A method of displaying program-related information while the user views a program video mainly and a broadcasting program displaying device to implement the method without making the user""s operation complicated and confusing. A picture plane is constructed by two picture planes having a television picture plane (picture plane 1) for displaying the program video which is outputted from a broadcasting program displaying device and further a property state picture plane as another picture plane (picture plane 2). The program video is displayed to the picture plane 1 and an operation picture plane of the broadcasting program displaying device and the program related-information are displayed to the picture plane 2. A broadcasting program displaying device for two-screen construction has functions for display, recording, replay, reservation recording, and the like in response to an instruction from a device which the user operates.

The present invention relates to a broadcasting program displaying system and device for displaying many pieces of information to the user without confusion as a broadcasting program video picture plane and a user interface picture plane for controlling a broadcasting program displaying device for the user when viewing a video.
The following displaying techniques have been employed in the prior art to display many pieces of information.
As disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-279966 (published on Oct. 22, 1996), the so-called scroll display has been used. According to this scroll display, a large number of items of display information are displayed onto a virtual display picture plane, which is actually displayed only to an area of a display picture plane, parallel movement is executed in the display area, thereby displaying a partial area where desired information exists.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-73385 (published on Mar. 18, 1997), the so-called multi-window display has been used. According to this multi-window, display information is functionally subdivided and each subdivided information is displayed as an individual window. Windows are overlapped so as to display any desired window to the most front portion of the picture plane, and to thereby be displayed.
In case of describing data broadcasting services for digital broadcasting, various items of information for related program have been displayed so as to cover the front of a broadcasting program video.
On the contrary, in case of a remote controller which has been generally used, there is displayed only information which is necessary and sufficient to control a finite number of functions (such as time display and modes, e.g., play, fast forward in a broadcasting program display device) which is contained in equipment which is a control target.
The implementation of digitalization, multimedia, and multichannel have spread in fields peripheral to a television/broadcasting program displaying device such as digital television broadcasting and a television with the Internet connecting function.
This influences the usage of a viewing form what is called a xe2x80x9cviewing while displaying another videoxe2x80x9d such that while displaying program video as an original target of a television and broadcasting program displaying device, a large number of pieces of information other than the program video are displayed. Specifically speaking, an electronic program guide (EPG) is received as digital data as well as broadcasting data, a program which the user wants to view is selected from a great number of programs in the multichannel, the television/broadcasting displaying device is connected to the Internet on the basis of a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) for linking information on world wide web, and information relating to the program is accessed, thereby employing the above-mentioned viewing form.
In accordance with the change in viewing form, increasing a large number of items of information which the user obtains, an area to display the information is needed to be extremely large. Thus, the area to display the information is insufficient for a single picture plane of a television. The resolution of normal television receiver might be low in case of displaying a character, so that the character data occupies a relatively large area in a displaying picture plane and further it is apt to come short of displaying picture plane. In order to supplement the area of displaying picture plane, as mentioned above in the description of the prior art, the selective display of information results in increasing an area virtually.
However, the aforementioned prior art is utilized as means for displaying all of the many number of items of information to the same picture plane, and to thereby hidden a part of the program video which should be an original target of the television/broadcasting program displaying device. As a consequence, this might cause a situation such that the user forgets to view the program video and information instead thereof is mainly displayed or the like, that is, a preposterous situation. This also makes the operation complicated and confused, in other words, the user must select his desired information to be displayed, remember the existing place, and the like. Therefore, to allow the program video display to take a main part, the prior art has a problem to be solved that a method of displaying other information should be improved in some way.
Contrarily, remote control enables only instruction or display of a finite number of functions which have been prescribed in advance. Accordingly, in case of adding another function to a video/television device, it is incapable of additionally another instruction or display to operate the function.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of displaying information regarding a program when mainly viewing a program video without making the user""s operation complicated and confused, and a broadcasting program displaying device to implement the method. It is also an object of the present invention to a user interface which enables the function to be added to the broadcasting program displaying device on software and further instruction to the additional function to be realized.
To solve the problems, according to the present invention, a picture plane is constructed by two-picture plane comprising a picture plane 1 for displaying a program video and further a picture plane 2. The program video is displayed to the picture plane 1 and an operating picture plane and program-related information are displayed to the picture plane 2.
By the construction, a display picture plane is divided into the picture plane for program video and the picture plane for displaying the property information and the action state of the device, and therefore, it is possible to widen a picture plane area whereby the user can view both picture planes at the same time and browse the program-related information and the operating state and auxiliary related information.
Thus, it is capable of easily utilizing the viewing form to view the program video mainly and simultaneously view the related information, preventing the user""s operation from being complicated and confusing.
According to the present invention, there is provided a broadcasting program displaying device comprising: a video input unit such as a tuner; an input selector for selecting a program video which is inputted from the video input unit; a video output unit for outputting a video from the input selector; a property information obtaining unit for obtaining program property information as property information regarding the program video; a property information output unit for displaying to the user an action state of the device and program property information which is obtained from the property information obtaining unit as a video; and a control unit for controlling each unit.
Further, the broadcasting program displaying device may have: a storage; a video recording unit for recording the program video, which is selected by the input selector, to the storage; a property information recording unit for recording the program property information, which is obtained by the property information obtaining unit, to a program property information list that is provided to the storage; a property information reproduce unit for obtaining property information of recorded programs, which is arbitrarily designated among the program property information that has been already recorded to the storage; a video replay unit for reading out of the storage, a video of recorded programs, which is arbitrarily designated among videos of the recorded programs that have been already recorded to the storage, and play backing the read-out recorded program video; and a video switching unit for switching the recorded program video from the video replay unit and the selected video selected by the input selector. The aforementioned broadcasting program displaying device may also have an instruction input unit.
Furthermore, the broadcasting program displaying device may have a program execution unit which can execute an arbitrary program, and the state of program execution may be displayed to the picture plane 2, thereby displaying the execution situation of the program.
The user connects to the broadcasting program displaying device with the above-described construction, a device comprising a display (output) device and an input device and a user interface displayed by a second display picture plane. He also operates the broadcasting program displaying device by an input from the interface. Thus, it is possible to provide a broadcasting program displaying device for enabling arbitrary change in action of the broadcasting program displaying device such as replay, recording, and action standby. It is also possible to support to obtain a function and information which relate to the program viewing and are convenient such as obtaining of the program-related information by browsing the world wide web. Further, it is possible to make software version-up, for instance, adding a new function to the broadcasting program displaying device. Moreover, it is capable of providing a broadcasting program displaying device for implementing the automation of actions by a software program.
Note that the program-related property information denote a program outline, in other words, broadcasting channel of each program, time information such as starting time and ending time, title of each program, cast, plot, etc. The program-related property information may include property for describing a person and an object which appear in the program video, further a video, audio, a document, and a drawing for explaining the contents of the program auxiliarily, and a character train and a data string for indicating positions where they exist.
The foregoing construction enables the user to browse a broadcasting station, a channel, starting/ending time, title, contents which relate to a program, and the device to act therein, using the information. The user views the description for a person and an object which appear in the program by a second picture plane which is different from that of the program video, so that the user can understand the program well. Further, the user obtains the description for the person and object which appear in the program by a different service provider and therefore, can understand the program well.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a broadcasting program displaying device further comprising a clock, wherein when the user stores the property information which has been already obtained arbitrarily, especially, a channel of the program, and starting/ending time, recording is reserved to be performed automatically. As a consequence, it is able to provide a recording reserving function utilizing the program property information.
It is noted that the above-expressed broadcasting program displaying device may be constructed by employing a personal computer as a core. This enables providing of a broadcasting program displaying device using a personal computer. Accordingly, it is able to utilize a higher processing capacity, add a new function, and widen the life style around the user""s program viewing.
It is sufficient to display a part of property information, which is displayed to the picture plane 2, to the picture plane 1 as the necessity may arise. Thus, it is easy to allow the user to recognize especially important information from a program video distributor or the broadcasting program displaying device, and it is able to make the user pay attention.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with accompanying drawings.

Broadcasting program displaying device for receiving and displaying a program video and property information


Antisense compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of kinesin-like 1. The compositions comprise antisense compounds, particularly antisense oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acids encoding kinesin-like 1. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of kinesin-like 1 expression and for treatment of diseases associated with expression of kinesin-like 1 are provided.

The intracellular transport of proteins, lipids, and mRNA to specific locations within the cell, as well as the proper alignment and separation of chromosomes in dividing cells, is essential to the functioning of the cell. The superfamily of proteins called kinesins (KIF), along with the myosins and dyneins, function as molecular engines to bind and transport vesicles and organelles along microtubules with energy supplied by ATP. KIFs have been identified in many species ranging from yeast to humans. The amino acid sequences which comprise the motor domain are highly conserved among eukaryotic phyla, while the region outside of the motor domain serves to bind to the cargo and varies in amino acid sequence among KIFs. The movement of a kinesin along a microtubule can occur in either the plus or minus direction, but any given kinesin can only travel in one direction, an action that is mediated by the polarity of the motor and the microtubule. The KIFs have been grouped into three major types depending on the position of the motor domain: the amino-terminal domain, the middle motor domain, and the carboxyl-terminal domain, referred to respectively as N-kinesin, M-kinesin, and C-kinesins. These are further classified into 14 classes based on a phylogenetic analysis of the 45 known human and mouse kinesin genes (Miki et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2001, 98, 7004-7011).
One such kinesin, kinesin-like 1, a member of the N-2 (also called bimC) family of kinesins and is involved in separating the chromosomes by directing their movement along microtubules in the bipolar spindle. During mitosis, the microtubule bipolar spindle functions to distribute the duplicated chromosomes equally to daughter cells. Kinesin-like 1 is first phosphorylated by the kinase p34cdc2 and is essential for centrosome separation and assembly of bipolar spindles at prophase (Blangy et al., Cell, 1995, 83, 1159-1169). In rodent neurons, kinesin-like 1 is expressed well past their terminal mitotic division, and has been implicated in regulating microtubule behaviors within the developing axons and dendrites (Ferhat et al., J. Neurosci., 1998, 18, 7822-7835). The gene encoding human kinesin-like 1 (also called KNSL1, EgS, HsEg5, HKSP, KIF11, thyroid interacting protein 5, and TRIP5) was cloned in 1995 (Blangy et al., Cell, 1995, 83, 1159-1169).
Inhibition of kinesin-like 1 has been suggested as a target for arresting cellular proliferation in cancer because of the central role kinesin-like 1 holds in mitosis. Expression of kinesin-like 1 may also contribute to other disease states. A contribution of kinesin-like 1 to B-cell leukemia has been demonstrated in mice as a result of upregulated expression of kinesin-like 1 following a retroviral insertion mutation in the proximity of the kinesin-like 1 gene (Hansen and Justice, Oncogene, 1999, 18, 6531-6539). Autoantibodies to a set of proteins in the mitotic spindle assembly have been detected in human sera and these autoantibodies have been associated with autoimmune diseases including carpal tunnel syndrome, Raynaud's phenomenon, systemic sclerosis, Sjorgren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and polyarteritis. One of these autoantigens is kinesin-like 1 and has been identified in systemic lupus erythematosus (Whitehead et al., Arthritis Rheum., 1996, 39, 1635-1642).
Currently, there are no known therapeutic agents which effectively inhibit the synthesis of kinesin-like 1. The use of antibodies to kinesin-like 1 has been reported several times in the art as a method to examine the participation of kinesin-like 1 during different stages of mitosis (Blangy et al., Cell, 1995, 83, 1159-1169.; Kapoor et al., J. Cell Biol., 2000, 150, 975-988.; Whitehead and Rattner, J. Cell Sci., 1998, 111, 2551-2561). For instance, in the presence of antibodies specific to kinesin-like 1, microtubule arrays responsible for pre- and post-mitotic centrosome movement never form, confirming the recurring role of kinesin-like 1 in establishing the microtubule arrays that form during cell division. This role may also encompass the ability of kinesin-like 1 to influence the distribution of other protein components associated with cell division (Whitehead and Rattner, J. Cell Sci., 1998, 111, 2551-2561).
The small molecule monastrol has been used in vitro as a useful and specific tool to probe the involvement of kinesin-like 1 in the mitotic process (Kapoor et al., J. Cell Biol., 2000, 150, 975-988). Like the anti-kinesin-like 1 antibodies, the small molecule monastrol produces a monoastral phenotype, as opposed to the bipolar spindle, and subsequently arrests mitosis. The formation of the monastral spindle is reversible when monastrol is washed away, and the mechanism of monastrol action is presumed to be inhibition of kinesin-like 1 (Mayer et al., Science, 1999, 286, 971-974).
Another small molecule, all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) is able to arrest growth in a number of different cell types such as melanoma, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, embryonic stem, and carcinoma cells by modulating gene expression. Kinesin-like 1 is one of these target genes and the expression of kinesin-like 1 in pancreatic carcinoma cell lines is inhibited by ATRA at the posttranscriptional level. These anti-proliferative effects arising from ATRA inhibition of kinesin-like 1 was further confirmed by the use of an antisense expression vector directed against kinesin-like 1 (Kaiser et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1999, 274, 18925-18931).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0165240, published Nov. 7, 2002 (Kimball et al.), discloses methods for treating a condition via modulation of Eg5 protein activity comprising administering a small molecule Eg5 inhibitor.
There remains a long felt need for additional agents capable of effectively inhibiting kinesin-like 1 function.
Antisense technology is emerging as an effective means for reducing the expression of specific gene products and may therefore prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications for the modulation of kinesin-like 1 expression. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the mRNA of the kinesin has been used to assay for the optimization of siRNA transfection, and was found to induce mitotic arrest. D. Weil et al., 2002, BioTechniques 33:1244-1248. U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,521, issued Oct. 29, 2002 (Uhlmann et al.), discloses and claims oligonucleotides for the inhibition of human Eg5 expression. PCT Publication WO 03/030832, published Apr. 17, 2003 (Reinhard et al.), discloses use of antisense oligonucleotides that target human kinesin genes for treating diseases involving aberrant cell proliferation. The kinesin gene may be human Eg5.
The present invention provides compositions and methods for modulating kinesin-like 1 expression.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Antisense modulation of kinesin-like 1 expression


A device for extending living tissue includes at least two rigid supports that respectively have a plurality of hook-like barbs on one end thereof for attachment to the skin, each point of attachment corresponding to a respective edge of the areas of tissue to be treated, while the other end of each support includes at least one guide for receiving a flexible extendable elastic belt thereabout, the belt having a portion extending parallel along at least one of the rigid supports.

As in the above-mentioned earlier patent application, one of the main applications of the present invention lies in making implantable extender devices to operate for a determined length of time beneath the scalp in order to diminish baldness, however other applications can be envisaged for the device of the invention, whenever it is useful or necessary to stretch tissue, for example to diminish wounds, or scars, or tattoos, or pigmented naevi; it is sometimes necessary to cover the surface concerned with new skin, particularly when the previous skin has been destroyed or damaged by burning, tumors, injury, etc.
Concerning baldness, known medically as "male-pattern alopecia", which is definitive and applies to one in three of men aged 50, the only effective therapy is surgical, as follows: a portion of the healthy follicles that are genetically programmed to last throughout life is surgically redistributed, which in practice means taking hair from around the tonsure.
Various methods of intervention and specific devices are known at present, such as those described in the earlier patent application: they can be characterized by three basic techniques, namely: implants, reductions of the tonsure, and flaps. All of them consist in moving hair-carrying scalp to take the place of some or all of the bald scalp. The present invention relates to the second of those techniques, and a method of intervention is described using devices that are specifically claimed in the above-mentioned patent application No. WO 93/21849 and then in FR No. 2 715 292, having the same Applicants, so there is no need to reproduce the general introduction and detailed description thereof in the present application.
It is merely recalled that there exist at present three methods of intervention, all using the same technique of reducing the tonsure and each of them making use of specific devices. The most recent method is that developed and tested successfully since filing the above-mentioned first patent application: it describes and teaches extender devices for that purpose in particular. Such a device comprises both elastic means of outside dimensions in an active extended position such that a portion of its perimeter corresponds substantially with and underlies the edges of at least a portion of the area of tissue to be treated, and at least two hooking means, each secured to one end of the elastic means, the ends being opposite each other in the active elastic direction of said elastic means, and enabling the device to be fixed in said tissue along said edges.
The present invention relates to a novel type of elastic extender device that operates on the same principle and that is used with the same intervention method: such devices are also called "extenders" since they act by selectively stretching surface area. It can thus be recalled that by using such devices with the method in question, good results are obtained in reducing tonsure, with few surgical interventions, and throughout the duration of treatment the appearance of the head remains sufficiently acceptable to enable the person concerned to continue with any normal activity, and no follicles are destroyed by ischemia of the surface layers of the scalp unlike that which has been observed in other techniques. When extender devices are applied, advantage is taken of the ability of living tissue, such as the scalp, to be stretched in the same manner as has been performed with balloons (which constitute one of the other two above-mentioned prior art methods of intervention for reducing tonsure). However, in the present case there is a great advantage associated with the fact that the tissue or hair-carrying scalp is stretched and distorted progressively but without any increase in volume. Thus instead of the total area increasing in the same manner in all directions, area is increased in predetermined directions only. There is thus firstly no change in morphology, and in particular in the shape of the head when the scalp is involved, and secondly there is no stretching in directions that are not useful.
Also, since the active ends of the extender device can be placed exactly at the edges of the zones or areas of tissue to be treated that are to be subjected to traction in order to change area, zones that are not to be stretched are not subjected directly to said tension: thus, when stretching the scalp, there is no secondary stretching of the bald zones, thereby improving the effectiveness of the system and the speed of its action.
Nevertheless, at present with known extender systems such as those described in the above-mentioned patents, and when it is desirable to have an extender of fairly large elongation capacity in order to be able to anchor its hooking means far apart (depending on the dimensions of the area of the bald zone to be reduced), it becomes necessary to increase the length of the elastic means interconnecting the hooking systems when at rest. If the device has a large elongation coefficient, e.g. such as 200% or 300%, there will always remain between the hooking systems a rest length of the elastic means equal to L for a maximum amount of dynamic variation in stretching by the hooking systems respectively equal to 2L or 3L.

Elastic device for extending living tissue and having large capacity for elongation


The present invention provides a weight redistribution system including an axle carrier slideably engaged along a length of a trailer frame, wherein the axle carrier including a threaded fixture and the trailer frame includes parallel longitudinal beams having a plurality of equally spaced openings; an axle carrier positioning means including a motor means and a threaded shaft mounted to the trailer frame being in rotational engagement with the threaded fixture of the axle carrier; a weight monitoring system integrated into the axle carrier; an axle carrier locking means including at least one extendable pin mounted on the axle carrier for locking engagement into one of the equally spaced openings in the longitudinal beams; and a control interface for displaying data from the weight monitoring system, actuating the axle carrier positioning means, and actuating the axle carrier locking means.

The distribution of the weight in a tractor trailer is a serious consideration in today's trucking industry. With a high percentage of trucks reaching the allowable gross vehicle weight of 40 tons, it is important for the weight to be distributed properly to avoid fines and increased road damage, and to maintain proper stability. At the same time, however, necessary repetitions of weighing and redistributions can be timely and expensive.
A significant problem with the current method of weight distribution is in the movement of the rear tandem axles. This solution, however, is riddled with problems that greatly decrease efficiency. The first step, the removal of the locking pins, is a time intensive procedure typically requiring more than one person if the locking pins are stuck or corroded in place. The second step, the movement of the trailer over the tandems, involves repeated iterations and trips to and from the trailer to get the locking pins lined up properly in the correct locations. This cycle, in addition to frequent trips to a certified scale, can cost valuable time.
In view of the deficiencies in the prior methods of weight redistribution, a need exists for automating the movement of the tandem trailer and actuation of the locking pins in a more efficient manner.


A signal processing system applies space-time adaptive processing ("STAP") to an airborne surveillance Doppler radar comprised of a single-channel, electronically scanned antenna. The STAP substantially improves signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio ("SINR") by synthetically creating angular degrees of freedom, thereby improving the detection of weak targets.

The present invention describes an adaptive processor for use on an airborne surveillance aircraft with an electronically scanned antenna. Specifically, this invention improves the detection performance of an airborne surveillance radar system by improving its signal-to-interference plus noise ratio ("SINR").
Adaptive processing for airborne surveillance typically involves linearly combining weighted spatial and temporal samples. The adaptive weights, computed via a signal processor, maximize SINR by incorporating the estimated statistics of the dynamically changing signal environment. Increased SINR improves detection of targets. The radar community generally refers to this type of processor as a space-time adaptive processor ("STAP").
Alternatively, a sequence of linear transformations may be applied to the spatial and temporal samples, in which case the STAP can operate in this linearly transformed domain. For example, applying a two-dimensional Discrete Fourier Transform ("DFT") to the spatial and temporal samples provides a linear transformation from the space-time domain to the angle-Doppler frequency domain. In this case, the STAP operates in the angle-Doppler domain by linearly combining weighted angle and Doppler components. The adaptive weights are thus applied in the frequency domain to maximize SINR. Applying the two-dimensional DFT is equivalent to digital beamforming followed by Doppler processing, thereby transforming the spatial samples to angular frequency and temporal samples to Doppler frequency.
The STAP usually applies to an airborne radar with multiple receive channels, thereby yielding multiply-correlated spatial samples. Several combined radiating elements of an antenna form a subarray, and each of the subarrays comprises a channel. A subarray can be oriented horizontally and vertically with respect to the centerline of the aircraft. Spacing among subarrays oriented horizontally allows spatial sampling and discrimination of signals whose direction of arrival ("DOA") varies in azimuthal angular frequency, also called "azimuth".
On the other hand, spacing among subarrays oriented vertically allows spatial sampling and discrimination of signals whose DOA varies in elevational angular frequency, also called "elevation". In contrast, temporal sampling results from the pulse-Doppler mode of typical airborne surveillance radar. An example of a system that provides azimuthal and elevational spatial samples and temporal radar signal samples is a pulse-Doppler, planar, phased-array antenna.
In a common configuration for surveillance radar, a rotating antenna with a single receive channel electronically scans the antenna's transmit-and-receive beam in elevation. This rotating antenna may comprise slotted waveguides stacked vertically. Using fixed analog hardware, each waveguide aperture combines the received signals into a single channel. This step is called analog beamforming. By varying the electronic phase of the waveguide apertures, the beam can scan in elevation. Implementing STAP on such a system typically requires costly hardware modifications or a complete redesign of the system to create multiple spatial channels for conventional STAP operation.
Thus it is desirable to implement STAP in an airborne surveillance platform having a single-channel, electronically scanned antenna without costly redesign and reconstruction of the radar hardware.

Adaptive elevational scan processor statement of government interest

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A package for containing food products has at least two compartments having different atmospheric conditions. Each of the compartments may be sealed by a membrane having different permeability. The membranes may be sealed to a peripheral flange extending around each of the compartments. The peripheral flange is designed to facilitate severing in place on the tray of a membrane from a continuous web of material.

This invention relates generally to food packaging and particularly to techniques for packaging food products in a modified gaseous atmosphere.
It has been proposed to package a variety of food products in modified atmosphere packaging. For example, meat products may have their shelf life extended if they are packaged in a reduced oxygen atmosphere until the time of sale is near. Thereafter, the packages can be exposed to a higher oxygen content environment causing the red meat product to "bloom", changing to the red color more familiar to retail consumers. Exemplary packages that facilitate the modified atmosphere packaging of meat are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,439,132 and 5,419,096, hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
While oxygen exposure is detrimental to the shelf life of certain products, it is essential to the shelf life of other products, such as lettuce, bread and other items. In these cases, it is important to the texture and freshness of the product that it be exposed to a normal atmospheric environment.
Commercial food packages must be amenable to high speed packaging operations. Thus, any practical food package must not only have advantageous functional features, but it must also be designed to facilitate high speed manufacture, essential to achieving low cost. One exemplary high speed food packaging apparatus which is capable of modified atmosphere packaging is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,759, hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.


An exercise machine having non-matched cable pairing is provided. The exercise machine may include a frame, a resistance element, at least a first plurality of corresponding engagement points and a second plurality of corresponding engagement points operatively associated with the frame, and first and second elongated flexible members routed through a pulley system. The first flexible member may be operably associated with the resistance element and may include opposing cable portions associated with and extending between one of the first plurality of corresponding engagement points and another engagement point not in the first plurality of corresponding engagement points. The second flexible member may be operably associated with the resistance element and may include opposing cable portions associated with and extending between another of the first plurality of corresponding engagement points and another engagement point not in the first plurality of corresponding engagement points.

Various fitness devices, such as exercise machines, exist to perform a variety of fitness exercises. These devices may be complex. Due to complexity, these devices can be expensive, hard to maintain and to use, unreliable, and nondurable.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved exercise machine that addresses at least in part the above described problems and/or which more generally offers improvements or an alternative to existing arrangements.

Exercise machine having non-matched cable pairing


Disclosed is a novel silver halide photographic material is provided comprising a support having thereon (a) a layer containing at least one methine compound represented by the following general formula (I) and (b) a layer containing at least one methine compound represented by the following general formula (II), (III), (IV) or (V): ##STR1## wherein the variables in the formulas are defined in the detailed description. In a preferred embodiment, the silver halide photographic material comprises at least one methine compound represented by general formula (I) and at least one methine compound represented by general formula (II) or (V) in the same layer.

In recent years, increases in the speed of development processing and the tendency to add a large amount of sensitizing dyes have worsened the problems that some sensitizing dyes contained in silver halide photographic materials are left uneluted during development and that colors remain in the photographic material (so-called color remaining).
Heretofore, there have been proposed as sensitizing dyes causing little color remaining those dyes containing hydrophilic substituents such as sulfamoyl group and carbamoyl group (as disclosed in JP-A-1-147451, JP-A-61-294429, and JP-A-61-77843 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), and JP-B-45-32749 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication")). However, since the adsorption of sensitizing dyes normally falls with the increasing hydrophilicity, all these proposals leave much to be desired in sensitivity as well as in color remaining. Further, the sensitizing dyes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,933 and European Patent 451816A1 have an appreciable effect eliminating color remaining but leave much to be desired in the provision of sufficient sensitivity.


A reducing agent supply device for supplying a reducing agent to a portion of a passage for a flue gas upstream of a SCR catalyst includes at least one header pipe extending in the passage and configured to allow the reducing agent to pass through; a plurality of injection nozzles disposed on the header pipe at intervals along an extension direction of the header pipe and configured to inject the reducing agent into the passage; a heat shield plate disposed on an upstream side of the header pipe with respect to a flow direction of the flue gas and having a longitudinal direction along the extension direction of the header pipe; and at least one fixing part contacting each of the heat shield plate and the header pipe and fixing the heat shield plate to the header pipe.

Conventionally, for example, in order to remove NOx from combustion flue gas of fossil fuel or the like, a denitration device configured to promote the reaction using a denitration catalyst (e.g., SCR catalyst) by mixing a reducing agent such as ammonia into the flue gas is known. For example. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for efficiently mixing ammonia into flue gas by shaping an ammonia supply pipe extending in a flue gas passage to have a sharp end facing upstream in the flue gas flow direction.

Reducing agent supply device and denitration device


First, a trench penetrating first conductive layers and interlayer insulating layers is formed. Next, a column-shaped conductive layer is formed to fill the trench via a side wall layer. Then, after formation of the side wall layer, by migration of oxygen atoms between the side wall layer and the first conductive layers or migration of oxygen atoms between the side wall layer and the interlayer insulating layers, a proportion of oxygen atoms in the side wall layer adjacent to the interlayer insulating layers is made larger than a proportion of oxygen atoms in the side wall layer adjacent to the first conductive layers, whereby the side wall layer adjacent to the first conductive layers is caused to function as the variable resistance element.

1. Field
Present embodiments relate to a semiconductor memory device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with increasingly high integration of semiconductor memory devices, LSI elements configuring these devices have been more and more miniaturized. This miniaturization of LSI elements requires not only simply that line width be narrowed, but also an improvement in dimensional accuracy, positional accuracy and so on of circuit patterns. An example of a technology that has been proposed for overcoming such problems is ReRAM (Resistive RAM) where a variable resistance element having a reversibly changeable resistance value is employed as a memory cell. Moreover, having this ReRAM adopt a VAL (Vertical Array Line) structure where the variable resistance element is provided between a side wall of a word line extending parallel to a substrate and a side wall of a bit line extending perpendicularly to the substrate enables even higher integration of a memory cell array to be achieved.
However, in the VAL structure, a variable resistance layer functioning as the ReRAM is provided not only on a side surface of the word line, but also on a side surface of an interlayer insulating layer between word lines. Therefore, a leak current occurs between word lines via the variable resistance layer. Moreover, this leak current causes malfunction of memory cells to occur and power consumption to increase.

Semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same


This invention relates to reactive derivatives of 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyimino acetic acid and 1H-tetrazol-1-acetic acid of the following general formula I, ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## as well as to use thereof in the manufacture of cephalosporin antibiotics such as cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and cefazolin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to reactive derivatives of 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyimino acetic acid and 1H-tetrazol-1-acetic acid of the following general formula I, ##STR3## wherein R.sub.3 = ##STR4##
The present invention also relates to the process for the production thereof as well as to the process for the use thereof in the manufacture of cephalosporin antibiotics such as cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and cefazolin.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is known in the art to synthesize different cephalosporin antibiotics, for instance compounds of formula II which generally comprise of amidification of 7-position of appropriate cephalosporin nucleus with or without substitution at 3.alpha.-position, with the desired addenda. ##STR5## wherein R.sub.1 =H, carboxylic protecting group; ##STR6##
Usually, the synthesis by such known processes of various cephalosporin antibiotics comprises of acylation of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) or 7-amino desacetoxycephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) derivatives with a reactive derivative such as an acid chloride, an acid anhydride, an activated ester, etc., of the addendum acid for instance of formulas III and IV. ##STR7##
The above can be described schematically as follows: ##STR8## A number of methods utilizing this concept have been reported for the functionalization of position 7 of the desired cephalosporin nucleus and these are summarized below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,432 describes acylation of 7-ACA with an acid chloride of formula V in which the amino group in the thiazole ring is protected. The amino group is subsequently deprotected generally by hydrolysis or hydrogenolysis. ##STR9##
Because of the inherent inefficiency of amidification of the 7-amino group of cephalosporin nucleus and also of the steps involved in protection and deprotection of the amino group of the thiazolyl ring, the overall yields are low and far from satisfactory. JP 52-102096, JP 53-157596 and GB 2 025 933 utilize the same chemistry--i.e., formation of 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-oxyimino acetyl chloride either with PCl.sub.3, PCl.sub.5, SOCl.sub.2 or POCl.sub.3.
Needless to say, the protection and deprotection of the amino group of the thiazolyl ring are involved in such conventional synthesis techniques for cephalosporin antibiotics.
Besides protection and deprotection of the amino function, the resulting acid chloride, e.g., 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyimino acetyl chloride, 1H-tetrazol-1-acetyl chloride, is unstable, creating further complication for the synthesis of the desired cephalosporin antibiotics.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,745 utilizes the same concept, i.e., formation of 1H-tetrazol-1-acetyl chloride in dimethylacetamide and coupling the acid chloride with the DMF-solvate of the hydrochloride of 7-aminocephalosporin of the following formula VI as shown below to yield cefazolin. ##STR10##
However, yields are low. Also, the acylating agent, 1H-tetrazol-1-acetyl chloride, because of its inherent instability, is difficult to isolate and store at room temperature. Another limitation of this process is that acylation is to be carried out in strictly anhydrous conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,099 describes a process for the synthesis of .beta.-lactam derivatives such as cefotaxime and ceftriaxone in which silylated 7-ACA is acylated with acyloxyphosphonium chloride derivative of 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-syn-methoxyimino acetic acid, which, in turn, is prepared from triphenyl phosphine (TPP), hexachloroethane or carbontetrachloride and 2(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-syn-methoxyimino acetic acid. Since triphenyl phosphine (TPP) is used as a reactant, the overall cost of coupling the addendum III to the cephalosporin nucleus becomes high.
EP 037,380 describes a process for the synthesis of cephalosporin antibiotics, e.g., cefotaxime and ceftriaxone, which comprises acylation of 7-ACA derivatives with an intermediate of formula VII, ##STR11##
However, the synthesis of the 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyimino acetic acid benzthiazolyl thioester from 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyimino acetic acid and bisbenzthiazolyl-(2)!disulfide, involves the use of a costly condensation aid such as triphenyl phosphine (TPP), rendering the whole synthesis very costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,988 describes a process for the production of cephalosporins, in particular, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone, in which an activated form of an organic acid, i.e., 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-oxyiminoacetylsulfite dialkylformiminium halide hydrohalide of the following formula VIII; ##STR12## is coupled with a 7-aminocephalosporanic acid derivative. The compound of formula VIII was prepared by reacting 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-oximino acetic acid with dimethyl formiminium chloride chlorosulfite of formula IX, which in turn was prepared by reacting approximately equimolar quantities of thionyl chloride and dimethylformamide at room temperature in specific solvents only like benzene or toluene, and hence suffers from a limitation.
However, poor results have been obtained when an attempt was made to prepare the compound of formula IX in solvents such as chloroform and dichloromethane. In these solvents, the compound IX did not separate out in its characteristic form of insoluble oil, as the polarity of these solvents does not allow the formation of these reactants.
Thus, it is evident that the procedures described in the prior art for the preparation of 7-acylamino cephalosporanic acid derivatives are either complex, involving protection or deprotection, or costly, or have other limitations.

Method for manufacture of cephalosporin and intermediates thereof


Disclosed are systems and methods relating to profiling software and configuration information associated with one or more entities. In various implementations, software and configuration information associated with one or more entities may be retrieved. The retrieved software and configuration information may provide state information associated with the one or more entities. The retrieved information may be processed to identify one or more changes in the software and configuration information that is associated with the one or more entities. A report may be generated based on the retrieved information. The report may display identified changes in a state for at least one entity based on the changes in the software and configuration information that were identified during the processing.

The present invention relates to the field of information technology and more particularly, systems and techniques that relate to deploying a software application.
Enterprise application software may be software used by an organization, such as a business, to perform one or more functions or operations associated with the organization. For example, a business may use enterprise application software, such as Documentum® provided by EMC2®, to organize or manage content associated with the business's operations. Services provided by enterprise application software may be on-demand or online tools such as online payment processing, an interactive product catalogue, automated billing systems, security, enterprise content management, internet technology (IT) service management, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, business intelligence, project management, collaboration, human resource management, manufacturing, enterprise application integration, and enterprise forms automation.
Enterprise application software may be hosted by host applications which may be implemented on one or more servers, client machines, or other network resources. Thus, an enterprise application may be deployed to multiple host applications which may each be used to execute an instance of the enterprise application and provide services associated with the enterprise application. The host applications may each be implemented or associated with a node in a communications network, such as the Internet. Thus, a host application may be associated with and represented as a network node in a communications network. A node may be a physical network node, such as a host computer or client machine, which may be identified by an Internet protocol (IP) address.
Changes may occur in the environment in which the software application is deployed. Thus, software or hardware associated with a software application or host application may change due to a patch or an upgrade. One or more changes to the environment in which a software application has been deployed may cause errors in the execution or functionality of the software application.
Conventional methods and systems for deploying software over a network remain limited because they do not provide a way to identify or trouble shoot a change which may have caused an error in the execution of a software application.

Method and system for generating a state profile report


A multiple computer system is disclosed in which the local memory of each computer (M1, M2, . . . Mn) can be different having some memory locations (A, B) which are replicated in other computers and other memory locations (E) which are not. When any computer seeks to acquire or release a synchronizing lock a check (171, 181) is made to see if the relevant memory location is present on any other machine. If yes, synchronization is carried out. However, if no, then no synchronization is required and the synchronizing procedures are by-passed.

International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2005/000580 published under WO 2005/103926 (to which U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/111,946 and published under No. 2005-0262313 corresponds) in the name of the present applicant, discloses how different portions of an application program written to execute on only a single computer can be operated substantially simultaneously on a corresponding different one of a plurality of computers. That simultaneous operation has not been commercially used as of the priority date of the present application. International Patent Application Nos. PCT/AU2005/001641 (WO2006/110,937) to which U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/259,885 entitled: "Computer Architecture Method of Operation for Multi-Computer Distributed Processing and Co-ordinated Memory and Asset Handling" corresponds and PCT/AU2006/000532 (WO2007/110,957) both in the name of the present applicant and both unpublished as at the priority date of the present application, also disclose further details. The contents of the specification of each of the abovementioned prior application(s) are hereby incorporated into the present specification by cross reference for all purposes.
Briefly stated, the abovementioned patent specifications disclose that at least one application program written to be operated on only a single computer can be simultaneously operated on a number of computers each with independent local memory. The memory locations required for the operation of that program are replicated in the independent local memory of each computer. On each occasion on which the application program writes new data to any replicated memory location, that new data is transmitted and stored at each corresponding memory location of each computer. Thus apart from the possibility of transmission delays, each computer has a local memory the contents of which are substantially identical to the local memory of each other computer and are updated to remain so. Since all application programs, in general, read data much more frequently than they cause new data to be written, the abovementioned arrangement enables very substantial advantages in computing speed to be achieved. In particular, the stratagem enables two or more commodity computers interconnected by a commodity communications network to be operated simultaneously running under the application program written to be executed on only a single computer.
Australian Patent Application No. 2005 905 582 entitled "Modified Machine Architecture with Partial Updating" lodged 10 Oct. 2005, (to which International Application No. PCT/AU2006/001447 (WO2007/041762) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/583,958 (60/730,543) correspond)(s); Australian Patent Application No. 2005 905 581 entitled "Multiple Computer System with Enhanced Memory Clean Up" also lodged 10 Oct. 2005 (to which International Application No. PCT/AU2006/001448 (WO2007/041762) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/583,991 (60/730,408) correspond)(s); and Australian Patent Application No. 2005 905 734 entitled 'Multiple Machine Architecture with Overhead Reduction" lodged 17 Oct. 2005(to which International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2006/001451 (WO2007/045014) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/583,359 (60/730,544) correspond)(s) all disclose that it is not necessary for all memory locations, objects, assets, etc in any one computer to be replicated in all the other computers. Instead a partial memory replication will suffice. The contents of all the last mentioned patent specifications are hereby incorporated into the present specification by cross reference for all purposes.
Briefly stated, the three last mentioned patent specifications disclose that memory locations, assets, objects, classes, etc. of a specific computer can be categorised into two groups, those that need to be referenced or otherwise consulted by another computer, and those that don't. The membership of the groups can be maintained up to date as the application program execution progresses by maintaining one or more tables or other such listings, the contents of which are regularly updated. The three abovementioned patent specifications are concerned mainly with reducing the amount of data which needs to be transferred between the multiple computers or machines via the communications network 53 which interconnects the computers.

Synchronization with partial memory replication


A cable guard for a compound bow includes a rod extending along an axis, and a base releasably fixed to the rod and adjustable relative to the rod along the axis. The cable guard includes a lock releasably fixing the base to the rod along the axis. A pair of bearings each supported by the base. The base, and the pair of bearings supported by the base, are adjustable along the axis for adjustment relative to a riser of the compound bow. The lock fixes the base at a desired position along the axis relative to the riser.

1. Field
The present disclosure is directed toward a cable guard for a compound bow for directing at least one cable of the compound bow away from the path of an arrow on the compound bow.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compound archery bow includes a riser and a pair of limbs extending from opposing ends of the riser. Each limb supports a pulley. A string extends between and is connected to the pulleys. Free of external forces, the string and limbs are typically in a brace position and the string can be loaded with an arrow and drawn to move the string and limbs to a drawn position before propelling the arrow.
At least one cable extends between the pulleys for assisting in movement of the string and limbs to the drawn position. For example, one cable is connected to and extends from one pulley to the opposite limb and another cable is connected to and extends from the other pulley to the other limb.
By drawing the string from the brace position to the drawn position, the string rotates the pulleys thereby drawing in the cables and pulling the limbs toward each other. Specifically, an arrow is loaded on the string and the string is drawn from the brace position to the drawn position and subsequently released to propel the arrow. When the limbs are flexed and drawn toward each other as the string is drawn, the limbs are loaded, and subsequent release of the string allows the limbs to unload to return the string to the brace position and propel the arrow.
The bow typically includes a cable guard for deflecting the cables away from the path of the arrow and away from a plane in which the string travels to prevent interference between the cables and the arrow and string. When the string is moved between the brace position and the drawn position, the rotating pulleys move the cables vertically relative to the cable guard and the rotating pulleys and flexing limbs urge the cables fore and aft relative to the cable guard. Over time, relative movement between the cables and the cable guard wears both the cables and the cable guard. This wear can generate unwanted noise and undesirably complicate the operation of the bow.


A scanning endoscope system includes a fiber, a first actuator that is provided laterally of the fiber to swing the fiber, a second actuator that is arranged at a position opposite to the first actuator with the fiber intervened in between to swing the fiber, and a driver unit that outputs, to the first actuator, a first drive signal having either a first waveform such that a minimum value of a voltage value, which varies periodically with a positive voltage value as a center, is not less than zero, or a second waveform such that a maximum value of a voltage value, which varies periodically with a negative voltage value as a center, is not more than zero, and configured to output, to the second actuator, a second drive signal having the same waveform as the first drive signal and different phase from the first drive signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning endoscope system, and in particular to a scanning endoscope system that acquires an image by scanning an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In respect to an endoscope in a medical field, there have been proposed various techniques for decreasing a diameter of an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity of a subject to be examined in order to reduce a burden on the subject. Further, as an example of such techniques, there are known a scanning endoscope that does not include a solid-state image pickup device at a portion corresponding to the above-mentioned insertion portion, and a system that is configured to include the scanning endoscope.
Specifically, the system including the scanning endoscope is configured such that the object is two-dimensionally scanned in a preset scanning pattern by swinging a distal end portion of an illumination fiber that guides illumination light emitted from a light source section, and return light from the object is received by a receiving fiber arranged around the illumination fiber, and an image of the object is generated based on the return light received by the receiving fiber. Then, there is known a scanning beam system disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0218824, for example, which has a configuration similar to the configuration of such a system.
Incidentally, in the conventional scanning endoscope as described above, it is configured that the illumination fiber is swung by applying a voltage to an actuator formed by using a piezoelectric device which is subjected to polarization processing in advance.
Further, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0218824, there is disclosed a configuration in which an optical fiber corresponding to the above-mentioned illumination fiber is swung by applying an AC voltage in accordance with a drive signal having positive and negative amplitudes with "0" as a center.


A self-contained liquid manifold attachable to a drive mechanism for a reciprocable pump, the manifold having a pumping cylinder, pressure transducer, pressure control mechanism, drain valve and control mechanism attached thereto, and liquid delivery outlets all forming a part thereof. The manifold and its associated components are removable from the reciprocable drive mechanism by detaching two fasteners. The pressure transducer and control mechanism includes a piston and cylinder removably indexed in a manifold bore, and an electrical switch in an adjacent housing with a ball bearing on the piston and a push rod resting on the ball bearing, the other push rod end constrained by a ball and spring combination.

The present invention relates to systems for pumping liquids under relatively high pressures. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable system for pumping liquids, wherein liquid pressure is regulated by a transducer which develops electrical control signals for controlling an electric motor drive source.
The present invention is primarily adaptable for use with portable high-pressure spraying systems for spraying coating materials such as paint and the like. However, the invention is also adaptable for use in connection with any high-pressure liquid spraying system, particularly of a portable nature wherein the driving force is an electrical motor or equivalent. Portable spraying systems of this general classification are known in the art, and are generally typified by an electrical motor drive source which is mechanically linked to drive a reciprocable pump, wherein the liquid pressure is controlled by a pressure transducer coupled to an electric motor switching circuit. The pressure transducer monitors the liquid output pressure from the pump, and controls a switching circuit which applies an electrical driving voltage to the motor when the monitored pressure drops below a predetermined or preset amount, and provides a motor shut-off control signal whenever the pressure exceeds a predetermined or preset higher value.
Portable pumping systems of the type generally related to the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,971, issued Mar. 1, 1977, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,610, issued Aug. 9, 1983. The '971 patent discloses a portable pumping system having a positive on/off motor control, wherein a pressure transducer is connected into a liquid manifold and may be preset to a predetermined pressure which causes the transducer to activate an electrical switch for controlling power delivered to the motor. The '610 patent discloses a variable speed motor utilizing a pressure transducer to generate a variable drive voltage to the motor, to slow down and speed up the drive motor in response to pressure fluctuations. Various forms of pressure transducer have been developed for use in connection with pumps of the general type associated with the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,591, issued Jul. 15, 1980, discloses a pressure transducer which senses the expansion and contraction of a flexible pressure hose as a means for determining liquid pressure. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,999, issued Jun. 22, 1982, discloses a further variation of the flexible hose sensing mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,741, issued Apr. 6, 1982, discloses a Bourdon tube construction wherein the deflection of the Bourdon tube causes a switch activation to occur. The aforementioned '971 patent discloses a pressure transducer comprising a slidable piston rod responsive to pressure, the piston rod having a threadable knob at its distal end, the knob being engageable against a pin which is movable to contact a switch lever. Each of the foregoing patents disclose various forms of reciprocable drive liquid pumping cylinders having an output liquid delivery line coupled to a pressure sensor, via either a simple manifold or liquid flow-through device, and an output delivery line coupled to the pressure sensor mechanism.


A fluid disinfection or sterilization system includes spray nozzles (26) for spraying an anti-microbial fluid on the exterior of an endoscope (14) supported in a microbial decontamination chamber (10a, 10b). The endoscope includes interior lumens which are microbially decontaminated by flowing anti-microbial fluid from outlets (28) through the lumens. A port (36) is connected with a leak detector. In order to ensure that the proper leak detector and anti-microbial fluid ports of the disinfection or sterilization system are interconnected with the proper lumen ports of the endoscope, a tethered connection assembly (50) is provided. The tethered interconnection assembly includes fittings (60, 62, 64) which are uniquely configured for interconnection with an appropriate one of a high pressure port, a low pressure port, and the leak detector port. Fittings at the other end of the tube assemblies (56) are configured for interconnection with appropriate corresponding ports of the endoscope. The tube assemblies (56) are interconnected by a tether (52) to which plurality of plugs (58) for plugging appropriate ports of the endoscope are also connected. A tag (54) identifies the model(s) of endoscope that the tethered connection assembly is to be used with and provides a diagram showing the proper interconnection pattern.

The present application relates to the fluid handling arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with fluid sterilization and disinfection systems and will be described with reference thereto.
Fluid sterilization and disinfection systems are typically designed to cause microbes on the item to be removed or killed, i.e., microbially decontaminated, by a fluid anti-microbial agent. This is achieved in a variety of ways, including immersing the item in a bath of anti-microbial liquid, spraying the item with anti-microbial liquid, surrounding the item with anti-microbial vapor, and the like. While such systems work well for killing microbes on the exterior surface of the items to be decontaminated, internal lumens can be problematic. To be a viable commercial product, a sterilization or disinfection apparatus must provide assured contact between the anti-microbial agent and the microbes. On items with elongated lumens, such as endoscopes, it is desirable that the anti-microbial fluid assuredly contact all surfaces within the lumen. Typically, this is achieved by pumping or drawing the anti-microbial fluid through the lumen.
Often, endoscopes have a plurality of lumens which may have different cross-sections, length, internal obstructions, and the like. It is advantageous to supply the fluid to different lumens at different pressures. Further, some lumens have multiple openings. Typically, plugs are inserted into or over some of the openings to force the anti-microbial fluid to flow the entire length of the lumen. Often, endoscopes have a lumen which does not need to be sterilized and worse yet, can be damaged by contact with fluids. Further, the lumens have a variety of connector styles, such as screw threads, bayonet pipe connectors, and the like, as well as different diameters.
Typically, the sterilization technicians are given a variety of individual plugs and fittings from which they select the most appropriate plugs and fittings for a specific endoscope to be sterilized or disinfected. Being small parts, they are sometimes lost. The technicians, in many cases, improvise by using another part which appears to work. In other cases, the technicians merely make a mistake in selecting fittings or plugs or in making the connections between the fluid supply, fittings, and lumens. When improper plugs or fittings are used and when improper interconnections are made, the assurance that the anti-microbial agent is contacting all microbes within the lumens is lost.
The fittings and plugs typically connect securely with the structures at the lumen ports. At the surfaces of interconnection, microbes can become trapped between the fittings or plugs and the structures at the lumen port. When there is a good frictional fit, the frictional fit protects these microbes from the anti-microbial agent. This creates the possibility that at the end of the cycle there may be active microbes on the surfaces adjacent the lumen ports destroying the assurance of disinfection or sterility. One solution to the trapped microbe problem is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,552,115 and 5,833,935 of Malchesky in which the fittings and plugs are made of an open-celled plastic material. The porous fitting solution is effective, but does have some drawbacks. First, the porous plastic material is relatively soft. With repeated use, dimensions can change altering flow characteristics. Moreover, the plastic can be damaged or broken during use, again altering flow characteristics. After a disinfection or sterilization cycle, the fittings are typically wet with water from the final rinse. Wet, porous materials can become breeding grounds for airborne microbes if not handled properly. One use, disposable porous connectors and fittings can be costly and there is no assurance that the operator will use a new fitting in each cycle rather than reusing an old one.
The present invention provides a new and improved method and apparatus which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a fluid disinfection or sterilization system is provided. A chamber receives a lumened article to be microbially decontaminated. A plurality of fluid outlets in the chamber direct an anti-microbial fluid over exterior surfaces of the article. A plurality of fluid ports in the chamber discharge the anti-microbial fluid to supply it to interior lumens of the article. A tethered connection assembly provides for interconnection of the lumens of the article and the fluid ports. The tethered assembly includes a first tube assembly having fittings at its ends. One of the fittings is configured for interconnection with one of the fluid ports and the other fitting is configured for interconnection with a lumen of the article. The tethered connection assembly further includes at least one of (i) a second tube assembly with fittings and (ii) a plug configured for interconnection with a lumen of the article. A tether interconnects the tube assemblies and plugs.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a tethered interconnection assembly is provided for interconnecting lumens of endoscopes with anti-microbial fluid discharge ports of a fluid disinfection or sterilization system. At least one tube assembly includes a tube, a fitting at one end configured for interconnection with an anti-microbial fluid discharge port, and a fitting at another end configured for interconnection with surfaces surrounding a lumen port on the endoscope. At least one plug is configured for interconnection with the surfaces surrounding one of the endoscope lumen ports. A tether is connected with the tube assemblies and the plug. At least one indicia is associated with the tether for indicating at least one of a model of endoscope and a family of endoscope models with which the tether assembly is to be used.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a fluid disinfection or sterilization system is provided. A chamber receives a lumened article to be microbially decontaminated. A plurality of first fluid outlets in the chamber directs anti-microbial fluid over exterior surfaces of the article. At least one second fluid outlet discharges anti-microbial fluid and is configured for interconnection with a first fitting. A tube assembly interconnects the second fluid outlet with surfaces adjacent a port to a lumen in the article. The tube assembly includes a tube to which the first fitting is connected. A second fitting is connected with the tube and configured for loose interconnection with the surfaces adjacent the lumen port. The interconnection is in such a manner that (i) most of the anti-microbial fluid flows into the lumen and (ii) a fraction of the anti-microbial fluid flows between the fitting and the surfaces adjacent the lumen port. The interconnection is sufficiently loose that the fitting wobbles, changing momentary points of contact with the surfaces adjacent the lumen port.
One advantage of the present invention resides in the anti-microbial fluid""s assured contact with the surfaces abutting the fittings and plugs.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it promotes the use of the proper fittings and plugs with each endoscope.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it is easy and convenient to use.
Another advantage of the present invention resides in consistent, repetitive operation.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides anti-microbial fluid flow through deadend passages.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it assures that the fittings and plugs are correctly matched to each type of endoscope.
Still further advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Fluid connection system for endoscope reprocessing with controlled leakage


A method for remote access includes obtaining, by a virtual private network (VPN) server, trust data of a user accessing a first network; determining, by the VPN server, a first trust level corresponding to the trust data according to a first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence comprises the trust data and the first trust level; determining, by the VPN server, a first access zone of the first network corresponding to the first trust level according to a second correspondence, wherein the second correspondence comprises the first trust level and the first access zone; and establishing, by the VPN server, a first VPN connection between a device used by the user and the first access zone.

Remote access technologies are common in enterprise networks (i.e., Intranets). Remote access to an enterprise network is currently accomplished largely through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The VPN generally uses a public network (e.g., the Internet) to connect a remote branch office or an employee to an enterprise network. The VPN uses a virtual or logical connection through the Internet from the enterprise network to devices in the remote branch office or the employee's device. Generally, remote client software operates within a private network, such as a home network (i.e., a personal access network), for example, the remote client software is run on a user's device, and these software-based solutions create a "tunnel" or a "bridge", so that the user's device can be logically placed inside the enterprise network, or to a network dedicated to remote access connections. This "bridge" or "tunnel" into the enterprise network is static and implemented for each remote user, with a static set of access and security rules.
Current remote access solutions typically rely on identity authentication systems that implement single or a plurality of authentications usually based on the combination of a user identifier (ID) and password. In addition, some remote access solutions replace a password challenge with a biometric read of a fingerprint. Since the current remote access solution merely establishes a fixed remote access to the enterprise network for each user according to the identity authentication, an adaptive security mechanism can not be provided for a remote access.

Establishing a connection between a user device and an access zone

BEIJING HUAWEI DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.


Disclosed are reactive fibers having a polycationic exterior surface to which multivalent peroxy anions are bound. The use of such fibers, mats of such fibers, and filters of such fibers, as well as methods of treating fluid streams, and rejuvenating such fibers, mats and filters are also disclosed.

Persulfate is a strong oxidant that has been widely used for initiating emulsion polymerization reactions, clarifying swimming pools, hair bleaching, micro-etching of copper printed circuit boards, and TOC analysis. Among all the persulfate salts typically manufactured (sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts), the sodium form is the most commonly used for environmental applications in the last few years. Sodium persulfate has the potential to in-situ destruct chlorinated and non-chlorinated organic compounds commonly encountered in contaminated soil and groundwater. Other peroxyanions, such as peroxydiphosphate, persilicate, and perborate are also used in bleaching applications.
The persulfate anion (S2O82−) and other peroxygenated anions such as peroxydiphosphate, persilicate, etc. can be activated by various methods (heating, UV, transition metal catalysts) to give highly oxidizing radicals. For persulfate, the formed SO4− radical has found use in disinfecting water and in removing organic contaminants. Readily available sources of persulfate include Na2S2O8, (NH4)2S2O8, K2S2O8, etc. These compounds are very soluble in water, and thus when applied to treat a water sample, the radical action is spread over the water's entire volume.
Therefore, in order to treat a large water body, fairly high concentrations of persulfate are required. It has not been possible, to the best of our knowledge, to confine the action of peroxygenated radicals to a desired limited space. Therefore, applications which would benefit from local oxidation, such as filtrations, coatings, etc. (as seen for TiO2 photooxidation systems) have not been possible for peroxygenated anions, even though these oxidants have a distinct advantage over other materials in terms of easy activation.
Accordingly it is desirable to provide a system and method to confine the action of reactive radicals to a limited space, which would enable the fabrication of an effective filter system with oxidizing power for water disinfection and air purification.

Cationic fibers hosting reactive peroxygenated radicals, and methods of making and using them


A stator includes an annular stator core having a plurality of slots arranged in the circumferential direction at predetermined intervals and a stator coil formed of a plurality of electric conductor wires mounted on the stator core. Each of the electric conductor wires has a plurality of in-slot portions received in the slots of the stator core and a plurality of turn portions that connect, on the outside of the slots, adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions. The stator coil has first and second coil end parts and that respectively protrude axially outward from a pair of axial end faces of the stator core. At each of the coil end parts, the turn portions of the electric conductor wires are stacked in a radial direction of the stator core, and the axial heights h1 of the turn portions are set so as to gradually increase from the radially inside to the radially outside.

Conventionally, there are known stators of rotating electric machines which include an annular stator core and a stator coil. The stator core has a plurality of slots arranged in the circumferential direction at predetermined intervals. The stator coil is formed of a plurality of electric conductor wires mounted on the stator core. In addition, each of the electric conductor wires has a plurality of in-slot portions received in the slots of the stator core and a plurality of turn portions that connect, on the outside of the slots, adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions.
Moreover, each of the electric conductor wires forming the stator coil may be made up of one wave-shaped continuous electric conductor wire that includes a plurality of in-slot portions and a plurality of turn portions. Otherwise, each of the electric conductor wires may be made up of a plurality of substantially U-shaped electric conductor segments each of which includes a pair of straight portions and a turn portion that connects a pair of ends of the straight portions. More specifically, each of the electric conductor wires may be formed by connecting predetermined pairs of open end portions of the electric conductor segments on one axial side of the stator core. In addition, in Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a method of forming the substantially U-shaped electric conductor segments.
The stator coil has a pair of coil end parts that respectively protrude axially outward from a pair of axial end faces of the stator core. In addition, at each of the coil end parts, there are stacked, in a radial direction of the stator core, the turn portions of the electric conductor wires or connecting portions of the electric conductor wires which are formed by connecting the predetermined pairs of open end portions of the electric conductor segments.


A multipolar isolating circuit-breaker comprising, for each pole, an insulating feedthrough containing a vacuum bottle, the feedthrough including a first contact at a first end connected to a first terminal of the bottle and designed to co-operate with a first conductor, and a second contact at a second end connected to a second terminal of the bottle and designed to co-operate with a second conductor, the feedthroughs being secured to a common metal bar sheltering a common shaft for driving the bottles and actuated by a mechanism contained in a box. The circuit-breaker is applicable to medium-tension bays and stations.

French patent No. 1 533 266 discloses a metal-clad bay comprising, for each phase, a rotary interrupter apparatus, with rotation of the apparatus about an axis lying in a virtual plane of symmetry of the bay providing section isolation therefore.
It has not been possible to construct that apparatus industrially because of the large volume and weight of the sealed type interrupter apparatuses containing a non-flammable fluid that are proposed, in particular sulfide hexafluoride (SF.sub.6) circuit-breakers. Another handicap results from the length of the stroke of the SF.sub.6 circuit-breakers which penalizes the above-mentioned type of apparatus because of the excessive length required.
German petty-patent No. 1 870 065 also discloses a circuit-breaker whose poles are disposed on a horizontal bar capable of pivoting about its axis and of providing the section-isolating function of the circuit-breaker. When the circuit-breaker is in its disconnecting position, its poles are inclined and as a result its isolation distance is reduced, thereby requiring the apparatus to be over-dimensioned in order to obtain dielectric strength. Another drawback of that device is that when it is in its isolating position, its poles are at a potential that is not determined (floating potential).
Another drawback of the circuit-breaker described in the above-mentioned document is the need to use an insulating plate to isolate the front face of the apparatus when the circuit-breaker is extracted.
Another drawback is that in the event of excess voltage between a set of busbars and cables, the gap between said elements may be bridged by an arc.
Another drawback is that the poles of the circuit-breaker are necessarily controlled by rotation and cannot be controlled by a push-pull action.
Another drawback is that the poles must be provided with connectors for making connection with the busbars or with the cable heads, and this excludes any direct engagement.
A first object of the invention is to provide a multi-pole self-disconnecting circuit-breaker of low weight and small size in all dimensions, thus making it easily received in a bay and easily driven without requiring high driving energy.
Another object of the invention is to provide a self-disconnecting circuit-breaker at low cost.
Another object of the invention is to provide a self-disconnecting circuit-breaker in which the items relating to the various poles, in general three poles for a three-phase apparatus, can be placed in the same extractible drawer in a cabinet of a bay, with easy front access to the outgoing cables and to the set of busbars in a station constituted by juxtaposing a plurality of bays.
Another object of the invention is to provide a self-disconnecting circuit-breaker that is easily inspected, and enabling pole equipment to be interchanged or enabling an entire pole to be replaced.
Another object of the invention is to provide a self-disconnecting circuit-breaker that avoids the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a medium tension bay provided with the self-disconnecting circuit-breaker of the invention, said medium-tension bay enabling current to be interrupted, section isolation to be obtained upstream and downstream, and current to be detected to provide protection against short circuits, said bay including all of the items required for supporting the set of busbars, for anchoring the cables, for visible earthing with a visible indication that voltage is present, for separating the cable compartments and the sets of busbars, for driving the circuit breaking and disconnecting functions, and for extraction purposes when, exceptionally, it is necessary to inspect the self-disconnecting circuit-breaker.
An object of the invention is to provide a bay of the above-specified type that occupies considerably less ground area than analogous bays of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bay of the above-specified type in which the risks of faults between phases are very low.
Another object of the invention is to provide a medium tension station that is cheap to construct, in which the risks of a fault appearing between phases are extremely low and in which the risks of a ground fault propagating and progressing are very low.

Self-disconnecting circuit-breaker for medium tension, and use thereof in a medium-tension station or bay


A Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) for use in applications where a transmission is desired to change the speed of the motor relative to the speed of the final drive. The CVT has a set of chains or belts that are mounted around a set of pins set in radially cut slots of a set of spindles so that the pattern of pins are able to expand and contract radially around the CVT axis via these slots. Sprockets that freely spin in either direction unless a chain or belt has fully seated on at least one tooth are arranged on the pins so that only one sprocket engages one chain or belt allowing for smooth ratio changes while the load in engaged. The spindles share a set of springs that act to return the transmission to a higher ratio at moments the load is overcome.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT's) used in a wide variety of applications requiring ratio shifts between an engine, or motor, and the load including automobiles, recreational vehicles, turbines and industrial equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years CVT's have become more widely adopted in the automotive industry in a never ending effort to increase fuel efficiency and increase performance. The most widely accepted automotive CVT's today are the Push Belt CVT marked by Nissan and General Motors and NSK half toroidal CVT. Drive trains with higher horsepower ratings are not able to easily use these designs as they rely on friction to transmit power and their size, weight and sensitivity to dirt make them impractical for performance oriented motoring. Other designs have come to market for smaller horsepower applications like the NuVinci CVP. There is general agreement among experts involved in the development of new CVT's that an ideal CVT would stay positively engaged while allowing ratio shifts under full power. The Anderson CVT exhibits these qualities, but requires the use of Floating Sprocket Bars that do not reengage smoothly and require outside control to shift ratios.

Fixed pitch continuously variable transmission (FPCVT)


The present invention relates to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system and a method for preventing data loss in the same. A receiving system in the VoIP system decides a hold time corresponding to the loss rate of compressed voice data, and provides the hold time to a transmission system. The transmission system adjusts voice input speed depending on the hold time. Therefore, the transmission system can regulate compressed voice data generation rate therein not to exceed a designated channel capacity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system and a method for preventing data loss in the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most current systems for voice over an Internet Protocol (VoIP) are built as described in a block diagram (FIG. 1) which illustrates a construction of the VoIP system for voice communication, that is, placing and receiving internet-based calls in prior art.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, basically the conventional VoIP system for voice communication through internet comprises a transmission system 50 that converts the recipient's voice to voice data and transmits the voice data over the internet, and a receiving system 60 that receives the voice data from the transmission system and converts the voice data back to the voice. The transmission system 50 is equipped with a microphone 10, ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) 11, a voice encoder 12, and a transmitting protocol processing part 13. The receiving system 60 is equipped with a receiving protocol processing part 14, a voice decoder 15, DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) 16, and a speaker 17.
The conventional VoIP system is operated as follows:
The microphone 10 in the transmission system 50 creates an analogue voice signal from the inputted voice by the transmitter, and the ADC 11 converts the analogue voice signal to a digital voice signal.
The voice encoder 12 compresses the digital voice signal to generate compressed voice data, and the transmitting protocol processing part 13, in order to transmit the compressed voice data to the receiving part over the internet, attaches a header and a trailer to the compressed voice data and generates voice packets.
On the other hand, the receiving protocol processing part 14 in the receiving system 60 analyzes the voice packets received from the transmission part, and extracts the compressed voice data from the voice packets by removing the header and the trailer that are installed in the voice packets.
The voice decoder 15, through decompression of the compressed voice data, restores the digital voice signal, and the DAC 16 converts the digital voice signal to an analog voice signal.
The speaker 17 converts the analog voice signal to the voice of the transmitter to help the recipient to be able to listen to the transmitter's voice.
As explained above, voice communication quality over the VoIP—based system is generally dependent on the number of voice packets per time unit (i.e., compressed voice data generation rate) corresponding to the conversation speed of the transmitter as inputted through the microphone 10 in the transmission system 10.
In other words, in case the inputted conversation speed exceeds the allowable number of voice packets for transmission per time unit (i.e., Channel Capacity) over the internet, some of packets corresponding to the difference from the compression voice data generation rate and the channel capacity are not transmitted to the recipient and get lost, consequently deteriorating the speech quality.
Therefore, the transmitter is encouraged to adjust his or her conversation speed to be inputted through the microphone 10 in order to ensure that the voice packets he or she transmitted are safely transmitted to the recipient without a loss.
For example, since the compression voice data generation rate should not exceed the channel capacity assigned to himself or herself, the transmitter can temporarily stop voice input for a certain period of time and continue later for decreasing the compression voice data generation rate, in case the compression voice data generation rate exceeds the designated channel capacity to himself or herself.
Previously, the recipient, when there was a blank while listening to the transmitter's voice, let the transmitter know that he or she was having difficulty in catching the transmitter's voice, and the transmitter adjusted his or her voice volume accordingly.
However, the previous method described above had a problem because the conversation speed control was made primarily by the transmitter's sense, making it difficult to suppress the compressed voice data generation rate under the channel capacity. Thus, it was very hard to prevent the voice packet loss in the conventional system.

VoIP system and method for preventing data loss in the same


An organic electroluminescence device that includes, between an anode 41 and a cathode 42, an organic layer stacked structure 43 that comprises stacked plural emitting layers that emit light of different colors, wherein the organic electroluminescent device comprises, between the emitting layers, at least one intermediate layer that comprises a compound represented by the following formula (1) in which at least one of Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 is a group represented by the following formula (2):

A white-emitting organic EL device is used in lightings, a full-color display provided with a color filter, or the like. A display utilizing an organic EL device that emits while light has been actively developed since the production thereof is easy as compared with a display obtained by fabricating a red-emitting organic EL device, a green-emitting organic EL device and a blue-emitting organic EL device separately.
As the method for producing an organic EL device that emits white light, there is a method in which a plurality of emitting layers that emit different colors of light are stacked, and white color emission is obtained by overlapping of emission of each emitting layer. In this method, by forming an intermediate layer between the emitting layers, blocking of electrons or holes that causes light to be emitted mainly from one emitting layer can be prevented, whereby emission can be obtained from each emitting layer in a well-balanced manner.
For example, in Patent Document 1, an organic EL device is disclosed in which a red-emitting layer, a green-emitting layer and a blue-emitting layer are stacked from the anode side and an intermediate layer comprising α-NPD is formed between the green-emitting layer and the blue-emitting layer. Due to the formation of the intermediate layer, each emitting layer is caused to emit light in a well-balanced manner.
However, there is a problem mentioned below. Since α-NPD is a hole-transporting material, when α-NPD is used in the intermediate layer, while highly efficient emission can be obtained by blocking electrons, due to excessively strong blocking properties of α-NPD, electrons tend to be accumulated in the interface between the emitting layer on the cathode side of the intermediate layer and the intermediate layer, and the emitting layer on the cathode side of the intermediate layer tends to be deteriorated easily, whereby the life of the organic EL device is shortened.
Further, electrons are blocked strongly, electrons cannot be distributed to the emitting layer positioned on the anode side of the intermediate layer as long as the thickness of the intermediate layer is not allowed to be extremely thin (e.g. 3 nm). Therefore, film thickness control is significantly difficult, posing a problem in respect of mass production.
Further, there is another problem mentioned below. Since emission balance of each emitting layer is sensitive to changes in thickness of the intermediate layer, the film thickness margin of the intermediate layer becomes very small. As a result, film thickness control on the order of several angstroms becomes necessary, resulting in poor mass productivity.
On the other hand, if an electron-transporting material is used in an intermediate layer, there is a concern that, since it has a poor hole-transporting capability, poor emission is obtained from an emitting layer positioned on the side nearer to the cathode than the intermediate layer, whereby luminous efficiency may be lowered. In order to obtain well-balanced white emission, it is required to control the thickness of the intermediate layer on the order of several angstroms, resulting in poor mass productivity. When a material having a small energy gap is used in the intermediate layer in order to relax charge-blocking properties, an exciton energy in the adjacent emitting layers cannot be confined, thereby causing lowering in luminous efficiency.

Organic electroluminescent element and display device