Novel compounds that are anti-angiogenic or immunosuppressive are described. Also described are methods for determining if an animal is at risk for a disease involving abnormal angiogenesis or an immune reaction resulting in pathology comprising evaluating an aspect of MetAP2 metabolism or structure; methods for identifying agents that are anti-angiogenic or immunosuppressive comprising evaluating the effect of the agent on an aspect of MetAP2 metabolism; methods for treating a cell having an abnormality in metabolism or structure of MetAP2; and methods for treating abnormal angiogenesis or an immune reaction which results in pathology in an animal. Pharmaceutical compositions are also provided.

Angiogenesis is the process of new blood vessel formation. It has been shown to play a pivotal role in certain normal physiological reactions, e.g., wound healing, corpus luteum formation and embryonic development. It has also been reported to play a pivotal role in a variety of pathological conditions, e.g., tumors, diabetic retinopathy, inflammatory diseases and arteriosclerosis. For example, it has been reported that without access to sufficient vasculature, tumor growth is restrained as a result of widespread cell death.
Further, while immune reactions are required to protect animals from deleterious foreign antigens, certain immune reactions can result in pathological conditions, e.g., autoimmune diseases, allergies or tissue graft rejection.
Fumagillin and certain types of fumagillin analogs have been reported to exhibit anti-angiogenic activity, and ovalicin has been reported to exhibit anti-angiogenic and immunosuppressive activity.
There is a need for inhibitors which are more potent, less neurotoxic, more stable, and/or have longer serum half-lives.

Type 2 methionine aminopeptidase [MetAP2] inhibitors and uses thereof


A method of reducing plasma induced damage in semiconductor devices and fluorine damage to a metal containing layer including providing a semiconductor wafer including semiconductor devices including a gate oxide and a process surface including metal lines; carrying out a first high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process to controllably produce a silicon rich oxide (SRO) layer including a relatively increased thickness at a center portion of the process surface compared to a peripheral portion of the process surface; and, carrying out a second HDP-CVD process in-situ to deposit a fluorine doped silicon dioxide layer over the SRO layer to fill a space between the metal lines.

This invention generally relates to HDP-CVD deposition processes and more particularly to a method for forming a silicon-rich oxide (SRO) barrier film in-situ prior to forming a fluorosilicate glass (FSG) layer to avoid fluorine and plasma induced defects to a metallization layer.
As devices become smaller and integration density increases, the high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process has become, a key process due to its gap-filling capability. In particular, high density plasma (HDP) processes, such as electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) processes and induced coupling plasma (ICP) processes have been found to produce high-quality silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers. Generally, HDP-CVD provides a high density of low energy ions resulting in higher quality films at lower deposition temperatures, compared to for example, PECVD. HDP-CVD is particularly ideal for forming interlayer dielectric (ILD) oxide layers because of its superior gap filling capability. Generally, both sputtering and deposition take place simultaneously, resulting in a deposition/sputter ratio (D/S/) ratio that may be adjusted according to process parameters. In an HDP-CVD deposition process, for example, a bias power is coupled to the semiconductor wafer to attract ions which sputter (etch) the wafer during deposition (re-sputtering effect), thereby preventing a phenomena known as crowning where the deposition material converges over the trench before an etched feature opening is completely filled with the deposition material. The deposition rate may therefore be more finely tuned to improved CVD deposition properties to, for example, avoid crowning.
The D/S (deposition-sputtering rate ratio) is a commonly used measure of the gap-filling capability of the process. Among the disadvantages of a lower D/S ratio include the possibility of xe2x80x9ccorner clipping,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cedge erosionxe2x80x9d along the edges of metal lines and the lowering of processing throughput since it requires a relatively longer period of time to achieve the formation of the HDP-CVD oxide. The high density of the plasma can result in significant heating of the wafer during deposition requiring a cooled wafer chuck to cool the wafer during deposition. Generally, higher sputtering rates (lower D/S ratios) tend to increase the temperature of the wafer substrate and as such high temperatures have been necessary at the early stages of gap filling when low deposition/sputter ratios (typically less than 4) are necessary to fill the high aspect ratio channels. Temperatures as high as 400xc2x0 C. have been observed and at these temperatures significant distortion of the metal features and circuitry have been observed.
On the other hand, a relatively higher D/S ratio results in problems with gap-filling ability leading to the formation of voids. Consequently, many HDP processes according to the prior art to have tended to optimize the HDP-CVD process whereby the D/S ratio is carried out at lower levels in a one step process in order to maximize gap-filling ability.
One type of IMD layer dielectric that has found increasing use is fluorosilicate glass (FSG) also referred to as silicon oxyfluoride. FSG tends to reduce the dielectric constant of IMD layers to levels around 3.5, which in many applications is sufficient to reduce the capacitance of the dielectric layer to desired levels thereby decreasing a signal time constant (RC time constant) which can adversely signal transmission.
One problem with using PSG as a gap filling dielectric layer is that fluorine tends to diffuse through the FSG and attacks the metal lines, for example aluminum, causing a bubble like defect on the aluminum. Although the deposition of barrier layers has been proposed in the prior art, prior art barrier layers have suffered from a lack of presenting a sufficient barrier to fluorine diffusion and achieving sufficient film thickness uniformity, which has tended to result in plasma induced damage at thinner portions of a barrier layer during the HDP-CVD process to deposit the FSG.
There is therefore a need in the semiconductor processing art to develop an improved method for depositing HDP-CVD FSG such that fluorine attack of underlying metallization layers is reduced or avoided and HDP-CVD plasma damage to the wafer process surface is avoided in the HDP-CVD FSG deposition process.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide develop an improved method for depositing HDP-CVD FSG such that fluorine attack of underlying metallization layers is reduced or avoided and HDP-CVD plasma damage to the wafer process surface is avoided in the HDP-CVD FSG deposition process while overcoming other shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a method of reducing plasma induced damage in semiconductor devices and fluorine damage to a metal containing layer.
In a first embodiment, the method includes providing a semiconductor wafer including semiconductor devices including a gate oxide and a process surface including metal lines; carrying out a first high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process to controllably produce a silicon rich oxide (SRO) layer including a relatively increased thickness at a center portion of the process surface compared to a peripheral portion of the process surface; and, carrying out a second HDP-CVD process in-situ to deposit a fluorine doped silicon dioxide layer over the SRO layer to fill a space between the metal lines.
These and other embodiments, aspects and features of the invention will be better understood from a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention which are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying Figures.

Method of forming in-situ SRO HDP-CVD barrier film

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd


An automated vehicle includes a vehicle body, a power source, one or more motors housed within the vehicle body and in operable connection with the power source, running gear in operable connection with the one or more motors for facilitating movement and supporting the vehicle body upon a surface, and an optical system. The optical system includes an optical sensor for detecting light reflected from the surface and generating an output in response to the light reflected, and one or more light sources, each light source capable of projecting light on the surface. Furthermore, the optical system is configured to regulate an amount of power supplied to the one or more motors in response to the output generated by the optical sensor.

The present invention generally relates to vehicle guidance systems by means of optical gradients and automated vehicles or toys that can track and follow an optical gradient line. The present invention further relates to vehicle guidance systems that can detect, analyze and respond to lines of various colors.
Numerous automated vehicles, utilizing a variety of guidance means, are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,236 discloses a guidance system for a self-propelled vehicle which tracks a luminescent guidance line drawn along a predetermined traveling path on a floor surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,094 discloses drawing a guidance system on a ceiling. U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,209 discloses a vehicle guidance system in which a vehicle having a magnetic sensing device is guided in a desired path in relation to lines of constant magnetic field strength which are set up by a system of guide members. U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,825 discloses a guidance system using magnetic markers in the floor surface itself. U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,028 discloses an optical guidance system utilizing a computer-controlled mounted laser to direct mobile bodies.
A need exists for improvement in optical guidance systems for vehicles that are simple, and thus economical to incorporate into a children's toy, allow for smooth steering and variation in speed, and provide a means to allow users to create, construct, and alter their own guidance tracks. These, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.

Automated vehicle and system utilizing an optical sensing system


Adjustments to an electro-acoustic transducer may be made to match the performance of a second electro-acoustic transducer such that a net inertial force generated by movement of the electro-acoustic transducers' diaphragms are substantially zero. Adjustments may include adjusting a moving mass of one of the elector-acoustic transducers. Adjustments may include applying an equalization to one of the electro-acoustic transducers.

This disclosure relates to loudspeaker audio systems having reduced vibration.
A moving diaphragm in an electro-acoustic transducer generates an inertial reaction force on a basket supporting the diaphragm that is transmitted to an enclosure or baffle that partitions a volume into a listening volume and a back volume. The baffle is typically stiff in the plane of the baffle but is susceptible to vibrations perpendicular to the baffle plane. An inertial reaction force having a component perpendicular to the baffle plane can generate a buzzing or an audible noise that detracts from the acoustic signal generated by the electro-acoustic transducer. Although baffle vibration can be problematic at any frequency, baffle vibration may be significant for electro-acoustic transducers generating acoustic signals in a frequency range of less than about 150 Hz, which are commonly referred to as bass speakers or woofers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,985,593 issued Jan. 10, 2006, U.S. Pat. No. 7,551,749, issued Jun. 23, 2009, and U.S. Publication No. 7,881,488, issued Feb. 1, 2011, describe methods and systems for reducing baffle vibrations and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the described methods and systems, two or more diaphragms are oriented relative to each other such that the net reaction force generated by the two or more diaphragms is preferably zero or less than the reaction force generated by a single diaphragm.

System and method for reducing baffle vibration


A system is disclosed for selectively altering the functional characteristics of a data processing system without physical or mechanical manipulation by providing an access code from a remote personal identification number generator to a secure controller and store of the computer system. This enables remote authorization of change in function of the computer system, such as performance tune up, speeding clock time, changing function and like changes. The computer system is first manufactured having a predetermined set of functional characteristics. A multibit alterable code which includes a functional characteristic definition is then initially loaded into physically secure, nonvolatile memory within the data processing system, utilizing an existing bus, or a fusible link which may be opened after loading is complete. The functional characteristic definition is loaded from nonvolitile memory into a nonscannable register within a secure portion of a control logic circuit each time power is applied to the data processing system and the definition is then utilized to enable only selected functional characteristics. Alternate functional characteristics may thereafter be selectively enabled by entering a security code which matches one of a number of preloaded codes and an encoded alternate functional characteristic definition. The alternate functional characteristic definition may be enabled on a one-time, metered, or regularly scheduled basis and variable capability data processing systems may be implemented in this manner utilizing a single manufactured system, without the necessity of manufacturing and storing multiple data processing system models.

As background for our invention, there have been for many years password generators for a PIN. PINs have been used to gain access to automated tellers and security areas when unattended operation and/or verification of authorization is desired. They have been used for granting access to computers, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,258 to Davies et al granted Jan. 17, 1989. PINS may be generated automatically, and may be generated by random number generators or pseudo-random number sequences stored in the memory of a computer. U.S Pat. No. 4,800,590 to James C. Vaughan illustrates a password generating device for generating passwords, and a computer access system based upon the generated secure number based on time such that the algorithm is valid only over a 3 minute window. However, the lock or unlock of a computer system e.g. the host computer of Vaughan does not satisfy needs which are now possible to achieve. It is dissimilar similar in that it doesn't deal with repetitive modification of machine function and permits a range of numbers that can be matches instead of one unique number.
Many methods exist for granting or revoking a user's access to selected facilities or files within a data processing system. These techniques often utilize a secret "key" or "password" entered by a user and recognized within the data processing system as an indication of the user's ability to read, write, delete, copy or append a selected record. One example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,258. Further, several known techniques exist for storing such "keys," "passwords" or other secure data within secure storage devices within a data processing system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,927 discloses a method for providing a security module for physically protecting such sensitive data. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,062 discloses a method for protecting sensitive data, such as private security codes.
Each of the methods described above permits the storage and utilization of sensitive or private data; however, none of these publications teaches a technique whereby the functional characteristics of a data processing system may be selectively altered. Systems do exist for enabling or disabling electronic equipment utilizing "keys" or other similar devices. Primarily such systems are directed to enabling or disabling reception of television or CATV signals within a television receiver. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,577,224 and 4,471,379.
In summary, many systems exist which permit selected users to access and manipulate particular files within a data processing system or which enable or disable a selected electronic system; however, no known systems exist which permit the functional characteristics of a data processing system to be selectively modified without the necessity of physical or mechanical manipulation.

Self modifying access code for altering capabilities

International Business Machines Corporation


The application discloses five polymorph forms B, P, F, J, O of (4-((R)-((2S,5R)-4-(3-fluorobenzyl)-(2,5-dimethylpiperazine-1-yl)(3-hydroxyphenyl)methyl)phenyl)(4-methylpiperidine-1-yl)methanone dihydrochloride, preparation methods thereof and application thereof in the manufacture of a medicament for preventing or treating a mood disorder or a disease related to a δ opioid receptor.

Depression is a common mental disease, mainly manifested as feeling down, reduced interest, pessimism, slow thinking, lack of initiative, self-accusation and self-guilty, poor diet and sleep, fear of suffering from various diseases, feeling unwell in many parts of the body, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in serious cases. In the fourth edition of "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" published by the American Psychiatric Association, the depression is classified into three types: a severe depression, a dysthymia disorder and other unspecified depressions.
Factors causing depressions include: genetic factors, physical factors, central nervous medium functions and metabolic abnormalities, mental factors, etc. In efforts to treat the depressions, various antidepressant compositions have been developed, such as sertraline, flosi, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, and bupropion. Although these drugs are effective, they often produce problematic side effects, such as narcolepsy, confusion, inability to concentrate and sexual dysfunction. Moreover, these drugs have the problem of long onset time, which requires about 6 to 8 weeks to show any desired therapeutic effect.

Polymorph of triaryldimethylpiperazine dihydrochloride and preparation method and application thereof


An apparatus for a vacuum-driven microfluidic probe includes a body with an apex and a processing surface, at an end of the body. The apparatus also includes a partially open cavity formed as a recess on the processing surface and a set of apertures in the cavity, where the set of apertures include a sample outlet aperture intersected by a vertical axis of the cavity. The apparatus also includes aspiration apertures radially distributed around said vertical axis, wherein the apex is further configured to generate a pressure in the cavity upon aspirating an external liquid through the aspiration apertures that causes to aspirate a liquid sample from the sample outlet aperture, so as to eject the aspirated liquid sample from the probe.

Microfluidics deals with the precise control and manipulation of small volumes of fluids that are typically constrained to micrometer-length scale channels and to volumes typically in the sub-milliliter range. Prominent features of microfluidics originate from the peculiar behavior that liquids exhibit at the micrometer length scale. Flow of liquids in microfluidics is typically laminar. Volumes well below one nanoliter can be reached by fabricating structures with lateral dimensions in the micrometer range. Microfluidic devices generally refer to micro-fabricated devices, which are used for pumping, sampling, mixing, analyzing and dosing liquids.
A microfluidic probe is a device for depositing, retrieving, transporting, delivering, and/or removing liquids, in particular liquids containing chemical and/or biochemical substances. For example, microfluidic probes can be used in the fields of diagnostic medicine, pathology, pharmacology and various branches of analytical chemistry. Microfluidic probes can also be used for performing molecular biology procedures for enzymatic analysis, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis and proteomics.
Microfluidic probe (MFP) systems often require a complex fluid handling instrumentation, which may notably involve: a spatial positioning system (to control the position of the probe with respect to a surface to be processed), and various pressure sources (to control the flow rate of liquid being dispensed). For example, a quite sophisticated instrumentation is typically needed to localize (bio)chemicals on surfaces, which prevents the use of most microfluidic probe systems outside of specialized laboratories. That is, the localization of chemicals as achieved today by the MFP technology typically requires active fluidic handling (expensive) systems that are intended for use in laboratory settings and require precise positioning systems, as well as complex vacuum systems.

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention provides an image processing apparatus and an image processing method and can be applied to an image information apparatus such as, for example, a television receiver, a video tape recorder, a television camera and a printer so that the gradation can be corrected while effectively preventing a finally obtained image from partial deterioration of the contrast. An area to which each of image data belongs is discriminated with reference to, for example, a low frequency component of a pixel value, and a correction coefficient is produced for the area. Such correction coefficients are smoothed between successive frames, and the pixel values of the image data are corrected with the smoothed correction coefficients.

This invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method and can be applied to an image processing apparatus such as, for example, a television receiver, a video tape recorder, a television camera and a printer.
Conventionally, an image processing apparatus such as a television camera corrects the gradation of image data obtained from an image inputting apparatus such as an image pickup apparatus and outputs the image data of the corrected gradation.
FIG. 19 is a characteristic diagram showing an input/output characteristic of a signal processing circuit adapted to such gradation correction processing. A signal processing circuit of the type described decreases the gain when the input level L increases higher than a predetermined reference level Lk. Consequently, a signal processing-circuit of the type described suppresses the signal level and outputs the signal of the suppressed signal level when the input level is higher than the reference level Lk. In this instance, the gradation is corrected sacrificing the contrast at a portion of an image having a comparatively high signal level.
In the characteristic diagram of FIG. 19, the axis of abscissa represents the pixel value L which is the input level of image data while the axis of ordinate represents the pixel value T(L) which is the output level of the image data, and Lmax represents the maximum level which can be taken by any pixel of the input/output images. In the following description, a function indicative of an input/output relationship as represented by the characteristic diagram of FIG. 19 is referred to as level conversion function.
FIG. 20 is a characteristic diagram showing an input/output characteristic of, another signal processing circuit of a similar type. The signal processing circuit which uses the level conversion function illustrated in FIG. 20 decreases the gain when the input level L is lower than a first reference level Ls and when the input level L is higher than a second reference level Lb. Consequently, the signal processing circuit corrects the gradation sacrificing the contrast where the signal level is comparatively low and where the signal level is comparatively high with respect to an intermediate range of the input signal level.
On the other hand, in image processing and so forth wherein a computer is used, the gradation is corrected, for example, by histogram equalization.
The histogram equalization is a method of adaptively varying the level conversion function in response to the frequency distribution of a pixel value of an input image, and corrects the gradation by reducing the gradation at a portion where the frequency distribution of the pixel value is low.
Referring to FIG. 21, in processing of the histogram equalization, a cumulative frequency distribution C(L) by arithmetic processing of the following expression (1) is detected based on a frequency distribution H(L) which is an aggregate of the number of pixels with reference to the pixel value L of the input image:                               C                                (            L            )                          =                              ∑                          k              =              0                        L                                          xe2x80x83                                          H                                      (              k              )                                                          (        1        )
In the processing of the histogram equalization, the cumulative frequency distribution C(L) detected in this manner is normalized by processing with the following expression (2) to define a level conversion function T(L), and the signal level of the input image is corrected in accordance with the level conversion function T(L).                               T                                (            L            )                          =                                            C                                            (                L                )                                                    F                                            xe2x80x83                                          max                                xc3x97          L                                xe2x80x83                              max                                    (        2        )
where Fmax is the final value of the cumulative frequency distribution C(L), and Lmax is the maximum value of the input/output levels.
Such processing of correcting the gradation as described above is executed suitably in accordance with the necessity, for example, in order to suppress the dynamic range or for some other object when image data are transmitted over a transmission line, when image data are displayed on a display unit, when image data are stored into a storage device or in a like case.
In the correction processes of the gradation according to the conventional techniques described above, the entire gradation is corrected sacrificing the contrast at some portion of the input image. This is because, with any of the techniques, the level is converted with an input/output function having a monotone increasing property in order to prevent production of an unnatural image.
Accordingly, the conventional techniques have a problem in that an image obtained by processing finally has a partially reduced contrast.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method by which the gradation can be corrected while effectively preventing a finally obtained image from partial deterioration of the contrast.
In order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, an area to which image data belong is discriminated, for example, with reference to a low frequency component of a pixel value to produce a correction coefficient, and such correction coefficients are smoothed between frames to correct the pixel values of the image data so that the gradation also of a moving picture can be corrected while preventing partial deterioration in contrast effectively.
More particularly, in an image processing apparatus and an image processing method according to an aspect of the present invention, an area to which image data belong is discriminated, and a correction coefficient to be used for correction of a pixel value of the image data is produced based on a result of the discrimination, and then such correction coefficients are smoothed between corresponding image data of successive frame and the pixel values of the image data are corrected with the smoothed correction coefficient.
Where an area to which image data belong is discriminated and a correction coefficient to be used for correction of a pixel value of the image data is produced based on a result of the discrimination and then the pixel value of the image data is corrected with the correction coefficient, the pixel values in the same area can be corrected with the same coefficient to maintain the relationship in magnitude among the pixel values in the area, but the relationship in magnitude between pixel values which belong to different areas can be varied, for example, reversed. Consequently, the gradation of the entire image can be corrected while preventing partial deterioration of the contrast. In this instance, where such correction coefficients which correspond to each other are smoothed between corresponding image data of successive frames, the gradation of an entire image can be corrected without giving any unnatural feeling even if the image involves some motion.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


The present invention relates to a conjugate of hydrophilic polymer-multicarboxyl oligopeptide and drug molecule of the following formula:

Among the active constituents of nature medicine, proteins, polypeptides, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinones, and phenylpropanoid phenols all show various effective properties in the term of biologically activity, and therefore, they've been widely used in medicine. Their glycoside, nucleoside and polypeptide derivatives have also shown considerable applications. As natural active constituents, they have the advantages of fast biodegradation rate, little or no residue, low toxicity, and little or no side effects. However, they still have some disadvantages such as low bioavailability, short physiological half-life, poor water solubility, immunogenecity and the like.
To solve the problems, the derivatives of PEG have been widely used to conjugate with proteins, peptides or other therapeutic agents in order to prolong their physiological half-life and to lower their immunogenicity and toxicity. Clinically, PEG and its derivatives have been widely used as carrier to manufacture preparations of commercial drugs. And the attempt of conjugating PEG to drug molecule has an impressive progress in the last 10 years and has been applied to many officially approved drugs. For example, PEG-intron®, a conjugate of PEG and α-interferon, exhibits longer circulation half-life and better therapeutic effect compared to the native form of α-interferon. It has been shown that the conjugate of PEG and paclitaxel correspondingly reduces the toxicity and prolongs the bioactivity. The metabolism processes of these conjugate are well known, showing that PEG is a safe drug modifier.
When conjugating PEG to drugs, often is used a process called as PEGylation, in which one or two of the terminal groups of PEG are chemically activated to have a proper functional group which is reactive to at least one functional group of the drug to form a stable bond. This stable bond can be eliminated by degradation under proper conditions in vivo, and thereby the active ingredient is released.
It's reported that PEG can be used to conjugate to many drugs. The prodrugs of PEG derivatives conjugating with paclitaxel have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,824,701 and 5,840,900 and CN patent CN1283643. In these patents, each of the two terminal groups of PEG is conjugated with a paclitaxel molecule. In order to increase the drug molecule load, U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,655 discloses a terminally branched PEG structure, in which two functional groups are formed via amino linkage at the two termini of PEG. However, the introduction of non-biological branched small molecule also makes the drug property indefinite. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,977,163 and 6,262,107 and Chinese patent CN1164533 disclose a paclitaxel prodrug with polyglutamic acid as carrier, in which paclitaxel is attached randomly to the active carboxyl groups of glutamic acid along the polyglutamic acid skeleton. The broad polydispersity and uncertainty of the toxicity of polyglutamic acid limit the application of these inventions.

Compounds of hydrophilic polymer-polycarboxyl oligopeptide and medicines, medical composite comprising above compound and use of above compound in medicines

Abstract: wherein: P is a hydrophilic polymer; m is an integer of 2˜12; j is an integer of 1˜6; Ri is a group selected from H, C1-12 alkyl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, heteroalkyl and substituted alkyl; X and Z are linking groups; and TA is drug molecule. The conjugate has low toxicity and an ability to carry more than one drug molecule to improve solubility, sustain and control drug release, and has a remarkably enhancing effect especially to antitumor drug such as paclitaxel and camptothecin etc.

Beijing Jiankai Technology Company, Ltd.


A number of octapeptides were generated from the sequences encoding the 60 kDa Ro/SSA peptide, the La/SSB autoantigen, the 70 kD nuclear ribonucleoprotein (nRNP), and the Sm B/B′ polypeptide, which represent linear epitopes for autoantibodies present in the sera of SLE and SS patients. These peptides are useful in solid phase assays for patients characterized by the presence of these autoantibodies, and can be used to categorize patients as to the likelihood of developing certain conditions associated with SLE. The peptides are also potentially useful in treatment of these patients using immobilized peptide to remove autoantibody and to block binding of the autoantibodies with patient molecules reactive with the autoantibodies.

This invention is in the area of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is similar to many other disorders in which autoantibodies are found and thought to be important in etiology and pathogenesis. SLE can be grouped with those diseases that commonly have autoantibodies present but for whom a central role of autoantibody in pathogenesis leading to clinical expression has yet to be fully established or accepted. Other such diseases include Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile onset diabetes mellitus, primary biliary cirrhosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and many others.
Typically, autoimmune diseases present with a wide array of symptoms and clinical signs. The production of circulating autoantibodies to ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) is a unifying characteristic of some of the rheumatic autoimmune diseases. The most common antigens in SLE and closely related disorders include: Ro/SSA, La/SSB, nRNP and Sm. Initially, these antibodies were found using double immunodiffusion, but more recently sensitive solid phase assays have been developed to quantitate the autoantibodies.
The Ro/SSA RNA-protein particle has been found to be a constituent of all human cells evaluated to date. Approximately half of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have anti-Ro/SSA precipitins. Approximately 75% of patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus or complement component C2 deficiency with SLE have anti-Ro/SSA precipitins. Over 80% of mothers of newborns with neonatal lupus dermatitis or complete congenital heart block have this autoantibody. As many as 5% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and progressive systemic sclerosis have anti-Ro/SSA, as reported by R. M. Bernstein, et al., Mol. Biol. Med. 2:105-120 (1984); and J. B. Harley and K. K. Gaither, Autoantibodies. In Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North American: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 14:1, 43-56 (1988).
Autoantibodies to the La/SSB ribonucleoprotein antigen are also found in patients with SS and SLE, as reported by Alspaugh, et al., Arthritis Rheum. 19:216 (1976) and Mattioli, et al., Arthritis Rheum. 17:421 (1974). In addition, these antibodies as reported by Horsfall, et al., J. Autoimmunity 4:165 (1991), thought to be pathogenic to the fetus during pregnancy in some mothers who have anti-La/SSB autoantibodies, where they are associated, along with anti-Ro/SSA, with complete congenital heart block (CCHB).
It has been an issue of intensive debate as to whether the many autoantibodies found in systemic lupus erythematosus and related diseases represent an antigen specific or a polyclonal, antigen non-specific response. Evidence that autoantibodies are important in the expression of SLE and related syndromes is convincing. Specific depletion in a heart block neonate (Harley, J. B., et al., Arthritis Rheum. 28:1321-1325 (1985)) and specific anti-Ro/SSA immunoglobin deposition in human skin (Lee, L. A., et al., J. Clin. Invest. 83:1556-1562 (1989)) have been demonstrated. Specific concentration of anti-Ro/SSA has been shown in the immunoglobulin of renal eluates from kidneys affected by lupus nephritis (Maddison, P. J. and Reichlin, M. Arthritis Rheum. 22:858-863 (1979)). Anti-Ro/SSA has been found to be specifically concentrated in a parotid gland of a patient with Sjogren's syndrome and primary biliary cirrhosis (Penner, E. and Reichlin, M. Arthritis Rheum. 25:1250-1253 (1982)). Observations that infants with transplacentally acquired maternal IgG develop neonatal lupus dermatitis and/or complete congenital heart block (Harley, J. B. and Gaither, K. K.: Autoantibodies. In Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 14:1, 43-56 (1988)) strongly suggests that maternal autoantibody (anti-Ro/SSA or anti-La/SSB) transported across the placenta is a critical component required, but not sufficient, for these clinical problems.
The Ro/SSA family of proteins has now been shown to have several molecular forms which are operationally defined by the molecular weight of the antigen identified. A major form has an apparent molecular weight of 60 kiloDaltons (kD). This protein is associated with one of four hY RNAs. Recently, two additional proteins bound by anti-Ro/SSA sera have been identified by M. D. Rader, et al., J. Clin. Invest. 83:1556-1562 (1989), with molecular weights of 52 kD and 54 kD. A 48 kD protein, calmodulin, has been identified as being bound by anti-Ro/SSA sera (McCauliffe, et al., J. Clin. Invest. 85:1379-1391 (1990)). The La/SSB protein, a 48 kD peptide, as described by J.C. Chambers and J. D. Keene, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:2115-2119 (1985), is also a member of this group of autoantibodies, and binds small RNAs with a polyuridine terminus, as reported by J. E. Stephano, Cell 36:145-154 (1984). La/SSB is bound by a third of the anti-Ro/SSA precipitin positive sera. The La/SSB protein has been purified from a variety of tissue sources and shown to be a 46 to 50 kD monomeric phosphoprotein, as reported by Habets, et al., EMBO J. 2:1625 (1983) and Venables, et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol. 54:731 (1983). It associates with RNA polymerase III transcripts, as reported by Lerner, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 76:5495 (1979) and Steitz, et al., Cold Spring Harbor Symposium Quant. Biol. 47:893 (1983), and may function as a termination factor for this enzyme, as reported by Gottlieb, et al., EMBO J. 8:841 (1989). A nucleic acid dependent ATPase/dATPase enzymatic activity has also been attributed to La/SSB by Bachmann, et al., Cell 60:85 (1990).
Anti-Sm antibodies are frequently associated with SLE. These autoantibodies precipitate snRNP containing the U1, U2, U4/U6 and U5 RNA. These complexes form the spliceosome and splice heterogenous nuclear RNA, as reported by Sharp, Science 235:766 (1987) and Maniatis and Reed, Nature 325:673 (1987). Anti-Sm antibodies are directed against one or a combination of six polypeptides: B (26 kDa), B′ (27 kDa), D (13 kDa), E/F (11 kDa doublet) and G (less than 10 kDa).
Nearly all rheumatic disease patients who form an anti-Sm precipitin in Ouchterlony immunodiffusion have or eventually develop an anti-nRNP precipitin, as reported by Fisher, et al., Arthritis Rheum. 28:1348 (1985). Anti-Sm and anti-nRNP precipitins form a line of partial identify in Ouchterlony immunodiffusion, as discussed by Mattioli and Reichlin, J. Immunol. 110:1318 (1973). The basis for this partially shared antigenicity is explained by the composition of the U snRNP particles. The antigen for the anti-nRNP precipitin are the 70 kD, A, and C peptides that are unique to the U1 snRNP, B/B′ and D peptides are also found on the U1 snRNP. The B/B′ and D Ag, but not the 70 kDa, A or C, are found in the U2, U4/U6 and U5 snRNP. Hence, both anti-Sm and anti-nRNP bind anti-U1 snRNP activity, but only anti-Sm binds U2, U4/U6, and U5 snRNP.
U.S. Ser. No. 07/648,205 filed Jan. 31, 1991 by John B. Harley for "Assays and Treatments for Autoimmune Diseases", and U.S. Ser. No. 07/472,947 entitled "Assays and Treatments for Autoimmune Diseases" filed Jan. 31, 1990, described a specific method to identify the etiologic or antigenic agent responsible for the production of autoantibodies characteristic of a particular disorder. The antigen is first isolated, using, for example, autoantibodies isolated from one or more patients. The antigen is then divided into overlapping short amino acid sequences, preferably twenty amino acids or less, most conveniently octapeptides. The sequences having the greatest reactivity with the autoantibodies are identified and then compared with all known amino acids sequences using the available computer data bases. The protein having the maximum number or proportion of sequences homologous to the sequences of greatest reactivity with the autoantibodies is among the likeliest candidate of the known sequenced proteins for the etiological agent or immunogen. Once the etiological agent and antigenic sequences are known, it is possible to design assays and reagents for the diagnosis and treatment of patients having either the etiological agent and/or autoantibodies.
The examples in the earlier applications used peptides derived from the sequence for the 60 kDa Ro/SSA protein and La/SSB, which were reactive with antisera from SLE and SS patients.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide additional diagnostic reagents for identifying and classifying individuals previously exposed to a particular immunogen or expressing autoantibodies reactive with Ro/SSA, La/SSB, nRNP, or Sm B/B′ polypeptides, or the epitopes (or their immune equivalent) eliciting production of the autoantibodies.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide methods and compositions for identifying and treating autoimmune disorders, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjogren's syndrome.

Methods and reagents for diagnosis of autoantibodies


A method for testing a memory device. The method can include coupling the memory device to a test apparatus and determining whether each of the memory cells in the memory device is within a first specification range. Each of the cells that fall outside of the first range can be identified. Each of the cells that meet the second specification range can be tested. The method can include selecting a tile associated with a highest number of cells that fall outside of the second range. A resource can then be used to repair each of the cells that fall outside of the second range for a tile associated with a fewer number of cells that fall outside of the second range such that a first number of tiles meets the first range and a second number of tiles meets the second range such that the first number the second number.

The present invention is related to memory devices for electronic applications. More particularly, the present invention provides systems and methods for enabling backward compatibility for new memory devices with relaxed or less stringent performance parameters with legacy systems that expect stringent adherence to legacy performance parameters. The enabling of backward compatibility means that the new memory devices may be used in legacy systems. The present invention in enabling backwards compatibility may be applied to memory devices, such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) devices, which can be applied to memory systems, modules, cells, and the like.
In memory systems, two general classes of memories exist. Such classes include low latency memories. The low latency memories have effectively infinite endurance or usage-cycles and do not degrade with respect to age or repeated accesses. Additionally, such classes also include relatively longer latency memories that do not have infinite endurance or usage cycles, and may degrade with respect to age or repeated accesses. In the case of the relatively long latency memories, sophisticated multi-error detection and correction algorithms have been implemented to correct for data cells that can degrade over the lifetime of the device due to aging effects or repeated accesses. In the case of low latency memories such as DRAM devices, however, effectively infinite endurance or usage-cycles are assumed so once weak bits or bad bits are mapped out by the device manufacturer, no errors should occur due to degradation of data cells due to aging effects or repeated accesses.
As is known, the conventional DRAM memory cell has an access transistor and a storage capacitor. The access transistor connects with the storage capacitor to a bitline when switched-on such that the capacitor stores the logic value placed on the bitline. Due to the tendency of a capacitor to lose its charge over time, DRAM memory cells must be periodically 'refreshed', which serves to maintain the value stored in each storage capacitor at its desired value. The amount of time that a cell can retain its logic value is referred to as its "data retention time".
A trend in the development of memory cells is that the cells have been shrinking due to advancements in process technology and the demand for ever larger memory capacity. This necessarily results in a reduction in the sizes of the access transistor and storage capacitor, which can lead to several limitations. For example, each access transistor exhibits leakage which acts to slowly drain stored charge from the storage capacitor. This leakage characteristic—and thus each cell's data retention time—varies from transistor to transistor; however, this variability increases as the size of the access transistors is reduced. Another problem is that a shrinking memory cell results in a smaller storage capacitor, and thus a reduced storage capacitance. This can also adversely affect the data retention time characteristics of the cells.
Although highly successful, low-latency memories have limitations. Thus, improvements in memory cell testing and manufacturing are highly desired.

Backward compatible dynamic random access memory device and method of testing therefor


A system and method for indicating to a user that a networked site is authentic includes a verification application configured to send a request to verify the authenticity of the networked site together with identity information about the site to a verification server. The verification application has access to encrypted user-customized information that was previously selected by a user and is encrypted and stored focally on the end-user device. The verification server verifies whether the networked site is authentic and is further configured to enable decryption of the encrypted user-customized information when a networked site is verified as authentic, so that the user-customized information can be presented to the user.

"Phishing" is the practice of directing users to fraudulent Web sites in an attempt to fool the user into believing he or she has accessed the legitimate Web site of a provider, such as a financial institution or e-commerce site. Despite the existence of various security measures provided by Web browsers, phishing and other spoof sites attempt to mimic the content, look & feel, and even the security features of the genuine site so that users will fail to recognize that they have not accessed the legitimate site.
In order to prevent phishing and other similar attempts to pass off fraudulent Web pages as authentic or verified sites, a number of verification logos exist in the marketplace today. These include for example VeriSign Secured™, the BBB Online™, and Comodo TrustLogo™. However, a common problem with these logos is that a user, at least initially, has no idea whether the logo is genuine or has merely been copied from a legitimate site and placed on the current provider's site. The user is required to perform some further action to verify identity. Comodo's TrustLogo™, for instance, simply allows the user to roll the mouse over the logo and thereby obtain auxiliary information intended to confirm the identity of the site. With the VeriSign Secured™ logo, the user clicks on the logo, which then brings up another browser window with information about the site. The user must then manually compare and verify this information with the information that appears in the browser's address bar in order to ascertain whether the site is authentic, i.e., that the site is trustworthy and that the provider of that site is the company or organization that it claims to be. In some instances, such as with TrustLogo™, the entire rollover information effect can be spoofed.
Unfortunately, most users are either insufficiently aware or unwilling to make the effort to properly carry out the necessary manual steps to verify that a site is in fact authentic and legitimate. See for example "Why Phishing Works," R. Damija, J. D. Tygar, M. Hearst which is available at the following Web address http://people.deas.harvard.edu/˜rachna/papers/why_phishing_works.pdf, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Indeed, as the above reference suggests, as many as one in four users does not even look at basic browser-based security cues such as the address bar of the browser, as a result of which they are incapable of carrying out the more elaborate steps necessary to ensure authenticity of the site.
Furthermore, because these existing logo solutions use images that are uniform across all sites, the logos may be freely copied by fraudsters (along with popup and/or auxiliary windows) rendering them susceptible to spoofing and phishing sites. For example, a phishing site www.53.com.wps.portal.secure.ansible.st may still link to the VeriSign Secured site for www.53.com even though the site names don't match. Many users will not notice the difference.
As a result, although these prior art "trust seals" are intended to assure consumers that a site is run by the party it claims to be from and/or that it will use techniques such as encryption to protect sensitive data, the ability to spoof these seals means they are not sufficiently secure for ecommerce and other sensitive on-line activities.
In an effort to provide further security to users, site providers on the Internet are increasingly using two-part (or two-factor) authentication schemes. For example, some bank logon systems are now presenting a visual icon to the user after providing some personally identifying information (PII), so the user knows he is on the correct site. While this does let the consumer know when a phishing attack has occurred, the consumer may only determine this after having already entered some PII, the integrity of the consumer's account may be at least partially compromised, and the consumer may need to cancel the account, which is time-consuming and inconvenient. Furthermore, where a banking relationship does not yet exist, such icon-based authentication systems cannot be used when initially signing up for new accounts and services since the two parties have not yet agreed on the shared image.
Moreover, even two-part authentication schemes employing hardware tokens for security have been spoofed by man-in-the-middle attacks. For instance, the paper http://paranoia.dubfire.net/2007/04/deceit-augmented-man-in-middle-attack.html, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes a proof of concept of such an attack upon Bank of America's SiteKey® service. Similarly, the Washington Post article by Brian Krebs, available at the following Web address http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/07/citibank_phish_spoofs—2factor—1.html, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes an actual attack upon Citibank by a Russian attacker.
Further compounding problems with image-based authentication schemes is the fact that users with a number of relationships with various providers of goods and services need to choose a different image for each provider relationship. This occurs because providers do not share their images with each other. In addition, providers of sensitive services, such as banking, require a very low level of chance "crackability". For that reason, they may have collections of tens of thousands of icons, of which they present only a few dozen to any one user to choose from. Thus, the likelihood of a consumer being able to choose similar icons (for ease of remembrance) across multiple banks or providers is quite low. In addition, as industry use of two-factor authentication image-based authentication grows, users may be facing a case of "icon confusion" in attempting to remember which icon is associated with which provider.
As an example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,049, Gasparini et al. disclose a method of authenticating a web site to a user via customization of a web page. The user must initially register with the provider's web site, and material with which to customize the web page is stored in a database at the provider's site. However, such a mutual authentication method requires a preexisting relationship between the user and the web site operator. This is problematic in the case of, for instance, a financial institution's web site for signing up a new customer. Furthermore, the personally identifying information (such as a photograph of the user) is stored outside of the user's control. Moreover, as the provider web site is serving the customization data, the provider could potentially incur liability for unauthorized or illegal content (for example, for storing pornographic images).
Similarly, in US Patent Application Publication 2006/0200855 A1, Willis discloses a system for the authentication of a plurality of electronic entities (or providers) by a plurality of users. However, the users in this system are required to register with an authenticating entity before any electronic entity can be authenticated. This is an undesirable requirement that many users will object to or otherwise fail to comply with. It also requires users to store personally identifiable information at the authenticating entity and therefore outside of the user's control.
There is therefore a need for a more effective network site verification system and method that: (i) can effectively provide a user with automatic and immediate verification without the user having to click through or otherwise carry out any additional steps after having accessed the site; (ii) can use the same user-recognizable verification information for different provider sites; (iii) do not require the user to have a pre-existing relationship with the provider of the site; and (iv) do not necessarily require the user have pre-registered or otherwise store any PII (such as a user ID or password) with or at a third party authentication entity.

System and method for verifying networked sites


Embodiments of the disclosure can include an inertial short-circuit and seismic hook for an electrical equipment disconnect switch.

Conventional power substation equipment, such as low and high voltage equipment, is oftentimes elevated above the ground using support structures which keep the equipment suitably elevated to protect the equipment and personnel. In seismically active regions, the power substation equipment may be disconnected in response to an unexpected seismic event, and as a result could damage the electrical components of the power substation equipment, and endanger the lives of personnel.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to activators of soluble guanylate cyclase and their use in pharmaceutical compositions, primarily topically administered ophthalmic compositions. The pharmaceutical compositions are useful for reducing intraocular pressure in animals of the mammalian species.

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy resulting in irreversible loss of visual function over time. Glaucoma is considered the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Predictions are for approximately 80 million people afflicted with glaucoma worldwide by 2020 (Quigley and Broman, Br J Ophthalmol 2006). Frequently, but not always, glaucoma is associated with elevated IOP which is recognized as an important risk factor for the disease. Ocular hypertension, a condition associated with elevated IOP that has not yet progressed to causing irreversible glaucomatous damage, is believed to represent the earliest stage of glaucoma. Therapeutic agents devised for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension have been designed to lower IOP, which remains the sole, proven treatable risk factor of the disease.
The drugs currently used for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension include prostaglandin analogs (e.g., latanoprost, bimatoprost, travoprost, tafluprost), beta-adrenergic blockers (e.g., timolol, betaxolol, levobunolol), alpha-adrenergic agonists (e.g., brimonidine, paraamino-clonidine), parasympathomimetics (e.g. pilocarpine, carbachol, acethylcholineesterase inhibitors), sympathomimetics (e.g., epinephrine, dipivalyl-epinephrine), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (e.g., dorzolamide, brinzolamide). Pressure in the eye (IOP) is determined by the balance of aqueous humor production and aqueous humor outflow. It is generally accepted that elevated IOP is the result of compromised aqueous humor outflow. Thus, compounds that increase the outflow of aqueous humor are considered preferable for reducing IOP in glaucoma and ocular hypertensive patients. Prostaglandin analogs, sympathomimetics and parasympathomimetics are believed to decrease IOP by increasing aqueous outflow, whereas beta-blockers, alpha-adrenergic agonists and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are believed to decrease IOP by reducing aqueous humor production. Prostaglandin analogs cause undesirable effects, such as increased conjunctival hyperaemia and iris hyperpigmentation, for example. Parasympathomimetics induce undesirable accommodative changes leading to blurring of vision. Sympathomimetics can also stimulate aqueous humor production which partially counteracts their effect on aqueous humor outflow and thus limits their resultant effect on IOP regulation. Some antiglaucoma drugs, e.g., timolol, produce systemic effects. These adverse events can lead to poor patient compliance and may necessitate withdrawal of drug therapy.
As a consequence, a need still exists to identify and develop anti-glaucoma drugs that specifically enhance aqueous humor drainage from the eye and, preferably, have a more limited adverse event profile.
Of the two primary aqueous humor outflow pathways in the eye, the conventional/trabecular outflow pathway represents the more attractive target since it is the site of outflow obstruction that leads to ocular hypertension. As reviewed by Ellis (Cell Physiol Biochem 2011) nitric oxide donors and guanylate cyclase activators have been shown to decrease IOP in humans, rabbits and monkeys. Nitric oxide is an endogenous activator of the soluble guanylate cyclase enzyme which in turn catalyzes the generation of cyclic GMP as a second messenger molecule. The role of the nitric oxide—soluble guanylate cyclase—cyclic GMP pathway in IOP regulation is well established (Ellis, Cell Physiol Biochem 2011). Components of this pathway, such as endothelial and neuronal type nitric oxide synthases responsible for the endogenous generation of nitric oxide, are present in the outflow pathway tissues. Thus, stimulation of sGC represents a novel ocular anti-hypertensive approach, regardless of whether the reduction in IOP through enhancement of aqueous humor drainage is caused by modulation of cell volume of trabecular meshwork or Schlemms Canal cells (Ellis, Cell Physiol Biochem 2011) or trabecular meshwork contractility (Stumpff and Wiederholt, Ophthalmologica 2000). Modulation of cell volume and/or contractility of structures in the trabecular outflow pathway had been proposed as mechanistic rationales for IOP regulation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,236, a method for reducing IOP in the mammalian eye by administration of guanylate cyclase inhibitors is claimed. In that context, it was surprising that guanylate cyclase activators were found to also reduce IOP.

Soluble guanylate cyclase activators and their use

GlaxoSmithKline Intellectual Property Development Limited


A multi-use jewelry device having a setting member for holding first and second display objects, such as gems or stones, in opposite facing directions. A pair of hoops are pivotally connected to said setting member and by rotating the hoops in opposite directions above and below the setting member, the hoops when lying adjacent one another form a body mounting members, such as a ring or bracelet with one of the display objects being displayed. The hoops also can have an ear fastening device so that an earring is provided when selectively displays one or the other of the objects when the device is fastened to the ear or they can have a member for accepting a chain so that the device can serve as a pendant. The hoops are held together by a magnet arrangement a the bottom of the hoops from the setting.

In various types of jewelry articles, it is sometimes desirable that the article have a plurality of uses or be capable of being configured in different ways for a different display of jewelry.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,746 to Chen a ring is displayed having a axle about which various ringlets pivot. Each ringlet carries a different stone. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,200 to Carter, a combined ring-pendant is disclosed in which a setting holder is rotated between a ring position and a pendant position. Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,803 to Suzaki, there is a central ring having a stone at the top thereof. Secondary rings can be snapped on each or both sides of the central ring, each of the secondary rings also carrying a stone to form a complete and different stone setting.


A decorative sheet for an exterior wall surface is provided which comprises a flexible nonwoven fabric which is permeable to air and moisture, and a coating layer formed on a front surface of the nonwoven fabric, the coating layer being also flexible and permeable to air and moisture after drying. The coating layer may be releasably covered by a stretchable plastic film. Further, the nonwoven fabric may have a rear surface formed with an air- and moisture-permeable adhesive layer which is covered by a releasable paper.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative sheet which is affixed to an exterior wall surface for decorative and protective purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, an exterior wall surface of a building is most typically treated by directly applying a painting or coating material to the surface by means of a spray gun. However, the spray gun method is likely to result in poor appearance due to unevenness of the coating thickness and/or color in addition to giving rise to a pollution problem. Further, the spray gun method is also disadvantageous in that the coating work is greatly influenced by the weather.
To solve the problems of the spray gun method, it has been proposed to use decorative sheets for covering an exterior wall surface of a building. Various kinds of exterior decorative sheets are known, but they are equally impermeable to air and moisture. Indeed, due to the outside use (particularly in consideration of rain), the designing emphasis is placed mainly on durability, and no or little attention has been ever paid to the necessity of imparting an air- and moisture-permeability to the exterior decorative sheet, as opposed to a decorative cloth for an interior wall surface.
When such a decorative sheet is affixed to an exterior wall surface, there is a tendency of locally trapping air between the sheet and the wall surface due to its inability of allowing air passage. As a result, the sheet will be locally bulged in addition to being likely to come off the wall surface. This problem becomes particularly remarkable when the exterior wall surface has projections and depressions.
Further, the prior decorative sheet is known to be relatively hard and heavy. As a result, it is rather difficult to adapt the sheet to corner or bent or undulated portions of an exterior wall surface, and the sheet is likely to displace gravitationally on a vertical wall surface.

Decorative sheet for exterior wall surface


A stent loading and deployment device includes an outer elongate tubular member having opposed proximal and distal ends and an inner elongate tubular member having opposed proximal and distal ends and slidably disposed within the outer tubular member. When the distal ends of the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member are axially aligned, a stent deployment region is defined there in between. The device further includes a stent loading member having opposed proximal and distal ends and slidably disposed between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member. The distal end of the stent loading member is slidable to a distal position past the distal end of the outer tubular member for receiving a stent and is further slidable toward the proximal end of the outer tubular member to a location past the stent deployment region for disengagement of a stent from the stent loading member.

An intraluminary prosthesis is a medical device used in the treatment of diseased bodily lumens. One type of intraluminary prosthesis used in the repair and/or treatment of diseases in various body vessels is a stent. A stent is generally a longitudinal tubular device formed of biocompatible material which is useful to open and support various lumens in the body. For example, stents may be used in the bodily vessel, such as in the coronary or peripheral vasculature, esophagus, trachea, bronchi colon, biliary tract, urinary tract, prostate, brain, as well as in a variety of other applications in the body. These devices are implanted within the vessel to open and/or reinforce collapsing or partially occluded sections of the lumen.
Stents generally include an open flexible configuration. This configuration allows the stent to be inserted through curved vessels. Furthermore, this configuration allows the stent to be configured in a radially compressed state for intraluminary catheter implantation. Once properly positioned adjacent the damaged vessel, the stent is radially expanded so as to support and reinforce the vessel. Radial expansion of the stent may be accomplished by inflation of a balloon attached to the catheter or the stent may be of the self-expanding variety which will radially expand once deployed. Tubular shaped structures, which have been used as intraluminary vascular stents, have included helically wound coils which may have undulations or zig-zags therein, slotted stents, ring stents, braided stents and open mesh wire stents, to name a few. Super-elastic materials and metallic shape memory materials have also been used to form stents.
Although stent delivery systems are well-known in the art, the assembly of such delivery systems is often complicated. Additionally, contemporary Endoscopy practitioners increasingly use plastic self-expanding stents. Unlike most metallic self-expanding stents, the plastic ones have a tendency to permanently deform or lose some of their ability to self-expand when stored in a compressed state for a prolonged period of time. These stents are therefore preferably loaded into the stent delivery system shortly before being implanted in a patient. However, such loading often involves numerous steps and requires the use of multiple components (e.g., tools and fixtures) that are not part of the stent delivery system. Also, even with these added devices, the physician or user is often required to finish the loading process by pushing the stent into the delivery system by hand. Loading a stent in this way is therefore often difficult, time-consuming and has the potential to damage the stent. Accordingly, there is a need for simplified methods of on-site loading of a stent into stent delivery systems, while minimizing the risk of damaging the stent in the process.

Apparatus for loading and delivering a stent


The MEMS switch comprises a substrate with signal-lines having fixed-contacts, a movable-plate with a movable-contact, a flexible support-member supporting the movable-plate, a static-actuator and a piezoelectric-actuator configured to contact the movable-contact with the fixed-contact. The movable-contact is provided at its longitudinal center with the movable-contact, and its both the longitudinal ends with static-movable-electrode-plate. The support-member is four strips disposed on portions outside of the both width ends of the movable plate. The strip extends along the longitudinal direction of the movable plate, provided with a first end fixed to the movable plate, and provided with a second end fixed to the substrate. The piezoelectric-element is disposed on an upper surface of the strip to be located at a portion outside of the width ends of the movable-plate. The piezoelectric-actuator is configured to develop the stress applied to the coupling-portion which is created between each the strip and the movable-plate.

In the past, a MEMS switch for transmitting a high frequency signal which employs the static actuator is well known. Such the MEMS switch is disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 3852224B.
The MEMS switch disclosed in the Japanese patent publication No. 3852224B comprises a substrate, a movable plate, a pair of signal wires, and a static actuator. The substrate is made of a glass. The movable plate comprises a movable contact. The substrate is provided at its upper surface with a strip. The strip has flexibility. The movable plate is supported by the substrate via the strip such that the movable plate is movable in a thickness direction of the substrate. Consequently, the movable contact is supported by the movable plate such that the movable contact is movable in the thickness direction of the substrate. A pair of the signal wires is disposed on the upper surface of the substrate. The signal wires are provided with fixed contacts, respectively. The fixed contacts are configured to come into contact with the movable contact when the movable contact is displaced in the thickness direction of the substrate. The static actuator is provided for displacing the movable plate such that the movable contacts moves toward the fixed contacts. The static actuator comprises a movable electrode and a fixed electrode. The movable electrode is disposed on the movable plate. The fixed electrode is disposed on the substrate to be located in an opposed relation to the movable electrode. The movable electrode is configured to come into contact with the fixed electrode when the voltage is applied between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode. In addition, the fixed electrode is provided at its upper surface with an electrically insulation film. The electrically insulation film is provided for prevention of the sticking of the movable electrode to the fixed electrode. The movable plate is made of silicon.
Furthermore, in the past, a MEMS switch comprising a static actuator and a piezoelectric actuator is also well known. The MEMS switch is used for transmitting the high frequency signal. The MEMS switch is configured to be operated by electrical power which is lower than electrical power for operation of the MEMS switch comprising only the static actuator. Such a MEMS switch is configured to allow the movable contact to move toward and away from the fixed contacts of a pair of the signal wires by means of the static actuator and the piezoelectric actuator. Such a MEMS switch is disclosed in Japanese patent application publication No. 2008-27812A.
The MEMS switch disclosed in the Japanese patent application publication No. 2008-27812A comprises a substrate, a pair of signal wires, and a flexible layer. The substrate is made of glass. A pair of the signal wires is disposed on the upper surface of the substrate. A pair of the signal wires is provided with fixed contacts. The flexible layer is provided with a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible layer is fixed on the upper surface of the substrate. The second end of the flexible layer is provided with a movable contact. The movable contacts are configured to come into contact with the fixed contacts. The flexible layer is realized by a bimorph type piezoelectric actuator. The bimorph type piezoelectric actuator comprises a lower electrode, a lower piezoelectric layer, an intermediate electrode, an upper piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode. The lower piezoelectric layer is made of AlN. The lower piezoelectric layer is disposed on the upper surface of the lower electrode. The intermediate electrode is disposed on the upper surface of the lower piezoelectric layer. The upper piezoelectric layer is made of AlN. The upper piezoelectric layer is disposed on the upper surface of the intermediate electrode. The upper electrode is disposed on the upper surface of the upper piezoelectric layer. The tip of the lower electrode also acts as the movable electrode of the static actuator. The fixed contact also acts as the fixed electrode of the static actuator.

MEMS switch and method of manufacturing the MEMS switch


A plasma display panel is provided which is capable of improving efficiency of light emission and of achieving a stable operation with a driving margin being kept wide by keeping a discharge initiating voltage low and by maintaining an erroneous discharge voltage high. Each of first electrode portions of transparent electrodes formed on a first substrate forms a clearance being smaller than a width of each of partition walls on each of the partition walls formed between discharge cells being adjacent to each other in a row direction on a screen. Each of second electrode portions is formed apart from each of the partition walls. Each of third electrode portions is so constructed that its width in the row direction on the screen is smaller than that of each of second electrode portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an AC plasma display panel used for an information displaying terminal, flat-panel television, or a like and more particularly to a structure of the AC plasma display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently various types of AC plasma display panels are available for use. A three-electrode-surface-discharge type of AC (Alternating Current) plasma display panel is so configured that, on a front substrate being one of two substrates are formed a scanning electrode and a common electrode and on a rear substrate being another of the two substrates is formed a data electrode in which writing discharge to select a unit cell to be displayed is performed by driving the data electrode and the scanning electrode while sustaining discharge is performed by surface discharge of the selected unit cell by driving the scanning electrode and the common electrode.
In the three-electrode-surface-discharge type of AC plasma display panel, since ions having high energy being generated at a time of surface discharge on the front substrate move on a plane in a unit cell of the front substrate, a fluorescent material on the rear substrate can avoid interaction with ions and as a result be prevented from deteriorating and, therefore, a lifetime of this type of AC plasma display panel can be made longer and the plasma display is widely used.
FIG. 7 is a cut-away perspective view showing a structure of a conventional three-electrode-surface-discharge type of AC plasma display panel. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional plasma display panel taken along a line Exe2x80x94E. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional plasma display panel of FIG. 8 taken along a line Fxe2x80x94F.
In the conventional three-electrode-surface-discharge-type of AC plasma display panel, as shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, on a front substrate 10 constructed of a transparent substrate are formed a plurality of scanning electrodes 5, each of which, is made up of a first transparent electrode 1 and a first metal electrode line 3, and a plurality of common electrodes 6, each of which, is made up of a second transparent electrode 2 and a second metal electrode line 4, in such a manner that a discharge gap 7 may be interposed between each scanning electrode 5 and each common electrode 6 adjacent to each other, and the scanning electrodes 5 and the common electrodes 6 are coated with a dielectric layer 11a and further the dielectric layer 11a is covered with a protective layer 12.
On the other hand, on a rear substrate 13 constructed of a transparent substrate are formed a plurality of data electrodes 14 which are covered with a dielectric layer 11b. Each of belt-shaped partition walls 15 is formed on the dielectric layer 11b and positioned between data electrodes 14 being adjacent to each other.
As shown in FIG. 8, fluorescent materials 16R, 16G, and 16B providing light having three primary colors including light with a red color, light with a green color, and light with a blue color, respectively, are alternately coated (That is to say R, G, B, R, G, B, . . . ) on a surface of the dielectric layer 11b and a side face of each of the belt-shaped partition walls 15. Between the front substrate 10 and the rear substrate 13 are integrally assembled the scanning electrode 5, the common electrode 6, and the data electrode 14 in a manner that they face one another to be orthogonal to one another and in a discharge space 17 being a space between the front substrate 10 and the rear substrate 13 is filled gas emitting ultraviolet rays in an excited state by discharge.
In the conventional plasma display panel described above, three kinds of electrodes including the scanning electrode 5, the common electrode 6, and the data electrode 14 are arranged for every unit cell 9a and one pixel in a screen is made up of three unit cells 9a including the fluorescent materials 16R, 16G, and 16B.
Moreover, among unit cells 9a being adjacent to one another in a column direction V is formed a non-discharge gap 8 to prevent interference against discharge among unit cells 9a.
Furthermore, since an upper face of each of the belt-shaped partition walls 15 is not covered by the first transparent electrode 1, redundant current being not accompanied by light emission is not consumed. Also, by placing the first transparent electrode 1 in a position being far from an end of each of the belt-shaped partition walls 15, a loss in charged particles is reduced and light emission efficiency is improved.
To drive the conventional plasma display panel described above, control is exerted in such a manner that, by driving the data electrode 14 and scanning electrode 5 using a data pulse and a scanning pulse respectively, writing discharge is performed and that the unit cell 9a to be displayed is selected and by driving the scanning electrode 5 and the common electrode 6, sustaining discharge is performed by surface discharge of the selected unit cell 9a.
Moreover, to perform sufficient gray-scale, eight to ten sub-fields are provided in one field and each sub-field includes a scanning period to perform writing discharge, a sustaining period to perform sustaining discharge, and a priming period to stabilize writing discharge.
However, the conventional plasma display as shown in FIG. 7 presents a problem in that a width in a row direction H on a screen between the first and second transparent electrodes 1 and 2 facing each other with the discharge gap 7 interposed between them is narrow, causing a discharge voltage to be made high.
Moreover, the conventional plasma display presents another problem in that, if the front substrate 10 and the rear substrate 13 are poorly positioned, the width between the first and second transparent electrodes 1 and 2 is made different depending on a unit cell 9a in a display surface, which causes distribution of discharge voltages to be widened and driving margin to be made narrow.
To solve these problems, an electrode is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-297214 in which, as a result of considerations given to a possible influence of a discharge characteristic caused by positioning between a front substrate and a rear substrate, a width of a protruding portion of a transparent electrode has been changed. However, this electrode presents a problem in that, if the protruding portion of the transparent electrode is made slender, a discharge region decreases and, if the protruding portion of the transparent electrode is made thick, excessive charges are readily left on a protective layer in a vicinity of metal electrodes and which causes erroneous discharge.
Moreover, in the conventional plasma display panel shown in FIG. 7, many charges are accumulated in a vicinity of the first and second metal electrode lines 3 and 4 existing at a place being apart from the discharge gap 7 immediately before writing discharge and, by using these charges, the dielectric layer 11a performs writing discharge on the first and second metal electrode lines 3 and 4 being thinner than the first and second transparent electrodes 1 and 2.
To solve this problem, an electrode is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. Hei 10-233171 and Hei 11-297214 in which a dielectric mounted on a metal electrode is formed so as to be thicker than a dielectric mounted on a transparent electrode and not to use discharge occurring on the metal electrode.
Furthermore, another electrode is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2000-106090 and 2000-294149 in which a transparent electrode and a metal electrode is not coupled in a portion facing a discharge space and therefore discharge is not expanded up to regions existing on the metal electrode and, as a result, discharge occurring on the metal electrode is not used.
However, in all the electrodes disclosed above, there are problems in that a writing discharge voltage becomes high, or that a writing operation is erroneously performed, when a charge is accumulated at a place being not far from a discharge gap.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel capable of widening a driving margin and of improving light emission efficiency by lowering a discharge initiating voltage and by increasing erroneous discharge voltage.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel including:
a first substrate made up of a transparent material;
a second substrate placed in a manner so as to face the first substrate wherein gas generating ultraviolet rays by discharge excitation is filled in a hermetic manner between the first substrate and the second substrate;
a plurality of transparent electrodes formed on the first substrate, each of which is made up of a first electrode portion, a second electrode portion, and a third electrode portion each being different in a width in a row direction on a screen from;
a plurality of metal electrode lines extending in the row direction and connected to the transparent electrodes;
a plurality of discharge gap formed between the transparent electrodes being adjacent to each other in a column direction;
a plurality of discharge cells made up of a pair of the transparent electrodes out of the plurality of the transparent electrodes, and arranged in a matrix form in a space between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
wherein, in each of the plurality of the discharge cells, the first electrode portion exists in a vicinity of the discharge gap formed on the first substrate or in contact with the discharge gap, both end portions which are respectively positioned on a partition wall between the discharge cells being adjacent to each other in a row direction on a screen, whereby a clearance between end portions of the first electrode portions being adjacent to each other in the row direction is smaller than a width of the partition wall,
the second electrode portion is formed apparent from the metal electrode line, from the discharge gap and from the partition wall, and
the third electrode portion in the row direction on the screen is formed in a vicinity of the metal electrode line or in contact with the metal electrode line, a width of the third electrode portion being smaller than that of the second electrode portion.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein a width of each of the first electrode portions in the column direction on the screen is 30 xcexcm to 80 xcexcm.
Another preferable mode is one wherein each of the second electrode portions is formed apart from each of the partition walls by 10 xcexcn to 50 xcexcm.
Still another preferable mode is one wherein a width of each of the first electrode portions in the row direction on the screen is 20 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm.
Furthermore preferable mode is one wherein a width of each of the third electrode portions in the column direction on the screen is 20 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm.
Still furthermore preferable mode is one wherein a clearance between end portions of the first electrode portions being adjacent to each other in the row direction on the screen is 10 xcexcm to 30 xcexcm.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel including:
a first substrate made up of a transparent material;
a second substrate being placed in a manner so as to face the first substrate wherein gas generating ultraviolet rays by discharge excitation is filled in a hermetic manner between the first substrate and the second substrate;
a plurality of discharge cells arranged in a matrix form in a space between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
wherein each of the plurality of discharge cells is made up of a scanning electrode and a common electrode facing the scanning electrode through a discharge gap;
wherein the scanning electrode is made up of a first metal electrode line extending in a row direction on a screen and a first transparent electrode being connected to the first metal electrode line;
wherein the common electrode is made up of a second metal electrode line extending in the row direction on the screen and a second transparent electrode being connected to the second metal electrode line;
wherein each of partition walls extending in a column direction on the screen is formed between the scanning electrodes being adjacent to each other and between the common electrodes being adjacent to each other on the second substrate:
wherein each of the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode is made up of a first electrode portion, a second electrode portion and a third electrode portion each having a different width in the row direction on the screen and being formed integrally in the column direction on the screen;
wherein the first electrode portion exists in a vicinity of the discharge gap formed on the first substrate or in contact with the discharge gap, both end portions which are respectively positioned on a partition wall between the discharge cells being adjacent to each other in a row direction on a screen, whereby a clearance between end portions of the first electrode portions being adjacent to each other in the row direction is smaller than a width of the partition wall,
wherein the second electrode portion is formed apparent from the metal electrode line, from the discharge gap and from the partition wall, and
wherein the third electrode portion in the row direction on the screen is formed in a vicinity of the metal electrode line or in contact with the metal electrode line, a width of the third electrode portion being smaller than that of the second electrode portion.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel including:
a first substrate made up of a transparent material;
a second substrate placed in a manner so as to face the first substrate wherein gas generating ultraviolet rays by discharge excitation is filled in a hermetic manner between the first substrate and the second substrate;
a plurality of transparent electrodes formed on the first substrate, each of which is made up of a first electrode portion, a second electrode portion, and a third electrode portion each being different in a width in a row direction on a screen from;
a plurality of metal electrode lines extending in the row direction and connected to the transparent electrodes;
a plurality of discharge gap formed between the transparent electrodes being adjacent to each other in a column direction;
a plurality of discharge cells made up of a pair of the transparent electrodes out of the plurality of the transparent electrodes, and arranged in a matrix form in a space between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
wherein, in each of the plurality of the discharge cells, the first electrode portion is connected to another first electrode portion in the adjacent discharge cell in the row direction on the screen,
the second electrode portion is formed apparent from the metal electrode line, from the discharge gap and from the partition wall, and
the third electrode portion in the row direction on the screen is formed in a vicinity of the metal electrode line or in contact with the metal electrode line, a width of the third electrode portion being smaller than that of the second electrode portion.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel including:
a first substrate made up of a transparent material;
a second substrate being placed in a manner so as to face the first substrate wherein gas generating ultraviolet rays by discharge excitation is filled in a hermetic manner between the first substrate and the second substrate;
a plurality of discharge cells arranged in a matrix form in a space between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
wherein each of the discharge cells is made up of a scanning electrode and a common electrode facing the scanning electrode through a discharge gap;
wherein the scanning electrode is made up of a first metal electrode line extending in a row direction on a screen and a first transparent electrode being connected to the first metal electrode line;
wherein the common electrode is made up of a second metal electrode line extending in the row direction on the screen and a second transparent electrode being connected to the second metal electrode line;
wherein each of partition walls extending in a column direction on the screen is formed between the scanning electrodes being adjacent to each other and between the common electrodes being adjacent to each other on the second substrate;
wherein each of the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode is made up of a first electrode portion, a second electrode portion and a third electrode portion each having a different width in the row direction on the screen and being formed integrally in the column direction on the screen;
wherein, in each of the plurality of the discharge cells, the first electrode portion is connected to another first electrode portion in the adjacent discharge cell in the row direction on the screen,
wherein the second electrode portion is formed apparent from the metal electrode line, from the discharge gap and from the partition wall, and
wherein the third electrode portion in the row direction on the screen is formed in a vicinity of the metal electrode line or in contact with the metal electrode line, a width of the third electrode portion being smaller than that of the second electrode portion.
With the above configuration, since a width of each of the first electrode portions facing each other with the discharge gap being interposed between the first electrode portions can surely be large, even if a deviation in assembling between the front substrate and the rear substrate or a difference in contraction of the substrate caused by baking occurs, a discharge initiating voltage can be lowered.
With another configuration, since mounting of the transparent electrode portions not affecting much the discharge initiating voltage, for example, of the transparent electrode portions being placed on each of the partition walls is omitted; that is, since the second electrode portions and the third electrode portions are positioned apart from each of the partition walls so as not to cover each of the partition walls and, in order to ensure absolute luminance, the width of each of the second electrode portions in the row direction on the screen is set not to be excessively small, it is possible to avoid a flow of an excessive current and efficiency of light emission can be improved Moreover, since the width of the third electrode portions in the row direction on the screen is made smaller within a range in which writing discharge is not made high, an erroneous discharge voltage can be made higher. Therefore, since the discharge initiating voltage is low and the erroneous discharge voltage is high, a driving margin is made wider and stable operation can be achieved. Furthermore, since the first electrode portions are connected to each other in each of the discharge cells in the row direction on the screen, even if a breakage occurs in the third electrodes, since a current can be fed through the first electrode portions from discharge cells and therefore it is possible to operate each discharge cell in a stable manner.


A communication server has a message transfer unit that transfers messages between users operating under different, potentially non-compatible communication systems. A translator is connected to the message transfer unit. The translator translates messages sent to the message transfer unit into formats compatible with the different communication systems. A registration unit is used to associate communication systems with an incident. Communications between the different communication systems is restricted by incident and by registration. A voice/data mediator is used to conduct communication sessions through the message transfer unit. The communication sessions are conducted by the voice/data mediator between participants that are designated by a user. The participants are selected from users within communication systems that are registered with an incident.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to communication systems and more particularly to a communication server that has a communication mediator unit that sets up communication sessions between users operating under different, potentially non-compatible communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Government agencies at all levels are grappling with how to coordinate and respond to public safety incidents. Traditionally, these agencies independently acquire communications technology designed primarily for intra-agency communications. Consequently, when units from different first responder organizations respond to the same incident, they are often unable to communicate directly with one another.
These first responder organizations need to enable interoperability in both mobile data communications and voice communications systems. Ideally, the same technical and operational platform would support data and voice interoperability, leveraging modem, web enabled systems to provide interoperable mobile data and voice communications.
The below-referenced U.S. patents disclose embodiments that were satisfactory for the purposes for which they were intended. The disclosures of the below-referenced prior U.S. patents, in their entireties, are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present invention for purposes including, but not limited to, indicating the background of the present invention and illustrating the state of the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 10/605,925 discloses an integrated server side architecture for voice and data.

Mediator based architecture for first responder interoperability systems (FRIS)