Apparatus for processing body signals, comprising at least one sensor (10, 12) for picking up in particular electrical signals from a living body, and means (16, 18) for preparing picked-up signals for further processing, and at least one first memory (22) for a picked-up measurement signal or signal portions, comprising at least one second memory (26) which contains a predeterminable comparison signal which is finite in respect of time, and signal comparison means (24) which are connected to the second memory (26) and the first memory (22) and which are adapted for sliding comparison of signal portions, which overlap in respect of time, of the measurement signal in the first memory (22) to the comparison signal stored in the second memory (26) and for output of a correlation coefficient representing the similarity of each compared signal portion of the measurement signal to the comparison signal.

The invention concerns an apparatus for processing body signals, which includes a sensor for picking up in particular electrical signals from a living body, and means for preparing picked-up signals for further processing, and at least one first memory for a picked-up measurement signal or signal portions.
It is frequently a matter of concern to identify given features in for example electrically recorded signals. For example, it may be a matter of interest to identify T-waves or QRS-complexes in an electrocardiogram and to determine as accurately as possible the time at which they occur. To analyse such signals, it is desirable to locate certain events or signal features, from the point of view of time.
With that background in mind, the present invention is concerned in particular with picking up intracardially recorded signals, in particular in an implanted device. For reasons relating to power requirement and the limited amount of space involved, only restricted resources for signal processing and analysis are available in an implanted device.
Various apparatuses and methods of feature identification of heart signals and for signal analysis are already known. European patent No 0 487 429 for example discloses an apparatus in which is stored a sequence of values of such parameters which correspond to an active cardiac cycle. The apparatus includes comparison devices to compare the stored parameter values of the active cardiac cycle to previously stored items of information about those values and, in the event of a positive comparison result, to trigger a signal. German patent applications Nos 199 38 376 and 199 63 246 which are not prior publications also concern apparatuses in which a measured cardiac signal is compared to previously formed and stored comparison signals in order in the case of DE 199 38 376 to identify fusion events in the electrostimulation of the heart and in the case of DE 199 63 246 to detect the circulatory effect of extrasystoles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,483 also discloses the use of a wavelet transform for the classification of tachycardias. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,881 a wavelet transform is additionally combined with a hidden Markov modelling in order to be able to detect P-R-waves in each case as Markov states with a reduced number of wavelet coefficients. It is further proposed therein that a set of wavelet coefficients, which is typical for the respective result, can be automatically updated in the event of rapid changes in the signal morphology, in order to make the analysis independent of short-term fluctuations in the physiological signals for example due to physical stress.
The aim of the present invention, in physiological signals such as intracardial electrocardiograms (ECG) and intracardial dynamic impedance patterns (IDZ), is to determine the occurrence of certain features and the moments in time thereof, hereinafter also referred to as time location, in an efficient manner. That should be effected as reliably as possible even in the presence of noise and interference signals. The degree of accuracy of time location of a feature is to correspond to the sampling rate, that is to say the time raster with which the physiological signals are recorded. Feature recognition is also to function in the event of a variation in signal morphology.
Further aims of the invention concern improved feature analysis functions.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to permit better or more efficient signal analysis in comparison with the state of the art at least in individual areas and thus very substantially to attain the above-indicated aims.
In accordance with the invention, that object is attained by an apparatus of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, which includes at least one second memory which contains a predeterminable comparison signal which is finite in respect of time, and signal comparison means which are connected to the second and the first memories and which are adapted for sliding or continuous comparison of signal portions, which overlap in respect of time, of the measurement signal in the first memory to the comparison signal stored in the second memory and for output of a correlation coefficient representing the similarity of each compared signal portion of the measurement signal to the comparison signal.
The integral of the comparison signal in relation to time or its sum of time-discrete signal values is preferably zero. In that way, the correlation signal formed by the correlation coefficients is a signal which is of a mean value of about zero. That greatly simplifies subsequent signal analysis.
In this case, the measurement signal is preferably an intracardial electrogram (ECG) or an intracardially recorded dynamic impedance pattern (IDZ). If those signals are not recorded continuously but in time-discrete manner with a sampling rate, the first memory has a sequence of time-discrete measurement values representing the measurement signal. The comparison signal is also stored in the second memory as a finite sequence of time-discrete values. In that case, instead of the integral of the comparison signal in respect of time preferably its sum of all discrete signal values is zero. That complies with the requirements made in relation to wavelets. Therefore the comparison signal can also be referred to as a comparison wavelet.
A crucial difference in relation to the wavelet transform is that the apparatus does not provide a two-dimensional result, like the wavelet transform, as the comparison pattern is not subjected to time scaling for the investigation of each measurement signal portion over a given frequency range. That decisively reduces the computing power required.
The level of resolution in respect of time of the measurement signal in the first memory is preferably the same as that of the comparison signal in the second memory. Each measurement signal portion to be compared to the comparison signal then corresponds to the comparison signal, in respect of the time duration and the number of discrete measurement values. The correlation coefficients formed by the comparison of the signals also form a sequence of time-discrete values which respectively represent the similarity of precisely one signal portion in the first memory to the comparison signal. The corresponding signal portions of the measurement signal in the first memory preferably overlap in that case in such a way that they are displaced relative to each other only by a discrete time step corresponding to the time resolution of the measurement signal. Due to this sliding comparison, the procedure produces a time-discrete correlation signal which is formed by the correlation coefficients which occur in succession in respect of time, as the result of comparison of the signals. The level of time resolution of the correlation signal is then the same as that of the measurement signal and the comparison signal. The correlation signal however can also be formed with a lower level of time resolution if the comparison operation is implemented only for each second, third or n-th time step. The measurement signal portions which are used for comparison with the comparison signal are then displaced relative to each other from one comparison operation to another comparison operation in each case by two, three or n time steps. In a practical context however it will frequently be advantageous to record the measurement and the comparison signals with a correspondingly lower sampling rate which defines the time raster, if the lower level of time resolution of the signal still permits secure feature identification and reliable signal comparison.
An essential feature of the apparatus is the second memory which contains the comparison signal which can be predetermined in accordance with the respective signal feature to be detected and in particular is variable for adaptation to a varying signal morphology by the apparatus itself.
A preferred apparatus is one in which the signal comparison means are connected to a logarithm storage means or memory which contains tables of logarithms for values of the measurement and the comparison signals, in which respect the signal comparison means are adapted to form the correlation coefficients in such a way that they effect multiplication of a value of the comparison signal from the second memory by the corresponding value of the first measurement signal from the first memory, in such a way that firstly the logarithms of the values themselves to be multiplied or the values which are respectively closest thereto are read out of the logarithm memory and then the two logarithms are added.
A procedure of that kind which is known per se, by the use of logarithm tables or slide rules for the multiplication of two values can be effected in an efficient, memory-saving fashion.
A preferred apparatus further has detection means which are connected to the signal comparison means and which are adapted to detect maximum values and/or zero-passages of a signal formed by the correlation coefficients.
Preferably, the apparatus also has threshold value comparison means which are connected to the signal comparison means and a threshold value memory containing a threshold value and which are adapted to output an identification signal as soon as the correlation coefficient outputted by the signal comparison means exceeds the threshold value. In that case, the apparatus is preferably of such a configuration that the threshold value comparison means are so designed that they output an identification signal when a correlation coefficient for a first signal portion from the first memory exceeds the threshold value and for a second signal portion which is recorded in terms of time after the first signal portion reaches the value zero or is below that value. In addition, there are preferably provided locating means which are connected to the threshold value comparison means and the detection means and are so designed that they associate a location signal with that measurement signal portion in the first memory, for which the signal formed by the correlation coefficient is at a maximum within that section of the signal formed by the correlation coefficient, in respect of which the threshold value comparison means output an identification signal.
As each correlation coefficient of the sequence of correlation coefficients is associated precisely with a signal portion of the measurement signal stored in the first memory, it is possible, by determining the corresponding maxima of the sequence of correlation coefficients, to determine precisely the time location, that is to say the location of a feature in the signal being investigated and thus the time at which a feature occurs.
The apparatus further preferably has threshold value-forming means which are connected to the threshold value memory and the locating means and which are so designed that they form a new threshold value after the occurrence of a location signal in such a way that the correlation coefficient associated with the location signal is involved in a weighted condition in the formation of the new threshold value. That permits continuous adaptation of the threshold value to the actual configuration of the measurement signal and to changes in the morphology thereof.
Also preferred is an apparatus which has comparison signal-forming means for forming a new comparison signal, which are connected to the second memory and which are so designed that a measured signal portion corresponding to a signal feature to be detected is transformed to the comparison signal in such a way that its integral in relation to time or the sum of the time-discrete signal values is zero, and the comparison signal formed in that way is transferred into the second memory. The comparison signal-forming means thus permit automatic formation of a suitable comparison signal.
A preferred apparatus is also one which includes comparison signal-adaptation means for adaptation of the comparison signal, which are connected to the first memory, the second memory and the locating means and which are so designed that they form a new adapted comparison signal when the locating means output a location signal, wherein the adapted comparison signal is formed using that measurement signal portion from the first memory with which the location signal is associated. That permits continuous adaptation of the comparison signal to the actual morphology of the measurement signal, with the consequence that characteristics of the measurement signal are reflected in the comparison signal so that the comparison signal can also be analysed, instead of the measurement signal, for analysis of the measurement signal. Furthermore, that adaptation of the comparison signal permits secure, reliable and time-accurate feature detection.
In this respect the apparatus is preferably distinguished by comparison signal-adaptation means which are so designed that the comparison signal which is valid prior to the adaptation operation, for formation of the comparison signal which is valid after the adaptation operation, is involved, multiplied with a weighting factor of 1-xcex1, in the comparison signal which is to be freshly formed, while that signal portion in the first memory, with which the location signal for triggering adaptation of the comparison signal is associated, is involved with a weighting factor of xcex1 in the comparison signal which is valid after the adaptation operation. In that respect, xcex1 is a value of between 0 and 1. The new comparison signal then corresponds to the sum of the two weighted signals which are involved in the formation of the new comparison signal.
The comparison signal-forming means and/or the comparison signal-adaptation means are preferably also so designed that the comparison signal which is formed or adapted is standardised in such a way that the amplitude thereof corresponds to the maximum amplitude of the measurement signal. That avoids unwanted effects as a consequence of signal multiplication in the formation of the correlation coefficients, which would cause square distortion of the scale for the threshold value.
Preferably the apparatus has a database which contains a plurality of comparison signals and which is connected to the second memory in such a way that comparison signals can be transferred from the database into the second memory and vice-versa. In that way, the apparatus can operate with various comparison signals for the detection of various signal features.
In addition, the apparatus preferably has analysis means which are designed to analyse the characterising properties of the preferably adapted comparison signal. Analysis means of that kind permit analysis of the measurement signal indirectly by evaluation of the comparison signal which is adapted to the measurement signal.
In a preferred variant the apparatus includes means for recording two cardiac signals of which one is associated with the left ventricle or atrium and the other is associated with the right ventricle or atrium, and means connected to said recording means for forming a bimodal signal from the two cardiac signals, in such a way that the bimodal signal contains a feature of the first signal prior to its conduction into the respective other ventricle or atrium and the corresponding feature after its conduction, so that the feature is contained in the bimodal signal at a spacing in respect of time corresponding to the conduction time, on the one hand in its form prior to conduction and on the other hand in its form after conduction. In addition the second memory of that apparatus contains a bimodal comparison signal which can be adapted to the bimodal signal so that, after adaptation of the bimodal comparison signal to the bimodal signal, the conduction time can be determined by analysis of the comparison signal. In the context of the described apparatus, that permits highly accurate determination of the conduction time between two heart chambers.

Biotonik Mess -und Therapiegeraete GmbH and Co. Ingenieurbuero Berlin


A service provider communication system includes a computer network-enabled workstation for a service provider (e.g., a medical caregiver) and a computer network-enabled communication device for a requester (e.g., a patient) in a location remote from the service provider workstation. A data network interconnects the service provider workstation and the requester communication device, and the service provider workstation and the requester communication device have respective network addresses. A requester information database stores a data record corresponding to the requester. The requester communication device includes a signaling device for generating a request signal and a controller responsive to the request signal for initiating a video communication link between the requester communication device and the service provider workstation using the respective network addresses and for initiating display of the data record at the service provider workstation.

The present invention relates in general to providing services (e.g., medical care and supervision) of a service requester (e.g., medical patient) by a service provider not in the same immediate location, and, more specifically, to a video telephony system for conducting communications supplemented by presenting digital data records to a service provider automatically in response to a video telephony call.
In connection with providing medical care to patients, it is desirable to minimize the costs of care without compromising the quality of care. One manner of controlling costs is to treat a patient at home, thereby avoiding costs associated with a stay at a hospital. Regular nurse visitations and/or a caregiver on standby or "on-call" status are provided in order to attend to the needs of the home patient; however, the response time to react to an emergency medical situation is typically longer than when the patient is checked into a hospital.
In the context of hospitalization, costs can be reduced by controlling the size of the caregiving staff (e.g., nursing staff) to maximize the ratio of patients to caregiver. By maximizing the number of patients that can be handled by one caregiver, a greater cost reduction can be realized. Nevertheless, sufficient staff must be maintained to handle emergencies which may occur.
In a real or perceived emergency situation, a nurse or other caregiver needs to quickly establish communication (e.g., in-person communication or remote communication such as a telephone call or intercom) with the patient in order to assess their immediate needs, determine and administer an appropriate course of action, and to reassure the patient that any necessary care is forthcoming. An emergency alert may be manually initiated by a homebound patient placing a telephone call to a caregiver, by a patient pressing a call button in a hospital room, or by an automatic patient monitor detecting an alert condition. Once an emergency situation arises, the caregiver typically needs to 1) identify the patient, 2) retrieve the patient's charts or is other records, 3) obtain any real-time monitoring or other information from the patient, 4) communicate any instructions or reassurances to the patient, 5) dispatch any needed assistance, and 6) update the patient's charts. A face-to-face visit (whether to a homebound patient or in a hospital room) is a relatively inefficient use of a caregiver's time, however, a conversation over an intercom or a telephone call provide only limited audio information which may be inadequate to address certain situations.
In connection with routine telephone calls to a service provider (medical or non-medical) or any other non-emergency communications, it can often be expected that some file records or other digital information associated with the initiator of the communication (e.g., a calling party) will be needed by the provider in handling the communication. For example, when making a routine telephone call to a doctor's office, the handling of the call is typically lengthened by the need of a responder (e.g., nurse) to access a patient file (electronic or paper). The nurse or other provider must manually initiate the file retrieval since it depends upon first learning of the identity of the requester (e.g., calling party).

Digital data communication system using video telephony


Provided herein are antibodies comprising non-natural amino acid residues at site-specific positions, compositions comprising the antibodies, methods of their production and methods of their use. The antibodies are useful for methods of treatment and prevention, methods of detection and methods of diagnosis.

Antibodies are biological molecules with remarkable affinity for their target antigens. Nature provides antibodies as part of a defense system in certain vertebrates for the elimination or destruction of foreign proteins, cells and organisms. If a certain vertebrate is presented with a foreign protein on, for example, an infected cell or an infectious bacterium, an antibody can bind its target foreign protein to direct the foreign entity to its elimination or destruction.
The selective affinity of antibodies can be used by man to target nearly any antigen desired. The antigen can be a protein on an infected cell or infectious microorganism. It can also be, for example, a protein on a cancer cell, a protein on a cell of a target tissue, a protein in the bloodstream, a protein on an inflamed or inflammatory cell or any other protein whose selective binding is useful. Antibodies have thus found use in therapy for conditions such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection. The antibody can signal the immune system to destroy or eliminate a diseased cell, or an engineered antibody can carry a molecular payload to destroy the target. In certain applications therapeutic antibodies are linked to molecular shields to increase their lifetime within an organism. Antibodies have also found use as diagnostics. These antibodies can carry a label to indicate the presence of a target antigen on a cell or in a tissue. These labels are typically linked to the antibodies by covalent bonds.
To date, techniques for linking antibodies molecular entities such as molecular payloads, molecular shields and labels have been limited by their heterogeneity in degree and location of linking to the antibodies, by their low yields and by losses in activity. Typical conjugation sites include random locations on antibody chains, e.g. random amines on amino acid side chains, and the N-terminus of certain antibody chains. In such techniques, some antibodies might be linked to the conjugate at one location while some antibodies are linked to the same conjugate at another location, and some antibodies might not be linked at all.
There is a need for antibodies modified at site-specific positions optimized for uniformity, yield and/or activity to further the promising use of antibodies in, for example, therapy and diagnostics.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Antibodies comprising site-specific non-natural amino acid residues, methods of their preparation and methods of their use


Spike safe floating current and voltage source (VI) containing a forced voltage amplifier in series with a selectable resistor. A method of providing a VI with forced current testing mode using a forced voltage amplifier in series with a selectable resistor. A method of providing a VI with forced voltage testing mode using a forced voltage amplifier in series with a selectable resistor. A method of measuring the on resistance of a device under test using a VI with a forced voltage amplifier in series with a selectable resistor. A method of measuring the breakdown of an input/output junction of a device under test using a VI with a forced voltage amplifier in series with a selectable resistor.

High power floating voltage and current (VI) sources are used for testing field effect transistors (FETs) or other electronic circuits commonly referred to here as a device under test (DUT). Four quadrant operation of these instruments can be configured in force current (I) mode and in force voltage (V) mode, which includes high current and high precision metering for full spectrum of tests. One operational challenge is to control the amount of energy entering into the DUT in response to the changes of the VI source, which may include over current shutdowns and/or short circuit defects created during a high voltage or high current test. Typically, the DUT being tested can be expected to respond much faster than the VI source. This may result in a high energy influx to the DUT caused by the delay in time between when the DUT behavior changes and when the VI source responds to the change. During this delay, the DUT may temporarily reach range limits before the clamp levels of the VI source can be enforced. A single defective device driven event may damage hardware and circuit boards causing tester down time and costly repairs.


A mesh generating method and a mesh generating apparatus are for automating the division of a space necessary in a numerical analysis. Firstly, a three-dimensional configuration of an object is formed by three-dimensional run-length data in a first graphic processing device, and the run-length data is stored in a run-length data storing device. In a second graphic processing device, the run-length data is sequentially read out from the storing device, calculations of the run-length data is performed, sectional configuration data is generated, and the sectional configuration data is stored in a device for storing the sectional configuration data. In third graphic processing device, the sectional configuration data is sequentially read out from the device for storing the sectional configuration data, calculations of the sectional configuration data is performed, at least one of data of an area of a section, center of gravity thereof, and number of boundary lines thereof each indicating characteristic of sectional configuration of the section is generated, and the generated data is stored in a device for storing the data indicating the characteristic of the sectional configuration. In a fourth graphic processing device, the data indicating the characteristic of the sectional configuration is sequentially read out from the device for storing the data indicating the characteristic of the sectional configuration, calculations of the data is performed, mesh plane data is generated, and the mesh plane data is stored in a mesh data storing device.

The present invention relates to a mesh generation method for automating the division of a space necessary in a numerical analysis and in particular a fluid analysis performed by using a computer and an apparatus therefor.
A fluid analyzing operation using calculus of finite differences is performed in the following procedure:

Mesh generating method and apparatus therefor

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A transparent coating for protecting wood, brick, stucco, glass, steel and other materials from graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust and salt air. The protective coating of the present invention comprises: water, paraffin wax, a corrosion inhibitor, an organic amine, and an emulsifying agent. Preferably each gallon of the transparent protective coating contains: 2308.0 g water, 621.4 g paraffin wax, 15.8 g triethanolamine, 6.5 g diethanolamine, and 85.6 g glycerine monostearate. The present invention also comprises methods for preparing the protective coating and methods of protecting surfaces from being marred by graffiti and the like using these protective coatings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protective coating for use in connection with protecting wood, brick, stucco, glass, steel and other materials. The protective coating has particular utility in connection with protecting materials from graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust, and salt air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of protective coatings is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,909 to Ziegler et al. discloses a liquid polymer wax preservative for metal surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,141 to Dill discloses a removable barrier made from a as polymer solution for protecting painted surfaces from being permanently marked by permanent marking pens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,714 to Gasmena discloses a clear hydrophobic coating that is durable, weather, chemical and heat resistant.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,831 to Moy discloses a sealant composed of a volatile hydrocarbon solvent, linseed oil, varnish, and paraffin and aluminum stearate for protecting wood signs from weathering.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a single protective coating that allows for protection of wood, brick, stucco, glass, steel and other materials from graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust, and salt air. The Dill patent provides for a removable sacrificial coating thereby requiring that the coating be reapplied after cleaning. The Moy patent provides for a protective coating with a volatile solvent. The Ziegler et al patent provides a coating for temporarily preserving metal surfaces. The Gasmena patent provides a durable, weather, chemical and heat resistant protective coating but is silent as to the resistance of such coating to graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust and salt air.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved protective coating which can be used to protect multiple surfaces from graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust, and salt air and permit easy of removal of graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust, and salt air there from. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the protective coating according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of protection of wood, brick, stucco, glass, steel and other materials from graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust, and salt air.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of protective coatings now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved protective coating, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved protective coating and methods of making and using the protective coating which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a protective which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a transparent coating for protecting wood, brick, stucco, glass, steel and other materials from graffiti comprising: water, paraffin wax, a corrosion inhibitor, an organic amine, and an emulsifying agent. The corrosion inhibitor is preferably triethanolamine. The organic amine is preferably diethanolamine. The emulsifying agent is preferably glycerine monostearate. Preferably each gallon of the transparent protective coating contains: approximately 2308.0 g water, approximately 621.4 g paraffin wax, approximately 15.8 g triethanolamine, approximately 6.5 g diethanolamine and approximately 85.6 g glycerine monostearate. More preferably each gallon of the transparent protective coating contains: 2308.0 g water, 621.4 g paraffin wax, 15.8 g triethanolamine, 6.5 g diethanolamine and 85.6 g glycerine monostearate.
The present invention also comprises methods for preparing the abovementioned transparent protective coatings, the method comprising the steps of: heating water to about 140xc2x0 F. and mixing the solution continuously at 350 r.p.m.; adding melted paraffin wax; adding an emulsifying agent; mixing until the mixture has creamy texture; adding a corrosion inhibitor; adding an organic amine; and mixing until the material comes to room temperature.
The present invention also comprises methods of protecting surfaces from being marred by graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust, and salt air using any of the abovementioned transparent protective coatings, the method comprising: coating the surface to be protected with the transparent coating; and allowing the coating to dry on the surface to be protected.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include variations of the protective coating formula specific for the material to be coated or the site to be protected. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofaras they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved protective coating that has all of the advantages of the prior art protective coatings and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved protective coating which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved protective coating which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved protective coating which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such protective coating economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new protective coating which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a protective coating for wood, stucco, brick, glass, steel and other materials that is clear after a cure time of approximately 24 hours.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protective coating to which graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, water rust or salt air will not bond.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protective coating that can be cleaned off with water pressure and does not require harsh cleaners.
Still even another object of the present invention is to provide a protective coating that can be applied with an airless spray unit, a hand roller or other conventional painting equipment.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a protective coating that lacks any petroleum-based solvents or related materials.
Yet another is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of making a protective coating for wood, stucco, brick, glass, steel and other materials.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of protecting wood, stucco, brick, glass, steel and other materials by applying a clear protective coating that is graffiti, paint, ink, mildew, rust and salt air resistant.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.


A simulation device for integrated evaluation experiment for sand control wellbore plugging and plugging removal, including a wellbore system, a whole sand control well plugging system, a local sand control well plugging system and a plugging removal system. The wellbore system simulates downhole working conditions of the sand control wellbore. Perforations of the whole sand control well plugging system and sand-filled pipe of the local sand control well plugging system are applied on the casing pipe of the wellbore system. The plugging process of the sand control well system is simulated by pumping a sand-laden slurry into the wellbore system. The plugging removal process is simulated by setting the plugging removal tool of plugging removal system through an oil tube in the wellbore system. The plugging removal effect of the plugging removal tool is analyzed and evaluated according to the reliable data measured by the pressure gauge, flowmeter, etc.

Currently, sand production is one of the main problems occurring in the exploitation of unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs. Through the studies on reducing the impact of sand production on oil and gas development, the simulation test devices for gravel packing holes are developed, which can simulate the bottom-hole flowing state and the wellbore plugging process under different sand control well completion methods. Besides, other formulas, devices and techniques for plugging removal also provide some solutions for particular plugging under certain conditions.
However, it needs to be pointed that currently, there is no particular device for comparing and analyzing the plugging removal effect of different types of tools and techniques. It is impossible to determine the plugging removal effect and applicability of various plugging removal tools under different plugging situations, and there is no experimental device that combines the plugging with plugging removal process in sand control well.

Simulation device and method for integrated evaluation experiment for sand control wellbore plugging and plugging removal

CHINA UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM (EAST CHINA)


A pressurized screen particularly adapted for screening paper making pulp includes a cylindrical screen plate mounted in a cylindrical casing and defining with it an annular chamber which receives unscreened pulp from which rejects are removed as the good pulp passes from the annular chamber through the screen plate. The axes of the screen plate and the casing are offset with respect to each other, forming an enlargement of the chamber which extends approximately from an inlet into the annular chamber to a rejects outlet which is diametrically opposite the inlet. A partition in the chamber extends parallel to the axes of the casing and screen plate from a position opposite the inlet to a position above the rejects outlet. The partition is spaced from the opposing inner and outer surfaces of the screen and casing, respectively, and a baffle is provided which extends co-extensively with the partition and slopes helically downwardly about the screen plate from the inlet to the rejects outlet and defines with the partition, the screen plate and a floor of the chamber, a passage of decreasing cross-sectional area. Inlets are also provided for adding dilution liquid to the passage upstream of the rejects outlet and a purging liquid just upstream of the rejects outlet.

Pressurized screens which include a cylindrical casing having a cylindrical screen plate mounted within it to define an annular space into which the material to be screened is received are well known in the art. In apparatus of this type rotating foils may be provided adjacent either the inner or outer face of the screen plate and flow may either be outwardly through the screen plate into the annular chamber formed by the screen plate outer face and the inner surface of the casing or inwardly in the opposite direction. Examples of apparatus of this latter type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,174,622 of Mar. 23, 1965; 3,394,809 of July 30, 1968; 3,581,903 of June 1, 1971; 3,898,157 of Aug. 5, 1975; and 4,127,479 of Nov. 28, 1978.
One difficulty encountered with apparatus of the type described generally above is that where the flow is inwardly through the screen plate and the pulp is introduced through a wall of the casing and the rejects are removed through another opening there may be a short circuiting effect in that pulp may flow directly from the inlet to the reject outlet without first circling the screen plate. This will obviously result in substantial loss of good fibers.
Another disadvantage encountered in screens of this type is that as the paper making pulp is introduced into the chamber at a high velocity from the inlet it strikes the surface of the cylindrical screen plate, driving undesirable particles into the openings through the screen plate and either thereby passing undesirable particles through the screen plate by force or plugging some of the screen plate openings.
In some apparatus of this type the geometry of the chamber defined by the outer surface of the screen plate and the inner surface of the casing is such that eddies and general hydraulic inefficiency exists in the chamber about the screen. While U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,394,809 and 3,898,157 utilize spiral ramps to organize flow in the area about the screen plate, the resulting assembly is necessarily complex with attendant difficulties in manufacture and maintenance.


The present application discloses novel squaric acid derivatives of the formula A: from —C(═O)—, —S(═O)2—, —C(═S)— and —P(═O)(R5)—; B: -, —O—, —NR6— and —C(═O)—NR6—; D: -, —O—, —CR7R8— and —NR9; m=0-12; n=0-12; m+n=1-20; p=0-2; R1: heteroaryl, aryl; R2: H, C1-12-alkyl, C3-12-cycloalkyl, —[CH2CH2O]1-10—(C1-6-alkyl), C1-12-alkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl; R3: C1-12-alkyl, C3-12-cycloalkyl, —[CH2CH2O]1-10—(C1-6-alkyl), C1-12-alkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl; or R2 and R3: N-containing heterocyclic/heteroaromatic ring; R4 and R4*: H, C1-12-alkyl, C1-12-alkenyl; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof, and their use in the treatment of diseases/conditions caused by an elevated level of NAMPRT (inflammatory and tissue repair disorders, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and CPOD, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and fibrotic diseases; dermatosis; autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosis, multiple sclerosis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, tissue and organ rejection, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, restenosis, diabetes, glomerulonephritis, cancer, cachexia, inflammation associated with infection and viral infections, adult respiratory distress syndrome, ataxia telengiectasia).

Inhibition of the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPRT) results in the inhibition of NF-kB, the inhibition of NF-kB being a result of the lowering of cellular concentrations of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) (Beauparlant et al (2007) AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, 2007 Oct. 22-26 Abstract nr A82; and Roulson et al (2007) AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, 2007 Oct. 22-26 Abstract nr A81). Tumor cells have elevated expression of NAMPRT and a high rate of NAD turnover due to high ADP-ribosylation activity required for DNA repair, genome stability, and telomere maintenance making them more susceptible to NAMPRT inhibition than normal cells. This also provides a rationale for the use of compounds of this invention in combination with DNA damaging agents for future clinical trials.
The pathways of NAD biosynthesis are shown in FIG. 1.
NAMPRT is involved in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and NAD(P). NAD can be synthesized in mammalian cells by three different pathways starting either from tryptophan via quinolinic acid, from nicotinic acid (niacin) or from nicotinamide (niacinamide).
Quinolinic acid reacts with phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate to form niacin mononucleotide (dNAM) using the enzyme quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase  which is found in liver kidney and brain.
Nicotinic acid (niacin) reacts with PRPP to form niacin mononucleotide (dNAM), using the enzyme niacin phosphoribosyltransferase  which is widely distributed in various tissues.
Nicotinamide (niacinamide) reacts with PRPP to give niacinamide mononucleotide (NAM) using the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPRT)  which is also widely distributed in various tissues.
The subsequent addition of adenosine monophosphate to the mononucleosides results in the formation of the corresponding dinucleotides: Niacin mononucleotide and niacinamide mononucleotide react with ATP to form niacin adenine dinucleotide (dNAD) and niacinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) respectively. Both reactions, although they take place on different pathways, are catalysed by the same enzyme, NAD pyrophosphorylase .
A further amidation step is required to convert niacin adenine dinucleotide (dNAD) to niacinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) The enzyme which catalyses this reaction is NAD synthetase . NAD is the immediate precursor of niacinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)) The reaction is catalysed by NAD kinase. For details see, e.g., Cory J. G. Purine and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism In: Textbook of Biochemistry and Clinical Correlations 3rd edition ed. Devlin, T, Wiley, Brisbane 1992, pp 529-574.
Normal cells can typically utilize both precursors niacin and niacinamide for NAD(P) synthesis, and in many cases additionally tryptophan or its metabolites. Accordingly, murine glial cells use niacin, niacinamide and quinolinic acid (Grant et al. (1998) J. Neurochem. 70: 1759-1763). Human lymphocytes use niacin and niacinamide (Carson et al (1987) J. Immunol. 138: 1904-1907; Berger et al (1982) Exp. Cell Res. 137; 79-88). Rat liver cells use niacin, niacinamide and tryptophan (Yamada et al (1983) Int. J. Vit. Nutr. Res. 53: 184-1291; Shin et al (1995) Int. J. Vit. Nutr. Res. 65: 143-146; Dietrich (1971) Methods Enzymol. 18B; 144-149). Human erythrocytes use niacin and niacinamide (Rocchigiani et al (1991) Purine and pyrimidine metabolism in man VII Part B ed. Harkness et al Plenum Press New York pp 337-3490). Leukocytes of guinea pigs use niacin (Flechner et al (1970), Life Science 9: 153-162).
NAD(P) is involved in a variety of biochemical reactions which are vital to the cell and have therefore been thoroughly investigated. The role of NAD(P) in the development and growth of tumours has also been studied. It has been found that many tumour cells utilize niacinamide for cellular NAD(P) synthesis. Niacin and tryptophan which constitute alternative precursors in many normal cell types cannot be utilized in tumour cells, or at least not to an extent sufficient for cell survival. Selective inhibition of an enzyme which is only on the niacinamide pathway (such as NAMPRT) would constitute a method for the selection of tumour specific drugs. This has been exemplified by the NAMPRT inhibitor APO866. (see Hasmann and Schemainda, Cancer Res 63(21):7463-7442.)
It is known that various derivatives of 3,4-diamino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, substituted in a specific manner have pharmacologically useful properties. In particular, certain derivatives are known to possess antiproliferative activity. All of these compounds however are structurally dissimilar from the compounds of the present invention.
Compounds comprising 3,4-diamino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione moieties are described in the following publications:
Use as potassium channel openers: J. Med. Chem. (2000) 43:1187, J. Med. Chem. (2000) 43: 1203, WO 02/062761.
Use as smooth muscle relaxants: WO 96/15103, WO 96/14300, WO 95/14005, U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,245.
Use as chemokine receptor binders: WO 02/083624.
Use as integrin receptor binders WO 00/035864, U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,396, WO 01/47867, WO 02/04426, WO 02/10136, WO 02/42264, U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,360.
Use as anticancer agents: WO 02/083624, EP 1674457 A1.

Squaric acid derivatives as inhibitors of the nicotinamide


A flow through cell for non-invasive monitoring of fluids flowing therethrough includes a membrane covered view window through which sensors may monitor the fluids. The membranes are secured in position by a frame and retainer assembly with the frame and retainer clamping the membranes in place between the frame support structure and the retainer. The frame is snugly fitted into the cell and includes a sensor receptive chamber for positioning the sensors in the window and in position with the membranes.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is generally related to a cell which is inserted in the fluid flow line in such a manner to permit non-invasive monitoring of the fluid and is specifically directed to an assembly permitting sensors to interface with the fluid through semi-permeable membranes thereby allowing for photochemical reaction which may in turn be optically monitored through windows provided in the sensors. This combination provides for non-invasive real time monitoring of various entities contained in the fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In most medical applications where fluids are either being introduced into the body or withdrawn from the body, the purity of the fluid must be maintained. Where such fluids have to be pumped, monitored, or subjected to temperature and other environmental controls, these activities must be done in a non-invasive manner. Over the years, a widely used non-invasive monitoring technique has been developed where the fluid is exposed to a light emitting device and a sensor, wherein the reflected light spectrum as modified by the photochemical reactions between the sensor elements and certain specific constituents within the fluid is monitored to determine the presence or lack of specific constituents, as well as the concentration of the constituents. The practice has become a widely accepted method for monitoring and diagnosing the condition of human blood. This methodology is particularly useful during the conduct of Cardio Pulmonary Bypass during open heart surgery because the information is received by the technician immediately.
A well known device specifically directed to directing a flow of blood through a photochemical monitoring zone is the Cardiovascular Devices Inc. (CDI) flow through cell, models 6640, 6630 and 6620, generally shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,460,820 and 4,786,474. As there shown, the cell includes a flow through body having a window opening covered by a membrane. Sensors are seated adjacent to the membrane and may monitor the blood passing through the cell. While this device has gained widespread commercial acceptance over the last decade, there are several drawbacks which make it cost prohibitive in certain applications and certainly increase the costs of treatment wherever it is used as part of the diagnostic regimen. This is particularly true since such units are disposable and costs associated with their use is repeated each time the technique is employed.
One of the problems driving up the cost of the CDI cell is the assembly design coupled with the labor intensive methods required for fabrication. As particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,820, the flow through cell includes a membrane support and a pair of membranes for isolating the sensors from the flowing blood. The means for mounting the membranes in the window under the lens of the sensor includes a groove in the support structure for receiving the edge portions of the membrane. Typically, two different membranes are utilized, each having a different optical response and a different permeability factor, depending on the application. In order to mount the membranes in the window, the edge portion of the first membrane is extended into the groove in the structure separating the two windows and the second membrane is extended over the retaining means outwardly from the groove and then into the groove in order to form a smooth transition with the first membrane. Specifically, one of the membranes is wrapped partially around the retainer which is then inserted in the groove.
As described in the '820 patent, a region of the end portion of one membrane extends beyond the end portion of the second membrane within the groove and is adhered to the wall of the groove. This allows a portion of the first membrane to be adhered directly to the support even if only one face of the membrane is capable of being adhesively attached. It is this wrapping feature which establishes the proper firmness of the membranes in the assembly.
While effective for the purpose of joining the adjacent edges of the two membranes, the remaining three sides of each of the two membranes must also be sealed in a separate groove around the perimeter of the cell and the quality of this seal is impaired by the excess material resulting from the aforementioned wrapping technique. The complicated wrapping technique and placement steps as defined in the '820 patent has resulted in an increase in costs while at the same time reducing the reliability of the assembly due to both the skill required and the narrow tolerances which must be maintained to assure a proper fit of the membranes in the cell.
Therefore, there remains a need for a high quality, low cost cell capable of being used in the existing equipment as a disposable flow through cell for non-invasive monitoring of bodily fluids, especially blood.


A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.

Prepaid wireless services are known. Such services generally permit a user to buy a refill card or other form of prepaid credit to obtain service for a mobile phone. It is often the case that, when credit is depleted, the mobile phone is cut off from the network, deactivated, or otherwise prohibited from making or receiving further calls or messages.
However, this all-or-nothing approach leaves much to be desired. From the user's perspective, a sudden prohibition on phone calls and messaging can detrimentally affect livelihood and quality of life, given that mobile communication is becoming more or less essential to modern life. From the prepay service provider's perspective, user retention may suffer if users are summarily cut off from service. Other disadvantages of current approaches are also apparent to those skilled in the art.

Mobile electronic communications with grace period


A method of use of a logging tool (1) including a directional emission device (4) and/or reception device (R1, R2) and the achieving of several series of loggings while modifying between each series the orientation of the directivity diagrams. At least one first series is performed by orienting the directivity diagrams towards the top or the wall of a reservoir zone crossed through by the well bore, for example. At least one second series is carried out by orienting the directivity diagrams towards the opposite direction, for example. The recordings are then combined, and the reflected arrivals, which are generally concealed by casing waves, can be easily seen. This facilitates the locating of further discontinuities. The directional selectivity of the emissions and/or the receptions is, for example, obtained by positioning a cover fitted with a window (5) around emitting and/or receiving transducers. The method can be applied to loggings in horizontal well bores, for example.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for the acquisition and the processing of signals obtained in, wells and notably in substantially horizontal deflected wells or well bores crossing a subterranean zone, allowing the good discrimination between the subsoil discontinuities. The invention is particularly adapted for discriminating between geologic discontinuities oriented substantially towards the same direction as the well and located on either side of the well, by means of recordings obtained with a logging tool displaced within the well. By what is called a deflected well is meant a well at least part of which is substantially horizontal or nearly horizontal.
Investigating a subsoil zone which might for example contain hydrocarbons can be achieved by drilling a well across the zone and by taking down within the well a logging tool comprising one or several emission units adapted for emitting signals in the geologic formations around the well and one or several reception units adapted for receiving the signals reflected and refracted by the subsoil discontinuities which are more or less close to the well. The received signals are generally transmitted to a surface laboratory and recorded. The recordings are then processed in order to make them more readable for the interpreter. The emitted and received signals can be of a very different nature. The signals may be, for example, acoustic waves, electromagnetic waves, etc. The method according to, the present invention is described hereafter in relation to the use of acoustic waves. It nevertheless goes without saying that this is a particular case which on no account restricts the generality of the method.
Well bores are often vertical or substantially vertical. But, in the subsoil zones which geologists think to be the most likely to contain workable deposits such as hydrocarbons, coal, lignite, etc, it is a common practice to carry out drillings that are very strongly inclined in relation to the vertical, even substantially horizontal, so that they cross the subterranean layers following a weak angle and information is obtained concerning the top and the wall (or base) of a possible working volume. Under these conditions, it is important to discriminate between the waves received from the formations above and below the well bore. This is possible as long as the dipping of the reflectors in relation to the direction of the well is not too weak and is of the same sign towards the top and the wall of the crossed zone or reservoir. If this is the case, the apparent velocities of the acoustic signals received (events) on either side of the well have opposite signs and they can be dissociated by using a conventional apparent velocity filtering method, as it is well-known in geophysics.
A prospecting method applicable in wells that are little inclined in relation to the horizontal is described for example in European patent application EP 246,148.
Discriminating on loggings of signals respectively coming from the wall and the top of a reservoir becomes very difficult when the relative dipping of the reflectors in relation to the direction of the well is almost nil or only amounts to some degrees because these signals have very close apparent velocities.
This configuration, which is frequent in strongly deflected or horizontal wells, can also be found in the vertical or little inclined parts of well bores crossing a fault zone substantially showing the same orientation. It is also well-known that the periphery of a well, whatever its direction may be, is generally weathered by the mud which has been used during the drilling process and which has infiltrated into the formations. The travel speed of the waves in this peripheral zone is therefore different from that in the surrounding formations, and parasitic reflections appear, therefore, on the interfaces that are substantially parallel to the direction of the well. Here again, discriminating on the recordings between the reflected waves respectively coming from the opposite sides of the well is almost impossible.
Published French patent application 2,639,719 describes a system for the acquisition and processing of signals in a well which makes it possible to achieve good discrimination between the geologic discontinuities located on either side of the well and having substantially the same orientation as it, notably in deflected wells crossing reservoir zones. The signals are acquired by means of a logging tool in which the emitting and receiving transducers can be displaced tranversely in relation to the well. This displacing can be obtained by using a logging tool comprising a body linked by moving arms to fastening skids against the walls of the well and by displacing the body in relation to the skids through the controlled opening of the arms. The displacing can also be obtained by displacing the transducers in relation to the body of the sonde. At least two series of emission-reception cycles are carried out along the same well portion, the position of the transducers in relation to the section of the well being different during each series, and the recording sections respectively obtained during the two series are combined in order to obtain sections where the discontinuities on either side of the well are separated from one another. The previous method is particularly adapted for discriminating and bringing out the discontinuities on either side of a well but it does not provide a sufficient damping of the refracted waves and of the waves known as the Stoneley waves.

Logging method and device in well bores utilizing directional emission and/or reception means


This invention encompasses the identification and isolation genes and gene fragments that confer altered metabolic characteristics in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, when expressed using GENEWARE™ viral vectors. These genes are derived from a variety of sources. Expression of these genes resulted in alterations of the levels of at least one of the following metabolites: acids, fatty acids, amino acids and related compounds, branched fatty acids, carbohydrates, hydrocarbons, alkaloids and other bases, esters, glycerides, phenols and related compounds, alcohols, alkenes and alkynes, sterols, oxygenated terpenes, and other isoprenoids, and ketones and quinones.

Plants are photosynthetic organisms able to fix inorganic carbon (CO2) in organic matter via energy from light and minerals contained in water. All carbons fixed primarily via the pentose/triose phosphate cycle are converted in numerous anabolic pathways necessary to sustain life (primary metabolism). To survive plants must adapt to their environment and synthesize an extremely wide range of organic compounds required to interact with the elements of their microenvironment (secondary metabolism). To capture the biochemical diversity of this particular kingdom both primary and secondary metabolism have to be taken into account. The primary metabolism is represented by the biosynthesis of building blocks of macromolecules such as amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and sterols.
Each of these groups of compounds is of economic importance. Fatty acids can also be used as a raw material for industrial applications in a variety of products, including soaps, lubricants, paints, detergents, adhesives, and plasticizers. Furthermore, fatty acids are the major components of edible oils. For example, fatty acid compounds are involved in building blocks for protection (cell membrane, epicuticular polymers), storage of energy in the plant seeds and as secondary messengers in the plant cell. As another example, carbohydrates are intermediates in the biosynthesis of energy reserves (starch, cellulose) and building blocks of the cell wall giving the plant shape and structure. The carbohydrates are the carbon skeletons of many biosynthetic reactions. As such, the ability to alter carbohydrate metabolism could lead to many improvements in plants, including increased transport and accumulation of starch by accumulation of hexose phosphate that could improve starch yield in the seed and the plant; alterations in the cell wall for better resistance to pest and drought; better digestibility for forage plants; and better processivity for pulp production in paper industry (e.g., less lignin and hemicellulose).
The advent of modern biology, particularly molecular biology and genetics, has opened up new avenues for altering the production of compounds of economic importance by plants. Scientists have focused on utilizing recombinant DNA (rDNA) methods, that allow new varieties of plants to be produced much faster than by conventional breeding. rDNA techniques allow the introduction of genes from distantly related species or even from different biological kingdoms into crop plants, conferring traits that provide significant agronomic advantages. Furthermore, detailed knowledge of the traits being introduced, such as cellular function and localization, can lead to less variability in offspring, and fine-tuning of secondary effects (e.g., permitting variation from what is customarily observed). After a trait has been introduced into a plant by transgenic methods, conventional breeding can be used to hybridize the transgenic line with useful varieties and elite germplasms, resulting in crops containing numerous advantageous properties.
Most efforts to engineer plants with specific traits thus far have been based on the rational design paradigm of transforming a plant with a gene of known function with the intent of introducing a known trait. As agricultural biotechnology hurtles into the genomics and post-genomics era, the massive amounts of genetic and functional data being generated are being used to direct the search for genes that can be utilized with recombinant methods. However, if the use of this information is limited to the rational design paradigm, the identification of genes with truly profound effects on the production of desired compounds by plants could be extremely time-consuming and slow.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art are methods for rapidly screening and identifying gene sequences and polypeptide sequences of previously unknown function whose expression causes altered metabolic characteristics in biological systems, including, but not limited to, plants.

Nucleic acid compositions conferring altered metabolic characteristics


A horizontal base-mounted device for adjustably locating a quilting hoop (18). The device comprises a vertical support column (12) with a base attached thereto, the base to anchor the vertical support column (12) to a horizontal base platform such as a desk, table, stand, or chair. A jointed arm (14) having a first arm member (32) and a second arm member (34) is attached to the vertical support column (12) such that it can rotate in a plane perpendicular to the vertical support column (12). The jointed arm (14) is adjustable so that it can be lengthened or shortened. At the removed end of the jointed arm (14) is attached a rotatable bar (44) adjustably mounted to the second arm member (34) of the jointed arm (14) with the axis of the rotatable bar (44) parallel to the second arm member (34) of the jointed arm (14). A quilting hoop support beam (52) is attached by an axle (54) through the center ( 53) thereof to the rotatable bar (44). A quilting hoop (18) is releasably attached to leg members (72) projecting perpendicularly from the removed ends of the quilting hoop support beam (52).

The present invention relates to frames for supporting fabric for needlework and the like, more particularly, to adjustable frames for holding the work piece in a preferred orientation.
In performing needlework activity, upon a sheet of fabric, the fabric is mounted in a hoop to provide a taut and planar surface through which to perform, needlework, such as quilting, embroidery and needlepoint. Both top and bottom surfaces of the fabric must be accessible to the user as the quilting operation involves passing a needle and thread repeatedly through the plane of the fabric.
A typical structure used to hold needleworking fabric is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,965 (McGillivray, 1986) which discloses an adjustable quilting frame with a base having an articulated jointed arm pivotally attached and a cradle attached to the far end of the articulated arm for manipulating the hoop. All of the joints include releasable locking nuts so as to position or orient the hoop at a number of desired angles at a variety of distances from the base of the device.
Another structure for supporting fabric for needlework activities is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,357,737 (Solaini). Solaini discloses an embroidery frame which includes a jig consisting of inner and outer concentric hoops, the outer hoop being split and having a tightening screw extending between its ends so that it can be tightened about the periphery of the inner hoop. The fabric is stretched across the inner hoop and held in position by clamping the arrangement of the outer hoop against the inner hoop. The hoops are mounted to a floor stand by an upright post and a pivot connection, so that the hoops can be tilted relative to the horizontal.
Another device for supporting fabric for needlework activity is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,718 (Parsons). The Parsons frame work differs from the Solaini frame work in that the bracket supporting the concentric hoops is attached to a floor stand by a ball-and-socket connection, which permits the hoop to be tilted from the horizontal in any direction.
The frames disclosed, however, do not provide for an adjustable frame that holds the concentric hoops horizontally away from the frame support legs such that a chair of the quilter and the quilter's feet may be free from entanglement with the frame support legs. That is, the device of the present invention provides for an adjustable hoop support frame mounted on a vertical support column so as to rotatably pivot, and a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical support column. Such an adjustable frame provides an area beneath and above the quilting hoop that is substantially free from obstructions.
In addition, the aforementioned inventions fail to provide for a device where the jointed arm on which the hoop is retained may be lengthened or shortened, such that a shorter lever arm is acting at the joint of the arm. That is, the device of the present invention provides the length of the jointed arm may be adjustably preset at the joint between the two arm members of the jointed arm.
Finally, the device of the present invention provides for a device which is foldable into a compact size for ease of transportation. That is, the device of the present invention provides for the main members thereof to be easily and compactly folded together.
These and other objects of this invention are provided by a horizontal basemounted device for adjustably locating a quilting hoop, the device comprising a vertical support column, said vertical support column having a first end and a second end, the second end thereof having means to anchor said vertical support column to the horizontal base such that said vertical support column projects substantially vertically from the horizontal base; a jointed arm, said jointed arm comprising a first arm member and a second arm member, the two arm members each having a free end and a fixed end, the fixed end of the first arm member being rotatably mounted to said vertical support column so as to rotate about the axis of said vertical support column in a plane perpendicular thereto, the free end of the first arm member rotatably attached to the fixed end of the second arm member such that the second arm member also rotates in a plane perpendicular to said vertical support column; a rotatable bar adjustably mounted to the free end of the second arm member, said rotatable bar having a longitudinal axis at a fixed distance from and parallel to the second arm member; a quilting hoop support beam having means to mount quilting hoops of different sizes; an axle for rotatably mounting said quilting hoop support beam at a center thereof, to said rotatable bar; and means to releasably attach the quilting hoops to said quilting hoop support beam.


An ink jet printhead having off center or offset heaters or thermal transducers to reduce heater damage. The printhead has heaters located beneath channels to eject ink from the channel through a nozzle to a substrate for printing. Edge heaters are spaced away from the dicing edges of the heater plate to avoid damage resulting from dicing for assembly or from thermal expansion due to adjacent printheads if used to form a page width or large array printhead. The spacing distance between the edge heaters to adjacent equally spaced heaters on the same printhead is less than the distance between adjacent equally spaced heaters. Edge heaters are also offset from the centerline of respective channels in the printhead.

Drop-on-demand thermal ink jet printers are generally well known, and in such systems, a thermal ink jet printhead comprises one or more ink filled chambers communicating with an ink supply chamber and an array of channels having open ends. A plurality of thermal transducers or heaters, usually resistors, are located beneath the channels at a predetermined location relative to the channels. The resistors are individually addressed with a current pulse thereby raising the temperature of the resistor and vaporizing the ink in contact with the resistor. A bubble is formed due to the heating of the ink. As the bubble grows, the ink bulges from the open end of the channel but is momentarily contained by the surface tension of the ink as a meniscus. As the bubble begins to collapse due to a drop in temperature of the resistor, the ink between the channel opening and the bubble starts to move towards the collapsing bubble, causing a volumetric contraction of the ink in the channel and resulting in the separation of the bulging ink as a droplet. The acceleration of the droplet out of the open end of the channel while the bubble is growing provides the momentum and velocity required for the droplet to travel in a substantially straight line direction towards a recording medium, such as paper.
A typical thermal ink jet printhead for use in an ink jet printer comprises an ink flow directing component, such as an etched silicon substrate which contains a linear array of channels open at one end and a common reservoir in communication with the channels, and a logic and thermal transducer component, such as a substrate which contains a linear array of heating elements, usually resistors, and monolithically integrated logic drivers and control circuitry. The components are aligned and mated with one resistor at each channel being located at a predetermined distance from the channel open end; the channel open ends serving as the droplet expelling channels or nozzles. Power MOS drivers immediately next to and integrated on the same substrate as the array of resistors are driven by the control circuitry, also integrated on the same substrate, that selectively enable the drivers which apply current pulses to the resistors.
One known method of fabricating thermal ink jet printheads is to form a plurality of the ink flow directing components and a plurality of logic, driver, and thermal transducer components on respective silicon wafers, and then aligning and bonding the wafers together, followed by a process for separating the wafers into a plurality of individual printheads, such as by dicing. The individual printheads are used in one common design of printer in which the printhead is moved periodically across a sheet of paper to form the printed image, much like a typewriter. Individual printheads can also be butted together side by side, placed on a supporting substrate, aligned, and permanently fixed in position to form a large array thermal ink jet printhead or a page width array printhead.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,359 to Ayata et al., a drop on demand type ink jet recording method and apparatus which causes droplet emission from a small orifices is described. A drive signal is applied to the ink in a small liquid chamber to cause bubble formation in the ink which expels the ink from the orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,337 to Torpey et al. describes an improved thermal ink jet printhead which prevents the sudden release of vaporized ink to the atmosphere, known as blowout, which causes ingestion of air and interrupts printhead operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,529 to Drake et al. describes a method of bonding thermal ink jet printhead components together by applying an adhesive to only higher surfaces of a substrate containing ink bearing structures, while all the surfaces of the ink bearing structures are free of adhesive.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,572 to Hawkins et al. describes an ink jet printhead for high resolution printing made by concurrent fabrication of large quantities of printheads from two substrates that are preferably silicon wafers. A plurality of sets of bubble generating heating elements and their addressing electrodes are formed on one substrate and a corresponding plurality of sets of ink channels and their ink supplying manifolds are formed on another substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,530 to Hawkins describes an ink jet printhead having electrode passivation and an elongated recess to provide an ink flow path between an ink manifold and individual ink channels by the placement of a thick film organic structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,324 to Drake et al. describes a large array thermal ink jet printhead and a fabrication process to provide precision assembly of the printhead using a subunit approach.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,811 to Campanelli et al. describes a fabrication approach for large array or page width thermal ink jet printheads in which wafer subunits are diced precisely for alignment and subsequent fabrication.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,355 to Hawkins et al. describes a two part thermal ink jet printhead in which one part contains ink flow directing channels, nozzles, and ink supplying reservoir, and the other part contains heating elements and ionic passivation of electronic driving circuitry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,403 to Fisher et al. describes methods of fabricating ink jet printheads which can be butted against an aligning substrate to form an extended staggered array printhead.

Off center heaters for thermal ink jet printheads


A method of testing for leaks in a closed fluid filled system and a system tested by such method are provided, the method comprising the steps of disposing the system in a chamber, disposing a fluid in the chamber under a pressure so that if a leak path of a certain size or larger exists in the system such fluid of the chamber will be forced through the leak path to change the fluid condition in the closed volume of the system, removing the system from the chamber after a certain period of time, then subjecting the system to a certain pressure and temperature condition so that an expandable part of the system will be in an adverse expanded position beyond its normal position for that certain pressure and temperature if the leak path of at least a certain size existed, and then detecting the adverse expanded position of the part of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new method of testing for leaks in a closed fluid filled system and to a closed fluid filled system tested by such method.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known to provide a method for testing for leaks in a closed fluid filled system that has a part thereof that expands outwardly from an at rest position that occurs when the system is sensing a temperature at or below an at rest temperature to various certain expanded positions in relation to various certain higher temperatures sensed thereby than the at rest temperature. The prior known method comprises the steps of raising the average system temperature to cause the fluid in the system to expand and thus cause an internal pressure in the system, maintaining this elevated temperature-pressure for an extended period of time to cause a loss of fluid from the system through a leak path to the exterior of the system if such leak path is present, and then running the system through a series of temperature tests where the system expansion is measured to determine if a leak path exists in such a system as the system expansion would be less than a designed specification for the system.

Method of testing for leaks in a closed fluid filled system and system tested by such method


Apparatus for exposing a selected area of a film, and comprising a holding assembly for holding a film, and a first support assembly connected to and supporting the holding assembly. The apparatus further comprises an exposure area control assembly located adjacent the holding assembly and forming an adjustable opening to expose a selected area of the film, and a second support assembly connected to and supporting the exposure area control assembly. Preferably, the first support assembly supports the film assembly for movement upward and downward and forward and rearward, and for pivotal movement about horizontal and vertical axes. Also, the second support assembly supports the exposure area control assembly for forward and rearward movement, and for pivotal movement about horizontal and vertical axes. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the exposure area control assembly includes a frame and a multitude of slats supported by the frame, and these slats may be moved to vary the size, shape, and position of the adjustable opening formed by that control assembly.. A preferred embodiment of the invention described herein in detail is very well suited for seamless topographic imaging large single crystal wafers, and in particular, for controlling the area of an x-ray film that is exposed when x-rays are scanned across a single crystal wafer to produce an x-ray topograph of the wafer.

This invention generally relates to apparatus for controlling the exposure area of a film; and more specifically, to an apparatus that is particularly well suited for controlling the area of an x-ray film that is exposed when x-rays are used to produce a topograph of crystal wafers. A preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein in detail relates to apparatus for seamless topographic imaging large single crystal wafers, and in particular, for controlling the area of an x-ray film that is exposed when x-rays are scanned across a single crystal wafer to produce an x-ray topograph of the wafer.
Single crystal wafers, which are commonly used to make semiconductors, are normally inspected after being formed. These wafers may be inspected by using x-rays to produce images of the top surfaces of the wafers, and to do this, x-rays are reflected off that top surface and onto x-ray film. With one specific procedure, an x-ray beam is reflected off an area of the top surface of the wafer and onto an area of the x-ray film. This process is repeated across the top surface of the wafer, to generate an image of the entire top surface of the wafer.
With this prior art procedure, it is often difficult to produce clear, sharp images on the x-ray film. In the former procedure, the x-rays are diffracted from the surface area of the wafer at various angles depending on the wavelength of the x-rays. Multiple images generated on the x-ray film may overlap, obscuring the information contained on these images. In addition, if the x-rays initially illuminate a large area of the wafer, x-ray fluorescence will cause the x-ray film to fog and degrade the topographic images.

Apparatus for exposing an adjustable area of a film


A tri-fold row marker comprises three arm segments, a winglet pivotally coupled to the toolbar, an inner arm pivotally coupled to the winglet, and an outer arm pivotally coupled to the inner arm. A marker disc is mounted to the distal end of the outer arm for marking the ground surface when said row marker is its extended working position. The winglet is provided with a first bell crank extending upwardly from the winglet and a second bell crank extending downwardly from the winglet. The inner arm is provided with a third bell crank extending downwardly therefrom. A double acting hydraulic cylinder is pivotally coupled to the agricultural implement and the first bell crank for retracting and extending the row marker. An inner control arm is pivotally coupled to the agricultural implement and the third bell crank for pivoting the inner arm relative to the winglet when the hydraulic cylinder is extended or retracted. An outer control arm is pivotally coupled to the second bell crank. The outer control arm is also coupled to the inner and outer arms by two pivot links that are pivotally coupled to the outer control arm and the inner and outer arms. The outer control arm pivots the outer arm relative to the inner arm when the hydraulic cylinder is extended or retracted. Retracting the hydraulic cylinder from its extended position folds the marker arm into its retracted transport position, and extending the hydraulic cylinder from its retracted position unfolds the marker arm into its extended working position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a tri-fold row marker having three sections that are pivotally coupled to one another. The row marker has an extended working position and a retracted transport position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Row markers are commonly attached to agricultural implements, such as planters and grain drills, to mark the field for the farmer's next pass. As implements have become wider row markers have become longer. The longer row markers have folded transport positions and extended working positions.
Bi-fold row markers have two pivot points, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,405. In the patent identified above, the bi-fold marker has an inner arm that is pivotally mounted to the planter toolbar and an outer arm that is pivotally coupled to the inner arm. A hydraulic cylinder manipulates the inner arm into and out of its horizontal working position and vertical transport position. The outer arm is extended by a cable that is coupled between the outer arm and the toolbar. As the hydraulic cylinder pivots the inner arm from its vertical transport position to its horizontal working position, the cable extends the outer arm so that it is in line with the inner arm when the row marker is in its working position.
As agricultural implements became wider tri-fold markers were developed having three pivot points, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,207,950, 4,449,590 and 4,986,367. In all three above-identified tri-fold designs, a single hydraulic cylinder is used to manipulate the folding and unfolding action of the row marker. In the first two designs, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,207,950 and 4,449,590, a cable or chain is used to extend the outer arm during an unfolding operation in a manner similar to the above discussed bi-fold row marker. The cable or chain does not control the movement of the outer arm during the folding cycle, creating a high kinetic impact when the outer arm engages a stop located on the inner arm. In the third design, U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,367, a control arm is used to extend the outer arm.


According to one embodiment, a developing device includes a casing for accommodating a developer, the casing extending in a first direction and including a first insertion portion and a first through-hole that extends from the first insertion portion in a second direction, a first sealing member inside the first insertion portion, and a first rotating body extending in the first direction through the first insertion portion and configured to transport and agitate the developer in the casing. The first sealing member is in contact with an outer surface of the first rotating body and configured to slide along the outer surface of the first rotating body.

An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that accommodates toner, and supplies the toner to a surface of a photoconductive drum. The developing device includes a mixer inside a casing. The developing device causes developer containing toner to circulate inside the casing using the mixer. End portions of the mixer are rotatably supported by the casing. There is some possibility that the developer in the casing may leak from the casing through the end portion of the mixer. When the developer leaks from the inside of the casing, a rotational failure of the mixer can occur as the leaked developer adheres to and then binds the moving portions of the mixer on the outside of the casing.

Capture of developer leaking from developing device


The invention relates to copolyesters of ethylene terephthalate-tetrachlorobenzenedimethylene terephthalate. They can be random or block copolyester. The products have high second order transition temperatures and can be formed into products that can be sterilized.

For many molding applications, polyethylene terephthalate crystallizes much too rapidly. Although the undesirably high crystallization tendency of polyethylene terephthalate can be reduced by replacing part of the terephthalic acid or the glycol by compounds that by their constitution reduce the tendency of the resin to crystallize, most of such compounds have an adverse effect on the desirable properties of the polymer such as mechanical strength, solvent resistance, and abrasion resistance. Furthermore, such compounds generally reduce the glass temperature of the resin, thereby reducing the utility of the polymer. For example, the replacement of only 10 mole percent of the terephthalic acid in the polymer with glutaric acid drops the glass temperature from 73.degree. to 59.degree. C.
In contrast, the substitution of only 7 mole percent tetrachlorobenzenedimethanol for the ethylene glycol in polyethylene terephthalate actually raises the glass temperature from 73.degree. to 83.degree. and at the same time greatly reduces the tendency of the polymer to crystallize. (In this specification tetrachlorobenzenedimethanol is abbreviated TCBDM.) Furthermore, if the copolyester is made to contain only slightly more than 15 mole percent TCBDM the glass temperaof the resulting copolymer is well above 100.degree. C. and now there is almost no tendency of the polymer to crystallizing. Thus, products made from the copolymer will not deform in boiling water, and indeed, are even steam sterilizable. It is obvious that such copolymers having glass temperatures above 100.degree. C. will have a much greater range of applications than polyethylene terephthalate with its glass temperature of only 73.degree. C. The desirable glass temperatures of these copolymers also points to uses as a high strength substrate for other polymeric films or coatings which have lower glass temperatures.


A method for authenticating a user identity asserted from a client device may include receiving information that asserts a user identity including a user identifier, accessing external data stores to receive data rows that are associated with the user identity, and accessing monitoring systems to receive data vectors. The monitoring systems may monitor transmissions to receiving systems, the data vectors may include numerical target values for the receiving systems, and the data vectors may be accessed using the user identifier. The method may also include determining whether the data rows can be matched to the data vectors, and based on that determination, authenticating the user identity.

Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a single piece of data claimed to be true by an entity. User authentication is the act of confirming the truth of a user identity asserted in a computer transmission. In contrast to user identification, which refers to the act of stating or otherwise indicating a claim attesting to a user's identity, authentication is the process of actually confirming that asserted identity. The process may involve confirming the identity of a person by validating their identity documents, verifying the authenticity of a website with a digital certificate, determining the age of an artifact by carbon dating, or ensuring that a product is what its packaging and labeling claim to be. In other words, authentication often involves verifying the validity of at least one form of identification.
The authentication of user identities can pose special problems with electronic communications, such as vulnerability to man-in-the-middle attacks, where a third party taps into a communication session, and poses as one or more of the communicating parties to intercept information. Therefore, user authentication may include the verification of an active human-to-machine transfer of credentials required for confirmation of a user's identity. The term "digital authentication" refers to a group of processes where confidence for user identities is established using electronic methods and systems. The digital authentication process creates technical challenges because of the need to authenticate individuals or entities remotely over a network with limited subset of information.
User authentication may authorize human-to-machine interactions on both wired and wireless networks to enable access to network-connected systems and resources. Traditionally, user authentication has typically consisted of a simple identifier (ID) and password combination. More secure systems may include additional authentication factors to improve the security of communications. In general terms, the main authentication factors include knowledge, possession and inherence. Knowledge factors include all things a user must know in order to access a resource, including user names or IDs, passwords or personal identification numbers (PINs), and secret questions. Possession factors include anything a user must have in their possession in order to log in, including one-time password tokens, key fobs, smartphone apps, employee ID cards, subscriber identity module (SIM) card-based mobile phones, and so forth. Inherence factors include any inherent traits the user has that may be confirmed by a computer system, including retina scans, iris scans, fingerprint scans, finger vein scans, facial recognition, voice recognition, hand geometry, earlobe geometry, and so forth.


The present invention relates to a washstand height-adjusting apparatus that can freely adjust the height of a washstand for convenience of a user. The washstand height-adjustment apparatus according to the present invention comprises a fixed guide fixed to a wall; a moving guide combined with the fixed guide to slidably move in a vertical direction; a cover plate to which a washstand with a drainpipe and pipes for supplying cool and hot water is mounted, wherein the cover plate is fixed to the moving guide; and a driving means installed at the upper portion of the fixed guide and coupled to the lower portion of the cover plate. Therefore, the cover plate and the washstand are moved upward or downward by operation of the driving means. According to the present invention, a tall or small person, particularly a child, can freely adjust the height of the washstand to fit it to his physical feature so that he can conveniently use the washstand without strain on the user's waist. Also, there is no need to use an auxiliary means for a small person or child to meet the height of a washstand, and thus possible accidents by the auxiliary means can be prevented.

In general, a washstand is installed and fixed at a certain height, and so the height of a washstand cannot be freely adjusted according to a user's stature.
A user with a stature suitable for using a washstand with a fixed height conveniently uses the washstand. However, a taller or smaller person than the height of a washstand experiences inconvenience in using the washstand. That is, a taller person than the height of a washstand should inconveniently stoop over or down whenever he uses the washstand. Frequent stooping over or down can cause pain in the back, and a purse or coins in a pocket of an upper garment can come out of the pocket.
In contrary to the case described above, when a smaller person or child than the height of a washstand uses the washstand, the user should stretch his back since the height of the washstand is higher than the stature of the user so that the user's clothes usually get wet in water. Also, when the user stands on an auxiliary means to meet the height of the washstand, the user may slip and fall from the auxiliary means and be wounded.