An anti-adhesion membrane is placed onto an implant introduced into a surgical site of a patient to prevent post-surgical adhesions between the implant and surrounding tissue. The implant may comprise either biological material, such as a transplanted organ, or non-biological material such as a medical device. The membrane may be applied in a variety of ways. In one example, a membrane according to the present invention is shrink-wrapped around a pace-maker. In another example, a breast implant is spray-coated or dipped with the membrane material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for reducing post-surgical adhesions between living tissues and an implant introduced into a surgical site of a patient.
2. Description or Related Art
A major clinical problem relating to surgical procedures or inflammatory diseases can be unwanted tissue growth, or adhesion, which can occur during the initial phases of the healing process after surgery or disease. Another problem can be foreign body reactions in response to medical devices or implants introduced into a surgical site. Still another problem can be leakage, migration or diffusion of substances, for instance fluids, from an implant into surrounding tissues.
One approach to the problem of adhesion has been the use of bioresorbable barrier materials, in the form of gels, coatings, fabrics, foams, films, and the like, that are placed between a healing post-surgical site and adjacent surrounding tissue. Examples of such barrier materials can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,068 to Tang et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,584 to Totakura, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,034,140 and 6,133,325 to Schwartz et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,333 to Cohn et al., all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
More specifically, the patent to Tang et al. discloses films and other bioresorbable medical devices formed from polycarbonate fibers. The patent to Totakura discloses surgical adhesion barriers comprising copolymers and/or block copolymers derived from trimethylene carbonate. The patents to Schwartz et al. disclose anti-adhesion membranes made of carboxyl-containing polysaccharides and polyethers. The patent to Cohn et al. discloses polymeric anti-adhesion compositions comprising poly(ester)/poly(oxyalkylene) ABA triblocks or AB diblocks. Similarly, the problem of foreign body reactions has been addressed by applying biocompatible polymeric coatings to medical devices, such as, for instance, stents. An exemplary method for coating a stent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,252 to Hossainy et al., also expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Unfortunately, the coatings and other barriers discussed above have met with only limited success. For instance, some of the prior art barrier materials may be resorbed into the body too quickly, yielding undesirable drops in local pH levels, which may cause or exacerbate such problems as local inflammation, discomfort and/or foreign antibody responses. Other materials may take too long to resorb, may be insufficiently malleable, or may require complex chemical formulations and/or reactions which can increase the cost of manufacturing.

Apparatus and method for preventing adhesions between an implant and surrounding tissues


A method and apparatus for loading and unloading a slider onto the surface of a substrate. The present invention includes a suspension assembly that supports a slider having an air bearing surface. The suspension assembly is coupled to a guide rod that is biased toward a first, second and third bearing. The guide rod remains in continuous contact with at least two bearings. Movement of the slider toward or away from the substrate surface is accomplished by changing the position of one or more of the bearings. In this manner, a set of pivot points acting upon the guide rod is varied as the slider is rotated toward or away from the disk surface such that the axis of rotation of the slider varies as the slider is rotated toward or away from the substrate surface. The loader is also configured to minimize the lateral movement of the slider along the surface of the substrate as the slider is loaded or unloaded from the substrate surface.

In recent years microcomputer equipment such as personal, desk top or lap top computers have become extremely popular for a wide range of business, educational and recreational uses. Such computers typically include a main central processor having one or more memory storage disks for the storage of data. The storage disk or disks are commonly provided as part of a so-called Winchester disk drive unit, sometimes referred to as a "hard" disk. Hard disk systems typically consist of one or more disks which are mounted and rotated by a common spindle. Each disk contains a plurality of narrow, closely spaced concentric tracks wherein serial data can be magnetically recorded for later recovery by a transducer positioned with respect to the desired track. Hard disk drives contain a transducer that magnetizes and senses the magnetic field of a rotating disk. The transducer is integrated into a slider that is typically gimbal mounted to a load beam that is cantilevered from an actuator. The load beam is pivoted by a voice coil motor which moves the slider radially across the surface of the magnetic disk from one data track to another. During operation the rotation of the magnetic disk causes the transducer to be aerodynamically lifted above the surface of the recording medium by an air bearing. This aerodynamic lifting phenomena results from the flow of air produced by the rotating magnetic disk. It is this air flow which causes the slider to "fly" above the disk surface.
During the development and post-manufacture processing of sliders and magnetic storage disks, a variety of tests are generally performed on the devices. For example, to ensure that the slider load beam assemblies comply with manufacturing tolerances, the flying height of a slider assembly is tested before installation into a disk drive. The surface of the magnetic storage disks are also routinely tested for defects. Tests to determine the wear resistance and durability of the slider air bearing surfaces and disk surfaces are also useful. In any event, the testing of either the slider or disk generally requires the periodic loading and unloading of a slider air bearing surface onto a surface of a substrate, such as a rotating magnetic disk.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical magnetic recording head suspension assembly 100. The suspension assembly 100 includes a flexible load beam 104 that is attached to a slider 102 via a flexible gimbal device 105 at one end and a baseplate 106 at the other end. Baseplate 106 in turn is connected to an actuator, test loader, or other movement mechanism. Raised load rails 110 are provided along opposite sides of load beam 104. The load rails extend substantially perpendicular from the load beam and function as a stiffening member. Load beam 104 is generally bent towards the surface of a rotating magnetic disk 114 at a bend zone 112. Although bend zone 112 is shown located adjacent baseplate 106, it may also be placed along the central portion of the load beam nearer slider 102. The bend in the flexible load beam 104 provides a gram load force to slider 102 which opposes the aerodynamic lift force generated by the rotating disk 114. The resultant of the two opposing forces determines the flying height of the slider relative to the disk surface.
In order to minimize the disk-to-disk spacing in magnetic disk drives, the magnetic head slider suspension assemblies must have a low profile. The suspension assembly profile height is known as the "z-height." As shown in FIG. 1, the z-height 108 is the distance between the air bearing surface 103 of slider 102 and the mounting surface 109 of baseplate 106. In the past, heights in the range of 75 to 100 mils were common. However, as the packing density of disks within memory storage devices has increased, the z-height of the head slider suspension assemblies have accordingly diminished. Today, slider suspension assemblies having z-heights in the range of 20 to 30 mils are common.
As previously discussed, the testing of either the slider or disk generally requires the periodic loading and unloading of the slider onto the surface of a rotating disk. FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art test loader assembly 120 that is used to load and unload a slider 122 onto the surface of a disk 140. The slider suspension assembly 121 includes a slider 122 that is gimbal mounted to a load beam 124. A pair of raised rails 128 are positioned along both sides of load beam 124. Load beam 124 also includes a bend zone 125 located adjacent the load beam baseplate 126. The slider suspension assembly 121 is connected to a stationary mounting block 130 at baseplate 126. A lifter/bail assembly 133 having a lifting tab 136 extending from the end of a pivoting arm 134 is used to raise and lower slider 122 in proximity to disk surface 140. In operation, slider 122 is positioned onto disk surface 140 by pivoting lifter assembly 133 in a clockwise direction about an axis of rotation 137 that is parallel to disk surface 140. The clockwise rotation of lifter assembly 133 causes the preloaded load beam 124 to pivot towards the disk surface at bend zone 125. The subsequent removal of slider 122 from disk 140 is achieved by rotating the lifter assembly 133 about axis 137 in a counter-clockwise direction. It is important to note that lifting tab 136 should not make contact with the surface of the disk during the loading or unloading sequence. Such contact could result in damage to the surface of the disk and cause misalignment of the slider suspension assembly.
Low z-height slider suspension assemblies used in modern high density disk drives typically provide a clearance of approximately 8 mils between the load beam rails 128 and disk surface 140. Since the thickness of lifting tab 136 is approximately 4 mils, a clearance of approximately 2 mils is provided between each of the top and bottom surfaces of lifting tab 136 as it is positioned between the slider load rails 128 and disk surface 140. As a result, tolerances of about 0.5 mils are needed when setting the lifter assembly 133 position in relation to the slider suspension assembly. Such low tolerances make it difficult to properly align the lifter assembly. Moreover, the low tolerances reduce the robustness of the test apparatus. Another problem associated with the use of lifter assembly 133 to position slider 122 is that the repeated engagement and disengagement of lifting tab 136 with load beam 124 effectively reduces the flexibility of the load beam over time. Consequently, the gram load force provided by the load beam will diminish over time creating unwanted variations in test data.
Other prior art methods use a mechanical blade in lieu of a lifter/bail assembly to engage the load beam to position the slider away from the disk. Like the lifter/bail assembly discussed above, the mechanical blade apparatus results in a change of gram load force which makes it difficult to calibrate the test device
Turning now to FIG. 3, a side view of another prior art test loader assembly 150 is shown that is used for loading and unloading a slider 152 onto a disk surface 161. Test loader 150 includes a slider suspension assembly 151. Suspension assembly 151 generally includes a flexible load beam 154 that is attached to a rotating mounting block 158 by a baseplate 156 disposed at one end of the load arm. Slider 152 is typically gimbal mounted to a load beam 154 at an end opposite baseplate 156. In addition, load beam 154 includes a bend zone 155 located adjacent load beam baseplate 156 and a pair of load rails 157 located along both sides of the load arm. Slider 152 is rotated toward and away from disk surface 160 by the rotational movement of mounting block 158 about a single axis of rotation at pivot 162. As illustrated, the distance 170 between the axis of rotation and slider is relatively large. Distance 170 varies, but is generally in the range of approximately 2 to 3 inches. The location of the slider's axis of rotation directly affects the angular position of the slider as it contacts the disk surface 160. More specifically, as the distance between the axis of rotation and the load beam bend zone 155 increases the contact angle between the slider and disk surface also increases. Conversely, as the distance between the axis of rotation and bend zone 155 decreases, the contact angle between the slider and disk surface also decreases. (Note that the portion of the load beam located between bend zone 155 and slider 152 is generally parallel to the slider air bearing surface when the slider is in a fully loaded position. Hence, the location of the axis of rotation in relation to the bend zone of load beam 154 is important.) FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged view of slider 152 as the slider contacts the disk surface 161 of a disk 160. The contact angle, phi, is defined by the angle between a first plane 180 that is perpendicular to the slider air bearing surface 153, and a second plane 190 that is perpendicular to the disk surface 161.
It is desired to minimize the contact angle between the slider air bearing surface and disk surface. Ideally, the slider air bearing surface 153 and disk surface 161 should be parallel at the moment of contact. As the contact angle between the two surfaces increases, several problems arise. First, the likelihood of contacting an edge of the slider with the surface of the disk is increased. Such contact may scratch, or otherwise damage the disk's surface. In addition, as the contact angle increases the lateral movement of the slider across the surface of the disk also increases during the loading and unloading of the slider onto the disk surface. As shown in FIG. 4, slider 152 moves laterally across the disk surface 161 as it transverses from an initial contact angle to a zero contact angle at a fully loaded position. The lateral movement "A" of the slider across the disk surface is undesirable since it increases the wear of both the slider air bearing surface and the disk surface. Lateral movement of the slider is especially problematic when the slider is loaded onto a stationary disk.
What is needed then is a test loader that solves the aforementioned problems. As will be seen, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for loading and unloading a slider onto the surface of a substrate while eliminating the gram load loss problem associated with prior art test loaders. Further, the present invention provides a method and apparatus that minimizes the lateral movement of the slider along the disk surface as the slider is loaded and unloaded onto the disk surface. The present invention also minimizes the initial contact angle between a slider air bearing surface and the surface of a disk as the slider is loaded and unloaded onto the disk surface.

Low z-height loader for a head gimbal assembly


A switched capacitor filter circuit which enables easy adjustment of a post-filter circuit to reduce the power consumption of a switched capacitor filter at a main side. In the switched capacitor filter circuit, a plurality of capacitors having capacitive values weighted by interpolating operation coefficients are provided, and a second SCF, operated at a sufficiently high sampling frequency to suppress unnecessary frequency components through a lower-order analog filter, is used as a post-filter. Further an output of a first SCF at the main side is simultaneously stored in the plurality of capacitors at in the form of charges stored therein so that the charges are sequentially extracted at equi-intervals of a sampling frequency higher than that of the first SCF to perform non-cyclic filtering operation, whereby higher-order interpolating operation of an output of the first SCF is carried out to suppress unnecessary frequency components corresponding to a multiple of the sampling frequency contained in the first SCF output.

The present invention generally relates to a switched capacitor filter (which will be sometimes referred to merely as the SCF, hereinafter) which is used in a modulator or the like for a digital mobile radio telephone system or a digital portable telephone. The present invention also relates to a circuit which employs the SCF.
FIG. 1 schematically shows an arrangement of a prior art SCF circuit. The SCF circuit of the drawing includes an analog signal input terminal 201, a clock input terminal 202, a clock generator 203, an SCF 204, a sample holding circuit 205, a low pass type analog filter 206 and an analog signal output terminal 207.
The operation of the above prior art SCF circuit will be explained. The SCF circuit operates in such a manner that its output spectrum has such a route Nyquist characteristic (.alpha.=0.5) as shown in the following equation (1) with respect to a 21 kHz rectangular pulse train input. ##EQU1##
In FIG. 1, a system clock having a frequency of 5.376 MHz is applied to the clock input terminal 202 and the clock generator 203 generates clock signals necessary for the operation of the SCF 204 and sample holding circuit 205 on the basis of the system clock received from the input terminal 202.
When a 21 kHz rectangular pulse train is applied to the analog signal input terminal 201, the SCF 204 samples the amplitude value of the received analog input signal at 336 kHz, fetches therein and then performs its filtering operation. Further, an output of the SCF 204 is held at the sample holding circuit 205 with respect to 0-the order to have such an output waveform as shown in FIG. 2.
The 0-th-held output spectrum, which expressed by the following equation (2), contains unnecessary frequency components which have frequencies corresponding to a multiple of the sampling frequency 336 kHz as shown in FIG. 3. ##EQU2## where fs=336 kHz.
The analog filter 206, which has a third-order Butterworth characteristic with a cut-off frequency of 50 kHz, suppresses the aforementioned unnecessary spectrum components and then outputs it to the analog output terminal 207. An example of the analog filter 206 is shown in FIG. 4.
However, the above prior art SCF circuit has had such a problem that such an analog filter having a low cut-off frequency and an abrupt characteristic as shown in FIG. 4 is indispensable as a post-filter. This makes it difficult to make the SCF circuit in the form of an integrated circuit (IC) to eliminate the need for any adjustment.
Further, when the circuit is simplified by reducing the pass frequency order of the post-filter, the sampling frequency must be set to be high, which undesirably increases the power consumption of the SCF of the main side (with respect to the post-filter).

Switched capacitor filter circuit employing two switched capacitor filters


The present invention provides an adjustable dorsal splint for resolving the shortcomings of a typical fixation splint. The invention includes a fixation splint, which contains a splint body, a first retaining portion, and a second retaining portion. A curvature adjustment portion is placed at a preset location of the splint body of the fixation splint, so as to adjust the splint body into predefined bending angle. As the fixation splint is provided with a curvature adjustment portion, it is possible to flexibly adjust the bending angle of the fixation splint to mate with the foot of the patient, thereby maintaining the position of the feet with better efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fixation splint, and more particularly to an innovative splint with an adjustable structure for medical treatment and health care.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
As for drop foot, Achilles tendonitis, heel pain, plantar fasciitis or lower extremity overuse injuries patients, there are similar rehabilitation products available in the market for patients suffering from the foregoing conditions. At present, current rehabilitation products are based on general size of a universal foot. One method of one injection mold is made for a splint.
As each patient has a foot with a particular bone size, the current single size splint cannot meet the needs of injured patients for necessary adjustments. Therefore, the prior art splint is not completely suitable for each individual patient.
Furthermore, during nighttime application, the injured patients will turn the body over unconsciously, exposing risk and creating vulnerability to oppression or arching, causing secondary injury when sleeping. The secondary injury causes delay of rehabilitation.
To this end, a fixation splint 10 is developed for the benefit of patients during sleeping. As shown in FIG. 1, a predefined bending plate is shown, where a first and second retaining device 11, 12 is separately defined on the front and rear part for fixing the foot bones and sole. A long groove 13 for threading a bandage is preset onto the first and second retaining device 11, 12, so that the bandage could be used to fix securely the fixation splint 10 onto the injury point. However, shortcomings are observed during actual applications.
The fixation splint 10 is often fabricated by means of ejection molding, and the plate is bent to a fixed angle. When the fixation splint 10 is retained on the feet of the patient, the feet are forcibly adapted to the bent angle. Owing to different forms and bending angle of the feet, the fixation splint 10 cannot be adjusted flexibly to meet the demands of individual patients, possibly leading to greater damage and extended recovery time.
Furthermore, the typical fixation splint 10 is made of plastic materials of a certain thickness. So, brittle rupture for such fixation splint 10 may likely occur, leading to excessive waste of materials.
Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy.
Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products.


This application relates to monomers of the general formula (I) for the preparation of PNA (peptide nucleic acid) oligomers and provides method for the synthesis of both predefined sequence PNA oligomers and random sequence PNA oligomers:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to monomers suitable for the preparation of PNA oligomers. The present invention also relates to precursors to the monomers and methods of making the PNA monomers from the precursors. Further, the invention relates to methods of making PNA oligomers using the PNA monomers.
2. General Background and State of the Art
In the last two decades, attempts to optimize the properties of oligonucleotide by modification of the phosphate group, the ribose ring, or the nucleobase have resulted in a lot of discoveries of new oligonucleotide derivatives for the application in the fields of DNA diagnostics, therapeutics in the form of antisense and antigene, and the basic research of molecular biology and biotechnology (U. Englisch and D. H. Gauss, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1991, 30, 613-629; A. D. Mesmaeker et al. Curr. Opinion Struct. Biol. 1995, 5, 343-355; P. E. Nielsen, Curr. Opin. Biotech., 2001, 12, 16-20.). The most remarkable discovery is peptide nucleic acid which was reported by the Danish group of Nielsen, Egholm, Buchardt, and Berg (P. E. Nielsen et al., Science, 1991, 254, 1497-1500). PNA is DNA analogue in which an N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine polfyamide replaces the phosphate-ribose ring backbone, and methylene-carbonyl linker connects natural as well as unnatural nucleo-bases to central amine of N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine. Despite radical change to the natural structure, PNA is capable of sequence specific binding to DNA as well as RNA obeying the Watson-Crick base pairing rule. PNAs bind with higher affinity to complementary nucleic acids than their natural counterparts, partly due to the lack of negative charge on backbone, a consequently reduced charge-charge repulsion, and favorable geometrical factors (S. K. Kim et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, 115, 6477-6481; B. Hyrup et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1994, 116, 7964-7970; M. Egholm et al., Nature, 1993, 365, 566-568; K. L. Dueholm et al., New J. Chem., 1997, 21, 19-31; P. Wittung et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1996, 118, 7049-7054; M. Leijon et al., Biochemistry, 1994, 9820-9825.). Also it was demonstrated that the thermal stability of the resulting PNA/DNA duplex is independent of the salt concentration in the hybridization solution (H. Orum et al., BioTechniques, 1995, 19, 472-480; S. Tomac et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1996, 118, 5544-5552.). And PNAs can bind in either parallel or antiparallel fashion, with antiparallel mode being preferred (E. Uhlman et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 1996, 35, 2632-2635.).
A mismatch in a PNA/DNA duplex is much more destabilizing than a mismatch in a DNA/DNA duplex. A single base mismatch results in 15° C. and 11° C. lowering of the Tm of PNA/DNA and DNA/DNA, respectively. Homopyrimidine PNA oligomers and PNA oligomers with a high pyrimidine/purine ratio can bind to complementary DNA forming unusually stable PNA2/DNA triple helices (P. E. Nielsen et al., Science, 1991, 254, 1497-1500; L. Betts et al., Science, 1995, 270, 1838-1841; H. Knudsen et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1996, 24, 494-500.). Although PNAs have amide bonds and nucleobases, PNAs show great resistance to both nuclease and protease. In contrast to DNA, which depurinates on treatment with strong acids and hydrolyses in alkali hydroxides, PNAs are completely acid stable and sufficiently stable to weak bases.
Generally, PNA oligomers are synthesized using the well established solid phase peptide synthesis protocol. New strategies for monomers have been developed independently by several groups to optimize PNA oligomer synthesis. The preparation of PNA monomers can be divided into the synthesis of a suitably protected N-aminoethylglycine and a suitably protected nucleobase acetic acid derivatives, which is followed by coupling both.
The first synthetic strategy reported for PNA oligomer synthesis was Merrifield solid phase synthesis using t-Boc/benzyloxycarbonyl protecting group strategy wherein the backbone amino group protected with the t-Boc and the exocyclic amino groups of the nucleobases are protected with the benzyloxycarbonyl (P. E. Nielsen et al., Science, 1991, 254, 1497-1500; M. Egholm et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114, 9677-9678; M. Egholm et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114, 1895-1897; M. Egholm et al., J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., 1993, 800-801; K. L. Dueholm et al., J. Org. Chem., 1994, 59, 5767-5773; WO 92/20702). PNA monomers protected with t-Boc/benzyloxycarbonyl are now commercially available but are inconvenient to use because repeated treatment with TFA is required for t-Boc deprotection and the harsh HF or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid treatment required for cleavage from the resin and deprotection of benzyloxycarbonyl group from exocyclic amine of nucleobases. Thus, this strategy is not compatible with the synthesis of many types of modified PNA oligomers such as PNA-DNA chimera. Furthermore, the use of hazardous acids, such as HF or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, is not commercially embraced in view of safety concerns for the operator and the corrosive effect on automation equipment and lines. In addition, the t-Boc/benzyloxycarbonyl protection strategy is differential strategy which is defined as a system of protecting groups wherein the protecting groups are removed by the same type of reagent or condition, but rely on the different relative rates of reaction to remove one group over the other. For example, in the t-Boc/benzyloxycarbonyl protecting strategy, both protecting groups are acid labile, but benzyloxycarbonyl group requires a stronger acid for efficient removal. When acid is used to completely remove the more acid labile t-Boc group, there is a potential that a percentage of benzyloxycarbonyl group will also be removed contemporaneously. Unfortunately, the t-Boc group must be removed from amino group of backbone during each synthetic cycle for the synthesis of oligomer. Thus TFA is strong enough to prematurely deprotect a percentage of the side chain benzyloxycarbonyl group, thereby introducing the possibility of oligomer branching and reducing the overall yield of desired product.
In another effort to find a milder deprotecting method for PNA oligomer synthesis that would be compatible with DNA oligomer synthesis, several research groups have developed PNA monomers protected with Mmt/acyl wherein the backbone amino group protected with the Mmt and the exocyclic amino groups of the nucleobases are protected with an acyl group such as benzoyl, anisoyl, and t-butyl benzoyl for cytosine and adenine, or isobutyryl, acetyl for guanine (D. W. Will et al., Tetrahedron, 1995, 51, 12069-12082; P. J. Finn et al., Nucleic Acid Research, 1996, 24, 3357-3363; D. A. Stetsenko et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1996, 3571-3574; G. Breipohl et al., Tetrahedron, 1997, 14671-14686.).
Alternative PNA monomers protected with Fmoc/benzhydryloxycarbonyl are also commercially available wherein the backbone amino group protected with the Fmoc and the exocyclic amino groups of the nucleobases are protected with the benzhydryloxycarbonyl (J. M. Coull, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,444). But Fmoc/benzhydryloxycarbonyl strategy has several drawbacks such as side reaction during the Fmoc deprotection process and instability of monomer in solution. The most critical side reaction is the migration of the nucleobase acetyl group from the secondary amino function to the free N-terminal amino function of aminoethylglycine backbone under Fmoc deprotection condition (L. Christensen et al., J. Pept. Sci. 1995, 1,175-183.). The N-acetyl transfer reactions in every cycles during oligomer synthesis result in accumulation of side products which are hard to separate due to similar polarity and same molecular weight. Also the Fmoc protecting group is very unstable in the presence of trace amine. Thus, the selection of the solvent for the PNA monomers should be cautious. Generally, N-methylpyrrolidone of high quality is recommended. This requires higher cost in the synthesis of PNA oligomer.
The synthesis of PNA oligomers using Fmoc/benzyloxycarbonyl (S. A. Thomson et al., Tetrahedron, 1995, 6179-6194.) and Fmoc/Mmt (G. Breipohl et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 1996, 6, 665-670.) protected monomer has also been reported. However, all of these methods have serious drawbacks in terms of monomer solubility and preparation, harsh reaction condition, and side reactions either during monomer synthesis and/or PNA oligomer synthesis.
In other efforts to find new monomers, cyclic monomers were reported by ISIS and Biocept. The first strategy developed by ISIS replaces protected backbone by morpholinone (U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,083), but the strategy has serious drawback in that the hydroxy functional group generated by coupling reaction should be converted to amine functional group in every elongation step during oligomer synthesis. Alternatively, the protected aminoethylglycine part is replaced by N-t-Boc-piperazinone (WO 00/02899). However, this strategy also has several drawbacks in terms of monomer reactivity in oligomerization and the same problems as seen in linear t-Boc strategy as described above.
Despite recent advances, there remains a need for new monomer that increases yield, lowers synthetic cost, and is suitable for automatic and parallel synthesis.

Abstract: wherein    E is nitrogen or C—R′; J is sulfur or oxygen;    R′, R1, R2, R3, R4 is independently H, halogen, alkyl, nitro, nitrite, alkoxy, halogenated alkyl, halogenated alkoxy, phenyl or halogenated phenyl,    R5 is H or protected or unprotected side chain of natural or unnatural α-amino acid; and    B is a natural or unnatural nucleobase, wherein when said nucleobase has an exocyclic amino function, said function is protected by protecting group which is labile to acids but stable to weak to medium bases in the presence of thiol.


A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal comprises displaying a plurality of player-selectable elements that initially mask a value, at least one of the player-selectable elements comprises an end-game outcome having a variable value, and in response to a player selecting one of the player-selectable elements that is not the end-game outcome, revealing the value of the selected one of the player-selectable elements and decreasing the value of the end-game outcome.

Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for many years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the gaming terminal and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning on each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators constantly strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and, hence, increase profitability to the operator.
One method of attracting players to gaming terminals is by providing a bonus game in addition to a basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game alone. According to one type of bonus game, a plurality of player-selectable symbols or windows are provided and the selection of which reveals a bonus-credit award that is initially covered by the symbol. The player continues to make selections and accumulate awards until an end-bonus outcome is uncovered. Thus, if a player initially selects a symbol covering the end-bonus outcome, the player receives no bonus award. This selection-type game, wherein a selection may award credits or end the game, is generally considered to have a high volatility index. "Volatility index" is a mathematical value that is the industry standard for measuring distribution of sizes and probabilities of slot machine payoffs and is described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,791, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, standard slot machines have a relatively steady payoff progression and, thus, are considered to have low volatility indices, which means that there is a relatively steady progression of many payoff values from the lowest to the highest, with each payoff corresponding probability decreasing as the value of the payoff increases. On the other hand, the described selection-type bonus game has a high volatility index. The present invention is directed to moderating the level of volatility in a selection-type game.

Wagering game having player selection features having reduced volatility index


An apparatus for mounting a superconducting element includes a first chamber which accommodates a first coolant and maintains the superconducting element at a very low temperature, a second chamber which accommodates a second coolant and is thermally connected to the first chamber via a barrier member, the second coolant being liquidized at a temperature lower than that of the first coolant, and a cooling device which is connected to the second chamber and liquidizes the first coolant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to apparatuses for mounting a superconducting element and, more particularly, to an apparatus for mounting a superconducting element needed to be cooled.
Recently, a large number of superconducting integrated circuits utilizing Nb Josephson elements has been reported. The circuits utilizing the Josephson-junction elements offer high-speed operation and low power dissipation, and hence make it possible to achieve high-speed processors. In operation, the superconducting element must be kept at a very low temperature (269.degree. C. below zero for a Nb element). Hence, the apparatus for holding the superconducting element at a very low temperature is a very important factor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Normally, liquid helium is used as a coolant to operate the Nb Josephson-junction element. More particularly, a superconducting circuit chip is placed in a Dewar vessel accommodating liquid helium, and is electrically connected to a device placed in the room-temperature atmosphere by means of a coaxial cable. This structure needs the coaxial cable to be 1 m long at least. In this case, the propagation delay time is estimated to be approximately 10 ns. Such a delay time does not operate the superconducting circuit at high speed (for example, 1 ns or less).
With the above in mind, the following apparatus for mounting a superconducting element has been proposed (Japanese Patent Application No. 63-276023).
FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for mounting a superconducting element proposed in the above Japanese patent application. The mounting apparatus 1 accommodates a circuit board 3 on which an integrated circuit chip 2 to be cooled, such as a Nb Josephson-junction element is mounted. The circuit board 3 is placed in a coolant of liquid helium in an inner housing of a Dewar vessel (cooling chamber) 7, which has an outer housing outside of the inner housing. An electric-signal cable 9 penetrates through a vacuum adiabatic layer 8 formed between the inner housing and the outer housing, and electrically connects the cooled integrated circuit chip 2 and a room-temperature-operation circuit chip 4 mounted on a circuit board 5. The above structure makes it possible to arrange the chip 2 and the chip 4 close to each other and hence reduces the length of the electric-signal cable 9 between the cooled integrated circuit chip 2 and the room-temperature-operation chip 4 to one-tenth or less. As a result, high-speed synchronizing operation on the chips 2 and 4 can be achieved.
A cooling head 11 connected to a refrigerating machine 10 is provided in the upper portion of the Dewar vessel 7, and reliquidizes helium evaporated by heat from the cable 9 and heat generated by the chip 2. In this manner, the chip 2 is continuously cooled by the liquid helium 6.
However, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a disadvantage in that the Dewar vessel 7 has a single cooling area, and hence there is no degree of freedom in the arrangement of the refrigerating machine 10 and the cooling head 11. The refrigerating machine 10 and the cooling head 11 are necessarily disposed in the upper position of the Dewar vessel 7 taking into account the following.
In order to establish the stable operation of the cooled integrated circuit chip 2, it is necessary to place the chip 2 in the liquid helium 6 to keep the operation temperature constant. The liquid helium 6 is evaporated due to heat generated by the chip 2 and heat from the cable 9. The cooling head 11 cools the evaporated helium and reliquidizes it, so that the quantity of liquid helium 6 is kept constant. In this case, in order to reliquidize the evaporated helium by the cooling head 11, it is necessary to keep the temperature of the cooling head 11 lower than the temperature of the liquid helium 6. This is because the temperature difference functions to take heat from the evaporated helium. Of course, the liquid stays in the lower portion of the cooling chamber 7. Hence, the refrigerating machine 10 and the cooling head 11 must be disposed in the upper portion of the cooling chamber 7.
It is known that generally, the efficiency of the refrigerating machine 10 for cooling the chip 2 is not good. The refrigerating machine 10 tends to have a larger volume and a larger weight (see S. Kotani, et al., "A Sub-ns-Clock Cryogenic System for Josephson Computers", IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, Vol. 1, No. 4 Dec., 1991). Hence, it is necessary to arrange the large-volume, heavy refrigerating machine in the upper portion of the cooling chamber 7. This needs a large and strong supporting mechanism, which leads to an increase in size of the overall mounting apparatus.

Apparatus for mounting a superconducting element


A used stencil receptacle for facilitating the disposal of used stencils. The used stencil receptacle is in the shape of a box, and comprises a base, a pair of long straight sides, a short straight side, and an open side or a movable side which is freely opened and closed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a receptacle for storing used stencils.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Box-shaped receptacles have been used for storing used stencils. Such receptacles have a base, a pair of long straight sides and a pair of short straight sides, and are without a lid, and receive and store used stencils discharged from a printing machine.
FIG. 19 of the accompanying drawings shows the configuration of a lithographic printing machine 34 , which comprises a document reader 34a, a stencil perforating section 34b, a printing drum 1, a sheet tray 34c, a sheet feeder 34d, a stencil discharging section 34e, and so on. A used stencil receptacle 5 constitutes part of the sheet discharging section 34e. When the printing machine 34 starts operating in an automatic stencil perforating mode, the printing drum 1 is rotated in the direction opposite to that used in the printing operation as shown in FIG. 16, so that a used stencil will be received in the used stencil receptacle 5. In this state, a stencil take-up belt 3, which is kept away from the printing drum 1 with a stencil take-up belt 2 during the printing operation, is moved to a position shown by the solid line from the position shown by the dashed line. In other words, the stencil take-up belt 3 comes into contact with the printing drum 1. Then, a clamp (not shown) holding the leading edge of a stencil 4 frees the stencil 4.
A surface of the stencil take-up belt 3 in contact with the printing drum 1 rotates in a direction opposite to that of the printing drum 1, so that the trailing edge of the used stencil 4 is scooped up by the stencil take-up belt 3. The stencil 4 is then drawn into the space between the stencil take-up belts 2 and 3, is stripped off the printing drum 1, is continuously conveyed via the stencil take-up belts 2 and 3, and is put into the used stencil receptacle 5.
In addition to the foregoing method, several methods are available so as to strip the stencil from the printing drum 1. In one method, the used stencil 4 is stripped from the printing drum when the clamp frees the leading edge of the used stencil 4, without reversing the rotational direction of the printing machine 1. In another method, stencil take-up rollers which are disposed in the used stencil receptacle are utilized in place of the combination of the stencil take-up belts 2 and 3 and the used stencil receptacle. In any case, the used stencil is discharged into the used stencil receptacle 5.
The discharged stencils 4 fold naturally and are stacked in the used stencil receptacle 5, and are compressed by a pressing member 6 at appropriate times so as to store as much of the stencils 4 as possible.
The used stencil receptacle 5 full of the used stencils 4 is detached from the printing machine, so that the used stencils 4 can be discarded. The used stencil receptacle 5 is returned to the original position in the printing machine 34.
The used stencil receptacle 5 is box-shaped as shown in FIG. 17, and includes a rectangular base 5-1, a pair of short straight sides 5-2 and 5-3, and a pair of long straight sides 5-4 and 5-5. The used stencil receptacle 5 has an open top. The long straight side 5--5 has a grip 5-6.
It is assumed that each used stencil 4 has a size W in a direction parallel to the rotary axis of the printing drum 1, and a size L in a direction in which the used stencil 4 is conveyed. In this case, W is larger than L. Thus, the base 5-1 of the used stencil receptacle 5 is rectangular with size W.times.L. The used stencil receptacle 5 is long in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the used stencil is paid.
The height of the used stencil receptacle 5 is determined on the basis of a height H of the maximum number of used stencils stacked therein. For instance, when a maximum number of A3 size stencils are stacked in the used stencil receptacle, W is 320 mm, L is 120 mm, and H is 120 mm.
The used stencil receptacle 5 full of used stencils is removed from the printing machine, and is emptied. The used stencil receptacle 5 will be returned into the printing machine 34.
Referring to FIGS. 17 to 19, when removing the used stencil receptacle 5, it is moved in a direction shown by the arrow 30 which is the same as the stencil feeding direction. Specifically, an operator standing before the front side of the printing machine moves the used stencil receptacle 5 to the left or right. The grip 5-6 on the side 5--5 is used when detaching the used stencil receptacle 5. As shown in FIG. 18, the used stencil receptacle 5 is secured at its pulling side by a holding member 31. Thus, first of all, the holding member 31 is opened as shown by the arrow 33 using a shaft 32 as a fulcrum, in the direction 30. Then, the used stencil receptacle 5 is pulled out of the printing machine 34 by pulling the grip 5-6.
In order to secure space for opening the holding member 31 and space for removing the used stencil receptacle 5 from the printing machine, a sorter 35 used in conjunction with the printing machine 34 has to be located at a position which is clear of the printing machine 34 by a distance K. The printing machine 34 and the sorter 35 constitute a printing system.
In the printing machine 34 of the prior art, the used stencil receptacle 5 is designed to be laterally moved (i.e. in the stencil feeding direction), viewed from an operator standing in front of the printing machine 34. Therefore, the operator extends his or her left arm and twists himself or herself so as to pull the used stencil receptacle 5 to the left. Further, since the used stencil receptacle 5 is pulled in the direction shown by the arrow 30, the sorter 35 should be kept away from the printing machine 34 by the distance K so as to retain enough space for pulling the holding member 31 and the used stencil receptacle 5.
Now, it is assumed that the used stencils are discharged from the receptacle 5 into a trash container. When the trash container has an opening whose size is larger than W.times.L, the used stencil receptacle 5 is simply reversed so that its contents will fall into the trash container by their own weight. However, large trash containers having such a large opening are not so popular. As shown in FIG. 20, a trash container 7 in wide use usually has an opening whose size is W'.times.W' and a height larger than W. The size W'.times.W' is slightly greater than the smaller sectional area with size L.times.L of the used stencils stacked in the used stencil receptacle 5.
When the used stencil receptacle 5 is appropriately reversed using an axis O--O as the center of rotation, used stencils 4 may not smoothly pass through the entrance of the trash container 7. Further, used stencils 4 sometimes remain stuck onto the used stencil receptacle 5, and are slow to fall into the trash container 7.
In order to overcome the foregoing problems, the operator has to grasp the used stencils 4, turn the used stencil receptacle 5 upside down so as to discharge the used stencils 4 into the trash container 7 with the longer side of the used stencils kept vertical. Sometimes, the used stencils 4 taken out of the used stencil receptacle 5 should be appropriately folded before they are discharged into the trash container 7.


A method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring a linear position, such as the distance between a sensing element and a movable object, and/or related parameters, such as displacement, direction, speed, velocity, and/or acceleration. The method utilizes a sensing element and an electrically conductive portion of the movable object, or a conductive target coupled to the movable object. The apparatus includes at least one sensing element formed by a section of a coupled slow-wave structure. The sensing element is connected to an RF or microwave generator, and an electronic circuit that converts at least one electromagnetic parameter of the section of the coupled slow-wave structure into a position reading. Electric and magnetic fields excited in the sensing element are split so that most of the electric energy is concentrated inside of the sensing element, while most of the magnetic energy is concentrated outside of the sensing element. The distance that defines the linear position is measured as a resonant frequency, impedance, phase shift or other electromagnetic parameter.

The usefulness of an RF (radio frequency) or microwave electromagnetic field for the purpose of linear position measurement is recognized in Prior Art Such devices can operate with either an RF or microwave excitation. When an electromagnetic field is excited near a movable object, the parameters of the electromagnetic field, such as resonant frequency, phase or amplitude, vary with the change of position of the movable object. The electromagnetic field parameters may be converted into an electronic indication of position, displacement, velocity, or acceleration of the movable object. In particular, the state of the art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,208 "Electromagnetic linear actuator with position sensor," 2004, in which Peghaire, et al, disclose a ferromagnetic actuator with a ferromagnetic circuit defining an axial travel interval of a ferromagnetic armature for axially driving a rod between two extreme positions in which the armature bears against poles of the ferromagnetic circuit. Resilient return means is provided to hold the valve at rest in a middle position between the extreme positions, and at least one coil is carried by the circuit, enabling the armature to be brought alternately into each of the two extreme positions. The rod carries a radially-magnetized bar of a length not less than the travel distance of the armature, and the housing carries at least one magnetic flux sensor placed in a zone having low exposure to the field created by the coil(s).
Prior Art also recognizes the usefulness of applying resonant sensing elements for measuring physical parameters, such as identifying the type of material, its moisture content, etc. When a material to be measured is placed within an electromagnetic field that is excited in a resonator being fed by an RF or microwave generator, which sweeps through a range of frequencies, the resonant frequency of the resonator shifts in relation to the properties of the material. This shift in resonant frequency can be measured or compared with another frequency, e.g. with the resonant frequency of the same resonator in another mode; see U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,808 issued to Nils Bertil Agdur on Jul. 29, 1969. In this patent, an apparatus for measuring a property of a material comprises, at least: one high frequency sweep-oscillator having a frequency periodically varying in a given range of frequencies, a cavity resonator having two resonant frequency peaks, and indicator means connected to the cavity resonator for producing a signal dependent on the difference of time of occurrence between the two frequency peaks.
When an electromagnetic field is disposed within a volume, it is known that placing a dielectric, conductive, or magnetic material within the volume can alter the parameters of the field. For example, the wave velocity of the electromagnetic field may change. A change in wave velocity leads to a change in phase delay or a change in resonant frequency. Such a change can be measured and utilized to indicate a parameter of the material. The respective influences from a dielectric, conductive, or magnetic material differ, and depend on the distribution of the electric and magnetic fields within a measured volume, see V. A. Viktorov, B. V. Lunkin and A. S. Sovlukov, "Radio-Wave measurements" [in Russian], Moscow: Energoatomizdat, 1989, pp. 148–153.
The application of slow-wave structures according to Prior Art for measuring liquid level and angular position (see patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,142 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,912 B2, both by Yu. N. Pchelnikov and D. S. Nyce) teaches the significant decrease of physical dimensions and resonant frequency of a sensing element. In these patents a sensing element, fabricated as a section of a slow-wave structure (SWS), is connected to a measuring circuit comprising an RF oscillator and a converter which converts the resonant frequency of the sensing element SWS into a level reading, in the first example, or to an angular position reading, in the second example.
The use of a SWS sensing element enables the control of electric and magnetic field distribution in the transverse and in the longitudinal directions. The use of coupled slow-wave structures makes it possible to split the electric and magnetic fields in the transverse direction (see Yu. N. Pchelnikov, "Features of Slow Waves and Potentials for Their Nontraditional Application," Journal of Communications Technology and Electronics, Vol. 48, #4, 2003, pp. 450–462). Splitting of the electric and magnetic fields can provide additional slowing of the electromagnetic wave. Splitting them in the transverse direction can also enhance the dependence of the electromagnetic field parameters on the distance between the slow-wave structure and a conductive target.
Slowed electromagnetic waves and slow-wave structures are also well known in the field of microwave engineering, see J. R. Pierce, "Traveling-Wave Tubes" D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., Princeton, N.J., 1950, Dean A. Watkins "Topics in Electromagnetic Theory", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and "Radio-Wave Elements of Engineering Devices Based on Slow-wave Structures," [in Russian] Moscow: Radio and Communications, 2002).
Slow waves are electromagnetic waves propagating in one direction with a phase velocity νp that is smaller than the velocity of light, c, in vacuum. The ratio c/νp is called the deceleration factor, or slowing factor. It is designated as N. In most practical applications, slowed electromagnetic waves are formed in slow-wave structures by coiling one or two conductors, for example, into a helix, or radial spiral (Prior Art), which geometrically increases the path length traveled by the wave. Such a curled conductor is called an "impedance conductor". It is commonly paired with another conductor that is not curled, called a "screen conductor".
Additional deceleration, in addition to the geometric path length, can also be obtained due to positive electric and magnetic coupling in a coupled slow-wave structure. In this case, both conductors are coiled, and have the configuration of mirror images flipped by 180° relative to a plane of symmetry, see Yu. N. Pchelnikov, "Comparative Evaluation of the Attenuation in Microwave Elements Based on a Spiral Slow-Wave System", Soviet Journal of Communication Technology and Electronics, Vol. 32, #11, 1987, pp. 74–78.
Slow-wave structure-based sensitive elements are known in the art, see V. V. Annenkov, Yu. N. Pchelnikov "Sensitive Elements Based on Slow-Wave Structures" Measurement Techniques, Vol. 38, #12, 1995, pp. 1369–1375. Slowing of an electromagnetic wave leads to a reduction in the dimensions of a sensing element for a given resonant frequency. Thus, by using the advantages of electrodynamic structures, a relatively small sensing element can operate at relatively low frequencies. A lower operating frequency is more convenient to generate, and more convenient for the conversion circuit which produces a desired output signal. An operating frequency can be chosen so that it is low enough to provide the above advantages, but still high enough to provide high accuracy and a high speed of response.
The low electromagnetic losses at relatively low frequencies (a few megahertz (MHz) to tens of MHz) also helps to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of the measurement. In addition, slowing of the electromagnetic wave leads to concentration of the energy in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. This results in an increase in sensitivity, proportional to the slowing factor N, see Yu. N. Pchelnikov, "Nontraditional Application of Surface Electromagnetic Waves" Abstract Book, First World Congress on Microwave Processing, 1997, pp. 152–153.
In both the Prior Art and in the present invention, one or more parameters of an electromagnetic field are measured. Some of the Prior Art methods and the present invention use one or two resonators, placed near a movable object of which the position is to be measured. Changes in the position of the movable object result in changes of the electromagnetic parameters of the resonator(s). The resonators are connected to a measuring circuit comprising an RF or microwave signal generator, which is used to excite an electromagnetic field.
Devices according to the Prior Art exhibit several problems that can be overcome by the present invention. Previous methods have low accuracy, sensitivity, and resolution at relatively low frequency, increasing only with a substantial increase in the operating frequency. However, an increase in frequency is accompanied by an increase in electromagnetic losses, such losses limiting the accuracy of the measurement. It is also generally known that a higher operating frequency can increase the cost of the associated electronic circuitry. The previous methods therefore require complex and expensive equipment. Thus, there is a need in the art for an electromagnetic method and apparatus for monitoring position that has greater sensitivity, resolution, and lower cost.

Electromagnetic method and apparatus for the measurement of linear position


A system for providing an air-fuel vapor mixture to an engine for improving completeness of combustion and also reducing emissions. The system includes a vaporizer within which a series of baffles are disposed such that air and fuel pass along a tortuous passageway defined within the vaporizer. Exhaust gases provide heat to the vaporizer, and as air and fuel pass along the passageway of the vaporizer, a homogenous air-fuel vapor mixture is produced, with the homogenous mixture exiting the vaporizer being supplied to the engine by way of an adapter plate assembly. When used with a carburetor, the adapter plate is disposed between the carburetor and the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to fuel systems, and particularly to fuel systems which heat the fuel such that the fuel enters an engine as a vapor.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is constantly a goal to improve the performance of engines, particularly in automobiles and other motor vehicles. Due to the competitiveness of the industry as well as environmental constraints, motor vehicle engines must operate as efficiently as possible while minimizing emissions and providing satisfactory power performance. Toward these goals, one focus has been upon the ability to provide most efficient and complete combustion of the fuel consumed by the engine. In order to improve combustion of the fuel, one approach has been to heat the fuel to a vapor before the fuel enters the engine.
For example, in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,616, a fuel system is disclosed in which the fuel passes from the fuel tank to an auxiliary carburetor, with the auxiliary carburetor providing an air and fuel mixture to a vaporizer unit. The vaporizer unit then heats the mixture such that the fuel is vaporized, and the vapor is then fed to the main carburetor of the engine. Although the system utilizes the concept of providing vaporized fuel to an engine, the system has been less than optimal from a power performance standpoint.
Other attempts to provide improved engine performance, emissions and economy utilizing vaporized fuel have also suffered from a number of shortcomings. Some attempts have suffered from the inability to adequately control the vapor and achieve full engine power in all driving conditions. In other attempts, the vapor produced condensed as it was traveling from the vaporizer toward the engine, somewhat defeating the purpose of the vaporizer.
Accordingly, an improved fuel delivery system is desired which provides a more optimal and effective fuel and air mixture to the engine. Such a system should be capable of providing an air and fuel mixture in a vaporized state such that fuel efficiency is increased while emissions are decreased. Preferably, the system should be adaptable to retrofit installation a well as for manufacture with the original equipment.


A facsimile apparatus uses a single memory in a facsimile system and a printer system without using an interface between the two systems. In the facsimile apparatus, a FAX controller stores data received via a communication line. A recording control circuit fetches data from the memory via a data bus, and records an image based on the fetched data. A memory intervention circuit outputs a data bus selection signal, and switches an address of access to the recording medium and a connection of the data bus. Thus, a single memory is shared between a facsimile system and printer system.

The present invention relates to an image communication method and apparatus.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a general facsimile apparatus having an ink-jet printer as a recording apparatus.
In FIG. 10, numeral 200a is a facsimile controller system, and numeral 200b is an ink-jet printer system. In this facsimile apparatus, data transmitted from the facsimile controller system 200a is received by the ink-jet printer system 200b, and the image data for recording included in the received data is printed on a recording medium.
Numeral 200 is a facsimile controller (FAX controller) which performs reading of an original image, control of transmission/reception via to a telephone communication line, and sending of data transmission and recording instructions to an ink-jet printer system 200b. Numeral 201 is a memory for the facsimile controller system which stores read data of an original or reception data received from the telephone communication line. That is, the FAX controller 200 sends operation instructions to an ink-jet printer system 200b via a serial interface 202, and supervises the state of the ink-jet printer system 200b , e.g. noting error states caused by running out of paper.
Numeral 203 is an interface circuit for printer data (printer interface), which transmits a control code and image data to execute recording with respect to the ink-jet printer system 200b. As an example of the printer interface 203, there is a CENTRONICS interface which is generally by a printer controller.
The construction of the ink-jet printer system 200b is described below.
In FIG. 10, numeral 210 is a printer CPU which performs various controls in the ink-jet printer system 200b. Numeral 211 is a memory for the ink-jet printer system 200b which stores data received from facsimile controller system 200a. Numeral 212 is a serial interface which receives operation instructions transmitted from the facsimile controller system 200a. Furthermore, the serial interface 212 transmits the facsimile controller system 200a from the instruction of the ink-jet printer system 200b.
Numeral 213 is an interface circuit for print data (printer interface) which receives a control code and image data transmitted from the facsimile controller system 200a. Numeral 214 is a register block capable of reading and writing. The printer CPU 210 writes the received image data into the register block 214, and converts the written image data to correspond to the recording form of a printer head 216, and then outputs it. The printer CPU 210 can read the converted result.
Numeral 215 is a head controller of the ink-jet printer which is initialized by the instruction of the printer CPU 210. The head controller 215 fetches recording data out of the memory 211, and performs transmission of recording data and recording control to the ink-jet head 216. The ink-jet head 216 performs recording in accordance with the control of the head controller 215 driven by a driver 215a. Numeral 217 is a carriage motor, and numeral 218 is a line feed motor. These motors are respectively driven by a control signal of the printer CPU 210.
The operation of the facsimile system having the above-described ink-jet printer is described below.
The facsimile controller 200 sequentially supervises the state of the ink-jet printer system 200b via the serial interface 202 or the printer interface 203. When it is determined that the ink-jet printer system 200b is in the standby state, the image data which is a result of reading on original or a result of data reception is stored in the memory 201. If a predetermined amount of image data is stored in the memory 201, the facsimile controller 200 transmits the recording start instruction to the ink-jet printer system 200b.
The ink-jet printer system 200b starts receiving data from the facsimile controller system 200a as a result of such instruction. That is, the data transmitted from the printer interface 203 is received by the printer interface 213, and is sequentially stored in the memory 211. The printer CPU 210 supervises this, and fetches the data when a predetermined amount of data has been stored in this way in the memory 211. Subsequently, the printer CPU 210 deletes data which is unnecessary for recording, and converts the remaining data into the recording data for ink-jet recording by the register block 214. The recording data generated in this way is stored in a predetermined recording data area in the memory 211 which is reserved as a print buffer.
After the recording data storage, the ink-jet head 216 starts recording. The printer CPU 210 performs recording processing at a predetermined timing. At the recording timing, the printer CPU 210 sets recording control data obtained from the result by referring to ambient temperature and humidity and the history of past recording data stored in the head controller 215, and then transmits a recording start signal. At the same time, the printer CPU 210 transmits control signals to the carriage motor 217 and line feed motor 218 respectively. The head controller 215 to which the recording start signal is transmitted from the printer CPU 210 reads the recording data out of the recording data area of the memory 211, drives the ink-jet head 216 in accordance with the predetermined recording control data, and performs recording on the recording medium.
The above-described general facsimile apparatus performs interface between the facsimile controller system 200a and the ink-jet printer system 200b by an printer interface. Accordingly, the facsimile controller system 200a and the ink-jet printer system 200b respectively require a printer interface circuit, serial interface circuit and data storage memory. This makes it more difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus and to reduce its cost.
Furthermore, since the above-described facsimile apparatus does not include a function to receive data transmitted from a personal computer, storage, recording or transmission to a telephone communication line of the data transmitted from the personal computer via the printer interface can not be processed.

Image communication apparatus handling concurrent storing and reading requests


A relatively small transportable desktop computer/workstation with a display panel assembly (2) in combination with a microprocessor or controller (44) is made display screen position adjustable, in inclination angle, azimuth angle and elevation translation movements. The workstation can have a pen or stylus touch screen input function (36) added, so that a user or operator can write, draw and sketch directly onto the screen in a natural manner. The workstation can be placed on top of a desk or table providing an ergonomic man-machine interface for information communications between individual users via a communications network. A keyboard (7, 42), voice/speaker telephone (48), mouse or trackball input unit (46), and communications modem (42) may be added to the workstation. The flat panel display, pen input device and microprocessor can be combined into an assembly, which can be removed from the main body for portable mobile computing operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to desktop or portable computers with flat panel displays. In particular it relates to personal computers that will lie on a desk or table, which a human operator will use to: (1) enter keyboard data, pen or voice data/information; (2) view displayed information and/or (3) hear audio/voice information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, portable computers with flat panel displays were embodied in a "clamshell" type design. When these prior art computers are ready for use, the display panel is unfolded to a roughly vertical orientation. The attached keyboard and computer enclosure form the bottom half of the clamshell. For portable transport, the flat panel display is folded down over the keyboard and computer enclosure. This prior art configuration has several shortcomings. First, since the unit sits on a desk or table, the screen is always at a lower elevation than the eye level of the person sitting and operating the computer. Thus the person must continually look down to the display. Over long periods of time, this will cause neck and back strain on the user. Secondly, if a pen/stylus input means is added to the display screen, the roughly vertical operating orientation is inconvenient and ergonomically incorrect when the user is handwriting or sketching. If the user tries to hold his/her arm up to write on a vertical screen, the users arm will tire. Over long periods of writing on a vertical screen, this awkward position will cause strain on one's wrist. Even if the user is willing to hold his/her hand up to write on the vertical screen, it may not be physically secure for the user's hand pressure. Thirdly, the prior art clamshell design does not provide elevation adjustment or azimuth angle adjustment means. This restricts the ergonomic usability of the prior art computer and display units.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,092 of Makita discloses a portable typewriter and display unit. However, a single pair of pivoting arms connect the display unit to the main body. When its display unit is raised to its highest elevation, the distance from the user's eyes to the display screen is large. Therefore, middle aged users who are near sighted, will have difficulty in viewing the screen. No pen/stylus input mean is disclosed, but even if one is added, the display unit would not provide a physically secure writing surface. The Makita does not provide a means of placing equal and opposite restraining force onto the display unit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,434 of Lake discloses a tiltable display terminal, but no display unit elevation adjustment is taught. Again no pen input means is disclosed, and if one is added, the unit would not be physically stable for normal hand/arm forces applied by the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,374 of Hongoh teaches a laptop portable computer with a facsimile function. Hongoh discloses a touch panel screen, but no pen input means, and no vertical elevation adjustment of its display unit is taught. In order to provide a horizontal display orientation, the display unit must be detached from the main body and set back, in reverse orientation, to the connector sockets on the main body, which is a severe disadvantage.
Several prior art pen computer units exit. However, their display screens are fixed to their enclosure to form a flat tablet. They are designed for the mobile user market. This limits their use for desktop pen/stylus computing environments. No prior art has solved the problem of a personal computer for the office environment, capable of standard computing, pen computing, and voice telephone communications.
The invention disclosed herein solves the above problems by providing an ergonomic designed desktop system that is capable of several important computer and communications functions. It provides a display panel assembly, pen/stylus input unit, multiple support arms, and a main unit in a roughly wedge shape. The display panel assembly can be adjusted in inclination angle, azimuth angle and elevation. Thus invention overcomes the problems of the prior art. For example, the display panel of the invention can be easily adjusted by hand in elevation to a height roughly of the user's eye level. The user does not have to look down to see the screen when in normal PC-keyboard operation. If the unit is used as a pen/stylus computer, the display panel can be folded by hand to a physically secure position, at an inclination angle that is ergonomically correct for handwriting and sketching. Finally, the display screen can be physically adjusted in many orientation combinations, including azimuth angles, inclination angles and elevation translations. Thus the invention can be used in a wide range on office desktop positions and by a wide range of users and orientations.

Desktop device with adjustable flat screen display


A fuel system for an internal combustion engine powering an outboard motor of a watercraft is disclosed. The fuel system includes a main fuel source and a pump for delivering fuel from the main fuel source through a fuel filter to a vapor separator. Fuel is supplied from the chamber by high pressure pump through a fuel rail to one or more fuel injectors. Undelivered fuel is returned to the vapor separator through a return line. Oil is mixed into the fuel between the fuel filter and the high pressure pump, so that the high pressure pump draws a mixture of fuel and oil and delivers it to the charge former(s) and fuel return.

Fuel systems for internal combustion engines powering outboard motors typically include a vapor separator. In these fuel systems, fuel is supplied from a tank to the vapor separator. A high pressure pump delivers the fuel from the separator through a fuel rail to individual fuel injectors.
Fuel which is supplied to the fuel rail but not distributed by the injectors is preferably re-routed back into the fuel system. Because the undistributed fuel is agitated, it may contain air bubbles and is thus passed into the vapor separator. The vapor separator is designed to allow the air within the fuel to separate from the fuel, which fuel is then routed back into the fuel delivery line to the fuel injectors.
In order to reduce corrosive effects upon the various fuel system components, oil is preferably supplied into the fuel for distribution through the fuel system. The oil may be used to lubricate the passages, springs, plungers and other fuel system components.
A problem arises from the fact that oil has a higher specific gravity than the fuel, and as such, the oil may settle to and remain at the bottom of the vapor separator. In addition, when the watercraft is accelerating, the settled oil may be drawn to that portion of the separator opposite the high pressure fuel pump intake. When the oil is so located, and because once separated it resists flow, the high pressure pump is unsuccessful in drawing oil along with fuel from the vapor separator.
A fuel system including a vapor separator adapted to separate vapor from fuel and from which a well-mixed supply of fuel and oil may be drawn, is desired.


A method of cleaning carpets with a composition comprising a surfactant selected from amine oxides and acyl sarcosinates. The compositions are advantageous in that they do not leave a dulling film if not removed from the carpet after drying. Preferably, the compositions also contain a source of active oxygen for stain removal.

Carpets produced from synthetic or natural fibers and mixtures thereof are commonly used in residential and commercial applications as a floor covering. Various types of fibers can be used in making carpets such as polyamide fibers, polyester fibers as well as wool, cotton or even silk.
Carpets, irrespective of whether they are made from natural or synthetic fibers are all prone to soiling and staining when contacted with many household items. Indeed, fibers may become soiled as a result of various items like foods, grease, oils, beverages as well as dirt particles, clay, dust, particulate soils in general, coming into contact with and adhering to the fibers of the carpets. These latter soils often appear in the form of a diffuse layer of soils rather than in the form of spots and tend to accumulate particularly in the so called "high traffic areas" such as near doors as a result of intensive use of the carpets in such areas.
There are a number of carpet cleaning compositions described in the art for removing stains and/or soils from carpets. However, these compositions leave a lot of residues on the carpets after having been applied and left in contact with said carpets to perform their cleaning action. The residues left onto said carpets by said carpet cleaning compositions have the tendency to stick to said carpets and are thus difficult to remove by mechanical means for example by vacuum cleaning. The presence of high amount of residues and in particular of sticky residues, contributes to facilitate carpet resoiling and to make the carpet lose its "new" aspect and colour brightness.
Thus the object of the present invention is to provide a method of cleaning carpets whereby the amount of residues left onto said carpets after having been applied thereto is reduced. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of cleaning a carpet that provides excellent stain removal performance without the need of removing from said carpet the carpet cleaning composition that has been applied thereto to clean said carpet.
It has now been found that the above object can be met by incorporating an amine oxide surfactant according to the formula R1R2R3NO, wherein each of R1, R2 and R3 is independently a saturated substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl group of from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and/or an acyl sarcosinate surfactant according to the formula: ##STR1## wherein M is hydrogen or a cationic moiety and wherein R is an alkyl group of from 9 to 20 carbon atoms, in a carpet cleaning composition. Indeed, it has now been found that the use of such a surfactant in a carpet cleaning composition allows to reduce the amount of residues left onto a carpet that has been contacted with said carpet cleaning composition. It has further been found that the residues left are at least partially crystals with an average particle surface bigger than 300.mu..sup.2. More particularly, the present invention is based on the consumer noticeable finding that excellent stain removal performance is delivered with a composition comprising such an amine oxide surfactant and/or acyl sarcosinate surfactant without the need of removing said composition from the carpet after having been applied thereto and having performed its cleaning action. Thus the present invention allows a one step carpet cleaning method with excellent stain removal performance. Furthermore, if a removing step although not necessary is nevertheless carried out by for example vacuum cleaning said carpet after having applied thereto said composition, said removing step is facilitated. Indeed, the residues left onto a carpet when cleaned with a carpet cleaning composition according to the present invention can be easily removed from said carpet, for example by vacuum cleaning, as compared to the residues left onto said carpet when cleaned with the same composition without said surfactant according to the present invention, or with the same composition but with alkyl sulphate instead of said surfactant according to the present invention.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is applicable to all carpet types, especially delicate natural fibers and is also safe to all carpet dye types, particularly sensitive natural dyes used therein. The compositions suitable to be used herein are also particularly efficient to clean upholstery and car seats covering.
Another advantage is that the compositions to be used according to the present invention may be applied directly on the carpet without causing damage to the carpet. In addition the cleaning action of the invention commences as soon as the carpet cleaning composition has been applied to the surface. Indeed, the use of the carpet cleaning compositions of the present invention does not necessarily require rubbing or/and brushing of the carpet.
A further advantage of the present invention is that excellent stain removal performance is provided on a variety of stains including particulate stains like clay, dirt, dust, mud, concrete, greasy/oily stains like make-up, lipstick, dirty motor oil, mineral oil, greasy food like mayonnaise and spaghetti sauce, bleachable stains like tea, wine, grass and coffee as well as enzymatic stains like blood.
Yet another advantage of the preferred embodiment of the present invention where said carpet cleaning method is carried out without removing said carpet cleaning composition from a carpet after having been applied and left to dry onto said carpet, is that when said carpet cleaning composition further comprises a perfume, said perfume is longer lasting on carpets. This results in improved fragrance odor of carpets being cleaned. In other words, the method of cleaning carpets according to the present invention wherein the carpet cleaning composition used further comprises a perfume and wherein said composition is not removed from said carpets after having been applied thereto, provides a fresh and clean impression to carpets.

Method of cleaning carpets comprising an amineoxide or acyl sarcosinate and a source of active oxygen


A height adjustable crutch includes a single tube member, a foot grip, an underarm support, and a handle. The single tube member has a central axis along which a main member, a telescoping top member, and a telescoping foot member are aligned. The top member is adjustable relative to a top end of the main member. The foot member is adjustable relative to bottom end of the main member. The foot grip is fixedly attached to the foot member, and the underarm support is fixedly attached to a top end of the top member. The underarm support is generally perpendicular to the central axis of the single tube member. The handle is fixedly attached to the main member and is offset from the central axis of the single tube such that a gap separates a central area of the handle and the main member.

Crutches have long been used as walking aids when experiencing short-term or long-term walking disabilities. Some factors used to select an appropriate crutch include crutch cost, crutch weight, crutch adjustability, crutch comfort, and crutch stability. Although many different types of crutches are available, the currently available crutches are plagued by one or more problems.
For example, one problem associated with some current crutches is that they are too expensive. One of the most familiar types of crutches uses two parallel bowed tubes that are connected by an adjustable handle near a central region of the crutch and by an underarm support near the upper end of the crutch. Using two tubes increases the cost of materials used in manufacturing the crutch, which, in turn, increases the final cost to the consumer.
Another problem associated with some current crutches is that they have a high weight. For example, while the parallel-tube type of crutch described above may weigh only a few ounces more than a single-tube crutch, the comfort level and ease of use when using a single-tube crutch is generally higher than when using a parallel-tube crutch. In fact, a small child or an elderly person is more likely to benefit from a crutch having a weight that is reduced by even a few ounces. When reducing the weight of the crutch, however, one must ensure that the crutch is still able to sustain and support the appropriate weight for the user (i.e., have a proper, generally high, weight capacity). Thus, simply reducing the weight of the crutch, by itself, does not provide a solution to providing a low weight crutch that is stable and has a high weight capacity.
While single-tube crutches provide certain advantages over parallel-tube crutches, the currently available single-tube crutches present additional problems. A problem associated with current single-tube crutches is that they are not ergonomically shaped, and, thus, they can cause fatigue and discomfort to the crutch user. For example, some crutch users can experience great discomfort when using a single-tube crutch having a small-sized or improperly shaped underarm support. Each time the user swings the single-tube crutch, the frictional contact resulting between the underarm support and the user's underarm can cause pain and irritation.
Some current single-tube crutches also fail to provide an adjustment mechanism that is convenient, simple, and stable. For example, having an adjustable handle inherently increases the likelihood that the crutch may become unstable and likely cause great injury to the user. Because the handle can be adjusted (i.e., moved from one position to another position), the user must always be cautious to properly secure the handle in its current position. An improperly secured handle can result in the user falling and likely suffering great injury. Even if the handle is initially properly secured, the handle can be inadvertently moved during use (e.g., continuous interaction between the user's hands and the handle can cause the handle's displacement). For example, if the adjustable handle is secured to one of its positions by a screw and a nut, the nut may loosen over time and cause the adjustable handle to fail in supporting the user.
Yet another problem with some single-tube crutches is that the handle is not positioned in a comfortable and convenient position. When using a crutch, the user places the underarm support under his or her underarm and grasps the handle for support. However, the handle in current single-tube crutches is positioned along the axis of the crutch tube and, accordingly, causes the user to awkwardly bend his or her arms inward to grasp the handle. Positioning the handle parallel to the tube, or inward of the tube towards the user's body, decreases stability and increases discomfort when using the single-tube crutch.
Therefore, there exists a need for an ergonomically designed single-tube crutch having a fixed handle for providing user stability and comfort. The present invention is directed to satisfying one or more of these needs and solving other problems.


The present invention provides a medical device for measuring and/or providing cervical dilation including an elongate body defining a proximal end and a distal end, as well as an expandable element coupled to the distal end of the elongate body. An array of movable elements may be disposed circumferentially about the elongate body, where the array of movable elements is movably coupled to the distal end of the elongate body by a plurality of wires. The medical device may further include a measurement mechanism able to determine a radial spacing of the array of movable elements, as well as a dilation indicator in communication with the measurement mechanism. One or more pressure sensors may be coupled to the array of movable elements, whereby a control element is in communication with the pressure sensors. In addition, an inflation source may be included in fluid communication with the expandable element.

During the later stages of pregnancy, the cervix typically undergoes numerous physical changes which provide increased safety and ease with which the fetus can be delivered. Particularly, the cervical canal tissue softens and increases in pliability, and subsequently, the diameter of the cervical canal begins to increase. Eventually, the dilation of the cervix is completed, allowing for the unobstructed passage of the fetus.
During these stages of pregnancy, there are instances when the cervix fails to dilate sufficiently to allow for the safe and unobstructed passage of the fetus. Such conditions may lead to a need for forced or supplemental dilation of the cervix either mechanically or through medication.
Typically, several mechanical and medical options have been available for creating cervical dilation, either to assist in the management of labor in obstetrical patients, or to assist in the management of gynecological patients requiring operative procedures involving the cervix and uterus. Mechanical solutions employed in assisting the dilation of the cervix include the use of laminaria, which is an organic product that expands gradually upon absorption of moisture, catheters having expandable elements disposed on them, and other related apparatuses. Additional devices employed in assisting the dilation of gynecologic patient have primarily included the use of graduated steel dilators. Although these dilators can be effective in creating dilatation of the cervix, such dilators pose the risk of uterine perforation as a potential complication. Furthermore, while these instruments and methods may have been variably effective, some have been associated with increased risk of infection. In addition, due to a relative lack of precise control, these devices and methods may have an increased probability of producing inaccurate, imprecise, and undesired end results.
The administration of medication to increase cervical dilation has included delivery of prostaglandin agents as well as synthetic oxytocin to create cervical "ripening" and dilatation. However, side effects differ and the appropriateness and/or effectiveness of certain medications may vary between patients.
Considering the risk of infection, perforation and probability of inaccurate or undesired end results of cervical dilation with the methods and devices described above, it would be desirable to provide for precise and accurate cervical dilatation having a reduced risk of injury and/or infection.

Method for cervical dilation and/or measurement


The present invention provides an antiproliferative compound having a structural formula

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of organic chemistry and antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic compounds. More specifically, the present invention relates to chroman-based compounds and derivatives and analogs thereof, and their uses as cell anti-proliferative, proapoptotic, immunomodulating, and anti-cancer agents.
2. Description of the Related Art
The regulatory controls of pro-life (cell proliferation) and pro-death (apoptosis) are extremely complex and involve multiple intracellular signaling pathways and multiple interacting gene products. Cancer cells may exhibit multiple defects in normal regulatory controls of cell proliferation, such as enhanced expression of genes, which allow them to increase in number. In addition to enhanced expression of pro-life genes, cancer cells down-regulate genes and their products that control pro-death signals, resulting in the accumulation and potential metastasis of life threatening cancer cells. Thus, combinations of unregulated cell proliferation and suppression of death inducing signaling pathways give cancer cells both growth and survival advantages.
Whether a cell increases in numbers or not depends on a balance of expression of negatively-acting and positively-acting growth regulatory gene products, and the presence or absence of functional cell death signaling pathways. Negative-acting growth regulatory genes contribute to blockage of cells in the cell cycle. Positive-acting growth regulatory genes stimulate cells to progress through the cell cycle. Genes involved in apoptosis can be either proapoptotic or antiapoptotic, and the dynamic balance between them determines whether a cell lives or dies. Cancer cells, in order to survive and increase their numbers, undergo a series of mutational events over time that remove regulatory controls that give them the ability to grow unchecked and survive even in the presence of proapoptotic signals, and develop attributes that permit them to escape detection and removal by the immune response defense system. Cancers may cause death of individuals unless removed by surgery or effectively treated with drugs.
A wide variety of pathological cell proliferative conditions exist for which novel therapeutic strategies and agents are needed to provide therapeutic benefits. These pathological conditions may occur in almost all cell types capable of abnormal cell proliferation or abnormal responsiveness to cell death signals. Among the cell types that exhibit pathological or abnormal growth and death characteristics are (1) fibroblasts, (2) vascular endothelial cells, and (3) epithelial cells. Thus, novel methods are needed to treat local or disseminated pathological conditions in all or almost all organ and tissue systems of individuals.
Most cancers, whether they are male specific, such as prostate or testicular, or female specific, such as breast, ovarian or cervical, or, whether they affect males and females equally, such as liver, skin or lung, with time undergo increased genetic lesions and epigenetic events, and eventually become highly metastatic and difficult to treat. Surgical removal of localized cancers has proven effective only when the cancer has not spread beyond the primary lesion. Once the cancer has spread to other tissues and organs, the surgical procedures must be supplemented with other more specific procedures to eradicate the diseased or malignant cells. Most of the commonly utilized supplementary procedures for treating diseased or malignant cells such as chemotherapy or bioradiation are not localized to the tumor cells and, although they have a proportionally greater destructive effect on malignant cells, often affect normal cells to some extent.
Some natural vitamin E compounds, and some derivatives of vitamin E have been used as proapoptotic and DNA synthesis inhibiting agents. Structurally, vitamin E is composed of a chromanol head and an alkyl side chain. There are eight major naturally occurring forms of vitamin E: alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ), and delta (δ) tocopherols and α, β, γ, and δ tocotrienols. Tocopherols differ from tocotrienols in that they have a saturated phytyl side chain rather than an unsaturated isoprenyl side chain. The four forms of tocopherols and tocotrienols differ in the number of methyl groups on the chromanol head (α has three, β and γ have two and δ has one).
RRR-α-tocopheryl succinate is a derivative of RRR-α-tocopherol that has been structurally modified via an ester linkage to contain a succinyl moiety instead of a hydroxyl moiety at the 6-position of the chroman head. This ester linked succinate moiety of RRR-α-tocopherol has been the most potent form of vitamin E affecting the biological actions of triggering apoptosis and inhibiting DNA synthesis. This form of vitamin E induces tumor cells to undergo apoptosis, while having no apoptotic inducing effects on normal cells. The succinated form of vitamin E is effective as an anticancer agent as an intact agent; however, cellular and tissue esterases that can cleave the succinate moiety, thereby converting the succinate form of RRR-α-tocopherol to the free RRR-α-tocopherol, render this compound ineffective as an anticancer agent. RRR-α-tocopherol exhibits neither antiproliferative nor proapoptotic biological activity in cells of epithelial or immune origin.
The prior art is deficient in the lack of effective means of inhibiting undesirable or uncontrollable cell proliferation in a wide variety of pathophysiological conditions while having no to little effect on normal cells. The present invention fulfills this long-standing need and desire in the art.

Tocopherols, tocotrienols, other chroman and side chain derivatives and uses thereof

Abstract: where X and Y independently are oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur; R1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, carboxylic acid, carboxylate, carboxamide, ester, thioamide, thiolacid, thiolester, saccharide, alkoxy-linked saccharide, amine, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, alcohol, ethers or nitriles; R2 and R3 are hydrogen or R4; R4 is methyl, benzyl carboxylic acid, benzyl carboxylate, benzyl carboxamide, benzylester, saccharide or amine; and R1 is alkenyl; where when Y is nitrogen, said nitrogen is substituted with R6, wherein R6 is hydrogen or methyl. Also provided are methods for treating a cell proliferative disease and for inducing apoptosis in a cell comprising administering this compound is also provided.


A computer system comprising a plurality of electronic components disposed within a chassis. The electronic components generate a cooling load of at least 50 CFM at 2 inches of water or greater. An air mover is disposed within said chassis and is operable to generate airflow of at least 50 CFM at 2 inches of water or greater. An air distribution system is coupled to the air mover and is operable to distribute the airflow to the plurality of electronic components.

Computer system designs that seek to increase computational power while reducing the size of computer equipment create many challenges with controlling the temperature within these 'dense' computer systems. Increasing the computational power of computer systems often results in the utilization of high power components that generate high levels of heat. Reducing the size of the computer system often involves packaging components in close proximity to each other, therefore restricting airflow through the system. The combination of high power, high heat generating components and compact design is pushing the limits of current air-cooled systems.
Air-cooled systems often utilize an array of fans to move air from the environment, through a computer enclosure, and back to the environment. As the air passes through the enclosure it comes in thermal contact with, and absorbs heat from, the heat generating components within the enclosure. The heat transfer rate that can be achieved by an air-cooled system is a function of the volumetric flow rate and static pressure of air that can be moved through the enclosure.
Therefore, as can be appreciated, there remains a need in the art for air cooling systems for use with dense computer systems.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.