Disclosed are sterilized, aseptically packaged, liquid nutritional formulas, and corresponding methods of making the formulas, wherein the formulas comprise Vitamin D and extensively hydrolyzed protein having a degree of hydrolysis of at least about 20%, and wherein the packaged formula is prepared by (a) sterilizing a liquid nutritional formula containing Vitamin D and extensively hydrolyzed protein having a degree of hydrolysis of at least about 20%; (b) sterilizing a container; and then (c) aseptically packaging the sterilized liquid nutritional formula in the sterilized container. The packaged formulas exhibit improved Vitamin D stability.

Vitamin D (i.e., Vitamin D3) is a fat-soluble vitamin produced from ergosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol following exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is also easily obtainable from foods, including Vitamin D enriched foods such as milk, and from vitamin supplements. Another excellent source of Vitamin D for infants, and sometimes the sole source, is infant formulas that have been fortified with Vitamin D.
The benefits of Vitamin D are well documented and accepted. Such benefits include regulation of calcium in the body, and coordination of the deposit of calcium and phosphorous into the bone. Vitamin D and other vitamins are often added to various nutritional products, including infant and adult nutritional formulas. In addition to the Vitamin D and other vitamin supplements in such formulas, these products typically also contain a balance of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein nutrients, the latter of which is most often supplied and consumed in the form of common intact proteins.
Some people, however, exhibit allergies or sensitivities to intact proteins, i.e. whole proteins, such as those in intact cow's milk protein or intact soy protein isolate-based formulas. While such sensitivities are more common in infants than in children over one year of age or adults, there are still some people over the age of one with these sensitivities. Many of these people with protein allergies or sensitivities are able to tolerate extensively hydrolyzed protein. Hydrolysate formulas (also referred to as semi-elemental formulas) contain protein that has been hydrolyzed or broken down into short peptide fragments and amino acids and as a result is more easily digested. In people with protein sensitivities or allergies, immune system associated allergies or sensitivities often result in cutaneous, respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. People who exhibit reactions to intact protein formulas often will not react to extensively hydrolyzed protein formulas because their immune system does not recognize the hydrolyzed protein as the intact protein that causes their symptoms.
Nutritional guidelines for infant formulas can be found in the Infant Formula Act, 21 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 350(a). This Act currently specifies that the maximum allowable amount of Vitamin D in an infant formula is 676 I.U. per liter, and the minimum allowable amount of Vitamin D is 274 I.U. per liter, the range being based upon a standard 20 calorie/ounce formula. (equivalent I.U./liter ranges must be adjusted for other base infant formulas, e.g. 24 calorie/ounce).
To meet the Vitamin D requirements of the Infant Formula Act, the amount of Vitamin D in an infant formula must fall somewhere between the minimum and maximum for the entire shelf-life of the formula. For example, currently available Similac□ with Iron (available from Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio) has a label value of 60 I.U. of Vitamin D per 100 kcal or 148 milliliters of formula, corresponding to approximately 405 I.U. of Vitamin D per liter.
It is generally known, however, that Vitamin D degrades and concentrations decline after packaging and when used in combination with extensively hydrolyzed protein in a liquid nutritional formula. This rapid degradation, which will generally occur throughout the shelf-life of the liquid nutritional formula, creates a challenge for the formulator in providing a finished product with acceptable Vitamin D concentrations over the desired shelf-life of the product. This Vitamin D shelf-life stability problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,926 (Hill et al.), which description is incorporated herein by reference.
One method of improving the shelf-life stability of Vitamin D in a liquid nutritional formula is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,926 (Hill et al.) which teaches the addition of Vitamin C to a liquid nutritional formula, before or after a preliminary heat treatment, at a concentration exceeding 300 mg per liter, such that the initial concentration of Vitamin C will be at least 300 mg per liter during the shelf-life of the liquid nutritional product.
Yet another method of addressing the shelf-life stability of Vitamin D in a liquid nutritional formula containing extensively hydrolyzed protein involves over-fortification with Vitamin D during processing, i.e., prior to packaging. In other words, enough Vitamin D is added during formulation to compensate for the anticipated degradation and loss of Vitamin D during the packaged shelf-life of the liquid nutritional product. This method, however, is limiting in that it does not effectively slow down Vitamin D degradation after packaging, and care must therefore be taken during the over-fortification step to avoid excessive Vitamin D concentrations in the initially marketed product.
It has now been found, however, that the shelf-life stability of Vitamin D can be improved even when formulated in the presence of extensively hydrolyzed protein in a liquid nutritional formula, provided that the formula is aseptically packaged in accordance with the methods described hereinafter. It has been found that such aseptic packaging methods when applied to these formulas provide for improved Vitamin D shelf-life stability as compared to other similar formulas packaged in accordance with more conventional retort packaging methods.
Although aseptically packaged liquid nutritional formulations are known in the literature, some of which are also marketed and available to consumers, including infant nutritional formulas, none of these formulations are believed to contain hydrolyzed protein or extensively hydrolyzed protein with a sufficient degree of hydrolysis (i.e., at least about 20%,) that would otherwise greatly accelerate Vitamin D degradation. Non-limiting examples of these prior art formulations include Similac□ with Iron, Isomil□ Soy Formula with Iron, and Ensure7, all of which are available from Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. (all contain intact protein). Other aseptically packaged formulas include Neocate® One Elemental Liquid Nutrition (contains non-hydrolyzed amino acids) and Good Start Infant Formula, available from Nestle USA, Eau Claire, Wis., U.S.A. (contains hydrolyzed protein but with a degree of hydrolysis less than about 20%). .

Aseptically packaged, extensively hydrolyzed, liquid nutritional formula and method for making it


The present invention provides novel microorganisms that directly biodegrade polylactide resins and plastics containing the same as well as a method therefor. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for degrading polylactide resins, wherein the polylactide resins are degraded by an actinomycete belonging to the genus Saccharothrix, Streptoalloteichus, Kibdelosporangium, Lentzea, Actinokineospora, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, or Actinopolyspora.

The disposal of plastic wastes is recently an issue of concern. Incineration and landfill are major methods for disposing of plastic wastes, however, incineration accelerates global warming while a decrease in the amount of land being reclaimed is a problem related with landfill disposal. Therefore, biodegrading methods are attracting attention. Polylactide resins have biodegradability and the development of various applications as next-generation plastics is in progress. In the near future, however, as with currently used plastics, a focus on the issue of wastes is strongly expected.
Polylactide resins are polymers that are hydrolyzed in a water system and are currently employed as medical and pharmaceutical materials. Since polylactide resins can be synthesized through lactic acid fermentation from regeneratable resources such as starch, they are attracting attention as a material for biodegradable plastics to replace general-purpose plastics for which environmental degradation is difficult. Polylactic resins are classified into poly-L-lactic acid, poly-D-lactic acid, poly-DL-lactic acid, and a copolymer with other polymers, depending on the type of constitutive monomer.
It is known that an enzyme accelerates hydrolysis of polylactide resins. An enzyme for degrading polylactide resins may be a hydrolase similar to protease, lipase, or esterase, although it is not yet specified. Further, until now microorganisms for directly biodegrading polylactide resins and wastes thereof and degradation method techniques using those microorganisms have been limited to the following: the actinomycetes Amycolatopsis mediterranei (FERM P-14921), Actinomadura viridis (FERM P-16247), and Streptomyces spp. (FERM P-15869, FERM P-15870); and the bacteria Staphylococcus hominis (FERM P-15867), Staphylococcus epidermidis (FERM P-15868), Bacillus subtilis (FERM P-16181), Bacillus circullans (FERM P-16182), and Bacillus stearothermophilus (FERM P-16183), and degradation using those bacteria. Thus, it can be said that investigation of techniques for actively degrading polylactide resins has not yet been sufficiently conducted.
The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide novel microorganisms for directly biodegrading polylactide resins and plastics containing the same and a method therefor.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


A harness routing structure for an electric vehicle is provided with a floor panel, a below-floor component, an above-floor component and a harness. The floor panel partitions a cabin space and a below-floor space. The floor panel has a harness through-hole. The below-floor component is disposed below the floor panel. The above-floor component is disposed above the floor panel and further toward a front of the vehicle than the below-floor component. The harness electrically connects the below-floor component and the above-floor component. The harness runs through the through-hole. The harness through-hole is located, with respect to a vehicle-lengthwise direction of the floor panel, in an intermediate position between a below-floor harness connection position of the below-floor component to a first end of the harness and an above-floor harness connection position of the above-floor component to a second end of the harness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a harness routing structure for electric vehicle, in which a pair of vehicle-mounted components disposed above and below a floor panel are connected by way of a harness running through the floor panel.
2. Background Information
There is known in the art a harness routing structure for an electric vehicle, the harness routing structure comprising a pair of vehicle-mounted components disposed above and below a floor panel, a harness connecting between the pair of vehicle-mounted components, and a harness through-hole formed in the floor panel and used for the harness to run through (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2011-25863).

Harness routing structure for electric vehicle


A data transmission method etc. is provided. At a transmitting side, if a frame contains transmission data, frame data containing the transmission data and a calculated error-detecting code is generated. If the frame contains no transmission data, frame data containing neither transmission data nor an error-detecting code is generated. At a receiving side, one or more final bit positions of the frame data are assumed in the frame, transmission data and an error-detecting code are assumed in the frame, and the error-detecting code of the assumed transmission data is calculated. If there is a position where the assumed error-detecting code matches the error-detecting code calculated based on the assumed transmission data, it is decided that the position is the final bit position. Otherwise, it is decided that the frame contains no transmission data or that the received frame data contains an error.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transmission method, a data transmission system, a transmitter and a receiver where variable length transmission data is put into each frame of a fixed time length and transmitted.
2. The Relevant Technology
In the data transmission method where information of voice signals and the like is converted into digital data and transmitted, an amount of information to be transmitted is not always constant in terms of time, but generally may change from time to time.
Accordingly, if the transmission data is divided into frame units each having a fixed time length and each frame consisting of a variable number of bits is transmitted frame by frame to achieve the data transmission, a transmission rate can be varied temporally and necessary information can be transmitted efficiently in each frame period. At this time, a transmitter need not conduct useless transmission and hence the power consumption of the apparatus can be suppressed to low.
To conduct data transmission with varying transmission rate, normally it is necessary for the receiving side to get information indicating how fast the transmission rate of each frame is by means of some kind or another. For this purpose, conventionally there have been two methods: one is a method whereby the rate information is transmitted directly as part of frame data and the receiving side determines the rate on the basis of this information; and the other is a method where no rate information is sent, but the receiving side judges the rate with an error-detecting code that is added to the transmission data to indicate transmission quality (for example, CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check code), called a blind rate detection method (for example, refer to International Publication No. WO96/26582 applied by the present applicant).
On the other hand, in communication environments where transmission errors occur frequently such as data transmission via a radio transmission path, it is commonly in practice to improve transmission quality by conducting error correction of the transmission data (FEC: Forward Error Correction). For error-correcting codes and error-correcting decoding, for example, a convolutional code and maximum likelihood decoding methods such as Viterbi decoding are used.
In addition, in the method where the receiving side determines the rate by using the error-detecting code that is added to the transmission data to indicate the transmission quality without sending any rate information, a decision error rate in determining the rate depends on a word length of the error-detecting code and doesn't decrease below a certain rate-decision error rate (namely, a probability of determining that no transmission error exists for an erroneous rate) even if the transmission error goes down.
On the other hand, in the case where the rate information is sent from the transmitting side to the receiving side, if an error occurs during transmission, an effective data length in the received frame cannot be judged and it becomes difficult for the receiving side to reproduce the transmission data correctly even if no error occurs in the data part.
Therefore, conventionally there has been devised a method whereby the rate-decision error rate was improved through the use of the likelihood information at the time of the maximum likelihood decoding and the transmission rate is allowed to vary, frame by frame, more securely during the transmission (for example, refer to International Publication No. WO97/50219 applied by the present applicant).
In the above-mentioned WO96/26582 and WO97/50219, described is a method where, in order to improve the rate detection performance at the receiving side (that is, to reduce the probability of detecting the rate mistakenly), CRC bits that have been conventionally added to the end of the transmission data (in this case the position of the CRC bits in the frame depends on the bit length of the transmission data) are arranged at a fixed position in the frame (for example, at the head of the frame) and transmitted.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of transmission bit arrangement of the conventional scheme.
In the conventional method where the CRC bits are arranged after transmission data bits ("conventional postposition"), for example, when a position one bit ahead from the correct rate position is detected, since the codewords at the receiving side goes successively as D1 to D0 and C4 to C1, even if no transmission bit error occurs, the decision result by CRC shows OK (namely, erroneous detection) with a probability of 50 percent. Similarly to this, when a position two bits and three bits ahead from the correct rate position is detected, the decision result by CRC indicates OK erroneously with a probability of 25 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.
To solve such a problem that the probability of detecting the rate mistakenly becomes larger as the assumed position approaches the correct rate position, there was devised a method where the CRC bits are arranged at the head of the frame in the above-mentioned WO96/26582 and WO97/50219. In this method, as shown in FIG. 1B ("preposition" case), since a codeword arrangement at the receiving side is discontinuous as D1, C4 to C1, the above-mentioned problem does not occur and a low probability of detecting the rate mistakenly that is determined by the word length of the CRC code can be obtained constantly, from a detection position adjacent to the correct position to a detection position remote therefrom.
However, in order that the transmitting side arranges the CRC bits always at the head of the frame, that is, ahead of the transmission data and transmits, it is essential to store temporarily the whole bits of the transmission data in memory until calculation of the error-detecting code for the transmission data is completed. Such buffer memory becomes large in size in proportion to the number of the transmission data bits of one frame, and when a huge amount of the transmission data is sent, hardware scale of the memory presents a problem.
To solve the problem, a method is disclosed in International Publication No. WO00/79720 in which an error-detecting code (CRC bits, for example) is provided after transmission data in such a way that the order of the error-detecting code bits is the reverse of that of the transmission data bits to transmit them.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing examples of the transmission bit arrangements of the conventional scheme and of the scheme according to the invention disclosed in WO00/79720. As can be understood from the figures, according to the arrangement of the invention disclosed in WO00/79720 ("new postposition"), since the codeword arrangement at the receiving side is discontinuous as D1, D0, C0, there does not occur a problem in that the probability of detecting the rate mistakenly increases as the detection position approaches the correct rate position and a low probability of detecting the rate mistakenly that is determined by the word length of the CRC code can be obtained constantly, from a detection position adjacent to the correct position to a detection position remote therefrom.
Moreover, since the bit arrangement according to the invention disclosed in WO00/79720 is such that CRC is arranged after the transmission data, it is not necessary to provide the buffer for temporarily storing the transmission data while maintaining the rate detection performance high as mentioned above and hardware can be implemented with a small circuit scale.
Furthermore, in the invention disclosed in WO00/79720, it is possible that, considering a case where the number of bits of the transmitted data becomes zero, if the number of bits of the transmitted data is zero at the transmitting side, the frame data is generated by considering the previously-specified bit pattern to be the error-detecting code. It is possible that at the receiving side, a position where the number of bits of the transmitted data becomes zero is also assumed as the final bit position of the frame data, and if the error-detecting code in the case of the assumption agrees with the above-mentioned previously-specified bit pattern, a decision that the position where the number of bits of the transmitted data becomes zero is the final bit position of the frame data is made.
In actual data transmissions, there is a case where the number of bits of the transmitted data to be sent becomes zero, for example, as a silent interval (namely, an interval when a sender does not speak) in the case of transmission of voice information, and it is preferable that the receiving side conducts the rate detection correctly for various cases including a case like this (that is, a case where apparent transmission rate=0) (this is because at the receiving side a decoder of voice codec (CODEC) may recognize such an interval as a silent interval and conduct processing different from that of non-silent intervals, such as generation of a background noise).
For the previously-specified bit pattern, for example, bits equivalent to the parity bits of the error-detecting code (because of absence of the data, bits corresponding to an initial state of the error-detecting coder; for example, bits all consisting of zeros) may be used. If the number of bits of the transmitted data is zero, the transmitting side transmits the bits equivalent to the parity bits of the error-detecting code (because of absence of the data, only these bits equivalent to the parity bits are error-correcting coded and transmitted). At the receiving side, the rate detection is conducted for candidate final bit positions including the final bit position when the number of data bits is equal to zero (the error detection at this occasion does not necessitate calculating the error-detecting code for the received data—re-encoding—, and all that is needed is only to compare the received parity-bit equivalent bits with the previously-specified bit pattern). Incidentally, if the bits equivalent to the parity bits of the error-detecting code is used as the previously-specified bit pattern, the need for additionally providing a circuit for generating the previously-specified bit pattern can be eliminated.
Although the circuit can be used in common by equalizing the length of the bit pattern with that of the parity bits of the error-detecting code (or CRC) that is given when the number of the other data bits is not zero, the length may be different as the need arises.
For the bit pattern, it is necessary to specify previously at least one kind of a pattern, but it may be possible that a plurality of patterns are specified and one of these is used in combination with other purpose (each of various control information is transmitted being mapped with each bit pattern).
According to the invention disclosed in WO00/79720, however, it is required that an error-detecting code (CRC bits, for example) be always provided even if there is no data to achieve adequate performance during blind rate detection or rate information itself be transmitted, even in a channel such as a control signal transmission channel that is inappropriate for being used as the reference of an outer loop transmission power control (this is a part of a dual closed loop transmission power control that is combined with an inner loop transmission power control, for maintaining and controlling block or frame error rate quality), that is, a channel that requires no frame (block) error rate calculation.
Overhead required to provide the CRC bits also in a period during which no data exists decreases transmission efficiency considerably in the case where information is transmitted intermittently like a control signal transmission channel.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data transmission method, data transmission system, transmitter and receiver


A plurality of airtight chambers are connected through blocking means, which can communicate or shut off the chambers, and at least one of the airtight chambers is used as a processing chamber. One of the adjacent airtight chambers is replaced by a replacement gas, and the replacement gas is supplied to the other of the adjacent airtight chambers. When pressure difference or pressure in the two adjacent airtight chambers is below a predetermined value, the adjacent two airtight chambers are communicated, and pressure in the two airtight chambers is equalized.

The present invention relates to a method for supplying and discharging gas to and from a semiconductor manufacturing equipment and a system for executing such method.
Description is given to the prior art, referring to FIG. 19, which represents a type of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, i.e. a vertical diffusion/CVD system provided with a load-lock chamber.
In a reaction chamber 1, which also serves an airtight chamber and a processing chamber, an airtight load-lock chamber 3 is arranged through a gate valve 2, and a nitrogen gas supply line 4 and a gas discharge line 5 are connected to the reaction chamber 1. Also, a nitrogen gas supply line 6, a gas discharge line 7 and a vacuum pump 8 are connected to the load-lock chamber 3. An air valve 9 is connected to the nitrogen gas supply line, and an air valve 10 to the gas discharge line 7.
The load-lock chamber 3 is provided with a boat inserting device (not shown), which inserts a wafer 12 loaded on a boat 11 into the reaction chamber 1, performs processings such as diffusion, thin film deposition, etc. and takes it out thereafter.
Describing gas supplying and discharging operation in this conventional type vertical diffusion/CVD system, the vacuum pump 8 is driven with the gate valve 2 closed to turn the load-lock chamber 3 to vacuum condition. Then, nitrogen gas is introduced through the nitrogen gas supply line 6 to produce nitrogen gas atmosphere in the load-lock chamber 3 and to reduce oxygen concentration there.
In the conventional type vertical diffusion/CVD system as described above, when nitrogen gas is introduced and the load-lock chamber 3 is turned to nitrogen gas atmosphere, the load-lock chamber 3 is under positive pressure, and pressure difference from the reaction chamber 1 occurs. As the result, when the gate valve 2 is opened, the nitrogen gas flows into the reaction chamber 1 from the load-lock chamber 3 due to the pressure difference, and this induces dusting. Thus, particles increase in the reaction chamber 1 and the load-lock chamber 3, and cleanliness level of the wafer 12 is decreased.
To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising a vertical diffusion/CVD system, by which it is possible to prevent dusting when the gate valve 2 is opened.

Method for supplying and discharging gas to and from semiconductor manufacturing equipment and system for executing the same


The present invention relates to compositions and methods to treat and/or prevent biofilms and biofilm related diseases. The invention comprises a nanoparticle carrier (NPC) and at least one therapeutic agent therein. The NPC binds within biofilm and to surfaces at risk for biofilm formation and accumulation while providing local, sustained, enhanced and controlled delivery of the therapeutic agent, when triggered for release. In one embodiment, the NPC comprises pH-responsive elements that allows for specific delivery of the therapeutic agent when the local environment dictates that the agent should be delivered precisely when it is most needed.

Many infectious diseases in humans are caused by virulent biofilms, including those occurring within the mouth (e.g., dental caries and periodontal diseases). For example, dental caries disease afflicts children and adults alike worldwide, and is a major reason for emergency room visits leading to absenteeism from work and school. The cost to treat the ravages of this disease exceeds $40 billion/yr in the US alone (Dye et al., 2007, Vital Health Stat, 1: 1-92).
The development of novel therapeutic approaches against biofilm-related diseases in the mouth is difficult due to (1) lack of retention of exogenously introduced agents via standard treatment regimen (topical application with brief exposures), (2) rapid clearance, and (3) the complexity of biofilm assembly. Topical agents must be retained or have prolonged effect without exhibiting broad-spectrum biocidal activity to prevent disruption of the complex oral (commensal) flora. At the same time, agents should not form complexes with salivary proteins that will lead to rapid clearance from the mouth.
The assembly of cariogenic biofilms is a dynamic process that is dependent on the development of a bacterial-derived EPS-rich matrix (Bowen et al., 2011, Caries Res, 45(1): 69-86). Within the complex oral microbiome, Streptococcus mutans is not always the most abundant organism. However, it can rapidly orchestrate the formation of cariogenic biofilms when sucrose becomes available. S. mutans-derived glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) are present in the pellicle and on bacterial surfaces, producing EPS in situ. EPS formed on surfaces promotes local accumulation of microbes on the teeth while forming a diffusion-limiting polymeric matrix that protects embedded bacteria. In parallel, sucrose and other sugars are fermented, creating acidic microenvironments (niches) across the biofilm and at the surface of attachment (Xiao et al., 2012, PLoS Pathog, 8(4): e1002623). These low-pH niches facilitate EPS production while cariogenic flora prospers within biofilms, ensuring biofilm accretion and localized acid-dissolution of the tooth enamel. Thus, nanoparticles can be engineered to carry existing and prospective agents at the site where biofilm formation actively occurs.
Current approaches for controlling/modulating virulent biofilm formation are limited. The development of novel therapeutic approaches in the mouth is difficult due to (1) lack of retention of exogenously introduced agents via standard treatment regimen (topical application with brief exposures), (2) rapid clearance from the mouth, and (3) the complexity of biofilm assembly. Topical agents must be retained or have prolonged effect without exhibiting broad-spectrum biocidal activity to prevent disruption of the complex oral (commensal) flora. Chlorhexidine is a broad-spectrum bactericidal agent that suppresses mutans streptococci levels in saliva, yet is far less effective against biofilms and is not suitable for daily preventive or therapeutic use. Fluoride, the mainstay for caries prevention, offers incomplete protection against caries and may not adequately address the infectious aspects of the disease (Ten Cate, 2012, J Dent Res, 91(9): 813-815). Recently, it has been demonstrated that that apigenin and farnesol effectively disrupt the development of cariogenic biofilm (Koo et al, 2005, J Dent Res, 84(11): 1016-1020; Falsetta et al., 2012, Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 56(12): 6201-6211). Apigenin inhibits EPS synthesis in situ while farnesol is a membrane-targeting agent that disrupts S. mutans acid tolerance at low pH values, all without bactericidal effect (Koo et al, 2005, J Dent Res, 84(11): 1016-1020). However, these agents have poor aqueous solubility and are not optimally retained in the mouth for sufficient duration to exert full therapeutic potential in vivo (Koo et al, 2005, J Dent Res, 84(11): 1016-1020).
Thus there is a need in the art for compositions and methods to provide effective retention of active agents while providing sustained and localized delivery of bioactives to the site where biofilm develops and accumulates. The present invention satisfies this unmet need.

Nanoparticles for controlled release of anti-biofilm agents and methods of use


The present invention is directed to a shaft and arrow system. The shaft and arrow system includes a hybrid structure that may include two concentric tubes. A first of the two concentric tubes may comprise an outer shell or jacket of thin-walled metal alloy. A second of the two concentric tubes may include an inner core of thin-walled fiber reinforced polymer. The two concentric tubes may be bonded together by a suitable adhesive such as epoxy or urethane. The shaft may have a reduced diameter as compared to conventional arrow shafts, and the shaft may be receptive of a variety of inserts, points, nocks, and other components. Some inserts may be completely recessed within a first end of the shaft.

Many different types of arrows and arrow shafts are known for use in hunting and sport archery. Two arrow types of relatively recent design are the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) arrows and the aluminum arrows wrapped with fiber reinforced polymer. FRP is a generic term including, but not limited to, fiberglass composites and carbon fiber composites. Aluminum arrow shafts covered with FRP are usually made of an aluminum core covered with carbon fiber and are often referred to as aluminum carbon composite (ACC) arrows, although any FRP may be used as the covering. Traditional FRP and ACC shafts have been produced by a number of different manufacturing processes. The first FRP arrow shafts were constructed with unidirectional reinforcing fibers aligned parallel to the axis of the shaft.
Prior designs and processes for constructing FRP shafts resulted in a low circumferential or hoop strength. The hoop strength of these arrow shafts was so low that the arrows could not withstand even small internal loads applied in a direction radially outward from the center of the shaft. For example, internal loads generated from inserting standard components into the inside of these types of shafts would likely have resulted in failure of the arrow shaft. Arrow components may include, but are not limited to, inserts, points, and nocks.
In an apparent attempt to address the limitations described above, modern FRP arrows with new types of construction have been developed. The typical modern FRP arrows include glass and/or carbon fibers arranged in multiple directions, as opposed to the unidirectional fiber arrangement of the earlier FRP arrows. The multi-directional fiber arrangement (e.g., fibers that run perpendicularly or at an angle relative to each other) increases the hoop strength of the shafts. This allows the shafts to support greater internal loads, including internal loads generated by insert components. Such modern FRP arrows have, however, been traditionally made having an outside diameter and wall thickness of a size sufficient to accommodate standard-sized inserts. These carbon-composite arrows were generally lighter than aluminum shafts, but were generally of the same spine. "Spine" is an industry-standard measurement of arrow shaft stiffness. An arrow must have certain spine characteristics, depending on its length and the draw weight of the archery bow, to achieve proper flight. Generally, the heavier the draw weight, the stiffer the spine (i.e., less deflection) must be. ACC shafts are also generally lighter than standard aluminum arrows of the same spine because they comprise a thin, light core covered with carbon composites.
As a major portion of the archery market has moved toward lighter weight shafts, the modern FRP and ACC arrow have gained widespread acceptance. Lighter arrow shafts have the principal advantage of higher velocities than a heavier arrow when launched from the same bow. Such higher velocities result in a flatter arrow trajectory. The practical advantage of flatter trajectory is that a misjudgment by an archer of the range to a target has less effect on the point of impact.
Nevertheless, FRP and ACC arrows have a number of significant drawbacks. For example, FRP and ACC arrows tend to weld to certain types of targets to some degree. Such "welding" results from the frictional heat generated by the carbon surface of the arrow when it passes into the target. The hot surface of the carbon arrow will soften the epoxy resin at the shaft and melt certain target materials, which will cool shortly thereafter. This makes FRP and ACC arrows difficult to pull from the target. The FRP and ACC arrows may also be damaged as a result of the forces required to remove them from targets. In addition, the FRP sometimes splits at the ends of conventional FRP and ACC arrows.

Metallic arrow shaft with fiber reinforced polymer core


Disclosed is a device for filtering electrical noise in a vehicle. The device includes a housing connectable to the vehicle, a variable capacitor, an input signal line coupled to the variable capacitor and couplable to a first conductor that carries electrical signals along with electrical noise of a given amplitude, and an output signal line coupled to the variable capacitor and couplable to a second conductor. When the input signal line is coupled to the first conductor and the output signal line is coupled to the second conductor, the second conductor carries the electrical signals along with electrical noise of reduced amplitude within a range of frequencies. The device also includes a tuner coupled to the housing and configured to adjust a capacitance of the variable capacitor, wherein adjusting the capacitance of the variable capacitor adjusts the range of frequencies.

In electronics, "noise" is an unwanted disturbance in the voltage or amperage of an electrical conductor carrying power or signals. Electrical noise can, for example, affect the quality of electricity on power lines, the integrity of data on signal lines, the quality of signals transmitted or received by antennas, the quality of images on electronic displays, and the quality of audio produced by sound systems. Noise in electronic systems can be produced by a variety of different effects, and can therefore vary significantly in characteristics such as frequency and amplitude. Modern vehicles can incorporate more than 100 separate electronic control units (ECUs), each of which can be a source of electrical noise (e.g., on a CANBUS network), and each of which may be susceptible to electrical noise. Luxury vehicles may tend to have more ECUs than lower-end vehicles.
In the electrical systems of modern vehicles, a filter is often included to filter out electrical noise. Using present technology, such electrical noise filters typically incorporate a fixed capacitor, for example with a capacitance in the range of about 2 microfarads (μF). However, a given capacitance can only filter electrical noise within a given range of frequencies. This may be problematic, since vehicle electrical noise can vary significantly with different vehicle platforms, different vehicle development phases, and which electronic control units (ECUs) or vehicle subsystems are targeted for noise reduction. Therefore, desirable filter values and filter locations may be different in order to filter out unwanted noise for different applications. Currently, this need is addressed by having design engineers calculate desired filter characteristics, test the filter's performance in a test vehicle, and iterate repeatedly until the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) electrical noise standards are satisfied for a particular ECU or subsystem. This process may be both costly and time consuming. Such a filter design process may be especially important in vehicle antenna development, as electrical noise can directly affect signal quality and available bandwidth. Importantly, electrical noise characteristics such as frequency and amplitude can be different between an early stage of the vehicle development and a development stage occurring closer to production, as the electrical system can evolve during this time, along with the components attached to it. This can cause problems in the later stages of vehicle development, where available time may be insufficient to redesign an electrical noise filter, and to source components for the final desired filter values. Accordingly, a need exists for electrical noise filters that can provide filtration across a broader range of frequencies.
The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded as limiting.

Adjustable electrical noise filter for a vehicle

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.


A steering gearbox mounting structure having an intermediate bracket mounts a steering gearbox for steering wheels of a vehicle on a subframe of the vehicle. The intermediate bracket has a breakable portion which breaks when a force greater than a predetermined force is applied to the breakable portion to provide an impact absorbing stroke of an engine of the vehicle. The breakable portion may have a thin portion such as a plate or a recess portion and is more breakable in the traveling direction than the width direction. First and second intermediate brackets may be used which include first and second kinds of breakable portions that are breakable in different modes, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering gearbox mounting structure detachable from a body of a vehicle upon a collision of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general vehicles, structures for absorbing impact energy generated upon a head-on collision of a vehicle by crush of parts at a crushable zone of the vehicle are known. During the crush of the parts at the crushable zone, the structure is designed to allow an engine arranged at the front of the vehicle to backwardly move and hit a steering gearbox behind the engine. In this operation, if the steering gearbox strongly fixed to the body interferes with the backward movement of the engine, a sufficient impact absorbing stroke cannot be provided. This may prevent impact energy from being efficiently absorbed.
Another technology for providing the impact absorbing stroke in consideration of the presence of the steering gearbox is also known as a steering gearbox mounting structure (for example, see Japanese laid-open patent application publication No. 9-136651 (paragraphs 0015 to 0018, FIGS. 6 and 7). The steering gearbox mounting structure includes an arm downwardly extending from a steering gearbox fixed to a vehicle body and a rod forwardly extending from a lower end of the arm and fixed to the side frame.
However, this steering gearbox mounting structure has difficulty in providing a mounting space used for connecting a side frame at the side of the vehicle body to a steering gearbox with the arm and the rod. Further, a steering device used with this structure has difficulty in mounting operation thereof and complexity in structure thereof.


A neural network system includes an input unit, an operation control unit, a parameter setting unit, a neural network group unit, and a display unit. The network group unit includes first and second neural networks. The first neural network operates according to the mean field approximation method to which the annealing is added, whereas the second neural network operates in accordance with the simulated annealing. Each of the first an second neural networks includes a plurality of neurons each connected via synapses to neurons so as to weighting outputs from the neurons based on synapse weights, thereby computing an output related to a total of weighted outputs from the neurons according to an output function. The parameter setting unit is responsive to a setting instruction to generate neuron parameters including synapse weights, threshold values, and output functions, which are set to the first neural network and which are selective set to the second neural network. The operation control unit responsive to an input of a problem analyzes the problem and then generates a setting instruction based on a result of the analysis to output the result to the parameter setting unit. After the neuron parameters are set thereto, in order for the first and second neural network to selectively or to iteratively operate, the operation control unit controls operations of computations in the network group unit in accordance with the analysis result and then presents results of the computations in the network group unit on the display unit.

The present invention relates to a neural network system, and in particular, to a neural network system capable of determining an optimal solution to a problem at a high speed.
Heretofore, a neural network, handling an optimization Problem has been described in "`Neural` Computation of Decisions in Optimization Problems", Biological Cybernetics, 52, (1986), pp. 141-152 (to be referred to as reference 1 herebelow). In reference 1, a method of determining a local minimum has been described. Moreover, as a method of determining an optimal solution, there exists a simulated annealing method which has been described in "Optimization by simulated annealing", Science, 220, 4598 (1983), pp. 671-680 (to be referred to as reference 2 herebelow). A cooling schedule used by the simulated annealing method has been proposed in "Stochastic Relaxation, Gibbs Distributions, and the Bayesian Restoration of Images", IEEE, PAMI6 (1984), pp. 721-741 (to be referred to as reference 3 herebelow) and in "Optimal simulated-annealing method based on stochastic-dynamic programming", PHYSICAL REVIEW A, 5, 39 (1989), pp. 2635-2642 (to be referred to as reference 4 herebelow).
An application of a mean field approximation method to a spin glass system has been described in "Modeling Brain Function", Cambridge University Press, (1989) (to be referred to as reference 5 herebelow). An estimation of an optimal solution according to the simulated annealing method in a spin glass system has been proposed in "Cooling-Rate Dependence for the Spin-Glass Ground-State Energy: Implication for Optimization by Simulated Annealing", PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 11, 56 (1986), pp. 1148-1151 (to be referred to as reference 6 herebelow).
A technological formulation of a securities portfolio problem to be considered as an example of the application field has been formulated by "Portfolio Selection", Yale University, (1959) (to be referred to as reference 7 herebelow).
However, the neural network systems above have been attended with the following problems. In the conventional method of reference 1, when the energy state of the neural network is trapped in a local minimum depending on a distribution of the initial states of neurons, it is impossible for the energy state to escape therefrom. In order for the energy state of a neural network of a single interconnecting type to escape from the local minimum and to reach a global minimum, there is required an operation such as a tunnel effect for passing through an energy barrier. In reference 2, to overcome this problem, there has been devised a simulated annealing (SA) method in which a probability is introduced to the transition of the energy state of the network and the annealing is combined with the probability from analogy to physics.
In the simulated annealing method, the state transition in a direction in which the energy of the network increases is allowed on the basis of a probability q which depends on a temperature T(t) of the network. Owing to the fluctuation effect thus introduced to the network, the energy state can pass through the energy barrier. Moreover, when the network temperature T(t) is lowered to gradually decrease the probability q, the energy state of the network can reach a global minimum without being captured by a local minimum. Namely, the energy state can be converged thereto. A representative cooling schedule has been proposed by S. Geman et al. in reference 4 as follows. ##EQU1## In the neural network system adopting the simulated annealing method, although the network can escape from the energy state, as a local minimum, there has been a problem that a long period of time is required for the computation. Furthermore, in both above systems, it has not been guaranteed that constraints are satisfied in any situations.
The spin glass system described in reference 5 is an alloy system in which a small amount of magnetic atoms (for example, iron atoms) are mixed with non-ferromagnetic metal (for example, copper). In this alloy system, the axis of the spin of each electron of the atoms may be oriented to either one of the directions related to the ferromagnetism and diamagnetism, respectively. Consequently, the respective electrons interact with each other with a nonuniform force therebetween and the energy state of the spin glass system may take many local minima. When there exist many local minima, it is difficult to obtain the global minimum, namely, the optimal solution. Therefore, based on a solution to a problem of the spin glass, the performance of the neural network system can be judged. In a neural network system in which the mean field approximation method is applied to the spin glass system, the optimal solution is only estimated, and, it is not guaranteed that the optimal solution is obtained.
Attempts proposed to solve optimization problems with constraints by a neural network system of an interconnecting type are related to quadratic programmings in which an objective function can be represented in a quadratic form; moreover, in many cases, the attempts are associated with a 0-1 problem in which each variable is limited to take a binary value or either one of two values. Linear constraints are embedded in the objective function in the format in which the constraints are added thereto. In these methods of solution, there have existed the following problems. Namely, since the target of the optimization is minimization of the objective function, the constraints are not necessarily satisfied. Moreover, the solution is limited to discrete values.

Neural network system for determining optimal solution


Alternate embodiments of a vehicle tire inflation system are illustrated wherein pressurized air from a source on the vehicle is supplied from an end of an axle to the rotating hub cap and thus to the tire through a flexible tube which compensates for misalignment of the axes of the axle and hub cap.

This application relates generally to a vehicle tire inflation system for continuously supplying air from the vehicle""s axles to the rotating tires. In one of its aspects, it relates to a system of this type having an improved rotary union connection to transmit pressurized air from an axle end to the surrounding rotating hub cap by means of a tube received at one end near the center of the axle end and at the second end near the center of the hub.
The commercial trucking industry is a large market in need of automatic tire inflation systems. Tractor and trailer rigs can typically have 18 tires, and because of their constant use and cost it can be justifiable for a fleet to purchase tire inflation systems for tire pressure maintenance. Properly inflated tires can greatly extend tire life and reduce hazardous blowouts. To meet the needs of the trucking industry, a low cost, low maintenance, and durable rotary union is essential.
A typical rotary union for such a system has one member fixed in relation to the end of the axle and another fixed in relation to the hub cap. Some will incorporate a smooth graphite face seal to serve as the dynamic wear seal and others use elastomer seals. Most existing designs have relatively large dynamic sealing surfaces and their size is proportional to the surface speed of the wearing surface. Large seals can compensate for misalignment between the axle and hub cap since the large cross-section will expand and contract with every half rotation. A larger seal helps guarantee sealing but generates more heat, costs more, and generally wears more quickly. Some tire inflation systems add expensive controls to provide air only momentarily to the rotary unions to extend their life, limiting the effectiveness of the inflation system.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,979, the rotary union is able to use a small dynamic seal by compensating for bearing wobble and misalignments between the hub and axle through the use of a pivoting rigid tube extending between two elastomer seals. Distortion of the elastomer seals while the tube pivots can impair their sealing ability and longevity. Providing sufficient clearance around the seals so the rigid tube can pivot freely can also be a detriment to a seal""s performance since proper backing isn""t provided for the seal. A rigid tube also is vulnerable to permanent bending during handling and installation.
The object of this invention is to provide a system having an improved rotary union for durability and wear, wherein, as compared with other systems, the tube is flexible so as to compensate for bearing wobble and misalignment between the axis of the axle and the axis of the hub. Elongate openings in the rotary union""s members affixed to the hub cap and to the axle, guide the flexible tube through the seal rings contained within the members. Thus, this invention also allows the ends of the tube to remain axially aligned with the seal rings to provide more reliable seals, and thus allow for greater misalignment than a pivoting rigid tube, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,979. The improvement also allows for greater durability during installation and operation since the tube will not be weakened or destroyed if it is bent.
The flexible tube allows for another novel embodiment of the invention. Since substantial lengths of the tube ends are contained in the elongate openings, redundant seal rings can be added along the tube""s length contained in the elongate openings. This provides the ability for air to be vented to the atmosphere in the event of a leak in the outermost seal contained within the member affixed to the hub cap. A redundant seal and a vent to the atmosphere between the two seals in this will prevent air from entering the lubrication compartment between the axle end and hub cap.
In the preferred and illustrated embodiments of the invention, the tire inflation system includes a rotary union having a first member which is fixed in relation to a hollow axle, a second member fixed in relation to a hub, both having an elongate opening therethrough, and a flexible tube which is received at its first end within a first seal ring carried about the opening in the first member and received at its second end within a second seal ring carried about the second member near the hub""s axis, at least one of which forms a dynamic seal during the hub""s rotation, wherein misalignment between the hub axis and the axle axis is compensated for primarily by the flexibility of the tube. The seals prevent air passage from around the outer diameters of the flexible tube, and the elongate opening in each member aligns the end of the flexible tube so that segment of the flexible tube which passes through the seal ring remains coaxial with the opening during rotation.
In order for the system to inflate a tire, the vehicle requires a frame mounted source of air pressure to supply air as needed to the tires. Pressurized air passes through a system of valves and through the hollow axle to pressurize the seal ring of the rotary union""s first member. Air then passes through the flexible tube to pressurize the seal ring carried about the opening in the rotary union""s second member, and finally is sent from the second member through a pressure conduit to the tire.
The flexible tube is held in alignment with the small seals in each rotary union member, at least one of which is a dynamic, and a third dynamic seal can be added in line with the seal in the second member to divert air through a vent between the seals directly to the atmosphere in the event the first dynamic seal leaks. Thus, this improvement prevents unwanted pressurization of the lubricated bearing compartment, which when pressurized can destroy the wheel seal and purge the lubricant causing bearing failure.


A rechargeable battery system for a portable electronic device is provided. The system includes a battery pack having a first battery and a second battery. The battery pack is preferably configured to electrically connect one of the first and second batteries to the electronic device in a first position, but requires at least partial detachment from the electronic device and reattachment of the battery pack to the electronic device in a second position, different from the first position, to electrically connect the other of the first and second batteries to the electronic device. The system further includes at least one set of charging terminals on the battery pack for charging the first and second batteries.

The invention relates to the field of portable electronic devices. More particularly, the invention relates to rechargeable batteries for use with portable electronic devices.
Portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones, personal data assistants (PDAs), laptops, video cameras, mp3 players, digital cameras, beepers, and global positioning devices are becoming ubiquitous in modern society. As these devices become smaller and more portable, users are becoming more reliant on the consistent availability of the devices.
Portable electronic devices, such as those described above, are often powered by batteries having different battery storage capacities. The different battery storage capacities are often dependent on the size of the device and the current state of battery technology. The size of the device is often dependent on consumer demand. As consumers become more reliant on such devices, they often demand smaller, more portable devices. This, in turn, may lead to a demand for smaller batteries. Among the challenges, therefore, for these mobile devices are to manage the battery power efficiently and to extend the battery life as long as possible both in an active mode and in a standby mode.
Most portable devices are presently supplied with relatively good rechargeable batteries with a long usage time (i.e., use in an active mode) and a long operative waiting time (i.e., a standby mode). Battery powered devices can typically include a battery monitor circuit to monitor the level of remaining battery power available for use of the mobile device. A general display of the battery power remaining may be made available upon actuation of an appropriate function key. Alternatively, a battery power monitor may be included on a screen of the device. When the battery power supply level has fallen beneath an absolute minimum limit, or depletion level needed to make or continue an ongoing call, then a special indication or warning is given of this low power disabled condition. Once this disabled condition is reached, it is impossible to use the device, even for emergency use.
Many users, however, run out of battery capacity even with the availability of the above warning systems. To overcome this problem, a user must either carry a spare battery, requiring advance planning, or find a suitable place to charge the battery, which in turn depends on having a battery charger available and being in the vicinity of an electric contact point with suitable voltage. In many situations, it is impractical to carry a spare battery or charger. Moreover, in many situations it will be necessary to re-establish a connection that was interrupted because of deficient battery power more quickly than would be possible if the user had to wait for the battery to recharge.
Previous solutions to the problem of unexpected power loss include "rationing" a part of the battery capacity for an emergency situation. This solution, however, often requires the user to preprogram the device with a list of numbers or activities that may be assessed when battery power is low. This solution does not, therefore, address a situation where different information, such as an unexpected phone number, access to a particular email, or completion of an important phone call, is needed during a period of low battery power.
As discussed above, it is also known to connect an external battery (spare battery) to a portable device that has lost battery power. This spare battery gives the electronic device additional operative time through increased battery capacity. This, too, requires advance planning by the user. Many users do not prepare for the loss of battery power and would not, therefore, have a spare battery available when loss of power occurs.

Battery pack including an emergency back-up battery for use in mobile electronic devices


The present invention provides the synthesis and purification of a new class of compounds known as radiolabeled fusion toxins (RFT), in which both toxin and radionuclide tags are contained on the same growth factor, for example, murine granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, mGM-CSF, epidermal growth factor, or murine interleukin-4, mIL-4.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of immunology and radiation oncology. More specifically, the present invention relates to radiolabeled fusion toxins for cancer therapy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Colorectal cancer is the second most common malignancy in the United States. It accounts for approximately 160,000 cases each year, which results in nearly 60,000 deaths (1). The treatment of metastatic disease remains particularly unsatisfactory. Many patients with colorectal cancer have disease that is at least microscopically disseminated when they are initially seen. Surgery can control their local disease if detected early, but because these cancers are relatively resistant to chemotherapy, another systemic treatment is needed to control metastatic disease. Although the introduction of intraarterial hepatic chemotherapy has led to an improvement in the disease-free survival of patients with colorectal cancer with metastatic disease limited to the liver (2,3), the survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has improved little over the last 20 years.
Radiation therapy has been demonstrated to be an effective modality in the local and regional treatment of colorectal cancer when adequate doses are delivered. For instance, 4,500-5,000 cGy has been shown to control subclinical disease, and doses of 5,500-6,500 cGy can control gross disease in many instances (4,5). However, in the common setting of systemic metastatic disease, such doses cannot be safely delivered to the tumor because of the large volume of normal tissue that would be treated (4,5).
The use of external beam radiation therapy has produced curative treatment programs for several tumor types. However, this technique has practical limitations in regards to limited field of therapy, normal tissue toxicity, and radioresistance mechanisms. Considerable research efforts have been directed at ways to "target" radioactive isotopes to sites of malignant disease. Currently, the use of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed to "tumor-associated" antigens on cancer cells represents one approach which has had success in animal model systems (6-9) and is the subject of current phase I and II trials in man (10-15). Such a strategy provides the ability to localize radioactive isotopes to multiple sites of disease with hopefully adequate amounts of radiation to produce an antitumor effect and/or radioimmune imaging for diagnostic purposes. A second strategy is to use radioactively labeled peptides able to bind to receptor positive tumor cells, e.g. octreotide to somatostatin receptors in malignant carcinoid (16,17). Research efforts which provide better radioactive isotope delivery systems and/or targeting strategies will enhance the ability to apply targeted radiation therapy to human cancer.
Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (single-step radioimmunotherapy) have serious limitations in treating human cancer. Successful application of radiolabeled MoAbs in a single-step protocol for radioimmunodetection and radioimmunotherapy of tumors has been hindered in man by problems related to the low percentage uptake of injected radioactivity in tumors (0.001 to 0.1% ID/g), the slow penetration of relatively large (160 kDa) intact antibodies into tumors and heterogeneous distribution, their long persistence times in normal tissues leading to high background radioactivity and bone marrow suppression, and the development of human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) responses. To overcome these problems, the use of antibody fragments and single chain antibodies (18-23), regional administration (24-26), the use of various radionuclides (6), the use of more stable (27) or enzymatically cleavable chelating agents (28), the use of cytokines to upregulate tumor-associated antigen expression (29,30), irradiation of the tumor to increase vascular permeability (15,31-33), the use of cytokines to protect against bone marrow suppression (34,35), and the use of autologous bone marrow transplantation (12,36) have been considered. Despite these efforts, the results of clinical radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors have been disappointing but antitumor efficacy has been demonstrated in clinical trials for therapy of the radiosensitive lymphoma types of tumors.
To maximize targeting molecule (e.g. MoAb) deposition into tumor sites while minimizing radioactive isotope exposure to the bone marrow, investigators have designed strategies to separate these two components. One strategy has been to develop bifunctional MoAbs with one combining site for tumor and a second binding site for the radioactive ligand (37-47). The bifunctional antibody is administered and allowed to circulate for several days (optimal tumor deposition) and then the radioligand is administered with a rapid tissue distribution and short plasma half-life. This strategy allows tumor localization of the isotope to occur rapidly (matter of a few hours) with limited radiation doses to the bone marrow. The major limitation of this strategy has been the reduced affinity of the individual antigen combining sites (single rather than dual binding sites similar to Fab fragments), variable kinetics/distribution of the separate components making optimal schedules of therapy difficult to standardize, and normal tissue extravascular distribution of the targeting molecule.
A second approach is to take advantage of the high affinity avidin-biotin system by conjugating one of the pair to a MoAb for targeting and the other member of the pair in a radioligand preparation. In this way, the MoAb retains its affinity for tumor antigen while the short-lived radioligand has high binding affinity to the MoAb conjugate. Systems using either streptavidin radioligand (37,48-53) or biotin radioligand (37,48,54,55) have been described. These studies have generally used radioactive metal chelates (.sup.111 In, .sup.90 Y and .sup.186 Re) but Del Rosario and Wahl (56) developed a multivalent biotinylated radioiodinated polylysine peptide as well. A major drawback of this system is that the high affinity binding of radioligand to MoAb conjugate occurs with any residual MoAb in the plasma or extravascular space. The use of an additional step (39,49,57) to clear circulating antibody conjugates improves the distribution of the radioligand but results in a complex and variable schedule of MoAb conjugate infusion, plasma conjugate clearing reagent administration, and radioligand infusion.
The physical and chemical properties of a radionuclide are important in its selection for radiotherapy, e.g., the type of particulate emission must be considered (58). The potent lethality of Auger and low-energy conversion electrons has been demonstrated (59-62). This effect can best be realized with intranuclear localization of the radionuclide, which does not generally occur with radiolabeled MoAbs, but may occur with certain membrane receptor-radioligand interactions. Of course, alpha particles have a high linear energy transfer (LET) effective in cell killing and a range of several cell diameters, 40-80 .mu.m. They may have a role for therapy of micrometastases, leukemia, and intracavitary administration (180). Beta particles are less densely ionizing and have a range longer than alpha particle emitters so that the tumor distribution requirements are less restrictive. On the other hand, for micro-metastases, the absorbed fraction for higher energy beta particles (range>tumor size) is decreased, leading to a less favorable tumor absorbed dose. The gamma-ray energies and abundances are also important physical properties, because the presence of gamma rays offers the possibility of external imaging but also adds to the whole-body radiation dose.
These physical and chemical factors must then be viewed in light of available biological information (58,63). There is substantial variation in radioligand uptake, macro- and micro-distribution, kinetics and metabolism/catabolism depending on the particular radioligand, radioligand dose, the variability of antigen/receptor expression in the tumor, its size and stage, etc. (64-77). This may be due to cell type heterogeneity, heterogeneity of antigen/receptor expression, heterogenous vascularity and capillary permeability, elevated interstitial pressure, the binding site barrier, and spatial inaccessibility (15,58,64-78). The expected nonuniform distribution of radioligand discussed above reduces the attractiveness of short-ranged alpha-emitting radionuclides for solid tumor radiotherapy. A role for alpha emitters may be feasible in specific cases such as for micrometastases or intracavitary administration for some types of cancers, such as peritoneal injection for colorectal or ovarian carcinoma (58,79,80). The longer range of beta particles can still permit uniform tumor irradiation despite a marked heterogeneity of distribution of radioactivity within the tumor. It appears desirable to deliver ionizing radiation with a range of one to several millimeters in solid tumors, as from intermediate to high-energy beta particles.
Beta emitters offer a wide choice of candidates with a selection of particle ranges and chemical properties. The use of radionuclides with some gamma emission would allow diagnostic low-dose experiments to determine biodistribution prior to administering a therapeutic dose of the exact same preparation.
Most therapeutic trials to date using radioimmunotherapy have utilized .sup.131 I, largely due to its ready availability at moderate cost, the ease of radioiodination techniques for proteins, and its long history of use in treating thyroid malignancy, rather than any careful analysis of its suitability for radioimmunotherapy. .sup.131 I has a physical half-life of 8.04 days, maximum beta energy of 0.6 MeV, average beta energy of 0.2 MeV, and is considered a medium-range beta emitter (mean range about 500 .mu.m) with a maximum range of 1.5 mm in soft tissue. However, the yield of penetrating gamma radiation with .sup.131 I (average energy of 0.36 MeV) constitutes two-thirds of the total absorbed dose equivalent of this source in humans, resulting in higher total body doses away from the tumor volume thereby contributing to bone marrow toxicity. There is also a problem with dehalogenation producing a further loss in specific targeting, retention in tumor, and an increase in toxicity.
.sup.90 Yttrium is being studied as a radioimmunotherapy isotope (6,15,78, 81-88) because of its characteristics which include a 64 h half-life and an intermediate beta energy (2.3 MeV maximum). Since .sup.90 Y is unsuitable for quantitative imaging, .sup.111 In biodistribution data can be used to predict dose for .sup.90 Y administrations (81,82). However, even though there are similarities in tumor uptake, blood clearance and normal tissue uptake, there may be substantial differences in retention and clearance from kidney, bone, and the reticuloendothelial system.
.sup.186 Rhenium has some attractive features for radioimmunotherapy. The energy contribution from gamma rays of .sup.186 Re is 137 keV with only 8.65% abundance, which should result in a lower dose to the whole-body than with .sup.131 I. The gamma radiation from .sup.186 Re is high enough to be efficiently used for external imaging. Finally, the x-rays from .sup.186 Re are low energy radiations (59-73 keV, 9.2% abundance) and there is only a small contribution from this source to the whole body dose. Even though imaging photons in .sup.186 Re can be used particularly at therapeutic dose levels (89,90) the "matched pair" approach using .sup.99m Tc and .sup.186 Re (the former for imaging and the latter for therapy) is a very attractive option (58,90). These can both be attached to antibodies via similar chemistry (58,91) and generally produce similar biodistributions. Rhenium-186 requires a high flux reactor to achieve adequate specific activity and it is available commercially.
Copper-64 is a positron emitting isotope (.beta.+max=656 keV; 19% abundance) that has been used for diagnostic imaging. However, it also has a 573 keV maximum .beta..sup.- emission (38% abundance) and has been shown to be effective as a therapeutic radionuclide. This isotope has a 12.8 hour half-life, making it ideal for labeling peptides which have a short tumor localization time. Copper-64 is available from the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) on a bimonthly basis in high specific activity (4,000-10,000 Ci/mmol). Copper-67 is a pure beta emitter (P-max=570 keV) with a 62 h half-life and has been used in several therapy studies. It also has a gamma emission of 185 keV (40% abundance) for imaging. It can be purchased from Brookhaven National Laboratory or Los Alamos National Laboratory; however, it is of much lower specific activity than .sup.64 Cu. Protracted lysosomal retention following cellular internalization has been reported for .sup.67 Cu.
Alpha particles and other heavy particles interact with matter producing dense trails of ionization. This effect, known as high linear energy transfer (LET), produces a greater relative biological effectiveness (RBE) than low LET radiation, principally photons and electrons. When faced with a limited number of receptors on cells, this improves the cytotoxic efficacy with the high LET emitters.
There are two additional important advantages of high LET radiation that are important for their use in radiotherapy. The first is the independence of cytotoxicity from the rate at which dose is delivered. Dose rates typically quoted for radioimmunotherapy are on the order of 20 cGy/hour or lower. These dose rates have been shown to be suboptimal in their cytotoxic effect on adenocarcinomas for low LET radiation (94). Implant therapy and brachytherapy strive to maintain dose rates of 40 cGy/hour or greater to minimize the dose rate effects (95). By comparison, dose delivered in a clinical radiation therapy external beam unit is in the range of 12,000 cGy/hour. High LET emitters have the same cytotoxicity independent of the dose rate (96,97). This is critical for radiotherapy where the dose rate begins low and is continuously decreasing. In some systems, like hepatoma (194), low dose rate does not seem to be the limitation that it is in adenocarcinomas.
The second advantage of high LET emitters is their cytotoxicity in the absence of oxygen (96). Low LET radiation requires the presence of oxygen to form free radicals that inflict the damage to the cell components that result in cell killing. Because high LET radiation is so densely ionizing, the free radicals can be formed directly and do not require the presence of oxygen. This is an advantage of high LET radiation in treatment of tumors that have areas of hypoxia. The ability to kill cells in these regions with the same dose of radiation is an advantage in therapy.
One of the disadvantages of high LET emitters for radiotherapy has been the limited selection of appropriate radionuclides. Given constraints on the half-life, photon emission and stability of daughter products, there are few candidate radionuclides for therapy. One radionuclide, Astatine-211, has the disadvantage of requiring a cyclotron that can accelerate He-4 ions in order to produce it. This, coupled with its 7.2 hour half-life, creates serious problems in supply.
With this in mind, one investigator developed a new generator system that is capable of producing Lead-212 (98). Lead-212 has a 10.6 hour half-life and decays by beta emission to .sup.212 Bi. Bismuth-212 has a 1 hour half-life and decays by beta and alpha emission to stable .sup.208 Pb. This system combines some of the most attractive aspects of radionuclides for therapy. Lead-212 is produced from Radium-224 which has a 3.6 day half-life, on the order of Molybdenum-99. The .sup.212 Pb can be generated on site in a no-carrier-added form ideal for conjugating to small amounts of reagent, thus insuring high specific activity. The half-life is ideal for therapy, long enough to insure that localization can occur, but short enough to not present serious problems in redistribution in vivo.
The advantages of high LET radiation have been exploited by using alpha-emitting radionuclides for therapy (99-104). Bloomer et al. (99) used a colloid to keep .sup.211 At in the peritoneal cavity with the hope that the superior cytotoxicity of this radiopharmaceutical would replace .sup.32 P colloid. Link and Carpenter tested a small molecule that was chemically attached to .sup.211 At (100). The combination of monoclonal antibodies and high LET emitters, directing the radiation to the tumor cell surface, has been studied (101-104). In this case, the short range of the alpha particle in vivo necessitates keeping the emission near the cell surface or inside the cell (105). Subsequently, a .sup.211 At-labeled antibody was used to treat a meningioma successfully (101).
Gansow et al. have experimented extensively with chelate systems that could be used to radiolabel antibodies with .sup.212 Bi and its parent, .sup.212 Pb (106-109). They have found that a derivative of DTPA can bind .sup.212 Bi effectively but this chelate does not bind .sup.212 Pb. DOTA, a macrocycle that contains amine and carboxylate groups, can be used to bind the .sup.212 Pb.
Little is known about the destructive effects of nuclear transformation of beta emitters in aqueous solutions. In a recent in vitro study of the chemical fate of .sup.212 Bi(DOTA).sup.1- formed by beta decay of .sup.212 Pb(DOTA).sup.2-, the fraction of .sup.212 Bi radioactivity not complexed to DOTA was found to be 36.+-.2% (107). Analysis of various processes responsible for excitation of the .sup.212 Bi daughter, breakup of the .sup.212 Bi-DOTA complex was ascribed to the internal conversion of gamma rays emitted by the excited .sup.212 Bi nuclide. In the case of conventional, directly labeled antibody or fusion toxin in which the majority of the protein is in the circulation, the released .sup.212 Bi is bioavailable to localize to normal organs. In a control biodistribution study of .sup.212 Bi, high levels were found in the kidney (110). In the intraperitoneal model, tumor localization and internalization takes place within the first few minutes following injection, before significant decay to .sup.212 Bi can take place. Thus, release of the .sup.212 Bi in the peritoneum should be limited considering the relatively short half life of .sup.212 Bi and uptake in normal organs may be minimal.
Targeted therapy with immunotoxins has serious limitations in treating solid cancers. Immunotoxins (IT) are a class of pharmacological reagents produced by conjugating MoAbs to potent catalytic toxins (111,114-118) which should selectively bind to and kill cancer cells while not harming normal cells. The first generation of such IT were conjugates of MoAbs to toxins such as ricin, diphtheria toxin (DT), or Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE). The plant toxin ricin, one of the most toxic substances known, is a lectin with specificity for galactose terminating glycoproteins. Ricin consists of a 30 kDa A chain and a 30 kDa B chain joined by a disulfide bond. The A chain subunit is an enzyme which inactivates 28S components of the 60S subunit of ribosomes. The B chain subunit binds whole ricin to native receptors on the cell surface. The native receptors are galactose-containing glycoproteins that are present on all eukaryotic cells. The conjugation of A chain alone to MoAbs circumvents the risk of nonspecific binding. Intact ricin conjugates have limited utility in vivo. This is attributable to the galactose binding site of ricin having a high affinity for the galactose receptor on the cell surface of normal cells. IT consisting of ricin A chain conjugated to MoAbs with reactivity against human colon cancer have been synthesized and shown to inhibit protein synthesis and to be cytotoxic to human colon cancer cells in vitro (119-126), and to inhibit the growth of human tumor xenografts (127). Investigators have constructed IT that contain B chain with its native binding site chemically blocked (125,128-130). The obstruction of the B chain binding site is meant to prevent nonspecific toxicity to normal cells. Cattel et al. (125) reported that blocked intact ricin B chain IT displayed more selective cytotoxicity to target human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines than non-blocked IT and was much more potent than the ricin A chain IT.
Although there are reports describing the in vitro killing of tumor cells by IT, there are few papers reporting the successful use of IT against carcinomas in vivo. IT with reactivity against human colon and pancreatic tumors have been synthesized (119-127,131-133). Other IT have been used in therapeutic studies in animal tumor xenograft models (reviewed in 134,135) and recently in clinical studies in patients with leukemia, breast cancer, and melanoma (136-140). Initial clinical trials have not thus far shown significant activity of IT in patients with solid tumors (112,141,142). A pattern of mixed regression, which is defined as a 50% or greater reduction in size in one or more metastases combined with an increase in the size of one or more concurrent lesions or the appearance of a new lesion after the initiation of therapy, occurred in a minority of patients with metastatic malignant melanoma and colorectal cancer treated with IT specific for each of these cancers (141). Clinical responses in patients with hematologic malignancies have been more encouraging. In patients with B-cell lymphoma, IT containing MoAbs reactive with B-cell antigens coupled to either ricin A chain or blocked ricin produced partial regressions, which are defined as a 50% or more reduction of the overall tumor burden, in about 40% of patients (141). Problems in therapeutic applications, particularly toxicity, make it clear that simply conjugating an antibody to a toxin will not cure cancer. Some of the antibodies used for the preparation of IT to treat solid tumors had cross-reactivity with neural tissue or bone marrow which resulted in toxicity to these tissues (142).
In the clinical trials using ricin-based IT, the nonspecific toxicity of the toxin moiety remains the major problem (112). Capillary leak syndrome and liver dysfunction are the limiting toxicities for deglycosylated ricin A chain and blocked ricin, respectively (112). With PE, the dose-limiting toxicity is damage to the liver. The inability to deliver repeated doses of IT to patients due to antibody formation is a major concern. Although the formation of HAMA can be avoided by the use of humanized antibodies or humanized forms of single-chain Fv-IT, the problem of formation of antibodies against the toxin moiety remains unsolved (112). Antibodies to DT already exist in most individuals who received immunizations with diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. These factors may limit the therapeutic efficacy of IT.
Recombinant fusion toxins may be useful for therapy of solid cancers. Progress in the knowledge of the structure and function of several toxins, advanced cloning and preparation technologies, and the development of recombinant antibodies has made it possible to construct new kinds of IT. Protein toxins such as PE, DT, and ricin may be useful in cancer therapy because they are among the most potent cell-killing agents. The genes encoding these three toxins have been cloned (112,145) and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Both DT and PE inhibit protein synthesis by catalytically inactivating elongation factor 2 in the cytosol which is necessary for protein synthesis (111,145,146). To get to the cytosol, toxins must first bind to the target cell, be internalized by endocytosis, and translocate to the cytosol. Only a few molecules need reach the cytosol to kill a cell. A major advance in the IT field has been the production of recombinant fusion toxins (111,145,146); these were created by fusing DNA elements encoding binding regions of antibodies, growth factors, or cytokines to a mutant form of a toxin gene. Recombinant fusion toxins bind to cells, undergo endocytosis, and kill cells that are recognized by the antigen- or receptor-binding domain. Although these molecules are not IT in a strict sense, because they do not contain an antibody moiety, they are closely related to IT in their mode of targeting and killing of cells.
A number of recombinant fusion toxins have been developed recently for use in receptor-targeted cancer therapy (111,112,145,146). Many tumors express higher levels of growth factor receptors or antigens than normal cells, and often they express receptors for more than one ligand. These genetically engineered chimeric fusion toxins have been generated by deleting the portion of the toxin gene encoding the cell binding domain and replacing it with DNA encoding an alternative cell binding peptide such as a growth factor, lymphokine, or single chain antibody.
In 1988, it was shown that recombinant forms of antibodies consisting of variable domains of the heavy and light chains linked together via a peptide linker were able to bind antigen (111). Such proteins were termed single chain antibodies, or Fv domains. Anti-Tac(Fv) reactive with the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) was fused to a mutant form of PE called PE40 in which the binding domain of the native toxin has been deleted (111,146). This recombinant IT killed leukemia cells in vitro.
DT is a single-chain polypeptide of 535 residues produced by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. DT and recombinant forms of DT have been coupled to antibodies, growth factors, and cytokines and have been shown to have cytotoxic activity in vitro. The receptor-binding domain of native DT has been replaced with IL-2, the Fv region of anti-Tac antibody, IL-4, IL-6, or EGF. The resulting recombinant fusion toxins are selectively toxic to cells that express the specific receptor.
Limited transvascular diffusion of IT into solid tumors represents a problem. Penetration is mainly dependent on size; the smaller the IT, the better its tumor penetration (111). Affinity also influences tumor penetration (111). Fv fragments of antibodies (22 kDa) penetrate tumors better than Fab fragments (45 kDa) which in turn penetrate better than intact antibodies (188). Due to their larger size, the ability of IT to penetrate into solid tumors by diffusion and convection is impaired, although they have a half-life in the circulation of 4-8 hours or more. Therefore, first-generation IT (200 kDa) should take much longer to penetrate a 1 cm diameter solid tumor than a recombinant fusion toxin (60 kDa). Tumor penetration is much more effective for small recombinant fusion toxins, but they are also cleared very rapidly from the circulation (T.sub.1/2 =20-40 minutes).
The prior art is deficient in the lack of effective means of inhibiting the growth of various cancers. The present invention fulfills this longstanding need and desire in the art.

Radiolabeled fusion toxins for cancer therapy


A pharmaceutical preparation of Chinese herbal medicines for tonifying the kidneys and alleviating asthma is disclosed herein. The Chinese herbal medicines include Perilla Frutescens, Prunus Armeniaca, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis, Scutellaria Baicalensis, Coptis Chinesis, Tusilago Farfara, Stemona Sessilifolia, Fritillaria Cirrhosa, Pheretima Aspergillum, Psoralaea Corylifolia, Codonopsis Pilosula, Hordeum Vulgara, Massa Fermentata Medicalis, Schisandra Chinesis, and Gypsum. The preparation is used to treat thousands of patients suffering from asthma with an effective rate of 93%. The present preparation can relieve cough, expel phlegm, resist airway allergic inflammation reaction, improve pulmonary function, partial pressure of the oxygen in the blood, increase CD2, CD4, CD4/CD8, reduce IgE in blood, increase CAMP, reduce CGMP, stabilize mast cells, and inhibit the release of histamine, which make it capable of stopping an asthma attack.

Several studies have indicated that the prevalence rate of asthma is increasing in many regions while the morbidity rate remains high. Despite progress in the research concerning pathogenesis mechanism and therapy for asthma, morbidity rate and even mortality rate of this disease in the advanced country is increasing. At present, the preventive therapy for the asthma is mainly based on systemic corticosteroids administrated by inhalation and oral route. But the significant adverse effects were found with long—term use of hormone. Therefore patients often express interest to exploit non-Western Medicine approaches to prevent and relieve symptom of asthma. In China, herbal therapy has been used for several centuries as therapy for asthma with significantly beneficial effects. Since the composition of herbs is not standardized and is individualized for each patient with adding or reducing the components therein. But the previous formulas were used to treat asthma only for one side, for example only for asthma attack or only for prevention.


A new cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla named ‘White King’ that is characterized by its very early blooming habit, its ability to re-bloom on new growth after deadheading, its consistently well-formed, large-sized inflorescences that are white in color and are resistant to sun scorching under high light intensity, its foliage that is resistant to powdery mildew, and its compact growth habit resulting in low maintenance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, 'White King'. 'White King' represents a new Bigleaf Hydrangea, a deciduous shrub grown for landscape use and for use as a potted plant in the lightly shaded landscape.
'White King' was derived from an ongoing controlled breeding program of the Inventor that focuses on obtaining new varieties of Hydrangea for landscape and container use. 'White King' derived from an open pollination of proprietary Hydrangea macrophylla selection No. H3-11 (not patented) made in June of 1998 in Shizuoka, Japan. 'White King' was selected as a single unique plant amongst the progeny in June of 1999.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood stem cuttings in Shizuoka, Japan in February of 2007 by the Inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A suitcase lock includes a housing forming a slot. A link bar is mounted to inside of the housing. A lid is mounted to an inner open side of the housing by the link bar pivoted to the lid. A push switch, a rotor, and a hook block are arranged on the lid. The assembled lock is mounted to a suitcase so that the hook block may engage a counterpart hook formed in an upper shell of the suitcase and a pawl of the push switch engages the lid and the rotor is set at a position abutting against the push switch to thereby prevent the upper shell from opening. When the rotor is operated so as to not abut against the push switch, the push switch is inward depressible to disengage the pawls from each other, to thereby allow the upper shell to be opened.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suitcase lock, and in particular to a suitcase lock that is easily operated to efficiently open/close the suitcase without using a key.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional suitcase, as illustrated in FIG. 1, comprises a body 1 having a front middle section in which a combination lock 11 with a key lock 12 is provided and two opposite portions to each of which a latch lock 13 is mounted. Apparently, the conventional suitcase has at least tree locks 12 and 13. This definitely ensures security and protection of the suitcase body 1 against undesired or unexpected opening of the suitcase due to collision or movement. However, in clearing customs, the suitcase owner must use two keys to respectively release the locks 12, 13. This is time consuming, and often causes troubles when the keys are lost, under which condition, the only way to open the suitcase is to break in the suitcase. This certainly causes damage to the suitcase owner.
Thus, the present invention is aimed to provide a suitcase lock to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional suitcase lock discussed above.

Structure of a safety lock for traveling luggage cases


A lighting apparatus includes a power supply unit and a control unit configured to control the power supply unit. The control unit determines, at a time of activation of the lighting apparatus, a first color temperature of the load at an initial stage of lighting based on a command value. Thereafter, the control unit controls the power supply unit such that the light quantity and the color temperature of the load change according to a second output characteristic during a period in which the color temperature of the load changes from the first color temperature to a second color temperature. The second color temperature is a color temperature, in the first output characteristic, corresponding to the command value. A correspondence relationship between a plurality of light quantities and a plurality of color temperatures defined by the second output characteristic is different from that of the first output characteristic.

Heretofore, various color temperature variable illumination apparatuses in which the light color (color temperature) of the illumination light is adjustable have been provided, and an example thereof is disclosed in JP 2010-176986A (hereinafter referred to as "Document 1"). The color temperature variable illumination apparatus described in Document 1 includes an illumination light source including a plurality of light sources each having a different light color, and a drive means that causes each of the plurality of light sources to emit light individually and at an arbitrary light quantity. Also, the color temperature variable illumination apparatus includes a determination means that determines a light quantity of each of the light sources of the illumination light source such that the color temperature of the illumination light that is irradiated from the illumination light source will be a color temperature corresponding to an operation input that is received by a controller.
The drive means causes each of the light sources to emit light at the light quantity determined by the determination means. Also, the determination means determines the light quantity of each of the light sources such that the difference in a reciprocal color temperature of the illumination light corresponding to an amount of change in the operation input has a proportional relationship to the amount of change in the operation input. Accordingly, in this color temperature variable illumination apparatus, any feeling of unnaturalness regarding the change in the color temperature of the illumination light that is actually recognized relative to the change in the operation input is unlikely to arise.
Here, in general, when a lighting apparatus such as a color temperature variable illumination apparatus is activated, regardless of a value of light quantity and color temperature designated with a controller, an illumination light source is first lighted in an initial state, and is thereafter controlled such that illumination light becomes a designated light quantity and color temperature. The reason for this is to avoid the illumination light source being fully lighten momentarily when an input from the controller is delayed relative to the activation of the lighting apparatus.
However, with the conventional color temperature variable illumination apparatus described above, problems such as described below may arise. For example, in a case where a color temperature of 5000K is designated with the controller, the illumination light source is first lighted in an initial state when the apparatus is activated, and thereafter the illumination light source is controlled such that the color temperature of the illumination light becomes 5000K that is the target color temperature. That is, if the color temperature of the illumination light source in the initial state is assumed to be 2000K, the color temperature of the illumination light source changes from 2000K to 5000K. The color temperature of the illumination light source at the time of activation of the apparatus is thus different from the color temperature of the illumination light source expected by the user, and as a result the user may have a feeling of unnaturalness visually.

Lighting apparatus and illumination system using the same

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