Methods and reagents for the diagnosis of female infertility, prognostic indicators for female infertility, compounds for the treatment of female infertility, compounds and methods for contraception. Methods and compounds are based on the levels of ebaf in endometrial tissue. Methods for diagnosing endometrial receptivity and bleeding function by screening a biological sample such as an endometrial tissue sample, or bodily fluid for the presence of ebaf. A contraceptive compound containing an effective amount of ebaf and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A diagnostic kit for timing contraception containing reagents for screening a sample for the presence of ebaf. A method of treating endometrial irregularities by down-regulating the expression of ebaf.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diagnostic and prognostic markers of endometrial irregularities, particularly infertility. More specifically, the present invention relates to diagnostic markers which can be used in treatment of infertility, kits for timing conception, contraception, and for treatment of excessive bleeding conditions.
2. Background Art
Human endometrium is a unique tissue that undergoes sequential phases of proliferation, secretory changes, tissue shedding and bleeding during menstruation. After ovulation, during a defined period designated as "period of endometrial receptivity" or "implantation window", a number of sequential changes at the structural and molecular levels make human endometrium susceptible to implantation (Tabibzadeh et al., 1995).
In humans, the ovum is fertilized in the Fallopian tube. The fertilized ovum starts to divide, migrates through the Fallopian tube and enters the uterine cavity around the 3rd to 4th day after ovulation. The blastocyst remains free floating within the endometrial cavity for a day and initiates implantation on day 5–10 after ovulation (Hertig et al., 1956; Formigli et al., 1987; Rogers et al., 1989; Navot et al., 1989; Navot et al., 1991). The identity of the members of the molecular repertoire that make the endometrium receptive to the implantation process still remains largely unknown. If implantation does not occur, however, a second series of changes lead to menstrual shedding of human endometrium. A member of this premenstrual molecular repertoire was recently identified (Kothapalli et al., 1997; Tabibzadeh et al., 1997). The expression of this novel gene was confined to the endometrium immediately prior to and during menstrual bleeding and hence it was originally designated as endometrial bleeding associated factor (ebaf) (Kothapalli et al., 1997). In fact, consistent with its intimate relation with endometrial bleeding, the expression of the gene was found in the endometrium during abnormal uterine bleeding (Kothapalli et al., 1997).
The deduced amino acid sequence of ebaf showed a great amount of identity and similarity with the known members of the TGF-β superfamily. A motif search revealed that the predicted ebaf protein contains most of the conserved cysteine residues of the TGF-β related proteins (Kothapalli et al., 1997) which are necessary for the formation of the cysteine knot structure (Kingsley, D. M., 1994; Daopin et al., 1992). The ebaf sequence contains an additional cysteine residue, 12 amino acids upstream from the first conserved cysteine residue. The only other TGF-β superfamily members, known to contain an additional cysteine residue, are TGF-βs, inhibins and GDF-3 (Kingsley, D. M., 1994; McPherron et al., 1993). ebaf, similar to lefty, GDF-3/Vgr2 and GDF-9, lacks the cysteine residue necessary for the formation of intermolecular disulfide bond (McDonald et al., 1993; McPherron et al., 1993; Jones et al., 1992). Additionally, whereas the carboxy terminus of the TGF-β family is usually CX1CX1, ebaf has a longer C terminal sequence, CX1CX19 (Meno et al., 1996). Therefore, ebaf appears to be an additional member of the TGF-β super is family with an unpaired cysteine residue which may not exist as a dimer (Tabibzadeh et al., 1997).
A gene which is called lefty/stra3 of the TGF-β super family is expressed during development in the left side of the mouse embryo in the mesenchyme (Meno et al, 1996; Boullet et al., 1995). The deduced amino acid sequence of ebaf protein is 77% identical and 83% similar to lefty (Meno et al, 1996). Therefore, lefty may be the mouse homolog of the human ebaf or a closely related molecule (Kothapalli et al., 1997; Meno et al, 1996).
Implantation is a complex process which requires interaction of the blastocyst and subsequently the developing embryo and placenta with the endometrium. Initially during this process, blastocyst establishes contact with the surface epithelium of endometrium. Subsequently, during a series of exquisitely controlled steps, the blastocyst is gradually implanted in the underlying stroma. Formation of placenta, the so-called placentation completes the implantation process and establishes a means of supporting the embryo to the end of the pregnancy period.
Most of the information regarding the phases of human implantation are derived from the specimens available in the Carnegie collections. Based on this material, implantation has been divided into various stages (Table 1). At the stage 4a, trophoblasts in different species, use one of the following modes of invasion of endometrium (Schlafke and Enders, 1975):    1. Displacement penetration (mouse, rat): In this mode of endometrial invasion, surface epithelial cells detach from their basement membrane and from each other, they degenerate and then are phagocytozed by trophoblasts. As a consequence, process of implantation is initiated by the exposure of the trophoblasts to the bare underlying basement membrane.    2. Fusion penetration (rabbit, ruminants): In this type of implantation, sycytiotrophoblasts fuse with the surface epithelial cells and form a syncytium that penetrates the basement membrane of the surface epithelium.    3. Intrusion penetration (carnivores): In this type of implantation, the processes of the syncytiotrophoblasts penetrate between the surface epithelial cells and junctions are formed between the trophoblasts and the epithelial cells. The trophoblasts interposed among epithelial cells gradually penetrate through the underlying basement membrane of the surface epithelium.

Diagnostic markers of human female infertility


A check valve comprises a valve housing defining an opening and a plurality of flapper elements each having a proximal end and a distal end. The flapper elements are pivotally mounted to the valve housing at their proximal ends for pivotal movement between a closed position, in which they block the flow of fluid through the opening and an open position in which they permit the flow of fluid through the opening. Each flapper element is generally triangular or trapezoidal in shape such that the flapper elements together create a generally conical or frustoconical surface when the valve is in the closed position. A resilient band extending around a circumference of the conical or frustoconical surface defined by the plurality of flapper elements in the closed position for biasing the flapper elements towards the closed position.

It is known to use check valves to allow fluid flow in one direction, and to prevent flow in the opposite direction. Check valves are widely used in a wide variety of applications, for example in air conditioning systems, for example in aircraft air conditioning systems. Many types of check valves are known. Some check valves include hinged flappers that open in the direction of fluid flow. In such valves, when a fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined valve "cracking pressure", the flappers of the valve open. Likewise, if significant pressure drops in the upstream fluid are experienced (such that there is a negative pressure differential across the valve), the flapper elements close, preventing flow reversal.
Some such check valves include a pair of flapper elements and frequently employ stop pins or bumpers which restrict movement of the flapper past a predetermined maximum opening angle.
Other such check valves, such as illustrated in US2017/0167618 A1 (whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein), comprise a plurality of generally triangular or trapezoidal flapper elements pivotally mounted to a housing for pivotal movement between an open position in which they permit the flow of fluid through the opening and a closed position, in which they block the flow of fluid through the opening. In the closed position, the flapper elements create a generally conical or frustoconical shape. As disclosed in US2017/0167618 A1, the flapper elements may be biased towards the closed position by torsion springs acting on the flapper elements.


An articulated seating mechanism including a rocker base, a seat plate, and a pair of side rails, each having an arcuate side. The side rails may be disposed downwardly from the seat plate or upwardly from the rocker base. First and second arcuate gear portions are disposed on the arcuate side of each of the side rails and a first and second substantially flat or linear gear racks are affixed either to the underside of the seat plate or the upper side of the rocker base, so as to bring the linear gears and the arcuate gears into intermeshing relationship. A back support is pivotally connected to the seat plate and to first and second back links, and the back links are pivotally connected to the rocker base to provide a rocking motion of the seat plate and a dynamic synchronous adjustment of the angular variation between the seat plate and the back support. The linear gear racks move in a tangent to the arcuate gear portions to provide a moving fulcrum during rocking movements. No springs or other force means are necessary to assist in moving easily from a reclined position to task.

Adjustable chairs are well known in the art. In fact, adjustable office seating has now reached a high level of sophistication and maturity. Elements of contemporary ergonomic chairs have been in use for centuries and technological developments can be seen as early as the late 19th century when, for example, innovators focused on improving the back and forth rocking movement possible in chairs. Exemplary patents include U.S. Pat. No. 273,630 to Stevens, and U.S. Pat. No. 317,933 to Doubler. A more involved design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,555,689 to Miller, and early ergonomic rocking designs are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,551 to Sheehand, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,893 to Cowan et al.
Efforts at developing a more practical back and forth tilting action were focused largely on office chairs, in which hinged and tilting seat posts were provided. Illustrative examples of the evolving apparatus are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,532 to Cramer; U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,666 to Stoll; U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,778 to Shields; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,099 to McDiarmid. These patents show increasingly elegant designs for a hinged seat post.
A more challenging aspect in developing truly ergonomic chairs has been in synchronizing, coordinating, and integrating back rest movement with seat plate movement without sacrificing comfort or allowing for dangerous or otherwise awkward seating positions. However, this feature, too, has undergone considerable development in recent years, as illustrated in the following: U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,085 to Franck et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,440 to Unwalla; U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,940 to Hodgdon; U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,755 to Uhlenbrock; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,694 to Kurtz.
As an appreciation of the need to provide workers with an ergonomically advantageous workplace has increased, office seating technology has advanced considerably. The past five years has seen a number of significant advances in ergonomic seating that integrates a number of static elements, adjustment features, and dynamic synchronous movement. Those most relevant to a consideration of the present invention are shown in the following references:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,153, to Heidmann et al, which discloses a chair, which includes a base assembly with a control housing having opposing side flanges and a side pivot, a back pivoted to the base assembly for movement between upright and reclined positions, and a seat operably supported on the base assembly and connected to the back for coordinated synchronous movement with the back. An energy mechanism biases the back toward the upright position. The energy mechanism includes an extendable/compressible spring positioned transversely in the control housing with one end supported on one of the side flanges, and further includes a lever pivoted to the side pivot and having a spring-engaging portion engaging a free end of the spring and also having a seat-biasing portion operably connected to the seat. The side pivot, the spring-engaging portion, and the seat-biasing portion are spaced from each other and arranged so that the spring biases the lever about a fulcrum located generally at the side pivot to bias the back toward the upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,634 to Stumpf et al., teaches an office chair having a seat, a back and a pair of armrests. In its primary aspects, the chair includes a linkage assembly that allows the seat and back to tilt downwardly and rearwardly and to allow pivotal movement of the seat about a pivot axis in substantial alignment with the hip joints of a user. This is intended to inhibit shear forces from pulling the clothing on the body of a user. The linkage assembly may also adapted to allow the seat and back to tilt downwardly and rearwardly such that the seat pivots about an effective pivot point at substantially the ankle of a user having feet resting on a floor.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2003/0001420 by Koepke et al., teaches an ergonomic chair that purportedly incorporates synchronous tilt of back and seat; tilt limit control; separate seat adjustment; arm adjustment; adjustable lumbar support; cushion airflow; mesh attachment and modular base frame assembly. The chair comprises a four bar linkage system causing the seat rear to elevate as the back is reclined. A tilt limit restricts the degree of chair back tilt to a predetermined reclined position with manual movement of a lever. Horizontal positioning of the chair seat cushion is accomplished with a positive locking device. Height and pivot adjustable chair arms are actuated with buttons or rotation. A height adjustable lumbar support is provided, with adjustments requiring no screws or adjustment knobs and without the need of direct contact of the lumbar support with the back of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,833 to Ball et al., describes an adjustable office chair with a base having a control assembly operably supporting a seat assembly and also a back assembly for movement about a seat tilt axis and a back tilt axis, respectively. The back assembly includes a flexible sheet hung tightly and hanging down from the upper corners of the back support structure. The lower portion of the flexible sheet is coupled to the back support structure by a tensioner for holding the lower portion rearwardly. A vertically adjustable lumbar mechanism is supported on the back support structure and biases an intermediate portion of the flexible sheet forwardly to both form the intermediate portion into a forwardly convex shape for postural lumbar support and also to tension the flexible sheet.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0149247 by Diffrient, discloses an occupant-weight-operated chair having a seat and a back mounted upon support structure, such as a caster-mounted pedestal. The back reclines relative to the seat, and the structure of the chair, and the relationship of the components, is such that as the back is reclined the entire seat raises against the weight of the occupant. Accordingly, the occupant's weight loads the chair mechanism, and the force required to recline the back is substantially uniform throughout the back-reclining range of movement. The back of the chair is attached to the rear of the seat region so that reclining the back raises the elevation of the seat rear region against the occupant's weight. The combination of the upward movement of the chair seat in conjunction with the reclining rotation of the chair back simulates the movement of the user's torso about the user's hip joint as the user reclines.
The foregoing patents reflect the current state of the art of which the present inventor is aware. Reference to, and discussion of, these patents is intended to aid in discharging Applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be relevant to the examination of claims to the present invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in combination, the invention described and claimed herein.


A handheld electronic device is provided. The handheld electronic device includes a main body, a heat vent structure, and an antenna. The heat vent structure is disposed on the main body. The antenna is disposed on the heat vent structure for transmitting/receiving at least one radio frequency signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a handheld electronic device. More particularly, the invention relates to a handheld electronic device having an antenna disposed on the heat vent structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Along with the continuous development of the technology, current trend of designing handheld electronic devices (e.g., a notebook PC or a tablet PC) is aimed to make the device lighter and thinner. Metal is one of the most widely used materials for a chassis of the handheld electronic devices, which makes the devices much more delicate while maintaining a lighter and thinner appearance. However, the designer may face a tougher challenge when using a metallic chassis. The first and immediate challenge is how to dispose key parts on the device, such as an antenna.
Radiation characteristic of the antenna directly affects the quality of overall signal recipient. A favorable antenna usually requires a fair environment in order to function properly, but a radiation space for the antenna in the handheld devices nowadays has been compressed due to the design concept of making the devices lighter and thinner. Moreover, when the metallic chassis is used by the handheld electronic device, radiation effects of the antenna may also be shielded thereby. In order to solve such problem, an antenna window must be opened on the metallic chassis so that the antenna may successfully transmitting/receiving signal without having the radiation effects being shielded. In consideration of appearance integrity of the handheld electronic device, position and shape of the antenna window must also be carefully considered. The most preferable consideration for designing the metallic chassis is by adding no additional holes thereon, so as to maintain the appearance integrity of the device. Accordingly, a question of how to maintain the appearance integrity of the handheld electronic device while considering the radiation characteristic of the antenna has become one of the major problems to be solved in the field.


In a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle, a stabilizer includes a pair of stabilizer bars disposed between a right wheel and a left wheel of the vehicle, and an actuator having an electric motor disposed between the stabilizer bars. A turning determination device is provided for determining a turning operation of the vehicle. And, a controller is provided for controlling the electric motor in response to the result determined by the turning determination device. The electric motor is substantially prohibited from being fed with electric current, when the turning operation of the vehicle is being decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly to an apparatus for controlling a torsional rigidity of a stabilizer disposed between a right wheel and a left wheel, by means of an electrically operated actuator.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In general, a stabilizer control apparatus for a vehicle is provided for applying an appropriate roll moment to a vehicle by means of a stabilizer while the vehicle is performing a turning operation, to reduce or restrict rolling motion of the vehicle body. For example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,585 (corresponding to International Publication No. WO9967100, and Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-518245), there is disclosed a system for stabilizing vehicles against rolling, with at least one slewing drive arranged between halves of the front and/or rear chassis stabilizer, thus creating an initial stress of the stabilizer halves to reduce or suppress the rolling motion and, in the event of roll, applying a counter-torque to the vehicle body as a function of output signals of a sensor for detecting a roll parameter. It is described that the object is to make possible a purely electromechanical system design for roll stabilization that will yield a reduction in the required power in steady-state or quasi-steady state driving maneuvers, and the system is characterized in that the slewing drive has an arrangement for locking swiveling of the stabilizer halves with respect to one another.
However, such locking arrangement will require a space within the slewing drive apparatus, to result in being enlarged in its longitudinal length, so that it will be difficult to mount it on the vehicle.


An implant that includes a ring, anchors, and adjustment elements is advanced to a subject's heart valve. The ring includes hinges, and struts arranged in a pattern of alternating peaks and troughs. The ring circumscribes a central axis. At least one hinge is disposed at each trough. Each strut has a first end-portion and a second end-portion. Each peak is defined by convergence of adjacent first end-portions. Each trough is defined by convergence of adjacent second end-portions. Each anchor has a longitudinal axis. Within the heart, the longitudinal axis of at least one of the anchors is deflected with respect to the central axis, and each of the anchors is driven along its longitudinal axis with respect to the trough and into tissue of the heart. Subsequently, tissue of the heart is contracted by rotating the plurality of adjustment elements. Other embodiments are also described.

Dilation of the annulus of atrioventricular heart valves, such as the mitral valve, prevents the valve leaflets from coapting effectively when the valve is closed, thereby resulting in regurgitation of blood from the ventricle through the valve into the atrium. Annuloplasty is a known surgical technique for treatment of a dilated valve annulus. U.S. Pat. No. 9,180,005 to Lashinski et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, relates to an adjustable mitral valve ring for minimally-invasive delivery.

Adjustable annuloplasty device with alternating peaks and troughs


An automatically swiveling crushing apparatus has a swiveling motor in a bracket, and branches diverged from charging and discharging paths that constitute the hydraulic piping leading to a cylinder for closing or opening distal crushing arms. One of the branches extends from one of the paths then operating to open the end arms, so that a portion of the hydraulic fluid is fed to the hydraulic motor if and when internal pressure in this branch has exceeded an upper limit. The other branch extends from the other path leading to the cylinder so as to close the end arms, and this branch prevents any amount of hydraulic fluid from flowing back to the motor. The branches render dispensable a discrete or independent hydraulic piping in a self-propelled platform having a proximal working arm to be connected to the apparatus, saving cost and labor in connecting this arm to the apparatus.

Self-propelled working platforms or trucks such as a hydraulic shovel do generally have attachments connected to the ends of working arms of said platforms. An example of these attachments is a crushing apparatus, which will typically comprise a pair of end arms. Each of the end arms may be shaped as an array of fingers or crab's nails, and a hydraulic cylinder will operate to close or open the end arms.
When a building is demolished using such a crushing apparatus, an operator will have to control its position, posture and/or angular direction in which the pair of end arms are closed or opened, suitably for target article. In order to enable such an operation, those end arms need to swivel as a whole.
For the purpose of turning or swiveling each pair of end arms on the crushing apparatus, they may either be forced to swivel against a braking member to which they are pressed, or be driven automatically by an actuator such as an hydraulic cylinder.
In the former case of forcible swiveling, a crushing apparatus as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-103700 may for example be used.
A body frame of the crushing apparatus shown in this publication '700 is connected by a swivel bearing to the arm of a power shovel or the like. A disc brake is employed in this case to impart a frictional resistance to the body frame of such crushing apparatus.
Crushing apparatuses of this type are simple in structure, and also advantageous in that any excessively strong torsion acting on each crushing apparatus during its demolishing operation would automatically cause it to rotate in such a manner as protecting it from breakage.
However, it is a disadvantage of this type crushing apparatuses that only those who are highly skilled are allowed to operate them.
Further, a fastening torque for the disc brakes incorporated in such prior art apparatuses is difficult to adjust easily and adequately. Any unintentional rotation resulting from contact with any obstacle or any offset in gravitational center of the crushing apparatus may advantageously be avoided, by selecting a stronger fastening torque for the disc brake. If the torque applied to the disc brake is too intensive, then an excessively strong impact will be needed to swivel the apparatus, thereby incurring an undesirable shock on it and causing its serious damage. A lower fastening torque may be adopted to resolve this problem. However, there will arise another problem that even any weak impact acting on the pair of end arms would be enough to unintentionally rotate them to a wrong angular position, thus lowering efficiency of breaking operations. A friction plate in each disc brake is likely to become worn out soon, impairing its braking effect. The friction plate should be replaced frequently with a new one, so that maintenance works including the adjusting of fastening torque have to be repeated many times.
A proper braking force will be maintained, only if such intricate adjusting and maintenance works are done by well-experienced and highly-skilled operators at considerably short intervals of time.
In the latter case of automatic swiveling, a hydraulic motor or the like has to be installed in the crushing apparatus so that a body frame thereof is operatively connected to said motor.
Discrete hydraulic fluid lines are necessary along the working arm of a hydraulic power shovel, respectively for the hydraulic cylinder for closing and opening the end arms and for the hydraulic motor for swiveling these arms. Distal ends of the two hydraulic fluid lines are adjoined to a hydraulic connector disposed on a bracket of the crushing apparatus, so that an operator within a cabin will use a pedal and/or lever to close or open the end arms and also to swivel same. Thus, the operator can do his work for swiveling the arms more easily by virtue of such a hydraulic system, although a complicated piping and a lot of hydraulic devices are indispensable.
It does not suffice to equip the hydraulic shovel with an oil piping for closing or opening the pair of end arms as the principal parts of a crushing apparatus attached to said shovel. Another piping independent of the said one piping and comprising a control valve, a maneuverable pedal and/or lever should be mounted on the prior art crushing apparatus in order to actuate the hydraulic motor for swiveling the pair of end arms. Thus, two independent oil lines necessary for the closing/opening and swiveling of the pair of end arms will raise material and labor costs in transforming the power shovel. In a case wherein an additional casing drain must be returned to a central reservoir for certain types of hydraulic motors, the material and labor costs will rise further.


According to the invention, an interface circuit for quickly establishing a DC loop current in response to off-hook detection is provided by a circuit which uses a transistor, where its collector electrode is connected to the first one of the telephone lines; an emitter resistor connected between an emitter electrode of the transistor and the second one of the telephone lines; a bias resistor having a first terminal connected to the collector electrode; a Zener diode connected between a second terminal of the bias resistor and the second line; a first capacitor connected in parallel to the constant-voltage means; switching means connected between the second terminal of the bias resistor and a base electrode of the transistor for the switching means to be conductive in response to an off-hook signal; and charging means, typically formed of a series connection of a capacitor, a resistor and a Zener diode, connected in parallel to the bias resistor so as to allow a current to flow through the series connection to charge the first capacitor only during a transient of applying a Dc voltage from the telephone lines onto the transistor.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to an interface circuit of quick response type used in a Central Office Terminal (referred to hereinafter as COT) connected with a switching station.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In an interface circuit provided in a COT connected with a switching station SW, when a subscriber picks up the receiver of his telephone set TEL in response to the ring, a loop circuit, i.e., a speech path, has to be quickly established with the switching station.
However, if the COT is distantly located from the switching station the resistance of the telephone line L becomes so large as to cause a delay of a ring-trip operation in establishing the speech path, due to an increase of time constant of the interface circuit.

Interface circuit to quickly establish a loop current


Transaldolase is an enzyme which acts as an autoantigen in immune-related neurodegenerative diseases, particularly multiple sclerosis. Human transaldolase, the DNA coding therefore, peptides derived therefrom, and DNA control elements associated therewith and anti-transaldolase antibodies are disclosed. These compositions are useful in methods such as immunoassays for detecting subjects making anti-transaldolase antibodies and diagnosing the neurodegenerative disease.

Field of the Invention
The invention in the fields of medicine, molecular biology and immunology relates to human transaldolase, DNA coding therefore, and the discovery that the protein is a human autoantigen in immune-mediated demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Therefore this invention is directed to compositions and methods useful for detecting and measuring such antibodies or the transaldolase protein or peptide antigens. The methods and composition are usefuil in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and other human immune-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Abbreviations Used
APC: antigen-presenting cells
HTLV-1: human T lymphotropic virus-I
PBL: peripheral blood lymphocyte
PBMC: peripheral blood mononuclear cells
PPP: pentose phosphate pathway
RTE: retrotransposable element
TAL: transaldolase enzyme
TAL-H: human transaldolase gene or protein
TAL-Y: yeast transaldolase gene or protein
TARE: transaldolase retrotransposable element

Human transaldolase: an autoantigen with a function in metabolism

The Research Foundation of State University of New York


The present invention relates to methods of improving the environment within a poultry farming facility including reducing ammonia production in a poultry facility, inhibiting urease enzymes in poultry litter, reducing levels of pathogenic bacteria in poultry litter, improving productivity of poultry farms, reducing or preventing pododermatitis in poultry reared in mass production poultry facilities and controlling pests in poultry litter. Compositions, suitable for use in such methods, comprising at least one microorganism of the genus Bacillus and at least one biosurfactant wherein the biosurfactant is present in an amount of 2 mg/L to 7000 mg/L are also described.

To provide food for an increasing population, the total production of grains, meats, vegetables and dairy products has increased 70% in the past 50 years. Correspondingly, the growth of the poultry industry has dramatically increased. The US value of production of broilers, eggs, turkeys and chickens in 2010 was USD $34.7 billion, increased by 10% from 2009. US poultry exports approached 7 billion pounds in weight for each year 2008 to 2010. Furthermore, there is increased interest in the speciality chicken foot section of the poultry market.
To sustain poultry production and growth in poultry production, mass production facilities that house tens of thousands to millions of birds are common in poultry farming. However, these facilities have production problems that are deleterious to bird health and result in slower feeding, low weight and/or cause disease in the bird population.
The close proximity of the poultry in the mass facilities means that the birds are in contact with not only their own faeces but also the faeces of other birds. This results in gastrointestinal pathogens spreading quickly through a facility. Some gastrointestinal pathogens of poultry, such as Salmonella spp., Clostridium spp., Camplylobacter spp., and Escherichia spp., are also pathogenic to humans and their levels in poultry farms are monitored.
Levels of pathogenic bacteria in poultry populations have traditionally been controlled by administration of antibiotics to the poultry. However, in recent years some countries, such as European countries, have banned the use of antibiotics that are also used in humans, because of the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria.
One means of overriding pathogenic bacteria in poultry has been to add probiotic microorganisms to their feed and this has been found to improve bird health, meat production and egg production (Khalid et al., "Effect of Probiotic on some Physiological Parameters in Broiler Breeders", International Journal of Poultry Science, 2011, 10(8): 626-628).
The probiotics fed to poultry may include non-pathogenic microorganisms such as Bacillus subtilis (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,919,936, 7,247,299 and 7,754,469). However, these compositions must be suitable for consumption by the poultry and any additional feed additives with antibiotic activity may be regulated by industry regulators.
Furthermore, some of the pathogenic bacteria include urease enzymes that hydrolyze urea and uric acid found in poultry faeces and thereby produce ammonia. High levels of ammonia in the facilities is deleterious to bird health and industry regulations require ammonia levels in mass production poultry facilities to be kept below 25 ppm.
Control of ammonia levels is currently achieved over the first 8 to 10 days of production by use of an acidic neutralizing chemical added to the litter. Common acidic neutralizing chemicals include sulfate salts, bisulfite salts and organic acids such as citric acid. However, these neutralizing chemicals are only active during initial production and are consumed by about day 10 of production. Subsequently ammonia control is achieved using ventilation fans. Another difficulty with the use of acidic neutralizing chemicals is that they are in constant contact with the feet of the birds and cause or exacerbate pododermatitis caused by Staphylococcus infection and blistering of their feet.
Compositions comprising Bacillus spp., have also been used in deodorising compositions due to their ability to excrete extracellular enzymes that breakdown waste (U.S. Pat. No. 8,025,874). One of these compositions comprises a specific strain of Bacillus subtilis, NRRL B-50147, and is particularly useful for controlling odour in animal bedding. However these compositions require the use of specific strains of B. subtilis and also include other adsorbents such as clay. Such compositions are also not indicated as suitable for large scale use in environments such as mass production poultry farms.
There is a need for an effective treatment of mass production poultry facilities to reduce and/or control ammonia production and that is effective in controlling and/or reducing pathogenic bacteria in poultry litter and poultry manure thereby reducing odour, preventing infection in the poultry and consumers and improving poultry health and productivity.


A substrate container includes a housing, rack members, housing-side support members for supporting ends of substrates, a moving mechanism for moving the substrates, a lid, and lid-side support members for supporting ends of the substrates. The housing-side support members have deepest portions for supporting the ends of the substrates to be immovable upward. In a state where the lid is attached to the housing, the housing-side support members and lid-side support members clamp the ends of the substrates in between, with lower surfaces of the substrates out of contact with the rack members, and the housing-side support members support the ends of the substrates in the deepest portions. When the lid detaches from the housing, the moving mechanism moves the substrates supported in the deepest portions to disengage the ends of the substrates from the deepest portions, and places the substrates in a substantially horizontal position on the rack members.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a substrate container for containing semiconductor wafers, glass substrate for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, substrates for optical disks, and so on (hereinafter simply called "substrates"), and a load port apparatus and a substrate treating apparatus applicable to the substrate container.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there exists a substrate container which supports substrates in two modes (as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-227941, for example). This substrate container includes a housing, a lid, racks and cushions. The housing accommodates a plurality of substrates. The lid is attachable to and detachable from to the housing. The racks and cushions are arranged in the housing. The racks support the substrates in a state of lower surfaces of the substrates contacting the racks. The cushions hold the substrates in a state of the substrates being spaced from the racks and being stationary. Thus, the substrate container can support the substrates in a mode in which the racks support the substrates and a mode in which the cushions support the substrates.
When the lid is detached from the housing, the racks support the substrates. Consequently, an external transport mechanism provided outside the substrate container can unload the substrates from the substrate container and load the substrates into the substrate container. When the lid is attached to the housing, the cushions support the substrates. Consequently, the substrates can be protected conveniently when the substrate container is transported. Thus, the mode in which the racks support the substrates and the mode in which the cushions support the substrates are switched between each other by attachment and detachment of the lid to/from the housing.
However, Inventors herein have found out that the conventional example with such construction has the following drawbacks.
That is, even when the lid has separated from the housing, the cushions can remain holding the substrates and the substrates would not disengage from the cushions. Conceivable causes of this include scars formed on surfaces of the cushions, and abrasion powder resulting from abrasion between the cushions and substrates and having deposited on the cushions.
When the lid has separated from the substrate container and the substrates would not disengage from the cushions, the substrates cannot be placed properly on the racks and intervals between the substrates cannot be secured properly. It is therefore difficult for the external transport mechanism to advance into clearances between the substrates and unload the substrates from the substrate container. Also when the lid has separated from the substrate container and the substrates would not disengage from the cushions, movement of the substrates will remain restricted by the cushions. For example, the substrates become caught by the cushions to be unable to move easily. Consequently, it becomes difficult for the external transport mechanism to hold the substrates and unload the substrates from the substrate container.

Substrate container, a load port apparatus, and a substrate treating apparatus


In one aspect, a computerized method for anti-counterfeiting solution using a machine learning (ML) model includes the step of providing a pre-defined set of feature detection rules, a pre-defined set of edge detection rules, a pre-defined threshold percentage, an original seal, an original fingerprint of the original seal, and a pre-trained fingerprint identification model. The pre-trained fingerprint identification model is trained by a specified ML algorithm using one or more digital images of the original seal. With a digital camera of a scanning device, the method scans a seal whose authenticity is to be determined. The seal is used to secure a transportation container. The method uses the pre-defined set of feature detection rules to detect and extract an extracted feature image at a specified position on the seal. The method breaks down the extracted feature image of the seal into a ‘kn’ number of sub-images by forming a ‘k’ rows x ‘n’ columns of a grid of the extracted feature image. The method implements the pre-defined set of edge detection rules to extract an edge structure of at least one object in each of the ‘kn’ number of sub-images. The method generates a set of unique fingerprints by specified steps. The method includes generating a unique fingerprint corresponding to a unique number or a feature based on each extracted edge structure. For the set of unique fingerprints, the method generates a match percentage for the set of unique fingerprints using the pre-trained fingerprint identification model. The match percentage corresponds to a matching proportion between each unique fingerprint generated for the seal being verified and the original fingerprint of the original seal on which the pre-trained fingerprint identification model is trained.

It is noted that plastic seals may be used to mechanically secure/seal transport boxes, containers, vehicle doors, trucks, trailers, warehouses, and the like. These seals can be designed to be used only once and designed to leave visual evidence of any tampering attempt. Each seal may have a unique serial number that is used to identify the seal. However, a skilled counterfeiter may completely replace a plastic seal with a duplicate seal rather than attempt to tamper with it. The counterfeiter may do this by creating a copy of an original seal and reprint this unique serial number on the copy (e.g. with a duplicate seal).
Currently, there exists no means to detect such counterfeiting or identify whether a seal is an original seal or a duplicate seal. In order to overcome the above-mentioned problem of the prior art, the present disclosure envisages a system and method to determine the authenticity of a seal. Current printing technologies such as, Continuous Ink Jet, Thermal Ink Jet, Thermal Transfer Offset, Laser printers, Gravure printers etc. have a limit on the resolution that can be achieved. This translates to minor differences to each print of the same artwork. These differences are there due to a number of reasons including but not limited to the printing technology used, the substrate material porosity and surface finish, vibrations on the printing line etc. These differences mean each print can be uniquely identified by its Fingerprint. The system and method of the present disclosure use this fingerprint to uniquely identify original seals and distinguish them from the duplicate seals.

System and method to determine the authenticity of a seal


A procedure for diagnosing cochlear hydrops is based, in part, on an analysis of the patient's auditory brainstem response (ABR) to stimuli. The patient's ABR to a broadband click stimulus is recorded. A plurality of masked ABR's are also recorded, wherein the stimulus is masked by high-pass noise with a plurality of high-pass cut-off frequencies. The latency difference between the wave V component in the unmasked click alone response and the undermasked wave V component of a low cut-off frequency high-pass response is then calculated. If an undermasked component is not present, the normal wave V component is used. The measured latency difference is combined with another measure, such as the wave V amplitude ratio. A distribution of the combined measure is then plotted for the population and a threshold established for diagnosing cochlear hydrops. Alternatively, the joint distribution of the individual measures may be used in situations where the individual measures are known to be independent.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention provides an electrophysiological measure of the presence of cochlear hydrops in patients suspected of Meniere's disease.
2. Background
The major clinical diagnostic indicator of cochlear hydrops is hearing history. Cochlear hydrops is suspected if there is a fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss. Other popular older tests that have produced results of varying success are the glycerol test, the SP/AP (Summating Potential amplitude to compound Action Potential amplitude ratio) in electrocochleographic recordings, and, more recently, measures of cochlear traveling-wave velocities from derived-band Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABRs). Variations and combinations of these measures have also been investigated.
The disadvantages of the currently used diagnostic methods include:                (1) A fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss can occur in the absence of cochlear hydrops.        (2) The glycerol test is not an independent test because it must rely on another measure, (e.g., the SP/AP ratio) to determine if it is positive. Thus, the test is only as good as the second test used to measure the change that occurs due to administration of glycerol. Moreover, if the glycerol is administered orally, it is extremely unpleasant for the patient, and if administered intravenously it becomes an invasive procedure.        (3) The SP/AP ratio has been studied for a number of years and the results have varied greatly. Depending on the study, the sensitivity of the measure ranges from 50% and up. Other studies claim that the ratio change is due to changes in the AP value, whereas theoretically, changes due to cochlear hydrops should be in the SP value. While many studies can show a statistically significant difference for group or population data, the confidence of the diagnosis for a given individual is low due to overlap in the ratios for cochlear hydrops and non-hydrops populations. Moreover, the SP/AP ratio measures may require invasive transtympanic (needle through the eardrum) procedures for clear recordings. Even with transtympanic electrodes, due to the location of the recording electrode, these recordings are dominated by activity at the high-frequency end of the cochlea, whereas the diagnostic changes are more related to the low-frequency end of the cochlea.        (4) The cochlear traveling wave measures have not been studied extensively and their sensitivity and specificity are unknown at this time. Also, these measures have been shown to be highly variable across individuals because other factors unrelated to the presence of cochlear hydrops may affect these measures. We are currently investigating this measure in an NIH-funded grant project.

Diagnosis of the presence of cochlear hydrops using observed auditory brainstem responses


The present disclosure relates to the construction, expression, and selection of genes that encode novel Trp cage polypeptides with desirable cell and/or tissue binding properties, as well as the novel Trp cage polypeptides themselves. A polypeptide of this disclosure may contain all or part of amino acid sequence AAADX1YX2QWLX3X4X5GPX6SGRPPPX7 (SEQ ID NO: 4), wherein Xn represents an amino acid found in position n, the polypeptide comprising a tryptophan cage (Trp cage).

The delivery of nucleic acids, peptides and other pharmacological agents into animal and plant cells has been an important object of molecular biology and clinical research. A variety of methods are available for delivering nucleic acid artificially into cells. Similar delivery methods are applied to both peptides and other pharmacological agents. The most commonly used methods employ cationic lipids, electroporation and viral transduction and numerous methods that target mechanical or biochemical membrane disruption and/or penetration (e.g., using detergents, microinjection, or particle guns). However, these methods suffer from a variety of disadvantages. For example, while cationic lipids are used most often for DNA and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) delivery in vitro, they have generally been found to be highly toxic and therefore not appropriate for in vivo delivery applications such as in the treatment of disease. With viral gene delivery, there is a possibility that the replication deficient virus used as a delivery vehicle may revert to wild-type thus becoming pathogenic. Electroporation suffers from poor gene-transfer efficiency and therefore has limited clinical application. Additionally, all of the above delivery methods as applied to patients are not cell or tissue specific resulting in the delivery of nucleic acids, peptides and other pharmacological agents to non-target tissues. This is a highly inefficient means of delivery and subjects a patient's organs and tissues to unneeded metabolic stress.
Alternative methods of delivery included synthetic and biological polypeptides. These delivery methods show great potential as a tool to introduce nucleic acids peptides and other pharmacological agents into cells. However, the repertoire of known polypeptides capable of efficiently delivering pharmacological agents to cells is limited. Moreover, the current state of technology for delivery peptides is still in its infancy and there are no known cell or tissue specific delivery polypeptides.
Thus, there remains a long-standing need in the art for better tools and methods to deliver nucleic acids, peptides and other pharmacological agents into cells, particularly in view of the fact that existing techniques for delivering substances into cells are limited by poor efficiency and/or high toxicity of the delivery reagents. Related needs exist for improved methods and formulations to deliver an effective amount, in an active and enduring state, and using non-toxic delivery vehicles, to selected cells, tissues, or compartments to mediate regulation of gene expression in a manner that will alter a phenotype or disease state of the targeted cells.


In an automotive vehicle having a heater for a heating operation for a passenger room of the vehicle with use of waste heat of an engine, a vapor compression refrigerating device comprises a refrigerating cycle for a cooling operation for the passenger room. The vapor compression refrigerating device further comprises a heating cycle (a heat pump cycle, or a hot gas cycle) for performing a heating operation to engine cooling water by using the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant from a compressor device, wherein a control means activates the heating cycle at a predetermined time before starting an engine when an outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the engine has been already warmed up before a driver gets into the vehicle.

In a conventional automotive air conditioning system, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-301438, a heating operation is performed by a heat exchanger for heating (heater core), which is provided in a hot water circuit of an automotive engine and uses engine cooling water (hot water) as a heating source. In this system, a cooling operation is performed by an evaporator (corresponding to a heat exchanger for cooling in the above publication) in a refrigerating cycle, in which a compressor device, a condenser device, a depressurizing device, and an evaporator are connected in a closed circuit.
However, it takes a certain time until the heating operation brings out its heating effect, because the heater core brings out its heating function only after a temperature of the engine cooling water has increased above a predetermined temperature after a start of the engine. For vehicle users, it is strongly desirable that the heating operation is achieved immediately after they get into the vehicle, especially in a cold season such as winter.


A heating system comprising a packette for heating a mask, wipe or towelette. In preferred embodiments, the packette comprises printed heating elements, printed circuit elements and a means of connecting to a power source. Power may be supplied through a USB-type connector or a handheld power supply that is custom designed to work with the heating packette.

Woven and non-woven fabrics that are impregnated with a cosmetic or personal care preparation are well known. These include what are known as wipes, towelettes and masks. (For simplicity, in the remainder of the specification we will use the terms "mask" or "mask-type product" to refer to wipes, towelettes, and masks.) Cosmetic and personal care masks are a popular means of delivering a product to the skin and/or for removing substances from the skin. A stack of masks is sometimes packaged in a single container. Alternatively, a single mask may be packaged in a sealed pouch, such as a packette. Individual packaging reduces the chance of contamination, and makes the masks more portable. Masks are usually intended for one use. Therefore, once the packette is opened and the mask is removed, the packette may be discarded.
A cosmetic or personal care mask generally covers a large area, such as the whole face, the hand or a baby's bottom. Therefore, to fit in a packette, the mask is usually folded one or more times. A basic packette is made conventional paper webs that are coated to prevent oil absorption. Alternatively, plastic laminates and foil laminates are also used. A typical packette for a mask product may comprise a sheet having first and second panels which are able to fold against each other, and bond along the perimeter of the panels. Bonding may be achieved by a continuous line of adhesive or welding, for example. A reservoir for the mask is defined between the bonded panels. A means for opening the packette to retrieve the mask from the reservoir is usually provided. For example, a pull tab may be located along a weaker section of the packette. Typical packettes are basically rectangular or square, and measure 25-150 mm on a side, while larger packettes, and differently shaped packettes are also known. In general, packettes are relatively flat. The two opposing panels may be decorated by any suitable means known in the packaging arts, such as ink printing. Sometimes, the packette materials are treated to impart an improved quality to finished packette. For example, foil packettes may be treated to make the foil less permeable to air and water. Plastic packettes may be treated to prevent yellowing of the packette material. Many types of treatment are known for application to either the inside or the outside of the packette.
Nowadays, personal care companies seek to attract consumers by incorporating a source of heat into the cosmetic or personal care experience. A system for heating mask type products that is convenient and portable meets a real consumer need and provides a market advantage. The present invention addresses this need.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to a continuous steam generator provided, in a duct for hot gas circulating in a substantially horizontal direction, with a continuous heating surface of an evaporator comprising a plurality of steam generator tubes which are mounted in parallel for circulating a fluid flow. The inventive device requires exceptionally low construction expenditures and ensures a high degree of safety and a high efficiency. For this purpose, the continuous heating surface of the evaporator is characterized in that it comprises a segment of the heating surface through which a moving fluid flows in an opposite direction with respect to the heated gas direction is positioned in such a way that a saturated steam temperature which is adjusted during operation at the exit from the continuous heating surface deviates from the predetermined maximum value of the temperature of the gas prevailing during operation at the outlet of the segment of the heating surface. In addition, one or several entry collectors are disposed at a close distance from the outlet of the heating surface on the gas side in such a way that the moving fluid has a flow speed in the downpipe which is higher than the minimum speed required for pulling nascent steam bubbles.

In a gas and steam turbine plant, the heat contained in the expanded working medium or heating gas from the gas turbine is utilized for the generation of steam for the steam turbine. Heat transfer takes place in a waste-heat steam generator disposed downstream of the gas turbine and in which a number of heating surfaces for water preheating, steam generation and steam superheating are normally disposed. The heating surfaces are connected into the water/steam circuit of the steam turbine. The water/steam circuit normally contains several, e.g. three, pressure stages, in which case each pressure stage may have an evaporator heating surface.
For the steam generator mounted downstream of the gas turbine on the heating-gas side as a waste-heat steam generator, a number of alternative design concepts are suitable, namely configuration as a continuous steam generator or as a circulation steam generator. In the case of a continuous steam generator, the heating of steam-generator tubes provided as evaporator tubes results in evaporation of the flow medium in the steam generator tubes in a single pass. In contrast, in the case of a natural or forced circulation steam generator, the circulating water is only partly evaporated as it passes through the evaporator tubes, the water that is not evaporated being is re-fed to the same evaporator tubes for further evaporation after separation of the generated steam.
A continuous steam generator, in contrast to a natural or forced circulation steam generator, is not subject to any pressure limitation, which means that live-steam pressures well above the critical pressure of water (Pcri≈221 bar)—where there is only a slight difference in density between a fluid-like medium and a steam-like medium—are possible. A high live steam pressure promotes high thermal efficiency and therefore low CO2 emissions from a fossil-fired power plant. In addition, a continuous steam generator has a simple type of construction compared with a circulation steam generator and can therefore be manufactured particularly inexpensively. The use of a steam generator designed according to the continuous principle as the waste-heat steam generator of a gas and steam turbine plant is therefore particularly advantageous for achieving a high overall efficiency of the gas and steam turbine plant using a simple type of construction.
Particular advantages in terms of manufacturing costs, but also of maintenance required, are provided by a horizontally constructed waste-heat steam generator in which the heating medium or heating gas, i.e. the exhaust gas from the gas turbine, is passed through the steam generator in an approximately horizontal flow direction. However, with a horizontally constructed continuous steam generator the steam generator tubes of a heating surface may be subjected to markedly differential heating depending on their positioning. Particularly in the case of steam generator tubes connected to a common header on the output side, differential heating of individual steam generator tubes may result in a combining of steam flows with greatly differing steam parameters and therefore undesirable efficiency losses, in particular comparatively diminished effectiveness of the heating surfaces affected and consequently reduced steam generation. Differential heating of adjacent steam generator tubes may also result in damage to the steam generator tubes or the header, particularly in the region where they discharge into headers. The per se desirable use of a horizontally constructed continuous steam generator as a waste-heat steam generator for a gas turbine can therefore entail considerable problems in terms of sufficiently stabilized flow control.
EP 0 944 801 B1 discloses a steam generator suitable for a horizontal type of construction and additionally having the abovementioned advantages of a continuous steam generator. To this end, the disclosed steam generator is designed in respect of its continuous evaporator heating surface in such a way that a steam generator tube heated more than another steam generator tube of the same continuous evaporator heating surface has a higher throughput of flow medium than the other steam generator tube. If differential heating of individual steam generator tubes occurs, the continuous evaporator heating surface of the steam generator disclosed therefore exhibits, in its flow characteristic typical of a natural circulation evaporator heating surface (natural circulation characteristic), a self-stabilizing behavior resulting in a matching of the outlet-side temperatures even to differentially heated steam generator tubes connected in parallel on the flow medium side without the need for external intervention. However, this concept requires that the disclosed steam generator be designed for feeding with flow medium having comparatively low mass flow density.

Horizontally constructed continuous steam generator and method for the operation thereof


A polarization splitter and combiner for processing a beam containing a first polarization and a second polarization to spatially separate these polarizations by using a birefringent element for receiving the beam and walking off the first polarization from the second polarization by an initial walk-off distance. A first lensing element with an optical axis is oriented to admit the first polarization at a first input point and output the first polarization at a first output angle to the optical axis and the second polarization at a second output angle to the optical axis. A second lensing element positioned after the first lensing element is oriented to receive the polarizations at input angles equal to their respective output angles, and outputs both polarizations at a first and second output point respectively. In a symmetrical arrangement, the first and second output points are separated by the initial walk-off distance. Additional walk-off control elements and optics can be interposed between the first and second lensing elements, depending on the functionality of the beam splitter and combiner or optical device employing the same.

This invention relates generally to optical polarization splitters, and in particular to polarization splitters using birefringent elements.
The rapid acceptance of optical fiber has led to a variety of actual and proposed optical communications systems. Some of these include CATV, fiber to the home (FTTH), wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) and dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) systems as well as coherent communications systems. These technologies require versatile optical devices to perform various operations including isolating and routing of light beams. Many of the requisite devices, i.e., optical isolators and circulators, rely on polarization splitting to perform their functions. Specifically, many of these devices use a birefringent element, such as a birefringent crystal, to separate two orthogonal polarizations, e.g., the s-polarization and the p-polarization, contained in the beam. The separation occurs as the light beam propagates through the birefringent element.
The principles of birefringence or double refraction are well-known. Inside the birefringent material one of the orthogonal polarizations travels as an ordinary wave (o-wave) and the other travels as an extraordinary wave (e-wave). The o-wave experiences a different index of refraction than the e-wave; hence the two are refracted or bent by a different angle while propagating through the birefringent material. As a result, the e-wave is spatially separated from the o-wave and the separation or walk-off distance grows in a generally linear fashion with the distance traveled in the birefringent material.
After propagating through a length of birefringent medium the two orthogonal polarizations are thus walked-off by a sufficiently large distance that they can be processed separately by subsequent optical components. For example, typical optical circulators and isolators use reciprocal and non-reciprocal polarization rotating elements to perform different operations on the two walked off polarizations. Details about such devices can be found in numerous prior art publications, some of which include: Yohji Fuji, xe2x80x9cPolarization Independent Optical Circulator having High Isolation over a Wide Wavelength Rangexe2x80x9d, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 4, No. 2, February 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,340 to Cheng et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,483 to Krasinski; U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,586 to Van Delden; U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,022 to Emkey; U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,289 to Kuwahara; U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,771 to Koga; U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,593 to Pan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,039 to Li.
While expense and device dimensions are important in nearly all applications, they are particularly critical in high volume, low-cost projects such as FTTH. The polarization splitter (which functions as a polarization combiner for returning polarizations) used in the present devices utilizes a long birefringent crystal to achieve sufficient walk-off for further processing. Hence, the size and cost of the devices built with present polarization splitters present an obstacle to further advances in optical devices.
In view of the above, what is required is a polarization splitter or combiner which achieves large walk-off over short distances. This would permit further miniaturization of optical devices which require polarization separation. Additionally, a smaller polarization splitter would use shorter blocks of birefringent material and thus be more cost effective.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for spatial polarization separation, e.g., a polarization splitter and combiner which utilizes a short birefringent element. The splitter of the invention advantageously achieves a significant walk-off distance between two polarizations over a short length.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a polarization splitter which is low-cost and has small dimensions. The splitter should be easy to deploy in optical devices which require polarization splitting and/or combining.
The above objects and advantages, as well as numerous improvements attained by the apparatus and method of the invention are pointed out below.
These objects and advantages are secured by a polarization splitter for processing a beam containing a first polarization and a second polarization to spatially separate these polarizations. Typically, those two polarizations will be orthogonal, such as the s- and p-polarizations. The splitter has a first optical element, e.g., an optical fiber, for delivering the beam and a birefringent element for receiving the beam and walking off the first polarization from the second polarization by an initial walk-off distance. A first lensing element such as a graded index lens (GRIN) with an optical axis is oriented to admit the first polarization at a first input point and output the first polarization at a first output angle to the optical axis. Likewise, the first lensing element admits the second polarization at a second input point and outputs it at a second output angle to the optical axis. The first and second input points are separated by the initial walk-off distance.
To enjoy the full benefits of the splitter of the invention, it preferably has a second lensing element, which can also be a GRIN lens, positioned after the first lensing element. The second lensing element is set up to receive the first polarization at a first input angle equal to the first output angle from the first lensing element. The second lensing element also receives the second polarization at a second input angle equal to the second output angle, and outputs both polarizations at a first and second output point respectively. In a symmetrical arrangement, the first and second output points can be separated by the initial walk-off distance. A second and third optical elements, e.g., second and third optical fibers, can be located at the first and second output points to receive the separated first and second polarizations respectively. When using fibers, it is advantageous to use sleeves with appropriate bores for holding them.
The splitter can have additional optics located between the first and second lensing elements. These optics can include devices which perform polarization rotation functions, filtering functions or indeed any desired functions of the first and second polarizations. However, it is important to ensure that the first and second output angles from the first lensing element are equal to the first and second input angles at the second lensing element.
Additionally, the walk-off or spatial separation between the polarizations should be controlled. A control device, such as a second birefringent element can serve this function.
In one embodiment, the first lensing element of the splitter can be positioned such that the first input point is on the optical axis. In this situation, the first output angle is zero.
In order to limit losses the elements of the splitter can be positioned at slant angles. For example, the birefringent element can be mounted at a slant angle xcex4. Likewise, the lensing elements can have input facets inclined at slant angle xcex4.
The polarization splitter can be used as a polarization combiner in accordance with the invention to combine the first and second polarizations emitted from two optical elements, e.g., the second and third optical fibers. The first lensing element performs its function by admitting the first polarization at a first input angle to its optical axis and outputting it at a first output point. The second polarization is admitted at a second input angle to the optical axis and output at a second output point. The output points are separated by the initial walk-off distance, such that the birefringent element combines the polarizations to form the beam which is supplied to the first optical element or first optical fiber.
The combiner can have the same additional elements as the splitter as well as additional optics including additional birefringent elements positioned between the first and second lensing elements.
The splitter and combiner of the invention can be used in more complex optical devices which employ the splitter and combiner for separating polarizations before performing other functions.
The particulars of the invention and its various embodiments are described in detail in the detailed description section with reference to the attached drawing figures.

Polarization splitter and combiner and optical devices using the same


A method is disclosed for forming a coating on implantable medical devices including an interpenetrating polymer network that serves as a rate limiting barrier.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coatings for controlling the rate of release of drugs from implantable medical devices such as stents.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of medical technology, there is frequently a necessity to administer drugs locally. To provide an efficacious concentration to the treatment site, systemic administration of medication can produce adverse or toxic side effect for the patient. Local delivery is a preferred method of treatment in that smaller total levels of medication are administered in comparison to systemic dosages, but are concentrated at a specific site.
In the treatment of vascular disorders, such as arteriosclerosis, intracoronary stents are now a standard adjunct to balloon angioplasty. Stenting eliminates vasospasm, tacks dissections to the vessel wall, and reduces negative remodeling. Stents can be made from interconnected struts that are usually between 50 and 150 microns wide. Being made of a metal (for instance, stainless steel), bare stents have to be modified so as to provide a means for local drug delivery. Accordingly, stents are being modified by forming a polymer coating, containing a drug, on the surface of the stent.
A coating used to achieve local drug delivery via stent can include a three-layer structure. The three layer structure includes a drug-polymer layer serving as a reservoir for the drug, an optional primer polymer layer for improving adhesion of the drug-polymer layer to the surface of the stent, and an optional topcoat polymer layer for reducing the rate of release of the drug. The medicine to be administered will have a sustained release profile from drug-polymer layer through the topcoat polymer layer.
To the extent that the mechanical functionality of stents has been optimized in recent years, it has been determined that continued improvements could be done by means of pharmacological therapies. For the purposes of pharmacological therapy, it is important to maintain the concentration of the drug at a therapeutically effective level for an acceptable period of time. Hence, controlling a rate of release of the drug from the stent is important, especially in such a way so as to decrease the release rate of the drug from the matrix. In view of the foregoing, coatings for reducing the rate of release a therapeutic substance from implantable devices, such as stents, are desired. The coatings should prolong the residence time of the drug in the patient, among other useful functions.

Method of forming rate limiting barriers for implantable devices


A method and device for modifying a frequency range of a radio transceiver by mixing a signal to be transmitted by the transceiver with the output of a local oscillator so as to change the frequency thereof to a desired frequency for transmission and by mixing a received radio transmission with the output of a local oscillator so as to change the frequency thereof to a frequency within the nominal reception band of the transceiver.

Radio transceivers for facilitating point-to-point communications are well known. Such radio transceivers make comprise either hand held transceivers, i.e., walkie talkies, or base station transceivers which are typically larger and more powerful than the hand held transceivers.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, contemporary radio transceivers operate within a predetermined band of frequencies so as to effect radio transmission and reception.
One such band commonly used in point-to-point radio communications is the 2,400-2,488.35 MHz radio band. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, this band is subject to overuse, such that undesirable interference between signals frequently occurs. As such it is desirable to provide means for converting radio signals normally transmitted in the 2,400-2,488.35 MHz band so that they may be transmitted in another, less crowded radio band. One such less crowded radio band is the 5,725-5,850 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.
It would further be desirable to provide means for easily re-configuring an existing hand-held or base station transceiver for use in the 5,725-5,850 MHz (ISM) band which does not involve extensive or difficult modification of the transceiver. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that radio transceivers may be modified so as to change or extend the operational frequency band thereof by changing or adding crystals and/or by the tuning local oscillators etc. However, such contemporary methods for changing or extending the operational band of a radio transceiver are comparatively difficult to perform, require technical expertise, and are expensive. Furthermore, such contemporary methods for changing the band of a radio transceiver do not readily accommodate changing back to the original band thereof. That is, any process performed to change the band of a radio transceiver according to contemporary methodology must be reversed, so as to allow the radio transceiver to operate in the original band thereof. That is, any crystals which were changed so as to accommodate the new frequency band must be replaced with the original crystals and/or any local oscillators which have been re-tuned must be tuned again to the original frequency thereof.
In view of the forgoing, it would be desirable to provide a means for rapidly and easily changing the operating frequency of a transceiver, particularly wherein such means may be easily bypassed to as to operate the transceiver at the original frequency thereof, when desired.

Method and device for modifying a radio frequency range of a radio transceiver


A leak preventing device for fluid shooting nozzle of an injection molding machine includes a material stop valve pivotally screwed with a front side of a vertical flow passageway of a hot-material passageway plate, a shaft position base provided at a rear side of the vertical flow passageway, a shaft inserting through the stop valve, the vertical flow passageway and the shaft position base, and a material stop end at front end of the shaft supported by a support plate in the material stop valve. The rear end of the shaft protrudes out of the shaft position base and connected to a piston fixed with a mold fix plate for mutual movement to lot the stop end of the shaft rod fitting in a shooting nozzle in the stop valve to prevent raw material inside from leaking out. Besides, after a screw conveying tube shoots out raw material, the remaining pressure in a flow passageway will push the leak-preventing portion to prevent leaking.

This invention relates to a close-style leak preventing device for a fluid shooting nozzle of an injection molding machine, particularly to one possible to surely prevent raw material inside from leaking out along a hot-material passageway plate and the shooting nozzle of a screw conveying tube of a injection molding machine.
A first known conventional injection molding machine includes a shaft of a stop valve of a hot-material passageway plate, and it is almost of a straight rod shape, fitted around its rear portion with a an annular hollow gasket, as shown in FIG. 9, and placed in a shaft position base. When the stop valve of the hot-material passageway plate and the shaft are closed, the remaining pressure still left in the passageway of the hot-material passageway plate pushes raw material inside fill the hollow gasket so that the gasket is inflated to prevent raw material inside from leaking out along the gap between shaft and the shaft position base. But a long-term use of the hollow gasket may render it weak or exhausted and even damaged by repeated friction with a center hole of the shaft position base, resulting in serious leaking. Besides, the hollow gasket requires high technique in manufacturing, thus elevating its cost.
To eliminate foresaid defects, DWE Company in U.S.A. has worked out a valve system, as shown in FIG. 10. In this valve system, the contact dimensions between a shaft rod (A) and a shaft hole (A1) is lengthened to prolong time for use, but it is still shaped straight, liable to form a gap by long-term friction between them and impossible to avoid liability of leaking, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 10, and with the shaft possible to be deadlocked.
Further, in a second known conventional injection molding machine, the shaft in a material stop valve of a screw conveying tube, as shown in FIG. 11, has a conical tip like a crayon shape, so after it is fitted in a shooting nozzle, there leaves a gap between the conical end of the stop valve and the shooting nozzle, letting raw material with remaining pressure in the passageway tube of the stop valve leaking out from the gap.
There is also a case of Japanese Patent No. 7-223241, as shown in FIG. 12, and it is also designed to have a straight shaft (B) so that the prevention of leaking caused by high pressure pushing depends only on a common difference between the shaft (B) and the shaft hole (B1). If the common difference is diminished, the shaft (B) may be deadlocked by excessive interference and after used for long, a serious leaking problem will inevitably occur due to a loose condition caused by mutual friction between the shaft (B) and the shaft hole (B1), and if worse, a fire may occur by hot leaking raw material.
The objective of this invention is to offer a leak preventing device for a fluid shooting nozzle of an injection molding machine, possible to make the material stop valve of a screw conveying tube completely closed when shooting out raw material so as to prevent raw material inside from leaking out along the shaft position base of the hot-material passageway plate by closing the material stop valve and the shaft position base.

Close-style leak preventing device for a fluid shooting nozzle of an injection molding machine


A novel airplane shelter provides a plurality of arched vertical support members arranged axially along a line corresponding to the fuselage of an airplane to be sheltered. A cantilever beam is attached to the apex of each arched vertical support member, forming a “spine” along the top of the aligned arched support members. The cantilever beam is attached at one end to the rearwardmost arched support member, and the opposite end extends forwardly past the forwardmost arched support member to a point corresponding to the forwardmost point of an airplane to be sheltered. Separate lateral support members are placed at points corresponding to the wingtips of the airplane. The result is an open frame that defines a volume capable of enclosing an airplane. A covering material is placed over the open frame and stretched taut or otherwise secured over the entire structure.

A need has long existed for a reliable, convenient and relatively inexpensive hangar or shelter to protect airplanes and other winged aircraft, such as gliders, from the elements while parked on a flight line or otherwise out of use on the ground.
Currently, the two major existing solutions for sheltering airplanes are covers and structures. Covers, such as simple canvas or plastic tarpaulins, are relatively inexpensive, but suffer from several disadvantages. Covers, being stretched over the wings and body of the airplane, come into contact with exterior surfaces and objects, either causing damage directly or indirectly such as when dust is entrapped in the cover and wind causes the cover to flutter on the aircraft surface. This can cause scratching and other damage to polished and/or painted surfaces, as well as causing damage to external objects such as antennae, which can lead to unsafe operating conditions. Further, covers are often difficult for a single person to properly drape and secure over the airplane, which is very inconvenient for pilots flying solo. Additionally, covers tend to be form fitting over the airplane, making it difficult or even impossible to perform maintenance or safety checks or to enter the aircraft. Even further, a cover must be removed and properly stored each time the airplane is to be used, then replaced over the airplane when the airplane is returned to the flight line, adding to the time and effort required to otherwise enjoy flying. Pilots end up making several significant sacrifices in order to save on the initial investment in a cover.
While structures, such as traditional hangar buildings offer one-time setup, they also suffer from several disadvantages. Buildings are generally non-portable, while with some cover designs, the hangar can be moved to other locations. Structures require much more in the way of design, floor plans, materials and assembly labor than a cover, and are therefore much more expensive to produce. Further, they often require a building foundation, depending on the type of soil, and are not easily constructed except by professionals. Additionally, prior designs have complicated wing-spanning trusses or arches which are both expensive and difficult for the individual plane owner to assemble.
Due to the inconvenience of covers and the expense of structures, many airplane owners may opt to forego sheltering their airplanes, leaving them unprotected from the elements, leading to excessive deterioration of exterior surfaces and equipment. Undetected, the resulting corrosion could, in time, lead to catastrophic alteration of the airfoil surfaces, causing dangerous flying conditions. Exposure to the elements is also damaging to aircraft interiors, avionics and electronics.
What is needed is a low-cost structure that includes the advantages of a cover. Such a structure should be relatively easy to assemble without professional assistance, substantially cover an airplane to protect it from the elements, and still permit convenient access to the airplane for various purposes. Such a structure is provided in the instant invention.
Consequently, a novel airplane shelter is described herein which enhances a structure with the best features of a cover. In order to achieve the advantages of this airplane shelter, a substantially rigid skeletal frame has been invented that, with the use of a unique cantilever structure, provides connections and support for cables and material to enclose and protect an airplane. A plurality of arched vertical support members are arranged axially along a line corresponding to the fuselage of an airplane to be sheltered. The line extends from essentially the trailing edge of the airplane's wings to a point at or just past the trailing edge of the airplane's tail assembly. A cantilever beam is attached to the apex of each arched vertical support member, forming a "spine" along the top of the aligned arched support members.
The cantilever beam is attached at one end to the rearwardmost arched support member, and the opposite end extends forwardly past the forwardmost arched support member to a point corresponding to the forwardmost point of an airplane to be sheltered. Separate lateral support members are placed at points corresponding to the wingtips of the airplane to be sheltered. The result is an open skeletal frame that defines a volume that is capable of enclosing an airplane.
A covering material is placed over the open skeletal frame and stretched taut, by attachment to the extreme elements of the skeletal frame, covering all of the arched vertical support members, the cantilever beam, and the open space between the forwardly-extending portion of the cantilever beam and the two lateral support members adjacent to each wingtip of the airplane to be sheltered. The covering material is attached to both of the lateral support members. Cables may be attached between the cantilever beam and the lateral support members to provide additional support for the covering material.
The resulting structure, in top plan view, resembles an arrow, where the shaft of the arrow houses the airplane fuselage, and the arrowhead houses the wings, cockpit, and nose of the airplane. The forwardmost end of the cantilever beam can be secured by a rope, chain, or rigid member or similar element attached to a point on the ground to prevent excessive motion and to keep the material taut in the direction between lateral support members across the cantilever beam. Additional covering material may optionally be used to provide door flaps and/or walls. The elements of the invention may optionally be provided in a kit for assembly by an airplane owner.
As will be seen in the following description and drawings, the claimed invention provides an airplane shelter which combines the low cost and easy assembly of a cover, while also providing the sturdy construction and ability to access the airplane found in structures. The use of a central cantilever beam and small lateral support members, instead of expensive vertical walls and horizontal ceiling structures, to support a covering material provides sufficient shelter to protect an airplane from the elements while still allowing sufficient access to the airplane for loading, unloading, maintenance, and other purposes.


A storage tray for storing magnetized magnets for assembly in a disc drive. The tray includes a base having a support surface and a cover sized to cover the support surface. The base is formed of a material having magnetic properties for attracting magnetized magnets for removably supporting the magnets until assembled in a voice coil motor.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for assembly of a stator of a motor for operating an actuator of a disc drive. In particular, the present invention relates to a storage device and assembly method for magnetized magnets for a voice coil motor.
A disc drive includes a plurality of stacked discs which are rotationally supported relative to a disc spindle and an actuator assembly movably supporting a plurality of head gimbal assemblies for reading and writing data to the discs. The actuator assembly includes an actuator drive typically a voice coil motor for actuating the head gimbal assemblies relative to selected data tracks of the discs.
The voice coil motor includes a stator defining a permanent magnetic field and a rotor coupled to an actuator block supporting the head gimbal assemblies. The rotor includes a bobbin having a voice coil wound about the bobbin. A voltage is supplied to the coil to selectively operate and move the actuator block to align the head gimbal assemblies relative to predetermined data tracks of the discs.
A typical stator includes upper and lower pole plates or backirons which are supported relative to the disc drive assembly in a spaced relation and include a magnet coupled thereto to define a flux gap therebetween. The rotor (bobbin and voice coil) coupled to the actuator block moves in the flux gap between the upper and lower pole plates.
Increased capacity disc drives are consistently being developed which have different operating requirements. For example, high density drives have developed which require higher capacity motors for moving the actuator block. Thus, it was desirable to develop a higher capacity actuator drive for providing more power for operating the actuator block of an increased capacity disk. However, higher energy magnets which are sufficient to operate an actuator block of an increased capacity disc of the type described are difficult to energize, handle, and assemble to form an actuator drive with known apparatus and techniques.
The present invention relates to a tray for storing magnetized magnets for assembly in a disc drive. The tray includes a base having a support surface and a cover sized to cover the support surface. The base is formed of a material having magnetic properties for attracting magnetized magnets for removably supporting the magnets until assembled in a voice coil motor. These and other features, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description and Figures.


A system for preventing spoofing to use a service provided on a network. The system holds correlation between a first identifier used by a user of a service provided on a network for first authentication for permitting a user to make connection to the network and a second identifier used for second authentication for permitting the user to use a service, holds correlation between a third identifier assigned to the user permitted to make connection to the network and the first identifier of the user, and checks the correlation between the second identifier and the third identifier contained in the packet for the second authentication.

The present invention relates to an access control method, system, device, program, and a recording medium and in particular, to a method, system, device, program, and a recording medium for performing access control to a service provided via a network.
Currently, various services are provided in networks such as the Internet and an enterprise network (Intranet). When using a service on a network, a user firstly connects a terminal device to the network. For this, permission for connection by the operation administrator of the network may be required. Here, the network operation administrator authenticates the user for judging whether to permit connection. For example, in order to connect to the Internet, permission for connection should be received by the ISP (Internet Service Provider). Here, the authentication is performed by inputting an identifier for identifying the ISP user and a password for confirming that the user identified by it is the user himself/herself by using, for example, the PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) (for the PPP, see "The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)", RFC1661, IETF.)
As another example, when making connection to the Intranet in an enterprise, permission for connection may be required. Here, authentication is performed by inputting an identifier for identifying the Intranet user and a password by using, for example, IEEE 802.1x.
On the other hand, among services provided on the network, there are such services which are provided to particular users or which have different contents to be provided to respective users. In such services, a user is identified for assigning a use authority and the user should be authenticated by the service provider. Here, the authentication is performed by inputting an identifier for identifying a service user and a password by using a protocol positioned on the upper node layer of the OSI reference model such as the HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), for example, (for the HTTP, see "Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP/1.1", RFC2616, IETF). It should be noted that in the aforementioned authentication, as the information for confirming the user himself/herself, besides the password, a public key certificate or biometric information may be used.
When performing authentication, there is a problem of spoofing, i.e., an unauthorized person illegally uses another person's identifier and password, thereby using a service. Such a spoofing generates charging which the owner of the identifier and the password does not know and a problem of leak of confidential information. When biometric information is used for authentication of a user, spoofing becomes difficult. However, authentication using biometric information requires a special device and software and its use is limited to admission control requiring strict authentication and not widely used on the network.
In general different administrators perform authentication and authorization for network connection and authentication and authorization for using a service. For this, different identifiers are used for the respective authentication processes and no inspection is performed to check whether the different identifiers belong to the same person. Accordingly, it is allowed to use a service, for example, even when the connection to the Internet is performed by using the identifier and the password validly owned by the user but another person's identifier and password are used for using the service. To cope with this, spoofing may be prevented by judging whether the user permitted to make connection to the network is the same person as the person who is going to receive a service by checking the correlation between the different identifiers. In any stage, when authentication and authorization are completed, a packet transmitted thereafter from the user includes no identifier to be used for authentication. Instead of it, it is often the case that temporary identifier valid only for the authorized use is assigned and this identifier is contained in the packet. For example, in a network using IP (Internet Protocol) such as the Internet often uses an IP address indicating the position on the network as the temporary identifier. For this, when performing authentication for using a service provided on the network using the IP, identifier used for authentication to use the service is transmitted by a packet using the IP address, assigned as a result of permission to connect to the network, as a transmission source.
Accordingly, by correlating the IP address of the transmission source of the packet with the identifier used for authentication for using a service for each of the users, it is possible to check whether the user permitted to make connection to the network is the same person as the user who is going to receive a service. For example, there is a technique for assigning an IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) address containing an identifier for using a service in the least significant 64 bits to a device used by a user of the network service and when using the service, the identifier for using the service presented by the user is compared to the IPv6 address so as to check whether the IPv6 address contains the user identifier (for example, JP-A-2003-132030).
However, in the current network, it is general that the correlation between the IP address and the identifier for using a service dynamically changes.
For example, in the current Internet or in the in-enterprise network, the IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) address is used as the IP address. Because of the address shortage in the world scale, an address which has been assigned to a user but become unnecessary for the user is assigned for another user.
Accordingly, the method disclosed in JP-A-2003-1132030 which assumes that the correlation between the IP address and the identifier for using a service is unchanged is insufficient for inspecting whether a user is the same user on the network.

Access control system, authentication server, application server, and packet transmission device