An optically clear biofouling resistant coating compositions specially formulated for very high light transmission and more particularly coating compositions which can be applied to marine instruments and sensors. The compositions provide a biofouling resistant coating on the surface of the marine instruments and sensors which prevents underwater organisms from adhering and growing on the surfaces of the structures over a long period of time.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optically clear biofouling resistant coating organosiloxane compositions specially formulated for very high light transmission, and more particularly to coating compositions which can be applied to marine instruments and sensors. The compositions provide a biofouling resistant coating on the surface of the marine instruments and sensors which prevents underwater organisms from adhering and growing on the surfaces of the structures over a long period of time.
Description of the Prior Art
A large number of organisms such as barnacles, bacterial slimes, ascidians, serupulas, fresh- and salt-water mussels, polyzoan, green algae, sea lettuce and the like live in the waters of the sea, rivers, lakes and swamps. These plants and animals cause various types of damages, and particularly adhere to and degrade the performance of marine instruments and sensors.
The biofouling of marine and other aquatic instrumentation is a long-felt and well-established problem by those in industry, science and resource management, as biofouling inhibits the performance of marine instrumentation, thereby adversely affecting the data acquired as well as adding to the cost of maintaining the instruments. Problems due to biofouling of marine instrumentation have been occurring for many decades and continue to be a major factor inhibiting the effective use of submerged instruments.
Biofouling on the marine instrument housing causes messy handling of the instrument upon retrieval; increases the surface area of the housing thereby making the instrument more susceptible to forces imparted on it from current, waves or other moving water; increases the weight of the instrument both in and out of the water; increases personnel time to clean with an associated increase in operation and maintenance cost the biofouling that attaches to the surface area of the housing has a tendency to migrate towards the sensor area.
Additionally, the biofouling on the sensor elements can attenuate sensor signals, disrupt critical spacing between conductor elements, disable optical devices due to blockage of light transmission through their elements; block open ports of pressure or sensing chambers, clogs open flow cylinders of some sensors and some biofouling organisms such as barnacles can bore into the transducer elements, thereby damaging them.
Biofouling of marine instruments comprising a housing and sensor element continues to be a persistent problem. Prior attempts to address the problems associated with biofouling of sensor elements have involved using, mechanical wipers to remove biological material from the sensor elements; various grease types which work through ablative processes or through the incorporation of active agents such as pepper extracts or other traditional metal biocides, tributyl tin tablets that sterilize the local sensing area or chamber contained sensor area, using traditional paints containing active biocides, sensor encapsulation boxes that prevent light from contacting the sensor element when it is not in use and thereby prevent or limit biofouling, chlorine systems that often use electrolysis to generate chlorines from seawater, various chemical treatments that are injected into a closed chamber system and using copper mounting plates for sensor components.
Other prior attempts to address the problems associated with biofouling of housing elements include the use of various grease types which work through ablative processes or through the incorporation of active agents such as pepper extracts or other traditional metal biocides, use of traditional paints containing active biocides, or various types of tapes that are wrapped on the housings and then removed when the instrument is retrieved, thus removing the biofouling.
Prior art techniques have obvious limitations. For instance, use of grease for preventing biofouling of instrument housing may be initially effective; its effectiveness diminishes over time as the greases need to be periodically reapplied as the grease is washed off. Furthermore, greases may have adverse environmental effects as they are in some cases toxic to non-biofouling marine life and to workers handling and maintaining the marine instruments. On the other hand, paints or any opaque coating will not work on optical sensors as they will disrupt light transmission in the same manner that biofouling itself does. Additionally, metal biocide released from various paints or greases cannot work with electrode or electromagnetic sensor elements as they will disrupt the generated signal. Mechanical wipers have proven to improve the duration that optical instruments can be deployed. Fouling does however occur and the mechanical systems use a significant amount of battery power for those devices that are battery powered. Furthermore, paints containing active biocides or other biocide applications lose their efficacy over time. The copper mounting plates noted have moderate effectiveness in reducing biofouling accumulation. The use of tapes on instrument housing does not reduce the degree of biofouling but simply protects the instrument housing and allows the user to clean the instrument by removing the tape rather than scraping the instrument.
Where marine instruments have been coated with opaque biofouling resistant material, the coating occludes the identity of the instrument causing manufacturers to loose their identifying look and branding; serial numbers and other identification markings.
In order to solve the above problems, various coating compositions have previously been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,025,693 and 5,218,059, 5,958,116 disclose coating compositions which are prepared using a silicone rubber alone or as a mixture with silicone oil. US 20080166493 disclose silicone based coating compositions containing ceramic nanoparticles. US 20080255304 relate to integrally molded body of silicone resin and silicone rubber but does not teach an antibiofouling composition. Prior art does not provide optically clear silicones nor address the issue of poor silicone adhesion to a wide variety of marine instrument surfaces, particularly adhesion promotion in a manner that does not interfere with light transmission. Hence, there is need for biofouling resistant coating compositions specially formulated for very high light transmission without impeding the effectiveness of the submerged instruments.

Optically clear biofouling resistant compositions and methods for marine instruments


A folding walker is provided, including methods of using the folding walker. The folding walker includes two side members. Each of the side members includes a leg assembly; a handle assembly; and two first joints coupled between the leg assembly and the handle assembly. The folding walker also includes a front member. The front member includes a horizontal member having a first portion and a second portion; and a second joint coupled between a first end of the first portion and a first end the second portion, wherein a second end of the first portion is rotatably coupled to one side member and a second end of the second portion is rotatably coupled to the other side member.

Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a walker and more particularly to a walker that folds for storage.
State of the Art
As of 2014, over six million Americans utilized mobility assist devices such as canes, crutches, and walkers, to assist with balance, stability, and ambulation. Walkers have changed little in design since their introduction in the 1950s. The traditional "Zimmer frame" walker features four legs supporting a frame which the user steps into and grasps with each hand, lifting the device slightly from the ground and moving it forward. The user, while grasping handles of the device for support, lifts the frame slightly and moves it forward, then takes a step forward while leaning slightly on the handles of the frame, as necessary for balance and support.
Although the Zimmer frame walker is simple in design, relatively inexpensive, and highly effective, there are problems with the device. The frame forms a wide "U" shape which the user steps into, such that the user is encircled by the frame on three sides. The frame, therefore, is somewhat large and bulky. This creates challenges with fitting the frame into the back seat or trunk of a vehicle, and when storing the device at home. Further still, walkers that do fold are still bulky and difficult to store.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved walker that is foldable and collapsible to be easily transported and stored.


Lighting device having a number of light sources for illumination an area around the lighting device. The lighting device including capabilities for generating illumination when a primary power source is unavailable. The light device may include a secondary power source for use in powering the lighting device when the primary power source is unavailable. The lighting device may include multiple operating modes, optionally depending on the active power source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting devices having a number of light sources for emitting light to surrounding areas.
2. Background Art
Any electrically operable element having capabilities for emitting light be may considered as a light source. Light sources may include any number of features for controlling the operation thereof, and typically include some form of light socket for receiving electrical power from a main power source, such as a power outlet.
If the main power source is lost, i.e., if power failure occurs and the light socket no longer receives power, the lighting device is unable to generate light. The inability of some lighting devices to generate light when the main source of power is lost can be problematic in many situations where continued lighting may be desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Lighting device with multiple power sources and multiple modes of operation


The present disclosure relates to a radar device and technique for detecting the presence of objects located in the near-field of a frequency modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) radar device. The technique includes transmitting and receiving a frequency modulated signal, generating an intermediate frequency signal based on the transmitted and received signals, and analyzing the frequency content of the intermediate frequency signal. The frequency content of the intermediate signal is analyzed without filtering out a carrier signal.

Radar is the technique of using radio waves to detect the existence of an object and then to find the object's position in relation to a known point. Air traffic control uses radar to track planes both on the ground and in the air, and also to guide planes in for smooth landings. Police use radar to detect the speed of passing motorists. The military uses it to detect an enemy and to guide weapons. NASA uses radar to map the Earth and other planets, to track satellites and space debris, and to help with docking and maneuvering of spacecrafts.
Radar systems typically operate by emitting, for example, microwave energy from a transmitting antenna in the form of a focused beam with known divergence angles. Some of this emitted microwave energy is reflected off objects in the beam's path and collected by a receiving antenna. This emitted and reflected energy is minimally affected by environmental conditions, such as in rain, fog, clouds, or time of day.
Most radar equipment is pulse-modulated, i.e. the radiation from a transmitting antenna is in the form of very short bursts or pulses of radio frequency (RF) energy. Each pulse is followed by a relatively long resting period during which the transmitter is switched off and the receiver is operating. Pulsed radar is used for the observation of objects located great distances, such as an aircraft several hundreds of kilometers from a radar station.
Continuous wave (CW) is another type of radar. CW relies on the "Doppler shift" in frequency to detect moving objects and to measure their speed. This phenomenon, known as the Doppler effect, occurs with radio waves as well as with sound waves. As an object approaches a radar antenna, the frequency of the signal reflected by the object is higher than that of the transmitted signal. Conversely if an object is moving directly away from the antenna the frequency of the reflected signal is lower than that of the transmitted signal. For stationary objects there is no change in the frequency of the reflected signal.
An improvement to CW radar is frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar. FMCW radar utilizes a frequency-modulated waveform that is continuously transmitted from and received by a radar station. In FMCW radar, the difference in frequency between an emitted wave from a transmitter and a reflected wave from the object is calculated at a receiver. The receiver then provides an indication of the range of the object. FMCW radar not only measures range or distance to the object, but also the object's speed. The FMCW radar is capable of both long ranges, in the tens of kilometers, as well as short ranges, in meters.
However, FMCW systems cannot range objects in a near-field. The near-field, when discussing radio wave propagation with respect to radar, is an area in the immediate vicinity of a radar system's antenna. More specifically, it is a non-distinguishable or non-sensing area close to the radar system in which objects distance cannot be determined. In contrast, the far-field is an area that is far enough from the antenna to be approximated as a plane wave. Exactly how far away the transition from near-field to far-field occurs is a function of the bandwidth of a frequency sweep, the geometry and size of the antenna, and the electromagnetic properties of the target.
The behavior of wave propagation in the near-field is different than it is in the far-field. When objects are in the near-field, an FMCW radar system cannot distinguish between objects and noise. Hence, a typical radar system filters the data and removes the near-field effects in this non-distinguishable or non-sensing range. Accordingly, FMCW radars are not useful for ranging or detecting objects in the near-field.

Detecting objects within a near-field of a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system


The cap structure includes a nut engaged with a bolt end portion formed in an end of a rotating shaft of a vehicle-use electric rotating machine to fix a pulley. The nut has a polygonal outer periphery including a step portion projecting radially outward at an axial position closer to a seating surface of the nut than an axial center of the nut. The cap structure further includes a cap for covering the nut and the bolt end portion engaged with the nut and protruding from the nut. The cap is made of casting resin so as to have a polygonal inner periphery and an annular claw portion, the number of sides of the polygonal inner periphery being equal to a natural number-multiple of the number of sides of the outer periphery of the nut.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cap structure for a pulley-fixing nut of a vehicle-use electric rotating machine mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car or a truck
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a vehicle-use electric rotating machine, which is mounted on a vehicle to be driven through a belt or to drive various auxiliaries through a belt, includes a pulley for transmitting a driving force between the belt and the rotor of the vehicle-use electric rotating machine. The pulley is fixed to an end of the rotating shaft of the rotor by tightening a nut. It is preferable to rust-proof the end of the rotating shaft after the pulley is fixed using the nut to improve marketability of the vehicle. However, plating or antirust-coating the end of the rotating shaft after tightening the nut increases the manufacturing cost substantially.
It is known to put a cap on the end of the rotating shaft after tightening the nut so that the end of the rotating shaft becomes resistant to rust, or at least rust which has occurred on the end of the rotating shaft becomes invisible. For example, refer to Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. S57-172920. This Application describes that a rust-preventing cap, which covers both the outer periphery of such a nut and the end of a bolt engaging with the nut, is fixed by fitting projections formed in the inner periphery of the cap to the thread portion of the bolt.
However, using the rust-preventing cap involves a problem that, in a case where the bolt end portion protruding from the nut is not sufficiently long, it is not possible to sufficiently fit the projections formed in the inner periphery of the cap to the thread portion of the bolt. In such a case, if a longer bolt is used so that the bolt end portion protruding from the nut is sufficiently long, it is possible to fix the rust-preventing cap. However, in this case, it becomes difficult to reduce the size of the vehicle-use electric rotating machine including the rust-preventing cap, and the size of the rust-preventing cap itself has to be increased.
In addition, since the rotating shaft of the vehicle-use electric rotating machine rotates at a high speed and accordingly the nut also rotates at the high speed, there is a concern that the rust-preventing cap may come off because of decrease of the fixing force between the projections of the rust-preventing cap and the thread portion of the bolt, which is caused by the centrifugal force, a force in the rotational direction caused by variation of the rotational speed, and environmental stress (high vibration and high temperature).

Cap structure for pulley-fixing nut of vehicle-use electric rotating machine


A memory device including a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of bit line sense amplifiers, a plurality of column port gates, and a column decoder connected to a multiple of five column port gates. Each of the bit line sense amplifiers is connected to at least one of the bit lines and to at least one of the memory cells. Each of the column port gates is connected to at least one of the bit line sense amplifiers. The column decoder provides signals to the column port gates to which it is connected to select corresponding bit lines connected to the column port gates.

A typical semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in arrays, and a memory cell selector means for enabling the selection of a particular memory cell to facilitate the reading of data from, or the writing of data to, that particular memory cell.
For example, a high density dynamic random access memory (DRAM) includes a plurality of core cell blocks, and each core cell block contains several memory cells. The memory cells are metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and each MOSFET acts as a switch. To this end, each pair of MOSFETs is connected to a pair of bit lines (an input/output or I/O port), and the capacitance of each MOSFET can be charged by data.
A bit line sense amplifier is provided in communication with each I/O port corresponding to each pair of memory cells. Each bit line sense amplifier amplifies the data which is read from, or the data which is transferred to, the corresponding MOSFET or memory cell through the bit line pair or I/O port.
To select a memory cell, a memory column address is provided to the DRAM from outside the DRAM. A column decoder decodes this column address which is received from outside the DRAM, and then provides a signal to the corresponding bit line sense amplifier to select the proper bit line of the bit line pair or I/O port therefore selecting the corresponding memory cell which corresponds thereto.
A typical DRAM provides that each column decoder decodes four columns, two columns from each side of a core cell block, where each column contains one bit line sense amplifier corresponding to one I/O port (bit line pair). An input/output bus line, which is an input/output data line that sends data to a write (data-in) buffer, is driven by four column decoders. Therefore, the bus line of a typical DRAM is sixteen columns wide.
In many situations, data bit organizations are not extremely wide. Therefore, each column decoder will produce four columns of data, and the above-described DRAM structure, where each column decoder decodes four columns and each bus line is sixteen columns wide, is effective and acceptable.
In contrast, in many other situations, such as where the DRAM is embedded on an ASIC chip with other memory structures, the data bit organization is much wider. As a result, the above-described conventional DRAM bit line structure, where each column decoder decodes four columns, provides much disadvantage. Therefore, within many embedded DRAM applications, an input/output scheme similar to that of an SRAM is utilized.
Such a DRAM structure provides that several core cell blocks are placed in parallel. Of course, the number of rows within each core cell block will depend upon the memory size to be provided. Each column port has two gates, and while one gate corresponds to a column decoder, the other gate corresponds to an "n.sub.-- sen" signal produced from nsg (N sense gate signal)--a delayed gating signal produced by a corresponding bit line sense amplifier.
This DRAM structure is acceptable for some embedded DRAM applications. However, some embedded DRAM applications, as DRAM users and system engineers generally are aware, must utilize a parity bit. This DRAM structure does not generally provide for the implementation of a parity bit without having to utilize an extra column decoder. For example, it is not easy to provide parity bit organizations such as `x9`, `x17`, `x18`, `x34`, `x36`, `x68`, `x72`, `x136`, `x144`, and so on, in a tight column pitch within a DRAM which only utilizes column decoders which decode four columns. The extra column for the parity bit requires that the next column decoder be used.

Memory device including a column decoder for decoding five columns


An electronic device includes a communication interface and at least one processor configured for: transmitting to or receiving from a second electronic device over proximity-based communication channel an introduction message including a first encryption key; receiving, from a server via the at least one communication interface, a challenge notification providing notification of a challenge to be completed to initiate a data process, the challenge notification including or providing access to at least one data field associated with a verification challenge; identifying, from the at least one data field, an encrypted challenge response value; decrypting the encrypted challenge response value with a key corresponding to the first encryption key; and transmitting the decrypted challenge response value to the server to complete the challenge to initiate the data process.

Messaging applications often rely on a central identity provider to verify the authenticity of a sender and a recipient of a message. For example, in messaging or social networking applications, users often sign into an authenticated session with their credentials to verify their identities.
It is however not always the case that a central identity provider exists for a particular application. For example, INTERACT′″ email money transfer (IEMT) enables money movement between any parties as long as the recipients have access to an email address. In order to accept the IEMT, the recipient is required to answer a challenge question which is created by the sender.
To be effective, the sender must come up with a challenge question that the recipient would know the answer to, but could not be easily guessed or ascertained by a third party who may intercept the email.

System and method for message recipient verification


A display backplane includes a base, a plurality of driving electrodes disposed above the base, and a connection structure disposed on at least one of the plurality of driving electrodes. An orthographic projection of the connection structure on the base is within an orthographic projection of a corresponding driving electrode on the base; and the connection structure includes at least one conductive portion disposed at a first included angle with the corresponding driving electrode.

With the development of display technologies, micro light-emitting diode (abbreviated as Micro-LED) display devices have advantages such as self-illumination, high brightness, high contrast, a ultra-high resolution, ultra-high color saturation, a long service life, a fast response, low energy consumption, good adaptability to various environments and the like. Therefore, the Micro-LED display devices are able to be applied to fields of micro-displays such as augmented reality (abbreviated as AR) displays or virtual reality (abbreviated as VR) displays, medium-sized displays such as mobile phones and televisions (TV), and large-screen displays in movie theaters.

Display backplane and method of manufacturing the same, display device


A low alloy high strength thick-walled seamless steel pipe for oil country tubular goods is provided having a wall thickness of 40 mm or more and a yield strength of 758 MPa or more, the steel pipe including a composition containing, in terms of mass %, C: 0.25 to 0.31%, Si: 0.01 to 0.35%, Mn: 0.55 to 0.70%, P: 0.010% or less, S: 0.001% or less, O: 0.0015% or less, Al: 0.015 to 0.040%, Cu: 0.02 to 0.09%, Cr: 0.8 to 1.5%, Mo: 0.9 to 1.6%, V: 0.04 to 0.10%, Nb: 0.005 to 0.05%, B: 0.0015 to 0.0030%, Ti: 0.005 to 0.020%, and N: 0.005% or less, and having Ti/N of 3.0 to 4.0, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein a cumulative frequency rate at a measurement point at which a Mo segregation degree by a predetermined expression is 1.5 or more is 1% or less.

In recent years, from the viewpoints of a substantial increase in prices of crude oil and expected drying up of oil resources in the near future, the development of a high-depth oil field which has hitherto been disregarded, or an oil field or gas field, etc. in a severe corrosive environment that is a so-called sour environment containing hydrogen sulfide, etc. is eagerly performed. Steel pipes for oil country tubular goods which are used in such an environment are required to have such a material quality that they have both high strength and excellent corrosion resistance (sour resistance).
In response to such a requirement, for example, PTL 1 discloses a steel for oil country tubular goods having excellent sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance, which is composed of a low alloy steel containing C: 0.2 to 0.35%, Cr: 0.2 to 0.7%, Mo: 0.1 to 0.5%, and V: 0.1 to 0.3% in terms of weight %, and in which the total amount of precipitated carbides and the proportion of an MC type carbide thereamong are prescribed.
In addition, PTL 2 discloses a steel material for oil country tubular goods having excellent sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance, which contains C: 0.15 to 0.30%, Si: 0.05 to 1.0%, Mn: 0.10 to 1.0%, P: 0.025% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Cr: 0.1 to 1.5%, Mo: 0.1 to 1.0%, Al: 0.003 to 0.08%, N: 0.008% or less, B: 0.0005 to 0.010%, and Ca+O (oxygen): 0.008% or less in terms of mass %, and further contains one or more selected from Ti: 0.005 to 0.05%, Nb: 0.05% or less, Zr: 0.05% or less, and V: 0.30% or less, and in which with respect to properties of inclusions in steel, a maximum length of continuous non-metallic inclusions and the number of grains having a diameter of 20 μm or more are prescribed.
In addition, PTL 3 discloses a steel for oil country tubular goods having excellent sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance, which contains C: 0.15 to 0.35%, Si: 0.1 to 1.5%, Mn: 0.1 to 2.5%, P: 0.025% or less, S: 0.004% or less, sol. Al: 0.001 to 0.1%, and Ca: 0.0005 to 0.005% in terms of mass %, and in which a Ca-based non-metallic inclusion composition and a composite oxide of Ca and Al are prescribed, and the hardness of the steel is prescribed by HRC.
The sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance of steel as referred to in the technologies disclosed in these PTLs 1 to 3 means the presence or absence of the generation of SSC when immersing a round bar tensile specimen in a test bath described in NACE (an abbreviation of National Association of Corrosion Engineering) TM0177 for 720 hours while loading a specified stress according to the NACE TM0177 method A. On the other hand, in recent years, for the purpose of securing more safety of steel pipes for oil country tubular goods, a stress intensity factor KISSC value a hydrogen sulfide-containing sour environment obtained by carrying out the DCB (double cantilever beam) test as prescribed according to the NACE TM0177 method D is being demanded to satisfy a prescribed value or more. The above-described prior art does not disclose a specific countermeasure for enhancing such a KISSC value.
Meanwhile, PTL 4 discloses a low alloy steel for oil country tubular goods pipe with excellent sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance having a yield strength of 861 MPa or more, which contains, in terms of mass %, C: 0.2 to 0.35%, Si: 0.05 to 0.5%, Mn: 0.05 to 1.0%, P: 0.025% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.005 to 0.10%, Cr: 0.1 to 1.0%, Mo: 0.5 to 1.0%, Ti: 0.002 to 0.05%, V: 0.05 to 0.3%, B: 0.0001 to 0.005%, N: 0.01% or less, and O: 0.01% or less, and in which an equation between a half-value width of the [211] face and a hydrogen diffusion coefficient is prescribed to a predetermined value. This patent literature also describes the above-described KISSC values in the working examples.

Low alloy high strength thick-walled seamless steel pipe for oil country tubular goods


The present invention is a simulated stone structure having a base with an upfacing planar surface and a continuous groove formed in the surface. A plurality of mutually interlocking wall sections are engaged with the groove to form a continuous wall extending upwardly from the planar surface. The wall sections may be U-shaped with one leg in the groove and the other in contact with the periphery of the base. The wall sections partially overlap each other. s an abutting one of the wall sections. Additional wall sections may be placed atop the first set and interlocked with them. A topper piece may be placed on the additional wall sections for securement thereof.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE: Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents and printed matter cited or referred to in this application.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to stone and masonry constructions and more particularly to for the king a masonry structure for use as a fire pit, a trash receptacle and similar applications.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Jonas, U.S. Des. Pat. No. 201,536 describes a firebox for a self-supported fireplace design.
Paolella, U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,156 describes a fireplace structure comprising a base, a body and a grate-like member, the body being substantially rectangular and having an open top and a lower draft opening in one of the shorter sides, the base being wider than the body and comprising a number of elements arranged crosswise with respect to the body and disposed side by side, the body comprising four layers or courses of blocks of angular formation and the grate-like element being arranged adjacent the juncture of the top course. and the next underlying course and. within a flue provided by the blocks, the lowermost course comprising two identical angular blocks providing a portion of the flue and providing between them the aforesaid draft opening, said draft opening being between opposing angularly set terminal portions of said blocks, the course next above being comprised of two identical angular blocks each having a body portion extending throughout the width of the body of the fireplace and provided with angularly set terminals of unequal length; said terminals.being located at the. longer sides of the fireplace body, and the remaining courses of the body comprising blocks. identical with those of the second-mentioned course, the second, third and fourth courses having their blocks arranged so that the meeting edges of the terminals are in staggered relation.
Kreider, U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,540 describes a portable pre-cast fireplace, which includes: (a) a base of noncombustible material through which a horizontal cool air passage extends that develops at the rear end thereof into an upwardly extending passage; (b) a pre-cast shell of lightweight concrete of low heat conductivity and high temperature resistance that rests on said base, and in, the forward portion of which shell a symmetrical fireplace opening is formed, with the for tht king upper portion of said shell developing into a tubular neck that can be connected to a flue pipe; (c) a transversely positioned metallic firewall disposed in said shell that divides the interior thereof into a rear confined space that is in communication with said upwardly extending passage in said base and at least one warm air discharge opening formed in the upper rear portion of said shell, with the forward portion of said divided shell being utilized for the consumption of fuel; (d) two abutting doors that fit within the confines of said fireplace opening; (e) means for so movably supporting each of said doors that they can first be withdrawn from said opening and then pivoted in a direction to permit access to the interior of said shell; (f) a grate supported from said firewall in said forward portion of said shell; and (g) a damper adjustably supported from said firewall in said forward portion of said shell for regulating the draft to which fuel burning on said grate is subjected, which burning fuel heats said firewall to in turn heat said cool air entering said confined space from said passage, with the, sir heated in said confined space rising to pass from said warm air discharge opening, with said cool air as it rises and is heated. in said confined space. serving to absorb substantially-all the heat radiated thereto by said firewall and by so doing preventing any substantial heating of said shell rearwardly of said firewall.
Szentkuti, U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,770 describes a plurality of building blocks that are arranged in a nonpermanent combination forming a fireplace. A motorless coupling is used to secure various levels or courses of the blocks in a nonadhesive or nonpermanent manner. The configuaration of building blocks forms an ash or draft pit and a fire chamber. A fuel supporting grid is suspended in the fire chamber and a flame diffusing grid is suspended above the fuel supported grid. A grill is supported above the flame diffusing grid. Table blocks are supported on grid supporting rods on both sides of the mortarless masonry fireplace.
Shumock, U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,161 describes a modular fireplace construction utilizing interlocking corner joints in -the fire block area to provide a stable, free-standing base for the smoke chamber and chimney sections above. Individual sections are cast from an extremely heat resistant composition containing Luminate cement and Perlite aggregate. The completed fireplace does not require the addition of a flue liner. Dowel apertures may be formed in the individual sections which receive handling dowels to enable assemblers to easily lift and accurately place the sections during assembly.
Whalen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,980 describes a portable fireplace for burning combustible materials including a base member defining a fire chamber adapted to receive and contain the materials to be burned. One or more screen members are adapted to extend upwardly from the base member and to protect against burning embers being expelled from the fireplace. A cover member is supported above the screen members and is removable to provide access to the fire chamber when desired. A support structure is associated with the base member to support the base member at a sufficient height above a support surface to prevent the burning or scorching of the support surface. One or more of the screen members is selectively removable to provide access to the fire for enhanced viewing or cooking.
Hodge et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,085 describes a modular fireplace having a first side wall, a second side wall, and a back wall that is contiguous with the first side wall and the second side wall and defines an interior open-faced firebox region having a substantially "U" shape in top plan view. The first side wall is constructed from a plurality of sequentially stacked modular first side blocks and the second side wall is formed from a plurality of sequentially stacked modular second side blocks. The back wall has a first modular corner block, a second modular corner block, and at least one substantially vertical spacer block that are joined so that the first corner block and the second corner block are contiguous with the spacer block. To aid in the efficient drafting of the fireplace, each of the spacer blocks may have a spacer block air chamber extending therein from an open upper end on the spacer block top end to a closed lower end proximate the spacer block bottom end. Further, the first corner block may have a first corner block air chamber therein extending from an open first corner block upper end on the first corner block top end to a closed first corner block lower end proximate the first corner block bottom end, and the second corner block may have a second corner block air chamber extending therein from an open second corner block upper end on the second corner block top end to a closed second corner block lower end proximate the second corner block bottom end. The modular sections of the modular fireplace are engaged in a nesting relationship that serves to orient the respective modular sections, to provide structural support to the modular sections and the modular chimney, and to provide a physical obstruction to the passage of flame, hot gases, and smoke through the joints of the modular sections when the sections are physically joined and mortared together.
French, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,256 describes a campfire box forming an enclosure having an open top, a closed bottom floor, and inner and outer side walls extending around the periphery of the enclosure with the inner side walls being of insulating material. One or more layers of fire insulating material cover the floor. The insulating side panels and floor provide a cavity formed of fire insulating material for enclosing combustible material.
Sulak, U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,965 describes separable sections including a base section, a firebox section, and a chimney section forming a free standing fireplace intended for use outdoors. In the assembled operational state the top chimney section fits over an opening through the top of the firebox section which fits, at the bottom, onto the top of the base section. In order to facilitate both transport and storage the sections may be configured so that the overall height and volume is much less than the overall height and volume of the fireplace in an operational state. The inverted chimney section may be largely disposed within the firebox section depending from the top of the same through an opening through the top of the firebox section and the base section then fitted on top of both depending downward exterior to the firebox section. At least one lateral opening to the inside of the firebox is provided for access to the interior and facilitation of viewing of a wood burning fire inside. Such a lateral opening may also be the only draft intake during use. Sheet steel is recommended for construction throughout. A cover, either a fire screen or a door, for each lateral opening is suggested as are locking caster wheels at the bottom of the base section. A grill may be added to facilitate cooking in which case a charcoal grate and provision for ventilation from underneath is also recommended.
McDonald, U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,288 describes a portable fireplace having an inner housing defined by an inner housing wall and forming a flame pit, an outer housing having an outer housing wall, the outer housing and the inner housing being interconnected to one another, the outer housing being in surrounding relationship to the inner housing, at least the majority of the for the king walls of the inner and outer housings being spaced from one another to provide an insulation space and a support disposed in the flame pit for supporting a flame presentation substance.
The prior art teaches fireboxes, outdoor gas fireplaces, masonry fire places, portable fireplaces, a mortarless takedown masonry fireplace, a modular fireplaces, a movable campfire box, a stowable fireplace, but does not teach a masonry fireplace of separable wall sections abutting and interlocking and mounted in a circular groove in a flat base. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

Closed wall structure mounted on a grooved base


In a polishing configuration wherein a polishing material or slurry is applied to a surface of a rotating polishing pad and a product material mounted on a rotating carrier is moved into contact with the polishing material or slurry, the flow of the polishing material or slurry over the surface can be improved by fabricating spiral grooves or channels in the surface of the polishing pad and by mounting the product material is a cavity of the carrier, the cavity having grooves or channels in the side walls to provide a uniform flow over the product material. The angle between the spiral grooves or channels on the polishing pad and a diameter about the axis of rotation should be approximately 40.degree.. The spiral grooves or channels on the polishing pad can be combined with concentric grooves or channels to further improve the flow of polishing material. Similarly, the grooves or channels in the rotating carrier provide further uniformity for the interaction of the polishing material and the product material. As with the grooves or channels in the polishing pad, the grooves or channels in the side walls of the carrier cavity have an optimum angle of 40.degree. with respect to the diameter, centered on the axis of rotation of the carrier, passing through the groove or channel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to generally to the chemical mechanical polishing of the product material and, more particularly, to the chemical mechanical polishing of device material during the fabrication of semiconductor devices. In order to provide uniform polishing, the polishing material or slurry must be uniformly distributed over the polishing pad and over the product material being processed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a top view and side view, respectively, of the arrangement of the polishing apparatus according to the prior art is shown. A polishing pad 10 rotates with an angular velocity .omega..sub.p is shown. A tube 15 having an outlet port at or near the center of rotation of the polishing pad 10. A polishing material or slurry 19 is transmitted through the tube and deposited on the polishing pad at or near the center of rotation of the polishing pad. The polishing material is distributed over the surface of the polishing pad 10. Product carriers 11, rotating with an angular velocity .omega..sub.c have a piece of the product material 16 attached to an first end. The rotating carrier 11 is lowered until the product material 16 comes in contact with the polishing material 19. The mechanical and/or chemical properties of polishing material 19, as it contacts the product material results in a polished surface on the product material 16.
The uniform polishing of the product material(s) 16 requires a uniform distribution of the polishing material 19. In the past, concentric grooves or channels 101 have been fabricated in the pad 10 to make the distribution of polishing material more uniform. While this geometry of the channels provided an improvement in the polishing process, more stringent requirements for product material surfaces have resulted in this channel geometry no longer providing a satisfactory polished surface.
A need has therefore been felt for a technique for improving the distribution of the polishing material over the pad and over the product material during the polishing process.

Apparatus and method for chemical mechanical polishing of a wafer


A protective covering (10) for protecting surrounding items, i.e., walls, floors, and furniture, during construction, moving, or other activities. Covering (10) includes a protective backing layer (12) having a front side (14), a back side (16), opposing top and bottom edges (17) and (18), respectively, opposing left and right side edges (19) and (20), respectively, and a plurality of protective strips (22) each having a first end (24) and a second end (26). Strips (22) are securely affixed to and covering a substantial portion of front side (14). Layer (12) may include a first adhesive portion (28) along left side (19) that includes an adhesive for connecting multiple coverings (10) to one another. Back side (16) of layer (12) may also include a second adhesive portion (31), which is similar to first adhesive portion (28), for removably adhering covering (10) to underlying surfaces.

The process of building out an area or constructing a building occurs in many phases. During this process, a number of different types of workers are required and it may be necessary to complete the construction in steps. As a result, frequently contractors damage door frames, stairs, and finished work in the process of completing other tasks and moving in and out heavy equipment.
Presently, contractors solve this problem by covering all surfaces, e.g., furniture, millwork, and finished work, with construction paper, taping adjacent pieces of the paper together, and then covering the paper with hardboard panels, e.g., panels sold under the trademark Masonite®. This process is very labor intensive. Also, hardboard paneling typically does not bend or fold to cover corners or intricate works.
There have been attempts to solve the specific problem of covering door frames. One device includes opposing contact edges which extend around the edge of a doorway to contact and grip opposing walls adjacent the doorway. While the device does protect doorways, it is too specific and not easily adaptable. For instance, different sizes have to be purchased for different size door frames.

Protective covering and method of manufacturing


The present invention provides a novel cis-acting regulatory element that is required for maximal induction of the human low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene following depletion of cellular sterols in HepG2 cells. In vivo dimethyl sulfate footprinting of the human LDL receptor promoter before and after transcriptional induction in HepG2 cells revealed protection of the sequence 5'-GAGCTTCACGGGTTAAAAAG-3' (SEQ ID NO.1), corresponding to nucleotides -126 to -145, (referred to as FP1). Further, presence of the FP1 sequence resulted in significant enhancement of luciferase reporter gene expression (approximately 375%) in response to low levels of sterols in HepG2 cells using promoter luciferase constructs. In addition, the enhancement was markedly attenuated on nucleotide substitutions within the FP1 site. Thus, the present invention discloses a novel regulatory element, FP1, in the human LDL receptor promoter and a vector containing this element. It is contemplated that FP1 can be used to confer sterol regulatory capability to heterologous genes ordinarily not under sterol regulation and be used in an assay to screen for compounds capable of stimulating cells to synthesize LDL receptors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to molecular biology and physiology. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel regulatory element in the human LDL receptor promoter, designated FP1, which can be used to confer sterol regulatory capability to heterologous promoters and structural genes, or to screen for compounds capable of stimulating LDL receptor synthesis in a cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor is a key component of the mechanism by which animal cells maintain balanced cholesterol homeostasis. The transcription of the LDL receptor gene is maintained under tight feedback regulation by cellular levels of sterols (Brown, M. S., and Goldstein, J. L., Science 232:34-47 (1986); and Goldstein, J. L., and Brown, M. S., Nature 343:425-30 (1990)). In cells with excess sterols, transcription is repressed; in contrast, transcription is accelerated in cells requiring cholesterol. This feedback regulation is most important in vivo in the liver. Ingestion of cholesterol in the diet decreases hepatic levels of the LDL receptor mRNA, and consequent decline in the hepatic LDL receptor causes LDL to accumulate in the circulation (Sorci-Thomas, M., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 264:9039-45 (1989); Mehta, K. D.,et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 10406-14 (1991); and Chang, R., et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 218:733-739 (1996)).
The target for sterol regulation lies within a stretch of 10 nucleotide base pairs that has been designated sterol regulatory element-1 (SRE-1) (Dawson, P. A., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263:3372-79 (1988); and Smith, J. R., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 265:2306-10 (1995)). In addition to SRE-1, there are two Sp1-like sequences in the human LDL receptor gene promoter which bind to purified Sp1 (Mehta, K. D.,et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:10406-14 (1991); Dawson, P. A., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263:3372-79 (1988); and Kadonaga, J. T., et al., TIBS 11:20-23 (1986)). SRE-1s bind to SRE-1 binding proteins, which undergo proteolytic cleavage at the C-terminal membrane-associated domain (125 kDa) and are converted to functionally active nuclear forms (68 kDa) (Wang, X., et al, Cell 77:53-62 (1994); Sheng, Z., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:935-38 (1995); and Yokoyama, C., et al., Cell 75:187-97 (1994). The nuclear form of SRE-1 binding protein is transcriptionally active because it contains an acidic transcriptional activation domain and a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper region that mediates protein dimerization and DNA binding. All essential nucleotides of SRE-1 and Sp1 sites are conserved in evolution (Mehta, K. D.,et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 10406-14 (1991)).
In addition to regulation of the LDL receptor gene by cellular cholesterol levels, transcription is modulated by a variety of mitogenic and nonmitogenic signals in multiple cell types. Insulin and platelet-derived growth factor can stimulate LDL receptor gene transcription in quiescent mesenchymal cells (Mazzone, T., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 264:1787-92 (1989); Mazzone, T., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 265:5145-49 (1990); and Wade, D. P., et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 181:727-31 (1993)). Serum factors stimulate LDL receptor gene transcription in HepG2 cells, and mitogenic stimulation increases LDL receptor gene transcription in lymphocytes (Cuthbert, J. A., J. Lipid Res. 31:2067-78 (1990); and Ellsworth, J. L., et al., J. Cell Physiol. 135:213-23 (1988)). Additionally, cAMP, protein kinase C agonists, calcium ionophores, and arachidonic acid metabolites have been shown to affect LDL receptor expression in HepG2 cells (Auwerx, J. H., et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:1133-37 (1989); Auwerx, J. H., et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:2298-2302 (1989); and Krone, W., et al., J. Lipid Res. 29:1663-69 (1988)), and cytokines have been shown to modulate the LDL receptor pathway activity in endothelial cells, arterial smooth muscle cells, and HepG2 cells (Hamanaka, R., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267:13160-65 (1992); Nicholson, A. C., and Hajjar, D. P., J. Biol. Chem. 267:25982-87 (1992); and Stopeck, A. T., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268:17489-94 (1993)). Many of these stimuli increase the LDL receptor transcript, and some have been shown to enhance LDL receptor gene transcription. Induction of LDL receptor gene transcription by platelet-derived growth factor and insulin have been ascribed to the participation of Sp1 and SRE-1 sequences, respectively (Basheeruddin, K., et al., Arterioscler. Throm. Vasc. Biol. 15:1248-54 (1995); and Streicher, R., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 271:7128-33 (1996)). The mechanisms by which LDL receptor gene transcription respond to a variety of other humoral signals are not clearly understood.
The prior art is deficient in the lack of a novel regulatory element in the human LDL receptor promoter, designated FP1 used to confer sterol regulatory capability to previously known promoters and structural genes, and to screen for compounds capable of stimulating synthesis of LDL receptors in a cell. The present invention fulfills a long-standing need and desire in the art.

CIS-acting element in the human LDL receptor promoter and uses thereof

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences


A surface mount coil component has an electrode part including: internal electrodes mounted on both flanges of a drum type core over bottom surfaces and wraparound portions extending from the bottom surfaces to the end surfaces and parts of both sides. The coil conductor is conductively joined to the internal electrodes at both ends thereof. Intermediate electrodes cover from the top sides of wraparound portions of the internal electrodes on the sides of the flanges through top sides of the wraparound portion thereof on the end surfaces of the flanges to top sides of the wraparound portion thereof on the other sides of the flanges so as to leave C-shaped cross section of exposed areas of the internal electrodes. Also, plating conductive films extend from surfaces of the exposed areas of the internal electrodes to surfaces of the intermediate electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technical field of a surface mount coil component and the surface mount coil component mounted substrate being substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in appearance and having an electrode structure formed directly on a core.
2. Description of Related Art
The surface mount coil component has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (chip-shaped) in product appearance as shown in a sectional view in FIG. 4, and includes an electrode structure formed directly on both ends of a pillar-shaped core 21 having a substantially rectangular cross section at least at both ends (typically, a drum type core 1 having flanges 3a, 3b having a substantially rectangular cross section at both ends of a winding core part 2). The surface mount coil component 20 such as a choke coil in which cover resin 5 is molded on a coil part of a winding coil 4 wound on the winding core part 2 is suitable for automatic mounting, and is fixedly mounted to electrode pads 26a, 26b of a mounting substrate 25 (printed circuit board) by reflow soldering.
Focusing on the electrode structure of the surface mount coil component 20 in the related art, mentioned above, it typically has an electrode structure (two-terminal) such that internal electrodes 6a, 6b are formed directly on a pillar-shaped core 21 having a rectangular cross section so as to cover end surfaces 5a, 5b at both ends. The electrodes extend perpendicularly to a core axis and wrap around four peripheral surfaces which surround the end surfaces 5a, 5b (over bottom surfaces, the upper surfaces, and side surfaces of the flanges 3a, 3b of the drum type core 1) like a lid. End portions 4a, 4b of a winding coil 4 are connected to the internal electrodes, and cover resin 5 is molded, then, intermediate electrodes 7a, 7b are formed, and finally external electrodes 8a, 8b of plating conductive films are formed so as to cover the entire intermediate electrodes 7a, 7b.
Since the electrode structure of this configuration includes the external electrodes 8a, 8b extending widely from the end surfaces 5a, 5b to the four peripheral surfaces adjacent thereto, respectively, this structure is referred to as five-surface electrode structure, hereinafter.
The surface mount coil component 20 is soldered at bottom side portions (one surface) of the external electrodes 8a, 8b thereof to a mounting substrate 25 by solder 22, and is conductively fixed with built-up solder (solder fillets 23) from the electrode parts 26a, 26b of the mounting substrate 25 formed on end sides or lateral sides of the external electrodes 8a, 8b.
As a publicly known document relating to an electrode structure of a surface mount coil component, JP-A-2000-306757 discloses a coil component 30 having an electrode structure in which connection reliability is improved by providing lid-shaped internal electrodes 6a, 6b (each including a ground layer 61 and an upper layer 62) formed so as to cover four peripheral surfaces and end surfaces of square-shaped flanges 3a, 3b at both ends of a drum type core 1, connecting end portions 4a, 4b of a winding coil 4 wound on a winding core part 2 to the internal electrodes (upper sides of the flanges 3a, 3b in FIG. 5), molding the cover resin 5, providing intermediate electrodes 7a, 7b on the internal electrode 6 except for parts (non-formation parts 6e of the intermediate electrodes) on the end sides thereof, and then providing external electrodes 8a, 8b from the surfaces of the intermediate electrodes 7a, 7b to surfaces of the non-formation parts 6e of the intermediate electrodes over five surfaces.
Also, as another publicly known document relating to a coil component of one-surface electrode structure in which the external electrode is formed substantially on one surface (a surface of a side to be soldered to the mounting substrate), JP-A-58-124213 discloses a surface mount coil component 40 as shown in a side-view in FIG. 6A, and in a front elevation in FIG. 6B as a "chip-type variable inductance device". In the third line of an upper right column in page 2 to the fourth line in a lower left column in the same page, a mounting method of the electrode structure to the mounting substrate is described. In other words, the chip-type variable inductance device 40 shown in FIG. 6 includes (external) electrodes 35a, 35b laminated on lower surfaces of insulating layers 34a, 34b provided on bottom sides of flanges 32a, 32b, and both ends of a coil 36 is connected respectively to the (external) electrodes 35a, 35b. Then, in this structure, the (external) electrodes 35a, 35b are to be soldered to predetermined patterns (electrode pads 26a, 26b) on the mounting substrate (printed circuit board) 25.
In the surface mount coil component, the electrode surface area is preferably reduced as much as possible to ensure close adhesion with respect to a mounting substrate (the surfaces on the bottom sides of the flanges) in terms of improvement of quality factor characteristics, which is a ratio between the reactance X and the resistance R. Therefore, securing a large surface area of the external electrodes on the flanges of the drum type core, which is generally employed in the surface mount coil component over five surfaces causes variations in magnetic field in the core interior, and eddy current in an area close to the electrode surfaces, thereby lowering the quality factor characteristics as the inductor.
On the other hand, in the case of the surface mount coil components 20, 30 in the related art described above, in the sight of the electrode structure and the mounting strength, since the cohesion strength between the internal electrodes 6a, 6b formed directly on the core which are generally formed of Ag electrodes (formed by printing silver paste containing glass frit) and the intermediate electrodes 7a, 7b formed generally of resin Ag electrode (formed by printing conductive paste containing hardening type resin and dried) is low, if the surface areas of the external electrodes 8a, 8b are small, electrode peel may occur at an interface between them (in particular, at an interface S near the solder fillets 23 in FIG. 4) when an impact or a load is applied after the substrate is mounted, thereby lowering the mounting strength. In other words, reduction of the electrode surface area for improving the quality factor characteristics (employment of single-surface electrode structure) tends to cause electrode peel because of lower mounting strength.
In this regard, since the electrode structure in the surface mount coil components 20, 30 in the related art employ the electrode structure in which the end surfaces and the upper, lower, left and right four peripheral surfaces of the flanges 3a, 3b of the drum type core 1 are entirely covered by the internal electrodes 6a, 6b, the intermediate electrodes 7a, 7b, and the external electrodes 8a, 8b (five-surface electrode structure), a large cohesion area is secured. Therefore, even though the cohesion strength is low, it is compensated by the size of cohesion area. Consequently, at least the standard mounting strength is achieved.
The electrode structure of the surface mount coil component 40 in the related art is low in cohesion strength with respect to the external electrodes, and hence improvement of the cohesion strength is desired.
Therefore, it will be important to reduce the electrode surface area to improve the quality factor characteristics of the surface mount coil, and simultaneously to increase the cohesion strength with respect to the external electrodes.

Surface mount coil component and surface mount coil component mounted substrate


A method for extracting a tissue sample is provided, including the steps of inserting a catheter into a bodily cavity, the catheter having a sampling chamber, a movable cover, and an actuation mechanism for actuating the cover, positioning the sampling chamber next to tissue to be sampled, providing a fluid to the actuation mechanism to open the cover, supplying a vacuum to draw tissue sample into the sampling chamber and to close the cover, and withdrawing the catheter from the bodily cavity. Catheter forceps for obtaining a tissue sample are also provided, including a catheter, a sampling chamber positioned at a distal end of the catheter and having a movable cover, and an actuation mechanism for moving the movable cover to an opened position by providing a fluid to the actuation mechanism and to a closed position by providing a vacuum to the actuation mechanism.

Biopsy is a commonly performed medical procedure in which tissue samples are obtained for diagnostic purposes. Such a procedure typically includes cutting a tissue sample and then retrieving the sample from a patient's body.
Numerous types of biopsy forceps and devices have been developed for in vivo medical diagnosis and treatment of different conditions. Such devices are designed for sampling tissue within the body, such as may be performed, for example, in endoscopic, bronchoscopic, laparoscopic, vascular, neurologic and various other types of procedures, to retrieve biopsy samples for analysis and identification of tissue types.
The biopsy forceps and devices typically include small diameter swabbing sponges, coring needles and instruments with cutting jaws at a distal end that are operated remotely through an actuator positioned at a proximal end. The biopsy forceps and devices are typically carried on a distal end of an instrument, stick, syringe or catheter, and are positioned around a tissue portion selected for removal and diagnosis.
During a biopsy tissue sampling procedure, a physician first inserts a catheter portion into a portion of the patient's body from which the tissue sample needs to be taken. The physician then guides the catheter through a passageway, such as a blood vessel, until the biopsy instrument of choice is positioned by a tissue sample site. Next, the physician swabs the surface of the site, inserts the needle into the site and removes a core sample from the site. Alternatively, the physician opens the jaws of the forceps, positions the jaws around the tissue to be sampled, and manipulates the actuator so that the jaws close around the tissue. A sample of the tissue is cut from the biopsy site while it is trapped between the jaws or picked up by other means. Keeping the jaws closed, the physician withdraws the biopsy forceps and opens the jaws to collect the tissue sample.
Several biopsy devices have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,808 to Muller describes a biopsy tool that includes a rigid tip for collection of a tissue sample attached to a flexible tube, such as a catheter. The rigid tip includes a knife for cutting off the tissue samples. The knife is advanced forward to cut off the tissue sample by supplying air under positive pressure from a syringe via a first duct, and is then retracted by supplying air under negative pressure from the syringe. The tool also includes a radial cavity for capturing the severed tissue. Vacuum is supplied to the radial cavity through a separate duct to draw the tissue sample into the cavity.
However, the known biopsy tools suffer from a number of disadvantages and shortcomings. For example, the prior art biopsy forceps and devices are typically limited to taking a single tissue sample, after which the device may be withdrawn from the patient's body and the tissue collected before the device can be used again to take a second tissue sample. Accordingly, it is a major disadvantage of the existing art to take sufficient sample quantities in an expeditious manner. An additional disadvantage of prior art devices is that it is often very difficult to accurately position the forceps next to the tissue to be sampled. Yet another disadvantage of prior art devices is that the samples are not immediately captured and securely held in a container at the sample site.
Hence, there is a significant need for a forceps device that is capable to taking multiple tissue samples while in the patient's body without the need of withdrawing the device and removing the collected tissue sample before another sample can be collected. There is also a need for a forceps device that can be precisely positioned next to the tissue to be sampled. There is also a need for a forceps device that can be precisely positioned and actuated to sample indirect tissues, such as those positioned beyond the walls of an airway, lumen or vessel. Furthermore, there is a need for a repetitively actuated forceps device that can be precisely operated, such that its insertion, actuation, depth and repetition cycles are be known and controlled. There is further a need to provide a forceps device that is capable of immediately capturing and securely holding a tissue sample in a container at the sample site. Additionally, there is a need for a forceps device that can be placed and actuated under direct and/or indirect visualization.

Pressure/vacuum actuated catheter forceps


A method and device for drying a paper web in a dryer section having a number of successive dryer groups with a single-wire draw, and being situated after a press section of the paper machine. Each dryer group includes contact-drying cylinders arranged in a first row and reversing suction cylinders or equivalent suction rolls arranged in a second row, the rows being horizontal, diagonal or vertical rows. The paper web is dried by contact-drying cylinders from the side of its lower face across the entire length of the dryer section. The paper web is passed as a closed draw from one dryer group to the next group, and the paper web is guided, while it runs on the drying wire at the side of the outside curve, by the reversing suction cylinders having a curve radius selected in a range from about 250 mm to about 1000 mm. The paper web is kept in constant contact with the drying wire as it is placed at the side of the outside curve, against the effect of centrifugal forces by a pressure difference which preferably extends over the entire inner circumference of the reversing suction cylinders. In addition to the above, or as an alternative, the paper web is dried from the side of its upper face on a draw or draws of the paper web that is/are free from the wire and/or a flow of drying air is applied to the upper face of the paper web through the drying wire and/or on the draws of the paper web that are free from the wire.

In the prior art, in multi-cylinder dryers of paper machines, twin-wire draw and/or single-wire draw is/are employed. In a twin-wire draw, the groups of drying cylinders include two wires which press the web, one from above and the other one from below, against the heated cylinder faces. Between the rows of drying cylinders, which are usually horizontal rows, the web has free and unsupported draws. The free draws are susceptible of fluttering which may cause web breaks, in particular since the web is still relatively moist and, therefore, has a relatively low strength. For this reason, in recent years, increasing use has been made of a single-wire draw in which each group of drying cylinders has only one drying wire. The web runs on support of the drying wire through the entire group so that the drying wire presses the web on the drying cylinders against the heated cylinder faces, and whereas, on the reversing cylinders or rolls arranged between the drying cylinders, the web remains at the side of the outside curve. Thus, in a single-wire draw, the drying cylinders are placed outside the wire loop and the reversing cylinders or rolls are situated inside the drying wire loop.
In prior art normal groups having a single-wire draw, the heated drying cylinders are typically arranged in the upper row and the reversing cylinders are therefore arranged in the lower row. The upper row and lower row are generally horizontal and parallel to one another. The current assignee's Finnish Patent No. 54,627 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,113 , the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein) describes an arrangement wherein normal groups having a single-wire draw and so-called inverted groups having a single-wire draw are arranged one after the other. In the inverted groups, the heated drying cylinders are arranged in the lower row and the reversing suction cylinders or rolls are arranged in the upper row. This arrangement enables a principle objective to be achieved, i.e., to dry the web symmetrically from both of its sides.
With respect to additional prior art, reference is made to published International Patent Application Nos. WO 88/06204 and WO 88/06205 (applicant-Beloit Corp.) which describe dryer sections having normal and inverted cylinder groups.
Accordingly, in the following descriptions, the terms "normal (drying) group" and "inverted (drying) group" are used to denote the cylinder groups having a single-wire draw as described above, as such is accepted terminology to those skilled in the art.
In dryer sections that comprise inverted and normal drying groups, various problems have occurred. The present invention is directed toward a resolution of these problems. For example, problems have been encountered in the runnability of the dryer section and in the threading of the web, problems arising from differences in the speeds of different wires, problems in the removal of broke especially in inverted groups, as well as problems related to the control of transverse shrinkage of the web. These problems tend to become worse as the running speed of the paper machine becomes higher.
With respect to prior art involved in and related to the present invention, reference is made to the following patent publications and articles published in journals:
- W. Haessner, "Trocknungstechnik und deren Entwicklung"; Das Papier 44, 10A, 1990; PA1 - "The Valmet Sym-Run Concept", Paper Asia, May/Jun. 1992; PA1 - J. Yli-Kauppila, "Dryer Section for High Speed Paper Machines", Proceedings of the Helsinki Symposium of Alternate Methods of Pulp and Paper Drying, Helsinki Jun. 4-7, 1991; PA1 - Sam Palazzolo, "No-draw drying", Tappi Journal, Sep. 1990; PA1 - W. Leitenberger, "Die Contirun-Trockenpartie fur schnellen, sicheren Bahnlauf", Das Papier, Heft 6, 1992; PA1 U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,298, 3,868,780, 4,602,439, 4,972,608, 4,982,513, 5,022,163, 5,065,529, 5,146,696, and 5,177,880; PA1 V. Korhonen and A. Kuhasalo, "Ropeless tail threading from press to reel", World Pulp & Paper Technology 1993; PA1 H. Lepisto und P. Eskelinen, "Verbesserung der Lauffahighkeit schneller Papiermaschinen mit Hilfe neuer Ventilationseinrichtungen", Das Papier 1985, Heft 10A;
Lindberg, Juppi, Eskelinen, "High Speed Dryer Section Developments for Sheet Stability", 78th Annual Meeting, Technical Section CPPA, 1992.
With respect to the prior art closely related to the invention, reference is further made to the current assignee's Finnish Patent Application No. 906216 (corresponding to U.S. patent Application Ser. No. 07/808,161 , the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein), in which a method is described for drying a web in the dryer section of a paper machine, in particular for reducing the tendency of curling of the paper web. In the method described in FI '216, the paper web is dried on drying cylinders, against whose heated faces the paper web is pressed by means of a drying wire. In the dryer section, groups of drying cylinders are used, in which twin-wire draw and/or single-wire draw is/are applied. In this method, it has been considered novel that, in the dryer section, hot water steam is fed substantially onto the entire width of the paper web. By means of this steam, tensions that have been formed or that tend to be formed in the fiber mesh in the paper web are relaxed by means of heat and moisture in the area of their formation or substantially immediately thereafter.
Further, in FI 906216, a dryer section of a paper machine is described, intended for carrying out the above method, and which comprises one or preferably several successive drying groups which consist of drying cylinders and wire guide rolls and/or reversing cylinders. In the dryer section, a single-wire draw and/or a twin-wire draw is/are applied. In this dryer section, it has been considered novel that at least one, and preferably several, steam supply box is arranged in the dryer section and extends substantially across the entire transverse width of the paper web to be steam-treated. The steam box communicates with a steam source, and the steam box comprises a counter-face which, together with the free face of the paper web that runs at its proximity, forms a contact-free steam-treatment gap.
Further, it is known in the prior art, in a dryer section, to use devices for regulating the transverse moisture profile, such as infrared and/or moistening devices. In the prior art, by means of these devices, attempts have not been made to control the moisture profile of the paper in the z-direction, i.e., in the direction of thickness, but they are used exclusively for the control of the transverse moisture profile of the web. Further, in SC paper machines, a procedure is known from the prior art in which the paper web is dried to an excessive dryness in order to obtain a sufficiently good moisture profile, whereupon the paper web is re-moistened to a moisture content optimal in view of the calendaring process. Thus, the function of these moistening devices is merely to increase the ultimate moisture content of the paper, and not to equalize its moisture profile in the z-direction.
In the prior art, a dryer section is known which is exclusively composed of the above drying groups with a single-wire draw. In these groups, between the contact-drying cylinders placed in the upper rows in the groups, normal small diameter suction rolls that are provided with inside (internal) suction boxes have been used. One particular prior art dryer section of interest in a dryer section supplied by, e.g., J.M. Voith GmbH, and situated at PM 1, Stora Feldmuehle, Reisholz, Duesseldorf, Germany.
A drawback of these small diameter suction rolls is the high requirement of negative pressure and suction energy, because, owing to the small diameter of these rolls, high centrifugal forces arise on these rolls which tend to separate the web from the drying wire. By means of the curve sectors of small radius, the suction rolls also produce a rather large relative difference in speed between the drying wire and the web, which is in many respects unfavorable. Further drawbacks include the wear of the seals at the suction box inside the suction rolls and the repeated requirement of servicing of these seals as well as the high noise level. This prior art dryer section has also required development in the respect that, since in all the groups with single-wire draw, the drying effect is applied on the contact-drying cylinders to only one side of the web, i.e., to the lower side of the web, and therefore the web tends to be dried asymmetrically in the z-direction. To an even greater extent, the web is dried at the web side placed in contact with the faces of the contact-drying cylinders. Thus, one object of the present invention is to suggest novel solutions for these problems.
In the following description, problems and requirements of the further advanced development of the prior art dryer sections, e.g., such as those attended to by the patents and papers mentioned above, will be discussed in greater detail. As background information, it should be stated that the highest web speeds of paper machines are currently already about 25 m/s (meters per second). However, in the near future, the range of web speeds will be from about 25 m/s to about 40 m/s in future paper machines. In this case, the dryer section of a paper machine will constitute a bottle-neck for the runnability of a paper machine to an increasing extent. Moreover, with the use of the prior art dryer concepts, the dryer section will become quite long.
In the inverted drying groups mentioned above, in the case of web breaks, a problem arises in the removal of broke since inverted groups are not self-cleaning by the force of gravity.
The above problems and some other problems are emphasized further if, in the dryer groups with a single-wire draw, small-diameter suction rolls proper are used that are provided with an inside suction box. In order to eliminate this problem, in some machines, it has been even necessary to open some group gaps and to lower the level of negative pressure in the suction rolls.

Paper machine and methods for drying a paper web


An apparatus and method is provided for simultaneously perforating and cutting a lithe sheet material having multiple layers containing at least an upper and lower layer, comprising a knife die having a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge is contained in the same plane, and an anvil die located opposite the knife die, wherein the surface of the anvil die contains a pattern of cavities which corresponds to the locations where primarily only the upper layer of the material is cut completely through and protrusions of the anvil primarily correspond to the locations where the entire thickness of the material is cut along the same line as the cut through the upper layer. A sheet material of removable shapes is also provided comprising an upper layer having a printed side and a self adhesive side, and a lower layer having a release surface adjacent the upper layer's self adhesive side, wherein a shape has been completely cut out of the upper layer so that the shape can be pealed from the lower layer and the lower layer has been perforated through its thickness along all or part of the same lines as the cut shape so that the lower layer can either be kept in whole or torn along the perforation.

Postage stamps and tickets are produced in sheets having multiple stamps or tickets. The stamps or tickets have a self-stick adhesive applied to one side thereof and are adhered to a backing material which has a release surface on one side of it. The stamps or tickets can be individually removed from the backing sheet and placed on an envelope or other surface. However, if there is a large number of stamps or tickets arranged in a grid on a backing material, it is difficult to separate the stamps from each other on an individual or group basis so that the stamps can be subsequently removed from the backing material for application to an envelope or other surface. Thus, if a grid of fifty stamps, having five stamps to a row and ten stamps to a column, were provided, and it was desired to separate the stamps into two groups prior to using them, it would be extremely difficut if not impossible, to cut the underlying backing sheet with scissors to sever the stamps individually or into groups, especially when the stamps have contoured edges that simulate round hole perforations as is the case with conventional postage stamps.
The aforementioned sheets of stamps or tickets are manufactured by placing a sheet of printed material having a substantially uniform thickness and having a layer of self-stick adhesive applied to a side thereof, onto a sheet of backing material having a release surface on one side thereof. The backing material and the printed material are placed between an anvil and a knife to cut the sheet of printed material to a predetermined and constant depth so that the stamps or tickets are individually removable. However, because the underlying backing material is not cut, the stamps or tickets can not be separated individually or in groups prior to removal from the backing material.
Another method used to manufacture sheets of tickets or stamps is to perforate a sheet having a single thickness. When a group of stamps, tickets or other shapes are perforated in a single sheet of paper, the perforations are made by removing tiny cylindrical segments of paper material, thus leaving a line of holes in the paper. The paper may then be torn along the line of holes, thus separating the stamps or tickets individually. In the case of stamps, the stamps are then wetted and applied to an envelope. It would be desirable to provide a way of separating stamps or tickets from a sheet of paper without providing visible perforation holes along the perforation line.
Thus, it would be desirable to perforate the sheet of backing material so that individual self-adhesive stamps or tickets could be separated either individually or in groups from the other stamps or tickets, so that they may then be subsequently removed from the backing material and applied to an envelope or other surface.
Cutting devices which either cut completely through or perforate a sheet or web material are known in the art and include a variety of features to keep the cut items attached to the web material until a later stage in the processing or to merely weaken the material in locations to be later torn or folded along the weakened edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,985 to Mills discloses perforating plastic films with a non-continuous knife edge situated in a non-moving anvil portion. The plastic film is advanced in sections and a roller advances over the plastic film to cut two holes in the film at each end of the knife edge. The knife edge weakens the material in the area directly over the knife edge to control the direction that the film severs between the two holes, thus, creating a perforation in the plastic film.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,500 to Carrigan et al. discloses a machine that molds and cuts shapes out of a web sheet material. A knife both seals and cuts the edges of the desired shape. Recesses in an anvil allow sections along the shape's edge to be compressed into a tab which holds the formed article in the web sheet matrix until a later point in the processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,231 to Chesnut et al. discloses a rotary die-cutting device which uses two rollers to cut shapes from a sheet material. The device both cuts desired edges in the material and weakens the material in desired location to facilitate folding of the cut out shape.
None of the prior art devices teach cutting through only a portion of the sheet material while simultaneously perforating through the entire thickness of the sheet material.
What is desired, therefore, is an apparatus for cutting sheet material which cuts a portion of the way through the thickness of the material in a continuous cut while simultaneously perforating the material with a continuous cutting edge having its entire tip portion contained in the same plane.

Process for producing a sheet of individually severable and releasable stamps


A technology is described for transferring a file from an unsecure network to a secure network. An example method may include identifying an unsecure account profile and determining that a file is to be transmitted from an unsecure network to a secure network using a one-way transfer device. In response, the file may be obtained from a file storage location and an unsecure account profile name for the unsecure account profile may be identified. A request may be made that the one-way transfer device to transmit the file and the unsecure account profile name to the secure network. The file and the unsecure account profile name may then be transmitted to the secure network, where a secure account profile corresponding to the unsecure account profile may be identified in the secure network and the file may be placed in a folder associated with the secure account profile.

Unidirectional computer networks may be used by organizations to isolate a secure computer network from separate unsecure computer networks. For example, an organization may wish to isolate a secure network so that data cannot be transmitted outside of the secure network (e.g., via the Internet or another network), yet still provide a system to transfer data from an unsecure network to the secure network. A unidirectional computer network may include a one-way transfer device, which may be a network hardware appliance that transmits data in one direction using limited data formats.
In one example, a one-way transfer device may essentially have a low sending side (e.g., a low side server) connected to a high receiving side (e.g., high side server) by a one-way wire (e.g., a circuit diode or fiber optic cable). Data from a low side network (e.g., an unsecure network) may be transmitted to the one-way transfer device and the data may then be transmitted to a high side network (e.g., a secure network) via the one-way wire. A one-way transfer device may further include data inspection utilities that, for example, analyze data for allowable file types and/or perform data checking (e.g., virus scanning).


A method of forming a MOS transistor having a p.sup.+ -polysilicon gate includes doping an amorphous silicon layer with phosphorus, thereby forming a n.sup.- amorphous silicon layer atop of a gate oxide. The n.sup.- amorphous silicon layer is then doped with boron to convert the n.sup.- amorphous silicon layer into a p.sup.+ -amorphous silicon layer. The p.sup.+ -amorphous silicon layer is then thermally treated to convert the p.sup.+ -amorphous silicon layer into a p.sup.+ -polysilicon layer. The p.sup.+ -polysilicon layer is then patterned into a gate for a MOS transistor. The phosphorus ions in the p.sup.+ -polysilicon help to fix the boron ions in the polysilicon gate, thereby reducing the diffusion of the boron ions and penetration of boron into the gate oxide.

Semiconductor technologies continue to improve and increase the integrated circuit density on a chip. As described below, special problems arise when increasing the density of MOS transistors. As is well known, a MOS transistor is a device in which a current in a conducting channel between a source and a drain is modulated by a voltage applied to a gate. In a p-channel MOS (PMOS) transistor, the majority of carriers are holes. Thus, a negative voltage is applied on the gate to form the conductive p-channel. However, the gate voltage must reach a level called the threshold voltage in order for the channel region to conduct. The threshold voltage is dependent in part on the conductivity of the MOS transistor's gate.
Polysilicon is a standard gate material and is typically deposited on a semiconductor substrate between a drain and source region using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. For a p-channel MOS transistor, the polysilicon deposition is commonly followed by a boron diffusion to dope the polysilicon gate and thereby lower its resistivity. To obtain faster devices and a low resistance gate, various silicides are used in forming the gate. For example, a combination of polysilicon and a refractory metal silicide layers (i.e., polycide) are often used in forming the gate. Polycide has resistivity and temperature advantages that make its use very important as the industry moves to smaller device geometric. However, the use of boron as a dopant to adjust threshold voltage of a p-channel device becomes less feasible as devices use even thinner gate oxide because larger doses of boron are needed, which makes the gate oxide more susceptible to boron contamination. In addition, buried channel devices are subject to more process variability stemming from the difficulty of controlling the compensating doping.
As stated above, a problem encountered with p.sup.+ -polysilicon gates is the poor threshold voltage process control in the PMOS devices, due to penetration of boron into the gate oxide. For example, boron will penetrate gate oxide that is thinner than 125 angstroms thick during a 30 minute post-implant anneal in a nitrogen gas ambient at 900.degree. C. (see S. Wolf "Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era" Vol. 3). It is also been found that the presence of fluorine in the gate oxide worsens the boron penetration problem. Fluorine can be introduced into the gate oxide when the PMOS source drain regions are implanted using BF.

Method of fabricating MOS transistor having a P.sup.+ -polysilicon gate

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus and system for dynamically adjusting one or more performance-related parameters of a processor core based on at least one operation parameter related to an operating condition of the processor core.

The temperature of a processor may be related to an activity factor of one or more circuits of the processor core, e.g., the higher the activity factor of the circuits the higher the temperature of the processor core. In order to ensure proper operation of the processor, all circuits of the processor core must be verified to be functional at the highest expected temperature ("the throttling temperature", denoted Ttr) of the processor core.
Conventional processors may be designed to operate at frequencies lower than or equal to a preset maximal frequency F (Ttr) related to the throttling temperature, e.g., as long as the temperature of the processor core is lower than Ttr. If the temperature of the processor core exceeds the throttling temperature, then the processor may "throttle", i.e., the frequency of the processor core may be reduced and, if necessary, the voltage supplied to the processor may be reduced, e.g., until the temperature of the processor is reduced to a value lower than Ttr, at which point the frequency of the processor may be increased, e.g., back to F(Ttr), and so on.
The performance of the processor core may also be affected by a droop of the voltage supplied to the processor, e.g., the maximal frequency of the processor core may be reduced as a result of the voltage droop. In order to guarantee operation of the processor with an expected minimal voltage, Vccmin, in conventional processors the operating frequency of the processor is predetermined to be not higher than a frequency, F(Vccmin), related to Vccmin. Conventional processors may include a plurality of decoupling capacitors associated with the processor core and/or to a package of the processor. These capacitors may reduce the affect of the voltage droop on the processor. However, such capacitors are relatively expensive.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn accurately or to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity or several physical components included in one functional block or element. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Moreover, some of the blocks depicted in the drawings may be combined into a single function.

Method, apparatus and system of adjusting one or more performance-related parameters of a processor


Ribozymes targeted against two portions of the HIV-1 genome were designed to cleave HIV RNA in the tat gene (TAT) or in a common exon for tat and rev (TR). The ribozymes were cloned into the LN (LTR-neomycin) retroviral vector plasmids and expressed as part of viral LTR-driven transcripts. The vectors were packaged as amphitropic virions and used to transduce human T-lymphocytes. Expression of the vector transcripts containing the ribozyme sequences were readily detected by Northern blot analysis of the transduced T cells. The T-lymphocytes expressing the anti-HIV-1 ribozymes showed resistance to HIV-1 replication.

The concepts of genetic therapies for the treatment of genetic defects or providing intracellular immunity to viral infection have been entertained for a number of years (see Baltimore, 1988 (1); Szybalski, 1992 (2)). Gene therapy has recently received more attention for its potential utility in the treatment of HIV infection (Sarver and Rossi, 1993 (3)). A number of different inhibitory strategies have been tested for conferring resistance to HIV-1, including those encoding antisense RNA, ribozymes (Rz), TAR or RRE decoys, trans-dominant mutant HIV-1 genes and conditionally lethal toxins (reviewed in Sarver and Rossi, 1993 (3)).
RNA-based strategies, such as antisense or Rz, have the dual advantages of being sequence-specific, theoretically eliminating unwanted toxicities, as well as not producing potentially immunogenic proteins. A single Rz molecule is capable of irreversibly inactivating multiple target RNA molecules by sequential cycles of binding, cleavage and release, but even in the absence of multiple substrate turnover, Rz functionally inactivate target RNAs via cleavage (Zaug and Cech, 1986 (4); Uhlenbeck, 1987 (5); Castanotto, et al., 1992 (6)).
Retroviral vectors currently comprise a relatively efficient system for gene transduction of mammalian cells, including human lymphocytes and hematopoietic cells (Mulligan, 1993 (7); Williams, 1990 (8)). Retroviral vectors and packaging cell lines have been developed which have extremely low probabilities of producing replication-competent retroviruses and are increasingly used for clinical gene marking and gene therapy trials (Miller and Rosman, 1989 (9); Miller, 1990 (10); Anserson, et al., 1993 (11).


Apparatuses, methods, and systems for reconfiguring some or all content from one or more first containers into a second container are provided. In an example of the apparatus, the apparatus has a dispensing system having a dispenser to dispense content from one container into another, and a delivery system adapted to reconfigure the dispensed content from the one container into another container. In another example, a method includes dispensing selected contents from one container and reconfiguring the dispensed contents from the one container into another. In another example, the system includes a controller, a machine controlled by the controller, wherein the machine has a pair of container handlers, a content dispenser, and a content delivery system. The controller is adapted to control the machine using a selection criterion to operate the content dispenser to dispense selected content from one container to move with the delivery system into another container.

There are a wide variety of applications where seed need to be stored, where the seed can be protected and preserved, and at some time later be easily, efficiently, accurately identified and/or possibly individually selected, retrieved or discharged from one or more containers for reconfiguration into another container based upon the presence or absence of at least one advantageous property associated with the seed.
One notable example of this can be found in research and development directed toward identifying and perpetuating advantageous seed properties. For instance, plant researchers often group seed, into specific groups. In the case of seed, seed portions (e.g., a portion, sample or chip from the seed) may be removed from the seed for testing, what remains are viable seed that may be stored collectively or individually to protect against degradation or harm and to maintain viability. The information learned from testing the seed portions may indicate if the remaining, viable portion of a particular seed has the desired advantageous properties as a result of a biological trait, a genetic trait, a phenotypic trait, a morphological trait, or pedigree. Furthermore, the information learned from testing the seed portion can be linked with the individual seed from which it originated (viable seed portion) using an indexing system to correlate the two seed parts. Thus, by comparing a seed selection criterion with the information known about the seed, the remaining viable seed portion may be accurately identified, recovered, dispensed from its container and reconfigured into another container for storage with other viable seed portions meeting the same or other seed selection criterion.
A need has therefore been identified in the art for a more efficient and high throughput apparatus, method and system for reconfiguring any seed, seed part or seed portion, whether viable or not, from one or more containers, having been identified with the desired qualities, advantageous properties or genetics, into another container to provide a single container with seed having the desired qualities, advantageous properties and/or genetics

Apparatus, method and system for reconfiguring items