adopting such a technique as adjusting factor of the images such as a reception gain for every scan line on the basis of a reception signal from the nonuniform transmission acoustic field.
However, the above countermeasure is directed toward the case of the B-mode image, and it does not suppose the case of tissue harmonic imaging (THI) having come into the limelight in recent years, or harmonic imaging such as contrast echo imaging, so that drawbacks as stated below are involved.
In the harmonic imaging, the transmission acoustic field, especially the acoustic pressure, becomes an important factor for a sensitivity, and it has its limit to correct the nonuniformity of the transmission acoustic field by the image adjustments of the reception. Therefore, the uniformity of the transmission acoustic field is required for satisfactorily demonstrate the effects of the adjustments. The reason therefor is that, since the intensities of harmonic components are proportional to the square of the acoustic pressure, the reception gain the amplitude of which is the square of that in the prior-art B-mode must be corrected, so the change of a noise level is induced by the change of the reception gain, whereby a nonuniform image in which the noise level differs is generated.
Besides, irrespective of the harmonic imaging, the beam width generally thickens when the deflection angle of the transmission beam enlarges. This phenomenon induces the nonuniformity of the spatial resolution. Especially in a case of parallel simultaneous receptions, the phenomenon of beam bends might be increased.
On the other hand, the "nonuniformity of the acoustic field attributed to the in-vivo structure" is induced in such a manner, for example, that a rib exists in close proximity to the probe, so the transmission and reception of ultrasounds are hampered by the rib. In particular, since part of the left ventricle is located so as to be covered with the left lung, the lung intervenes between the probe and the myocardium, to often bring about the result that the corresponding part darkens on an image obtained by an ultrasonic diagnosis (refer to FIG. 1A).
Among the nonuniformities, the nonuniformity of the acoustic field of the sector probe can be theoretically corrected, but the nonuniformity of the acoustic field which is induced by the in-vivo structure cannot be corrected for the reason that the structure differs depending upon patients, so a theoretical solution does not exist. Therefore, it becomes difficult to detect a morbid part, such as myocardial ischemia or myocardial infarction part, which is clinically to be found.
Meanwhile, a technique for diagnosing the ischemic malady of the heart is called "stress echocardiography". The technique is such that a vasodilator drug, for example, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is injected into the myocardium by an intravenous drip or the like so as to expand blood vessels, whereupon a contrast medium is injected instead of the vasodilator drug, thereby intending to obtain an ultrasonic image.
According to the technique, a normal part becomes brighter than before because the blood vessels expand thereat. On the other hand, a morbid part undergoes the steal phenomenon of darkening contrariwise, for the reason that, since the blood vessels are difficult to expand at the morbid part, a blood flow increases to surrounding blood vessels which have expanded.
In a case where the blood vessels are not completely closed and where they become fine, a chest pain is sometimes incurred by a violent motion. In this regard, the technique is intended to observe such a part appearing as a defect (refer to FIG. 1B).
Even with this method, however, parts I′ and II′ sometimes seem to be ischemic regions as shown in FIG. 1B by way of example. That is, even with the stress echocardiography, it is very difficult to judge an ischemic region from a single image.
In order to solve such problems, a method is considered in which ultrasonic images of two or more frames are taken so as to be compared and studied. For this purpose, after the first image has been first obtained by injecting the contrast medium, the second image is taken by injecting the vasodilator drug and expanding the blood vessels, whereupon both the images are compared. Even with this method, however, the visual inspection of a diagnostician has its limit, and if a certain part is morbid is disputable and suspicious. Therefore, a method for comparing and arithmetically operating the two images is required. It is an actual situation to fulfill the requirement by executing the arithmetic operation between the different images.
Such an arithmetic operation is digital subtraction in which the images of the two frames are subjected to differential processing (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3,023,290). This method, however, is employed in a case where the temporal difference between the two B-mode images is usually correspondent to several frames, that is, about 1/20- 1/10 second in terms of time, so that it is hardly influenced by the pulsatory motion of an internal organ, the motion of a probe, or the like. Accordingly, only echoes caused by the contrast medium can be displayed on the differential image between the images of the two frames.
In contrast, especially in the stress echocardiography which compares the images before and after the stressing, a time interval is greater than in the mere flash echo imaging whose time interval is as short as several cardiac beats, and the positional shifts of the heart attributed to the motion of a patient himself/herself, how to apply the probe, etc. are not negligible. When the arithmetic operation is directly executed without making positional corrections, such a situation takes place where a motion artifact appears or where quite no operated result is obtained.
Further, ROIs (regions of interest) need to be separately set for the two images. In this regard, in a case where both the set ROIs are inaccurate, that is, where they do not satisfactorily correspond to each other, an accurate operated result cannot be expected.

Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and imaging processing apparatus


A method for determining a buffer effect of an activated carbon filter for a tank venting system of a fuel container for hydrocarbon-containing fuels involves feeding a defined quantity of hydrocarbon molecules to the activated carbon filter (320) via a tank connection (320_1) of the activated carbon filter (320) by a hydrocarbon feed system (310). A carrier gas flow is introduced into the activated carbon filter (320) via an air connection (320_2) of the activated carbon filter (320), and a defined volumetric flow is sucked out of the activated carbon filter (320) via an engine connection (320_3) of the activated carbon filter (320) by a hydrocarbon measuring device (340), and its content of hydrocarbon molecules is measured. The defined quantity of hydrocarbon molecules is made available by the hydrocarbon feed system (310) in the form of a thermodynamically isolated gas quantity.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for determining a buffer effect of an activated carbon filter for a tank venting system of a fuel container for hydrocarbon-containing fuels. The invention also relates to a test bench and a hydrocarbon feed system for a test bench for determining a buffer effect of an activated carbon filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles that have an internal combustion engine for burning hydrocarbon-containing fuels also have a tank venting system with an activated carbon filter between a corresponding fuel container and the surroundings. The activated carbon filter stores hydrocarbons, but must be regenerated periodically by an air flow under the control of an engine electronics system. In this context, air supplied to the activated carbon filter releases hydrocarbon molecules and transports those molecules to the engine. Hydrocarbon molecules in this air flow mix with the combustion air and are burned in the engine.
The tank venting system is intended to avoid an excess pressure in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, for example in the event of the vehicle being subjected to increased solar radiation in the deactivated state. The activated carbon filter in the tank venting system prevents hydrocarbons from passing from the tank into the surroundings when pressure equalization is necessary. The air flow typically is sucked in by an underpressure in the intake manifold of the engine and functions as a scavenging gas that is fed with the released hydrocarbons to combustion spaces of the engine.
Modern internal combustion engines have an exhaust-gas-side lambda controller, and an increased hydrocarbon content in the fresh gas can disadvantageously affect the engine controller. The scavenging gas flow for regenerating the activated carbon filter therefore has to be set selectively so that only a comparatively small hydrocarbon quantity is fed to the fresh gas of the engine, with this quantity ideally being known or compensated for by the engine controller. A buffer effect can be detected during the scavenging of the activated carbon filter that is loaded with hydrocarbon molecules since the embedded hydrocarbon molecules are not all simultaneously given up to the scavenging gas, but instead are released gradually in the course of a scavenging gas flow process which lasts for a relatively long time. The scavenging gas flow should be as small as possible to avoid disadvantageous effects at the engine controller. At the same time, the scavenging gas flow should be as large as possible so that the regeneration of the activated carbon filter can be carried out as quickly and completely as possible to prepare the tank venting system for the next stationary state of the vehicle. The attempt to find an optimum scavenging gas flow generally fails due to the fact that the buffer effect of the respective activated carbon filter can be determined only with difficulty and is different for each type of activated carbon filter.
An object of the invention is to determine the corresponding buffer effect directly and comparatively easily for any type of activated carbon filter.

Method for determining a buffer effect of an activated carbon filter

DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT


The trigger safety mechanism is a pivoted element (102) in which lower part there is a shaped fork (103) through of which linear guide (106) there is a guidance means (104); in which upper part there is an articulated transmission rod (101) that is supported by its other end on the hammer, being a separation space (100) between the hammer (6) and the operation end of the valve (12a) when the trigger (5) is in resting position; and in a point of the surface of the pivoted element (102) there is a rotation axis (107); so that when the trigger is moved to an active position, the guidance means passes through the interior of the linear guide so that the said pivoted element drags the rod, allowing the hammer (6) to impact the valve.

It is known in the state of the art different patents that include safety systems to prevent the accidental firing of the pistol.
Thus, it is known the European Patent no0239544 (ES 2018699) of the year 1987, in the name of the Italian company FABBRICA D'ARMI P. BERETTA S. P. A., that refers to a safety device for an automatic pistol of the double action type that includes an automatic safety on the firing pin and has a striking lever for the hammer. The device comprises a cammed shaft, rotatably mounted to a carriage of the pistol and displaceable manually in one direction for control of the lever for disengagement of the hammer. The cammed shaft is rotatable in an opposite direction by means of a spring loaded piston for blocking the shaft in a rest position where it does not interfere with firing of the pistol.
It is also known the European Patent no0356884 (ES 2018131) of the year 1989, in the name of the Swiss company ITM INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY & MACHINES AG, that refers to a locking plunger which is perpendicular movable relative to the direction of movement of the firing pin that allows or prevents the axial movement of the firing pin to fire the gun. This locking plunger is spring biased to abut a safety lever which is part of the sear of the operating members of the gun. The safety lever is located and arranged such on the sear that it allows a movement of the locking plunger into the firing pin unlocking position upon the operating members of the gun reaching the end of the trigger slack. Accordingly, a movement of the locking plunger into the unlocking position will proceed not earlier than the sear snapping into the firing position. Any other accidental limited movements of the operating parts of the gun including such of the hammer cannot cause an axial movement of the firing pin because such movement is positively prevented by the locking plunger. Therefore, an accidental firing of the gun is positively prevented.
Finally, it is also known the European Patent no0307156 (ES 2034251) of the year 1988, in the name of the British company VICTORY ARMS CO. LIMITED, that refers to a self loading firearm of the locked breech, short recoil pistol type has a barrel and a breech block slide provided With a separate locking block accommodated between the underside of the barrel and the upper surface of a movable trigger guard. The locking block is provided with means for positively locking the barrel to the slide during the high pressure period of the firing cycle of the firearm and means for enabling release of the slide from the barrel during the remainder of the firing cycle. Means described for permitting release of the locking block comprise a rotary catch which is rotatable between a position to hold the locking block in its barrel retaining position and a position in which the locking block is able to release the barrel. The rotary catch is movable axially between a position in which it is rotatable and a position in which it is non-rotatable, the locking block normally being held in its non-rotatable position by the hold open means and being released from that position when the hold open means is in its operative position to hold the slide fully retracted from its forward firing position.


A cosmetic applicator such as a mascara applicator is provided including a container for the cosmetic. The container includes a constriction at its upper part, forming a wiper, and a cap fitted with a rod having at its end a brush which dips into the container as it passes through the constriction. The rod has, above the brush, an elastically deformable cleaning element whose diameter is at least substantially equal to the diameter of the constriction. The portion of the rod located between the cleaning element and the brush allows the pressures prevailing inside and outside the container to be substantially balanced before the brush engages the constriction when it is withdrawn.

The present invention relates to a cosmetic applicator that can be used in particular to apply mascara.
Applicators of this type are already known and comprise a container designed to contain the cosmetic and fitted at the upper part with a constriction (or wiper) and with a cap having a rod provided at its end with a brush which dips into the cosmetic when the cap is placed on the container. Extraction of the brush after unscrewing of the cap causes the cosmetic to be wiped by the brush passing through the constriction.
Such applicators, which allow the quantity of cosmetic extracted by the brush to be determined, have the disadvantage that, as the cosmetic is used up, it builds up as it dries in the part of the container located above the constriction. This gradually causes the brush passageway to clog and some of the cosmetic to be wasted.
Known applicators have in general the disadvantage that, when the brush is extracted, the rod holding it produces a piston effect, creating a negative pressure inside the container which interferes with the wiping of the brush as it passes through the constriction.


A cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber that defines an oven cavity and a reservoir for holding water that is accessible from within the oven cavity. The cooking appliance further includes a convection heating system, a reservoir heating system, and a control system. The convection heating system includes a convection heating element and a fan for guiding air across the convection heating element. The reservoir heating system includes at least one reservoir heating element. The control system is configured to control the convection heating system and the reservoir heating system to perform a steam cooking operation in response to a user steam-cooking input.

Cooking appliances can include structure for cooking items within an oven cavity via convection. Moreover, some cooking appliances can include structure for baking items within the oven cavity. Furthermore, some cooking appliances include structure for steam-cooking items within the oven cavity. It is desirable to have structure and methodology for controlling a cooking appliance during steam cooking, convection cooking, and/or baking operations in an efficient and effective manner.


A method is provided for manufacturing a radome. The method has the following steps: creation of a contoured fit of at least one section of an inner surface of a wall of the radome; arrangement of a plurality of planar photosensitive semiconductor elements on an outer surface of the contoured fit; placement of the contoured fit with the plurality of planar photosensitive semiconductor elements on the at least one section of the inner surface of the wall; establishing of a connection between the plurality of planar photosensitive semiconductor elements and the wall; and removal of the contoured fit from the radome. This method enables the simple manufacture of a radome with a layer having several semiconductor elements for the electromagnetic shielding of the interior of the radome.

A radome can be referred to as an electromagnetic window or radiation dome and is usually used in automobiles or in stationary operation and in order to protect antennas, for example, from external influences, particularly environmental influences. One requirement placed on a radome is that it be electromagnetically permeable (transparent) in order to allow electromagnetic waves to pass through that are transmitted by an antenna or are to be received by the antenna.
In the case of flying platforms camouflaged against radar detection, particularly the section of the platform that is located behind a radome can be a source of reflection of the radar.
The radar-camouflaging of flying platforms is achieved, among other things, through the shape of an electrically conductive outer skin of the platforms, thus influencing the reradiation of electromagnetic waves from this outer skin to a radar. Such platforms can be referred to as platforms with reduced radar signature. A neuralgic point of high reradiation can lie particularly in the antennas of the radar and communication systems of flying platforms, provided that a radome of the antenna apertures is designed with aerodynamic and not camouflage-related aspects in mind. Since a radome is usually designed so as to be electromagnetically permeable in order to permit the transmission of signals from and to the radar and communication systems, a radome is also permeable to radar signals of a detecting radar. Strongly back-scattering antenna apertures can thus weaken or inadmissibly impair the camouflaging of the flying platform.
Known radomes can have a frequency-selective layer which allows signals of its own radar and communication systems to pass through and reflects signals of other frequencies in a desired direction or does not allow them to pass through. The drawback of this solution is that a camouflage effect is not provided for the working frequency of one's own radar and communication systems.
One broadband approach to a solution is a radome that is permeable to all frequencies in a first state and impermeable or reflective to all frequencies in a second state.
One example of such a radome that is optionally permeable or reflective to electromagnetic waves is a radome with a photosensitive layer, as described in DE 39 20 110 A1. The photosensitive layer consists of a semiconductor photoresistor. In this material, incident photons bring about a release of charge carriers in the material of the semiconductor. The conductivity of the semiconductor is thus dependent on an incident illumination level and can be reversibly changed, whereby the permeability of the semiconductor and hence of the radome to electromagnetic waves can be controlled. In a low charge carrier state (unilluminated), the layer is electromagnetically permeable, whereas it is electromagnetically impermeable in a state with loose or released charge carriers (illuminated). The conductivity of the semiconductor elements can change by several orders of magnitude between the unilluminated and the illuminated state, for example by up to 4 to 5 powers of ten.
Due to the platform-specific shape of a radome, the physical characteristics of usable radome materials and the requirements placed on the photosensitive coating, it is a technical challenge to provide a radome with a suitable photosensitive semiconductor coating.


The disclosure relates to a device that is configured to be implanted on the native leaflet of a heart valve to increase its length and/or thickness and thereby to improve the valve function and reduce regurgitation. The device may include a leaflet section. The leaflet section may include a central member. The central member may include a first portion, a second portion that opposes the first portion, and a base portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The first section may extend from the first portion and the second section may extend from the second portion. The device may include one or more engaging members extending from the central member at an angle with respect to the first section and the second section. The second section may be larger than the first section. The leaflet section may define a three-dimensional region or a bulge.

Cardiac valves play a critical role in maintaining unidirectional blood flow through the heart in each cardiac cycle. The atrioventricular valves (i.e. the mitral and tricuspid valves) located between the atria and the ventricles regulate unidirectional blood flow returning either from the pulmonary or venous systems into the heart, and the semilunar valves (i.e. the aortic and pulmonary valves) maintain unidirectional blood flow between the ventricle and the aorta and pulmonary arteries. Regurgitation or backflow of blood through any of these valves can lead to congestive heart failure and death, and therefore restoration of valve competence through repair or replacement is necessary.
The atrioventricular valves regurgitate more frequently than the semilunar valves. The mitral valve when functioning properly ensures unidirectional blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The mitral valve has two leaflets, the anterior leaflet and the posterior leaflet, which are connected to a cartilaginous annular ring on one end and to the papillary muscles on the other end, via the chordae tendineae. In systole, higher left ventricular pressure and lower left atrial pressure enables basal motion of the anterior and posterior mitral leaflets towards the annulus and each other, facilitating tight closure of the valve and no backflow of blood. In diastole, lower left ventricular pressure and higher left atrial pressure ensure retraction of the leaflets away from one another and the opening of the mitral orifice to allow left ventricular filling.
In some diseases of the mitral valve, rupture of the chordae tendineae with or without expansion of the valve leaflets can cause improper closure of the valve leaflets and thus regurgitation. In other diseases of the left ventricle, injury, dilatation, and dyskinesia of the ventricular myocardium from cardiomyopathies can perturb the native mitral valve geometry and restrict the leaflets from proper closure leading to regurgitation. In either case, regurgitation can occur through a small gap between the two leaflets, because the leaflets override each other or because they are retracted away from each other from annular and/or ventricular tethering.
Similarly, the tricuspid valve maintains unidirectional blood flow through the right atrium into the right ventricle. Under similar circumstances as the mitral valve, regurgitation can also occur either due to primary lesions of the valve such as chordal rupture or leaflet prolapse, or from secondary right ventricular dilatation. Tricuspid regurgitation can also be common among patients with a pacemaker, as the lead from the pacemaker passes through the tricuspid valve and can impair leaflet closure, leaving a gap.
In all cases, valve regurgitation can impair efficient function of the heart and thus requires repair in a timely and appropriate manner to restore valve competence.

Cardiac valve leaflet enhancer devices and systems


A method for filtering particulate material from cooking oil used in a frying process at a filtration temperature within the range of 250° F. to 400° F. includes providing a filter comprising a non-woven panel of directionally or randomly oriented fibers of synthetic material, and exposing the filter to the cooking oil at the filtration temperature while drawing the cooking oil therethrough.

Cooking oil is extensively used in restaurants and in the food preparation industry for cooking of various food items. One common use for cooking oil is in the cooking process known as deep-fat frying. Such frying is frequently carried out in relatively deep containers of cooking oil, with the food item to be cooked being immersed in cooking oil that is heated to a temperature between about 250° F. and about 400° F. (about 121° C. and about 205° C.), and in most cases, to a temperature between about 315° F. and about 385° F. (about 158° C. and about 196° C.). As food items are introduced into the fryers and cooking proceeds, the cooking oil becomes contaminated with suspended food particles, blood, water, flour, breading, spices and other introduced contaminants. These contaminants will react with each other and with components of the cooking oil to degrade the cooking oil, resulting in a change in color, a change in alkalinity or acidity, a reduction in thermal efficiency and an increase in the potential for smoking or burning. In addition, dispersed and suspended particulate will conduct heat away from the food product, increasing frying times and heating energy requirements. Furthermore, the exposure of these introduced contaminants to the air and the heat of cooking over time will cause suspended particles to become charred or carbonized. This carbonization is frequently accompanied by chemical breakdown of the cooking oil, resulting in the production of impurities such as free fatty acids, polymers, alkalines and other polar compounds. All of these contaminants can cause the effectiveness of the cooking oil to degrade. Furthermore, such contaminants may attach themselves to food products during the frying process, thereby raising the potential for adversely affecting the taste of the food products and/or creating negative health issues upon consumption.
Restaurants and food preparation facilities frequently fry food items in batches, and they generally do not discard the cooking oil after cooking a single batch. Consequently, filtration is commonly employed to control or reduce contaminants and to extend the useful life of the cooking oil. In typical restaurant operations, the cooking oil in a deep-fat fryer is filtered once or twice each day, most often by employing a portable batch-type filtration device. However, despite such filtration, a typical restaurant facility that utilizes a conventional filtration process generally discards its cooking oil every five to ten days due to accumulated particulate contamination and degradation.
Conventional filtration devices generally operate by draining the cooking oil from the fryer into a filtration container and then cycling the cooking oil through a filter. Generally, when the filtration operation is begun, the cooking oil is at or near cooking temperature, and batch filtration continues until a subjective determination is made that the filtering process has achieved a desired result. After filtration, usually comprising multiple passes through the filter, the filtered cooking oil is returned to the fryer. It is not unusual for cooking oil to be filtered by passing it through a conventional filter for 30 minutes or longer. Depending on the amount of time elapsed during filtration, the cooking oil may be as much as 285° F. (140° C.) or more below cooking temperature when it is returned to the fryer. Consequently, the filtered oil must be heated to raise it to cooking temperature prior to resuming frying operations.
Particulate separation is the essence and purpose of filtration. The efficiency of a particular filter material is measured by the size of particulate material that it can retain, the overall amount of particulate that can be retained, and the volume of filtrate that can flow through the filter in a given period of time at the operating pressure of the filtration device. Conventional filters often become laden with particulate material from the frying process in high volume operations, thus making it difficult to maintain an adequate flow of cooking oil through the filter. Under such circumstances, the speed of filtration is greatly reduced. Consequently, fryer operators may attempt to scrape the filter surface to reduce the accumulated particulate to increase the filtration flow.
Conventional filters used in filtration devices include those comprised of paper, a pad of bonded fibrous material such as cellulose fibers bound by a resin, and metal screens. Some filtration devices employ flat filters that are retained in a support frame; others employ filter envelopes that wrap around a spacing grid or frame. Conventional filter media types vary in their effectiveness. Paper filters are inexpensive; however, paper filters are fragile and are frequently damaged if scraped to remove accumulated particulate. Paper filters cannot generally be used for multiple filtration cycles. Consequently, if a restaurant filters its cooking oil twice a day using paper filters, it will most likely use two filters each day. Paper filters absorb cooking oil during the filtration process, and they provide limited separation efficiency, retaining particles within the range of 20-30 microns and larger. Cellulose filter pads also absorb cooking oil during filtration, and they are susceptible to damage if scraped. Cellulose pads are difficult to form in the shape of a filter envelope that wraps around a spacing grid, and are not usable for multiple filtration cycles. However, cellulose filter pads generally retain particles within the range of 1-5 microns and larger. Generally, paper filters and cellulose filter pads may be used to filter approximately 180-270 lbs (397-595 kg) of cooking oil before they must be replaced. Stainless steel filter screens are durable and may be reused indefinitely, but they are considerably more costly than paper filters and filter pads. Furthermore, they also provide limited separation efficiency, retaining particles within the range of 80-120 microns and larger.
Conventional filters generally provide passive surface filtration, in which the cooking oil is drawn through the filter surface by vacuum, retaining particles from the oil on the filter surface. In order to provide a measure of depth filtration, cooking oil to be filtered must be circulated through paper filters, cellulose pad filters and metal screen filters for 3-5 minutes in order to build a filter cake of particulate to effectively enhance the separation efficiency. The creation of such a filter cake provides interstitial sites for retaining particulate during subsequent filtration. Frequently, a powdered filter aid is used with conventional filter materials to increase filtration efficiency, primarily by increasing depth filtration. Such filter aids are dispersed in the cooking oil and form a powder cake on the filter surface (along with accumulated particulate contaminants) to increase the filtration surface area, and thereby enhance the removal of relatively small particles. Such filter powder, when accumulated as a filter cake on the filter, provides a plurality of channels permeable to liquid, yet more effective in mechanically filtering small particulates. The addition of a powdered filter aid thus provides additional depth filtration and generally results in the removal of smaller particles than can be removed by filtering through paper, cellulose pad or metal screen filters alone. For example, a use of paper filters in conjunction with a powdered filter aid will generally result in the retention of particles within the range of 1-5 microns and larger. A use of stainless steel filter screens in conjunction with a powdered filter aid will generally result in the retention of particles within the range of 5-10 microns and larger. A use of cellulose filter pads in conjunction with a powdered filter aid will generally result in the retention of particles within the range of 1-5 microns and larger.
Filter aids may also include adsorbents or neutralizing agents to provide active filtration in the form of chemical reaction or electrostatic bonding with contaminants, including free fatty acids and polymers, on a molecular level. In some instances, filter aids may be impregnated in filter paper or filter pads. However, a portion of the smaller particles of the filter powder will generally pass through the filter and remain in the cooking oil after filtration. Such particles may adhere to food items during the frying process, and they may react with components of the cooking oil at cooking temperatures to increase oil degradation. Filter aids can also alter the pH balance of the cooking oil. In addition, powdered filter aids, as well as paper and cellulose pad filters, absorb a certain amount of cooking oil during the filtration process. Since filter aids are discarded along with paper or cellulose pad filters when such filters are changed, or are washed from metal screen filters after each filtration cycle, the oil that is absorbed by the filter aids is discarded (along with the filter aid) after every filtration cycle. Such oil must be replaced periodically to insure proper frying operation.
Examples of filter aids include organic compounds such as diatomaceous earth, adiaphorous clay or pearlite, and silicates such as calcium silicate, aluminum silicate and magnesium silicate. Other filter aids include activated carbon, which may be employed to remove objectionable colors from the cooking oil and eliminate odor-causing components, and alkalis, which may be added to increase the pH of the cooking oil.
Generally, the amount of contaminants removed during the filtration process depends on the type of filter material used, the type and extent of filter aids used and the filtration cycle time.
Although filters of polyester and nylon felt materials have been employed for solid-fluid separation in wet and dry applications, the use of such materials for filtering cooking oils has not been practiced, especially as a part of a vacuum filtration process, because the relatively high cooking temperatures involved are generally at or above the recommended application temperatures for such materials. A survey of published information of manufacturers or distributors of non-woven polyester felt material, including Lantor Advanced Materials Group, National Nonwovens, Western Nonwovens, Inc., Southern Felt Company, Inc., Knowlton Specialty Papers, Inc., American Industrial Felt & Supply, and Sutherland Felt indicates that all of these manufacturers and distributors do not contemplate any application (filtration or otherwise) of polyester felt material in a high temperature environment such as is typically seen in frying operations. Furthermore, such manufacturers do not encourage the use of polyester felt materials in filtration applications (either wet or dry) at temperatures commonly encountered in deep-fat frying. Thus, for example, Sutherland Felt Company, a manufacturer of synthetic and other felts, recommends a filter application temperature no higher than 149° C. (300° F.) and American Felt & Filter Company recommends a continuous application temperature (in dry applications) no higher than 132° C. (270° F.).
It would be desirable if a filter material could be provided for deep-fat frying operations that would be more efficient than conventional filter materials. It would also be desirable if such a filter material could be provided that would increase the useful life of cooking oils used in such operations.

Method for filtering cooking oil used in frying process


Approaches for stability of cells in a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) array are provided. A circuit includes a precharging circuit configured to precharge bitlines of a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) array to a first voltage potential for a non-read operation and to a second voltage potential for a read operation. The first voltage potential is different than the second voltage potential.

Static random access memory (SRAM) is a type of semiconductor memory used in many integrated circuit applications, from embedded memory (e.g., as cache memory and register files) in general purpose processors and application specific integrated circuits to external memories. SRAM is a desirable type of memory due to its high-speed, low power consumption, and simple operation. Unlike dynamic random access memory (DRAM), SRAM does not need to be regularly refreshed to retain the stored data, and its design is generally straightforward.
A typical SRAM cell includes a pair of cross-coupled inverters that hold a desired data bit value (i.e., either a 1 or a 0) and the complement of that value. While SRAM is a desirable type of memory, it is known that if not properly designed and fabricated, an SRAM cell can become unstable when accessed, at which point the held bit value is upset, i.e., switches. Moreover, the stability of an SRAM cell is in full conflict with the writeability of the cell with respect to the strengths of the N-type devices (transistors) and P-type devices (transistors) within the cell. Readability of an SRAM cell is the ability to drive a required signal magnitude onto the bitline within a specified time allocated for signal development, and is a function of the read current of the cell. There tends to be a performance conflict between stability and readability/writeability in such cells. Techniques that increase stability typically have the adverse effect of decreasing readability/writeability. Conversely, techniques that increase readability/writeability typically have the adverse effect of decreasing stability.
SRAM stability is a measure of how much "noise" the cell can tolerate before it loses its data. Stability disturb is a condition that can occur during both read and write operations of an SRAM cell. A particular technique to improve stability is lowering the world line potential during a write operation; however, such lowering of the word line potential negatively affects the writeability.


This disclosure relates generally to medical devices, particularly to drawer-type paper tray structures for loading paper into electrocardiograph machines. A paper tray structure provided comprises a paper tray and a door component. The door component comprises a door located in front of the paper tray. The door component is connected to the paper tray movably and is configured to move repeatedly between a first position and a second position relative to the paper tray; the paper tray comprises a first restriction surface and a second restriction surface corresponding to the first and second positions respectively.

Conventional paper trays used in standard 12-lead ECG (electrocardiograph) machines are generally of two types. The first is a stationary type, where the paper tray structure is a closed chamber within the recorder. A4 paper or letter paper is loaded into the paper tray from the door of the paper tray after the door is opened. The paper tray in such arrangement occupies a small space inside the ECG machine, but it is inconvenient for a user to load paper. The second is a drawer type, where the paper tray and the door are fixed and are one unit. When the door is opened, the paper tray is drawn out simultaneously. This is more convenient for loading paper, but the paper tray in such arrangement occupies a larger space inside the ECG machine, so the machine must be wider. A wider ECG machine is usually set on a trolley, but it is not conducive for printing reports and is not convenient for viewing the printed waveform. Many ECG machines sold in the market have drawer-type paper trays. When using A4 paper for printing, the width of the ECG machine must be over 400 millimeters, which makes it inconvenient to use.
Thus, conventional paper trays for 12-lead ECG machines sold in the market have two disadvantages: (1) when a stationary-type paper tray is used, it is difficult to load paper; and (2) when a drawer-type paper tray is used, the ECG machine must be wider, making it less convenient to use.

Paper tray structures and electrocardiograph machines

SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


An aqueous dentifrice composition comprising an aqueous vehicle containing at least two active ingredients reactive with each other, at least one of the active ingredients being encapsulated in a substantially water immiscible, pressure rupturable shell which is rupturable during use of the dentifrice, causing the same to be released for interaction with the other active ingredient, the shell being formed from a plasticized alkyl cellulose polymer. The dentifrice exhibits increased efficacy for fluoridation of teeth when the active ingredients are soluble fluoride salt and a calcium salt encapsulated in the plasticized alkyl cellulose polymer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an aqueous dentifrice composition containing a plurality of reactive agents in which one of the agents is encapsulated in a pressure rupturable shell.
2. The Prior Art
It has long been known to include fluoride containing compounds in dentifrices as anticaries agents, and it has been established that these compounds are effective to reduce the incidence of dental caries. Fluoride compounds which are deemed to be the most effective are sodium fluoride, sodium monoflurophosphate and stannous fluoride. The fluoride compounds are effective mainly due to the fluoride ions which improve the acid resistance of tooth enamel and accelerate recalcification of decayed teeth in their early stage when the decalcification has proceeded only slightly. The effect of improving the acid resistance of the enamel is believed to be due to the fact that the fluoride ions are incorporated into a crystal lattice of hydroxyapatite which is the main constituent of tooth enamel or, in other words, fluoride ions partially fluoridate hydroxyapatite and simultaneously repair the lattice irregularities.
The effectiveness of fluoride treatment in providing acid resistance is dependent upon the amount of fluoride ion which is available for deposition on the enamel being treated. It is, therefore, desirable to formulate dentifrice compositions which provide maximum fluoride ion availability in brushing solutions formed using the dentifrice.
It is known to the art, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,305, that an effective way of depositing fluoride on teeth is to use a two-component rinse composition to deposit freshly precipitated calcium fluoride on teeth in which one rinse solution contains CaCl.sub.2 and the other contains fluoride ions in the form of NaF, the separate solutions being admixed immediately prior to introduction in the mouth, to effect interaction and rapid precipitation of CaF.sub.2.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,668 discloses a method of fluoridating teeth wherein there is mixed in the mouth a first solution containing a soluble calcium salt such as CaCl.sub.2 contained in a non-reactive vehicle and a second component containing a fluoride compound such as sodium fluorosilicate (Na.sub.2 SiF.sub.6) contained in a non-reactive vehicle, the mixing of the components resulting in the precipitation of calcium fluoride and its deposition on tooth surfaces.
Although the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,305 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,668 are effective means to achieve fluoridation, the separate solutions containing calcium and fluoride salts must be mixed daily which is a time consuming daily chore. As a result, it is very difficult for the potential beneficiaries of such therapy to faithfully adhere to the regimen. However, simply combining the calcium and fluoride salts into a single formulation will not provide an effective means for fluoridation as the presence of the calcium salt removes soluble ionic fluoride from the dentifrice by forming insoluble and inactive calcium fluoride (CaF.sub.2) thereby reducing the anticariogenic effectiveness of the fluoride dentifrice. Efforts to practice the methods disclosed in these U.S. patents using semi-solid, extrudable vehicle formulations such as toothpastes and gels have been unable to provide the theoretical maximum soluble fluoride because of the tendency for the ionic fluoride originally included in the dentifrice to be prematurely inactivated as the levels of the other conventional dentifrice composition ingredients such as antitartar pyrophosphate salts, antibacterial agents such as triclosan, abrasives such as dicalcium phosphate or silica are increased to that required in the semi-solid dentifrice.
Thus, there is a clear need to formulate a semi-solid dentifrice product such as a toothpaste or gel utilizing a fluoride compound or other active compound wherein the ingredients used to prepare the dentifrice vehicle do not interact with each other such as in the aforementioned inactivation of fluoride ion so that optimum uptake of fluoride is accomplished when the dentifrice is applied to the teeth. Moreover, it is desirable to include reactive compounds such as calcium and fluoride salts in a single highly stable dentifrice form which is susceptible to conventional packaging and dispensing systems and which can be readily and effectively used by the consumer.
The dentifrice art discloses several means to isolate active ingredients from interaction with other ingredients present in the dentifrice. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,957,964, 3,929,988, 4,071,614 and 4,348,378 disclose aqueous dentifrices containing ingredients such as flavors and dyes whereby such ingredients are encapsulated in rupturable, water-insoluble capsules so that the flavors and dyes are maintained substantially separate from other dentifrice ingredients during manufacture and storage, while subsequently being released when the dentifrice containing the encapsulated ingredients are applied topically to tooth surfaces, the mechanical agitation with a toothbrush rupturing the encapsulating shell whereby the encapsulated ingredient is released to the tooth surface. Materials from which the encapsulating shell is formed are diverse and include synthetic organic plastic materials such as phenol formaldehydes, vinyl chloride polymers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethanes, ABS resins, waxes and cellulosic materials such as ethyl cellulose, butyl cellulose and nitrocellulose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,008 discloses incorporating both bicarbonate and peroxide salts in a non-aqueous dentifrice vehicle whereby interaction between the two salts are prevented by providing at least one of the salts with a water soluble barrier coating of a non-toxic polymer or gum such as a cellulosic polymer or guar gum whereby the salts are released in the aqueous environment of the mouth when the dentifrice is applied to the teeth.
Although the coatings and encapsulants materials of the prior art are effective to some degree to prevent interaction between active compounds such as soluble fluoride with other dentifrice ingredients, it has been determined that such materials are inadequate to fully prevent interaction due to premature leakage of soluble reactive salts from the coating and encapsulating materials whereby, as the case of fluoride salts, there results a significant loss of ionic fluoride and reduced levels of soluble fluoride availability in the dentifrice compositions stored for prolonged period of time.

Dentrifice composition containing encapsulated reactive ingredients


Maleic acid and/or other hydrogenatable precursors are hydrogenated in the presence of a noble metal catalyst to 1,4-butanediol. The production and yields of 1,4-butanediol are enhanced by the addition of iron to the hydrogenatable precursor feed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved process for the hydrogenation of maleic acid, maleic anhydride or other hydrogenatable precursor to 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran. The improvement comprises the addition of iron to the maleic acid, maleic anhydride or other hydrogenatable precursor feedstock. The addition of iron in the feedstock improves catalyst performance to reaction products with higher yields of 1,4-butanediol and minimal formation of by-products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that tetrahydrofuran, gamma-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol are obtained by the catalytic hydrogenation of maleic anhydride and related compounds. Tetrahydrofuran is a useful solvent for natural and synthetic resins and is a valuable intermediate in the manufacture of a number of chemicals and plastics. Gamma-butyrolactone is an intermediate for the synthesis of butyric acid compounds, polyvinylpyrrolidone and methionine. Gamma-butyrolactone is a useful solvent for acrylate and styrene polymers and also a useful ingredient of paint removers and textile assistants. 1,4-butanediol (a.k.a. 1,4-butylene glycol) is useful as a solvent, a humectant, an intermediate for plasticizers and pharmaceuticals, a cross-linking agent for polyurethane elastomers, a precursor in the manufacture of tetrahydrofuran, and is used to make terephthalate plastics.
Numerous catalysts and processes for the hydrogenation of maleic acid, maleic anhydride or other hydrogenatable precursor to tetrahydrofuran, gamma-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol have been disclosed. Of specific interest in the instant invention are processes which are catalyzed by a supported noble metal catalyst. It has been taught in the art that such catalysts may also contain iron.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,572 teaches a process for the catalytic hydrogenation of a carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof to the corresponding alcohol and/or carboxylic acid ester using a catalyst comprising rhenium, palladium and at least one other metal capable of alloying with the palladium, all on a carbon support. The preferred metal capable of alloying with the palladium is silver but gold, copper, nickel, rhodium, tin, cobalt, aluminum, manganese, gallium, iron, chromium, and platinum also are taught. The preparation of this catalyst is characterized by the simultaneous deposition of palladium and silver on the carbon support followed by a high temperature (600xc2x0 C.) heat treatment. Rhenium is then deposited on the palladium/alloying metal impregnated carbon support. The resulting catalyst is then reduced.
Additionally, WO 92/02298 discloses a hydrogenation catalyst comprising palladium and rhenium and one or more metals selected from the group consisting of rhodium, cobalt, platinum, ruthenium, iron, thulium, cerium, yttrium, neodymium, aluminum, praseodymium, holmium, hafnium, manganese, vanadium, chromium, gold, terbium, lutetium, nickel, scandium and niobium, on a support.
Generally, in the hydrogenation of maleic acid, maleic anhydride or other hydrogenatable precursor, the above discussed catalysts have the propensity to produce more tetrahydrofuran and gamma-butyrolactone than 1,4-butanediol. An object of this invention is a process which will maximize 1,4-butanediol production and minimize gamma-butyrolactone production.
The instant invention is a process for the production of 1,4-butanediol comprising catalytically hydrogenating a feedstock comprising a hydrogenatable precursor and iron in contact with a hydrogen-containing gas.
Maleic acid or other hydrogenatable precursor are hydrogenated in the presence of a noble metal catalyst to 1,4-butanediol. The production and yields of 1,4-butanediol are enhanced by the addition of iron or an iron containing compound to the feed.
In the process of the instant invention, at least one hydrogenatable precursor is reacted with a hydrogen containing gas in the presence of the catalyst. As used herein a xe2x80x9chydrogenatable precursorxe2x80x9d is any carboxylic acid or anhydride thereof, carboxylic acid ester, lactone or mixture thereof which when hydrogenated produces 1,4-butanediol. Representative hydrogenatable precursors include maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, succinic anhydride, succinic acid, succinate esters such as the C1 to C8 dialkyl succinates (e.g. dimethyl succinate), maleate esters such as the C1 to C8 dialkyl maleates (e.g. dimethyl maleate), gamma-butyrolactone or mixtures thereof The preferred hydrogenatable precursors are maleic acid, maleic anhydride, succinic acid, succinic anhydride, fumaric acid, esters of C4 acids, gamma butyrolactone or mixtures thereof.
The most preferred hydrogenatable precursor is maleic acid which is typically obtained by reacting n-butane or benzene in an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst to oxidize in the vapor phase the n-butane or benzene to maleic anhydride, and then collecting the maleic anhydride by a water quench to produce maleic acid in an aqueous solution. The oxidation of n-butane or benzene is typically operated at a temperature of about 300xc2x0 C. to 600xc2x0 C. and a pressure of about 0.5 to 20 atmospheres (50 to 2000 kPa).
Typically, the hydrogen (H2) containing gas is commercially pure hydrogen with no diluent gases. However, the hydrogen containing gas in addition to hydrogen (H2) may also contain nitrogen (N2), any gaseous hydrocarbon (e.g. methane), as well as gaseous oxides of carbon, (e.g. carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide).
The catalyst employed in the instant invention comprises a noble metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table selected from the group consisting of at least one of palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium and platinum. These include (i) catalysts also containing at least one of rhenium, manganese or tellurium as described in UK Patent Publication No. 01551741, (ii) catalysts also containing at least one of silver and gold as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,156 and (iii) catalysts also containing at least one metal capable of alloying with the noble Group VIII metal and at least one of rhenium, tungsten or molybdenum as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,680. Examples of other suitable catalyst include palladium and rhenium on a carbon support as described in UK Patent Publication No. 01543232 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,686. These catalyst composition may also be further modified through the incorporation of a metal or metals selected from Groups IA, IIA or VIII.
The preferred catalyst employed in the instant invention comprises palladium, silver and rhenium supported on carbon. The carbons for use in this invention have a BET surface area of at least 200 m2/g, and preferably be in the range of 500-1500 m2/g. Catalysts of this type are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,680.
The preferred catalyst composition comprises about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent palladium, preferably about 2 to about 8 weight percent palladium; about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent silver, preferably about 1 to about 8 weight percent silver; about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent rhenium, and preferably about 1 to about 10 weight percent rhenium. The ratio of palladium to silver is between 10 to 1 and 1 to 10. As suggested earlier, this catalyst composition may also be further modified through the incorporation of a metal or metals selected from Groups IA or IIA.
The preferred catalysts for use in this invention may be conveniently prepared by impregnation of the carbon support, either in single or multiple impregnation steps, with a solution or solutions containing at least one palladium, silver, or rhenium compound. As used herein, impregnation of the carbon support means to cause the carbon support to be filled, imbued, permeated, saturated or coated. The impregnating solution may optionally contain complexing agents to help solubilize one or more of the metal compounds. The catalyst is dried after each impregnation step to remove any carrier solvent. Drying temperatures are between about 80xc2x0 C. and about 150xc2x0 C.
In making the preferred catalysts, the solutions of palladium compound, silver compound and rhenium compound can be applied to the carbon by immersing or suspending the support material in the solution or by spraying the solution onto the carbon. The solution containing the palladium compound is typically an aqueous solution containing an amount of palladium compound to yield a catalyst product with the requisite amount of palladium. The palladium compound may be palladium nitrate or a palladium compound such as a chloride, carbonate, carboxylate, acetate, acetyl acetonate, or amine. The solution containing the silver compound is typically an aqueous one containing an amount of silver compound to yield a catalyst product with the requisite amount of silver. The palladium and silver compounds should be thermally decomposable and reducible to the metals. The solution containing the rhenium compound is typically an aqueous one containing an amount of rhenium compound to yield a catalyst product with the requisite amount of rhenium. The rhenium compound is typically perrhenic acid, ammonium perrhenate or an alkali metal perrhenate.
The impregnating solution(s) may optionally contain metal complexing agents to help solubilize one or more of the metal compounds. The addition of acetonitrile to the impregnating solution allows the Pd, Ag, and Re compounds be added in a single step. Nitric acid may also be added to the impregnating solution.
After impregnation with palladium, silver, and rhenium and drying, the preferred catalyst is activated by heating the impregnated carbon support under reducing conditions at a temperature of 120-350xc2x0 C., preferably 150-300xc2x0 C. Hydrogen, or a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen, in contact with the catalyst may be conveniently used for the catalyst reduction. Reduction of the impregnated carbon support is only after the carbon support has been impregnated with palladium, silver, and rhenium. In the case of multiple impregnation steps and multiple dryings, the reduction of the catalyst is done after the final drying.
The method for carrying out the process comprises reacting a hydrogenatable precursor with a hydrogen-containing gas in the presence of iron and the hydrogenation catalyst, and recovering and purifying the reaction products by distillation.
In the instant invention, iron is added to the hydrogenatable precursor either prior to introduction of the hydrogenatable precursor to the hydrogenation reactor or in situ. Typically the iron is added as an iron salt. The iron is preferably added to the liquid hydrogenatable precursor feedstock in concentrations ranging between 1 and 10,000 ppm (weight per weight basis). Preferably the concentration of iron in the feedstock is between about 20 and 160 ppm. A wide range of iron salts may be used including iron acetate, iron propionate, iron butyrate, iron maleate, iron succinate and iron fumarate. Preferably the anion of the salt should not interfere with the hydrogenation reaction or act as a poison to the hydrogenation catalyst.
The liquid phase hydrogenation of this invention can be run using conventional apparatus and techniques in a stirred-tank reactor or in a fixed-bed reactor. Single or multiple-stage reactors may be employed. The amount of catalyst required will vary widely and is dependent upon a number of factors such as reactor size and design, contact time and the like.
The hydrogen-containing gas is fed continuously, generally with the hydrogen in considerable stoichiometric excess to the other reactants. Unreacted hydrogen can be returned to the reactor as a recycle stream. The precursor solution, e.g., maleic acid (or other hydrogenatable precursor) solution, is fed continuously at concentrations ranging from dilute solutions to near the maximum solubility level. The precursor solution may contain about 10 to about 60 weight percent maleic acid (or other hydrogenatable precursor) with the higher concentrations being more economical and preferred due to less water to recycle or dispose. Preferably the precursor solution contains about 20 to about 50 weight percent maleic acid (or other hydrogenatable precursor).
Preferably the hydrogenation step is run at a temperature of about 50xc2x0 C. to 350xc2x0 C., and a hydrogen pressure of about 20-400 atmospheres with hydrogen to hydrogenatable precursor ratios (H2/P) of between 5 to 1 and 1000 to 1 and contact times of 0.1 minute to 20 hours.
The reaction products, 1,4-butanediol, tetrahydrofuran, gamma-butyrolactone or mixtures thereof, are advantageously separated by fractional distillation. By-products which are formed in small amounts or unreacted feed, such as for example, succinic anhydride or succinic acid, are optionally returned to the hydrogenation stage. The gamma-butyrolactone may also be recycled to the hydrogenation reactor.
Using the process of this invention, more specifically using the hydrogenation catalyst described herein, maleic acid is converted virtually quantitatively in a simple reaction. The yields of 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran achieved are about 80 mole percent or greater, typically about 90 mole percent or greater, with a majority portion of the yield being 1,4-butanediol. Reaction by-products may include n-butanol, n-butyric acid, n-propanol, propionic acid, methane, propane, n-butane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. However, the formation of non-utilizable by-products is slight.

Process for the hydrogenation of maleic acid to 1,4-butanediol


Methods of forming metal nanoparticle decorated carbon nanotubes are provided. The methods include mixing a metal precursor with a plurality of carbon nanotubes to form a metal precursor-carbon nanotubes mixture. The methods also include exposing the metal precursor-carbon nanotubes mixture to electromagnetic radiation to deposit metal nanoparticles on a major surface of the carbon nanotubes.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in integration of metal nanoparticles with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) owing to the structural, electrochemical and catalytic properties of the CNTs. The ability of carbon nanotubes to support inorganic nanoparticles such as metal, metal oxides and metal alloy nanoparticles offers opportunities to synthesize hybrid materials that may be used in applications such as for energy conversion (such as, in fuel cells and photo voltaic cells), storage (such as, supercapacitor and lithium ion battery), field emission displays, and gas and vapor sensors.
Some conventional techniques for synthesis of CNTs decorated with metal nanoparticles include surface functionalization of purified CNTs by vigorous acid treatment and chemical reduction and/or oxidation of metal salts using strong reducing/oxidizing agents or by electrodeposition of metal nanoparticles on CNTs. Such techniques may require use of harsh and toxic chemicals thereby limiting the use of the hybrid materials for certain applications. Moreover, some of the techniques require multiple processing steps for forming the hybrid materials and may need intensive energy, thus making them challenging for large scale preparation. In some of these techniques, there are additional costs associated with use and removal of the solvents and the reducing reagents.
Metal salts are commonly used as precursors for depositing metal nanoparticles on chemically inert graphitic surface of the CNTs. However, current synthesis techniques may cause destruction of the CNT structures and therefore change their intrinsic electronic and mechanical properties. Further, inorganic coatings on acid-treated CNTs are often non-uniform.
Some hybrid structures formed by integration of CNTs and metal nanoparticles are used for environmental, defense, biological and medical applications. Such hybrid structures can be used as sensors for detecting organophosphorus compounds. One such organophosphorus compound is paraoxon that may be used as chemical warfare agent due to its high toxicity towards mammals causing neurological disorders. Some of the current detection techniques include gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and spectroscopy. Many of these techniques are tedious, time consuming and are substantially expensive.

Metal nanoparticle decorated carbon nanotubes and methods of preparation and use


In one embodiment, an apparatus can include: (i) a location receiver configured to receive position signals, and to derive location information therefrom; (ii) one or more recognition modules configured to receive usage-related inputs, and to provide a pattern therefrom; and (iii) a processor configured to receive the pattern, and to provide the location information and an emergency indication. For example, particular embodiments can advantageously provide an emergency beacon using voice or other usage-related inputs to a cellular telephone.

In many emergency situations, it is difficult to convey a location and/or the fact that an emergency situation exists to someone who can help. For example, people calling "911" from an unfamiliar location sometimes have difficulty providing the operator with precise location information. Thus, valuable time may be lost in ascertaining the location to which emergency personnel should be deployed.
Many modern portable or mobile communication devices do include location receivers, such as those supporting the global positioning system (GPS). Using such devices, precise location information may be conveyed for an emergency situation. For example, 911 may be dialed, or some other emergency button may be pressed to indicate an emergency situation. However, such conventional approaches may not be equipped to detect emergency situations when such a button may not be readily accessible.