A microorganism culture device comprising a porous matrix layer having a basis weight of 40 to 100 g/m2 and an air permeability of 7 to 24 cm/sec, and at least one layer of a water-soluble polymer layer laminated with the matrix layer.

Microorganism culture tests, which have been performed in order to, for example, determine a total aerobic count in food test, have conventionally comprised the following steps: dissolving agar powder for preparing a culture medium; sterilizing the medium; storing the medium at approximately 45° C. to avoid solidification; injecting a certain volume of the medium into a sterilized petri dish containing a certain volume of a sample solution (for example, a suspension of a food); solidifying the agar after mixing; culturing at constant temperature; and counting the number of colonies of microorganisms. This conventional method of microorganism culturing involves not only preparing a culture medium in advance and sterilizing the medium, but also storing the medium at a sufficiently high temperature to avoid solidification, thereby requiring much time and labor.
Demand exists for omitting these time-consuming preparation steps in order to conduct simple and rapid microorganism culture test. In addition, glass and plastic petri dishes used for the tests involve problems. In food tests, which require numerous tests of microorganism culturing, cleaning and sterilizing glass petri dishes for reuse are very time consuming. Disposable sterilized plastic petri dishes have recently come into wide used, raising another problem of handling of a large volume of plastic wastes. For the determination of total aerobic counts in an environmental microorganism test, a conventional method includes the steps of wiping a certain area of a test subject with a piece of gauze or swab; rinsing the gauze or swab in sterilized water or saline to thereby obtain a suspension of the microorganisms adsorbed on the gauze or swab; applying the suspension on a prepared agar medium or mixing and diluting the suspension with an agar medium as described above; culturing the microorganisms; and counting microorganism colonies. This method is also very time- and labor-intensive.
In order to solve those problems, simplified culture media which do not require preparation processes have been studied, manufactured, and commercially distributed. These simplified culture media may be classified into 4 types: a press type, a filter type, a film type, and a test paper type.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-117299 discloses an test method using a press-type medium, which comprises the steps of dispensing an agar medium into a plastic container having a mound-like shape; and bringing the medium into direct contact with a test subject. The method is simple and useful for testing microorganism contamination in an environment; however, it cannot provide quantitative results, because the medium has a small surface area, and difficult to employed to test subjects having a curved or uneven surface, thereby making the method inapplicable to conventional food tests. Like the conventional method, the method also involves a problem of generating a lot of plastic waste after culturing, because plastic containers are used.
ANSI/ASTM F 488-79 describes a test method using a filter-type medium, which is typically a water-absorbent substance containing nutrients and covered with a membrane filter, the method comprising immersing the culture medium in a sample solution for impregnation; catching microorganisms on the filter surface; and culturing the microorganisms. The filter-type medium is suitable for liquid samples, but encounters difficulty in test of solid-containing samples.
In a known test method using a test-paper-type medium, a filter paper is impregnated with nutrients for promoting growth of microorganisms, and a sample solution is added to or absorbed by the filter paper, which is then stored in a plastic bag for culturing. However, the paper medium cannot provide quantitative results, because cultured colonies are likely to disperse and microorganisms grown inside the paper are difficult to observe.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-49705 and Application Laid-Open No. 3-015379 disclose test methods employing film-type media. These methods use a laminate of two films sandwiching a nutrient and a gelling agent, which is reconstituted to a gel when cold water is added thereto. Subsequently, microorganisms are incubated by dispensing a sample solution between the films. The film-type medium provides quantitative results in food tests and hence is useful. In environmental monitoring tests, however, bringing the medium into direct contact with a subject is difficult, unlike the press-type medium, and nutrients or gelling agents that are not firmly bonded are likely to scatter. Other disadvantages include leaking of a solution due to degradation and liquefaction of the gel that occur when microorganisms that degrade the gelling agent grow in the medium and liquefy the gel.
As described above, several types of simplified culture media for specific purposes have been developed and commercially distributed. However, none of them have been applicable to multiple purposes, including food tests and direct contact test of an environment.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-181741 discloses a microorganism culture device comprising a laminate of a cold water-soluble gelling agent, and a water-absorbent fiber sheet. With the combination of a gelling agent and a water-absorbing fiber sheet in the microorganism culture device, a portion of an added sample solution is absorbed by the gelling agent, thereby preventing uniform distribution of the sample solution on the surface of the culture device. In addition, the culture device involves a problem in obtaining quantitative results, because microorganisms may fail to form colonies on a top surface of the water-absorbing fiber sheet, and microorganisms grown on the lower surface of the fiber sheet or inside the sheet are difficult to count. Therefore, for practical use, this type of microorganism culture device requires a water-absorbing fiber sheet that is sufficiently thin to be transparent or semitransparent, thereby enabling easy observation of the grown microorganisms. Another disadvantage is that this culture device is not suitable to test methods involving pressing or direct wiping, because the water-absorbing fiber sheet and the layer of the cold water-soluble gelling agent are not bonded.
The present inventors have disclosed in International Patent WO 97/24432 a sheet- or film-form microorganism culture medium comprising a porous matrix layer and a water-soluble polymer layer. The culture medium is useful for various purposes, including normal food tests and tests by wiping, produces small wastes, and can provide quantitative results. In this type of medium, a sample solution added into the porous matrix layer is temporarily retained in the porous matrix layer. The water-soluble polymer layer coming in contact with the porous matrix layer dissolves in water in the retained sample solution, and simultaneously nutrients for microorganism growth contained in the water-soluble polymer layer also dissolve in the water, thereby initiating microorganism growth. When the sample solution is added to the medium, the microorganisms in the solution disperse in the porous matrix layer but not inside the water-soluble polymer layer. This is because a high-viscosity layer formed by gradual dissolution of the water-soluble polymer layer surface prevents movement of the microorganisms into the water-soluble polymer layer. The dissolved water-soluble polymer layer and the porous matrix layer assimilated, thereby pressing the microorganisms up to the porous matrix layer surface, where colonies are formed. Therefore, counting of microorganisms is relatively easy despite use of the porous matrix layer, because colonies are formed on the porous matrix layer surface.
However, despite the excellent features of the sheet- or film-form culture container or medium comprising a porous matrix layer and a water-soluble polymer layer, some drawbacks are involved, due to lack of optimal physical properties of the porous matrix layer specifically for culturing microorganisms. For example, some sample solutions exhibit poor dispensability of microorganisms or a smaller number of observable microorganisms growing in the medium as compared with the case of a standard method. In addition, in the case where a significant number of microorganisms are present, growth of the microorganisms may be impossible to observe. Therefore, prior to culturing microorganisms, a user of this sheet- or film-form culture container or medium must consider various factors, including retention of the sample solution, its dispensability, or permeability of the matrix layer to the water-soluble polymer that is dissolved by the sample solution. Further, in microbial tests involving numerous samples, time-consuming bag-packing of the medium is required after sample addition, in order to prevent unwanted microorganisms from contaminating the medium, and the packed media are bulky.

Microorganism culture device and microorganism culture medium comprising the same


A method, product and system for three dimensional map generation based on crowdsourced positioning readings. The method comprising obtaining a plurality of positioning readings of a plurality of mobile devices. Each reading of the plurality of positioning readings is indicative of an altitude, latitude and longitude of a mobile device, and is determined using one or more sensors of the mobile device. The method comprises clustering the plurality of positioning readings to determine clusters of positioning readings. for each cluster, an altitude value is computed, based on an altitude of each positioning reading in the cluster, whereby determining an estimated altitude based on non-accurate altitude readings. The three-dimensional map is generated based on the plurality of positioning readings and the altitude value of each cluster.

In mapping, planning and various services, it is highly desirable to know how the world looks like in three dimensions, such as land topography, man-made buildings, bridges, roads and any representation of the world that contains three dimensional objects.
The third dimension is a growing topic at mapping technologies, such as GOOGLE™ Street, OpenStreetMap™ (OSM), or the like. The three dimensional mapping allows to add detailed buildings and other minor objects to existing maps.
Is some cases, three-dimensional mapping may require additional information about three-dimensional objects in order to get a realistic representation of the object in three dimensions, such as perpendicular distribution of the object, population within different altitude of the object, different properties of the object in different heights, or the like.
Furthermore, in some cases, the three-dimensional mapping may change over time. As an example, cross-roads may be built and changed over time, new floor may be added to existing buildings, or the like. It may be desirable to be able to update the map as soon as such modifications are exhibited in the world, so as to maintain an accurate representation of the three-dimensional world.

Three dimensional map generation based on crowdsourced positioning readings


A lateral insulated gate transistor includes both a surface-adjoining drain region and a surface-adjoining anode region in an epitaxial surface layer. An anode-drain electrode is connected to the anode region and coupled to the drain region. In one embodiment of the device, the drain and anode regions are in direct contact, and the anode-drain electrode directly contacts both regions. In a second embodiment, the anode region is provided in a high-doped surface-adjoining region rather than in direct contact with the drain region, and the anode-drain electrode is coupled to the drain region through a resistive element. A third embodiment employs a Schottky contact connected to the anode-drain electrode. Lateral isolated gate rectifiers in accordance with the invention offer the advantages of low "on" resistance, high breakdown voltage and fast switching characteristics.

The invention is in the field of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect devices, and relates specifically to lateral insulated gate transistors.
MOS devices are generally well-known in the art, and a typical prior art high-voltage lateral DMOS transistor is shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,150. This device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type (p-type), an epitaxial surface layer of a second conductivity type (n-type) on a major surface of the substrate, a surface-adjoining channel region of the first conductivity type in the epitaxial layer, a surface-adjoining source region of the second conductivity type in the channel region, and a surface-adjoining drain region of the second conductivity type in the epitaxial layer and spaced apart from the channel region. An insulating layer is provided on the epitaxial surface layer and covers at least that portion of the channel region located between the source and drain. A gate electrode is provided on the insulating layer, over the portion of the channel region located between the source and drain and is electrically isolated from the epitaxial surface layer by the insulating layer (referred to as the gate oxide), while source and drain electrodes are connected respectively to the source and drain regions of the transistor. Such prior art high-voltage DMOS transistors typically have a relatively thick epitaxial layer, in the order of about 25-30 micrometers for a breakdown voltage of about 250 V.
It has been found that the breakdown characteristics of high-voltage semiconductor devices can be improved by using the REduced SURface Field (or RESURF) technique, as described in "High Voltage Thin Layer Devices (RESURF Devices)", "International Electronic Devices Meeting Technical Digest", Dec., 1979, pages 238-240, by Appels et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,642, incorporated hereby by reference. Essentially, the improved breakdown characteristics of RESURF devices are achieved by employing thinner but more highly doped epitaxial layers to reduce surface fields. Additionally, surface and buried regions having no direct external connections have been used to redistribute surface fields in MOS devices, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,150 and Japanese Kokai No. 45074-81. The use of Schottky contacts in field effect transistors is described in the article entitled "Analysis and Characterization of the Hybrid Schottky Injection Field Effect Transistor", International Electronic Devices Meeting, 1986, IDEM86, pages 222-224, by J. K. O. Sin, et al.
The RESURF technique was applied to lateral double-diffused MOS transistors, as reported in "Lateral DMOS Power Transistor Design", "IEEE Electron Device Letters", Vol. EDL-1, pages 51-53, Apr., 1980, by Colak et al, and the result was a substantial improvement in device characteristics. In high-voltage DMOS devices, there is normally a trade-off between breakdown voltage and "on" resistance, with the goal being to increase the breakdown voltage level while maintaining a relatively low "on" resistance. Using the RESURF technique, and for reference assuming a constant breakdown voltage, an improvement (e.g. decrease) in "on" resistance by a factor of about 3 may be obtained in a device occupying the same area as a conventional (thick epitaxial layer) DMOS device. Nevertheless, a further improvement in the "on" resistance characteristics of such devices would be extremely desirable, particularly for high-voltage power devices where "on" resistance is an important parameter. Ideally, such an improvement should be obtained without significantly degrading breakdown voltage or switching characteristics.
In seeking to create more efficient power switching devices, a new type of device, the Lateral Insulated Gate Transistor (hereinafter LIGT) was recently developed. Various LIGT structures are shown in European Patent Application No. 0 111 803. The LIGT essentially modifies the LDMOS structure of the general type described above with an anode region implanted near the drain region. In the LIGT, during the "on" state, current is conducted by the electron-hole plasma. The electrons are injected from the accumulation region under the gate and the holes are injected from the anode, resulting in conductivity modulation of the drift region. The current is dominated by the recombination mechanism in a manner similar to a p-i-n diode. As current increases, size of the holes injected by the anode flow through the substrate, forward biasing the epi-substrate junction. The substrate becomes partially conductivity-modulated and also contributes to the recombination current. At a high current level, holes injected from the anode may flow through the channel resistance, forward biasing the double-diffused junction, and thus resulting in latch-up.
In the LIGT, the addition to the anode region changes the mechanism of the current conduction in the device's drift region. In the "on" state, the current is initially conducted by the majority carriers, as in LDMOS transistors Electrons flow from the source through the gated inversion region, through the drift region (which is the largest contributor towards the "on" resistance), and then into the drain. When drain current reaches a level high enough to forward bias the drain junction, the drain starts injecting holes into the drift region, forming a neutral plasma. The density of these injected minority carriers is higher than the doping level of the impurities in the drift region. The injected carriers modulate the resistance of the drift region, thus reducing overall "on" resistance. The injected minority carriers can flow both into the substrate and onto the channel region.
Although the LIGT offers several important advantages, including high current handling capabilities, low "on" resistance and high breakdown voltage, these devices have heretofore suffered from a significant drawback. In the LIGT, the turn-off process is determined by recombination of minority carriers, and since no contact is provided for the removal of electrons, the turn-off time is relatively long. Typically, turn-off times are in the range of 3-10 microseconds, while turn-on times are much less than 1 microsecond. This drawback is described in "Comparison of High Voltage Devices for Power Integrated Circuits", by Jayaraman, Rumennik et al, International Electron Devices Meeting, pp. 258-261, Dec., 1984.

Fast switching lateral insulated gate transistors


A cross-neutralizing monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes a cross-reactive epitope of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigen structure of Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is an O3b epitope, cross-reacting with an O3a epitope and an O3 epitope, wherein the antibody is characterized by specific CDR sequences or VH and VL sequences.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important enterobacterial pathogen responsible for nosocomial infections that cause significant morbidity and mortality. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains have recently emerged and spread globally, against which therapeutic options are limited. The current aim is to develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for the prevention and treatment of infections caused by MDR Klebsiella strains. The molecular target of the intended mAbs is the LPS O-antigen that is considered to be one of the few (if not the sole) antigen on the surface of Klebsiella.
Based on published epidemiology data (1,2) on O-type distribution, the majority of clinically relevant isolates belong to 4 serotypes, i.e. O1, O2, O3 and O5. O1 and O2 antigens are built up by homopolymers of galactoses (i.e. galactans), while O3 and O5 serogroups are composed of mannose homopolymers (i.e. mannans) (3).
The O3 serotype is characterised by the "classical" penta-mannose structure, also shown in FIG. 3a (published in (3)).

The disaccharide structure formed by N and Q is the so-called adaptor bridging the pentamannose O-antigen subunits to the common part (CP). The last O-antigen repeat is capped by a terminator molecule (T), which in fact is a 3-linked methyl-phosphate as elucidated by Kubler-Kielb et al. (4)
The penta-mannose structure of Klebsiella O3 antigen was elucidated (10). The rfb operon encoding this O3 antigen has been deposited in Genbank under accession number AB795941.1.
E. coli serotypes O8 and O9 have structurally the same O-specific mannose homopolysaccharide as Klebsiella serotypes O5 and O3, respectively. A monoclonal antibody that serotypically discriminates E. coli O9a, a subtype of E. coli O9, from E. coli O9 has been described (Sugiyama et al. 1998, J. Bacteriol. 180(10):2775-2778). E. coli O9 and O9a are structurally and serologically similar to each other.
The structure of E. coli O9 as well as the genetic determinants thereof is identical to those of the Klebsiella O3 antigen. A subtype of serogroup O9, i.e. E. coli O9a was proven to result from a point mutation within WbdA (7). The structure of O9a was shown to be a tetra-mannose structure (8).
TABLEStructure of repeating units of O-specific mannose homopolysaccharide(published in Sugiyama et al.)Structure of the O-antigenSerotype(s)repeating unitE. coli O8 and Klebsiella O5 . . . E. coli O9a . . . E. coli O9 and Klebsiella O3 . . .
An anti-E. coli O9a monoclonal antibody has been described to cross-react with Klebsiella O3 polysaccharide, suggesting the presence of E. coli O9a type O polysaccharides in Klebsiella O3 strains (Kido et al. 1997, Microbiol. Immunol. 41:519-525). The antibody recognized the E. coli O9a polysaccharide but not the E. coli O9. The minimum number of mannose residues needed to define the O9 and O9a polysaccharide was determined to be four, and the 4-mannose structure has been described to be the shortest candidate for the epitope bound by the antibody.
Van der Meer et al. (Infection and Immunity 1994, 62(3):1052-1057) describe a monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against Salmonella minnesota R595 and specific for a structure of the inner core, which is α-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid. The antibody reacted with almost all O-serotypes of Klebsiella pneumoniae, suggesting an epitope in the core of the LPS like that in the inner core of S. minnesota.
Trautmann et al. (Infection and Immunity 1994, 62(4):1282-1288) describe a murine monoclonal antibody directed against. Klebsiella lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which was raised with a smooth, nonencapsulated Klebsiella strain (serogroup O1) and cross-reacted with Klebsiella O serogroups O1, O2ab, O2ac, O3, O3, O5, and O12.
WO2008/135446A2 discloses peptidic Klebsiella antigens and antibodies.
Pollack et al. (Journal of Clinical Investigation 1987, 79(5):1421-1430) describe mAbs recognizing epitopes in the core-Lipid A region of LPS.
Yokochi et al. (Infection and Immunity 1992, 60(11):4953-4956) describe adjuvant activity of LPS from K. pneumoniae. It is suggested that the adjuvanticity of Klebsiella O3 LPS might require a combination of the Klebsiella lipid A moiety and the mannose homopolysaccharide moiety.
Curvall et al. (Acta Chemica Scandinavica 1973, 27:2645-2649) disclose the structure of O-specific side chains in a Klebsiella O3 LPS. The Klebsiella O3:K58 LPS is described to be composed of pentasaccharide repeating units.
There is a need for new antibodies recognizing targets of Klebsiella pneumoniae with broadened coverage of different K. pneumoniae serotypes, in particular for developing effective therapies.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.


An exemplary golf club head having an increased amount of discretionary mass may be realized by utilizing improved drop angles, an improved average crown height, and/or articulation points. The discretionary mass may be placed low and deep in the club head to improve the location of the center of gravity as well as the inertial properties. A preferred break length may also be utilized to further improve the depth of the center of gravity. In one example, the center of gravity may be positioned to substantially align the sweet spot with the face center of the club head.

As technology has progressed, wood-type club heads have evolved from the relatively small persimmon-wood heads to the "oversized" metal club heads typically found in most modern drivers. Despite the changes in size and materials over the years, modern drivers have failed to overcome certain shortcomings historically associated with traditional wood-type clubs.
For a golfer to extract maximum performance from a golf club, a club head having a mass in the range of 180-250 g is generally provided. A certain portion of the club head's mass is reserved for components that provide structural support. The remaining mass, referred to as discretionary mass, may be strategically distributed within the club head to improve the head's inertial properties and to orient the CG in a desired location.
In conventional drivers, favorable placement of the CG and enhancement of the moments of inertia (MOI) are limited by the available amount of discretionary mass. Conventional methods of increasing the discretionary mass, e.g. thinning the club head walls and utilizing light-weight materials, have yielded relatively small gains in available discretionary mass. Conventional drivers have generally failed to realize CG locations and moments of inertia necessary to deliver improved performance due to limited amounts of attainable discretionary mass.
Generally, golfers have a natural tendency to strike the golf ball about the face center of the club head. The face center, in most drivers, is the point on the face where maximum energy transfer occurs at ball impact and is also known as the Coefficient of Restitution (COR) "hot spot". Although ball impact at the COR "hot spot" yields added performance benefits in the form of increased distance, it does not necessarily produce the most accurate ball flight if the COR "hot spot" is not aligned with the impact point on the club face where no head rotation or gear effect occurs, also known as the "sweet spot", which is the orthogonal projection of the club head's center of gravity (CG) onto the striking face of the head. In currently available club heads, the "sweet spot" is generally located above the COR "hot spot" due to the high location of the club head's center of gravity. This unfavorable CG orientation produces a club head where only one of these performance variables, i.e., distance associated with the COR "hot spot" or accuracy associated with the "sweet spot", may be maximized during a single golf shot.
Furthermore, this high "sweet spot" location on the face produces a statistically unfavorable ball contact pattern that results in decreased directional shot consistency. The natural tendency of the golfer to strike the ball about the face center, on average, results in a larger than desired distance between the location of the ball at impact and the "sweet spot". This increased distance exaggerates both the head rotation and gear effect of the club head, causing a loss of carry distance and accuracy.
Shot accuracy and distance are also affected by the depth of the CG relative to the club face. In modern drivers, the CG is typically positioned near the face. This shallow CG placement prevents the club head from dynamically flexing the shaft toward alignment with the CG to loft the head and to close the face at impact with the ball. Additionally, a shallow CG decreases the radius of rotation of the face on off-center hits, thus decreasing shot accuracy.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A fuser system of a xerographic device provides a fuser member, and a pressure member supported for pressure engagement with the fuser member. The pressure member includes an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer is variably pressurized for controlled change of the effective hardness of the outer layer. Controlling the effective hardness of the outer layer can be in response to the media paper weight and/or image content being processed though the xerographic device.

This disclosure relates to a fusing system that includes a variable-nip pressure member that can be selectively modified in order to modify the dwell time for a given fusing member configuration and set temperature which enables the rapid optimization of fix and gloss for a given toner image (i.e. image type such as text, full pictorial, etc.) on a given substrate or media.
In the art of xerography or other similar image reproducing arts, a latent electrostatic image is formed on a charge-retentive surface, i.e., a photoconductor or photoreceptor. To form an image on the charge-retentive surface, the surface is first provided with a uniform charge after which it is exposed to a light or other appropriate image of an original document to be reproduced. The latent electrostatic image thus formed is subsequently rendered visible by applying any one of numerous toners specifically designed for this purpose.
It should be understood that for the purposes of the present disclosure, the latent electrostatic image may be formed by means other than by the exposure of an electrostatically charged photosensitive member to a light image of an original document. For example, the latent electrostatic image may be generated from information electronically stored or generated, and this information in digital form may be converted to alphanumeric images by image generation electronics and optics. The particular method by which the image is formed is not critical to the present disclosure, and any such suitable method may be used.
In a typical xerographic device, the toner image formed is transferred to an image receiving substrate such as paper. After transfer to the image receiving substrate, the image is made to adhere to the substrate using a fuser apparatus. To date, the use of simultaneous heat and contact pressure for fusing toner images has been the most widely accepted commercially, the most common being systems that utilize a pair of pressure engaged, members, i.e. rolls or belts.
The use of pressure engaged rolls for fixing toner images is well known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,289,587, 5,998,761, 4,042,804 and 3,934,113.
At the time of initial set-up of a xerographic device, the fuser system is set to be within certain specifications. Some of these specifications include nip, load, and speed. Other parameters of the fuser system include dwell time, pressure, and creep. Dwell time (nip width/process speed) is one of the more significant drivers of image fix and quality. Changes in process speed may be made in response to incoming job media type and image percent (%) area coverage. Creep, which is the release surface's % extension in the nip, is important with respect to enabling self-stripping of the paper from the fuser member. Low area coverage (text) images may require only low levels of creep, while high area coverage images require higher levels of creep to self-strip from the fusing member.
Once initially set, the nip width of a typical fuser is not changed during operation of the xerographic device. Unfortunately, several internal and external factors can cause the fuser system to drift outside of the designated specifications. For example, in a typical soft-on-hard roll pair in which the soft roll is the driving roll, the fuser system may begin operating outside of specifications due to, e.g., hardening of the roll materials over time. Typical fuser roll systems include some materials such as silicone materials that tend to become harder or softer over time at unpredictable rates. This hardening causes large reductions in both dwell time and potentially creep, which causes premature failure (e.g., smaller nip widths that lead to insufficient fixing of the toner image and/or poor image quality, as well as to poor stripping of the image receiving substrate).
In addition to these failure modes, it is at times desired that the nip width in a fuser be altered on demand. For instance, the fusing quality on thick paper is improved with large nip widths, and the fusing quality on thin papers is often improved with small nip widths. The fusing latitude in the presence of varied media and images, therefore, is improved if the nip width can be accurately set, controlled, and adjusted.
Typically, resetting the nip width to improve fusing latitude or to compensate for system failures due to the fuser system falling out of specifications has been dealt with by either (a) having a technician re-set the nip on site and/or (b) setting the nip width far above specifications at the factory, permitting the device to operate longer before falling out of specification. However, each of these 'solutions' has serious problems. Using technicians to reset the nip requires an on site visit by a technician and down time of the device. Initially setting the nip width high above specifications usually causes paper handling and stripping issues, especially with lightweight papers.
Optimal fusing of toner images requires the correct combination of fuser temperature, pressure, and time (dwell) in the nip which is heavily influenced by the media properties (weight, roughness, coating, thermal conductivity, etc.). The ideal fusing system would have the ability to instantaneously adjust these parameters to match media and image characteristics while maintaining xerographic process speeds. The current method to accommodate fusing of a wide range of media is to change the speed of the paper path (loss in productivity) and/or change the temperature (life reduction and time consuming) of the fuser. Any decrease in productivity or increase in idle time is considered a customer dis-satisfier and to be avoided.
A fuser system, in particular its pressure member, optimized for heavy weight or thick papers is very different than one optimized for light weight or thin papers. Heavy weight papers require longer dwells, but also require lower image-side creep due to their increased beam strength. Light papers do not require long dwells, but do require high image-side creep. Therefore, a fuser optimized for thin papers would have a relatively hard pressure member, producing high fuser member creep but small dwells, while a fuser optimized for thick papers would have a relatively soft pressure member, producing long dwells but low fuser member creep. Current fusers, especially for color machines, cannot produce the nip conditions to simultaneously support both thin and thick papers at speeds beyond 100 ppm, without resorting to temperature changes, speed changes, or load changes.


This invention provides methods, including a method of assessing the prognosis of a breast cancer patient, comprising assaying for loss of heterozygosity at the 10q21 region of the genome of the patient, a method of identifying a probability that a patient with breast cancer has metastasized breast cancer, a method of determining a survival probability of a patient with breast cancer, and a method of identifying a probability that a patient with prostate cancer has a severe form of prostate cancer. This invention also provides assay complexes, including assay complexes which comprise at least one prostate tissue sample or tissue sample extract, an antibody that specifically binds ANX7, and a label, or which comprise at least one breast tissue sample or tissue sample extract, an antibody that specifically binds ANX7, and a label.

I. Tumor Suppressor Genes
Cancer is a set of diseases resulting from uncontrolled cell growth, which causes intractable pain and death for more than 300,000 people per year in the United States alone. Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are at opposite ends of a spectrum of gene actions that either promote or retard cancer cell growth. The development of cancer is believed to depend on the activation of oncogenes and the coincident inactivation of growth suppressor genes (Park, M., "Oncogenes" in The Genetic Basis of Human Cancer (B. Vogelstein et al., eds.) pp. 205-228 (1998)). Oncogenes are mutated, dominant forms of cellular proto-oncogenes that stimulate cell proliferation, while tumor suppressor genes are recessive and normally inhibit cell proliferation (Cooper, 1995). The loss or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes is widely thought to be one of the contributors to unregulated cancer cell growth. While the discovery and identification of oncogenes has been relatively straightforward, identifying tumor suppressor genes has been much less so (Fearon, The Genetic Basis of Human Cancer (B. Vogelstein et al., eds.) pp. 229-236 (1998)).
Both oncogenes and tumor-suppressing genes have a basic distinguishing feature. The oncogenes identified thus far have arisen only in somatic cells and thus have been incapable of transmitting their effects to the germ line of the host animal. In contrast, mutations in tumor-suppressing genes can be identified in germ line cells and are thus transmissible to an animal's progeny. About a dozen such tumor suppressor genes have been identified, with the hope that knowledge of their mechanism(s) might yield therapeutically relevant insights.
Tumor suppressor gene action depends on either mutation or deletion of both tumor suppressor alleles or on a reduction in the absolute level of expressed tumor suppressor protein. In their natural state, tumor suppressor genes act to suppress cell proliferation. Damage in such genes leads to a loss of this suppression, and thereby results in tumorigenesis. Knudson's "two-mutation hypothesis" is a well studied statistical model for tumor suppressor gene action which is based on the epidemiological analysis of retinoblastoma. (Knudson, A. G., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA. 68:820-823 (1971)). According to this model, the host is heterozygous for the tumor suppressor gene, and cancer ensues when the single remaining functional allele also mutates to create a nullizygous state. An alternative model is the "haplo-insufficient hypothesis" in which the tumor cell produces abnormally low levels of wild type tumor suppressor gene product. Thus, in both of these models the deregulation of cell growth may be mediated by the inactivation of tumor-suppressing genes (Weinberg, R. A., Scientific Amer., September 1988, pp 44-51).
Tumor suppressor genes are principally known for control of cell proliferation by their action on the cell cycle. Well-studied examples include Rb (Weinberg, R. A., Cell, 81:323-330 (1996)), p53 (Greenblatt, M. S. et al., Cancer Res. 54:4855-4878, (1994); Williams, B. O. et al., Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 59:449, (1994)); Levine, A. J., Cell 88:323-331 (1997)), and p16 (Cairns, P., et al., Nat. Genetics 11:210-212, (1995)); Okamoto, A., et al., Cancer Research 55:1448-1451, (1995)). Another example of a tumor suppressor gene acting on the cell cycle is the p27KIP1 gene, also known simply as p27, which physiologically inhibits cyclin-dependent kinases, and thereby blocks cell proliferation (Fero, M. L., et al., Nature 396:177-180 (1998)).
In understanding how tumor suppressor genes impact the cell cycle, one must understand that cell cycle transitions are regulated by specific cyclin dependent kinases that consist of an activating cyclin subunit and a catalytic Cdk subunit (Polyak, K., et al., Cell 78:59-66 (1994)); Hartwell, L., Cell 71:543-546, (1992)); Nurse, P., Nature 344:503-508,(1990)). The functions of the respective cyclins and Cdk's in mammalian cells correspond to the different phases of the cell cycle. For example, during the G1 phase, cyclin D-Cdk4/6 and cyclin E-Cdk2 are catalytically active and rate limiting for cell cycle progression. Growth factors induce the synthesis of D-type cyclins to initiate the G1 phase. The D-type cyclins then associate with Cdk4/Cdk6, and the active Cdk's then hyperphosphorylate Rb to drive the cell past the restriction point (Buchkovich, K., et al., Cell 58:1097-1105 (1989)); see Weinberg, R. A., Cell 81:323-330 (1996)). Tumor suppressor genes have been found to affect the function of both of these types of subunits.
In addition to the cell cycle, tumor suppressor genes can also control cellular differentiation by acting as transcription factors and/or by modulating specific downstream DNA repair targets involved in maintaining genomic integrity. In this class of tumor suppressor gene activity, inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene, p53, is the most common, resulting in a somatic mutation that causes malignancy (Nigro, J. M., et al., Nature 342:705-708 (1989); cf., review by Nguyen and Jameson, 1998). Of particular note, p53 is a frequent target for mutation in lung cancer (Takahashi, R., et al., Science 246:491-494 (1989)) and bladder cancers (Sidransky, D., et al., Science 252:706-709 (1991)). A germline mutation for p53 is the basis for a familial cancer, the Li-Fraumeni syndrome (Srivastava, S., et al., Nature 348:747-749 (1990)). At the level of DNA repair, p53 works in the following manner: When DNA is damaged, a resulting signal causes stabilization of p53, which in turn causes transcriptional deregulation of p21, resulting in cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase (Hunter, T., Cell 75:839-841 (1993)).
Finally, tumor suppressor genes have also been implicated in controlling apoptotic cell death (Graeber, T. G., et al., Nature 379:88 (1996)). Again, p53 figures prominently in this process as well (Basu, A., et al., Mol. Hum. Reprod. 4:1099-1109 (1998)). The clear message from this brief summary is that the individual tumor suppressor genes cannot be viewed from a single perspective.
In order to study these tumor suppressor genes, model systems must be developed. Recent advances in recombinant DNA and genetic technologies have made it possible to discover and assess new tumor suppressor genes. One of the key model systems available is the transgenic animal. Such animals have been engineered to contain gene sequences that are not normally or naturally present in an unaltered animal. The techniques have also been used to produce animals which exhibit altered expression of naturally present gene sequences.

Knockout mouse for the tumor suppressor gene ANX7

Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.


A baking oven utilizes a vapor chamber for at least three of its six inside alls. A vaporized heat transfer medium is circulated through the walls of the oven to provide a more uniform temperatrure distribution throughout the oven.

This invention relates in general to an improved oven for baking and, more particularly, to an oven which uses a heat exchanger to achieve more uniform baking temperatures.
In conventional fuel-fired convection ovens combustion gases are ducted over the outside of one or more of the enclosing walls of the oven cavity. An internal blower is often provided to circulate the air over the food and into contact with the heated walls. Although this type of oven is adequate to transfer sufficient heat from the combustion gases to the oven cavity, uniformity of baking is often a problem because the temperature of the oven walls varies significantly. This results in overbaking of food products located immediately adjacent a heated wall and underbaking of food products adjacent an unheated wall. It is desirable to have a baking oven which uniformly bakes all of the food products.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to verifying compressed data. Compressed data files can be read from a global cache for a storage device into a local buffer. A data verification level of a plurality of data verification levels can be selected to perform on the compressed data files. An amount of data blocks of each data file can be decompressed based on the determined data verification level. An integrity of the compressed data files verified using the decompressed data blocks.

Data compression techniques can reduce a number of bits needed to represent data. Such techniques can save storage capacity, speed up file transfer, and decrease costs for storage hardware and network bandwidth. Compression can be performed by a program that uses a formula or algorithm to determine how to shrink the size of the data. For instance, an algorithm may represent a string of bits—or 0s and 1s—with a smaller string of 0s and 1s by using a dictionary for the conversion between them, or the formula may insert a reference or pointer to a string of 0s and 1s that the program has already seen. Data compression can dramatically decrease the amount of storage a file takes up. For example, in a 2:1 compression ratio, a 20-megabyte (MB) file takes up 10 MB of space.


Embodiments of the present invention proposes a method to automatically identify the flying targets by physical information (coordinates, heading, speed), time, and identification information (3/A code). This method includes two steps: features extraction and building machine learning model. In the features extraction step, features which are extracted include: cell indexes corresponding to coordinates, information of flight path, time in day/night format, heading, speed, and 3/A code, constructing n-dimensional vector. This vector is used as input for training a Random Forest model, to automatically identify class label of flying targets.

In military, target identification is often conducted manually and based on personal experience. There are some proposed methods to identify the flying objects in the world, however, there still remained certain drawbacks. Those methods require specifying some basic attributes such as flight path of the target. The simplest way to identify the flight path of a flying target is to calculate the distance from the target to all available flight paths and choose the nearest one.
However, this method is expensive in computation due to the orthographic projection calculations. It also requires searching for the nearest flight path whenever the coordinates of flying target are updated. Moreover, when the target is near the airport or the intersection point of flight paths, it is not certain that the nearest flight path is the one that target follows.
Artificial Intelligence approaches such as Decision Tree method are also widely applied in object identification. However, as Decision tree is sensitive with data, if there is a change in training data, the output made by the decision trees then will be totally different from the previous one.
In order to handle these above problems, we propose a new method which could automatically identify flying targets based on the features of motion information, time, and 3/A code. This proposed method with automatic identification ability will optimize the process of target identification, reduce the human errors, and improve the accuracy of results.

Method of automatic identification of flying targets by motion, time, and 3/A code information


An optical head which is capable of realizing a stable tracking control, even if the rotational center of an information recording medium is not located on the extension line of the transfer directions of a light-concentrating element, includes: a semiconductor laser which emits a beam of light; an objective lens which concentrates the beam of light on an optical disk; a transfer mechanism which transfers the objective lens between the outermost circumference and the innermost circumference of the recording area of the optical disk along the optical disk; and a photo-detector which detects a beam of light that returns from the optical disk. The photo-detector includes a plurality of areas which are divided by a division line. The division line is set parallel to the tangential directions of the track in a predetermined position on the transfer line of the objective lens between the outermost circumference and the innermost circumference of the recording area, and the plurality of areas are divided, by a lateral division line which intersects the division line, into a first area on which a beam of light that mainly includes a tracking component is incident and a second area on which a beam of light that does not include the tracking component is incident.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical head, an optical information apparatus and an optical-information reproducing method which records or reproduces information in or from an information recording medium such as an optical disk and an optical card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an optical head is known in which two objective lenses are provided (e.g., refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-101692 specification). One objective lens is disposed on a radius line of an optical disk, and the other objective lens is shifted from the radius line. FIG. 14 shows a conventional optical head which is described in this Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-101692 specification.
In FIG. 14, an optical head apparatus 101 includes a first objective lens 102 and a second objective lens 103. These objective lenses 102, 103 are each used to reproduce an optical disk 106 of a different type. The first objective lens 102 is transferred, by a transferring means, on a straight line 104 shown by a broken line. The second objective lens 103 is transferred on a straight line 105 shown by a broken line. The rotational center of a motor 107 which rotates the optical disk 106 is located on the extension line of the straight line 105. The second objective lens 103 is disposed on a radius line of the optical disk 106. On the other hand, the rotational center of the motor 107 is not on the extension line of the straight line 104, and the first objective lens 102 lies off the radius line. FIG. 15 shows a photo-detector 110 which receives a beam of light that is reflected and diffracted after it has been concentrated on the optical disk 106 by the second objective lens 103. A light-receiving surface 111 of the photo-detector 110 is divided into four by division lines 112, 113. They are disposed perpendicular or parallel to a track-tangent directions 114 of the optical disk 106.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-101692 specification, the method of generating a tracking signal is not specifically described. No concrete description is given about how to stabilize tracking control. Besides, according to the configuration of the division lines 112, 113, a tracking signal can only be obtained by a push-pull method or a phase-difference method. This presents a disadvantage in that a tracking signal has an offset when a lens is shifted, so that stable tracking control cannot be actually obtained.

Optical head and optical information apparatus for recording or reproducing information on an information recording medium


An aimed or aiming firearm can be detected before it is able to shoot. Wideband radar signals can be used to identify the barrel of a firearm when the radar antenna and barrel are aiming at or near each other. Signal processing correlates reflected signals to the characteristics of specific firearms of interest, and alerts the user when someone is pointing such a firearm at them. Modern wideband radar systems with fast signal processing speed can enable real-time detection of firearm threats in crowded and cluttered areas before they shoot, which has never before been possible. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and articles are also described.

Since the advent of warfare, military leaders have understood the advantage of surprise and confusion. This is clearly evident by the effectiveness and use of snipers, ambushes, sneak attacks, and guerrilla tactics. In addition, military leaders have understood the importance of situational awareness during active combat operation as indicated by the time and resources devoted to combat communication (from the use of flags and trumpets to modern radios) and troop concealment (from the use of smoke, terrain, and camouflage).
The detection, classification, and location of threats is critical to the success of any military operation. Before the advent of modern warfare, military leaders had little access to real-time situational awareness and tactical threat detection beyond the use of scouts and telescopes, and the individual warfighter had no access at all. With the advent of modern warfare came the application of technology to increase situational awareness both before combat (to reduce the effectiveness of enemy snipers, ambushes, and sneak attacks), and during combat (to increase the individual warfighters survivability and effectiveness).
The rapid increase of military technology has brought about the possibility of real-time tactical threat detection and location at the squad level. Examples of some of these emerging technologies include acoustic and infrared shot detection. These electro-optical and acoustic systems have been developed to help triangulate the location of a sniper once they fire. Project Overwatch uses thermal imagers, and new system products, such as Boomerang, use acoustic echolocation to identify the direction and distance of snipers once they fire. These systems greatly improve the speed and effectiveness of sniper response, as friendly forces can protect themselves from the direction of the shooter, and can more quickly identify the shooter location and mount a counterattack. From a counter-sniper perspective, these systems provide significant advantages. Unfortunately, the initial damage done by the shooter is unaffected. The officer, specialist, or materiel still will already have been fired upon by the time these systems are able to assist the tactical warfighter.
Despite the wide-ranging efforts by numerous researchers and product developers including those above, none of the conventional solutions is optimal for identifying and locating enemy combatants in crowded, short-range environments before they are able to attack, nor can they provide precise location in longer-range scenarios after an attack. Detection sensor technologies help identify the presence of people and weapons, but have difficulty detecting intent to harm. Reaction sensor technologies help identify the location and direction from which an attack was launched, but they provide little value or comfort to the victim, nor do they provide sufficient precision to direct other sensor and weapon resources against the attacker. Instead, what forces facing insurgents, snipers, and terrorists desperately need is a sensor technology that can detect the presence and location of a shooter that is poised to strike, and the precise location of a shooter immediately after an attack. This sensor system must then alert the user in a timely manner so that defensive measures can be undertaken and plans for counterattack initiated immediately.

Firearm threat detection, classification, and location using wideband radar


Devices for the measurement of volumetric flow rate of a gas in a conduit are described. A vane arrangement is subjected to airflow and is displaced I response thereto. The vane arrangement forms a light guide, and one end of the vane arrangement receives an encoded light source, the encoding being over the range of displacement of the vane. In one form, the encoding can be achieved by a light source and a mask, the mask being shaped to provide for variance of the light transmitted therethrough as a function of the vane displacement range. One form of mask can be a tapered arrowhead. Embodiments of the flow rate measurement device offer good dynamic response. The measuring device can be incorporated in CPAP or ventilatory assist devices for the control thereof.

The present invention relates to a device for measuring the flow rate of a gas through a conduit, and in particular for measuring the flow rate of breathable gas flow associated with a non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) apparatus, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) apparatus, ventilatory assist device, or the like.
The term xe2x80x98conduitxe2x80x99, used herein, is to be understood in a non-limiting sense. Particularly, it is not limited only to a flexible air hose that interconnects a flow generator with a patient mask for CPAP or assisted ventilation equipment.
In this specification, the phrases xe2x80x98encodexe2x80x99, encoderxe2x80x99 or encodedxe2x80x99 are to be understood as measuring any apparatus or operation that effects the fraction of transmitted light which is received by a detector.
NIPPV apparatus function to supply a patient with clean breathable gas (usually air, with or without supplemental oxygen) at a therapeutic pressure or pressures, at appropriate times during the subject""s breathing cycle. Such apparatus includes a blower to produce a flow of pressurised breathable gas, a gas supply conduit to receive said gas and an interface, typically a nasal mask, in turn to deliver the gas to the patient""s airways. Further, there is a controller having control over operation of the blower, and a flow measuring device. Typical pressures delivered are in the range of 2 to 30 cm H2O. Typical flow rates are in the range of xe2x88x92150 to 300 L/min. For certain applications in the field of NIPPV and CPAP it is necessary to detect flow signals with a frequency in the range 0 to 30 Hz.
Measurement of the volumetric flowrate of gas (xe2x80x9cflowxe2x80x9d) in CPAP or ventilatory assistance devices is required for calculating the subject""s ventilation, and to detect changes between the inspiratory and expiratory phases of breathing. It is very important that flow be determined accurately.
Typically, fixed or variable orifice meters are used to determine flow. In thes meters, a pressure transducer measures the pressure differential across a fixed or variable orifice. Problems with orifice meters include high pressure drop, poor gain and poor linearity at low flows.
Another known device for measuring the flow rate of a gas is the moving vane flow meter. In these meters, movement of the vane varies or produces changes in an inductive or capacitive electrical signal. Problems with the moving vane transducers include poor dynamic response and limited bandwidth. A further disadvantage of the moving vane transducer is that variations in ambient air temperature and air density can result in measurement errors. This is because the vane transducer inherently measures air mess, rather than air volume.
More sophisticated devices such as thermal flow meters (which measure the molecular flow of gas) and turbines type devices are generally too large and expensive for applications in the field of CPAP and NIPPV.
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least ameliorate one or more the disadvantages of the prior art.
The invention discloses a measuring device for determining gas flow through a conduit, said device comprising:
a vane arrangement extending into the conduit to be displaceable under the influence of gas flow in the conduit;
a light source arranged to provide a uniform intensity of light over a range of displacement of the vane arrangement;
an optical encoder interposed between the light source and the vane arrangement effective over the range of displacement to encode the light source as a function of displacement of the vane arrangement under the influence of gas flow; and
a light detector arranged to optically communicate with the encoded light source and provide an output signal based thereupon related to gas flow.
In one form, the vane arrangement forms at least one light guide, and the encoder is interposed between one or more free ends of the light guide and the light source so that the encoded light is optically communicated to one or more light guides. In another form, the vane arrangement has two light guides, and the encoder has two rows of regularly spaced discrete light sources aligned with a free end of the respective light guide. In a further form, the vane arrangement carries a first polarizing element, and the first polarizing element and a second, fixed polarizing element form the optical encoder. The light source, first and second polarizing elements and the light detector are in optical alignment, with the planes of polarization of the respective first and second polarizing elements interacting as a function of displacement of the vane element to result in a range of optical transmitivities.
A measuring device as described above can be included in CPAP or ventilatory assistance devices. Such apparatus includes a blower to produce pressurized breathable gas, a gas supply conduit to receive said gas and a device, typically a mask, in turn to deliver the gas to the patient""s airways. Further, there is a controller having control over operation of the blower, and the flow measuring device provides its output gas flow signal to the controller as a control variable therefor.
The invention further discloses a method for detecting gas flow through a conduit, comprising the steps of:
encoding the light source as a function of a displacement of a vane arrangement located within the conduit under the influence of gas flow; and
detecting the encoded light and producing an output signal representative thereof related to gas flow.


In an optical isolator device comprising a plurality of optical isolator elements each of which comprises a pair of polarizers and a magneto-optical element disposed between said polarizers, the optical isolator elements have element cutoff wavelength bands which are different from one another. The optical isolator elements are arranged in series with an optical axis in common. Each element cutoff wavelength band is defined by an element cutoff central wavelength for a return light beam. The optical isolator device has a device cutoff wavelength band for the return light beam that is defined by a device cutoff central wavelength. When the optical isolator elements are equal in number to two, both of the optical isolator elements have a common wavelength area where the element cutoff wavelength bands overlap each other. One of the optical isolator elements has an element cutoff central wavelength shorter than the device cutoff central wavelength, while another of the optical isolator elements has another element cutoff central wavelength longer than the device cutoff central wavelength.

This invention relates to an optical isolator device transmitting an incoming light beam which is propagated through the optical isolator device along a forward direction and cutting off a return light beam which is propagated through the optical isolator device along a backward direction opposite to the forward direction.
As well known in the art, an optical isolator device is for use in an optical fiber transmission system which comprises a light source, such as a semiconductor laser device and an optical fiber. The optical isolator device is disposed between the light source and the optical fiber. The light source emits a light beam which is incident as an incoming light beam onto an incident end of the optical isolator device. The optical isolator device transmits the incoming light beam which is propagated through the optical isolator device along a forward direction. From an outgoing end of the optical isolator device, the incoming light beam is incident as an outgoing light beam onto an incident end of the optical fiber. A part of the outgoing light beam is reflected on the incident end of the optical fiber as a reflected light beam. Therefore, the reflected light beam is returned as a return light beam to the outgoing end of the optical isolator device. The return light beam is propagated through the optical isolator device along a backward direction opposite to the forward direction. The return light beam is cut off by the optical isolator device to prevent the light source from receiving the return light beam. As a result, the light source operates with stability and the optical fiber transmission system operates at a high optical transmission quality.
A known optical isolator device comprises first Faraday rotator which is disposed between the first and the second polarizers. The first and the second polarizers are arranged along a common optical axis and have first and second planes of polarization which are inclined at 45.degree. to each other.
The incoming light beam, which is propagated along the forward direction, is incident on the first polarizer of the optical isolator device. The first polarizer polarizes the incoming light beam into a linearly polarized light beam with a plane of polarization which coincides with the first plane of polarization. The linearly polarized light beam is sent to the magneto-optical element. The magneto-optical element rotates the plane of polarization of the linearly polarized light beam to produce a rotated light beam with a plane of polarization which is inclined at 45.degree. to the first plane of polarization and which coincides with the second plane of polarization. The rotated light beam passes through the second polarizer as an outgoing light beam from the optical isolator device. A part of the outgoing light beam is reflected as the reflected light beam on an incoming/outgoing end of an external optical element, such as an optical fiber.
The reflected light beam is returned to the second polarizer as a returned light beam. The returned light beam is propagated along the backward direction opposite to the forward direction. The returned light beam is incident on the second polarizer. The second polarizer polarizes the returned light beam into another linearly polarized light beam with a plane of polarization which coincides with the second plane of polarization. The linearly polarized light beam is sent to the magneto-optical element. The magneto-optical element rotates the plane of polarization of the linearly polarized light beam to produce another rotated light beam with a plane of polarization which is inclined at 45.degree. to the second plane of polarization and which is orthogonal to the first plane of polarization. Therefore, the rotated light beam does not pass through the first polarizer, whereby the first polarizer cuts off propagation of the rotated light beam.
The above-described optical isolator device, which comprises the pair of the polarizers and the magneto-optical element, is called a single optical isolator. This is because the above-described optical isolator device is a minimum unit which acts as the optical isolator device. It will be noted here throughout the instant specification that the single optical isolator may be referred to as an optical isolator element. As well known in the art, the optical isolator device is generally characterized by an isolation characteristic which represents a difference between a ratio of intensity of an incoming light beam to intensity of an outgoing light beam in a case of passing the light beam of a predetermined intensity through the optical isolator device in the forward direction as the incoming light beam and another ratio of intensity of an incoming light beam to intensity of an outgoing light beam in another case of passing the light beam of the predetermined intensity through the optical isolator device in the backward direction as the incoming light beam. The single optical isolator normally has an isolation characteristic of -30 dB.
However, this isolation characteristic is insufficient in a case where it is necessary for the semiconductor laser device to operate at a high stability for an oscillation frequency or the like. In order to obtain a higher isolation characteristic, an optical isolator device of a high-isolation type has been proposed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Prepublication of Kokai No. Sho62-189,422, namely, 189,422/1987. The proposed optical isolator device comprises two optical isolator elements which are arranged in series along a common axis, thereby obtaining an higher isolation characteristic greater than -60 dB.
A conventional optical isolator device of the high-isolation type, such as the proposed optical isolator device is, however, disadvantageous in that it is impossible to obtain a sufficient isolation characteristic in a wavelength range apart from an oscillation wavelength of a laser light beam when the optical isolator device is for use in cutting off a return light beam which is sent to the semiconductor laser device. This is because each polarizer in the optical isolator device is a polarizing beam splitter which has a relatively narrow polarizer cutoff wavelength band. Polarizers having a relatively wider polarizer cutoff wavelength bands, such as polarizers made of, for example, calcite, rutile, or the like are extremely expensive.

Optical isolator device having a wider cutoff wavelength band for a return light beam


A porous calcium phosphate ceramic comprising a support portion having pores, and ring-shaped portions formed in the pores, the ring-shaped portions having pluralities of fine pores so that they have a network structure. A method for producing a porous calcium phosphate ceramic comprising stirring a slurry containing coarse calcium phosphate particles, fine calcium phosphate particles, a nonionic surfactant and a water-soluble high-molecular compound to foam the slurry; gelling the foamed slurry; and then drying the resultant get to obtain a sintered porous calcium phosphate ceramic; the nonionic surfactant being malamide and/or polyoxyethylene lauryl ether.

Materials used for artificial bones and artificial dental roots (hereinafter referred to as "bone-filling materials") in dentistry, brain surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, etc. are desired to have (a) no toxicity, (b) sufficient mechanical strength and (c) excellent compatibility with biological tissues.
Because porous calcium phosphate ceramics meets these conditions, they are utilized as bone-filling materials. When used as bone-filling materials, the porous calcium phosphate ceramics preferably have as high porosity as possible from the aspect of biocompatibility. However, because higher porosity leads to lower mechanical strength in the porous bodies, they cannot be used as bone-filling materials for portions needing high mechanical strength. Thus, porous calcium phosphate ceramics having both excellent biocompatibility and mechanical strength are desired.
JP 2000-302567 A discloses a sintered body comprising a body portion formed by substantially dense sintered calcium phosphate, and a surface portion formed by a finely ragged or porous sintered calcium phosphate layer. JP 2000-302567 A describes that fine raggedness or a porous sintered calcium phosphate layer on the surface of the porous sintered body increases a specific surface area, making it easy for osteoblasts to attach to the surface of the porous sintered body.
However, in order that a bone is formed in a bone-filling material embedded in a living body, bone-forming cells such as osteoblasts, etc. should be attached to the surface of the bone-filling material, and nutrition should be supplied to these cells. Even though osteoblasts were attached to the surface of the bone-filling material, a new bone would not be formed without nutrition. The sintered body of JP 2000-302567 A does not have a structure, to which proteins for forming blood vessels for sufficiently supplying nutrition to the osteoblasts are easily attached, failing to sufficiently accelerate the formation of a new bone.
The growth of blood vessels is caused by growth factors and/or inducers such as fibroblast growth factors (FGF), etc. The growth factors and/or inducers are proteins produced by cells. In order that the growth factors and/or inducers effectively function in the bone-filling material, etc., to improve the capability of the bone-filling material to form a new bone, the bone-filling material preferably has such a structure that the growth factors and/or inducers are trapped on its surface.

Porous calcium phosphate ceramic and method for producing same


The invention relates to the compounds of formula I, formula II, formula III and formula IV or its pharmaceutical acceptable polymorphs, solvates, enantiomers, stereoisomers and hydrates thereof. The pharmaceutical compositions comprising an effective amount of compounds of formula I, formula II, formula III or formula IV and methods for the treatment of mucositis may be formulated for oral, buccal, rectal, topical, transdermal, transmucosal, intravenous, oral solution, buccal mucosal layer tablet, parenteral administration, syrup, or injection. Such compositions may be used to treatment of mucositis and oral mucosal inflammatory or oral infectious diseases.

Oral mucositis, also called stomatitis, is a common, debilitating complication of cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy, occurring in about 40% of patients. It results from the systemic effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy agents and from the local effects of radiation to the oral mucosa. Oral mucositis is inflammation of the mucosa of the mouth which ranges from redness to severe ulceration.
Symptoms of mucositis vary from pain and discomfort to an inability to tolerate food or fluids. Mucositis may also limit the patient's ability to tolerate either chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Mucositis may be so severe as to delay treatment and so limit the effectiveness of cancer therapy. Patients with damaged oral mucosa and reduced immunity resulting from chemotherapy and radiotherapy are also prone to opportunistic infections in the mouth. The mucositis may affect patients' gum and dental condition, speech and self esteem are reduced, further compromising patients' response to treatment and/or palliative care. It is therefore extremely important that mucositis be prevented.
Some studies have also reported a distribution of these lesions on keratinized surfaces such as the hard palate and upper surface of the tongue. If ulcerations are noted in these areas, cultures and/or biopsies should be taken from the lesions to rule out viral infections or other causes. Redness and/or ulcerations, ranging from a few millimeters to a few centimeters long, can appear. Bleeding from the ulcerations is common; however, bleeding often reflects a severe reduction in a patient's platelet count, a condition called thrombocytopenia.
Managing acute pathology of often relies on the addressing underlying pathology and symptoms of the disease. There is currently a need in the art for new compositions to treatment or delay of the onset of mucositis and its associated complications progression.

Compositions and methods for the treatment of mucositis


A delivery device for delivering a plurality of individual surgical fasteners. The delivery device includes a drive mechanism having distal and proximal ends. The drive mechanism has a moving member and a fixed opposing member, wherein the moving member is moveable proximally and distally with respect to the delivery device. The moving member has a sharpened distal end for piercing tissue. The device includes at least one surgical fastener located between the first and the second members. Each of the at least one surgical fasteners has a proximal end and a distal end. The device also has an actuator having at least two sequential positions. A first position for moving the moving member distally and piercing tissue, and a second position for moving the moving member proximally, thereby deploying the distal end of the fastener.

An inguinal hernia is a condition where a small loop of bowel or intestine protrudes through a weak place or defect within the lower abdominal muscle wall or groin of a patient. This condition commonly occurs in humans, particularly males. Hernias of this type can be a congenital defect wherein the patient is born with this problem, or can be caused by straining or lifting heavy objects. Heavy lifting may be known to create a large amount of stress upon the abdominal wall and can cause a rupture or tearing at a weak point of the abdominal muscle to create the defect or opening. In any case, the patient can be left with an unsightly bulge of intestinal tissue protruding through the defect, pain, reduced lifting abilities, and in some cases, impaction of the bowel, or possibly other complications if the flow of blood is cut off to the protruding tissue.
A common solution to this problem can be surgery. In the surgical procedure, the defect is accessed and carefully examined, either through an open incision or endoscopically through an access port such as a trocar. In either case, the careful examination can be well appreciated, as a network of vessels and nerves exist in the area of a typical defect, which requires a surgeon to conduct a hernia repair with great skill and caution. Within this area can be found vascular structures such as gastric vessels, the external iliac vessels, and the inferior epigastric vessels, and reproductive vessels such as the vas deferens extending through the inguinal floor.
Once the surgeon is familiar with the anatomy of a patient, the surgeon carefully pushes the bowel back into the patient's abdomen through the defect. Repairing the defect can involve closure of the defect with sutures or fasteners but generally involves placing a surgical prosthetic such as a mesh patch over the open defect, and attaching the mesh patch to the inguinal floor with conventional suture or with surgical fasteners. The mesh patch acts as a barrier and prevents expulsion of bowel through the defect. Suturing of the mesh patch to the inguinal floor can be well suited to open procedures but can be much more difficult and time consuming with endoscopic procedures. With the adoption of endoscopic surgery, endoscopic surgical instruments that apply surgical fasteners can be used. However, the tissue of the inguinal floor may offer special challenges to the surgeon when a needle or fastener is used to penetrate structures such as Cooper's ligament.
At present, there are a variety of surgical instruments and fasteners available for the surgeon to use in an endoscopic or open procedure to attach the mesh patch to the inguinal floor. One of the earliest types of endoscopic surgical instruments used is a surgical stapler. A plurality or stack of these unformed staples may be generally contained within a stapling cartridge in a serial fashion, and may be sequentially advanced or fed within the instrument by a spring mechanism. A secondary valving or feeding mechanism may be employed to separate the distal most staple from the stack, to hold the remainder of the spring loaded stack, and may be used to feed the distal most stapler into the staple forming mechanism. Feeding mechanisms of this type are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,010 by Robert Rothfuss et al. and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,616, also by Robert Rothfuss et al.
Another hernia mesh attachment instrument uses a helical wire fastener that resembles a small section of spring. Multiple helical wire fasteners may be stored serially within the 5 mm shaft, and may be corkscrewed or rotated into tissue. A load spring may be used to bias or feed the plurality of helical fasteners distally within the shaft. A protrusion extends into the shaft to possibly prevent the ejection of the stack of fasteners by the load spring and may permit passage of a rotating fastener. Instruments and fasteners of these types are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,616 by Lee Bolduc et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,882 by Lee Bolduc et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,221 by Jeffrey Stein et al.
Whereas the above surgical instruments may be used for hernia fastening applications, they use a spring mechanism to feed a plurality of fasteners through the surgical instrument. Spring mechanisms typically use a long soft coil spring to push a stack of fasteners through a guide or track within the shaft of the surgical instrument. These types of feeding mechanisms may be generally simple and reliable, but may require an additional secondary valving mechanism or protrusion to separate and feed one fastener from the stack.
Other surgical fasteners may be used for hernia mesh attachment but utilize either a reloadable single shot instrument or a rotary magazine that holds a small number of fasteners. These types of surgical fastening instruments can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,864 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,297 both by Edward Phillips. These instruments have not gained acceptance by the surgical community, possibly due to their single shot capabilities and the large size of the rotary magazine, which can restrict such an instrument to an open procedure.
Whereas all the above surgical instruments may be used for hernia fastening applications, they either use a spring mechanism to feed the plurality of fasteners through the surgical instrument, or a rotary magazine in lieu of a feeding mechanism. Other types of surgical fasteners may be available, such as surgical clips, and they can utilize feeding mechanisms that do not require the use of a spring to feed the clips distally. A reciprocating feeding mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,601,573, 5,833,700, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,997 by Fogelberg et al. Fogelberg et al. teaches a clip applier with a feeding mechanism that utilizes a reciprocating feed bar to feed a serial stack of clips. A feeder shoe may operably engage with and move with the distally moving feed bar and may slidingly engages with the proximally moving feed bar. Thus, the feeder shoe may index or push the stack of clips distally with the distally moving feed bar and remains stationary relative to the proximally moving feed bar. A valving mechanism may be also required to separate the distal most clip from the stack and to hold the stack stationary as the distal most clip may be applied onto a vessel. Whereas Fogelberg et al. teaches a reciprocating feeding mechanism with a single reciprocating member, he does not teach the use of the clip applier in the attachment of hernia mesh, nor does he teach the individual driving or feeding of each clip by a moving member.
Another fastener feeding mechanism that uses reciprocation is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,376 by Klieman et al. A clip applier that stores a plurality of clips in a serial fashion within a clip magazine is disclosed. The clips are in a stack wherein the proximal most clip may be pushed or fed distally by a pawl that may be ratcheted or indexed distally by a reciprocating member or ratchet blade with each actuation of the instrument. As the pawl indexes distally, it can push the stack of clips distally. A secondary valving mechanism may be also described. Thus, the feeding mechanism of Klieman et al. teaches the use a single reciprocating member and pawl to push or feed the stack of clips distally, and may require a secondary valving mechanism to feed the distal most clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,994 by DeCarlo Jr. describes a novel reciprocating feeding mechanism that may index a plurality of staples or clips, and may ready them for discharge by reciprocating one of a pair of opposing leaf spring assemblies. The staples reside serially within a guide rail with a fixed leaf spring assembly extending into the plane of the guide rail. A reciprocating leaf spring assembly may opposedly extend inwardly towards the fixed leaf spring assembly. As the a reciprocating leaf spring assembly moves distally, each of individual leaf springs of the assembly may engage a staple and move it distally. The distally moving plurality of staples deflect the local individual leaf springs of the fixed leaf spring assembly, and the deflected leaf springs may return to the un-deflected position after passage of the staple. As the moving leaf spring assembly moves proximally, the leaf springs of the fixed leaf spring assembly hold the staples stationary and prevent distal movement thereof. A secondary guide rail and valving mechanism may be provided to separate a single staple from the stack for forming and can hold the stack of staples stationary as the single clip is formed.
Additionally, similar feeding mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,220 by Di Giovanni et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,780 by Menges et al. Both of these related patents teach a reciprocating feeding mechanism that uses one fixed member and one reciprocating member to feed or index a plurality of clips distally. Angled flexible fingers may be hingedly attached to the reciprocating member and operatively engage the clips when moving distally, and slidingly engage with the clips when moving proximally. The angled flexible fingers within the fixed member deflect out of the way when the clips move distally and spring up to stop proximal movement of the clip after the clip has passed. A secondary valving mechanism is also disclosed.
Thus, the feeding mechanism of DeCarlo et al., Di Giovanni et al., and Menges et al. operatively engage and individually move each clip distally between a single reciprocating member and a fixed member. However each instrument may require a secondary valving mechanism for the feeding and forming of the distal most clip.
The majority of the feeding mechanisms described above can require two feeding mechanisms; a primary feeding mechanism to feed a plurality of clips distally, and a secondary valving or feeding mechanism to separate and feed the distal most fastener while preventing the distal movement of the remaining fasteners. Such additional mechanisms may be costly and increase the size or diameter of the instrument size. Likewise, the single shot or rotary magazines may have limitations. What may be needed is an improved reciprocating feeding mechanism that may not require the use of a secondary valving mechanism, and may simultaneously engage with and independently drive each fastener distally. Such a mechanism can have two reciprocating members and could provide superior advantages such as lower cost, reduced complexity, and a smaller diameter shaft.

Surgical instrument having a fastener delivery mechanism


A knife is disclosed for cutting crop materials, and includes a base portion having an interior edge and a pair of end edges. The base portion has an exterior region opposite the interior edge and has opposite major faces. The knife further includes a plurality of teeth extending from the base portion, with each tooth being defined by a perimeter edge. The perimeter edge of the tooth includes a leading edge portion and a transition edge portion extending between the leading edge portion of the tooth and an adjacent tooth. The leading edge portion is formed by a leading edge surface lying substantially in a plane that is oriented at a first bevel angle with respect to one of the major faces. The transition edge portion is formed by a transition edge surface that is oriented with respect to one of the major faces at a second bevel angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to knifes for cutting and chopping crop materials, and more particularly pertains to a new beveled edge thin cutting knife for increasing the cutting effectiveness of agricultural crop harvesting and processing equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Crop harvesting machines, such as combines and forage harvesters, often employ "heads" mounted on the front of the machinery to gather and cut the plant as it stands in the field at harvest time. Some types of heads, such as a head designed for use in the harvest of corn, includes a number of snouts, or finger-like structures that extend forwardly of the machine, to guide and gather the plants as they stand in rows in the field. The corn head also includes a number of knifes or blades that cut the upper portion of the plant off from the lower portion of the plant as the plant moves between the snouts, so that the upper portion of the plant can be processed by the combine while the lower portion of the plant remains in the field. The knives may be relatively thin, in that the thickness of the material used to form the knife is approximately 7 gauge steel sheet (approximately 0.179 inches) or thinner, with many of these knives having a thickness of 10 gauge (approximately 0.135 inches) or 12 gauge (approximately 0.104 inches). However, due to the relative thinness of the material used to form the knife, it has been relatively difficult, if not impossible, to effectively and economically produce a relatively sharp cutting edge on these knives for use on agricultural crop processing machinery. As a result, knifes formed out of material formed out of approximately 7 gauge or thinner material have not received a sharpened edge, and have featured a blunt cutting edge with a surface that extends substantially perpendicularly to the broad side faces of the knife for the full thickness of the knife material, such as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The blunt cutting edge on the known thin knifes is not completely ineffective, as the relatively thin nature of the knife material and the teeth formed on the knife tend to do an acceptable job of cutting the crop material.
In particular, it has been established that it is relatively difficult to effectively and economically form a tapered or beveled edge onto the relatively thin material of these knives in the conventional manner for shaping knives formed of material thicker than 7 gauge, which is to using a milling machine. Further, when such milling is attempted, a relatively sharp and confined corner is necessarily created between adjacent teeth on the knife. In practical use of a knife formed using the milling technique, the sharp corner formed by the mill collects, and easily becomes clogged with, the crop materials that are being cut. This collection of crop material on the knife tends to reduce the effectiveness of the cutting capability of the adjacent teeth as the crop material is blocked from coming into contact with the blunt cutting edge.
Thus, there has been a need to improve upon the cutting effectiveness of the known blunt-edged thin cutting knifes, despite the problems that have been encountered in attempting to produce such knifes, in order to facilitate the cutting of crops in a manner that is more effective and efficient, and that requires less power to operate the crop processing apparatus.


Process for the preparation of a hydroperoxide functionalized olefinic compound in an oxidation reactor containing a particulate catalyst bed comprising a light induced photosensitized catalyst component supported on a particulate substrate material forming a permeable catalyst bed. The photoenergized catalyst component is a photoreductant material which is effective for the conversion of triplet oxygen to singlet oxygen under illumination with ultraviolet or visible light. An oxygen containing feed stream containing triplet oxygen is supplied to the catalyst bed. The catalyst bed is irradiated at an intensity to convert triplet oxygen to singlet oxygen to produce a singlet oxygen enriched gas stream. The enriched gas stream is supplied to a second reactor which contains a dispersion of an olefinic component having an allylic hydrogen which is contacted with the enriched gas stream under conditions effective to cause an allylic rearrangement and introduce hydroperoxide functionalization into the olefinic component.

Light-induced photoreductants can be employed to excite triplet state oxygen to singlet state oxygen which can be employed in the formation of hydroperoxide sites such as those employed to functionalize the initiation of polymerization reactions. Olefinic compounds such as aliphatic dienes or cyclodienes, such as cyclopentadiene, can be photo oxidized through the selective application of singlet state oxygen to produce desired end products. A particular application of the conversion of triplet state oxygen to singlet state oxygen is in the production of rubbery polymers.
Singlet state oxygen can be reacted with unsaturated polymeric rubbers, such as diene rubber compounds, to form the corresponding hydroperoxide functionalized rubbers. The hydroperoxide functionalized sites on the rubber backbone provide reactive sites which enhance the grafting efficiency in the reaction of the rubbery polymer with monomers which form pendant groups on polymeric backbones. The grafting efficiency for a particular monomer-polymer system is thus a function of the number of peroxide groups formed on each molecule of the rubbery polymer. In homogeneous reaction modes, conversion of triplet state oxygen to singlet state oxygen is accomplished in the presence of a mixture of the rubber polymer and an oxygen containing gas such as air. All things being equal, the number of pendant groups formed on the polymer backbone increases with the efficiency of the photoreductant in exciting the triplet state oxygen to a singlet state in a dispersion of the rubber in a suitable solvent such as styrene.
Suitable photoreductant formulations for the production of hydroperoxide derivatives of rubber by the reduction of triplet state oxygen to singlet state oxygen involve the application of light energy to rubber solutions of various photosensitizing agents such as methylene blue, rose bengal, and others. These agents are dissolved in a solution of a rubbery polymer through the use of an alcohol-based solubilizer such as methanol, which enhances the solubility of the photosensitizing agent in the rubber solution. The rubbery solution containing the photosynthesizing agent is oxygenated and then subjected to irradiation with light energy to convert triplet oxygen to singlet oxygen for use in the polymerization of the rubber-containing solution.

Production of hydroperoxized functionalized olefinic compounds


A pneumatic nailing machine includes a striking cylinder accommodated in a main housing to permit a piston and driver assembly to be moved for driving a nail when compressed air is supplied into the cylinder. A valve member is movable relative to the cylinder between an air-supplying position and an air-exhausting position. A winding air channel has an intake port disposed downstream of a head valve zone, an outflow port angularly displaced from the intake port, and a channel body which extends radially from the intake port, axially into a mounting shell mounted on the main housing, and circumferentially toward the outflow port. Compressed air exhausted from the cylinder can expand in the air channel and the flow rate of the compressed air is reduced so as to efficiently attenuate noise.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pneumatic nailing machine, more particularly to a pneumatic nailing machine having a winding air channel for exhaust.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional pneumatic nailing machine 1 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,936 is shown to include a striking cylinder 11 accommodated in a main housing 10, and a piston and driver assembly 12 disposed in the striking cylinder 11 and driven to drive a nail when compressed air is supplied to the striking cylinder 11 from an upper portion 111. As shown in FIG. 1, when a trigger is pulled to move a valve stem 16 to open a passage 17, compressed air in a head valve chamber 18 is exhausted so that a head valve 13 is opened, and compressed air in an air chamber 19 bursts into the striking cylinder 11 to drive the piston and driver assembly 12 so as to strike a nail. As shown in FIG. 2, when compressed air is supplied to the head valve chamber 18 so that the head valve 13 is closed while an exhaust port 141 is opened, the compressed air in the striking cylinder 11 is discharged through the exhaust port 141 to an exhaust chamber 142, and further through throttle holes 143 into be exhausted from outflow ports 144. Meanwhile, the piston and driver assembly 12 is moved back to its initial position so as to ready for the next nailing operation.
Since the compressed air exhausted from the striking cylinder 11 flows along a substantially axial path at a very high rate, a loud noise is generated even though the throttle holes 143, through which the exhausted compressed air flows, are provided.

Pneumatic nailing machine with a winding air channel for exhaust


A method of testing web services using a web service testing framework can include using a data parser to parse data for the web service to be tested. The data parser may be one of a plurality of data parsers in a test library for support of a plurality of data formats for the web service. If the web service is in a simple object access protocol (SOAP) protocol, the data can be converted into framework objects. These framework objects for the simple object access protocol (SOAP) protocol may then be converted into test objects. If the web service is in a representational state transfer (REST) protocol, the data itself can be converted into the test objects. A web service test can be accessed from the test library for testing the web service. The web service test can be executed using the test objects.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
In order to provide test coverage for web services or applications, different testing tools are typically utilized for different web service protocols, as well as different data types. For example, one test tool might be used to test a simple object access protocol (SOAP) based web service, while a different test tool is used to test a representational state transfer (REST) based web service. Thus, performing a full testing of various web service protocols and data types may require working with different test tools from different vendors, making it more difficult to test web services across a wide variety of web environments.

Web services environment testing framework