The present invention provides devices and/or methods of monitoring extremely small movements associated with infant breathing and heart rate, therefore monitoring sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Provided is a system for monitoring movement of an infant, comprising: a light source which produces radiant energy; an optical device; and an imaging device. Further provided is a method of monitoring movement of an infant, comprising the steps of: producing radiant energy by a light source; coupling said radiant energy into an optical device so as to create a matrix of images; projecting said images into a field of interest; and detecting movement of said infant using an imaging device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of medical devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to an optical monitor for sudden infant death syndrome.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, whose death remains unexplained after further medical investigation such as an autopsy. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is neither a disease, nor can it be a diagnosis for a living baby [1]. SIDS occurs at a rate of approximately 2 per 1,000 live births in the United States and occurs most often (90%) in under six months of age; of these, 18% were preterm infants [2].
One of the events that occurs during Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a period of apnea (stoppage of breathing) during which it may be possible that the infant may be resuscitated. However, most Sudden Infant Death Syndrome events occur at night when the infant""s caregiver is asleep. Since Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is not normally associated with verbal distress, few infants get a chance to be resuscitated.
Fortunately, the number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome deaths has decreased at a steady rate. The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome rate for 1995 was 0.87 deaths per 1,000 live births [3]. It is notable that more children die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in a year than all children who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined [4]. According to Dr. J. D. DeCristofaro of the University Medical Center Stony Brook, NY, (SIDS Network Internet Website, December 1998), the sibling of a SIDS baby will be on a monitor past the age of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome death, but a minimum of 6 months. Typically, the parents are not ready to give up the monitor at such time and often continue monitoring for up to a year.
Clearly, some sort of continuous monitoring of the infant for the presence or absence of breathing would be of value. Such a monitor could sound an alarm that would awaken the care-giver when breathing stopped, and further possibly acoustically stimulate the infant thereby stimulating the breathing reflex. In clinics, there exist a multitude of instruments, such as pneumotachometers or plesthymographs that, with little modification, could be used for this purpose. However, these devices are quite expensive and are not practical for use at home, particularly in infants with no history of being at risk for SIDS.
Transthoracic electrical impedance monitors are by far the most frequently applied, have the widest availability in the United States, and are generally efficacious in identifying and alarming on apnea events. With these instruments, however, are some situations where xe2x80x9cbreathsxe2x80x9d are detected during true apneas (false negative) and other cases where apneas are indicated while is breathing (false positive). The former is also a significant concern with impedance monitors thus limiting their usefulness.
Any monitor that accurately reflects the predisposing condition must consistently be alert and understandable to the care giver. In other words, the monitor must be efficacious in recognizing apnea and capable of triggering an alarm for prolonged apnea. Short periods of apnea (15 seconds) may not be fatal to an infant, but prolonged apnea (20 seconds) is abnormal [2]. In addition, the monitor must be capable of recognizing its own internal operating functions to assure proper and uninterrupted operation. Ideally, it must be noninvasive and easy to use and understand. Other desirable features would be the capability of collecting and archiving patterns surrounding significant events for later analysis. These could include estimation of tidal volume, the identification of heart rate patterns and variability as well as cardiac arrhythmias.
Therefore, the prior art is deficient in the lack of effective apparatus and/or means for monitoring sudden infant death syndrome. The present invention fulfills this long-standing need and desire in the art.
The present invention is directed to devices and/or methods of monitoring sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system consisting of a sensitive optical rangefinder which senses the movement of a spot of light, projected onto the sleeping infant.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method and/or system of using a laser, the radiant output of which is passed through a diffractive optic whereby a matrix of spots is projected into the crib. The movement of the infant is detectable by monitoring the movement of the image of the spots on a charge-coupled device (CCD). Alternatively, a light source such as a superluminescent infrared light-emitting diode (LED) can be used rather than a laser.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for monitoring movement of an infant, comprising: a light source which produces radiant energy; an optical device; and an imaging device.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of monitoring movement of an infant, comprising the steps of: producing radiant energy by a light source; coupling said radiant energy into an optical device so as to create a matrix of images; projecting said images into a field of interest; and detecting movement of said infant using an imaging device.
Other and further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention given for the purpose of disclosure.

Optical monitor for sudden infant death syndrome


The present invention is generally related to a device for supporting objects that are being displayed. More particularly concerned with a system of interconnected pedestal displays The present invention permits the designer of pedestal displays the flexibility of easily interconnecting elements to obtain desired pedestal heights. The pedestal system also allows the selection of different support tops.

At the present time florist, bakers and decorators are constrained by the lack of flexibility in the way they have to set up their displays. Florists for example, when designing a center piece floral arrangement have to either pick the pedestal firs (the floral arrangement is displayed on top of the pedestal) and work around the height given by the pedestal, or design their arrangement and then hope to find a pedestal that will fit the height needed for their arrangement. Unfortunately, the pedestal they use on one occasion will not necessarily be the best option for the next occasion.
Decorators like to work with sets of pedestals of different heights. In order to do their work without restricting their creativity, they will need to have at hand a good set of pedestals of different highs. Just to find the right pedestals becomes a very expensive and laborious task.
To overcome these shortcomings of existing options, the present invention is developed to produce an effective means to display objects requiring pedestals. The invention described here will give designers the option of choosing instantaneously at which height they need to have the pedestal for their display. Since a pedestal display is formed by assembling removable elements into a single unit or system of units. A pedestal can be later reused for another display at a different height, or used as a part of a more elaborate center piece.
The invention described here provides designers with the option of connecting pedestals when a larger structure is needed without restricting their creativity, at the same time offering cost-effective materials.


A spirometric measurement device includes an arrangement for computation of a dynamic correction factor to compensate for temperature-related volume changes in time varying raw forced expiratory volume (FEV) data due to cooling of expired gas. The correction factor, which compensates for body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) changes, varies in time according to variation of temperature of a flow sensor. The temperature of the flow sensor is accurately established by positioning a temperature sensor downstream of the flow sensor.

Workers exposed to irritating dusts and fumes have been known to exhibit changes in lung function throughout a work shift to which they are assigned. Standard spirometry data collected before and after the work shift may detect a change in lung function from the beginning to the end of a work shift. However, it is more important to track changes in lung function and capacity on a substantially real-time, periodic basis, whether throughout the work shift or over the course of an entire day (or days).
Similarly, asthmatics may experience randomly occurring attacks. While lung function is adversely affected during the attack, lung function may return to normal thereafter. For these individuals, spirometric data collected during an attack is a more accurate representation of the nature of the attack and is thus more desirable to obtain than data indicative of lung function only at the beginning and end of an attack.
Portable, or hand held, prior art spirometric devices are commercially available. Such devices are known in the art. The known devices operate as follows.
Volume spirometers provide the simplest approach to measurement of spirometric parameters. Volume spirometers are essentially large cylindrical chambers including displaceable pistons. A test subject forces air into the chamber by performing a forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver. The piston displacement corresponds to the volume of air being expired. Although accurate, these devices are large and bulky.
To keep the size and weight of a spirometric device to a minimum, it is known to measure flow instead of volume. Thus, in a flow-spirometer a flow sensor outputs a flow signal indicative of detected air flow thereacross. The desired volume data is then determined by mathematical integration of the flow signal. An advantage of such an approach is that flow spirometers are inherently smaller than volume spirometers. However, although implementable by a smaller device, the flow-sensing method of obtaining spirometric data is known to be less accurate and more sensitive to errors than the volume based method.
The volume of gas exhaled into both volume and flow-based spirometric devices is initially at 37 degrees C. and rapidly cools to ambient temperature. This cooling to ATPS (Atmospheric Temperature Pressue Saturated) causes a contraction of the gas from the volume occupied at BTPS (Body Temperature Pressure Saturated) in the subject's lungs. The spirometric volume measurement must therefore be multiplied by a BTPS correction factor to obtain the volume value at body temperature.
Portable flow type spirometric systems fall into one of two categories: (1) peak flow meters and (2) pneumotach systems.
Peak flow meters are very simple mechanical devices consisting of a mouthpiece and an indicator gauge. When the subject performs a FVC maneuver, the force of the expired air moves an indicating marker along a calibrated dial allowing peak flow to be read. If such a device is used without the aid of an administering technician, it is the subject's responsibility to perform the maneuver with sufficient effort, read the graduated scale correctly, and record the value along with the time of day. Peak flow is the only information that can be obtained from this type of device.
Portable pneumotach systems comprise a flow sensing pneumotach which generates an electrical flow signal proportional to flow. The flow signal is sampled periodically by a microprocessor, which then evaluates and stores the data. The flexibility of this type of device is limited by the microprocessor software, which is usually stored in a read-only-memory (ROM). It is known that different sampling programs may be needed, or provided, for different spirometric units, depending on the specific application contemplated. However, for known spirometric devices the sampling program is part of the software stored in read-only-memory (ROM). Thus, modification of the sampling (as well as other) software is not possible without disassembling the device and replacing the ROM chip.
Further, known devices fail to provide a correction factor for dynamic computation of the body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) correction factor. That is, where non-heated ceramic flow sensors are used, typically there is only incomplete cooling of the flowing air as the air passes through the sensor. Thus, the usual technique applies a factor approximately equal to thirty percent (30%) of the full BTPS CF. Upon testing of several ceramic flow sensors with a mechanical pump, using both room air and air heated to 37.degree. C. and saturated with water vapor, the inventors discovered the following.
Upon using volume ramps and the first four ATS standard waveforms to test the sensors, and upon calculating an estimated BTPS correction for FVC and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) by dividing the volume measured with room air by the volume measured with heated and humidified air, the results using room air showed considerable variability in the linearity of the flow sensors. One sensor showed a 400 ml difference (6.7%) in a 6 L volume ramp and flow rates of between 0.6 and 8 L/s. Using heated and humidified air, the estimated BTPS CF with the sensor initially at 20.degree. C. ranged from 1.06 to 1.00, compared to a calculated value of 1.102. The estimated BTPS CF also varied with the number of curves previously performed, the time between curves, the volume of the current and previous curves, and the temperature of the sensor.
Thus, the known devices suffer from inaccuracies occasioned by the known technique of using ambient temperature to estimate the temperature of the flow sensor, as well as from errors arising from use of a single, static, BTPS correction factor for all parameters, without regard to the exact time that specific measurements are made during a forced exhalation and to time related temperature variation.
Additionally, known devices convert the raw spirometric data to various parameters descriptive of the user's lung capacity, storing only the resultant parameters rather than the raw data. Thus, known devices lose any capability to perform further computations on the raw data and to abstract still further information therefrom.
Moreover, known devices do not include a provision for reminding a user to obtain data periodically.
Still further, known devices suffer from inaccuracies caused by flow sensor nonlinearity and flow sensor drift.
All of the commercially available portable flow devices known to the inventors thus suffer from limitations in accuracy, flexibility, data storage capacity and physical size, and lack specific desirable options and features. The prior art devices are thus inadequate for remote and prolonged data collection.
There is accordingly a need in the prior art for a portable spirometric device capable of providing spirometric data having improved accuracy and reliability.
There is a more specific need in the prior art for a flow type spirometer including a capability for dynamic computation of the BTPS correction factor.
Still another need of the prior art is for an ability to provide actual sensor temperature values for the flow sensor of a portable spirometer.
There is a further need for a portable spirometric device having a capability for accepting different operating control programs for flexible adaptivity to various applications, including accepting differing sampling programs, without requiring disassembly or replacement of a ROM therein.
There is yet another need in the prior art, for spirometric devices including means for correcting inaccuracies caused by flow sensor nonlinearity and flow sensor drift.
Additionally, there is a need in the prior art for a portable spirometric device having improved storage capacity for raw spirometric data, to enable subsequent processing thereof.
There is moreover a need in the prior art for a portable spirometric device which periodically reminds its user to perform a FVC maneuver to obtain periodic spirometric data.
Further, there is a need in the prior art for a portable spirometric device having a reduced size to assure that a subject will not be discouraged by bulkiness of the device from carrying the device and using the spirometer as required.

Portable spirometer with improved accuracy

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


A data processing system for providing an output surface for display. The data processing system includes rendering circuitry operable to generate one or more input surfaces to be used for providing an output surface for display. The rendering circuitry is operable to generate a peripheral region of an input surface at a lower fidelity than the fidelity at which a central region of the input surface is generated or is operable to generate one of a plurality of input surfaces at a lower fidelity than the fidelity at which another of the plurality of input surfaces is generated. The data processing system also includes display composition circuitry operable to select part of at least one of the one or more generated input surfaces based on received view orientation data to provide an output surface for display.

The technology described herein relates to a method of and a data processing system for providing an output surface for display in a data processing system, in particular for providing an output surface for display in a virtual reality head-mounted display system.
When rendering images (frames) for a virtual reality display, e.g. for use in a head mounted display system, the appropriate frames to be displayed to each eye are typically rendered by a graphics processing unit (GPU), for example. Such frames are typically rendered in response to appropriate commands and data from an application, such as a game (e.g. executing on a central processing unit (CPU)), that requires the virtual reality display. The GPU will, for example, render the frames that are to be displayed at a frame rate such as 30 frames per second (and will render both a left and right eye view at that rate).
In such arrangements, the system will also operate to track the movement of the head and/or the gaze of the user (so-called head pose tracking). This head orientation (pose) data is then used to determine how the images should actually be displayed to the user for their current head position (view direction), and the images (frames) are rendered accordingly (for example by setting the camera (viewpoint) orientation based on the head orientation data), so that an appropriate image based on the user's current direction of view can be displayed.
To account for this head motion of a user, a process known as "time-warp" has been proposed for virtual reality head-mounted display systems. In this process, the frames to be displayed are rendered based on the head orientation data sensed at the beginning of the rendering of the frames, but then before the frames are actually displayed, further head orientation (pose) data is sensed, and that updated head pose sensor data is then used to render an "updated" version of the original frame that takes account of the updated head orientation (pose) data. The "updated" version of the frame is then displayed. This allows the image displayed on the display to more closely match the user's latest head orientation.
To do this processing, the initial, "application" frames are rendered by the GPU into appropriate buffers in memory, but there is then a second rendering process that takes the initial, application frames in memory and uses the latest head orientation (pose) data to render versions of the initially rendered frames that take account of the latest head orientation to provide the frames that will be displayed to the user. This typically involves performing some form of transformation on the initial frames, based on the head orientation (pose) data. The so-called "time-warp" rendered frames that are actually to be displayed are written into a further buffer or buffers in memory, from where they are then read out for display by the display controller. In order to provide a smoother virtual reality display, the time-warp processing may be performed at a higher frame rate (e.g. 90 or 120 frames per second) than the frame rate (e.g. 30 frames per second) at which the initial, application frames are rendered by the GPU.
The Applicants believe that there is scope for improved arrangements for performing "time-warp" rendering for virtual reality displays in data processing systems.

Method of and data processing system for providing an output surface


Apparatus for storing all logic simulation signal values generated by a logic simulator during a simulation run is provided. The apparatus includes a runtime array for storing a plurality of signal values for each time instance in a predetermined time period, and a checkpoint cache for selectively storing the plurality of signal values stored in the runtime array at selected time instances. A hyper-checkpoint array is further provided to checkpoint the signal values in the checkpoint cache. In addition, the time instances and values of memory writes are also checkpointed. A user may retrieve the value of any signal values generated during the simulation run and may additionally rewind the simulator to a user-specified time in the simulation run.

Logic simulators have been used by designers to test the integrity of design without actually building the hardware. The logic simulator simulates the functions performed by the circuit and provides the designer an opportunity to examine the signals generated by the design. From these signals, the designer may uncover errors in the design.
In the event that a design error is found, the logic simulator allows the designer to modify the design and rerun the logic simulation, thereby decreasing the edit-debug cycle time and greatly reducing the overall circuit design time. Therefore, designers have come to rely on logic simulators as an essential design tool.
During the course of a logic simulation, certain signal values, such as those signals generated by the design, are stored for examination at the end of the simulation run. The availability of these signal values enable the user to determine whether errors have been uncovered by the simulation run. However, for simulations of more complex circuits that may run for hours or days, the number of signals that can be stored is greatly limited by the amount of available memory. Therefore, although the designer would like to examine most of the signal values to more accurately and expediently determine the errors, it may not be possible to specify all desirable signals. Consequently, the designer may be required to run a simulation multiple times to obtain all necessary information to diagnose the logic design error.
Once the designer has determined the problem and modified the design to eliminate the uncovered error, more simulation runs are required to ascertain the correctness of the correction and of the remainder of the design. It is likely more errors will be uncovered and corrected, and more simulations are run to further determine the accuracy of the design.
It is obvious from the foregoing that although logic simulators are invaluable design aides, they are not without problems. For example, they do not provide a designer access to all signal values for the duration of simulation time due to the large number of signals and the unavailability of memory. Certainly, to add memory capacity large enough for all the signal values would be impractical and expensive.
Additionally, logic simulators require an entire simulation to be rerun after the design has been modified to determine the correctness of the fix. To rerun an entire simulation may require days and weeks. Both aforementioned problems add considerably to the edit-debug time a designer must spend to ensure the correctness of the design.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Apparatus and method for checkpointing simulation data in a simulator


A composition for external application to skin, containing a compound represented by formula (I) or a salt thereof, and/or a quaternary ammonium salt represented by formula (II):

Examples of appearance changes caused by skin aging include formation of wrinkles and sagging and reduction of skin firmness. Until now, cosmetics containing, for example, collagen have been used for improving such appearance changes of the skin. However, even if such cosmetics are used, the effect of inhibiting (suppressing) wrinkle formation or the like is insufficient.
Formation of wrinkles or the like is considered to have a strong association with ultraviolet rays. Skin aging caused by irradiation with ultraviolet rays is referred to as "photoaging", and a variety of studies have been made. However, the present situation resides in that a cosmetic, which can be used as an alternative of an ultraviolet absorber or an ultraviolet protectant in order to prevent the photoaging, has not yet been developed.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent No. 3549823 discloses an agent which contains alverine and is useful for reducing wrinkles and fine wrinkles. Specifically, Japanese Patent No. 3549823 discloses that alverine can induce a decontraction and/or relaxant effect in the striated muscle, and the effect can repair wrinkles and fine wrinkles and promote smoothing of the skin. However, alverine is used as a muscle relaxant in Europe based on its acetylcholine-blocking action. Alverine has been used as a drug and has high toxicity (refer to, for example, David Malka et al., Journal of Hepathology, 1997, vol. 27, p. 399-403).
Moreover, JP-A-2005-528323 ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application) and JP-A-08-333217 disclose agents for external application to skin which are used for improving and preventing appearance changes such as wrinkles of the skin. The agents for external application to skin described in the documents can improve and suppress epidermal wrinkles (for example, wrinkles caused by drying) due to aging of epidermal cells of the skin. However, the effect for deep and stubborn wrinkles produced in dermal cells or cell tissues located deeper than the dermal cells is insufficient.
As described above, a photoaging-preventing or -improving composition or a wrinkle-preventing or -improving composition, which can be used safely and has a sufficient effect, has not been known.

Composition for external application to skin

Abstract: wherein R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched chain alkyl group having 2 to 25 carbon atoms; X is —CO—NH—, —O—CO—O—, —NH—CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO— or —O—; Y is a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R3 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R2 and R3 are the same as or different from each other; R4, R5 and R6, which may the same as or different from each other, each are an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and A− is a counter ion.


Disclosed are the ERK inhibitors of formula (1): and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Also disclosed are methods of treating cancer using the compounds of formula (1).

The processes involved in tumor growth, progression, and metastasis are mediated by signaling pathways that are activated in cancer cells. The ERK pathway plays a central role in regulating mammalian cell growth by relaying extracellular signals from ligand-bound cell surface tyrosine kinase receptors such as erbB family, PDGF, FGF, and VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase. Activation of the ERK pathway is via a cascade of phosphorylation events that begins with activation of Ras. Activation of Ras leads to the recruitment and activation of Raf, a serine-threonine kinase. Activated Raf then phosphorylates and activates MEK1/2, which then phosphorylates and activates ERK1/2. When activated, ERK1/2 phosphorylates several downstream targets involved in a multitude of cellular events including cytoskeletal changes and transcriptional activation. The ERK/MAPK pathway is one of the most important for cell proliferation, and it is believed that the ERK/MAPK pathway is frequently activated in many tumors. Ras genes, which are upstream of ERK1/2, are mutated in several cancers including colorectal, melanoma, breast and pancreatic tumors. The high Ras activity is accompanied by elevated ERK activity in many human tumors. In addition, mutations of BRAF, a serine-threonine kinase of the Raf family, are associated with increased kinase activity. Mutations in BRAF have been identified in melanomas (60%), thyroid cancers (greater than 40%) and colorectal cancers. These observations indicate that the ERK1/2 signalling pathway is an attractive pathway for anticancer therapies in a broad spectrum of human tumours.
Therefore, a welcome contribution to the art would be small-molecules (i.e., compounds) that inhibit ERK activity (ERK2 activity), which small-molecules would be useful for treating a broad spectrum of cancers, such as, for example, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, thryroid cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Such a contribution is provided by this invention.


The invention relates to a fixed-dose association of phytate and zinc in synergic proportions for use in the treatment of crystallization of hydroxyapatite. Advantageously, said association is in a molar ratio between the phytate and the zinc exceeding 4:1. The invention also relates to the use of said association for manufacturing a drug for the treatment, prophylaxis and/or prevention crystallization of hydroxyapatite in humans.

In general, any process of pathological crystallisation is a consequence of an imbalance between three groups of factors: supersaturation, crystallisation promoters (basically heterogeneous nucleants) and repressors of crystallisation (crystallisation inhibitors and cellular defence mechanisms).
A system is supersaturated in relation to a solute when it contains it in amounts exceeding the amount established by its solubility product. It is thus a thermodynamic factor and is only a kinetic question (i.e. of the time elapsed) that the corresponding solid will be finally formed.
The promoters or heterogeneous nucleants are substances that facilitate the formation of the crystal, reducing the induction period by preventing the stage of homogeneous nucleation. These are thus kinetic factors.
The inhibitors of crystallisation are substances that hinder or prevent the development of crystals. They can act at the nucleation level (by adsorbing on the homogeneous or heterogeneous nucleus being formed), of crystalline growth (by adsorbing on the faces of the crystal being formed) or of both processes at once. It therefore also includes kinetic factors.
Myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytate) is the most powerful inhibitor known of the development of calcium salts, and acts on the heterogeneous nucleation of the calcium oxalate, on the crystalline growth of the calcium oxalate and on homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation of calcium phosphate. The phytate, together with the pyrophosphate, shows inhibitory effects both on the crystallisation of brushite and crystallisation of hydroxyapatite. Both compounds constitute two of the forms in which the calcium phosphate can crystallise, this last being a majority component of pathological vascular mineralisations.
It has been shown recently that phytate is present in all the organs, tissues and biological fluids of mammals, the human being among them. It has further been shown that most extracellular phytate found in organs, tissues and fluids of mammals has a dietary origin and is not the result of endogenous synthesis, whereas intracellular phytate (found in very much lower concentrations) is probably produced inside the cell. Its levels in the organism are therefore directly related to the exogenous supply thereof, either through dietary ingestion or topical application.
Blood plasma is always supersaturated in relation to calcium phosphate, due to the concentration values of phosphate, calcium and its pH. Indeed, calcifications are frequently found in the cardiovascular system, reducing the flexibility of the blood vessels and promoting thrombosis and arterial rupture. When such calcifications appear in the cardiac valves, they are associated with various disorders which, if not corrected, can lead to heart failure and death.
Various risk factors are now known that are associated with the development of calcifications in the coronary arteries, such as kidney disease, advanced age, high plasma cholesterol levels (a decrease in the cholesterol associated with high-density lipoproteins and increase in the cholesterol associated with low-density lipoproteins), obesity and high triglyceride levels, cytotoxic agents (smoking habit) and bacterial infections.
It must be born in mind that the occurrence of cardiovascular calcifications can start by as early as the second decade of life, and that coronary calcifications affect 50% of people aged between 40 and 49 years, and 80% of people aged between 60 and 69 years.
The precise mechanism of formation of a vascular calcification involves various steps, although in general it requires the prior existence of an injury which acts as an inducer (heterogeneous nucleant) of the calcification (calcium phosphate, generally in the form of hydroxyapatite). Subsequent development of the calcification will depend on the balance of the remaining factors (supersaturation, crystallisation inhibitors, cellular modulators of the calcification).
An important factor in preventing the development of cardiovascular calcifications is therefore the presence of crystallisation inhibitors. A recent document showed the preventive action of phytate on the development of cardiovascular calcifications when the phytate is applied topically (see PCT/IB2004/003588).
In a different field, hydroxyapatite is also accumulated in the buccal cavity through mineralisation of the dental bacterial plaque. Dental bacterial plaque is a deposit on the teeth that cannot be removed with water under pressure or simply by rinsing out the mouth. Brushing does help to prevent a speedy accumulation of such deposits, but even a regular brushing is not enough to remove all the deposits that adhere to the teeth. The plaque that adheres to the surface of the tooth can calcify (calcified dental plaque) to form dental tartar or calculus. The plaque is therefore a precursor of calculus. Unlike the calculus, however, the plaque can be formed on any part of the surface of the tooth, particularly on the gingival margin. Therefore the presence of plaque on the teeth, in addition to being unsightly, can be a precursor to the development of gingivitis and periodontal diseases. There is a direct correlation between the amount of bacterial plaque and the severity of the gingivitis.
The tartar or calculus are calcified deposits on the teeth which are formed due to mineralisation of the plaque, a process that starts within a period of 24-72 hours and takes an average of 12 days to reach maturity. It is made up of organic and inorganic matter with a composition very similar to that of other pathological calcifications observed in the organism (renal lithiasis, calcinosis cutis, etc.):                Organic matter: it mainly comes from microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) that are connected to one another, forming colonies, although it can also come from food debris remaining in the buccal cavity.        Inorganic matter: it is largely made up of calcium and orthophosphate present in the saliva which are arranged in a crystalline lattice called hydroxyapatite (HAP).
The formation of calculi takes place in two steps. In the first one, the bacterial plaque is deposited on the teeth, being made up of living and dead bacteria surrounded by a gellified matrix derived from bacteria and saliva. In the second step, said plaque undergoes a process of mineralisation until forming the dental calculus. Initially, amorphous calcium phosphate begins to be deposited on and within the extracellular matrix of the dental plaque, which becomes sufficiently packed for the aggregates to be resistant to deformation, in the end turning into the crystalline HAP material. The amorphous calcium phosphate, though related to the HAP, differs from it in its crystalline structure, particle morphology and stoichiometry.
The inhibition of HAP formation has been tested by means of the action of inhibitors, sequestrants, efficient suppressors of calcium and magnesium ions and/or chelating agents. Dehydrated polyphosphates such as water-soluble hexametaphosphates, tripolyphosphates, pyrophosphates and the like have been used for this purpose.
We thus find a list of patents (U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,419; U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,105; U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,772) which utilise or make reference to the use and functions of these polyphosphates proposed to date in oral compositions. However, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,977, the straight-chain dehydrated polyphosphates are hydrolysed significantly in the oral cavity and/or in the saliva by means of the enzymes in the saliva (phosphatases) into orthophosphates, which do not show any inhibitory action on the formation of HAP; although said hydrolysis is reduced through the combined use of these polyphosphates with fluoride (as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,4109) as well as with the fluoride ion forming part of a polocarboxylate polymer in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,977, an efficient treatment inhibiting hydroxyapatite has yet to be found.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,289 describes antimicrobial oral compositions with phytate for mouth care. The oral compositions described contain phytic acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a cationic antimicrobial compound and compatibilizing agent for the control of the dental calculus, dental plaque, gingivitis, periodontitis and/or bad breath. In particular, it describes a composition comprising: (1) from 0.001 to 10% by weight of one or more compounds having C—O—P bonds, where the compound having the C—O—P bond is myo-inositol hexakis (dihydrogen phosphate), myo-inositol pentakis (dihydrogen phosphate), myo-inositol tetrakis(dihydrogen phosphate) or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof; (2) 0.001 to 10% by weight of one or more cationic antimicrobial compounds; and (3) 0.1 to 20% by weight of one or more compatibilizing agents. As a cationic antimicrobial compound a list of 10 possible compounds or derivatives thereof is disclosed. The compatibilizing agents are chosen from acids and their alkaline metal salts or alkaline earth metal salts, or mixtures thereof. It is also disclosed that the presence of a metallic ion selected from strontium, magnesium, tin, zinc, calcium or mixtures thereof in the aforesaid composition does not lead to precipitation of the phytic acid of the composition in solution and, therefore, the addition thereof to the above composition will help to suppress bad breath. The molar ratio between said metallic ion and the phytic acid can be present in an oral composition from 4:1 to 1:4, preferably from 3:1 to 1:3 and still more preferably, in a 1:1 ratio.
Furthermore, phytate has indeed already been used in oral compositions. Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,316 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,102 the phytate is used in combination with a compound of tin (II). However, the formation of complexes between phytate and tin are not effective in inhibiting the formation of calculus.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,002, phytate is used in conjunction with a bisbiguanide as an antiplaque and anticaries agent. However, the two compounds react with each other so they cannot be distributed homogeneously throughout the oral composition, to the point that they even form two clearly visible phases.
A large number of compositions have been developed comprising different combinations of antiplaque and antigingivitis agents, together with or optionally together with other compounds such as for example anticalculus agents whose purpose is to eliminate the bacterial etiology and risk factors.
However, there does not yet exist a suitable treatment which permits the inhibition of the crystallisation of hydroxyapatite with good results.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fixed-dose association of phytate and zinc


The present invention is a computer system and method that manages connections between one or more data network interfaces and one or more phone interfaces. A manager process, running on a computer system having both data and phone network interfaces, receives one or more telephone calls from one or more users over one of the phone interfaces and than accesses one or more profiles associated with each of the users. These profiles have one or more service identifiers and one or more interactive response agent (IRA) identifiers associated with the respective user. A menu of the service identifiers is presented to the user. The system then looks up an agent address of one of the IRAs that is associated with the service identifier selected by the user from the menu and establishes a session with the associated IRA. Having done this a two-way communication with the associated IRA occurs during the session. In this communication, the IRA is capable of passing information to the system from one or more application servers to which the IRA is connected over one or more data networks.

Many businesses use interactive voice response (IVR) systems to automatically respond to customer inquiries. For example, a customer can make a phone call to the IVR system of a business and establish a connection via a public switched telephone network or a cellular phone network. Once the connection is made, the customer can interact with the IVR system to access desired information such as account balance or to conduct transactions such as transfer between accounts. The caller typically responds to the voice menus of the IVR system by pressing the keypad on his telephone set. Very often such phone calls are made using the toll-free number associated with the business and the cost of the call is paid by the business.
There exist other IVR systems which allow the employees of a corporation to access their e-mail by making a phone call to the corporation's IVR system which interfaces with the e-mail server. For example, PhoneSoft Inc. has a IVR product that interfaces with Lotus e-mail servers. The corporation has to pay the cost of the calls which may be long distance when their employees travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,461, "Information Services Platform", has recognized that the cost of such phone calls can be greatly reduced by connecting such a call to an information services platform associated with the point the call enters the telephone network so that an inquiry entered by the calling party may be received by a front end of the platform which then passes the inquiry to a back end of the platform for presentation to a called source of information. (This patent is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.) The advantage is that the voice connection to a conventional IVR system via a telephone network is replaced by an inexpensive data network. But the front end of the information services platform in this patent is not generic. This means that some service specific programs or scripts have to be pre-installed at the front end.
"Phone Browser" from Bell Labs is another system which has the concept of a separate front end and back end. The phone browser together with the front end acts as a Web browser but with no visual information presented to the caller. However, Web servers are the only information source that the caller can access by the phone browser system.
FIG. 1 shows a system diagram of a typical prior art phone browser system 100. The system allows a telephone user to access the Web pages (not shown) residing at Web servers 170 on the Internet. The system works as follows. A caller picks up a phone 105 and dials the phone number corresponding to the URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the Web page that he/she wants to reach. The phone call will be routed by the PSTN (public switch telephone network) 110 to a IVR platform 120 which on one hand interfaces with the PSTN 110 and on the other hand interfaces with the Internet 150, to which a phone browser 160 and a Web server 170 are connected. The phone call will be picked up at the IVR platform 120 by the call handling routine 122 which will find the destined URL by looking up the phone number URL table 124 based on the phone number the caller dialed. The call handling routine 122 then proceeds to establish a session with a phone browser 160 and initializes the phone browser 160 with the selected URL by a proprietary protocol, called V protocol. The phone browser 160 then interacts with the Web server 170 hosting the destined URL by the Hyper-Text Transport Protocol (HTTP).
The IVR platform 120 interfaces with the PSTN via a telephony interface 128 which includes DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) detection, call answering/disconnecting, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters, etc. The IVR platform 120 includes audio functions 126 such as text-to-speech converters, audio players, audio recorders, etc. The information (e.g. text and audio) obtained from the Web server 170 is first processed by the phone browser 160 (e.g., appending a voice menu at the end of the page.) The processed information is then sent to the call handling routine 122 via V protocol. The received information at the call handling routine 122 is presented to the caller after the necessary conversion is done at the IVR platform 120. The caller now listens to the transformed Web page in speech and chooses the next URL by pressing the corresponding touch-tone button on the phone 105 according to the voice menu presented to the caller by the call handing routine 122. The call handling routine 122 converts the received DTMF tone into a digital format (e.g., ASCII text) and sends it to the phone browser for specifying the next Web page. The process repeats till the caller hangs up the phone. If the caller should want to access another service (Web site) hosting by another Web server 170, the caller has to disconnect the call and dial the phone number corresponding to the URL that he/she wants to reach. The aforementioned phone browser system is a service-oriented distributed IVR system, i.e. one service per phone number.
Problems with the Prior Art
Most systems in the prior art have many restrictions and limitations. First, the conventional IVR systems are in general expensive, and the buyers have to maintain the systems in order to make sure that the capacity scales up as traffic increases. In addition, the cost of long distance phone calls will accumulate and may become a major expense for the owners of the IVR systems.
Second, the information service platform described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,461 is primarily a solution for telephone carriers. The providers of the information source need to work with their carrier to pre-install service-specific programs or scripts at the front ends. Furthermore, every time the service is changed, the information service provider has to rely on its carrier to upgrade the frond end program. This requirement limits the usage of the information services platform.
Third, the phone browser approach is limited to Web content. There exist many other types of information sources such as non-Internet based e-mail and database servers which cannot be accessed by a phone browser.
Fourth, all the aforementioned IVR architectures are service-oriented, which means that each phone number is associated with a particular service offered by a service provider. Separate phone calls have to be made if the caller wants to access multiple services provided by different service providers.

Dynamically reconfigurable distributed interactive voice response system

International Business Machines Corporation


A spring clamp terminal for clamping connection to a conductor, comprises an anti-overstress member for preventing overstressing of the spring section of the terminal. Integral stamping and forming of the anti-overstress member from the spring clip provides a robust, cost-effective and reliable terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spring clamp terminal for electrical connection to a conductor by means of a resilient clamp, in particular a spring clamp terminal with an anti-overstress member to prevent overstressing of the spring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Spring clamp terminals are known from DE 27 06 482, such spring clamps having a base member, and a U-shaped spring arm and actuation member that loops over the base and receives a leading edge of the base through a cutout in the actuation member. Upon depressing the actuation member, the cutout portion below the leading edge enlarges for receiving a conductor therethrough, the actuation member then being released such that the cutout is upwardly biased. A bottom edge of the cutout thus clamps the conductor against a lower surface of the base. One of the problems with this design is that the spring section can be overstressed. Although depression of the actuator is limited by an upper edge of the cutout abutting the base section, actuation of the spring member is typically made by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver tip in a housing cavity above the spring clamp to depress the actuator. The latter can cause overstressing of the spring element even though the actuator is limited in its depression, by pressing on the spring element itself. This problem has been recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,861 (for example see FIG. 12 of this patent) where a button 52 is moulded and positioned below the spring arm to prevent overbending thereof. The problem with this design is that a separate part is needed, or if the button is moulded directly with the housing, assembly becomes difficult and costly. Furthermore, an anti-overstress feature that is moulded out of plastic is not particularly resistant to damage.


A terminal for generating a live image includes a memory for storing video content, and a live image generator for selecting a number of original frames from original frames constituting the video content in a standby mode, generating a new live image by interpolating the number of selected original frames, and outputting the generated live image as live wallpaper for the standby mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a terminal and method for generating live images, and more particularly, to a live image generation terminal and method capable of generating and outputting a new live image in each of a plurality of standby modes using single video content.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of wallpapers set by a user may be displayed in a standby mode of a terminal. Still or live images for live wallpapers, which are stored in the terminal, may be set by the user and displayed.
The live images tend to generate a more dynamic live wallpaper display than the still images.
The live wallpapers generally include objects with small movements such as waves and waterfalls, rather than objects with large movements such as cars and people.
Therefore, when one live image is set as live wallpaper for the standby mode, a dynamic live image may be displayed, but the same movement may be undesirably repeated in every standby mode.

Terminal and method for generating live image


Compounds are provided which are useful in treating disorders of gastrointestinal motility and which have the structure

Gastrointestinal motility regulates the orderly movement of ingested material through the gut to insure adequate absorption of nutrients, electrolytes and fluids. Appropriate transit through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon depends on regional control of intraluminal pressure and several sphincters that regulate forward movement and prevent back-flow of gastrointestinal contents. The normal gastrointestinal motility pattern may be impaired by disease, surgery or by adverse reaction to drug treatment for non-gastrointestinal disease.
Motilin is a 22 amino acid peptide that is secreted from enterochromaffin cells in the small intestine into the bloodstream, binds to a G-protein coupled receptor, GPR38, and is involved in the normal regulation of coordinated motility of the gastrointestinal tract (J. C. Brown, M. A. Cook, J. R. Dryburgh; Can. J. Biochem., 1973, 51:533). There is also evidence that the motilin receptor is expressed in the colon and motilin has been shown to increase cell calcium and to stimulate contraction of human colonic smooth muscle (G. Van Assche, I. Depooŕtere, T. Thijs, L. Missiaen, F. Pennenckx, H. Takashi, K. Geboes, J. Janssens, and T. L. Peeters, Neurogastroentero. Mot. 2001, 13:27-35). Erythromycin is a motilin agonist and is used therapeutically to increase the rate of gastric emptying (T. Peeters, G. Matthijs, I. Depoortere, T. Cachet, J. Hoogmartens, G. Vantrappen, Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest Liver Physiol., 1989, 257, G470-G474; J. Janssens, T. L. Peeters, G. Vantrappen, J. Tack, J. L. Urbain, M. DeRoo, E. Muls, R. Bouillon, N. Engl. J. Med. 1990, 322, 1028-1031). In addition, motilin peptide analogs and motilides have been shown to stimulate contraction in antral and colonic gastrointestinal muscle strips (L. Thielemans, I. Depoortere, J. V. Broeck, and T. L. Peeters, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 2002, 293, 1223-1227). Therefore, it is expected that potent motilin agonists will act as a prokinetic agent and be useful for the treatment of delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis) in normal and diabetic patients, postoperational ileus, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, chronic constipation, gastroesophogeal reflux disease or other conditions where motility is delayed. It will also be useful for treatment of colonic motility disorders including colonic hypomotility. Moreover, motilin agonists will promote gastrointestinal motility in a coordinated manner, thereby avoiding some common side effects associated with other prokinetic agents, such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.
Other examples of disorders whose symptoms include impaired gastrointestinal motility are anorexia, gall bladder stasis, postoperative paralytic ileus, scleroderma, intestinal pseudoobstruction, gastritis, emesis, and chronic constipation (colonic inertia). These gastrointestinal disorders are generally treated with prokinetic agents that enhance propulsive motility and thus could be treated with a motilin agonist.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,896 to Qabar et al. discloses β-sheet mimetics which have the structure
wherein
A is selected from —(═O)—, —(CH2)0-4—, —C(═O)(CH2)1-3—, —(CH2)1-20— and —(CH2)1-2S—;
B is selected from N and CH;
C is selected from —C(═O)—, —(═O)(CH2)1-3—, —(CH2)0-3—, —O—, —S—, —O—(CH2)1-2— and —S(CH2)1-2—;
D is selected from N and C(R4);
E is selected from

F is an optional carbonyl moiety;
R1 and R4 are independently selected from amino acid side chain moieties and derivatives thereof;
R2 and R2′ represent one or more ring substituents individually selected from an amino acid side chain moiety and derivatives thereof, or R2 taken together with C or Y forms a fused substituted or unsubstituted homocyclic or heterocyclic ring;
R3 is selected from an amino acid side chain moiety and derivatives thereof, or taken together with C forms a bridging moiety selected from —(CH2)1-2—, —O— and —S—;
Y and Z represent the remainder of the molecule; and
any two adjacent CH groups of the bicyclic ring may form a double bond.
In one embodiment, R2 taken together with C forms a heterocyclic fused ring as represented by
wherein A, B, C, D, E, R2, R2′, R3 and Y are as defined above, and R′ is one or more optional ring substituents.
In one aspect of structure (X), R2 and C taken together form a fused five-, six-, seven- or eight-membered ring as represented by structure (Xb):
wherein A, B, C, D, E, Y, R2, R2′, R3 and R′ are as defined above, and X is selected from —C(═O)—, —NH—, —NR′—, —O— and —S—.

Compounds useful as motilin agonists and method

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a prodrug ester thereof, and all stereoisomers thereof,                wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different and are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl or heterocycloalkyl;        Z is selected from —CON(R4)R4a, —CO2R4, —SO2N(R4)R4a, —SO2R4, CN, and

Abstract: R4 and R4a are the same or different and are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, or heteroarylalkyl or R4 and R4a can be joined together to form a heterocycle.        R4b is selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, CN, OCF3, CF3, CONH2, SONH2, SO2CH3, NHCOCH3 or NHCO2CH3; and        Q is a substituted bicyclic heterocycle.

Abstract: A method for using such compounds for treating disorders of gastrointestinal motility is also provided.


An aerosol container has a mouth centered on an axis. A plastic valve plate is fitted to and tightly attached to the mouth and has a disk formed with an outlet centered on the axis. An outlet valve is carried on the valve plate and has a housing holding a movable valve element. A rigid extension is integrally formed on the disk around the hole, projects axially into the container, and forms a cavity in which the housing of the valve is fitted. A seal is fixed in the cavity between the housing and a surface of the extension forming the cavity.

A standard aerosol container has a mouth to which is tightly attached a valve plate with an outlet valve having a valve plate made of plastic and formed as a disk with a hole for a valve element of the outlet valve.
An aerosol container with the described features is known from DE 38 07 156. The valve plate and the housing of the outlet valve are formed integrally of plastic. The aerosol container is also made of plastic and is welded to the valve plate. Aerosol containers made of metal, particularly tin or aluminum, are widely used. The valve plate is manufactured as a stamped or bent part out of tin or a sheet of an aluminum alloy and positively connected to the aerosol container by sheet-metal forming. The disk of the valve plate is a dome that forms a cavity for the housing of the outlet valve. The housing, a valve element with a valve shaft (stem) and a seal are inserted into the dome and fixed in the dome by crimping. The crimping results in a positive connection between the housing and the valve plate. An aerosol container with a metallic valve plate and an outlet valve attached thereto by crimping is known, for example, from DE 20 38 580 [U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,832] and FR 2 925 032.
In practice, aerosol containers are manufactured in separate process steps in which the container, the valve plate and the outlet valve are frequently produced by different companies. The housing of the outlet valves usually have similar and sometimes even standardized dimensions. They usually have a head with a front-side seal that can be inserted into a dome-shaped cavity of the valve plate.

Aerosol container with removable outlet valve


A method is described for a simple, fast and efficient synthesis of homopolymers and copolymers by the enzymatic ring opening polymerization of lactones and lactides. The enzyme used is an ion paired protease. The advantage of this enzymatic system is in using small amount of enzyme per monomer and lower reaction time. Homopolymers and copolymers are synthesized with molecular weights between 1000 and 4600 daltons, and dispersity as low as 1.1. The monomer conversion after 4 days, for reactions catalyzed by protease S, has reached 100%. Different initiators are used to control the rate and degree of polymerization. Synthesis of block copolymers with defined block size and crystallinity are described in this invention. These biodegradable and bioerodable polyesters and copolyesters with controlled molecular weight, dispersity and crystallinity have applications in medical, drug, cosmetic and food industries.

Selective synthesis of macromolecules is desirable to tailor their structural and functional properties, such as hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and interfacial and film forming properties. E.g., polyesters synthesized by enzymes may be useful as time-release bioerodable and biodegradable drug delivery matrices such as coatings, finishes and films, and biodegradable emulsifiers, compatibilizers and detergents..sup.1 However, selective synthesis of polyesters by chemical reactions are difficult due to multiple steps involved in the modification (protection, deprotection, extraction, separation and purification), and due to the difficulty in controlling molecular weight and polydispersity and hence lack of specificity and solubility of the polymer..sup.2 Moreover, some of the polyesters synthesized by chemical methods are neither biodegradable nor bioerodable.
Enzymes are powerful catalysts in organic solvents where they catalyze a wide variety of reactions that are difficult to perform in aqueous media. This is particularly evident in esterification reactions catalyzed by lipases and proteases wherein a variety of nucleophiles act as substrates for enzyme-catalyzed acyl transfer in nearly anhydrous organic solvents. The development of suitable techniques for the synthesis of polyesters and copolyesters in organic solvents, therefore, would represent both an opportunity for the synthesis of novel materials as well as means to overcome a technical hurdle in the broader uses of enzymes in non-aqueous media.
Polyesters synthesized by enzymes are of great interest for their mechanical properties, biodegradability, bioerodability and applications in drug delivery systems..sup.3 Recent investigations have shown that lactones can be polymerized in presence of enzymes such as lipases..sup.4-7 However, the following serious drawbacks of this technique were reported in the reaction procedures; high concentrations of enzyme in the system; long reaction time required for the polymerization to reach completeness; and one time use of enzyme. Such limitations were prohibitive for an industrial application using the enzymatic path.
Proteases are enzymes capable to catalyze peptide and ester bond synthesis in various organic solvents..sup.8-9 Here we propose a novel approach using low amounts of protease enzyme in an non-aqueous solution to catalyze the polymerization and copolymerization of lactones and lactides in presence of different initiators. In addition, this protease mediated polymerization in solution produces polyesters and copolyesters with defined molecular weight and dispersity. A method is also described for the synthesis of copolyesters, wherein the composition of the copolymer is predetermined by the initial monomer composition of the lactones and lactides. A method to achieve enzyme solubilization in organic solvents through formation of hydrophobic ion-pairs between an enzyme and a charged surfactant was previously used..sup.10 In particular, it has been observed that subtilisin Carlsberg (from Bacillus licheniformis), protease N (Bacillus subtilis), and protease S (Bacillus specific) ion paired with the anionic surfactant dioctylsulfosuccinate, sodium salt (aerosol OT or AOT), remained predominantly active in isooctane..sup.11, 12 In addition, these microbial protease are commercially available and is much cheaper than lipases.
This system, containing proteases ion paired with a detergent, was successfully used for the regioselective acylation of sugars.sup.12 and of polysaccharides with alkyl vinyl esters..sup.13 The ion-pairing in organic solvents of protease enzymes is a valuable tool toward the catalysis of other reactions that implement a polyesterification of a substrate with specific initiators.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome the above illustrated inadequacies and problems of enzyme-based polyester synthesis by providing an improved method.
It is the object of this invention to use ion paired protease enzymes in organic solvents for the synthesis of polyesters from different lactones and lactides in reasonable times for industrial applications.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of synthesizing homopolyesters and copolyesters from lactones and lactides wherein their selective polymerization results in structural and/or functional benefits.
It is object of this invention to provide a method of synthesizing polyesters and copolyesters from lactones and lactides wherein the polymers synthesized are of selective and predictable molecular weight with well defined molecular weight and narrow molecular weight-dispersity and resultant structural and/or functional benefits. Polymers with such well defined molecular weight and dispersity are required for drug and cosmetic preparations or systems for time defined release, breakdown and/or biodegradation both in vivo and in vitro.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of synthesizing copolyesters from lactones and lactides wherein the copolymers synthesized are of decreased crystallinity and increased processability.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of enabling the use of enzymes to catalyze reactions in non-aqueous media for the synthesis of biodegradable, bioerodable and biocompatible polymers.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of enabling the use of proteases to synthesize polyesters and copolyesters from lactones and lactides, wherein the proteases are commercially available and are much cheaper than lipases.
Yet it is another object of the present invention to provide a method of enabling the use of enzymes to catalyze polymerization reactions in non-aqueous media, wherein the enzyme and the reaction media can be reused and/or recycled for subsequent polymerization reactions.

Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of macromolecules in organic solvents

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


A universal tool for installing annular parts, components, or devices such as tapered and non-tapered bearings on shafts includes a cap, a tube, and cooperating interchangeable force distributors. A first interchangeable tapered force distributor attaches to the tube and includes a tapered or beveled edge allowing for proper visual alignment with, and isolated force distribution on, the inner race of a tapered bearing. A second interchangeable non-tapered force distributor also attaches to the tube and includes an annular flange with a substantially flat surface that cooperates with the inner and outer races of the ball bearing such that force applied to the cap of the universal tool is evenly distributed around the inner and outer races of the ball bearing. A connector piece can be used to connect two tubes in order to accommodate longer shafts. For a press-through design, a modified cap comprising an external non-tapered force distributor can be substituted when a machine press is used to install the bearing on the shaft. The non-tapered force distributor allows the shaft to extend therethrough and supports the universal tool when it is inverted and secured to the machine press.

Bearing assemblies, such as roller or ball bearings, are typically placed between a fixed member and a rotating member. For example, a roller bearing is placed between a shaft that rotates and a housing that remains stationary. The bearing must be securely and properly fitted either to the fixed or rotating member. The clearance between the bearing and the shaft when the bearing is properly positioned is referred to as a press fit or interference fit, as is known in the art.
One common use for ball bearings and tapered bearings is automobile transmissions. Bearings used in automobile transmissions must achieve a press-fit around the distal end of a long shaft. Because the clearance between the bearing and shaft is minimal, the bearing does not easily slide onto the shaft and must be forcibly positioned.
The conventional way of installing the bearings on a transmission shaft involves first placing the bearing on the proximate end of the shaft and gently tapping, for example with a roll punch and a hammer, the bearing into place. Generally, the roll punch is positioned at a point on the outer race of the bearing and the hammer strikes the base of the roll punch. Because tapping exerts pressure only on one point of the bearing, however, the bearing tends to slide along the shaft only at that point. The bearing must therefore be tapped on other perimeter points of the outer race to coax the bearing into place. Accordingly, repeatedly tapping around the perimeter is necessary until the bearing is seated correctly in its position. Unfortunately, this process can lead to witness marks, chips, or cracks around the race of the bearing wherever the bearing was tapped, which would prevent one or more of the balls or rollers from rolling smoothly. Further, when a shaft is contained within a large housing, it can be difficult to squeeze the punch tool and hammer into the housing to position the bearing.
Alternative methods of coaxing a bearing into place have been tried, but each method requires numerous tools specific to the shaft or bearing being installed, which is cumbersome to store. It would be desirable therefore to have a universal bearing installer capable of seating different types and sizes of bearings around different sizes of shafts. It would be particularly desirable to have a universal tool capable of installing both non-tapered and tapered bearings.
One object of the present invention is to provide a universal tool capable of installing both tapered bearings and non-tapered bearings by changing minimal tool components and without requiring duplicate cumbersome components for each type or size of bearing. Another object is to provide a universal tool capable of adapting to be used with unusually long shafts. Yet another object is to provide a universal tool capable of adapting for use with a machine press, such as a hydraulic press or pneumatic press.

Universal installation tool for bearings


Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems and/or devices associated with a bus termination scheme are disclosed.

This disclosure is related to bus termination schemes.
Continuing improvements in semiconductor manufacturing technology have resulted in smaller transistors and faster signaling. These improvements, however, have also produced new technical challenges. In particular, as signaling and data rates continue to increase, parasitic effects and other contributions to signaling noise may become more pronounced. To address these undesired effects, when transmitting signals across a bus, for example, termination schemes may be employed to produce sharper and/or faster transitions.

Bus termination scheme having concurrently powered-on transistors


A hydrogen generation system may include a burner unit that generates combustion gas and a combustion gas passage through which the combustion gas generated by the burner unit flows. A reformer, having a reforming catalyst, generates a reformed gas containing hydrogen by steam reforming a feed material and steam using the heat from the combustion gas. An evaporator evaporates water into steam using the heat from the combustion gas, flowing through the combustion gas passage, and supplies the steam to the reformer. The combustion gas passage is arranged to cover at least a portion of an outer surface of the reformer, and the evaporator is arranged to cover at least a portion of an outer surface of the combustion gas passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydrogen generation system that is used to produce a hydrogen-rich reformed gas to be supplied to a fuel cell, and a fuel cell system having such a hydrogen generation system.
2. Related Art
Fuel cells require a supply of a hydrogen-rich gas to produce electricity. One conventional example of a hydrogen generation system that generates gas for such purposes includes a coiled tubing evaporator in a descending spiral where steam is generated for reformation (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-281311). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view which schematically shows a configuration of this conventional hydrogen generation system. As shown in FIG. 5, the conventional hydrogen generation system comprises a hollow cylindrical reformer 1 and a burner 2A. The reformer 1 is filled with catalyst particles or pellets. The burner 2 functions as a burning unit to heat the reformer 1. The above-mentioned coiled tubing 3 is placed inside a combustion cylinder 2B that is arranged within the reformer 1 over the burner 2A. The outlet end of the coiled tubing 3 is connected to a steam supply tubing 4. The steam supply tubing 4 is connected to a feed supply tubing 7 which becomes a mixed gas flow tubing 8. The mixed gas flow tubing 8 is connected to a mixed gas chamber 9 that is disposed over the combustion cylinder 2B. A reformed gas passage 5 is fitted around the reformer 1 for the flowing of the reformed gas. A combustion gas passage 6 is fitted around the reformed gas passage 5.
In the conventional hydrogen generation system having the above-mentioned configuration, water Y for the reforming process flows into the hydrogen generation system through the upper portion of the coiled tubing 3 and is heated by combustion gas when it runs through the tubing. The heated water is converted into a gas-liquid two-phase flow state and then into steam. The steam is fed to the steam supply tubing 4. The steam that is supplied to the steam supply tubing 4 is mixed with a feed material X flowing through the feed supply tubing 7. The mixture is then supplied to the mixed gas chamber 9 via the mixed gas flow tubing 8. The steam and the feed material X in the mixed gas chamber 9 are then supplied to the reformer 1 where they are reformed into a reformed gas by steam reformation. The reformed gas is exhausted to the outside through the reformed gas passage 5. The combustion gas generated by the burner 2A is used to heat the coiled tubing 3 and the reformer 1 and is then exhausted to the outside through the combustion gas passage 6.
However, the above-mentioned conventional hydrogen generation system has the problem of significant release of heat to the surrounding due to the outermost placement of the combustion gas passage 6, lowering the thermal efficiency of the system.
Furthermore, the steam generated in the coiled tubing 3 flows through the steam supply tubing 4 which runs inside the system to the reformer 1. The steam supply tubing 4 dissipates a large amount of heat, which further lowers the thermal efficiency.
In addition, the hot combustion gas heats the coiled tubing 3. This tends to cause a so-called "dried out" state under which no water is present within the coiled tubing 3, with the possibility of ebullition that causes intermittent evaporation. The steam expands rapidly through change of state from a liquid to a vapor. This suddenly increases resistance in the tubing. If water comes to ebullition again and again, the supply pressure of the water Y fluctuates greatly. This results in fluctuation in supply amount of the water Y and, in turn, fluctuation in supply amount of steam. The fluctuation in amount of steam for the catalysis in the reformer 1 exhibits problems with a higher tendency to cause fluctuation in the level of carbon monoxide (CO) in the reformed gas. Varying flow rate of steam causes fluctuation in supply pressure of the feed material X because the steam flowing through the steam supply tubing 4 is mixed with the feed material X and is then supplied to the reformer 1. This fluctuates the flow rate of the feed material X, varying the flow rate of the reformed gas to the fuel cell. Such variation results in unstable power generation in the fuel cell.
The present invention was made with respect to the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a hydrogen generation system with which thermal efficiency increases, the CO level in the reformed gas stabilizes, and a fixed supply amount of the reformed gas can be achieved.

Hydrogen generation system and fuel cell system having the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A stepping scooter includes a scooter body for supporting a rider, a moving system, a driving system and a steering lever. The moving system includes a driving wheel rotatably connected with the scooter body, a driven wheel coaxially aligned with the driving wheel and rotatably connected with the scooter body. The driving system includes a driving arrangement pivotally connected to the scooter body, and a transmission and speeding up arrangement engaged with the driving arrangement to convert a human power applied on the driving arrangement into a rotation power to drive the moving system. When the human power is applied on the driving arrangement, the driving wheel is rotated so as to drive the driven wheel to move forward. On the other hand, the transmission and speeding up arrangement is capable of increasing a transmission velocity twice to save a physical force for the rider at the same time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scooter, and more particularly to a stepping scooter for a rider to step thereon so as to drive the stepping scooter moving forward.
2. Description of Related Arts
A conventional scooter comprises an elongated main rack, having a first end portion and a second end portion, a guiding wheel rotatably connected with the first end portion of the elongated main rack, a driven wheel rotatably connected with the second end portion of the elongated main rack, and a steering handle provided above the guiding wheel.
While riding on the conventional scooter, a rider has to apply a human power on a road surface with one of his or her feet, and step on the elongate rack with the other foot at the same time. As a result, the scooter is driven by the human power.
The conventional scooter has several drawbacks. On the one hand, when a human power is applied on a driving mechanism, the human power is converted into a rotation power. However, the transmitting efficiency is very low. On the other hand, the driving velocity of the conventional scooter is slower. Furthermore, when the above mentioned scooter drives on a road surface having a bad condition, it is dangerous for the rider.


Apparatus for objective quantitative assessment of human ocular coordination is disclosed, including a first pair of transparent image filters (commonly as spectacles) which transmit different visual images, a projector to produce a pair of visual images; a viewing surface on which the visual images are separately viewed by a patient; controls to allow the patient to move the images relative to each other; and scales for quantitatively determining the spatial relationship between the visual images on the viewing surface which results from the movement by the patient. Also disclosed is a method for objective quantitative assessment of human ocular coordination by use of such apparatus. The apparatus may include a second pair of transparent image filters corresponding to the image transmitted by one respective filter of the first pair through which is projecting each of the pair of images onto the viewing surface. The filters may differ from each other in their ability to transmit colored light (such as complimentary colors such as red and green light) or in their ability to transmit polarized light. The invention is particularly useful is the assessment of phorias and ocular deviation, and eliminates subjective assessment of a patient's narration of his or her visual observations, especially in the examination of children or other inarticulate patients.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to the assessment of human ocular coordination for the diagnosis of phorias for treatment of dysfunctional phorias.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Eye care professionals, such as ophthalmologists and optometrists, routinely examine patients to assess the ocular coordination of the patient's eyes. Most people possess the ability innately to bring into satisfactory alignment the individual binocular vision images registered by each of the person's eyes. However, a substantial number of individuals are afflicted with various physical conditions which limit or prevent proper binocular vision. A principal class of such conditions, particularly those which pertain to horizontal coordination of images, are phorias. These types of visual conditions have long been described in the literature; see, for instance, Newell, Ophthalmology: Principles and Concepts (6th ed.; 1986), Chapter 21 and Michaels, Visual Optics and Refraction: A Clinical Approach (3rd ed.; 1985), Chapter 18. While some phorias, such as orthophoria or exophoria, are either considered good or at least not normally a significant dysfunction, others, such as esophoria, are considered to constitute cosmetic and/or functional dysfunctions. Among the effects and elements involved in such dysfunctional conditions are poor or non-existent depth perception, unequal muscle balance, dominance of one eye's image over that of the other eye, and inability to make independent vertical or horizontal coordination of images.
There have in the past been devices designed to enable an eye care professional to attempt to assess a patient's ocular coordination. Several types of devices commonly referred to as phorometers were designed and used; some of these are referred to in the aforesaid Michaels text, Chapter 18, and others are briefly described in Schapero et al., Dictionary of Visual Science (2nd ed.; 1968), pp. 327 and 540. A few of these devices have also incorporated means for obtaining a quantitative value for the degree of non-coordination exhibited by a patient. These, however, have been uniformly cumbersome and difficult to use for the ordinary practitioner. Consequently, while a few such devices still exist, they are for the most part found only in teaching facilities where they are operated by professors or other highly trained experts for the purpose of providing professional students with an understanding of ocular coordination conditions and abnormalities. Most such devices are very old, and they are essentially not practical for use by the regular eye care professional in routine patient assessment.
Consequently, virtually all current ocular coordination assessment by eye care professionals is done on a subjective basis. The patient is shown a succession of preformed images whose correct appearance is known to the examiner. The patient is then asked to state verbally what he or she sees while viewing the image. From the patient's verbal description, the examiner can make a subjective assessment as to whether the patient is seeing the image correctly or to what degree the patient's view of the image appears to differ from the correct appearance of the image. Needless to say, this type of assessment suffers from a number of deficiencies.
1. Most importantly, the examiner's assessment is wholly dependent upon the ability of the patient to express his or her view of the image verbally and in complete and appropriate detail. Thus the examination is severely limited when the patient is inarticulate or unable to express his or her thoughts accurately (such as where the patient is a foreign language speaking person not fluent in the examiner's language). Of course, the method fails completely where the patient is unable to express a coherent description of what he or she sees, as is the case in attempting to examine infants, small children or the developmentally immature.
2. Even where the patient is able to provide a reasonably comprehensive verbal description of the image he or she sees, establishment of a standard diagnosis is still very difficult or impossible, since even articulate speakers will describe the same image in different ways. This makes it very difficult for the examiner to confirm whether or not a particular patient's condition is equivalent to other predetermined levels of coordination, since the patient, while assumably seeing the same visual image, will normally not describe it in precisely the same terms as the standard definition.
3. If as is common, the eye care professional reshows the various images several times over the course of an examination, different apparent results may occur since the patient may not necessarily describe the image in identical terms each time it is repeated.
4. Even where the patient provides a good description of what he or she sees, the examiner's ability to assess that description for proper prescription of corrective lenses will still be quite subjective and only marginally quantitative. Since the patient's description of the view each time it is presented is not directly reproducible, the examiner can only get a general idea of what degree of correction is required for prescriptive lenses. The examiner must therefore, by trial and error, present to the patient a series of various corrective lenses until the patient's description of the image viewed with a particular set of corrective lenses appears to the examiner to correspond to what the examiner knows is the correct description of the image. Of course, since the final prescription is still dependent upon the examiner's subjective evaluation of the particular verbal description that the patient has articulated, which itself was subjective, the prescription may or may not in fact be optimum for that patient.
It would therefore be of great advantage to the eye care field to have available a simple and accurate objective method of providing a precise and reproducible quantitative assessment of a patient's ocular coordination. Such a device would advantageously be of equal and accurate use by eye care professionals for all types of patients, regardless of their ability to verbally express the nature of the image viewed. It would also be relatively inexpensive and of simple enough design that it could be used in medical, educational or psychological practice, not only directly by the professional but also by technical assistants having only a relatively limited degree of training. Further, such device should provide a clear and precise quantitative measurement which allows the eye care professional to unequivocally prescribe the appropriate corrective lenses for the particular patient's condition. Finally, it should be equally usable with adults and children.

Apparatus and method for objective quantitative assessment of human ocular coordination


A pipe inspecting robot having a body, first and second independently articulating legs, and first and second leg motors for controlling the first and second articulating legs. The robot also has first and second pairs of wheels attached to the first and second legs at an opposite end of the legs from the body. The leg motors are configured so that when the first pair of wheels encounters an obstacle, the second leg motor rotates the second leg upward away from the surface of the pipeline and radially around the body until the second pair of wheels contacts the surface of the pipeline on an opposite side of the obstacle. Then the first leg motor rotates the first leg upward away from the surface of the pipeline and radially around the body until the first pair of wheels contacts the surface of the pipeline.

1. Field of the Invention
The present technology relates to robotic inspection of outer pipe surfaces and to movement of a robotic inspection device past obstacles connected to outer pipe surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pipelines extending over long distances across land or open terrain are inspected externally by both manual human inspection and internally by pipeline pigs and other in-pipe tools. There exist a number of systems for inspecting various types of pipelines, including oil and gas pipelines extending over land, underground, undersea, and over other terrain.
Pipeline inspection gauges (pigs) typically pass through a pipeline by a flow of fluid that pushes the pig. The pigs often contain instrumentation that inspects the internal surface of the pipeline. Pigs also are used to push sediment or other obstacles through the pipeline to keep the line clear. Ultrasonic and electro-magnetic sensors have seen use on pipeline pigs to develop images of internal pipeline surfaces over long distances. This data can be visually reviewed or analyzed by computer algorithms to detect pipeline damage or sediment build-up within a pipeline.

Outer surface inspecting robot with flipping over flange mechanism


A catheter needle, for irradiating tumors, formed by an elongated plastic tube with parts partly unfoldable outwards which can lock themselves in the tissue, and a closed end. The closed end has a reinforced sharp pointed shape with which tissue can be punctured. In the improved version, therefore, a point from a harder material is provided which is provided in or around the plastic so that the catheter needle has sufficient sharpness like a conventional metal needle. Thus, the catheter needle can puncture the skin and harder, deeper-lying tissues directly without pre-puncturing or other aids.

In some therapeutic treatments, in particular irradiating patients for the treatment of tumors, it is necessary to provide a plurality of catheters in the tissue. In the treatment of prostate tumors in men, for instance, it is common practice to pre-puncture the patient's skin with a sharp metal point before plastic needles are inserted in the prostate. In these needles, at a later time, radioactive sources are positioned in the catheters for irradiating a tumor located in the needles' vicinity without overloading the surrounding tissue. For the patient, a treatment with such a plastic needle is extremely traumatic, due to the blunt point being pressed through the usually harder tissue with force which is very painful. Due to the degree of pain normally experienced complete anesthesia is often required. Further, pressing a blunt needle with great force can result in wound fluid formation.

Catheter needle for internally irradiating a tumor in a body part

Isodose Control Intellectual Property B.V.


A method of fabricating circuitry in a wafer includes depositing a superconducting metal on a silicon on insulator wafer having a handle wafer, coating the wafer with a sacrificial layer and bonding the wafer to a thermally oxide silicon wafer with a first epoxy. The method includes flipping the wafer, thinning the flipped wafer by removing a handle wafer, etching a buried oxide layer, depositing a superconducting layer, bonding the wafer to a thermally oxidized silicon wafer having a handle wafer using an epoxy, flipping the wafer again, thinning the flipped wafer, etching a buried oxide layer from the wafer and etching the sacrificial layer from the wafer. The result is a wafer having superconductive circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin silicon layer.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to fabricating superconductive circuitry and more specifically to a system and method of fabricating superconductive circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin silicon layer.
2. Introduction
The present disclosure relates to fabricating superconducting circuitry. Certain applications require the fabrication of superconducting circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin silicon wafer. Such a requirement can apply especially where ultra-low loss transmission lines and/or ultra-low crosstalk between superconducting sensors is required. A unique aspect of the problem that exists in this scenario is that the silicon wafer is so thin that handling it during the fabrication process is difficult with conventional tools. For example, a backing "handle wafer" is often required and some of the superconducting circuitry necessitates deposition on a heated substrate surface. Current processes focus on deposition of superconducting circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin silicon wafer by depositing metal layers on one side of the device layer of a silicon on insulator wafer, bonding the front side of the wafer to a handle wafer with a polymeric epoxy, thinning the handle wafer on the silicon on insulator wafer, etching the buried oxide of the silicon on insulator wafer, and deposition of metal layers on the opposite side of the device there of a silicon on insulator wafer. The problems with this approach is that deposition of metal layers on one side of the silicon on insulator wafer have to be conducted at ambient temperatures in order to prevent damage to the polymer epoxy layer. Therefore, superconducting material deposited at high substrate temperature (such as temperatures greater than 200° C.) exhibit certain undesirable properties, such as a high conducting transition temperature or low microwave loss, and cannot be used successfully. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved system and method related to how to fabricate superconducting circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin silicon wafer.

System and method for fabricating super conducting circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin layer

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration