Method and device for checking logical software engines for commanding railway plants, particularly station plants, include at least a computer with at least a central processing unit and at least a memory for loading and executing programs, a logical engine for commanding a plant, particularly a station plant, being loaded or loadable in said memory for its execution, which plant comprises a plurality of operating units for actuating and/or detection and/or measurement and/or signalling, so-called wayside equipments, which units are provided for receiving command signals and for transmitting control signals about the operating condition, and which logical software engine reads control signals given by the operating units for actuating and/or detection and/or measurement and/or signalling and its processes command signals of said operating units based on an operation protocol of the plant itself. According to the invention, in the computer memory there is loaded or loadable and is executable by the computer a software simulation program of the plant that must be controlled and commanded by the control and command logical program, which simulation program reproduces faithfully the plant structure and the operating modes of the operating units provided in said plant.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for checking logical software engines for commanding railway plants, particularly station plants, comprising at least a computer with at least a central processing unit and at least a memory for loading and executing programs:
a logical engine for commanding a plant, particularly a station plant, being loaded or loadable in said memory for its execution, which plant comprises a plurality of operating units for actuating and/or detection and/or measurement and/or signalling, so-called wayside equipments, which units are provided for receiving command signals and for transmitting control signals about the operating condition, and which logical software engine reads control signals given by the operating units for actuating and/or detection and/or measurement and/or signalling and it processes command signals of said operating units basing on an operation protocol of the plant itself.
2. Description of Related Art
In railway field, the command of station plants occurs by means of command logical engines which are based on Boolean algorithms. Control and command signals are univocally associated to state variables which are processed by Boolean logic that provides output command signals as modifications of said Boolean variables. Depending on the features of provided operating units, each of the said variables may have various state conditions and the associated variables representing the state controls and the state commutation commands of operating units may vary within predetermined values, each of the said values represents an operating condition of the operating unit as far as variables representing control signals are concerned, while the said values represent a commutation command from a predetermined operating condition to a different predetermined operating condition or a command for maintaining the operating condition as far as command signals are concerned.
Starting from a traditional realization of command and control logics, particularly of railway plants, in the shape of relay networks, at present the greater reliability and stability, as well as the greater comfort and flexibility in using computers, have caused the transfer of command functions from the relay hardware structure to a software command system emulating the behaviour of the traditional relay network by means of a command and control logical program composed of Boolean algorithms.
Because of the complexity of railway plants, even the logic for controlling and commanding the plant is relatively complex specially considering that in railway field the security operation standards are very high.
In order to transform the control and command hardware logic formed by relay networks into a program in the form of a control and command Boolean engine, hardware/software smart systems have been developed to process automatically the control and command Boolean program by starting from a traditional relay hardware network layout or from a table wherein the operation conditions of the plant are encoded in the shape of lists of state variables and state commutation variables, the so-called condition table.
At present the validation, i.e. tests, are directly made on the plant. However, this is a serious drawback firstly because an operating plant is actually required to which the control and command logic has to be applied. This causes great problems due to great prolongation of time for definitive installing a railway plant, since in addition to time for actual structural installation, such as line laying, and the hardware installation of operating units, it is necessary to make long validation phases of the command logic thereof.
To solve this problem, at least partially, software programs for validating command software logics have been provided, i.e. Boolean engines for controlling and commanding the station plants, that process individually and in parallel the same command and control logical engine by means of at least two generation programs of the control and command logical engine, starting from the same basic information about the system structure and the operation modes thereof. Two command and control logical engines are therefore generated and are therefore compared, whereas the validation is based on diversity criterions of the programs generating the two logical engines which are considered correct in case of functional identity basing on said diversity of the two generating programs.
Such validation or certification mode does not meet fully considerations that are made from the security perspective of the plant operation and so the control and command logical program that has been obtained is always subjected to a deep validation directly on the plant. The certification or validation mode by means of the diversity criterion of the software generating the command and control logical program lacks an interface with the plant.
Therefore, even in this case of software certification and validation, such defect influences again the time for fabricating the plant in operation condition and the time for developing and setting up both the control and command logic and the plant itself. The situation becomes more serious considering not only the installation of a new plant, but also the modification of an existing plant. In such case certifications and validations made on field influence railway traffic that pass anyway and must continue to pass on railway lines already existing. Therefore times are smaller and working conditions are more critical both for the difficulty in working on a plant in use and for the considerations about traffic security that cannot be interrupted except for short periods.
Therefore, the purpose of the invention is to provide a device as described hereinbefore that overcomes the drawbacks existing at present and described above.

Device and method for checking railway logical software engines for commanding plants, particularly station plants


A method and system for network based call-pickup is provided. In one embodiment a first user agent communicates in a communication session with a second user agent in a network telephony system. The second user agent may request that a third user agent replace the second user agent in the communication. The third user agent may be a park server, and when it replaces the second user agent, the communication session may thereby be parked at the park server. A fourth user agent may then request that the third user agent (e.g. park server) initiate a communication session between the first user agent and the fourth user agent. The third user agent may then instruct the first user agent to communicate with the fourth user agent. The parked communication session may thereby be picked up by the fourth user agent.

Internet protocol ("IP") telephony and IP multimedia networks employ several protocols to setup and manage calls and sessions. One of the most widely adopted protocols for IP-based signaling is the Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP"). SIP is used, for example, for initiating new calls and sessions, manipulating call paths, and enabling the association of services with users regardless of their point of connection in the network. These are just a few areas of application of the SIP.
The increasing use of SIP has spurred development and introduction of numerous services with SIP interfaces for user and network access. This approach makes sense as the number of SIP-capable devices proliferates in IP networks. These devices have several features and mechanisms defined to employ existing telephony features in SIP.
One such feature is call-pickup. Call-pickup is a commonly used feature in today's deployed telephony solutions, especially in office environments. As an example, consider User A and User B being in a telephony conversation and User B wants to move to another location during the conversation. Suppose it is not possible to physically move the device being used by User B to the new location, and also that User B does not want to hang up the call and fully re-originate the call for any particular reason. User B may transfer the call to a device (or server) called a "park server" that temporarily holds (or "parks") the call allowing User B's device to disconnect without releasing the call. User B may subsequently retrieve the parked call. Therefore, User B presses a button(s) on the device that parks the call at a park server. User B then moves to the new location and retrieves the parked call by calling User A. This process of call retrieval is referred to as call-pickup.
Unfortunately, however, existing SIP-based call-pickup solutions have several drawbacks. For example, one solution requires User B to re-originate the call at the new location by sending a call-pickup origination request to User A. Therefore, in this solution, although the call will be parked in a normal fashion for User A (e.g., similar to generally accepted call park functions), User B essentially hangs up and recalls User A to park and pickup the call. One problem with this technique is that this requires advanced feature handling in a handset device so that the handset at the new location has the capability of sending detailed call-pickup origination requests. Such a feature does not exist in most of the commercially available SIP devices. Therefore, using this solution would require upgrades of most handsets in the network.
In addition, in existing solutions when picking-up the call at the new location, User B simply re-originates a call with User A, so User B must know the SIP address of User A. This may not be known if User A is calling from a payphone and does not know the phone number of the payphone or if User A is an anonymous caller, for example. Another related problem is that User A must have the capability to receive multiple calls because for a limited duration, User A will be in two calls (i.e., the call with the park server, and the call from User B from the new location). Still another related problem is that User B may incur additional charges for re-originating a call with User A from the new location. The proposed solution further assumes that from the new location, User B will have calling privileges to call User A.
Furthermore, a major problem with the proposed solution is that service providers have no control over this call-park/call-pickup feature. The park server is provided for parking the call. However, the park server is not involved in the pickup process except for being asked to disconnect the parked call because User B picks up the call by re-originating a call with User A from the new location (e.g., User B simply calls User A again from the new location). The parked call (i.e., the communication session between User A and the park server) can be dropped due to any reason (e.g., User A getting impatient and hanging up). So it is difficult for the service provider to know whether a successful call-pickup occurred. This implies that the service provider will have difficulty charging for the call-pickup feature and may have no incentive to provide this service. Therefore, the currently proposed solution is unlikely to be deployed.

Method and system for network based call-pickup


A new and distinct Heuchera plant characterized by medium small lime green leaves, yellow green flowers in wands, being very free flowering, small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of 'Blondie in Lime'. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera 'Blondie in Lime' originated from a whole plant mutation Heuchera 'Blondie', U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,564, in the tissue culture lab in Canby, Oreg.
Compared to the parent plant, Heuchera 'Blondie', the new cultivar has lime green leaves rather than red brown and yellow green flowers rather than yellow green to creamy yellow.
Compared to Heuchera 'Lime Rickey', U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,210, the new cultivar has smaller leaves that are unruffled, a smaller more compact habit, shorter wand type flowers that bloom all spring summer and fall rather than non-wand type that bloom in spring, and flowers that are yellow green rather than white.
This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:                1. medium small lime green leaves,        2. yellow green flowers in wands,        3. being very free-flowering,        4. small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and        5. excellent vigor.
This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation in 2013 by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.


A bumper apparatus includes a roller rack and rack fasteners for mounting the roller rack vertically along a dock structure; a bumper assembly having a buoyant structure having sufficient buoyancy to cause the bumper assembly to rise and fall with the water surface and thus with the tide and with any adjacent water vessel; and a rack engaging structure slidably interconnecting the roller rack and the bumper assembly so that the bumper assembly is slidable vertically relative to the roller rack. The roller rack preferably includes a spaced apart upright pair of opposing first and second mounting rails; and a longitudinal series of substantially horizontal cylindrical rollers mounted on individual roller axles extending between and connected to the first and second mounting rails so that the rollers protrude forwardly from the mounting rails.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of boat and dock equipment. More specifically the present invention relates to a buoyant bumper apparatus for mounting to a piling such as along a dock, the apparatus having a bumper assembly which buoyantly rises and falls with the tide and thus with any adjacent water vessel such as a boat so that the bumper is always positioned between the piling and the contacting portion of the vessel. The bumper apparatus includes a roller rack for mounting vertically along a piling with rack fasteners, and a shock absorbing bumper assembly having a float at its lower end and slidably engaging the roller rack with a rack engaging structure.
The roller rack preferably includes a spaced apart upright pair of opposing first and second mounting rails and a longitudinal series of horizontal cylindrical rollers mounted on individual roller axles extending between and connected to the first and second mounting rails so that the rollers protrude forwardly from the rails. The first and second mounting rails preferably are opposing first and second channel side walls of a rack channel member which are interconnected by a channel back wall, the channel side walls having laterally extending first and second rail flanges extending outwardly respectively from the first and second channel side walls. The rail flanges are part of the rack engaging structure.
The bumper assembly preferably includes a vertically elongate bumper block of rubber or equivalent impact absorbing material preferably containing air bubbles and having first and second block guides on opposing longitudinal sides of the bumper block for slidably engaging the first and second rail flanges. Each block guide preferably has an L-shaped cross-section with a guide side panel abutting and fastened to a corresponding longitudinal side of the bumper block and extends beyond the bumper block toward the roller rack, and has a guide flange angling inwardly from the guide side panel toward the opposing guide flange and spaced from the bumper block. The first and second guide flanges are fitted behind corresponding first and second rail flanges so that the guide flanges hold the bumper block against the rollers while permitting the bumper block to slide vertically along the roller rack. A float of buoyant material or of hollow construction is secured to the bumper block lower end and has sufficient buoyancy to cause the bumper assembly to rise and fall with the tidal height of the water around the piling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been fixed resilient bumpers on pilings along docks to absorb the impact of boats bumping the docks as a result of wave action or maneuvering into and out of docking position. A problem with these prior bumpers has been that, as the tide rises or falls, the part of the boat striking the piling may be elevated or lowered out of alignment with the bumper so that the boat strikes the piling directly and is damaged.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a buoyant bumper apparatus having a bumper assembly which rises and falls with the tides and thus with a moored water vessel, to be continuously positioned between a contacting portion of the vessel and a piling or other dock structure to absorb vessel impacts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which has a resilient impact absorbing bumper block which can be removed and replaced when needed without removal of the entire apparatus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is easy to install and which fits a variety of piling sizes and which can be secured to a variety of other dock structures as well.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is sturdy, reliable and economical to manufacture.

Buoyant bumper apparatus for absorbing water vessel impact against pilings


A method of and apparatus for manufacturing and evaluating an optical fiber coupler in which the optical fibers are heated so that they are conjoined together through fusion and elongated to constitute the tapered portion of the optical fiber coupler, and characterized in that the tapered portion is housed and secured in a protective casing or the like as the portion remains positively twisted after the fusion conjoining and elongation of the fibers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for manufacturing and evaluating an optical fiber coupler, in which a plurality of polarization maintaining optical fibers are partially heated so that they are conjoined together through fusion and elongated to constitute the coupler.
2. Related Art
An optical fiber coupler is a device for branching or coupling light signals transmitting through a plurality of optical fibers. The coupler is formed by partially heating the plural optical fibers so that they are conjoined together through fusion and elongated to constitute the coupler.
The portion of the coupler, which is decreased in diameter because of the fusion conjoining and the elongation, is called a tapered portion, and is housed and secured in a casing.
An important characteristic parameter of the coupler is a crosstalk property indicative of the degree of the maintaining of the polarization of the light. The crosstalk CT in the coupler in the case of entering X-polarized light into the coupler is expressed by an equation (1) as follows: EQU CT=10.multidot.log (P.sub.Y /P.sub.X) (dB) (1)
where P.sub.X and P.sub.Y in the equation (1) denote the optical powers of the X-polarized and Y-polarized components of the light emitting out of the coupler, respectively. The crosstalk usually takes a negative value. The smaller the value is, the better the polarization maintaining property of the coupler is. To attain a good crosstalk property of the coupler, the polarization axes of the optical fibers need to be made coincident with each other during the manufacturing of the coupler.
FIG. 1 is a cutaway view showing a conventional procedure of making the polarization axes, of polarization maintaining optical fibers for such a coupler, coincide with each other. FIG. 1 shows an optical fibers 21 provided with a core part 22, a clad part 23 and a stress applying part 24, a microscope 25, an illumination light source 26, and rotary clamps 27. Before the optical fibers 21 are fused and conjoined together, light emitting from the light source 26 and transmitting through the fibers is observed through the microscope 25 to find out the directions of the stress applying parts 24, which determine the directions of the main polarization axes of the fibers. The rotary clamps 27 are then turned to rotate the optical fibers 21, and secured in such positions that the polarization axes of the fibers are coincident with each other.
However, the degree of the coincidence is not high enough in the conventional method. In other words, it is unavoidable to make some discrepancy between the polarization axes of the fibers. Further, even if the axes may perfectly coincide with each other before the fibers are fused and conjoined together, the fibers undergo a twist, or the like, during the fusion conjoining and/or elongation of the fibers to make the axes incoincident with each other to deteriorate the crosstalk property of the coupler at the time of the completion of the manufacturing thereof. This is a problem with the conventional method of manufacturing an optical fiber coupler.
On the other hand, since the coupler sometimes changes in properties, such as, branching ratio and excess loss property, depending on the state of polarization of light which enters into the coupler, the properties of which need to be evaluated as to polarization. If the coupler is constituted by polarization maintaining optical fibers, the crosstalk property of the coupler, which indicates how much the state of polarization of light entering into the coupler is preserved, is an important characteristic parameter. To conventionally evaluate the properties of such couplers as to polarization, measurement is performed on the coupler through the use of a measuring system as shown in FIG. 2.
For the above-mentioned conventional evaluation, light whose state of polarization is modulated by a polarizer 4, a wavelength plate 3 and so forth is required to be condensed by lenses 2 and then enters into the optical fiber 10 of the coupler 6 from one end thereof. To efficiently enter the light into the fiber 10, the light needs to be concentrated to the core of the fiber. For that purpose, a finely movable mechanical stage on which the fiber is put moves for adjustment so as to maximize the monitored power of the light emitting out of the fiber. It is necessary to set the fiber on the measuring system at each of both the ends of the coupler and move the mechanical stage for adjustment, at the time of each of the manufacturing and evaluation of the coupler. In case that the coupler is constituted by polarization maintaining optical fibers, it is necessary to not only perform the setting and the movement, but also make the polarization axis of the fiber coincide with that of the light which enters into the fiber. These are additional problems associated with the conventional methods of manufacturing and evaluating an optical fiber coupler because the conventional methods are quite intricate and take a lot of time for measurement steps.

Method of manufacturing and evaluating an optical fiber coupler and apparatus therefor


One method involves the steps of causing a message to be sent to a relay network for delivery to a mobile device through one of a plurality of wireless networks coupled to the relay network; receiving, from the relay network, a result message when the mobile device is unavailable to receive the message, the result message comprising a message identifier; maintaining storage of the message in memory accessible by a host server after the result message is received; receiving, from the relay network, a status message which indicates that the mobile device is available to receive the message when the mobile device is available to receive the message; and causing the message to be sent again to the relay network for delivery to the mobile device in response to receiving the status message. During the unavailability, the relay network refrains from maintaining storage of the message.

1. Field of the Technology
The present application relates generally to communications which involve mobile communication devices operating in wireless communication networks, and more particularly to communication techniques involving the pushing of messages to such mobile communication devices when the devices are unavailable in the wireless communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile communication devices, such as mobile stations, have the ability to send and receive various data to and from other communication devices (e.g. telephones, servers, personal computers (PCs), etc.) through wireless communication networks. For example, mobile stations may be adapted to wirelessly receive copies of e-mail messages which are conventionally received and stored in email accounts on e-mail servers in communication networks. To accomplish this, many different host servers are utilized across the country and beyond to retrieve copies of e-mail messages from the many different e-mail servers for their intermediate delivery to a primary relay network. The primary relay network is communicatively coupled to a plurality of wireless communication networks and used to deliver the copied e-mail messages to mobile stations through any one of these networks.
If mobile communication devices become unavailable, however, the relay network may be overburdened with the storage and management requirements of all of the e-mail messages. This becomes increasingly problematic when the number of host servers and mobile devices which are served by the relay network increase substantially over time.
Accordingly, there is a resulting need for improved methods and apparatus for communicating messages to mobile communication devices.

Pushback methods and apparatus for use in communicating messages to mobile communication devices


A puller device for pulling a wire or rope through a conduit includes first and second motor-driven capstans about which a wire or rope can be wound for wire or rope-pulling purposes and an elongated arm arrangement having an end which is positionable adjacent the conduit through which the wire or rope is to be pulled. The first elongated arm member is connected to the second arm member for movement about a pivot axis, and there are provided a plurality of rollers adjacent the pivot axis having surfaces along which the wire or rope bears against so that forces which are exerted adjacent the pivot axis by the wire or rope are distributed between the rollers. In addition, a conduit-engaging assembly mounted upon the elongated arm arrangement holds the conduit in a fixed positional relationship with respect to the elongated arm arrangement during a wire or rope-pulling operation.

This invention relates generally to means and methods for pulling wire or rope through a conduit and relates, more particularly, to equipment used for carrying out such a task.
It is common at a construction jobsite that a wire or rope (e.g. one that is tied to an electrical wire) is desired to be pulled through an electrical conduit. For purposes of pulling such a wire or rope through the conduit, there exists equipment which includes a motor-driven capstan about which the wire or rope to be pulled can be wound, a series of arms which are joined in a end-to-end arrangement so that as the wire or rope being pulled from the conduit moves toward the capstan, the wire or rope is guided along the arrangement of arms. A free end of the arm arrangement is positioned against an end of the conduit, and the motor-driven capstan is actuated for pulling the wire or rope through and out of the conduit.
An example of a piece of equipment of the aforedescribed class is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,267 having the same named inventors as the instant application.
It would be desirable to provide a piece of equipment for pulling for wire or rope through a conduit which improves upon the equipment described in the referenced patent.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wire or rope puller.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a puller which is relatively lightweight, easy to manipulate and set up and which can be adapted for pulling wire or rope through a conduit having an end disposed at any of a number of locations, such as from a floor, wall or a ceiling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a puller which is capable of pulling heavy loads at lower speed or lighter loads at higher speeds and which can be readily switched from a lighter load pull to a higher load pull or vice versa.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a puller whose construction distributes forces which are exerted upon the puller in a manner which reduces the amount of load-pulling forces which would otherwise be required to pull the wire or rope along the path.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a puller having a conduit-engaging assembly capable of being quickly adapted to any of a number of differently-sized conduits through which the wire or rope is desired to be pulled.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a puller which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.


A method and system for flow propagation analysis uses ‘tracers’ that are iteratively propagated through a simulated network between source and destination elements. These tracers are structured to contain traffic flow information from source to destination, and to reflect changes as the flow is affected by each element along the path from source to destination. The resultant flow information at the destination corresponds to the effective throughput from the source to the destination, and the flow information at the output of each intermediate element in the network corresponds to the potentially achievable throughput through that element for the given source-to-destination flow.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of simulation, and in particular to the simulation of computer networks or other networks having bandwidth limitations that shape the traffic flow within the network.
2. Description of Related Art
As the demand for information flow continues to increase, establishing and maintaining an efficient network configuration to handle the increased flow typically requires complex analysis and planning. Generally, the analysis includes the identification of 'bottlenecks' where information flow is substantially impeded, or is expected to be impeded with future increases in traffic flow, and the planning includes the replacement or upgrading of equipment, or a reconfiguration of the network topology, to remove such bottlenecks, based on 'what-if' analyses of the benefits provided if such equipment or topology changes are made.
A common task for a network simulation system is "flow propagation analysis", wherein the flow throughput is determined under a variety of traffic-flow scenarios. For example, a nominal data flow of 10 Mbps bandwidth may exist between a source device and a destination device, but if some of the 10 Mbps bandwidth elements between the source and destination device are also providing communication paths between other sources and destinations, the effective throughput between the original source and destination device will be dependent upon the amount of bandwidth consumed by the traffic-flow among the other communication paths. If a particular router, for example, is common to multiple high-traffic communication paths, and does not have sufficient bandwidth to support these multiple traffic flows, it will force the high-traffic flows to be 'throttled' to a lower-than-maximum throughput. Flow-propagation-analysis provides an assessment of the effective bandwidth available to each traffic flow, assuming a given traffic profile.
Computer-based analysis is commonly used to evaluate the performance of existing or proposed networks. Most analysis systems fall into one of two categories: analytical modeling systems and discrete-event simulation systems. In an analytical modeling system, mathematical equations, such as the equations that define the steady-state behavior of stochastic queues, are used to represent the performance of the network, and the analysis of the performance of the network involves determining a solution to the equations, given a set of input parameters. Analytic modeling, however, is generally infeasible for modeling the transient and/or adaptive behavior that is typical of a dynamic network.
In a discrete-event simulation system, a user describes the network as a collection of interconnected network elements. Each network element has an associated functional model that is configured to propagate the effects of an event at the element's input, to produce subsequent events at its output. The user also describes the activities that are to be simulated, and the simulation system generates discrete-events from these described activities at the appropriate elements, then propagates the effects of these events, and subsequently generated events at the outputs of each of the elements, from one element to the next, thereby simulating the behavior of each of the elements in response to the activities that are being simulated.
Discrete-event simulation systems are effective for modeling transient and/or adaptive behavior, because the model of each element can be configured to effect the desired behavior in response to incoming events, and the interconnection of elements can provide a model of the feedback among elements that often causes transients and/or adaptation. However, discrete-event simulations may exhibit poor performance, in terms of time taken to perform the simulation, because of the large number of events that can be triggered by each generated activity event, particularly in large networks with heavy traffic that include feedback paths, and when simulating concurrently generated activity events, such as generated traffic from multiple sources.
Of particular note, multiple-input limited-bandwidth network elements, such as a router or switch element, consume substantial simulation time to arrive at a steady-state assessment of the effective throughput of each traffic flow, because the propagation of an input event on one input channel of each multiple-input element is dependent upon the prior and concurrent arrival of events on other input channels, and, in the case of a prioritization scheme being applied among channels, may be dependent upon future arrivals of events on higher-priority channels.

Flow propagation analysis using iterative signaling


A cable breakout assembly is provided, including a feeder cable, a breakout structure having a first end threadedly engaged with a cable nut having a single-port cable gland through which the feeder cable extends, a central conduit which houses the sections of the feeder cable passing there through, and an opposed second end threadedly engaged with a cable nut having a multi-port cable gland, whose number of ports corresponds to the number of splices of the feeder cable. A plurality of environmentally sealed, flexible conduits are provided, each having a first end that interfaces with and extends from a respective port of the multi-port gland, and a second end adapted to interface with an external device, wherein each flexible conduit houses a respective spliced section of the feeder cable therein.

Radio heads and other equipment for amplifying and transmitting signals from antenna towers were traditionally positioned at the base of the tower in order to better facilitate the installation and maintenance thereof. However, there has been a problem with respect to the signal losses experienced and the power consumption involved in this configuration.
So called remote radio heads (RRH) have become an important subsystem of todays new distributed base stations. The remote radio head in general contains the base station's RF circuitry plus analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converters and up/down converters. RRHs may also have operation and management processing capabilities and a standardized optical interface to connect to the rest of the base station. Relocating the transmission and amplification components to the top of the tower served to reduce the signal losses and power requirements, however, even though the signal was run through the feeder cable extending up the tower, it was also necessary to run a DC power cable up the tower in order to boost the signal power to the individual amplifiers. Also, this type of prior art system required a separate feeder cable to be connected with the individual radio leads for each amplifier at the top of the tower.
This construction presents problems in that a larger number of cables are required to run up the tower, which involves a number of cable pulls, and also undesirably occupies space on the tower. This is especially costly when one considers that the installation costs are increased with more cables, because installers typically charge per cable pull required, and the overall costs are increased because tower owners may charge by the number of cables. The added weight of numerous cables can be a drawback, as well as wind loading issues related to multiple-cable configurations on the tower. In addition, the use of more components introduces the potential for increased installation steps, and more maintenance issues associated with more connections.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Environmentally sealed cable breakout assemblies


A rotary encoder includes a rotary encoding unit attached to a rotary shaft which is rotatably held in a metal casing, a number-of-revolution detection unit supported by the metal casing for detecting a number of revolutions of the rotary encoding unit and producing heat, a cylindrical insulating resin cover having a base end attached to the metal casing for accommodating therein the rotary encoding unit and the number-of-revolution detection unit, a metal lid for blocking an opening of the other end of the insulating resin cover, and a shield cable electrically connected to the number-of-revolution detection unit and drawn out from a cable outlet of the metal lid. A shield of the shield cable is heat-transferably and electrically connected to the metal lid.

Conventionally, an encoder is disclosed in which a scanning constitution unit includes a main unit that supports a scanning plate and can be mounted by the main unit to an object to be measured, and heat of electric constituent elements of the scanning constitution unit is transferred from an internal space to a contact surface outside of a contact element (a cover) by a heat transfer element through a heat transfer path, and in which when the scanning constitution unit is mounted on the object to be measured, the contact surface makes close contact with the object to be measured, which functions as a heat sink, thereby dissipating the heat of the electric constituent elements to the object to be measured (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).


The present invention relates to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (“G-CSF”) hybrid molecules which retain the internal core helices of G-CSF. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions containing hybrid molecules.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to granulocyte colony stimulating factor ("G-CSF") analogs, compositions containing such analogs, and related compositions. In another aspect, the present invention relates to nucleic acids encoding the present analogs or related nucleic acids, related host cells and vectors. In another aspect, the invention relates to computer programs and apparatuses for expressing the three dimensional structure of G-CSF and analogs thereof. In another aspect, the invention relates to methods for rationally designing G-CSF analogs and related compositions. In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to methods for treatment using the present G-CSF analogs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hematopoiesis is controlled by two systems: the cells within the bone marrow microenvironment and growth factors. The growth factors, also called colony stimulating factors, stimulate committed progenitor cells to proliferate and to form colonies of differentiating blood cells. One of these factors is granulocyte colony stimulating factor, herein called G-CSF, which preferentially stimulates the growth and development of neutrophils, indicating a potential use in neutropenic states. Welte et al. PNAS-USA 82: 1526-1530 (1985); Souza et al. Science 232: 61-65 (1986) and Gabrilove, J. Seminars in Hematology 26:2 1-14 (1989).
In humans, endogenous G-CSF is detectable in blood plasma. Jones et al. Bailliere's Clinical Hematology 2:1 83-111 (1989). G-CSF is produced by fibroblasts, macrophages, T cells trophoblasts, endothelial cells and epithelial cells and is the expression product of a single copy gene comprised of four exons and five introns located on chromosome seventeen. Transcription of this locus produces a mRNA species which is differentially processed, resulting in two forms of G-CSF mRNA, one version coding for a protein of 177 amino acids, the other coding for a protein of 174 amino acids, Nagata et al. EMBO J 5: 575-581 (1986), and the form comprised of 174 amino acids has been found to have the greatest specific in vivo biological activity. G-CSF is species cross-reactive, such that when human G-CSF is administered to another mammal such as a mouse, canine or monkey, sustained neutrophil leukocytosis is elicited. Moore et al. PNAS-USA 84: 7134-7138 (1987).
Human G-CSF can be obtained and purified from a number of sources. Natural human G-CSF (nhG-CSF) can be isolated from the supernatants of cultured human tumor cell lines. The development of recombinant DNA technology, see, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,643 (Souza) incorporated herein by reference, has enabled the production of commercial scale quantities of G-CSF in glycosylated form as a product of eukaryotic host cell expression, and of G-CSF in non-glycosylated form as a product of prokaryotic host cell expression.
G-CSF has been found to be useful in the treatment of indications where an increase in neutrophils will provide benefits. For example, for cancer patients, G-CSF is beneficial as a means of selectively stimulating neutrophil production to compensate for hematopoietic deficits resulting from chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Other indications include treatment of various infectious diseases and related conditions, such as sepsis, which is typically caused by a metabolite of bacteria. G-CSF is also useful alone, or in combination with other compounds, such as other cytokines, for growth or expansion of cells in culture, for example, for bone marrow transplants.
Signal transduction, the way in which G-CSF effects cellular metabolism, is not currently thoroughly understood. G-CSF binds to a cell-surface receptor which apparently initiates the changes within particular progenitor cells, leading to cell differentiation.
Various altered G-CSF's have been reported. Generally, for design of drugs, certain changes are known to have certain structural effects. For example, deleting one cysteine could result in the unfolding of a molecule which is, in its unaltered state, is normally folded via a disulfide bridge. There are other known methods for adding, deleting or substituting amino acids in order to change the function of a protein.
Recombinant human G-CSF mutants have been prepared, but the method of preparation does not include overall structure/function relationship information. For example, the mutation and biochemical modification of Cys18 has been reported. Kuga et al. Biochem. Biophy. Res. Comm 159: 103-111 (1989); Lu et al. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 268: 81-92 (1989).
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,643, entitled, "Production of Pluripotent Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor" (as cited above), polypeptide analogs and peptide fragments of G-CSF are disclosed generally. Specific G-CSF analogs disclosed include those with the cysteins at positions 17, 36, 42, 64, and 74 (of the 174 amino acid species or of those having 175 amino acids, the additional amino acid being an N-terminal methionine) substituted with another amino acid, (such as serine), and G-CSF with an alanine in the first (N-terminal) position.
EP 0 335 423 entitled "Modified human G-CSF" reportedly discloses the modification of at least one amino group in a polypeptide having hG-CSF activity.
EP 0 272 703 entitled "Novel Polypeptide" reportedly discloses G-CSF derivatives having an amino acid substituted or deleted at or "in the neighborhood" of the N-terminus.
EP 0 459 630, entitled "Polypeptides" reportedly discloses derivatives of naturally occurring G-CSF having at least one of the biological properties of naturally occurring G-CSF and a solution stability of at least 35% at 5 mg/ml in which the derivative has at least Cys17 of the native sequence replaced by a Ser17 residue and Asp27 of the native sequence replaced by a Ser27 residue.
EP 0 256 843 entitled "Expression of G-CSF and Muteins Thereof and Their Uses" reportedly discloses a modified DNA sequence encoding G-CSF wherein the N-terminus is modified for enhanced expression of protein in recombinant host cells, without changing the amino acid sequence of the protein.
EP 0 243 153 entitled "Human G-CSF Protein Expression" reportedly discloses G-CSF to be modified by inactivating at least one yeast KEX2 protease processing site for increased yield in recombinant production using yeast.
Shaw, U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,584, entitled "Site-Specific Homogeneous Modification of Polypeptides," reportedly discloses lysine altered proteins.
WO/9012874 reportedly discloses cysteine altered variants of proteins.
Australian patent application Document No. AU-A-10948/92, entitled, "Improved Activation of Recombinant Proteins" reportedly discloses the addition of amino acids to either terminus of a G-CSF molecule for the purpose of aiding in the folding of the molecule after prokaryotic expression.
Australian patent application Document No. AU-A-76380/91, entitled, "Muteins of the Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF)" reportedly discloses muteins of the granulocyte stimulating factor G-CSF in the sequence Leu-Gly-His-Ser-Leu-Gly-Ile at position 50-56 of G-CSF with 174 amino acids, and position 53 to 59 of the G-CSF with 177 amino acids, or/and at least one of the four histadine residues at positions 43, 79, 156 and 170 of the mature G-CSF with 174 amino acids or at positions 46, 82, 159, or 173 of the mature G-CSF with 177 amino acids.
GB 2 213 821, entitled "Synthetic Human Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Gene" reportedly discloses a synthetic G-CSF-encoding nucleic acid sequence incorporating restriction sites to facilitate the cassette mutagenesis of selected regions, and flanking restriction sites to facilitate the incorporation of the gene into a desired expression system.
G-CSF has reportedly been crystallized to some extent, i.e., EP 344 796, and the overall structure of G-CSF has been surmised, but only on a gross level. Bazan, Immunology Today 11: 350-354 (1990); Parry et al. J.Molecular Recognition 8: 107-110 (1988). To date, there have been no reports of the overall structure of G-CSF, and no systematic studies of the relationship of the overall structure and function of the molecule, studies which are essential to the systematic design of G-CSF analogs. Accordingly, there exists a need for a method of this systematic design of G-CSF analogs, and the resultant compositions.


Lactobacillus delbrueckii having antifungal activity is provided as novel lactic acid bacteria having antifungal activity. The Lactobacillus delbrueckii is Lactobacillus delbrueckii ANTI MUFFA FERM BP-10663 (FERM P-19705). The Lactobacillus delbrueckii has antifungal activity against mold of genus Penicillium and is excellent in probiotic activity even when used solo.

Lactic acid bacteria are known to produce a variety of antimicrobial substances (antibacterial substances) such as a lactic acid, an organic acid, a volatile fatty acid, a hydrogen peroxide, a benzoic acid, a bacteriocin (niacin, colicin or the like) and so on. The lactic acid bacteria are used not only for a dairy starter but also for preservation of foods (biopreservation) by use of an antibacterial activity. However, not only bacteria propagate themselves as pathogenic bacteria or putrefactive bacteria, but also mold propagates itself during the preservation of the foods. Thus, most of the lactic acid bacteria were not effective against propagation of the mold. Particularly, the mold tends to propagate itself on an animal feed. Therefore, an intake rate of the feed for animals was sometimes lowered because of heat generation or bad smell of the feed caused by the propagation of the mold. In addition, a hopper opening of a feed tank sometimes clogged up by the propagation of the mold thereby blocking the feed from discharging. On the other hand, an antibiotic substance having an antifungal activity or an antifungal agent such as a formic acid was sometimes added in the animal feed in order to prevent and remove the propagation of the mold. However, there were a problem that the antifungal agent caused erosion and problems that the antibiotic substance caused the animals diarrhea or indigestion or caused emergence of drug-resistant bacteria or abnormal intestinal flora or the like to the animals. Conventionally, lactic acid bacteria having the antifungal activity are little known except Lactobacillus sanfranciscencis (refer to Patent Publication No. 1) and Lactobacillus plantrum (refer to Non-Patent Publication No. 1).
Conventionally, the lactic acid bacteria are also used as probiotics. As such ones, there are many proposals: a veterinary medication containing lactobacillus salivarius (refer to PATENT PUBLICATION 2), a deodorant feed containing at least 0.1% of mixed microorganisms mainly compose of more than N×106 of lactic acid coccus and sporeformer (refer to Patent Publication No. 3), a feed additive adding an antioxidant substance and living microbial agent to a high-class organic matter, putting them in an airtight container and fermenting them under a temperature of 25° C. (centigrade) to 37° C. (centigrade) (refer to Patent Publication No. 4) and so on. "Probiotics" are also called a living microbial agent. According to the most common definition, it is a "living microbial additive that works beneficially on a host animal by improving a balance of an intestinal microbes" (Fuller, R.: Probiotics in man and animals. J. Appl. Bacteriol., 66, 365-378 (1989)). However, in these days, it may also be used in a broad sense as "microorganisms that beneficially work on health maintenance of a host" (Lee, Y. K. and Salminen, S.: The coming of age of probiotics, Trends Food Sci. Technol. 6, 241-245 (1995)). Thus, there is also a thought that even killed bacteria are included in the probiotics (Salminen, S. et al.: probiotics: how should they be defined?, Trends Food Sci. Technol., 10, 107-110 (1999)). Typical microorganisms as the probiotics are lactic acid bacteria including bifidobacteria. In addition, bacillus subtilis, butyric acid bacteria, propionic acid bacteria, yeast and the like are also used as the probiotics.    PATENT PUBLICATION NO. 1: Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2002-291466    NON-PATENT PUBLICATION NO. 1: Paola Lavermicocca et al. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2000, p4084˜p4090, vol. 66, No 9)    PATENT PUBLICATION NO. 2: Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. S50-132115    PATENT PUBLICATION NO. 3: Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H9-322714    PATENT PUBLICATION NO. 4: Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2001-299230


Method and apparatus for recording a digital signal wherein the recording rate is higher than the available data rate. In such a situation, the available excess recording capability is used for extending the playing time by the existing storage capacity of a magnetic tape is better utilized. In the present embodiment, playback time is increased by use of a constant tape transport speed with part-segmented helical track recording and a bidirectional recording operation during recording and replay.

It is known that in DVC (Digital Video Cassette) digital video magnetic tape recording systems, a high data rate (25-50 Mb/s) and long the playing time are achievable. MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) has a very complex data reduction system with motion estimation, interpolation and bidirectional prediction. Great complexity arises in the encoder in which mathematical operations must be generated from the source material. To the decoder, inverse computing instructions are conveyed which reconstructs the image. This coding process is very effective but the great complexity of the encoder with little complexity in the decoder provides a system adapted to be mainly used in the area of transmission systems for digital image material, for example, digital television with data rates between 2 to 8 Mb/s for SDTV and 6 to 24 Mb/s for HDTV. In this arrangement, a complex encoder is needed in the studio for each program to be transmitted, and the incoming data stream is interpreted by simple decoders at the user.
Since it is also intended to record these signals digitally at the data-reduced level, digital magnetic tape recording devices according to the DVC system, are considered usable. In this arrangement, the MPEG data stream is recorded transparently, i.e., unchanged, and is outputted during playback so that the decoder does not see any difference between transmitted and recorded data.
Such a recording device is capable of a continuous recording data stream of, for example, 25 Mb/s, but only a continuous/variable data stream of, for example, 8 Mb/s (SDTV) is available. Accordingly, an adaptation of the recording data rate is necessary to use the full capability of the recorder and the available excess capacity of the recorder should not be lost but should be utilized for extending the playing time.
The present invention has an object of creating a recording method by means of which the existing storage capacity of a magnetic tape can be better utilized Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording method for DVC devices, which has an extension of playing time by providing a constant speed tape transport with part-segmented helical track recording and a bi-directional mode during recording and playback.
In known methods, there is a phase of tape rewinding between the segment writing processes, in which no recording takes place for approximately 4 minutes (depending on transport speed and tape length) unless this amount of data is accommodated in a memory. With an input data rate of 8 Mb/s and 4 minutes duration, the memory would have to have a size of 1920 Mbit. Such a memory is too expensive for consumer products.
In the method according to the present invention, this can be achieved by initially writing only a part-area of the helical track (for example 1/4), a so-called segment. The remainder of the track (for example 3/4) initially stays blank or is filled with data which is not relevant. When a number of passes follow one another, more and more areas of the track are recorded until, finally, the total track is completely recorded.
The helical track magnetic tape recording device according to aspects of the invention exhibits a bidirectional recording and replay mode, the tape transport speed being identical in both directions and in both operating modes. The principle of segmented recording is used. When the first segment has been recorded in the forward direction of transport and the end of the tape is reached, the direction of tape travel changes and the second segment is added with a changed track angle to segment 1 adjoining it. The offsets between the track segments occurring due to the difference in track angle are absorbed by having correspondingly large steps between segments. To buffer the response time of the drive during the change in direction at the ends of the tape, a memory is provided which accommodates the data for, for example, 2 seconds.
The total recording consists of individual segmented single recordings in a row which partially differ in their track angle. Between the recording of the individual segments, the direction of tape travel is switched over. During the switching processes, the data is temporarily stored. The length of the segments depends on the ratio between input data rate and recording data rate.
Segments which have been written in the same direction of tape travel can be simultaneously read during one replay pass. The tracking information is only obtained from one .about. segment. During the recording, the memory filled after one switch-over process is emptied until the next process of switching tape direction occurs. During replay, the memory is always kept full in order to be able to provide data from the memory when the direction is changed. The maximum recording data rate is slightly higher on average than the input data rate. The replay data rate corresponds to the input data rate during the recording. The replay data rate is higher than the input data rate during the recording (during the simultaneous replaying of a number of segments). The data contents of an individual segment correspond to the audio or, respectively, video information of a program. At the end of the tape, the drive is switched to the inverse direction of tape transportation and the starting and turn-off time of the recording amplifier is adapted in such a manner that a track segment adjoining the previously written segment is written at a different track angle.

Method and apparatus for the recording of signals


A gob distributor for distributing gobs of molten glass from an orifice of a glass melter feeder bowl to a plurality of delivery chutes, each of which leads to a section of a glass forming machine of the individual section type, said gob distributor including an a.c. servo motor with a vertical output shaft, a gob scoop having an inlet end positioned beneath the orifice and an outlet end positioned in alignment with one or the other of the delivery chutes, and a driven member to which the gob scoop is attached for oscillating movement of the gob scoop in an indexing manner. The driven member includes a shaft that is parallel to and spaced from the output shaft, and an endless positive drive, in the form of an endless cogged timing belt or a pair of double-ended metal chain sections joined end-to-end by adjustable length connectors, is provided to transmit torque from the output shaft of the motor and the shaft of the driven member. A lubricating oil circulating system is provided to circulate pressurized cooling oil successively through enclosed bearings that are provided to rotatably support the output shaft of the motor and the shaft of the driven member.

Glass containers are typically formed by an IS machine, that is, a machine with multiple side by side sections, such as six or eight or even ten sections, and in modern practice multiple containers, such as three or four containers, are often simultaneously formed at each section by a process commonly referred to as the multiple gob process. In any case, a gob distributor is required to sequentially distribute gobs of molten glass to each section of an IS machine, and a multiplicity of such gob distributors are required for a multiple gob IS machine, one gob distributor for each of the sets of molds (blank mold/container mold) of an IS machine section.
Each gob distributor of the type described above has a curved scoop and requires a drive unit to index an oscillating member to which the scoop is attached. The oscillating member is driven in a series of incremental steps as the scoop sequentially aligns itself with a series of gob chutes, one leading to one of the blank molds at each of the sections of the IS machine. During the pause of the gob distributor scoop at each IS machine section chute, a gob of molten glass from an outlet orifice of the feeder bowl of a glass melting furnace forehearth, after severing of a stream of molten glass therefrom into a gob of predetermined weight, passes through the scoop of the distributor and then through the chute into a blank mold of the IS machine section. The scoop of the gob distributor must be at rest as the gob passes therethrough, to avoid slinging of the gob due to centrifugal force, and it must be very precisely aligned with the blank mold chute as the gob passes from the scoop into the chute.
A typical drive unit for an IS forming machine gob distributor incorporates a power source with a vertical output shaft and a driven member to which the gob scoop oscillating member is attached. The driven member has a vertical input shaft, which is spaced from the output shaft of the power source. Heretofore, torque was transmitted from the output shaft of the power source to the input shaft of the driven member through a gear train. However, a gear train inherently has a relatively high amount of backlash associated with it, which interferes with the precise positioning of the gob scoop with respect to the blank mold chutes it is to be sequentially aligned with. This problem is compounded in modern IS machine installations where the gob distributor may be required to cycle as often as 25 times per minute, whereas typical older installations required cycle rates of no more than 15 to 17 times per minute. Further, higher cycle rates introduce maintenance and lubrication problems into a gob distributor system, which increase the complexity, and therefore the expense, of such a system, and the frequency of required maintenance shutdowns.
Bearings of prior art gob distributors must be continuously lubricated. Heretofore such lubrication was accomplished by a viscous grease that was sealed within the gob distributor. Occasionally, however, such grease lubrication systems were subject to undesirable moisture condensation therein and/or the incapability of the grease reaching remote regions of the gob distributor for proper lubrication of the components located in such region.
Known prior art IS machine gob distributor systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,559 (Sasso et al.), in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,431 (Mumford) and in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 28,759 (Bystrianyk et al.), the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Glass gob distributor and oil lubrication system therefor


A system and method for non-destructive functional imaging and mapping of electrical excitation of biological tissues with the help of electromagnetic (“EM”) field tomography and spectroscopy using a sensitive material (solution) added/injected into the biological tissue or in circulation system, characterized by having a dielectrical properties that is a function of electrical field, generated by biological tissue, plurality of EM field sources-detectors located around a biological object, so an object under a study is inside an EM field domain, and a control subsystems functionally coupled to the plurality of sources-detectors for selectively controlling function of the plurality of sources-detectors and for detected EM field from the plurality of sources-detectors so that multiple modality EM field is generated on a selected plurality of sources-detectors and detected by a selected plurality of sources-detectors after being interferenced by the object under a study and a signal inversion means operably connected to the control means for inversion of EM fields detected by a plurality of EM field detectors so an image of the object under a study and a spread of electrical excitation of biological tissue are reconstructed.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to electromagnetic field tomography and spectroscopy, and in particular, to the non-invasive functional imaging, detection and mapping of electrical excitation of a biological tissue with the help of electromagnetic field tomography and spectroscopy using a sensitive material (solution), injected into the biological tissue or in the circulation system, that is characterized by having dielectrical properties that are a function of the electrical field generated by biological excited tissue. The invention includes several versions of the systems differentiated on the basis of multiple frequency, polarization and type of sensitive material (solution) utilization. Further, the invention includes computer implemented software specifically configured and tailored for the system and method for non-invasive detection and mapping of electrical excitation of biological tissue with the graphical and three-dimensional tomographic imaging interface.
2. Background
It has long been known that within the electromagnetic spectrum, biological tissues have different electrical/dielectrical properties, and consequently, visual images of such tissues may be produced based on these properties. For example, it is known that the dielectrical properties of tissues with high (muscle) and low (fat and bone) water content are significantly different. During the last decade the changes in the dielectrical properties of tissues caused by various physiological and pathological alterations have been intensively studied. It has been demonstrated that dielectrical properties of malignant tumors and normal tissues are different in breast, lung, colon and liver. It has also been demonstrated that ischemia, infarction and hypoxia change the dielectrical properties of myocardial tissue. The amount of those differences (i.e., the contrast in their dielectrical properties) varies with frequency, type of tissue and the presence and type of disease, and the magnitude of variation may range from a few percentage points up to 4–5 times between the normal tissue and the diseased tissue. These examples demonstrate a high potential for the use of electromagnetic tomography in biomedical applications.
As a result, microwave tomography has been in the scope of interest of research groups for several years. For example, research by at least some of the present inventors has resulted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,715,819, 6,026,173 and 6,333,087 for microwave tomographic and spectroscopic systems and methods for detection of physiological and pathological conditions of biological tissues and physiological imaging of such tissues. The entirety of each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference.
Unfortunately, the research and development of this technology for biomedical applications has also met with significant difficulties. One such difficulty is the high attenuation of electromagnetic fields within the body. Attenuation is less at lower frequencies, but unfortunately, lower frequencies also result in lower spatial resolution. The compromise between attenuation and spatial resolution forms a frequency optimum for microwave imaging. J. C. Lin theoretically estimated that the frequency spectrum from 2 GHz to 8 GHz is the optimum for microwave imaging of biological tissue. Our estimations suggest that microwave imaging of whole scale biological objects with reasonable acquisition time and spatial resolution of 6–8 mm can be performed at frequencies near 1 GHz. Of course, experimentally achieved spatial resolution cannot compete with the spatial resolution achieved in X-ray imaging, simply because of the large difference in wavelength.
However, the possibility of imaging physiological and pathological conditions of tissues, highlighted earlier, makes this technology promising. For example, it has been determined that microwave tomography and spectroscopy are capable for detection of changes in myocardial blood supply, tissue hypoxia, myocardial ischemia and infarction, i.e. functional imaging. Research by at least some of the present inventors has experimentally proved that a tissue's dielectrical properties are a sensitive indicator of its functional and pathological conditions and the degree of such changes is large enough to be tomographically imaged.
FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of the changes of myocardial ε″ following short time 20%, 40%, 60% and 100% blood flow reduction. The changes of myocardial ε″ following short time 20%, 40%, 60% and 100% blood flow reduction. Summarized data for group of seven canines are presented as normalized on the baseline values. Data for three frequencies (0.2 GHz, 1.1 GHz, and 6.0 GHz) are expressed as mean +/− SD.
FIGS. 2A & 2B are graphical illustrations of the spectral changes in myocardial permittivity ε′ and resistance ρ, respectively, during 10% hypoxia. The percent difference from the mean baseline data, summarized for the group of 7 canines, is shown. The bar graph inserted into the bottom right of FIG. 2A represents group averaged changes in arterial blood pH and pO2.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are graphical illustrations of the spectral changes in myocardial permittivity ε′ (A) and resistance ρ (B) during 2 hours acute ischemia. The percent difference from the mean baseline data, summarized for a group of 6 canines is shown.
FIG. 4 is a graphical illustration of the changes in myocardial dielectric properties (ε@) for 2-week-old canine myocardial infarction. Summarized data for a group of five canines are presented as mean percent change +/− SD in dielectrical values from normal zones of the infarcted hearts. The values are compared with fresh tissue from a 10-year-old human post-infarction aneurysm.
FIGS. 5A & 5B are reconstructed electromagnetic tomographic images of excised canine heart (longitudinally view through the long axis base to apex for ε′-top and transversal view through an area with significant infarction injury for ε″-bottom) together with anatomical slices. The frequency is 1 GHz, and the scales are in centimeters.
However, microwave tomography and spectroscopy do not appear to be capable of detecting changes in the dielectrical properties of myocardium, caused by a spread of electrical excitation in tissue. Preliminary studies, conducted in tissue bath using cardiac excited tissue and electromechanical uncoupling pharmaceutical agents, have indicated that the dielectrical properties of cardiac excited tissue change during the excitation cycle. The exact degree of such changes is unknown at present time, but it appears to be less than 1 percent. This is a relatively small variation in tissue dielectrical properties to be reliably reconstructed using modern electromagnetic tomographic technologies. Further, it is difficult to acquire the necessary data during the short period of time available during the circulation cycle.
Thus, previous approaches to localizing the origin of such phenomenon as cardiac arrhythmias have depended on one of three principal techniques: catheter mapping, electrical excitation mapping during cardiac surgery, or body surface mapping of electrical potentials and magnetic fields. Each of these techniques has limitations. For example, catheter mapping and excitation mapping during surgery are inherently invasive, provide only limited access, and are time sensitive. On the other hand, body surface mapping can be performed in a non-invasive, low-risk manner, but with such poor definition that the data is generally considered unsuitable for directing subsequent therapy. Thus, a need exists for a non-invasive system by which electrical excitation of a biological tissue may be reliably detected and mapped.
Another difficulty faced in the use of microwave tomography for the purposes described hereinabove is the wave character of the distribution of the electromagnetic field within and around a body. These lead to a highly complicated image reconstruction theory, i.e. the problem of diffraction tomography. The linear, ray approach applicable to X-ray tomography does not work properly with regard to microwave tomography. Thus, a need exists for advanced, non-linear diffraction approaches to the process of image reconstruction.

System and method for non-destructive functional imaging and mapping of electrical excitation of biological tissues using electromagnetic field tomography and spectroscopy


The source includes an electro-absorption modulator receiving a continuous light wave supplied by a laser emitter 10. The characteristic response curve of the modulator has a threshold so that the modulator transmits an optical pulse having a duration which is less than the duration of an electrical control pulse which is applied to the modulator by a control generator. Soliton-type optical pulses obtained in this way are transmitted via a line fiber to a receiver. Application to optical transmission.

Soliton transmission requires a stream of periodically-emitted short light pulses. For example, for 10 Gbit/s transmission, the pulses must measure about 20 ps (at half-intensity). Moreover the pulses must be close to the "Fourier transform limit", i.e. the product of pulse duration multiplied by pulse spectrum width must be less than a limit of about 0.7.
In a first known method, such pulses can be generated by mode coupling in a semiconductor laser having an external cavity. That method is described by D. M. Bird, R. M. Fatah, M. K. Cox, P. D. Constantine . . . , Electronics letter 26, p. 2086 (1990). A second known method uses gain switching in a monolithic semiconductor laser and is described by L. M. Downey, J. F. Bowers, R. S. Tucker, and E. Agyekum, IEEE, J. Quant. Elec. QE 23, 1039 (1987).
The first method requires a complex laser which is difficult to use, and which is therefore unsuitable for use on site. The second method makes it possible to obtain pulses that are short, but they are very remote from the Fourier limit. Recompression requires a fiber which has abnormal dispersion and which is very long (several kilometers), and there is no certainty that the pulse that is finally obtained will satisfy the conditions for soliton propagation. However, spectral filtering enables satisfactory pulses to be obtained, as indicated by M. Nakazama, K. Suzuki, and Y. Kimura, Optics Letters 15, p. 715 (1990). But that requires critical centering of the filtering device.

Optical pulse source, and a soliton optical transmission system including the source


The embodiments described herein provide calibration systems and methods for mixed-signal devices. Specifically, the embodiments provide systems and methods for calibrating mixed-signal devices that can facilitate effective calibration of such mixed-signal devices, including mixed-signal devices with poorly characterized nonlinearities that cannot be effectively calibrated with traditional calibration techniques. In general, the embodiments described herein calibrate by measuring output values from a mixed-signal device with a known calibration input values being applied. The measured output values are used to determine localized polynomial interpolants. Each of the determined localized polynomial interpolants is then evaluated at an uncorrected output value, and the evaluated localized polynomial interpolants are then used to generate correction values.

In general, mixed-signal devices are devices that have both analog and digital components. For example, a mixed-signal device can include both analog and digital circuits integrated into a single semiconductor die. Examples of mixed-signal devices include analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs).
One continuing issue in mixed-signal devices is the need for calibration. In mixed-signal devices, calibration can be used to measure and adjust the relationship between analog and digital signals, and thus calibration can be used to improve the accuracy of mixed-signal devices. Unfortunately, current techniques for calibration in mixed-signal devices lack sufficient accuracy for many demanding applications. For example, in mixed-signal devices with high levels of non-linearity, the accuracy of calibration using standard techniques can be insufficient. This can be particularly true for mixed-signal devices where the nonlinearity is poorly characterized, as current techniques for calibration of poorly characterized nonlinearities are particularly problematic. Thus, what are needed are improved devices and techniques for the calibration of mixed-signal devices.

System and method for linearity calibration in mixed-signal devices


A system for a personal intelligence network provides informational and transactional data. Data distribution servers provide e-mail and other messages of topical interest to a subset of the subscribers. The content may be generated by an On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) based channel database system, and the output may also be communicated to individuals via spreadsheet programs data, pager, telephone, mobile phone, fax, personal digital assistants, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) e-mail and other formats, including a workbook file attachment. Reports generated may enable a subscriber to act upon the content within the report, thereby providing an interactive component to the report. Subscriber actions or inaction to the report and content may be obtained and analyzed, including analysis in connection with the other informational and transactional data.

Decision support systems have been developed to efficiently retrieve selected information from data warehouses. One type of decision support system is known as an on-line analytical processing system. In general, OLAP systems analyze the data from a number of different perspectives and support complex analyses against large input data sets.
Reports may be generated by obtaining information and providing the report to a user. A report may be provided in a client-server relationship, over a network access (e.g., posted on a web-site), or delivered directly to the subscriber. Current report systems, however, involve one-way communication, and provide no opportunity for a user to respond or interact within the report.
These and other drawbacks exist.

System and method for obtaining feedback from delivery of informational and transactional data


An automobile powertrain has at least an engine placed in an engine room and oriented so that its crankshaft is directed transversely, and a transmission placed in the engine room behind the engine. The transmission has input and output shafts arranged coaxially with each other and directed parallel to the crankshaft of the engine. An engine clutch is directly connected to the crankshaft, and a power transfer arrangement is disposed oppositely to the engine with respect to the engine clutch and operationally couples the engine clutch to the input shaft so as to transmit engine output to the transmission. The transmission, engine clutch and power transfer arrangement are independently accommodated in separate chambers of a single unit powertrain case. The transmission chamber and the power transfer chamber are connected to each other by an oil passage through which the input shaft extends from the transmission to the power transfer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of a powertrain for an automotive vehicle of a type including at least an engine and a transmission which are transversely mounted and arranged parallel to each other in an engine room of the body of the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In automotive vehicles, such as four-wheel drive vehicles and front engine-front drive (FF) vehicles, the design of a powertrain primarily depends upon whether an engine and a transmission are mounted, as one powertrain unit, transversely or lengthwise in an engine room of the vehicle body. In a transversely mounted powertrain arrangement, if both an engine and a transmission are aligned, i.e., mounted in line, the overall length of the entire powertrain becomes large and the powertrain is not practical. Because of this, some powertrains are formed so that a transmission is positioned behind an engine. A power transfer means, such as a gear train and a chain, is used to operationally couple the engine and the transmission to each other. Such a transversely mounted powertrain is known from, for instance, Japanese patent application No. 63-146,130, entitled "Power Transmitting Apparatus," filed on Jun. 14, 1988 and laid open to the public as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-316,561, on Dec. 21, 1989.
Typically, since an engine clutch, which must be fluid-tightly sealed, is positioned between a transmission and a power transfer arrangement, lubrication oil is introduced through oil passages provided separately in the transmission and the power transfer arrangement for lubricating rotary elements, such as bearings, of the transmission and the power transfer arrangement. Providing such separate lubrication oil passages results in a complicated oil circulating passage system and increases the cost of powertrain.
In order for powertrains to be compactly constructed, some powertrains have a single unitized powertrain case in which at least an engine and a transmission are housed. In what is referred to as a "unitized" powertrain, a single unitized powertrain case is designed so that an interface between two case components includes a center axis of rotation of an output shaft of the transmission. It is, therefore, possible to grasp the output shaft, which is generally great in length, between and by the two case components. Such a unitized powertrain is known from, for instance, Japanese Utility model Publication No. 48-22,886. However, such a unitized powertrain limits possibilities for arranging or locating a transmission in an engine room.
In attempting to arrange a transmission in a desirable manner, it is possible to split a long output shaft of the transmission into two or more shaft portions However, each shaft portion needs more than one bearing and associated parts in order to be supported for rotation with a sufficiently high supporting rigidity. This leads to an increased cost.


The invention is directed to compositions and methods for preparing electrospun matrices comprising at least one natural biological material component and at least one synthetic polymer material. The natural component makes the matrices highly biocompatible while the molecular weight polymer component can impart additional strength mechanical strength to the scaffold and/or improve ease of manufacture by increasing viscosity and spinning characteristics of the solution during electrospining.

The technical field of this invention relates to matrices for cellular attachment and growth. The invention also relates to methods of making and using these matrices for tissue engineering and the construction of artificial structures.
Synthetic matrices have been used for artificial tissue construction. However, these synthetic matrices often elicit an adverse immune response in a patient. To circumvent this problem, decellularized matrices have been used. These decellularized matrices are advantageous for several reasons. They are naturally derived, and therefore less likely to induce an adverse immune response. They also have a similar composition, ultrastructure and biomechanics to the native tissue. While decellularized matrices are a promising as scaffolds, they are only available in a limited supply.
Accordingly, a need exists for creating improved matrices for tissue engineering. In particular, a need exists for creating matrices that have a similar composition and ultrastructure to native scaffold materials.


The present invention provides an automotive test diagnostic system which is capable of achieving high data rates through multiple, independent instrumentation channels. The test diagnostic system includes a vehicle diagnostic instrumentation controller, the vehicle diagnostic instrumentation controller comprising: an instrument peripheral interface means; an instrumentation control means, the instrumentation control means being further comprised of an arbitration control means, and a device interface means, wherein the arbitration control means is electrically coupled to the device interface means; and a first bus for electrically coupling the instrument peripheral interface means to the instrumentation control means. In the preferred embodiment, the instrumentation control means further includes a data qualification means and a data storage means for storing data. However, dependent on the rate of data transfer, the calculations required, etc., a data storage means may not be required for a particular channel.

Automotive onboard electronics systems are becoming increasingly complex. Today's automobiles frequently have multiple microcontrollers to control functions as diverse as engine timing, transmission shift points, vehicle emission, and the control of the vehicle driver interface. Diagnosis of vehicle malfunction often requires similarly complex automobile diagnostic test systems and tools. For example, for a cylinder using a coil-on-plug (distributor-less) design, diagnosis of cylinder mis-firing requires the use of a high-speed oscilloscope.
Current automobile diagnostic test systems must (1) communicate with and retrieve fault information from the vehicle's on-board microcontrollers and (2) support the ability to measure and/or generate signals. Communication between the automobile diagnostic test system and the vehicle's on-board microcontroller requires that the diagnostic test system be able to understand the different protocol(s) that a specific automobile may use. A second function that diagnostic test systems need to support is the ability to measure signals and/or generate signals. Measurement requirements can reduce to a handful of operations including the measurement of voltage and current. These measurements may produce a single-value response (e.g. an ohm-meter reading) or a series of values (e.g. an oscilloscope.) From the measurement information, it is possible to derive other data, such as the frequency of a signal.
FIG. 1A shows a block diagram of a traditional microcontroller controlled automotive test diagnostic system. The test diagnostic system includes a computer 102, a bus 106, a bus interface 118, a dual port RAM 130, a microcontroller 132, and analog circuitry 138. The computing means 102 typically includes a host processor 112, a chipset 114, and a host memory 116. The microcontroller 132 is electrically coupled to analog circuitry 138, where each analog circuit 138 can be connected to a different vehicle system part or system to be tested (e.g., electrical system, spark plug) through cables that connect to the instrumentation system.
FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a microcontroller 132 of the type which could be used in the test diagnostic system shown in FIG. 1A. The microcontroller 132 includes a processing means 140, a memory means 142 (typically including both ROM 144 and RAM 146 memory devices), a timer 148, an input port 150, an output port 152, and a serial interface 154. The processing means 140, memory means 142, the timer 148, the input port 150, output port 152 and serial interface 154 are all electrically connected via a bus 156. The bus 156 is connected to the dual port RAM 130 through the microprocessor's bus interface 158. The serial interface 154 is connected to the analog circuitry 138 via a serial bus 160.
Traditional automotive test diagnostic systems typically perform: (1) data conversion, (2) data processing, and (3) data output. The analog circuitry (which typically includes an A/D converter for input channels) is used to convert analog measurements to a digital format. Data processing is performed by a microcontroller. Processing steps typically include: control of the analog circuitry, acquiring the data from the analog circuitry, qualifying and filtering the data to determine useability, storing the data to system RAM, and converting the data values to the desired format. After processing, the data is retrieved and output as desired by the applications program.
In traditional automotive diagnostic systems, a microcontroller 132 performs the data processing tasks. After the microcontroller 132 has been configured and data has been collected, a typical sequence of events for data transfer from the microcontroller 132 to the host processor 112 is as follows. First, the host processor 112 is interrupted by the microcontroller 132. The host processor 112 then reads the collected input data from the dual port RAM 130 and stores the data values in memory 116. The data is converted into the desired format and the host processor 112 notifies the application program that the data is available in the main memory 116 for use.
The process for transferring data from the microcontroller is slow, since the microcontroller 132 must access memory to fetch the instruction ( x clock cycles) and then execute the instruction (y clock cycles). For each input channel the microcontroller 132 must control the analog circuitry, filter/qualify the sample value, and store the data value before the next sample value arrives.
Consider as an example, the task of determining if a threshold value on an input channel has been crossed once the value is available in the digital domain. Determining if a threshold value has been crossed requires performance of the following series of steps in a microcontroller-based test diagnostic system. The host application writes a new command (e.g. to check for a specific threshold, channel number, and sampling rate) to the dual-port RAM 130 and the microcontroller 132 is interrupted in order to fetch the new command. The microcontroller 132 enters the interrupt-service routine (first prepares for ISR, then reads the routine from its program ROM). The microcontroller 132 then reads the new instrumentation command from the dual-port RAM 130 and configures the analog section 138 as is appropriate. The microcontroller 132 controls the analog to digital converter (ADC) and reads the ADC sample data. For each sample the microcontroller 132 reads, it checks the value of the sample to determine if the threshold has been crossed. When the microcontroller 132 determines the threshold has been crossed, the microcontroller 132 then reads the time value to indicate the time the condition was satisfied. The microcontroller 132 then places the timestamp value in the dual-port RAM 130 and the microcontroller 130 interrupts the host to notify it that it should retrieve the information from the dual-port RAM 130. The host-level device driver then enters an interrupt service routine, reads the information from the dual-port RAM and writes the information to the host memory.
The disadvantage of the vehicle diagnostic system 100 shown in Figure 1A is that the microcontroller 132 needs to execute commands for every operation it is involved in. Additionally, interrupting the host processor 112 to retrieve the data means that the host processor 112 will be continuously involved in the transfer of data from the dual-port RAM 130 to the host memory 116. This heavily loads the duties of the host processor, since it must frequently give up continuous blocks of its bandwidth to the task of data movements from the instrumentation peripheral 104 to the main memory.
Although a microcontroller based solution works well for low-speed systems which also have few instrumentation channels, problems arise when trying to support real-time data manipulation requirements for a high-speed channel (or many low-speed channels). For example, in an interrupt-based system, a dual port RAM that could hold 2 KB of data would have to interrupt the host 1000 times a second to sustain the required throughput of approximately 2 MB per second, the data rate of a typical high-speed channel. Increasing the dual-port RAM capacity alleviates the problem, but with limited improvement and at a substantial cost. For example, increasing the dual-port memory size by a factor of 10 still requires interruption of the host at least 100 times per second (with each interruption lasting 10 times as long) just for data transfers.
Unfortunately, a microcontroller based solution cannot keep up with the real-time data analysis on high-speed data channels without heavily impacting the host's processing bandwidth. An automotive test diagnostic system which is capable of real-time data processing on sophisticated multiple, independent channels is needed.

High performance automotive diagnostics instrumentation architecture


A vehicle driving assist system including a front-side environment recognizing unit for generating distance information of a front-side environment, a visual line position detecting unit for detecting a driver's visual line position, and a gazing distance estimating unit for estimating a driver's gazing distance on the basis of the distance information and the visual line position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle driving assist system that can give a proper alarm to a driver in accordance with a forward gazing state of the driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently various techniques of detecting the traveling environment in front of a vehicle by using an in-vehicle mounted camera or the like and performing alarm control for obstacles in front of the vehicle have been developed and practically used. Furthermore, a technique of giving a natural alarm in accordance with a driver's state under the above alarm control has been also proposed. For example, JP-A-2004-295472 discloses a mechanism of giving no alarm or giving a weak alarm for an obstacle located within a predetermined distance from a vehicle if the direction of the visual line of the driver is coincident with the direction to the obstacle concerned.
However, according to the technique disclosed in the above publication, only the direction along which the driver pays his/her attention (hereinafter referred to as "gazing direction") is determined. Therefore, when the driver gives his/her visual line to an object other than the obstacle, it is impossible to estimate the distance from the driver to the object at which the driver gazes, and thus it is impossible to grasp whether the driver pays his/her attention to a near object or a far object. Therefore, when the driver pays attention to a far object, objects located at a short distance from the driver are out of driver's attention. Therefore, even when the direction of the driver's visual line is afterwards coincident with the direction to an obstacle located at a short distance due to the behavior of the obstacle concerned (the behavior of darting into the front side of the vehicle or the like), it is improper to output no alarm or output a weak alarm.