A process for improving cake baking properties of wheat flour is disclosed. The process includes the steps of introducing a quantity of wheat flour into a container which is provided with mixing devices; heating the wheat flour at a temperature in the range of 110.degree.-140.degree. C. to dry the wheat flour while injecting nitrogen gas into the container, whereby air exposure of the wheat flour is prevented; rotating the container, thereby continuously mixing the wheat flour with the nitrogen gas during the heating step; and cooling the heated flour to 50.degree. C. while preventing air exposure of the heated flour.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the heat treatment of unchlorinated flour to make a substitute for chlorinated cake flour.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the United States, cake flour is used in a wide variety of food products. A substantial amount of it is used in making "high ratio" layer cakes. In these cakes, the ratio of sugar to flour is in the order of 1.25 to 1.30. Such high amounts of sugar give cake desirable attributes such as flavor, moistness, lightness, texture and tenderness.
Notwithstanding the acceptance of chlorinated flour in the U.S., chemical treatments and chemical food additives have become suspect and it is desirable to avoid such treatments whenever possible. In addition, most foreign countries prohibit the use of chlorinated cake flour. As a result, those countries do not allow importation of American dry mix products.
Many attempts have been made to develop a substitute for chlorinated flour and a method for preparing such flour. To date, the use of chlorinated cake flour is still widespread and no substitute or method therefor has yet been developed.
Most of the described flour treatments have not been adopted for two primary reasons: First and foremost is the cost. Second is their performance, i.e., the taught methods do not work very well.
Most of the proposed processes have included the heat treatment of unchlorinated flour, or the wheat from which it is made, to improve its baking properties.
For the present purpose, a general review of the heat treatment of flour was made.
The conversion of bread flour to cake flour, by heating for about 1 min. to 17 hrs. at temperatures ranging from 150 to 360.degree. F., is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,461, by W. A. Hatton et al. Preferred conditions are 1 hr. at 180.degree. F., in a tray stored in a laboratory convection oven, or 1 hr. at 210.degree. F. in a pressurized blender. Both methods permit extensive exposure of hot flour to air.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,917 by Doe and Russo, either a starch or a flour obtained by air classification of wheat flour is heated 30 mins. at 100 to 120.degree. C. The process is carried out in a screw conveyer equipped with a steam jacket. The inventors stress the need for conditions which permit water vapor to escape. The flour is spread on trays to cool. The recipe in which the flour is used requires additional egg white, in order to equal the baking properties of the chlorinated flour standard.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,298, by Cauvain et al., discloses a process for heating wheat 30 mins. at 120.degree. C., or by heating semolina 1 hr. at 100.degree. C., to improve the quality of flour produced by milling. Heat treatment is effected in trays in a laboratory oven, in which there is extensive contact of hot flour and air.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,406 by Hanamoto et al., a laboratory method for cake flour discloses that either unchlorinated flour, that has been heated 1 hr. to 2 wks. at 49 to 93.degree. C., or starch, which has been subjected to swelling, can be substituted for chlorinated flour in high ratio cakes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,362 also by Hanamoto et al., hard wheat normally used for making bread flour is simultaneously ground and heated. Then it is air classified to obtain a flour suitable for high ratio cakes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,388, by Gusek, discloses a process wherein unchlorinated flour is heated 1 to 2 mins. in a microwave oven at 230 to 270.degree. F. The so-heated flour, when included in dry mixes containing 15% of the emulsifier glycerol monostearate, has baking properties as good as the chlorinated standard. In this process, the considerable contact of hot flour and air is disregarded.
However in U.S. Pat. No 5,395,639, by Chawan et al., the inventors recognize the deleterious effect of exposure of flour to air and devise the following ways to minimize such contact: 1. Coarse grinding reduces the area of the flour; 2. Dough is made immediately after milling; 3. The grinder and the mixer are flushed with nitrogen during those operations.
Since oxidative degradation occurs whenever hot flour is exposed to air, all the taught methods for heat treatment of flour produce unknown amounts of oxidative degradation by-products. These substances adversely affect the baking properties of heat treated flour, HTF and the eating qualities of the cakes derived therefrom.

Process for improving baking properties of flour


An image searching system, an image searching method, and a medium storing an image searching program for improving search accuracy while reducing the user burden when searching for similar images based on a plurality of key images are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an image searching system for finding an image that resembles a specified image from among images managed by the image searching system where the search criteria are determined from the specified image. The present invention relates more specifically to an image searching system for finding an image based on a plurality of specified images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Images stored to a database for managing image data are typically stored with additional information that can be used to specify search conditions, including search keys, such as identifying keywords and image color keys, and image features, such as information on the shapes and colors appearing in the image. Using this common type of image database, it is possible to search the stored images to find an image similar to a user-specified image.
Image similarity in similar-image searching is determined based on such feature quantities as image shape, texture, and color. More specifically, the user specifies an image in the image database that is similar to a desired image to be searched for. Feature quantities are then extracted from the image selected by the user as the search key (referred to below as the "key image"), and the extracted feature quantities are then compared with the feature quantities registered in the image database. Image similarity indicative of the similarity between the key image and a found image is then calculated. Information on any stored image determined to resemble the key image based on this calculated image similarity is then returned as the search result.
Usually there is only one key image selected by the user, and it is often impossible to find the one image sought by the user based on the feature quantities defined from a single key image. Search accuracy is therefore often low. This can happen, for example, when there are plural features in a single image and the user focuses on only one feature, that is, when the user's search criteria are narrower than the criteria that can be extracted from the key image, as well as when numerous search conditions are specified to broaden the range of the search.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication 7-65169 teaches one method proposing to solve this problem. According to the taught method, a plurality of key images is specified, a specific area in each of the key images is selected, and the features to be used as search criteria are extracted from the selected areas. The search is then conducted using these features from plural selected areas in plural images. This method thus makes it possible to search for images having all of the features found in the specified areas of the plural key images. In other words, this method enables the user to specify a wide range of search conditions based on plural images.
The drawback to said taught method is that the user is required to specify in each of the selected key images those features that are to be used for searching, and this task becomes increasingly difficult and time-consuming as the number of key images increases and the variety of selected features increases.
The present invention is therefore directed to an image searching system and an image searching method for reducing the user burden and improving search accuracy when a plurality of key images is specified and a desired image is searched for based on these selected key images.
The present invention is further directed to a recording medium for storing an image searching program embodying the image searching method of the present invention.

Image searching system, image searching method, and a recording medium storing an image searching program

Abstract: A plurality of feature quantity types is extracted from each of plural key images (S42), and feature quantities of the same type are compared between the key images to select those feature quantities having approximately equal values as the key image feature quantities to be used as search criteria (S43). Feature quantities in the target images are then extracted (S45) and a degree of similarity between the target image and key images is calculated based on a key image feature quantity and the same feature quantity in the target image (S46) Based on the resulting degree of similarity, target images having a high similarity to the key image are output as the search result (S47).


A method of enhancing fetal growth and/or development and/or neonatal survival by the administration over a period of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), to either the amniotic fluid or direct to the fetal gastrointestinal tract. Administration may be by way of an ultrasonically monitored injection or placement of a catheter.

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) remains a major cause of intrauterine and neonatal death and is associated with a high morbidity in the neonatal period and potentially with morbidity extending to adult life. It is frequently associated with abnormalities of placental growth and/or function. IUGR can be diagnosed with standard obstetrical techniques such as ultrasonography. However treatment of IUGR remains inadequate and restricted to either maternal bedrest or premature elective caesarean section.
Immaturity of lung growth and development in fetal life may occur associated with IUGR or independent of it. Isolated failure of fetal lung growth is known as pulmonary hypoplasia and is a significant cause of neonatal death. It may be diagnosed prenatally. In prematurely born infants, immaturity of lung structure and function leads to the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). RDS is currently treated by ventilation and pulmonary insufflation of surfactant but remains a major problem in neonatal nurseries. It has been the practice for many years to treat women at risk of premature birth or in premature labour, where delivery is delayed pharmaceutically, with steroid hormones which cross the placenta and mature the lungs. However this therapy only partially alleviates RDS.
It is known to those versed in the art that fetal growth is regulated in part by a hormone termed insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which circulates in the fetal circulation and which has been demonstrated in a variety of animal models to regulate fetal growth and confirming clinical data are available. IGF-1 is made by fetal tissues. It however does not cross the placenta from mother to fetus. Therefore maternal administration does not directly affect fetal circulating levels of IGF-1 and that maternal administration of IGF-1 affects fetal growth indirectly (Liu L, Harding J E, Evans P C, Gluckman P D. "Maternal IGF-1 alters feto-placental carbohydrate and protein metabolism in pregnant sheep". Endocrinology 135 895-900; 1994). IGF-1 in the fetal circulation is derived from fetal tissues in particular from the fetal liver.
It is also known that the fetus swallows amniotic fluid.


The switchover is mode from a regenerative braking-preference mode in which the braking force for follower and driving wheels are more than a theoretical braking force distribution characteristic for follower and driving wheels, to a usual mode in which a braking force distribution characteristic thereof corresponds to the theoretical braking force distribution characteristic, is carried along an equal braking force line which is the sum of the braking forces for the follower and driving wheels. Thus, the sum total of the braking forces over the entire vehicle is kept constant even if the distribution of the braking forces for the follower and driving wheels is varied and therefore, a smooth braking is possible without a degradation of the steering stability. In addition, the switchover in mode from the regenerative-preference mode to the usual mode is carried out when the time-differentiation value of a wheel speed of the follower wheel or the driving wheel exceeds a predetermined value. Thus, when the friction coefficient of a road surface is large so that a small locking tendency of a wheel may be produced during braking, the regenerative braking-preference mode can be selected, thereby increasing the effect of recovery of energy by the regenerative braking.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake system in a vehicle in which any one or both of a hydraulic braking and a regenerative braking can be selected based on the operation of a brake operating element and the travelling condition of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are conventionally known vehicles which travel by an electric motor using a battery as an energy source and in which the battery is charged by an electric power generated by the motor by regenerative braking of driving wheel, thereby prolonging the possible travel distance of the vehicle for a single battery charge (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication No.6204/81 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,929).
It is conceived that in order to increase, to the maximum, the efficient of recovery of energy by the regenerative braking in such electric vehicle, the braking is usually performed in a regenerative braking-preference mode in which a regenerative braking force for the driving wheel exceeds a theoretical braking force distribution characteristic, and as required, the braking is performed in a usual mode in which a braking force distribution characteristic thereof corresponds to the theoretical braking force distribution characteristic. However, if the construction is adapted such that the regenerative braking-preferential mode and the usual mode can be switched over, a problem is encountered that the magnitude of the braking force is suddenly varied upon switch over of the modes from one to another and as a result, the smooth braking is hindered.
There is a conventionally known brake system in a vehicle comprising driving wheel capable of being hydraulically and regenerative braked and follower wheel capable of being hydraulically braked, in which regenerative braking of the driving wheel and the hydraulic braking of the follower wheel are performed simultaneously and in parallel during an initial braking, and when the regenerative braking force reaches a limit value, the hydraulic braking of driving wheel is started. In this brake system, however, a portion of the kinetic energy of the vehicle is consumed by the hydraulic braking of the follower wheel from the initial braking stage having the largest kinetic energy and for this reason, an effect of recovery of the energy by the regenerative braking cannot be exhibited sufficiently and hence, it is impossible to largely prolong the possible travel distance per one charging of the battery.
In an electric vehicle utilizing hydraulic braking and regenerative braking in combination, it is desirable, from the viewpoint to increase the efficiency of recovery of the energy, that the regenerative braking is used as much as possible, on the one hand, and it is desirable that the hydraulic braking of a high responsiveness and a large braking force is used during a hard braking and when there is a fail in the regenerative braking system, on the other hand. Particularly, when the regenerative braking is preferentially selected in order to increase the efficiency of recovery of energy, it is necessary to insure a sufficient braking capability on the supposition of an unlikely event when the regenerative braking system is failed.


A white balance adjustment device includes an image sensor for converting light of an object into an electrical signal, an amplification circuit for amplifying the electrical signal output from the image sensor, a control voltage limiting circuit for limiting a range of a control voltage to be output to the amplification circuit, and a detection circuit for detecting a quantity of ambient light with a hysteresis characteristic. The limited range of the control voltage is arranged to be variable on the basis of an output of the detection circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a white balance adjustment device for a color image sensing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among the known color image sensing apparatuses, an automatic tracking type apparatus is arranged to measure colors by means of an external sensor.
FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows in a block diagram the arrangement of the conventional white balance adjustment device. Referring to FIG. 3, a colorimetric sensor 1 is arranged to detect the red, green and blue components of the light of a light source and to perform photo-electric conversion. A logarithmic compression circuit 2 is arranged to logarithmically compress the red, green and blue components of the light of the light source obtained by the colorimetric sensor 1. A differential circuit 3 is arranged to perform a subtracting operation on the outputs of the logarithmic compression circuit 2. An image sensing system 5 is arranged to photo-electrically convert the light of an object to be photographed and produces red (R), green (G) and blue (B) signal outputs. An R signal amplifier 6 and a B signal amplifier 7 are arranged to amplify the R and B signal outputs of the image sensing system 5 respectively. A signal processing system 8 is arranged to perform a signal processing action to obtain a predetermined signal. A constant voltage output circuit 12 is arranged to produce a constant voltage for controlling the R signal amplifier 6 and the B signal amplifier 7 by applying it to them in place of the outputs of the colorimetric sensor 1 when the light incident on the colorimetric sensor 1 is insufficient. A switch 13 is arranged to switch the supply of the outputs of the colorimetric sensor 1 over to the outputs of the constant voltage output circuit 12 and vice versa.
In the device of FIG. 3, the colorimetric sensor 1 produces signals SR, SG and SB which respectively correspond to the red, green and blue components of the light of the light source. The signals SR, SG and SB are logarithmically compressed by the logarithmic compression circuit 2. The circuit 2 produces outputs log SR, log SG and log SB, which are supplied to the differential circuit 3. The differential circuit 3 obtains a difference between the logarithmic values of R (red) and G (green) and a difference between those of B (blue) and G. The differential circuit 3 converts these differences into outputs log (SR/SG) and log (SG/SB) which are control voltages for the R signal amplifier 6 and the B signal amplifier 7. The amplifiers 6 and 7 perform white balance adjustment by amplifying the sensed image signals output from the image sensing system 5 according to the above-stated control voltages.
In this instance, if the illuminance of the ambient light is low, the error components of the outputs of the colorimetric sensor 1 and the logarightmic compression circuit 2 are amplified. As a result, the white balance adjustment becomes inadequate. In view of this, the conventional device such as the one shown in FIG. 3 is arranged to detect the value log SG as the illuminance of the ambient light. When the detection output log SG is lower than a given reference level, the control is performed by switching the control voltages obtained from the colorimetric sensor 1, the logarithmic compression circuit 2 and the differential circuit 3 over to the outputs of the constant voltage output circuit 12 by means of the switch 13. In this case, the constant voltage output is set at a value corresponding to light of a low color temperature ( which corresponds to candle or tungsten light). It has been thus attempted to prevent the white balance adjustment from becoming excessively inadequate by the above-stated arrangement in the event of low illuminance.
In accordance with the conventional white balance adjustment device, therefore, the control voltage is fixed to the constant voltage output when the ambient light illuminance detection output becomes lower than a given value and the constant voltage is switched over back to the control voltage when the illuminance level of the ambient light comes to exceed the given value. As a result, the white balance tends to greatly change at the above-stated given value. This makes an uncomfortable picture. Particularly, in a case where the ambient light is widely different from a color temperature defined by the constant voltage, a very large change in white balance occurs conspicuously. Further, such change also tends to occur under a flickering light source such as a fluorescent lamp.
Further, in the apparatus of the above-stated kind, white balance correction control is automatically performed on the basis of information on the image of an object obtained through a lens. Then, in cases where there is no completely white part in the object or where a background occupying a large area is of a uniform color other than white, if the white balance control is performed on the basis of the value of a high luminance part of the object or an average value of the video (chrominance) signal of the whole image, a signal for a part which is not white would be controlled in such a way as to show the part as a white part when the object's image is displayed on a monitor. Therefore, the white balance within the picture plane of the monitor would be lost.
To solve this problem, for example, a table showing a white balance correcting (or control) range may be stored in a white balance controlling microcomputer. The white balance then may be controlled within a correcting range limited by the table. In accordance with this method, the white balance can be effectively controlled, by narrowing the correcting range mostly for magenta and green colors, for an object having no white part and a background of a uniform color other than white, which are difficult for automatic white balance control by the (TTL) method as mentioned above.
However, since the white balance is controlled within the limited correction range, the image sensing apparatus of the above-stated kind has been incapable of adequately controlling the white balance for all the color temperatures of objects, for example, in cases where the object to be photographed is white in a large portion thereof or where the white balance is completely adjusted with a standard white plate or the like before an image sensing operation.

White balance adjusting device with plural thresholds for range control


A programmable logic device (“PLD”) architecture includes logic elements (“LEs”) grouped together in clusters called logic array blocks (LABs”). To save area, local feedback resources (for feeding outputs of the LEs in a LAB back to inputs of LEs in the LAB) are reduced or eliminated as compared to in the prior art. Because all (or at least more) of any LE-output-to-LE-input connections of LEs that are working together in a LAB must be routed through the general-purpose input routing resources of the LAB, it is important to conserve those resources. This is accomplished, for example, by giving greater importance to finding logic functions that have common inputs when deciding what logic functions to implement together in a LAB.

This invention relates to programmable logic device ("PLD") integrated circuits and other devices of that general type (all referred to generically herein as PLDs). More particularly, the invention relates to certain aspects of the organization ("architecture") of the circuitry of a PLD, and to methods for implementing a user's logic design in such PLD architectures.
PLDs are known that have logic elements ("LEs") grouped in clusters that are sometimes referred to as logic array blocks or LABs. An example of this type of PLD architecture is shown in Cliff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,611. In this type of architecture, each LE has a local feedback connection from its output to inputs of all the logic elements in the LAB that includes that LE. Each LE can also output to the general interconnection resources of the PLD. Each LE can get its inputs from the associated local feedback connections and/or from the general interconnection resources.
Dedicated local feedback connections have a number of advantages such as speed. However, they do consume substantial resources of the PLD (e.g., space on the PLD). More efficient PLD architectures are always being sought.

Programmable logic device architectures and methods for implementing logic in those architectures


This system for electrically connecting and fastening at least one plate-type electrical conductor onto a support piece provided with a threaded pin designed to be engaged in a corresponding hole of conductor and to cooperate with a nut for screwing conductor onto support piece, is characterized in that an annular spacer of electrically conductive material is joined to conductor on the side of this conductor that is facing the support piece and in that nut is positioned on the other side of conductor, and is joined to spacer by coupling means allowing the rotation of the nut relative to the spacer and a determined course of axial movement for nut relative to this spacer, between a position of assembling distant from the conductor and a position for screwing in which the nut is supported against the conductor, in order to facilitate the positioning and then the screwing of the conductor against the support piece.

More particularly, the invention relates to such systems in which the support piece is provided with a threaded pin designed to be engaged in a corresponding hole of the conductor and to cooperate with a nut for screwing the conductor onto the support piece.
Such connection systems are currently used, for example, in plate or busbar systems to assure the connection of electrical conductors.
One example of such a system is described in document FR-A-2,784,241.
It is also known that generally, these connection systems have a certain number of disadvantages, notably during positioning and screwing of the conductor against the support piece, in places that are difficult to access.
In fact, these connection systems are generally positioned in the bottom of electrical supply cabinets or baskets and are difficult to access by assemblers.
It can therefore happen that this assembler lets go off one or the other of the parts that make up these systems, and that this part is difficult or even impossible to recover.
Thus it can be seen that this is annoying, even dangerous, notably for the electrical integrity of the rest of the cabinet or basket.

System for electrically connecting and fixing at least one conductor to support piece


The invention relates to a massage ball having temperature retention properties such that the user can warm or cool the ball prior to using and then roll the ball with the underside of the foot against a rigid surface to provide a massaging effect simultaneously with either a therapeutic warming or cooling effect to the foot, depending upon the need of the user.

Both chronic and acute foot pain affect numerous people. The pain is often caused by one or more of the following conditions: inflammation, decreased blood flow, muscle strain, muscle tension or muscle fatigue. Relief from foot pain can often be obtained by massaging the bottom of the feet and/or by applying either heat or cold to the bottom of the feet.
The rolling of the foot over a tennis ball or a golf ball has been recommended as a massage therapy to treat plantar fascitis, an acute inflammation of the band of tissue that supports the arch. It has even been recommended to place the golf ball in the freezer prior to use (https://www.runningtimes.com/issues/02apr/pf.htm). Golf balls, however, tend to slip out from under the foot during the massage because of their light weight. Also when one attempts to roll a golf ball from the arch to the ball of the foot, it tends to slide out from under the foot unless the user releases pressure on the ball. This disadvantageously causes the user to lose the massage effect. Tennis balls are also too large are deformable—they compress and lose their shape under the pressure of the foot—and thus do not provide an optimal foot massage. Also, the fuzz on the surface of a tennis ball can cause discomfort, as well as shed during use. Moreover, neither golf balls or tennis balls hold cold or warm temperatures for a time sufficient to perform an effective massage.
Numerous foot massage devices are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,743 describes a foot massager composed of a frame which fits parallel rods, wherein each rod contains multiple beads. The user manually rolls the foot over the beads to provide the massage. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,198,962 and 4,347,838 describe a similar apparatus where multiple rotatable balls are mounted on parallel bars and form a convex surface over which the user rubs the foot. The device may also be associated with an electrically driven vibrator. Products such as these are commercially available as the Wooden Foot Massager (www.lazycomfort.com/woodfootmas.html).
Another type of foot massager is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,981. This device is a mat comprising a plurality of hill-like protuberance over and on top of which the user steps. A somewhat related device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,507. This device is a combined foot support/massager wherein the user places both feet on an inclined surface containing flexible nipples that contact the toe, sole and heel. The user may provide pressure onto the nippled surface to obtain a massage. The device optionally may contain a heating device within the base supporting the nippled, inclined surface. Rubber nipples contacting the bottom of the foot also provide the massaging action in the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,602. This device further comprises an electric motor which moves a plate upon which the nipples are mounted. The device further comprises pulsating spray nozzles and a heater which spray the bottom of the users feet with warm water under a variable amount of pressure providing additional massage action and the added benefit of heat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,855 describes a vibrator plate and associated heating element combined with foot-shaped recesses into which the user places the feet for a massage combined with heat.
A massager composed of a cylindrical rod containing protrusions and connected on either end to rollers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,470. Products such as these are sold as the Accu-Flex Foot Massager and the Footsie Foot Massager (see www.lazycomfort.com/footfootmas.html and www.lazycomfort.com/acfootmas.html). A product known as the Hot and Cold Foot Massager is simply a ridged cylinder divided into two hollow compartments that may be independently filled with cold and hot water (Walter Drake, item #14933) thus providing heat or cold in addition to the massage.
The use of balls to provide foot massage are also known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,668 describes an electronic device that simultaneously provides both a vibrating massage and a kneading massage to a body part, where the kneading massage is performed by balls in the device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,533 discloses a touch activated foot massager where the bottom of the foot contacts a plurality of rubber balls that driven by a motor vibrate and move, thus providing the massage. PCT Publication No. WO 00/66065 discloses a massage plate with ball holes and balls in the holes. The user rolls his feet over the balls to provide the massage.
Manual ball massagers are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,689 describes a ball on a flexible cord in between two handles allowing the user to grasp the handles and place the ball between the area of the body to be massaged and a wall, floor or chair. United States Patent Publication No. US 2003/0009118 discloses a rubber massage ball with protrusions attached to a handle strap for providing a massage to various body parts. The Altus Foot Massage and Balance Ball (www.mcsports.com; item#1283592) is a rubber ball or half ball with protrusions. A spongy, soft rubber massage ball having a tacky surface, called a Prana Ball, is said to be able to be warmed or chilled and then used for massage on various parts of the body, including the foot (http://info.product-finder.net/myss/Medium+Thermal+Massage+Ball.html). However, rubber balls and balls made out of other materials that deform easily when pressure is applied to them and thus do not provide sufficient resistance against the foot to give an effective massage. Moreover, the Prana Ball does not appear to be able to retain heat or cold for a sufficient period for an effective massage.
Despite the various massagers on the market, many are not optimally designed for the foot. Those that are designed principally to massage the foot are either not portable, not capable of being heated, cooled or both, require filling with water and thus are prone to leakage or spillage, or require time and space to set up before use. Thus, there still exists a need for a portable, relatively light-weight foot massage apparatus that can be easily heated or cooled and will retain that heat or cold for a time sufficient to administer a massage.


The piston rod of the tandem-piston engine was modified to include a crosshead that slides in a crosshead guide machined into the lower part of the charger piston for better lateral support. The lower surface of the motor piston was changed to a simple conical surface allowing increased vertical thickness of the central region with a thinner outer region. A ceramic piston crown was clamped in compression by a piston bezel to the motor-piston base at a ledge with a conical upper surface having its vertex at the center of its base so thermal expansion will effect a sliding contact. A piston ring was used at the upper edge of the motor piston so the uppermost cylinder wall will be polished to prevent heat absorption. An intake port was given a flame arresting diffuser; and its entrance was blocked by the piston valve to prevent ignition in the valve cylinder.

My invention relates to internal-combustion engines of the type employing a motor piston that reciprocates in a cylinder while turning a crankshaft for the extraction of motive power from the expansion of hot gases produced by the combustion of a compressed fuel-air charge that is supplied under pressure to a combustion chamber by a charger piston. A type fitting into the broad classification of two-stroke pump-compression cycle internal-combustion engines.
Currently, most heat engines in use for mechanical power generation are of the four-stroke cycle type that was patented by Alphonse Beau de Rochas in 1862 and adapted for manufacture and practical use in 1876 by Nicolaus August Otto. These engines have been very successful for over a century and they are still the standard of comparison. Their mode of operation appears quite logical; but they do not make maximum use of the heat that is generated by the combustion of a fuel-air charge. And the various two-stroke cycle gasoline engines in current use suffer from the same problem. In the four-stroke Otto cycle, a fuel-air mixture is drawn into a cylinder having a combustion chamber into which the mixture is compressed by a piston. The fuel-air mixture is then ignited, and the heat released from burning the fuel greatly increases the pressure of the resulting gases by raising them to a very high temperature. The extremely hot high-pressure gases then push the piston down to turn the crankshaft and do work. But paradoxically, in Otto cycle engines all parts of the combustion chamber must be kept reasonably cool. If they are not cooled, heat absorbed from the burning gases during the power strokes will increase the temperature of the parts until something becomes so hot that it will ignite the fuel-air charge during the induction stroke. Ignition then results in a backfire explosion through the intake manifold that prevents the successful completion of the cycle. But even before any part becomes that hot, there will be preignition during the compression stroke that is likely to cause power loss, detonation and overheating of the piston and valves that can destroy the engine. Since it is essential that the combustion chamber of these engines be kept cool, it is necessary to incorporate an air or liquid cooling system that usually adds substantially to their bulk and complexity and detracts from their reliability. However, the combustion and expansion phase of the cycle would be far more efficient if it were to be conducted using a very hot insulated chamber. Then the extremely hot high-pressure combustion gases would not as quickly transfer the heat, which produced and maintains the high pressure, to the internal parts of the combustion chamber. These include the cylinder head, the valves, the piston crown, the spark plug and the exposed part of the cylinder wall.
An answer to the problem might be to induct only air and then inject the fuel into it after it is compressed, as in a Diesel engine. This will solve the preignition problem; however, if the parts in the combustion chamber are allowed to become very hot, the air will be heated and expanded as it enters the cylinder, so less air will enter. This will reduce the mass of air available for combustion. Also, if the air is being heated by the chamber surfaces while being compressed, more work must be expended to compress it. The efficiency then is likely to get worse instead of better as was shown by the research in the Adiabatic Engine Program.
Since a cool chamber is needed for induction, but a hot chamber is needed for expansion, a new approach is necessary before the thermal efficiency can be raised to a much higher level. The dilemma can be resolved by making an engine that inducts and compresses its fresh charge in a separate cavity. Then, at the proper time, the fresh charge is forced into a combustion chamber, which is insulated and kept very hot, for combustion and expansion. This will slow the rapid loss of heat from the combustion gases so that the pressure does not drop as fast while the piston is being pushed down. If less heat is lost, a higher expansion ratio can then be used to extract more mechanical energy from the heat energy.
The only way that it is possible to increase the indicated thermal efficiency of internal-combustion piston engines is to reduce the amount of heat wasted. This is true regardless of whether the waste is from incomplete combustion, forced convection followed by conduction through the chamber surfaces or out the exhaust pipe following a low ratio expansion. Increasing the expansion ratio will be of limited benefit in four-stroke spark-ignition engines where purging of heat from the combustion chamber is practiced because it is intrinsically necessary. And it is unlikely that the mechanical efficiency will ever be much improved while a four-stroke engine requiring two revolutions per cycle, an extensive valve train and a mechanically pumped and fanned liquid cooling system is used.
Previously, an engine was devised and patented that has a tandem-piston arrangement in which the mode of operation is to induct a fresh fuel-air charge into a cavity that is opened between the lower surface of a motor piston and the upper surface of a charger piston as they descend in a cylinder. When the pistons rise, the fresh charge is compressed between the pistons in a space called the charger cavity for injection into the combustion chamber, which is located above the motor piston. Injection is through transfer channels running upward past the motor piston along the cylinder wall that are opened as the motor piston rises past them when it nears its zenith. Injection and combustion take place as the motor piston passes its top center position. The transfer channel openings are then closed by the lower motor-piston ring as it descends early in the power stroke while the upper surface of the charger piston is in tight full-surface contact with the lower surface of the motor piston. The patent number is U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,382; it issued in 1996, and it is titled: Tandem-Differential-Piston Cursive Constant-Volume Internal-Combustion Engine. For simplicity, the engine that is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,382 will now be referred to as a tandem-piston engine.


Disclosed is a method of separating .beta.-amylase from a solution containing .beta.-amylase, in which the solution is treated with an .alpha.-cyclodextrin fixed water-insoluble high polymer compound in the presence of ammonium sulfate to form an adsorbed composite of the high polymer compound and .beta.-amylase and soluble impurities not adsorbed to the high polymer compound are separated and removed. By the method, a high-purity .beta.-amylase, which is highly useful in the starch saccharification industry, may specifically and efficiently be isolated from a .beta.-amylase-containing mixture solution.

Soybeans, wheat and barley contain .alpha.-amylase in addition to .beta.-amylase. In order to remove the .alpha.-amylase, a method of deactivating .alpha.-amylase by varying the ambient pH and temperature or by using a chelating agent has heretofore been used. However, since complete removal of .alpha.-amylase by the method is accompanied by deactivation of .beta.-amylase, it is difficult to completely remove .alpha.-amylase by the method in view of the yield of .beta.-amylase.
On the other hand, in the starch saccharification industry, production of a high-purity maltose syrup is being advanced and therefore a high-purity .beta.-amylase which does not produce any other saccharides to be derived from .alpha.-amylase than maltose is needed.
There is known affinity chromatography as a method of rapid and specific purification of enzyme proteins. In accordance with the method, only the intended enzyme is specifically adsorbed to an insoluble carrier having a substrate of the enzyme or a substrate analogue thereof as fixed thereto so that the soluble impurities are removed from the enzyme, whereby only the intended substance (enzyme) is specifically and rapidly separated and purified.
Some reports have already been disclosed, regarding affinity chromatography of .beta.-amylase. For instance, Per Vretblad (FEBS Letters, 47 (1974) 86-89) reported that .beta.-amylase from sweet potatoes is specifically adsorbed to a Sepharose column having .alpha.-cyclodextrin, which is a .beta.-amylase antagonistic inhibitor, as fixed thereto, whereupon a bovine serum albumin, which has been added to the column simultaneously as a model of an impurity protein, is not adsorbed to the column and may therefore be removed from .beta.-amylase, and that the adsorbed .beta.-amylase may specifically be eluted from the column by adding .alpha.-cyclodextrin to the eluent. A. Hoschke et al. (Starch, 28 (1976), 426-432) reported, though not explicitly referring to the origin, that .beta.-amylase adsorbs to a Sepharose column having .alpha.-cyclodextrin as fixed thereto.
However, recently, K. Subbaramiah et al. (Starch, 41, (1989) 357-359) disclosed a different report mentioning that when they prepared Sepharose having cyclodextrin as fixed thereto by the same method as the above mentioned Per Vretblad's method (FEBS Letters, 47, 1974), any .beta.-amylase derived from sweet potatoes, potatoes and malt did not adsorb it.
Under the situation, we the present inventors prepared and examined an .alpha.-cyclodextrin-fixed Sepharose column in accordance with the Per Vretblad's report (FEBS Letters, 47, 1974) and found that .beta.-amylase derived from soybeans and malt, which has an important role in the starch saccharification industry, does not adsorb to the carrier. At present, therefore, there is no report relating to specific affinity chromatography of .beta.-amylase derived from soybeans and malt.
Under the above-mentioned conditions, we the present inventors earnestly investigated affinity chromatography for adsorbing .beta.-amylase derived from soybeans and malt, which has an important role in the starch saccharification industry, and, as a result, have found that such .beta.-amylase which does not adsorb to the .alpha.-cyclodextrin-fixed carrier in the presence of a buffer or the like may efficiently adsorb to thereto by adding ammonium sulfate to the solution to be applied to the column. On the basis of the finding, we have completed the present invention.

Director of National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries


A pharmaceutical composition includes a therapeutically effective amount of exo-S-mecamylamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, substantially free of exo-R-mecamylamine in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably the amount is about 0.5 mg to about 20 mg. Medical conditions are treated by administering a therapeutically effective amount of exo-S-mecamylamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, substantially free of its exo-R-mecamylamine, said amount being sufficient to ameliorate the medical condition. The medical conditions include but are not limited to substance addiction (involving nicotine, cocaine, alcohol, amphetamine, opiate, other psychostimulant and a combination thereof), aiding smoking cessation, treating weight gain associated with smoking cessation, hypertension, hypertensive crisis, Tourette's Syndrome and other tremors, cancer (such as small cell lung cancer), atherogenic profile, neuropsychiatric disorders (such as bipolar disorder, depression, an anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, a seizure disorder, Parkinson's disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, autonomic dysreflexia, and spasmogenic intestinal disorders.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of chemical synthesis of stereoisomers and more particularly the exo-S-mecamylamine stereoisomer and the use of exo-S-mecamylamine in medical treatments.
(2) Description of Related Art
Mecamylamine (N,2,3,3-tetramethylbicyclo-[2.1.1]heptan-2-amine hydrochloride, 826-39-1) was developed and characterized by Merck & Co., Inc., as a ganglionic blocker with clinically significant hypotensive actions (Stone et al., J Med Pharm Chem 5(4):665-90, 1962). Unique characteristics of mecamylamine—including exceptional oral efficacy, rapid onset, long duration of action, and nearly complete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract—made mecamylamine at that time more desirable than the existing ganglionic blockers (Baer et al., Am J Physiol 186:180-6, 1956).
Despite mecamylamine's proven efficacy in the treatment of hypertension, its side effects resulting from broad parasympathetic inhibition led to its demise as a first line treatment for essential hypertension. Generalized ganglionic blockade may result in atony of the bladder and gastrointestinal tract impaired sexual function, cycloplegia, xerostomia, diminished perspiration and postural hypotension. Among mecamylamine side effects experienced at the antihypertensive dose of 25 mg/day were cardiovascular effects, hypothermia, tremors, anti-diuresis, antinociception, blurred vision, impotency, dysuria, tremor, choreiform movements, mental aberrations, nervousness, depression, anxiety, insomnia, slurred speech, weakness, fatigue, sedation, headache, constipation and renal insufficiency. Even at lower doses, such as 7.5 mg/day, some evidence for constipation has been reported. Minor increases in taste perversion (altered sense of taste), dizziness, insomnia and dyspepsia were noted. Mecamylamine continued to be used in special situations, such as hypertensive encephalopathy (Moser, 1969), hypertensive crises, and autonomic dysreflexia (Braddom and Johnson, 1969; Braddom and Rocco, 1991). Outside of a few laboratories and an occasional clinical study, sales of mecamylamine are rare.
In addition to its peripheral ganglionic blocking actions, mecamylamine crosses the blood brain barrier and functions as a selective nicotinic receptor antagonist at doses which do not have a significant effect on parasympathetic function (Banerjee et al., Biochem Pharmacol 40:2105-10, 1990; Martin et al., Med Chem Res 2:564-77, 1993). As a result, mecamylamine blocks most of the physiological, behavioral, and reinforcing effects of tobacco and nicotine (Martin et al., Biochem Pharmacol 38:3391-7, 1989). In studies of nicotine dependence, doses of 2.5 to 20 mg have been administered acutely to human subjects. For example, Rose et al. (1989) found that low doses of mecamylamine (2.5 to 10 mg), which were well tolerated, reduced the subjective effects of smoking in adult smokers.
In a recent double blind placebo-controlled study investigating the benefits of oral mecamylamine (5 mg/day b.i.d.) in adults for smoking cessation treatment, there was no significant increase over controls in adverse effects reported with mecamylamine treatment for most symptoms, including blurred vision, dizziness when standing, dry mouth, weakness, abdominal pains, or difficult urination. The most prevalent symptom with the mecamylamine treatment was mild constipation; at some point during the five weeks of mecamylamine treatment, 70% of the subjects reported that symptom versus 32% in the placebo group (Rose et al., 1994). Mecamylamine also has been reported to alter cognitive functioning (Newhouse P A et al, Neuropsychopharmacology 10:93-107, 1994), electrical brain waves (Pickworth W B, Herning R I, Henningfield J E, Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior 30:149-153, 1988) and cortical blood flow (Gitalman D R, Prohovnik I, Neurobiology of Aging 13:313-318, 1992).
While most animal studies used more than 0.5 mg/kg, Driscoll found that a small dose of only mecamylamine (<0.3 mg/kg, not 0.5 mg/kg) to high-avoidance rats increased their avoidance success almost as much as 0.1 mg/kg nicotine (but less than 0.2 mg/kg nicotine). Based on his experiments, Driscoll concluded: "mecamylamine may exert unpredictable effects on rats at the dosage levels used to block nicotine in behavioral tests" (Driscoll P., Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 46:119-21, 1976).
Many organic compounds exist in optically active forms, i.e., they have the ability to rotate the plane of polarized light. In describing an optically active compound, the prefixes R and S are used to denote the absolute configuration of the molecule about its chiral center(s). The prefixes (+) and (−) or d and l are employed to designate the sign of rotation of polarized light by the compound, with (−) and l meaning that the compound is levorotatory. A compound prefixed with (+) and d is dextrorotatory. For a given chemical structure, these compounds, called stereoisomers, are identical except that they are mirror images of one another. A specific stereoisomer may also be referred to as an enantiomer, and a mixture of such isomers is often called an enantiomeric or racemic mixture.
Stereochemical purity is of importance in the field of pharmaceuticals, where 12 of the 20 most prescribed drugs are optically active. One example is the l-form of propranolol, which is about 100 times more potent than the d-form. Optical purity is important since certain isomers may be deleterious rather than simply inert. Another example is d-thalidomide that appears to be a safe and effective sedative for controlling morning sickness during pregnancy; whereas, l-thalidomide is thought to be a potent teratogen.
Mecamylamine has been marketed as a racemic mixture comprising the optical isomers exo-S-mecamylamine and exo-R-mecamylamine hydrochloride. Previous studies aimed at investigating the pharmacology of these two isomers have generally found little or no difference in potency or efficacy. For example, Stone et al. (1962) compared the effects of (+)-mecamylamine hydrochloride with racemic mecamylamine hydrochloride on nicotine-induced convulsions and pupil dilation and found essentially no significant differences between the two compounds and concluded that "optical isomerism does not play a significant role in determining the degree of activity." (Stone, supra, p. 675). Schonenberger et al. (Helv Chim Acta 69:283-7, 1986) reported "interesting differences" in the actions of d- and l-mecamylamine hydrochloride in assays measuring neuromuscular transmission. However, they provided no details on the differences.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,801, Brossi and Schonenberger disclosed that "the antipodes (−)- and (+)-mecamylamine were obtained here from the corresponding methylbenzylureas in 40% yield each and were of high optical purity (95%, HPLC), affording hydrochloride salts which were optically pure after one crystallization." (col. 3, lines 32-37). However, in disclosing their experimental findings, they mention that the "etheral extract of the concentrated, acidified reaction mixture was concentrated and the residue distilled (Kugel, 180°, 20 torr) to give 6.08 g (96%) (−)-12 as a tlc. pure colorless liquid which turned to a waxy solid on standing in cold: [α]D=77.0° (c+2.6 in benzene) lit. (+)-12: [α]D=+80.1° (c=3 in benzene). The combined org extracts from the alkaline aqueous phase were concentrated, the resulting liquid was mixed with 20 ml Et2O and crude hydrochloride (+)-1.HCl was precipitated by addition of a slight excess of HCl in Et2O. After filtration, the finely powdered colorless solid was recrystallized from 2-propanol to give 1.02 g (64%) (+)-1.HCl as needles [α]D, +20.1° (c+1.7 in CHCl3). The more polar urea 3 (1.85 g, 5.89 mmol) was treated in exactly the same manner to give 752 mg (63% (−)-1. HCl as colorless needles: [α]D−20.0° (c=2.2 in CHCl3)." Col. 6, lines 20-37. However, no in vitro or in vivo data were disclosed.
Suchocki et al. (J Med Chem 34:1003-10, 1991) investigated the actions of d- and l-mecamylamine hydrochloride in assays measuring nicotine-induced depression of spontaneous locomotor activity and antinociception. They found that both optical isomers had similar potency in blocking the antinociception caused by nicotine; whereas, the potency of the (+)-mecamylamine isomer in blocking the nicotine-induced depression of spontaneous locomotor activity was unable to be determined due to an experimental confound.
Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is an autosomal dominant neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a range of symptoms, including multiple motor and phonic tics. It is a hyperkinetic movement disorder expressed largely by sudden, rapid, brief, recurrent, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movements (motor tics) or sounds (phonic tics), experienced as irresistible impulses but which can be suppressed for varying lengths of time (Tourette Syndrome Classification Study Group, Arch Neurol 50:1013-16). Motor tics generally include eye blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging and facial grimacing, while phonic or vocal tics include throat clearing, sniffling, yelping, tongue clicking and coprolalia. The symptoms typically begin in childhood and range from relatively mild to very severe over the course of a patient's lifetime (Robertson M M, Br J Psychiatry, 154:147-169, 1989). Many TS patients also exhibit other neuropsychiatric abnormalities including obsessive compulsive symptoms (Pauls D L et al. Psychopharm Bull, 22:730-733, 1986), hyperactivity and attention deficit (Comings Del., Himes J A, Comings B G, J Clin Psychiatry, 51:463-469, 1990). Problems with extreme temper or aggressive behavior also are frequent (Riddle Mass. et al. Wiley Series in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eds. Cohen D J, Bruun, R D, Leckman J F, New York City, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 151-162, 1988; Stelf M E, Bornstein R A, Hammond L, A survey of Tourette Syndrome patients and their families: the 1987 Ohio Tourette Survey, Cincinnati, Ohio Tourette Syndrome Association, 1988), as are school refusal and learning disabilities (Harris D, Silver A A, Learning Disabilities, 6(1): 1-7, 1995; Silver A A, Hagin R A, Disorders of Learning Childhood, Noshpitz J D, ed. New York City: Wiley, pp. 469-508, 1990).
While the pathogenesis of TS is still unknown, excessive striatal dopamine and/or dopamine receptor hypersensitivity has been proposed (Singer H S et al. Ann Neurol, 12:361-366, 1982), based largely on the therapeutic effectiveness of dopamine receptor antagonists. TS is frequently treated with the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (Haldol®, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Raritan, N.J.), which is effective in about 70% of cases (Erenberg G, Cruse R P, Rothner, A D, Ann Neurol, 22:383-385, 1987; Shapiro A K, Shapiro E, Wiley series in child and adolescent mental health, Eds. Cohen D J, Bruun R D, Leckman J F, New York City, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 267-280, 1988). Other neuroleptics include pimozide (Shapiro E S et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 46:722-730, 1989), fluphenazine (Singer H S, Gammon K, Quaskey S. Pediat Neuroscience, 12:71-74, 1985-1986), and risperidone (Stamenkovic et al., Lancet 344:1577-78, 1994). The a-adrenergic agonist clonidine, which also is effective for associated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has only a 40% success rate for motor and vocal tics (Brunn R D, J Am Acad Child Psychiatry, 23:126-133, 1984; Cohen D J et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37:1350-1357, 1980). Other medications with varying degrees of effectiveness include clonazepam (Gonce M, Barbeau A. Can J Neurol Sci 4:279-283, 1977), naloxone (Davidson P W et al. Appl Res Ment Retardation 4:1-4, 1983) and fluoxetine (Riddle M A et al. J Am Acad Child Adol Psychiatry 29:45-48, 1990). A commonly used medication is haloperidol (Erenberg G, Cruse R P, Rothner A D, Ann Neurol, 22:383-385, 1987). However, therapeutic doses of haloperidol frequently cause difficulty in concentration, drowsiness, depression, weight gain, parkinsonian-like symptoms—and with long-term use—tardive dyskenesia (Shapiro A K, Shapiro E, Tourette's Syndrome and Tic Disorders: Clinical Understanding and Treatment. Wiley series in child and adolescent mental health. Eds. Cohen, D J, Bruun, R D, Leckman J F, New York City, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 267-298, 1988). The side effect of tardive dyskinesia is particularly bothersome because it may add additional abnormal, involuntary movements of the tongue, jaw, trunk and/or extremities.
Erenberg et al. (Erenberg G, Cruse R P, Rothner A D, Ann Neurol 22:383-385, 1987) found that most patients with TS stop using their haloperidol or other neuroleptic medications by age 16, often because of side effects. After TS patients quit medication, they have less control over speech and movement, which disqualify many for full-time, responsible jobs. The public, including law enforcement officers, often identify the symptoms as intoxication. Unexpected movements and coprolalia cause great social difficulties.
It has been observed that 50% of children presenting with TS also have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurobiological disorder characterized by impaired attentiveness, increased impulsivity, and hyperactivity. ADHD is now the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric condition, with some 3.5 million afflicted. In addition, 60% of adolescents with ADHD continue to have symptoms in adulthood, representing another 2.5 million patients.
Many neuropsychiatric disorders involve abnormal or involuntary movements including but not limited to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), TS, ADHD, hemidystonia, and chorea, such as Huntington's chorea. These diseases may be caused by neurochemical imbalances in the brain's basal ganglia. Acetylcholine, by activating nAChrs in the basal ganglia, regulates motor activity in humans (Clarke PBS, Pert A, Brain Res 348:355-358, 1985). Nicotinic stimulation excites activity in the dopamine (DA)-producing cells in the basal ganglia (Clarke P B S et al, J Pharmacol Exper Therapeutics 246:701-708, 1988; Grenhoff J, Aston-Jones G, Svennson T H, Acta Physiol Scand 128:351-358, 1986; Imperato A, Mulas A, Di Chiara G, Eur J Pharmacol 132:337-338, 1986), while mecamylamine blocks nAChr and inhibits DA release from basal ganglia structures (Ahtee L, Kaakkola S, Br J Pharmacol 62:213-218, 1978).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,052 to Rose and Levin discloses agonist-antagonist combinations to reduce the use of nicotine and other drugs. In combination with nicotine, the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine was given to treat tobacco dependency. Rose and Levin proposed including both nicotine and mecamylamine in a patch. Rose and Levin also suggested that such agonist-antagonist combinations could be used in other psychopathological disorders and cases involving neuronal dysfunction (e.g., manic depression, schizophrenia and hypertension due to sympathetic autonomic disorder).
It would benefit patients to be able to have better symptom control and fewer side effects. Our clinical experience with mecamylamine racemate in human patients with a variety of disorders supports a variety of uses. Herein is disclosed improved symptom control with isomer exo-S-mecamylamine for the treatment of a variety of nicotine-responsive neuropsychiatric disorders.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Exo-S-mecamylamine formulation and use in treatment


Disclosed is a method of manufacturing nano-sized metal wire having a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 50 by using an ionic liquid in a polyol reduction using a metal salt as a precursor.

Recently, the demand for a transparent electrode in such fields as flat panel displays, touch panels, solar cells, etc. is increasing. The material for the transparent electrode which is currently being mainly used includes a metal oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO) for vacuum deposition. However, because this metal oxide requires a post-treatment process at high temperature in order to exhibit high electrical conductivity, it is difficult to apply on a plastic substrate having comparatively low heat resistance. Even if a metal oxide film is formed on a plastic substrate through low-temperature deposition, problems of the metal oxide film easily cracking when faced with warping or other physical deformation may occur. Furthermore, vacuum deposition needs high production costs. Hence, thorough research into a transparent electrode material usable instead of the above material is being conducted.
Thus, there have been proposed methods of forming a transparent conductive film having high electrical conductivity and optical transparency by manufacturing a metal such as silver in the form of a nanostructure, dispersing the metal nanostructure in a solution and then applying the resulting dispersion solution on a plastic film. To this end, methods of simply manufacturing a metal nanostructure on a large scale using a solution are required, and the metal nanostructure should be provided in the form of wire having a high length-to-diameter ratio in order to form an effective conductive network. There have been recent reports about manufacturing metal nanowire from a metal salt precursor using a polyol such as ethyleneglycol as a reducing agent in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (Chem. Mater. 14, 4736-4745). This technique is advantageous because the metal nanostructure is comparatively easily manufactured using a solution through the reaction, called "polyol reduction". Although the metal nanostructure thus manufactured may have the shape of nanowire, it may further have the shape of nanoparticles, in addition to the shape of nanowire, and also the shape of the nanostructure is difficult to reproducibly manufacture depending on the reaction conditions.
Therefore, in the manufacturing of the metal nanostructure, there is a need for a method of uniformly and reproducibly manufacturing a final product in the form of nanowire.

Method for manufacturing metallic nanowires using ionic liquids


A method of controlling a user interface to display a first graphical element and a second graphical element where the second graphical element, overlays at least a portion of a first graphical element, comprising: determining first color(s) corresponding to the color(s) of the first graphical element; determining second color(s) corresponding to the color(s) of the second graphical element; and determining, using the first color(s) and second color(s), whether or not to provide an interface region visually separating the second graphical element from the first graphical element.

Current mobile telephones have colored displays and it is possible for a user to choose a particular graphical element, such as a design or picture, as the colored background to the display. Information displayed via the display is displayed in the foreground in front of the background as one or more graphical elements. However, it can be difficult to see the graphical elements in the foreground if they have the same or similar coloration as the background.
It would be desirable to provide a way of visually separating a graphical element in the foreground from the background when necessary.
It would be desirable if this could be achieved in a manner that is suitable for hand portable devices with small displays.


A hoist is constructed for powered drive by an impact tool. The hoist includes tension means for applying a force in tension to a load. Gear means are operatively associated with the tension means for producing a tension force in the tension means. The gear means include a gear element which provides a positive hold of the produced tension force when the gear means are not being driven. Impact fitting means are connected to the gear element for enabling the gear means to be power driven by an impact tool.

This invention relates to hoists of the kind which apply a force in tension to a load. Hoists of the kind to which this invention relates incorporate gear apparatus shaped to provide a positive hold of the produced tension force when the gear apparatus is not being driven.
This invention relates particularly to a hoist having impact fitting means connected to the gear apparatus for enabling the gear apparatus to be power driven by an impact tool.
Hoists which are constructed for applying a force in tension to a load have a wide range of applications.
Such hoists may be used as load binders, as liking apparatus, or for pulling or otherwise repositioning a load.
Hoists are commonly powered by hand or by motor drive.
It is a primary object of the present invention to construct a hoist for a powered drive by an impact tool system of the kind commonly present on utility trucks and in shops.


A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells and having inner cooling channels formed at both sides of the plurality of battery cells. At least one opening is provided at both side surfaces of the module case to face the inner cooling channels of the module case and a pair of film members is mounted to both side surfaces of the module case to cover the at least one opening, the pair of film members being melted over a predetermined temperature to open the at least one opening.

Secondary batteries which are highly applicable to various products and exhibit superior electrical properties such as high energy density, etc. are commonly used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by electrical power sources. The secondary battery is drawing attentions as a new energy source for enhancing environment friendliness and energy efficiency in that the use of fossil fuels can be reduced greatly and no byproduct is generated during energy consumption.
Secondary batteries widely used at present include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel zinc batteries and the like. An operating voltage of the unit secondary battery cell, namely a unit battery cell, is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, if a higher output voltage is required, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series to configure a battery pack. In addition, depending on the charge/discharge capacity required for the battery pack, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in parallel to configure a battery pack. Thus, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack may be variously set according to the required output voltage or the demanded charge/discharge capacity.
Meanwhile, when a plurality of battery cells are connected in series or in parallel to configure a battery pack, it is common to configure a battery module including at least one battery cell first, and then configure a battery rack by using at least one battery module and adding other components. When configuring the battery rack, an energy storage system may be configured using a plurality of battery racks.
In the conventional battery module, a cooling unit of a water cooling type or an air cooling type may be provided for cooling the battery module. Here, the cooling unit of the battery module having an air-cooling structure generally includes a cooling air supplying portion and a cooling air discharging portion. Meanwhile, when a high temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heating of at least one of the battery cells, high temperature gas and flame may be generated inside the battery module.
However, in the conventional battery module having an air-cooling structure, when such a high temperature situation occurs, high temperature gas and flame inside the battery module may be discharged out of the battery module only through the cooling air supplying portion and the cooling air discharging portion of the cooling unit. For this reason, high temperature gas and flame may not be smoothly discharged out of the battery module.
In this case, a thermal runaway of any one battery cell is propagated to adjacent battery cells, leading to explosion of the entire battery module, thereby causing a great damage.
Thus, it is required to find a way to discharge high temperature gas and flame to the outside more quickly when a high temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heating in the battery module having an air-cooling structure.

Battery module, battery rack including battery module, and energy storage system including battery rack


A system and method for half-rate phase detecting are provided. The method comprises: receiving binary data; dividing the data by two; latching the divided data with a first half-rate clock, creating Q1; latching the divided data with a second half-rate clock, the inverse of the first clock, creating Q2; latching Q1 with the second clock, creating Q3; latching Q2 with the first clock, creating Q4; XORing Q1 and Q2 to create phase signals; and, XORing Q3 and Q4 to create reference signals, corresponding to the phase signals. In some aspects of the method, dividing the stream of data by two introduces a processing delay into the divided data. Then, the method further comprises: in response to the phase and reference signals, phase-locking a voltage controlled oscillator to generate the first and second clocks; delaying the received stream of binary data; and, using the first and second clocks to sample the delayed binary data.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to serial bit receivers and, more particularly, to a system and method for using a half-rate clock phase detector to receive serial data and generate a data clock.
2. Description of the Related Art
In clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits, phase-locked loops (PLLs) are essential in recovering the received data clock, as well as retiming the data. Hogge phase detectors, or Hogge detector variants are often used for this purpose because of their simplicity and linear behavior. However, at very high data rates the pulse widths can become so narrow that cannot be handled properly by Hogge phase detector. Alternately stated, the propagation delays become larger than the pulse widths. Potential phase detection consequences include no zero-crossing, data pattern dependent zero-crossings offsets, or phase-voltage transfer curves with very narrow linear ranges.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a simplified half-rate Hogge phase detector (prior art). The circuit consists of four latches, L1 to L4, forming two sets of flip-flops and two XOR gates, X1 and X2. For illustration purpose, all signal paths are shown single-ended (unbalanced). However, many applications use a differential implementation. The data is input to latches L1 and L2, and then retimed to output demultiplexed data Q1 and Q2. Those two flip-flops are driven by half-rate clocks CLK and CLKB, respectively. To provide phase and reference signals to a loop filter (not shown), that eventually controls a voltage controlled oscillator VCO (not shown), an exclusive-OR (XOR) operation is performed on output signals Q1 and Q2, Q3 and Q4 to obtain phase and reference signals.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram associated with the operation of the Hogge detector in FIG. 1 (prior art). When the VCO is locked, the phase signal pulses are only half as wide as the reference signal pulses. When locked, pulse width of Q1 and Q2 can only be half the period of the full-rate clock. At high data rates it may be difficult for the latches to output short pulses with full voltage swings. When relatively wide linear region of phase-voltage transfer curve are required, latches L1 and L2 must provide even shorter pulses. However, XOR gate X1 may be unable to handle especially short pulse widths.
These short pulses can cause a variety of problems. If the latches cannot generate pulse as wide as the width of half period full-rate clock, the loop phase detector (not shown) may have no zero crossing in its phase-voltage transfer curve. If latches can output such short pulses, but cannot reach full swing, then data pattern dependent zero-crossing offsets will occur. For example, the swing for a "1100" data pattern might be better than for a "1010" pattern. If latches can output short pulses with a full swing, but cannot output even shorter pulses, then the linear region of phase-voltage transfer curve may become too narrow. Therefore, performance of the phase detector is heavily dependent upon the latch performance.
It would be advantageous if the latches in a Hogge detector could be made to operate at a lower speed while supporting higher phase detector data rates.

System and method for half-rate clock phase detection

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC)


An air link up/down protocol (ALUDP) may be Synchronized ALUDP (S-ALUPD) or Non-Synchronized ALUDP (NS-ALUDP). A method for wireless communications includes monitoring and managing the air link status between a Subscriber Station (SS) and a Base Station (BS).

In an advanced broadband wireless system, an air link refers to a communication channel between the BS (Base Station) and a SS (Subscriber Station) using the air as media. At a lower layer, the air link status may determine whether or not the upper layer data may be transported over the air between the two ends of the air link. If the data may be transported, the air link is considered "up;" otherwise, the air link is considered "down." The air interface may be used by the subscriber device if the air link is up. The system may monitor, report, and manage the air link status.


A scanning lens molded of resin includes: a lens portion having an elongate shape extending in a main scanning direction and having first and second longitudinal ends located opposite to and away from each other in the main scanning direction; and a flange portion extending outward in the main scanning direction from the first longitudinal end of the lens portion. The scanning lens has first and second sides located opposite to and away from each other in a sub-scanning direction, and a first protrusion is provided on the first side to protrude outward in the sub-scanning direction. The flange portion protrudes farther beyond the first longitudinal end in an optical axis direction of the lens portion. As viewed from the sub-scanning direction, the first protrusion is located at a position overlapping an interface between the lens portion and the flange portion.

As a scanning lens molded of resin and used, for example, in an optical scanner of a laser printer, there is known a scanning lens which includes a lens portion having an elongate shape extending in a main scanning direction, and flange portions provided at both longitudinal ends of the lens portion.
In order to keep the strength of the flange portions, the flange portions may be configured to protrude in the optical axis direction of the scanning lens beyond the edge of the lens portion to increase the thickness in the optical axis direction. With this configuration, a recess portion is formed around an interface between the lens portion and each flange portion, and the cross-sectional area of the scanning lens becomes relatively smaller at this recess portion. This disadvantageously causes the liquidity of resin to be decreased around the interface when the resin is injected into a mold for the scanning lens, resulting in possible reduction in the moldability.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to improve the moldability of a scanning lens molded of resin.


The type definition of particular types such that different portions of the corresponding object graph may have different permissions assigned to those portions during instantiation. This allows structured permissions to be applied to instantiations of the object graphs of those defined types, allowing fine grained control over what access permissions are enforced against which portions of the object graph. In some embodiments, different instantiations of the object graph may apply permissions differently.

Computing systems obtain a high degree of functionality by executing software programs. Programs consist of computer-executable instructions that are kept in some persistent form, such as on a harddrive, a compact disk, a thumbdrive, flash memory, or the like. During execution, such computer-executable instructions may often be loaded in random access memory, and executed by one or more processors of the computing system, causing the computing system to perform tasks.
In object-oriented programming, these computer-executable instructions are organized into objects that interact through function calls, and that may have one or more properties. Managed code is code that runs in a managed environment that provides type safety, but may also provide memory management and exception handling. In managed code, objects have unbounded lifetimes, no restriction on storage, and methods of access restriction involve indirection or extra resources.
Systems level programming is based upon tight and efficient management of access to and lifetime of resources (such as objects) throughout the system. One common way to provide this tight management is to use an Application Program Interface (API) to manage the lifetime and access of the resource.

Object graph partial immutability and isolation enforcement


A general object of the present invention is to utilize “delayed dilution” of a concentrated extract to provide a beverage brewing system which immediately (upon customer selection) provides selective dilution (based on individual consumers selections) of a fresh-brewed coffee extract after the extract has been allowed to brew and held as an extract before dilution. It is also a general object of the present invention to utilize the undiluted extract to mix and dissolve other beverage compounds to make flavored coffees, cappuccinos, lattes, and the like. “Delayed mixing” and/or “delayed filtering” may also be utilized.

Much study has been given to the most satisfactory way to brew roast and ground coffee and it is a fact that an excellent grade of coffee (properly grown and optimally roasted) can be effectively ruined for consumption by improper methods of preparation. In general, a high quality and most satisfying coffee drink is obtained only when it possesses fine aroma, delicacy of flavor, and fullness of body, as well as warmth and stimulating character.
Also importantly, many consumers have come to appreciate the many various options available with respect to coffee products (e.g., variations in strength, varietal type, creaminess, flavors) and there are a wide variety of coffee options. However, especially in a commercial/industrial setting (e.g., restaurant, fast-food industry, workplace, hospitals), there are many hurdles (e.g., space, difficulty, time, inconvenience) to be overcome in delivering, especially on demand, the preferred choice of coffee to a wide range of consumers.
Additionally, most individual households comprise family members with various taste preferences; heretofore, it has been, at best, cumbersome and bothersome to address individual preferences, and would generally require many different brewing cycles and many different receptacles to accommodate mixing. It would be desirable to employ one (or at least a minimum number of) brewing process in a single countertop station to efficiently accommodate various taste preferences in a household environment.
Coffee beverages comprise an aqueous solution of the water-soluble (and sometimes insoluble) constituents of the roasted and ground beans of the tree of the family Rubiaciae. There are many varieties of this plant, but the two having the most significance commercially is Caffea arabica and Caffea canephora (robusta).
Almost universally, the extract is brewed by contacting the roasted and ground coffee with hot water at a temperature from moderately-below boiling to moderately-above boiling, for a predetermined brewing time, separating the extract (including the solutes) from the insolubles, and consuming the resulting beverage.
Brewing methods can generally be categorized in three broad groups: (1) single-pass infusions in which the water is percolated or pumped through the roasted and ground coffee (which may partially serve as its own filter) then filtered through a metal, paper, or cloth sieve; (2) percolation methods which recycle the extract through one or more volumes of grind consecutively, in either a co-current or counter-current flow, before the extract is siphoned off at the requisite strength; and (3) batch-slurry methods in which a fixed volume of coffee is mixed with a fixed volume of water in a brewing vessel, permitted to steep with or without agitation, then filtered or mechanically separated to produce the extract.
Equipment for brewing beverages such as coffee and the like have typically have been of the "single station" type, in which an empty carafe or pot is positioned on a heating element below a receptacle or brewing funnel which contains a measured quantity of dry beverage-making material, e.g. roast and ground coffee. Hot water is then passed through the material to extract the essential oils, flavor and body that make up the beverage, and then drains downwardly through an opening in the funnel into the pot or carafe. If and when a second pot or carafe of beverage is needed, the first must be moved to a separate heating element or plate.
Although such prior beverage brewers work satisfactorily for making relatively small quantities of beverage, in restaurants and other commercial and institutional establishments, there is a continuing need for equipment to make large quantities of coffee, but be able to instantaneously accommodate the taste preferences of a wide variety of consumers, furthermore, this equipment must be easy to use and relatively automatic so as not to require an unreasonable amount of personal attention during the brewing cycle. The needs of restaurants, institutions and other commercial establishments are of particular concern in regard to equipment for brewing and making an acceptable cup of coffee to a consumer, given the limitations of space, labor, and time.
Some currently available beverage brewing devices provide essentially instantaneous hot water to brew beverages in a short amount of time. These devices typically have a hot water reservoir which maintains a volume of water at a predetermined temperature. A cold water fill tube is attached inside the reservoir, with one end close to, but not abutting, the bottom of the hot water reservoir, of a separate cold water reservoir or basin positioned above the heated reservoir. A hot water discharge tube has one end positioned in the hot water reservoir near an outlet zone generally at the top of the hot water reservoir. Another end of the discharge tube delivers hot water transported through the tube to a beverage brewing substance in order to produce a brewed beverage concentrate.
In order to brew a beverage in a beverage brewing device as described above, cold water is poured into the basin. The cold water flows through the cold water fill tube and accumulates at the bottom of the hot water reservoir due to temperature variations between the cold and hot water. The hot water is displaced by the cold water and moves upwardly towards the top of the hot water reservoir, which is sealed by a cover, and through the hot water discharge tube. Upon being dispensed into a beverage brewing substance, the hot water and beverage brewing substance create a brewed beverage concentrate. (For examples of representative instantaneous hot water beverage brewing apparati, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,201 to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,871 to Anson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,714 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,752, both to Brewer.)
Dilution of the brewed extract/concentrate is necessary in order to prevent the brewed extract/concentrate from being too strong as well as preventing an additional manual step of diluting the extract/concentrate after it has been brewed. Dilution of the brewed concentrate is achieved by feeding water from the basin to either the brewing funnel and allowing it to pass through the grounds/leaves or the area between the inner brewing funnel and the outer brewing funnel.
It is necessary to provide equipment which requires minimum maintenance by the employees. It is important to provide equipment which will make a sufficient volume of brew to meet the customer demands without over-producing, but in adequate quantities which can be replenished within a reasonable time with minimum attention by the employees. Additionally, and preferably, the equipment should be compact.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a beverage-brewing system which will allow a consumer to customize their preferred variety of beverages from a virtually endless selection of possibilities; the system of the present invention will provide an individually customized serving of beverage delivered at the desired temperature and ready to drink.

Methods for utilizing delayed dilution, mixing and filtering to provide customized varieties of fresh-brewed coffee on demand


Propoxybenzene derivatives represented by the following formula ##STR1## wherein Ra represents a nitro group, an amino group which may have a protecting group or an --NHCH.dbd.C(COO--C.sub.1-6 -Alkyl).sub.2 group, Rb represents a hydrogen atom, a protecting group for the hydroxyl group or a substituted sulfonyl group and Xa and Xb, which may be the same or different, each represents a halogen atom, and processes for preparation thereof are disclosed. These derivatives are useful in preparing antibacterial agents.

Ofloxacin, 9-fluoro-3-methyl-10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl) -7-oxo-2,3-dihydro-7H-pyrido[1,2,3-de)[1,43-benzoxazin-6-carboxylic acid, having the following formula is knowr as disclosed in Japanese Patent 1,444,043; U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,892; and EP-B-0,047,005, as an excellent synthetic antibacterial agent and has been marketed in many countries. The 3-(S)-isomer of Ofloxacin possesses excellent potency as synthetic antimicrobial agent as disclosed in EP-A-0,206,283. ##STR2##

Propoxybenzene derivatives and process for preparing the same


A method for distributing Sigtran connections among signal transfer point (STP) message processors includes providing a connection load balancer as a front end to plural message processors of an STP. The method further includes publishing, by the connection load balancer, an Internet protocol (IP) address to SS7 peers. The method further includes initializing the message processors of the STP to listen on the IP address published by the connection load balancer. The method further includes receiving, at the connection load balancer, a Sigtran message addressed to the IP address. The method further includes determining, by the connection load balancer, whether the Sigtran message is an initial message for a Sigtran connection or a subsequent message for a Sigtran connection and whether the Sigtran connection has been assigned to one of the message processors. The method further includes forwarding the message to one of the message processors or dropping the message based on whether the message is an initial message or a subsequent message and based on whether the connection has been assigned to one of the message processors.

Sigtran is family of protocols published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that enables the transport of SS7 messages in IP networks. In their original standardization, SS7 messages were designed to be transported over SS7 message transfer part (MTP) layers 1-3, which are not IP-based. Sigtran transport of SS7 messages replaces one or more of the MTP layers with IP transport. Using IP transport for SS7 messages enables lower cost IP and Ethernet hardware to be used to transport SS7 messages and facilitates sharing of link bandwidth.
In SS7 networks, the signal transfer point is the routing node that routes SS7 messages to their destinations. Signal transfer points route SS7 messages based on an SS7 message parameter referred to as a point code. Because signal transfer points exclusively provide routing service in SS7 networks, signal transfer points are important functions in SS7 networks and can become overloaded with the processing required to route SS7 messages. Accordingly, it is desirable to appropriately manage the processing resources of signal transfer points.
As Sigtran is becoming widely used, there is a need for configuration flexibility as SS7 STP resources change. For example, in a cloud-based deployment where STP resources are virtualized, there may be a need to scale up and scale down virtual STP resources. Scaling up STP resources may require that IP-based connections to the STP that implement SS7 links and linksets to be added or removed. In an SS7 network, a link or signaling link is a connection between adjacent nodes. A linkset is a logical grouping of signaling links. Adding and removing links and linksets can require manual reconfiguration of the IP addresses and port numbers associated with the links and linksets. Performing such configuration manually is time and labor intensive and unsuitable for cloud-based STP deployments where resource reconfiguration flexibility is needed. Even in bare metal or on-premises deployments of STP resources, similar problems with reconfiguration may occur.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for distributing Sigtran connections among STP message processors.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for distributing Sigtran connections among signal transfer point (STP) message processors


The present invention is directed to methods for selecting racehorse candidates. Provided herein are methods for increasing the likelihood of selecting candidates that will be high earners, while reducing the likelihood of selecting candidates that will be low earners, on the basis of certain ultrasonographically-obtained cardiac measurements.

For centuries, perhaps ever since the horse was first domesticated, people have raced their horses against each other, to see which man owned the faster animal. Countless generations of breeding the fastest stallion to the best mares has led to the modern racehorse, a magnificent running machine, genetically selected to excel in the modern version of "the sport of kings," a sport that still thrives across the globe today.
Since the sport first began, people have bought, sold and traded young horses, with dreams of acquiring a horse that might one day mature into a stakes winner. A huge business has developed around the breeding, preparation, and sale of potential racehorses. Potential buyers pore over sales catalogs, searching the horse's parentage and pedigree in hope of selecting a horse that contains just the right mix of speed, stamina, durability and temperament to grow into a successful racehorse. The racing candidate is carefully examined to make sure its legs are straight, the airway is clear, and that there are no physical blemishes or infirmities that might diminish its chance of future success. "Experts," sometimes boasting of years of experience at spotting future champions long before the horse ever sets foot on a racetrack, are regularly consulted to scrutinize the field of candidates, and help the would-be owner select a horse that possess the right conformation, the right carriage, the right glint in the eye—the stuff of champions.
But despite all the statistical analysis of pedigree, the pre-sale poking and prodding, and the intense scrutiny of a countless number of trained eyes, separating the future winners from the future losers has remained an inexact science at best. In a study of all named (i.e., registered) Thoroughbred foals born between 1985 and 1994, only about 30% ever started a single race, and the average earnings per start of all foals was only $1,378. Selecting the offspring of the top 1% of stallions reduced the percentage of non-starters to about 15%, and increased the average earnings per start to over $3,000, but still, a large percentage of all young horses sold at auction fail to recoup their original purchase price. One has only to look to the results of this year's Kentucky Derby to see how inaccurate the selection of racehorse candidates can be: the race was won by Funny Cide, once a $75,000 purchase, while numerous horses from the same crop that sold for much more, even ten or more times as much, failed to even win a single maiden race.
Accordingly, better methods for screening potential racehorse candidates are needed, particularly methods that will increase the chances of selecting a horse that is more likely to become a high earner, while decreasing the likelihood of selecting a horses that will turn out to be a low earner. The present invention is directed to these, as well as other ends.

Echocardiographic measurements as predictors of racing success

Equine Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology, Inc.


An electric vehicle includes: a second drive motor that is coupled to drive wheels to rotationally drive the drive wheels; a compressor that activates an air conditioner; a first drive motor that can drive the compressor; a planetary gear device that includes a first rotary element to which the second drive motor is coupled, a second rotary element to which the compressor is coupled, and a third rotary element to which the first drive motor is coupled; and a brake that selectively couples the compressor to a non-rotary member when the brake is engaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric vehicle that includes a vehicle drive motor that drives the vehicle and an air-conditioner drive motor that drives an air-conditioner compressor.
2. Description of Related Art
There is proposed a drive device for an electric vehicle in which a vehicle drive motor that rotationally drives drive wheels of the vehicle and an air-conditioner drive motor that rotationally drives an air-conditioner compressor are coupled to each other via a planetary gear mechanism so that the rotational force of the air-conditioner drive motor is also transferred to the vehicle drive motor to assist drive of the vehicle. Such an electric vehicle drive system is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-178403 (JP-2010-178403-A), for example.
The electric vehicle drive system allows the rotational force of the air-conditioner drive motor not only to be utilized to rotationally drive the air-conditioner compressor, but also to be transferred to the vehicle drive motor via the planetary gear mechanism to assist the vehicle drive motor. This reduces the number of motors from three to two, and reduces the size of the vehicle drive motor to suppress an increase in weight of the vehicle.


In some embodiments, a method includes: requesting, from a player at the gaming machine, player account credentials associated with the player; receiving, at the gaming machine, the player account credentials, wherein the player account credentials are associated with a player's account on the account server and enable linking game play on the gaming machine to the player's account, and wherein the player account credentials are provided to the player's mobile phone in response to joining a players club prior to detection of the initiation event; transmitting, via the gaming machine, the player account credentials to the account server; receiving, from the account server, validation of the player account credentials based on comparing the received player account credentials with credentials stored on the account server; upon receipt of the validation, linking a wagering game session on the gaming machine with the player account.

Most wagering game machines (WGMs) utilize a ticket based payout scheme instead of dispensing currency (e.g., coins, bills, etc.). At the end of a wagering session, a WGM dispenses a ticket displaying a player's winnings. The ticket is redeemed for cash at a cage in a casino.
In addition to ticket based payout schemes, many casinos operate player loyalty programs that utilize systems that track wagering behavior and collect demographic information of players. When a player joins a player loyalty program, the casino creates a personal information profile for the player and gives the player a casino club card.

Transferring awards via optical machine readable data representation images