Disclosed is a method and device for performing forced expiratory maneuver in an infant to assess the infant's pulmonary function. Under this method, the infant's lungs are synchronously inflated to super-atmospheric levels synchronous with the infant's natural tidal inspiration for a plurality of consecutive respiratory cycles. The end-expiratory CO2 levels in the infant's respiration are measured during the test. When the end-expiratory CO2 concentration decreases from the baseline by a pre-defined amount, the infant lungs are rapidly inflated to substantially total lung volume and rapidly deflated to produce a maximum forced expiration. The pre-defined amount of change in CO2 concentration is usually determined by the testing clinician. Typical concentration drop in CO2 levels, for example, ranges between 4 and 8 mmHg. But the decrease may also be as little as 2 mmHg or as much as 15 mmHg, depending on the testing clinician. The decrease in the end-expiratory CO2 level of the infant indicates that the infant's respiratory center is sufficiently modified to allow for the measurement.

Forced expiration is a simple yet useful test for pulmonary function. In this test, the patient makes a maximum inspiration, filling the lungs to their maximum volume known as Total Lung Capacity (TLC), and immediately expels the inhaled air as rapidly as possible to empty the lungs to the minimum volume attainable by this maneuver. By measuring the volume rate of expiration and the total amount of air expired over time, a number of parameters can be used as indications of pulmonary function and health. Examples of these parameters include the forced expiratory flow in the first second of the forced expiration (FEV1), the expiratory flow rate averaged over the period from a volume of 25% to 75% of the total expired air volume (FEV25-75), the total volume of expired air (FVC) plotted against the flow rate. The forced expiration test is useful for quantitating levels of dysfunction occurring in relation to both obstructive and restrictive pulmonary processes.
In infants, lung function tests that evaluate airway function is particularly difficult as they cannot cooperate for the test. Unlike an older child or an adult, an infant cannot be expected to voluntarily perform the forced expiration on his own. Hence, to acquire data on an infant's airways, clinicians have developed techniques such as the "squeeze" or "hug" technique. In this method, an inflatable vest or jacket is wrapped around the infant's chest and abdomen. The vest is attached to a pressurized reservoir with a valve controlling the flow of air from the reservoir into the vest. With the reservoir, the vest can be rapidly filled with air (to varying pressures) to squeeze the infant's body within the vest and expel the air from the infant's lungs so as to replicate the forced flow procedure. Because these squeezes are made from end-tidal inspiration, the infant is not inflated to TLC before the squeeze resulting in partial respiratory curves.
One way to acquire more information across a greater exhale volume of the infant is to inflate the infant's lung to a higher lung volume before performing the squeeze. For example, infant lungs can be inflated to +15 to +50 cm H2O before squeezing or deflation that forces the air out. See e.g., Motoyama, E K, Pulmonary Mechanics During Early Post Natal Years, Pediatric Respiration, Vol. 11, 1977, pp. 220–223; Turner, D J et al., Assessment of Forced Expiratory Volume-Time Parameters In Detecting Histamine Induced Bronchoconstriction in Wheezy Infants, Pediatric Pulmonology, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 220–4, April 1993; Hammer J. and Newth, C J., Effect of Lung Volume on Forced Expiratory Flows during Rapid Thoracoabdomical Compression in Infants, Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 78, No. 5, 1995, pp. 1993–1997; Newth, C J et al., The Effects of Varying Inflation and Deflation Pressures on the Maximal Expiratory Deflation Flow-Volume Relationship in Anesthetized Rhesus Monkeys, American Review of Respiratory Disease, Vol. 144, No. 4, pp. 807–13, October 1991. Lung volume may also be increased by providing for multiple inspiration without exhalation. Because under these methods, more air is expelled than during a normal breath, the time for exhalation is prolonged beyond what the infant's brain determines the time should be. In response to the innate timing cycle, however, the infants frequently begin inspiration before the forced maneuver is completed, and invalidates the data.
One way to address this problem was for the physician to wait until a respiratory pause has been achieved in the infant before "squeezing" or forcing the infant to exhale. In this method, the physician first inflates the infant's lung synchronously with the infant's natural tidal inspiration to a lung volume greater than the lung volume reached with natural breathing for several breaths. Inflating the infant's lungs in this way will cause a few seconds of pause in the infant's breathing. During this pause period, the infant's lung is again rapidly inflated and immediately afterwards, the chest and abdomen is "squeezed" to produce a maximum forced expiration. In the above method, however, the infant's carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which controls their innate respiratory timing, will be returning to normal while the clinician is waiting to determine if there has been a respiratory pause. Carbon dioxide levels returning to normal may affect the test results. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for new methods of performing forced expiratory maneuvers in infants.

Method and apparatus for performing a forced expiratory maneuver in an infant


In designing a FLOTOX EEPROM of a dual cell type, a consideration should be given to the layout of cells for microminiaturization of the FLOTOX EEPROM. The FLOTOX EEPROM of the dual cell type includes two paired floating gates (25a, 25b), two tunnel windows (33a, 33b) a shared source (27), a shared control gate (26), select gates (29a, 29b), and a shared drain 28. Thus, a higher reliability design and a higher breakdown voltage design are achieved for the FLOTOX EEPROM of the dual cell type.

Electrically writable and rewritable EEPROMs find a wide range of applications because of their capabilities of on-board rewrite and rewrite in units of page and byte. Therefore, the EEPROMs require a highly reliable design and microminiaturization.
For improvement of the reliability, a FLASH is proposed, which includes a storage cell and an additional verify cell for single data so that data write and erasure can be easily verified (see Patent Document 1). A conceivable approach to the highly reliable design of the EEPROM is to employ a dual cell system adapted to store the same data in two cells.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-HEI8 (1996)-180696


A form for casting concrete blocks and other products having a resilient insert defining a cavity in which the block is cast and a rigid support or frame for the resilient insert. After the block has cured, the block is removed from the insert either by inverting the form to allow the block to fall from the insert or by lifting the block from the insert. One or more areas of the insert are tethered to the support with at least one generally flat flexible strap so that at least a portion of the insert is allowed to move a limited distance relative to the support and to deform to release the block. One end of each tether strap is embedded in the insert. After the cast block is separated from the insert, the insert is returned to a position wherein it is supported for casting another block.

Concrete blocks may be formed with textured sides which may have undercuts. Because of the irregular surfaces, these blocks are not easily released from the form cavity in which they are cast. The shapes of the form cavity walls are such that the cured concrete block is locked within the form, even if the form is inverted. One method for releasing blocks with irregular surfaces from the form cavity is to hinge the side walls of the cavity so that the form walls may be pivoted away from the cast block after the concrete has sufficiently cured. This allows the block to be lifted from the form. Another method is to provide form walls which can be manually disassembled and separated from the block after it has cured, and reassembled for casting another block. The manual labor required to release or move the form sides from each block so that it can be removed from the form adds to the cost for manufacturing the blocks. It has been particularly difficult to manufacture large concrete blocks having highly irregular surfaces which have the appearance of natural stone. It is desirable to form some surfaces of the blocks with deep undercuts which imitate natural characteristics of stone.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Form for casting concrete blocks and other objects


Disclosed is a mobile terminal, comprising: a display; a metal frame coupled to a rear surface of the display by an adhesive tape, and having a screw-coupling groove on a rear surface thereof; a front case coupled to the rear surface of the metal frame, and having a screw-coupling hole; a screw inserted into the screw-coupling groove and the screw-coupling hole on a rear surface of the front case; and a rear case coupled to the front case, and configured to cover the rear surface of the metal frame. Under such configuration, the rear surface of the display is coupled to the case. Accordingly, the size of a bezel portion disposed on a side surface of the mobile terminal can be prevented from increasing, and a display panel can be easily separated from the front case.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal, and particularly, to a mobile terminal having a structure where a display module is mounted to a case.
2. Background of the Disclosure
In general, a terminal may be classified into a mobile (portable) terminal and a stationary terminal according to a moveable state. The mobile terminal may be also classified into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to a user's carriage method.
As functions of the terminal become more diversified, the terminal can support more complicated functions such as capturing images or video, reproducing music or video files, playing games, receiving broadcast signals, and the like. By comprehensively and collectively implementing such functions, the mobile terminal may be embodied in the form of a multimedia player or a device.
As the mobile terminal is provided with diversified functions, a display is considered as a main component and the mobile terminal has a larger screen. However, as the size of the display increases, the size of the mobile terminal also increases. In order to solve such problem, required is a new design capable of increasing the size of the display while minimizing the size of the mobile terminal.


A method of inhibiting the proliferation of B cells by using inhibitors of phosphotyrosine phosphatase can be used to regulate the immune response and to treat diseases such as leukemias or lymphomas marked by malignant proliferation of B cells or T cells. Antitumor activity is seen in vivo against tumors and against tumor cell lines. The use of such inhibitors can be combined with radiation, which produces a synergistic effect. Several types of inhibitors can be used, including: (1) compounds comprising a metal coordinate-covalently bound to an organic moiety that can form a five- or six-membered ring, in which the metal is preferably vanadium (IV); (2) compounds in which vanadium (IV) is coordinate-covalently bound to an organic moiety such as a hydroxamate, .alpha.-hydroxypyridinone, .alpha.-hydroxypyrone, .alpha.-amino acid, hydroxycarbonyl, or thiohydroxamate; (3) coordinate-covalent complexes of vanadyl and cysteine or a derivative thereof; (4) nonhydrolyzable phosphotyrosine phosphatase analogues; (5) dephostatin; (6) 4-(fluoromethyl)phenyl phosphate and esterified derivatives; and (7) coordinate-covalent metal-organic compounds containing at least one oxo or peroxo ligand bound to the metal, in which the metal is preferably vanadium (V), molybdenum (VI), or tungsten (VI). Methods of stimulating signaling in T cells and conjugates of a modulator of phosphotyrosine metabolism with a specific binding partner for a B cell surface antigen are also disclosed.

This invention is directed to the use of phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors and tyrosine kinase activators for controlling cellular proliferation, particularly proliferation of lymphocytes.
Tyrosine phosphorylation is known to play an essential role in the control of lymphocyte function. This control is exerted by a network of tyrosine kinases and phosphotyrosine phosphatases.
Apoptosis is a pattern of programmed cell death that involves a breakup of the cellular DNA and can be recognized by electrophoresis. Apoptosis is an important lymphocyte response believed to play a prominent role in T and B lymphocyte maturation in the thymus (T cells) and in germinal centers (B cells), an example being the process of negative selection of self-reactive cells (J. J. Cohen et al., "Apoptosis and Programmed Cell Death in Immunity," Annu. Rev. Immunol. 10:267-293 (1992); D. R. Green et al., "Activation-Induced Apoptosis in Lymphoid Systems," Sem. Immunol. 4:379-388 (1992)).
Three different means of inducing apoptosis in lymphocytes all appear to require tyrosine phosphorylation. First, stimulation of the antigen receptor can lead to lymphocyte apoptosis. In the case of B cells, treatment of immature B cell lymphomas, but not mature B cells, with soluble anti-Ig antibodies often induces apoptosis (L. E. Benhamou et al., "Anti-Immunoglobulins Induce Death by Apoptosis in WEHI-231 B Lymphoma Cells," Eur. J. Immunol. 20:1405-1407 (1990); J. Hasbold & G. G. B. Klaus, "Anti-Immunoglobulin Antibodies Induce Apoptosis in Immature B Cell Lymphomas," Eur. J. Immunol. 20:1685-1690 (1990)). Signaling by anti-Ig antibodies requires tyrosine phosphorylation as an early and essential step (A. L. DeFranco, "Structure and Function of the B Cell Antigen Receptor," Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 9:377-410 (1993)).
In immature B cells, stimulation of sIgM (surface immunoglobulin M) by either antigen or anti-immunoglobulin antibodies activates the cells (G. J. V. Nossal, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 1:33-62 (1983)). Stimulation of sIg (surface immunoglobulin) in B cells induces tyrosine phosphorylation (M. R. Gold et al., Nature 345:810-813 (1990); M. A. Campbell & B. M. Sefton, EMBO J. 9:2125-2131 (1990), which is essential for productive sIg signaling (P. J. L. Lane et al., J. Immunol. 146:715-722 (1991)).
Furthermore, specific tyrosine kinases appear to be involved in the B cell signaling that leads to apoptosis or growth arrest. For example, as a result of sIg stimulation, Src family kinases are activated (A. L. Burkhardt et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:7410-7414 (1991)). Additionally, expression of the Src family tyrosine kinase Blk was found to be essential in B cell lymphomas where sIgM stimulation leads to growth arrest and apoptosis (X. R. Yao & D. W. Scott, "Expression of Protein Tyrosine Kinases in the Ig Complex of Anti-.mu.-Sensitive and Anti-.mu.-Resistant B Cell Lymphomas: Role of the p55.sup.blk Kinase in Signaling Growth Arrest and Apoptosis," Immunol. Rev. 132:163-186 (1993)). Similarly, the expression of the Blk tyrosine kinase has been found to be necessary for antigen receptor induced apoptosis in CH31 lymphoma cells (X. R. Yao & D. W. Scott, "Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides to the blk Tyrosine Kinase Prevent Anti-.mu.-Chain-Mediated Growth Inhibition and Apoptosis in a B Cell Lymphoma," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:7946-7950 (1993)), wherein the Lyn tyrosine kinase has been shown to be necessary for antigen receptor induced growth arrest in both human and murine B cell lymphoma lines (R. H. Scheuermann et al., "Lyn Tyrosine Kinase Signals Cell Cycle Arrest but Not Apoptosis in B-Lineage Lymphoma Cells," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:4048-4052 (1994)).
Thus, on sIgM stimulation, tyrosine kinases such as Blk phosphorylate one or more proteins on tyrosine residues, and once phosphorylated, these proteins are then able to induce apoptosis. However, it has also been shown that the abundant phosphotyrosine phosphatase CD45 is required for sIg signal transduction (L. B. Justement et al., Science 252:1839-1842 (1991)).
The correlation of the ability of monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies to induce tyrosine phosphorylation signaling and their ability to produce lymphoma regression in human patients also supports the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in these processes (W. M. J. Vuist et al., "Lymphoma Regression Induced by Monoclonal Anti-Idiotypic Antibodies Correlates with Their Ability to Induce Ig Signal Transduction and Is Not Prevented by Tumor Expression of High Levels of Bcl-2 Protein," Blood 83:899-906 (1994)). In the case of T cells, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A prevented superantigen induced cell death that otherwise resulted from cross-linking multiple antigen receptors (N. K. Damle et al., "Activation with Superantigens Induces Programmed Death in Antigen-Primed CD4+ Class II+ Major Histocompatibility Complex T Lymphocytes Via a CD11a/CD18-Dependent Mechanism," Eur. J. Immunol. 23:1513-1522 (1993)).
A second example of the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in lymphocyte apoptosis is the case of Fas induced cell death in T cells. Crosslinking of Fas antigen on Jurkat T cell leukemia cells with anti-Fas antibodies induces both apoptosis and activation of tyrosine kinases leading to cellular tyrosine phosphorylation (C. M. Eischen et al., "Tyrosine Kinase Activation Provides an Early and Requisite Signal for Fas-Induced Apoptosis," J. Immunol. 153:1947-1954 (1994)). Herbimycin A blocked both the Fas induced tyrosine phosphorylation and death in these cells, demonstrating the essential role of the tyrosine kinases.
Apoptosis induced by ionizing radiation provides a third example. Ionizing radiation causes tyrosine kinase activation in human B cell lymphocyte precursors at therapeutically relevant doses that lead to growth arrest in apoptotic cell death (F. M. Uckun et al., "Ionizing Radiation Stimulates Unidentified Tyrosine-Specific Protein Kinases in Human B-Lymphocyte Precursors Triggering Apoptosis and Clonogenic Cell Death," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:9005-9009 (1992)). Ionizing radiation is standard therapy for B cell malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors blocked the radiation-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and apoptosis. The phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor vanadate, which when used alone had little effect, greatly augmented the radiation-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and cell death (F. M. Uckun et al. (1992), supra). The activation of tyrosine kinases by ionizing radiation was essential for the induction of apoptosis because the tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein and herbimycin A blocked the effects of the radiation. These results indicate that not only is tyrosine kinase activation essential for radiation induced apoptosis in B cells, but also suggest that phosphatases can act to limit these responses. The state of lymphocyte development also appears to be important in apoptotic responses since immature B cell lines frequently respond to Ig antibody treatment with apoptosis or growth arrest, whereas mature B cells respond by proliferation (R. H. Scheuermann et al. (1994), supra; X. R. Yao & D. W. Scott, Immunol. Rev. (1993), supra; G. J. V. Nossal, "Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of B Lymphocyte Tolerance," Adv. Immunol. 52:283-331 (1992)).
Tyrosine kinase activation and the phosphorylation of key signaling molecules such as PLC.gamma. are early and essential steps in lymphocyte antigen receptor signal transduction (A. Weiss & D. R. Littman, Cell 76: 263-274 (1994)). Src-family kinases are believed to act first, followed by the Syk family kinases Syk in B cells (S. J. Saouaf et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 9524-9528 (1994)) and ZAP-70 in T cells (M. Iwashima et al., Science 263: 1136-1139 (1994)). Phosphotyrosine phosphatases (PTP) provide both positive and negative regulation of these signals. CD45 is essential for signaling in both T and B cells, acting at least in part by dephosphorylating the negative regulatory C-terminal phosphorylation site in Src-family kinases, permitting them to become activated (A. Weiss & D. R. Littman (1994), supra; L. B. Justement et al., Science 252: 1839-1842 (1991)). However, CD45 can also negatively regulate T cell signaling by dephosphorylating specific substrates such as the .zeta. chain of the T cell receptor (T. Furukawa et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 10928-10932 (1994)). In addition, PTP1C has recently been reported to negatively regulate B cell antigen receptor signals (J. G. Cyster & C. C. Goodnow, Immunity 2: 13-24 (1995)). It is likely that additional PTPs are also involved in regulating lymphocyte signal transduction.
Although mature B cells usually respond to antigen receptor signals by proliferation, immature B cell lines frequently respond by undergoing apoptosis or programmed cell death (X. R. Yao & D. W. Scott, Immunol. Rev. 132: 163-186 (1993); R. H. Scheuermann et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 4048-4052 (1994); G. J. V. Nossal, Adv. Immunol. 52: 283-331 (1992)). This response permits the process of negative selection that eliminates self-reactive immature B cells. This activation induced B cell death requires specific tyrosine kinases involved in antigen receptor signaling, such as the Blk tyrosine kinase (X. R. Yao & D. W. Scott, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 7946-7950 (1993)). Recently, it has been reported that mice deficient in PTP1C more readily eliminate self-reactive B cells (J. G. Cyster & C. C. Goodnow (1995), supra), indicating a role for phosphotyrosine phosphatases in this process. Tyrosine kinase activation has also been found to be essential for the ability of therapeutically relevant doses of ionizing radiation to induce tyrosine phosphorylation and apoptosis in human leukemic B cells (F. M. Uckun et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 9005-9009 (1992)). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors blocked the radiation-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and apoptosis. The PTP inhibitor vanadate, which when used alone had little effect, greatly augmented the radiation-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and cell death (F. M. Uckun et al. (1992), supra). These results indicate that not only is tyrosine kinase activation essential for radiation induced apoptosis in B cells, but also suggest that phosphatases can act to limit these responses.
Despite these findings, the currently available PTP inhibitors are unsatisfactory for in vivo or clinical use. The PTP inhibitors phenylarsine oxide (PAO) (P. G. Garcia-Morales et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87: 9255-9259 (1990); M. C. Fletcher et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268: 23697-23703 (1993)) and pervanadate (J. J. O'Shea et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 10306-10310 (1993); G. L. Schieven et al., Blood 82: 1212-1220 (1993)) have properties that can limit their utility for biological studies and make them unsatisfactory for clinical use. PAO is a highly toxic molecule that has the potential to react with vicinal sulfhydryl groups on a wide variety of proteins (S. C. Frost & M. D. Lane, J. Biol. Chem. 260: 2646-2652 (1985)). Pervanadate is an unstable compound that can give extraordinary induction of tyrosine phosphorylation in the absence of biological stimulation in all cell types examined (D. Heffetz & Y. Zick, J. Biol. Chem. 264: 10126-10132 (1990); D. Heffetz et al., J. Biol. Chem. 265: 2896-2902 (1990)). Furthermore, the effect of PTP inhibition on B cell receptor signaling has not been addressed. Additionally, it would be highly desirable to be able to manipulate the state of tyrosine phosphorylation, such as by the use of phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors, without the use of ionizing radiation.
In addition to blocking proliferation of malignant B cells or T cells in diseases such as leukemias and lymphomas, in a number of situations it may be desirable to slow the growth and/or differentiation of normal B cells or T cells. Such occasions include organ transplantation, in which the immune response, at least in the short term, must be suppressed. Limited control of the proliferation of B cells may also be desirable in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved methods of controlling proliferation of B cells or T cells in malignant and non-malignant conditions without requiring the use of radiation. Such an approach preferably involves the production of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in susceptible cells. Preferably, such methods should be specific for lymphocytes and not cause neutropenia. Also, such methods should be of value in treating tumors overexpressing one or more members of the EGF receptor family, other receptor tyrosine kinases, or other tyrosine kinases.

Phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors or phosphotyrosine kinase activators for controlling cellular proliferation


The invention relates to a method for producing high-molecular weight polyesters, such as e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polynaphthalene terephthalate (PEN), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and/or polyesters of other dicarboxylic acids and diols including copolymers thereof. The invention relates likewise to a device for implementing this method. The latter concerns a single-stage tower reactor with which a method, comprising only two reactors, is made available for the total process.

The invention relates to a method for producing high-molecular weight polyesters, such as e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polynaphthalene terephthalate (PEN), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and/or polyesters of other dicarboxylic acids and diols including copolymers thereof. The invention likewise relates to a device for implementation of this method. This concerns a single-stage tower reactor with which a method, comprising only two reactors, is made available for the total process.
Methods for continuous production of polyesters are known from the state of the art, in which multiple-stage reactor systems are used which comprise three to five different reaction vessels which are connected to each other. In the case of these methods, the polyester formation is implemented in a plurality of reaction steps which are generally configured as stirred vessels, which steps proceed spatially separately from each other: esterification, transesterification, precondensation, polycondensation and polyesterification. The reaction conditions for the esterification are thereby at temperatures between 200 and 280° C. and pressures between 0 and 4 bar, whilst the conditions for the transesterification are normally at atmospheric pressures and at temperatures between 150 and 240° C., dependent upon the initial substances, especially upon the diols. Low temperatures and low pressures are desirable for the methods in order to avoid undesired secondary reactions.
A method for continuous production of high-molecular weight polybutylene terephthalate is known therefore from DE 35 44 551 A1, in which the method is implemented at atmospheric pressure.
It is important with all the methods known from the state of the art to fulfil the following conditions:    I) Suitable process control and configuration of the devices in order to avoid undesired secondary reactions.    II) As rapid as possible removal of the byproducts, such as e.g. water, methanol, THF and acetaldehyde, as a result of which the reaction equilibrium is moved to the right and the main reaction consequently proceeds with precedence.    III) Sparing treatment, i.e. short dwell time with a minimum reaction temperature.    IV) Optimally coordinated pressure reduction and/or respectively temperature increase in order to achieve the greatest possible progress of the esterification/transesterification and also of the polycondensation/polyesterification.    V) High surface formation for improving the reaction kinetics.
These objects can be fulfilled only unsatisfactorily by means of a plurality of successively connected stirred vessels which are normally used according to the state of the art for these processes. Consequently, e.g. the quality of the product or the quantity of undesired byproducts and also the yield can be affected negatively, as a result of which, in addition to further disadvantages, such as energy consumption, maintenance requirements and investment costs, the economic efficiency of these methods is greatly impaired.
Starting from these disadvantages of the state of the art, it was the object of the present invention to provide a method for producing high-molecular weight polyesters using a single, integrated reactor which fulfils the requirements (I) to (V).
This object is achieved by the generic method with the characterising features of claim 1 and also by the generic device with the characterising features of claim 18. The further dependent claims reveal advantageous developments.
According to the invention, a method for continuous production of high-molecular weight polyester is provided, based on the esterification of dicarboxylic acids and/or transesterification of dicarboxylic acid esters with diols in the presence of catalysts with simultaneous formation of a prepolymer and polycondensation thereof into high-molecular weight polyester. The following steps thereby characterise the course of the method:    a1) A paste and/or a suspension of the dicarboxylic acids and of the diol is produced, a molar ratio of diol to dicarboxylic acid of 0.8 to 1.8 being maintained. At the same time, the temperature is maintained between 20 and 90° C. and the pressure between 0.1 and 1 bar.    a2) Alternatively to a1), a dicarboxylic acid ester can be melted and mixed with the diol in a molar ratio of diol to dicarboxylic acid ester of 1.2 to 1.8 at a temperature of 145 to 165° C.    b) The products from a1) and/or a2) are supplied continuously to a tower reactor. In the tower reactor, the esterification or respectively transesterification is then effected continuously, simultaneously and without interruption until precondensation, the following reaction conditions being maintained:    b1) The products from a1) and/or a2) are subjected to a temperature treatment at 170 to 270° C. and pressures of 0.3 to 3 bar without mechanical stirring. At the same time, a partial quantity of the catalyst and/or catalysts is supplied, whilst the reaction vapours are removed in situ from the reaction mixture.    b2) The product obtained from b1) is transferred continuously into a pipe stretch and the pressure is thereby maintained between 1 and 10 bar, the temperature between 200 and 280° C. In this reaction step, at the same time 0.03 to 0.3 mol diol are supplied.    b3) The product from b2) is transferred continuously into a third zone, a reduced pressure of 0.1 to 2 bar and a temperature between 230 and 280° C. being maintained. 0.02 to 0.2 mol diol and a partial quantity of the catalyst and/or catalysts are supplied in this third step.    b4) The product from b3) is subjected to further reaction, the pressure being maintained between 0.01 and 0.1 bar and the temperature between 240 to 280° C.    b5) The reaction product water from the esterification or respectively methanol from the transesterification, the byproducts and also excess diol from the reaction steps b1) and b3) to b5) are removed and the diol is supplied back to the individual process steps after removal of low boilers.    c1) The prepolymer obtained from b4) is further processed in a normal polycondensation apparatus at temperatures between 240 and 290° C. and at pressures between 0.0002 to 0.003 bar continuously to obtain a polymer.    c2) Alternatively to c1) it is also possible to solidify the obtained prepolymer, to process it into pellets and to subject it to subsequent polycondensation in solid phase at temperatures between 160 and 230° C. under inert gas.

Method for continuous production of high-molecular weight polyesters and device for implementation of the method


A control module coupled to a switching device that is switchable between an open state and a closed state as part of a switching event is provided. The control module includes a communication interface configured to issue a control signal to the switching device that triggers the switching device to switch between the open state and the closed state, and receive a feedback signal from the switching device indicating that the switching device has switched between the open state and the closed state. The control module further includes a processing device coupled to the communication interface and configured to calculate a characteristic time interval associated with the switching event, wherein the characteristic time interval is indicative of a mechanical switching time of the switching device, and a memory device coupled to the processing device and configured to store the calculated characteristic time interval.

The field of the invention relates generally to circuit breakers and more particularly to monitoring circuit breaker operation over time.
Circuit breakers are often used to protect, in a residential, industrial, utility, or commercial environment, against overcurrent conditions, ground fault conditions, or other system anomalies that are undesirable and require the circuit breaker to open. In some circuit breakers, an electronic control system, referred to as a trip unit or an electronic trip unit or a relay, monitors one or more characteristics of electrical power to detect the presence of overcurrent conditions and causes an operating mechanism to separate circuit breaker contacts upon detection of an overcurrent condition by the trip unit. Separating the circuit breaker contacts, generally referred to as "tripping" the circuit breaker when caused by protection reasons or opening the circuit breaker when caused by control reasons, interrupts the flow of current through the circuit breaker.
In industrial settings, for example, the electronic control system serves to prevent damage to equipment and machines that, in many cases, represent a significant investment by a business and on whose operation the business relies. The electronic control system carries out this function by monitoring electrical current through a line. If the current exceeds a certain threshold, the electronic control system opens a circuit breaker on the line, thereby preventing excessive current from reaching devices or conductors that would be damaged by the excessive current. Circuit breakers may also be utilized in a variety of other applications.
Over a period of time, circuit breakers may degrade, resulting in slower switching times for both opening and closing operations. As a switching time increases, the quality of the protection provided by the circuit breaker to prevent excess current from reaching downstream devices may be degraded. Degraded circuit breakers can be maintained, repaired, or replaced to maintain acceptable performance levels. However, in at least some known power distribution systems, maintenance personnel may not be aware that a circuit breaker is degrading until the circuit breaker becomes wholly inoperable or the circuit breaker is called upon to operate and then operates slower than desired or initially planned.

Systems and methods for monitoring circuit breaker operation


A novel association between IBD and a polymorphism at amino acid residue 241 of ICAM-1 has been discovered. In accordance with the present invention there is provided methods of screening for IBD, methods for treating IBD, antibodies specifically reactive with ICAM-1 encoded by R241 allele and kits which exploit the inventive methods.

A. Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ("IBD") is the collective term used to describe two chronic, idiopathic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: ulcerative colitis ("UC") and Crohn's disease ("CD"). UC and CD are considered together because of their overlapping clinical, etiologic, and pathogenetic features. From a therapeutic and prognostic standpoint, however, it is important to distinguish them.
IBD occurs world-wide and is reported to afflict as many as two million people. Onset has been documented at all ages; however, IBD predominately begins in young adulthood. The three most common presenting symptoms of IBD are diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. The diarrhea may range from mild to severe and is often accompanied by urgency and frequency. In UC, the diarrhea is usually bloody and may contain mucus and purulent matter as well. Anemia and weight loss are additional common signs of IBD. Reports of an increasing occurrence of psychological problems, including anxiety and depression, are perhaps not surprising secondary effects of what is often a debilitating disease that occurs in people in the prime of life.
B. Methods of Diagnosing IBD
A battery of laboratory, radiological, and endoscopic evaluations are combined to derive a diagnosis of IBD and to assess the extent and severity of the disease. Nevertheless, differentiating UC from CD, as well as other types of inflammatory conditions of the intestines, such as irritable bowel syndrome, infectious diarrhea, rectal bleeding, radiation colitis, and the like, is difficult, because the mucosa of the small and large intestines reacts in a similar way to a large number of different insults. Once other types of bowel disorders have been ruled out, the final diagnosis is often made on the basis of the progression of the disease. In many patients, though, the colitis must still be regarded as indeterminate because of the overlapping features of UC and CD, particularly with CD of the colon.
1. Early Symptoms of IBD
The leading early symptoms of UC and CD are chronic recurrent diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, recurrent abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss general evidence of inflammation without any obvious explanation (fever, raised ESR, leucocytosis, thrombocytosis and dysproteinenemia or anemia). Among these symptoms, diarrhea and anemia are more characteristic of UC while pain and weight loss and marked evidence of inflammation are more common in CD. While the history and physical examination of a patient can help, the final confirmation of the diagnosis has traditionally been made endoscopically, histologically and, in relation to the small intestine, radiologically as well.
2. Endoscopic and/or Radiologic Examination
An endoscopic examination of the bowel can reveal important changes in mucosal appearances which can aid the physician in diagnosing IBD.
Unlike CD, UC is a disease of the mucosa and is confined to the large intestine. UC usually begins in the rectum, although it may involve the entire colon at the time of presentation. When UC spreads, it spreads proximally and continuously, without skipping areas. Hence, it is important to take multiple biopsy specimens from different sites of involved and apparent uninvolved mucosa. In some patients, UC remains localized to the rectum or to the left side of the colon.
The mucosa in acutely active UC appears to be hyperemic, granular and friable, while CD shows lymphoid follicles, aphthoid lesions and flat ulcers. Despite its name, inflammation rather than ulceration is the cardinal feature of UC. Ulcerations may or may not be present in UC. Occasionally, inflammation and ulceration vary in severity in different parts of the colon, including the rectum, giving the false impression of skip areas and rectal sparing, the latter of which are features of CD and are of diagnostic importance for that disorder.
The mucosa of CD exhibits patchy involvement with edema, hyperemia, and ulcerations. The ulceration is a prominent feature of CD. Both superficial and deep undermining or cleft-like ulcers occur. They may be linear or serpiginous. Occasionally, the combination of edema with ulcerations creates a cobblestone appearance that is seen radiologically and endoscopically. Inflammatory polyps, as in UC, may occur.
3. Histological Examination
The cardinal histological features in UC include vascular congestion, edema, goblet cell mucin depletion, crypt abscess formation, and inflammatory cell infiltration of the lamina propria. Crypt abscesses are collections of neutrophils that invade the crypt epithelium and accumulate within the lumen of the crypts. Ulcerations, if they occur, are superficial and only become penetrating to the propria muscularis when the disease is fulminant and acute toxic dilatation of the colon occurs.
Histology in CD shows the characteristic findings of granuloma formation with epithelioid and giant cells. However, these features are found in only 20-40% of biopsies. Transmural inflammation is also typical of CD, and even more typical is its disproportionate distribution (submucosa>mucosa). The mucosa shows infiltration by granulocytes with preservation of normal numbers of goblet cells. Lymphocytes and plasma cells are found in the lamina propria, and lymphoid aggregates are present. Lastly, aphthoid lesions are a typical histological feature in the early stages.
4. Determination of ANCA Status
The presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies ("ANCAs") can easily be detected in a blood sample, for example, by immunofluorescence assay or a fixed neutrophil ELISA as detailed in Saxon, et al., J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. Vol. 86 No. 2, pp. 202-210 (1990) and incorporated herein by reference. The prevalence of positive ANCA in patients with UC ranges from 50 to 86%. This UC-associated ANCA has perinuclear immunofluorescence binding pattern which is different from other ANCAs. Moreover, the presence of ANCA is highly specific for UC compared with other forms of colitis. Although a proportion of CD exhibit ANCA, it is at a much lower titre than UC.
Thus the ANCA status of a patient (positive indicating UC and negative indicating CD) is another factor that aids the physician in the diagnosis of IBD. ANCAs also have an increased frequency among the clinically healthy relatives of UC patients compared with environmental and ethnically matched controls. Therefore, ANCA status, in combination with family history of IBD, has also aided physicians in predicting a subjects susceptibility to IBD.
To date, a diagnosis of UC or CD is quite subjective and depends upon host of procedures aimed at confirming the suspected diagnosis. The initial symptoms are often confused for non-chronic bowel disorders by physicians unfamiliar with IBD. Consequently, IBD is often goes mistreated and undiagnosed until the disease shows its chronicity which results in referral of the patient to a specialist. The imprecise and subjective nature of endoscopic and radiologic examination can result in a misdiagnosis between UC and CD or indeterminate diagnosis even when the IBD is suspected.
Histological examination and ANCA status do provide greater certainty of an accurate diagnosis, but the problems of differentiating between the two diseases based on the histological findings are often underestimated. There is no single histological criterion which is proof of one or the other disease. The epithelial cell granuloma for example, which is often accorded a key role in the diagnosis of CD is only to be found in about 20% of bioptic specimens from such patients. They can also occur in other diseases. Unfortunately, the patient must often suffer as the disease progresses before a definitive diagnosis can be made.
The selective identification of UC as opposed to CD or other inflammatory conditions of the intestines carries important prognostic and therapeutic implications. For example, when colectomy is indicated, the type of IBD involved determines which surgical options are appropriate. Surgery (total colectomy) does represent a cure in UC, though a dramatic one. In CD, surgery is never curative. Continent procedures such as the ileorectal pull-through (mucosal proctectomy) or the Kock pouch may be desirable in UC, but are contraindicated in CD.
C. Inflammation and Intercellular Adhesion Molecules
Although the cause(s) of UC and CD is not known, there is general agreement that genetics is important in a person's susceptibility to UC and CD and that the immune system is responsible for mediating the tissue damage in these diseases. A wide range of immunologic abnormalities have been reported in these disorders, but none has yet been sufficiently reliable to be of diagnostic value.
What characterizes the various forms of IBD is a failure to down regulate the normal self-limited inflammatory response of the gut. Inflammation is the response of vascularized tissue to infection or injury. Clinically it is accompanied by four classic signs: redness, heat, pain and swelling. Its course may be acute or chronic.
At the cellular level, inflammation involves the adhesion of leukocytes (white blood cells) to the endothelial wall of blood vessels and their infiltration into the surrounding tissues. In normal inflammation, the infiltrating leukocytes phagocytize invading organisms or dead cells, and play a role in tissue repair and the immune response. However, in pathologic inflammation, infiltrating leukocytes can cause serious and sometimes deadly damage.
Recognizing that leukocyte infiltration is the cause of much inflammation-related pathology and that leukocyte adhesion is the first step in infiltration, investigators have recently focused attention on the mechanism of leukocyte binding to the endothelium cell surface. Studies show that binding is mediated by cell-surface molecules on both endothelial cell and leukocytes, which act as receptor and ligand. For a review of the roles of leukocyte integrins, immunoglobulin (Ig) gene family members, and selections in the leukocyte rolling, attachment, and transendothelial migration, the reader is directed to Springer, T. A., et al., Nature, 346: 425-433 (1990); Springer, T. A., et al., "Leukocyte Adhesion Molecules Structure Function and Regulation," New York: Springer-Velag (1990); Lasky, L. A., Science 258: 964-969 (1992); McEver, R. P., Curr. Opin. Cell. Biol. 4: 840-849 (1992); Lipsky, P. E., "Structure, Function and Regulation of Molecules Involved n Leukocyte Adhesion," New York: Springer-Verlag (1993); Hogg, N. and Landis, R. C., Curr. Opin. Immunol. 5: 383-390 (1993), all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Transendothelial migration begins with leukocyte rolling which is largely brought about by the selections Lasky, et al., 1992. The later stages of endothelial migration involve activation of leukocyte integrins and binding of leukocytes to the endothelial cells which express Ig-like proteins including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ("ICAM-1"). The interaction of leukocyte integrins with the Ig-like proteins leads to firm attachment and actual migration across the endothelial surface (see, Smith, C. W., et al., J. Clin. Invest. 82: 1746-1756 (1988) and Smith, C. W., "Transenothelial Migration." ed. Harlan, J. M. and Liu, D. Y. New York: W. H. Freeman & Co. pp. 83-115 (1992), incorporated herein by reference). Thus, a genetic variation in these inflammatory cell adhesion molecules would be an important variable in the susceptibility, diagnosis and treatment of multifactorial disease processes like IBD which involve inflammatory or immunological responses.
The availability of a diagnostic marker that would readily distinguish UC from CD of the colon, independent of or in combination with existing diagnostic methods, would represent a major clinical advance which would aid in therapeutic management of IBD and the design of more specific treatment modalities. Accordingly, there has existed a need for a convenient and reliable method to distinguish UC from CD for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes.

Methods of screening for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease


In one example, a home network associated with a user equipment obtains an authentication request to authenticate the user equipment to a serving network. The home network generates an authentication vector of a mobile security protocol. The authentication vector includes an indication that the user equipment is to be authenticated using a multi-factor authentication process. The home network provides the authentication vector to the serving network to prompt a response from the user equipment that is in accordance with the multi-factor authentication process. The home network authenticates the user equipment to the serving network based on the response.

"5G" refers to fifth generation cellular network technology. 5G may offer improved speed, latency, and efficiency over earlier-generation cellular network technologies. 5G networks may be public networks (available for any user) or private networks (limited to certain users, such as employees of an enterprise). Private 5G networks promise to replace wired industrial Ethernet links with ultra-reliable and ultra-low latency 5G New Radio (NR) links.

Multi-factor authentication for mobile security protocol


A translation agent adapts DOCSIS information, primarily QoS information, for transmission over a PON. The agent places into an IP address field of a DHCP message the MAC address of an ONU associated with a CPE device attempting to register with a CMTS. The translation agent intercepts DHCP reply messages from the DHCP server using the MAC address of the ONU. The translation agent extracts information, including an IP address of the client CPE assigned by the DHCP server. The agent downloads a configuration file for the CPE device using the configuration filename and configuration file server contained in a DHCP reply message. Information contained in the configuration file is converted from content in a format used by DOCSIS, to content in a format used by PON devices. The translated content includes QoS parameters, functions related to which are controlled at the ONU by an OLT coupled to the CMTS.

A cable network system operator, often referred to as a multiple systems operator ("MSO") typically provides data and telephony services over a cable modem or telephony modem that operates according to the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification ("DOCSIS") standard and the PacketCable standard for telephony service. DOCSIS anticipates that communication signals are sent over a hybrid fiber coaxial cable network ("HFC") in the downstream direction from a cable modem termination system at an MSO-operated head end to a cable modem ("CM"), or a telephony modem, such as, for example, a TOUCHSTONE™ Telephony Modem ("TTM") sold by ARRIS Group, Inc. The HFC also transports communication signals in the upstream direction from the CM, or TTM, towards the CMTS. The cable industry originally envisioned that DOCSIS equipment would carry data traffic and PacketCable would facilitate telephony traffic over the HFC network. While both types of traffic have special considerations unique to them, an HFC network, which also carries standard television signals to a subscriber, was deemed sufficient to carry the data, voice and television video traffic.
Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a system 2 for providing DOCSIS communication traffic signals over an HFC network 4. HFC 4 carries traffic signals between CMTS 6 and user devices 8, at a plurality of locations, examples of the user devices being cable modems and/or telephony modems. CMTS 6 communicates over private IP network 10 with myriad devices, as well as the internet backbone, typically according to a protocol such as Ethernet. The various devices that communicate with CMTS 6 via IP network 10 include a video server 12, call management server ("CMS") 14, billing server 16 and configuration server 18. It will be appreciated that the various servers include processing components and database components. For example, configuration server 18 includes a configuration table, or database 20 and a processor/interface 22 that, for example, processes connection requests from modems 8 and sends configuration files from server 20 that are associated with the requesting modem thereto based on the modem's address. The address could be an IP address, but is typically a media access control ("MAC") layer address.
As more and more consumers desire high definition ("HD") video service, and MSO provide more and more content in HD, the traffic-carrying capacity of an HFC is strained and actually poses a limitation on the amount of the high-bandwidth-need traffic signals that can be delivered from a head end to consumers.
Thus, MSOs have begun to seek ways to obtain higher capacity than an HFC provides. MSOs are increasingly interested in using passive optical network ("PON") to carry content, including data, voice and video, but they want to minimize investment in equipment. Thus, many MSOs wish to use much of their existing equipment, such as call management servers, billing servers, configuration servers, etc., that couple to the CMTS via a private internet protocol ("IP") network, and even the CMTS itself.
Although DOCSIS traffic can be carried over a PON, a PON and DOCSIS use different protocols, control messages and addressing methods for sending a data packet from one location to another. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and system that allows an MSO to continue to use existing head end equipment to send and receive DOCSIS traffic of a PON instead of over an HFC.

Method and system for transporting DOCSIS communication signals over a passive optical network


Removable pressure sensitive adhesive compositions having enhanced resistance to water-whitening comprising a crosslinked aqueous emulsion polymer are disclosed. The crosslinked aqueous emulsion polymer comprises (a) at least one hydrophobic monomer; (b) greater than 1 wt. % of at least one hydrophilic monomer; (c) greater than 3 wt. % of at least one mono-olefinically unsaturated monomer having an aldehyde or ketone group; (d) optionally at least one partially hydrophilic monomer; and (e) an effective amount of at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible polymerizable surfactant; wherein the crosslinked aqueous emulsion polymer is crosslinked with an effective amount of at least one polyhydrazide crosslinker, the wt. % of monomers (a), (b), (c) and (d) are based on the total weight of monomers (a), (b), (c) and (d), and the mean particle size of the crosslinked aqueous emulsion polymer is less than about 400 nm.

This invention relates to removable pressure sensitive adhesives based on aqueous emulsions. The removable pressure sensitive adhesives of the invention have enhanced resistance to water-whitening.
Removable pressure sensitive adhesives are used on a variety of products including labels, tapes, films, and the like, to enable the product to adhere to a substrate and then to later be removed from the substrate without difficulty and without leaving a stain or residue. To be suitable for such applications, the pressure sensitive adhesive must have good adhesion with low peel strength and must not exhibit a significant increase in adhesion over time. Optimally, the pressure sensitive adhesive should exhibit such physical properties on a variety of substrates. Typical commercially available aqueous acrylic emulsion pressure sensitive adhesives that are removable cannot be used with film facestocks which are used in outdoor applications. One outdoor application involves decorative decals which are applied to substrates such as glass. One technique for applying such a decorative decal to a substrate is to spray water on the adhesive and/or substrate so that the decal is slidingly movable over the substrate for ease of positioning. Unfortunately, in such a technique, the aqueous acrylic emulsion adhesive film turns milky in contact with water. Another outdoor application involves protective films that are applied via adhesive to materials for construction projects where the film serves to protect the construction material until the construction project is completed. Exposure of the protective film covered construction materials to water or high humidity in outdoor environments often results in the aqueous acrylic emulsion adhesive turning milky. For transparent filmstocks, this water-whitening results in an unsatisfactory appearance.
For a successful aqueous acrylic emulsion removable pressure sensitive adhesive to be used with decorative or protective films and decals in outdoor applications, the adhesive needs to exhibit good water resistance along with good anchorage of the adhesive to the film facestock to assure clean removability from the substrate. The current commercially available aqueous acrylic emulsion pressure sensitive adhesives which demonstrate good water-whitening resistance are permanent adhesives, i.e. those that leave an adhesive residue on the substrate if the facestock is removed. Currently available removable aqueous acrylic emulsion pressure sensitive adhesives which demonstrate good anchorage to the film also exhibit poor water-whitening resistance. Accordingly, there is a need for an aqueous acrylic emulsion pressure sensitive adhesive which exhibits both desired properties of removability and water-whitening resistance.

Removable, water-whitening resistant pressure sensitive adhesives


The present invention relates to a method for correcting false susceptibility results in antimicrobial susceptibility tests for resistant microorganisms. This method comprises adding specific amounts of sugars, carbohydrates, related compounds or other ingredients to a test medium for such susceptibility tests.

"Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests" (AST) are performed to predict the therapeutic effectiveness of different antibiotics for the treatment of infections. The test is performed in vitro (outside the patient) using the microorganism cultivated from an infection site (i.e., wound, urine, stool, etc.). Although the AST method described in the present invention refers to testing bacteria, AST methods have also been developed for other infectious disease agents (such as viruses, fungi, parasites).
Bacterial AST testing is usually performed using a battery of antimicrobial agents. The results provided from this test allow the physician to select the most effective agent from a "menu" of antibiotic choices available. Since therapy is usually initiated before the infectious agent is cultivated, initial antibiotic therapy is selected empirically (i.e., based on the physician's presumptive diagnosis). Therefore, the AST results are, in practice, usually used only to modify therapy, particularly if the patient is not responding well to the initial therapeutic choice.
The most common AST performed today are the broth-dilution Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method, and the disk diffusion method. An agar dilution method is also used to a lesser extent..
The broth-dilution method is performed by inoculating a broth growth medium (usually Mueller Hinton Broth) with an organism at a standard density (about 3-7.times.10.sup.5 bacterial cells/milliliter). The broth suspension is then separated into aliquots (usually 0.1 ml) in wells containing antibiotics in a microdilution panel. A series of wells (aliquots) are tested for each antibiotic with each well containing a progressively increasing concentration of drug. The antibiotic/microorganism mixtures are incubated at body temperature (35.degree.-37.degree. C.) for enough time to allow the organism to grow in a well without any antibiotic (growth control well). For inhibitory concentrations of antibiotic(s), no visible evidence of growth is observed after the incubation period. Whereas, growth will be observed in wells were the antibiotic concentrations are not inhibitory. The minimal amount of antibiotic (lowest concentration) needed to inhibit the growth of the organism (the MIC value) is an end point (parameter) used to quantitate the effectiveness of the antibiotic. Lower MIC values indicate more effective antibiotics.
The relative therapeutic effectiveness of the antibiotic is determined by comparing the MIC to the achievable levels of the antibiotic in the body following injection or other delivery methods to the patient. A general "rule of thumb" is that effective agents have an MIC at least 10 times lower than the peak serum level of the antibiotic. In practice, the MIC values are converted to a simpler qualitative result (susceptible, intermediate, or resistant) for the physician. These qualitative values are derived from tables developed by organizations such as the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS).
Background publications on this test include: "Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: General Considerations "by James H. Jorgensen and Daniel F. Sahm, Ch. 110, pp. 1277-1280, in Manual of Clinical Microbiology, Sixth Edition, P. R. Murray et. al. eds., ASM Press, Washington D.C., 1995, and "Antibacterial Susceptibility Tests: Dilution and Diffusion Methods" by Gail L. Woods and John A. Washington, Ch. 113, pp. 1327-1341, in Manual of Clinical Microbiology, Sixth Edition, P. R. Murray et. al. eds., ASM Press, Washington, D.C. 1995. These references are incorporated herein by reference.
The Sceptor.RTM. MIC system is very similar to the microdilution method by NCCLS. "Sceptor.RTM. MIC panels" contain antimicrobial agents dried in an 84-well tray. Each panel has up to 83 wells containing antimicrobial agents and one growth control well. A bacterial suspension in Sceptor.RTM. broth medium is used for rehydration of the antimicrobial agents and biochemicals and inoculation of the wells. Following an incubation period, the wells containing the antimicrobial agents are viewed for bacterial growth. The least amount of an antimicrobial which results in no visible growth, is the MIC for that particular antimicrobial.
It had been found that Sceptor.RTM. MIC panels have been exhibiting false susceptibility results with certain resistant microorganisms, such as, for example, for two antimicrobics, Piperacillin and Aztreonam. This necessitated the removal of Piperacillin and Aztreonam from the Sceptor.RTM. panels until a solution for this inconsistency could be found.
The present invention describes a method for solving the problem described above by utilization of certain specific and heretofore unrevealed beneficial concentrations of sugars and/or other ingredients to prevent false susceptibility results in such AST.

Addition of lactose or other sugars in correcting false susceptibility results for resistant microorganisms in antimicrobial susceptibility tests


A golf ball composed of an elastic solid core and a resin cover enclosing said core and having a number of dimples in the surface thereof, which is characterized in that said elastic solid core has resilience such that the deformation is 3.0 to 5.0 mm when the load is increased from 98 N (10 kgf) to 1275 N (130 kgf), said cover has a gage of 1.2 to 2.1 mm and a Shore D hardness of 60 to 75, and said dimples are formed in two or more different patterns, with their number amounting to 250 to 370. This golf ball is superior in flight performance.

The present invention relates to a golf ball superior in flight performance.
There has been a desire that a solid golf ball should have a good feel on impact and an ability to stop quickly on the green. One way to attain this desire was to optimize the properties of the core and cover for the condition in which the golf ball experiences comparatively high spin (or backspin of about 3000 rpm induced by the driver shot).
However, the golf ball has recently been improved such that it increases its travel distance even when it is hit with low spin and at a high launch angle. The improvement in golf balls as well as clubs has changed the way of golf play. Now, it is not uncommon that the backspin induced by the driver (or any other clubs for a long carry) is less than 2000 rpm.
Under such a low spin condition, the golf ball experiences less coefficient of drag during flight and increases in carry. However, the golf ball with conventional dimples has the disadvantage that it gradually loses lift as it decreases in speed in the section of trajectory beyond the peak. The loss of lift leads to a decreased carry.


Various embodiments for a composite endovascular device (and variations thereof) that include an inner polymer structure and an outer thin-film shape memory structure. The inner polymer structure extends from a distal end to a proximal end along a longitudinal axis. The outer thin-film shape-memory structure has an inner thin-film surface coupled to the outer surface of the inner polymer structure from the distal end to the proximal end with a retrieval member at the proximal end to allow for the prosthesis to be retrieved after placement in a body vessel. The inner polymeric structure can be blended with a suitable bio-active agent or the agent can be loaded into the pores. The device can be permanent or temporary by virtue of being retrievable.

It is well known to employ various intravascular endoprostheses delivered percutaneously for the treatment of diseases of various body vessels. These types of endoprosthesis are commonly referred to as stents. A stent is a generally formed longitudinal tubular device of biocompatible material, such as stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, nitinol or biodegradable materials, having holes or slots cut therein so they can be radially expanded, by a balloon catheter or the like, or alternately self-expanded within the vessel. Stents are useful in the treatment of stenosis, strictures or aneurysms in body vessels such as blood vessels. These devices are implanted within the vessel to reinforce collapsing, partially occluded, weakened or abnormally dilated sections of a vessel. Stents are typically employed after angioplasty of a blood vessel to prevent restenosis of the diseased vessel. While stents are most notably used in blood vessels, stents may also be implanted in other body vessels such as the urogenital tract and bile duct.
Stents generally include an open flexible configuration. This configuration allows the stent to be inserted through curved vessels. Furthermore, the stent configuration allows the stent to be configured in a radially compressed state for intraluminal catheter implantation. Once properly positioned adjacent the damaged vessel, the stent is radially expanded so as to support and reinforce the vessel. Radial expansion of the stent can be accomplished by inflation of a balloon attached to the catheter, or alternatively using self-expanding materials such as nitinol within the stent. Examples of various stent constructions are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,665 filed by Palmaz on Nov. 7, 1985, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
A balloon angioplasty can be used in place or as an adjunct to a stent implant. As is well known, a balloon is deployed in a narrowed blood vessel and expanded to open up the narrowed vessel. Once the vessel has regained sufficient flow, the balloon is withdrawn.
With either of these techniques, restenosis may develop subsequent to the procedure in about half of the patient receiving a stent. Restenosis is believed to be even higher for angioplasty. To reduce the rate of restenosis, drug eluting stents are provided, which has been shown to be superior to bare metal stents in reducing the restenosis. However, thrombosis for drug eluting stent has been shown to be problem over time, believed to be as much as five years or longer. Additionally, the polymer carrier for the drug in such drug eluting stent is believed to be a source of the inflammatory response or local toxicity by the body vessel.

Thin-film composite retrievable endovascular devices and method of use


A flow measurement apparatus is provided that combines the functionality of an apparatus that uses strain-based sensors and ultrasonic sensors to measure the speed of sound propagating through a fluid flowing within a pipe, and measure pressures disturbances (e.g. vortical disturbances or eddies) moving with a fluid to determine respective parameters of the flow propagating through a pipe. The apparatus includes a sensing device that includes an array of pressure sensors used to measure the acoustic and convective pressure variations in the flow to determine desired parameters and an ultrasonic meter portion to measure the velocity and volumetric flow of the fluid. In response to an input signal or internal logic, the processor can manually or dynamically switch between the pressure sensors and ultrasonic sensors to measure the parameters of the flow. The flow measurement apparatus thereby provides a robust meter capable of measuring fluid flows having a wide range of different characteristics and flows exposed to different environmental conditions.

Ultra-sonic flow meters are well known for measuring volumetric flow of liquids and gas. Ultra-sonic meters may be mounted within a pipe, mounted within a spool piece, or clamped onto the outer surface of the pipe. While ultra-sonic meters are suitable and in some case accurate flow meters, such as gas custody meters, ultra-sonic meters are not suitable for all fluid flows. For instance, ultra-sonic meters have difficulty measure volumetric flow rate when measuring aerated fluids. The gas bubbles scatter the ultra-sonic waves and therefore, provides an inaccurate or no output at all.
Similarly, an array-based flow meter that uses an array of sensors disposed along the pipe for measuring vortical disturbances and/or acoustic waves propagating through the flow, are suitable for some applications and not as suitable for other applications. The array-based flow meter and the ultra-sonic meter have common applications that they are both suitable for use, however, in other instances, the ultra-sonic meter functions better than the array-based meter in some applications and the array-based flow meter functions better than the ultra-sonic meter in other applications. The present invention combines the two technologies into a single flow meter to provide a flow meter capable of functions in a great number of applications than each flow meter can function alone.

Flow measurement apparatus having strain-based sensors and ultrasonic sensors


A damping structure for a turbomachine rotor. The damping structure including an elongated snubber element including a first snubber end rigidly attached to a first blade and extending toward an adjacent second blade, and an opposite second snubber end positioned adjacent to a cooperating surface associated with the second blade. The snubber element has a centerline extending radially inwardly in a direction from the first blade toward the second blade along at least a portion of the snubber element between the first and second snubber ends. Rotational movement of the rotor effects relative movement between the second snubber end and the cooperating surface to position the second snubber end in frictional engagement with the cooperating surface with a predetermined damping force determined by a centrifugal force on the snubber element.

A turbomachine, such as a steam or gas turbine is driven by a hot working gas flowing between rotor blades arranged along the circumference of a rotor so as to form an annular blade arrangement, and energy is transmitted from the hot working gas to a rotor shaft through the rotor blades. As the capacity of electric power plants increases, the volume of flow through industrial turbine engines has increased more and more and the operating conditions (e.g., operating temperature and pressure) have become increasingly severe. Further, the rotor blades have increased in size to harness more of the energy in the working gas to improve efficiency. A result of all the above is an increased level of stresses (such as thermal, vibratory, bending, centrifugal, contact and torsional) to which the rotor blades are subjected.
In order to limit vibrational stresses in the blades, various structures may be provided to the blades to form a cooperating structure between blades that serves to dampen the vibrations generated during rotation of the rotor. For example, mid-span snubbers, such as cylindrical standoffs, may be provided extending from mid-span locations on the blades for engagement with each other. Two mid-span snubbers are located at the same height on either side of a blade with their respective contact surfaces pointing opposite directions. The snubber contact surfaces on adjacent blades are separated by a small gap when the blades are stationary. However, when the blades rotate at full load and untwist under the effect of the centrifugal forces, snubber surfaces on adjacent blades come in contact with each other. In addition, each turbine blade may be provided with an outer shroud located at an outer edge of the blade and having front and rear shroud contact surfaces that move into contact with each other as the rotor begins to rotate. The engagement between the blades at the front and rear shroud contact surfaces and at the snubber contact surfaces is designed to improve the strength of the blades under the tremendous centrifugal forces, and further operates to dampen vibrations by friction at the contacting snubber surfaces. A disadvantage of snubber damping is that on large diameter blades it is often difficult to achieve the desired contact forces produced between snubbers as a result of the centrifugal untwisting of the blades. In addition, the large mechanical load associated with large diameter blades typically necessitates larger snubber structures for mechanical stability to avoid outward bending of the snubber, resulting in increased aerodynamic losses and flow inefficiencies due to the flow restriction of larger snubbers positioned in the high velocity flow area through the part-span area.

Turbine blade damping device with controlled loading


A system and method for verifying authenticity of a target ID photo are provided. The method may include: receiving, by at least one computer, a target identification (ID) photo; accessing, by the at least one computer, a database of one or more reference ID photos; determining, by the at least one computer, a difference value between a predetermined area on the target ID photo and a predetermined area of one or more target reference ID photos in the database; upon determining that the difference value is less than a threshold value, generating, by the at least one computer, a warning code to indicate that the target ID photo is a fake ID photo.

When a user register with a service provided by a website, an identity verification may be required. A traditional way to perform the identity verification may require the user upload an identification (ID) photo. However, a user may make a fake ID photo to cheat, and the fake ID photo may be hard to identify. Therefore, it is desirable to provide systems and methods for verifying authenticity of Id photo uploaded by a user.

Systems and methods for verifying authenticity of ID photo

BEIJING DIDI INFINITY TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.


A system for use in connecting broadband voice and data signals to communications systems such as the telephone system. Due to the low pass filtering characteristics of a standard twisted pair used in conventional telephone access loops data band signals are attenuated more than voice band signals. The present invention provides apparatus and methods for interfacing data and voice band signals to a common communications medium, such as a twisted pair, while significantly reducing the influence of one frequency band on the other.

The increasing use of the Internet and other computer based communications systems has lead to the development of systems and methods for providing higher bandwidth access over existing telephone lines. A conventional access loop from the Central Office (CO), for example, employs a twisted copper pair and transmission systems implementing technologies such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) have been developed to carry both voice and broadband data signal over such access loops.
Due to the low pass filtering characteristics of a standard twisted pair telephone wire, the amplitude of a received signal is attenuated more for higher frequency signals than for lower frequency signals. As a result, the received high frequency data signal is smaller in amplitude than the low frequency voice signal. In a system which contains both voice and data on the same twisted pair wire, most of the dynamic range of the signal is used by the larger (i.e. less attenuated) voice signal. Typical interface systems incorporate a circuit to separate the data band and the voice band signals directly at the line connection point and use duplicate circuitry for each separate signal band. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,029 which issued Mar. 7, 2000 to Little et al describes a system in which a network interface unit at the customer premise separates the Plain Old Telephone Signal (POTS) from the data signal and each is processed separately. Circuits of this type typically contain an expensive transformer and the duplication of components in general adds to the system cost and power requirements.
Since the voice and data signals in such systems are full duplex (i.e. both transmit and receive at the same time on the same twisted pair wire), a fraction of the transmitted signals from both the voice and data bands appears across the connection points to the twisted pair. The connection point is also known as the Tip and Ring. These unwanted signals must be removed for proper signal reception. This is typically done in a voice only system using an analog circuit which subtracts the appropriate fraction of the outgoing (fraction transmit) signal from the incoming (receive+fraction transmit) signal. The resulting signal is the receive signal alone. This is known as a transhybrid loss circuit.
In a voice only system, since the transmit fraction of the incoming signal is in the same amplitude range as the receive component of the incoming signal, the transhybrid loss circuit function can be performed digitally after the analog to digital conversion without much compromise on the dynamic range of the analog to digital converter. This can be a large problem in a system which has a high frequency data signal, since the transmit fraction of the incoming signal is much larger than the receive component of the incoming signal.

Method and apparatus for connecting broadband voice and data signals to telephone systems


Laminated wood products are manufactured from first and second adjacent sawn wood strips that are cut with corresponding upper and lower edges, and inner and outer faces. The strips are rotated in opposite directions so that corresponding edges are toward each other, and the inner face of one strip and the outer face of the second strip are at the top of the strips. One of the strips is then turned end-to-end without rotation, so that both faces on the upper surface are either inner faces or outer faces. The adjacent edges are then glued to form a composite wood product. The composite product may form the surface ply of a five-layer face bonded wood laminate, which includes a center ply having edge dimensioning formed from the center ply. The surface laminate is preferably formed of reclaimed heartwood, and all layers of the face laminate are preferably formed of the same wood species.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to laminated wood products, and in particular to construction materials, such as flooring and the like manufactured from a plurality of wood segments bonded together in the horizontal or vertical dimension, or both, to form a single piece.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A wood of increasing significance in the manufacture of building components, such as flooring, as well as furniture parts, is obtained by recycling beams and other framing lumber from commercial, residential and industrial buildings constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most of the reclaimed wood is long leaf or loblolly southern yellow pine, the heartwood of which is known as heart pine, which is of great beauty, with a distinctive grain pattern and a rich patina. Other woods, such as red and white oak, Douglas fir, redwood, bald cypress, chestnut, maple, hemlock, spruce, and others are also being reclaimed.
Due to its limited availability, and the cost of reclaiming and processing, this wood tends to be relatively expensive when compared to new lumber. Moreover, the dimensions of the pieces that can be cut from the reclaimed beams and other original lumber pieces, is often less than the dimensions desired in the pieces used in building or furniture construction. For example, flooring manufactured from reclaimed lumber often produces narrow widths, although wider boards are often desired for aesthetics. A similar problem is incurred in the manufacture of flooring and other wood components from newly cut trees.
In order to meet the demand for wider, longer and/or thicker wood pieces, and reduce the cost, strips of wood are often glued together or to non-wood substrates to increase the width, thickness and/or length of the wood piece. That is, two relatively narrow strips can be edge bonded to form a composite wood piece that has the width of the combined strips. The bottom face of a relatively thin layer or ply of the more costly wood can also be laminated to the upper face of a substrate to produce a thicker, but less costly wood piece. Two relatively short pieces can be glued end-to-end to produce a longer piece.
In addition to reducing the cost of the wood piece, proper face lamination to form a thicker wood piece has the advantage of imparting greater stability to the piece. Face laminated pieces are generally formed of an odd number of layers or plies, with alternating plies laid transverse to each other. For example, in a three ply laminate, the upper surface ply and the backing ply will have their grain extending in a longitudinal direction, while the grain of the center ply will be transverse to the longitudinal direction. The surface and backing plies will also be "balanced" in a known manner to equalize their tendency to cup or warp, taking into account the particular characteristics of wood types and thickness.
While prior art laminated wood products have considerable utility, further improvements are needed in order to improve the appearance and usefulness of this material. Two significant problems are addressed by the present invention. One improvement relates to improvements in the appearance of edge bonded wood laminates, while the other improvement relates to face bonded wood laminates. These improvements may be used alone or in combination in the production of improved laminated wood products.
As noted, edge bonded wood laminates are manufactured by bonding, e.g., gluing, two or more wood strips to each other at their abutting edges to form a larger composite wood piece having the desired width. The resultant composite product has physical properties much like those of a single wood piece. However, due to the differences in the color and grain of the individual boards, the resultant composite board still has the appearance of plural boards, and not that of a single board.
One attempt to improve the appearance of laminated wood boards, and simulate the appearance of a single board, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,597 to Barker. A product formed in accordance with the Barker teaching is manufactured by cutting adjacent wood strips from a larger lumber piece, and then alternately rotating the pieces in opposite directions about their longitudinal axes. Edges facing toward each other after rotation are then edge glued.
It is still readily apparent that the boards manufactured by the Barker procedure are made from two or more individual pieces, due primarily to the difference in light reflectance of the individual pieces, and the juxtaposition of knots and other character markings. Thus, there is still a need for an improved composite, edge bonded, wood laminate visually more similar to a single wood piece.
A second problem exists with face bonded wood laminates, particularly laminates with dimensioned edges used to join two or more laminate pieces or strips together at their edges to cover a large surface area. A common example of this type of product is wood flooring formed of a surface ply of relative more costly wood that has an upper exposed surface, a backing ply, and a transversely oriented intermediate layer of a relatively inexpensive wood.
The grain of the flooring strip surface and backing plies is normally in the direction of the longer dimension of the strip, with the grain of the intermediate ply being transverse to the longer dimension, providing dimensional stability to the piece.
The edges of each flooring strip are normally dimensioned by cutting a groove into one edge and one end of the piece, and a tongue in the opposed edge and end. Thus, when two of the pieces are joined at their edges, the tongue along the edge of one piece fits into the groove along the edge of another piece. Similarly, the tongue at the end fits into the groove of an abutting piece.
Since the grain of the intermediate ply is transverse to the lumber dimension, there is a tendency for the short tongue piece at the end of the strip to break off under the stresses experienced at the ends of abutting flooring. Therefore, it is the industry practice to bond a shim of multilayer plywood or some other type of very strong material between the face and backing layers at the end of the piece and form the tongue from this shim. While effective, the cost of the product is increased and the appearance is undesirable. A face laminated structure eliminating the need for this shim would be much preferred.


A thread tensioning device or apparatus for a sewing machine enables accurate, repeatable measurement and monitoring of the compression forces applied to the thread tensioning discs thereof. The apparatus further includes a visual display or output corresponding to the actual amount of compressive force being applied. The device further includes a comparator, which compares the electrical signal to a predetermined reference value to control or regulate the normal operation of the sewing machine.

1. Field of the Invention
The following invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly, to automatic apparatus for monitoring and controlling thread tensioning force in a sewing machine.
2. Description of Prior Art
An existing sewing machine routes the sewing thread through a tensioning apparatus and the thread tension is manually adjusted by an operator, in part, by means of a pair of discs that are compressed against the thread. The correct tension results in a stitch that looks identical on both sides of the material. That is, the knots of the stitches are pulled into the fabric and are no more visible on the top than on the bottom.
To tighten the thread feeding into the needle, a thread-tensioning knob on the front of the machine is turned through a range of about five revolutions to compress a spring that squeezes the two discs together. Generally, the tension must be looser when sewing thinner fabric and tighter when sewing thicker fabric. Further, thread type can affect tension. If the sewer is using rayon thread, the tension will have to be a little looser because the tensile strength of rayon is not the same as that of polyester. Polyester can stand a tighter tension and needs a tighter tension to avoid looping.
Proper tension adjustment will eliminate problems associated with loose threads, looping, puckering, bunching, and other like problems. The problems associated with proper thread tensioning are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,057, "Bobbin Assembly Incorporating a Thread Tensioning Assembly and Method of Controlling the Payout of Thread From a Bobbin Assembly", issuing Nov. 28, 2000 to Badillo, the Specification hereby incorporated by reference.
However, thread tensioning apparatus of the typical sewing machine does not provide any means of monitoring or measuring the compression force applied to the discs or the comparing of the thread tensioning force to a predetermined reference to assure that the proper thread tension is applied to the sewing thread.
There have been many proposals for automating the above-mentioned regulation of proper thread tension. However, practical and useful proposals have not been realized.

Apparatus for monitoring and controlling thread tensioning force in a sewing machine


A distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named xe2x80x98Akvarzaxe2x80x99, characterized by its uniformly mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; full and dense plants; freely flowering habit; green and pale yellow variegated foliage; and white-colored ray florets and light gray-colored disc florets.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Akvarzaxe2x80x99.
The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aabyhxc3x8j, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Osteospermum cultivars with uniform plant habit and interesting leaf and floret colors.
The new Osteospermum is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,337. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka during the winter of 1998 in a controlled environment in Aabyhxc3x8j, Denmark. The selection of this plant was based on its unique variegated foliage.
Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Aabyhxc3x8j, Denmark during the spring of 1998. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Akvarza has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Akvarzaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Akvarzaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Osteospermum:
1. Uniformly mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit; full and dense plants.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Green and pale yellow variegated foliage.
5. White-colored ray florets and light gray-colored disc florets.
The new Osteospermum are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more compact than plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Osteospermum were green and pale yellow variegated whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka were solid green in color.
Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Akvarlu, U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently with this application, in ray floret coloration.


A connector includes a connector housing including a locking mechanism which locks a mating housing and formed to be fitted to the mating housing, and a connector terminal held by the connector housing to come into contact with a mating terminal held by the mating housing. The connector housing is designed to have a locking position of the connector housing with the mating housing by the locking mechanism and a contact position of the connector terminal with the mating terminal, and the locking position and the contact position coincide with or come close to each other in a fitting direction relative to the mating housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector which allows housings holding terminals to be fitted to each other so that the terminals are connected to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle such as a motor vehicle, a connector is used which electrically connects a terminal connected to a plurality of electric wires of a wire harness to a mating component. The connector of this kind includes, for instance, a connector housing formed so as to be fitted to a mating housing which holds a mating terminal as a connection mate and one or a plurality of connector terminals which are held by the connector housing to come into contact with the mating terminal. In the connector housing, a locking mechanism which locks the mating housing is provided. In a state where the housings are locked with each other by the locking mechanism, the connector terminals are electrically connected to each other (see JP-A-2003-59571).


A linear driving device includes a hydrostatic gas bearing, a shaft supported by the bearing, and a voice-coil motor for driving the shaft in a direction of movement. The bearing and the shaft are disposed within the voice-coil motor. The device further includes a locking mechanism for constraining the movement of the shaft in its direction of movement. In addition, the voice-coil motor includes a coil assembly having a coil. The coil assembly forms a closed space surrounded by the coil. The coil assembly has a plurality of exhaust holes therein communicating with the outside from the closed space.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a linear driving device obtained by combining a hydrostatic gas bearing or a direct-acting bearing and a voice-coil motor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 9 shows a linear driving device used in a conventional precision measuring apparatus or the like. A voice-coil motor, comprising a coil assembly 103a and a magnetic-circuit assembly 103, is disposed at the side of one end of a shaft 102 having a rectangular cross section supported by a hydrostatic gas bearing 101. A linear encoder 104 is mounted at the side of the other end of the shaft 102, and a measuring apparatus or the like is mounted at an end portion 102a of the shaft 102. The voice-coil motor moves the shaft 102 to a target position in accordance with a positional signal from the linear encoder 104.
On the other hand, in Japanese Utility Model Application Public Disclosure (Kokai) No. 59-72317 (1984), there is disclosed an approach such that in a shaft and a bearing having circular cross sections, in order to restrain the degree of freedom of the rotation of the shaft, an engaging unit for preventing rotation having a fluid outlet is provided between the shaft and the bearing.
In the configuration shown FIG. 9, however, since the voice-coil motor and the hydrostatic gas bearing are linearly arranged, the size of the device becomes large. Furthermore, in order to configure a hydrostatic gas bearing having a rectangular cross section, a large number of components are needed, and it is necessary to perform adjustment operations, such as gap adjustment and the like, in assembling the components, causing an increase in the production cost. In the configuration of the above-described publication, since the engaging unit for preventing rotation is provided between the shaft and the bearing, and the engaging unit and a unit engaged therewith form an air outflow channel provided in the inner wall of a long hole or the inner wall of the bearing, it is difficult, for example, to process these units with high precision and adjust gaps between them.
Furthermore, in the above-described conventional approaches, if an external force or the like is applied to the device when the supply of pressurized gas is stopped due to malfunctioning of the apparatus, human error, or the like, and the shaft contacts the bearing, the shaft moves when it is in a contact state with the bearing, causing damage to the shaft and the bearing.
Moreover, the gap between the coil and the yoke of the motor is the only portion of the device communicating with the outside (air) in the closed space surrounded by the coil of the voice-coil motor, and therefore the efficiency of exhaust is poor. Hence, the coil and the shaft tend to be displaced (in the order of 0.1 .mu.m) in the axial direction (the direction of a positioning operation) due to a change in pressure accompanying a change in the volume of the closed space during a driving operation for positioning, causing vibration in the axial direction, and causing a deterioration in the accuracy of a positioning operation and lengthening the time period of the positioning operation.