A device and method is disclosed for the identification, concentration and isolation of a chemical compound from a mixture of compounds on the basis of the binding affinity of the chemical compound to a macromolecule or complex thereof, that is, to a receptor. Both the compounds to be assayed, and the macromolecules to which the compounds may bind, are free in solution. The method comprises contacting a mixture of compounds in solution with a solution of macromolecules or complexes thereof in a device possessing an ultrafiltration membrane to retain the receptor and bound compound receptor complex; washing through the device non-bound compounds; and releasing a bolus of the bound compound which passes through the ultrafiltration membrane where it may be analyzed chemically and/or spectrally (e.g. mass spectrometry) and/or bioassayed. The device includes a barrier such as an ultrafiltration membrane separating a binding chamber and an effluent chamber. An inlet port and wash port connect to the binding chamber. An effluent port connected to the effluent chamber is directed to analyzer equipment. Stirring means may be located within the binding chamber.

The invention relates to a device and method for screening molecularly diverse chemical mixtures such as combinatorial chemical libraries and natural products for substances which bind with affinity and specificity for a macromolecule (a receptor) or complex thereof. The device employs ultrafiltration of compounds in solution to identify, concentrate and isolate candidate compounds that bind to the receptor.
The selection and identification of pharmacologically active molecules directly from compound mixtures called combinatorial libraries is an approach to drug discovery and lead optimization that is cost effective compared to testing individual molecules singly.
Small organic molecules that possess unique spatial and thermodynamic properties which allow them to bind specifically to biologically related macromolecules and their complexes are candidates for therapeutic drugs. Examples of the macromolecules include proteins, DNA, RNA, viral particles and whole cells. The binding of these compounds to such macromolecules can transiently or permanently eliminate or activate the function of those macromolecules. Thus, a compound which binds to and eliminates the function of a coat protein of a virus could serve as an effective pharmacologic agent against that virus. Similarly, a compound which binds to and activates a receptor for estrogen could serve as a useful active agent for estrogen replacement therapy.
In the classical approach to drug development, single compounds are individually synthesized and tested for a given biological activity. Consequently, a one-to-one correlation between the single chemical structure and biological activity is maintained. However, because both the synthesis and bioassays are very labor intensive, this approach is inefficient and expensive. The pharmaceutical industry has recognized the significant enhancement in efficiency that may be gained by simultaneously producing many compounds, called chemical libraries, and testing them as a group. Numerous methods have been developed for the preparation of complex chemical libraries containing considerable molecular diversity (Moos, 1993). A difficult challenge has been the screening of these libraries to detect molecules with a desired biological activity or binding profile that is specific for a given target receptor. The difficulty comes from the fact that although complex mixtures can be assayed and a given biological activity or binding can be determined to be present in the mixture, the identity of the molecule(s) responsible for the given activity or binding is not known.
An essential aspect of screening combinatorial libraries is the ability to identify the active components in these large mixtures, usually based on the strength of binding to a selected macromolecule. Common approaches to this problem utilize a) immobilization of either the target or library molecules on a solid phase support to facilitate identification of the active compounds in the library, or b) iterative resynthesis of components of the library until a single active compound is identified. However, immobilization alters the affinity characteristics of the bound species, and the resynthesis approach is labor intensive and time consuming.
One strategy to identifying drug candidates has been to prepare the chemical compounds in a library covalently linked to specific areas on a surface. In this technique, the use of photochemically labile protecting groups allows the light-directed, spatially addressable, parallel, chemical synthesis of thousands of compounds at defined sites on a microchip. (McGall, 1995; Stryer, 1991) Compounds which bind a specific receptor are then identified by bathing the chip with a solution of the receptor and, through various means, identifying the location of the bound macromolecule on the chip. The structure of the compound which binds the given macromolecule is identified by location on the chip. Similar approaches synthesize compounds bound to individual pins or beads, which are then assayed by evaluating which bead or pin binds the macromolecule. (Lam et al., 1991; Geysen, H. M. et al., 1984) Molecular biological approaches include having a compound, typically a peptide, tethered to a surface, i.e. a phage particle. (Smith, Science, 1985)
The majority of the available methods to screen drug candidates require the compounds under investigation to be covalently linked to the given surface in order to define the relationship between structure and activity or affinity for the macromolecule. It is well understood in the industry that such attachments chemically alter the compounds and can result in both false positive as well as false negative results. Consequently, these approaches are of limited use.
Alternatively, for assay purposes, individual compounds can be released into solution from the macromolecular surfaces on which they are bound. Several coding methods have been developed to relate chemical structure to a particular surface from which a compound has been released. However, all of these strategies remain labor intensive.
A general approach to reducing the number of analyses which must be preformed to relate a particular physical property, e.g. spectral property, biological activity, to a given chemical structure uses indexed libraries (referred to in the more general sense as sample multiplexing). This technique can be used to help reduce the number of assays which must be performed in screening libraries by any of the present methods. This approach involves preparing two series of sublibraries. (Smith et al., 1994; Pirrung, 1995) The sublibraries are tested as a matrix whose column and row intersections serve as indices for a unique structure in the sublibraries. (Woodbury et al., 1995) Although this approach reduces the labor in bioassaying the compounds, the number of assays (equal to 2.sqroot.n where n is equal to the number of compounds in the libraries) remains large for large libraries. Further, when more than one compound in the library is active, such indexing may not give a unique solution to the relationship of structure and activity.
A major obstacle toward identifying new candidates for drug development is that, although many methods have been developed to prepare mixtures of chemically diverse compounds, the screening of these mixtures is inefficient and labor intensive. There is, therefore, a need for methods (assays) which allow for rapid and efficient screening of large numbers of compounds for those having specific binding characteristics. A useful system would provide for the screening of compounds for binding to macromolecules and their complexes in which there is no need to bind to a surface. Another goal is to preserve quantities of difficult to obtain macromolecules such as recombinant proteins. The system should include conditions where structural information on the bound specific compound is obtainable through operation of the assay.

Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


An Escherichia bacterium (1) which harbors dihydrodipicolinate synthase of which feedback inhibition by L-lysine is desensitized and aspartokinase of which feedback inhibition by L-lysine is desensitized, (2) in which intracellular activity of dihydrodipicolinate reductase is enhanced, and (3) in which a diaminopimelate dehydrogenase gene is introduced or intracellular activities of tetrahydrodipicolinate succinylase and succinyl diaminopimelate deacylase are enhanced, wherein intracellular activity of aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase is enhanced, is cultured in a suitable medium to produce and accumulate L-lysine in culture, and the L-lysine is collected from the culture.

In the production of L-lysine by fermentation, strains isolated from nature or artificial mutants thereof have conventionally been used in order to improve the productivity. Many artificial mutant strains that produce L-lysine are known, and many of them are S-2-aminoethylcysteine (AEC) resistant strains and belong to the genus Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium, Bacillus or Escherichia. Further, various techniques have been disclosed for increasing the amino acid production, for example, use of a transformant obtained by using recombinant DNA.
As for Escherichia bacteria, for example, methods for producing L-lysine by using a strain in which dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DDPS) activity is enhanced have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (Kokai) No. 56-18596, U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,170 and Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 15, pp. 227-331 (1982). Further, a method for producing L-lysine by using an Escherichia bacterium into which DDPS derived form a Corynebacterium bacterium is introduced has been disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 92-8382. Furthermore, a method for producing L-lysine using a strain which is transformed with a plasmid containing DNA that codes for dihydrodipicolinate synthase derived from an Escherichia bacterium having a mutation for desensitizing feedback inhibition by L-lysine, DNA that codes for aspartokinase of which feedback inhibition by L-lysine is desensitized, DNA that codes for dihydrodipicolinate reductase, and DNA that codes for diaminopimelate dehydrogenase derived from a coryneform bacterium is disclosed in International Publication No. WO95/16042.
As for Brevibacterium bacteria, International Publication No. WO95/11985 discloses that L-lysine productivity can be improved by enhancement of the activity of intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide transhydrogenase. Further, a method for producing L-lysine using a strain in which phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity is solely enhanced and a method for producing L-lysine using a strain in which aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase activity is solely enhanced are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 60-87788 and Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 6-102028, respectively.
In the industrial production of amino acids by fermentation, the production is performed in a large scale. Therefore, even improvement in the yield of several percents may provide significant industrial value, and thus improvement of the yield is desired irrespective of the degree of the improvement.

Bacteria containing aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and transhydrogenase to produce L-lysine in


A roof assembly is provided for a storage container having two opposing side walls that together define a length of the storage container. The roof assembly includes a plurality of roof panels arranged atop and between the two opposing side walls along the length of the storage container in side-by-side relationship. Each of the plurality of roof panels has opposite sides and opposite ends. Each of the opposite ends of the plurality of roof panels is configured to be secured to a top of a corresponding one of the two opposing side walls of the storage container. Each of the opposite sides of each of the plurality of roof panels is configured to be attached to the side of an adjacent one of the plurality of roof panels.

Conventional roofs for storage containers, and particularly for mobile storage containers, may be provided in various forms. For example, in conventional box or van-type trailers, a roof assembly may include a number of roof bows extending between and along the trailer side walls and a flexible sheet or cover supported by the roof bows. It is desirable to improve storage container roofing technology generally, and particularly roofing technology for transportable storage containers.


An adjustable link (10) for watch or jewellery bracelet (100), including a first element (1) and second element (2) assembled by spacing adjustment means (30) according to discrete positions, the first element (1) including a transverse chamber (15) enclosing two jaws (12A; 12B) returned one towards the other by springs (13A; 13B) and including notches (120A; 120B) for immobilising in various longitudinal positions (D) a stop element (5) integral with the second structural element (2), these jaws (12A; 12B) being disengageable by transverse push-buttons (3A; 3B), each including a protrusion or recess (31) continuously engaging with an complementary protrusion or recess (131) of the first structural element (1) for protecting the spacing adjustment means (30) against the insertion of foreign bodies, and for hiding same from the view of the user.

Generally, a watch or jewellery bracelet is adjustable at predetermined positions, which enable precise repositioning, and that the user may adjust by engaging a finger with one hole of a plurality of holes, or by hooking a pin on a rack, or similar. Other closures, of continuous holding in position by friction type, do not offer a possibility of precise repositioning.
Document CH 699067 describes a device for fine adjustment of the length of a bracelet, that is integrated into the cover of a clasp, and comprises an indexing device in two predefined positions, and that includes ball spring push-buttons integral with a transverse bar linked at one end of the bracelet and provided for engaging with the holes provided in the cover of the clasp. Such a device acts transversally, in general requires the use of a tool for making the adjustment, and remains visible.
Document EP 2484244 describes an adjustable link for a bracelet, comprising at least one first half link and at least one second half link arranged for being assembled movable in relation to one another in a longitudinal direction of the bracelet, using an adjustable mechanism with no particular tools, where the adjustment mechanism remains concealed. Such a device allows a gap to appear at the connecting member between the half links, which impairs the appearance of the bracelet. In addition, the link may become incorrectly adjusted during an impact, nothing providing a reliable locking of the adjustment.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,554 describes a bracelet length adjustment device, comprising a housing that is provided for accommodating the necessary elements and for being connected to the bracelet strand at one end thereof. A slide plate is slidably mounted in the housing so as to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the strand, and connected to the other end of the strand, and a push plate is laterally sliding in the housing space of the housing. Ratchet teeth are formed on the slide plate. A locking projection is formed on the push plate, and a spring is provided for pushing the push plate for engaging the projection with one of the ratchet teeth at a position selected from a plurality of positions depending on the ratchet teeth.
Few bracelet length adjustment mechanisms make it possible to overcome the presence of a clasp. The clasp remains a costly, heavy, mechanism, which may impair the aesthetics of a bracelet, or even prove awkward to manipulate.

Bracelet with adjustable link for a watch or a piece of jewellery

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd


The invention relates to an electronic circuit making it possible to extract a clock signal from an incident binary data sequence arriving at a constant rate. The electronic circuit comprises an oscillator (VCO) with voltage-controlled frequency providing a sinusoidal signal, a circuit (R, Cp, RD, I1, I2) for extracting the transition edges of the binary sequence producing a brief pulse at each transition, a sampler (MLT) for tapping off the level of the sinusoidal voltage at the instant of the brief pulse, and an integrator (AOP, R1, C1) for integrating this level in tandem with the successive pulses, the output of the integrator being applied as control voltage to the oscillator with controlled frequency, the output of the oscillator being the desired clock frequency with a slaved phase passing through zero substantially in the middle of the interval between two binary data transitions. Such a circuit is useful in applications for transmitting digital data of serial type, in which the data are received without at the same time receiving a clock signal.

In order to process the incident data, it is indispensable to reconstitute the emission tempo, and it is the role of the extraction circuit to produce a clock signal whose frequency is identical to the emission tempo and which moreover has a phase which is correctly defined with respect to the transitions of the binary data received. The question of the phase is particularly important since it would serve no purpose to reconstitute a clock signal having the desired exact frequency, that of emission, but whose transitions coincided with the transitions of the data or were too close to the latter: it would not be possible to sample the data with such a clock. In practice, it is sought to reconstitute a clock signal having a rising edge set substantially in the medium of the interval between the theoretical instants at which the binary data transitions may occur.
In what follows, it will be considered that the frequency that is to be reconstituted is the frequency at which the data were emitted, so as to simplify the explanations; however, the invention applies generally to the reconstitution of a clock frequency present in the data received, independently of the frequency emitted, in the cases where there is a shift (due to a Doppler effect notably) between the frequency received and the frequency emitted.
Circuits for reconstituting clock signals from incident binary data have already been proposed in the prior art. Examples thereof will be found in the following publications:                US 2001/0043086; this document makes a digital measurement of a phase error and generates pulses of variable width proportional to the phase error; this principle of digital measurement prevents operation at very high frequency;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,669; this document also describes a digital measurement        U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,653; uses a clock with triangular waveform, difficult to implement at very high frequency; it also uses a sample-and-hold unit to control an oscillator with voltage-controlled frequency, so that this oscillator sees a control voltage vary steeply at each sampling;        JP 63094731; this document describes a system in which the incident edges of the incoming data are transformed into Gaussian forms, thereby tending to lose the information about the precise instant of the binary transitions;        U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,041; this document operates with digital phase detectors providing variable pulse widths; it does not lend itself to a high input data rate.

Circuit for clock extraction from a binary data sequence


An exhaust gas purification system includes an oxygen mass flow rate detecting unit for detecting or calculating a mass flow rate of oxygen fed to a filter and a regeneration end determining unit for determining a regeneration end of the filter in accordance with information provided from the oxygen mass flow rate detecting-unit and upon arrival of an integrated value of the oxygen mass flow rate at a predetermined value during regeneration of the filter.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifying system and a regeneration end determining method both suitable for use particularly in a diesel engine.
(2) Description of Related Art
Heretofore, there has been known a technique wherein an oxidation catalyst and a particulate filter (hereinafter referred to simply as "filter") are disposed in an exhaust passage of a diesel engine, allowing a particulate matter (PM) contained in exhaust gas to be deposited on the filter, and the PM thus deposited on the filter is burnt to regenerate the filter continuously.
In the exhaust gas purifying system constructed as above, NO contained in exhaust gas is oxidized in the oxidation catalyst to produce NO2, then the NO2 and the PM on the filter are reacted with each other, allowing the PM to burn (be oxidized) to regenerate the filter continuously. NO2 exhibits a high function as an oxidizing agent in comparison with NO and permits the PM to be oxidized with a relatively low activation energy (that is, permits the PM to burn at a relatively low temperature).
In a certain operating condition of an engine there is a case where the exhaust gas temperature does not rise to an activation temperature of the oxidation catalyst, so that NO is not oxidized and hence a continuous regeneration of the filter is not effected. In such a case it is necessary to perform a forced regeneration different from the continuous regeneration.
As a method for the forced regeneration there is known a method wherein a heat source such as an electric heater is attached to the filter and an electric current is supplied to the heater, allowing PM to burn, or a method wherein fuel (HC) is fed to the oxidation catalyst and is allowed to undergo an oxidation reaction in the oxidation catalyst, the temperature of the filter is increased by the reaction heat to cause burning of the PM.
In the forced regeneration, however, the combustion temperature is higher than in the continuous regeneration and therefore it is necessary to positively control the state of burning of PM. More specifically, not only it is necessary to control the filter temperature with a high accuracy, but also it is necessary to accurately determine a filter regeneration start timing and a filter regeneration end timing.
As to an end timing of forced regeneration, it is generally determined on the basis of an elapsed time from the start of forced regeneration. Usually, an end of forced regeneration is determined upon lapse of a certain time from the start of forced regeneration (i.e., from the time-point of arrival of the filter temperature at a predetermined temperature as a PM burning temperature) (prior art 1).
Also in Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. H05(1993)-41809 (Patent Literature 1) there is disclosed a technique for determining an end timing of forced regeneration. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a correction coefficient k is set in accordance with a filter inlet temperature Tin and there is calculated the product (k·Δt) of the coefficient k and the time Δt during which the filter holds the inlet temperature Tin, further, an integrated value of the product, Σ(k·Δt), is determined and a forced regeneration is stopped when the integrated value Σ(k·Δt) reaches a predetermined value or a larger value (prior art 2).
However, the prior art 1 involves a problem that it is impossible to determine an end of forced regeneration correctly. More particularly, the flow rate of exhaust gas varies depending on the state of vehicular running and an operating condition of an engine (that is, the flow rate of exhaust gas is not constant), so in a forced regeneration, the amount of PM which burns in unit time differs depending on a vehicular running condition and an operating condition of an engine. Thus, in a method which controls the determination of a forced regeneration end on the basis of the regeneration time, it is impossible to make such a determination of a forced regeneration end as is suitable for a vehicular running condition and an operating condition of an engine. If the forced regeneration time is too long, the fuel economy is deteriorated, while if it is too short, the regeneration of filter will not be effected to a satisfactory extent.
In the technique (prior art 2) disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the time is multiplied by the coefficient k which is proportional to the filter inlet temperature Tin. However, it is not that the combustion efficiency of PM depends solely on temperature. Thus, even with this technique, it is impossible to make a correct determination of a regeneration end. Although in this technique the time is multiplied by the correction coefficient k, an end timing is determined basically depending on the regeneration time Δt and thus a regeneration end cannot be determined accurately.

Exhaust gas purifying system and regeneration end determining method


Systems and methods for accelerators which may execute a program in conjunction with a PC are disclosed. In one embodiment, an accelerator includes a plurality of calculation units, each calculation unit operable to execute the program in parallel, an operation control unit configured to control an operation capability or a processing capability of at least one of the plurality of calculation units, and a control unit configured to determine a corresponding operation capability or processing capability for the plurality of calculation units based on load information on the program to be executed and control the operation control unit accordingly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accelerator, an information processing apparatus and an information processing method, and more particularly, to an accelerator having multiple calculation units which can connect to an information processing apparatus and execute a program by processing the program in parallel, the information processing apparatus connected to the accelerator, and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a technique configured to attach a device having a calculation function to an information processing apparatus and cause the attached device to share a part of a process to be executed. For example, there is a technique in which the device having the calculation function, which is called "accelerator", is mounted in a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC") as the information processing apparatus and a Central Processing Unit (hereinafter referred to as "CPU") in a body of the PC causes the accelerator to share the process of a program, with an intention of improving a processing speed.
Recently, an information processing apparatus having the accelerator attached to its body unit, not only with an intention of sharing the process or improving the processing speed, but also in consideration of power consumption, has also been proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-15785.
According to a technique according to the proposition, the CPU at the body unit side reads performance information on the attached accelerator, and based on the performance information, determines and sets a driving voltage or a driving frequency for the accelerator, which enables the accelerator to be driven correspondingly to a low power consumption mode and the like.
However, in the case of the information processing apparatus according to the above described proposition, since the CPU at the body unit side determines the driving voltage and the like for the accelerator, the CPU has to execute a determination process thereof, causing an overhead in the CPU.
Moreover, the information processing apparatus according to the above described proposition has not considered such a case where there are multiple calculation units within the accelerator.

Accelerator load balancing with dynamic frequency and voltage reduction


A harvest machine comprises a chassis (10) having wheels (15) attached to its sides. A vertical frame (11) is attached near the rear of the chassis. Slings (18) and a harness or body support (40) hang from the vertical frame to suspend workers (20) in prone positions over low plants (21). The slings allow the workers to easily move about to reach plants around them without bending, kneeling, or any posture that creates back strain. A packing box (19) placed adjacent the workers collect the produce. Alternatively, a conveyor belt (36) may be used to automatically carry produce from the workers into a large packing box (35). The distal end of an arm (14), which extends from the front of the chassis, is connected to the tow bar (23) of a towing vehicle. Alternatively, a motor (30) may be fitted to a nose wheel (33) at the front the chassis to provide self-propulsion. A "boat" (31) at the distal end of an arm (32) attached to the nose wheel rides in a furrow to guide the harvest machine.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to machines for produce harvesting, specifically to a device which enables workers to manually harvest produce more easily.
2. Prior Art
Many types of produce are harvested by workers who walk along the rows of plants to pick the desired fruits or vegetables. Plants that are low to the ground, such as strawberries, require workers to bend over while walking and picking. Such a contorted posture causes great discomfort to the workers, and even serious back injuries to some workers. As a result, the productivity of the workers falls, which combined with the cost of treating back problems, increases the overall cost of produce harvesting.
A number of devices have been designed to improve the worker's posture while harvesting. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,378,143 to Jensen (1945), and 2,805,075 to Fladund (1957) show devices which support workers in kneeling positions to place them lower to the plants. However, the workers must still bend to reach very low plants. U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,151 to Miller and Johnson (1967) shows a machine which supports workers in low seats to place them even lower to the plants, but still not low enough to eliminate bending.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,317,606 to Harris (1943), 3,361,224 to McKim (1968), 4,395,186 to Whyte (1983), 4,526,248 to Johansen (1985), and a New York Times article (Sep. 7, 1955) show devices with platforms or beds which support workers in prone positions very close to the plants. This type of machine allows workers to pick produce without any bending at all. However, the fixed platforms and beds do not allow workers sufficient freedom of movement. Workers have to constantly shift positions on the beds to reach plants on around them. Constantly shifting one's body on a fixed platform can quickly becomes almost as tiring as bending over.
Some of these devices are propelled by the workers themselves, and some have simple boxes for holding the harvested produce. However, in all devices the workers either have to bend over, causing severe back strain, or sit or lie prone and stretch or twist their bodies to reach the produce, causing back and other types of body injuries.

Harvest machine with worker suspension slings having long length and converging supports for free lateral movement


An image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding portion feeding a sheet; a conveyance passage for conveying the sheet inside the apparatus; an image forming portion forming an image on the sheet; a skewing detector disposed in the conveyance passage between the sheet feeding portion and the image forming portion, detecting arrival and departure of the sheet, and detecting skewing amount of the sheet in the conveyance passage; a display portion displaying an apparatus state; a storage portion storing data; and a control portion controlling sheet feeding and conveying, and grasping the sheet skewing amount based on the output of the skewing detector to stop printing when the skewing amount is at or above a first predetermined amount stored in the storage portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, an MFP (multifunction printer, product, or peripheral), or printer, that forms an image by printing on, while conveying, a sheet of paper.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, in an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, an MFP, or a printer, sheets of paper fed from a sheet cassette or the like are conveyed inside the apparatus, are printed on, and are ejected out of the apparatus. During conveyance of a sheet, skewing may occur. Factors causing skewing include how sheets are placed in a cassette, how conveyance rollers and the like for conveyance of sheets are fitted, and secular changes due to wear in the conveyance rollers. A sheet in a skewed state is easily caught in a conveyance passage, or at a rotary member (such as a pair of conveyance rollers) along a conveyance path. When that happens, a jam (getting-stuck of a sheet) results. Thus, some image forming apparatuses are devised to reduce skewing of sheets.
For example, there is known a sheet conveying apparatus comprising: guide members disposed to face opposite edges of a sheet in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and movable between a position for guiding the sheet and a position for aligning its edges; a reference sensor capable of detecting the initial position of the guide members; and driving means for driving the guide members, the guide members being moved according to size of the sheet, wherein there is provided a controller of which the input is connected to sheet orientation detecting means, disposed on the upstream side of the guide members, for detecting skewing of the sheet traveling into the interval between the opposing guide members and of which the output is connected to the driving means for driving the guide members, and the controller, on detecting that the skewing of the sheet is excessive, i.e., out of a predetermined state, retracts the guide members outward from a position ready to receive the sheet. With this construction, it is possible, basically, to align the edges of a sheet to correct skewing and, when a sheet is en excessively skewed state, to prevent its collision with the guide members and thereby prevent damage to the sheet and to the sheet receiving part as may result when the sheet collides with the guide members.
It is true that, with the conventional sheet conveying apparatus described above, the guide members for aligning the edges of a sheet can correct skewing to a certain degree; however, when a sheet has a large amount of skewing, the guide members are retracted simply to prevent damage to them, and a jam eventually occurs. Even when the guide members are moved, such a jam as occurs when a sheet has a large amount of skewing tends, invariably, to be severe, resulting in the sheet being torn, being stuck in a way difficult to take out, or remaining inside the apparatus. Thus, the conventional technology has the disadvantage of being incapable of preventing a severe jam.
Moreover, the conventional technology requires arrangement of a skewing correction mechanism (such as guide members; driving means such as a motor, a gear, a guide rod, and a belt; and a plurality of sensors) along the conveyance passage. This skewing correction mechanism is complicated and expanded, and thus has the disadvantage of increasing the manufacturing costs of image forming apparatuses. In fact, such a mechanism has in practical terms almost no hope of being adopted in low-end models (low-price-range models). Moreover, for effective skewing correction with large-size sheets, the guide members need to be secured a sufficient movement stroke. This disadvantageously leads to larger apparatus sizes.
Furthermore, even though the conventional sheet conveying apparatus may reduce incidence of jams, once a jam occurs during simultaneous conveyance of a plurality of sheets inside the apparatus, as during continuous printing, the user always has to remove a plurality of sheets from the conveyance passage. Thus, disadvantageously, the aim there is not to alleviate the trouble of recovering from a jam, and the work itself for that, on the user's part.


An integrated circuit digital device is coupled to a memory with a single-node data, address and control bus. The memory may be a non-volatile memory and/or volatile memory. The memory may be packaged in a low pin count integrated circuit package. The memory integrated circuit package may have a ground terminal, VSS; a power terminal, VDD or VCC; and a bidirectional serial input-output (I/O) terminal, SCIO. Memory block address set-up may be performed via software instructions through the SCIO terminal. In addition, hardwired memory block address selection terminals A0 and A1 may be used when more then three terminals are available on the memory integrated circuit package. The memory may have active pull-up and pull-down drivers coupled to the single-node data, address and control bus.

Integrated circuit digital devices, e.g., digital processors such as, for example but not limited to, microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSP), programmable logic array (PLA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and the like, are becoming smaller and with fewer input-output (I/O) signal connections (e.g, pins) for both cost and space considerations. Typically an integrated circuit device may be in an integrated circuit package having a plurality of connection pins. At least two of these pins must be used for power and ground, e.g., VDD and VSS, respectively. These integrated circuit devices may benefit from additional memory, e.g., external memory. The memory may be, for example but not limited to, one time programmable (OTP), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM), FLASH memory, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and the like.

Memory using a single-node data, address and control bus


A method is provided for selecting a device in a telecommunications network in accordance with characteristics relating to the implementation of a telecommunications service, comprising the following steps: a) receiving a set of characteristics relating to said service; b) forming a first symbolic address for querying an address server, using at least one portion of the overall characteristics of the set on the one hand, and an address domain name on the other hand; c) sending the first address to the address server; d) receiving a list of one or more devices compatible with the characteristics; and e) selecting one device from the list.

Within the framework of the 3GPP project ("Third Generation Partnership Project"), a new telecommunications network architecture called IMS ("IP Multimedia Subsystem") has been proposed.
This new architecture allows operators of this type of networks to offer new services to different types of users (fixed or mobile), while still being compatible with the telecommunications networks of earlier generations.
Thus, the new-generation networks must be able to implement communications of very different types according to the case in point.
To this end, when a user registers with the telecommunications network, the 3GPP standard proposes to identify the user as well as a list of characteristics linked to this user, and to select network resources accordingly in order to prepare for subsequent implementation of communications.
A brief description of this selection as recommended in documents TS 23.228 (section 188.8.131.52) and TS 24.229 (section 220.127.116.11) of the 3GPP standard is given with reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b.
FIG. 1 is a protocol sequence diagram showing the exchanges between a user device 100, an access unit 101 of the P-CSCF ("Proxy-Call Session Control Function") type, a query unit 102 of the I-CSCF ("Interrogating-Call Session Control Function") type, an authentication server 103 of the HSS ("Home Subscriber Server") type, an address server 104 of the DNS ("Domain Name Server") type, and a service unit 105 of the S-CSCF ("Serving-Call Session Control Function") type.
When the user device connects to the telecommunications network, it issues a registration request 106 to the access unit 101 in order to be identified on the network. The access unit 101 acts as an input point on the network for the user device. Next, the access unit 101 transmits the request to the query unit 102 which will take responsibility for identifying the service unit 105 which will process this registration request and manage the user's communications.
To this end, the query unit 102 issues an identification request 107 to the authentication server 103. The authentication server 103 then verifies if the user is already registered or not and if the user is already associated with network resources or not.
The case where the user is not registered is discussed herein.
The authentication server 103 then selects a service unit 105 to be assigned to the user device for the communication and next delivers an identifier 108 called FQDN ("Fully Qualified Domain Name") to the query unit 102. This identifier represents a symbolic address on the network of the service unit 105 to be assigned to the user.
The query unit 102 then interrogates the address server 104, sending the request 109 comprising the FQDN in order to know the physical address (IP address) of the service unit 105 based on the FQDN. The address server 104 provides in response the physical address 110 of the service unit 105.
The query unit 102 then transmits the request 106 to the service unit 105, which takes responsibility for authenticating the user to the authentication server 103. Next, the service unit returns a registration acceptance message 111 to the query unit 102 which transmits it to the user device via the access unit.
A further example of registration is now described, with reference to FIG. 1b. FIG. 1b repeats the different elements described with reference to FIG. 1a, and the registration starts in the same way as previously, until the authentication server 103 receives the identification request 107.
This time, instead of selecting the service unit and sending a symbolic address of the latter, the authentication unit sends to the query unit 102 a list 112 of characteristics attached to the user profile. These characteristics are also called "capabilities" in the above-mentioned standard.
On receiving the list of capabilities, the query unit selects a service unit compatible with the capabilities in the list. The query unit then sends the request 109 to the address server in order to know the physical address of the service unit selected based on its FQDN.
The address server then returns the physical address of the service unit and the registration continues as described previously.
The selection of the service unit as recommended in the standard cited above presents a certain number of problems.
The operator must associate a group of service units with each symbolic address. Thus, once the query unit has chosen a FQDN, it only receives the physical address of the associated service units. This limits the final choice of the service unit to be used, and prevents the best choice being made, for example if the service units associated with the chosen FQDN have a load level that is too high. The association initially set by the operator fixes once and for all the service unit choice strategy to be used.
The selection of the service unit therefore lacks flexibility, and does not always allow the best choice.
Moreover, it is the query unit that makes the choice of the service unit based on capabilities. Thus, the operator must ensure that all the query units of the network have an updated list of all the capabilities of the network, all the service units of the network, and all the correspondences between these service units and these capabilities.
Managing the network thus remains complex for the operator.

Method for selecting a device in a telecommunications network


The bonded ceramic assembly of the present disclosure includes a first substrate made of ceramic, a second substrate made of ceramic, and a bonding layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate. The bonding layer contains aluminum, at least one of calcium and magnesium, a rare earth element, silicon, and oxygen. Out of a total 100 mass % of all of the components making up the bonding layer, the bonding layer contains from 33 mass % to 65 mass % aluminum in terms of oxide, a total of from 27 mass % to 60 mass % calcium and magnesium in terms of oxide, and from 2 mass % to 12 mass % rare earth element in terms of oxide. The silicon content, in terms of oxide, of the surface of the bonding layer is greater than the silicon content, in terms of oxide, of the interior of the bonding layer.

Ceramic has better heat resistance than metal or resin. Thus, ceramic is used for parts on which objects of treatment, such as various types of elements and parts, are rested or held during heat treatment of the objects of treatment. In recent years, moreover, as the size of apparatus and machines equipped with such parts has increased, greater size or elongation, as well as more complex part shapes, have come to be demanded of such parts. However, it is difficult to integrally form powder compacts having large size or length and complex shapes. Thus, attempts have been made to enable greater part size and length and more complex part shapes by bonding a plurality of sintered compacts having simple shapes.
For example, Patent Document 1 proposes using a bonding agent containing an aluminum nitride ceramic and a fusing material having a composition containing from 25 to 45 weight % CaO, from 5 to 30 weight % Y2O3, and a remainder of Al2O3 to bond multiple substrates made of aluminum nitride ceramic.


A compact coin delivery device includes a rotary disk with indented concave portions for receiving a coin from a hopper or a coin storage bowl. A movable member in the concave portion can have controlled movement for ejecting the coin at a desired location. An endless conveyer member with pins can receive the coin and transport it in an L-shaped path. The coins can be released to individual chutes for separating coins of different dimensions and denominations, both on a path away from the coin delivery device and on a return path to the coin delivery device. Solenoid activated members can assist in displacing certain coins from the conveyor path, including into a separate retention or storage box.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compact coin delivery device which delivers coins of a plurality of denominations and having different diameters, one by one for delivery to a coin processing apparatus which can sort coins having different diameters one by one for transfer to a conveyer of the coins.
2. Description of Related Art
It is to be noted that the term "coin" used in the present specification includes a monetary coin, a token, a medal and the like, and further includes circular and polygonal shapes.
Japanese Laid Open Application No. 8-171666 discloses hooking coins by pins fixed to an upper surface of a rotary disk to sort the coins one by one, and transferring the coins to a conveyer for a subsequent process.
Japanese Utility Model Application No. 57-50776 includes receiving coins, one by one, in fan-shaped concave portions opening on an upper surface side and peripheral surface side of a rotary disk, and transferring the coins to a conveyer for a subsequent process.
In the prior art, coins of predetermined denominations are separated at a reject coin branching section and at an overflow branching section in the process of being conveyed by a conveyer belt, and then the coins are dropped through select-by-denomination holes for separation by denomination as shown in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2600066
The sorting of the hooked coins is regulated only by the space between the pins.
Thus, when a difference between the diameters of a maximum diameter coin and a minimum diameter coin is great, the maximum diameter is 28.5 mm of a two-pound coin and the minimum diameter is 18 mm of a five-pence coin, for example, in the case of English currency a problem can occur.
Since the pin space is set considering enough room for different coin accommodation, two minimum diameter coins can slip between a pair of pins, which can cause a problem in that they are not sorted one by one. If the coin is received in a fan-shaped concave portion, two minimum diameter coins do not enter the concave portion. However, gravity is utilized for the transfer to the conveyer for the subsequent process, so that the position of a coin dispensing slot cannot be freely set, leading to a problem of limitation in layout.
In the prior art described above, all the coins are separated into reject coins, overflow coins or denominated coins before being passed through the select-by-denomination holes by the conveyer belt. Specifically, the select-by-denomination holes are arranged in the order of the increasing diameters of the coins along a conveyer path of the coins. The width (orthogonal to the direction in which the coin proceeds) of the select-by-denomination hole is formed slightly larger than the diameter of a target coin. Therefore, the coins are dropped by their own weight through the corresponding select-by-denomination holes and are thus separated.
In recent years, to increase the speed of separating the coins, the speed of conveying the coins has been significantly increased, which can cause a problem in that they are not separated by a predetermined denomination That is, inertia force by the high-speed movement of the coins has caused a problem because the coin cannot drop in the selection hole having a conventional length (length in the direction in which the coin proceeds), and drops in the next selection hole in rare cases.
Thus, the prior art in a highly competitive field is still seeking to resolve the above problems in a compact and economical design.

Coin delivery device and separator device for a coin processing apparatus


Novel diphenylethylene compounds and derivatives thereof containing thiazolidinedione or oxazolidinedione moieties are provided which are effective in lowering blood glucose level, serum insulin, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels in animal models of Type II diabetes. The compounds are disclosed as useful for a variety of treatments including the treatment of inflammation, inflammatory and immunological diseases, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

The present application is directed to novel compounds formed by chemically coupling diphenylethylene compounds and derivatives thereof with thiazolidine or oxazolidine intermediates. These compounds are effective for providing a variety of useful pharmacological effects. For example, the compounds are useful in lowering blood glucose, serum insulin and triglyceride levels in animal models of type II diabetes.
Furthermore, these compounds are useful for treatment of disorders associated with insulin resistance, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease, and for the treatment of inflammation and immunological diseases, particularly those mediated by cytokines and cyclooxygenase such as TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6 and/or COX-2.
The causes of type I and type II diabetes are yet unknown, although both genetics and environment seem to be major factors. Insulin dependent type I and non-insulin dependent type II are the types which are known. Type I is an autoimmune disease in which the responsible autoantigen is still unknown. Patients of type I need to take insulin parenterally or subcutaneously to survive. However, type II diabetes, the more common form, is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make a sufficient amount of insulin or to properly use the insulin that is produced. Insulin secretion and insulin resistance are considered the major defects, however, the precise genetic factors involved in the mechanism remain unknown.
Patients with diabetes usually have one or more of the following defects:
Less production of insulin by the pancreas;
Over secretion of glucose by the liver;
Decreased glucose uptake by the skeletal muscles;
Defects in glucose transporters; and
Desensitization of insulin receptors.
Other than the parenteral or subcutaneous application of insulin, there are about 4 classes of oral hypoglycemic agents used.
TABLE 1ApprovedClassDrugsMode of ActionLimitationsSulfonylurea4 (1stActs on pancreasdevelopment ofgeneration) andto release moreresistance2 (2ndinsulingeneration)BiguanidesMetforminReduces glucoseliver problems,production bylactic acidosisliver; improvesinsulin sensitivityAlpha′-AcarboseInterferes withonly useful atglucosidasedigestive process;postprandial levelinhibitorreduces glucoseabsorptionThiazolidinedioneTroglitazoneReduce insulin"add-on" with(withdrawn)resistancyinsulin; not usefulRosiglitazonefor people withPioglitazoneheart and liverdisease
As is apparent from the above table, each of the current agents available for use in treatment of diabetes has certain disadvantages. Accordingly, there is a continuing interest in the identification and development of new agents, particularly, water soluble agents which can be orally administered, for use in the treatment of diabetes.
The thiazolidinedione class listed in the above table has gained more widespread use in recent years for treatment of type II diabetes, exhibiting particular usefulness as insulin sensitizers to combat "insulin resistance", a condition in which the patient becomes less responsive to the effects of insulin. However, the known thiazolidinediones are not effective for a significant portion of the patient population. In addition, the first drug in this class to be approved by the FDA, troglitazone, was withdrawn from the market due to problems of liver toxicity. Thus, there is a continuing need for nontoxic, more widely effective insulin sensitizers. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods utilizing thiazolidinediones are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,133,295; 6,133,293; 6,130,216; 6,121,295; 6,121,294; 6,117,893; 6,114,526; 6,110,951; 6,110,948; 6,107,323; 6,103,742; 6,080,765; 6,046,222; 6,046,202; 6,034,110; 6,030,973; RE36,575; 6,011,036; 6,011,031; 6,008,237; 5,990,139; 5,985,884; 5,972,973 and others.
As indicated above, the present invention is also concerned with treatment of immunological diseases or inflammation, notably such diseases as are mediated by cytokines or cyclooxygenase. The principal elements of the immune system are macrophages or antigen-presenting cells, T cells and B cells. The role of other immune cells such as NK cells, basophils, mast cells and dendritic cells are known, but their role in primary immunologic disorders is uncertain. Macrophages are important mediators of both inflammation and providing the necessary "help" for T cell stimulation and proliferation. Most importantly macrophages make IL 1, IL 12 and TNF-alpha, all of which are potent pro-inflammatory molecules and also provide help for T cells. In addition, activation of macrophages results in the induction of enzymes, such as cyclooxygenase II (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and production of free radicals capable of damaging normal cells. Many factors activate macrophages, including bacterial products, superantigens and interferon gamma (IFNγ). It is believed that phosphotyrosine kinases (PTKs) and other undefined cellular kinases are involved in the activation process.
Macrophages take up and break down antigens into small fragments. These fragments then associate with the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II). This complex of antigen fragments and MHC II is recognized by the T cell receptor. In association with appropriate co-stimulatory signals this receptor-ligand interaction leads to the activation and proliferation of T cells. Depending on the route of administration of antigen, their dose and the conditions under which macrophages are activated, the immune response can result in either B cell help and antibody production or on the development of cell mediated response. Since macrophages are sentinel to the development of an immune response, agents that modify their function, specifically their cytokine secretion profile, are likely to determine the direction and potency of the immune response.
Cytokines are molecules secreted by immune cells that are important in mediating immune responses. Cytokine production may lead to the secretion of other cytokines, altered cellular function, cell division or differentiation. Inflammation is the body's normal response to injury or infection. However, in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, pathologic inflammatory processes can lead to morbidity and mortality. The cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a central role in the inflammatory response and has been targeted as a point of intervention in inflammatory disease. TNF-alpha is a polypeptide hormone released by activated macrophages and other cells. At low concentrations, TNF-alpha participates in the protective inflammatory response by activating leukocytes and promoting their migration to extravascular sites of inflammation (Moser et al., J Clin Invest, 83:444-55, 1989). At higher concentrations, TNF-alpha can act as a potent pyrogen and induce the production of other pro-inflammatory cytokines (Haworth et al., Eur J Immunol, 21:2575-79, 1991; Brennan et al., Lancet, 2:244-7, 1989). TNF-alpha also stimulates the synthesis of acute-phase proteins. In rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease affecting about 1% of the adult U.S. population, TNF-alpha mediates the cytokine cascade that leads to joint damage and destruction (Arend et al., Arthritis Rheum, 38:151-60, 1995). Inhibitors of TNF-alpha, including soluble TNF receptors (etanercept) (Goldenberg, Clin Ther, 21:75-87, 1999) and anti-TNF-alpha antibody (infliximab) (Luong et al., Ann Pharmacotherapy, 34:743-60, 2000), have recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Elevated levels of TNF-alpha have also been implicated in many other disorders and disease conditions, including cachexia (Fong et al., Am J Physiol, 256:8659-65, 1989), septic shock syndrome (Tracey et al., Proc Soc Exp Biol Med, 200:233-9, 1992), osteoarthritis (Venn et al., Arthritis Rheum, 36:819-26, 1993), inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (Murch et al., Gut, 32:913-7, 1991), Behcet's disease (Akoglu et al., J Rheumatol, 17:1107-8, 1990), Kawasaki disease (Matsubara et al., Clin Immunol Immunopathol, 56:29-36, 1990), cerebral malaria (Grau et al., N Engl J Med, 320:1586-91, 1989), adult respiratory distress syndrome (Millar et al., Lancet 2:712-4, 1989), asbestosis and silicosis (Bissonnette et al., Inflammation, 13:329-39, 1989), pulmonary sarcoidosis (Baughman et al., J Lab Clin Med, 115:36-42, 1990), asthma (Shah et al., Clin Exp Allergy, 25:1038-44, 1995), AIDS (Dezube et al., J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, 5:1099-104, 1992), meningitis (Waage et al., Lancet, 1:355-7, 1987), psoriasis (Oh et al., J Am Acad Dermatol, 42:829-30, 2000), graft versus host reaction (Nestel et al., J Exp Med, 175:405-13, 1992), multiple sclerosis (Sharief et al., N Engl J Med, 325:467-72, 1991), systemic lupus erythematosus (Maury et al., Int Tissue React, 11:189-93, 1989), diabetes (Hotamisligil et al., Science, 259:87-91, 1993) and atherosclerosis (Bruunsgaard et al., Clin Exp Immunol, 121:255-60, 2000).
It can be seen from the references cited above that inhibitors of TNF-alpha are potentially useful in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases. Compounds that inhibit TNF-alpha have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,090,817; 6,080,763; 6,080,580; 6,075,041; 6,057,369; 6,048,841; 6,046,319; 6,046,221; 6,040,329; 6,034,100; 6,028,086; 6,022,884; 6,015,558; 6,004,974; 5,990,119; 5,981,701; 5,977,122; 5,972,936; 5,968,945; 5,962,478; 5,958,953; 5,958,409; 5,955,480; 5,948,786; 5,935,978; 5,935,977; 5,929,117; 5,925,636; 5,900,430; 5,900,417; 5,891,883; 5,869,677 and others.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is another pro-inflammatory cytokine that exhibits pleiotropy and redundancy of action. IL-6 participates in the immune response, inflammation and hematopoiesis. It is a potent inducer of the hepatic acute phase response and is a powerful stimulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that is under negative control by glucocorticoids. IL-6 promotes the secretion of growth hormone but inhibits release of thyroid stimulating hormone. Elevated levels of IL-6 are seen in several inflammatory diseases, and inhibition of the IL-6 cytokine subfamily has been suggested as a strategy to improve therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (Carroll et al., Inflamm Res, 47:1-7, 1998). In addition, IL-6 has been implicated in the progression of atherosclerosis and the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (Yudkin et al., Atherosclerosis, 148:209-14, 1999). Overproduction of IL-6 is also seen in steroid withdrawal syndrome, conditions related to deregulated vasopressin secretion, and osteoporosis associated with increased bone resorption, such as in cases of hyperparathyroidism and sex-steroid deficiency (Papanicolaou et al., Ann Intern Med, 128:127-37, 1998).
Since excessive production of IL-6 is implicated in several disease states, it is highly desirable to develop compounds that inhibit IL-6 secretion. Compounds that inhibit IL-6 have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,004,813; 5,527,546 and 5,166,137.
Cyclooxygenase is an enzyme that catalyzes a rate-determining step in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, which are important mediators of inflammation- and pain. The enzyme occurs as at least two distinct isomers, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The COX-1 isomer is constitutively expressed in the gastric mucosa, platelets and other cells and is involved in the maintenance of homeostasis in mammals, including protecting the integrity of the digestive tract. The COX-2 isomer, on the other hand, is not constitutively expressed but rather is induced by various agents, such as cytokines, mitogens, hormones and growth factors. In particular, COX-2 is induced during the inflammatory response (DeWitt D L, Biochim Biophys Acta, 1083:121-34, 1991; Seibert et al., Receptor, 4:17-23, 1994.). Aspirin and other conventional non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are non-selective inhibitors of both COX-1 and COX-2. They can be effective in reducing inflammatory pain and swelling, but since they hamper the protective action of COX-1, they produce undesirable side effects of gastrointestinal pathology. Therefore, agents that selectively inhibit COX-2 but not COX-1 are preferable for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Recently, a diarylpyrazole sulfonamide (celecoxib) that selectively inhibits COX-2 has been approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (Luong et al., Ann Pharmacother, 34:743-60, 2000; Penning et al., J Med Chem, 40:1347-65, 1997). COX-2 is also expressed in many cancers and precancerous lesions, and there is mounting evidence that selective COX-2 inhibitors may be useful for treating and preventing colorectal, breast and other cancers (Taketo M M, J Natl Cancer Inst, 90:1609-20, 1998; Fournier et al., J Cell Biochem Suppl, 34:97-102, 2000; Masferrer et al., Cancer Res, 60:1306-11, 2000). In 1999 celecoxib was approved by the FDA as an adjunct to usual care for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, a condition which, left untreated, generally leads to colorectal cancer.
Compounds that selectively inhibit COX-2 have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,991; 5,380,738; 5,434,178; 5,466,823; 5,474,995; 5,510,368; 5,521,207; 5,521,213; 5,536,752; 5,550,142; 5,552,422; 5,604,260; 5,639,780; 5,643,933; 5,677,318; 5,691,374; 5,698,584; 5,710,140; 5,733,909; 5,789,413; 5,811,425; 5,817,700; 5,849,943; 5,859,257; 5,861,419; 5,905,089; 5,922,742; 5,925,631; 5,932,598; 5,945,539; 5,968,958; 5,981,576; 5,994,379; 5,994,381; 6,001,843; 6,002,014; 6,004,950; 6,004,960; 6,005,000; 6,020,343; 6,034,256; 6,046,191; 6,046,217; 6,057,319; 6,071,936; 6,071,954; 6,077,850; 6,077,868; 6,077,869 and 6,083,969.
The cytokine IL-1 beta also participates in the inflammatory response. It stimulates thymocyte proliferation, fibroblast growth factor activity, and the release of prostaglandin from synovial cells.
Elevated or unregulated levels of the cytokine IL-1 beta have been associated with a number of inflammatory diseases and other disease states, including but not limited to adult respiratory distress syndrome (Meduri et al, Chest 107:1062-73, 1995), allergy (Hastie et al, Cytokine 8:730-8, 1996), Alzheimer's disease (O'Barr et al, J Neuroimmunol 109:87-94, 2000), anorexia (Laye et al, Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 279:893-8, 2000), asthma (Sousa et al, Thorax 52:407-10, 1997), atherosclerosis (Dewberry et al, Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 20:2394-400, 2000), brain tumors (Ilyin et al, Mol Chem Neuropathol 33:125-37, 1998), cachexia (Nakatani et al, Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol 102:241-9, 1998), carcinoma (Ikemoto et al, Anticancer Res 20:317-21, 2000), chronic arthritis (van den Berg et al, Clin Exp Rheumatol 17:S105-14, 1999), chronic fatigue syndrome (Cannon et al, J Clin Immunol 17:253-61, 1997), CNS trauma (Herx et al, J Immunol 165:2232-9, 2000), epilepsy (De Simoni et al, Eur J Neurosci 12:2623-33, 2000), fibrotic lung diseases (Pan et al, Pathol Int 46:91-9, 1996), fulminant hepatic failure (Sekiyama et al, Clin Exp Immunol 98:71-7, 1994), gingivitis (Biesbrock et al, Monogr Oral Sci 17:20-31, 2000), glomerulonephritis (Kluth et al, J Nephrol 12:66-75, 1999), Guillain-Barre syndrome (Zhu et al, Clin Immunol Immunopathol 84:85-94, 1997), heat hyperalgesia (Opree et al, J Neurosci 20:6289-93, 2000), hemorrhage and endotoxemia (Parsey et al, J Immunol 160:1007-13, 1998), inflammatory bowel disease (Olson et al, J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 16:241-6, 1993), leukemia (Estrov et al, Leuk Lymphoma 24:379-91, 1997), leukemic arthritis (Rudwaleit et al, Arthritis Rheum 41:1695-700, 1998), systemic lupus erythematosus (Mao et al, Autoimmunity 24:71-9, 1996), multiple sclerosis (Martin et al, J Neuroimmunol 61:241-5, 1995), osteoarthritis (Hernvann et al, Osteoarthritis Cartilage 4:13942, 1996), osteoporosis (Zheng et al, Maturitas 26:63-71, 1997), Parkinson's disease (Bessler et al, Biomed Pharmacother 53:141-5, 1999), POEMS syndrome (Gherardi et al, Blood 83:2587-93, 1994), pre-term labor (Dudley, J Reprod Immunol 36:93-109, 1997), psoriasis (Bonifati et al, J Biol Regul Homeost Agents 11:133-6, 1997), reperfusion injury (Clark et al, J Surg Res 58:675-81, 1995), rheumatoid arthritis (Seitz et al, J Rheumatol 23:1512-6, 1996), septic shock (van Deuren et al, Blood 90:1101-8, 1997), systemic vasculitis (Brooks et al, Clin Exp Immunol 106:273-9, 1996), temporal mandibular joint disease (Nordahl et al, Eur J Oral Sci 106:559-63, 1998), tuberculosis (Tsao et al, Tuber Lung Dis 79:279-85, 1999), viral rhinitis (Roseler et al, Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Suppl 1:S61-3, 1995), and pain and/or inflammation resulting from strain, sprain, trauma, surgery, infection or other disease processes.
Since overproduction of IL-1 beta is associated with numerous disease conditions, it is desirable to develop compounds that inhibit the production or activity of IL-1 beta. Methods and compositions for inhibiting IL-1 beta are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,096,728; 6,090,775; 6,083,521; 6,036,978; 6,034,107; 6,034,100; 6,027,712; 6,024,940; 5,955,480; 5,922,573; 5,919,444; 5,905,089; 5,874,592; 5,874,561; 5,874,424; 5,840,277; 5,837,719; 5,817,670; 5,817,306; 5,792,778; 5,780,513; 5,776,979; 5,776,954; 5,767,064; 5,747,444; 5,739,282; 5,731,343; 5,726,148; 5,684,017; 5,683,992; 5,668,143; 5,624,931; 5,618,804; 5,527,940; 5,521,185; 5,492,888; 5,488,032 and others.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that, while there have been extensive prior efforts to provide compounds for inhibiting, for example, TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, COX-2 or other agents considered responsible for immune response, inflammation or inflammatory diseases, e.g. arthritis, there still remains a need for new and improved compounds for effectively treating or inhibiting such diseases. A principal object of the invention is to provide compounds which are effective for such treatments as well as for the treatment of, for example, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Heterocyclic analogs of diphenylethylene compounds


Improved writability and a substantial reduction in adjacent track erasure are achieved by incorporating a composite shield structure in a PMR writer. There is a trailing shield formed a certain distance above the top surface of a write pole, a leading shield formed a certain distance below the bottom surface of the write pole, and a partial side shield having a side shield section formed on each side of the write pole. The partial side shield thickness is less than that of the write pole. Each partial side shield section has a side that is parallel to the nearest write pole side and a top surface that is offset from the write pole top surface by 0 to 0.15 microns. A plurality of magnetic connections between two or more shield elements is employed to ensure correct magnetic potential. The large write pole has a flare angle of 45 to 75 degrees.

Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) has been developed in part to achieve higher recording density than is realized with longitudinal magnetic recording (LMR) devices and is believed to be the successor of LMR for next generation magnetic data storage products and beyond. A single pole writer combined with a soft magnetic underlayer has the intrinsic advantage of delivering higher write field than LMR heads. A conventional PMR write head as depicted in FIG. 1 typically has a main (write) pole 10 with a small surface area (pole tip) at an air bearing surface (ABS) 5 and a flux return pole (opposing pole) 8 which is magnetically coupled to the write pole through a trailing shield 7 and has a large surface area at the ABS. Magnetic flux in the write pole layer 10 is generated by coils 6 and passes through the pole tip into a magnetic recording media 4 and then back to the write head by entering the flux return pole 8. The write pole concentrates magnetic flux so that the magnetic field at the write pole tip at the ABS is high enough to switch magnetizations in the recording media 4.
To achieve high areal recording density with PMR technology, a key requirement for the PMR writer design is to provide large field magnitude and high field gradient in both down-track and cross-track directions. In practice, these two requirements are often traded off with each other to balance the overall performance. To improve the down-track field gradient, a trailing shield PMR writer design has been widely applied today. In FIG. 2, a view from the ABS plane is shown of a conventional trailing shield PMR writer in which a magnetic write shield 12 is placed above the top edge 10b of the write pole 10 by a certain distance d. The bottom or leading edge 10a of the write pole 10 is so designated because it is at the front of the write pole as it moves in the y or down-track direction. With this design, the down-track gradient is improved at the expense of reducing write field. In the cross-track or x direction, however, there is still a quite large detrimental fringe field (not shown) leading out from the write pole 10.
Referring to FIG. 3, another prior art design is illustrated that was proposed by M. Mallary and described in "One Terabit per Square Inch Perpendicular Recording Conceptual Design", IEEE, Trans. Magn., Vol. 38, July, 2002. To further improve cross-track field gradient, a full side shield writer structure is used to limit the excessive fringe field onto the adjacent track. For example, the writer in FIG. 2 may be modified by adding one side shield 13 along one side of the write pole 10 and a second side shield 14 along the opposite side of the write pole. The side shields 13, 14 have a thickness t equal to the thickness of the write pole 10. Note that the side shields may have sloped sides that parallel the slope in the write pole sides and maintain a spacing or side gap s therebetween. Depending on the size of side gap s, field magnitude could drop below the minimal performance requirement. In addition, the complexity of the structure also poses a great challenge for wafer processing.
For easy processing, other writer structures have been proposed and include a partial side shield design in FIG. 4 and a leading shield design in FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 4, the partial shields 15, 16 replace the full side shields in FIG. 3 and have one side coplanar with the top edge 10b of the write pole 10 and spaced a distance d from the trailing shield 12. The side of the partial shields 15, 16 facing the write pole 10 may be a side gap distance s from the write pole as in the full side shield example. However, the thickness p of the partial shields 15, 16 is substantially less than the thickness of the write pole 10. In FIG. 5, there are no side shields but a leading shield 17 is positioned a distance m from the bottom edge 10a of the write pole 10. The thicknesses of the shields 12, 17 and the magnitude of m and d may vary depending on the composition of the shields and the performance requirements.
Unfortunately, none of the prior art structures provide satisfactory control of field magnitude and field gradient in both the down-track and cross-track directions. Therefore, an improved write structure is necessary to achieve the high performance required for advanced devices with narrow track widths and high recording density.
A routine search of the prior art revealed the following references. U.S. Pat. No. 7,068,453 describes a write head with a shield structure wherein a flux return pole is connected to a full side shield by soft magnetic connections. In addition, a trailing shield contacts the side shields on opposite sides of the write pole tip. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,698, a side and trailing shield structure formed around a pole tip is connected to a return pole layer through magnetic side studs. U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,775 also discloses a head for perpendicular magnetic recording with side shields that are connected to a return pole piece by two studs of ferromagnetic material.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,313, a PMR writer is disclosed with a floating write shield that is spaced apart from the write pole thereby enabling the floating shield to be at a different magnetic potential than the write pole.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0237665 shows a four sided shield structure for a perpendicular write head in which full side shields are magnetically connected to a leading shield. The side shields contact a trailing shield and have a thickness greater than the write pole tip which may reduce the field magnitude.

Composite shield structure of PMR writer for high track density


A mobile station capable of reactivating at least a dormant first data session and a dormant second data session associated with a first base station of a wireless network. The mobile station transmits to the first base station an Origination message comprising: i) a first Data Ready to Send (DRS) field indicating to the first base station that the dormant first data session is being reactivated; and ii) a second Data Ready to Send (DRS) field indicating that the dormant second data session is being reactivated.

Wireless communication systems have become ubiquitous in society. Business and consumers use a wide variety of fixed and mobile wireless terminals, including cell phones, pagers, Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems, and fixed wireless access devices (i.e., vending machine with cellular capability). Wireless service providers continually create new markets for wireless devices and to expand existing markets by making wireless devices and services cheaper and more reliable. The price of wireless devices has decreased to the point where these devices are affordable to nearly everyone and the price of a wireless device is only a small part of the total cost to the user (i.e., subscriber). To continue to attract new customers, wireless service providers are implementing new services, especially digital data services that enable a user to browse the Internet and to send and receive e-mail.
However, addition of digital data services to a wireless network greatly increases the message traffic flowing between base stations and wireless terminals (i.e., cell phone, wireless laptop, fixed terminal, and the like). This is particularly true for the overhead channels (e.g., paging, common control channels). For example, if a subscriber operating a wireless laptop opens an e-mail application, a browser application, and a VPN connection to a remote server, a different set control messages are transmitted between the base station and the wireless terminal (i.e., laptop) for each data session. This problem is exacerbated if the subscriber moves from the coverage area of an original base station into the coverage area of a new target base station. If one or more of the data sessions have been dormant (i.e., no traffic channel in use) for a period of time when the hand-off occurs, the dormant data sessions may be dropped during the hand-off of each data session from the original base station to the target base station.
For example, under current code division multiple access (CDMA) signaling procedures, each service instance (i.e., data session) must be re-activated separately as part of a hand-off. A CDMA mobile station (or other wireless terminal) achieves this by sending an Origination message from the mobile station to the network base station. Thus, the mobile station must transmit either multiple Origination messages or multiple Enhanced Origination messages. Sending multiple instances of an Origination message or an Enhanced Origination message (EOM) causes unnecessary loading of the air interface and may cause delay in the handoff of multiple service instances. This is not an efficient way to re-activate multiple service instances.
Therefore, there is a need for wireless communication devices that are capable of re-activating multiple data sessions in an efficient manner. In particular, there is need for an improved base station and an improved mobile station that can efficiently re-activate multiple dormant data sessions with a minimum amount of control channel messages.

Apparatus and method for reactivating multiple packet data sessions in a wireless network


Methods and systems for processing a request of changing a first node having a first service connecting with a second node in a network environment are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method includes dynamically launching a second service at the first node, connecting the second service with the second node, directing requests for service to the second service, and terminating the first service. Other methods and systems are also described.

A typical standard networking system implemented single-function, fixed functionality. The first generation of virtualized systems offers per-customer functionality, but the functionality is still fixed. These limitations lead to several drawbacks. Customers may judge service providers based on service availability. Customers may perceive any downtime as a problem with the service provider and may consider switching providers. Service providers want to add service products to their offerings to generate more revenue and increase margins with higher-value offerings. Some of today's systems require downtime associated with upgrades. This is the case because their systems package all functionality into a single runtime image. It is simpler to design and test a system when all functionality is packaged and released in a single unit. In some cases, the service provider has to minimize downtime by building a redundant topology and taking down one system while the backup system handles service. This is non-optimal because it forces the service provider to purchase redundant hardware and design complex configurations. To achieve economies of scale and lower capital expenditures, service providers are installing systems that service multiple customers on a single system. Rather than dedicating hardware to each individual customer, the service provider amortizes that capital expense across many customers, lowering the average cost. These service providers typically schedule downtime with their customers for routine maintenance. This scheduling is more difficult when multiple customers are configured to utilize the same system.
In addition, typical networking systems may offer fixed functionality that is composed in a fixed manner. For instance, the processing is usually layer 2 followed by layer 3, or secure socket layer (SSL) aceleration followed by load balancing. Typically, networking systems implement fixed functionality with a monolithic version of software. Those systems that offer Virtual loading typically use a simple link-time configuration strategy or simple Virtual loading at start time, but not thereafter. Thus, you may get to choose what functionality you want to run at startup time, but you cannot change it thereafter. Typically, prior systems have had disadvantages such as they require a reboot when they are upgraded. This causes downtime. As a result, some conventional systems lack the ability to configure functionality in an arbitrary manner using an arbitrary topology, to add new functionality to a running system without causing downtime, or to upgrade a portion of functionality to a new revision.
Furthermore, in data enters, from time to time they have to upgrade the software running on a packet processing system or change the network topology or upgrade the hardware. Any upgrade of software or hardware disrupts the service availability. Such upgrades are normally done during the maintenance hours in which the service is not available to the customers. Alternatively, the service network is duplicated so that the service is available on one of networks always. In the first approach, service is disrupted. In the second approach, redundant network must be setup and maintained carefully.
Therefore, a better solution is highly desirable to be able to compose, manage, change, or upgrade a topology of a network system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and systems for changing a topology of a network


A method to extract and recover nitramine oxidizers from solid propellant ing liquid ammonia employs four basic steps which are: (1) propellant removal by cutting or eroding into small pieces, followed by, (2) solution of the oxidizers by liquefied gas solvent ammonia, (3) separation of the insoluble binder, metal fuel, and additive components by filtration and recovery of the solid oxidizer by evaporation of the liquefied gas solvent ammonia, and (4) recompression to liquefy the gas solvent for reuse. The process is a closed system with no release of solvent to the environment. Cycle 1 reduces propellant size to 1/4 inch or less to achieve efficient extraction in cycle 2 where insoluble ingredients (binder, metal fuel, additives) are separated from soluble ingredients. Insolubles are recovered and the solubles are recovered in cycle 3 by evaporation of the liquefied gas solvent ammonia. Cycle 4 is a solvent liquefaction and recycling of the liquid ammonia to the closed system. Washing the extracted ingredients in ethanol separates insolubles, nitramine and impurities from solubles, degraded nitroglycerine and other plasticizers. Standard acetone/water or cyclohexanone/water solution is employed for recrystallization of nitramine (HMX and RDX) which are recovered in high purity.

Solid propellant technology has evolved around the use of components readily available at the time of development and use. The surplus materials following World War II included gun powder, nitrocellulose, and other explosive ingredients. The availability of these materials motivated research for their use in solid propulsion technology. As these materials were used in solid propellants, the need for stabilizers was recognized. When stabilizers are used in solid propellants, a need is established for monitoring stabilizer chemical changes to ascertain their efficiency in stabilizing the propellant composition.
A patent of interest in the stabilizer technology field, which is assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,185. This patent was issued to Hiram W. H. Dykes on Aug. 8, 1967 and relates specifically to recovery of stabilizers, such as diphenylamine and resorcinol. In the method disclosed by this patent a small propellant sample (e.g., 100 mg.) is first dissolved in a suitable inert organic solvent having a low boiling point, acetone being preferred. The separation of the stabilizers is accomplished by specific materials known as developers in a thin-layer chromatography method. The developers are selected from the normal eluotropic series which is generally made up of a listing of solvents ranging from low polarity to high polarity. The developers are selected from the group consisting of n-hexane, carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, toluene, benzene, methylene chloride, chloroform, ether, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, aceton, n-propyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol and water.
Although the above method serves to separate and identify specific ingredients in small amounts, the separation and reclamation of massive amounts of propellant ingredients has not been of major concern since, prior to the use of very expensive specialty ingredients, the normal disposal of hazardous munitions and ingredients centered around open burning and open destruction (OB/OD). However, after environmental controls were implemented, and with expectation of more stringent controls in the future, the need for developing environmentally safe approaches for demilitarization and disposal of surplus and reject propellants, explosives, and energetic materials has become a major driving force.
The advancements of new technologies relating to propellant processing and reclamation of special ingredients from propellants highly loaded with particulate solids are disclosed in co-inventions as follows:
a. Statutory Invention Registration, Reg. Number H273, published on May 5, 1987, discloses "Processing of High Solid Propellant" by William S. Melvin and Porter H. Mitchell. This process relates to mixing of high solids loaded composite propellants at reduced viscosity by employing near critical liquid (NCL) carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) as a carrier fluid in a volume amount from about 10 to about 20 percent of the volume of the propellant ingredients. A typical composite propellant contains about 88 percent solids by weight, comprised of ammonium perchlorate, aluminum powder, ballistic modifiers, bonding agent, and about 12 percent liquid ingredients by weight, comprised of liquid polymers, plasticizers, and curatives.
b. Statutory Invention Registration, Reg. Number H305, published on Jul. 7, 1987, discloses "Demilitarization of High Burn Rate Propellant containing Ferrocene of its Derivatives" by William S. Melvin and Porter Mitchell. This invention accomplishes removal of about 99.8% to 100% of ferrocene or its derivatives (e.g., Catocene) from composite propellant which is undergoing demilitarization. After recovery of the high dollar value catalyst material, the propellant can be handled more safely during further processing using various ablation and/or mechanical methods to cut, remove, and comminute the propellant from a rocket motor case, for example, after which reclamation of other specific propellant ingredients can take place.
c. U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,982, issued on Aug. 8, 1989, discloses "Method to Demilitarize, Extract, and Recover Ammonium Perchlorate from Composite Propellants Using Liquid Ammonia" by William S. Melvin and James F. Graham. This method removes substantially 100% of the ammonium perchlorate (AP) from composite propellant in high purity. When large rocket booster units employing thousands of pounds of composite propellant are required to be demilitarized, an environmentally acceptable method is now available to recover a marketable product, ammonium perchlorate oxidizer, from the surplus propellant. This method recycles ammonia following extraction of the AP from the propellant. Recovering the AP from the liquid ammonia during liquid.TM.to-gas phase change may be accomplished using standard industrial chemical ingredient processing equipment such as crystallizers, rotary evaporators, and spray driers. Spray drying is a process whereby AP oxidizer is released in predetermined particle sizes based on liquid droplet sizes and rate of pressure change at a specified temperature. Following this phase change for recovering the AP, the gaseous ammonia is filtered, dried, and compressed to liquid ammonia for recycle/reuse within a closed system.
d. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,868, issued on Mar. 20, 1990, discloses "Extraction and Recovery of Plasticizers From Solid Propellants and Munitions" by William S. Melvin. This method is directed to extracting and recovering plasticizers and their stabilizers from solid propellant, explosive, and pyrotechnic (PEP) source compositions in which the method employs either NCL or supercritical fluid (SCF) CO.sub.2 as the solvent. The extraction and ingredient recovery method provides an environmentally acceptable alternative to traditional OB/OD of PEP source compositions. CO.sub.2 solvent is nontoxic, nonflamable, noncorrosive, inexpensive, and does not generate any additional toxic or hazardous wastes. The CO.sub.2 solvent is chemically inert when it is confined, pressurized, and/or heated in direct contact with PEP ingredients and compositions. CO.sub.2 gas readily undergoes a NCL gas-to-liquid phase change when confined at a pressure of 831 psig or greater at ambient temperature. By further increasing the pressure and temperature of NCL CO.sub.2 to 1058 psig and 31.3.degree. C. or greater, respectively, SCF conditions of CO.sub.2 are obtained. Either NCL or SCF CO.sub.2 has the capability to be a selective solvent for soluble plasticizers (e.g., nitroglycerin (NG)) and their stabilizers (e.g., diphenylamines and nitroanilines) from nitrocellulose (NC) double base and crosslinked double base PEP materials. All undissolved (insoluble) propellant and munition ingredients are filtered and separated from the NCL or SCF CO.sub.2 solvent prior to the pressure reduction/volume expansion recovery cycle. The recovery of soluble plasticizers and stabilizer from a NCL or SCF CO.sub.2 solvent system is achieved by allowing the NCL or SCF solvent to undergo pressure reduction and phase change to the gaseous state. The gaseous CO.sub.2 is then recycled for additional use in the method.
The employment of detonable, class 1.1 solid propellants by the military services has introduced additional complexities for achieving environmentally safe, rocket motor demilitarization and recovery of specific propellant ingredients for potential recycle/reuse in commercial and military products. Minimum signature, class 1.1 solid propellants typically contain the nitramine oxidizers cyclotetramethylenetetramitramine (HMX) and/or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), nitratoester plasticizers, chemical stabilizers, and a polymer binder. Smoky, class 1.1 propellants may additionally include AP oxidizer and aluminum (AL) metal fuel ingredients.
In July 1989, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee directed the establishment of a consolidated solid rocket motor demilitarization research and development program. The program goal is to dispose of large rocket motors in an economical, safe, environmentally acceptable, and reliable manner.
In response to national environmental policy goals established by the Resource Conservation and Reclamation Act (RCRA) and the Department of Defense mandate to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes, the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) successfully explored applications of NCL and SCF technologies for solid rocket motor demilitarization and propellant ingredient recovery. Initial investigations examined the use of ammonia, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide as nontraditional extraction solvents for the recovery of ingredients from various PEP materials. These evaluations confirmed that specific liquefied, compressed gases were fully capable of dissolving a variety of PEP ingredients. By applying critical fluid (CF) technologies currently used by chemical processing and manufacturing industries, the recovery of valuable ingredients was demonstrated for PEP materials at the bench-scale. MICOM research resulted in an earlier patent issued to applicant which demonstrated that liquid ammonia at ambient temperature is a super-solvent for dissolving and separating AP, the principal oxidizer in class 1.3 composite propellants, from the insoluble AL/polymer binder components. Evaporation of the liquid ammonia solvent by pressure reduction provides a direct method for recovering the dissolved AP oxidizer and the AL/polymer binder propellant components. Because the critical fluid demilitarization process intentionally avoids the use of water as a propellant processing solvent, the generation of large amounts of contaminated waste effluents are avoided. This aspect provides the critical fluid demilitarization process with major environmental advantages over water-based processes that are less efficient and more energy consuming.
The above extensive review of background information teaches that significant progress has been made of achieving environmentally safe PEP demilitarization. The liquid ammonia rocket motor demilitarization process provides an environmentally safe method for demilitarizing class 1.3 AP composite propellant rocket motors with added benefits of ingredient recovery and hazardous waste minimization. Valuable AP oxidizer, AL polymer binder fuel ingredients, and motor hardware components are recovered for potential recycle/reuse. There remains a need for a similar process for the environmentally safe demilitarization of both minimum signature and smoky types of class 1.1 solid rocket motors and propellants.
The need for demilitarization and recovery of ingredients in 1.1 solid propellants is recognized; therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a method for ingredient recovery and hazardous waste minimization for hazard class 1.1 solid propellants.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method for dissolution, separation, recovery, and reclamation of valuable ingredients from minimum signature 1.1 propellants including smoky 1.1 solid rocket propellants which employ 1.3 solid propellant ingredients.
A specific object of this invention is to provide a method for dissolution, separation, recovery, and reclamation of HMX, RDX, AP, and AL/binder from 1.1 propellants and including 1.1 solid rocket propellants which employ 1.3 solid propellant ingredients.

Method to extract and recover nitramine oxidizers from solid propellants using liquid ammonia

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