The invention provides a human rSec6 related vesicle transport protein (HSEC6) and polynucleotides which identify and encode HSEC6. The invention also provides expression vectors, host cells, agonists, antibodies and antagonists. The invention also provides methods for treating disorders associated with expression of HSEC6.

Vesicle transport is the general process in eukaryotic cells by which proteins synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are transported via the Golgi network to the various compartments in the cell where they will function. Other proteins are transported to the cell surface by this process where they may be secreted (exocytosis). Such proteins include membrane bound receptors or other membrane proteins, neurotransmitters, hormones, and digestive enzymes. The transport process uses a series of transport vesicles that shuttle a protein from one membrane-bound compartment (donor compartment) to another (acceptor compartment) until the protein reaches its proper destination (Rothman, J. E and Wieland, F. T. (1996) Science 727:227-34).
The process begins with the budding of a vesicle out of the donor membrane. The vesicle contains the protein to be transported and is surrounded by a protective coat made up of protein subunits recruited from the cytosol. The initial budding process and coating processes are controlled by a cytosolic GTP-binding protein, either SAR or ARF. When GTP binds and activates SAR, it binds to the donor membrane and initiates the vesicle assembly process. The coated vesicle containing the GTP-SAR complex detaches from the donor compartment and is transported through the cytosol. During the transport process, the SAR-bound GTP is hydrolyzed to GDP, and the inactivated SAR dissociates from the transport vesicle. At this point, the protective coat becomes unstable and dissociates from the enclosed vesicle. The uncoated vesicle is recognized by its acceptor compartment through exposed surface identifiers (v-SNAREs) which bind with corresponding molecules on the acceptor compartment membrane (t-SNAREs). The transport process ends when the vesicle fuses with the target membrane.
The fusion of the transport vesicle with the acceptor compartment membrane, that follows the initial binding of the two compartments, involves the formation of a complex between the v-SNARE, t-SNARE, and certain other proteins recruited from the cytosol. Many of these other proteins have been identified although their exact functions in the fusion complex remain uncertain (Tellam, J. T. et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270:5857-63; Hata, Y. and Sudhof, T. C. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270:13022-28). N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and soluble NSF-attachment protein (SNAP) are two such proteins that are conserved from yeast to human and function in most intracellular membrane fusion reactions.
Neurotransmission in mammals involves a specialized form of vesicle transport which uses a signaling molecule (neurotransmitter) stored in a membrane-bound vesicle (synaptic vesicle) at the terminus of a nerve cell. A change in electrical potential at the nerve terminal results from excitation of the nerve and triggers the release of the neurotransmitter from the synaptic vesicles by exocytosis. The neurotransmitter rapidly diffuses across the junction (synaptic cleft) separating the first (presynaptic) nerve cell from the second (postsynaptic) and provokes a change in electrical potential in the latter by binding to and opening transmitter-gated ion channels located in the plasma membrane of the postsynaptic cell. In this manner, the neural signal is transmitted from one nerve cell to the other.
Many of the proteins involved in synaptic vesicle transport have been identified and the biochemical interactions between them have been characterized. Interestingly, many of these proteins are homologous to yeast proteins involved in yeast secretory pathways (sec). For example, yeast Sec4 is a GTPase essential for late stages of vesicle secretion and is homologous to mammalian Rab3a GTPase. Yeast Sec6p and Sec8p are components of a 19.5S particle that interact with Sec4. Mammalian counterparts to these two proteins, rSec6 and rSec8, have been identified from rat brain cDNA libraries (Ting, A. E. et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 92:9613-17). rSec6 is an 87 kDa protein with 22% amino acid identity to Sec6, and rSec8 is a 110 kDa protein with 20% identity to Sec8. Further studies revealed that rSec6 and rSec8 are components of a 17S complex in rat brain that is composed of 8 proteins with a combined molecular weight of 743 kDa (Hsu, S-C et al. (1996) Neuron 17:1209-19). The rSec6/rSec8 complex coimmunoprecipitates with syntaxin, a plasma membrane t-SNARE protein involved in neurotransmission. This indicates a role for the rSec6/rSec8 complex in the neurotransmission process. rSec6 and rSec8 are similarly expressed in all regions of rat brain, suggesting that both proteins are required by all brain cells (Hsu et al. supra). In addition, both proteins are found in a variety of non-neuronal tissues including lung, muscle, ovary, and kidney, indicating that they may function in a variety of secretory pathways in addition to neurotransmission (Ting et al. supra; Hsu et al. supra).
Few structural motifs have been identified that characterize these vesicle transport proteins. However, both rSec6 and rSec8 contain a region near their N-terminus capable of forming coiled-coil domains, a motif frequently observed in vesicle trafficking proteins and believed to be important for interactions with other proteins (Ting et al. supra). rSec8 also contains a leucine-rich domain near its N-terminus that is postulated to interact with GTP-binding proteins such as Rab3a.
The control of vesicle transport processes, particularly the process of neurotransmission, has important implications for the control of various diseases and disorders. Current drug treatments for the brain disorder schizophrenia target receptors for various neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin (Bunk, S. (1997) The Scientist 11:1-5). However these treatments have numerous unwanted side effects.
The discovery of a new human rSec6 related protein and the polynucleotides encoding it satisfies a need in the art by providing new compositions which are useful in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, immune disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders.

DNA encoding human RSEC6 related protein


The disclosure is directed to compounds identified as allosteric modulators of 5-HT 2CR, as well as pharmaceutical compositions and methods using the same. Certain embodiments also include methods of identifying and methods of synthesizing the compounds. Optimization and development of allosteric 5-HT 2CR modulators that bind sites other than the primary ligand binding site generate novel, highly selective, and potent ligands of 5-HT2CR. Such molecules can be used as small molecule probes for the nervous system and as effective therapeutics for a variety of diseases.

The 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor (5-HT2CR) is involved in a diversity of physiological functions, such as nociception, motor behavior, endocrine secretion, thermoregulation, appetite modulation, and the control of exchanges between the central nervous system and the cerebrospinal fluid (Iwamoto et al., RNA Biol., 6, 248-53, 2009; Bubar et al., Prog. Brain Res. 172, 319-346, 2008; Berg et al., Neuropharmacology 55, 969-76, 2008; Di Giovanni, Curr. Top. Med. Chem. 6, 1909-25, 2006; Di Giovanni, Curr. Med. Chem. 13, 3069-81, 2006; Fone et al., Br. J. Pharmacol. 123, 8, 1998). This receptor has also been implicated in numerous pathologies, and the modulation of 5-HT2CR function holds a tremendous amount of therapeutic promise for the treatment of diseases such as addiction, anxiety, depression, obesity/eating disorders, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia (Leggio et al., Neuropharmacology 56, 507-13, 2009; Nic Dhonnchadha et al., Behav. Brain Res. 195, 39-53, 2008; Bubar et al., Prog. Brain Res. 172, 319-346, 2008; Maillet, et al., Prog. Brain Res. 172, 407-20, 2008; McCreary et al., Neuropsychopharmacology 20, 6, 1999; Miller, Mol. Interv. 5, 5, 2005; Di Giovanni, Curr. Top. Med. Chem. 6, 1909-25, 2006; Di Giovanni, Curr. Med. Chem. 13, 3069-81, 2006). Successful development of 5-HT2CR ligands requires selectivity over the highly homologous 5-HT2AR and 5-HT2BR because activity at these receptors can result in significant adverse CNS and cardiovascular events.
Traditional screening for ligands has been optimized to detect standard orthosteric agonists and antagonists. Conversely, with increasing emphasis on cellular functional screens, more allosteric ligands are being discovered as potential medications. Allosteric modulators of the 5-HT2CR present a novel drug design strategy to augment the response to endogenous 5-HT in a site- and event-specific manner (Conn et al., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 8, 41-54, 2009). In addition, there are theoretical reasons that allosteric ligands may be preferred therapeutic chemical targets including the prospects for increased selectivity, better control of physiological systems, as well as separate control of affinity and efficacy (Kenakin, J. Biomol. Screen. 15 (2), 119-130, 2010). To date, PNU-69176E, identified via a chemical library screen, is the only synthetic compound that has been reported as a selective allosteric modulator of 5-HT2CR (Im et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 64, 78-84, 2003; Ding et al., ACS Chem. Neurosci. 3, 538-545, 2012); however, the relevant structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies are sparse, and thus knowledge in this regard is quite limited.
Thus, there remains a need for additional specific allosteric modulators of 5-HT2CR.

Allosteric modulators of 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor (5-HT2CR)

THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


Embodiments of this invention include a nozzle assembly for a turbine, the nozzle assembly including an airfoil, inner and outer sidewalls, and inner and outer rings. Each of these sidewalls and rings are coupled together at an interface through a combination of a mechanical interconnection on one end and a welded connection on the other end. The mechanical interconnection includes either the sidewalls or the rings having a protruding hook and the other having a corresponding hook recess. The interconnection can also include axial and radial mechanical stops. The configuration may further include one or more surfaces at an interface between a ring and a sidewall angled away from the interface to form a narrow groove. The configuration further may include a ring with a consumable root portion.

Turbines, including gas or steam turbines, include nozzle assemblies that direct a flow of steam or gas into rotating blades, or airfoils, that are coupled to a rotating shaft so as to cause the rotating shaft to turn. One configuration for the nozzle assemblies includes a singlet design, including a blade, or airfoil, between inner and outer sidewalls, with the sidewalls coupled to an inner and outer ring, respectively, and with mechanical axial and radial stops at the interfaces between the sidewalls and rings.
Fabricating the singlet nozzle assemblies requires welding the various parts of nozzle assembly together on both sides of the nozzle, i.e., welding the inner end of the nozzle to an inner ring, and welding the outer end of the nozzle to an outer ring. Typically, both an entrance and exit side of the interface between a nozzles and a ring are welded together. However, welding can introduce large amounts of heat that can distort the parts of the singlet nozzle being welded. One concern of the designs that use weld on entrance and exit sides is the cost of having to flip the part to do the opposite side weld. Another issue is the added distortion of having to weld on both the entrance and exit side of the nozzle assembly. In other words, lifting can occur when welding the first side of the nozzle to the ring because the opposite side will lift off the ring due to weld shrinkage on the welded side.
Another issue with welding both the entrance and exit sides of the interface between an airfoil and a ring is that after welding, a significant amount of material would need to be removed from the nozzle assembly to create an inner and outer sidewall leading up to the airfoil.

Turbine singlet nozzle assembly with mechanical and weld fabrication


An environmentally acceptable leak sealant comprising lava rock aggregate (scoria) for sealing leaks in dams, holding ponds or other water-containing structures. The aggregate is selected and graded for particle size and density. Particles of different sizes cooperate to engage walls of the leak and interlock with each other to form a seal within a leak opening. The particles must sink at a suitable rate, and become entrained in water flow through the leak. Beneficially larger particles have a generally higher sink rate than smaller particles, and so arrive first at the leak to staunch a major part of the flow; intermediate and smaller particles follow to form an effective seal. Applications include sealing sluice gates, stop logs at hydroelectric dams to reduce water wastage for increased electricity productivity, for maintenance requiring de-watering of the turbine; or for sealing leaks in cracks in bedrock or concrete structures associated with dams.

A significant amount of water is wasted at some hydroelectric dams through leakage of water through poorly sealed sluice gates or stop logs. If diverted through the turbines, this wasted water flow could generate significant additional kilowatts of electricity. Wastage through water leakage is a particular concern during low water seasons or periods of peak power demand.
Many years ago, it was discovered that coal cinders would stop leaks in hydro dams. The stop logs in sluice gates were traditionally made from wood, although steel and other materials may now be used. The process of using coal cinders for stopping leaks was referred to as "cindering". Cinders would simply be dropped into the water of the head pond near the leak, and as the cinders would sink, the cinder particles would be drawn into the leak by the current, and collect to seal the leak. This solution was effective and avoided the need for divers to go down to patch the leak. Coal cinders were abundant and inexpensive. Coal cinders for use as a dam sealant were stripped from abandoned rail beds, from boilers of steam locomotives, or coal ash was purchased from institutions that used coal for fuel, for example.
Leaks may also occur around head gates, wicket gates, cracks in the concrete structure and, on some occasions, the bedrock below and around the dam. Coal cinders are also effective for these applications. In some cases, coal cinders may be used as a temporary fix. They are also important for use as sealants during maintenance operations.
Wicket gates are used to control the amount of water entering the turbine from the penstock. The penstock brings the water down from the head pond through the head gate entrance. Hydroelectric dam operators have a number of different configurations in their powerhouses. In one example, one operator may have 10 units, i.e., generators with their own individual headgates, penstocks, wicket gates, turbine, draft tube and tail race gates. They all do preventative maintenance programs, where they will take one unit out of service to do overhaul from top to bottom. This will include the turbine, which is usually under water rotating at high speed. Preventative maintenance involves a procedure called de-watering the generator or turbine. To do this they must stop the flow of water coming in. Up top, they drop a metal gate called a head gate. This stops the water from flowing into the intake and down the penstock. Since seals are not perfect, these gates always tend to leak around the edges. To de-water the turbine, sealant material is needed to seal leaks around the head gate to stop the water flow completely. Maintenance personnel can safely enter the water turbine area (which is usually submerged when the turbine is running during operation) only after the water flow is stopped. Imagine being down in that dark place in the turbine area, looking up through the wicket gates, up through the penstock and thinking about all that water that could come rushing down if the sealant failed. Thus, maintenance personnel need to have confidence in the reliability of the sealant.
Usually dam operators acquire experience with, and confidence in, the sealant material when doing routine maintenance on the sluice gates and sealing the stop logs. Then, when the time comes to do the critical maintenance involving sealing the head gate for de-watering the turbine, they have confidence in the reliability of the sealant.
To be more effective, a particular mix and specific gravity is required of the aggregate for sealing dams, i.e., the coal cinders are required to have the right gradation, ranging from large pieces down to fine sand sized particles. Depending on what the dam operator is trying to accomplish, a 2″ minus mixture or a 1½″ minus mixture of cinders, for example, may be optimum. A coarser 3″ minus aggregate may be needed if there are larger holes, for example. Specially graded coal cinders for use as leak sealants for dams have been produced by J. M. Power Aggregates Limited.
More recently, concerns have been raised about the heavy metal content of coal cinders and the environmental impact of contaminants in coal cinders. In the 1990s demand for coal cinders for this purpose dropped off. Ontario Hydro, for example, sought to find more environmentally friendly materials. In 1985, in Canada, the Department of Fisheries banned the dumping of coal ash, stones and deleterious substances into water where fish live. Thus, even if the use of coal cinders is still permitted, strict handling procedures are required to ensure coal cinders meet environmental requirements.
Another known alternative to coal cinders for this purpose is an aggregate made from blast furnace slag, marketed under a trade name of Hydro-Lite™, by Lafarge Canada Inc. This material is used just like coal cinders as a leak sealant. However, some dam operators have reported that the slag-based product is not as effective or reliable as coal cinders. They expressed a lack of confidence in it compared with the traditional coal cinders, particularly during critical maintenance involving de-watering the turbine. Also, the composition of blast furnace slag tends to vary significantly from batch to batch, since it is a by-product from smelting ores from different sources. Thus, each batch of slag must be tested and pass leachate tests for potential environmental contaminants.
Conventional heavy aggregates such as crushed stone and gravel have been tested and found to be ineffective or unreliable as leak sealants for this purpose. Polished sand and gravel tend to wash through the leak. In looking at alternative materials, it was also discovered that there has to be a certain amount of abrasive edges on the material to mechanically lock in the holes in the dams. However, if the pieces of material are too large or rough, they may interfere with locking mechanisms of head gates, tail race gates and around the gains of sluice gates. It is also desirable to avoid materials that are damaging to the environment, e.g. have unacceptable levels of contaminants and/or are harmful to aquatic or marine wildlife.
Thus, it would be desirable to find an alternative material or method that avoids or reduces the above-mentioned problems, and preferably one that is environmentally friendly, to replace known solutions such as coal cinders or blast furnace slag based aggregates for use as leak sealants for dams and other water retaining structures.

Leak sealant for dams and other structures


Embodiments discussed herein facilitate generation of a prognosis for recurrence or non-recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). A first set of embodiments discussed herein relates to training of a machine learning classifier to determine a prognosis for AF after PVI based on radiographic images, alone or in combination with clinical features. A second set of embodiments discussed herein relates to determination of a prognosis for a patient for AF after PVI based on radiographic images, alone or in combination with clinical features.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, affecting 1-2% of the population. Although endovascular pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) may temporarily reduce symptoms in patients failing medical management, recurrence rates are high and identifying patients likely to have successful outcomes remains elusive. Pulmonary vein morphology and left atrial size have been previously identified as radiographic markers for AF, but have not been assessed for PVI outcome.

Prediction of risk of post-ablation atrial fibrillation based on radiographic features of pulmonary vein morphology from chest imaging


Methods and compositions for increasing the suppressive function of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are provided.

Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) play a critical role in preventing and treating autoimmune and alloimmune reactions, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and solid organ transplant rejection, allergies and responses to foreign antigens (e.g., microbes, protein replacement therapy for deficiency disorders). Two recent clinical trials demonstrated that, in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, adoptive transfer of Tregs significantly reduced the incidence of grades II-IV GVHD. While Tregs significantly reduced GVHD severity, they did not eliminate GVHD. One potential way to augment Treg-mediated inhibition of GVHD is to increase Treg suppressive potency. It was previously shown that Treg-specific inhibition of protein kinase C-theta (PKC-θ) enhances Treg function. However, it is unclear whether PKC-θ inhibition can boost Treg function in a systemic inflammatory condition like GVHD. Furthermore, the mechanism by which PKC-θ inhibition augments Treg function is unknown.


A data transmitting apparatus and a data receiving apparatus, which are capable of retransmitting a packet even when a retransmission request is made by a client after transmitting a session close notice packet to the client. A session is closed by a session closing means 105 when a predetermined period of time has passed after transmitting the session close notice packet, which is generated by a control command generating means 102 as the session close notice packet, from a packet transmitting means 103 to the client.

Conventionally, when transmitting digital data such as images and speeches or the like (hereinafter, referred to as "multimedia data") using a packet communication channel such as the internet or the like, since, different from data transmission, a real time characteristic is required rather than a reliability characteristic, protocols such as the RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) and the UDP (User Datagram Protocol) or the like, which are specified by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), are utilized.
Now, a description will be made as to a transmission method of multimedia data using the RTP.
First of all, a server that transmits data and a client that receives the data establish a session therebetween using a protocol such as the RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) or the like. Then, the server generates RTP packets, which are including video, image and/or audio data as a payload (mainly, information to be transmitted excluding control information in each protocol data unit) encoded in accordance with an encoding system such as the MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group) or the like, and a packet generation time and a sequence number representing the order of the packets as a header, and transmits the packets to the client. The client extracts video, image and/or audio data from the payload of the RTP packets received from the server, and plays back or stores the data. When the transmission of every multimedia data has completed, or when terminating the communication, the server transmits a packet, which represents session close notice command (hereinafter, referred to as "session close notice packet") to the client, and closes the session and returns to the initial status.
In the case of carrying out transmission of multimedia data as described above, in packet communication networks, due to a congestion of a network or bit error, the client sometimes fails to receive packets, or even when the client succeeds in receiving the packets, the packets are sometimes incorrect packets. In such a case, particularly, when an important packet is missing, it results in a considerable deterioration in the image quality and the sound quality.
However, in the sequence number of the foregoing RTP packets, the order of the packets is recorded sequentially. Accordingly, it is possible to check the numbers every time when a packet is received, and at that point in time when a discontinuity is detected in the numbers, it is recognized that there is a packet that has failed to be received. When it is determined that the missing packet is necessary, it is possible for the client to transmit a retransmission request to the server, and the packet can be received again from the server.
However, in a conventional data transmitting apparatus, there is such a disadvantage; that is, when a retransmission request is made from a client to a server after a session close notice packet has been transmitted to the client, since the server has already returned to the initial status, the packet can not be retransmitted.
Referring to FIG. 1, a detailed description will be made as to a session closing operation in a conventional data transmitting apparatus. FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating a session closing operation in the conventional transmitting apparatus. In FIG. 1, a reference character SN represents a sequence number. Since the SN increases by 1 every time when a server transmits a packet, a client can detect missing of the packet when the packet is lost.
In FIG. 1, it is assumed that a packet of SN=101 transmitted by the server at a time T0 is lost. In this case, after receiving a packet of SN=100, the client detects that the packet of SN=101 is missing at that point in time when a packet of SN=102 is received. And, the client transmits a retransmission request packet to the server. However, when the server has transmitted a session close notice packet (BYE packet) at a time T1 and has already closed the session, since the server receives the retransmission request packet for the packet of SN=101 at a time T3, the server can not transmit the packet requested to retransmit.

Data transmitting apparatus and data receiving apparatus


A high expansion packer or bridge plug is described. It features an external portion of a soft material that flows into spiral exterior leak paths formed when the sealing element is subjected to longitudinal compression. Preferably, the sealing element is an elastomer such as cured rubber, while the outer material is a soft uncured or somewhat cured rubber. The outer covering may itself be covered for protection when running in with such protective covering breaking or otherwise getting out of the way during the element compression process. As a result of compression, the soft material occupies the exterior helical or other leak paths for a sufficient length along the sealing element to withstand high differential pressures, without leakage.

Frequently, in a variety of downhole operations, portions of the wellbore need to be isolated. Regardless, of the procedure going on at the time, be it drilling, completion or workover, the tool frequently employed is a packer or bridge plug, which may or may not be retrievable. Frequently, the sealing element is one or more long cylindrical elastomeric members mounted over a mandrel. Setting involves longitudinal compression of the sealing element, with provisions at the ends to prevent extrusion. Longitudinal compression reduces the overall length of the sealing elements and increases their diameter. Frequently, to hold differential forces in excess of thousands of pounds, the sealing element assembly could be set with applied forces of 16,000 or more.
A close examination of the shape changes undergone by the initially cylindrical sealing elements reveals that a twisting effect occurs. It can take the form of a single helical external groove as the compressive load initiates a twisting movement. It can also take the form of opposing exterior helical grooves to the twist imparted to the elements as they are longitudinally compressed.
This buckling phenomenon is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the prior designs. In FIG. 1, the sealing element 10 is shown in part in the run in condition where it has a generally cylindrical shape around a mandrel 12. As a result of longitudinal compression, the element 10 takes a spiral shape with a series of points labeled point A moving away from mandrel 12, while at the same elevation but 180 degrees around the outer surface 14, point B moves toward the mandrel 10. Although a single helical pattern 16 is shown in a rather open helix, as a result of the high setting forces applied, the actual appearance of the pattern of helical groove or grooves 16 is more closely akin to elongated narrow void areas in close contact with the casing 18, as shown in FIG. 3.
The system of peripheral grooves 16 is problematic in that it represents potential helical leak paths around the outside of the element 10 regardless of the amount of applied longitudinal compression. Although this phenomenon is a distinct disadvantage, prior designs have configures the sealing element to deliberately undergo such helical collapse pattern under longitudinal pressure on the theory that sealing performance is improved. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,461 disc shaped components are used for the sealing element to promote the exterior helical recessed areas but no recognition is given as to the detrimental effects. FIG. 9 of that patent illustrates the exterior spiral present after compression. This reference shows that those working in the field have heretofore had no appreciation that the tendency of elongated cylindrical shapes to twist as they collapse from longitudinal loading could present a situation degrading the desired seal after high expansion of the elements. The apparatus of the present invention recognizes this problem and deals with it in a simple and effective manner. The nature of the solution will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the claims, which appear below.

High expansion sealing device with leak path closures


The invention provides a guard for warehouse personnel which guard is designed to be secured to a pallet and remain with the pallet both when the pallet is being transported and when it and its load are stored on racks in a warehouse. Thus, the guard remains with the pallet at all times to prevent the load on the pallet falling on personnel in an adjacent aisle. The guard can be separated from the pallet only as the result of intentional release by warehouse personnel.

As the use of palletized warehousing expands and the cost of land and warehouse facilities increases, the response has been to use higher and higher storage racks. This conserves floor space, but increases the risk of serious injury to personnel. Anything that can contribute to unbalancing of the load on the pallet can contribute to the load's instability, such as uneven settling of the load or vibration of the warehouse structure. These can be caused by external forces such as exterior traffic or nearby construction. As a result, the once vertically stacked load with adequate uniformity of weight distribution becomes unbalanced and starts to incline to the front or the back or to one side. Once this starts, the shift can be progressive, with increasing instability of the load. Another source of pallet load instability is that of personnel placing heavy articles on top of light ones, so packaged that they are unable to maintain their geometry when subject to such compressive loads. If this instability happens to be toward the warehouse aisle and the load becomes unstable and falls, the result could be serious to those in the aisle below.


Computer apparatus 10 receives add-on electronic module 12 for installation into the computer apparatus. The add-on module has first end 12A and second end 12B with electrical contacts 12C therebetween for interfacing with the computer apparatus. Elongated electrical connector 14 mounted on the mother board, has first end 14A and second end 14B corresponding to the first end and second end of the add-on module. The electrical connector defines a module site within the computer apparatus for receiving the add-on module. The electrical connector has electrical contacts 14C between the ends thereof for electrically contacting corresponding electrical contacts 12C on the add-on module. First pivot base 16A secured to the mother board proximate the first end of the electrical connector defines first pivot axis 17A. Second pivot base 16B proximate the second end of the electrical connector defines second pivot axis 17B. First retaining arm 18A pivotally engages the first pivot base for pivoting about the first pivot axis to retain the first end of the add-on module. Second retaining arm 18B engages the second pivot base for pivoting about the second pivot axis to retain the second end of the add-on module. This pivotal engagement provides three positions of the retaining arm with respect to the pivot base, a folded storage position, an open receiving pivot position, and an unfolded retaining position.

Heretofore add-on modules were small and light, and did not require mechanical support beyond simply plugging then into an electrical connector. Many add-on chips were flat mounted directly on the mother board. However, state-of-the-art chips have a greater transistor density and a faster cycle rate, and therefore generate more internal heat. These "hot" chips are typically contained within an add-on module vertically mounted on the mother board between vertical posts forming a rigid upright support frame. The vertical arrangement reduced the footprint of the add-on module on the mother board, and exposed both sides of the add-on module to convective cooling air flow. A massive heat sink with cooling fins extending from the add-on module was employed to remove the internal heat. The cooling fins extended to one side creating an "offset" load on the support frame which was transferred to the mother board. The vertical posts of the support frame created a high shipping profile for the mother board. This shipping profile was much higher than the flat profile of a mother board without support posts, resulting in increased shipping volume and increased shipping costs.

Pivotal device for retaining an add-on module on a mother board


An endoscope objective lens system includes a negative front lens group, a diaphragm, and a positive rear lens group, in this order from the object. The negative front lens group includes one lens element, or a plurality of non-cemented lens elements; and the most object-side lens element is constituted by a negative lens element. The positive rear lens group includes a plurality of non-cemented lens elements; and at least one negative lens element is provided in the positive rear lens group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope objective lens system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional endoscope objective lens system, the lens elements thereof are often cemented (hereinafter, cemented lens elements) in order to correct aberrations. However, such cemented lens elements have been costly to manufacture, because centering among very small lens elements has to be done precisely, and thereafter, cementing such small lens elements is further required.
In addition to the above, for the purpose of sterilizing an endoscope, high-pressure steam sterilization (an autoclave) has been frequently used. However, due to steam and a high temperature for sterilization, the layer of cementing agent often comes off, or, the quality of bonding agent deteriorates. Consequently, the image quality of the endoscope becomes worse.
To eliminate such a drawback as mentioned above, an endoscope objective lens system without cemented lens elements has been proposed.
(i) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JUPP) No. H05-341185 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system constituted by two single lens elements; and
(ii) JUPP No. H05-107470 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system constituted by three single lens elements.
However, in the above publications (i) and (ii), the correcting of lateral chromatic aberration, that of axial chromatic aberration, and that of field curvature are insufficient; and telecentricity is inadequate.
(iii) JUPP No. H08-334688 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system which is constituted by four lens elements and achieves a longer back focal distance. However, a first lens element is the only lens element having a negative refractive power (hereinafter, a negative lens element), so that lateral chromatic aberration is undercorrected, and telecentricity becomes worse.
(iv) JUPP No. 2002-228926 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system which is constituted by four lens elements divided into a front lens group and a rear lens group, and a negative lens element is provided in each of the front and rear lens groups, respectively.
However, the refractive power of the negative lens element of the front lens group is weaker, and the back focal distance is shorter. Moreover, the refractive power of the negative lens element of the rear lens group is also weaker, and the correcting of lateral chromatic aberration is insufficient.
(v) JUPP No. S62-173415 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system in which the refractive power of a negative lens element of a positive rear lens group is weaker. Consequently, the correcting of lateral chromatic aberration is insufficient.
(vi) JUPP No. H10-20189 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system constituted by three or four lens elements divided into a front lens group and a rear lens group. However, the rear lens group is constituted by one or two lens elements, so that lateral chromatic aberration largely occurs, and telecentricity becomes worse. While a rear lens group constituted by three or four lens elements has been proposed, the refractive power of a negative lens element of the rear lens group is stronger, and telecentricity becomes worse. Moreover, due to decentration caused by a gap between a lens element and a lens frame upon being assembled, decentration sensitivity (i.e., how much aberrations occur depending on decentration) becomes higher.
(vii) JUPP No. 2004-117607 has disclosed an endoscope objective lens system in which the negative refractive power of a first lens group is stronger than the refractive power of second and third lens groups. Here, with respect to the diaphragm, the first lens group (on the object-side of the diaphragm) can be defined as a front lens group, and the second and third lens groups (on the image-side of the diaphragm) can be defined as a rear lens group. Consequently, telecentricity becomes worse. Moreover, since the radius of curvature of a negative lens element of the rear lens group is smaller, aberrations of higher order occur. Still further, production costs of an endoscope objective lens system becomes higher, since an aspherical lens surface is employed.
As an example of an objective lens system in which cemented lens elements are not employed, an objective lens system of a digital camera, and that of a video camera are known, as disclosed in JUPP No. 2002-303789, JUPP No. 2001-100091, and JUPP No. 2002-277734. However, in the objective lens system disclosed in each of the publications, the negative refractive power of the first lens element (group) is weaker, so that the angle of view thereof is narrower than that of an endoscope objective lens system.
In regard to aberrations, an endoscope objective lens system, particularly, for an electronic endoscope is required to correct lateral chromatic aberration more appropriately than an endoscope objective lens system for a fiber scope does, because of higher pixelation of an imaging device in recent years. Furthermore, a longer back focal distance needs to be secured for positioning a filter group and a cover glass. Still further, in order to prevent shading in the peripheral area of an imaging device, telecentricity of an endoscope objective lens system needs to be improved.


A reformer tube for producing synthesis gas by steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feed gases, preferably natural gas, includes one or more helically coiled heat exchanger tubes which are arranged within a catalyst bed of a reforming catalyst and are helically coiled over part of their length located within the catalyst bed and are otherwise straight are present, where the straight proportion of the heat exchanger tubes and/or the helix pitch of the helically coiled part alters within the catalyst bed and matching to requirements of the pressure drop, the heat exchange properties, and the corrosion resistance.

By means of steam, hydrocarbons can catalytically be converted to synthesis gas, i.e. mixtures of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). As is explained in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Sixth Edition, 1998 Electronic Release, keyword "Gas Production", this so-called steam reforming is the most frequently used method for the production of synthesis gas, which subsequently can be converted to further important basic chemicals such as methanol or ammonia. Although different hydrocarbons, such as naphtha, liquefied gas or refinery gases, can be converted, steam reforming with methane-containing natural gas is dominant.
The steam reforming of natural gas is strongly endothermal. Therefore, it is performed in a reformer furnace in which numerous catalyst-containing reformer tubes are arranged in parallel, in which tube the steam reforming reaction takes place. The outside walls of the reformer furnace as well as its ceiling and its bottom are lined or provided with several layers of refractory material which withstands temperatures up to 1200° C. The reformer tubes mostly are fired by means of burners which are mounted on the upper or lower surface or on the side walls of the reformer furnace and directly fire the space between the reformer tubes. The heat transfer to the reformer tubes is effected by thermal radiation and convective heat transmission from the hot flue gases.
After preheating by heat exchangers or fired heaters to about 500° C., the hydrocarbon-steam mixture enters into the reformer tubes after final heating to about 500 to 800° C. and is converted at the reforming catalyst to obtain carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Nickel-based reforming catalysts are widely used. While higher hydrocarbons are completely converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a partial conversion usually is effected in the case of methane. The composition of the product gas is determined by the reaction equilibrium; beside carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the product gas therefore also contains carbon dioxide, non-converted methane and steam. For energy optimization or in the case of feedstocks with higher hydrocarbons, a so-called pre-reformer can be used after the preheater for pre-splitting the feedstock. In a further heater, the pre-split feedstock then is heated to the desired reformer tube inlet temperature.
After leaving the reformer furnace, the hot synthesis-gas product gas is partly cooled in one or more heat exchangers. The partly cooled synthesis-gas product gas subsequently undergoes further conditioning steps which are dependent on the type of product desired or on the succeeding process.
The steam reforming of natural gas is characterized by its high energy demand. The prior art therefore already includes suggestions in which it should be attempted to minimize the demand of foreign energy by an optimized procedure, for example by energy recovery. A so-called HCT reformer tube with internal heat exchange has been presented by Higman at the EUROGAS 90 Conference, Trondheim, June 1990. Said HCT reformer tube comprises an outer reformer tube filled with catalyst and heated from outside, in which the catalyst bed is traversed by the feed gas from top to bottom. In the interior of the catalyst bed, two coiled heat exchanger tubes arranged as double helix and made of a suitable material are provided, through which the partly reformed gas flows after leaving the catalyst bed and in doing so releases part of its sensible heat to the steam reforming process which takes place at the catalyst. Calculations and operational experiments have shown that at a typical inlet temperature of 450° C. into the catalyst bed and at a typical outlet temperature of 860° C. from the catalyst bed, up to 20% of the energy required for steam cracking can be recirculated to the steam reforming due to the internal heat exchange. Furthermore, up to 15% investment costs are saved, since the convection path in the reformer furnace can be designed smaller and less reformer tubes are required. What is disadvantageous, however, is the higher pressure loss due to the longer conduction path of the gas through the helically designed heat exchanger tubes. Furthermore, a corrosion referred to as "metal dusting" becomes noticeable to a greater extent, which will briefly be explained below, since longer portions of the heat exchanger tubes are exposed to the temperature range relevant for the "metal dusting" corrosion.
In many synthesis gas production plants, at higher gas temperatures, in particular in the range from 820° C. down to 520° C. in the gas production plants themselves and in the heat exchangers downstream of the same, corrosion problems occur at the metallic materials used, when a certain CO2/CO/H2O ratio is reached. This applies both to ferritic and to austenitic steels. This removal of material known under the term "metal dusting" leads to a consumption or destruction of the material, and there are only limited possibilities to withstand this corrosion by an appropriate material composition.

Reformer tube with internal heat exchange

L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE

AIR LIQUIDE GLOBAL E&C SOLUTIONS GERMANY GMBH


A focus shift sensor includes a light source which directs light through a first grating to form a pattern of light. The pattern is directed through the lens which images the pattern at a second grating. The two gratings have different periods such that the second grating generates a pattern of Moire fringes which are projected onto a CCD array. The second grating is preferably tilted with respect to the plane of the image of the pattern from the first grating such that only a portion of the second grating is within the range of focus of the lens. As a result, a pattern of shortened Moire fringes is produced. As the range of focus shifts along the second grating, the Moire fringes move along the CCD array. The movement of the fringes is tracked and the system is adjusted to maintain the location of the focal plane of the lens at a desired location.

In many optical systems such as photolithography systems, an object such as a reticle is illuminated by a light source. Light from the object passes through a projection or exposure lens which forms an image of the object at an image plane. In photolithography systems, a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer or flat panel display substrate is mounted on a movable stage at the image plane, and an image of the illuminated reticle is formed by the projection lens on the top surface of the workpiece.
In today's semiconductor and flat panel display industries, increasingly dense circuits are required on wafer and display substrates. The increased circuit density demands smaller feature sizes and line widths in the images projected onto the substrates. Feature sizes in the sub-micrometer range are increasingly in demand.
With such small required feature sizes, even small shifts in the image plane or focal plane of the lens can adversely affect the performance of the system. If the focus shifts such that the workpiece surface moves beyond the depth of focus of the lens, then the reticle pattern cannot be accurately reproduced on the substrate.
Assuming a mechanically stable system, the main cause of focal plane shift is thermal changes induced in the lens by absorption of a portion of the exposure light. The resultant heating induces changes in the refractive indices of the optical elements as well as in their curvatures. The effect is a shift in the focal plane of the lens over time. The time constant of the shift is usually several minutes, which can be of the same order as the time needed to completely expose a substrate. Thus, if the shift is a significant portion of the depth of focus, it can interfere with proper exposure of the substrate.
Other causes of focal plane shift include changes in atmospheric air pressure, temperature and humidity. However, these changes occur slowly and, hence, do not cause significant problems during exposure of a substrate.
Prior systems have attempted to compensate for focal plane shift due to lens heating. In one method, a block of metal is placed in the illuminator where it receives a portion of the light intended for the lens. The block is made to have heating and cooling time constants approximately equal to those of the lens. The temperature of the block is monitored with a thermocouple. From the temperature information, the focal plane shift of the lens is computed and an appropriate compensation is made at the plane of the substrate.
In another method, the focal plane shift of the lens over time at full light intensity is characterized and the data is stored. The actual amount of light that passes through the lens during an exposure is calculated by multiplying the full intensity value by the transmission percentage of the reticle being used during the exposure. From this calculated value, compensation is made at the substrate plane as the exposure is executed.
These prior approaches are essentially modeling approaches in which a simulated focus shift is calculated and for which compensation is made. As with any simulation, inaccuracies are introduced by the imperfection of the model and the absence of actual measurement.
Most photolithography systems also include another type of focus sensor, commonly referred to as a stage sensor. The device is used to determine the position of best focus of the system. One such stage sensor works in conjunction with a grating formed on the reticle. The system illuminator projects light through the grating onto the system projection lens which forms an image of the grating on a detector located on the system stage. The detector can include a single slit aperture over an array of optical detectors or a single detector. Instead of a single slit, a second grating having the same period as the first grating can be used.
This prior art stage sensor determines the position of best focus between the stage and the lens by implementing a series of movements in three dimensions x, y, z, where x and y are orthogonal dimensions in the plane of the stage and z is the dimension along the optical axis of the lens which connects the lens with the stage.
In the best focus position sensing process, at each of a plurality of incremental z positions, the stage is moved in the x and/or y dimensions to scan the aperture or grating on the stage under the image of the reticle grating. The best focus position in the z dimension is the z position which provides the highest amplitude oscillating signal at the detector as the image of the reticle grating is scanned.
While this process is highly effective at setting up the photolithography machine at the proper focus position, it is impractical to use during the exposure procedure to adjust for shift in focus due to thermal effects. It is very time-consuming in that it requires intricate movement in two or three dimensions while the optical signal projected from the reticle is detected and analyzed.


An electrical junction box has a first insulating polymeric portion and a second polymeric portion defining multiple electrically conductive circuits. The circuits are at least partially separated by the first insulating polymeric portion and at least some of the circuits electrically connect together wire harness connector portions. A further aspect of the present invention junction box causes a section of the first insulating polymeric portion to concurrently act as a segment of an outer protective cover for the junction box.

This invention relates generally to electrical systems within automotive vehicles and specifically to an automotive vehicle junction box.
It is common to employ junction boxes for distributing electrical power or electricity between multiple wire harnesses and electronic components in automotive vehicles. Conventional wire harnesses have many discretely insulated copper wires that are wrapped together by tape. Many separate connector terminals and connector housings are fastened to the discrete wires. One connector for each wire harness is commonly connected to the junction box while the opposite wire harness connector is connected to an electricity activated component, such as a lamp, switch, horn, electric motor, solenoid, battery, or the like.
Examples of known junction boxes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,244 entitled "Hybrid Junction Box" which issued to Maue et al. on Dec. 26, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,718 entitled "Programmable Junction Box" which issued to Maue et al. on Aug. 25, 1987; these patents are incorporated by reference herein.
Independent from junction boxes, it is also known to provide a two shot injection molded blower switch in an automotive vehicle which has integrally molded male blades formed with rotary switch contacts and a bulb socket. The electrically conductive areas are plated with a conductive metallic material. This part is not believed to incorporate multiple electrical harnesses or any electronic components, such as fuses or relays.

Electric junction box for an automotive vehicle


In a method of assembling a nuclear fuel assembly, a deflecting jig is inserted into grid cells in each of a plurality of grids. The diameter of the deflecting jig is enlarged to urge a spring of at least one pair of dimples and spring, associated with the grid cell to deflect the springs away from the dimple. A plurality of elongated key members are inserted into the grid cells through a plurality of openings defined at intersections between the straps forming walls of the grid cells. Each key member is rotated about its axis to cause hooks of the key member to project from a wall surface of the strap in a direction opposite to the projecting direction of the springs. The key member is then moved in a direction to engage the hooks with the wall surface of the strap. Urging of the spring by the deflecting jig is released to allow the same to be withdrawn from the grid cells and, subsequently, the fuel rods are inserted into the respective grid cells. The key member is then moved in a direction to bring the springs into pressure contact with the fuel rods. The key members are then withdrawn from the grid cells. A combination of the grid and the key member is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly method for a nuclear fuel assembly, capable of preventing scratches from occurring on outer peripheral surfaces of nuclear fuel rods when the nuclear fuel assembly is assembled, and to a grid in the nuclear fuel assembly for supporting the fuel rods.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 10 of the attached drawings depicts an example of a nuclear fuel assembly which is mounted on a nuclear reactor such as a pressurized water reactor or the like.
In this assembly, a pair of top and bottom nozzles 1 and 2 are arranged in facing relation to each other and in vertically spaced relation to each other. A plurality of control-rod guide thimbles 3 extend between and are securely fixed to the top and bottom nozzles 1 and 2. A plurality of grids 4 are secured to intermediate portions of the respective control-rod guide thimbles 3 in vertically spaced relation to each other.
As shown in FIGS. 11 through 13, each of the grids 4 is formed as follows. That is, a plurality of straps 7, each in the form of a thin strip sheet, are assembled perpendicularly to each other into a grid by mutual fitting of slits 8 which are formed in the straps 7 in longitudinally equidistantly spaced relation to each other. A plurality of grid cells 5 are defined in each of the grids 4. A pair of dimples 9 and 9 and a pair of springs 10 and 10 for supporting a fuel rod 6 are formed on the wall surface of each of the grid cells 5 in opposed relation to each other. The fuel rod 6 inserted in the grid cell 5 is supported in urging relation to the dimples 9 by the springs 10.
An assembly method of the nuclear fuel assembly constructed above will next be described.
First, the grids 4 are arranged in vertically spaced relation to each other at a predetermined spacing. The control-rod guide thimbles 3 are then inserted into and fixed to predetermined grid cells 5 of each of the grids 4, respectively. Subsequently, the fuel rods 6 are inserted into corresponding grid cells 5 in each of the grids 4 which are supported by the control-rod guide thimbles 3, with the fuel rod 6 in sliding contact with the dimples 9 and the springs 10. In this manner, the fuel rods 6 are fixedly arranged in corresponding grid cells 5 through the dimples 9 and the springs 10. After insertion of all the fuel rods 6, the pair of top and bottom nozzles 1 and 2 are fixedly mounted respectively to the opposite ends of the control-rod guide thimbles 3.
In the aforesaid assembly method of the nuclear fuel assembly, when the fuel rods 6 are inserted respectively into the grid cells 5 in each of the grids 4, the outer peripheral surface of each of the fuel rods 6 is clamped between the dimples 9 and the springs 10, and the fuel rod 6 must be inserted into the corresponding grid cells 5, while the fuel rod 6 resists the resilient force of the springs 10. Thus, there is a problem that the outer peripheral surface of the fuel rod 6 is scratched by the springs 10 and the dimples along its longitudinal direction.

Assembly method and grid for nuclear fuel assembly


A method and a system for transmitting/receiving serial data efficiently by minimizing the transitions of bits in a serial communication system, as well as a serial communication system for the same, are provided. The method for converting coded parallel data into serial data and transmitting the serial data in a serial communication system includes determining a position, in which an information bit of the coded parallel data is found first, the information bit being defined as a bit having a predetermined bit value so that the information bit is not compressed; and serially transmitting the information bit found first and at least one bit following the information bit found first as compressed serial data until the determined position is reached.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting/receiving serial data in a serial communication system, as well as a serial communication system for the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting/receiving serial data efficiently by minimizing the transitions of bits in a serial communication system, as well as a serial communication system for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As generally known in the art, conventional on-chip or off-chip parallel communication systems require a large number of wires, which result in problems including crosstalk between wires, skew, etc. Therefore, off-chip serial communication systems (e.g. Ethernet, USB (Universal Serial Bus), IEEE 1394, PCI-EXPRESS, etc.) are used for wired communication between electric products, Internet communication between computers, communication between functional blocks inside chips, etc. Even in the case of on-chip communication systems, which have adopted only the parallel bus scheme, on-chip serial communication systems are being studied to solve not only the above-mentioned problems of crosstalk between wires and skew, but also the wiring congestion of parallel wires. Such an on-chip serial communication scheme has been adopted for a multifunction, high-performance multicore SoC (System-on-Chip), such as an NoC (Network-on-Chip).
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for transmitting/receiving serial data according to the prior art.
The conventional serial communication system includes a transmitter 110 for converting input N-bit parallel data 101 into serial data 105 and transmitting it, and a receiver 150 for receiving the serial data from the transmitter 110 and converting it into N-bit parallel data 109.
The transmitter 110 successively converts N-bit parallel data 101, which is stored in a first signal processor 111 of a FIFO (First In First Out) type, into serial data 105 through a serial converter 115, and loads the serial data 105 onto a serial transmission wire 130. The MSB (Most Significant Bit) of the serial data 105 is generally transmitted first.
The receiver 150 converts the successively inputted serial data 105 into parallel data through a parallel converter 151, stores the parallel data in a second signal processor 155, and outputs N-bit parallel data 109.
The first and second signal processors 111 and 155 according to the prior art shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted, and a coder 113 and a decoder 153 may be added if a separate coding scheme is adopted.
Coding schemes applicable to the coder 113 and the decoder 153 shown in FIG. 1 will now be described.
When clocks are extracted from data without separate clock signals, such as in the case of Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), DC-balanced codes (e.g. 8 B/10 B codes) are used. Particularly, according to the DC-balanced coding scheme, transitions are so created in the serial transmission wire 130 that less than five consecutive symbols (0 or 1) should occur. This makes it easier to extract clocks from the serial transmission wire 130.
However, the DC-balanced coding scheme increases the transmitting/receiving power due to the increased number of transitions in the serial transmission wire 130. In addition, 25% overhead occurs because, in order to transmit effective data of 8 bits 10 bits are actually transmitted. The DC-balanced coding scheme is even unnecessary if separate clock signals are used or if the transmitter 110 and the receiver 150 are synchronized as in the case of on-chip communication systems.
There are analog and digital methods for minimizing the transmitting/receiving power when the transmitter 110 and the receiver 150 are synchronized. The analog method includes a low-swing signaling scheme, according to which the signal level is lowered. The digital method includes a scheme (e.g. SILENT coding scheme), according to which the bit transitions on the serial transmission wire 130 are minimized.
The SILENT coding scheme, which has been studied as one of the conventional digital methods, applies XOR (Exclusive OR) codes to the serial transmission scheme, as disclosed in "SILENT: Serialized Low Energy Transition Coding for On-Chip Interconnection Networks", Kangmin Lee, et al., IEEE ICCAD 2004, pp. 448-451.
FIG. 2 shows a SILENT coding scheme.
The scheme will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 on an assumption that N-bit parallel data is 8-bit data.
The first signal processor 111 shown in FIG. 2 is a buffer of an FIFO type, and transmits successively inputted parallel data W0-W3 to the coder 113. The coder 113 adopts a SILENT coding scheme, which applies XOR codes to a serial transmission scheme, and creates data W′0-W′3 201 that has been coded successively in such a manner that, if a currently transmitted data bit is identical to a previously transmitted data bit, 0 is used, and, if they are different, 1 is used. The serial converter 115 serializes the created data 203, and loads the SILENT-coded serial data 205 onto the serial transmission wire 130 as shown in FIG. 2A.
It is clear from FIG. 2 that, as a result of applying the SILENT coding scheme, there are 6 bit transitions in the SILENT-coded serial data 205 as shown in FIG. 2A, but there are 17 bit transitions in the original serial data 207 to which the SILENT coding has not been applied. The reason the number of bit transitions is reduced by the SILENT coding is that there exists locality between the consecutive parallel data.
However, when such SILENT coding is applied to a serial communication system, the power is reduced efficiently compared with conventional methods applying no coding, while the bit rate has no gain. In other words, even if the SILENT coding is applied to a serial communication system for conversion into serial data, neither the bit rate nor the bandwidth can be increased during serial data transmission.
In addition, serial transmission schemes adopted by serial communication systems employ a small number of transmission wires and, therefore, have a much smaller bandwidth than parallel transmission schemes which employ many transmission wires to transmit a number of bits simultaneously. In an attempt to solve the problem of small transmission bandwidth, the bit rate is increased by a number of times. This results in difficulty in high-speed design, as well as problems related to the area and power resulting from high-speed circuits.
Therefore, there is a need for a scheme capable of increasing the available bandwidth by compressing SILENT-coded data so that the transitions of bits in serial communication systems can be minimized.

Method and system for transmitting/receiving serial data in serial communication system and serial communication system for the same


A new family of crystalline molecular sieves have been synthesized. These compositions have a microporous structure of at least ZrO.sub.3 octahedral units and SiO.sub.2 tetrahedral units. Optionally, the molecular sieves contain M metals such as titanium or tin. These novel molecular sieves are prepared hydrothermally from a reaction mixture composed of reactive sources of the components. Additionally, these molecular sieves are useful for the selective adsorption of ammonium ions.

Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicate molecular sieves which have a microporous three-dimensional framework structure. In general, the crystalline zeolites are formed from corner-sharing AlO.sub.2 and SiO.sub.2 tetrahedra and are characterized by having pore openings of uniform dimensions, having a significant, ion-exchange capacity and being capable of reversibly desorbing an adsorbed phase which is dispersed throughout the internal voids of the crystal without significantly displacing any atoms which make up the permanent crystal structure.
Other crystalline microporous compositions are known which are not zeolitic, i.e., do not contain AlO.sub.2 tetraheda as essential framework constituents, but which exhibit the ion-exchange and/or adsorption characteristics of the zeolites. These include: 1) crystalline aluminophosphate compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,440; 2) silicon substituted aluminophosphates as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,871; 3) metal substituted aluminophosphates as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,197; 4) metal sulfide molecular sieves disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,761 and 5) metallo zinc-phosphate compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,362. There are also various reports of zirconium silicate molecular sieves. U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,453 discloses zirconium, hafnium or titanium silicates containing both octahedral and tetrahedral framework units. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,675 it is disclosed that metals such as Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Zr or Y can be inserted into the crystal structure of a zeolite. It is also stated that these metals are introduced as tetrahedral units. Zirconium silicates having the MFI and MEL structures have also been reported in Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal, 83 (Zeolites And Microporous Crystals), 57-66 (1994) and J. of Catalvsis, 163, 501-505 (1996). It is stated in these publications that zirconium is tetrahedral. A zirconium silicate identified as ZRSI-1 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,527.
There are also numerous other reports of zirconium silicates including minerals and synthesized compositions. These include: 1) Na.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.3 O.sub.9.2H.sub.2 O (catapleiite), Na.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.6 O.sub.15.3H.sub.2 O (elpidite), Na.sub.3 ZrSiO.sub.6 (O/OH).sub.18 (lovozerite), Na.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.2 O.sub.7 (parakeldyshite), Na.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.4 O.sub.11 (vlasovite), Na.sub.2 ZrSiO.sub.5, Na.sub.6 Zr.sub.2 Si.sub.4 O.sub.15, Na.sub.4 ZrSi.sub.5 O.sub.16, Na.sub.14 Zr.sub.2 Si.sub.10 O.sub.31, disclosed in C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris, 278, 689 (1974); 2) K.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.3 O.sub.9 (wadeite) disclosed in Contrib. Mineral. Petrol, 72, 191 (1980); 3) K.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.6 O.sub.15 (dalyite) in C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris, 270, 2741 (1970); 4) Na.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.3 O.sub.9.2H.sub.2 O (gaidonnayite) in Can. Mineral, 12, 143-144 (1973); 5) Na.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.3 O.sub.9.3H.sub.2 O (hilairite) in Can. Mineral., 12, 237 (1974); 6) (Na/H).sub.2 ZrSi.sub.2 O.sub.7 (keldyshite) Na.sub.4 Zr.sub.2 Si.sub.5 O.sub.16, lzvestiva Akademii Nauk SSSR, Neorganicheskie Materialy, 6, (11), 2081-2083 (1970); 7) K.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.2 O.sub.7 (khibinskite), Sov. Phys. Dopl., 15, 711 (1971); 8) K.sub.4 Zr.sub.2 Si.sub.6 O.sub.8.2H.sub.2 O (kostylevite), Zup. Vses. Mineral. O-Va., 112, 469 (1983); 9) K.sub.3 Zr.sub.2 H(Si.sub.3 O.sub.9).sub.2.2H.sub.2 O (paraumbite), K.sub.2 ZrSi.sub.3 O.sub.9.2H.sub.2 O (umbite), Neorganisheskie Materialy, 29 (7), 971 (1993); 10) Na.sub.5 Zr.sub.2 Si.sub.6 O.sub.18 (CI/OH).2H.sub.2 O (petarasite), Can. Mineral., 18, 497 (1980); 11) LiNaZrSi.sub.6 O.sub.15 (zektzerite), Powder Diffraction, 2 (3), 176 (1987); 12) Na.sub.4 Zr.sub.2 Si.sub.3 O.sub.12 in J. Solid State Chem., 39, 219-229 (1981); 13) Na.sub.4 ZrSi.sub.3 O.sub.10 in Solid State Ionics, 7, 345 (1972); and 14) K.sub.2 ZrSiO.sub.5 in Inorg. Mater. (Engl. Transl.) 9 (1), 117 (1964).
Finally, zirconium silicates are disclosed in PNNL-11451 report entitled, "Efficient Separations and Processing. Crosscutting Program: Develop and Test Sorbents", G. N. Brown, Principal Investigator, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, 1996 Annual Progress Report.
In contrast to this art, applicants have developed a family of molecular sieves which have octahedral ZrO.sub.3 units and tetrahedral SiO.sub.2 units and an empirical formula on an anhydrous and as synthesized basis of : EQU A.sub.p M.sub.x Zr.sub.1-x Si.sub.n O.sub.m
where A is an exchangeable cation such as sodium or potassium ion, M is a framework metal such as tin or titanium, "p" has a value from about 1 to about 6, "x" has a value from greater than zero to less than 1, "n" has a value from about 2 to about 4, "m" has a value from about 7 to about 12. These compositions have an intracrystalline pore system allowing them to selectively exchange ions. In fact, applicants have determined that this family of molecular sieves can selectively exchange ammonium ions in the presence of calcium ions.

Zirconium silicate molecular sieves and process using the same


Radius fillers for composite structures, composite structures that include the radius fillers, and systems and methods of forming the radius fillers. The systems and methods may be configured to create a pre-form that may be utilized to form a radius filler and/or to create a radius filler from the pre-form. The systems may include an apparatus configured to form the pre-form for the radius filler. This apparatus includes a composite tape source, a pre-forming structure, and a drive mechanism. The systems also may include an apparatus configured to form the radius filler. This apparatus includes a pre-form supply, a first radius filler die, a second radius filler die, and a die selection structure.

Composite structures often include a laminate structure in which sheets of a composite material, such as a prepreg material, may be bent, wrapped, and/or otherwise extended between a first plane, or surface, and a second plane, or surface. The finite thickness and mechanical stiffness of the sheets of composite material result in a finite bend, or radius of curvature, in a transition region between the first surface and the second surface and, in some geometries, this finite radius of curvature results in a void space, or cavity, between adjacent sheets of composite material.
Generally, this void space is filled with, or otherwise occupied by, a filler material, such as a radius filler. The radius filler may be configured to provide mechanical support to the sheets of composite material that are proximal thereto and/or decrease a potential for distortion of the sheets of composite material while the composite structure is curing. While the presence of the radius filler may provide a variety of benefits to the composite structure, differences between a geometry, cross-sectional shape, or transverse cross-sectional shape of the radius filler when compared to a geometry, cross-sectional shape, or transverse cross-sectional shape of the void space may distort the composite structure during formation and/or curing of the composite structure. Thus, it may be desirable to closely match the shape of the radius filler to a shape, or a desired shape, of the void space. In addition, it also may be desirable to match the mechanical properties of the radius filler to that of the sheets of composite material and/or the resultant composite structure, thereby improving the overall durability of the composite structure.
Traditional systems and methods for radius filler construction are highly labor intensive, are batch processes, require the use of jigs that are as long as the radius filler that is to be produced and thus utilize a large amount of floor space, do not produce a radius filler with a geometry that is well matched to the geometry of the void space, do not provide for control of the mechanical stiffness of the radius filler, and/or are inherently wasteful and produce a significant amount of scrap material. As composite structures become larger and more complex, these limitations become increasingly significant, increasing the costs associated with composite structure construction. As an illustrative, non-exclusive example, next-generation aircraft may utilize composite structures that are approximately 10 meters in diameter, 33 meters long, and include 1000 or more lengths of radius filler, which also may be referred to herein as noodles. Thus, there exists a need for improved radius fillers for composite structures, as well as for improved systems and methods for fabricating the radius fillers.

Radius fillers for composite structures, composite structures that include radius fillers, and systems and methods of forming the same


An installable performance accelerator for computer network distributed file systems is provided. A cache subsystem is added onto, or plugged into, an existing distributed file system with no source code modifications to the operating system. The cache subsystem manages a cache on the client computer side which traps or intercepts file system calls to cached files in order to obtain an immediate and substantial performance increase in distributed file system performance. Additionally, a refresh agent may be installed on the server side to further speed up cache accesses.

The present invention is related to computer networks and, more particularly, to a performance accelerator providing file caching and other techniques to accelerate network computers.
A large portion of the tremendous increase in performance seen in the microprocessor world over the last fifteen years can be attributed to better management of the microprocessor memory hierarchy. In particular, the technique known as caching alone is responsible for a large part of the performance improvement. In a common memory cache, recently accessed data from the relatively slow main memory of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is stored in a cache of relatively fast static random access memory (SRAM). Performance increases are achieved when requested data is retrieved from the cache instead of the main memory.
Another form of caching involves storing recently accessed data from hard disks in main memory. Because the access speed of main memory is significantly faster than a hard disk access, disk caching provides substantial performance increases. A common disk caching program is SmartDrive that is included in Microsoft Windows.
In the late 1980's, network designers also realized the benefits of caching and began to apply some of these techniques to this new domain in the form of network caching. Networks typically include a distributed file system which allows multiple computer systems to share data or files. The computer system that stores a file locally is called the server with client computer systems making requests to the server to remotely access the file. In network caching, a client computer system stores network data or files locally on a hard disk. Distributed file systems like AFS and CODA (both developed at Carnegie-Mellon University), Sprite (developed at the University of California, Berkeley), and several others include some form of network caching to produce better performing and more robust distributed file systems.
FIG. 1 illustrates a common microprocessor and data storage hierarchy. A central processing unit (CPU) 10 performs the operations of the computer using data stored in one of the storage media shown below the CPU. The storage media include a cache 12, main memory 14, hard disk 16, and network 18. The cache is a form of high speed memory that provides the quickest access time. Access times steadily decrease to the network which typically provides the slowest access time. A memory cache 20 involves storing data from the main memory in the cache. Similarly, a disk cache 22 (e.g., SmartDrive) involves storing data from the disk in main memory. Lastly, a network cache 24 involves storing data from the network on the hard disk.
The present invention is directed generally to improving network caching capabilities in computer networks. However, the above description does not imply that the different forms of caching operate individually. To the contrary, the different forms of caching typically operate together. For example, a file on the network may be cached on a local hard disk that is disk cached in main memory.
The fundamental idea behind caching, in both the memory, hard disk, and network worlds, is to keep a copy of recently accessed data in a faster storage area (the "cache") so that subsequent accesses to the same data proceed at a faster rate. Caching in a distributed file system involves having the client computer system store locally a copy of the data or file that resides on the server. The concept of locality of reference states that there is a high probability that data will be reused soon after its first use. By obtaining a local copy of the data or file, a client computer system can avoid many further interactions with the server.
References within a file typically exhibit spatial locality meaning that if a block of a file is read, there is high probability that succeeding blocks will also be read. A client computer system can take advantage of spatial locality by caching the entire file or by requesting successive blocks of a file while a block is being processed. By taking advantage of both locality of reference and spatial locality, caching results in much faster overall performance for the client computer system.
However, prior art cache systems for distributed file systems are inherently a part of the server operating system. For example, AFS, CODA, and Sprite are all "built" or "compiled" into the UNIX kernel. Thus, to obtain the benefits of these systems, one needs to install the entire operating system on at least the server side and generally also on the client side of the distributed file system. However, installing a new operating on both the client and server sides is not generally feasible in a commercial setting because the process is very time consuming and existing applications may be incompatible with the new operating system.
Prior art cache systems are built into the operating system for a number of reasons including the following:
(a) It is difficult to maintain cache coherency between the client and server computer systems if the cache system is not a part of the server operating system. This is because the server needs to let the client know what data has been modified to maintain cache coherency, but if the cache system is not a part of the operating system, the operating system generally does not know data has been modified. PA1 (b) The cache system is such an integral part of the file system (which is part of the operating system) that it is much easier to design them in conjunction. PA1 (c) The programmers working on cached distributed file systems have typically been in academic rather than commercial environments, where they have had full access to the source code of the operating system and thus have no reservations about modifying the source code to suit their needs.
What is needed is a performance accelerator that provides file caching for distributed file systems without requiring modification of the server distributed file system or operating system. The present invention fulfills this and other needs.

Method and product for enchancing performance of computer networks including shared storage objects


An automatic door opening system utilizing wireless links to communicate from hazard or obstruction sensors to a controller to react to such conditions. The present invention allows the use of hazard, fault or obstruction switching devices which themselves utilize internal continuity monitoring in a wireless environment. Compressible hazard switch sensors which utilize internal, continuous conducting elements are continually monitored for breaks in such elements through continuity checks. A signal is generated from the wireless transmitter during door operation to indicate to the system that the link between the wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver is fully functioning at all times. The system can determine if an actual obstruction hazard is detected or if there is a loss of communications between the wireless transmitter and receiver link in the disclosed system while also allowing for wireless continuity checking between sensor switches utilized.

The present invention relates generally to door systems, and more particularly to automatic door safety systems which use wireless links for sending information regarding the detection of a hazard condition or the operational status of the entire wireless system and hazard detection components of a system.
Automatic door operating systems are popular in commercial or residential settings. Such doors typically include the operation of overhead door systems, elevator doors or other automatic control systems to open and close doors in various categories. Such doors also typically provide for obstruction detection to prevent the door from continuing to close when the apparatus on the door senses an obstruction in the door's path. Such obstruction sensors and obstructions switches usually include means to activate internal contacting devices within such sensors when the switch is compressed when it strikes an obstruction during the operation of a door. Such switches may include normally open, compressible door edge cells which contain internal electrical conductors which contact each other upon compression of the cell.
Present systems utilize such door edge systems usually along the leading edge of the door in a location where the system is likely to become compressed when striking an object, compressing the internal conductors together causing an electrical path to be completed thereby providing a fault signal typically communicated by a control wire to the motor controller to stop operation of the door immediately.
In many environments it is desirable to monitor the safety switches and safety sensors typically utilized with power operated doors in a wireless environment, rather than require a 2-conductor or 4-conductor wire lead to track the operation of the door as it opens and closes. It is desirable to eliminate the wear and tear on such conductor as it tracks the door through many thousands of operations. In today's environment, motor operated doors typically are expected to last ten years or more thereby placing considerable physical wear and tear on the conductors which may track the motion of the door to facilitate the connection between safety edge sensors and the controller monitoring for obstructions indicated by such sensors. Eliminating such hard-wired connections is important, but maintaining failsafe reliability systemwide is paramount. Also important is an ability to continuously monitor a system regardless of whether the door being protected is actually in operation. The systems disclosed in the prior art lack such an important combination of features.

Monitored transmitter and receiver system and method for safety devices


A gear wheel includes multiple helical toothings, each having a different helical angle. A pressing method for molding a gear wheel involves introducing a compactable material into a chamber of a pressing tool, compacting the material, exposing the helical toothings of the gear wheel, and removing the molded body from the pressing tool. A pressing tool for pressing, as one part, a gear wheel, includes a matrix, cylindrical first and second molding tool parts which can be translated along and then rotated about a longitudinal axis, and a driver coupled to the molding tool parts or driving them. The molding tool parts can be moved towards and away from each other and the inner surface of the matrix delimits the chamber and is shaped to allow a linear axial sliding movement of the compactable material relative to the matrix.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a gear wheel with a multiple helical toothing, which is obtained in one part by pressing. The invention further relates to a pressing method for original molding the gear wheel as one part and to a device for such a pressing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
One way of reducing the running noise of gear wheels is to use gear wheels with a helical toothing. In order to eliminate axial forces caused by this, the use of gear wheels with two helical toothings comprising single helical toothings which point counter to each other, in particular the use of gear wheels with a double helical toothing, is known. The double helical toothing is formed by two helical toothings, arranged alongside each other and pointing counter to each other, having identical reference circles.
In order to manufacture a gear wheel with a double helical toothing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,955, for example, discloses pressing and sintering circular cylindrical gear wheel compacts having simple cylindrical surface areas, providing each of the cylindrical bodies obtained in this way with a single helical toothing by original molding, namely rolling, and connecting the single helical toothings to each other non-positively by means of press fitting. The manufacturing method includes the steps of original molding, forming and joining. Individual means are required for each of these methods, namely a pressing tool, a sintering furnace, a rolling tool and a joining means. Cost-effective mass production is scarcely possible using such a method.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,239 discloses manufacturing gear wheels with a double helical toothing by means of injection molding. The method is described primarily for plastic gear wheels. Reference is, however, made to the fact that it is also intended to be usable for metallic gear wheels. In this case, however, the method would be restricted to the use of casting materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,744 describes a pressing tool and a pressing method for manufacturing a gear wheel with two helical toothings. The helical toothings can be inner toothings or outer toothings. However, only helical toothings which point in the same direction and exhibit identical helical angles can be obtained using the method and the two devices of this citation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,127 discloses pressing, in one part, a gear wheel with two helical toothings. The pressing tool includes a rotationally mounted matrix comprising a helical toothing on its inner surface area. An upper die and a lower die each comprise an outer toothing, via which they engage with the toothing of the matrix. The hollow cylindrical lower die comprises a further helical toothing on its inner surface area. The two dies are axially moved towards each other via their engagement with the helical toothing of the matrix, in order to compact the powder material. The helical toothing on the inner surface area of the matrix and the helical toothing on the inner surface area of the lower die mould the two helical toothings of the gear wheel. The devices and methods described in this specification, however, are restricted to the manufacture of helical toothings which exhibit different reference circles.
A method and a device for pressing, as one part, a gear wheel with two toothings are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,149. The toothings, each of them single, exhibit an offset with respect to each other by being offset along the circumference of the gear wheel with respect to each other. A pressing tool comprising a lower matrix, an upper matrix, a lower die assembly and an upper die assembly is used for pressing. The hollow cylindrical matrices, movable relative to each other, are provided with toothings on their inner surface areas, on which the toothings of the gear wheel are molded by pressing. For pressing, a compactible material is filled into a chamber formed by the lower matrix and the lower die assembly. Once the chamber has been closed by driving the matrices against each other, the chamber is axially shifted relative to the matrices. The matrices are then rotated about the common longitudinal axis relative to each other, in order to obtain the offset. In the position then assumed by the matrices, the dies of the two die assemblies are moved towards each other and the material is thus compacted. Lastly, the double gear wheel pressing obtained in this way is removed from the tool.
Molding a gear wheel with a multiple helical toothing would be problematic using the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,149. For directly after pressing, when the matrix is necessarily opened, an elastic expansion of the matrix halves would act on the molded part as the pressing force was relieved, said elastic expansion driving the matrix halves axially away from each other. If the matrix halves were fitted with inner surface areas having a helical toothing, these axial forces in the cross-sectional plane, separating the two matrix halves, would result in fractures in the structure of the gear wheel molding. This problem would increase with the size of the gear wheel molding, both with increasing diameter and with increasing axial width.

Gear wheel with a multiple helical toothing, pressed in one part, and a method and device for manufacturing the same


Disclosed are a composition and method for determining the levels of specific immune responsiveness to a glycoprotein in an individual being treated therewith by (i) contacting a body fluid sample obtained from the individual prior to glycoprotein treatment with glycoprotein that has been modified to have an oxidized carbohydrate portion; (ii) contacting a body fluid sample obtained from the individual subsequent to glycoprotein treatment with the glycoprotein that has been modified to have an oxidized carbohydrate portion; and (iii) observing the degree of difference in the specific immune response to the oxidized glycoprotein in the pre- and post-treatment samples.

Glycoproteins, particularly monoclonal antibodies of rat or mouse origin, are increasingly being used for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, infections, and immunological diseases. When administered to the patient, an immune response is sometimes generated by patients against these antibodies. The response is defined by the difference between the reactivity of the pre- and that of the post-treatment serum or plasma with the infused antibody.
Regulatory agencies require the monitoring and quantification of human immune response to the administered glycoprotein in treated patients. However, pre-dose reactivity of human serum or plasma, in some cases, is high and may interfere with the monitoring and quantification of the specific immune response to the glycoprotein.
In most situations, and although most of the patients are naive with respect to exposure to these proteins, a pre-treatment serum reactivity with the therapeutic protein is typically detected. This reactivity can be attributed to the presence in human serum or plasma of "natural antibodies" reactive with the antibody and in particular with the carbohydrate portion of the administered glycoprotein. Since the pretreatment serum reactivity with the glycoprotein might either conceal or augment the real immune response, reduction of this reactivity is desired.
Awwad M, Strome PG, Gilman SC, and Axelrod HR, Modification of monoclonal antibody carbohydrates by oxidation, conjugation, or deoxymannojirimycin does not interfere with antibody effector function, Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 38:23-30 (1994) examined site-specific modification of monoclonal antibody (mAB) by periodate oxidation and subsequent conjugation to either a peptide linker/chelator or a cytotoxic drug. These mAB-associated carbohydrates were also modified metabolically by incubating hybridoma cells in the presence of a glucosidase inhibitor (deoxymannojirimycin) to produce high-mannose antibody. It was concluded that modification of mAB carbohydrates did not compromise their in vivo or in vitro biological functions and that, therefore, combination therapy using immunomodulators to enhance the effector functions of site-specific immunoconjugates could be seriously contemplated.

Determination of antibody production against administered therapeutic glycoproteins, especially monoclonal antibodies


A composition for forming a waterproof, high strength, hard material having good insulation properties, comprising a mixture of crushed pumice and type S mortar, and preferably refractory additives or fillers, which forms the hard material upon the addition of water and after allowing the mixture to cure. The material has superior insulation properties to conventional compositions formed using portland cement instead of type S mortar.

The invention relates generally to the field of curable compositions for forming an insulating material, as well as the insulating material itself, as used for example in refractory or refrigeration constructions. In particular, the invention relates to the field of such compositions where the resulting material is a block or panel comprised of crushed pumice and type S mortar, and preferably additional fillers or additives.
For ultra-high temperature or ultra-low temperature applications, special construction materials must be used. Many of the normal construction materials such as wood, metal, concrete block or brick are not suitable for such applications. It is necessary to provide a material whose composition enables it to withstand the extreme temperatures. Many such materials are known in the industry. For example, it is well known to use refractory blocks or bricks in fireplace or furnace constructions. These materials have both high temperature resistance and high strength.
A composition which has proven to be successful in these applications includes the use of crushed pumice as an aggregate filler. Pumice is a volcanic stone which is strong yet lightweight. A cubic foot can weigh as little as 24 to 30 pounds, due to the presence of numerous sealed air chambers and pockets within the individual stones. Crushed pumice can range in size from pieces three-quarter inches in diameter to that of a grain of sand. Pumice will actually float in water. Prior to this invention, the pumice has always been mixed with portland cement and formed into blocks, panels or bricks. Portland cement is an hydraulic cement produced by pulverizing clinker consisting essentially of hydraulic calcium silicates, usually containing one or more forms of calcium sulfate as an interground addition. The pumice allows for a block roughly one-third lighter in weight than a block of conventional concrete. The pumice block has high insulation properties due to the entrapped air chambers, and is therefor ideally suited for extreme temperature applications.
To be used in fireplace constructions, pumice block must meet minimum standards regarding both compressive strengths and heat penetration. Additionally, the blocks must be able to withstand long-term and repeated high temperature situations without suffering degradation or deterioration. As it is desirable in construction to minimize the amount, size and weight of construction materials, while still meeting the structural requirements and standards, experimentation is ongoing to develop improved construction compositions utilizing pumice.
It has been discovered that pumice panels or blocks having improved structural and temperature insulation properties can be formed of a new composition as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,232, issued May 21, 1991 to this inventor. The pumice blocks of the new composition allow for the use of thinner blocks than those required under the old composition, while providing increased temperature insulation, higher compressive strengths and lesser degradation under long-term conditions.
That composition comprises the combination of pumice, type S mortar, and glass fibers, which when mixed with water form a hard material after curing. Type S mortar is a specialty masonry cement normally used to join and set bricks or concrete blocks. The type S designation is a standard used in the industry, and certifies that the product meets the required ASTM specifications. The composition can be formed into blocks, panels or bricks of various shapes and sizes for use in construction.
It has now been discovered that certain additives and fillers are compatible with this composition, and provide the finished product with improved properties with regard to temperature parameters, weight and impact resistance. It has also been discovered that for certain use the glass fibers can be left out of the original composition.