An electronic apparatus such as a computer terminal, video camcorder, portable picture phone or a bar code reader includes a display which is arranged to pivot so as to provide optimum ease of viewing for the user. A reader such as an optical scanner for scanning indicia, for example bar code symbols, comprises a handle portion and, mounted pivotally thereon, a head portion. The angle of the head portion relative to the handle portion can be adjusted by rotating the head portion as desired. The reader can thus be used to read bar code symbols that would otherwise be inaccessible. In an alternative embodiment a reading head is mounted pivotally on a fixed terminal and is movable so as to accommodate the physical requirements of the operator.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to electronic apparatus such as a computer terminal, a video camcorder, a portable picture phone or a bar code reader, the apparatus including a display.
A wide variety of electronic apparatus is now available including a display. Such apparatus includes computer terminals, video camcorders, portable picture phones and bar code readers. It is known in, for example, conventional computer terminals to have a base including the processing parts and, separately therefrom, a display monitor. The monitor is generally either movable as a whole, or arranged to pivot or otherwise rotate.
In many cases it is now desired to design electronic apparatus in a portable or hand-held mode, or a lap-top mode. In such cases various constraints are placed on the apparatus, for example size and weight constraints, and ergonomic constraints. The size and weight constraints demand that light-weight modules are preferred with a minimum of complex mechanical components that could give rise to unnecessary bulk or weight. The ergonomic constraints mean that the display must be designed to be carried or held with ease and comfort.
These ergonomic constraints often demand that the display be positioned with optimum efficiency on the apparatus, but to the detriment of the user. For example the user may have to crane his neck, or tilt the display to an uncomfortable position leading to discomfort in the short term and possible physical damage in the long term. In addition it may be desired to position the display such that a third party may view it, or so that it can be viewed regardless of the lighting conditions.
Because of the weight and size constraints, however, the conventional methods of positioning the display are inappropriate.
It is recognized that the provision of a display on a bar code reader terminal may assist the operator in entering information or operational parameters, or reading directly information obtained by the bar code reader or relating to its performance. The ergonomic constraints in a bar code reader are especially important as it must be shaped to allow the easy pointing of the reader portion at a bar code symbol to be read, while allowing the user to view the display screen easily and comfortably.
Various readers and optical scanning systems have been developed for reading printed indicia such as bar code symbols appearing on a label or the surface of an article and providing information concerning the article such as the price or nature of the article. The bar code symbol itself is a coded pattern of indicia comprised of, for example, a series of bars of various widths spaced apart from one another to form spaces of various widths, the bars and spaces having different light reflecting characteristics. The readers electro-optically transform the graphic indicia into electrical signals which are decoded into alpha-numeric characters that are intended to be descriptive of the article or a characteristic thereof. Such characters typically are represented in digital form, and utilized as an input to a data processing system for applications in point of sale processing, inventory control and the like.
Known scanning systems comprise a light source for generating a light beam incident on a bar code symbol and a light receiver for receiving the reflected light and decoding the information contained in the bar code symbol accordingly. The readers may comprise a flying spot scanning system wherein the light beam is scanned rapidly across a bar code symbol to be read or a fixed field of view reading system wherein the bar code symbol to be read is illuminated as a whole and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) array is provided for detecting the light reflected from the bar code symbol. The reader may be either a hand-held device or a surface-mounted fixed terminal.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/366,383 filed Dec. 29, 1994 and commonly assigned herewith relates to an optical scanner including a mounting portion and a scanning portion, a light source, mirror and detector being mounted in the scanning portion, wherein the scanning portion comprises a substantially spherical housing mounted in a complementary socket in the mounting portion to effectively form a ball-joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,152 which is commonly assigned herewith relates to a bar code symbol scanning system wherein scanning of the laser beam is achieved by the rapid oscillation of a laser diode and wherein the scanning beam is directed towards the target by a stationary mirror. The stationary mirror is provided on a cover portion to the scanning system which may be detached from the scanning system and re-attached in a position rotated about the longitudinal axis of the scanning system from the original position in order to direct the scanning beam in a different direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,684 assigned to Norand Corporation discloses a hand-held data collection terminal unit of modular construction. One of the modules comprises a scanning head which is rotatably or pivotably attached to the scanner module to pivot about the longitudinal central axis through the terminal unit. Alternatively, a fixed scanning head having a directional scanning at an angle of 45.degree. from the longitudinal axis may be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,044 relates to a hand-held symbology reader including a handle and a head with a reading module therein. The reading module is rotatably mounted within the head and the head may be further rotatably mounted by a ball and socket-type joint upon the handle. The reader is designed so as to be oriented to read a bar code symbol at any orientation on a facing surface of an item.
In some cases known readers are not ideally suited for reading bar code symbols on certain types of goods, or in certain situations. For example, when taking the inventory of goods in a warehouse where certain of the goods are unwieldy, or located in inaccessible positions it may be difficult to read bar code symbols on the goods using a hand-held bar code scanner without considerable exertion or contortion of the reader operator. Similarly, where a bar code reader is provided in a fixed terminal, for example at the point of sale, it is generally necessary for the operator to "sweep" a product bearing a bar code past the reading head on the terminal. In some cases, however, the reading head of the terminal may not be in an optimum position, or may not be directed at an optimum inclination for the operator's physical requirements. The operator will, therefore, be required to stretch or twist more than is necessary or desirable which may give rise inter alia to repetitive strain injuries. Although it is possible to provide differently configured bar code readers dependent on the uses to which they will be put, such an approach is clearly costly and may require careful planning as to which readers are to be used in certain applications requiring overly complex preparation.

Hand-held electronic apparatus with pivoting display


An electronic device may include a display having an array of organic light-emitting diode display pixels. Color filter elements may be used to allow the display to present color images. A blue subpixel may be formed using part of an emissive layer and red and green subpixels may share a separate second part of the emissive layer. In four-subpixel designs, a white or yellow subpixel may also share the emissive layer with the red and green subpixels. Tandem diode configurations may be used in which a blue subpixel has two blue diodes connected in series and other subpixels are formed from respective pairs of series-connected diodes. A pixel definition layer may be formed from a light-absorbing material to suppress ambient light reflections.

This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with organic light-emitting diode displays.
Electronic devices often include displays. For example, an electronic device may have an organic light-emitting diode display with an array of display pixels. The display pixels may each have subpixels. Color filter elements of different colors may be included in the subpixels to provide the subpixels with the ability to emit light of different colors. As an example, each pixel in a display may have a red subpixel, a green subpixel, and a blue subpixel.
There are challenges associated with optimizing display performance in an organic light-emitting diode display. If care is not taken, pixel pitch will be low, pixel apertures will be small, and light emitting efficiency will be poor.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved displays such as improved organic light-emitting diode displays.


File system objects of unknown type are backed up and restored. A list of file system objects is received from a file system. The file system objects are to be backed up. For each file system object that has a file type that is unknown, the following is performed. First, the file system is queried to obtain information regarding the file system object that is sufficient for the file system to later recreate the file system object if necessary. Second, the file system object and the information regarding the file system object are stored. Examples of file system object types of the file system that may be unknown to an application running on a Microsoft Windows® operating system include symbolic links, named pipes, and special device files.

Computerized systems commonly store data that is critical in nature, or that if lost could only be recreated with great difficulty, if at all. Therefore, it is common to back up files so that they can be restored if needed. For example, a storage device storing the files may fail, such that the backup copy of the data files stored on a different storage device can instead be used. As another example, a user may accidentally delete a needed data file, such that the backup copy of the data file allows the user to restore the data file. As a final example, a needed file may become corrupted by incorrect system operation, such that the backup copy of the file can be used.
Data is commonly stored within a file system, which specifies the approach for storing and retrieving files on a hard disk drive or other storage device. For instance, a file system defines the directory structure for keeping track of the files and the path syntax required to access them. The file system may also define the way files are named as well as the maximum size of a file or volume. A file system particularly stores file system objects, where each file system object can refer to a data file, a directory structure, or another type of data that is stored on the hard disk drive or other storage device in question.
Backing up a file system thus can involve backing up all the file system objects stored on a given hard disk drive or other storage device. By backing up all the file system objects of a file system, even if the hard disk drive or other storage device fails in an unrecoverable manner, the data stored thereon is not lost. Rather, the file system objects of the file system can be recreated based on the backup copy of the file system objects.
A file system may be backed up to a tape backup device. For example, some versions of the Microsoft Windows® operating system employ the NT file system (NTFS). Backing up a hard disk drive that stores file system objects in accordance with the NTFS thus typically involves using a backup application running on the Microsoft Windows® operating system, and therefore in relation to the NTFS. The backup application typically retrieves all the file system objects stored on the hard disk drive, and stores them on a tape inserted into the tape backup device. Because the hard disk drive stores file system objects in accordance with the NTFS that is used by the Microsoft Windows® operating system itself, backup is easily accomplished, because the operating system has knowledge of all the different types of file system objects that may be stored on the hard disk drive.
More recently, heterogeneous file systems have become more common, in which file system objects are stored for and by a variety of different operating systems. For example, storage-area network (SAN) file systems may be employed to store file system objects from computing devices running in relation to the Microsoft Windows® operating system, the LINUX® operating system, the UNIX® operating system, as well as other types of operating system. That is, computing devices running the Microsoft Windows®, the LINUX®, and the UNIX® operating systems, for instance, may all store file system objects on the same hard disk drives of the same SAN file system.
A SAN file system may run one type of file system, such as the SANFS available from International Business Machines, Inc., of Armonk N.Y., but the SANFS is able to store file system objects consistent with the file systems that individual computing devices typically use. For instance, a computing device running the Microsoft Windows® operating system may store file system objects to the SAN file system as if the SAN file system were the NTFS. Similarly, computing devices running the LINUX® and the UNIX® operating systems may store file system objects to the SAN file system as if the SAN file system were the LINUX® and the UNIX® file systems, respectively. That is, a computing device running the UNIX® operating system, for example, is able to store file system objects to the SAN file system no different than if the computing device were storing file system objects to the UNIX® file system.
Therefore, a backup application running on a computing device in relation to one type of operating system, and that is to back up all file system objects stored on the SAN file system, may encounter file system objects of which its operating system and typical file system do not have knowledge. For example, there may be types of file system objects that are present on the SAN file system that have been stored by computing devices running the UNIX® or the LINUX® operating system, as if the SAN file system were the UNIX® or the LINUX® file system. These file system objects are not known to the NTFS that is used with the Microsoft Windows® operating system. That is, computing devices running the UNIX® and the LINUX® operating systems may store file system objects on the SAN file system that are not known to the backup application, because the backup application may be running on the Microsoft Windows® operating system, and thus is only knowledgeable of file system objects that are particularly known to the NTFS. Because the backup application running on the Microsoft Windows® operating systems accesses the SAN file system no different than if it were the NTFS, it is knowledgeable only of file system objects that are particularly known to the NTFS.
As a result, some types of file system objects may not be able to be backed up properly by a backup application running on the Microsoft Windows® operating system and that expects all file system objects to be known to the NTFS, since it accesses the SAN file system no different than if it were the NTFS. For instance, within the UNIX® and the LINUX® file systems, there are types of file system objects that have no direct counterparts within the NTFS. For example, such file system object types include symbolic links, named pipes (also known as first-in-first-out pipes), and special device files. A symbolic link is a type of file system object that allows nearly transparent reference to a target directory entry, such as a target file or a target directory. Thus, referencing the symbolic link in actuality references another file system object, such as a target file or a target directory.
A named pipe is a type of file system object that is used to transfer data between two unrelated processes. One or more processes write data to the pipe, where the pipe is referenced as a file system object, even though the data is usually stored in volatile memory apart from the file system in question. One or more other processes thus read the data from the pipe. The data is processed in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner, and the data is consumed, or erased, as it is read. Finally, a special device file is a file that references a device, such as a printing device, for example, so that input/output (I/O) to the device is accomplished in the same way that I/O is normally accomplished in relation to a file. A special device file is a special file in that it does not contain data, like a regular file does, or information about other files, like a directory does.
Backup applications running on operating systems that access a SAN file system as if it were the NTFS, or another file system that itself does not employ symbolic links, named pipes, and special device files, thus cannot inherently back up these types of file system objects. A backup application running on the Microsoft Windows® operating system and thus in relation to a SAN file system as if it were the NTFS, and that is attempting to back up these types of file system objects from a SAN file system, will read the data of the file system objects, but will not be able to instruct the SAN file system to recreate the file system objects properly if or when later such restoration is required. For example, the backup application is able to retrieve a file system object from a SAN system corresponding to a special device file, and is able to store the file system object, such as on a tape inserted into a tape drive. However, if or when the backup application needs to restore the file system object back to the SAN file system, it is not able to instruct the SAN file system that the file system object is a special device file, and thus should be recreated as such. Therefore, the special device file is not likely to be recreated correctly.
There is thus a need that overcomes these deficiencies within the prior art. That is, there is a need within the prior art for file system backup, in which all the file system objects that may be stored on a file system are able to be backed up, and subsequently restored, even when the backup application is running on an operating system that is typically used with a type of file system that does not have knowledge of the types of some of the file system objects. For this and other reasons, therefore, there is a need for the present invention.

Backup and restore of file system objects of unknown type

International Business Machines Corporation


A reusable liquid chromatographic column consists of three parts, a column body with an integral outlet port molded on one end, a sealing insert with an inlet port, and a perforated cap providing downward force to compress the sealing insert into the column body. A wedge-like seal is employed to seal the connection between the sealing insert and the column body. Two filters on both ends of the column body are used to prevent escape of packing materials from the column chamber under pressure. Hand tightening is adequate to seal the connection by screwing the perforated cap onto the column body. The column is reusable due to its simple disassembling and reassembling processes. It is also disposable due to its inexpensive fabricating materials and manufacturing process.

The invention relates to liquid chromatographic columns and methods of assembling and disassembling reusable, economic, and leak-free chromatographic columns.
Liquid chromatography is an analytical chromatographic technique that is based on differences in partitioning behaviors between a mobile phase and a stationary phase to separate the components in a mixture, more specifically, to separate ions or molecules dissolved in a solvent. A column is packed with the stationary phase and the mobile phase carries the mixture through it. Sample components having stronger affinity with the stationary phase spend longer time in the column and are separated from components that have weaker affinity with the stationary phase and pass through the column faster.
In pursuit of optimal separation, the chromatography system is usually operated under pressure to facilitate the flow of the mobile phase in the stationary phase. As a consequence, the columns demand effective seals to prevent the mobile phase from leaking out of the pressurized passage. An O-ring employed in some prior art methods (U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,708 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,284) can provide a good seal for the openings of the column, but some organic solvents used as a mobile phase in liquid chromatography can damage the O-ring after a lengthy soaking in the solvents. The methods for making commercially available disposable columns (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,565,745 and 6,949,194) involve the use of a snap-on cap to form a sealing connection between the column body and the sealing head. This technique could lead to sealing failure under substantial pressure build-up. In addition, the use of snap-on cap with cantilever members and the ramped detents molded on the column body forms a tight interference fit, which practically makes the column solely for one-time use due to the inability in disassembling column for repeated uses. Columns made of glass (U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,688) cannot withstand a pressurized system and cost more than plastic columns. Other prior art technique (U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,174) requires a complicated process involving six separate pieces and one spacer ring. A low-pressure liquid chromatographic cartridge is provided with a resilient fluid tight seal (US Patent Application 2005/0247632), but the rotation resulted from threading the cap onto the cartridge container could cause seal failure and the cartridge is not reusable.
All these prior art techniques have the drawbacks of high cost for column assembly, seal failure, or one-time use. It is the object of this invention to provide reusable, economic, and leak-proof liquid chromatographic columns for the separation and purification of organic compounds.


Compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of RANKL. The compositions comprise oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acid encoding RANKL. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of RANKL expression and for diagnosis and treatment of disease associated with expression of RANKL are provided.

Morphogenesis and remodeling of bone are accomplished by the coordinated actions of bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts, which metabolize and remodel bone structure throughout development and adult life. Bone is constantly being resorbed and formed at specific sites in the skeleton called basic multicellular units. An estimated 10% of the total bone mass in the human body is remodeled each year. Upon activation, osteoclasts, which differentiate from hematopoietic monocyte/macrophage precursors, migrate to the basic multicellular unit, resorb a portion of bone and finally undergo apoptosis. Subsequently, newly generated osteoblasts, arising from preosteoblastic/stromal cells, form bone at the site of resorption. The development of osteoclasts is controlled by preosteoblastic cells, so that the processes of bone resorption and formation are tightly coordinated, thus allowing for a wave of bone formation to follow each cycle of bone resorption. Imbalances between osteoclast and osteoblast activities can result in skeletal abnormalities characterized by decreased (osteoporosis) or increased (osteopetrosis) bone mass (Khosla, Endocrinology, 2001, 142, 5050-5055; Nakashima et al., Curr. Opin. Rheumatol., 2003, 15, 280-287).
Communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts occurs through cytokines and cell-to-cell contacts. A cytokine that performs a key regulatory role in bone remodeling is receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL). RANKL was first identified as a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily member [also known as tumor necrosis-factor-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE), osteoprotegerin ligand (OPGL), and osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF) and tumor necrosis factor (ligand) superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11)] and was subsequently identified as a factor that is capable of inducing osteoclast differentiation in vitro (Anderson et al., Nature, 1997, 390, 175-179; Lacey et al., Cell, 1998, 93, 165-176; Wong et al., J. Exp. Med., 1997, 186, 2075-2080; Yasuda et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1998, 95, 3597-3602). The human RANKL gene maps to chromosome 13q14. The highest expression levels of RANKL are found in bone, bone marrow and lymphoid tissues (Anderson et al., Nature, 1997, 390, 175-179; Lacey et al., Cell, 1998, 93, 165-176; Wong et al., J. Exp. Med., 1997, 186, 2075-2080; Yasuda et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1998, 95, 3597-3602) and it can also be detected in brain, heart, kidney, skeletal muscle and skin (Kartsogiannis et al., Bone, 1999, 25, 525-534).
RANKL is assembled from three RANKL subunits to form the functional trimeric molecule. RANKL is initially anchored to the cell membrane, and a small fraction of the protein released from the cell surface by the proteolytic action of the metalloprotease-disintegrin TNF-alpha convertase (TACE) (Lum et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1999, 274, 13613-13618). RANKL is both necessary and sufficient to stimulate of osteoclast differentiation and activity as well as to inhibit osteoclast apoptosis (Fuller et al., J. Exp. Med., 1998, 188, 997-1001; Lacey et al., Cell, 1998, 93, 165-176; Lum et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1999, 274, 13613-13618; Yasuda et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1998, 95, 3597-3602). RANKL is expressed on the surface of preosteoblastic and bone marrow stromal cells. Its expression can be positively or negatively modulated by various hormones, cytokines, growth factors and glucocorticoids, including, vitamin-D3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), interleukin 1-beta and TNF-alpha, all of which increase RANKL expression (Kong et al., Immunol. Today, 2000, 21, 495-502).
At the initiation of the cycle of bone resorption and formation, RANKL binds to its functional receptor RANK on preosteoclastic cells (Anderson et al., Nature, 1997, 390, 175-179; Lacey et al., Cell, 1998, 93, 165-176). This interaction between RANKL and RANK stimulates the formation of mature osteoclasts, which are phenotypically characterized by multinucleation, bone-resorbing function and expression of the lineage specific marker tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) (Burgess et al., J. Cell. Biol., 1999, 145, 527-538; Hsu et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1999, 96, 3540-3545; Lum et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1999, 274, 13613-13618; Yasuda et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1998, 95, 3597-3602). Alternatively, RANKL can bind to the soluble receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), which is expressed primarily by bone marrow stromal cells and serves to inhibit osteoclast maturation and activation by RANKL (Lacey et al., Cell, 1998, 93, 165-176; Yasuda et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1998, 95, 3597-3602). PTH, a major regulator of bone remodeling, stimulates osteoclast function by simultaneously increasing RANKL expression while decreasing OPG expression (Lee and Lorenzo, Endocrinology, 1999, 140, 3552-3561). As preosteoblastic cells differentiate, RANKL mRNA levels are significantly reduced, whereas OPG mRNA levels increase (Gori et al., Endocrinology, 2000, 141, 4768-4776). Such a dynamic relationship between RANKL and OPG levels allows for a wave of osteoclast activity to be followed by a wave osteoblast activity, thereby completing the cycle of bone resorption and formation.
RANKL induces a transient elevation of calcium in osteoclasts due to release of calcium from intracellular stores (Komarova et al., J. Biol. Chem., 2003, 278, 8286-8293). In T-cells, T-cell receptor activation-induced calcium mobilization is solely responsible for the induction of RANKL expression (Wang et al., Eur. J. Immunol., 2002, 32, 1090-1098).
Mice homozygous for disruption of the RANKL gene are born at the expected frequency, but show severely retarded growth after weaning at three weeks of age. RANKL deficient mice exhibit severe osteopetrosis (thickening of bone), defects in tooth eruption and a complete lack of osteoclasts due to the inability of osteoblasts to support osteoclastogenesis (Kong et al., Immunol. Today, 2000, 21, 495-502).
RANKL function is not restricted to bone morphogenesis and remodeling. RANKL-deficient mice also display defects in early differentiation of T- and B-lymphocytes and lack all lymph nodes, demonstrating that RANKL is a regulator of lymph-node organogenesis and lymphocyte development, in addition to being an essential osteoclast differentiation factor (Kong et al., Immunol. Today, 2000, 21, 495-502). T-cell receptor stimulation induces RANKL gene expression, which subsequently leads to activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in T-cells (Wong et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1997, 272, 25190-25194). RANKL also participates in immune system function as an important survival factor for bone marrow derived dendritic cells by inhibiting apoptosis in these cells (Lum et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1999, 274, 13613-13618; Wong et al., J. Exp. Med., 1997, 186, 2075-2080). Additionally, RANKL is also required for the development of lobulo-alveolar mammary structures during pregnancy in mice (Fata et al., Cell, 2000, 103, 41-50).
Inappropriate activation of osteoclasts by RANKL can create an imbalance between the processes of bone resorption, resulting in the rate of bone resorption exceeding that of bone formation. Local or generalized bone loss is observed in many osteopenic disorders, including postmenopausal and age-related osteoporosis, periodontitis, familial expansile osteolysis and Paget's disease (Khosla, Endocrinology, 2001, 142, 5050-5055). Upregulation of RANKL mRNA has been reported in several of these diseases.
Paget's disease is characterized by large numbers of abnormal osteoclasts that induce increased bone resorption. RANKL mRNA expression is elevated in both cell lines and bone marrow derived from patients with Paget's disease. Furthermore, osteoclast precursors from Paget's disease patients undergo osteoclastogenesis at a much lower concentration of RANKL than normal cells (Menaa et al., J. Clin. Invest., 2000, 105, 1833-1838).
Other diseases with osteopenic pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic viral infection and adult and child leukemias, are characterized by activated T-cells and bone destruction (Kong et al., Immunol. Today, 2000, 21, 495-502). Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by progressive osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid contains osteoclast precursors, RANKL-expressing T-cells and OPG-producing B-cells. Cultured macrophages from rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid can differentiate into osteoclasts in a RANKL-dependent process (Itonaga et al., J. Pathol., 2000, 192, 97-104). In a T-cell dependent rat model of experimentally-induced arthritis that mimics many of the clinical features of human rheumatoid arthritis, inhibition of RANKL function through OPG treatment prevents bone destruction (Kong et al., Nature, 1999, 402, 304-309).
Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which osteoporosis and bone destruction are prominent features. Myeloma cell lines stimulate RANKL expression while inhibiting OPG expression by bone marrow stromal cells, resulting in a disruption of the balance between RANKL and OPG levels, followed by the aberrant production and activation of osteoclasts (Pearse et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2001, 98, 11581-11586). A secreted form of RANKL is also expressed by cancer cells responsible for humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (Nagai et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 2000, 269, 532-536). An increase in RANKL with a concurrent decrease in OPG expression is also observed following glucocorticoid treatment of osteoblastic lineage cells, which also stimulates osteoclastogenesis of these cells, suggesting a mechanism by which systemic glucocorticoid use leads to severe osteoporosis (Hofbauer et al., Endocrinology, 1999, 140, 4382-4389).
These findings demonstrate a link between immune function and bone physiology and also provide a molecular explanation for bone density loss associated with immune disorders and suggest that inhibition of RANKL function, and consequently osteoclast activity, can ameliorate osteopenic conditions (Kong et al., Immunol. Today, 2000, 21, 495-502).
Disclosed and claimed in the PCT publication WO 99/29865 are a nucleic acid molecule encoding human RANKL, antibodies that recognize RANKL polypeptides and cells modified to increase expression of RANKL polypeptides. Also disclosed and claimed is the modulation of an immune response in a mammal, wherein the modulator can be selected from a group consisting of antisense RANKL nucleic acid comprising at least one phosphodiester bond (Choi et al., 1999).
Disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,729 is a method for the isolation of a nucleic acid molecule encoding human RANKL, the nucleotide sequence encoding human RANKL and a method for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies that recognize RANKL (Anderson et al., 2000).
Disclosed and claimed in the PCT publication WO 01/53486 is a nucleic acid molecule having at least 80% nucleotide identity to a nucleic acid sequence encoding human RANKL, an antibody that binds to the polypeptide sequence encoded by a human RANKL nucleic acid molecule and the method of producing said antibody. Also disclosed and claimed is a method of inhibiting tumor cell growth by exposing tumor cells to an agent that inhibits the expression of polypeptide encoded by a human RANKL nucleic acid molecule, wherein the agent can be an antisense oligonucleotide that hybridizes to a RANKL nucleic acid molecule (Ashkenazi et al., 2001).
The PCT publication WO 01/23559 discloses and claims the nucleotide sequence containing a regulatory region of the human RANKL gene, as well as a method for identifying an antagonist to inhibit RANKL expression (Chandrasekhar et al., 2001).
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,349 discloses a method for the isolation of a nucleic acid molecule encoding RANKL, and a nucleotide sequence encoding human RANKL (Dougall and Galibert, 2001).
Disclosed and claimed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,213 are a nucleic acid molecule encoding human RANKL, a host cell transformed or transfected with said nucleic acid molecule and a process of preparing RANKL polypeptide molecules. This publication also discloses that useful fragments of a RANKL nucleic acid molecule can include antisense or sense oligonucleotides (Anderson, 2001).
Disclosed and claimed in the U.S. pre-grant publication 20020159970 are a nucleic acid molecule encoding human RANKL, antibodies that recognize RANKL polypeptides and cells modified to increase expression of RANKL polypeptides. Also disclosed and claimed is a modulation of an immune response in a mammal, wherein the modulator can be selected from a group consisting of an antisense RANKL nucleic acid comprising at least one phosphodiester bond (Choi et al., 2002).
Disclosed the PCT publication WO 02/16551 are methods for treating a mammal having a disorder with a RANKL-inhibiting agent that is an antisense nucleic acid directed against RANKL RNA or with a RANKL-increasing agent that is a polypeptide (Choi et al., 2002).
The U.S. pre-grant publication 20020182586 discloses a method treating individuals with carcinoma cancer inhibitors which include antisense molecules that target a nucleic acid molecule encoding RANKL (Morris and Engelhard, 2002).
The U.S. pre-grant publication 20030017151 and the PCT publication WO 02/092016 disclose and claim a method of treating a patient with RANKL antisense oligonucleotides, an antibody that binds to a RANKL polypeptide or a ribozyme that cleaves RANKL mRNA to stimulate bone formation (Dougall and Anderson, 2003).
The U.S. pre-grant publication 20030021785 and the PCT publication WO 02/098362 disclose the use of an antisense approach to target RANKL mRNA transcripts (Dougall, 2003).
The Japanese patent application JP 2001157587 claims and discloses a nucleic acid sequences encoding human RANKL (Nagai, 2001).
As a consequence of RANKL involvement in many diseases, there remains a long felt need for additional agents capable of effectively regulating RANKL function. As such, inhibition is especially important in the treatment of disorders characterized by bone destruction, given that the upregulation of expression of RANKL is associated with so many different types of osteopenic diseases.
Antisense technology is emerging as an effective means for reducing the expression of specific gene products and has been proven to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications.
The present invention provides compositions and methods for modulating RANKL expression, and consequently RANKL function.


Devices and methods for isolating and/or culturing microorganisms are provided. The devices comprise one or more semi-permeable membranes and may additionally include a growth medium for the microorganism. The devices and methods described herein can be used to isolate and culture both known and novel microorganisms from any environment.

The GenBank® sequence database, which is an annotated collection of all publicly-available nucleotide and amino acid sequences, contains sequences from approximately 30,000 species of bacteria. While this number may appear impressive, it is instructive to note that a recent estimate suggests that the sea may support as many as 2 million different species of bacteria, and a ton of soil more than double that number (Curtis et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:10494-10499, 2002). Furthermore, only about 13,000 of the bacteria represented in GenBank® have been formally described, and almost all of these lie within 4 of the 40 bacterial divisions (DeLong, Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 4:290-295, 2001). The paucity of knowledge regarding other microbial species is similar or greater. This is at least in part due to the fact that the vast majority of microorganisms from the environment resist cultivation in the laboratory. These so called "uncultivables" represent 99-99.99% of all microbial species in nature (see, e.g., Young, ASM News 63:417-421, 1997).
Microbial diversity is typically examined by amplifying 16S rRNA genes from DNA samples isolated from a specific habitat. The sequences are then compared to each other and to the 16S rRNA sequences from known species. If no close match to an existing 16S rRNA gene sequence is found, then the test sequence is thought to represent a new microorganism and is termed an "uncultured microorganism." 16S rRNA genes, which are critical for translation, are the genes of choice for these experiments because they are thought to be conserved across vast taxonomic distance, yet show some sequence variation between closely related species. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA sequences obtained from direct sampling of environments suggest that uncultured microorganisms can be found in nearly every taxon within Bacteria and Archaea, and several groups at the division level have been identified with no known cultivable representatives (see, e.g., Giovannoni et al., Nature 345: 60-63, 1990; and Dojka et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66:1617-1621, 2000).
The principal reason for this disparity is that few microorganisms from environmental samples grow on nutrient media in Petri dishes. The discrepancy between the microbial total count and plate count is several orders of magnitude. Attempts to improve the recovery of microorganisms from environmental samples by manipulating growth media have been of limited success. Accordingly, new methods for isolating and growing previously uncultivable microorganisms are desirable. These methods may be useful in identifying microorganisms that are a valuable resource of novel metabolic products useful for pharmaceutical and industrial processes. In addition, these methods may be useful in identifying microorganisms critical for decomposing and recycling nutrients at a global scale.

Devices and methods for the selective isolation of microorganisms


A container includes a stationary container having at least an open side and provided with a first pair of rails at upper and lower positions of one inner end thereof, a second pair of rails at upper and lower positions of another inner end thereof, two secondary rails being pivotally connected to each of the rails at lower positions, and a movable container provided with a plurality of roller assemblies which are positioned to be rotatably engaged with the rails to enable the movable container to slide into the stationary container along the rails and slide out of the stationary container along the rails.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a container and in particular to one the volume of which can be expanded to twice as required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional container is a box for cargo, i.e. a large box of a standard size into which goods are packed so that they can be transported securely and efficiently from departure point to destination by road, ship, or rail, without having to be repacked in any way. Nevertheless, such a container is only designed for transporting goods, and cannot be used for other purposes.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a container which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.
This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a container.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved container the volume of which can be expanded to twice as required.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved container which includes a stationary container having at least an open side and provided with a first pair of rails at upper and lower positions of one inner end thereof, a second pair of rails at upper and lower positions of another inner end thereof, two secondary rails being pivotally connected to each of the rails at lower positions, and a movable container provided with a plurality of roller assemblies which are positioned to be rotatably engaged with the rails to enable the movable container to slide into the stationary container along the rails and slide out of the stationary container along the rails.
The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.


A cPCI server system includes a plurality of host processor cards. A management card is coupled to the plurality of host processor cards via at least one bus. The management card includes at least one user interface for receiving network address information from a user. The management card is configured to send received network address information to the plurality of host processor cards via the at least one bus, thereby configuring the host processor cards for management LAN communications.

Console communications are used in server systems to send and receive status, control and configuration information. If console communications are sent over a LAN using the TCP/IP protocol, the host processor cards on the LAN must be configured and provided Internet protocol (IP) address information. Console LAN communications cannot be established without having the correct IP settings. Most solutions in the marketplace use a serial, RS232 interface as the path to set up the IP address information. This requires a separate port connection to every host processor card. Using an RS-232 port works okay for a standalone server, but when the server is integrated with many others in a common chassis, a separate cable for each server is difficult to maintain and configure. Alternatively, dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) could be used to get a random address, but this requires that the proper subnet mask be preset. Furthermore, random IP addresses are not appropriate for servers because clients need to know their exact address.
It would be desirable to use a single interface in a server system to provide IP address information to all host processor cards in the server system.

System and method for providing network address information in a server system

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention is to provide a method for producing a copolymer for a cement admixture, which enables to easily produce a blend of a plurality of copolymers with different monomer compositions in one polymerization operation, and is superior in water reducing performance and/or slump retention ability. Disclosed is a method for producing a copolymer for a cement admixture, which comprises a step of polymerizing monomer components comprising unsaturated polyalkylene glycol ether-based monomer (A) and unsaturated organic acid-based monomer (B), wherein the unsaturated polyalkylene glycol ether-based monomer (A) is added into a reactor in advance and the unsaturated organic acid-based monomer (B) is added thereto with an addition rate thereof changed at least one time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a copolymer for a cement admixture, a cement admixture containing the copolymer, and a cement composition containing the cement admixture. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for producing a copolymer for a cement admixture which can be advantageously used in a cement composition such as cement paste, mortar and concrete, a cement admixture containing the copolymer and a cement composition containing such a cement admixture and widely used to build civil engineering and construction structures, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cement admixture has been widely used as a water reducing agent for a cement composition such as cement paste, mortar and concrete, and is now an indispensable material to build civil engineering and construction structures, and the like from a cement composition. Such a cement admixture serves to improve strength and durability of hardened material by enhancing fluidity of a cement composition to reduce water content of a cement composition. Heretofore, naphthalene-based admixtures such as condensates of naphthalene sulfonic acid and formalin, melamine-based admixtures such as condensates of melamine sulfonic acid and formalin, polycarboxylic acid-based admixtures such as aqueous vinyl copolymers of a polyalkylene glycol monoester-based monomer and a (meth)acrylic acid-based monomer and/or a dicarboxylic acid-based monomer have been known. Among these water reducing agents, since a polycarboxylic acid-based polymer fulfills higher water reducing performance as compared with conventional water reducing agents such as naphthalene-based water reducing agent, in particular, a cement admixture containing this polycarboxylic acid-based polymer has had many actual results as a high performance AE water reducing agent.
In such a cement admixture, in addition to the water reducing performance for a cement composition, such a cement admixture is required that can impart good viscosity thereto, in consideration of workability at a field where a cement composition is used. In general, a cement admixture used as a water reducing agent exhibits superior water reducing performance by lowering viscosity of a cement composition. In addition to such water reducing performance, in order to make the work easy at a field where a cement composition is used, it is required to maintain a certain degree of viscosity at a construction site of civil engineering and construction structures, etc. With a cement admixture fulfilling such performance, work efficiency can be improved in building of civil engineering and construction structures, etc.
Aiming at the objects, various cement admixtures have been proposed. For example, JP-A-2004-182583 has disclosed a cement admixture essentially containing a ternary system of or a more multi-component system of a copolymer obtained by polymerizing monomer components comprising 3 or more kinds of monomers including an ethylene-based monomer (A) having a polyoxyalkylene group, an unsaturated organic acid-based monomer (B) and other unsaturated monomers (C), wherein molar ratios of an ethylene-based monomer (A) having a polyoxyalkylene group and other unsaturated monomers (C) in the copolymer are changed during the polymerization. Also, JP-A-2001-180998 has disclosed a binary or a ternary system of cement admixture which can fulfill superior dispersibility and fluidity. The cement admixture disclosed therein is a concrete admixture containing a copolymer mixture obtained by copolymerizing at least one monomer (A) represented by the general formula (a):
(wherein R1 and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; m is in the range of 0 to 2; R3 represents a hydrogen atom or —COO(AO)nX; p is 0 or 1; AO represents an oxyalkylene group with carbon atoms of 2 to 4 or an oxystyrene group; n is in the range of 2 to 300; and X represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group with carbon atoms of 1 to 18), and at least one monomer (B) represented by the general formula (b):
(wherein R4 to R6 represent a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or (CH2)m1COOM2, wherein (CH2)m1COOM2 may form an anhydride together with COOM1 or another (CH2)m1COOM2, provided that M1 and M2 of these groups are not present; M1 and M2 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an ammonium group, an alkylammonium group or a substituted alkylammonium group; and m1 is in the range of 0 to 2), wherein the molar ratio of the monomers (A) and (B), (A)/(B) ratio, is changed at least one time during the reaction.
Furthermore, for the purpose to enhance performance of such a cement admixture, it is necessary that raw materials to be used should be severely controlled. For example, JP-A-11-71151 has disclosed a method for producing polycarboxylic acid for a cement admixture obtained by subjecting polyalkylene glycol having a peroxide value of not higher than 0.7 meq/kg to esterification reaction with (meth)acrylic acid to obtain polyalkylene glycol(meth)acrylate, and then copolymerizing the resultant polyalkylene glycol(meth)acrylate with (meth)acrylic acid.

Cement admixture and method for producing the same


A session token can be requested to be sent to a first computing service from a second computing service, and a first computing service can receive the requested session token from the second computing service. The first computing service can send a message that includes the session token through a passive client to the second computing service. The second computing service can receive the message that includes the session token from the passive client, and the second computing service can verify that the message is valid. This verification of the validity of the message can include verifying that the session token received back from the passive client matches the session token the second computing service sent to the first computing service.

Online computing services often communicate with clients, such as remote clients, over computer networks. As used herein, a computing service is a computing component (such as a computer application) that runs on a host that includes one or more computing machines and that performs actions for one or more local and/or remote clients. In some instances, a first computing service sends a redirect message to a client, instructing the client to redirect to another computing service. Such a redirect message may include information that the client is to send on to the second computing service.
Sometimes such a redirect message is used to instruct the passive client to communicate with a second computing service that requires authentication. In such a situation, user input has been required to sign into the second computing service, even if user input was already provided to sign into a first computing service that sent the redirect message.

Sending session tokens through passive clients


Irregularities in the outer surface of a commutator are identified and measured while the commutator is in the motor by removing a brush from its brush holder, and securing a jig in the brush holder. The jig has a sensor which generates electrical signals in response to movement of a profiling foot at an end of the sensor. The sensor is adjusted so that the profiling foot touches the commutator surface, and the commutator is then rotated at least one full revolution. By measuring movement of the profiling foot as the commutator turns, as observed through the output signals of the sensor, irregularities in the commutator surface can be identified and measured. The output signals of the sensor can be recorded or otherwise stored for analysis. The profiling foot is pivoted so that it rests flat against the commutator contacts, even if the brush holder is not properly aligned with the commutator.

Direct current motors and generators are used in many applications, including train locomotives. Such machines have a stator and a rotor in a housing. The rotor has several coils and a cylindrical commutator, and the commutator has a plurality of electrical contacts separated by insulators. Electric current is supplied to the rotor coils through the commutator contacts and electrically conductive brushes secured to the machine housing. The brushes are pressed against the commutator contacts by springs.
With use, the brushes wear down the outer surface of the commutator, often unevenly. If the surface is excessively uneven, with significant irregularities, the brushes will momentarily lose contact with the commutator surface as the commutator rotates, causing arcing and possibly significant damage to the machine.
To avoid such arcing, the outer surface of the commutator must be periodically measured for roundness and smoothness by removing the rotor and placing it in a lathe or the like. A linear voltage differential transducer, or LVDT, is placed against a selected portion of the commutator, and a reference output voltage is set. The commutator is then rotated, and changes in the radius of the commutator, including those which occur where there are irregularities in the outer surface of the commutator, are electronically measured and recorded on a chart recorder. The recorded output signals of the LVDT are analyzed to determine whether or not the commutator must be repaired. This system is inefficient if repairs are not needed, however, because a great deal of time is required to remove the rotor, install it in a lathe, and replace the rotor in the machine. It is particularly inefficient with locomotives and other applications where the machines are large and heavy. Thus, there is a need for methods and a system for measuring the roundness of the outer surface of a commutator to identify irregularities, without removing the rotor from the machine.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide new and improved methods and a system for identifying and measuring irregularities in the outer surface of a commutator.
Another object is to provide new and improved methods and a system for identifying and measuring irregularities in a commutator surface, without removing the commutator from the machine in which the commutator is installed.

Method and system for measuring irregularities in the surface of a commutator


In a lithographic system, data transmission is carried out by a powerful electro-optical free-beam connection system enabling optical pattern data to be guided from light exit places to light entrance places inside the vacuum chamber by free-space optical beams in order to produce control signals. The burden on the pattern production system is significantly reduced by the disappearance of mechanical and electrical contacts. The paths of the free-space optical beams and the particle beams can intersect each other in a non-influential manner. Active photodiodes acting as light exit places can be spatially disposed directly in the pattern production system. Passive light waveguides which can be bundled together to form multipolar fibre array plugs, or active transmission lasers, either of which can also act as light exit places, can be arranged outside the vacuum chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a maskless lithography system for direct, nano-scale capable structuring of a substrate disposed on a movable mounting table in a vacuum chamber supplied with a high voltage, using a charged particle beam generated by a beam source, and an addressable digital pattern generating system onto which the structure pattern to be generated is transmitted as a set of pattern data generated with computer assistance using a data transmission system.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Particle beam lithography plays a major role in the manufacture of devices in the field of microsystem-technology and monolithically integrated circuits in electronic, opto-electronic, optical and other embodiments, and their individual components, which comprise nano-sized structures measuring 100 nanometers and less. The geometrical structure to be produced on a substrate, typically a wafer, is converted into a set of pattern data with the assistance of a computer. Said set of pattern data is either used for manufacturing a mask that cannot be changed, a large area of which is being irradiated (indirect structuring technique), or said set of pattern data is continually worked off by suitably addressing the particle beam and the mounting table, on which the substrate to be structured is disposed (direct structuring technique). The indirect structuring technique is advantageous in that it enables parallel, and therefore very fast realization of the structure pattern. It has, however, also a disadvantage because of the extremely expensive manufacturing of the masks which can only be balanced by mass production of circuit layouts, because of the transfer of errors in the mask and because of the rather complex alignment when the mask is brought into position. Therefore, at present the direct structuring technique is being intensively developed further, since it offers the great advantage of flexibility with respect to the geometrical structure patterns that can be manufactured, which makes it ultimately less costly. However, this method has the disadvantage of a relatively low through-put of substrates as a result of the slow, serial structuring process employing the particle beam. Therefore, a greatest possible parallelization is also aimed at in the direct structuring method. For achieving this parallelization, different concepts are being pursued. On one hand, a plurality of parallel particle beams may be generated; on the other hand a programmable, changeable mask comprising electrically-addressed individual elements (apertures) as a pattern generating system may be irradiated with a homogeneous particle beam having a large cross section. The data rate, which needs to be processed in this preferred concept and which comprises the data for addressing the digitized structure pattern having 600,000 mask points, for instance, which are usually irradiated several times (grey scale system, comparable to the principle of the ink jet printer), and the addressing of the mounting table, is extremely high, and easily reaches several Tbit/s, such that suitable transmission of the data rate to the pattern generating system inside the vacuum chamber of the lithography system constitutes a particular problem associated with the direct structuring technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,867 B1 discloses a lithography system that is designated "maskless" since no unchangeable, rigid mask in a conventional sense is employed. Rather, the pattern generating system is configured as a pixel panel, which comprises a plurality of addressable individual elements, for instance, formed by digital mirror devices (DMD), which either transmit or block the light beam. The pattern to be generated is generated as a bitmap with the assistance of a computer, it is then stored in a storage device, and transmitted from there via a wire-bound signal connection to the pattern generating system. The data transmission system is based exclusively on a wired connection. Therefore, in order to achieve the high data transmission rate, a multitude of wire-bound data lines needs to be guided into the inside of the vacuum chamber of the lithography system, and needs to be contacted there. Thus, problems arise with the respect to their spatial arrangement and allocation, and in particular with respect to the mechanical fixation of the data lines to the carrier plate of the individual element to be addressed. Furthermore, removing the data lines for purposes of maintenance in the vacuum chamber is very complex. In addition, negative effects on the data to be transmitted may occur due to the conditions inside the vacuum chamber, in particular due to the applied high voltage.

Maskless lithography system and method using optical signals

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


The present invention is an oral condom which protects the user from contracting sexually transmitted diseases while engaging in oral, vaginal or anal sex. The oral condom provides an improved protective mask which is capable of protecting the facial area of a user from undesirable exposure to infection carrying microorganisms. The oral condom is shaped like an oval with two lateral leg portions which are attached to two ear attachments respectively. The oral condom includes conformed portions for the lips so that the lips can be more easily moved in a natural way and an extended portion for the tongue so the tongue can move in a natural way and not be hindered by the oral condom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of condoms. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of protective masks utilized in oral, vaginal and anal sex.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The practice of oral sex has been prevalent in our society throughout the ages. Traditionally, however, most couples performing oral sex do not wear any kind of protective mask on their faces so that the face, tongue and lips are protected against sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) and the well-known Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is known that people who have unsafe sex are the ones that transmit communicable sexually transmitted diseases. STD's and AIDS are widespread throughout the United States and all over the world, and are a major concern to many who engage in sexual activities including oral sex. AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases will continue to spread throughout the world until there are safe devices for protecting a couple or a prostitute while engaging in sexual activities including oral sex.
There are several different types of protective masks disclosed in the prior art. However these devices have many disadvantages. One disadvantage of prior art devices is that they only minimally cover the lips of the user and consequently leave substantial areas of the face of the user exposed, thereby leaving the user at risk. Another disadvantage of prior art protective masks is that they are affixed in place by strings on the head of a user. Securing these devices to the face of a user is a very time consuming process and users often complain that this process is overly burdensome and cuts down on the "spontaneity" of the sexual act that they wish to enjoy. Another disadvantage of prior art protective masks is that in order to remove the device after the sexual act is concluded, the user has to untie the strings which can prove to be a problem if the knot is tied too tightly. A further disadvantage of prior art devices is that they limit the freedom of movement of the jaw, tongue and lips of a user which further limits the user's desired activities.
The following six prior art patents were uncovered in the pertinent field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,988 issued to Treadwell on Jan. 8, 1935 for "Application For Mouth Suction" (hereafter "the Treadwell Patent").
2. U.S. Pat. No. 2,123,343 issued to Rightsell on Jul. 12, 1938 for "Sanitary Cover For A Body Organ" (hereafter "the Rightsell Patent").
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,708 issued to Kahaney on Sep. 11, 1990 for "Sunglasses Having Adjustable Temples" (hereafter "the Kahaney Patent").
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,456 issued to Rubin et al. on Mar. 28, 1989 for "Hygienic Device" (hereafter "the Rubin Patent").
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,767 issued to Harris et al. on Nov. 6, 1990 for "Vaginal Shield For Preventing Sexually Transmitted Diseases" (hereafter "the Harris Patent").
6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,649 issued to Johnson on May 21, 1991 for "Protective Mask" (hereafter "the Johnson Patent").
The Treadwell Patent discloses an applicator for a mouth suction. The device includes a rectangular shield with a nipple or bag-like portion which is pressed against the part of the shield surrounding an opening. The shield covers the mouth and lips of the user with the nipple extending into the mouth so that by placing the open end of the nipple against a wound, such as a snake bite, pressure and suction can be exerted on the wound and thus the poison in the wound can be drawn into the nipple.
The Rightsell Patent discloses a sanitary cover for a body organ. It includes a tubular portion which is integrated with a shield.
The Kahaney Patent discloses sunglasses having adjustable temples. The sunglasses have temple assemblies which are formed from elongated members which have a sleeve portion formed at their rear end. A leg member is telescopically received in the sleeve portion.
The Rubin Patent discloses a hygienic device. The device includes a thin planar pliable membrane with two end portions. The end portions has straps for stretching over and positioning around the ears.
The Harris Patent discloses a vaginal shield for preventing sexually transmitted diseases. It included a shield support strap structure that fits over the lower portion of a female user's body. A shield member completely covers the vagina, and it extends downwardly under the crotch of the person wearing the shield. The Harris device is cumbersome and probably is not effective in protecting the user from potential exposure to sexually transmitted diseases during cunnilingus.
The Johnson Patent discloses a protective mask. The mask is formed by an elongated planar membrane of a virus impermeable tough film material. The mask defines a lateral extension portion for extending downwardly and rearwardly over the chin of a wearer. The membrane also has a flaccid pouch-like central portion for accommodating free movement of the tongue of a wearer. The mask is secured to the head of the wearer by strings which are secured to end portions of the membrane and to the lateral extension portion. The mask provides a greater tension which results in less mobility and movement.
Therefore, there is always a need for improved protective masks for the consumer market, so that a user engaging in oral, vaginal and anal sex will be protected from communicable diseases. It is desirable to design an oral condom which prevents exposure to sexually transmitted diseases when engaging in oral, vaginal and anal sex. It is also desirable to design an oral condom which is easy and safe to use by a user, so that the user can enjoy the pleasures of oral sex without fear of contracting AIDS or other diseases.

Oral condom for preventing sexually transmitted diseases


The present invention provides a process for producing 1-alkoxy-1-trimethylsilyloxycyclopropane represented by the following general formula: ##STR1## by reacting microgranular metallic sodium dispersed in a hydrocarbon solvent, .beta.-halogenocarboxylic acid ester represented by the following general formula: ##STR2## and chlorotrimethylsilane. According to the present invention, by using no ether compound solvent (the ether compound solvent has various problems in safety) and using microgranular metallic sodium dispersed in a hydrocarbon solvent, 1-alkoxy-1-trimethylsilyloxycyclopropane can be industrially produced simply (no special apparatus is required) at an advantageous cost at a yield at least equal to that obtained when an ether is used as solvent.

1-Alkoxy-1-trimethylsilyloxycyclopropanes are known to be an important raw material used in synthesis of N-cyclopro-pylamines which are raw materials in synthesis of medicines and agricultural chemicals (Chem. Comm., 1987, p. 897; Tetrahedron Lett., 1995, p. 7399). Since showing a very characteristic reactivity of homoenolate anion equivalent in a carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction, they are also known to become an important intermediate in synthesis of perfumes, etc. (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., Vol. 108, p. 3745, 1986).
As to the process for synthesis of 1-alkoxy-1-trimethylsilyloxycyclopropane, a process is well known which comprises reacting 3-chloropropionic acid ester with sodium sand in the presence of trimethylchlorosilane in an ether solvent (Org. Synthesis, Vol. 63, p. 147, 1984).
The process, however, has a problem of complicated operation such as the following. That is, metallic sodium is heat-melted in toluene or xylene and stirred, followed by cooling to form sodium sand; only the supernatant portion of the solvent is taken out; the residual metallic sodium is washed a plurality of times to change the solvent to ether. Further, the above process can be conducted in a laboratory flask but has been difficult to carry out on an industrial scale for the following reasons, for example. In this procedure, metallic sodium catches fire easily when water comes in; and the ether used as a reaction solvent has a low flash point and is difficult to recycle, and when the ether is used in a large amount, it easily forms a peroxide which is explosive.
Meanwhile, it is described in Synlett, p. 89, 1990 that the above reaction, when an ultrasonic is applied to the reaction system, proceeds without making metallic sodium as sand-like one by heat-melting or the like. However, use of ultrasonic in industrial production requires a special apparatus, which is disadvantageous in cost and not practically suitable for industrial production.

Process for production of 1-alkoxy-1-trimethylsilyloxy cyclopropanes


A method for providing skid warning, a qualitative assessment of the coefficient of friction in the footprint of each tire, and a tire tread wear out indication to a vehicle operator or other automatic systems, is described. The method uses tread force sensors, which can be installed in a tire with minimal changes to tire materials and manufacturing methods, or after tire manufacture. Tread forces within the footprint of a tire are sensed by means of embedded sensors anchored at one end to the tire structure, and at the other end to the tire tread, such that slipping of small discrete tread elements in contact with the roadway can be detected; thereby enabling the determination of the coefficient of friction before the entire footprint slips. Furthermore, coupling of the sensors between the tire structure and the tread within a small area, enables the system to use tire deformation-induced tread gripping forces to determine the coefficient of friction without the presence of maneuvering loads. Tread wear is also determined by monitoring tread slip behavior and tread forces. A suitable system for conveying the tread force information from each tire and converting it into a measure of the coefficient of friction within each footprint, and then generating a skid warning indication, qualitative coefficient of friction and tread wear out displays is provided.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to vehicle tires, or other rolling members where it is desirable to monitor the coefficient of friction within the contact area between the rolling member and the rolling surface, and have a skid warning indicator.
2. Description of Prior Art
Since the arrival of automotive anti-skid brake systems and automatic traction control systems, it has become increasingly desirable to monitor the coefficient of friction between a vehicle's tires and the roadway in order to increase vehicle safety and fuel efficiency. The availability of powerful, sturdy computers and processors for automotive applications opens the door for sophisticated automated vehicle performance monitoring and control systems.
Unfortunately, existing methods do not adequately address the problems associated with monitoring the coefficient of friction in the footprint, and do not provide adequate information to the vehicle operator. Specific problems with existing methods include:
(a) measurement of the coefficient of friction requires multiple tires in contact with a roadway; thus continuous knowledge of conditions under individual tires cannot be determined PA1 (b) they rely on slip of the entire footprint area PA1 (c) the methods are insensitive when the maneuvering forces within the footprint are low PA1 (d) they require extensive data processing, and data from multiple types of sensors to remove noise and extract useful coefficient of friction information PA1 (e) they require extensive modifications to tire structure and materials to accommodate the tread force sensors PA1 (f) they cannot be installed after the tire manufacture is completed PA1 (g) they do not provide the vehicle operator with a qualitative indication of the roadway coefficient of friction, nor do they provide a skid warning indication PA1 (h) they do not provide an indication of the tread wear and overall tire tread condition, nor do they provide a wearout indication. PA1 (a) to provide a method and system to determine the coefficient of friction within the footprint of a single tire in contact with a rolling surface, at least once each revolution, by monitoring only a discrete element of the tread within the footprint such that the forces present on that discrete element of tread are sensed as the discrete element passes through the footprint. Slipping of the tread is determined by a change in the forces on the discrete tread elements that are not associated solely with the discrete element entering or leaving the footprint. PA1 (b) to provide a method to detect the slippage of a discrete element of the tread within the footprint of a rolling tire, that does not require slippage of all tread within the footprint. In other words, slippage of the entire footprint area, and a resultant change in wheel rotational speed is not required to determine the coefficient of friction in the footprint. PA1 (c) to provide a method of monitoring the forces on a discrete element of tread within the footprint of a rolling tire sensitive enough to detect the slippage of that discrete element of tread under very light maneuvering loads, or by sensing the gripping forces of the pneumatic tire under approximately zero maneuvering loads. PA1 (d) to provide a method of detecting the forces on a discrete element of tread within the footprint of a rolling tire while isolating the sensor from stresses and forces in the tire structure; thus minimizing the ability of various noise sources to couple into the sensor, reducing the processing required to extract meaningful coefficient of friction information, and eliminating the need for information from other sensors (such as accelerometers, tire temperature sensors, and tire pressure sensors). PA1 (e) to provide a method of detecting the forces on a discrete element of tread within the footprint of a rolling tire by means of a sensor assembly that can be incorporated into a conventional tire without extensive redesign of the tire structure, or the tread materials. PA1 (f) to provide a method of detecting the forces on a discrete element of tread within the footprint of a rolling tire by use of a sensor assembly that can be installed in a tire after the tire manufacture is completed. PA1 (g) to provide a system whereby the coefficient of friction is determined from the forces sensed in a discrete element of tread within the footprint of a rolling tire, such that the coefficient of friction is presented to the vehicle operator of the vehicle in the form of a qualitative assessment of roadway coefficient of friction as well as a skid warning indication. PA1 (h) to provide a tire wear out indication and overall assessment of tread condition.
Anti-skid braking systems, such as those described by Okazaki in U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,054 (14 Nov. 1995), by Walenty et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,619 (10 Apr. 1990), by Rath in U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,447 (25 Oct. 1988), and by Leiber in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,240 (8 Oct. 85) determine the coefficient of friction by monitoring the rotation of two or more wheels during braking or acceleration. A difference in wheel rotation is interpreted as slip. The slip information is combined with brake pressures and other parameters to derive an estimate of the coefficient of friction for the slipping wheel. For these systems to provide coefficient of friction information, slippage must occur everywhere within the footprint, and result in a significant change in tire rotational speed. During the slip, the affected wheel is not able to effectively control vehicle motion; therefore vehicle maneuvering forces must be reacted by the other tires. The added load on the remaining tires increases the potential for skid. Furthermore, it is not always obvious which of the two or more tires is slipping since the system is based on a difference in wheel speeds. In addition, these systems do not take the extra step to create and display an indication of coefficient of friction, or skid warning for the vehicle operator.
Other anti-skid systems, such as those described by Kuwana et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,255 (17 Aug. 1993) and by Kuwana et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,354 (15 Oct. 1991) rely upon acceleration sensors to detect wheel slip and have the same disadvantages discussed above.
Methods that measure the forces exerted by the wheel at the tire footprint have been described by Fioravanti in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,831 (28 Sep. 93) and in European patent EP-A-0 233 357. Fioravanti's method requires extensive modifications to conventional tire structure, materials and construction methods to allow the incorporation of flexible toroidal strain sensors within the tire structure. They cannot be installed in a tire after it has been built since the sensors are an integral part of the tire structure. These modifications will force tire manufacturers to change their processes extensively and will adversely affect tire performance because Fioravanti's method requires the use of extensometric transducers constructed of piezoresistive rubbers within the tread. Such materials do not have suitable wear characteristics for an automotive tire, and the materials are not readily blended or integrated with existing tire tread manufacturing materials and manufacturing techniques. The fact that tires such as those described by Fioravanti do not exist on the commercial market today, is evidence of the manufacturing problems inherent in the design. There are also significant operational problems with Fioravanti's design. The sensors are excessively sensitive to tire tread forces resulting from maneuvering loads, tire pressure changes, centrifugal forces and tire tread deformation within the footprint. The sensitivity results, in part, from the coupling of tire structure forces into the tread sensors. For example, as the tire pressure, or rotational speed changes, the tire structure will expand, forcing the tread to expand as well. This expansion will influence the tread sensor output and will be indistinguishable from tread forces caused by maneuvering loads without additional sensor information and signal processing. This is to be expected since the sensors described by Fioravanti were intended primarily to determine the full range of forces acting on the tire tread within the footprint. Fioravanti's sensors are not optimized for the determination of the coefficient of friction in the footprint. Additional sensors to measure tire pressure, tire temperature and vehicle acceleration will be required to extract useful coefficient of friction information, and due to the number, and magnitude, of forces acting on the tread sensors, it requires significant processing to extract coefficient of friction information and eliminate noise.
European patent EP-A-0 233 357 documents a method wherein sensors are connected between the wheel rim (or tire bead) and the inside of the tire. This methods has drawbacks similar to Fioravanti's; however, it has the added problem of being coupled entirely to the tire structure, (specifically the inside of the pneumatic tire such as indicated by 16 of FIG. 1), rather than the tread itself. This will make it unsuitable for sensing tire tread slip under light maneuvering loads. Like those already discussed, these systems do not take the extra step to create and display an indication of coefficient of friction, or a skid warning for the vehicle operator.
None of the known methods are designed to take advantage of the tire gripping forces that are a natural result of a pneumatic, or otherwise elastic, tire that is deforming under a load as it rolls on the roadway.
Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of our invention are:
Further objects and advantages are: to provide improved roadway coefficient of friction information to existing anti-skid braking systems, automatic traction control systems and other systems designed to improve the handling of a vehicle or which would benefit from roadway coefficient of friction information, and to provide the ability to sense slippage in lightly loaded wheels, tires and rollers such as those used in the paper milling and copier industries to feed and guide paper.
Further objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the coefficient of friction between a tire and rolling surface, particularly to provide the vehicle operator with coefficient of friction, tire tread wear out and skid warning indications


A pressure sensor includes a sensor element having a sensing portion for generating a signal upon receiving a pressure, a pressure transmission member having one end attached to a sensing portion of the sensor element and a diaphragm having two sides that warp under application of the pressure. One side of the diaphragm serves as a pressure sensing surface for detecting the pressure applied thereon and another side serves as an attachment surface to be attached to another end of the pressure transmission member for transmitting the pressure to the sensing portion of the sensor element, and the diaphragm takes a shape of corrugation that has a plural number of bends formed therein.

Conventionally, various types of pressure sensors are proposed for detecting a pressure that is transmitted from a diaphragm to a sensing portion of a sensor element by a pressure transmission member that is interposed between the diaphragm and the sensing portion of the sensor element. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,868 discloses a pressure sensor for generating a detection signal upon detecting a pressure of an object with the above-described structure that includes the diaphragm that warps under pressure of the object, the sensor element, and the pressure transmission member that touches one surface of the diaphragm by one end and also touches the sensing portion of the sensor element by another end.
However, the diaphragm in the pressure sensor is always pressed by the pressure transmission member for securely having contact with the transmission member. Therefore, the diaphragm is prone to damage such as breakage caused by the pressure from the pressure transmission member. In this case, the thickness of the diaphragm may be increased for improved mechanical strength of the diaphragm, with the sensitivity of the pressure sensor being compromised in return for the improved strength.


A channel map generation method includes: performing a power spectrum density detection on a plurality of channels in a frequency band, to generate a first channel map; and performing a first smoothing operation on the first channel map by a first window size to generate a second channel map. The first smoothing operation includes: grouping channels of the first channel map into a plurality of channel groups according to the first window size; and according to the number of good channels or bad channels in each of the channel group, deciding to retain channel determinations in the first channel map of the channel group, or re-designating all the channels of the channel group, so as to generate the second channel map.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a channel selection mechanism, and more particularly, to a method of determining a channel map according to power spectrum density (PSD) and an apparatus thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For a wireless communications system, there are a variety of interference sources in the air, e.g. the interference from the background, the interference from electronic device(s), the interference from the same transmission band, the interference from adjacent transmission band(s), and/or the interference from other wireless communications system(s). Thus, a wireless router or abase station is generally configured to operate in a transmission band with less interference, to thereby have better transmission efficiency.
For example, PSD is an index used to judge the energy scale of each band in the view of the spectrum, and can be used to determine the interference. In general, when the PSD value of a band is larger, it means that there is data transmission or interference source in the band. Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows an example of a conventional power spectrum density distribution. In FIG. 1, a threshold TH is used as a criterion for determining whether the PSD of a channel is too high. When the PSD of a channel exceeds the threshold TH, the channel will be viewed as a bad channel. That is, there is an interference source in the channel. Therefore, the bands with interference can be found through the power spectrum density detection technique. Next, the communications system avoids using these bad channels to improve the communications quality.
However, in order to reduce the cost of hardware, the PSD detection is usually performed by using the radio-frequency (RF) circuit of the communications apparatus, which makes the communications apparatus unable to perform data transmission. In other words, to achieve both of good communications quality and good transmission efficiency, the PSD detection has to be performed only in the period that the communications apparatus does not perform data transmission. Thus, the number of times of performing PSD detection is limited due to limited time periods. Besides, since the interference signals may appear or disappear with time, the PSD detection result might not exactly reflect the power spectrum density of the interference signals.
Thus, there is a need for a channel selection method which allows the PSD detection technique to correctly determine the bands with interference in a wireless local area network (WLAN), so as to improve the transmission quality and transmission rate by avoiding these bands with interference.

Channel map generation method and apparatus therefor