The present disclosure relates to methods for inhibiting an autoimmune disease by administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition that increases FOXP3 expression, thereby inhibiting the autoimmune disease. Further disclosed herein are methods for detecting in a subject an autoimmune disease or a predisposition to an autoimmune disease, and methods for assessing the efficacy of a therapy for an autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) may result from the failure of tolerance mechanisms to prevent expansion of pathogenic T cells directed at myelin determinants or other self-tissue antigens. These tolerance mechanisms include CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) (Sakaguchi et al., J. Immunol. 155:1151-64, 1995) that may have specificity for TCR determinants (Buenafe et al., J. Neurosci. Res. 76:129-40, 2004; Kumar, J. Clin. Invest. 114:1222-26, 2004). CD4+CD25+ Treg cells represent a unique lineage that maintains central tolerance in the thymus (Sakaguchi, Cell 101:455-58, 2000; Shevach, Ann. Rev. Immunol. 18:423-49, 2000). The Treg cells also exert their regulatory function in the periphery where they constitute ˜5-10% of circulating CD4+ cells. However, peripheral Treg cells may also be induced from CD4+CD25-precursors (Walker et al., J. Clin. Invest. 112:1437-43, 2003).
Treg cells provide a critical level of protection against autoimmunity, transplant rejection and lymphoproliferative disease in several mouse models (Coffer and Burgering, Nature Rev. 4:889-99, 2004). The FOXP3 transcription factor is predominantly expressed by the Treg cell lineage and appears to act as a master regulator for cytokine production and cell-cell contact dependent inhibition of T effector cell activation (Fontenot et al., Nature Immunol. 4:330-36, 2003; Hori et al., Science 299:1057-61, 2003; Khattri et al., Nature Immunol. 4:337-42, 2003; Ramsdell, Immunity 19:165-68, 2003) that may involve membrane-bound perforin molecules (Grossman et al., Immunity 21:589-601, 2004). Recessive X-linked mutations in the FoxP3 gene in scurfy mice (Brunkow et al., Nature Genet. 27:68-73, 2001) and in humans with IPEX (inununodysregulation, polyendocrinopathy and enteropathy, X-linked) (Bennett et al., Nature Genet. 27:20-21, 2001; Gambineri et al., Current Opin. Rheumatol. 15:430-35, 2003; Wildin et al., Nature Genet. 27:18-20, 2001) lead to a fatal lymphoproliferative autoimmune condition.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, neurological, autoimmune, demyelinating disease. Multiple sclerosis can cause blurred vision, unilateral vision loss (optic neuritis), loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, changes in intellectual function (such as memory and concentration), muscular weakness, paresthesias, and blindness. Many subjects develop chronic progressive disabilities, but long periods of clinical stability may interrupt periods of deterioration. Neurological deficits may be permanent or evanescent. In the United States there are about 250,000 to 400,000 persons with MS, and every week about 200 new cases are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals. Because it is not contagious, which would require U.S. physicians to report new cases, and because symptoms can be difficult to detect, the incidence of disease is only estimated and the actual number of persons with MS could be much higher.
The pathology of MS is characterized by an abnormal immune response directed against the central nervous system. In particular, T lymphocytes are activated against the myelin sheath of the neurons of the central nervous system causing demyelination. In the demyelination process, myelin is destroyed and replaced by scars of hardened "sclerotic" tissue which is known as plaque. These lesions appear in scattered locations throughout the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord. Demyelination interferes with conduction of nerve impulses, which produces the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Most subjects recover clinically from individual bouts of demyelination, producing the classic remitting and exacerbating course of the most common form of the disease known as relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis develops in genetically predisposed individuals and is most likely triggered by environmental agents such as viruses (Martin et al., Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10:153-87, 1992). According to current hypotheses, activated autoreactive CD4+T helper cells (Th1 cells) which preferentially secrete interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factors alpha/beta (TNF-α/β), induce inflammation and demyelination in MS (Martin et al., Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10:153-87, 1992). Available data suggest that the predisposition to mount a Th1-like response to a number of different antigens is an important aspect of MS disease pathogenesis. Proinflanunatory cytokines (such as IFN-γ, TNF-α/β) and chemokines secreted by Th1 cells contribute to many aspects of lesion development including opening of the blood-brain-barrier, recruitment of other inflammatory cells, activation of resident glia (micro- and astroglia) and the effector phase of myelin damage via nitrogen and oxygen radicals secreted by activated macrophages (Wekerle et al., Trends Neuro Sci. 9:271-77, 1986).
There are currently four approved treatments for relapsing-remitting MS, three types of IFN-β (the Interferon-B multiple sclerosis study group, Neurology 43:655-61, 1993; the IFNB Multiple Sclerosis Study Group and the University of British Columbia MS/MRI Analysis Group, Neurology 45:1277-85, 1995; Jacobs et al., Ann. Neurol. 39:285-94, 1996), and copolymer-1 (Johnson KP, Group tCMST, J. Neural. 242:S38, 1995). Treatment failures have been linked to the development of neutralizing anti-IFN-β antibodies, although their role is also not completely understood at present (the IFNB Multiple Sclerosis Study Group and the University of British Columbia MS/MRI Analysis Group, Neurology 47:889-94, 1996). Failure to respond to IFN-β is not a rare event, and therefore it is important to identify new therapeutic protocols.

Methods for detecting and treating autoimmune disorders

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs


A hydraulic tank has an elastically deformable membrane defining a variable compensation chamber within the tank. The membrane has a fixed perimeter portion and a thrusting portion. A perimeter inlet portion is arranged between the perimeter fixing portion and the thrusting portion. In the condition of minimum expansion of the compensation chamber, the thrusting portion is completely arranged between the perimeter inlet portion of the membrane and a wall of the tank.

In modern bicycles, in particular in high performance bicycles, there is an increasingly use of onboard equipment that uses hydraulic controls. This is the case for example of hydraulic disc brake systems, in which the force necessary to obtain a suitable braking by means of the closing of the brake calipers on the discs is too high to be able to be easily exerted with the usual cable systems, controlled by the hands of the cyclist. With these braking systems, therefore, the force exerted by the hand of the cyclist is transferred to a hydraulic group.
In addition to the disc braking systems, other equipment can also use a hydraulic control. In particular, with reference again to the braking system, hydraulic rim braking systems are also known, in which the brake calipers act on the rim of the bicycle wheel, and not on discs like in the previous case.
Hydraulic brakes, and in particular hydraulic disc brakes, are often preferred to conventional pad brakes because they can ensure a high braking power and are less subject to problems caused by mud or water.
Typically, a disc brake comprises a brake caliper fixed to the frame of the bicycle or to the fork and a brake disc mounted on the hub of the wheel. Inside the brake caliper there is a hydraulic chamber in liquid communication with two opposite jaws, provided with respective friction gaskets (also called simply pads). The brake disc rotates inside the space defined between the two jaws. By bringing the jaws towards the brake disc, friction is generated between the brake disc and the pads and, consequently, the wheel is braked.
In order to move the jaws towards each other it is known to use a control device comprising a brake lever, a hydraulic cylinder in which a piston kinematically connected to the brake lever is able to slide and a tank in liquid communication with the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder is in liquid communication with a hydraulic chamber associated with the jaws.
By actuating the brake lever the liquid contained in the hydraulic cylinder of the control device is acted upon, the hydraulic cylinder sends pressurized liquid to the hydraulic chamber and the jaws are actuated.
Usually, the tank comprises a deformable membrane for transferring part of the liquid provided inside the tank to the hydraulic cylinder in order to ensure a suitable amount of braking liquid inside the hydraulic chamber also in the case of wearing of the pads. The wearing of the pads indeed causes an increase in volume of the hydraulic chamber that causes an increase in the stroke of the brake lever if not compensated through the aforementioned transfer of liquid from the tank to the hydraulic cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,082,158 B2 describes a hydraulic control for a bicycle brake that comprises a housing body that defines a cylinder in which a piston slides. The cylinder is in fluid communication with a tank defined between a surface of the housing body (which defines a lower surface of the tank) and a cover having a top wall and a side wall joined to the top wall. A free edge of the side wall of the cover is constrained to the lower surface of the tank. A membrane made of elastomeric material is arranged inside the tank. The membrane defines, in combination with the lower surface of the tank, a compensation chamber that contains a liquid. The membrane comprises a side wall and an upper wall, wherein the side wall is, on one side, held at the joining area between the cover and the lower surface of the tank and, on the opposite side, joined to the upper wall. When the compensation chamber is filled with liquid up to a maximum level (condition in which the pads of the brakes are not worn), the upper wall of the membrane reaches the top wall of the cover making the volume of the compensation chamber the maximum, whereas when there is a lower level of liquid in the compensation chamber (condition in which the pads of the brakes are worn), the upper wall of the membrane moves towards the lower surface of the tank reducing the volume of the compensation chamber.
The Applicant has found that in the hydraulic control described in U.S. Ser. No. 10/082,158B2, when the membrane is in the condition of maximum expansion of the volume of the compensation chamber, the membrane is arranged with its upper wall at the top wall of the cover and with its side wall that extends from the lower surface of the tank until it reaches the top of the cover and joins with the upper wall of the membrane. On the other hand, when the membrane is in the condition of minimum expansion of the volume of the compensation chamber, the upper wall of the membrane is arranged on the lower surface of the tank and the side wall of the membrane extends from the lower surface of the tank up to an area arranged between the lower surface of the tank and the top wall of the cover to then fold towards the lower surface of the tank and join to the upper wall of the membrane. The side wall of the membrane thus forms a cove (or retaining bag) in which a part of the liquid provided in the compensation chamber is trapped. Such a part of liquid cannot be used to compensate the wear of the pads of the brakes.
The Applicant has perceived that it would be advantageous to have a hydraulic tank for a bicycle in which substantially all of the liquid provided in the compensation chamber can be used to compensate the wearing of the brake pads.


A recording apparatus and process for conserving space on a recording medium of a security system includes the steps of detecting a motion amount from the image picked up by a camera, while recording the image, comparing the detected motion amount to a predetermined threshold, and increasing a counted value when the motion amount is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold, and resetting the counted value when the motion amount is higher than the predetermined threshold, and comparing the counted value to a reset value, and when the former is higher the latter, rewinding until the counted value becomes zero, and then return to the step of detecting a motion amount. Therefore, motion of a recorded image signal is detected and compared. A recorded part is found, in which no motion occurs for a predetermined period of time. Recording is again performed, to overwrite this part where no motion occurred. This increases the available recording time, and economizes use of space of the recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processes and apparatus for recording image signals onto a recording medium, and more particularly, to processes and apparatus dedicated to conservation of space on a recording medium of a security system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a signal obtained by monitoring a volume using a security camera, can optionally be recorded onto a recording medium, and then the recorded images are reproduced to be used as reference material in order to review an abnormal situation, such as, by way of example, the occurrence of a fire within, or an unauthorized entry into, the secured volume during the observation. Earlier efforts in the art included the Electronic Still Camera For Generating Long Time Exposure By Adding Results Multiple Short Time Exposures, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,966 by Y. Yunoki, et alii; the Motion Detecting Circuit For Digital Video Signal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,904 of T. Miyazaki, et alii; the Camera Moving Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,781 of B. An; the Video Movement Detector, U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,266 of T. W. Mahoney; the Motion Detection Apparatus As For An Interlace To Non-Interlace Scan Converter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,201 of F. S. Bernard; and the Security Protection System And Method, U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,661 of Robert Shamosh, et alii.
I have found however, that recording media have finite capacity that typically prevents recordation of the entire sequence of events within the secured volume during the period of observation. Efforts have been made to minimize the problem in conventional security systems caused by the limited recording time imposed by the finite capacity of the recording medium, by recording only at predetermined intervals. These efforts can not however, indefinitely enlarge the limited recording time available with contemporary systems. Also, no recording will be available of any abnormal situation that occurs during a time interval when recording was not performed.

Recording method and apparatus for conserving space on recording medium of security system


This invention pertains to therapeutic antibacterial-wound healing compositions. The compositions comprise a therapeutically effective amount of an antibacterial agent and a wound healing composition. In one embodiment the wound healing composition comprises (a) pyruvate; (b) an antioxidant; and (c) a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The therapeutic antibacterial-wound healing compositions may be utilized in a wide variety of pharmaceutical products. This invention also relates to methods for preparing and using the therapeutic antibacterial-wound healing compositions and the pharmaceutical products in which the therapeutic compositions may be used.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to therapeutic antibacterial-wound healing compositions useful for reducing the size, duration and severity of infected wounds. More particularly, the antibacterial-wound healing compositions comprise an antibacterial agent and a therapeutic wound healing composition and/or its metabolites. This invention also pertains to methods for preparing and using the antibacterial-wound healing compositions and the pharmaceutical products in which the therapeutic compositions may be used.
A preferred embodiment of the therapeutic wound healing composition of this invention comprises (a) pyruvate selected from the group consisting of pyruvic acid, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of pyruvic acid, and mixtures thereof, (b) an antioxidant, and (c) a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids wherein the fatty acids are those fatty acids required for the repair of cellular membranes and resuscitation of mammalian cells.
2. Description of the Background

Antibacterial-wound healing compositions and methods for preparing and using same


The present invention relates to a compound comprising the third Immunoglobulin (Ig3) module, and/or the fourth Immunoglobulin (Ig4) module, and/or the fifth immunoglobulin (Ig5) module, and/or the first Fibronectin III (Fn3,1) module, and/or the second Fibronectin III (Fn3,2) module of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), or a fragment, or a variant thereof, capable of interacting with an Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) receptor and/or Adenosine-Tri-Phosphate (ATP) and/or L1, and thereby the compounds are capable of inducing differentiation, modulating proliferation, stimulate regeneration, neuronal plasticity and/or survival of cells. Further, the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising said compound, a process of producing a pharmaceutical composition and the use of said compound.

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) constitute a group of proteins mediating adhesion between cells. A major group of CAMs belongs to the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily characterised by the presence of immunoglobulin domains. The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is such a cell adhesion molecule of the Ig superfamily that is particularly abundant in the nervous system. NCAM is expressed on the external membrane of nerve cells. When an NCAM molecule on one cell binds to another NCAM molecule on another cell (homophilic binding), the binding between the two cells is strengthened. NCAM not only binds to NCAM but also to other proteins and/or glycoconjugates found on nerve cells or in the extracellular matrix (heterophilic binding). NCAM also binds ATP. NCAM interactions influence migration of cells, extension of neurites, fasciculation of neurites, cell proliferation, cell survival, and formation of synapses.
NCAM is encoded by a single gene, containing at least 25 exons. Due to alternative splicing of precursor mRNA, a variety of mature mRNA species and thereby protein isoforms of NCAM can be produced. Three major NCAM isoforms are generated by alternative splicing of exons 15 and 18 determining the mode of attachment of NCAM to the plasma membrane and the size of the intracellular NCAM domains, respectively. In the nervous system a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI) anchored 120 kDa isoform is expressed on the surface of glial cells, a transmembrane 140 kDa isoform is expressed on both neurons and glial cells, whereas a transmembrane 180 kDa isoform is found predominantly on the surface of neurons. The extracellular part of NCAM comprises five Ig-like homology modules (Ig1, Ig2, Ig3, Ig4 and Ig5) and two fibronectin type III modules (F3,1 and F3,2) (Berezin et al., 2000).
Heterophilic ligands of NCAM comprise a variety of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (e.g. agrin) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (e.g. neurocan). NCAM Ig1 and Ig2 are probably the structural determinants of the interaction of NCAM with heparan sulfate proteoglycans since these two modules have been shown to bind heparin (Kiselyov et al. 1997). Reports on whether the core protein or the carbohydrate moieties are responsible for the binding of proteoglycans to NCAM are contradictory, and the contribution of this interaction to NCAM-mediated cellular functions is currently not understood (Retzler et al. 1996). The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 and the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor are other heterophilic ligands of NCAM. The interaction between NCAM and L1 has been shown to be mediated by N-linked oligo-mannosidic glycans carried by L1 and a lectin-like binding site localised in the fourth Ig module of NCAM. Through this binding NCAM has been suggested to participate in a so-called assisted L1-L1 homophilic interaction (Horstkorte et al., 1993) presenting an interesting example of co-operation between two neural CAMs.
Three different models of homophilic binding have been suggested: 1) a binding between the third Ig-like modules (Rao et al., 1992) of two opposing molecules; 2) involvement of all five Ig-like modules in an antiparallel interaction (Ranheim et al., 1996); and 3) a reciprocal binding of the first and second Ig-like modules (Kiselyov et al., 1997). The latter model has recently been confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis (Jensen et al., 1999) and X-ray crystallography (Kasper et al., 2000).
NCAM plays a crucial role during the development of the nervous system and of organs, such as kidney, bowel, heart, gonads, pancreas, and muscles. In the mature nervous system NCAM is important for the plasticity of neuronal connections associated with regeneration, learning and memory. In the peripheral nervous system NCAM is involved in the initiation of outgrowth of nerve fibres and formation of nerve-muscle connections in regeneration after damage including lesions.
In signal transduction NCAM transduces extracellular signals leading to tyrosine phosphorylation, such as for example of the FGF-receptor, and an increase in intracellular calcium concentration.
Doherty and Walsh (1999) describe that NCAM, N-cadherin and L1 stimulate axonal growth by activating the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) in neurons.
NCAM binding compounds capable of stimulating differentiation and/or neurite outgrowth from cells presenting NCAM are disclosed in WO 00/18801, in which the compounds are used in the treatment for regeneration of NCAM presenting cells.
The identification of one such compound, C3, is described by Rønn et al. (1999). C3 stimulates outgrowth by activating a signalling pathway identical to that activated by homophilic NCAM binding, but it does not bind directly to FGF receptors.
Various factors may cause neuronal cell death. Preventing neuronal cell death in individuals being exposed to risk factors causing cell death may be called maintaining/stimulating or promoting survival of the cells, or it may be called neuroprotection.
When neuronal cells are damaged, e.g. by reduced oxygen supply, the processes of cell death start and lead to cellular dysfunction, "collapse" of the intercellular communication between cells (network), retraction of cell processes and eventually cell death. Preventing neuronal cell death, i.e. stimulating/promoting survival means that the cells are protected from initiation of the processes of cell death.
Survival of nerve cells has been discussed in some references, for example Hulley et al. (1998) disclose that the L1 neural cell adhesion molecule is capable of stimulating survival and differentiation in fetal mid-brain dopaminergic neurons cultured in the presence of the toxin MPP+.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,320 describes the identification of a neurotrophic factor, NT-4 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,240 an activity-dependent neurotrophic factor capable of increasing the survival of spinal cord neuronal cells, cerebral cortical cells and hippocampal neurons is revealed.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,682 concerns a method of treating the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease by intranasal administration of short chain peptides. The peptides promote neuronal survival by reducing or halting progressive neuronal degeneration.
NCAM has recently been demonstrated to have an ecto-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity (Dzhandzhugazyan and Bock, 1993 and 1997). The role of this activity in ATP is one of the most abundant neurotransmitters in the nervous system. In a recent study it has been demonstrated that ATP modulates NCAM induced neurite outgrowth, indicating that ATP may be a regulator of the putative NCAM-FGF-receptor signalling pathway (Skladchikova et al., 1999).
However, the inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that a compound comprising the third Immunoglobulin (Ig3) module, and/or the fourth immunoglobulin (Ig4) module, and/or the fifth Immunoglobulin (Ig5) module, and/or the first Fibronectin III (Fn3,1) module, and/or the second Fibronectin III (Fn3,2) module of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), or a fragment, or a variant thereof is capable of inducing differentiation, modulating proliferation, stimulating regeneration, neuronal plasticity and survival of cells through an interaction with the Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) receptor and/or adenosine-tri-phosphate (ATP) and/or L1.

Compounds capable of affecting differentiation, proliferation, regeneration, plasticity and survival cells


This invention relates to the production and use of immortalized cell lines from primary chicken embryonic fibroblasts. The cells are useful as substrates for virus propagation, recombinant protein expression and recombinant virus production.

In 1931 Alice Miles Woodruff and Ernest Goodpasture introduced a new method for cultivating viruses. They reported that the virus of fowl pox could be grown on the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chick embryos. Lesions containing the virus appeared on the membrane after virus inoculation. The egg was relatively cheap and readily obtainable as compared to animals which were the substrate for early virus studies. The egg has a variety of cells and membranes susceptible to infection by different viruses and can be kept in a controlled, stable environment. Chick embryos have contributed in an important way to the development of virology by conveniently providing a variety of cell types susceptible to many viruses.
While the egg supports the replication of a variety of virus strains, methods for infecting the eggs and maintaining virus growth are time consuming and cumbersome. For example, for chorioallantoic membrane inoculation, a hole is first drilled through the eggshell and shell membrane. The shell over the air sac is perforated causing air to enter between the shell membrane and the chorioallantoic membrane, creating an artificial air sac, where the sample is deposited. The sample contacts the chorionic epithelium and the virus grows as lesions on the membrane. Not unexpectedly, the use of eggs for virus replication has diminished with the advent of cell culture techniques.
A variety of cells can be grown in vitro. Cell cultures are easy to maintain and can be kept in a highly controlled environment as compared to eggs. However, there are still virus strains that appear to grow better in embryonated egg cells than in cultured cells. In addition, many cultured cell lines carry endogenous infectious agents including mycoplasmas, low level bacterial contaminants, endogenous viruses, and the like. Some of the cell types that are the most efficient at supporting virus replication have problems for viral stock production in that the cells contain endogenous virus. The endogenous virus is either replicating at a low level or can be activated when the cells are infected with a second virus strain. For example, rodent cells are known to carry endogenous viruses and electron microscopy of rodent cells in culture often demonstrates the existence of identifiable viral particles within the cells. Contaminated cell lines cannot be used as substrates for commercial live or inactivated vaccines.
For some viruses the method of choice for viral replication is the embryonated chicken. For example, human influenza virus, rabies, Canine Distemper virus, Marek's disease virus, Reovirus and Fowl Pox virus are viruses that are preferentially grown in embryonated eggs because the egg supports high titer virus stock growth or in primary cells derived from the embryonated eggs. In other cases, viruses are grown in eggs because there is a need for certifiable virus free cell substrates.
Primary cell cultures are cultures of cells that are freshly isolated from intact tissues. These cells are often a good source of virus free material and are well suited as host cells for virus replication. Primary cells are not always efficient at replicating virus and primary animal cells exhibit a limited life span in culture, eventually undergoing senescence. At senescence the cells cease to divide and die out in a matter of time. The ability of cells to divide over time in culture is dependent on several parameters including the species of origin of the cell and the age of the tissue when it was placed in culture. Cells that undergo senescence cannot be maintained in culture for long periods of time and therefore are not useful reproducible hosts for the growth of commercial virus stocks.
Some primary cells escape senescence and acquire the ability to become immortal. Rodent cells appear to undergo spontaneous immortalization quite easily (Curatolo et al. In Vitro 20:597-601, 1984) but normal human and avian cells have rarely, if ever, been shown to be capable of spontaneous immortalization (Harvey, et al. Genes and Development 5:2375-2385, 1991; Pereira-Smith, J. Cell Physiol 144:546-9, 1990; Smith et al. Science 273:63-67, 1996). There are a variety of reasons why a particular population of cells would undergo immortalization. Cells can be induced to undergo immortalization following exposure to agents known to induce gene mutations. Some individuals postulate that cessation of growth, related to senescence, is dominant to immortalization and events that inactivate growth-restraining genes can result in immortalization (Pereira-Smith et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 85:6042-6046, 1988).
The availability of immortalized, virus free cells can eliminate or reduce the use of primary animal tissue cultures. Primary cultures are generally ill-defined cell populations and are often contaminated. These cultures often fail to meet regulatory requirements for commercial vaccine production. Primary cultures of cells can be contaminated with Circodnavirideae (e.g., Chickenenima Virus) or Egg Drop Syndrome virus. For example, Marek's Disease vaccine (a live virus vaccine) can be grown as virus stocks in duck eggs for poultry vaccination. In 1976, flocks of chickens receiving the vaccine showed evidence of Egg Drop Syndrome, caused by a duck adenovirus that is believed to have contaminated the vaccine stock and became adapted to growth in chickens.
In the vaccine industry, regulatory requirements for product safety, consistency and potency are driving companies to pursue cell lines as the best alternative to the current practice of using egg-based and primary cell vaccine substrates. Concerns for safety and consistency are shared by manufacturers of both human and animal vaccine products due to an increasingly stringent regulatory environment regarding vaccine substrates in both the United States and Europe. The identification of suitable cells for virus growth to replace embryonated eggs is also favored in view of U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals in Testing, Research, and Training and the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. .sctn. 2131) stating, in part, that in all cases, methods such as in vitro biological systems should be considered in lieu of in vivo animal model systems. There is a need for cells that are virus free and support exogenous virus growth to generate animal vaccine products.

Immortalized cell lines for virus growth


A power-converting apparatus features the ability to achieve initial charging of a smoothing capacitor generating a minimum rush current by obviating the need for additional series connections in a battery, and also obviating the need for an initial charging circuit consisting of a charging resistor and switch in the capacitor. The power-converting apparatus includes a separating device that electrically separates an AC power-supply source from the input devices of the power-converting apparatus, an AC/AC converting circuit that initially rectifies AC current from an AC power-supply source and then causes a capacitor to smooth the rectified AC current, thereby converting the rectified AC current into DC current before again converting the DC current into AC current, a battery; and a DC/DC converting circuit that enables a capacitor to be charged with DC voltage delivered from the battery, and conversely enables the battery to be charged with a DC voltage delivered from the above capacitor bilaterally or unilaterally.

The present invention relates to a starting circuit for starting a main circuit operated to enable the stable supply of AC current from an AC power-supply source used for operating an uninterruptible power-supply source to be supplied to an objective load, and to a method of starting the main circuit.
FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a conventional uninterruptible power-supply source (UPS) disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Laid-Open) No. HEISHEI-09-205740. Basically, this conventional UPS system drives a power converter 70 so as to cause a DC current available via an AC power-supply source 1 and another DC current available via a PWM (pulse-width modulation) converter 60 or another DC current directly available from a battery 6 via a DC switch 80 to respectively be converted into AC current consisting of a predetermined constant voltage and a constant frequency, before eventually supplying the constant AC voltage and frequency to external sources. Accordingly, it has been generally practiced to select a DC voltage output from the PWM converter 60 and also to select another DC voltage output from the battery 6 at a level substantially equal to each other. In FIG. 5, an illustration of a charging circuit is omitted.
The individual arms of the PWM converter consist of a diode and a switching element such as an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), for example, that are connected to the diode via an anti-parallel connection. Normally, an AC voltage is received from an AC power-supply source 1 via an input filter consisting of a main switch 21, a reactor 35, and a capacitor 33, and also via a boosting reactor 31, and the input AC voltage is then rectified into a DC voltage and boosted by the PWM converter 60. Finally, the boosted DC voltage is smoothed by a large-capacity electrolytic capacitor 4 before eventually being fed to a power converter 70. A series circuit comprising a charging switch 22 and a charging resistor 10 is connected to the main switch 21. All operations of the PWM converter 60 and the power converter 70 are individually controlled by a corresponding controlling unit 45. Corresponding controlling units are omitted in FIG. 5.
A startup-sequence controlling circuit 45 is provided so as to control the opening and closing operations of the charging switch 22 and a series switch 80, and also to control the startup of the PWM converter 60. When the main switch 21 and a DC switch 80 remain open and the power converter 70 remains OFF, upon receipt of a startup command and after the elapse of a predetermined delay time, the above controlling circuit 45 starts up operation of the PWM converter 60 to cause the DC voltage of the capacitor 4 to be boosted, and further causes the main switch 21 to be closed after the elapse of a predetermined delay time. By executing the above controlling operations, the capacitor 4 is enabled to implement an initial charging operation via a charging resistor without causing excessive rush current to flow therein.
In the conventional UPS circuit shown in FIG. 5, while the AC power-supply source 1 remains normal, the DC switch 80 remains open, whereas the main switch 21 is closed. AC voltage is received from the AC power-supply source 1 via the main switch 21 and an input filter. Next, the input AC voltage is converted into DC voltage by the PWM converter 60, and then smoothed by the capacitor 4. Then, the smoothed DC voltage is converted into AC current by the power converter 70 and, finally, the AC current is supplied to a load (not shown). In the event of the AC power-supply source 1 incurring a service interruption, as a means of avoiding instantaneous service interruption under a load by feeding a voltage stored in the capacitor 4, the controlling circuit 45 causes the DC switch 80 to be closed so as to ensure that an AC voltage will be transmitted to the power converter 70, thus achieving a system for effectively preventing instantaneous service interruption.
In the above circuit arrangement, in order to normally charge the capacitor 4 without causing an excessive rush current to flow therein when the charging operation is started, it is required to install a charging switch 22 and a charging resistor 10 in parallel with the main switch 21 disposed between the AC power-supply source 1 and an AC input filter of the PWM converter 60. It is further required to provide another startup sequence controlling circuit 45 for controlling those additional switches. This in turn necessitates the provision of an increased number of component parts, thus obstructing cost reduction and downsizing of the UPS unit. Further, as the level of the DC voltage stored in the battery 6 is substantially equal to that of the PWM converter 60, in the case of a conventional UPS system with a modest output capacity, the number of serial connections of the battery inevitably increases, thus adversely affecting the cost reduction and downsizing of the UPS system.
To solve the above problems, as cited in Japanese Patent Publication (Laid-Open) No. 2002-199620, there is a method of installing a pressure-adjustable chopper between a smoothing capacitor and a battery. According to this method, the pressure-adjustable chopper is operated so as to lower the voltage level in order to implement charging of the battery when the AC power-supply source remains normal. Conversely, when the AC power-supply source incurs a service interruption, the above chopper is operated so as to boost the voltage level, thereby boosting the voltage level of the battery to the voltage level concurrently output from the PWM converter 60. Accordingly, it is possible to select a low voltage for charging of the above battery. The previous art cited in Japanese Patent Publication (Laid-Open) No. 2002-199620 has also introduced the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 for implementation of the initial charging of the capacitor 4 when operation of the conventional UPS system is started.
In light of the above-described problems, it would be desirable to provide a power-converting apparatus featuring the ability to achieve initial charging of a smoothing capacitor generating a minimum rush current by obviating the need for additional series connections in a battery, and also obviating the need for an initial charging circuit consisting of a charging resistor and switch in the capacitor.

Starting circuit for power-converting apparatus


The present invention provides a hydrogen occluding alloy exhibiting high hydrogen absorption and desorption rates, and excellent initial activation in practical use, and a method of making it. There is provided a hydrogen occluding alloy having a composition comprising, by wt %, 32 to 38% of rare earth elements essentially consisting of La and/or Ce, 0.5 to 3.5% of Al, 0.5 to 10% of Mn, 0.005 to 0.5% of hydrogen, optionally 0.1 to 17% of Co, and the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities; wherein the alloy has a microstructure characterized in that fine rare earth element hydride is dispersively distributed in a matrix having a CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal structure in a ratio of 0.5 to 20% by area. There are also provided electrodes and batteries containing such alloys, and methods of making and using such electrodes and batteries.

Hitherto, a variety of hydrogen occluding alloys have been proposed, and a hydrogen occluding alloy which is disclosed on page 369 of the abstract of "The 35th Battery Symposium of Japan" held in November, 1994, in Nagoya-shi, has particularly attracted attention to battery electrodes.
The hydrogen occluding alloy is a Ni-based alloy having a reduced composition comprising, by wt % (hereinafter "%" indicates "wt %"),
33.2% of rare earth elements essentially consisting of La and/or Ce, PA1 9.8% of Co, 1.9% of Al, PA1 5.2% of Mn, and PA1 the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities; and having a single phase CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal structure. PA1 32 to 38% of rare earth elements, PA1 0.5 to 3.5% of Al, PA1 0.5 to 10% of Mn, PA1 0.005 to 0.5% of hydrogen, and PA1 the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities; PA1 wherein said alloy has a microstructure characterized in that fine rare earth element hydride is dispersively distributed in a matrix having a CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal structure in a ratio of 0.5 to 20% by area. The aforementioned rare earth elements preferably comprise La and/or Ce, optionally together with other rare earth elements including Pr and Nd. This alloy may optionally further contain Co in an amount in the range of from 0.1 to 17 wt %. PA1 32 to 38% of rare earth elements, PA1 0.1 to 17% of Co, PA1 0.5 to 3.5% of Al, PA1 0.5 to 10% of Mn, PA1 0.005 to 0.5% of hydrogen, and PA1 the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities; PA1 wherein said alloy has a microstructure characterized in that fine rare earth element hydride is dispersively distributed in a matrix having a CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal structure in a ratio of 0.5 to 20% by area. The aforementioned rare earth elements preferably comprise La and/or Ce, optionally together with other rare earth elements including Pr and Nd. PA1 32 to 35% of rare earth elements, PA1 0.5 to 3.5% of Al, PA1 0.5 to 10% of Mn, PA1 0.005 to 0.2% of hydrogen, and PA1 the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities; PA1 wherein said alloy has a microstructure characterized in that fine rare earth element hydride is dispersively distributed in a matrix having a CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal structure in a ratio of 0.5 to 10% by area. The aforementioned rare earth elements preferably comprise La and/or Ce, optionally together with other rare earth elements including Pr and Nd. PA1 32 to 35% of rare earth elements, PA1 4 to 17% of Co, PA1 0.5 to 3.5% of Al, 0.5 to 10% of Mn, PA1 0.005 to 0.2% of hydrogen, and PA1 the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities; PA1 wherein said alloy has a microstructure characterized in that fine rare earth element hydride is dispersively distributed in a matrix having a CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal structure in a ratio of 0.5 to 10% by area. The aforementioned rare earth elements preferably comprise La and/or Ce, optionally together with other rare earth elements including Pr and Nd. PA1 melting raw materials in weight percentages substantially corresponding to the weight percentages in the alloys of the present invention as discussed above, thereby forming an alloy; PA1 casting the molten metal, thereby forming an ingot; PA1 (optionally) temper-annealing the alloy by heating the alloy to a temperature of from about 850 to 1050.degree. C. (referred to herein as a "temper-annealing" step); PA1 then subjecting the alloy to a hydrogen atmosphere of a pressure in the range of from 1 to 2 atms (atmospheres), preferably 1 to 1.2 atms, and a temperature in the range of from about 0 to 100.degree. C. (referred to herein as the "holding step"); PA1 then heating the alloy to a temperature in the range of from 600 to 950.degree. C., preferably 700 to 900.degree. C., (referred to herein as the "heating step"); PA1 and then cooling the alloy (referred to herein as the "cooling step"), thereby providing an alloy having a novel microstructure in which fine rare earth element hydride is dispersively distributed in a CaCu.sub.5 -type crystal matrix, with rare earth element at the Ca sites, and e.g., Ni, Co, Al, and Mn at the Cu sites.
Hydrogen occluding alloy is typically made by preparing a molten alloy having a given composition and casting it into an ingot. When putting it to practical use as a battery electrode, for example, the ingot is subjected to temper annealing in a vacuum or nonoxidizing inert gas atmosphere at a given temperature between 900 and 1,050.degree. C. for a given time period, if necessary, and the as-cast or temper-annealed ingot is mechanically pulverized to a predetermined particle size or pulverized by a hydrogenation process under a pressurized hydrogen atmosphere which includes hydrogen absorption at a given hot temperature between 10 and 200.degree. C. and hydrogen desorption by vacuum evacuation.
In addition, when the hydrogen occluding alloy is applied to, for example, a battery electrode, the battery can serve a practical use after an initial activation treatment in a pressurized hydrogen atmosphere for a given time period until the electrode including the hydrogen occluding alloy has a sufficient discharge capacity at an initial stage of use.


This work describes a new class of short polypeptides that can self-assemble to form regular nanotubes with an average diameters of about 50 nm. These peptides (7 to 8 amino acids) have a structure very similar to those observed in surfactant molecules with a defined hydrophilic head group constituting of charged amino acids and a lipophilic tail made out of hydrophobic amino acids such as alanine, valine or leucine. Cryo-TEM micrographs show numerous three-fold junctions connecting the self-assembling nanostructures and thus leading to the formation of a rather dense network of entangled nanotubes. Additionally, the observation of clear openings at the end of the supramolecular structures confirms the presence of tubular organization.

Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous organization of molecules into structurally well-defined arrangements due to non-covalent interactions. The resulting supramolecular structure usually provides nanoarchitectures with very defined macroscopic properties1. As a result, molecular assemblies have attracted much attention in relation to the development of novel materials. In the last decade, molecular self-assembly of biopolymer has shown to play a key role in the discovery and design of biomaterials finding applications in the field of medical technology such as, e.g., regenerative medicine and drug delivery systems2,3. Recently, among the different systems investigated, a new class of ionic self-complementary oligopeptide has attracted a great deal of attention due to their ability to spontaneously self-assemble to form stable macroscopic structure in the presence of monovalent cations4.
A number of peptide molecular self-assembly systems have been designed and developed (Table 1). This systematic analysis provided insight into the chemical and structural principles of peptide self-assembly. These peptides are short, simple to design, extremely versatile and easy to synthesize. Three types of self-assembling peptides have been systematically studied thus far. It is believed additional different types will be discovered and developed in the coming years. This class of biological materials has considerable potential for a number of applications, including scaffolding for tissue repair and regenerative medicine, drug delivery of molecular medicine, as well as biological surface engineering. Similar systems have also been described where these peptide systems undergo self-assembly to form gel with regular β-sheet tapes of well-defined structures5. The self-assembly of peptide nanotubes that allow ions to pass through and to insert themselves into lipid bilayer membrane were also described6,7. Furthermore a number of fascinating biomimetic peptide and protein structures have been engineered, such as helical coil-coils, di-, tri- and tetra-helical bundles8,10. However, their applications for materials science and engineering remain under explored. It is likely that these stable coiled coils will be developed as nanomaterials in the future.
Type I Self-assembling Peptides
Type I peptides, also called "molecular Lego", form β-sheet structures in aqueous solution because they contain two distinct surfaces, one hydrophilic, the other hydrophobic. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,483. Like Lego bricks that have pegs and holes and can only be assembled into particular structures, these peptides can do so at the molecular level. The unique structural feature of these peptides is that they form complementary ionic bonds with regular repeats on the hydrophilic surface. The complementary ionic sides have been classified into several moduli, i.e. modulus I, II, III, IV, etc., and mixed moduli. This classification is based on the hydrophilic surface of the molecules that have alternating + and − charged amino acid residues, either alternating by 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. For example, molecules of modulus I have − + − + − + − +, modulus II, − − + + − − + +, modulus, IV − − − − + + + +. These well defined sequences allow them to undergo ordered self-assembly, resembling some situations found in well studied polymer assemblies.
Upon the addition of monovalent alkaline cations or the introduction of the peptide solutions into physiological media, these oligopeptides spontaneously assemble to form macroscopic structures that can be fabricated into various geometric shapes11. Scanning EM reveals that the matrices are made of interwoven filaments that are about 10-20 nm in diameter and pores about 50-100 nm in diameter12,13.
The molecular structure and proposed complementary ionic pairings of the Type I peptides between positively charged lysines and negatively charged glutamates in an overlap arrangement represent an example of this class of self-assembling β-sheet peptides that spontaneously undergo association under physiological conditions. If the charged residues are substituted, i. e., the positive charged lysines are replaced by positively charged arginines and the negatively charged glutamates are replaced by negatively charged aspartates, there are essentially no drastic effects on the self-assembly process. However, if the positively charged resides, Lys and Arg are replaced by negatively charged residues, Asp and Glu, the peptide can no longer undergo self-assembly to form macroscopic materials although they can still form β-sheet structures in the presence of salt. If the alanines are changed to more hydrophobic residues, such as Leu, Ile, Phe or Tyr, the molecules have a greater tendency to self-assemble and form peptide matrices with enhanced material strength13.
A number of mammalian cells have been tested and all have been found to be able to form stable attachments with the peptide materials11. Several peptide materials have been used to test for their ability to support cell proliferation and differentiation. These results suggested that the peptide materials can not only support various types of cell attachments, but can also allow the attached cells to proliferate and differentiate. For example, rat PC12 cells on peptide matrices were exposed to Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), they underwent differentiation and exhibited extensive neurite outgrowth. In addition, when primary mouse neuron cells were allowed to attach the peptide materials, the neuron cells projected lengthy axons that followed the specific contours of the self-assembled peptide surface.
The fundamental design principles of such self-assembling peptide systems can be readily extended to polymers and polymer composites, where co-polymers can be designed and produced.
Type II Self-assembling Peptides
Several Type II peptides are developed as "Molecular Switches" in which the peptides can drastically change its molecular structure. One of the peptides with 16 amino acids, DAR16-IV, has a β-sheet structure at ambient temperature with 5nm in length but can undergo an abrupt structural transition at high temperatures to form a stable α-helical structure with 2.5 nm length14. Similar structural transformations can be induced by changes of pH. This suggests that secondary structures of some sequences, especially segments flanked by clusters of negative charges on the N-terminus and positive charges on the C-terminus, may undergo drastic conformational transformations under the appropriate conditions. These findings can not only provide insights into protein-protein interactions during protein folding and the pathogenesis of some protein conformational diseases, including scrapie, Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, but also can be developed as molecular switches for a new generation of nanoactuators.
The peptides of DAR16-IV (DADADADARARARARA) (SEQ ID NO: 30) and EAK12 (AEAEAEAEAKAK) (SEQ ID NO: 22) have a cluster of negatively charged glutamate residues close to N-terminus and a cluster of positively charged Arg residues near C-terminus. It is well known that all α-helices have a helical dipole moment with a partial negative C-terminus toward a partial positive N-terminus15. Because of the unique sequence of DAR16-IV and EAK12, their side chain charges balance the helical dipole moment, therefore favoring helical structure formation. However, they also have alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic residue as well ionic self-complementarity, which have been previously characterized to form stable β-sheets. Thus the behavior of this Type II of molecules is likely to be more complex and dynamic than other stable β-sheet peptides. Additional molecules with such dipoles have been designed, studied and confirmed the initial findings.
Others have also reported similar findings that proteins and peptides can undergo self-assembly and disassembly or change their conformations depending on the enviromnental influence, such as its location, pH change and temperature or crystal lattice packing16,18.
Type III Self-assembling Peptides
Type III peptides, like "Molecular Paint" and "Molecular Velcro"; undergo self-assembly onto surface rather with among themselves. They form monolayers on surfaces for specific cell pattern formation or to interact with other molecules. These oligopeptides have three distinct features. The first feature is the terminal segment of ligands that incorporate a variety of functional groups for recognition by other molecules or cells. The second feature is the central linker where a variable spacer is not only used to allow freedom of interaction at a specified distance away from the surface but also permit the flexibility or rigidity. The third feature is the surface anchor where a chemical group on the peptide can react with the surface to form a covalent bond. This simple system using Type III self-assembly peptides and other substances to engineer surfaces is an emerging technology that will be a useful tool in biomedical engineering and biology. This biological surface engineering technique will provide new methods to study cell-cell communication and cell behavior19.
Other previously pioneered molecular self-assembly systems through the incorporation of organic linkers for surface anchoring have been developed by George Whitesides and his colleagues1.
TABLE 1Type I self-assembling peptides studied.IonicStruc-NameSequence (N→C)+Modulusture  + − + − + − + −IβRADA16-In-RADARADARADARADA-c(SEQ IDNO: 1)   + − + − + − + −Ir.c.RGDA16-In-RADARGDARADARGDA-c(SEQ IDNO: 2)   + − + −Ir.c.RADA8-In-RADARADA-c(SEQ IDNO: 3)   + + − − + + − −IIβRAD16-IIn-RARADADARARADADA-c(SEQ IDNO: 4)   + + − −RAD8-IIn-RARADADA-cIIr.c.(SEQ IDNO: 5)    − + − + − + − +EAKA16-In-AEAKAEAKAEAKAEAK-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 6)   − + − +EAKA8-In-AEAKAEAK-cIr.c.(SEQ IDNO: 7)   + − + − + − + −RAEA16-In-RAEARAEARAEARAEA-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 8)   + − + −RAEA8-In-RAEARAEA-cIr.c.(SEQ IDNO: 9)   + − + − + − + −KADA16-In-KADAKADAKADAKADA-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 10)   + − + −KADA8-In-KADAKADA-cIr.c.(SEQ IDNO: 11)    − − + + − − + +EAH16-IIn-AEAEAHAHAEAEAHAH-cIIβ(SEQ IDNO: 12)    − − + +EAH8-IIn-AEAEAHAH-cIIr.c.(SEQ IDNO: 13)    − − + + − − + +EFK16-IIn-FEFEFKFKFEFEFKFK-cIIβ(SEQ IDNO: 14)    − + − + − +EFK12-In-FEFKFEFKFEFK-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 15)    − + − +EFK8-IIn-FEFKFEFK-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 16)    − − + + − − + +ELK16-IIn-LELELKLKLELELKLK-cIIβ(SEQ IDNO: 17)    − − + +ELK8-IIn-LELELKLK-cIIβ(SEQ IDNO: 18)    − − + + − − + +EAK16-IIn-AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAK-cIIβ(SEQ IDNO: 19)    − − − − + +EAK12n-AEAEAEAEAKAK-cIV/IIα/β(SEQ IDNO: 20)    − − + +EAK8-IIn-AEAEAKAK-cIIr.c.(SEQ IDNO: 21)   + + + + − − − −KAE16-IVn-KAKAKAKAEAEAEAEA-cIVβ(SEQ IDNO: 22)   − − − − + + + +EAK16-IVn-AEAEAEAEAKAKAKAK-cIVβ(SEQ IDNO: 23)   + − + − + −KLD12-In-KLDLKLDLKLDL-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 24)   + − + − + −KLE12-In-KLELKLELKLEL-cIβ(SEQ IDNO: 25)   + + + + − − − −RAD16-IVn-RARARARADADADADA-cIVβ(SEQ IDNO: 26)    − − − − + + + +DAR16-IVn-ADADADADARARARAR-cIVα/β(SEQ IDNO: 27)    − − − − + + + +DAR16-IV*n-DADADADADARARARARA-cIV α/β(SEQ IDNO: 28)     − − − − + + + +DAR32-IVn-(ADADADADARARARAR)-cIVα/β(SEQ IDNO: 29)   +−+−+++++−+−++++EHK16n-HEHEHKHKHEHEHKHK-cN/Ar.c.(SEQ IDNO: 30)   +−+−++++EHK8-In-HEHEHKHK-cN/Ar.c.(SEQ IDNO: 31)    − − − − − − − − − −VE20*n-VEVEVEVEVEVEVEVEVEVE-cN/Aβ (NaCl)(SEQ IDNO: 32)    + + + + + + + + + +RF20*n-RFRFRFRFRFRFRFRFRFRF-cN/Aβ (NaCl)(SEQ IDNO: 33)β, β-sheet; α, α-helix; r.c., random coil; N/A, not applicable. The numbers follow the name denote the length of the peptides.*Both VE20 and RF20 are in β-sheet form when they are incubated in solution containing NaCl. They do not self-assemble to form macroscopic matrices.
In another attempt to exploit the intrinsic self-assembly of polypeptides as a new avenue to supramolecular materials, Aggeli et al. have designed different short oligopeptides that self-assemble, in non-aqueous solvent, into long, semi-flexible, polymeric β-sheet nanoptapes5. These systems were rationally designed to provide strong cross-strands attractive forces between the side chains such as electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions or hydrogen-bondings. In another study, Ghadiri and co-workers have produced self-assembling nanotubes made from cyclic D,L-α-peptides and cyclic β-peptide. They first showed the evidence that D,L-cyclic peptide subunits (cyclo[-(L-Gln-D-Ala-L-Glu-D-Ala)2-]) (SEQ ID NO: 34) adopt flat, ring-shaped conformations and stack through backbone-backbone hydrogen bonding to form extended cylindrical structures20.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Surfactant peptide nanostructures, and uses thereof


An intelligent wallet (IW) computer device is provided for recommending a payment card from a plurality of payment cards to a cardholder for use in a payment transaction with a merchant. The IW computer device includes a memory device for storing data and a processor in communication with the memory device. The processor is programmed to receive event data and transaction data associated with the payment transaction. The transaction data includes product identifier data and purchase amount data. The processor is further programmed to receive payment card rules and cardholder preferences for each of the plurality of payment cards associated with the cardholder and to recommend a candidate payment card from the plurality of payment cards. The candidate payment card is recommended by processing the event data and the transaction data with the payment card rules and the cardholder preferences.

The field of the invention relates generally to recommending a payment card for a payment transaction and, more particularly, to a mobile payment device configured to intelligently select a payment card based on collected data, rules, and cardholder preferences for initiating a payment transaction with a merchant using the selected payment card.
Payment cards, such as credit and debit cards, are used for transacting business and making purchases throughout our society. Oftentimes, an issuer of a payment card will provide promotional offers and/or reward programs with the payment cards as an incentive for a cardholder to acquire and use the card. The issuer will establish rules that govern the use of these promotional offers and/or rewards programs. Merchants and/or third party payment processors may also have rules that apply to the use of payment cards. In combination with other standard rules governing payment card usage (e.g., expiration date, available credit line, etc.), these many different rules can present challenges to the cardholder when the cardholder goes to select a payment card from their wallet to make a purchase.
Choosing the right payment card for a payment transaction is further complicated when a cardholder has many payment cards to choose from. In addition, a cardholder may prefer to use a certain payment card for certain purchases. For example, a cardholder may prefer to use Payment Card A when making work-related purchases, or may prefer to use Payment Card B when making purchases relating to travel. No known payment systems allow for cardholders to input custom preferences which are automatically considered by the payment system when recommending a payment card to be used. Rather, traditional systems require the cardholder to manually select the right payment card to use. Lack of automation makes choosing the right payment card difficult when a cardholder has many payment cards to choose from.
Accordingly, an automated system for intelligently recommending a payment card for a payment transaction is needed.

Intelligent mobile payment system and method


A time-division communication system wirelessly receives a communication signal during receive time periods and wirelessly transfers a communication signal during transmit time periods. These communication signals have multiple receive and transmit channels. The communication system circulates the received communication signal to various filters that pass particular receive channels and that reflect other receive channels back the circulator(s). Eventually, the reflected receive channels circulate to the appropriate filters and are passed. The filters also pass transmit channels to the circulator(s) where they are circulated and reflected until they combine into the transmit communication signal.

In a bi-directional communication system, an antenna receives a first communication signal over the air and transfers a second communication signal over the air. The antenna transfers the first communication signal to a base station, and the base station transmits the second communication signal to the antenna. The base station and antenna may also operate in a time-division manner, where the base station and antenna transmit during transmit time periods and receive during receive time periods. These transmit and receive time periods repeatedly alternate over time.
The transmitted and received communications signals may be comprised of multiple frequency channels where one system in the base station transmits and receives over a first frequency channel, and a second system in the base station transmits and receives over a second frequency channel. During transmit time periods, the frequency channels are combined to form the transmitted communication signal. During receive time periods, the frequency channels are separated from the received communication signal. Various devices are used to combine these frequency channels for transmission and separate these frequency channels upon reception. Resonant cavities use wave-guides to combine and separate communication signals. Unfortunately, resonant cavities are relatively large and expensive. Hybrid microwave combiners use couplers and splitters to combine and separate communication signals. Unfortunately, hybrid microwave combiners introduce unacceptable loss and are also relatively expensive.

Separation and combination of multiple channels in a bi-directional time-division communication system


A cylinder liner and ringless piston adapted to be combined therewith in an internal combustion engine are provided that have superior wear resistance, superior scuffing resistance, and superior properties for abating friction loss between the inside surface of the cylinder and the sliding surface of the ringless piston. These embodiments can also include a cylinder liner which has at least some portion of the inner circumferential surface coated with an iron oxide film, a metallic nitride film, or other physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition film, combined with a ringless piston with at least some portion of the exterior surface being coated with a metallic nitride film or other vapor deposition film.

In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to improving the friction and wear characteristics of the sliding internal components of internal combustion engines, specifically piston rings and cylinder liners. For instance U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,086 to Ozawa, U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,590 to Naruse, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,536 to Komuro, U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,762 to Imaito, U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,984 to Onoda, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,840 to Onoda, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,957 to Ishikawa, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,907 to Onoda, et al., touch on a wide variety of improvements in designs for ringed pistons and ringed piston cylinders and internal combustion engines. Much of this advancement has been directed to remedying the problems associated with the harsh operating conditions created by demands for higher engine output, demands created by the lightening of engine components and demands created by advancements in emission control.
One specific area of application that has not been addressed by these advancements is the operating conditions present in small displacement motors, like the small displacement glow ignition motors which are characteristically found in model cars, boats, and airplanes or small displacement motors in handheld devices like weed trimmers. These motors typically range in displacement from as small as 1 cc to 50 cc or more, with small displacement glow ignition motors generally being in the 1 cc to 10 cc range. Unlike the larger displacement engines, which typically utilize pistons and ring sets, these motors do not utilize piston rings. As a result, certain characteristics, which carry only minor significance for the larger displacement motors employing piston rings, become critical considerations in the design and operation of these small motors.
One such characteristic is the substantial power losses due to friction between the piston and the cylinder liner in a small displacement glow ignition motor. Typical pistons with rings have greater tolerances for fit and therefore friction, as the rings in the piston have a gap spacing within them allowing for an amount of travel in the ring that is not available in a ringless piston motor. The ring typically expands first in the mechanical sense, providing a tight fit around the piston at start up. The ring can then adjust when heated, providing a snug fit across all operating conditions. Moreover, in a typical ringed piston motor the friction surfaces presented by the ring are proportionately much smaller than in a ringless piston motor. The ring surrounding the piston makes the contact with the sleeve and, therefore, the losses due to friction are much smaller.
However, in a glow ignition motor because there is no piston ring that expands to seal the opening between the piston and the cylinder, the clearance between the piston and the cylinder liner must be extremely tight to insure proper compression of the air fuel mixture. In fact, the highest performance glow ignition motors will use an interference fit at or near top dead center. This extremely tight fit often necessitates pre-heating the motor to allow for a full rotation of the crank and, thereby, achieving optimal performance from the motor. Because of the tightness of the fit when the piston and engine are cold, measured power losses due to friction are substantial. The gradual increase in power can be readily seen as the engine temperature increases further increasing the clearance between piston and cylinder liner, as the liner expands faster, and decreasing the related frictional losses.
Another consideration is the catastrophic effect of wear on engine performance, especially in ringless piston engines. Because there is no expanding piston ring to allow for incremental wear on the cylinder surface, any wear at all in the ringless piston motor will result in less compression for a given operating temperature of the motor. The wear is further exacerbated by the extremely high operating speeds of these motors, which regularly exceed 40,000 revolutions per minute, as well as the aforementioned tight tolerances between piston and cylinder liner. Still another consideration is unit cost and manufacturing costs. Unlike large displacement motors typically found in passenger vehicles costing thousands of dollars or in aircraft worth millions of dollars, costs sensitivity in manufacturing these small displacement engines is significant in driving sales and marketability of the engines. Rare alloys and alloys difficult to manufacture with are cost prohibitive to use for this application.
One of the few recent developments in ringless pistons has been made by NASA as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,769,046 and 6,116, 202 to Rivers, et al. These disclose an exotic carbon-carbon block and piston that can used to provide for a ringed or ringless engine. Carbon-carbon is both costly to manufacture and prohibitively difficult to work in, especially in the small dimensions required for small displacement engines, making it unsuitable for application in the small displacement motor market. Furthermore, the reference discloses that a coating can be applied, providing for instance a nickel coating on the piston skirt. There is little to suggest improved wearing low friction films or layers that might provide improved operation in a small displacement motor.
In fact, the suggested nickel coating processes is widely known in the small displacement motor industry. To confront the harsh operating environment in small displacement ringless piston motors and remain cost effective, it has become commonplace in the hobby craft industry to use a high silicon aluminum pistons coupled with brass cylinder liners possessing a hard chrome coating on the interior of the cylinder liner, commonly referred to as Aluminum, Brass, Chrome or ABC construction. The hard chrome in ABC construction is typically applied by electro-plating over the base of aluminum and brass. The hard chrome surface has improved wear characteristics over steel or cast iron, but even so has a short expected useful life. It is typical for these motors to show a measurable performance loss after only 1 gallon of fuel consumption, with many motors failing completely after 2 gallons. To date, no ringless piston or piston sleeve has been produced that takes advantage of the improved coating technologies and techniques available.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved ringless piston and/or piston sleeve that have fewer losses due to friction and increased durability over existing ringless pistons. More specifically, the need includes providing a lower coefficient of friction between the piston and the piston sleeve or motor with longer wearing surfaces to improve both engine performance and the life span through improved coating of the ringless piston and/or a piston sleeve.

Low friction, high durability ringless piston and piston sleeve


Methods and systems present, to a user, different versions of sample images. Each of the sample images is classified into at least one image-element category of multiple image-element categories. Such methods and systems request the user to select preferred versions of the sample images from the different versions of the sample images, and receive in response a user selection of preferred images. The methods and systems determine user-specific preferences for each of the image-element categories based on the user selection of the preferred images. The methods and systems receive an image-processing request relating to user images from the user, and classify the user images into the image-element categories. When processing the image-processing request, the methods and systems alter renditions of the user images according to the user-specific preferences for each image-element category.

Embodiments herein generally relate to obtaining image rendition preferences from users and more particularly to methods and systems that substantially limit the number of images needed to be reviewed by the user by utilizing classes of images.
Digital printing provides the ability to have short-run jobs at much lower page-cost than traditional analog (e.g., lithographic) printing. This enables a significant market segment called one-to-one (1-1) printing for highly personalized print jobs. Examples are photo books and book on-demand. For photo books, color rendition is known to be a factor for customer satisfaction. Current practices address color rendition via "opinion of majority" or "expert opinion." However, color rendition is highly subjective, and individual customers have their own preferences. For critical jobs, artists may work with complicated workflows that use very precise soft-proofing or hard-proofing techniques. However, non-professional photo book customers are generally simply provided an average "best" color rendition according to the opinion of the majority of users.

Obtaining user preferences using categories of images


The present application discloses an improvement to hydraulically operated wing lift wheels used in tillage equipment. According to embodiments of the present invention, a hydraulic lockout mechanism is provided that uses gravity to rotate a weighted latch into a position that prevents full retraction of a hydraulic cylinder when in a certain orientation. When in other orientations, the weighted latch is in a position that allows the hydraulic cylinder to fully retract.

Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mechanical equipment for use in farm implements. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gravitational latch for preventing wing lift wheels in tillage equipment from extending before the wings have completely unfolded.
Description of the Related Art
In farming, tillage machines are used for a variety of purposes. For instance, tillage machines may be used to loosen the soil, mix in fertilizer, shape fields into rows, or generally prepare a field for seeding. A typical tillage machine may have wings on which various farm implements are mounted and wing wheels to support the wings. Modern tillage machines can be massive machines that perform the field preparation over a large area. While having machines of large size is an advantage during tillage, it can make the tillage machines unwieldy during transportation to or from a field. Accordingly, most modern tillage machines can fold from a wide working position to a more compact transport position.
To accomplish the folding from a wide working position to the more compact position, a tillage machine might have a base frame and two folding wings that are folded from the working position to the compact position with the aid of a hydraulic system. The wings may be folded in a variety of different ways. One common way to fold wings involves folding two wings in a crossing pattern with very little clearance between the wings. Each wing may be equipped with a wing lift wheel for raising the wing to turn on the ends of a field or to hold a constant working depth for the machine. The wing lift wheels are frequently retracted by a hydraulic system when the tillage machine is in the transport position and extended only when the tillage machine is unfolded into the working position.
For reasons of economy, it is typically desirable to have a single hydraulic system that controls both the folding/unfolding of the wings and the retraction/extension of the wing lift wheels. A problem associated with the using a single hydraulic system, however, is the risk that the wing lift wheels will extend too quickly as the wings unfold. When this happens, the wing lift wheel of one wing can come into contact with the other wing thereby causing damage to the tillage machine.
Methods of preventing the wing lift wheel from extending before the wings have been completely unfolded are known. One method involves providing a hydraulic lockout valve to lock the hydraulic valve that extends the wing lift wheel thereby preventing it from prematurely extending. Another method involves providing a cylinder transport lock to physically prevent the hydraulic valve that extend the wing lift wheels from moving, thereby preventing the wing lift wheel assembly from extending. Both of these methods have the disadvantage that the operator is required to leave the tractor and physically operate either a lockout valve or a transport lock. It is undesirable to require the operator to leave the tractor because it takes unnecessary effort and time.
Thus, there exists the need for an improved system for preventing the wing lift wheel from extending before the wings have completely unfolded that does not require the operator to leave the tractor.

Gravitational latch for wing lift wheels


A vacuum exhausting apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a vacuum processing method in which high performance semiconductor device can be manufactured with high stability and high yield. The present invention comprises a turbo-molecular pump and an auxiliary pump connected to an exhaust side of the turbo-molecular pump, and provides a gas introducing section for introducing a specified gas into an area between the turbo-molecular pump and the auxiliary pump, in which gas inside the vacuum chamber is exhausted while a specified gas is being introduced thereinto from the introducing section.

The present inventor has found, in a process of searching for a method of manufacturing a semiconductor with the aim to realize a semiconductor device with a higher performance as well as to improve the production yield of semiconductors, that, in a case where a turbo-molecular pump is used for an exhaust system, for instance, when a thin film constituting a semiconductor device is formed, some impurities are mixed in the thin film, which prevents improvement of characteristics of the semiconductor device even in a case where a ultra-purity gas is used as a process gas and sufficient attention is paired to prevent impurities from being mixed therein by using a vacuum processing chamber having a surface enabling suppression of degassing.
As a result of streneous efforts for analyzing this cause, it was found that gas molecules exhausted once from an exhaust side of the turbo-molecular pump into the vacuum processing chamber for manufacturing a thin film or impurity gasses existing in the exhaust side of the turbo-molecular pump, is reversely diffused, and the gasses or the like are mixed into a thin film during formation thereof. Namely, it is found that, to achieve higher performance of a semiconductor device and a high production yield, a vacuum exhaust system preventing reverse diffusion of the impurities or the like is required.
The present invention has been made according to the obtained knowledge described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum exhausting apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a vacuum processing method, which enable production of high-performance semiconductor devices with stability and high yield.

Vacuum exhausting apparatus, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and vacuum processing method


In a network having a plurality of hosts, when a host boots, the driver of the host sends a BOOTING message indicating that the host boots to all other hosts. When a host other than the booting host receives the BOOTING message, the driver disables RDMA access to the booting host. The drivers of the hosts other than the booting host respond with ACK or BOOTING messages. The network may generate a hardware NACK in certain cases that, for example, if there is no NIC attached, or a NIC is attached but powered down. After the booting host receives the response from all hosts, the driver of the booting host sends an RDMA13 READY message to all the other hosts. Then RDMA access to the self host is enabled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for integrating or re-integrating host machines which have RDMA functions into a network.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Remote DMA (RDMA: Remote Direct Memory Access) is becoming an important requirement for Network Interface Cards (NICs), especially with recent proposals to add RDMA extensions to popular APIs. NICs supporting RDMA are required to support memory protection, e.g., a translation and protection table (TPT), to ensure that RDMA accesses to local memory are properly validated. Implementing such a table increases the hardware cost and might affect performance, especially for NICs connected to a peripheral bus (e.g., PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect). An alternative to a hardware based TPT is to make the NIC drivers responsible for validating RDMA accesses to other NICs. In this case, the whole system must cooperate to ensure that RDMA accesses do not occur in such a way as to crash a host.
Solutions to this problem may take the form of a system-wide protection table, a copy of which is held by each driver running on a host. Drivers update the local portion of the table and push changes to remote drivers. As long as no host reboots there is no problem. When a host, e.g., HOST_A, reboots, however, the remaining hosts in the systems do not (and cannot) become aware of this event immediately. If HOST_A enables RDMA accesses immediately after reboot, RDMA operations initiated from a remote host based on old information (prior to HOST_A rebooting) in the protection table can crash HOST_A.
For example, when a host (a node in a network) is rebooted, the host's internal RDMA settings, i.e., registered memory regions, are cleared and initialized. But if other hosts' RDMA settings have not been updated, other hosts may try to access the memory of the recently rebooted host using RDMA. At that time, because memory allocation in the host is initialized after rebooting and the initialization of the memory allocation of the rebooted host is not reflected in the other hosts' settings, the other hosts' access to the memory of the rebooted host, directed to an address which is determined by the old settings may overwrite important information for operation of the rebooted host, which could cause a crash of the rebooted host.
It is therefore essential to ensure that a rebooted host is recognized as such by the other hosts and that any information in the system's protection table relating to the rebooted host be invalidated before a rebooted host is fully re-integrated in the system.
Typical solutions to this problem might take the form of a user level process (like a daemon process in Unix (™)) on each node that, perhaps in cooperation with a heartbeat user level process, informs drivers of changes in the status of remote hosts. For example, a system may have a NIC control process and a heartbeat process on each host. The NIC control process is responsible to initialize the NIC and inform the NIC driver of changes, e.g., host reboots, in the system. Each heartbeat process keeps track of the state of other hosts by exchanging messages with heartbeat processes. Suppose that a host, HOST_A, fails then there are no heartbeat messages sent. After a predefined period other heartbeat processes determine that HOST_A has failed. Then each heartbeat process informs its NIC control process which then informs the driver to block all access to HOST_A. Once HOST_A recovers, its heartbeat process starts sending messages again. Other heartbeat processes receive the message and then inform their NIC control process which in turn informs the driver to re-enable access to HOST_A. There are some problems with this approach however. For example, it may take some time before a NIC is initialized as its initialization depends on a user level process, the NIC control process. If the host is heavily loaded this process may not be scheduled to run in a timely manner (slow system response). During this period the NIC is unavailable. Also it is possible that either the NIC control or heartbeat process fail. Failure of the NIC control process compromises the host's response to system events, e.g., access to a rebooted host may not be re-enabled for a very long time. Failure of the heartbeat process may be misinterpreted as a host crash, hence affect overall system performance. In other words by using user level processes the overall reliability of the system may be reduced.
Other problems may result from the user level process potentially using a different communication path for its integration protocol from that used by RDMA requests and hence not being able to ensure that there are no RDMA accesses in transit before the NIC's RDMA functionality is enabled.
Suppose that a node is rebooted. The driver of that node loses all information about its previous state. In particular it loses all previously registered memory regions and all information about memory regions registered on the other nodes. Remote nodes may or may not be aware that the node has rebooted however. The problem of re-integrating the NIC on the rebooted host in a system where some drivers are aware that the host has rebooted while others are not, needs to be solved. The solution must be safe in the sense that it must ensure that there are no RDMA operations in transit with the NIC as a target. If such RDMA operations exist they were initiated before the host was rebooted, are based on old information and will likely crash the host. At the end of re-integration the NIC driver must have a current copy of the system's protection table and all other hosts that are part of the system must be aware that the NIC is a functioning part of the system. Solving this problem with user level monitoring processes delays the entire NIC initialization until a safe time. In order for the user level processes to communicate each host would have to be fitted with other NICs, without RDMA functionality, hence increasing overall hardware cost.

Apparatus and the method for integrating NICs with RDMA capability but no hardware memory protection in a system without dedicated monitoring processes


An angle limiting filter includes: a first light-shielding layer containing a first light-shielding material and provided with a first opening; a second light-shielding layer containing a second light-shielding material and located in a region which surrounds at least one portion of the first light-shielding layer; a third light-shielding layer containing the first light-shielding material, provided with a second opening at least one portion of which overlaps the first opening, and located above the first light-shielding layer; and a fourth light-shielding layer containing the second light-shielding material and located above the second light-shielding layer in a region which surrounds at least one portion of the third light-shielding layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a spectroscopic sensor and an angle limiting filter.
2. Related Art
In the fields of medical care, agriculture, environment, and so on, spectroscopic sensors are used for diagnosing and inspecting objects. For example, in the field of medical care, a pulse oximeter is used to measure the blood oxygen saturation level using light absorption by hemoglobin. In the field of agriculture, a saccharometer is used to measure the sugar content of fruits using light absorption by sugar.
JP-A-6-129908 discloses a spectroscopic imaging sensor which limits the incident angle with an optical fiber optically connecting between an interference filter and a photoelectric conversion element to thereby limit the transmission wavelength band to the photoelectric conversion element.
However, a related-art spectroscopic sensor has a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size thereof. Therefore, it is difficult to install a number of sensors at desired places or constantly install sensors.

Spectroscopic sensor and angle limiting filter


A running resistance device for a chassis dynamometer performs an environmental test while applying a running resistance and an environmental condition similar to a road running to the chassis dynamometer. Air-conditioning equipment, a thermometer and a barometer are provided in an environmental test laboratory. An air-conditioning control panel and a chassis-dynamometer control section are provided outside the environmental test laboratory. An environmental-correction calculating section of the chassis-dynamometer calculates an environmental correction value of a rolling resistance and an environmental correction value of an air resistance coefficient from air-temperature and air-pressure values detected by the thermometer and barometer, respectively; calculates a target running resistance from the calculated environmental correction values; and outputs the target running resistance to a running-resistance-command generating section of the chassis-dynamometer, which controls the chassis dynamometer by generating the running-resistance command based on the target running resistance and a detection signal of speed of the chassis dynamometer.

Instead of conducting an evaluation test by driving a (assembly-)finished vehicle on a road, recently, a drive wheel(s) of the finished vehicle is placed on a roller of chassis dynamometer for evaluation. In such a case, a running-resistance load which is generated by the road running of the vehicle is simulated by setting an absorption load torque of the chassis dynamometer. At this case, a running resistance has been obtained by causing the vehicle to coast on an actual road such as a test course in advance. When such a running-resistance data is obtained, the environment such as wind velocity, air temperature, air pressure and humidity takes a wide range of variations. Hence, the obtained data is treated as a data under a standard atmospheric condition (air temperature: 20° C., air pressure: 101.3 kPa, calm wind), in order to determine a target running resistance.
However, the running resistance obtained on the actual road is influenced by its environment, particularly by air pressure. For example, since air density is low at a high altitude of 3000 m above sea level, a percent for which an air resistance accounts in the running resistance is low so that a vehicle running is influenced and different at a highland. Therefore, as an environmental test device designed for a vehicle which runs at a high altitude, Patent Literature 1 is know. This Patent Literature 1 discloses that air pressure of a low-pressure environmental test laboratory is controlled by using a suction blower or a pressure-reducing blower.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 4-068578


A circuit includes a transformer 7 for transmitting power to a discharge lamp 10 and for supplying a starting signal to the discharge lamp. The circuit includes a direct current-alternating current converting circuit 3 for supplying an output of the transformer 7 to the discharge lamp 10 after carrying out a direct current-alternating current conversion, and a starting circuit 4 for applying the starting signal to the discharge lamp 10. A primary side of the transformer 7 has a first capacitor 11, a circuit portion 13 including a rectifying element, and a switching element 14. The transformer 7 has an auxiliary winding 7v for supplying a voltage for generating the starting signal to the starting circuit. A second capacitor 12 is interposed between the auxiliary winding and the circuit portion 13 and prevents absorption of energy by the capacitor 11 in generating the starting signal and prevents attenuation of the starting signal.

A lighting circuit of a metal halide discharge lamp or the like is known for use in a vehicular illuminating light source. The lamp includes a direct current voltage booster circuit having a DC-DC converter, a direct current-alternating current converting circuit, and a starting circuit. For example, in one arrangement, the starting circuit includes a transformer whose primary side is provided with a capacitor (starter capacitor), and a self-break down type switching element of a spark gap or the like. The self-break down type switching element conducts when a terminal voltage exceeds a threshold by charging the capacitor. A starting pulse (or starter pulse) can be generated by causing a primary current flow in the transformer to be applied to the discharge lamp from a secondary winding of the transformer.
Some arrangements include a circuit for storing energy by charging the capacitor, which has an auxiliary winding for generating a high voltage at the transformer so as to supply a voltage from the auxiliary winding to a capacitor by way of a rectifying element of a diode or the like.
According to the foregoing circuit arrangement, a problem can arise by magnetically coupling a main winding (primary winding and secondary winding) of the transformer and the auxiliary winding for generating the high voltage through a core. In particular, when the high voltage pulse is generated at the primary winding of the transformer to start the discharge lamp, a surge voltage in accordance with the pulse generation also is generated at the auxiliary winding. When the energy is stored by the starter capacitor, the starting signal is attenuated and results in deterioration of the starting performance.
Hence, it would be desirable to guarantee starting performance of a discharge lamp lighting circuit without a significant increase in size and cost.


A thixotropic gel suitable for use in subsurface bioremediation is provided along with a process of using the gel. The thixotropic gel provides a non-migrating injectable substrate that can provide below ground barrier properties. In addition, the gel components provide for a favorable environment in which certain contaminants are preferentially sequestered in the gel and subsequently remediated by either indigenous or introduced microorganisms.

The use of silica solutions and silica gels to solidify soil and render soil impermeable are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,130 entitled, "Method of Forming a Substantially Liquid Impervious Wall in an Earth Formation", and which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses introducing materials into a soil in which a filler material is mixed with a silica gel to form a material which will render certain soil types impermeable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,872, entitled "Method of Plugging or Sealing Formations With Acidic Silicic Acid Solutions", and which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method of sealing earth formations using a low pH silicic acid solution.
It is also known in the art to introduce oils such as a vegetable or mineral oil into a below ground contaminated area. The oil serves to concentrate and remove organic contaminants from the soil so that the contaminants may be removed by recovery of the oil or may be metabolized by microorganisms which may be introduced into the oil fraction. One such use of this technology is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,674 entitled "Enhancement of in Situ Microbial Remediation of Aquifers", and which is incorporated herein by reference.
One difficulty of contamination remediation in the vadose zone is the tendency for treatment materials to flow straight down with little lateral spreading. In addition, low viscosity materials leave low concentrations of the treatment materials in the soil pore spaces. Higher viscosity materials increase the saturation of the materials within the soil pore spaces but are difficult to emplace within a significant sized volume needed for typical remediation environments.
Other difficulties of contamination remediation in the vadose zone is that the vadose zone tends to be highly gas permeable, has a moisture content that is less than saturation, and a pressure that varies due to atmospheric pressure variations which create significant gas fluxes. The vadose zone can be highly permeable to the influx of rain and surface water which can leach contaminants into the groundwater. Oxygen and other gases enter the vadose zone through the percolation of rain and surface water and through gas exchange by diffusion and from barometric pressure differentials with the surface. As a result of these properties, it is difficult to perform certain bioremediation and physical techniques within the vadose zone given the permeability, and the open, porous nature of the vadose region.
An additional difficulty of contamination remediation involves adequate treatment of the capillary fringe area associated with a vadose zone. The capillary fringe is a boundary region separating the water table from the unsaturated vadose zone and traditional remediation techniques such as soil vapor extraction or pump and treat protocols are not effective for treatment of a capillary fringe region. The capillary zone may include tension-saturated soils which, depending upon the pore size of the soil, may extend several feet above the water table. Efforts to effectively remediate within the capillary zone have proven difficult given that significant fluctuations of the water table repositions the capillary fringe, thereby subjecting the capillary fringe region to a range of varying conditions of moisture, oxygen availability, and bioavailability of resources.
An additional difficulty of contamination remediation involves adequate treatment of contaminants in the saturated zone. Low permeability zones in the saturated zone can retain contaminants for long periods of time and can slowly release them (back diffusion) over decades leading to a long period of active remediation. Efforts to effectively reduce the contaminant flux from these zones have not been addressed.
An additional difficulty of contaminant remediation concerns dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) pools in the saturated zone. These pools reside on top of low permeability soils in more permeable soils where the groundwater flows. The DNAPL pools are sparingly soluble and provide a constant source of contamination to the groundwater and are difficult to treat.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement and variation within the art.

Thixotropic gel for vadose zone remediation