Transalkylation catalysts comprising acidic molecular sieve, palladium and germanium have good activities and attenuate aromatic ring saturation and lights co-production provided that sufficient palladium is contained in the catalyst.

The xylene isomers are produced in large volumes from petroleum as feedstocks for a variety of important industrial chemicals. The most important of the xylene isomers is para-xylene, the principal feedstock for polyester, which continues to enjoy a high growth rate from large base demand. Ortho-xylene is used to produce phthalic anhydride, which supplies high-volume but relatively mature markets. Meta-xylene is used in lesser but growing volumes for such products as plasticizers, azo dyes and wood preservers.
A prior art aromatics complex flow scheme has been disclosed by Meyers in part 2 of the Handbook of Petroleum Refining Processes, 2d. Edition, in 1997 published by McGraw-Hill.
In general, a xylene production facility can have various types of processing reactions. One is a transalkylation in which benzene and/or toluene are reacted with C9+ aromatics to form more methylated aromatics. Another is xylene isomerization, which may also include dealkylation, where a non-equilibrium mixture of xylenes is isomerized. And another is the disproportionation of toluene to yield one mole of benzene per mole of xylene produced.
In the transalkylation process, adverse side reactions can occur. For instance, the aromatic ring may become saturated or even cleaved resulting in naphthene co-production. The co-production of these non-aromatics, of course, results in a loss of valuable aromatics. Moreover, benzene is often a sought co-product from a xylene production facility. As some of the naphthenes have similar boiling points to benzene, they are not readily removed to achieve a benzene product of sought purity for commercial applications which frequently demand a benzene product having at least a 99.85 percent purity.
Accordingly, a need exists for catalysts and processes for the transalkylation of alkylaromatics, which processes have desirable selectivity of conversion to the desired alkylaromatics such as xylenes, yet at sufficiently high rates of conversion to be commercially feasible.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,345 (Mitsche) discloses catalysts for transalkylation or disproportionation of alkylaromatics comprising aluminosilicates such as mordenite. Catalytically active metals such as groups VIB and VIII metals may be present.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,868 (Wilhelm) discloses catalysts for hydrocarbon conversions comprising a platinum group metal and indium with optionally a Group IVA component such as germanium or tin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,822 (Onodera, et al.) discloses catalysts for xylene isomerization containing molecular sieve such as ZSM-5, platinum and at least one metal from the group of titanium, chromium, zinc, gallium, germanium, strontium, yttrium, zirconium, molybdenum, palladium, tin, barium, cesium, cerium, tungsten, osmium, lead, cadmium, mercury, indium, lanthanum, beryllium, lithium and rubidium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,256 (Ichioka et al.) discloses a process for producing xylene from a feedstock containing C9 alkylaromatics with ethyl-groups over a catalyst containing a zeolite component that is preferably mordenite and with a metal component that is preferably rhenium.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,417 (Kato, et al.) discloses catalysts and processes for transalkylation of alkylaromatics wherein the catalysts comprise mordenite, inorganic oxide and/or clay and at least one metal component of rhenium, platinum and nickel. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,184 (Kato, et al.).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,150,292 and 6,465,705 (Merlen, et al.) disclose a xylene isomerization process using a mordenite-containing catalyst that further contains at least one platinum group metal and at least one metal from group III of the periodic table such as gallium, indium or thallium and optionally at least one metal from group IV of the periodic table such as germanium, tin or lead.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,613,709 and 6,864,400 (Merlen, et al.) disclose a transalkylation catalyst containing zeolite NES and at lease one metal selected from group VIIB, group VIB and iridium with optionally at least one metal selected from groups III and IV of the periodic table, preferably indium and tin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,855,854 (James, Jr.) discloses a process using two transalkylation catalysts to react C9+ aromatics with benzene. The catalyst comprises zeolite and optional metal components such as IUPAC 8-10 metal and modifier such as tin, germanium, lead, indium, and mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,866 (Nemeth, et al.) discloses a liquid phase xylene isomerization process which uses a zeolite beta and pentasil-type zeolite. The catalyst can contain a hydrogenation metal component such as a platinum group metal and modifiers such as rhenium, tin, germanium, lead, cobalt, nickel, indium, gallium, zinc, uranium, dysprosium, thallium, and mixtures thereof.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Palladium and germanium-containing catalysts and alkylaromatic transalkylation processes using such catalysts


In a communication system, subchannel state information for a plurality of user equipments (UEs) are collected, and a plurality of subchannel state prediction parameter values for the respective UEs are calculated using the subchannel state information. In addition, the communication system allocates at least one subchannel among the plurality of subchannels to a first UE having the highest priority. Subsequently, the communication system determines whether to allocate additional power to the at least one subchannel based on the plurality of subchannel state prediction parameter values, and allocates additional power to a subchannel that needs the additional power among the at least one subchannel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a subchannel and power allocation method, an apparatus using the same, and a transmitting apparatus of a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) method applied to a communication system divides a frequency bandwidth into a plurality of sub-frequency bandwidths (i.e., subchannels) and simultaneously transmits data through the subchannels. An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) method is a multi-user version of the OFDM. In an OFDMA-based communication system, a scheduler of a base station allocates a subchannel to a user equipment (UE) according to a channel state of the user so as to satisfy service requirements of the UE. In this case, the scheduler determines a modulation coding scheme for each subchannel and allocates a subchannel so as to satisfy a transmission bit rate of the UE.
According to a subchannel allocation method for a conventional communication system, a transmitter of a base station determines a modulation/demodulation coding scheme based on a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of a receiver of a terminal. A modulation/demodulation coding algorithm proposed by J. Campello sends channel information of all subcarriers as feedback and selects an appropriate modulation algorithm for each subcarrier for achieving optimum performance.
However, according to the algorithm proposed by J. Campello, an appropriate modulation/demodulation algorithm for each subcarrier is determined by allocating one transmission bit through one calculation, and this process is repeated to allocate transmission bits to the overall subcarriers. Such an algorithm that allocates bits by repeating the above process can be applied without any difficulty when the number of UEs is small, but it may be complicated when the number of UEs is large. In addition, such an algorithm uses a received SNR as feedback information, and accordingly, an accurate received SNR is required for providing appropriate performance, thereby causing an increase of the amount of feedback information.

Apparatus and method for allocating subchannel and power in communication system, and transmitting apparatus

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A heatable article, e.g. a heatable windshield, having a generally trapezoidal shape has a conductive member, e.g. a conductive coating, between and in contact with a pair of spaced bus bars having different lengths. Selected portions of the coating between the bus bars are segmented to reduce the difference in watt density between the coatings at the bus bars when current moves through the coating. In one non-limiting embodiment, the width of the segments at the longer bus bar is less than the width of the segments at the longer bus bar. With this configuration, the watt density at the bottom of the windshield is increased to more efficiently remove ice and snow. In another non-limiting embodiment, the coating has a communication window to pass frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum, e.g. RF frequencies, to obtain information from within the vehicle. The coating surrounding the conductive window has break lines to segment the coating to eliminate hot spot around the periphery of the communication window.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an article, e.g. a transparency having a configured heatable member, e.g. an electrically conductive member applied to a surface of the article, and more particularly, to a heatable automotive transparency, e.g. a windshield having electrically conductive coating segments. The configured conductive member uniformly heats the surface of the article when the conductive member is energized.
2. Discussion of the Technology
Automotive heatable windshields, e.g. of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,902, include two glass sheets laminated together by a plastic interlayer, usually a sheet of polyvinyl butyral ("PVB"). A pair of spaced bus bars between the glass sheets are in electrical contact with an electrically conductive member. One type of conductive member is a sputtered electrically conductive coating of the type disclosed in European Patent Application No. 00939609.4, applied to a major surface of one of the glass sheets, and another type of conductive member includes a plurality of electrically conductive filaments of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,431. Each of the bus bars is electrically accessible by an external lead to pass current from a power source through the bus bars and the conductive member to electrically heat the conductive member to conductively heat the inner and outer surfaces of the windshield. The heated windshield surfaces attain a temperature sufficient to remove fog, and melt snow and ice. As can be appreciated, heatable windshields are practical, and in some geographical areas, heatable windshields are a requirement especially during the winter season.
Usually, the automotive windshield has a generally trapezoidal peripheral shape, and the outer major surface of the windshield as mounted in the automobile is convex with the upper portion of the windshield having the shorter length. The conductive member, usually a conductive sputtered coating between the sheets of the windshield, follows the peripheral outline of the windshield and is spaced from the peripheral edges of the sheet on which it is applied. Because of the mounted position of the trapezoidal shaped windshield, the coating is between a pair of spaced bus bars of different lengths. More particularly, the top bus bar has a shorter length than the bottom bus bar to follow the configuration of the windshield and the surface area of the windshield to be heated.
A limitation of the presently available windshields is the difference in the watt density between the coating at the shorter top bus bar and the coating at the longer bottom bus which results in non-uniform heating of the windshield surfaces and reduced efficiency in the removal of fog, ice and/or snow at the bottom portion of the windshield.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,789,191; 3,789,192; 3,790,752; 3,794,809; 4,543,466, and 5,213,828 present a general discussion on heatable windshields.
The non-uniform heating of the windshield surface is also present when the coating has a communication window. The communication window is provided to, among other things, pass frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum through the conductive member. The frequencies can be in the radio frequency (RF) range to collect information from the interior of the vehicle, e.g. transit pass number at tollbooths and/or can be in the infrared range or visible range to activate a device, e.g. a rain sensor and/or an optical device. The area within the communication window has a higher resistance than the coated area surrounding the communication window because the area within the communication window has no coating or the coating is partially removed to pass frequencies of a selected wavelength range. The non-uniform heating around the communication window is observed when current moves through the coating to heat the windshield surfaces. The periphery of the communication window generates hot spots as a result of the higher watt density at the periphery of the communication window.
Communication windows are discussed in the ERTICO Committee report titled "Ensuring the Correct Functioning of ETC Equipment Installed Behind Metallized Windscreens: Proposed Short-term Solution" Version 2.0, October 1998, and The Engineering Society For Advanced Mobility Land Sea Air and Space report SAE J2557 titled "Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice", Preliminary Draft, January 2000.
As can be appreciated, it would be advantageous to provide a heatable article, e.g. a heatable windshield that does not have the limitations of the presently available heatable windshields; more particularly, to provide an electrically conductive member that when energized uniformly heats the surfaces of a windshield, with or without an area to pass frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Heatable article having a configured heating member


The invention concerns a pentasaccharide compound of formula (I)

Heparin, a natural sulphated polysaccharide, is an anticoagulant that belongs to the family of glycosaminoglycans. The anticoagulant activity of heparin is due to its ability to accelerate the inhibition of several proteases, particularly factor Xa and thrombin, in the blood coagulation cascade.
Heparin and heparin-derived drugs inhibit the activity of factor Xa by attaching to a specific binding domain of antithrombin (AT). Once heparin or heparin-derived drugs are attached to the specific binding domain of antithrombin, they induce a conformational change in antithrombin (AT). This conformational change in AT is responsible for inhibition of factor Xa. Investigations have shown that the lowest structural element capable of significantly binding AT, and inhibiting factor Xa, is a pentasaccharide.
The prototype of such conformational-change-inducing products is fondaparinux. Fondaparinux sodium (Arixtra™—GlaxoSmithKline) is the first of a new class of antithrombotic agents. It displays a half-life in rats of approximately one hour and of 17 h in human. It is given once a day to patients in need of an anticoagulant treatment. It is a chemically synthesised pentasaccharide mimicking the antithrombin binding site of heparin. It is a selective factor Xa inhibitor and thus an inhibitor of thrombin generation.
The synthesis of fondaparinux is long and complicated. Thus, with the aim of simplifying the chemistry while maintaining the same activity and pharmacokinetic profile, new series of pentasaccharides described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,403 or in WO 99/36428 have been designed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,403 discloses synthetic pentasaccharides in which N-sulfate, N-acetate and hydroxyl groups are replaced by alkoxy, and O-sulfate groups. WO 99/36428 discloses similar synthetic pentasaccharides, the L-iduronic unit of which is locked in a 2S0 conformation, and the D-glucuronic unit E of which has eventually an ethyl group at position 5.
However, while the presence of alkyl groups on these pentasaccharides unit considerably simplifies their mode of preparation, it also increases the half-life making the clinical use problematic.
EP 2 074 131 also attempts to provide synthetic pentasaccharides. In this application, it was considered that the ability of the pentasaccharides to go through the intestinal barrier was important for an application as antithrombotics.
However, it appeared that many compounds disclosed by EP 2 074 131 also have a too long half-life.
The half-life of anticoagulant pentasaccharides, the time required to halve the plasma concentration of the drug, is a very important pharmacokinetic parameter. Indeed, it is sometimes necessary, e.g. in case of an haemorrhage, to switch off as quickly as possible the anticoagulant effect so that the haemorrhage can be stopped.
Suitable half-lives for an anticoagulant range from about 5 to about 20 hours in human, corresponding to 0.5 hour to about 3 hours in the rat.
Introduction of a biotin moiety on the pentasaccharide allows fast suppression of the anticoagulant activity through injection of avidin, a protein that strongly binds to biotin.
The biotin group (IUPAC name: 5-[(3aS,4S,6aR)-2-oxohexahydro-1H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazol-4-yl]pentanoic acid; also known as vitamin B7) represents the following group:

Such biotinylated pentasaccharides are known from EP 1 322 673. Avidin prevents the compounds from having their effect on their targets and accelerates their elimination. The anti-factor Xa activity of the biotinylated compounds of EP 1 322 673 is equivalent to the activity of their non-biotinylated counterparts.
Thus, it is possible to neutralize the anticoagulant activity of biotinylated compounds by administration of avidin which eventually allows using long half-life anticoagulant pentasaccharides.
However, the enzyme biotinidase, that cleaves the amide bond at the carboxylate end of biotin, is present in blood plasma and could react with biotinylated compounds to de-biotinylate them. As a result, the de-biotinylated compounds are no longer neutralised by avidin while keeping their anticoagulant activity until they are physiologically washed out. This is a real problem because anticoagulant treatments can be given for long period of time and the de-biotinylated compound can accumulate in plasma. Therefore, it is still highly desirable to have biotinylated compounds with a short half-life to allow their immediate neutralization in case of emergency and to avoid their accumulation in plasma if they are de-biotinylated by biotinidase.
The authors of the present invention have surprisingly found that the half-life of alkylated/O-sulfated pentasaccharides can be modulated by varying the substituent groups of the D-unit.
Introducing an amino function at position 2 reduces the half-life.
Biotinylation of this 2 amino-function increases the half-life
Introducing one free hydroxyl function at the D-unit reduces the half-life.
A combination of these various observations allowed the authors to identify potent inhibitors of factor Xa biotinylated pentasaccharides with a short half-life.
Thus, one aim of the invention is to provide pentasaccharides, which are easy to synthesize and with a short half-life, and in particular biotinylated pentasaccharides.
Another aim of the invention is to provide biotinylated pentasaccharides with high anti-factor Xa activity, i.e. low value of IC50.
Therefore, all drawbacks of the prior art are overcome with the use of the compounds according to the invention, and more in particular the biotinylated ones.

Synthetic pentasaccharides having short half-life and high activity

Abstract: and the salts thereof.

Abstract: The invention also concerns a pharmaceutical composition comprising the synthetic pentasaccharide compound of formula (I) and its salts. The invention further concerns these compounds for use as a medicament, and in particular intended to treat blood clotting disorders, to prevent ischaemia reperfusion injury associated with solid organ transplantation, or to reduce the risk of blood clotting in an extracorporeal blood circuit during cardiac surgery, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or during circulatory assistance such as artificial heart.


A method for controlling a vehicle regenerative braking event includes maintaining a converter clutch closed while braking, while an engine connected to the impeller is running, opening the converter clutch when impeller speed reaches a reference speed difference relative to engine idle speed, and while the engine is off, opening the converter clutch when impeller speed reaches a speed required for a transmission pump, connected to an impeller, to produce line pressure at a desired magnitude.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for controlling a regenerative braking event in a hybrid electric vehicle by changing the torque capacity of a torque converter lock-up clutch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The fuel economy benefit in a hybrid electric vehicle results mainly from its ability to perform regenerative braking. In a hybrid electric powertrain an electric machine is coupled to the wheels through a torque converter and transmission gearing. The torque converter transmits torque through the combination of the hydraulic path and the mechanic path, provided the torque converter clutch is slipping. If the torque converter clutch is fully open, torque can only be transmitted through the hydraulic path. If the clutch is fully locked, the torque can only be transmitted through the mechanical path.
During regenerative braking, torque is transmitted from the vehicle wheels to the electric machine. If clutch is open, the torque converter's ability to transmit torque in the reverse direction is very limited. Any excessive regenerative torque can reduce the electric machine's speed. As a result, to recoup most of the kinetic energy using regenerative braking, the torque converter clutch should be kept locked while the vehicle is slowing down.
The torque converter clutch, however, must be opened for various reasons. When impeller speed is low, that clutch must be open so that the engine does not stall. When the clutch is open, the hydraulic path serves as coupling to deliver torque smoothly to the wheels.

Coordinating regenative braking with torque converter clutch operation


The present invention relates to an electrolytic device for disinfecting water in a water supply system using active chlorine, comprising an electrolytic cell having electrodes and a generator driven by the water, a part of the water being guided through the electrolytic cell and at least a part of the feeding of the electrolytic cell being guided through a salt dosing device containing a compound capable of supplying chloride ions to the water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrolytic device for disinfecting water in a water supply system, by means of the generation of active chlorine, comprising an electrolytic cell which is provided with electrodes over which a voltage difference is applied and a generator for supplying the voltage difference for the electrolytic cell, which generator is driven by the water in the water supply system.
The invention further relates to a method for disinfecting water in a water supply system by electrolysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of electrolysis for disinfecting water is known. Usually sodium chloride (NaCl) is electrochemically converted into chlorine and caustic (as a by-product). The salt dissolves in water under forming of Na+- and Cl−-ions. When said solution is guided through an electrolytic cell, while a voltage is applied over the electrodes of said cell, chlorine (Cl2), oxygen and hydrogen ions are formed at the anode and hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are formed at the cathode.
The chlorine formed at the anode may, depending on the pH, also be present as hypochlorous acid (HClO) or as a hypochlorite (ClO−). Dissolved chlorine, hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite are called "free chlorine" or "free active chlorine" or "active chlorine". When using (common) tap water having a pH of about 7 to 8 and containing a small concentration of NaCl, sodium hypochlorite will be formed. The quantity of free chlorine to be formed will depend on the wanted concentration and the quantity of water to be treated.
Common equipment for disinfecting water consists of an electrolytic cell, a rectifier to convert mains voltage into direct current and a control to adapt the electric current to be supplied to the electrodes to the water flow rate.
Dutch patent application 1012794 describes an electrolytic device for a water supply system comprising an electrolytic cell provided with electrodes over which a voltage is applied, wherein the voltage difference for the electrolytic cell is at least partially supplied by a generator such as a turbine, for instance a DC turbine, driven by the water in the water supply system. The electrolytic cell and the generator of the electrolytic device according to NL 1012794 can be accommodated in one housing.
In the device according to NL 1012794 the electrolytic cell is placed directly in the fluid flow. A possible drawback of this embodiment is that in general too little chloride will be present in drinking water to actually form hypochlorite. According to the description, however, active compounds ensuring disinfection can be formed also in case chlorine is absent. Said compounds particularly are various free oxygen radicals. In practice it has appeared that for the formation of oxygen radicals not all electrode materials are suitable, but that a very special and expensive type of electrode is required to suppress the formation of oxygen. Another drawback occurring when insufficient chloride is present is that the action of the device can only be shown by actually performing tests on water containing bacteria and checking the killing factor.

Electrolytic device and method for disinfecting water in a water supply system by means of the generation of active chlorine


The present invention features G-protein fusion receptors and chimeric GABAB receptors (GABABRs), nucleic acid encoding such receptors, and the use of such receptors and nucleic acid. G-protein fusion receptors comprise at least one domain from a CaR, an mGluR, and/or a GABAB receptor fused directly or through a linker to a guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein). Chimeric GABABRs comprise at least one of a GABABR extracellular domain, a GABABR transmembrane domain, or a GABABR intracellular domain and one or more domains from a mGluR subtype 8 (mGluR8) and/or a CaR.

The references cited herein are not admitted to be prior art to the claimed invention.
Chimeric receptors made up of peptide segments from different receptors have different uses, such as being used to assess the functions of different sequence regions and to assess the activity of different compounds at a particular receptor. Examples of using chimeric receptors to assess the activity of different compounds are provided by Dull et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,609; Dull et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,576; Fuller et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,195; and International Application No. PCT/US96/12336, International Publication No. WO 97/05252.
Dull et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,609, and Dull et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,576, indicate the production and use of chimeric receptors comprising a ligand-binding domain of a predetermined receptor and a heterologous reporter polypeptide. The Dull et al. patents provide as examples of chimerics: (1) a chimeric receptor made up of the insulin receptor extracellular a chain, and the EGF receptor transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains without any HIR B-chain sequence; and (2) a hybrid receptor made up of the v-erB oncogene product intracellular domain fused to the EGF receptor extracellular and transmembrane domains.
Fuller et al. International Publication No. WO 97/05252 feature chimeric receptors made up of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) domains and calcium receptor (CaR) domains. The chimeric receptors allow the coupling of functional aspects of a mGluR with a CaR.
An example of the use of chimeric receptors to assess the functions of different sequence region receptors are found in studies identifying regions of different guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors important for guanine nucleotide-binding protein coupling. (See, Kobilka et al., Science 240:1310-1316, 1988; Wess et al., FEBS Lett. 258:133-136, 1989; Cotecchia et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:2896-2900, 1990; Lechleiter et al., EMBO J. 9:4381-4390, 1990; Wess et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 38:517-523, 1990; and Pin et al, EMBO J. 13:342-348, 1994.)

G-protein fusion receptors and constructs encoding same


Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for handling persistent reservations. More particularly, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a routing device that routes commands from multiple initiators to a target device can assert reservations for the initiators using its own reservation key rather than a reservation key provided by an initiator. The routing device can further maintain a registry of keys for multiple initiators that access the target device through the routing device. For a persistent reservation command received using a persistent reservation key in the registry, the routing device can forward the command to the target device server using the routing device's key. Thus, reservations for the multiple initiators will be held using the routing device's key. For persistent reservation commands received from initiators registered with the routing device, the routing device can handle conflict resolution and other persistent reservation processing.

A "persistent reservation" SCSI command is used by an initiator in a data network to reserve logical units at a target device. To utilize the persistent reservation, an initiator registers with a target device and receives a reservation key. When the initiator wishes to reserve the target for a particular purpose, the initiator sends the reservation key in a Persistent Reserve Out command. If the persistent reservation requested in the command does not conflict with another persistent reservation or reservation established using the older RESERVE command, the reservation is made at the target device. The Persistent Reserve Out command contains fields that specify the persistent reservation action, the intended scope of the reservation and the restrictions caused by the persistent reservation.
Example actions that can be taken with a Persistent Reserve Out command include Register, Reserve, Release, Clear Preempt, and Preempt and Clear. The Register action either requests a reservation key or modifies a reservation key for an initiator with the target device. A device server program within the target device maintains this key for the initiator until the initiator updates the key with a new Persistent Reserve Out command. The Reserve action creates a persistent reservation having a specified type and scope. The types of persistent reservations include Read Shared, Write Exclusive, Read Exclusive Access and Shared Access. The scope of the reservation specifies whether the reservation applies to the entire logical unit. A Persistent Reservation Out command with a Reserve action is rejected if the initiator has not registered with the target device (or device server). A Persistent Reserve Out with a Release Action removes a persistent reservation held by the same initiator. A Clear action removes all persistent reservations held by all initiators. A Preempt action removes all persistent reservations from an initiator identified in the parameter list of the Persistent Reserve Out commands, but commands already received from the specified initiator will be processed. The Preempt and Clear action, on the other hand will not only remove all persistent reservation for the specified initiator, but will also cause commands that have already been received from that initiator to be aborted.
To help coordinate reservations, initiators can issue a Persistent Reserve In command to a target device to determine if the target device has registered any initiators and has any active reservations. In response to the Persistent Reserve In command requesting reservation keys, the target device can return a list of all keys registered with the target device and, in response to a Persistent Reserve In command requesting reservations, the target device can return a list of all the active reservations (e.g., type and scope) active at the target device. The ability to see registered keys and active reservations can prevent an initiator from trying to register a conflicting key or submitting a conflicting reservation.
In recent years, data communication systems have developed in which multiple initiators in one SCSI domain may appear as a single initiator from the perspective of a target device in a second SCSI domain. In fibre channel storage area networks ("SAN"), for example, multiple fibre channel initiators may communicate with a SCSI hard disk library through a fibre channel-to-SCSI router. In this case, the hard disk library would see the fibre channel-to-SCSI router as the initiator of commands on the SCSI bus, regardless of the fibre channel initiator from which the command originated. In current systems such as this, persistent reservations are not handled, and reservations occur using the older Reserve/Release model if reservations are supported at all.

Method and system for persistent reservation handling in a multi-initiator environment


The present invention relates to new mGluR1 and mGluR5 receptor subtype preferring ligands of formula (I) and/or salts and/or hydrates and/or solvates and/or polymorphs thereof. The invention also relates to processes and intermediates for their preparation, to pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds and to their use in treatment and/or prevention of conditions which require modulation of mGluR1 and mGluR5 receptors.

A major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is the glutamate molecule, which binds to neurons, thereby activating cell surface receptors. These receptors can be divided into two major classes, ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, based on the structural features of the receptor proteins, the means by which the receptors transduce signals into the cell, and pharmacological profiles.
The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G protein-coupled receptors that activate a variety of intracellular second messenger systems following the binding of glutamate. Activation of mGluRs in intact mammalian neurons elicits one or more of the following responses: activation of phospholipase C; increases in phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis; intracellular calcium release; activation of phospholipase D; activation or inhibition of adenyl cyclase; increases or decreases in the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP); activation of guanylyl cyclase; increases in the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP); activation of phospholipase A2; increases in arachidonic acid release; and increases or decreases in the activity of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels. (Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 1993, 14, 13; Neurochem. Int., 1994, 24, 439; Neuropharmacology, 1995, 34, 1; Prog. Neurobiol., 1999, 59, 55).
Eight distinct mGluR subtypes, termed mGluR1 through mGluR8, have been identified by molecular cloning (Neuron, 1994, 13, 1031; Neuropharmacology, 1995, 34, 1; J. Med. Chem., 1995, 38, 1417). Further receptor diversity occurs via expression of alternatively spliced forms of certain mGluR subtypes (PNAS, 1992, 89, 10331; BBRC, 1994, 199, 1136; J. Neurosci., 1995, 15, 3970).
Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes may be subdivided into three groups, Group I, Group II, and Group III mGluRs, based on amino acid sequence homology, the second messenger systems utilized by the receptors, and by their pharmacological characteristics. Group I mGluR comprises mGluR1, mGluR5 and their alternatively spliced variants.
Attempts at elucidating the physiological roles of Group I mGluRs suggest that activation of these receptors elicits neuronal excitation. Evidence indicates that this excitation is due to direct activation of postsynaptic mGluRs, but it also has been suggested that activation of presynaptic mGluRs occurs, resulting in increased neurotransmitter release (Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 1992, 15, 92; Neurochem. Int., 1994, 24, 439; Neuropharmacology, 1995, 34, 1; Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 1994, 15, 33).
Metabotropic glutamate receptors have been implicated in a number of normal processes in the mammalian CNS. Activation of mGluRs has been shown to be required for induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation and cerebellar long-term depression (Nature, 1993, 363, 347; Nature, 1994, 368, 740; Cell, 1994, 79, 365; Cell, 1994, 79, 377). A role for mGluR activation in nociception and analgesia also has been demonstrated (Neuroreport, 1993, 4, 879; Brain Res., 1999, 871, 223).
Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors and mGluR5 in particular, have been suggested to play roles in a variety of pathophysiological processes and disorders affecting the CNS. These include stroke, head trauma, anoxic and ischemic injuries, hypoglycemia, epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, acute and chronic pain, substance abuse and withdrawal, obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 1993, 14, 13; Life Sci., 1994, 54, 135; Ann. Rev. Neurosci., 1994, 17, 31; Neuropharmacology, 1995, 34, 1; J. Med. Chem., 1995, 38, 1417; Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 2001, 22, 331; Curr. Opin. Pharmacol., 2002, 2, 43; Pain, 2002, 98, 1, Curr Top Med Chem., 2005; 5(9):897-911). Much of the pathology in these conditions is thought to be due to excessive glutamate-induced excitation of CNS neurons. As Group I mGluRs appear to increase glutamate-mediated neuronal excitation via postsynaptic mechanisms and enhanced presynaptic glutamate release, their activation probably contributes to the pathology. Accordingly, selective antagonists of Group I mGluR receptors could be therapeutically beneficial, specifically as neuroprotective agents, analgesics or anticonvulsants.
International Patent Publication No. WO 2006/120573 describes a method for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells in mammal by administering a therapeutically effective amount of heterocyclic mono-N-oxides.
General methods for the preparation of quinolines can be found in, e.g., International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/070890, J. Med. Chem., 2003, 46, 49 and J. Med. Chem., 2005, 48, 1107. 4-amino-3-cyano-quinoline derivatives are prepared by condensation of anilines with 2-cyano-3-ethoxy-acrylic acid ethyl ester followed by the ring closure of the obtained intermediates. Thermal ring closure affords 3-cyano-4-hydroxy-quinoline derivatives that are converted into 3-cyano-4-chloro-quinoline derivatives using phosphorous(V) oxychloride. Ring closure with phosphorous(V) oxyhalogenides directly results in 3-cyano-4-halogen-quinoline derivatives.
International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/58834 discloses quinoline derivatives for use in treating liver X receptor (LXR) mediated diseases particularly multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and atherosclerosis, which compounds suppress Th-1 type lymphokine production, resulting in increased HDL levels, and cholesterol metabolism. The synthesis of 3-benzenesulfonyl-4-phenyl-8-trifluoromethyl-quinoline by the reaction of the appropriate aniline derivative (e.g., scheme 9 of WO 2005/58834) with 1,2-bis(benzenesulfonyl)-ethylene is described. This compound proved to be inactive on mGluR1 and mGluR5 receptors.
International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/30129 relates to compounds useful as potassium channel inhibitors. Compounds in this class may be useful as Kv1.5 antagonists for treating and preventing cardiac arrhythmias, and the like, and as Kv1.3 inhibitors for treatment of immunosuppression, autoimmune diseases, and the like.
None of the references disclose activity at the mGluR1 and/or mGluR5 receptors. Accordingly, there is a need for new compounds having activity on the mGluR1 and mGluR5 receptors.


An X-ray device having an X-ray source, a high voltage generator supplying power to the X-ray tube and an inverter to generate, at the output end, an AC input voltage for the high voltage generator is disclosed. Provision is made therein for a resonance network to be formed between the inverter and the high voltage generator. This allows transmission of the AC input voltage with low power dissipation and low radiation levels. It also achieves spatial separation of the inverter from the high voltage generator and the X-ray source.

In such an X-ray device, the inverter usually generates a DC voltage from a network AC voltage in an intermediate circuit, said DC voltage being inverted by means of an inverse rectifier into a higher frequency AC input voltage for the high voltage generator. By means of a transformer and a rectifier, for example, the high voltage generator then generates the high voltage required by the X-ray tube in the order of magnitude of about 100 kV. The X-ray tube in the X-ray device is used, for example, to generate radiation for medical applications, in particular in a computer tomography scanner.
In a medical X-ray device in particular, spatial separation of the inverter from the high voltage generator or from the X-ray source is desirable since cumbersome equipment in the vicinity of the X-ray source would restrict the access required when taking an angiogram, for example. This particularly applies to a computer tomography scanner where the X-ray source rotates around the patient and consequently the energy has to be supplied by a fixed system.
If the high voltage generated by the high voltage generator is supplied to the X-ray source in known proportions over circuits of a corresponding length, this results in high capacitors in the high voltage circuit which cause interference when using pulses, because large amounts of energy are stored. Disadvantageously, this leads to an exposure of the patient to radiation that is unnecessary because no image is generated. Furthermore, in the event of collision ionization in an X-ray tube, the stored energy leads to considerable interference with the electronic systems located in the vicinity. If the high voltage is supplied to the rotating gantry of a computer tomography scanner via slip rings, then the volume of air required for the isolation of the high voltage is very considerable, which involves a considerable disadvantage in terms of costs.
Alternatively, it is known for the network AC voltage or for a DC voltage generated for this purpose for the intermediate circuit to be supplied to the rotating system by means of slip rings. However, this presents the problem already mentioned in the introduction that the further components required to generate the high voltage also have to be mounted on the rotating system, which results in considerable outlay in order to achieve mechanical stability because of the bulk and volumes involved, particular at high rotation speeds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,171 discloses an X-ray device of the kind mentioned in the introduction, in which device, at the output end, the AC input voltage of the inverter is transmitted from the stationary end via slip rings to a rotating high voltage generator. In such a transmission of the AC input voltage, there disadvantageously occurs a not inconsiderable emission of electric and magnetic fields by the lines from the output of the inverter to the slip ring, which can have a negative influence on the electronic systems in the vicinity. A further disadvantage in such a transmission is that the power that can be transmitted and the length of the permissible transmission line from the inverter to the high voltage generator are limited by the frequency of the AC input voltage. This is because, depending on the frequency, voltage drops or transmission losses occur as a result of the inductances and loss resistances present in the lines.


A data processing system augments compression of non-zero values of significant coefficients by coding entries of a significance map independently of coding the values of significant non-zero coefficients. A dedicated symbol represents a zerotree structure encompassing a related association of insignificant coefficients within the tree structure, thereby compactly representing each tree of insignificant coefficients. The zerotree symbol represents that neither a root coefficient of the zerotree structure nor any descendant of the root coefficient has a magnitude greater than a given reference level. The zerotree structure is disclosed in the context of a pyramid-type image subband processor together with successive refinement quantization and entropy coding to facilitate data compression.

Among the primary objectives of a digital data compression system are the removal of redundant information and the accurate representation of remaining information using a minimum number of bits, before the data is conveyed via a transmission channel or storage medium. Data to be compressed may represent various types of information, such as audio and video information for example.
Coding of data for compression often requires that two factors be considered in particular, namely, the location of significant data and the value of significant non-zero data. Compression coding of data locations, which may be represented by the entries of a so-called significance map, advantageously augments the coding of the significant non-zero data.
Recent developments in the field of image signal processing, among others, continue to focus attention on a need for efficient and accurate forms of data compression coding. In this regard various forms of so-called "pyramid" signal processing have been proposed, particularly in the context of image information processing. Multiresolution "pyramid" processing of image data is described, for example, by Burt et al. in "The Laplacian Pyramid as a Compact Image Code", IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. Com-31, No. 4, April 1983. A so-called "wavelet" pyramid is a specific type of multiresolution pyramid that uses quadrature mirror filters (QMF) to produce subband decompositions of an original image representative video signal. A signal processor of this type is described by Pentland et al. in "A Practical Approach to Fractal-Based Image Compression", Proceedings of the DCC '91 Data Compression Conference, Apr. 8-11, 1991, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, Calif. The Pentland et al. compression system attempts to use low frequency coarse scale information to predict significant information at high frequency finer scales. QMF subband pyramid processing also is described in the book "Subband Image Coding", J. W. Woods, ed., Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991.
Another system for pyramid processing image data is described by Lewis et al. in "A 64 Kb/s Video Codec Using the 2-D Wavelet Transform", Proceedings of the DCC '91 Data Compression Conference as mentioned above. Lewis et al. describe a coding system based on a model of human visual perception. Decomposed high pass bands are coded by constructing spatially local trees having nodes comprising 2.times.2 blocks of subtrees. The energy (a statistical measure) of a tree is compared with a human visual system weighted threshold to determine if a tree is important or not. If not, the coder assumes that the remainder of the tree if zero and a "zero flag" is sent.
A disclosed system according to the present invention uses the absence of significant low frequency coarse scale information to predict the absence of significant information at higher frequency finer scales, in contrast to the Pentland et al. system which conversely attempts to predict significant information. In addition, the disclosed system advantageously does not rely upon a statistical measure, such as energy, associated with a block of plural coefficients as in Lewis et al., since such reliance may lead to a significant coefficient being obscured by surrounding insignificant coefficients. Also unlike Lewis et al., a system according to the present invention guarantees that for a given threshold neither a root element of a tree structure nor any descendant of a root element has a magnitude greater than the threshold. The disclosed system can accurately and unambiguously determine and represent, with a single symbol, a series of individual coefficients which are insignificant with respect to a given threshold, thereby defining a tree structure (i.e., a zerotree) based upon an evaluation of individual coefficients.

Digital data compression system including zerotree coefficient coding


A Western style toilet seat and seat cover opening-closing device is disclosed, in which a rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the axial direction of a case body designed to be mounted on the toilet bowl, and a first rotation control of the rotating shaft is provided in a part housed in the case body. In the case body above or below the first rotation control a second rotation control of the rotating shaft are vertically juxtaposed. Between the second rotation controls and the first rotation control mechanism, a driving power transmitting mechanism is disposed. On the rotating shaft, one of the seat or seat cover mounting sections is rotatably mounted through a bearing, while the other is so fixed as to rotate together with the rotating shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Western style toilet seat and seat cover opening-closing device suitable for use in controlling the opening and closing operation of particularly the Western style toilet seat and seat cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a device for controlling a turning torque of Western style toilet seat and seat cover to prevent abrupt drop of the seat and seat cover at the time of closing and further to stop and hold the seat fast at an intermediate angle of opening particularly for urination, an opening-closing device has been known, in which a rotating shaft rotatably supporting a seat and seat cover mounting section is rotatably mounted within a cylindrical case body attached to the toilet bowl, and is operated through a cam mechanism mounted within the case body and a rotation damper device.
The opening-closing device of the prior art Western style toilet seat and seat cover is long in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, just like a single bar. Therefore, when the case body is supported at one end in a cantilever fashion on a support member fixedly attached on the toilet bowl, the device is likely to become unsteady. In other types of opening-closing devices, as the provision of a large mounting space on the toilet bowl is needed, there exists such a problem that the design of the device will be restricted.

Opening and closing device of Western style toilet seat and seat cover


A personal portable power distribution apparatus including a portable central power source, a power management module coupled to receive power from the central power source, and a harness assembly having at least one power supply node for distributing power from the power management module, wherein the power management module is operable to control supply of power through each individual power supply node, each power supply node terminating in a like connector, and an adaptor module is fitted to a power input terminal of an electronic accessory device to adapt the device for operation with the power distribution apparatus by providing a corresponding connector suitable for interconnection with said like connector(s).

It is known to provide a personal Local Area Network (LAN) interconnection system for interconnecting various electronic devices such as radio, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), target acquisition, computing equipment, weapon sub-system and a power supply. Furthermore, it is known for such an interconnection system to be integrated into a webbing garment of a soldier for use in the field.
However, the applicant has identified various shortcomings present in existing interconnection systems. More particularly, the applicant has identified that existing interconnection systems require electronic devices which are specially developed for use with the interconnection system, and that the replacement of existing electronic devices with such specially developed devices represents a significant cost. Also, the applicant has identified that existing systems require specific electronic devices to be connected to specific power nodes of the interconnection system, resulting in a lack of interchangeability such that in the event of breakage of one power node the associated electronic device may no longer be operable.
Examples of the present invention seek to provide an improved interconnection system which overcomes or at least alleviates one or more of the disadvantages associated with known interconnection systems.

Personal portable power distribution apparatus


This invention concerns enhancing human powered locomotion by converting the forces exerted across the pelvis into wheeled propulsion. The invention may be practiced by a two-wheeled vehicle having: rigid rails secured to a front steering assembly and to a rear trestle anchor with flexible attachment to a pelvic harness; a linear transmission component consisting of two foot-attaching runners that glide along the rails and are attached to a linear power transmission apparatus; and a rotary transmission component operably connected to the linear transmission component and to a rear wheel. The rotary transmission component can be a mechanical apparatus driven by linear motion of the runners or an electrical apparatus powered by electrical current generated from motion of the runners. Hybrid Electro-Mechanical embodiments of the transmission components are also contemplated. The vehicle is operated by a rider simulating walking or running motion.

This invention relates to a method of enhancing the efficacy of human-powered locomotion, the apparatus used to practice the method, and the method of operating that apparatus.
Normal human locomotion is effected by walking; a process by which the entire body weight is alternately shifted from one leg to the other as foot-placement is advanced by the free leg. This action is pivoted at the pelvis which has evolved into the most powerful part of the human body. The object of this invention is to harness this pelvic power to enhance the efficacy of locomotive effort.

Method and means of enhancing human powered locomotion


A malfunction detection apparatus is disclosed for a forced induction system. The system includes a compressor provided on an upstream side of a throttle valve in an intake passage of an engine, an upstream intake pressure sensor that detects intake pressure between the compressor and the throttle valve, and an atmospheric pressure sensor that detects atmospheric pressure. The malfunction detection apparatus includes a malfunction detection program that makes a comparison between the atmospheric pressure detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor and the upstream intake pressure detected by the upstream intake pressure sensor. The comparison is made in an operating state of the forced induction system in which the compressor compresses an amount of air that is approximately equal to or less than a predetermined amount to thereby determine whether the upstream pressure sensor has a malfunction.

Generally, engines with forced induction systems include a turbocharger or a supercharger with a compressor disposed upstream of a throttle. The compressor compresses intake air, and the compressed air moves toward the throttle. These systems often include an upstream intake pressure sensor provided between the compressor and the throttle valve to detect a charging pressure (i.e., the intake pressure between the compressor and the throttle valve).
Japanese Patent No. 2632368 describes a device for detecting a malfunction of the upstream intake pressure sensor. The device includes an upstream intake pressure sensor (upstream of the throttle valve) and a downstream intake pressure sensor (downstream of the throttle valve). If the upstream intake pressure sensor is functioning properly, the pressure upstream of the throttle valve should remain higher than the pressure downstream of the throttle valve. However, malfunction of the upstream intake pressure sensor is detected if the pressure downstream of the throttle valve is detected higher than the pressure upstream of the throttle valve.
However, the device described in Japanese Patent No. 2632368 may inaccurately or unreliably detect malfunction of the upstream intake pressure sensor. More specifically, even if the upstream intake pressure sensor is malfunctioning, the malfunction may not be detected if the upstream intake pressure sensor is outputting inaccurately high pressure signals.
Furthermore, another device for detecting a malfunction of an upstream intake pressure sensor is disclosed in JP-A-60-4838. More specifically, the device includes a low pressure intake pressure sensor for detecting low pressure and a high pressure intake pressure sensor for detecting high pressure. A malfunction of the low pressure intake pressure sensor is detected when a detected value VPBNA of the low pressure intake pressure sensor is higher than a judgment value VPBNAH and when a detected value VPBTC of the high pressure intake pressure sensor is lower than a set value VPBTC17. A malfunction of the high pressure intake pressure sensor is detected where a detected value VPBTC of the intake pressure sensor for high pressure is lower than a judgment value VPBTCL and when a detected value VPBNA of the intake pressure sensor for low pressure is higher than a set value VPBNA17.
However, the device described in JP-A-60-4838 may be inaccurate or unreliable because malfunction of one of the sensors is detected based on the other sensor. More specifically, if one of the sensors malfunctions, the other sensor may be improperly identified as the malfunctioning sensor.

Malfunction detection apparatus for pressure sensor


An optical joystick for a hand-held communication device employs an image capture device for sensing movement of a stylus by capturing images of the stylus or a target attached to a socket receiving the stylus. The captured images are processed for tracking movement of the stylus so that movement of the stylus may be used for controlling functions of the hand-held communication device.

The present invention relates generally to hand-held communication devices such as mobile telephones, palmtop computers, personal digital assistants (PDA's) or the like, and more particularly, to an optical joystick for hand-held communication devices.
Hand-held communication devices, particularly mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA's), and the like, comprise a class of portable electronic devices, whose size enables them to be held in one hand while being operated with the other. Typical hand-held communication devices include a display, which may include a digitizer or touch sensitive overlay for allowing a user to enter information and commands using a stylus or pen, and a keypad for entering alphanumeric text, common commands, selecting menus to be displayed by the display, and the like. Often, such hand-held communication devices include a small digital camera, allowing the user of the device to take digital photographs, which may be stored in the device's memory, and transmitted to others via a communication network.
Many hand-held communication devices support sophisticated software applications such as address book and calendar software, Internet browsers, text messaging, and the like. Such software applications require graphical user interface software employing a cursor for selection of menu items, entering of commands, and the like. Many hand-held communication devices further support gaming applications for the entertainment of their users. Such gaming applications often employ characters that must be precisely manipulated while playing the game.
Controls provided by hand-held communication devices (i.e., the keys of the keypad, the stylus/digitizer, and the like) do not readily allow accurate manipulation of indicia such as a cursor or gaming character, since the controls are clumsy to use and do not support true 360 degree movement of the indicia. Moreover, control devices such as mouses, trackballs, joysticks, and the like typically employed by computers are too bulky for use with hand-held communication devices due to the small size of the devices. As a result, users often find software or gaming applications supported by the hand-held devices difficult to use, lessening the utility of the devices to the user.

Optical joystick for hand-held communication device


A noninvasive technique that can be used to deny blood flow to a particular region of tissue, without the inherent risks associated with invasive procedures such as surgery and minimally-invasive procedures such as embolization. Blood flow in selected portions of the vasculature can be occluded by selectively treating specific portions of the vasculature with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The occlusion denies undesired tissue the nutrients and oxygen provided by blood flow, causing necrosis in the undesired tissue. An imaging technology (such as magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, ultrasound imaging, Doppler based ultrasound imaging, or computed tomographic angiography) is used to identify the undesired tissue, and the vascular structures associated with the undesired tissue. A portion of the vasculature providing blood flow to the undesired tissue is selected, and HIFU is administered to the selected portion of the vasculature to occlude blood flow through that portion of the vasculature.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has emerged as a precise, non-surgical, minimally-invasive treatment for benign and malignant tumors. At focal intensities (1,000-10,000 W/cm2) that are 4-5 orders of magnitude greater than that of diagnostic ultrasound (approximately 0.1 W/cm2), HIFU can be applied transcutaneously to induce lesions (i.e., localized tissue necrosis) at a small, well defined region (approximately 1 mm) deep within tissue, while leaving intervening tissue between the HIFU transducer and the focal point essentially unharmed. Tissue necrosis is a result of tissue at the focal point of the HIFU beam being heated to over 70° C. in a very short period of time (generally less than one second). Tissue necrosis also results from cavitation activity, which causes tissue and cellular disorganization. HIFU is currently being used clinically for the treatment of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as the treatment of malignant bone tumors and soft tissue sarcomas. Clinical trials are currently being conducted for HIFU treatment of breast fibroadenomas, and various stage-4 primary and metastatic cancerous tumors of the kidney and liver.
Therapeutic uses of HIFU have generally been directed at destroying undesired masses of tissue by directly targeting the tissue itself. However, the focal region of a HIFU transducer is relatively small (approximately the size of a grain of rice). Thus, to treat the entire volume of even a relatively small tumor with HIFU to necrose the tumorous tissue requires constantly changing the position of the focal region of the HIFU transducer relative to the tumor, leading to relatively long treatment times, and requiring relatively complicated targeting systems. It would be desirable to provide a technique for utilizing HIFU's ability to non-invasively destroy undesired tissue, such as a tumor, without requiring treatment of the entire volume of the undesired tissue.

Treatment of unwanted tissue by the selective destruction of vasculature providing nutrients to the tissue


Algorithms for improving the performance of conventional tone mapping operators (TMO) by calculating both a contrast waste score and a contrast loss score for a first tone-mapped image produced by the TMO. The two contrast scores can be used to optimize the performance of the TMO by reducing noise and improving contrast. Algorithms for generating an HDR image by converting non-linear color space images into linear color space format, aligning the images to a reference, de-ghosting the aligned images if necessary, and merging the aligned (and potentially de-ghosted) images to create an HDR image. The merging can be performed with exposure fusion, HDR reconstruction, or other suitable techniques.

There are various challenges that exist with generating images that were originally captured in a variety of scenarios and environments, including low light levels, high noise, and high dynamic range (HDR) situations. The dynamic range in an imaging situation refers to the range of luminance values in the scene to be imaged. It can be expressed as the ratio of the greatest luminance value in the scene to the smallest luminance value in the scene. Most imaging systems are not capable of acquiring or capturing an HDR image with a single exposure. Thus, HDR images are typically computer-generated or generated from a combination of images captured at different times or with different exposure settings.
Once an HDR image has been created, it can be challenging to satisfactorily display the image in an electronic or printed medium. The challenge comes primarily from the lack of dynamic range in the electronic or print medium. This challenge is typically addressed with tone mapping operators (TMOs), which convert a range of luminance values in an input image into a range of luminance values that well matches the electronic or pre-print medium.
Further, there is a need to provide techniques and algorithms for improved tone mapping and for improved generation of HDR images.
It is against this background that the techniques and algorithms described herein have been developed.

High dynamic range and tone mapping imaging techniques


Methods and devices are provided for efficient transmission of data between storage area networks. According to some aspects of the invention, a “slim” TCP stack is provided which eliminates the socket layer found in a conventional TCP stack, thereby eliminating socket buffers and the associated buffer-to-buffer copying. Moreover, by eliminating the socket layer, one eliminates the listen state. This condition allows TCP processing in an interrupt context instead of client/server operation with a listen state. Accordingly, some aspects of the invention provide for transmitting data between SANs in an interrupt context.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data networks. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and devices for transmitting data between storage area networks.
2. Description of Related Art
Storage area networks ("SANs") are becoming increasingly popular networks for businesses, universities and governmental entities. Such networks are typically connected via optical fiber, which allows for high-speed data transmission. Many SANs use the Fiber Channel ("FC") protocol for data transmitted via optical fiber.
Difficulties arise when one SAN sends data to and receives data from a remote SAN. If the SANs are using the FC protocol and are transmitting data via the internet, the FC packets from the SANs must be encapsulated according to the TCP/IP protocol for transmission across the Internet. However, conventional methods for encapsulation and de-encapsulation of FC packets are both expensive and inefficient in the way they deal with the networks spanning large distances. These drawbacks can reduce the advantages associated with SANs.

Methods and devices for transmitting data between storage area networks


In a stepping motor drive device, it is possible to prevent malfunction due to negative current from a stepping motor of a plurality of power MOSFETs that apply drive voltage in a complementary way to paired coils of the stepping motor. A fall delay circuit delays the timing of the fall of input pulse signals applied in a complementary way to the gate of each of a plurality of MOSFETs that apply drive voltage in a complementary way to paired coils of a stepping motor by a time Td, wherein Td>Trise−Tfall, in accordance with a rise time Trise when turning on, and a fall time Tfall when turning off, the relevant MOSFET, and after one MOSFET is turned on, another MOSFET is turned off.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stepping motor drive device including a plurality of insulated gate semiconductor elements (for example, power MOSFETs) that apply drive voltage in a complementary way to paired coils of a stepping motor, thus driving the stepping motor.
2. Description of the Background Art
A stepping motor 1 includes a plurality of pairs of coils 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b provided enclosing a rotor 2, as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a main portion of a two-phase unipolar type of the stepping motor 1. The stepping motor 1 is excited by current being caused to flow in a complementary way to the paired coils 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b, as shown in, for example, FIG. 6, because of which the rotor 2 is rotary driven in increments of a predetermined angle.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an overall configuration of a stepping motor drive device 10 that drives the stepping motor 1. The stepping motor drive device 10 includes parallel drive circuits 11, 12, 13, and 14 that apply drive voltages Vout1, Vout2, Vout3, and Vout4 in a complementary way to terminals Xa, Xb, Ya, and Yb of the coils 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b. Input pulse signals Vin1, Vin2, Vin3, and Vin4 generated by a timing generator 15 and having the kinds of predetermined phase difference shown in FIG. 6 are input into the drive circuits 11, 12, 13, and 14 respectively, thus generating the drive voltages Vout1, Vout2, Vout3, and Vout4.
Further, the drive circuit 11 (12, 13, 14) includes an insulated gate semiconductor element, for example, a power MOSFET 22, that is driven on and off by a gate drive circuit 21, generates the drive voltage Vout1 (Vout2, Vout3, Vout4), and applies the drive voltage Vout1 (Vout2, Vout3, Vout4) to the coil 3a (3b, 4a, 4b), as shown in, for example, FIG. 8. Herein, the gate drive circuit 21 receives the input pulse signal, which is provided via a logic circuit 23, and generates a gate signal, thus driving the power MOSFET 22 on and off (for example, refer to JP-A-2011-239242).
Reference sign 24 in FIG. 8 is an overheat detector circuit that detects overheat trouble in the power MOSFET 22 via an unshown temperature sensor. Also, reference sign 25 is an overcurrent detector circuit that monitors the current flowing to the stepping motor (load) 1 via serially-connected resistors r1 and r2. When overheat trouble is detected by the overheat detector circuit 24, or when an overcurrent is detected by the overcurrent detector circuit 25, the logic circuit 23 drives on a protective MOSFET 26 connected to the gate of the power MOSFET 22. By the MOSFET 26 being driven on, the gate voltage of the power MOSFET 22 is compulsorily set to the ground potential, and the drive of the power MOSFET 22 is stopped. Because of this, the stepping motor (load) 1 and power MOSFET 22 are protected from the heretofore described troubles.
Also, when the drive of the power MOSFET 22 is controlled so as to stop by the logic circuit 23 in this way, information thereon is output to the exterior as a status signal ST via a MOSFET 27. Also, when a disconnection of the stepping motor 1, that is, a disconnection of the coil 3a (3b, 4a, 4b) is detected via serially-connected resistors r3 and r4, information thereon is output to the exterior as the status signal ST via a MOSFET 28 provided in parallel with the MOSFET 27.


In a substrate processing apparatus, an anti-static liquid supply part supplies the anti-static liquid having electrical resistivity higher than that of an SPM liquid onto a substrate to puddle an entire upper surface of the substrate with the anti-static liquid, to thereby gradually remove static electricity from the substrate. Then, the processing liquid supply part supplies the SPM liquid onto the substrate to thereby perform an SPM process. In the SPM process, it is thereby possible to prevent a large amount of electric charges from rapidly moving from the substrate to the SPM liquid and prevent any damage to the substrate. Further, by maintaining the electrical resistivity of the anti-static liquid at the target electrical resistivity, it is possible to increase the static elimination efficiency of the substrate and shorten the time required for the static elimination process within the limits of causing no damage to the substrate.

In a process of manufacturing a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter, referred to simply as a "substrate"), conventionally, various processes are performed on a substrate having an insulating film such as an oxide film or the like thereon by using a substrate processing apparatus. By supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate having a surface on which a resist pattern is formed, for example, a process such as etching or the like is performed on the surface of the substrate. Further, after etching or the like is finished, a process of removing the resist from the substrate is also performed.
In a substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-200365, before the process using a processing liquid such as an SPM (sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture) liquid or the like is performed, a liquid having electrical conductivity lower than the processing liquid is supplied to a processing area on a substrate and then the processing liquid is discharged to the processing area with the liquid existing therein. It is thereby possible, in the substrate processing apparatus, to prevent any local damage of the substrate due to the contact made between the substrate and the processing liquid. The local damage of the substrate refers to destruction of a field oxide film or a gate oxide film in the processing area, and the destruction is caused by bringing the processing area on the substrate into contact with the processing liquid which is electrically charged by the frictional electrification phenomenon between the processing liquid and a processing liquid nozzle.
A substrate to be processed by a substrate processing apparatus is subjected to a drying process such as dry etching, plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), or the like, before being loaded into the substrate processing apparatus. In such a drying process, since electric charges are generated in a device, the substrate which is electrically charged is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus. Then, in the substrate processing apparatus, when a processing liquid having low electrical resistivity, such as an SPM liquid, is supplied onto the substrate, the electric charges in the device rapidly move from the device to the processing liquid (in other words, the electric charges are discharged into the processing liquid) and damage may be caused in the device by heat generation due to the movement of the electric charges. Then, it is thought to be effective to remove static electricity from the substrate by using an ionizer before supplying the processing liquid onto the substrate, but when the amount of electrostatic charges on the substrate is too large, it is hard to efficiently remove static electricity from the substrate.
On the other hand, in the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-200365, if water is contained in the liquid to be supplied onto the substrate before the process using the processing liquid is performed, for example, in the process using the processing liquid, damage may be caused to the substrate by heat of reaction between sulfuric acid in the SPM liquid serving as the processing liquid and water. Further, if water-diluted processing liquid is used, the processing liquid, when supplied onto the substrate, may deteriorate the quality of the processing of the substrate. When the water-diluted processing liquid is partial mixture of the processing liquid and water, the liquid leads to ununiformity in the concentration of the processing liquid, which may deteriorate uniformity of the processing over the entire substrate.

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method


A transvenous lead specifically designed for coronary sinus implantation. The lead of the present invention features an electrode/anchoring portion at its distal end. The electrode/anchoring portion features a dual tapered self-propelling spiral electrode. Through this design the electrode supplies excellent direct electrical contact to the inside of the vessel. The dual tapered spiral permits the electrode to either be propelled forward within the vessel and toward the more distal locations by turning in a first direction and also permits the electrode to be propelled backwards within the vessel toward the more proximal locations by turning in a second, opposite direction. The spiral shape does not obstruct blood flow. The taper to the spiral also permits the electrode portion to be placed through any valves which may be within the vessel without causing damage. Through this design the lead provides the ability to electrically sense and stimulate many areas along the coronary sinus and its related vessels such that either the left atrium or left ventricle of the heart may be electrically stimulated.

Modern electrical therapeutic and diagnostic devices for the heart, such as pacemakers, cardiovertors, and defibrillators, for example, require a reliable electrical connection between the device and a region of the heart. Typically, a medical electrical "lead" is used for the desired electrical connection.
One type of commonly used implantable lead is a transvenous lead. Transvenous leads are positioned through the venous system to attach or electrically connect at their distal end to the heart. At their proximal end, they are connected to typically an implantable pulse generator. Such leads normally took the form of a long, generally straight, flexible, insulated conductor. Among the many advantages of a transvenous lead is that it permits an electrical contact with the heart without physically exposing the heart itself, i.e., major thoracic surgery is not required.
The specific design of a transvenous lead used is often varied depending upon the region of the heart to which it is to be connected. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,330 of Lindemans discloses a body implantable lead in which the lead body has a J-curve and the distal electrode has a permanent bend. In such a manner, the lead is configured to electrically connect to the right atrium.
While such a lead has been found acceptable for electrically connecting and thus pacing the right atrium, the need exists for a transvenous medical electrical lead which may provide an electrical connection to the left atrium or even the left ventricle. Of course the left side of the heart cannot, at present, be transvenously accessed with a lead for chronic implantation due to the direction of blood flow and the present limitations of materials. To be precise, blood flows through the right side of the heart (atrium and ventricle), through the lungs, through the left side of the heart (atrium and ventricle) and then through the rest of the body, including the brain, before returning again to the right side of the heart. Implanted objects, however, may cause minor blood clots and thrombus to form in the blood. These may, on occasion, dislodge and be released into the bloodstream. Because the blood circulates directly from the left atrium and ventricle to the brain, any clots, however minor, could have serious consequences if they were to reach the brain, e.g. a stroke. In contrast, any clots released from an object implanted in the right side of the heart would simply travel to the lungs, where they would lodge without any serious risk. Thus at present, chronic transvenous leads may not be safely implanted within the left side of the heart.
In spite of the difficulties, there remains a great need to be able to electrically stimulate or sense or both the left side of the heart. The most obvious reason is the left side of the heart accounts for the majority of the heart's hemodynamic output. For example, the left ventricle has a greater wall thickness (10-20 mm as compared to 1-5 mm) than the right side. This, of course, is reasonable given that the left side of the heart must pump blood throughout the body while the right side only pumps blood through the lungs.
Because the left side is relatively more important for hemodynamic output, not surprisingly, various pathologies may be better treated through stimulation on the left side of the heart. For example, in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, electrical stimulation of both the right side and the left side of the heart has been shown to be of major importance to improve the patient's well-being and manage heart failure. See, for example, Cazeau et al., "Four Chamber Pacing in Dilated Cardiomyopathy," PACE, November 1994, pgs. 1974-79. See also Brecker and Fontainem,St. et al., "Effects Of Dual Chamber Pacing With Short Atrioventricular Delay In Dilated Cardiomyopathy," Lancet November 1992 Vol. 340 p1308-1312; Xiao H. B. et al., "Effect Of Left Bundle Branch Block On Diastolic Function In Dilated Cardiomyopathy," Br. Heart J 1991, 66(6) p 443-447; and Fontaine G et al, "Electrophysiology Of Pseudofunction," CI.Meere (ed.) Cardiac pacing, state of the art 1979, Pacesymp, 1979 Montreal..
At present there are several techniques for implanting a lead onto or into the left side of the heart. First, of course, is through general thoracic surgery; either via a median sternotomy; intercostal approach; or, in a more limited procedure, a sub-xiphoid approach. These procedures, however, involve major surgery which may be painful and dangerous for the patient, as well as extremely costly. The sub-xiphoid approach, moreover, only permits limited access. Another approach used to electrically access the left side of the heart is through the coronary sinus.
The coronary sinus, however, presents challenges in both implanting the lead in the proper position as well as ensuring the lead maintains sufficient electrical contact with the desired tissue. For example, coronary sinus and the related vessels are vital to the proper circulating of blood through the heart tissue. Thus, the occlusion of blood flow in the vessel by a lead should not occur. Moreover, the lead should not cause, by its presence, an extensive amount of thrombosis to form. Both the occlusion and thrombosis may hinder blood flow to the point that stagnation occurs in the vessel. The health of the surrounding tissue would be impacted. Moreover, the coronary sinus and its related vessels typically have an extremely tortuous path, especially in the more distal locations. These locations, however, are the preferred locations for providing electrical stimulation. Thus such leads must be able to follow and remain within the various tortuous locations within the coronary sinus and its related vessels. Once the lead is properly positioned it is essential that the electrode has good contact with the inside of the vessel. Further complicating matters is the fact that blood valves may be present within various portions of the coronary sinus and its related vessels. These valves may hinder the passage of the lead through the vessel. Due to the many obstacles faced by placing a lead within these vessels, it is thus preferred by physicians that the lead be able to be placed using a guide wire.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a medical electrical lead which may be positioned within the more distal tortuous portions of the coronary sinus and its related vessels.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a lead which will not occlude blood flow through the vessel in which it is placed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lead having an electrode which will maintain good contact with the inside of the vessel wall and thereby provide excellent electrical properties.
It is a still further object of the present invention is to provide a medical electrical lead which may be positioned along a selected portion of the coronary sinus wall placed using a guide wire.
It is a still further object of the present invention is to provide a medical electrical lead having an electrode which may be easily positioned along a selected portion of the coronary sinus wall through rotation of the electrode portion, but which may be as easily removed from the coronary sinus through counter rotation of the electrode portion.

Medical electrical lead having tapered spiral fixation


A dual shoulder strap device attachable to a standard golf bag to allow a golfer to carry the golf bag centered on his back. For example, the dual shoulder strap device is made from a single piece to prevent twisting and entangling of the two separate shoulder straps. Alternatively, the dual shoulder straps are connected to tracks built into a coupler, in which the tracks allow the shoulder straps to be adjustable to the differing widths of the golfer's shoulders.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf accessories. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to straps attachable to a golf bag allowing a person to carry the golf bag on his back by placing the straps over both shoulders.
2. Related Art
Traditionally, the golf bag came with a single strap where one end was attachable to the top of the golf bag and the other end to a mid-point on the bag. The golfer would then carry the bag by placing one arm through the single strap and carrying the bag over one shoulder. However, due to the combined weight of the golf clubs and the bag, the shoulder used to carry the golf bag would experience increased strain and soreness. Additionally, the imbalance would also cause strain on the lower back and hip.
Recently, a type of dual carrying strap containing two shoulder straps has been used in place of the single strap. By placing a shoulder strap over each shoulder, the dual carrying strap works like a backpack. Thus, the dual carrying strap centers the weight of the golf bag on the back of the golfer for better balance and weight distribution. However, these dual shoulder straps would easily get twisted before the straps could be placed on the shoulders of the golfer. Additionally, the extra straps required in these dual carrying straps made the golf bag unattractive to golfers. Furthermore, the dual carrying straps were difficult to adjust for the different shoulder widths of golfers.


The invention relates to a new water purification system design that uses reverse osmosis membrane filtration and optional ultra violet light treatment. The new system creates the potential for achieving a higher standard of performance for point-of-use reverse osmosis systems. The system provides for a multiple pass, multiple barrier method for delivering freshly treated, high-quality water from the system. A microprocessor controlled operating system maintains the system within a narrow range of optimal performance at all times. The system provides for two water storage tanks, each equipped with its own pump. With an operating system sequence of alternating flow cycles, an internal state of continuous water movement and dynamic treatment is created and maintained within the elements of the system. The system dynamics contribute to microbial control throughout the system. The system incorporates cross flow filtration in all elements. Both hardware and software innovations contribute to the improved design and operational performance of the system. The operational aspects of the system contribute to the reduced operational costs, high contaminant rejection and a fifty percent water recovery.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to a system for purifying a liquid, and specifically to (1) membrane treatment processes used in a water purification system, and (2) a microprocessor controlled operating system to improve the performance of a water purification system utilizing reverse osmosis (RO) filtration and ultra-violet light (UV) treatment.
2. Description of Prior Art
Domestic point-of-use (POU) water treatment technologies have been developed to improve the quality of drinking water supplies, and are used to process a small fraction (one to two percent) of supplied tap water. Various POU treatment technologies improve drinking water quality. Reverse osmosis filtration is a widely used and versatile separation process, and it is regarded as one of the most effective processes for providing quality drinking water.
The use of very fine RO membranes is, however, subject to a number of constraints. In general, RO membranes should be used in conjunction with other filtration elements. In fact, RO membrane units should be configured in a treatment system that must also provide for the pre-filtration of tap water, the production and storage of RO product water, and the post-filtration of the stored RO water prior to deliver via a faucet. RO water storage is needed because household water is supplied only at low pressure, that is, 45-60 pounds per square inch (psi). At low pressures, RO product water cannot be produced at high delivery flow rates that can directly supply a faucet. The large surface area membranes that would be required are costly and not practicable for POU applications.
In prior art RO systems, the energy required to run an RO system is supplied indirectly by the hydraulic pressure in the water supply line. While this mode of RO system operation (which does not require a supply of electricity) is convenient, it nevertheless imposes a number of constraints on the performance of prior art systems. In particular, the use of the water supply line pressure to drive the water purification system limits the operational performance of the RO membrane itself. Three variable factors that can adversely affect an RO membrane operation are (1) the incoming water supply pressure, (2) the membrane flux ratio (defined by the ratio of the membrane reject flow to the product water flow through the membrane), and (3) the back pressure transmitted to the membrane from the storage device. Virtually all prior art RO systems use a bladder tank for the storage of RO product water. The working pressure of the RO membrane is the supply pressure to the membrane unit less the bladder tank pressure that must be overcome to force more water into the tank. High internal tank pressure, when the tank is full, permits a good water delivery rate to a faucet but a poor RO production rate when the RO water is stored. When the tank storage is low, water delivery from the bladder tank is poor, but RO water production to the bladder tank is high. This arrangement for operating prior art RO systems results in a constant compromise in system performance.
The performance limitations of elementary RO systems are basically caused by (1) intermittent or low water supply pressure, (2) inactivity of the system during periods when water is not drawn from the system, storage tank back pressure, and (3) the operational use of less than recommended flux ratios. Low flux ratios are used to reduce high water wastage, but the arbitrary reduction of reject flows can lead to deterioration of treatment elements in the system. Performance limitations have been addressed by providing optional add-on components to enhance system performance. These extra components include pressure booster pumps, shut-off valves and devices to utilize the energy lost in the reject flow. The basic design and operation of prior art systems has not been changed by the addition of these technical fixes.
An advanced prior art system for domestic water purification is illustrated in FIG. 1. A branching feed valve 10 connects the system to a pressurized supply of feed water. A conduit 12 connects the feed valve 10 to a pre-filter 14, which removes contaminants such as suspended particles and dissolved chemical contaminants which can have a detrimental effect on the subsequent membrane treatment. Pre-filters are typically designed to capture particles greater than five microns in size. After the pre-filter 14, the water is passed through a carbon filter 16 which adsorbs organic or chlorinated chemicals in the water. From the carbon filter 16 the water is passed via a shut-off valve assembly 18 to the membrane unit 20. With cross-flow filtration, the Reverse Osmosis membrane contained in the membrane unit 20 will remove macromolecules and ionic particles from the pre-filtered water, and the concentrated contaminated stream can be directed through outlet 21 to a drain through a flow restriction valve 22 and a waste conduit 24. The purified product water or permeate is directed through outlet 26, and along conduit 28 which is provided with a check valve 30. The product water then passes through the shut-off valve assembly 18 and flows on to the storage tank 32. A typical storage tank 32 is a bladder tank. An air chamber in the tank is compressed as the tank fills with water from the membrane unit 20, and the resulting air compression causes pressurization in the water compartment of the bladder tank. The bladder tank pressure induced by the storage of treated water produces flow at the faucet 34 when the faucet is opened. The stored water is forced into conduit 36 and through the carbon filter 38 which provides a final "polishing" of the dispensed water. A pressure pump 40 and a booster permeate pump 42, which can use the waste water line pressure to boost the pumping pressure, can be configured as optional extras to improve the performance. Water conductivity sensors 44 in conduit 12, and 46 in conduit 36, are used in advanced prior art systems to monitor the relative removal of mineral ions by the Reverse Osmosis membrane 20. This monitoring through the paired sensors 44 and 46 provides a relative indication of water quality improvement, which is used to display the proper functioning of the RO water purification system.