The invention relates to a heavy goods vehicle, specially for the transportation of slag, comprising a loading platform for vessels containing slag, fitted with a gripper device for receiving and moving a standardized load-bearing implement which can be actuated by a hydraulic cylinder (11) and an anti-tilt device (15) for the vehicle which operates during movement of the load-bearing implement. The vehicle is also fitted with at least one hydraulic cylinder (11) with switches. Upon a given stroke of the piston, at least one switch engages a device detecting hydraulic pressure inside the cylinder on one or both sides of the piston. The pressure detection device triggers a security device, e.g. a display for the driver or an operation blocking device.

1 Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a heavy-duty vehicle with a gripping device for picking up and moving a standardized load carrier which can be actuated by hydraulic cylinders and tipping-prevention means for the vehicle which are in operation during the movement of the load carrier.
2 Discussion of the Prior Art
A vehicle of the generic type is known from German Reference DE 36 05 665 C2. It is used for lifting, transporting and tipping a slag vessel, or the like, provided with side trunnions and is outfitted with a self-driven traction machine and a load transport part provided with wheels. A swiveling frame, serving to grip the trunnions and pick up the vessel, is mounted in a swivelable manner on the rear end of the loading part. The swiveling frame is moved by a hydraulic cylinder which occupies different positions for picking up, emptying and depositing the vessel.
A jib base which can telescope out hydraulically and which can be supported on the ground when the vessel is lifted or emptied by the swiveling frame is arranged at the end of the vehicle so that the vehicle is not subject to impermissible tilting moments or loading moments for the undercarriage as a result of the slag vessel to be swiveled over the rear. Further safety devices are not disclosed.
Road vehicles by which rubbish receptacles, for example, can be picked up and placed on a platform of the vehicle, likewise with a rear swiveling device, are known from practice. However, vehicles of this type generally have different emptying devices than those shown in DE 36 05 665 C2. In order that the vehicles can pick up the receptacles by the trunnions or similar stops, these load carriers must be standardized so that gripping devices can always find their target at the same position.
Although the empty (tare) weight is usually written on the receptacle, only the driver can estimate for himself whether or not the container is too heavy for the transport vehicle. This results in overloading of the vehicle beyond the permissible working load and also in a problem for the stability of the vehicle when lifting the receptacle.
Therefore, the problem addressed by the present invention is to increase the safety of load transporters of the type mentioned above and to give the driver information about the working load or safety hazards which might possibly occur. Overloading of or hazardous work with the load vehicle must also be eliminated.
The invention is based on the idea that work with heavy-duty transporters can lead to serious accidents as a result of carelessness on the part of the operator and that, therefore, the driver should be given information in every case about the working load to be handled for all working positions and loading work and, in every instance, incorrect operation based on erroneous appraisal of the situation should be prevented by appropriate automated functions of the vehicle.
For this purpose, according to the invention, at least one of the hydraulic cylinders of the gripping device, preferably the hydraulic cylinder used as a swiveling cylinder for the gripping device, is provided with switches, at least one of which engages a pressure detection device for the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder on one or both sides of the piston at a predefinable stroke of the piston. The pressure detection device switches on a safety device when a reference value for the pressure, which can be preset, is exceeded.
The safety device can be an optical or acoustic signal transmitter for the driver or can also comprise a plain text display or indicator which, in addition, also lights up in color.
In addition, the safety device should comprise a supporting base for the vehicle frame, which safety device, when engaged, activates the supporting base depending on a signal from the pressure detection device. This need not be carried out automatically, but rather can also be triggered manually by the driver. Naturally, a mechanical supporting base can also be swiveled in by the driver based on the indicator. In this case, however, the driver would have to cancel the acoustic or optical indicator before setting the vehicle in operation after ensuring that the supporting base is also in position.
The switches at the hydraulic cylinder are constructed as noncontacting or contacting limit switches or the like and are coupled with a device which likewise carries out a movement or which can be appropriately switched at a stroke of the piston of the cylinder. The limit switch engages after a predefinable piston stroke and the pressure monitoring means in the cylinder are accordingly switched on. The device can act as a rod which is movable parallel to the stroke or as another kind of actuation device, e.g., one which also acts corresponding to the stroke, e.g., an inductive displacement pickup with or without mechanical, fluid or electric signal generation and transmission.
The pressure detection devices in the cylinder can also be constructed as simple pressure switches and, in this case, are preferably arranged in the pressure line to the piston face side or piston ring face side. An arrangement of this kind makes it possible to monitor the pressure switches.
Instead of a simple pressure switch, the pressure detection device can also be provided with means for generating a signal corresponding to, preferably proportional to, the pressure, wherein this signal can be used multiple times. On the one hand, a plain text display can be supplied to the driver in order to provide the driver with information about the working load that the driver currently desires to move, or a scale or weighing device which, if required, may be electronically controlled and also configured in recording mode so that the driver can document the transported loads at the same time. When standardized load carriers, for example, buckets or mandrels which can pick up paper rolls or steel rolls, are used for this purpose, the weight of these load carriers can be accounted for at the same time and subtracted as tare weight from the load to be picked up in order to arrive at the working load.
Naturally, it is important, especially for road transport, that the driver knows what working load he is transporting so as not to exceed the permissible vehicle weights, for example, on bridges.
In the event that the pressure detection device is only constructed as a pressure switch, a pressure switch of this type can be used to block the movement elements or the hydraulic system of the vehicle, or the vehicle can be halted in general. In such cases, the blocking means would have to be connected with a key-operated switch in order to allow the driver to set the vehicle in motion again after an appropriate correction of the load to be picked up or to operate the device within certain limits up to a predetermined reference value, which might often be necessary for emergencies.
Insofar as the heavy-duty vehicle is to be used, for example, as a device similar to a slag transporter, gripping devices acting in parallel on both sides of the heavy-duty vehicle with a corresponding rear swiveling device for buckets or the like load carriers are usually used. In order to prevent one-sided loading, the hydraulic cylinders could be provided with corresponding pressure detection devices and/or limit switches on both sides. This may only be necessary if no precautions have been taken by means of appropriate simultaneous-running or synchronizing elements such as connectors for the gripper devices mounted at both sides or corresponding torsion elements which distribute the load over the vehicle.
The vehicle according to the invention can be used in particular as a slag transport vehicle for picking up slag buckets on a loading platform, since handling of hot slag is hazardous and the suggested tipping-prevention devices substantially prevent incorrect operation.
The invention will be described more fully with reference to schematic drawings.

Heavy goods vehicle with an overload security device


A built-in, at-speed BERT is provided that may be part of high-speed serial interface circuitry implemented on an integrated circuit. The built-in, at-speed BERT takes advantage of an existing clock data recovery (CDR) dual-loop architecture and built-in self test (BIST) circuitry. The built-in, at-speed BERT provides a low-cost solution for production testing of high-speed serial links, facilitating jitter analysis and evaluation of pre-emphasis and equalization performance. This further allows adaptation of pre-emphasis and equalization.

The invention relates to a bit error ratio tester (BERT). More particularly, the invention relates to a low-cost, built-in, at-speed BERT for production testing of high-speed serial links.
The input/output throughput of integrated circuits, for example, programmable logic devices, is currently on the order of gigabits per second and continues to rise. With this high rate of data throughput, an area of concern arises with regard to the bit error ratio. The higher the bit error ratio of a particular device, the more bits that need to be retransmitted, thus decreasing the overall data transfer rate. This clearly makes inefficient the high throughput rates of some of these devices when a high bit error ratio is present.
It therefore becomes important to be able to gauge the bit error ratio of any particular device or type of device. Knowing the bit error ratio of devices allows designers and engineers to choose appropriate devices that are required to exhibit a particular (e.g., minimum) data transfer rate for a particular design or application.
Bit error ratios are typically ascertained through the use of a bit error ratio tester (BERT). A BERT includes a pattern generator and an error detector/analyzer that are used to construct a bathtub curve (also known as a BERT scan). The bathtub curve is a plot of the bit error ratio versus sampling time that is generated by stepping a sampling point across a data eye. The conventional bathtub curve test requires a stand-alone BERT which is expensive and unsuitable for low-cost production testing of high-speed serial links.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a low-cost, built-in, at-speed BERT for production testing of high-speed serial links.

Built-in at-speed bit error ratio tester


Methods and apparatus to rotate a sample about first and second axes in a heat chamber to obtain a desired homogeneous modification of properties of the sample and maintain a surface figure.

There are various known systems and methods that attempt to create homogeneous distribution of an average temperature inside solids requiring relatively long thermal development (TD) times. Examples of such processes include annealing of solids to remove stresses and thermal development of glass materials and crystal materials to fix recorded Bragg Gratings (BGs), e.g., distribution of refractive index modulation. In the latter case, an additional requirement to the process is the conservation of the sample flatness. Deviations from the original shape result in the variation of the angle of beam incidence on the Bragg grating and in the impairment of total diffraction efficiency. Conventional industrial furnaces are limited to providing a temperature gradient of about one degree Celsius in a relatively restricted volume. In addition, such furnaces do not allow measurement of sample shape conservation. Thermal development of glass samples with homogeneously recorded gratings in such furnaces results in significant degradation of plane surfaces of samples and in relatively low total diffraction efficiency of Bragg gratings even in the case of medium-sized samples—about 25 mm×25 mm.
Most known techniques for long time homogeneous thermal development of solids are based on usage of specialized furnaces with small temperature gradients in a heat chamber. Furnaces with relatively small volume heat chambers provide smaller temperature gradients. Therefore, such furnaces are usually considered for high homogeneous thermal development. Additional equipment placed in a heat chamber results in a volume increase and temperature gradient.

Methods and apparatus for thermal development of large area solids


In a pneumatic tire according to the present invention, at least a portion for an inner surface of a tire is pigmented with a fluorescent material, with a chromatic color of specified lightness and saturation or with an achromatic color at V=10. Further, in a tire-rim assembly according to the present invention, at least a portion for an inner surface of a tire is pigmented with a fluorescent material, with a chromatic color of specified lightness and saturation or with an achromatic color at V=10 as the discriminating information for rim assembly, and at least a portion for the surface of a rim assembled with the tire is pigmented with a color related to the color pigmenting the tire.

The present invention concerns a pneumatic tire in which an inner surface of a tire is pigmented by bright and clear colors so as to indicate various information and facilitate discrimination for injured portions upon puncture, as well as a pneumatic tire-rim assembly capable of preventing erroneous mounting between a tire and a rim upon rim assembling.
Conventionally, it has been of practice to ascertain information on such as the prescribed combination of a tire and a rim to be assembled together, an obverse or a reverse side of the tire and the predetermined rotational direction of the tire with reference to letters or numerals impressed to a side wall portion of the tire. However, since the impression is small in size and merely comprises a series of letters or numerals, it often gives rise to the problem of causing erroneous reading or discrimination. Therefore, inconveniently an erroneous mounting is likely at the times of tire-rim assembling such that a tire is assembled to an unsuited rim or a tire having a directional tread pattern is assembled to a rim not in agreement with the directionality of the tire.
An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire of providing various information to the inner surface of a tire by bright and clear pigmentation, thereby preventing erroneous use, facilitating confirmation for injured portions and also facilitating classification upon recyclic use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire-rim assembly capable of preventing erroneous mounting of a tire and a rim upon rim assembling by pigmenting both of the inner surface of the tire and the rim in bright and clear colors.
According to the pneumatic tire of the present invention, at least a portion for the inner surface of a tire is pigmented with a fluorescent material, or at least one chromatic color in a relation for lightness V and saturation C of: V+Cxe2x89xa75 and at V=1 to 9.5, C=1 or greater according to JIS Z 8721-1977 or an achromatic color at V=10.
As described above, since the inner surface of a tire is pigmented brightly and clearly by a fluorescent material, a chromatic color at specified lightness and saturation, or by an achromatic color at V=10, meaning of the pigmentation can be recognized simply and easily by merely viewing the pigmentation visually, so that various information can be obtained easily.
In addition, since the inner surface of the tire is thus pigmented, even if a nail has been removed after puncture caused by treading the nail, a black rubber at the inner layer is exposed to the inner surface of the bright and clear color through the hole left after pulling out the nail, injured portion can be distinguished easily.
In a pneumatic tire-rim assembly according to the present invention, at least a portion on the surface of a rim is pigmented by a fluorescent material, a chromatic color of specified lightness and saturation or an achromatic color at V=10, and at least a portion for the inner surface of the tire is also pigmented with a color related with the color pigmenting the rim.
As described above, since the surface of the rim and the inner surface of the tire are pigmented by colors related to each other, adequacy for the combination of the tire and the rim can be visually recognized simply and easily by merely pigmenting the inner surface of the tire and pigmenting the surface of the rim, so that it is possible to prevent erroneous mounting between the tire and the rim upon rim assembling.

Pneumatic tire and pneumatic tire-rim assembly


Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for associating dynamically generated Web page content with a user who requests a Web page from a Web server. Upon receiving a user request for a Web page via a Web client in communication with the Web server, a Web server records the user request within a Web server log. The requested Web page is then dynamically generated using a template for the requested Web page and one or more content objects having respective unique identifiers associated therewith. The stored record of the user request is then appended with each identifier for respective content objects included within the displayed Web page.

The Internet is a worldwide decentralized network of computers having the ability to communicate with each other. The Internet has gained broad recognition as a viable medium for communicating and interacting across multiple networks. The World Wide Web (Web) was created in the early 1990's and is comprised of server-hosting computers (Web servers) connected to the Internet that have hypertext documents or Web pages stored therewithin. Web pages are accessible by client programs (i.e., Web browsers) utilizing the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) via a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection between a client-hosting device and a server-hosting device. While HTTP and hypertext documents are the prevalent forms for the Web, the Web itself refers to a wide range of protocols including Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Gopher, and content formats including plain text, Extensible Markup Language (XML), as well as image formats such as Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) and Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG).
Specific to the Web, a Web server is a computer program (housed in a computer) that serves requested Web pages and files. A Web client is a requesting program associated with a user. A Web browser is an exemplary Web client for use in requesting Web pages and files from Web servers.
A Web site is conventionally a collection of Web pages and files related to a particular subject that includes a beginning file called a home page. A large Web site may reside on a number of geographically-dispersed Web servers. The Web site of the International Business Machines Corporation (www.ibm.com), for example, consists of thousands of Web pages and files spread out over various Web servers in locations world-wide.
As is known to those skilled in this art, a Web page is conventionally formatted via a standard page description language such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML), which typically contains text and graphics references and can reference sound, animation (e.g., via programs and/or scripts), and video data. HTML provides for basic document formatting and allows a Web content provider to specify hypertext links (typically manifested as highlighted text) to other Web servers and files. When a user selects a particular hypertext link, a Web browser reads and interprets an address, called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the link, connects the Web browser with the Web server at that address, and makes an HTTP request for the file identified in the link. The Web server then sends the requested file to the client in HTML format which the Web browser interprets and displays to the user.
Exemplary Web browsers include Netscape Navigator® (Netscape Communications Corporation, Mountain View, Calif.) and Internet Explorer® (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.). Web browsers typically provide a graphical user interface for retrieving and viewing information, applications and other resources hosted by Web servers.
In the business world of yesteryear, shopkeepers often knew their customers by name. Typically, a shopkeeper knew his/her customers' preferences with respect to the products and services offered by the shopkeeper. By knowing information about his/her customers' preferences, a shopkeeper could more adequately meet customer needs and ensure greater business success. For the same reason today, Web site owners would like to learn about the preferences of their customers. Unfortunately, Web site owners typically do not personally know customers who access their Web sites via the Internet.
Many Web pages contain dynamically generated content. Dynamically generated content allows Web site owners to select the content for a delivered Web page, as well as manipulate the placement of that content within the Web page, for various purposes. It would be desirable to collect information about the effectiveness of content selection and placement each time a Web visitor comes to a Web site, for example by measuring the length of time a visitor views particular content within a Web page. By knowing this type of information, a Web site owner can determine the efficacy of content presentation on the Web site, and can tailor content to particular users. Unfortunately, current Web servers may not have the ability to collect information about the content that a Web site visitor views.

Systems, methods and computer program products for associating dynamically generated web page content with web site visitors


A vehicle status management apparatus includes: a sound detector that is disposed in an object storage compartment of a vehicle and that detects a sound generated in the object storage compartment; a camera that obtains an image by photographing an inside of the object storage compartment; a display disposed in the vehicle; and a controller that controls the display to display the image of the inside of the object storage compartment which is obtained through the camera when the sound is detected.

A trunk of a vehicle is a storage compartment for storing various types of devices and goods. When a sound is generated in the trunk, a user in the vehicle cannot check the inside of the trunk. Therefore, the user has the inconvenience of having to get out of the vehicle, open the trunk, and directly check the inside of the trunk. Furthermore, in the case where a sound is generated in the trunk during travel of the vehicle, the sound is stopped when the vehicle comes to rest, and therefore, the user has difficulty identifying a cause of the sound.

Vehicle status management apparatus and method


A chew toy for dogs comprising a length of cotton rope formed of a plurality of cotton threads impregnated with fluoride particles so as to dispose the fluoride particles throughout the toy such that the cotton rope provides a gentle cleaning and flossing of the dog's teeth and massaging of the dog's gums when chewed and contains the fluoride for gradual release as the fluoride combines with the saliva on the teeth of the dog as the dog chews and/or tugs on the toy to prevent tooth decay. The fluoride particles are applied to the individual cotton fibers prior to forming the fibers into the length of rope to provide the desired fluoride distribution throughout the toy.

The present invention relates to a novel chew toy for dogs for improving canine teeth care. In recent years, veterinarians have become increasingly aware of the need for improved canine dental care. Many veterinarians are recommending the regular brushing of a dog's teeth to prevent decay and gum disease. Such a practice, however, is distasteful to many pet owners and not generally enjoyed by dogs. As a result, such recommendations have been largely ignored and a dog's teeth are generally ignored by its owner until a problem arises.
A popular chew toy for dogs previously developed by applicant comprises a short length of cotton rope having large knots formed near the ends thereof so as to resemble a classic dog bone configuration. The soft cotton rope provides a cleaning and flossing of the dog's teeth and a gentle massaging of the dog's gums when chewed and thus provides therapeutic dental benefits as well as playful enjoyment for the dog. While providing an excellent means for cleaning the dog's teeth and promoting healthful gums, such devices do not provide a complete solution to the problem of canine tooth care. Just as fluoride is now universally recognized as a necessary element of human dental care, it would also be highly beneficial for canine dental care. Unfortunately, there does not currently exist an acceptable means for applying fluoride to a dog's teeth. Based on past experiences, brushing a dog's teeth with a cleaning agent containing fluoride would not present an acceptable method to pet owners. Regular fluoride applications by a veterinarian would be too expensive for most pet owners. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a vehicle for the fluoride which requires no effort on the part of the dog owner, is inexpensive and highly attractive to dogs.
In addition to fluoride, a complete dental care program includes tartar and plaque control. A build-up of tartar or plaque between the teeth and gums can cause the gums to separate from the teeth and lead to tooth decay and gum disease. The chew toy of the present invention also provides a vehicle for agents known to inhibit the build-up of tartar and plaque on teeth and thereby provides dog owners with an inexpensive and very convenient means for maintaining their pets' teeth and gums in a healthy condition.
A somewhat related problem to tooth and gum care of which pet owners are acutely aware is canine halitosis. The chew toy of the present invention not only inhibits the growth of bacteria which cause the problem, but can also serve as an effective vehicle for a breath freshener.

Dog chew toy for canine dental care and methods for making chew toy


Systems and methods for augmenting the performance of iterative soft decision-in soft decision-out decoding of block codes with extrinsic information based on multiple parity equations inherent to the block codes. Cyclic shifting of codewords may be applied in the context of iterative soft decision-in soft decision-out decoding to maximize the usefulness of a parity equation corresponding to any particular codeword bit. Soft decisions are determined on a bit-by-bit basis in response to multi-bit symbol measurements. This allows the use of relatively inexpensive bit-based decoders for decoding of multi-bit symbols.

The present invention relates to digital communication and storage systems and more particularly to systems and methods for error control.
Error correcting codes insert redundancy into digital information streams so as to reduce susceptibility to noise. Applying an error correcting code at the transmitter permits the receiver to detect and sometimes correct errors induced by noise and/or interference. Some popular types of error correcting codes include convolutional codes, block codes, and Reed Solomon codes, etc.
An important recent development in the topic of error correcting codes is the discovery of xe2x80x9cturboxe2x80x9d codes. These codes typically involve an iterated combination of two or more systematic convolutional codes (codes where the encoder output bits include unaltered input bits.) A key feature of turbo codes is the use of an iterated decoding technique where each successive decoding step outputs soft decisions usable as input to the next decoding step. By employing turbo codes, one may approach the limit of channel capacity in the presence of noise set by the Shannon theorem.
Further work has been done to exploit similar iterated combinations as applied to systematic block codes. See Hagenauer, Iterative Decoding of Binary Block and Convolutional Codes, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. 42, No. 2 (March 1996), the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. What is needed are decoding techniques that allow even closer approach to the limit without undue increase in complexity. It is furthermore desirable to implement the decoder with inexpensive components to the extent possible.
In one embodiment, the present invention augments the performance of iterative soft decision-in soft decision-out decoding of block codes with the use of information based on multiple parity equations inherent to the block codes. Another aspect of the present invention employs cyclic shifting of codewords in the context of iterative soft decision-in soft decision-out decoding to maximize the usefulness of a parity equation corresponding to any particular codeword bit. Yet another aspect of the present invention determines soft decisions on a bit-by-bit basis in response to multi-bit symbol measurements. This provides more coding gain than symbol-by-symbol soft decisions.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a signal processing system includes a receiver system that receives a series of codewords that have been coded according to an iterative block coding procedure, and a decoder that decodes the series of codewords according to an iterative decoding procedure. At least one iteration of the decoding procedure forms estimates of codeword bits based in part on at least two parity equations inherent to a block code employed in the iteratively applied block coding procedure.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for estimating bit-by-bit soft decision value in a digital communication system where multibit symbols are communicated is provided. The method includes receiving a multibit symbol, for a particular bit of the multibit symbol, evaluating a first Euclidean distance between the multibit symbol and a closest ideal symbol for which the particular bit has value xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d, evaluating a second Euclidean distance between the multibit symbol and a closest ideal symbol for which the particular bit has value xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d, determining a soft decision value for the particular bit based on the first Euclidean distance and the second Euclidean distance, and using the soft decision value as a basis for an iterative decoding process.

Iterated soft-decision decoding of block codes


Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for decomposing a signal using a sawtooth, or triangle wave, transform. Specific embodiments transform an input signal into a piecewise-linear sawtooth or triangle wave function, and construct upper and lower envelopes for the input signal in sawtooth space. A component function for the input signal (e.g., an Intrinsic Mode Function (IMF)) is then generated based on the sawtooth or triangle wave function and the upper and lower envelopes. In various embodiments, the results generated in sawtooth space are reversely transformed into the original data space of the input signal. In this manner, an input signal may be decomposed into one or more component functions without the time-consuming and relatively unpredictable sifting process of the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to data processing, and more particularly relate to techniques for decomposing a signal using a sawtooth, or triangle wave, transform.
Many applications in the field of data/signal processing require the decomposition of an input signal (i.e., data set) into one or more constituent frequency components (i.e., component functions). This decomposition is typically performed using a transform, such as the Fourier transform or the wavelet transform. The frequency components are then used, for example, to analyze or manipulate the input signal in the frequency domain.
One problem with traditional transforms is that they operate over a fixed function base that presumes the linearity and stationarity of the input signal. By way of example, the Fourier transform presumes that the input signal is composed of a summation of simple, sinusoidal functions of varying frequencies. In many cases, this presumption is incorrect. For instance, several types of real-world (i.e., physical) signals, such as time series data collected from physiological phenomena, environmental phenomena, and economic systems are nonlinear and/or nonstationary in nature. As a result, traditional transform techniques such as the Fourier transform and wavelet transform are poorly suited for analyzing these types of signals.
Recent research has led to the development of data analysis methods that overcome some of the deficiencies of fixed function base transforms. One such method, known as the Hilbert Huang Transform (HHT), relies on an adaptive function base to more accurately analyze nonlinear and nonstationary signals. In particular, HHT utilizes a decomposition technique known as Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) to decompose an input signal into a series of component functions called Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). Each IMF has a meaningful instantaneous frequency, thereby providing a more accurate physical representation of an input signal that may be nonlinear and/or nonstationary. A detailed discussion of the Hilbert Huang Transform, Empirical Mode Decomposition, and Intrinsic Mode Functions may be found in [Huang, Norden et al., The Empirical Mode Decomposition and the Hilbert Spectrum for Nonlinear and Nonstationary Time Series Analysis, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, A (1998) v. 454, 903-995], which is incorporated herein in its entirety for all purposes.
Although HHT represents an improvement over traditional transform techniques, its corresponding EMD method still had several shortcomings. For example, EMD requires a "sifting" process to approximate the upper and lower envelopes of an input signal. This sifting involves repetitively fitting a cubic spline to the maxima and minima of the input signal until a stopping condition is reached, which can be very time-consuming. Further, since the fitted cubic spline is an approximated, rather than true, envelope of the input function, some overshoot or undershoot may be introduced by the spline interpolation, resulting in an IMF that may not have fully symmetric envelopes. Yet further, selecting the stopping condition for the sifting process is a subjective determination that may result in different IMFs for the same input signal.

Fast intrinsic mode decomposition of time series data with sawtooth transform


A complex antenna adapted for used in a electronic device, comprises a rod antenna, a helical antenna, a dipole antenna comprising a radiating element and a grounding element, and a feeding line. The feeding line comprises an inner conductor electrically connecting to the radiating element at a first joint position and an outer conductor electrically connecting to the grounding element at a second joint position. The first joint position is tightly covered by a insulating tubular element for avoiding to be destroyed and oxidized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an antenna, and more particularly to a complex antenna having desired operating performance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wireless communication devices, such as cellular phones, notebook computers, electronic appliances, and the like, are normally equipped with an antenna that serves as a medium for transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, such as date, audio, image, and so on. The antenna can be built outside or inside of the devices. Usually, an external antenna is not easily disturbed by inner components of the electrical device and is easily adjusted by user for achieving desired operating performance. Dipole antenna is a kind of traditional external antenna. The length of a radiating element or a grounding element of a traditional dipole antenna substantially equals to ½ wavelength (λ). While, when used in long distance transmission/reception, general dipole antenna generally has weak gain and undesired operating performance.
Taiwan Patent No. 560706 disclosed a complex antenna comprising a dipole antenna, a helical antenna, and a rod antenna which connect to one another in series. The complex antenna improves the gain of the antenna and the communication distance of the antenna is fairly increased. However, the connection area between the dipole antenna and the inner conductor of the feeding line has no any additional protection. So, the connection area is not only easy to be broken but also easy to be oxidized.
Hence, in this art, a complex antenna to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art will be described in detail in the following embodiment.


In accordance with the present invention, these and other problems in the prior art are addressed by providing a valve which comprises a valve body which includes an passage that extends at least partially therethrough, a valve seat which is formed in the passage, a valve member which is movably positioned in the passage proximate the valve seat, a first sealing element which is supported on the valve member and which in a closed position of the valve engages the valve seat to block fluid flow through the passage, and a protective member which is movable relative to the valve member between a first position in which the protective member substantially covers the first sealing element when the valve is in the open position and a second position in which the protective member is retracted from the first sealing element when the valve is in the closed position.

The present invention relates to a device for protecting the seal element of a valve. More particularly, the invention relates to such a device which prevents the seal element from being displaced and damaged under the influence of a large pressure differential existing across the valve.
Many hydraulic systems comprise component parts, such as valves, which in use are subjected to large pressure differentials. Since these valves are often required to open and close against these large pressure differentials, they must include seals which are able to withstand the large pressure differentials. One problem with existing valves is that high pressure differentials may cause the seal to be displaced from its normal position within the valve, and this may necessitate removing the valve so that the seal can be replaced.
Valves which are used in high pressure applications often comprise hard seals, such as metallic or hard plastic seals. However, such seals will usually not seal properly unless they are energized, i.e., forced against their corresponding sealing surfaces, and this energizing force can sometimes be very high. Moreover, such seals commonly require smaller tolerances and relatively precise machining of their corresponding sealing surfaces. Also, hard seals are usually static and therefore do not withstand being moved, such as when the valve is opened and closed. Consequently, such seals must often be replaced after only a few operations of the valve. However, in many instances this is not always possible or convenient, such as when the valve is located hundreds of meters below the surface of the water.
Another kind of seal which is often used in valves is a soft elastomeric seal, such as an O-ring seal. Elastomeric seals will usually seal much better than hard seals since they will deform against their sealing surfaces. However, these seals tend to be extruded out of their grooves when the valve is opened, a tendency which becomes more pronounced when the pressure differential across the seal increases. Also, when the valve is being opened and the valve member is moving away from the valve seat, ambient pressure will tend to force the seal towards the valve seat and thereby obstruct the passage between the valve member and the valve seat.
Elastomeric seals are commonly used in poppet valves, such as those that exist in the male and female parts of undersea hydraulic couplings. These poppet valves are opened by inserting the male part into the female part. Before the valves are opened, the fluid in one of the parts will be at operational pressure and the fluid in the other part will be at ambient pressure or even zero pressure. Consequently, when the poppet valves first start to open, a large pressure differential may exist which can force the seals out of their corresponding grooves. This pressure differential can also cause the seals to become deformed, and if the seals are thereby neutralized, water may pour through the poppet valves at high speed and tear the seals partially or completely out of their grooves. If this happens, the coupling may have to be brought to the surface for repair.


Methods and systems for automatically routing a long distance call placed by a subscriber to a prepaid service provider. Methods are discussed for allowing the prepaid subscriber to directly dial a called party's long distance telephone number, and then routing the placed call to a prepaid service. The subscriber, in each case, is not required to first dial the telephone number of the prepaid service provider before dialing the called party.

A popular service offered by telecommunications companies is a prepaid or calling card service. Many long distance callers purchase prepaid cards. These cards are ubiquitous in society and are offered for sale at numerous retail establishments.
Prepaid cards, as the name suggests, enable a caller to pay in advance for telephone service. Such cards are used by travelers to avoid high fees for hotel long distance services, for example. Prepaid cards are also given to students by their parents to enable those students to call home without incurring long distance fees. Additionally, prepaid cards are often carried by callers who want mobility, but not the expense of a cellular phone.
Prepaid services, though, are not limited to calling card services. For instance, some local telephone company customers do not wish to allow users of a telephone the ability to make long distance calls, unless the caller pays for such calls. Such a scenario may exist in a business or residential context. In a business context, an employer may desire to tightly control costs, and not pay for non-business calls by employees. In a residential context, a parent may not wish to allow a child to make any long distance calls without first receiving the parent's permission.
Additionally, a telephone customer with either an inadequate income or a poor credit history may not be able to arrange for long distance service without first paying for such service. Such a customer often has long distance dialing blocked from the customer's telephone, and therefore must dial into a prepaid service (often using an "800" number) in order to make long distance calls.
A prepaid service subscriber is conventionally required to first dial a prepay service provider telephone number. The subscriber may then be required to enter a PIN to be validated by the prepaid service platform. After being validated, the subscriber may then dial a long distance telephone number for the party that the subscriber wishes to call.
This conventional method of requiring a subscriber to dial two telephone numbers—(i.e., one for the prepaid service provider and another for the called party) is cumbersome for a subscriber to a prepaid service. What is needed are methods and systems that overcome the disadvantages of conventional requirements. Such methods and systems should provide additional advantages, including cost effectiveness, flexibility, and ease of implementation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and systems for automated prepaid service routing


A method of photoelectro-manipulation of target molecules including providing a photoconductive layer of material having a first and a second electrically conductive contact on a first surface thereof and a probe on an opposed second surface. A solution containing target molecules is positioned in electrical contact with the probe. A positive potential is connected between the solution and the first electrically conductive contact and a negative potential is connected between the solution and the second electrically conductive contact. A beam of light is directed through a portion of the photoconductive layer of material to complete an electrical circuit between one of the first and the second electrically conductive contacts and the solution, whereby target molecules in the solution are attracted to or repelled from the probe which is coupled into the electrical circuit by the beam of light.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to analysis of molecular samples.
More particularly, the present invention relates to manipulation of molecules through the use of electric fields.
2. Prior Art
Identification of molecular structure has become very important in many industries. In particular, biological molecules such as nucleic acids and proteins are analyzed to form the basis of clinical diagnostic assays. The procedures utilized often involved large numbers of repetitive steps which consume large amounts of time. With the advent of large projects such as the human genome project, faster and less complex techniques were required.
Simpler and quicker analysis of molecules has been provided by the development of devices including a monolithic array of test sites formed on a substrate. Each site includes probes therein to bond with predetermined target molecules from samples applied to the device. The binding of a molecule to a probe is noted, and that molecule is identified. There are many techniques for determining which test sites have molecules bonded to them including autoradiography, optical detection and electronic detection. The use of monolithic devices with an array of test sites provides a procedure which permits the testing of a great many samples quickly. However, there are numerous problems with the use of these devices which increase complexity and decrease accuracy.
For example, nucleic acid hybridization analysis is a procedure wherein target DNA or RNA strands bond to probes which are typically oligonucleotide sequences. The analysis generally involves detecting very small numbers of a specific target nucleic acid sequence among a large number of non-target sequences. Thus, the concentration of target molecules proximating the appropriate test site is unfavorable. Furthermore, when a sample is composed of a large number of sequences, partial hybridization of similar sequences can occur. These problems lead to a loss in sensitivity and accuracy during analysis.
These problems have generally been overcome by free field electrophoresis and the use of addressable matrices. Molecules in a sample can be transported by free field electrophoresis to any specific test site where the molecules are concentrated. The sensitivity for detecting a specific molecular structure is enhanced because of the increase in concentration of molecules available for binding to the site. Any unbound molecules can be removed by reversing the polarity at the site. Furthermore, in nucleic acid hybridizations, partial hybridizations, which form a much weaker bond than the full hybridization, can be severed by the reverse polarization at specific sites. Thus, accuracy and sensitivity are greatly increased.
The problem is that for each test site of the matrix to be addressable, electrodes and leads must be provided for each test site. As device size shrinks and the number of test sites increases, the complexity and expense of forming devices with a plurality of isolated electrodes and associated leads also increases. While large numbers of electrodes and micro-electrodes can be easily formed, addressably contacting each with the use of leads becomes increasingly complex and expensive as the number of electrodes increases.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for manipulating molecules.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for manipulating molecules using wireless contacts for a spatially addressable array of electrodes.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for analyzing molecules which is fast and efficient.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which can include large probe arrays.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which can selectively apply a positive or negative potential or combinations of both.

Method of photoelectro-manipulation of target molecules and apparatus therefor


A mattress and method of manufacturing the same are provided that may be used during pregnancy. In particular, a mattress and method of manufacturing the same are provided that include a main body portion. The main body portion may define a top surface, bottom surface, first side surface, second side surface, foot surface, and head surface. The mattress may further define a cutout formed in the top surface. At least one insert may be provided that may be disposed in the cutout of the main body portion, with the at least one insert including a substantially concave surface that may receive a user's stomach.

Conventional mattresses are soft, rectangular cushions that may stabilize and support a user's body. Mattresses typically have flat top surfaces on which the user may lie. Users typically sleep in any of a number of positions that they find comfortable. However, pregnant women often have difficulty using these conventional mattresses in the same positions that they previously found comfortable because conventional mattresses are not designed to stabilize and support their changing bodies.
There is a need for a mattress that comfortably supports a pregnant user from conception through the third trimester of her pregnancy to ensure that she can continue to sleep normally. In particular, it is often most difficult for a user to sleep on her stomach during pregnancy. There is also a need for these mattresses to be cost effective and versatile, to allow their seamless use before, during, and after pregnancy.


A view controller, such as a scroll bar, for a first application which is currently displayed within an inactive window is detached and remotely displayed within an active window in addition to the view controller associated with the content of that active window. A Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) link is then established between the remotely displayed view controller and the first application such that user inputs to the remotely displayed view controller can be utilized to modify the display of the first application without requiring the user to activate the inactive window. In this manner data within the first application can be scrolled and visually accessed by the user while the user is working within an active window, without requiring the user to toggle the focus back and forth between two windows.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of computers, and, in particular, to graphical user interfaces. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for controlling and viewing an application program running in an inactive window using a viewing controller in an active window on a computer display screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most computers today support a Windows environment, which allows multiple application programs to be open simultaneously. These application programs may be concurrently displayed on the computer's display in separate open windows, which may be active or inactive. If the application program is displayed in an active window, a user can manipulate the display and operation of the application, including inputting data, changing the display, etc. If the application program is displayed in an inactive window, the application program is still running, the user can view a portion of the content thereof but cannot manipulate its display or operation, including inputting data, scrolling the display, etc. The active and inactive windows may be displayed such that they overlap ("cascade"), or they may be "tiled" such that they extend from vertical horizon to vertical horizon of the display without overlapping.
A common task for the user to perform using multiple open display windows is to have a first application in an active window ("input window") into which data may be input, while an inactive window ("reference window") is open only for viewing data from a second application. Thus, the user can visually read, from the inactive window, data to be input into the active window's application program. If the two applications' displays overlap each other, the user is forced to frequently change input focus (activating the window) from the input window to the reference window in order to view the entire reference window. Focus must then be switched back to the input window to continue the process of inputting data into the first program. In the event that two application windows are opened without overlapping (tiled), it is still necessary to switch focus between the windows when data in the reference window needs to be scrolled up or down in order to be visible to the user.
Switching focus between windows is a problem for all computers due to the time required by the user to switch window focus. Additionally, there is the problem of the user forgetting which window is active, and inadvertently overwriting data in the active window. With computing devices having small display screens, there is also the problem of allocating limited screen real estate, which typically are optimized by displaying only a portion of the reference window described above.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's), handheld computers and tablet computing devices are devices that have such small display screens. For example, PDA's typically have an array of only 160 pixels by 160 pixels within less than six square inches of viewable area. The primary means of interacting with these types of devices is typically through a stylus. While such devices can support multiple windows being simultaneously open, the size of their display screen makes them less than optimal for supporting a windowing environment. For these types of devices, the best use of windowing is to size and position the windows such that they are tiled with the width of each window, and only portions of the inactive reference window(s) are visible behind the active input window.

Method and system for controlling an application displayed in an inactive window


A dual wavelength optical sensor for measuring chemical properties of a particular quantity, the optical sensor including a sensor probe having a thin sensing film whose optical characteristics are responsive to the chemical properties of the measured quantity. The United States Government has certain rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. ITA87-02 between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Iowa State University.

Thin film optical sensors have been used based on an optical sensor measuring changes in a thin sensing film for detecting and measuring physical quantities such as pH, metal-ion, and toxic gas levels. While different optical sensors exist, certain optical sensors include the use of a photometer, which is a device used to measure the optical properties of a thin film which is responsive to a particular physical characteristic or quantity to be measured. In other words, the optical properties of the thin sensing film are responsive to the chemical properties of the physical quantities being measured. For example, the thin film can be responsive to pH, and changes in the optical properties of the film resulting from changes in the pH level are measured by the photometer whose output is calibrated in terms of pH.
Important application areas for such sensors can be found in environmental and clinical applications where there is a need for reliable, low-cost and portable sensors. However, due at least in part to the complexities of realizing analytical instrumentation to meet the demands of the above applications, the foregoing need has not been adequately satisfied. Indeed, only few reports describing such instrumentation have appeared, such as R. Smardzewski, "Multi-Element Optical Waveguide Sensor: General Concept and Design", Talanta, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 95-101 (1988), and A. Guthrie et al., "Solid-State Instrumentation For Use With Optical-Fibre Chemical-Sensors", Talanta, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 157-159 (1988).
An important focus of the prior attempts has been the provision of low-cost, solid state components for the optical sensor portion of the instrument, which have included the use of light emitting diodes (LEDS) as light sources and photodiodes as detectors. The LED has an additional advantage of producing light at only single defined wavelengths although at variable intensities. In the Smardzewski article cited above, for example, a multi-element optical waveguide sensor for detection and identification of gaseous or liquid mixtures was disclosed. For each component or element to be detected and measured, an optical waveguide such as a cylindrical glass capillary tube was provided. Each optical waveguide was externally coated with a thin film known to react specifically with the particular element to be detected. An LED was then attached to each waveguide, and each waveguide was fiber-coupled to a single photodetector, so that the photodetector provided an output indicative of the level of the element being detected. As is apparent, this sensor operated in a single-wavelength mode, i.e., a single LED provided a light output at a particular wavelength for each waveguide. However, optical sensors such as these which operate in a single-wavelength mode experience calibration problems, due in part to variations in the LED output intensity due to time, temperature, and life of the LEDS, and the degradation of the sensing films. As would be expected, these calibration problems lead to inaccuracy and instability in the sensor response.
In addition to optical sensors utilizing single-wavelength mode operation, two-wavelength schemes have been developed. For example, in the Guthrie et al. article cited above, a two-wavelength scheme was employed. There, an optical fiber pH sensor was incorporated with a solid state instrument including two LEDs and a photodiode detector. One LED provided a measuring wavelength, while the second LED provided a near-infrared "reference wavelength". The respective wavelengths of light were transmitted to a sensor probe on separate optical fibers and the signal intensity was measured at each wavelength by the single detector. Because the light emitted at the reference wavelength was not absorbed by the indicator reagent of the sensor probe, the reflected light intensity at the reference wavelength was independent of indicator state. The signal intensities at the measuring and reference wavelengths were then divided in order to provide a measurement dependent only on the indicator state. Thus, the reference wavelength was utilized to compensate for changes in the signal intensity due to non-chemical causes, such as fiber-bending intensity losses or intensity changes at the fiber connections. However, similar to single-wavelength mode sensors, this two-wavelength device used two completely independent optical sources for illuminating the sensor, and did not compensate for variations in the LED output intensities due to time, temperature, and life of the LEDS, or for variations due to degradation of the sensing film.
In addition to light source output fluctuations, the optical properties of the thin sensing films such as the concentration of the indicator, and the ability of the films to sense the measured physical quantities can change over time resulting in degradation of the sensing films, which further contributes to long-range stability problems. Attempts have been made to combat the long-term stability problems with respect to the optical characteristics of thin sensing films by, for example, regenerating the reagent associated with the film, using controlled release films, and the like. However, none of these techniques have provided optical sensing devices with the desired long-term stability and minimal recalibration requirements.
Another problem not fully addressed by prior developments is that many of the targeted applications demand extreme miniaturization of both the optical and electrical components of the optical sensors. Furthermore, in instances where implantation into a biological host is required for measuring physiological parameters such as blood pH, sodium, potassium, or calcium, biocompatibility of the optical sensor components is of considerable importance. Thus, as is apparent, the development of reliable, low-cost, and long-term optical sensors for environmental and clinical applications has not yet been achieved by the previous developments discussed above.

Dual-wavelength photometer and fiber optic sensor probe

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.


A network control apparatus includes: a power consumption collecting unit configured to collect power consumption information measured by at least one electrical node included in an electrical layer network and at least one optical node included in an optical layer network; a cut-through range identifying unit configured to calculate an optical cut-through path based on the collected power consumption information; and a cut-through path setting instructing unit configured to instruct the electrical node and the optical node to set the optical cut-through path based on the calculation result in the cut-through range identifying unit.

The power consumption of network devices, such as switches and routers, is increasing and the proportion of the power consumption of the network devices in the entire Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is not negligible. Since electrical nodes, such as Internet protocol (IP) routers, perform processing in units of packets, an increase in speed and capacity of the IP routers increases the power consumption. Although the electrical energy consumed by optical nodes using technologies including Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) is low, the optical nodes do not perform the information transmission in units of packet, unlike the IP routers. In addition, since WDM paths are coupled between nodes in full mesh manner in order to transfer information to all the nodes in WDM networks and, the number of wavelengths is limited.
For example, a related technology is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-298517.

Network control apparatus, network control system, and network control method


A method for producing a building material includes a first step of applying an undercoat paint onto a surface of an inorganic base material, curing the undercoat paint, and polishing the undercoat paint; and a second step of applying an enamel paint onto the undercoat paint and curing the enamel paint. The undercoat paint contains an undercoat-forming material and a filler. The enamel paint contains an enamel-forming material and a pigment. The enamel-forming material is a solvent-based resin. A content of the filler in the undercoat paint is 40% to 70% by mass in terms of solid content. A content of the pigment in the enamel paint is 1% to 50% by mass in terms of solid content.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a building material such as a siding board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inorganic materials such as fiber reinforced cement siding boards and autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC) boards are used as building materials that form exterior walls and interior walls of buildings.
Recently, in building materials, requests for improving the design of external appearance have been increasing. To improve the design, an inorganic material is used as a base material, and a paint is applied onto a surface of the base material to form a coating. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-181492 discloses a method including applying a polyester paint onto a surface of a base material to form an undercoat layer, subsequently applying a polyester black enamel paint to form a middle coat layer, subsequently applying a polyester clear paint, performing curing and drying, and subsequently polishing the resulting coating of the polyester clear paint to form a mirror-finished surface.
According to the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-181492, although the surface can be mirror-finished, it is necessary to polish the coating formed on the outermost surface. The polishing must be performed after the coating is cured, and thus this method takes time and labor. In order to polish a coating over a wide region to mirror finish, facilities and techniques are necessary. In addition, there is a concern that uneven polishing (generation of a spot pattern) may occur.
Furthermore, since inorganic materials such as fiber reinforced cement siding boards and ALC boards have fine irregularities on surfaces thereof, polishing is necessary. However, in actuality, when such inorganic materials are polished, uneven polishing (generation of a spot pattern) occurs, the appearance is poor, and it is desirable to conceal such poor appearance.


A bent axis pump wherein the coupling between a cylinder body and a connecting pin of a back body takes place by the interposition of a bush suitable for guiding the rotation of the cylinder body limiting the friction between the cylinder body and the pin. The pin life is considerably extended.

Bent axis pumps usually comprise a front body having a revolving shaft operatively connected to pistons for the pump suction and delivery, and a back fixed body that comprises the pump suction and delivery channels.
A central revolving body or cylinder body, integral in rotation with the shaft, is inserted between the front body and the back body. The central body comprises the cylinders suitable for seating the pistons.
The central body is inclined relative to the front body, so that the sliding axis of the pistons is bent relative to the axis of rotation of the front body.
The shaft of the front body is integral with the pistons so as to transmit the rotation motion thereto.
The inclination between the axis of rotation of the front body determines the alternating motion of the pistons relative to the cylinders following the rotation of pistons relative to the axis of rotation of the front body.
The central body is associated to the back fixed body by a pin integral with the back body.
Thus, a fixing portion of the pin is integrally constrained to the back body whereas a guiding portion of the pin couples with a relative seat of the central body. Such guiding portion has the function of being a guide for the rotation of the central body and is subject to a friction action by the pin itself.
The coupling between pin and central body is a critical point of the pump.
In fact, even slight shifts between the pin and the central body generate such stresses as to quickly cause the breakage of the pin.
To obviate such disadvantage, in the art it is known to strengthen the pin also through the application of coating materials and increase the lubrication between the pin and the central body seat. Nevertheless, breakage phenomena are not prevented and the pin life is quite limited.


A compound represented by the following formula (1):

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PPAR activating compound which selectively activates, among peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), α-type PPAR (i.e., PPARα), and is useful as a drug for preventing and/or treating pathological conditions including hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, complications of diabetes, inflammation, and heart diseases. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing the compound.
2. Background Art
PPARs are known to form a family of nuclear receptors, and three sub-types thereof (α, γ, δ) have already been identified (Nature, 347, 645–650, 1990; Cell, 68, pp. 879–887, 1992; Cell, 97, pp. 161–163, 1999; Biochim. Biophys. Acta., 1302, pp. 93–109, 1996; and Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 43, pp. 527–550, 2000).
Among the three sub-types, PPARα is expressed predominantly in the liver and is known to be activated by plasticizeres and/or fibrates, such as Wy 14643, clofibrate, fenofibrate, bezafibrate, or gemfibrosil (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 90, 1702–1709, 1998, Current Opinion in Lipidology, 10, pp. 245–257, 1999).
In mammals, activation of PPARα is known to promote β oxidation of fatty acids and lower the blood triglyceride level. In humans, activation of PPARα decreases levels of blood lipids such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol. Thus, a PPARα-activator is useful as a drug for preventing and/or treating a disease such as hyperlipidemia. In addition, the PPARα-activator is considered to be useful as a drug for preventing and/or treating pathological conditions such as arteriosclerosis due to increase in the high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the suppression of VCAM-1 (one of cell adhesion molecules). Furthermore, the PPARα-activator is considered to be useful as a drug for preventing and/or treating pathological conditions such as diabetes, inflammatory disease, and heart diseases (Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, 3, pp. 81–89, 1996; Current Pharmaceutical Design, 3, pp. 1–14, 1997; Current Opinion in Lipidology, 10, pp. 151–159, 1999; Current Opinion in Lipidology, 10, pp. 245–257, 1999; The Lancet, 354, pp. 141–148, 1999; Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 43, pp. 527–550, 2000; and Journal of Cardiovascular Risk, 8, pp. 195–201, 2001).
PPARγ, which is expressed predominantly in adipocytes, is known to play an important role in differentiating and proliferating adipocytes. Examples of known activators for PPARγ include thiazolidine derivative drugs such as troglitazone, pioglitazone, and rosiglitazone. These drugs are known to induce differentiated adipocytes having reduced insulin sensitivity into small adipocytes having high insulin sensitivity, to thereby improve insulin resistance (Journal of Biological Chemistry, 270, 12953–12956, 1995; Endocrinology, 137, pp. 4189–4195, 1996; Trends Endocrinol. Metab., 10, pp. 9–13, 1999; and J. Clin. Invest., 101, pp. 1354–1361, 1998). However, activation of PPARγ has been reported to have adverse effects on human to increase fat and body weight and causing obesity (The Lancet, 349, pp. 952, 1997). Recently, it has also been reported that antagonizing the PPARγ possibly improves insulin resistance (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 96, pp. 6102–6106, 1999; The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 275, pp. 1873–1877, 2000; and J. Clin. Invest., 108, 1001–1013, 2001).
PPARδ, which is present ubiquitously in the body, is known to take part in lipid metabolism. However, only a few high-selectivity PPARδ activators have been reported, and the biological significance of PPARδ remains unclear. At present, the structures of PPARδ activators are reported in a wide range of literature (Diabetes, 46, 1319–1327, 1997; and Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 43, pp. 527–550, 2000). In a recent report, a PPARδ activator GW 501516 elevates HDL level in monkeys (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 98, pp. 5306–5311, 2001). Moreover, adipocytes or skeletal muscle cells which are expresses activated PPARδ are reported to promote burning of fat (Cell, 113, pp. 159–170, 2003). However, a compound F, a PPARδ activator, disclosed in WO 97/28149 has an unfavorable effect of accumulating lipids in human macrophages (Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276, pp. 44258–44265, 2001). In addition, experiments using PPARδ-deficient mice indicate that activation of PPARδ induces lipid accumulation (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 99, pp. 303–308, 2002). These phenomena represent two conflicting effects in terms of the progress and alleviation of arteriosclerosis. Thus, the significance of PPARδ on treatment of arteriosclerosis still remains unelucidated.
As described above, a PPARα-selective activator having low selectivity to PPARγ and to PPARδ is expected to be useful for preventing and/or treating, without causing obesity or increase in body weight, pathological conditions such as hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, complications of diabetes, inflammation, and heart diseases.
WO 02/46176 discloses a PPAR activator having a structure represented by the following formula:
(wherein each of R1 and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C1–C8 alkyl group, a C1–C8 alkoxy group, or a C6–C10 aryl group, or R1 and R2, together with the carbon atoms to which they are bonded, may form a benzene ring; X represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, —NR0— (R0 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1–C8 alkyl group), or —CH═CH—; G represents a single bond or a carbonyl group; R3 represents a C1–C8 alkyl group, a C2–C8 alkenyl group, a C2–C8 alkynyl group, a C3–C7 cycloalkyl group, a C1–C8 alkyl group substituted by a C3–C7 cycloalkyl group, a C6–C10 aryl group, an arylalkyl group (formed of a C6–C10 aryl moiety, with an alkyl moiety having 1 to 8 carbon atoms), a heterocyclic group, or a heterocyclicalkyl group (containing an alkyl moiety having 1 to 8 carbon atoms); n is an integer of 0 to 5; Y represents —CH2—, a carbonyl group, or —CH═CH—; Z represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; p represents an integer of 0 to 5; each of R4 and R5 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1–C8 alkyl group; and W represents a carboxyl group, a C2–C8 alkoxycarbonyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphonic acid group, a cyano group, or a tetrazolyl group).
However, the compounds disclosed in WO 02/46176 act on any sub-type of PPARs (i.e., PPARα, PPARγ, and PPARδ), and thus are not regarded as PPARα-selective activators.

PPAR-activating compound and pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound

Abstract: Or a salt thereof; and therapeutic durgs containing the compound. The compound selectively activates PPARα.


A safety device in the form of a building component (3) which has a channel (1) along which a traveller (4) may move. The traveller (4) has attachment means (5) for attachment to a safety harness. The building component (3) can be in the form of a roof ridge section (6) and can have an internal or external channel along which a suitable traveller (3) can move. The building component (3) can also be in the form of a gutter section (7), roof tile (9) or other component.

In the past operative access to roof areas has been a major source of danger during inspection and maintenance procedures on sloping roofs leading to falls from roofs and buildings. Such accidents are a major source of injury and fatalities in the building industry.
Currently, for major works, the normal arrangement is the provision of a scaffolding system erected on the building face, the scaffolding being solidly lined and fitted with hand rails at the roof edge. The economics of small tasks and inspections does not permit this method to be adopted. Also, gaps within hand rails or scaffolding permit operators to fall over or through a roof or balcony edge.
Fixed vertical ladders which provide access to roof and roof mounted equipment, for example extract fans, are often fitted with hoops to provide some protection in the event of slipping; however, the gaps are so large that it is possible to fall through such hoops and to sustain injury.
Elevating platforms and wall maintenance cradles are also known and are subject to occasional mechanical failure. If a sudden tilt of a platform or cradle occurs, the operatives risk being thrown out of the cradle or platform.
Currently designers sometimes specify eye bolts at intervals across a roof and trade practice generally uses roof ladders in the form of traditional ladders with hooks that pass over the ridge on to the opposing incline.
This has the disadvantage that there is no means of safely transferring from one eye bolt to another without first unhooking the harness.
Prior art has addressed the problem of safety when working in a position vertically removed from the ground. GB1571385 discloses a rail tether system for use on a sloping surface in this case a large sewerage tank wherein a traveller, to which a harness is attached, travels within a rail attached to the top of the tank. GB1478585 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,089 both disclose slotted hollow rails built into balconies to prevent window cleaners from falling. These systems require a separate rail component to be attached to a building.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety device incorporated in a building component enabling high safety standards to be maintained whilst providing access to a roof area or to the top of a building.


A system is provided that controls a haptic effect experienced at a peripheral device. The system receives a haptic effect definition including haptic data. The system further receives spatialization data including: a distance of the haptic effect; a direction of the haptic effect; or a flow of the haptic effect. The system further includes modifying the haptic effect definition based on the received spatialization data. The system further includes sending a haptic instruction and the modified haptic effect definition to the peripheral device. The system further includes causing one or more haptic output devices to produce one or more haptic effects based on the modified haptic effect definition at the peripheral device in response to the haptic instruction.

Video games and video game systems have become extremely popular. Video game devices or controllers typically use visual and auditory cues to provide feedback to a user. In some interface devices, kinesthetic feedback (such as active and resistive force feedback) and/or tactile feedback (such as vibration, texture, and heat) is also provided to the user, more generally known collectively as "haptic feedback" or "haptic effects." Haptic feedback can provide cues that enhance and simplify a user's interaction with a video game controller, or other electronic device. Specifically, vibration effects, or vibrotactile haptic effects, may be useful in providing cues to users of video game controllers or other electronic devices to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to create greater sensory immersion within a simulated or virtual environment.
Other devices, such as medical devices, automotive controls, remote controls, and other similar devices where a user interacts with a user input element to cause an action, also benefit from haptic feedback or haptic effects. For example, and not by way of limitation, user input elements on medical devices may be operated by a user outside the body of a patient at a proximal portion of a medical device to cause an action within the patient's body at a distal end of the medical device. Haptic feedback or haptic effects may be employed to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to the user regarding an interaction of the medical device with the patient at the distal end of the medical device.


A method is provided for attaching a membrane to a substrate by heat-bonding the membrane to the substrate. The substrate includes a top surface, a bottom surface and a receptacle therethrough. The membrane can be a porous support structure combined with a polymeric gel. The method includes the steps of inserting a mandrel into the receptacle, placing the membrane on the substrate across the receptacle, heating the membrane and substrate, and allowing the substrate to cool to provide heat-bonded interlock between the substrate and the membrane.

In pharmaceutical and biological research laboratories, plates with a multitude of wells have replaced traditional test tubes for assay and analysis. For many years, multi-well laboratory plates have been manufactured in configurations ranging from 1 well to 384 wells, and beyond. The wells of multi-well plates are typically used as reaction vessels in which various assays are performed. The types of analytical and diagnostic assays are numerous. The typical areas of use include cell culture, drug discovery research, immunology, and molecular biology, among others. Current industry standard multi-well plates are laid out with 96 wells in an 8×12 matrix (mutually perpendicular 8- and 12-well rows). In addition, the height, length and width of the 96-well plates are standardized. This standardization has resulted in the development of a large array of auxiliary equipment specifically developed for 96-well formats.
Many assays or tests require a mixture of particulate or cellular matter in a fluid medium. The mixture is then subjected to combination with reagents, separation steps and washing steps. The end product of such analysis is often a residue of solid matter which may be extracted for further analysis.
Separation of solids from fluid medium is often accomplished by filtration. The separation is accomplished in or on the filter material by passing the liquid through it. The liquid can be propelled through the membrane either by a pressure differential or by centrifugal force.
One form of filtration is use of filter plates that conform to a 96 well standardized format. One significant problem with filter plates is that cross contamination may occur between wells. When a unitary filter sheet is sandwiched between two pieces of plastic molded in a 96 well format, liquid from one well, upon wetting the filter material, may wick through the sheet to neighboring wells thereby contaminating the sample contained within that well.
Another form of filtration is use of a filter sheet placed between two plastic plates. One of the plates has a series of ridges that cuts the filter sheet when the plates are ultrasonically welded together. By cutting the filter sheet around each well, the possibility of wicking between neighboring wells is eliminated if the filter material is completely severed in the welding process. However, the membrane materials and plate materials available are limited to those that can be cut by the process and ultrasonically welded.
A further form of filtration is use of a filter plate of one piece construction having wells with drain holes in the bottom and capable of receiving filter discs into the wells. The individual filter discs are used as opposed to a unitary sheet of filter paper to prevent wicking. The filter discs used in this plate are put into each well individually and are not secured to the bottom of the well. The unsecured filter discs provide for possible contamination of filtrate because some liquid from the well could pass under the filter and thereby escape filtration.
The present invention solves several problems of prior art filter plate designs by providing a method of attaching a membrane to a multi-well plate in which filtering material is securely fastened to the plate without the use of glue or other potentially contaminant chemical adhesives, and prevents cross contamination.


Systems and methods for partial aortic occlusion are provided. The system may include a catheter having an expandable aortic blood flow regulation device disposed on the distal end of the catheter for placement within an aorta of a patient, and a catheter controller unit that causes the device to expand and contract to restrict blood flow through the aorta. The system also may include sensors for measuring blood pressure distal and proximal to the expandable device. The system further may include non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor coupled to the sensors, cause the processor to estimate aortic blood flow based on the measured blood pressures and corresponding waveforms, compare the estimated aortic blood flow with a target aortic blood flow range, generate an alert if the estimated aortic blood flow falls outside the target aortic blood flow range, and cause the catheter controller unit to adjust expansion and contraction of the expandable device to adjust an amount of blood flow through the aorta if the estimated aortic blood flow falls outside the target aortic blood flow range.

Hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable death in civilian and military populations and is particularly challenging to control when arising from a non-compressible vascular injury. Death from the complications of hemorrhage from trauma and from shock continues to exist as a high probability in an overwhelming number of cases in both medical and surgical patients. Existing systems, medications, and procedures used to treat shock states frequently contribute to a patient's ultimate death through inability to maintain adequate oxygen delivery to vital organs. This delivery of oxygen is predicated on adequate blood perfusion to the organs. It is well recognized that without sufficient blood pressure to the heart and lungs hemodynamic collapse ensues resulting in decreased perfusion to the remaining organs and eventual death.
The resuscitation of a patients suffering from shock, whether neurogenic, hemorrhagic, hypovolemic, or septic, poses unique challenges especially during the early hours of critical care. Any episodes of hypotension can be detrimental to the patient. Older patients, as well as patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury are especially susceptible to episodes of hypotension. Current practice to treat shock is dependent upon the etiology, but almost all treatment algorithms include IV fluids or blood products and, when necessary, medications that act upon the vasculature to cause vasoconstriction and an increase in blood pressure. In the setting of ongoing hemorrhage, operative control of the hemorrhage is often required to stop the bleeding.
Although the nuances of treating shock are dependent upon etiology, all treatment modalities suffer from drawbacks. First, in the setting of hemorrhage it is often not possible to stop the bleeding before the patient exsanguinates and dies from hypovolemia.
Second, in almost all forms of shock, IV fluids and or blood products are often required in large amounts early on during treatment to improve blood pressure. At times, the volume of fluid can be so great that it overwhelms the cardiovascular system resulting in pulmonary edema, ARDS, or heart failure. Therefore, although often required early on in treatment, alternative methods to remove this excess fluid are often required as soon as the patient can tolerate diuresis.
A third complication from current therapies is the secondary consequences of high doses of vasopressor medications. Vasopressors act directly on the blood vessels to increase vascular tone and improve systemic blood pressure. In the absence of a better therapeutic solution, these medications are at times necessary to improve perfusion to vital organs. However, this systemic increase in blood pressure does come at the potential cost of poor perfusion at the microvascular level. Unfortunately, due to differential responses to these medications across organs and tissue beds, unpredictable changes in regional blood flow can occur, which may ultimately have a counterproductive or detrimental effect. With high doses of these medications, certain tissues may incur permanent injury such as the distal extremities, potentially necessitating major limb amputation, or of the kidneys resulting in renal injury and the need for dialysis. In patients suffering from traumatic brain injury with increased intracranial pressure, studies in animals and in humans have demonstrated that high doses of vasopressors are often able to improve perfusion to the injured areas of the brain, but often at the expense of other regions of the brain that have such profound vasoconstriction to result in ischemic neurons.
Finally, current therapies to treat shock take time to work. Massive transfusion of blood products and boluses of IV fluids take from several minutes up to an hour to be infused, and vasopressor medications often take 10-15 minutes to begin to work and often must be titrated in doses over the subsequent hours. Even once working, some forms of shock are not responsive to single medications and multiple vasopressors are required to optimize blood pressure. These conventional therapies are frequently unable to optimize blood pressure in a timely fashion, and in many instances fail to achieve the intended target altogether. Since even short periods of ischemia can result in organ dysfunction and decreased viability, improved strategies are needed to optimize blood flow and pressure in a more timely and reliable fashion.
The ability to rapidly deliver effective blood pressure and blood flow to the heart, lungs and brain in shock states immediately before delivering blood products, crystalloids and or blood pressure medications have time to work will save innumerable lives.
The concept of using devices in the aorta to augment blood pressure is not unique. Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) is a therapy that is used in trauma patients in extremis. REBOA has emerged as a therapy to provide temporary hemodynamic support and hemorrhage control with a balloon catheter prior to definitive surgical intervention for hemostasis. Rather than performing an emergency department thoracotomy to cross clamp the aorta to minimize distal aortic flow, a balloon catheter is completely inflated in the aorta above the level of injury to stop flow. This technology, working to completely occlude the aorta, rapidly improves blood pressure above the catheter when there is adequate circulating volume.
REBOA is now an established clinical strategy in the management of non-compressible truncal hemorrhage, providing hemodynamic support and minimizing hemorrhage. Its expanding adoption within the trauma community has been facilitated by the convergence of innovative endovascular technology and techniques with strong support from the thought leaders within the fields of vascular and trauma surgery. Despite the growing enthusiasm, it is important to recognize that REBOA produces a second physiologic insult in an already physiologically deranged patient. Specifically, the utility of REBOA is limited in its duration of use due to several adverse physiologic effects on upstream and downstream vascular beds. For example, downstream of the balloon, progressive ischemia to tissue beds distal to the point of occlusion, e.g., organ damage due to lack of blood flow, may result, and upstream of the balloon, injury to the heart, lungs, and brain due to supraphysiologic blood pressures and increased afterload proximal to the balloon may result after an extended period of time. The distal ischemia that develops in tissues below the level of occlusion limits the duration of REBOA therapy to 30-45 minutes. These side effects are greatest during Zone I occlusion which significantly limits the total therapeutic duration of REBOA, and subsequently, the number of patients who could benefit from this therapy as it can only be applied in a setting with a surgeon nearby capable of obtaining rapid hemorrhage control.
Therefore, is it quite feasible that deleterious consequences of sustained complete aortic occlusion will manifest with increased use of this technology. As such, the concerns regarding the progressive ischemic burden and the potential for cardiac dysfunction with complete aortic occlusion have raised the already high threshold to employ this therapy, particularly in scenarios where prolonged occlusion is required. This hesitancy on the part of providers is compounded by the fact that there is a poorly-defined tolerance threshold for REBOA, beyond which survival is not feasible. This apprehension inherently narrows the scope of REBOA, marginalizing its utility in austere or rural environments and for inter-facility transport.
A modification of the traditional REBOA technique is to utilize partial aortic occlusion with balloon catheters to provide low volume distal blood flow but not to completely stop all flow, as a method to extend duration of therapy. This technique, which has been called a variety of names including but not limited to Partial-Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (PREBOA), is a viable strategy to mitigate the effects of sustained aortic occlusion. By reducing injury below the balloon through maintaining flow, partial aortic occlusion may extend the duration of intervention, providing more time for surgical control of hemorrhage.
However, early animal experiments demonstrate that an inability to tightly regulate downstream aortic flow to injured areas during REBOA or P-REBOA can lead to early death from exsanguination. To date, the clinical efficacy of P-REBOA has been elusive because control of balloon inflation and deflation can only be accomplished by low-fidelity manipulation of the inflation syringe by hand. Current balloon technology created for complete or partial aortic occlusion to stop distal hemorrhage in the setting of trauma is unable to provide consistent titrated flow across the complete range from complete occlusion to no occlusion with manual control alone, particularly when the intent is to maintain consistent distal flow within a narrowly defined range. The ER-REBOA catheter from PryTime Medical is a compliant balloon catheter intended to decrease hemorrhage after trauma and is one such balloon that may lend itself to precision physician assisted control using an external syringe pump device.
Partial aortic occlusion may result in hemodynamic instability and ongoing hemorrhage, which limits its usefulness particularly in resource-constrained environments, due to poorly controlled distal aortic flow as described in Timothy K. Williams, M D, et al., Automated Variable Aortic Control Versus Complete Aortic Occlusion in a Swine Model of Hemorrhage (Feb. 10, 2017) (unpublished) (on file with the Journal of Trauma Acute Care Surgery), the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein. Accordingly, no current system allows for the estimation of aortic flow distal to a partially expanded aortic occlusion device, e.g., balloon catheters. Currently, practitioners use blood pressure proximal to the occlusion device as a surrogate marker of when partial-aortic occlusion is tolerated in trauma. Proximal blood pressure does not correlate with aortic blood flow across various levels of hemorrhage as described in M. Austin Johnson, MD, PhD, et al., Small Changes, Big Effects: The Hemodynamics of Partial and Complete Aortic Occlusion to Inform Next Generation Resuscitation Techniques and Technologies, (Jan. 5, 2017) (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery) (on file with the Journal of Trauma Acute Care Surgery), the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein. Thus, use of proximal blood pressure as a surrogate marker may be detrimental as proximal blood pressure is a poor marker of aortic flow and small changes in occlusion device volumes can lead to large changes in blood flow which can further lead to ongoing hemorrhage and decompensation. Specifically, proximal blood pressure lags in response to these changes in blood flow, thus making it a poor surrogate to use when attempting partial aortic occlusion. Failure to control flow at a low rate in the face of uncontrolled hemorrhage may lead to exsanguination and death. In addition, not being able to detect the flow rate may lead to unrecognized complete aortic occlusion leading to progressive ischemia. Thus, clinical application of partial aortic occlusion without having a means to estimate aortic blood flow beyond the occlusion device may be dangerous and may result in death.
In light of the aforementioned considerations and limitations of existing and proposed devices, there exists an urgent and unmet need for a viable solution to allow provide a physician with a measure of aortic flow as well as a device to assist in the control of catheter balloon volume to provide titrated distal flow.

Aortic flow meter and pump for partial-aortic occlusion

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