Disclosed are a camera module and a method for assembling the camera module, the camera module including a cover part having an opening formed therein and a lens guide formed in the opening to prevent removal of a lens to an outside, a lens mounted to the opening of the cover part, and a back cap coming into close contact with the lens and mounted to the opening.

As various kinds of portable terminals have been widely popularized with the public and wireless interne service becomes commonly available, consumer demands for the portable terminals become diversified. Thereby, various kinds of peripheral devices have been applied to the portable terminals.
Further, development of information and communication technology enhances improvement on data communication speed or expands data traffic. Currently, a mobile electronic device including a mobile phone or a notebook computer is equipped with an image capturing device such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor.
Such an image capturing device takes a subject in a form of a photograph or a video, stores an image data associated with the subject, and then edits or transmits the data if necessary. A modularized camera module becomes commercially available.

Camera module and method for assembling the same


An acoustic method and apparatus detects or characterizes a medium in a structure which may be a container, such as a pipeline for transportation of oil, gas, or hydrocarbon condensate. A pulse of broadband acoustic energy is emitted towards the structure by a first transducer. A return signal is generating by a second transducer from acoustic energy returned from the structure in response to the emission of acoustic energy. A return signal spectrum representing acoustic spectral components of the acoustic energy returned from the structure is derived from the return signal, and the medium is detected or characterized by applying a return signal processing medium detection or characterization algorithm to the return signal spectrum.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detecting the presence of a hydrate deposit or a condensate in a container, more specifically in a pipeline, by identifying certain characteristics of an acoustic signal emitted from a wall of the container in response to a spectrally broad acoustic signal being transmitted from a transducer, towards the container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Acoustic Resonance Technology (ART) is a technology where the ability of applying acoustic energy to create resonances is utilized. If a plate or pipe is insonated by an acoustic energy pulse, and the acoustic energy comprises wave components with frequencies having wavelengths corresponding to twice or integral numbers of the thickness of the plate or pipe wall, these frequencies will create standing waves across the plate or pipe wall. When the pulse comes to an end, reradiated resonant energy is detected, typically by way of a hydrophone located at a distance from the plate.
It is to be understood that, in the context of the description provided herein of the present invention, the term container is applicable to any arrangement being capable of confining a medium with respect to its surroundings, such as for example a pipeline designed for transporting oil, gas or other media that may be transported by a pipe arrangement.
The frequencies applied in the acoustic energy pulse will typically be a decade or more lower than the frequencies applied in traditional ultrasound techniques, thus offering ability to penetrate layered materials and provide characterization of various media. The energy content in the "resonant part" of the energy being returned upon insonation, and total reflected energy, is influenced by the medium on both sides of the plate or pipe wall. The medium outside submerged gas pipelines is typically seawater, while the medium contained inside the pipeline may be gas, condensate, or, occasionally, hydrate. Acoustic characteristics of these internal media will result in variations in acoustic energy being returned from the pipe when insonated by acoustic energy.

Acoustic method and apparatus for detection and characterization of a medium


A security apparatus and method for protecting merchandise items is presented. In the preferred embodiment, a merchandise security device includes a housing with an access door that has an open position and a closed position, a primary power source, a secondary power source and alarm system. The alarm system determines when a voltage of the primary power source drops below a threshold value. When the voltage drops below the threshold value, the alarm system switches to the secondary power source for its power. When the alarm system is in a standby mode, it will not generate alarms when operating on the secondary power source. However, when the alarm system has not been placed into a standby mode, the alarm system will generate alarms when operating on the secondary power source and the access door is in the open position.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to anti-theft devices for items of merchandise. More particularly, this invention relates to a security device powered with electrical power. Specifically, this invention relates to a security device having a primary power source and a secondary power source that backs up the primary power source and still allows the security device to activate and alarm when the primary power source fails.
2. Background Information
Heretofore, there have existed many product independent anti-theft devices intended to secure a wide range of commercial products. For example, electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags may be placed inside a box, adhered onto a product, or placed within the pages of a book. To defeat the EAS tag, an individual would only have to remove it from the product. As a natural consequence, anti-theft devices have evolved to include devices which secure the EAS tag to the product while also protecting the tag from tampering and removal. These devices incorporate attachment mechanisms which are simultaneously difficult for a thief to remove yet easy for a checkout clerk to remove when supplied with the right key. At present, many anti-theft devices are generally "one size fits all" and product independent. Furthermore, present anti-theft devices require a key or code to unlock the anti-theft device adding complexity and time to the checkout process.
Other more complex security device can be armed with electronic sensors to detect when the security device is tampered with or removed from an item of merchandise. For example, electronic cable types wherein cables wrap around a box containing merchandise or through a portion of the merchandise to lock the security device to the merchandise. When one of the cables is cut or removed while the device is armed it will sound an alarm. However, these more complex type security devices require electrical power, often in the form of a battery. To defeat these types of electronic protection devices, a thief can remove screws from a door covering a battery that powers the device. Once the door is opened, the battery can be quickly removed to disable the device. Because of flaws in current anti-theft devices, better anti-theft devices are desired.

Method and apparatus for powering a security device


A method and a corresponding decoder for decoding a Manchester encoded binary data signal includes receiving the Manchester encoded binary data signal having a first sequence of central bit transitions and a second sequence of initial bit transitions. A local clock signal is generated, and the central bit transitions of the Manchester encoded binary data signal are determined. Determination of the central bit transitions includes measuring the time interval elapsing between a pair adjacent central bit transitions, expressed as a number N of cycles of the local clock signal, and selecting each successive central bit transition based upon the time interval N measured between the pair of central bit transitions which immediately precede the successive central bit transition.

The use of Manchester encoded binary data in continuous or packet transmission of data is well-known, for example. In Manchester encoding, the code word 10 is associated to data or a bit with a logic value 1, while the code word 01 is associated to data with a logic value 0. In this way, the bits with a logic level 1 are encoded with a high level signal during the first half of the bit period and with a low level signal during the second half. On the contrary, bits with a logic level 0 are encoded with a low level signal during the first half of the bit period and with a high level signal during the second half. Consequently, there is always a transition at the center of each bit: low-to-high (upwards) for a logic 0 and high-to-low (downwards) for a logic 1.
A Manchester encoded binary data signal further includes transition at a bit start but only between adjacent bits with the same logic value. Typically, to obtain a Manchester encoded binary data signal, a clock signal having a frequency equal to the data transmission rate and the data signal are combined in an exclusive-OR logic OR gate EX-OR. The Manchester encoded data stream outputs from this gate. For simplicity, this data will be referred to hereinafter as Manchester data. Therefore, the transmission of a signal with Manchester data requires a data transmission rate twice that of the data stream before encoding.
One advantage deriving from the use of this encoding is that it is easier to recover the synchronization (clock) signal on reception, due to the high number of transitions in the encoded data. Another advantage derives from the possibility of detecting errors in the input data stream as violations of the permissible code sequence, (for example, the codes 00 and 11 are errors).
Numerous widely-used ways of decoding Manchester data on the reception side are well known. For example, it is possible to decode a Manchester data signal by accurately extracting the clock signal and then combine it in an EX-OR gate with the Manchester data. The binary data are obtained at the gate output.
This method has a disadvantage in that the clock signal to be recovered from the data must always be in phase with the received data. In this sense, the presence of jitters on the received data, in other words, fluctuations in the length of the bit period, presents a serious disadvantage.
Moreover, known systems for synchronization recovery require numerous training or preamble bits to reach a locking condition. These training bits are transmitted before the data. They do not carry information, and their function is to carry out synchronization. For this reason phase recovery is particularly disadvantageous for packet transmission, since it causes a considerable waste in transmission, especially if the packets include only a few bits.
Decoding methods not based on clock recovery are also known, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,895. This method does not make use of clock recovery and requires over-sampling of the signal to be decoded and clocked by a local frequency reference. Decoding takes place by examining the value of samples in certain positions. The position of the samples is determined by using a local counter which counts the number of cycles of the local frequency reference, reset and started by the transitions at the center of every bit of the coded signal.
The decoders which use this method require a time reference (clock frequency) having very high precision both in transmission and in reception. For this reason, the performance of the decoders is compromised by aging and the thermal drift of the local references. Moreover, these decoders are not very tolerant of variations in the bit rate used in transmission and jitter.


A water-releasing photoprotection composition in the form of an emulsion and process for preparing the photoprotection composition are provided. The photoprotection composition includes an aqueous phase and an oil phase. The aqueous phase includes at least one water-soluble UV filter. The oil phase includes dimethicone and an emulsifying crosslinked siloxane elastomer. The photoprotection composition has a phase ratio of the aqueous phase to the oil phase of from about 3 to about 12. The photoprotection composition converts from an emulsion to a plurality of droplets upon application of shear.

The photoprotection of keratinous substrates, especially skin, is considered by many to be necessary in order to facilitate protection from sunburn and photo-aging, as well as to decrease the chances of skin cancer development. There are typically two types of UV sunscreens used to accomplish photoprotection, namely, inorganic UV filters and organic UV filters.
Inorganic UV filters such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are typically employed in large quantities in order to ensure proper coverage/maximum protection over the surface onto which they are applied. As a result, they have a tendency to feel dry and impart an undesirable white color onto the treated surface.
Organic UV filters are typically classified as being either water-soluble or oil-soluble, based on their solubility. Oil-soluble UV filters, such as homosalate, octocrylene and avobenzone, while easy to incorporate into emulsions, often impart a greasy and tacky feeling onto a user's skin which consumers consider unpleasant and hence, undesirable.
Water-soluble UV filters do not impart this unpleasant feeling as they are considered by consumers to provide a much lighter skin feel. Water-soluble UV filters are often used in the form of a sodium salt (i.e., an electrolyte) in order to improve their solubility profile. The problem, however, is that such filters, due to their electrolytic properties, are difficult to formulate with when it comes to long-term stability. This lack of stability oftentimes manifests itself in the form of re-crystallization of the filters in the composition, causing them to separate from the emulsion. Additionally, water-soluble UV filters tend to have a detrimental effect on any thickener ingredients conventionally found in topical products as they too have a tendency to separate from the emulsion due to the electrolytic properties of the UV filters. As a result, water-soluble UV filters present a challenge for incorporation into emulsions intended for topical application onto a keratinous substrate, as most traditional emulsions are thickened and/or stabilized with natural or synthetic polymers such as gums and polyacrylates, which are very sensitive to electrolytes.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a photoprotection composition containing at least one water-soluble UV filter, in a salt or an acid form, having improved stability but without having a greasy and/or tacky feel.

Photoprotection composition containing high levels of water-soluble UV filters


A light guide and module for motor vehicles that directs light generally along a horizontal axis. The module includes an array of light sources, an array of reflectors and a light guide. The light guide defines a body having opposed upper and lower walls. Formed in the lower wall is at least one prismatic structure having a reflecting surface oriented to reflect light based the principle of total internal reflection and to redirect light toward the upper wall. Formed in the upper wall is at least one decoupling prism element. The decoupling prism elements corresponding in number to the prismatic structures and are located in the upper wall so as to receive redirected light from its corresponding prismatic structures. The decoupling prism element includes a second reflecting surface that reflects light redirected from the first reflecting surface. This second reflecting surface reflects light toward an output surface of the decoupling prism element based on the principle of total internal reflection and defines a vertical spread of light. With the present invention, light emitted from the output surface of the decoupling prism element can be directed generally along the horizontal axis when the upper surface is oriented significantly less than 90° relative to the horizontal axis.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a variable planar light guide module (VPLG). More particularly, the invention relates to a VPLG designed for motor vehicles and intended to be placed on both sides of the vehicle.
2. Prior Art
A light guide or planar light guide works on the principle of total internal reflection. Current light guides are usually placed in the lamp assembly so that most of the light guide's decoupling surface is perpendicular to the intended direction of the decoupled light rays, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. When incorporated into an automobile, lamps of this type become very attractive and create a unique appearance.
Light guide techniques are based on the total internal reflection (TIR) principle, which is caused by two materials with different refractive indices.
According to known technology, as seen in FIG. 1, coupled light 201 from a light source 200 goes through a translucent light guide 202 by TIR, which occurs on the smooth inner wall 204 of the light guide 202. To decouple the light from the light guide 202, prismatic structures 206 are placed on one side of the light guide 202. The prismatic structures 206 change the direction of impacted rays. The prismatic structure 206 defines the direction of decoupled light and must be designed so that, for impacted rays, the condition of TIR is fulfilled. Upon contact with the prismatic structures 206, the direction of these impacted rays is changed and the rays are reflected to the output wall 208 of the light guide 202, where the condition for TIR is not fulfilled. Thus, the rays 201 leave the light guide 202 through the output wall 208 as decoupled light rays 210.
The described optical system works with a good efficiency only in the situation where the output wall 208 of the light guide 202 is perpendicular to the decoupled light 210. In use with an automotive vehicle, the main direction of decoupled light is given by the lighting function represented by the light guide. Therefore, the output wall 208 of the light guide 202 must typically be perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The efficiency of the decoupled light being emitted in this desired direction rapidly drops with the changes in the angle β from perpendicular, between the output wall 208 of the light guide 202 and longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. The reason for this drop in efficiency is that impact of the coupled light rays with the prismatic structure does not occur via TIR reflection, but rather with Fresnel reflection, and therefore has a very low efficiency of reflection.
In the case of TIR reflection, 100% of the light is reflected to the output wall of the light guide. In the case of Fresnel reflection, only approximately 5%-20% of the light is reflected to the output wall. The shape of the prismatic structure gives the precise percentage of Fresnel reflection. FIG. 2 illustrates the situation where the light guide 202 is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the drop in efficiency relative to a changing β angle from perpendicular.
Using current planar light guide technology means that the efficiency of whole optical system will be very low and not able to fulfill legal requirements for a rear position light of an automotive vehicle because such rear lamps are not typically oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved optical efficiency of the decoupled light from a light guide allowing inclined lamps to send light in a requested direction, generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.


The present invention relates to a roller reducer comprising a transmission gear having an externally threaded shaft having at least one left-handed thread portion, at least one right-handed thread portion, and at least one shaft flange ring, and a plurality of rollers, each roller having a plurality of thread portions, comprising at least one left-handed thread portion and at least one right-handed thread portion, each thread portion arranged to engage with the respective thread portions of the shaft, and at least one roller flange ring arranged adjacent to the roller thread portions to rotationally slide against the corresponding at least one flange ring of the shaft.

Roller reducers are a subset of planetary reducers and can be used for adjusting torque and as a rotation/linear motion converters. In particular, roller reducers can be used in robots, manipulators and power drives requiring transmission of large amounts of torque under size restrictions. Such reducers have the following advantages: simple design and few components; high kinematic accuracy provided by a short kinematic chain and many contact points; smooth and low-noise operation; small dimensions while providing high transmitted torque; and operation at high input shaft rotation velocities.
Inventor's Certificate SU 1294606 discloses a manipulator joint formed by a roller reducer; the joint comprises a threaded shaft and threaded rollers forming a planetary gear, and first and second members comprising nuts, wherein the first member is formed by a fork embracing the second member. First member nuts are engaged with the roller threads, which in turn are engaged with the shaft threads, and second member nuts are engaged with the output roller threads. According to SU 1294606, play is eliminated in all thread engagements in said manipulator joint by pressing the reducer members together.
A disadvantage of SU 1294606 is that the rollers tend to bend in the central or proximal part thereof along the shaft upon transmitting high torque, which leads to a shift of contact points towards thread edge and to edge contact, leading to a decreased load-bearing capacity of the reducer, greater slip and worse efficiency.
Further, SU 1294606 disadvantageously prevents from providing a play-free transmission because pressing together nuts of each of the members, to allegedly eliminate play in thread interfaces, can cause slip of the rollers, and the play will persist.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission gear and a roller reducer comprising fewer components, but presenting stable characteristics across the whole load range, and a wide range of gear ratios obtained by adjusting parameters of reducer elements without adding and removing extra elements.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to increase load-bearing capabilities and efficiency of the reducer, and to provide play-free transmission.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for faultless assembly of the reducer at minimum labor cost.

Transmission gear, roller reducer comprising the transmission gear, and method of assembly thereof

Abstract: Diameters of the flange rings of the rollers and the flange rings of the shaft are each equal to the respective effective thread diameters of the engaged thread portions of the rollers and the shaft, respectively.


A lead frame for a rectangular flat package has dumb bars connecting the lead terminals and dam bar coupling portions at the corners of the frame in which the coupling portions are notched to permit the adjacent dam bars to have the same length as the other dam bars, permitting them to be cut away by the same punch. This arrangement permits an increase in the length of the nicked part of the corner of the resin body of the flat package, at which a gate for injection-molding of a resin is located, thereby avoiding chipping of the resin body when excess resin from the injection is removed.

This invention relates to lead frames for molded rectangular flat packages having lead terminals extending outwardly through the sides of a resin body.
FIG. 2 shows a corner of a conventional lead frame 3 for a rectangular flat package which has a gate 5 for injecting a molding resin to provide a resin body 2 for the package. The corner of the resin body 2 has a nicked part 2a corresponding to the corner of the lead frame 3. Since the length of the nicked part 2a is small, the length r.sub.1 of each of two dam bars 1a and 1b of the lead frame adjacent to that corner can be made as large as that of each of the other dam bars 1c and 1d of the frame. The molding resin is injected into a cavity between an upper and a lower molding die through the gate 5 located at the bottom of the dam bar coupling portion 4 of the lead frame 3. Although some of the injected resin leaks through the boundary between the dies at the nicked part 2a of the corner of the molded portion 2 during the transfer molding, the dam bar coupling portion of the lead frame has a resin-blocking part 4a with a length r.sub.3 which extends along the nicked part and can be made at least equal to the length of the nicked part to enable the resin-stoppage part to prevent the leaking resin from spreading. With that arrangement, the length r.sub.1 of each of the dam bars 1a and 1b can be the same as the length r.sub.2 of the dam bars 2a and 2b. FIG. 2 shows four lead terminals 6 coupled together by the dam bars 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d and a central portion 7 of the lead frame.
However, because the length of the nicked part 2a is made small enough to make it possible to equalize the length r.sub.1 of each of the dam bars 1a and 1b to the length r.sub.2 of each of the other dam bars 1c and 1d, this conventional type of lead frame is unsatisfactory. This is because the short nicked part is likely to chip when the portion of the resin which leaked and has hardened on the nicked part at the gate 5 is removed after injection-molding the resin body 2. If the length of the nicked part 2a is increased to solve this problem, the length r.sub.3 of the resin-stoppage part 4a of the dam bar coupling portion 4, which extends along the nicked part, must be increased to be the same as that of the nicked part. As a result, the length r.sub.1 of each of the dam bars 1a and 1b at the corner of the molded portion 2 cannot be made as large as the length r.sub.2 of the other dam bars 1c and 1d as shown in FIG. 3. This will result in another problem since the dam bars 1a and 1b cannot be cut off by a dam bar punch 10 having a width corresponding to the length of each of the other dam bars 1c and 1d, because the punch would partially cut into the dam bar coupling portion 4 when it is operated.


A boot includes a rigid outer shell including a base portion adjacent to a portion of a foot of a subject, a leg portion adjacent to a portion of a leg of the subject, and an ankle support portion integral with and coupling the base portion of the main body with the leg portion of the main body, the ankle portion of the main body being adjacent to two opposing sides of an ankle of the subject, the ankle support portion of the main body having one or more removable elements. A first one of the one or more removable elements, adjacent to a first one of the two opposing sides of the ankle, is configured to be removed from the rigid outer shell to aid in preventing contact between an incision area on the first side of the ankle of the subject and the rigid outer shell.

Ankle surgery often requires a physician to make one or more incisions on a patient's ankle. After surgery (e.g., one to two weeks after surgery), physicians often provide the patient with a walking boot (e.g., a controlled ankle motion or "CAM" walking boot) which immobilizes the ankle while permitting the patient to put weight on the injured ankle. The walking boot also aids in protecting the incision area from further injury. While these walking boots are often made from a rigid polymer material in order to provide sufficient mechanical support, this rigid polymer material can contact (e.g., directly or indirectly) the incision area on the ankle, which can cause the wearer of the walking boot pain/discomfort and/or adversely influence skin and/or incision healing due to, for example, the rigid polymer material rubbing on the incision and/or adjacent area of the incision. Moreover, such rubbing can cause the incision to break open (e.g., dehiscence), which can lead to infections and other negative complications. The present disclosure is directed to solving these and other problems.

Walking boots and methods of making the same


A cutting insert according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an upper surface, a side surface, and a first cutting edge located at an intersection of the upper surface and the side surface. The upper surface includes a pair of raised parts located opposite to each other with a perpendicular bisector of the first cutting edge interposed therebetween. A top of each of the pair of raised parts includes at least two protrusions oriented toward a direction along the perpendicular bisector in a top view. Each of the at least two protrusions includes a first protrusion located on a side closest to the perpendicular bisector, and a second protrusion which is located on a side further away from the perpendicular bisector than the first protrusion, and is located at a higher position than the first protrusion. A cutting tool including the cutting insert, and a method of manufacturing a machined product by using the cutting tool are also provided.

A structure that prevents chips from contacting a machined surface of a workpiece and damaging the machined surface is being considered for cutting inserts, particularly, cutting inserts for a cut-off process and a grooving process. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-99815 discloses a cutting insert in which a cutting edge part and a square-shaped rake surface oriented in a thickness direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction and a width direction of a shank-like insert body are formed at an end part of the insert body in the longitudinal direction thereof, and band-like helical surfaces extending along the longitudinal direction are respectively formed at both end parts in a width direction of the rake surface. The chips can be sufficiently rounded and easily divided by these two helical surfaces. This allows for a smooth and sure chip removal, and also prevents the chips from contacting the machined surface and damaging the machined surface.
However, for example, when the foregoing cutting insert is used for a face grooving process for forming an annular groove on an end surface of a workpiece, a chip discharge direction is apt to shift laterally because a cutting speed on a right end side of a cutting edge and a cutting speed on a left end side of the cutting edge are different from each other. Further, due to the influence of the cutting speed difference between the right end side and the left end side of the cutting edge, a curl diameter of chips generated on the right end side and a curl diameter of chips generated on the left end side are different from each other. Therefore, the chips are discharged spirally, and consequently there is a risk of deterioration of chip discharge performance.

Cutting insert, cutting tool, and method of manufacturing machined product using them


A determination is made as to whether an updated image for an outdated virtualized application is available on a server. If it is determined that the updated image is available, then a background download operation configured to retrieve the updated image from the server is initiated. Another determination is made as to whether the outdated virtualized application is being utilized. After the background download operation is complete, if it is determined that the outdated virtualized application is not being utilized, then the outdated virtualized application is transformed to a current virtualized application by replacing at least a portion of the outdated virtualized application with the updated image. The outdated virtualized application and the current virtualized application are configured to be executed on the computer without installation on a computer.

In conventional implementations, applications are typically installed on each computing device on which the application is executed. When an application is installed on a computing device, intrusive changes may be made to the operating system. In this regard, different versions of the same application are often developed for installation on different operating systems. Further, the application, when installed on a particular computing device, may be tied to that computing device. In order to address these and other drawbacks of installed applications, application virtualization has been developed.
In application virtualization, a host operating system creates a simulated computer environment or virtual environment on a computing device to execute virtualized applications without installing the virtualized applications locally and without altering the host operating system. The virtualized applications execute locally using the local hardware resources and may interact with the host operating system, although aspects of the virtual environment may be hidden from the host operating system (e.g., registry keys, files, etc.). Because virtualized applications do not alter the host operating system, the same virtualized application may also operate on different operating systems.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.

Asynchronous update of virtualized applications


The present invention is related to a process based on a source-sink principle, for producing products of interest from crushed or uncrushed germinating dicotyledonous seeds comprising an expression system, which is induced or can be induced during germination. The product is either a seed derived composition comprising one or more gene products. Alternatively, it is a product of interest obtained by placing the composition in contact with a substrate, containing a substance capable of being transformed by the seed derived composition as such, dried or in down-stream processed form.

Due to increased contamination risks, methods for producing therapeutically active mammalian proteins by isolation and purification from mammalian sources have largely been replaced by recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant DNA technology provides new means for producing large amounts of industrially desirable mammalian proteins and a large choice of hosts and expression systems. When mammalian proteins are the desired target proteins, eukaryotic host systems are preferred in order to obtain glycosylated forms of the desired proteins.
Fungi represent the most effective host system for high volume and low cost production of glycosylated proteins. Even if fungi have been successful for producing high amounts of their native proteins, they have not been equally successful in expressing heterologous proteins, such as therapeutic mammalian proteins.
Fungi are used mainly for large-scale production of homologous industrial enzymes, whereas the focus of research is increasingly in finding alternative expression systems for producing glycosylated heterologous proteins. Because glycosylation patterns and folding processes in plant host systems resemble those in mammalian systems, plant host expression systems are by far the most cost-effective of the available systems. The main interest is on production of pharmaceuticals and industrially important enzymes. The production of interferon, enkephalins, epidermal growth factor and human serum albumin in tobacco, and/or potato are mentioned as examples. The expression levels in transgenic plants, however, have been rather low.
In plant expression systems, foreign genes are generally expressed under strong tissue specific plant promoters in developing plant organs. Typical examples are the seed storage protein promoter or the tuber specific patatin promoter in potato tubers. Alternatively, cell or organ cultures and algal cultures are used as well as even more sophisticated systems including plant virus based systems, with the desired gene coupled inside the virus genome and expressed concurrently with viral proteins. The most advanced systems rely on inducible expression and secretion of recombinant protein to the medium.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,506 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,628 disclose a production system for producing foreign proteins in germinating monocotyledonous seeds. Recombinant proteins are expressed under a strong amylase promoter in a cell culture or in germinating seed and the protein is secreted into the growth medium or extracted from malt. In a monocotyledonous seed, the storage reserves mainly consist of the starchy endosperm. The protein stores in monocotyledonous are scarce as compared to those in dicotyledonous seeds. In addition, even if the amylase expression is high in specific cells, only a small number of cells in the seed express amylase. These cells are restricted to the scutellum of the embryo and the aleurone layer of the endosperm. There is a great demand to provide more cost effective systems, which would take advantage of the storage reserves of proteins and oils in dicotyledonous seeds. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,576 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,474 disclose a method in which transgenic seeds are added without any pregermination and in ground form into feed mixtures as additional enzyme sources.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,349 discloses the use of wound inducible HMGR/HMG2 promoters for expressing recombinant proteins in fresh tobacco leaves harvested from the field. Wounding of fresh or stored plant material by excision or crushing triggers a rapid increase in expression. However, the protein content in tobacco leaf is small as compared to that obtainable from a dicotyledonous seed. Furthermore, the storability of fresh leaves is not comparable to that of dry seed in respect of time, space and/or storage costs. The use of fresh plant material, such as leaves harvested from the field is also a major source of microbial contamination, which is a serious problem in fermentation technology.
The patent applications WO 94/11519 and WO 97/32986 disclose methods and plants for producing degradation and conversion products in plants by the aid of a malting process. In said methods, it is suggested that the enzymes are active in glyoxysomes, which catalyze the breakdown of fatty acids into acetyl-CoA. This acetyl-CoA which normally is used to make organic acids that can be exported from the glyoxysomes and used in other metabolic pathways, such as respiration and sucrose synthesis should be replaced with gene encoding enzymes in a pathway leading to polyhydroxyalkanoates useful for the production of biodegradable thermoplastics.
Even if malting process is known and has been used especially for preparing monocotyledonous plants, it is restricted to processing starch. Even if the methods disclosed in the patents WO 94/11519 and WO 97/32986 suggest the use of the storage reserves in dicotyledonous, these methods are still restricted to the use of enzymes and pathways that lead sucrose and energy production and to use of these products from the respiratory pathways for resynthesis.
Even if malting is known and methods for using the respiratory pathways in plants for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, the use of the storage reserves in dicotyledonous plants for producing proteinaceous products, such as structural proteins and enzymes has not been solved.
There is a great demand for proteinaceous products and because of that it is the main objective of the present invention to solve the problem of converting the storage reserves in dicotyledonous plants into different proteinaceous products, which can be further applied for production of desired products.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide a new, more feasible, cost-effective, environmentally friendly process and production system for producing gene products, especially proteinaceous gene products in the cotyledons of transgenic dicotyledonous seeds.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a production system for contained use, in which the gene product can be produced in confined conditions and not in the field. This allows the present process to be carried out under almost contaminant-free conditions.
The objectives of the present invention are achieved by harnessing the regulatory sequences of transient proteins accumulating during the initiation of germination for the production of desired gene products.
The characteristics of the present invention are as set out in the claims.

Process for converting storage reserves of dicotyledonous seeds into compositions comprising one or more gene products


A position detecting purpose permanent magnet 51 constituting a position detection sensor is installed at an opposite side to an output side of a rotational shaft 45 of a rotor housed within a motor housing 11A. A GMR element 56 which constitutes the position detection sensor and a position detection circuit thereof are installed on a side of a motor cover 48 on which a position detection purpose permanent magnet 51 is arranged. GMR element 56 is arranged on a position opposed against the position detection purpose permanent magnet. Thus, since the GMR element and the position detection purpose permanent magnet is installed, a mutually positioning assembly (attachment) accuracy can be improved. In addition, since the electric power conversion circuit and both of the GMR element and its position detection circuit are kept away, such an effect that an accurate detection signal can be obtained can be achieved.

In a general industrial machine field, it is a normal practice that an electrically-driven motor is used to drive a mechanical (system) control element. In recent years, such an electromechanical integration type electrically-driven drive apparatus that an electronic control apparatus constituting semiconductor elements is used for controlling a rotation speed of the electrically-driven motor and the rotation torque is integrally assembled to the electrically-driven motor, namely, so-called, an electromechanical integration type electrically-driven drive apparatus is started to be adopted.
As one of the electromechanical integration type electrically-driven drive apparatuses, an electrically-driven power steering apparatus for an automotive vehicle is exemplified. In this power steering apparatus, a turning direction and a turning torque of a steering shaft which is pivoted (turned) by operating a steering wheel with a driver are detected and the electrically-driven motor is driven so as to be turned (pivoted) in the same direction of the detected steering shaft turning direction and torque to generate a steering assistance torque. In order to control this electrically-driven motor, an electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) is installed in the power steering apparatus.
A conventional electrically-driven power steering apparatus is exemplified in a Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2013-60119 (Patent document 1). Patent document 1 describes an electrically-driven power steering apparatus constituted by the electrically-driven motor and the electrically-driven power steering apparatus. Then, the electrically-driven motor is housed in a motor housing having a cylindrical section made of aluminum alloy or so forth and an electronic control unit is housed in an ECU housing arranged at an opposite side to an output shaft in an axial direction of the motor housing. The electronic control unit housed in an inner side of the ECU housing and includes an electric power conversion circuit having power switching elements such as MOSFETs, IGBTs, or so forth drivingly controlling the electrically-driven motor and a control circuit section controlling such power switching elements as described above. An output terminal of each power switching element and an input terminal of each power switching element are electrically connected via bus bars.
Then, an electric power is supplied from a power supply via a connector terminal assembly made of a synthetic resin and the detection signals such as indicating driving states and so forth are supplied from detection sensors and so forth. The connector terminal assembly body functions as a lid body and is connected to an electronic control unit so as to enclose an opening section formed on the ECU housing and fixture bolts serve to be fixed on an outer surface of the ECU housing.
It should be noted that, as an electrically-driven drive apparatus to which the electronic control unit is integrated, an electrically-driven hydraulic control unit for various types of hydraulic control purpose such as an electrically-driven brake or so forth is known. In the following description, an electrically-driven power steering apparatus will representatively be explained.

Electric drive device and electric power steering device


Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for receiving a request from a user for access to at least one function associated with a first application; determining that access to at least one function requires user authentication; initiating sensing of an authentication validating carrier comprising a first credential; determining the first credential based at least in part on the sensed authentication validating carrier; validating the first credential, thereby resulting in a first successful user authentication; and granting access to at least one function associated with the first application based on the validation of the first successful user authentication.

In order to access an application, authentication may be required. Authentication may be accomplished in a variety of formats depending upon the system or platform being accessed. For example, authentication may be accomplished using at least one of a personal identification number (PIN), an answer to a security question, a password, or biometric information. Applications that contain more sensitive information or functions usually require stricter authentication.
In addition to protecting secure content, authentication may be cumbersome to a user and require performing functions that are tedious in order to access data. There exists a need to provide non-cumbersome and reliable authentication for protecting sensitive information.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

User authentication based on FOB/indicia scan


The present invention provides a system for coupling a portable telephone with a built-in antenna to an external antenna. The portable telephone built-in antenna includes an exposed direct electrical contact at its base. When the portable telephone unit is placed into a receiving cavity in in external antenna coupling unit, the exposed contact is engaged by an antenna clip for connection to the external antenna. A two-section choke in the coupling unit provides shielding for the built-in antenna. The first section of the choke is coupled to the ground plane of the portable telephone, and the second section of the choke surrounds the antenna. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the choke provides shielding of the built-in antenna at a lower and at a higher frequency band.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relites generally to improvements in antenna technology, and particularly to advantageous aspects of an antenna coupler for use with portable telephones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable handheld wireless communications devices, especially telephones, have increased dramatically in popularity over the past several years. Because of the proliferation of new wireless services into various frequency bands, including previously unused frequency bands, there has developed a need for a portable telephone operating in more than one frequency band. For example, a portable telephone may be called to operate in both the cellular frequency band (824-896 MHz) and the personal communications system (PCS) band (1850-1990 MHz).
When the portable telephone is used inside an automobile, the signal level is significantly reduced due to shielding effects of the car body. Even the presence of other occupants within the vehicle may contribute to the shielding. In order to mitigate these effects, the portable telephone is typically coupled to an antenna external to the vehicle. In one system, an external antenna coupling unit kit is installed in the interior of the vehicle. The kit includes a shell that has a cavity that is shaped to receive the portable telephone unit, and a coaxial cable connection to an antenna mounted to the exterior of the vehicle.
Typical prior-art devices provide electromagnetic coupling between the telephone's built-in antenna and the vehicle's external antenna. This generally results in high transmission loss (weak coupling), which in turn makes it necessary to use additional bi-directional amplifiers for loss compensation. Further, prior designs do not typically provide for a dual band operation of the device.
Consequently, there is a need for a low-loss antenna coupler transferring the signal to and from the external antenna in at least two frequency bands.


Polymeric blends and polymeric mixtures that incorporate a blend of a first polyethylene and a second polyethylene are described. The first and second polyethylenes have a predetermined relationship for the density and the melt index of the individual polyethylenes. Also described are fibers (including bicomponent fibers) and nonwoven materials made from the fibers where the fibers are extruded using the polymeric blends, and/or the polymeric mixtures.

Polyolefin resins, such as polyethylene, for use in nonwovens are difficult to produce and pose additional challenges compared to polyolefin resins suitable for films. This is because the material and processing requirements for production of fibers are much more stringent than for producing films. For the production of fibers, the residence time available for structure formation is typically much shorter and flow characteristics are more demanding on the material's physical and rheological properties. Also, the local shear/extensional rate and shear rate are much greater in fiber production than other processes and, for spinning very fine fibers, small defects, slight inconsistencies, or phase incompatibilities in the melt are not acceptable for a commercially viable process.
Generally, smaller fiber diameters will enable softer nonwovens. Softer nonwovens are desirable as they are gentler to the skin, feel right to the touch and help provide a more garment-like aesthetic for diapers, wipes and similar products.
Another desirable attribute sought in the fibers comprising nonwovens, besides softness, is abrasion resistance. Abrasion resistance is also important since it ensures that both the fibers and the nonwovens possess sufficient mechanical integrity during use so as to not fall apart and produce undesirable fuzz or lose aesthetics.
Nonwovens that are capable of high extensibility at relatively low force are also desired. These can be used to provide sustained fit in products, such as diapers and the like, and facilitate the use of various mechanical post-treatments. Typically, it has been found that having both a smaller fiber diameter and an easy to extend fiber are difficult to achieve. This is because, when the fiber diameter is reduced, it is commonly done by increasing the spinning speed or draw ratio during spinning which decreases extensibility of the fiber in post mechanical treatment due to increased polymer orientation.
More recently, there has also been a growing need in the industry for nonwovens that can also exhibit significant extensibility or cold-drawability when used in disposable products. Indeed, for absorbent articles such as diapers and catamenials, solid-state activation processes have become an integral part of the fabrication of many chassis components. Such processes can provide important functional benefits: improved softness or hand that increase a nonwoven's comfort and feel; added loft, texture or aperturing that enhance visual appearance, alter transport properties or desirably modify mechanical properties. In such processes, however, the nonwoven needs remain intact after being stretched at high a strain rate and maintain all or most of its original mechanical integrity.
One way the art has used to address these issues is to blend various polymeric resins. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,842,922 and 4,990,204 discuss blends of a high molecular weight linear polyethylene and a low molecular weight linear polyethylene for use in production of spun-bonded fibers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,686 discusses blends of high and low molecular weight linear polyethylenes for extrusion of staple fibers. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,617 describes blends of a first homogeneous ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer and a second polymer (either an ethylene homopolymer or an ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer) directed to improved bond performance. However, there is a continuing need for improved nonwoven materials.
As noted above, there clearly exists an unmet need for highly extensible nonwovens with fibers that can be made from commercially available thermoplastic resins without the need for high cost specialty polymers or elastic polymers or complex manufacturing processes. It is well known that, as spinning speeds increase, molecular orientation increases, stress to further deform the fiber increases and fiber elongation decreases. This is ideal for producing low denier fibers with high strength and low deformability. However, producing fine fibers with high extensibility at an affordable cost remains a very significant challenge.
There is also a need for a polyethylene material suitable for use in a fibrous nonwoven which is readily extensible and has improved abrasion resistance.

Fibers and nonwovens comprising polyethylene blends and mixtures


Managing different versions of a data record is provided. A mapping is maintained between a version-independent logical record identifier and a version-dependent physical record row identifier that correspond to each data record within a plurality of data records of a data table using a logical record identifier to physical record row identifier indirection mapping table. Entries within leaf pages of an index associated with the data table are updated to point to the version-independent logical record identifier corresponding to a data record instead of pointing to the version-dependent physical record row identifier corresponding to the data record. The logical record identifier to physical record row identifier indirection mapping table is updated in response to performing an operation on the data record instead of updating the entries within the leaf pages of the index associated with the data table.

1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to managing a multi-version database and more specifically to increasing the speed of insert, update, and delete operations of data records stored within the multi-version database.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multi-version database stores both current data records and historical data records in rows of a relational data table. The rows are typically annotated with timestamps representing the time period during which a row is valid or was valid. In a multi-version database system, new data records do not physically replace old ones. Instead, a new version of a data record is generated, which becomes visible to other transactions at commit time. Conceptually, many rows for a data record may exist, each row corresponding to a state of the multi-version database at some point in time. Very old versions may be garbage-collected as the need for old data records diminishes, in order to reclaim space for new data records.
In a multi-version database, updates and deletions of data records require appending a new data record into the data table rather than performing in-row updates. These operations incur non-negligible performance overhead when multiple indexes on the data table exist and the record changes need to be propagated to these indexes. In a conventional multi-version database, performing a delete operation on a data record requires marking of the row's entry in each of the existing indexes. Any update that changes only one attribute of a data record causes a new version of the row, which needs to be propagated to all of the existing indexes. Hence, index updates will be unavoidable for these operations.

International Business Machines Corporation


A low-loss high-voltage multiplexer is implemented using a transformer that is connected to one transmitter, one receiver and transducer elements. At least one primary winding is magnetically coupled at least two secondary windings. For example, a first transducer element and a second transducer element are connected to the secondary windings of a multiplexer that multiplexes between these transducer elements via the secondary windings. The multiplexer also optionally switches between the transmitter and the receiver during the transmission and the reception.

Some prior-art ultrasound front-end circuits disclose an automatic controller for switching between the transmit mode and the receive mode. One exemplary device is a transformer-based transmitter with an integrated transmit/receive (TR) switch for switching between transmission and reception. Other prior-art transformer-based transmitters used multiple poles in the transformer to generate transmission signals at multiple output levels. In any case, a transfer is utilized as a TR switch and or a multi-level output generator.
Unfortunately, when a transformer was used in prior art attempts, high voltage loss and or high power loss is experienced in the high voltage transformer or the associated components such as a switch. Thus, it remains desirable to implement a high voltage transformer with a low voltage loss and a low power loss to be used in an ultrasound imaging system. In addition to the TR switch function and the multi-level output generator function, it is also desired that a transformer performs an additional function such as multiplexing among the transducer elements.

Transformer-based multiplexer for ultrasound imaging system and method


The subject invention concerns new methods which make it possible, for the first time, to grow functional islets in in vitro cultures. The subject invention also concerns the use of the in vitro grown islet-like structures for implantation into a mammal for in vivo therapy of diabetes. The subject invention further concerns a process using the in vitro grown islet implants for growing an organ in vivo that has the same functional, morphological and histological characteristics as those observed in normal pancreatic tissue. The ability to grow these cells in vitro and organs in vivo opens up important new avenues for research and therapy relating to diabetes.

Diabetes is a major public health problem. As presented in the 1987 Report of The National Long-Range Plan to Combat Diabetes commissioned by the National Diabetes Advisory Board, six million persons in the United States are know to have diabetes, and an additional 5 million have the disease which has not yet been diagnosed. Each year, more than 500,000 new cases of diabetes are identified. In 1984, diabetes was directly causal in 35,000 American deaths and was a contributing factor in another 95,000.
Ocular complications of diabetes are the leading cause of new cases of legal blindness in people ages 20 to 74 in the United States. The risk for lower extremity amputation is 15 times greater in individuals with diabetes than in individuals without it. Kidney disease is a frequent and serious complication of diabetes. Approximately 30 percent of all new patients in the United States being treated for end-stage renal disease have diabetes. Individuals with diabetes are also at increased risk for periodontal disease. Periodontal infections advance rapidly and lead not only to loss of teeth but also to compromised metabolic function. Women with diabetes risk serious complications of pregnancy. Current statistics suggest that the mortality rates for infants of mothers with diabetes is approximately 7 percent.
Clearly, the economic burden of diabetes is enormous. Each year, patients with diabetes or its complications spend 24 million patient-days in hospitals. A conservative estimate of total annual costs attributable to diabetes is at least $24 billion (American Diabetes Association est., 1988); however, the full economic impact of this disease is even greater because additional medical expenses often are attributed to the specific complications of diabetes rather than to diabetes itself.
Diabetes is a chronic, complex metabolic disease that results in the inability of the body to properly maintain and use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It results from the interaction of various hereditary and environmental factors and is characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by a deficiency in insulin production or an impairment of its utilization. Most cases of diabetes fill into two clinical types: Type I, or juvenile-onset, and Type II, or adult-onset. Type I diabetes is often referred to as Insulin Dependent Diabetes, or IDD. Each type has a different prognosis, treatment, and cause.
Approximately 5 to 10 percent of diabetes patients have IDD. IDD is characterized by a partial or complete inability to produce insulin usually due to destruction of the insulin-producing .beta. cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Patients with IDD would die without daily insulin injections to control their disease.
Few advancements in resolving the pathogenesis of diabetes were made until the mid-1970s when evidence began to accumulate to suggest that Type I IDD had an autoimmune etiopathogenesis. It is now generally accepted that IDD results from a progressive autoimmune response which selectively destroys the insulin-producing .beta. cells of the pancreatic Islets of Langerhans in individuals who are genetically predisposed. Autoimmunity to the .beta. cell in IDD involves both humoral (Baekkeskov et al., 1982; Baekkeskov et al., 1990; Reddy et al. 1988; Pontesilli et al., 1987) and cell-mediated (Reddy et al. 1988, supra; Pontesilli et al., 1987, supra; Wang et al., 1987) immune mechanisms. Humoral immunity is characterized by the appearance of autoantibodies to .beta. cell membranes (anti-69 kD and islet-cell surface autoantibodies), .beta. cell contents (anti-carboxypeptidase A.sub.1, anti-64 kD and/or anti-GAD autoantibody), and/or .beta. cell secretory products (anti-insulin). While serum does not transfer IDD, anti-.beta. cell autoantibody occurs at a very early age, raising the question of an environmental trigger, possibly involving antigenic mimicry. The presence of cell-mediated immunological reactivity in the natural course of IDD is evidenced by an inflammatory lesion within the pancreatic islets, termed insulitis. Insulitis, in which inflammatory/immune cell infiltrates are clearly visible by histology, has been shown to be comprised of numerous cell types, including T and B lymphocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells (Signore et al., 1989; Jarpe et al. 1991). Adoptive transfer experiments using the NOD (non-obese diabetic) mouse as a model of human IDD have firmly established a primary role for auto-aggressive T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of IDD (Bendelac, et al., 1987; Miller et al., 1988; Hanafusa et al., 1988; Bendelac et al., 1988). Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying destruction of the pancreatic .beta. cells remain unknown.
Recent efforts to culture pancreatic cells, including efforts reported in the following publications, have focused on cultures of differentiated or partially differentiated cells which in culture have grown in monolayers or as aggregates. By contrast to these reports, the instant invention discloses a method and a structure wherein an islet-like structure is produced which has a morphology and a degree of cellular organization much more akin to a normal islet produced in vivo through neogenesis.
Gazdar, et al., (1980) disclosed a continuous, clonal, insulin- and somatostatin-secreting cell line established from a transplantable rat islet cell tumor. However, the cells disclosed were tumorigenic and were not pluripotent.
Brothers, A. J. (WO 93/00441, 1993) disclosed hormone-secreting cells, including pancreatic cells, maintained in long-term culture. However, the cells cultured are differentiated, as opposed to pluripotent stem cells, which are selected at an early stage for their hormone secreting phenotype, as opposed to their capacity to regenerate a pancreas-like structure.
Korsgren, et al., disclosed an in vitro screen of compounds for their potential to induce differentiation of fetal porcine pancreatic cells. The instant invention does not depend on the use of fetal tissue.
Nielsen, J. H., (WO 86/01530, 1986) disclosed a method for proliferation of wholly or partially differentiated beta cells. However, this disclosure depended on fetal tissue as a source of the islet cells grown in culture.
McEvoy et al., (1982) disclosed a method for tissue culture of fetal rat islets and compared the effect of serum on the defined medium maintenance, growth and differentiation of A, B, and D cells. Once again, the source of islet cells is fetal tissue.
Zayas et al, (EP 0 363 125, 1990), disclosed a process for proliferation of pancreatic endocrine cells. The process depends on the use of fetal pancreatic tissue, and a synthetic structure, including collagen must be prepared to embed these cells for implantation. The thus produced aggregates of cultured cells upon implantation require 60-90 days before having any effect on blood glucose levels, and require 110-120 days before euglycemia is approached. By contrast, the instant invention provides in vitro grown islet-like structures which do not require collagen or other synthetic means for retention of their organization, and which, upon implantation, provide much more rapid effects on the glycemic state of the recipient.
Coon et al., (WO 94/23572, 1994) disclosed a method for producing an expanded, non-transformed cell culture of pancreatic cells. Aggregated cultured cells are then embedded in a collagen matrix for implantation, with the attendant shortcomings noted for the Zayas et al., supra structures and the distinctions noted with the structure produced according to the instant invention.
Despite the foregoing reports, the instant invention, wherein functional islet-like structures containing cells which express insulin, glucagon and/or somatostatin which can be implanted into clinically diabetic mammals which subsequently remain healthy (after elimination of insulin treatment), is surprising. This is because conventional and immunofluorescent histology of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans (Lacey et al., 1957; Baum et al., 1962; Dubois, 1975; Pelletier et al., 1975; Larsson et al., 1975), together with recent three dimensional imaging Brelje et al., 1989), have revealed a remarkable architecture and cellular organization of pancreatic islets ideal for rapid, yet finely controlled, responses to changes in blood glucose levels. It could not be predicted that such a structure could be produced in vitro, particularly when one considers that during embryogenesis, islet development within the pancreas appears to be initiated from undifferentiated precursor cells associated primarily with the pancreatic ductal epithelium (Pictet et al., 1972) i.e. non-islet cells. The ductal epithelium rapidly proliferates, then subsequently differentiates into the various islet-associated cell populations (Hellerstrom, 1984; Weir et al., 1990; Teitelman et al., 1993; Beattie et al., 1994). The resulting islets are organized into spheroid structures in which insulin-producing .beta. cells form a core surrounded by a mantle of non-.beta. cells. For the most part, glucagon-producing a cells (if the islet is derived from the dorsal lobe) or alternatively, pancreatic peptide-producing, PP cells (if the islet is derived from the ventral lobe), reside within the outer cortex (Brelje et al., supra, 1989; Weir et al., supra, 1990). Somatostatin-producing .delta. cells, which are dendritic in nature, reside within the inner cortex and extend pseudopodia to innervate the .alpha. (or PP) cells and the .beta. cells. These spheroid islet structures tend to bud from the ductal epithelium and move short distances into the surrounding exocrine tissue. Angiogenesis-induced vascularization results in direct arteriolar blood flow to mature islets (Bonner-Weir et al., 1982; Teitelman et al., 1988; Menger et al., 1994). Since blood glucose can stimulate .beta. cell proliferation, vascularization may act to increase further the numbers of .beta. cells. Similarly, neurogenesis leads to the innervation of the islets with sympathetic, parasympathetic and peptidergic neurons (Weir et al., supra, 1990). That we have been able to produce functional islet-like structures in vitro which can then be implanted to produce pancreas-like structures, is therefore quite remarkable.
Unfortunately, the cellular organization of the islet can be destroyed in diseases such as type I, insulin dependent diabetes (IDD), in which a progressive humoral and cell-mediated autoimmune response results in specific destruction of the insulin-producing .beta. cells (Eisenbarth, 1986; Leiter et al., 1987). Because the .beta. cell is considered to be, for the most part, a differentiated end-stage cell, it is believed that the body has limited capacity to generate new .beta. cells, thus necessitating regular life-long insulin therapy once the .beta. cell mass is destroyed. However, in experimental animals, the .beta.-cell mass has been shown to increase and decrease in order to maintain euglycemia (Bonner-Weir et al., 1994). This plasticity can occur through two pathways of islet growth: first, by neogenesis, or growth of new islets by differentiation of pancreatic ductal epithelium, and second, by hypertrophy, or expansion through replication of preexisting .beta. cells. During embryogenesis, the .beta.-cell mass initially expands from differentiation of new cells, but by the late fetal stages the differentiated .beta. cells replicate. Replication, then, is likely to be the principal means of expansion after birth, but the capacity to replicate appears to diminish with age. Adult islet cells have been shown to replicate by responding to stimuli known to initiate neonatal islet cell growth, e.g., glucose, growth hormone, and several peptide growth factors (Swenne, 1992; Hellerstrom et al., 1988; Bonner-Weir et al., 1989, Marynissen et al., 1983; Neilsen et al., 1992; Brelje et al., 1993). These observations suggest that the low level of .beta.-cell growth in the adult can accommodate functional demands. For example, during pregnancy or chronic obesity, .beta.cell mass increases significantly yet is reversible since, following termination of pregnancy or after weight loss, an increased .beta. cell death via apoptosis quickly reduces .beta. cell mass.
It is generally accepted that all pancreatic endocrine cell types differentiate from the same ductal epithelium (Pictet et al., 1972, supra; Hellerstrom, 1984, supra; Weir et al., 1990, supra; Teitelman et al., 1993, supra), but whether they are derived from a common stem/precursor cell is uncertain. In normal adult pancreas, approximately 0.01% of the cells within the ductal epithelium will express islet cell hormones and can be stimulated to undergo morphogenic changes to form new islets, reminiscent of neogenesis. This neogenesis has been irduced experimentally by dietary treatment with soybean trypsin inhibitors (Weaver et al., 1985), high levels of interferon-.gamma. (Gu et al., 1993), partial pancreatectomy (Bonner-Weir et al., 1993), wrapping of the head of the pancreas in cellophane (Rosenberg et al., 1992), specific growth factors (Otonkoski et al., 1994) and the onset of clinical IDD. Recently, attention has focused on the Reg gene (Watanabe et al., 1994, Otonkoski et al., 1994), identified in a subtracted cDNA library of regenerating rat islets, as a controlling element in the neogenesis of islet .beta. cells. Up-regulation of the Reg gene (e.g., by hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor) induces .beta. cell proliferation resulting in increased mass, while down-regulation of the Reg gene (e.g., by nicotinamide) induces differentiation of the `pre-.beta.` cells to mature cells. Thus, a population of precursor/stem cells remain in the adult pancreatic ducts and differentiation of this population can be evoked in vivo in response to specific stimuli. This action may actually occur continuously at low levels.
Although intensive efforts have been made to reproduce islet neogenesis in vitro, minimal success has been achieved. We now describe, for the first time, conditions which permit the growth and expansion of mammalian-derived islet-producing stem cells (IPSCs) in culture, as well as their differentiation to islet-like structures.
Numerous strategies (e.g., bone marrow replacement, immunosuppressive drugs and autoantigen immunizations) have been investigated as possible means to arrest the immunological attack against the pancreatic .beta. cells. However, for these approaches to be effective, individuals who will eventually develop clinical disease must be identified. Most often, patients are identified too late for effective intervention therapy since the immunological attack has progressed to a point where a large percentage of the .beta. cells have already been destroyed. Because the .beta. cell is thought to be an end-stage differentiated cell, it was previously believed that the body has little capacity to regenerate new .beta. cells, thus necessitating regular life-long insulin therapy. Recently, one approach to overcome this problem has been islet cell transplantation. Islet cell transplantation has the disadvantage that the islets are allogeneic which, in turn, can invoke an allo-immune response. Thus, there would be major advantages to growing Islets of Langerhans containing functional .beta. cells directly from IDD patients.

In vitro growth of functional islets of Langerhans and in vivo uses thereof


The present technology provides triazolone derivatives or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, preparation processes thereof, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, and the use thereof. The triazolone derivatives or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts exhibit selective inhibitory activity on VAP-1 and therefore can be usefully applied, e.g., for the treatment and prophylaxis of nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis (NASH).

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is a semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO), which is abundantly present in human plasma. VAP-1 is an ectoenzyme comprising a short cytoplasmic tail, a single transmembrane domain, and an extracellular domain with large and high glycosylation containing the center of activity. In addition, VAP-1 exists not only as a membrane-bound form in the endothelium but also as a soluble form in serums (soluble VAP-1, sVAP-1). This form shown to be a product cleaved from the membrane-bound VAP-1, and appears to have similar properties as the tissue-bound form. It has been also reported that VAP-1 is normally stored in intracellular granules within endothelial cells, but when an inflammatory response is evoked in response to inflammatory stimuli, it is translocated onto the cell membrane, and its expression is upregulated, and therefore, it is expressed more strongly in inflamed tissues than in normal tissues.
Substrates for VAP-1 include endogenous methylamine and aminoacetone as well as some xenobiotic amines such as tyramine and benzylamine.
VAP-1 has two physiological functions: the first is amine oxidase activity stated earlier in this section, and the second is cell adhesion activity. Due to these two activities, VAP-1 has been shown to play a key role in the leakage of inflammatory cells as it acts as an adhesion protein for leukocytes in inflamed sites [Trends Immunol. (2001) 22: 211]. VAP-1-deficient transgenic mice are healthy, develop normally, and fertile, and phenotypically normal, but exhibit a marked decrease in the inflammatory responses evoked in response to various inflammatory stimuli [Immunity. (2005) 22: 105].
In addition, inhibitory activity of VAP-1 in multiple animal models of human diseases (e.g., carrageenan-induced paw inflammation, oxazolone-induced colitis, lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation, collagen-induced arthritis, endotoxin-induced uveitis) by the use of antibodies or small molecules has been shown to prevent leukocyte from rolling, adhering, and leaking, and reduce levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, thereby reducing the severity of the disease [Eur J Immunol. (2005) 35: 3119; J Pharmacol Exp Ther. (2005) 315: 553; Annu Rep Med Chem. (2007) 42:229; FASEB J. (2008) 22: 1094]. Inflammation is the first reaction of the immune system to infection or stimulus and in such a process, the movement of leukocytes into the tissue through circulation is an important step. The leukocytes are first bound to adhesion proteins and then adhered to the endothelium before they start to pass through blood vessel walls. VAP-1 is highly expressed in endothelial venules (HEV) such as high endothelial venules in lymphoid organs, as well as hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, (HSEC), smooth muscle cells, and adipocytes. The VAP-1 expression on the cell surface of endothelial cells is strictly regulated and is increased during inflammation. VAP-1 activates NF-κB when it is present in the substrate, and the NF-κB is activated within the HSEC while E-selectin and chemokine IL-8 that are other adhesion molecules are upregulated ex vivo. This suggests that VAP-1 may be a key factor for the regulation of the inflammatory response, and it seems therefore likely that VAP-1 inhibitors may be effective anti-inflammatory drugs in a wide range of human diseases.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), histologically, encompasses simple steatosis, nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis (NASH), and liver cirrhosis. Among these, unlike simple steatosis (non-alcoholic fatty liver, NAFL), NASH potentially progresses to liver cirrhosis and hepatoma (hepatocellular carcinoma). In NASH, insulin resistance is known to play an important role in the progression of disease, along with oxidative stress, inflammatory cascade, and fibrosis. In patients with NAFLD, sVAP-1 levels were found to be elevated, and in VAP-1 knockout (K/O) mice, carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis was reduced compared with that in wild type animals. In addition, improvement of liver fibrosis by VAP-1 inhibition following administration of VAP-1 antibody was identified by histological changes [J Clin Invest (2015) 125: 501]. Thus, VAP-1 was found to be associated with NASH in clinical studies and animal models of diseases. Inhibitory activity of VAP-1 in the carbon tetrachloride-induced animal model appears to be due to a reduction in infiltration of leukocytes such as T cells, B cells, NKT cells, and NK cells observed in liver fibrosis, and VAP-1 inhibitors have the potential for treating fibrotic diseases.
Thus, a substance that inhibits VAP-1 may be applied to prevention and treatment of various inflammatory diseases and fibrotic diseases.

Triazolone derivatives or salts thereof and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same


Organopolysiloxane-containing, water-based compositions which are essentially free from organic solvents, have a flash point of above 70.degree. C. and liberate essentially no alcohols through hydrolysis on dilution with water, and which contain, as functional groups, glycidyl ether alkyl, acryloxyalkyl and/or methacryloxyalkyl groups, where each silicon in the organopolysiloxane carries one functional group, as well to a process for the preparation of such organopolysiloxane-containing compositions and to their use.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to organopolysiloxane-containing, water-based compositions which are essentially free from organic solvents, have a flash point of above 70.degree. C. and liberate essentially no alcohols through hydrolysis on dilution with water, to a process for their preparation, and to their use. The organopolysiloxane-containing compositions are essentially free from solvents. The term solvent-free compositions here is taken to mean those which contain no purely organic aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, glycols, glycol ethers, ethers, ketones, esters, amides and other nitrogen-containing compounds, sulfur compounds and nitro compounds, and proton- (or hydrogen-) free solvents in amounts of greater than 100 ppm by weight. By contrast, proton-containing agents, such as water, inorganic or organic acids, alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, n- and i-propanol, and higher alcohols in this series, are not regarded as organic solvents hereinafter.
2. Background of the Invention
Organosilanes of the general formula R.sup.0 --Si(OR.sup.1).sub.3, where R.sup.0 is an organic group and R.sup.1 is a methyl or ethyl group, have a wide variety of applications, for example as adhesion promoters, release agents, rheology improvers, crosslinking agents and hydrophobicizing agents.
For ecological, safety and economic reasons, there is an increasing trend to apply these compounds in aqueous form, which generally gives rise to the following problems:
Hydrolysis causes liberation of alcohols: EQU R.sup.0 --Si(OR.sup.1).sub.3 +3H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.R.sup.0 --Si(OH).sub.3 +3R.sup.1 OH
Free alcohols lower the flash point of the application solution, so that explosion-protected machines and special equipment have to be employed for the necessary processing steps. For toxicological reasons, the persons handling these compounds must additionally be trained and protected. Furthermore, disposal of the used application solution can cause difficulties due to the hydrolysis of alcohols. Special effluent treatment plants, as well as equipment for off gas and exhaust air treatment also are required.
The organosilane to be applied in water is not water-soluble: EQU R.sup.0 --Si(OR.sup.1).sub.3 +1.5H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.R.sup.0 --Si(OH).sub.1.5 +3R.sup.1 OH
The hydrolyzate R--SiO.sub.1.5 formed in accordance with this equation precipitates from the reaction mixture as a polymeric silicone resin, so that it is no longer available for the desired application. Although organosilanes having a highly hydrophobic character, for example alkylalkoxysilanes, in particular those having a long or branched carbon skeleton, hydrolyze only very slowly, they are insoluble in water.
Although monomeric organosilanes containing acrylic, methacrylic and glycidyl ether functional groups, for example methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (DYNASYLAN.RTM. MEMO) or glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (DYNASYLANO.RTM. GLYMO) are substantially soluble in water, they tend to polycondense in aqueous solution and therefore do not have a long shelf life in aqueous solution. For example, GLYMO has a shelf life of about 10 days in water, while MEMO has a shelf life of only around 2 days (cf HUELS Product Information Sheet-. use of DYNASYLAN.RTM. organofunctional silanes, July 1994).
In order to obviate the known disadvantages described above, a wide variety of processes have been suggested in the past:
Some organosilanes, for example aminoalkylalkoxysilanes, while being stable in aqueous solution, have only restricted practicability in the wide range of possible uses of organofunctional silanes. The introduction of further organic functionalities, in particular a plurality of functionalities in one molecule based on organosilanes which are not stable per se in aqueous solution, is of considerable interest with regard to modification of the use properties.
A means for removing hydrolysis alcohols by distillation during the synthesis for the preparation of organosilane formulations from water-soluble organosilanes, for example from 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, is known. Water-based aminosilane systems which have a low alcohol content and otherwise contain no solvents are obtainable in this way and are commercially available, for example in the form of DYNASYLAN.RTM. 1151.
In the emulsion method, which likewise belongs to the prior art, the organosilane which is not compatible with water per se is emulsified in water with the aid of emulsifiers (EP A 0 442 098, European Patent 0 358 652 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,878). It is disadvantageous here that the products contain significant proportions of surfactants as emulsifiers and can liberate considerable amounts of alcohol.
The formulation of silane combinations in water is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,195. Silane formulations are prepared from a water-insoluble alkyltrialkoxysilane and a water-soluble silane, for example an aminoalkylalkoxysilane, in a molar ratio of from 1:2 to 3:1. As shown in the examples of this U.S. Patent, the formulations are prepared by substoichiometric hydrolysis of the silane mixture and stripping of the reaction mixture at 60.degree. C. under reduced pressure, and for subsequent applications, silane formulations obtained in this way are also diluted with water. However, the dilution with water results in elimination of the alkoxy groups remaining after incomplete hydrolysis in the form of the corresponding alcohols. The silane cohydrolyzates thus contain free alcohols in significant amounts and may in addition liberate further amounts of alcohol through hydrolysis, which adversely affects the use properties of the products.
European Patent Application EP 675 128 describes the modification of water-based organosilane formulations with small amounts of organosilanes which are not water-soluble per se, for example methyltrimethoxysilane or vinyltrimethoxysilane. This process allows a molar ratio between the water-insoluble component and the water-soluble component of 1:2.5 to be achieved. If the content of water-insoluble silanes is higher, highly viscous products which gel over time are formed. Use properties essentially correspond to those of the abovementioned water-based organosilane formulations. By this process aqueous solutions which contain higher proportions of water-insoluble organosilanes and are stable for months are not obtainable. The preparation of aqueous solutions containing high proportions of highly hydrophobic silanes, for example isobutyltrimethoxysilane, is not possible by this process.
EP 0 716 127 and EP 0 716 128 disclose the preparation of water-soluble, solvent-free and essentially hydrolysis alcohol-free organosilane formulations based on a water-soluble silane (aminosilane) serving as "carrier silane" with high proportions of water-insoluble silanes (alkylsilanes, vinylsilanes or ureidosilanes). The water solubility of formulations is achieved by targeted cohydrolysis of aminosilanes with water-insoluble silanes, followed by neutralization of the amino function by means of acids and distillation of hydrolysis alcohols. However, the adhesion-promoting properties of these systems are of only limited acceptability for some applications. In addition, there is a need for organosilane systems which, when applied to a surface to be silanized, usually a mineral one, produce both hydrophobic and adhesion-promoting effects at the same time. There is therefore also a need for water-based and essentially solvent-free organosilane formulations which have a low alcohol content, can be employed, for example, instead of hydrophobicizing silanes, such as alkylalkoxysilanes, and likewise exhibit both a hydrophobicizing and a satisfactory adhesion-promoting action on a mineral surface to be silanized.

Organopolysiloxane-containing, water-based compositions containing glycidal ether, acrylic and/or methacrylic functional groups, process for their preparation, and their use


A transmission line monitoring apparatus includes a first optical coupling unit, a first optical dividing unit, a second optical coupling unit, a second optical dividing unit and a monitoring unit. The first optical coupling unit couples a down data signal with a first wavelength and an examination signal with a second wavelength into a first coupled signal. The first optical dividing unit receives the first coupled signal and divides the first coupled signal into the down data signal with the first wavelength and the examination signal with the second wavelength. The second optical coupling unit couples an up data signal with the first wavelength and the examination signal from the first optical dividing unit into a second coupled signal. The second optical dividing unit receives the second coupled signal and divides the second coupled signal into the up data signal with the first wavelength and the examination signal with the second wavelength. The monitoring unit monitors a fault and a position of the fault.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a transmission line method and apparatus, and more particularly to a transmission line monitoring method and apparatus which can pinpoint where a fault occurs among apparatus connected by optical transmission lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a network of optical fibers has been laid near to user's houses. This kind of optical fiber network has a maintenance management function of roughly specifying where a fault is when the fault occurs.
For example, the maintenance management function is described with reference to FIG. 1 showing a conventional transmission line monitoring apparatus. The conventional apparatus comprises a service station 10, a user house 20, an optical fiber transmission down line 40 and an optical fiber transmission up line 42.
The service station 10 includes a station apparatus 12 such as an optical terminal apparatus disposed therein. The user house 20 includes a terminal apparatus 22 and an in-house apparatus 24 such as a DSU (Digital Service Unit) with an optical/electric converting function. In general, the station apparatus 12 is referred to as a host apparatus and the in-house apparatus 24 as a lower apparatus.
For example, the station apparatus 12 and in-house apparatus 24 both have return points for distinguishing a location of a fault. In particular, the in-house apparatus 24 has a return point near the terminal apparatus 22, and, at this return point, it can be distinguished whether the fault has occurred in the terminal apparatus 22 or on the host side including the in-house apparatus 24 and the host apparatus 12.
At the return point of the in-house apparatus 24, an optical-to-electric converter 28 converts an optical signal received from the station apparatus 12 into an electric signal. The converted electric signal is transmitted to an electric/optical converter 30 via a returning processor 26. Then the electric/optical converter 30 converts the received electric signal into an optical signal and the converted optical signal is further transmitted to the station apparatus 12.
In a case in which an out-of-phase of a received signal or an abnormality of the transmission up line 42 is detected in the station apparatus 12, it can be confirmed that a fault has occurred in the in-house apparatus 24 or in the optical fiber transmission up line 42. In this case, it is needed to go to the user house 20 to change the in-house apparatus 24 disposed therein. After that, if the fault is removed, then it can be determined that the fault occurred in the in-house apparatus 24. If the fault is not removed even after the in-house apparatus 24 is changed, then it is needed to go to check the optical fiber transmission up line 42.
In a case in which an out-of-phase of a received signal or an abnormality of the transmission down line 40 is detected in the user house 20, it can be confirmed that a fault has occurred in the in-house apparatus 24 or in the optical fiber transmission down line 40. In this case, it is needed to go to the user house 20 to change the in-house apparatus 24 disposed therein. After that, if the fault is removed, it can be determined that the fault occurred in the in-house apparatus 24. If the fault is not removed even after the in-house apparatus 24 is changed, then it is needed to go to check the optical fiber transmission down line 40.
As mentioned above, at the return point of the in-house apparatus 24, it can be distinguished whether a fault position is in the terminal 22 or on its host side including the in-house apparatus 24. Further, at the return point of the station apparatus 12, it can be distinguished whether a fault-occurring position is on the host side of the station apparatus 12, or on the lower side including the in-house apparatus 24, the optical fiber transmission down line 40 and the optical fiber transmission up line 42.
However, at the return points of the conventional transmission line monitoring apparatus, a fault position cannot be distinguished between the in-house apparatus 24 and the optical fiber transmission down and up lines 40, 42.
Hence, in a case where a fault occurs in any one of the in-house apparatus 24, the optical fiber transmission down line 40, and the optical fiber transmission up line 42, a position of the fault cannot be accurately determined without performing a field survey. Performing such a field survey increases man-hours.
Furthermore, if a power supply of the in-house apparatus 24 in the user house 20 is disconnected, the conventional transmission line monitoring apparatus cannot work normally.

Transmission line monitoring method and apparatus


A process for producing a welded joint, which includes a weld metal having high strength and high toughness, and containing fewer blowholes, includes the steps of: preparing a base material containing, by mass %, not less than 10.5% of Cr; and subjecting the base material to GMA welding using a shielding gas containing 1 to 2 volume % or 35 to 50 volume % of CO2 gas, and the balance being inert gas, thereby forming a weld metal includes, by mass %, C: not more than 0.080%, Si: 0.20 to 1.00%, Mn: not more than 8.00%, P: not more than 0.040%, S: not more than 0.0100%, Cu: not more than 2.0%, Cr: 20.0 to 30.0%, Ni: 7.00 to 12.00%, N: 0.100 to 0.350%, O: 0.02 to 0.11%, sol. Al: not more than 0.040%, at least one of Mo: 1.00 to 4.00% and W: 1.00 to 4.00%, and the balance being Fe and impurities.

Recently, in oil-related industry applications, there have been demands for steel materials which have excellent strength, in addition to being corrosion resistant. As a steel material having high strength, a high nitrogen duplex stainless steel disclosed in JP5-132741A (Patent Literature 1), and a martensitic stainless steel containing 12 to 13 mass % of Cr disclosed in WO2008/026594 (Patent Literature 2) have been put into use.
When producing a welded joint which uses such a high strength stainless steel as the base material, high strength is also required for the weld metal. Further, high toughness is also required for the weld metal.
Meanwhile, among various welding methods, gas shielded arc welding provides good welding properties. Accordingly, the gas shielded arc welding has been utilized for the welding of various steel materials. The gas shielded arc welding includes a GTA (Gas Tungsten Arc) welding method and a GMA (Gas Metal Arc) welding method. The GTA welding method, which is also called a non-consumable type gas shielded arc welding, principally melts the base material with tungsten as the electrode to achieve joining. The GMA welding method, which is also called a consumable electrode type gas shielded arc welding, uses a welding consumable as the electrode.
Generally, the GTA welding method is applied for the welding of stainless steel. This is because the GTA welding method facilitates forming high quality weld metal. JP2001-3589A (Patent Literature 3) and JP8-260101 (Patent Literature 4) propose GTA welding which uses a high-nitrogen similar-metal welding material to obtain weld metal having high strength and high toughness.

Process for producing welded joint using GMA welding and CO

NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION