text:
US 7577814 B1 Abstract A firmware memory manager allocates memory for code and data based on a lifespan associated with each allocation. The memory manager determines whether each allocated block of memory is needed only for a certain lifespan. Based on this determination, blocks of memory needed beyond the certain lifespan are all allocated adjacent to each other in memory. Once execution exceeds the certain lifespan, memory needed only for boot time is reported as being available for reuse by an operating system.
Claims(20) 1. A method for efficient firmware memory allocation, the method comprising:
receiving a firmware memory allocation request for an allocation of memory;
determining whether a lifespan associated with the allocation falls within a lifespan limit; and
responding to the firmware memory allocation request when the lifespan falls within the lifespan limit by allocating available memory in a first portion of memory having only memory allocations falling within the lifespan limit.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
determining whether the allocation is a first allocation in the first portion; and
responding to the firmware memory allocation request when the allocation is not the first allocation in the first portion by allocating memory that is adjacent to a previous allocation in the first portion.
6. The method of
determining whether the allocation is a first allocation in the second portion; and
responding to the allocation firmware memory allocation request when the allocation is not the first allocation in the second portion by allocating memory that is adjacent to a previous allocation in the second portion.
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
allocating a plurality of adjacent memory locations in the first portion in response to a plurality of firmware memory allocation requests;
receiving a first memory allocation information request; and
responding to the first memory allocation information request by providing a single entry encompassing the plurality of adjacent memory locations in the first portion and an available status.
10. The method of
allocating a plurality of adjacent memory locations in the second portion in response to a plurality of firmware memory allocation requests;
receiving a second memory allocation information request; and
responding to the second memory allocation information request by providing a single entry encompassing the plurality of adjacent memory locations in the second portion and an unavailable status.
11. A computer-readable medium having computer storage instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of
12. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of
13. A computer-readable medium having computer storage instructions stored thereon for allocating memory to a firmware, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
receiving a request to allocate memory for a first block of memory;
determining that a first lifespan for the first block of memory does not exceed a lifespan limit; and
locating the first block of memory in a memory adjacent to a second block of memory already allocated and having a second lifespan not exceeding the lifespan limit.
14. The computer-readable medium of
receiving a request to allocate memory for a third block of memory;
determining that a third lifespan for the third block of memory exceeds the lifespan limit;
locating the third block of memory in the memory adjacent to a fourth block of memory already allocated and having a fourth lifespan exceeding the lifespan limit.
15. The computer storage medium of
16. The computer storage medium of
17. A system for recovering a firmware for a computer, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a non-volatile memory, in communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor which, when executed, are operative to:
receive a plurality of memory allocation requests for allocation into a volatile memory; and
for each one of the plurality of memory allocation requests,
determine whether a block of memory of the one of the memory allocation requests is needed only for boot time;
if the block of memory is not needed only for boot time, allocating the block of memory in a first region of the volatile memory intended for blocks of memory not needed only for boot time; and
if the block of memory is needed only for boot time, allocating the block of memory in a second region of the volatile memory intended for blocks of memory needed only for boot time.
18. The system of
19. The system of
20. The system of
Description Computer systems are known that utilize a firmware program stored in non-volatile memory to assist with the start up of the computer system and to enable communication with low-level hardware. For instance, personal computer systems utilize a basic input/output system (BIOS) or an extensible firmware interface (EFI) firmware that includes program code containing fundamental routines that help transfer information between elements within the computer. One of the main purposes of firmware is to bootstrap the computer system and achieve a basic boot policy that may include, but is not limited to, booting of an operating system. Firmware code may, at startup for example, be responsible for loading various blocks of code and data into the memory of a computer. Code and data may include computer instructions and data for use at the time of startup or waking (boot time) as well as instructions and data which may be accessed by running applications once control has been passed to the operating system (run time). The strategic loading and placement of code and data into memory may be described as memory management. Existing firmware loads code and data into memory without regard to whether the code or data may only be needed during boot time. Memory is allocated sequentially or utilizing some other basis without regard to the lifespan of the code or data. Subsequently, when memory locations storing code and data needed only at boot time are freed for use by the operating system, the regions of freed memory may not be contiguous, creating gaps interspersed between run time code and data which is still in use. Such non-contiguous regions may be difficult to reuse due to their smaller size. Moreover, creating multiple non-contiguous regions that are still in use may lead to unnecessary complexity when retrieving a memory map from a firmware. For example, in a personal computer, when the firmware hands control to an operating system during boot, the operating system may make a chain of firmware calls in order to retrieve a collection of memory map entries describing available memory blocks. Each successive firmware call may retrieve information about a different block of memory. Some operating systems may be limited to a maximum number of memory map calls, possibly preventing the retrieval of information about all blocks in memory. As such, creating multiple non-contiguous blocks of run time code and data may cause the number of calls needed to recreate a full memory map to exceed the maximum number. It is with respect to these considerations and others that embodiments of the present invention have been made. It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Provided are methods and systems for efficiently managing firmware memory allocations. A request for a memory allocation is received, and a determination is made as to whether the lifespan of the requested memory exceeds a certain limit. When the lifespan of the requested memory falls within the limit, the memory is allocated in a portion of memory storing only allocations having a similar lifespan. The lifespan limit may constitute a transition between boot time and run time. Provided are computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions. The instructions are operative to receive a memory allocation request for a block of memory. A determination that the lifespan of the block of memory does not exceed a certain limit is made. The block of memory is allocated adjacent to another block of memory already allocated and having a similar lifespan. Other apparatuses, methods, and/or computer program products according to embodiments will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and Detailed Description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, and/or computer program products be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. The following detailed description is directed to apparatuses and methods for efficient firmware memory management. In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which are shown, by way of illustration, using specific embodiments or examples. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements through the several figures, aspects of the various implementations and an illustrative operating environment provided herein will be described. Turning now to In order to provide the functionality described herein, the computer 100 includes a baseboard, or �motherboard�, which is a printed circuit board to which a multitude of components or devices may be connected by way of a system bus or other communication path. In one illustrative embodiment, a central processing unit (CPU) 102 operates in conjunction with a chipset 104. The CPU 102 is a standard central processor that performs arithmetic and logical operations necessary for the operation of the computer. The CPU 102, in this and other embodiments, may include one or more of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and/or any other electronic computing device. A chipset 104 includes a northbridge 106 and a southbridge 108. The northbridge 106 provides an interface between the CPU 102 and the remainder of computer 100. The northbridge 106 also provides an interface to a random access memory (RAM) used as a main memory 114 in the computer 100 and, possibly, to an on-board graphics adapter 112. The northbridge 106 may also include functionality for providing networking functionality through a gigabit Ethernet adapter 110. The gigabit Ethernet adapter 110 is capable of connecting the computer 100 to one or more other computers via a network. Connections which may be made by the adapter 110 may include local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) connections, for example. LAN and WAN networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and on the Internet. The northbridge 106 is connected to the southbridge 108. The southbridge 108 is responsible for controlling many of the input/output functions of the computer 100. In particular, the southbridge 108 may provide one or more universal serial bus (USB) ports 116, a sound adapter 124, an Ethernet controller 134, and one or more general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins 118. The southbridge 108 may also provide a bus for interfacing peripheral card devices such as a BIOS boot system compliant SCSI host bus adapter 130. In one embodiment, the bus comprises a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus. The southbridge 108 may also provide a system management bus 132 for use in managing the various components of computer 100. Power management circuitry 126 and clock generation circuitry 128 may also be utilized during operation of the southbridge 108. The southbridge 108 is also operative to provide one or more interfaces for connecting mass storage devices to the computer 100. For instance, according to an embodiment, the southbridge 108 includes a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) adapter for providing one or more serial ATA ports 120 and an ATA100 adapter for providing one or more ATA100 ports 122. The serial ATA ports 120 and the ATA100 ports 122 may be, in turn, connected to one or more mass storage devices storing an operating system, application programs and other data. As known to those skilled in the art, an operating system comprises a set of programs that control operations of a computer and allocation of resources. An application program is software that runs on top of the operating system software, or other run time environment, and uses computer resources to perform application specific tasks desired by a user of the computer 100. The mass storage devices connected to the southbridge 108 and the SCSI host bus adapter 130, and their associated computer-readable media, provide non-volatile storage for the computer 100. Although the description of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer 100. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, DVD, HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer. A low pin count (LPC) interface may also be provided by the southbridge 108 for connecting a Super I/O device 138. The Super I/O device 138 is responsible for providing a number of input/output ports, including a keyboard port, a mouse port, a serial interface, a parallel port, and other types of input/output ports. The LPC interface or another interface may be utilized to connect a computer storage medium such as a ROM or a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) 137 such as a flash memory. The computer storage medium may be used for storing the firmware 136 that includes modules containing instructions and data that help to start up the computer 100 and to transfer information between elements within the computer 100. The firmware 136 may include a firmware that is compatible with the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification. It should be appreciated that in addition to the firmware 136 including an EFI-compatible firmware, other types and combinations of firmware may be included. For instance, the firmware 136 may comprise a Basic Input and Output System (BIOS) firmware or other type of firmware known to those in the art. Additional details regarding the operation of the EFI firmware 136 are provided below with respect to It should be appreciated that the computer 100 may comprise other types of computing devices, including hand-held computers, embedded computer systems, personal digital assistants, and other types of computing devices known to those skilled in the art. It is also contemplated that the computer 100 may not include all of the components shown in Referring now to Because of limitations of the BIOS in many computers, a new specification for creating the firmware that is responsible for booting the computer and for intermediating the communication between the operating system and the hardware has been created. The specification is called the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification, which was originally created by INTEL CORPORATION and which has been extended by the UNIFIED EXTENSIBLE FIRMWARE INTERFACE FORUM (UEFI). The EFI specification describes an interface 206 between the operating system 202 and the firmware 136. In particular, the specification defines the interface that platform firmware must implement and the interface that the operating system may use in booting and accessing hardware. How the firmware 136 implements the interface 206 is left up to the manufacturer of the firmware. The EFI specification provides interfaces for EFI drivers to communicate with each other, and the EFI core provides functions such as allocation of memory, creating events, setting the clock, and many others. As described above, firmware 136 may include a firmware compatible with the EFI specification from INTEL CORPORATION or from the UEFI FORUM. The specification defines a pre-boot environment as well as ways for the operating system 202 and the firmware 136 to communicate only information necessary to support the operating system boot process. This may be accomplished through a formal and complete abstract specification of the software-visible interface presented to the operating system 202 by the platform and the firmware. According to one implementation of EFI, both the EFI 206 and a BIOS compatibility support module (CSM) 208 may be present in the firmware 136. This allows for a heterogeneous environment of operating systems and device drivers which may only support either EFI or BIOS interfaces. An interface 212 may be provided to permit BIOS function calls made by legacy operating systems and applications. Additional details regarding the architecture and operation of the EFI 206 are provided below with respect to Turning now to Once started, the EFI OS loader 302 continues to boot the complete operating system 202. In doing so, the EFI OS loader 302 may use EFI boot services 304 and interface to other supported specifications to survey, comprehend, and initialize the various platform components and the operating system software that manages them. Thus, interfaces 314 from other specifications may also be present on the system. For example, the Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface (ACPI) and the System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) specifications may be supported. EFI boot services 304 provide interfaces for devices and system functionality that can be used during boot time. EFI run time services 306 are available to the OS loader 302 during the boot phase and to an operating system when it is running. For example, run time services may be presented to ensure appropriate abstraction of base platform hardware resources that may be needed by the operating system 202 during its normal operation. EFI allows extension of platform firmware by loading EFI drivers and EFI application images which, when loaded, have access to all EFI-defined run time and boot services. Various program modules provide the boot and run time services. These program modules may be loaded by the EFI boot loader 312 at system boot time. The EFI boot loader 312 is a component in the EFI firmware that determines which program modules should be explicitly loaded and when. Once the EFI firmware is initialized, it passes control to the boot loader 312. The boot loader 312 is then responsible for determining which of the program modules to load and in what order. It should be appreciated that both the operating system 202 and the firmware 136 provide a run time environment for application programs as described herein. In loading code and data into memory at boot time, the EFI firmware 136 utilizes code which may best be described as a memory manager. The memory manager serves as a gatekeeper to the memory, ensuring that modules and applications do not overwrite each other. When code requires additional memory for storage of code and/or data, it may request an allocation via the memory manager. For example, when the EFI boot loader 312 loads a module into memory, it will request an allocation from the memory manager and receive a memory address or pointer to the location allocated. As noted above, a memory manager allocates memory for loading the various blocks of code and data. The memory manager determines whether each block is needed only for within a particular lifespan limit, or may be needed beyond that time, determining in some embodiments whether the allocated block is needed only for boot time or for run time. The memory manager may make this determination based on parameters set by the code making the allocation request, such as a memory type parameter. Likewise, the determination may be made based on a passed-in value of the allocation request itself. For example, one or more ACPI modules 402 may be allocated by the memory manager, including an ACPI NVS module, and an ACPI Reclaimable module. Some ACPI modules 402 have a lifespan extending beyond boot time, so they will be allocated as blocks of memory in the vicinity other non-boot-only blocks. When allocating memory for ACPI modules 402, the memory manager determines a location to begin locating non-boot-only blocks. In the embodiment of The memory manager performs a similar determination and allocation of subsequent memory requests. For example, the next code or data to be allocated to memory may be the boot time code 407, which may include functions required only during boot time. The lifespan of the boot time code 407 is determined to be boot-only, and is allocated in a memory location separate from the non-boot-only blocks. In the embodiment of Once the initial blocks shown are allocated by the memory manager, the boot process continues. Additional requests for memory allocations are processed, each time using a lifespan associated with the memory to allocate the memory in the vicinity of other blocks of memory with a similar lifespan. When the EFI boot services 304 complete, the memory allocated to the boot-only blocks (e.g., the boot time code 407 and the boot time data 406) becomes available for use by the operating system 202. Since the boot-only blocks 406, 407 are no longer needed, the operating system 202 is free to utilize the memory. If a call or series of calls is made by the operating system 202 to determine memory left available, the memory occupied by the boot-only blocks 406, 407 will show as being available. For example, if a series of memory map calls is made, the memory allocation entries returned will show the memory occupied by the boot-only blocks 406, 407 as being available. These same memory allocation entries will show that memory allocated to the non-boot-only blocks 402, 403, 404 is not available for use by the operating system 202. This is demonstrated in the example of In Routine 700 begins with operation 701, which involves a memory manager receiving a request for an allocation of a block of memory. The request may be received from EFI boot loader 312, or from another piece of executing code requiring additional memory. Once received, at operation 702, the boot loader 312 determines the lifespan of the memory, determining whether the block is only needed for boot time, or needed at run time for use by, for example, an operating system 202. This determination may be made based on a memory type parameter associated with the request. In an EFI environment, for example, the EFI_MEMORY_TYPE parameter of the AllocatePages function indicates a type of memory to be allocated, and the type can be used to determine a lifespan for the allocation. For example, EFI boot loader 312 may consult a table or list to determine which modules to load, making requests of a memory manager for each module or group of modules. The table or list may include information designating a type of memory which is then passed as a parameter with the request. At decision 703, if the block of memory has a memory type indicating that it is non-boot-only, then at decision 704, the boot loader 312 checks if the block is the first non-boot-only block requested. If so, at operation 705, the boot loader 312 allocates the block at a first location which allows for other non-boot-only blocks to be allocated adjacent. For example, the memory manager may locate the first non-boot-only block at the top of the memory, in the highest available address. If at decision 704, the block of memory is not the first non-boot-only block allocated, then the block is allocated adjacent to the other already-allocated non-boot-only modules at operation 706. Returning to decision 703, if the firmware module is needed only at boot time, then at decision 707, the allocation is checked to see if it is the first boot-only block to be allocated. At operation 708, if the module is the first boot-only block of memory to be allocated, then it may be loaded into a location that will leave sufficient space for subsequent boot-only memory blocks to be allocated. If the block is not the first boot-only block to be allocated, then it may be located adjacent to other previously allocated boot-only blocks. It should be noted that boot-only blocks do not necessarily need to be located adjacent to each other, so long as they do not prevent non-boot-only blocks from being located adjacent to each other. Once the block of memory is allocated, the memory manager checks for any additional memory allocation requests. If there are any, then process 700 begins again with the next request. If not, the process terminates normally. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in conjunction with one or more particular embodiments and implementations, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structure, configuration, or functionality described herein. Rather, the specific structure, configuration, and functionality are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims. Patent Citations
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The Life of a Deployed Soldier
Video about what it is like to be a deployed Soldier in Iraq. This is a humorous question and answer session. Produced by Sgt. Michael Bierman. Provided by Multi-National Corps Public Affairs.By: DVIDSHub | Comments: 8 | Views: 7332 | Votes: 3 | Shared: 0
Leaked: Jan-30-2009 in Iraq, Middle East -
Mother of officer killed by illegal immigrant writes Obama
Posted by Breann Bierman Source: http://www.kpho.com/story/25982202/mother-of-sergeant-killed-by-illegal-immigrant-writes-obama MESA, AZ (CBS5) - The mother of a fallen Mesa officer is writiBy: copperdog3 | Comments: 69 | Views: 1071 | Votes: 9 | Shared: 14
Location: United States | Leaked: Jul-11-2014 in Politics -
Moon Palace
Based on a book by Paul Auster James Houston Stephen Merrick Zoe Bierman Roddy MacNeill Gerald McGinnigleBy: GEEZUS | Comments: 2 | Views: 300 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0
Location: Scotland, United Kingdom (UK/GB) | Leaked: Aug-1-2013 in WTF -
Actor David Carradine found dead, hanging by nylon rope
(CNN) -- American actor David Carradine has been found dead, hanging by a nylon rope in a hotel room closet in Bangkok, Thailand, according a Thai police official. Carradine, who became famouBy: komakazzi | Comments: 36 | Views: 16387 | Votes: 1 | Shared: 0
Location: Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand | Leaked: Jun-4-2009 in Other Entertainment -
David Carradine found dead, hanging inside hotel room in Thailand
Actor David Carradine found dead (CNN) -- American actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel, according to his personal manager, Chuck Binder. David Carradine becamBy: Awsomatic | Comments: 26 | Views: 15533 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0
Leaked: Jun-4-2009 in News, Other Entertainment -
Kill Bill actor Carradine kills himself
American actor David Carradine was found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok. The police discovered a maid the man in the bathroom of his suite. It is probably suicide. According to manager Chuck BindBy: badMother | Comments: 25 | Views: 10435 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0
Location: Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand | Leaked: Jun-4-2009 in News
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subset: commoncrawl


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A hammer for my second most recent cycling purchase, a Garmin 800.
"I tried being reasonable, I didnt like it."
"I understand. I just don't care"
"I don't give a f*ck" if they remember me at all" (F. Zappa)
Scored $20.50 aero bars on ebay. Will be interesting to see how they work out on the long country roads.
Retired 75 YO. Got my sub 5 ET century at 50 and sub 7 RT at 75. Just want to finish at 80. USNR, USAF, USCGA - riding 2014 Zenetto Steath ZR7.1 Carbon
44 short/shallow.
Fizik R1stem.
FSA Wing Pro Compact dropbar (40 cm width)...
It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster. - Greg LeMond
SRAM Red crankset for my Guru steel frame bike.
upgraded my stock Cannondale Bar with a Ritchey WCS Logic II
And the stock SRAM PG950 cassette with a Ultegra
2007 Cannondale Caad08
Sport crafters Omnium trainer , wanted something light and compact and where you can use a normal tire.
Went in to lbs today to get new brake pads and came out with new cassette , ergonova carbon drops oh and brake pads too :-)
Stahlwille 730/5 split beam torque wrench, 6-50 NM, +/-3% over the entire range, works for left-handed threads, just slide the scale to set torque, no need to return to zero after use, interchangeable heads.
I'll add a little one to match it too.
What are your thoughts on the Shimano ultegra 6800 wheels? Thinking of getting some
I've heard nothing but good things about those Ultegra wheels, very reliable, very street worthy. Their on sale for $334 for the set at wiggle.com | Shimano Ultegra 6800 Wheelset | Road Race Wheels
New bike on way neededto make room in my studio
Just got one of those Kool Stop Tire Jacks to help me mount tires on Pacenti SL23's...
Actually, they are on now. Just heaven help me if I flat.
"The older you do get, the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin', man, L-I-V-I-N." - Wooderson
'14 carbon Synapse - '12 CAAD 10 5 - '99 Gary Fisher Big Sur


text:
Admitted NOOB with a twist - IDS Ripped Tabs
Admitted NOOB with a twist - IDS Ripped Tabs
I've done a bit of reading about the IDS Ripped Tabs and opinions vary immensely from "I love it" to "Let's get together and bomb IDS". Here is my schtick
6'6" 220#
Approx 20% body fat (that could be a tad high)
NOT LOOKING TO BULK UP - looking to drop about 20#
I do lots of Cardio and High Rep Strength Workouts
I am a triathlete and aspiring martial artist. My issue isn't that I need to get ripped and bulk up. The exercise I do is going to inherently keep me on the thinner side. What I want to know is IF and HOW to take this particular product safely and what other supplements I should use in conjunction with or as a PCT (Post Cycle Therapy)
I appreciate any help or input from anyone. - 08-08-2007, 08:55 AM
- Stats
- 6'7" 270 lbs.
- Join Date
- Aug 2004
- Posts
- 5,233
- Rep Power
- 8358
- Level
- 50
- Lv. Percent
- 36.5%
man you'll be way too thin at 200lbs for 6'6". I'm 6'7" and 230ish and still can look thin at times. I'd shoot for dropping some BF% and staying around 220. What does your diet look like, this is ultimately what will get you where you want to be.
[QUOTE=Liquidglow;947441]High Rep Strength Workouts[QUOTE]
Not ready for AAS yet, focus on your diet and training for now. Find a good program that will have you lifting heavy with low reps, thats a strength program. -
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text:
College Board
A Redesigned SAT Will Debut In Spring 2016
The College Board, who administers the SAT, announced earlier this year they are giving the exam a major overhaul and cite eight specific changes.
At Masterman School, Students Continue Raking In Achievement Awards
Despite the turmoil surrounding the Philadelphia school district's budget crisis, one of its top high schools has reason again to celebrate.
Older Kindergarten Students May Have Advantage In High School And College
A new study finds the oldest children in their kindergarten class are more likely to pass advanced placement tests in high school.
Minorities Not Taking Advanced Placement Tests In Computer Science
According to Education Week, new data from the College Board shows less than 20% of students taking AP computer science tests were female, about 3% African American and 8% Hispanic.
Attempts To Steer Poor Kids To College
College Board has specifically targeted smart but poor high school students with a mailing meant to help them apply to any of 8 schools. The response was tremendous.
An Effort To Change The SATs
Students who apply to college will tell you that they don't like the SATs. But the surprise is that David Coleman doesn't like them either. He's the president of the College Board.
3 On Your Side: Saving On College Textbooks
For many students, purchasing textbooks can take a big bite out of the budget. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan joins us with some advice on how to save some money.
Study: Latino Population Not Getting The Same Chances For College Success
The problem runs from a young age (Hispanic children are less likely to be enrolled in pre-school) to adulthood (Latinos have less than half the percentage of post-secondary degrees as the overall population), according to this new study by the College Board.


text:
How to use the home loan comparison calculator
Comparing Home Mortgages
by Paige Estigarribia
Related Articles |
Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Mortgage
How to Choose a Mortgage Broker 5 Borrowers Who Need a Mortgage Calculator |
Deciding which home loan will give you the best terms can be confusing. Using Bankrate's Home Loan Comparison Calculator is a great way to determine the best loan and monthly payment for you. So how does the calculator work?
Step 1: Find Loan 1 and Open the Information Window
Find Loan 1 on the page, and follow it over to the right side, then click on the plus sign to open the Loan 1 information form.
Step 2: Enter the Loan Amount of Loan 1
This is the amount that you are planning to borrow from the bank, after all of your negotiations are finished. Depending on how some closing costs are handled, it might not be the same amount for all of the mortgages you're comparing.
Step 3: Enter the Interest Rate for Loan 1
This is where you'll enter the interest rate the bank is offering for the loan that you are considering.
Step 4: Enter the Loan Term for Loan 1
This is the amount of time that the bank has given you to pay back the loan. This feature allows you to compare loans with different lengths (ie 15 vs 30 years).
Step 5: Enter the Amount of Time for Amortization for Loan 1
This is where you will enter the time period over which the loan will be amortized. In traditional mortgages it will be the same as the loan term. For loans with a 'balloon payment' you'll have a different amortization length.
Step 6: Enter the Amount of Any Origination Fee That is Part of the Terms of Loan 1
Sometimes as part of the terms of a loan contract, there will be origination fees. Enter the amount of this fee, which is typically found in the loan contract documentation. If you don't have documentation yet, be sure to ask the bank officer if this fee will be part of the agreement.
Step 7: Enter the Amount of Any Commitment Fee That is Part of the Terms of Loan 1
Also sometimes as part of the terms of a loan contract, there will be commitment fees. Enter the amount of this fee. This is also found in the loan documentation. Again, if there is no documentation yet, ask about whether this fee will be part of the agreement.
Step 8: Enter the Amounts of any other Fees and Costs that are Part of the Proposed Agreement for Loan 1
Review the loan documentation, and input any additional fees or costs to be added into the calculation.
Step 9: Find Loan 2 and Open the Information Window
Next, find Loan 2. Move over towards the right hand side of the form, and click on the plus sign to open the form.
Step 10: Repeat Steps 2-8 for Loan 2
Repeat the same steps that you did for Loan 1, now for Loan 2. Be sure to enter in any differing interest amounts an loan terms, and review all of the documentation and paperwork to make sure that you don't forget to include any additional fees or costs.
Step 11: Determine if you Have an Additional Loan That You Want to Compare
If you have an additional loan that you want to include in your comparison, locate Loan number 3, and scroll to the right hand side and click the plus sign to open the window. Repeat steps 2-8 to enter all of the loan information for that loan.
Last step: Click Calculate
This will show you how all of the loans compare with each other, and how your monthly payment will compare. The graph at the bottom will also give you a visual idea of how your monthly payments will compare with each loan.
Combining all of these factors will give you an estimated breakdown of what a monthly payment under each loan looks like, compared against each of the options.
If you'd like to give the home loan comparison a try, launch the calculator and find your best loan option.
Paige Estigarribia is a writer for The Dollar Stretcher who enjoys writing about food, frugal living, and money-saving tips. Visit Paige on Google+.
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1992 lx 5.0 park it for the evening and the battery is dead by morning? Interior is removed so no lights can be left on, alternator is charging at 13.7-14volts. Any ideas or possible causes? The battery is less that a year old optima red top.
Obviously there is a draw. Hook up a DVM. start pulling fuses one at a time and see if the voltage changes. This is usually from a hacked up stereo, alarm install, fan. Check for remnants of wiring under the hood and under the dash. Also do a voltage drop test starting from the battery back, and check the ground wires for chafing, or grounding out.
Another useful test is to get a DMM that can measure DC amps up to 10A. Remove one terminal and hook the meter up in series and see how many amps of current is being drawn. Should be 1/2A or so. If it's high, start pulling fuses to identify the circuit that is drawing current
I would add that it might be useful to use a shunt or test-light initially - your draw is large and it might be a bit much for the DMM (one doesn't want to test the circuit protection in the meter itself).
Typically it is something draining the battery. Small things like glove box or courtesy lights are often the culprits. If you have an aftermarket stereo or alarm system, it is also suspect. The ideal method is to disconnect the negative terminal, and connect a Digital Multimeter (DVM) between the negative terminal on the battery and the negative cable. Set the DVM on a low current scale of 2-5 amps if it doesn't auto range. Watch the current draw, and then start pulling out fuses. When you see a sudden drop in the current, that circuit is the likely culprit. Note that the computer, radio & clock will draw less than 1/10 amp to keep the settings alive. See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf. You will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer which is also a free download – http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html


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Q I have two built-in wardrobes on an outside wall. Things put in them get mildewed. How can I treat this problem? I'd prefer to avoid dehumidifer/low-wattage heater methods if possible.
A I suspect you have entered the murky, mouldy world of interstitial condensation. Older buildings were built to 'breathe', allowing moisture levels to balance inside and out. As buildings are now sealed with 'modern' paints and new windows, moisture from human occupation (you!) gets trapped and condenses on to the inner layer of external walls as the temperatures outside drop. This causes mould to form on the walls. So insulate the wall with external, cavity or internal-wall insulation. If it's the last one, a vapour-control layer will need to be fitted. Alternatively and more cheaply, first ventilate the whole room continuously with a window trickle vent and also fix vents to the cupboard fronts to allow fresh air to circulate. For more information, see www.buildingconservation.com.
Q We have a 14-month-old daughter and a small yard floored with rough concrete. I want her to be able to play safely. Is there such a thing as DIY rubber paint? Or can you recommend any exterior floor covering that is cheap and easy to lay? Or should I just get some self-levelling concrete and paint it with masonry paint? Sadly, the yard doesn't get any sun, so any plant/grass-based ideas are out.
Alex Bond
A To smooth over the concrete, fit the patio area with a rubber tile similar to those in playgrounds. For permanent tiles with real bounce and safety, try 30mm recycled-rubber (called TERRAlastic) floor tiles from www.uacgroup.co.uk. For a more economic temporary surface, try colourful rubber floor tiles (try www.happylandings.co.uk or DIY stores). But for a surface that's good for you, your little girl and the environment, try a wood and recycled-plastic decking - I've fitted that in my patio. It has a smooth but slip-resistant surface and doesn't need annual maintenance or go green every year like timber (see www.maine-deck.co.uk).
· If you have an interior design question for Oliver, email firstname.lastname@example.com


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[ Music Index | San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]
Local blues institution says farewell
By Sarah Quelland
AFTER NEARLY a dozen years on the scene, San Jose-based urban blues band NiteCry has called it quits. After multiple changes in its lineup, including an amicable parting of the ways with singer Steve Siacotis, the sextet--recently featuring blues guitarist René Solis, vocalist Dave Wilson Jr., keyboardist Richard Palmer, saxophonist Craig Detwiler, drummer Andy Thrall and bassist Harold Farrell--continued performing on the local and national circuit, playing popular blues clubs like JJ's Blues and various festivals. The band released two all-original CDs during its time together, including the well-received 1997 release Too Cool to Be Blue (produced by Joe Louis Walker), a solid collection of rocking West Coast R&B and blues. Before moving on to other projects, NiteCry is planning a blowout farewell/reunion show, which will include as many past band members as possible, to give friends and fans one last good-bye. More details on that when a date and place are announced.
It was an eclectic night of music at the Usual last Tuesday (Nov. 30) with a local lineup featuring Stunt Monkey, Triple Seven and dredg. New Wave punk-rock outfit Other Star People was scheduled to headline the night, but the group canceled. While I still have reservations about dredg, the band does seem ambitious. Boldly taking a risk, its first album, Leitmotif, is an intricate concept album. dredg's music is complex and artful with rich tribal undertones. Triple Seven has sort of a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe with its high-energy rap-rock-funk. Triple Seven's biggest strength is its confident stage presence, which could easily carry over to bigger venues. Stunt Monkey closed out the night with its upbeat, lighthearted brand of pop-punk. In addition to performing favorites like "White Trash Puppet Show," "Bachelor Pad," "Spy Girl" and "Cartoon," the band introduced a new song titled "Advice" and threw in a fun cover of the Herman's Hermits hit "I'm Into Something Good."
If you saw MC Hammer's name on the marquee at the Usual last Wednesday (Dec. 1), it's because the rapper was shooting a video for a Japanese TV station inside the club. Keep an eye out in case the footage makes it stateside. ... Congratulations go out to Big Zen, who won the Outstanding National Artist award at the ninth annual Los Angeles Music Awards on the basis of the song "My Dear" from the band's five-song demo.
True to Form has announced that guitarist Dave Fabris is leaving the band to pursue other interests. While Fabris will perform at upcoming shows through 1999--including the big show tomorrow night (Friday, Dec. 10) at the Cactus Club with SECURITY, Broken Vision and Implant--the band is seeking a replacement to start after the first of the year. Interested guitarists should contact Kevin Jackson at 408.206.7334 to set up an audition.
After 30 years in business, Jose's Caribbean Restaurant & Night Club (located for the last 24 years at 2275 El Camino Real in Palo Alto) is closing due to a substantial rent increase. The popular eating establishment run by Jose Ibanez became famous for its empanadas (a type of meat pie). The restaurant shuts its doors Dec. 31 and will reopen briefly Jan. 7-8, 6pm-2am, for a reservations-only goodbye party. Call 650.326.6522 for reservations. There is talk of relocation.
PLAN AHEAD: Boy Kicks Girl, the Huxtables and others, Dec. 9 at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz; Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Dec. 9 at the Flint Center; Maceo Parker, Dec. 9 at the Edge; Swarm and Venus Bleeding, Dec. 10 at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco; Morrissey, Dec. 10-11 at Maritime Hall; LIVE 105's Not So Silent Night with Bush, 311, Foo Fighters, Filter and Blink 182 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco; Salmon, Dec. 11 at the Cactus Club; Dee Dee Ramone, Dec. 11 at the Usual; Jonathan Richman, Dec. 11 at the Catalyst; Incredibly Strange Wrestling and Groovie Ghoulies, Dec. 11 at the Fillmore; Counting Crows, Dec. 12-13 at the Warfield; Marcy Playground, Dec. 13 at Palookaville in Santa Cruz; Fu Manchu, Dec. 14 at the Usual; Neosoreskin, Dec. 17 at Cactus; Barenaked Ladies, Dec. 17 at the Warfield; Crack, Dec. 18 at Cactus; Testament, Dec. 18 at the Usual; Slow Gherkin, Dec. 18 at the Catalyst; Buckcherry, Dec. 19 at Maritime Hall; Good Riddance, Dec. 19 at Palookaville; Red Hot Chili Peppers and 311, Dec. 28 at the Cow Palace.
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Editor's Note: TheStreet.com has always believed that offering a wide variety of opinions and viewpoints -- rather than a monolithic "house view" -- helps readers make better-informed investment decisions. In that spirit, we bring you the debut of "360 Degrees."
This new weekly feature is designed to take advantage of our stable of reporters and contributors, who will offer analysis of specific stocks from all angles -- fundamental vs. technical and short-term trader vs. long-term investor.
The first "360 Degrees" column examines Internet search giant Google (GOOG). Future subjects will be chosen by the readers; please see our poll at the end of this column to help determine the next stock to get the "360 Degrees" treatment.
The Guru: Beat the Selloff Blues by Jim Cramer
This column was originally published on RealMoney on Jan. 20.
Every time we have a good market, as we have since the year began, you get these folks who believe that selloffs have been repealed or that a selloff is a vast insult to the people's intelligence, or those who believe a selloff is the end of the world.
We've had a gazillion selloffs in my time and if one occurs after things have been terrific, I find that it is accompanied by a cacophony of people who decide that this business is too dangerous and who give up whatever they have made. I am not writing this to taunt. I am writing it to suggest that the way to beat these blues is simply to be sure that you are selling into strength, particularly when things are overbought and you get so much optimism. Remember, I am not talking about timing the market. That's not my plan. I am talking about going against the grain and letting even some of your favorite stocks go so that you have room to buy them back when they come down.


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"The Hiawatha Water Trail Association looks forward to a continuing partnership with the park service and forest service as well as with the many other governmental entities, individuals and organizations that have encouraged, and joined in, developing the trail, ... Without these partnerships, the water trail cannot be a reality."
"Friendship is essentially a partnership."
"There's a lot to be said for the motivational effects of the partnership bonus on levels of customer service. In the most recent round of figures, staff got about eight weeks' salary as a bonus. That's not to be sniffed at, and might explain why John Lewis still has a good reputation for service when you talk to people."
Leigh Sparks
"The muscle behind this plan is the broad spectrum of the partnership. We have representatives involved with flood control, water quality, habitat, water supply and conservation, and city and county governments, and we realized from the beginning there were challenges that kept each of us from realizing our individual goals."
Linda Shead
"Enterprise has placed a strong emphasis on expanding its service capabilities in the general aviation community, ... Our partnership with Delta AirElite, one of the industry's most respected charter operators, underscores this commitment to our general aviation customers."
Pat Malone
"It's a partnership that enhances the weaknesses of both companies. Sun is going to enhance its services offering, which it has never been renowned for; and EDS is going to build its outsourcing and consulting capabilities in order to reach the [small and medium business] marketplace."
Carrie Lewis
"Through our strong partnership with CSR, XM will have an opportunity to expand the XM service beyond the United States and serve millions of Canadians with compelling Canadian and American programming."
Hugh Panero


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Results 1 to 30 of 52
Thread: Oil works - + 1 last page
November 4th, 2008 #1Registered User
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Oil works - + 1 last page
Most of these are from an exhibition I had in August. It went pretty well, all things considered.
(A few of these wern't finished when the photos were taken.. nothing too major but you might pick up on a few things)
See you guys in Wellington next week yeah!. Choice bro
(all measurements in CM's)
101 x 75
about 76x60
about 60x50
about 50x40
Attachment 509932
Attachment 509933
PS Went to life drawing tonight and Emily G was there!.. looks like I might have coerced her into sitting for a portrait tomorrow. haha, Excellent.- Similar Threads
- SketchBook: Shoot the works :: page 9
- Art: New personal works! update...page-4:)
- Art: zww's works( UpdatedPage 2)
- Art: Oil works - + 2 on page 4
- Art: Recent Works (Coupla New Thingies on Last Page)
Last edited by Lukias; November 11th, 2008 at 01:02 PM.
Hide this ad by registering as a memberThe Following 11 Users Say Thank You to Lukias For This Useful Post:
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November 4th, 2008 #2JESUS CHRIST O___________________________O
Post of the century. Damn, these are amazing.
November 4th, 2008 #3ohhh my... look at these works. love all of them so much.
awesome brush work, great use of colors. all great, amost i love the red shoes
and the window light, the bue light on her clothes are so nice.
November 4th, 2008 #4The Cat's Deputy (POW! Moderator)
donalfall (at) gmail.com- Join Date
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Nice, very nice. Love the moods you captured in each one. They're like Cindy Sherman photographs or similar - stills from a movie, there's a narrative to each and to the set that we could pick up on if we spend enough time looking... Sizes? Prices? Not wanting to be nosy, but just curious.... did you sell any/many?
P.O.W.! - All the Comic Challenges you can handle
donalfall's sketchbook - page 14 | donalfall.com | galwaypubscrawl.com | facebook | twitter |
November 4th, 2008 #5
November 4th, 2008 #6Wow, nice!
"Three's so little room for error."--Elwell
November 4th, 2008 #7beautiful...sensitive..sensual
NEW SketchbooK
My Finished Paintings(TIGHTropE)
November 4th, 2008 #8absolutely fantastic
November 4th, 2008 #9Great stuff man. I really enjoy the piano girly. Very cool.
Website: http://bradyscott.weebly.com & Blog: http://bradyscott.blogspot.com
November 4th, 2008 #10Beautiful, I enjoy the one with the girl looking up and the lily behind her. Awesome!
November 4th, 2008 #11The lady with the white gloves and leather jacket's my favorite. But they're all good, love the mood and the loose brushwork.
November 4th, 2008 #12WOW! soooo many great pieces !Love soo many different things, the EDGES, love the leaves on "Spring s" and the water in "Lily" ,"lowkey" just makes me grin and "jen1" is pure awesome. Thanks so much for sharing ! If its not to much trouble I'd be interested to know the size of some of these, to get a sense of the scale you're working at.
p.s. With your photography and painting skills is there any chance of seeing a "Book" of you paintings maybe from one of the many P.O.D (printondemand) sites? an oversized coffeetable size maybe
Last edited by Victor B; November 4th, 2008 at 05:29 PM.
November 4th, 2008 #13Beautiful paintings, Lukias! I'm particularly drawn to the white gloves piece and the piano one. Thanks for showing them.
November 4th, 2008 #14Registered User- Join Date
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Fabulous stuff, hope you got lots of red dots.
November 4th, 2008 #15Whoa where did this come from, and how didn't I notice it? Stellar work as always. My favorite's the second one - her arm melds to the background just like your pen/pencil work. The contrast of clarity and blur is just gorgeous. It's a great play on reality. We want to believe it's true but we know it's not - very compelling.
The girl in the red coat has a great colorscheme. Man I'd love to see these in person.
When are you going to update your sketchbook man??? I've been going back there for months waiting... Just draw something, anything and post it there, and definately post your portrait of Emily!
Oh yeah, no need to answer, but I'm kinda curious about the real name of one of my favorite artists? I'd been thinking of posting you under L in the favorite's thead in the lounge.
November 4th, 2008 #16bastard which ones mine *cough
hehe awesome man, will catch ya next week duder
November 4th, 2008 #17you are doing something new with the light in lillies and window light, which is really really nice - has a solidarity combined with warmth that is pushing further than your last batch. really sweet shit, bru.
November 4th, 2008 #18Love it!
November 4th, 2008 #19aw man thats some choice work!
great stuff man!
November 5th, 2008 #20These are bad ass! Thanks for the inspiration!
November 5th, 2008 #21Seriously beautiful works.
You and Emily G were both at life drawing?! Shit, I missed out big time.
November 5th, 2008 #22Registered User- Join Date
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November 5th, 2008 #23beautiful works Lukias!! very vibrant color keep it coming please
November 5th, 2008 #24brilliant paintings, this one is my favourite http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...0&d=1225803865
November 5th, 2008 #25TASmith... his name is Luke Hollis If I am not wrong..
and dayum that..last painting..is beautiful
NEW SketchbooK
My Finished Paintings(TIGHTropE)
November 5th, 2008 #26Man that first one sure is something Top stuff!
November 5th, 2008 #27Such an accurate roughness is magic...
November 5th, 2008 #28wow...those are absolutly gorgeous.
Portfolio http://villainsforhire.se/
November 5th, 2008 #29Steph Laberis Fanboy- Join Date
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Haven't seen you since those digitals of jesus & co. You've really put that time to good use. You'll be livin' the dream soon, if you aren't already. Congratz on your awsome paintings!
November 5th, 2008 #30Oh Jeebus, they look sweet. The second one is heartwarmingly scrumptuos


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do you meditate/pray or both?
I pray not only because I believe it connects to me god and also helps with my anxiety! Im not too sure why but ever since I was a little girl prayer has always helped me. Another good "meditation" I do is called grounding its works amazing for me I tell myself about my surroundings and literally bring my thoughts and myself back to the now and reality! I've heard yoga also could be really good too. still have found enough patience to do that! Haha but I do these things mostly for my anxiety which gives me a peace of mind and who doesn't feel good about that?
I can't meditate to save my life. My mind just won't shut off long enough.
I haven't meditated in a while. I do pray and meditate. I pray when I am scared and I need a connection with God or I am feeling confused or lonely. As for meditation, I started meditating when I was suffering from bad anxiety attacks. I would feel like I was spinning out of control and I couldn't breath. Meditation lets me stop focusing on the negative and allows me to center myself. I like it because I can feel each muscle in my body relax and my mind becomes quiet and more clear.


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First day at office... mixed emotions and mixed experiences
The felling of independence and the starting phase of enslavement..... the feeling of achievement along with the starting of confusion.... There is an excitement that i am going to do something new and there come the fear how good can i do.
Many such kinds of emotions passed through my mind, as i sat on my chair to work for the very first time.
Getting the picture of what to do and how to so i a big thing, that's the first lesson i learned.
One of your careless mistake can spoil all your efforts in fraction, that's the second lesson learned...that'a all for today.
With improvements,hopes and aspirations i will start a new tomorrow thanking my parents, all my teachers and all my friends, who all have made me reach till here... :)


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US 20080086133 A1 Abstract A method of treating a compression fracture in a bone comprising the steps of forming a transverse cavity within said bone defined by at least one substantially flat surface lying substantially in a transverse plane formed by and communicating with said transverse cavity, the transverse cavity having a substantially uniform transverse extent and a maximum height, the maximum height being less than said transverse extent and applying a force within said transverse cavity generally normal to said surface to displace said surface and restore said bone to its substantially normal anatomic position.
Claims(39) 1. A method of treating a compression fracture in a bone, comprising the steps of:
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27. A method of creating a transverse cavity in a bone having a compression fracture, comprising the steps of: identifying a surface in a bone that is to be restored to its normal anatomical position, said surface generally defining a transverse plane; inserting a tool having a tool body area into the bone adjacent said surface; after insertion, activating a movable element operably supported by said tool in a direction outwardly from said tool body and through a path consisting essentially of a substantially flat plane that is substantially parallel to said surface to define a transverse cavity having an area greater than said tool body area and a substantially uniform height in a direction generally perpendicular to said transverse plane.
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Description This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 11/282,910 filed on Nov. 18, 2005 which is a divisional application of U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/440,036, filed May 16, 2003, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/909,667, filed Jul. 20, 2001, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/219,853 filed Jul. 21, 2000, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. This invention relates to methods and devices for correcting bone abnormalities and involves the use of a surgical mesh bag which is inserted into a prepared cavity in bone. The bag is inflated using bone replacement material to expand and fill the cavity. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,679 and 5,571,189 to Kuslich, describe a device and method for stabilizing the spinal segment with an expandable, porous fabric implant for insertion into the interior of a reamed out disc which is packed with material to facilitate bony fusion. In the present invention, a similar bag is used to correct bone abnormalities including, but not limited to, bone tumors and cysts, tibial plateau fractures, avascular necrosis of the femoral head and compression fractures of the spine. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,108,404 and 4,969,888 to Scholten et al., describe a system for fixing osteoporotic bone using an inflatable balloon which compacts the bone to form a cavity into which bone cement is injected after the balloon is withdrawn. The invention requires the use of fluoroscopy to monitor the injection and to help guard against cement leakage through fissures in bone. Unfortunately, such leakage is known to occur in spite of these precautions. Since such leakage may cause serious injury, including paralysis, an improved device and method is needed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,015 to Scribner et al., describes a system of deploying a catheter tube into the interior of a vertebra and expanding a specially configured nonporous balloon therewithin to compact cancellous bone to form a cavity. The Scribner patent approach utilizes a non-porous balloon which is inflated within the bone to cause compression. The cavity thus formed, may then be filled with bone cement. Unfortunately, the bag used by Scribner may be ruptured during expansion to compact cancellous bone due to sharp projections found within the cavity to be expanded. Filling the cavity eventually formed could allow leakage of bone cement out of the bone against vessels or nerves which may cause undesirable complications. The present invention involves an improvement of all of the previous techniques and avoids complications that could occur with the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,015. All U.S. patents, applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The art described in this section is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is �prior art� with respect to this invention, unless specifically designated as such. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. � 1.56(a) exists. The invention provides a method of correcting numerous bone abnormalities including bone tumors and cysts, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, tibial plateau fractures and compression fractures of the spine. The abnormality may be corrected by first accessing and boring into the damaged tissue or bone and reaming out the damaged and/or diseased area using any of the presently accepted procedures, or the damaged area may be prepared by expanding a bag within the damaged bone to compact cancellous bone. After removal and/or compaction of the damaged tissue the bone must be stabilized. In cases in which the bone is to be compacted, the methods and devices of this invention employ a catheter tube attached to an inflatable porous fabric bag as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,679 and 5,571,189 to Kuslich, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Those bags may be inflated with less fear of puncture and leakage of the inflation medium than thin walled rubber balloons. They may also be used over a Scribner balloon to protect the balloon from breakage and eventually seepage. The devices of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,679 and 5,571,189 to Kuslich, additionally provide the surgeon with the advantage of safely skipping the first balloon inflation steps of Scribner and Scholten, by expanding the bag through introduction of fill material, such as a bone repair medium thereby correcting the bony defect and deformity and stabilizing it in one step of the procedure. As indicated above, the damaged bone may be removed by any conventional reamer. Examples of reamers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,255; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/782,176, to Kuslich et al., entitled �Expandable Reamer� and filed Feb. 13, 2001; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/827,202 to Peterson et al., entitled �Circumferential Resecting Reamer Tool,� filed Apr. 5, 2001, the disclosure of which has been expressly recited herein at the end of this application. Other examples of reamers are known and may be used. After the damaged bone or tissue has been removed, bone repair medium may then be inserted into the cavity thus formed, via a catheter and expandable fabric bag as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,679 and 5,571,189. Alternatively, either a smaller than desired cavity may be formed into the bone to be enlarged by compaction or the cavity may be formed only by compaction through introduction of fill material into the bag. In either case, the bag may be positioned over the inflation balloon which is then inflated within the bone site to provide the degree of compaction required. The bag may then be filled with fill material, such as bone repair medium while the balloon remains in place within the bag. Alternatively, the balloon may be removed from the bag prior to filing the bag. A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings in which: In the following detailed description, similar reference numerals are used to depict like elements in the various figures. As previously mentioned, the damaged portion of the vertebra 10 may be compacted in addition to or instead of being reamed out. In Bone replacement material 19 may be one or more of the following, or any other biocompatible material judged to have the desired physiologic response: A) Demineralized bone material, morselized bone graft, cortical, cancellous, or cortico-cancellous, including autograft, allograft, or xenograft; B) Any bone graft substitute or combination of bone graft substitutes, or combinations of bone graft and bone graft substitutes, or bone inducing substances, including but not limited to: Tricalcium phosphates, Tricalcium sulfates, Tricalcium carbonates, hydroxyapatite, bone morphogenic protein, calcified and/or decalcified bone derivative; and C) Bone cements, such as ceramic and polymethylmethacrylate bone cements. The bone replacement material is inserted into the bag 22 via a needle, catheter 20 or other type of fill tool. The bone replacement material expands the bag to the limits of the cavity 16. The inventive bag 22 may be a small fabric bag, from about one to about four cm in diameter, being roughly spherical in shape, although other elliptical shapes and other geometric shapes may be used. The bag is pliable and malleable before its interior space 21 is filled with the contents to be described. The material of the bag 22 may be configured to take on the shape of the cavity in which the bag is placed. While in this initial condition, the bag may be passed, uninflated, through a relatively small tube or portal, perhaps about three mm to about one cm in diameter. The bag 22, such as may best be seen in One or more of the pores 25 may be used as a fill opening 27, wherein the fabric 23 may be manipulated to enlarge a pore to a diameter potentially greater than 5 mm but no more than about 1 cm. Preferably, the fill opening 27 is less than about 5 mm in diameter. Such a pore/fill opening 27 is sufficiently large to allow a catheter, needle, fill tube or other device for inserting or injecting fill material to pass through the fabric 23 and into the interior 21 of the bag 22 without damaging the integrity of the bag 22. When the bag 22 is fully filled with fill material, the bag will form a self-retaining shape which substantially fills the cavity 16. Once sufficiently full, the fill tool used to place fill material into the bag interior 21 is removed from the opening 27. Where the opening 27 is not a pore 25 but rather a separate and distinct opening in the bag 22, the opening 27 may have a set diameter which requires sealing such as by tying, fastening, welding, gluing or other means of closing the opening 27 after the bag has been filled. Where the opening 27 is a pore 25, upon removal of the catheter or fill tool from the opening 27 the fabric 23 will contract to reduce the diameter of the opening 27 to be substantially similar to that of the other pores 25. The size and density of the pores determine the ease or difficulty with which materials may pass through the mesh. For instance, very small pores (<0.5 mm) would prohibit passage of all but the smallest particles and liquids. The pore size and density could be controlled in the manufacturing process, such that the final product would be matched to the needs of the surgeon. For example, if methylmethacrylate bone cement were to be used, the pore size would need to be very small, such as about less than 0.5 mm to about 1.0 mm, whereas, when bone graft or biocompatible ceramic granules are used, pore sizes ranging from about 1.0 mm to about 5.0 mm or more may be allowed. The fact that the fabric 23 is properly porous would allow it to restrict potentially dangerous flow of the fill material outside the confines of the bag. The fabric is light, biocompatible, flexible and easily handled, and has very good tensile strength, and thus is unlikely to rip or tear during insertion and inflation. When the device is inflated, the device expands to fill a previously excavated cavity 16. The use of the term �fabric� herein is meant to include the usual definition of that term and to include any material that functions like a fabric, that is, the �fabric� of the invention must have a plurality of pores 25 through which material and fluid flow is allowed under the terms as described, and the �fabric� must be flexible enough to allow it to be collapsed and inserted into an opening smaller than the inflated bag size. The bag 22 need not be woven and may be molded or otherwise formed as is well known in the art. The preferred material may provide the ability to tailor bioabsorbance rates. Any suture-type material used medically may be used to form the bag 22. The bag may be formed of plastic or even metal. In at least one embodiment, bag 22 is formed using a combination of resorbable and/or nonresorbable thread. Bag 22 may include a fill opening 27 which may be a bushing that could be a bioabsorbable and/or nonbioabsorbable plastic, ceramic or metal. The opening 27 may also be hydroxyapatite, or it could be plastic or metal. The opening 27 may also be characterized as a pore 25, wherein a pore 25 of the fabric 23 has been expanded to allow a catheter 20 or other fill device to pass into the interior 21 of the bag 22. The bag 22 could be formed from a solid material to which perforations are added. The bag 22 may be partially or totally absorbable, metal, plastic, woven, solid, film or an extruded balloon. In embodiments of the present invention a damaged tissue of a body, such as a vertebra 10 may be treated in accordance with the following procedures such as are depicted in Initially, the vertebra 10 needing repair is surgically exposed by forming at least one cavity 16. The cavity or cavities 16 may be formed by several different means such as by reaming. Reaming may be accomplished by several means such as including the use of a reamer 14 such as, for example, the Kuslich Expandable Reamer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,255, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Next, the unexpanded mesh bag or Expandable Fabric Bag Device (EFBD) 22 is inserted into the cavity or cavities via catheter 20 or other means. At some point, the fill material 19 is prepared for insertion or injection into the EFBD 22. Following preparation of the fill material 19, the material is injected or otherwise inserted into the bag 22 using sufficient pressure to fill the bag 22 to its expanded state, thus producing rigidity and tension within the cavity or cavities 16 to reach the degree of correction required by virtue of the compression fractures. Finally, the fill opening 27 is closed to prevent egress of inflation material 19. As may best be seen in If desired, the expandable fabric bag 22 may be used as the sole inflation device, eliminating the Scribner et al. balloon 30 if the fabric porosity is tight and the inflation media is reasonably viscous. While many of the previous embodiments have described the use of the bag 22 for repair of tissue such as a spinal body, in In an alternative embodiment, the Scribner et al. balloon, as previously described, may also be used with the bag 22 for repair of the femoral head 40. Turning to an embodiment of the invention shown in Other tissue and bone abnormalities may also be treated with the inventive methods and bag 22 described herein. The present invention is not limited to only treatment of spinal bodies, femoral heads, and tibial plateaus. The bag 22 and the methods of treatment described herein, may be utilized throughout a mammalian body to treat many types of bone and tissue abnormalities including those described herein as well as others. In addition to being directed to the specific combinations of features claimed below, the invention is also directed to embodiments having other combinations of the dependent features claimed below and other combinations of the features described above. The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term �comprising� means �including, but not limited to.� Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims. Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g., each claim depending directly from claim 1 should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below (e.g., claim 3 may be taken as alternatively dependent from claim 2; claim 5 may be taken as alternatively dependent on claim 3, claim 6 may be taken as alternatively dependent from claim 3; claim 7 may be taken as alternatively dependent from claims 3, 5 or 6; etc.). 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing, debriding and/or resecting tissue fragments from a body cavity. In particular, the present invention is directed for use in medical procedures where it may be necessary to remove tissue from a body region. The apparatus and method of the present invention may be especially useful in medical procedures such as orthopedic surgery. 2. Description of the Related Art Medical procedures involving the removal of tissue from a bone or other region of a body are well known in the art. Of particular interest to the present invention are procedures relating to removal of diseased or damaged tissue of a spinal disk, such as a discectomy. The spinal disc consists of two types of tissues: the nucleus, and the annulus. The annulus is further divided into the inner and outer annulus. Disc hernias usually consist of a bulge of the nucleus and inner annulus through a rent in a small area of the outer annulus. Partial discectomies are frequently performed when a disc herniation causes pressure on a spinal nerve. The operation consists of removal of the herniated nucleus and portions of the inner annulus. In the past surgeons have used a variety of tools to remove spinal disc tissue during a discectomy. The simplest tools for disc removal are the scalpel and tweezer-type �pick-ups,� which are well known in the art. These tools are very inefficient, as the stringy annular tissues tend to simply move aside and remain attached when these tools are used. Scalpels and pick-ups tend to leave behind fragments of tissue. These fragments can lead to re-herniation�a painful condition that might require a second or even a third operation. So-called �pituitary rongeurs� and �curettes� are the most frequently utilized instruments. Some examples of these instruments may be seen in the following U.S. Patent references: U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s): 6,200,320 B1 Michelson 6,142,997 Michelson 5,961,531 Weber et al. 5,766,177 Lucas-Dean et al. 5,653,713 Michelson 5,484,441 Koros et al. 5,451,227 Michaelson 5,312,407 Carter 5,026,375 Linovitz et al. 5,061,269 Muller 4,990,148 Worrick, III et al. 4,777,948 Wright 4,733,663 Farely 4,722,338 Wright et al. 3,902,498 Niederer 3,628,524 Jamshidi 2,984,241 Carlson. Tools, such as those described in the above cited references, while useful, were not specifically designed to remove disc tissue, and tend to require multiple passes to completely clean out the inner annulus tissue. The use of rongeurs and curettes also tends to leave behind fragments of tissue that may also lead to re-herniation. Furthermore, because these rongeurs and curettes require multiple passes, the operation may be prolonged, possibly leading to increased bleeding and higher infection rates. Many pituitary rongeurs utilize a single cutting blade at the end of a single, unopposed beam. Actuation of the beam, by means of a drive rod, tends to force the distal shaft to move away from the tissue being cut. An open section in the middle of the beam helps reduce this movement, but does not effectively eliminate the unwanted movement. Other methods and devices which have been developed in order to improve the effectiveness of a disc removal operation include electrical and laser based cautery. While electrical cautery does effectively destroy disc tissue, it produces heat and smoke in the process. Heat can injure surrounding tissue, including delicate spinal nerves, potentially causing further harm to the patient. In addition, the production of smoke may obscure vision and interfere with the surgeons ability to properly perform the operation. Laser cautery like electrical cautery methods also produce heat and smoke. Low energy lasers tend to be less effective and therefore the disc removal procedure can be prolonged and less than complete. Higher energy lasers produce more heat and smoke and therefore can lead to tissue damage beyond the area of intended removal. Other devices such as low and high-speed pneumatic or electrical powered rotary burrs are also used. But while they are very useful for removing hard tissues, such as bone, they do not efficiently and effectively remove soft tissues, such as disc material. An example of such a rotary burr is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,860 to Middle et al., the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. Another type of rotary burr is commercially available and is sold under the name Disc Whisk� available from Surgical Dynamics Inc. of Norwalk, Conn. Rotary burrs attempt to automate and improve the efficiency of disc removal, but these motorized devices are potentially dangerous when used around the spinal cord and spinal nerves as they develop heat, may grab soft tissue and may penetrate too far. In light of the above it is clear that there remains a need for an improved, hand-powered tool specifically designed for the removal of diseased soft tissue, such as disc tissue. The current invention improves on the current state of the art by providing a apparatus and method which may be used to efficiently, effectively and safely remove soft tissue from a spinal member such as a disk. The present invention is directed to a unique reamer tool that may be used to circumferentially resect tissue from a diseased area of a body. The reamer tool of the present invention consists of a sturdy, yet small diameter, hand powered, multi-bladed cutting tool and its method of use. In at least one embodiment of the invention the reamer tool has a cutting beam which is pivotally engaged to the tool assembly, a push rod and handle in a rack and pinion relationship to allow the cutter beam to be pivoted relative to the distal end of the tool assembly. The cutter beam may have a plurality of cutting blades or surfaces. As the cutter beam is pivoted as a result of compression of the handle, the cutting blades cut into and resect the surrounding tissue. In at least one embodiment of the invention the reamer tool may be equipped with a variety of devices designed to make the surgical procedure more efficient. For example the reamer tool may have an attached or integrated suction tube which may be used to remove the tissue which has been resected by the cutting action of the cutter beam. Other devices may also be employed. A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings in which: As may be seen in As may be seen in In The lever may be actuated by an air cylinder, an electric solenoid or any other actuator means. Hand operated levers are shown which are less expensive and easier to clean. In the embodiment shown in Turning to The beam 600 is also engaged to the a distal end 660 of the drive rod 420 via linkage assembly 680. The linkage assembly 680 comprises a pair of beam engagement projections 700, as best shown in As may be seen in In another embodiment of the invention the beam 600 may include one or more backward cutting blades 650, as is shown in The reamer 100 of the present invention may be used in a number of different manners as may be recognized by those of skill in the art. When employed to debride an intervertebral disc, it may be understood that the reamer 100 may be used in the following manner. After adequate exposure of a small portion of the disc is accomplished by the surgeon using well known standard techniques, any appropriately sized standard drill may be used to perforate the disc. The drill is guided in a direction that crosses the central portion of the disc, to a depth that comes close to, but does not penetrate the far side of the disc. The distal end 160 of the reamer 100 is then placed into the disc to the full depth of the drilled hole. The reamer 100 is oriented such that its beam 600, with attached cutting blades 610, is parallel to the transverse plane of the disc. The application of a manual compression force, such as by gripping the pinion lever 280 toward the handle body lever 220 forces the drive rod 420 in the distal direction. This causes the beam 600 to rotate in an elliptical manner around the lower pivot member 640. As is shown in In addition, to providing the cutting motion described above, the present invention may also utilize a variety of blade types to provide for different cutting and resecting characteristics. For example, in As may best be seen in In After the cavity has been formed, the tool 100 along with any resected tissue is removed. The newly formed cavity may then be filled with filler material such as bone cement and/or graft material. The cavity created by the tool would tend to place the filler in a position where it could accumulate and develop pressure that would tend to elevate or re-expand (or reduce�in orthopedic terms�) the fracture, thereby forcing bone fragments into their pre-injury positions as illustrated in In addition to the uses described above, the various embodiments of the reamer tool 100 as described herein may also be used in a wide variety of other procedures. For example, the present reamer tool may be used for removing bone cement from the intramedullary canal of long bones during reconstructive procedures such as joint replacement. The tool may also be useful for debriding cartilage from joints during arthoscopic procedures. Another use may involve using the present reamer tool for certain types of joint arthrodesis, e.g. ankle, inter-tarsal, metatarsal-phalangeal, etc., wherein the tool is used in debriding and preparation of surfaces. Other uses for the present invention may include: using the reamer tool for producing or sculpting channels for tendon insertion and/or reattachment, such as anterior curciate or rotator cuff repairs. The reamer tool may be used in nasal or sinus surgery for sub-mucosal resections. The reamer tool may also find use in certain gynecological procedures such as a dilation and curettage procedure (D&C). Yet another potential use for the present invention would be for fat immobilization during lipo-suction operations. In such a use the tool could be useful in freeing up fatty tissue to improve removal. In addition to being directed to the embodiments described above and claimed below, the present invention is further directed to embodiments having different combinations of the features described above and claimed below. As such, the invention is also directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the dependent features claimed below. The above examples and disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. These examples and description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the attached claims. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. Referenced by
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SEC proves hard road for USC as homestand arrives
After losing its first series of the season to Kentucky over the weekend, the South Carolina baseball team confirmed what everyone knows.
The SEC is a tough place to play.
The Gamecocks, who slipped one spot to No. 2 in this week's Baseball America Top 25, fell to 3-3 in the conference, which places them in a five-way tie for first place in the SEC East after the first two weekends of league play.
The contrast is clear with the first 16 non-conference games, when the Gamecocks rolled unbeaten.
Of the seven teams they faced in going 16-0 – Bucknell, Presbyterian, Eastern Kentucky, Clemson, Stetson, Brown and Furman – only No. 20 Clemson has a winning record. Those seven are a combined 63-84. The Gamecocks outscored them 119-20 while posting a .316 batting average and a 1.12 ERA.
In the two SEC series, No. 13 Mississippi and No. 19 Kentucky have a combined record of 38-11. The Gamecocks have compiled a .273 batting average and 3.91 ERA in those six games, when they've been outscored 29-26.
While disappointed his team dropped the first two games of the Kentucky series, USC coach Chad Holbrook liked Sunday's bounce-back win to avoid the sweep. After winning a pair of close games against Ole Miss to claim the conference-opening series, he understands the next eight league series will be more of the same.
"That's the way it's going to be each and every weekend," Holbrook said. "There aren't going to be any weekends in the remaining part of our schedule where we're going to dominate our opponent. Each game is going to be nip-and-tuck. You play in this league, and you're going to take your fair share of losses."
The Gamecocks have had slow starts in SEC play recently – 2-4 last season and 1-5 in 2012 – but they rebounded to finish well over .500 in both cases – 17-12 last season and 18-11 in 2012. Holbrook is convinced this team also has the capability to reel off a string of wins in conference play.
"We can go on a streak and play really good baseball when it matters most," he said. "I don't think we've played our best baseball yet. I'm hopeful that's around the corner."
If that's going to happen, junior left-hander Jordan Montgomery, the Friday night starter, must return to form. In 17 1/3 innings against Bucknell, Eastern Kentucky and Brown, he gave up no earned runs. In 13 1/3 innings against Clemson, Ole Miss and Kentucky, he has allowed 17 earned runs.
"We don't have a great, great season without him pitching extremely well as we go down the back half of our season," Holbrook said. "He's lost a little bit of the command of his changeup, and he needs to get that back. Once he starts pitching off his changeup again, he'll be back to normal. That's what made him so effective in the past."
The Gamecocks also must get healthy. Sophomore second baseman Max Schrock has been in and out of the lineup since March 5 with a sprained ankle. Holbrook doesn't expect to play him in the two mid-week games to rest the ankle in advance of the weekend series. Even then, it's likely he will be the designated hitter because playing second base adds to the stress on the ankle.
"We need Max's bat in the lineup, and, hopefully, we can get that starting this weekend. And, over time, as his ankle gets better, we can get him back in there playing defense," Holbrook said.
In the meantime, the Gamecocks have a difficult week ahead with mid-week games against College of Charleston, which defeated North Carolina in a series to start the season, and Coastal Carolina. The SEC opponent, No. 22 Tennessee (19-4), also comes to Carolina Stadium.
"We'll be challenged. It's five very difficult games ahead of us," Holbrook said. "Luckily, we get to play them at home. Our guys are ready to play, and, hopefully, they'll use the momentum of Sunday's game to play very well."
About Neil White
Neil White is the South Carolina baseball beat writer for GoGamecocks.com. Follow Neil at @neilatthestate
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