A high heat dissipation lamp includes a base, a lower cover, and a substrate. The base is a hollow structure, inside the base is defined a first hole. The lower cover is a hollow structure aligned with the base, and inside the lower cover is defined a second hole. The substrate is clamped between the base and the lower cover, and has a first surface located toward the first hole and a second surface located toward the second hole. On the first surface are provided a plurality of light emitting diodes. The first and second surfaces of the substrate come into direct contact with the base and the first and second holes of the lower cover, so as to improve thermal convection performance. Besides, the base and the lower cover of the lamp are annular-shaped, which makes the lamp easy to manufacture while having a strengthen structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp, and more particularly to a high heat dissipation lamp.
2. Description of the Prior Art
LED has been widely used in various illumination applications, and for high power lamps, such as fish attracting lamp, stadium lamp, stage lamp, mill lamp and etc. High power lamp, when powered on, will produce a lot of heat energy, which is likely to burn the shell of the lamp or the lamp holder, or even burn the LED itself. The poor heat dissipation performance greatly limits the application of the conventional LED lamps. Some of the LED lamps are equipped with heat dissipation modules; however, the installation of the heat dissipation module is complicated and adversely affects the manufacturing capacity.
To solve the heat dissipation problem, TW Patent No. M404324 discloses "LED lamp", which comprises a base for connecting to a power supply, a metal funnel-shaped lamp housing coaxially disposed on base, a LED module disposed on the top of the lamp housing, and a lamp shade. On the outer surface of the lamp housing is formed a plurality of ribs. The LED module includes a substrate and a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed on the substrate. Grooves defined between neighboring ribs facilitate air convection, and therefore improve heat dissipation efficiency.
However, the LED lamp housing is difficult to manufacture, and not suitable for mass production. Besides, the ribs are only formed at two ends of the lamp housing, which enhances structure strength but makes the lamp inconvenient to use.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


In one embodiment there is provided an application of the .sup.10 B(n,.alpha.).sup.7 Li nuclear reaction or other neutron capture reactions for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This application, called Boron Neutron Capture Synovectomy (BNCS), requires substantially altered demands on neutron beam design than for instance treatment of deep seated tumors. Considerations for neutron beam design for the treatment of arthritic joints via BNCS are provided for, and comparisons with the design requirements for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) of tumors are made. In addition, exemplary moderator/reflector assemblies are provided which produce intense, high-quality neutron beams based on (p,n) accelerator-based reactions. In another embodiment there is provided the use of deuteron-based charged particle reactions to be used as sources for epithermal or thermal neutron beams for neutron capture therapies. Many d,n reactions (e.g. using deuterium, tritium or beryllium targets) are very prolific at relatively low deuteron energies.

Neutron capture therapies are two-part radiation therapies relying on the selective loading of tumor cells with a pharmaceutical containing .sup.10 B (or other isotopes with high neutron capture cross-sections) and subsequent tissue irradiation with thermal neutrons. Boron is nonradioactive until a thermal neutron is captured causing a .sup.10 B(n,.alpha.).sup.7 Li fission reaction. The resulting alpha and lithium particles are high in energy (sharing 2.3 MeV), LET, and RBE, and travel less than 10 microns in tissue. These features lead to selective tumor-cell killing provided the .sup.10 B-containing pharmaceutical localizes well in the tumor. Other nuclides with high neutron capture cross-sections could also be used.
An external beam of thermal neutrons will be able to treat .sup.10 B-loaded tumors located at, or close to, the tissue surface. However, thermal neutrons are attenuated very rapidly in tissue. The need to provide a high flux of thermal neutrons at greater depths can be realized if a neutron beam with higher than thermal energy is used. The abundance of light hydrogen in tissue allows the higher energy ("epithermal") neutrons to be moderated through elastic collisions.
As the energy of the external neutron beam is increased, the thermal neutron flux at a given depth is increased. However, if the energy of the epithermal neutron beam is too high, the skin sparing due to 1/v reduction in the capture cross-section of .sup.1 H and .sup.14 N (and any .sup.10 B located in healthy tissues near the surface) will be offset by an unacceptably large surface dose created by protons recoiling from collisions with fast neutrons. A trade-off must be realized, then, between maximizing the thermal neutron flux at depth, and minimizing the dose to healthy tissue (particularly at the surface). The question of which energy (or range of energies) results in the optimum trade-off for a particular neutron capture therapy application is important in the development of epithermal neutrons.
Sources of energetic neutrons include nuclear reactors and particle accelerators in which energetic charged particles bombard one or more of a variety of target materials. A number of reactions have been investigated as potential sources of epithermal neutrons including .sup.7 Li(p,n) at energies between 1.88 and 3.5 MeV, and .sup.9 Be(p,n) at energies between 1.8 and 4.1 MeV. These reactions are endothermic and require high power accelerators to generate sufficiently intense neutron beams. An alternate approach is to make use of the exothermic .sup.9 Be(d,n) reaction. This reaction generates large quantities of high energy neutrons unless the deuteron bombarding energy is set below 2.0 MeV. It is then possible to design spectrum shifters (moderator/reflector assemblies) such that the final epithermal neutron beam from the .sup.9 Be(d,n) reaction is suitable for clinical use in the treatment of deep-seated tumors (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy) or rheumatoid arthritis (Boron Neutron Capture Synovectomy).
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the joints characterized by inflammation of the synovium, the membrane which lines the joint capsule. RA afflicts approximately 1% of the population of the United States and is three times as prevalent among women as men. Synovial inflammation is the primary cause of pain and physical disability in RA sufferers, with the most commonly affected joints being the knee (in 56% of the patients) and the metacarpophalangeal joints (in 87% of patients). If left untreated, chronic synovial inflammation eventually leads to the formation of pannus and the enzymatic destruction of the joint cartilage. Although the causes of cartilage destruction are not completely understood it is well established that the proliferation of inflamed synovium in the joint plays an important role.
The treatment of RA usually involves the use of various drug regimens aimed at reducing the synovial inflammation. While these therapies can satisfactorily control the symptoms of RA in a majority of patients, destruction of the joint still proceeds and eventually joint replacement becomes the only alternative.
Synovectomy, the removal or ablation of the inflamed membrane, has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for periods of up to 5 years and may also slow the progress of cartilage and bone destruction. In surgical synovectomy, the membrane is excised either by open surgery or arthroscopy. These procedures have several serious drawbacks. First, the complex geometry of the joint space makes it virtually impossible to remove all the disease synovium. Second, the attendant dangers of surgery are always present, including infection and the risk of anesthesia. Finally, prolonged hospitalization and rehabilitation are often required, making this treatment both expensive and inconvenient for the patient.
Radiation synovectomy is presently the only alternative to surgical synovectomy. In radiation synovectomy, a beta-emitting radionuclide is injected directly into the joint space. Typically, the radionuclide is incorporated into a colloid which is rapidly taken up by the synovial lining through phagocytosis and delivers a lethal radiation dose (approximately 10,000 rad) to the synovium within a period of hours to weeks. Because the entire surface of the synovium is exposed to the radiopharmaceutical, there is a high likelihood of complete destruction of the diseased membrane. The synovium is typically several millimeters thick so beta-emitters which deposit their energy within 1-10 mm in tissue are used, including .sup.198 Au, .sup.32 P, .sup.90 Y, etc.
The efficacy of radiation synovectomy has been shown to be similar to that of surgical synovectomy, with reported success rates of up to 80% for the treatment of early-stage RA of the knee. Radiation synovectomy is much less invasive than surgical synovectomy: the radionuclide is usually administered in a single dose under local anesthetic and, in the case of the shorter-lived radionuclides such as .sup.165 Dy, no hospital stay is required. In addition, the required rehabilitation time is usually minimal. However, despite its many advantages over surgical synovectomy, radiation synovectomy has not gained acceptance in the United States because of the inherent dangers of internal radioisotope therapy.
The primary drawback of radiation synovectomy is the delivery of radiation dose to non-target organs due to leakage of the radionuclide-containing compound from the joint cavity. Investigators using colloids of .sup.198 Au and .sup.90 Y have reported leakage of a few percent up to as much as 60% of the injected dose. This is leakage has been shown to result in unacceptable radiation exposure to the liver, spleen, and lymphatic system.


An embodiment of the invention provides a method for changing a coordinate of an icon according to a sensing signal. The method comprises: outputting the sensing signal via a sensor according to an interactive operation of a user; displaying a plurality of the icons of an operating system via a display device, wherein each icon corresponds to a data element; when receiving the sensing signal and a trigger signal by a processor, by the processor, acquiring the icons currently shown on the display device, generating an updated coordinate of each icon according to the sensing signal output by the sensor, changing the coordinates of the icons of the operating system, and displaying the icons on the display device according to the updated coordinates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a method for changing a coordinate of an icon according to a sensing signal, especially to a method for changing the coordinates of the icons and rearranging the icons according to a sensing signal generated by interactive operation of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Smart phones and tablet PCs have been widely used by consumers. For the purpose of comfortable screen viewing for consumers, the size of the display device has accordingly increased. However, another issue has risen. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the icons displayed on a conventional electronic device. The display device 11 of the electronic device 10 shows a plurality of the icons of an operating system, such as icons A to I. But if a user holds and operates the electronic device 10 by a single hand, the finger of this user may be approximately at the area near the icon A. If the user wants to click the icon I, it is not easy for him to move the finger to click the icon I. Although the user can use the finger of another hand to click the icon I, it is still not convenient for the user. If the user wants to move the icon or adjusts the position of the icon, the user needs to adjust the position of the icon one by one and it is time-wasting.

Method and electronic device for changing coordinates of icons according to sensing signal


Containers (2) for food products are manufactured employing a system that includes a feed station (4) supplying a succession of tubular elements (2a), and a heat sealer (10) positioned to close and secure a first open end (2b) of each tubular element (2a) that coincides with the base of the container. The sealing operation occurs at a station associated with a conveyor (3) consisting in a wheel (11) rotatable in a feed direction (B) along a path (P) passing both through the feed station (4) and through the station occupied by the heat sealer (10). The tubular elements (2a) are carried by radial elements (13) of the wheel (11) such as can be indexed between a first operating position, where the tubular elements (2a) are taken up from the feed station (4), and a second operating position in which the open end (2b) is offered to the heat sealer (10).

It is common practice for liquid products of the type in question to be bottled in containers of which the structure can be manufactured from multilayer or treated paper material, such as paperboard or cardboard coated with one or more layers of food-safe material suitable for liquids.
The containers in question are fashioned in most cases from flat blanks cut generally from a roll of material and bent as necessary along strategically placed crease lines to a shape suitable for holding a liquid product.
As a rule, such containers present a tubular configuration of substantially square cross section.
The containers are manufactured using conventional machines such as will bend the flat blank to create a tubular element presenting an open top end and an open bottom end.
Initially, the containers are advanced through various processing stations equipped with mechanical arms by which the edges of the open bottom end of the tubular element are bent and folded so as to enclose the end. In practice, the arms are arranged in sets, each designed to perform a particular operation on the edges of the container. The arms are also equipped with heat seal plates positioned to engage selected points of the resulting end folds and thus render the closure permanent.
The partially enclosed container is then placed in a filling station, where a liquid product will be directed in through the open top end. Thereafter, the top end is closed by bending the relative edges and securing the folds in same way as for the bottom end already described above.
Machines of the type in question present a notable drawback deriving from the excessive bulkiness of the components by which the folds of the container are bent and secured. In effect, the containers need to be transferred from one station to another by a conveyor, consisting generally in a belt passing through the various forming stations. This means that the belt must necessarily be of a certain length in order to pass through all the different stations, and consequently that considerable space is taken up by the system.
Moreover, the mechanical arms are particularly cumbersome precisely by reason of the numerous movements they have to complete, and an appreciable amount of operating space is therefore required.
The object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide a system for forming containers, in particular containers for food products, featuring compact dimensions and occupying minimal space.
More exactly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system for forming containers, in particular containers for food products, such as will allow of optimizing the spaces utilized in closing and sealing the open end of the container.
A further object of the present invention is to minimize the space needed in order to accommodate the mechanism by which the containers are conveyed.

Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A. S.p.A.


To compensate for an inhomogeneous brightness perception in a holographic reconstruction of 3D-scenes (4), a computing means encodes modulator cells of a SLM with a hologram point data pattern. Multiple bundles of rays illuminate the surface of the SLM and an array of focusing elements (21, 23) directs the bundles of rays to an observer's eye positions. Geometrical and optical properties of the array cause dissimilarly affected illumination regions on the SLM surface. The computing means determine parameters which describe the extent of these effects in combination with an expected spatial filtering at the eye pupil of the observer's eyes. Using these parameters, the computing means estimates which local errors of the reconstruction caused by these dissimilarly affected illumination regions will be perceived by the observer when watching the reconstruction, and corrects the hologram point data pattern such that the reconstruction appears at a corrected brightness uniformity level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the compensation of an inhomogeneous brightness perception in scenes which are holographically reconstructed with the help of an electro-holographic device that uses a spatial light modulator means in order to reconstruct three-dimensional scenes holographically. The spatial light modulator means contains a multitude of holographic modulator cells in which a video hologram is encoded in the form of a hologram point pattern, and which are illuminated with the help of illumination means and focusing means. According to the present invention, a multitude of illumination units illuminates the light modulator means of the holographic device. In a simple case, the focusing means is a lens array with a multitude of lens elements or a lenticular array with a multitude of lenticules with cylindrical surfaces. The present invention chiefly relates to a real-time or near-real-time reconstruction of moving three-dimensional scenes with the help of holographic video means. The present invention further relates to a device with means for the elimination of brightness errors during the holographic reconstruction of scenes.
2. Technical Background
Holographic devices as understood in this invention modulate sufficiently coherent light with the help of a spatial light modulator means. The modulator cells are encoded with a hologram point data pattern and the modulator surface is illuminated with a light wave front, which is capable of generating interference, such that in a space in front of, on and behind the surface of the light modulator a spatial pattern of object light points is created by way of interference, said pattern of object light points reconstructing the optical appearance of a scene. The entirety of the light of all object light points propagates in the form of a light wave front, so that one or multiple observers can watch this light point pattern in the form of a three-dimensional scene. This means that in contrast to a stereoscopic representation, a holographic reconstruction realizes an object substitute, which is why the problems known in conjunction with stereoscopy, such as fatigue of the eyes and headache, do not occur, because there is generally no difference between watching a real scene and a holographically reconstructed scene.
The holographic device can be a holographic display, which renders visible the reconstruction in front of the eyes of one or multiple observers, or a projection device, which enlarges the reconstruction using optical means. Graphics panels, which are only a few centimetres in screen diagonal length, used in flat screen monitors and in spatial light modulators used in conventional video and TV projectors, are suitable for light modulation, for example. Known holographic devices use either transmissive or reflective light modulators.
3. Prior Art
Known devices for the holographic reconstruction of three-dimensional scenes contain optical focusing means, such as lenses, which form sufficiently coherent light, i.e. light which is capable of generating interference, into a wave, which then impinges on a transmissive spatial light modulator. The thus illuminated light modulator is encoded with a hologram and modulates the wave so as to form a wave front that carries holographic information for the reconstruction of a scene by way of interference. The light modulator thereby generates in its image-side focal plane a spatial frequency spectrum as the Fourier transform of the hologram. Such a holographic device is known for example from the international patent publication no. WO 2004/044659.
During the optical Fourier transformation of the focused light, the scene which is encoded on the light modulator is reconstructed and one or multiple virtual observer window(s) is (are) created in front of the positions assigned to the observer eyes. The size of each observer window corresponds with a period of the spatial frequency spectrum of the Fourier transform. The virtual observer window is located in the diffraction order used for the hologram. The scene is only visible in a reconstruction space through an observer window. The focusing means cover the entire modulating area of the light modulator. The light modulator can be encoded such that the reconstruction space continues behind the light modulator. An observer can thus watch the reconstructed scene in a reconstruction space which is much larger than the observer window.
Because for a large-size holographic reconstruction the light modulator is required to have a large modulating area, the lens must be of adequately large size as well. A lens with such a large area and a single optical axis can only be manufactured at great cost and effort.
In the international patent publication No. WO 2006/119920, the applicant suggests to illuminate the spatial light modulator with a light array of point or line light sources and a lens array with a multitude of lenses, e.g. a lenticular array, instead of using a single light source in conjunction with a large focusing lens. This greatly reduces the thickness and weight of the lens compared with the previously described holographic device, which minimises the costs considerably in particular for large light modulating areas, which only renders feasible the reconstruction of large-size three-dimensional scenes with the help of video holography. Each individual lens element of the lens array can be much smaller than the light modulating area, e.g. with a lens element aperture of about 10 mm. Such a lens array can be manufactured much more easily than a single large lens.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a device disclosed in WO2006/119920 and illustrates its functional principle. An array of illumination units with three coherent line light sources LS1-LS3 and lens elements 21-23 of a lens array 2, illuminates a transmissive light modulator SLM, which consists of a multitude of modulator cells. An illumination unit consists of one light source LS1, LS2 or LS3 and the nearest lens element 21, 22 or 23 of the lens array 2. The light of one illumination unit is capable of generating interference, but the light of different illumination units are not capable of generating interference with respect to each other. All lens elements 21-23 project their corresponding light source into a focal plane FP, i.e. at a defined distance to the light modulator SLM. Each lens element thereby realises a Fourier transformation. The Fourier transforms coincide and project a virtual observer window OWL/OWR in front of the left and right observer eyes, respectively.
Each illumination unit of the array thereby illuminates with a bundle of rays a separate region R1, R2, R3 on the surface of the light modulator SLM, so that all illumination units together illuminate the entire area of the light modulator in the form of a common light wave front. A common hologram sequence, which after modulation of the light wave front holographically reconstructs the moving three-dimensional scene with the help of light points P1, P2 and P3, is encoded on the light modulator SLM for the common wave front of all illumination units. As in the device described above, a holographic reconstruction 4 of the three-dimensional scene is situated between the light modulator SLM and the virtual observer window OWL/OWR. In order to ensure smooth operation, the bundles of rays from the illumination units must illuminate the surface of the light modulator SLM without gaps and without overlapping. Otherwise there may be spatial areas which are not properly illuminated and which therefore appear as dark spots in the reconstruction.
A special feature of this solution is that the modulator cells are encoded in a particular way. In contrast to the conventional encoding of holograms, the hologram information of each object light point of the scene to be reconstructed is not distributed across all modulator cells of the light modulator SLM. According to an above-mentioned patent application, the applicant suggests that, depending on the size and position of the virtual observer windows OWL/OWR, the information for each object light point is only encoded on a certain area A1, A2, A3 on the surface of the light modulator SLM. Note that the illuminated regions R1, R2, R3 do not correspond with the encoded areas A1, A2, A3.
It has been found in practice, however, that in the process of holographic reconstruction a light wave front which is based on multiple illumination units, as described above, causes a disturbed optical perception. In particular, observers perceive inhomogeneities in brightness in the reconstructed light wave front, even when the array of illumination units illuminates the light modulator SLM homogeneously. This problem was investigated extensively until a cause was found for the perceived disturbances. Finally, the cause for this problem was identified to be the interplay of the edges between adjacent lens elements of the lens array and the observer's eye pupils. Each joint, i.e. junction or boundary, between the lens elements is formed as an edge, which causes diffraction and thus disturbs the straight propagation of the light wave front towards the focal plane. As the spatial frequency distribution is filtered at the observer's eye pupils, which are located in the focal plane, not all frequencies of the spatial frequency spectrum continue to the retina of the observer's eyes. This causes the observer to perceive the reconstructed scene with an inhomogeneous brightness distribution that corresponds to the pattern of the lens array, which deteriorates the quality of the reconstructions considerably.
Diffraction at the edges of the lens elements of a lens array is particularly disturbing, because these edges lie within the reconstructed scene. If, due to the spatial frequency filtering, brightness inhomogeneities become visible at the lens margins within the reconstructed scene, this is considered to be particularly disturbing by the observers. Lens element aberrations also contribute to an inhomogeneous brightness perception.
Document WO 0075733 A1 entitled "Aberration control of images from computer-generated holograms" discloses a method for generating computer-generated hologram data for encoding the spatial light modulator of a holographic display by which aberration effects of optical components of the display are compensated. The method determines the aberrations of optical components in the holographic display and defines computer-generated hologram correction factor data for the light modulator such that the determined aberration effect is compensated. A hologram point data pattern is generated for the light modulator such that the holographic display produces a high quality holographic reconstruction.
The aberration effect of the optical components of the display for defining the computer-generated hologram is determined with the help of the optical distance of the beams through the optical components and stored in a so-called look-up table. In the above-mentioned document, imaging errors such as distortion etc. are understood as aberrations.

Method for the compensation of an inhomogeneous brightness perception in holographically reconstructed scenes


The invention relates to an apparatus for processing electronic components mounted on a carrier, comprising at least two engaging elements which co-act when engaging on a carrier. The invention also relates to a processing element for processing electronic components mounted on a carrier, which processing element can be coupled interchangeably to an apparatus according to the invention. The invention furthermore relates to a method for product-related adjustment of such an apparatus.

The invention relates to an apparatus for processing electronic components mounted on a carrier, comprising at least two engaging elements which co-act when engaging on a carrier. The invention also relates to a processing element for processing electronic components mounted on a carrier, which processing element can be coupled interchangeably to an apparatus according to the invention. The invention furthermore relates to a method for product-related adjustment of such an apparatus.

Apparatus for processing a carrier with electronic components


A communication device includes: a first antenna and a second antenna; a switch unit selecting the first antenna in a first term and the second antenna in a second term; a reception determination unit determining whether or not communication data contained in wireless signals received by the first antenna and the second antenna; and a storage unit storing association between each of communication terminals and one of the first antenna and the second antenna, in which the switch unit sets lengths of the first and second terms so that a ratio of the respective lengths of the first and second terms is equal to a ratio of the number of times the communication data from the communication terminals respectively associated with the first and second antennas and is determined to be successfully obtained.

In recent years, wireless communication more convenient than a traditional wire communication has been focused besides the traditional wire communication. The wireless communication may use a technique (an antenna diversity technique) in which a plurality of antennas are used in the communication for expanding a communication area or suppressing effect from an interference wave.
In a receiver antenna diversity technique for receiving wireless signals using one of a plurality of antennas, the antennas which can receive radio waves successfully may be different from one another for every communication partner. For the occasion, in order to successfully receive wireless signals from a plurality of communication partners, antennas which can successfully receive the wireless signals from the communication partners should be used for receiving the wireless signals at timings when the communication partners send the wireless signals.
A technique is disclosed that a communication device initializes antennas based on an received signal strength indicator (RSSI) so as to share communication timings between the communication device and a communication terminal, when the communication terminal (station) initializes registration for establishing a channel to the communication device (access point) (Patent Literature (PTL) 1, for example).
In addition, a technique is disclosed that an antenna in a access point having a reception level lower than or equal to a threshold value is eliminated from candidates of antennas to be used for reception (for example PTL 2).

Communication device and communication method

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Novel compounds having activity as non-covalent inhibitors of urokinase and having activity in reducing or inhibiting blood vessel formation are provided. These compounds have at a group having a guanidino moiety or derivative thereof. These compounds are useful in vitro for monitoring plasminogen activator levels and in vivo in treatment of conditions which are ameliorated by inhibition of or decreased activity of urokinase and in treating pathologic conditions wherein blood vessel formation is related to a pathologic condition.

Urinary-type plasminogen activator (uPA; urokinase) is a serine protease within the trypsin/chymotrypsin family. In its physiological state, uPA is found in three forms: single chain pro-uPA, two chain uPA, and low molecular weight uPA (lacks N-terminal domains). The zymogen, pro-uPA, is converted to u-PA by cleavage of the peptide bond at K158-I159. The resultant two chain uPA is linked by disulfide bridges, has an Mr of about 50 kD, and a C-terminal serine proteinase domain.
The activity of uPA is focused to cell surfaces upon binding to its receptor, uPAR. uPAR is a single-chain glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored membrane receptor. The N-terminal 92 amino acids of uPAR play a dominant role in binding to uPA and pro-uPA. Receptor for uPA has been located on T-cells, NK cells, monocytes, and neutrophils, as well as vascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, keratinocytes, placental trophoblasts, hepatocytes, and a wide variety of tumor cells.
After conversion of pro-uPA to uPA, which occurs primarily at the uPAR on the cell surface, uPA activates plasminogen to plasmin. Activation occurs upon cleavage at residues PGR-VV for human plasminogen, or at residues SGR-IV for bovine plasminogen. Because plasminogen also is present on the cell surface, this activation cascade focuses the activity of uPA and plasmin on the plasma membrane. Plasmin has many roles, including activation of additional uPA and other enzymes, digestion of fibrin, and digestion of components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Digestion of the ECM surrounding a tumor removes the ECM as a physical barrier to metastasizing cells, which are then free to leave primary tumors and invade secondary sites. A review of the role of the uPA/uPAR system in cancer metastasis is provided in "The Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator System in Cancer Metastasis: A Review", Andreasen et al., Int. J. Canc. 72:1-22 (1997).
A correlation between a high level of uPA and a high rate of metastasis, and poor prognosis, has been noted in certain tumors, especially breast cancer [Quax et al., J. Cell Biol. 115:191-199 (1991); Duffy et al., Cancer Res. 50:6827-6829 (1990)]. For instance, tumors of the lung [Oka et al., Cancer Res. 51:3522-3525 (1991)], bladder [Hasui et al., Int. J. Cancer 50:871-873 (1992)], stomach [Nekarda et al., Lancet 343:117 (1994)], cervical cancer [Kobayashi et al., Cancer Res. 54:6539-6548 (1994)], ovary [Kuhn et al., Gynecol. Oncol. 55:401-409 (1994)], kidney [Hofmann et al., Cancer 78:487-492 (1996)], brain [Bindahl et al., J. Neuro-Oncol. 22:101-110 (1994)], and soft tissue sarcoma [Choong et al., Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 69:268-272 (1996)] have exhibited a high level of uPA and/or uPA activity and a high rate of metastases. Overproduction of uPA has been reported to result in increased skeletal metastasis by prostate cancer cells in vivo [Achbarou et al., Cancer Res. 54:2372-2377 (1994)].
Inhibition or lowering of uPA activity, or disruption/inhibition of the interaction between uPA and its receptor (uPAR) has been shown to have a positive effect on maintenance of the extracellular matrix and an inhibitory effect on metastasis [Ossowski and Reich, Cell 35:611-619 (1983); Ossowski, Cell 52:321-328 (1988); Ossowski, J. Cell Biol. 107:2437-2445 (1988); Wilhelm et al., Clin. Exp. Metastasis 13:296-302 (1995); Achbarou et al., Cancer Res. 54:2372-2377 (1994); Crowley et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5021-5025 (1993); Kook et al., EMBO J. 13:3983-3991 (1994)]. The results of such experimental studies suggest that uPA-catalyzed plasminogen activation is rate-limiting for tumor progression, local tumor invasion and/or formation of distant metastasis. [Andreasen et al., Int. J. Canc. 72:1-22 (1997)].
The effects of the uPA system on cell migration and invasion are thought to be due to both a proteolytic effect of plasmin-mediated degradation of the extracellular matrix, as well as more a direct interaction of the uPA receptor with components of the extracellular matrix. Degradation of the extracellular matrix permits a metastasizing cell to invade the matrix, whereas interaction between uPA receptor and the matrix itself assists a cell in its migration. Localization of the uPA/plasmin system on the cell surface, or the leading edge of metastasizing cells, is consistent with the postulated role of uPA in metastasis [Plesner et al., Stem Cells 15:398-408 (1997)].
Interaction of uPAR with vitronectin, a component of the extracellular matrix, mediates cell adhesion and can be enhanced when uPAR is bound by uPA. Cell surface adhesion molecules, integrins, also appear to be involved in this adhesion function, particularly beta-1 and beta-2 integrins [Paysant et al., Br. J. Haematol. 100:45-51 (1998); Simon et al., Blood 88:3185-3194 (1996)]. The CD11b/CD18 integrin can associate with the uPA-uPAR complex and promote adhesion of cells bearing these receptors, e.g., neutrophils, leukocytes.
The uPA/uPAR system also is involved in the establishment of new vasculature, or neovascularization.
Establishment of new vasculature is required for sustaining primary and metastatic tumor growth. Pathological neovascularization also is a characteristic of retinal disease, rubeosis iritis, proliferative vitreo retinopathy inflammatory disease, diabetic retinopathy, chronic uveitis, Fuch's heterochromic iridocyclitis, neovascular glaucoma, corneal or optic nerve neovascularization, vascular disease, pterygium, glaucoma surgery bleb failure, hyperkeratosis, cheloid and polyp formation (see EP 451,130). Undesired angiogenesis also can occur in the following conditions or can be a result of the following activities: macular degeneration, retinopathy of prematurity, corneal graft rejection, retrolental fibroplasia, epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, Vitamin A deficiency, contact lens overwear, atopic keratitis, superior limbic keratitis, pterygium keratitis sicca, sogrens disease, acne rosacea, phylectenulosis, syphilis, Mycobacteria infections other than leprosy, lipid degeneration, chemical burns, bacterial or fungal ulcers, Herpes simplex or zoster infections, protozoan infections, Kaposi's sarcoma, Mooren ulcer, Terrien's marginal degeneration, marginal keratolysis, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, polyarteritis, Wegeners sarcoidosis, sleritis, Steven's Johnson disease, radial keratotomy, sickle cell anemia, sarcoid, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Pagets disease, vein or artery occlusion, carotid obstructive disease, chronic uveitis, chronic vitritis, Lyme's disease, Eales disease, Bechets disease, myopia, optic pits, Stargarts disease, pars planitis, chronic retinal detachment, hyperviscosity syndromes, toxoplasmosis, post-laser complications, abnormal proliferation of fibrovascular tissue, hemangiomas, Osler-Wever-Rendu, solid tumors, blood borne tumors, AIDS, ocular neovascular disease, osteoarthritis, chronic inflammation, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, tumors of rhabdomyosarcoma, tumors of retinoblastoma, tumors of Ewing sarcoma, tumors of neuroblastoma, tumors of osteosarcoma, leukemia, psoriasis, atherosclerosis, pemphigoid, as recited in U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,291.
An antagonist of uPA/uPAR binding (EGF-like domain of uPA fused to Fc of IgG) was said to inhibit neovascularization and growth of the murine B16 melanoma. [Min et al., Cancer Res. 56:2428-2433 (1996)]. Consistent with this finding is the correlation noted between microvessel density, vascular invasion and uPA levels in breast carcinomas [Hildenbrand et al., Brit. J. Cancer 72:818-823 (1995)]. The known uPA inhibitor amiloride also was said to inhibit a variety of neovascularization pathologies [Glaser et al., EP 451,130; Avery et al., Arch. Ophthalmol. 108:1474-1476 (1990)].
There are two primary physiological inhibitors of uPA, PAI-1 and PAI-2, which are members of the serpin family of proteinase inhibitors. The binding of serpins to their cognate proteases involves a large number of interactions between amino acids of each protein, including those in the serpin reactive loop (Ser-Ala-Arg-Met-Ala (SEQ. ID. NO. 1) for PAI-1, Thr-Gly-Arg-Thr-Gly (SEQ. ID. NO. 2) for PAI-2). Introduction of exogenous PAI-2 into experimental animals was reported to inhibit the rate of lung metastasis [Evans and Lin, Amer. Surg. 61:692-697 (1995); Mueller et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:205-209 (1995)]. The ability of PAI-1 to inhibit metastasis has not yet been consistently shown. The gene for PAI-1, and means for its recombinant expression, are disclosed in Loskutoff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,512. Recombinant and native human PAI-2 is disclosed in Stephens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,090.
The most widely studied uPA inhibitors may be within the 4-substituted benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamidine class of inhibitors, of which B428 (4-iodo-benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamidine) and B623 are members [Towle et al., Cancer Res. 53:2553-2559 (1993); Bridges et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. 1:403-410 (1993); Bridges et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,833]. Infusion of B428 in experimental rats inoculated with tumor cells was said to inhibit uPAR gene expression, decrease the primary tumor volume and decrease metastases [Xing et al., Cancer Res. 57:3585-3593 (1997)]. Daily intraperitoneal treatment of mice bearing tumors with B428 or B623 was said to block metastasis to muscle and fat, but did not inhibit tumor-induced angiogenesis or reduce the rate of spontaneous lung metastasis. In fact, B623 enhanced the formation of lung metastasis (Alonso et al., Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 40:209-223 (1996)]. Infusion of B428 in a syngeneic model of rat prostate cancer also lead to a decrease in primary tumor volume and tumor weight, and a decrease in metastasis [Rabbani et al., Int. J. Cancer 63:840-845 (1995)].
Other known inhibitors of uPA include p-aminobenzamidine, which is a competitive inhibitor of uPA, and amiloride. Both compounds have been shown to reduce tumor size in experimental animals [Jankan et al., Cancer Res. 57:559-563 (1997); Billstrom et al., Int. J. Cancer 61:542-547 (1995)]. Recently, epigallo-cathecin-3 gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol found in green tea, was reported to bind uPA and inhibit its activity [Jankun et al., Nature 387:561 (1997)]. Those researchers concluded EGCG is a weaker inhibitor of uPA than amiloride, but suggested EGCG can be consumed in much higher doses than amiloride without toxic effect. A competitive inhibitor of uPA, α-N-benzylsulfonyl-p-aminophenylalanine, is disclosed by Pye et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,258.
Other approaches at inhibiting the uPA/uPAR system include development of a bifunctional hybrid molecule consisting of the uPAR-binding domain of uPA and PAI-2, which is said to inhibit uPA and bind uPAR in vitro [Ballance et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 207:177-183 (1992)]. Antagonists of uPAR also have been studied [Doyle and Rosenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,726; Min et al., Cancer Res. 56:2428-2433 (1996)], as have antisense oligonucleotides complementary to uPA [Wilhelm et al., Clin. Exp. Metast. 13:296-302 (1995); Iversen and Scholar, U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,390]. Antibodies directed against uPAR, and said to inhibit the binding of uPA to uPAR, are disclosed by Dano et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,120. Small molecules said to inhibit urokinase, along with a variety of other serine proteases, include those disclosed by Abe et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,385 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,176, and by Takano et al. in J. Pharmacol. Exp. Therapeut. 271:1027-1033 (1994).
Compounds have been developed to directly inhibit the binding of uPA to UPAR (Crowley et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5021-5025 (1993); Goodson et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:7129-7133 (1994); Kobayashi et al., Brit. J. Cancer 67:537-544 (1993), and Int. J. Cancer 57:727-73f3 (1994), and J. Biol. Chem. 270:8361-8366 (1995); Lu et al., FEBS Lett. 356:56-59 (1994) and FEBS Lett. 380:21-24 (1996)].
Additionally, pro-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a cell migration stimulating protein, is a substrate of uPA [Naldinie et al., EMBO J. 11:4825-4833 (1992)]. Direct cleavage of a 66 kDa extracellular matrix protein and fibronectin by uPA also has been reported, which suggests a more direct role for uPA in facilitating cell migration [Quigley et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 84:2776-2780 (1987)]. Thus, inhibition of uPA may affect these activities, as well.

Aromatic heterocyclic non-covalent inhibitors of urokinase and blood vessel formation


A tension rod positioning assembly and method for installing, replacing, and clamping a drum head between a drum rim and a drum shell using a tensioning rod. The tension rod positioning assembly includes a base plate adapted to be mounted to the drum shell, a slide arm slidably mounted to the base plate and adapted to accept the tensioning rod, and an arm positioning assembly adapted to move the slide arm. The method for removing the drum head from a drum includes providing a drum head mounted between a drum rim and a drum shell on the drum, the drum head tensioned by a drum lug assembly with a drum lug handle connected to a slide arm adapted to slide substantially parallel to the drum shell, the slide arm receiving a tensioning rod with a tensioning rod head, releasing the drum lug handle to move the slide arm towards the drum head to relieve tension on the tensioning rod, moving the drum rim away from the drum shell to allow access to the drum head, and lifting the drum head from the drum shell. The method for installing a drum head on a drum includes providing a drum head and a drum including a drum rim and a drum shell, the drum shell including a drum lug assembly with a drum lug handle connected to a slide arm adapted to slide substantially parallel to the drum shell, and a tensioning rod with a tensioning rod head, placing the drum head on the drum shell, placing the drum rim over the drum head, and tightening the tensioning rod by moving the drum lug handle. A further improvement is found in the drum hoop, which includes a circular drum rim defining a pass-through opening and an elongated slot.

The present invention relates generally to drums and the mounting of drum heads. More particularly, this invention pertains to a quick release tensioning apparatus and method for changing drum heads.
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a side schematic view of a standard prior art fixed drum lug assembly 10 for installing a drum head 14. The drum head 14, including the connected head base 16, is placed over the drum shell 12 and the drum rim 18 is set in place on the head base 16. A tensioning rod 20 is guided through a hole in the drum rim 18 and screwed into the rod connector 22 in the drum lug 24. The drum lug 24 is connected to the drum shell 12 by rim bolts 26. The tensioning rod 20 is then tightened according to the amount of tension desired on the drum head 14. FIG. 2 of the drawings shows a top view of a standard prior art drum rim 18 defining holes 28 for accepting the tensioning rods 20.
Several United States Patents have been directed towards drum head connecting assemblies. These include: U.S. Design Pat. No. D310,538, issued to Yanagisawa on Sep. 11, 1990; U.S. Design Pat. No. D353,612 issued to Yanagisawa, on Dec. 20, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,442, issued to Minor on Apr. 22, 1986; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,163, issued to Hsieh on Sep. 15, 1987. Each of these patents is briefly outlined in the following discussion and is hereby incorporated by reference.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D310,538 issued to Yanagisawa on Sep. 11, 1990, describes a xe2x80x9cBass Drum Lug Casing.xe2x80x9d This design patent shows the decorative molding of a bass drum lug casing for accepting a tension rod and mounting to the side of a drum shell.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 353,612 issued to Yanagisawa on Dec. 20, 1994, describes a xe2x80x9cTom Tom and Bass Drum Lug Casing.xe2x80x9d This patent is also directed toward the decorative design of a stationary casing for accepting a tension rod for holding a drum head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,442 issued to Minor on Apr. 22, 1986, discloses a xe2x80x9cDrum Latch Assembly.xe2x80x9d This application is directed towards an anchor assembly rigidly affixed to the drum shell. A power lock grip is pivotally connected by a lever to allow for clamping paws to be disengaged from a drum rim for quick changing of the drumhead.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,163 issued to Hsieh on Sep. 15, 1987, describes a xe2x80x9cDrum Head Lug Assembly.xe2x80x9d This application describes the use of a fastener utilizing a lug and a tension rod with a receiver nut in a kidney shaped pocket slot connected with a dowel. The kidney shaped pivot slot allows for the lug assembly to be engaged and disengaged while requiring less turns of the tension rod in order to remove a drumhead. The reduced number of turns of the tension rod is accomplished by utilizing the kidney shaped slot on the fastener.
These patents fail to maximize the advantage to be obtained from a movable drum lug assembly. What is needed then is an improved drum lug tensioning assembly.
The present invention is directed towards a tension rod positioning assembly and method for installing, replacing, and clamping a drum head between a drum rim and a drum shell using a tensioning rod.
The tension rod positioning assembly includes a base plate adapted to be mounted to the drum shell, which includes a slide arm slidably mounted to the base plate and adapted to accept the tensioning rod, and an arm positioning assembly adapted to move the slide arm.
A further improvement is found in the drum hoop, which includes a circular drum rim defining a pass-through opening and an elongated slot.
Improved methods are taught for using the tensioning rod positioning assembly including a method for installing a drum head and a method for removing the drum head.
A still further improvement utilizes a tensioning pin to lock the slide arm in position in either a retracted or extended position.
A method for removing the drum head from a drum is taught which includes providing a drum head mounted between a drum rim and a drum shell on the drum, the drum head tensioned by a drum lug assembly with a drum lug handle connected to a slide arm adapted to slide substantially parallel to the drum shell, the slide arm receiving a tensioning rod with a tensioning rod head; releasing the drum lug handle to move the slide arm towards the drum head to relieve tension on the tensioning rod; moving the drum rim away from the drum shell to allow access to the drum head; and lifting the drum head from the drum shell. Also taught is a corresponding method for installing a drum head. Detailed descriptions of these apparatus and methods are further described herein.

Drum head tensioning apparatus and method


A power sensor having a microstrip transmission line, comprising: a dielectric substrate; a strip conductor disposed on one surface of the substrate; and a ground plane conductor disposed on an opposite surface of the substrate. The power sensor includes a plurality of thermocouples extending from the strip conductor, proximal end portions of the thermocouples being thermally coupled to the strip conductor. A plurality of electrical conductors is provided, each one having a first end electrically connected to a distal end of a corresponding one of the thermocouples and a second end electrically connected to the proximate end of one of the plurality of thermocouples disposed adjacent to such corresponding one of the thermocouples. The proximal ends of the thermocouples are electrically insulated one from the other.

As is known in the art, there is a need for high-sensitivity, small, linear power sensors without the use of complex, large circuits and external biasing. Sensors that are highly integrated with power amplifiers, for example, are useful at the input, output, and inter-stage networks to detect any inefficiency in the amplifier performance. These types of integrated power sensors may be used in a system that is tunable for optimal performance. Broad bandwidth is also a desirable feature for any system to detect spurious signals. The integrated microstrip-based power sensor with direct contact thermopiles solves these problems with small size, linearity, no external biasing, broadband operation (2-18 GHz tested), and improved sensitivity.
Field effect transistor (FET) mesas may be used to detect power passively without external bias. Planar transmission lines, such as microstrip, dissipate power in the form of heat as they propagate. This dissipated power is related to the insertion loss per unit length of the microstrip line given an initial input power value. If a heat absorbing material is placed in close proximity to the transmission line, the dissipated power will heat the material. By isolating the heat absorbing material so that it is cool furthest from the RF transmission line, a temperature differential builds across it. Certain material combinations, called thermocouples, respond to this thermal gradient with a detectable voltage gradient and convey information about the input power from the RF microstrip line. It is based on the Seebeck effect (measured in volts per degree C.) in which a voltage appears between two dissimilar materials if a temperature gradient exists between two junctions along them. This approach is highly integrated and does not require couplers. Lossy transmission line is the source of ohmic loss, or heat. These thermocouple fingers are connected in series to create a thermopile with increased sensitivity. The thermopiles are placed on both sides of the transmission line and the total sensitivity is equal to the total voltage detected over the power dissipated in V/W. Increased sensitivity can be obtained with improved thermal isolation of the hot junction by micromachining or locally etching the bulk GaAs substrate under the center conductor and hot junctions. Other parameters employed to increase sensitivity are: the number of thermopiles, thermopile length, thermopile width, thermopile pitch, and proximity to heat source.
As shown in the equations below, the sum of the temperature differentials (Ti, To) between the hot and cold junctions for a series of thermocouples is multiplied by the Seebeck coefficient (αk) to yield a detected voltage (Vout) for the thermopile. The sensitivity (S) is equal to the detected voltage divided over the power dissipated.Seebeck, αtc˜300 μV/C
      V    out    =            α      tc                          ∑                  i          =          1                N                          (                              T            i                    -                      T            o                          )            Sensitivity, S=Vout/Pdiss, (V/W)
To determine the dissipated power, electromagnetic simulations such as Momentum and HFSS are used to determine the insertion loss as a function of frequency, and then the dissipated power is calculated as follows. For example, following the equations below, if an input power of 2 W is applied to a line with 0.5 dB of insertion loss, the dissipated power level will be 0.22 W.InsertionLoss(dB)=10 log PinPoutPout=Pin/(10(InsertionLoss/10))Pdissipated=Pin−PoutPdissipated=Pin−Pin/(10(InsertionLoss/10))
Reference is made to the following articles: "Broadband thermoelectric microwave power sensors using GaAs foundry process" by Dehe, A.; Fricke-Neuderth, K.; Krozer, V.; "Microwave Symposium Digest, 2002 IEEE "MTT-S International, Volume: 3, 2002 Page(s): 1829-1832; "Free-standing Al0.30Ga0.70As thermopile infrared sensor", by Dehe, A.; Hartnagel, H. L.; Device Research Conference, 1995. Digest. 1995 53rd Annual, 19-21 Jun. 1995 Page(s): 120-12; and "High-sensitivity microwave power sensor for GaAs-MMIC implementation" by Dehe, A.; Krozer, V.; Chen, B.; Hartnagel, H. L.; Electronics Letters, Volume: 32 Issue: 23, 7 Nov. 1996 Page(s): 2149-215.
One such type of power sensor is described in an article by A. Dehe et al., entitled "GaAs Monolithic Integrated Microwave Power Sensor in Coplanar Waveguide Technology" published in the IEEE 1996 Microwave and Milli-meter Wave Monolithic Circuits Symposium, pages 179-181. In such article, the authors show a power senor having sensitivity levels of 0.55 V/W with coplanar waveguide using AlGaAs mesa for a terminated load of 50 Ohms. In some applications, it would be desirable to obtain a power sensor having a higher level of sensitivity.


A micromachined, monolithic silicon flow meter includes a vane 28 from which projects a hinge. The hinge is provided by torsion bars 24. The hinge supports the vane 28 for rotation about the torsion bars 24. A deflection sensor, consisting of a torsion sensor 42, incorporated into at least one of the torsion bars 24, senses deflection of the vane 28 responsive to fluid impinging thereupon. The frame 22, the torsion bars 24, the vane 28 and the torsion sensor 42 are all monolithically fabricated in a semi-conductor single-crystal silicon layer of a substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of fluid flow measurement and, more particularly, to miniaturized flow meters capable of measuring flow rates of tens to hundreds of microliters/minute (".mu.l/min").
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many fields, the measurement of small fluid flows is extremely important. Particularly in the fields of biological, medical sciences, analytical instrumentation, and drug delivery, the measurement of extremely small quantifies of fluids for dosimetry or titration, either of liquids or for gases, is a common problem. Frequently the quantity of fluid to be measured is almost in the nanoliter range. Often it is desirable, especially to avoid contamination in medical tests, that the flow meter be disposable and hence of low cost. Absolute accurate measurements are not always necessary, but precise and repeatable measurements are. For many of these applications, traditional flow meters, scaled down to smaller geometries, are infeasible. For example, flow meters that employ a pressure measurement principle become very difficult to implement.
An article by Gass, V., van der Schoot, B. H., and de Rooij, N. F. entitled "Nanofluid Handling by Micro-Flow-Sensor Based on Drag Force Measurements," published in the Proceedings of the IEEE Micro-Electronics Mechanical Systems conference held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. during 1993, IEEE Catalog no. 93CH3265-6 ("the Gass article"), discloses a micro-flow-sensor for liquids that operates over a flow range extending from 5 microliters/minute (".mu.l/min") to 500 .mu.l/min. The micro-flow-sensor described in the Gass article employs a cantilevered beam that carries piezo-resistors arranged to form a Wheatstone bridge. Under laminar flow conditions, with a low Reynolds number, the force due to the pressure difference in the liquid on opposite sides of the cantilevered beam is negligible. However, liquid flowing past a free end of the cantilevered beam, and that flow's associated drag on the end of the beam due to viscous shear in the liquid, bends the beam and thereby stresses the piezo-resistors making up the Wheatstone bridge.


According to the present invention, in a brine type air-conditioning apparatus in which brine circulates into an inside cooler to cool a passenger compartment, there are provided a refrigeration cycle using flammable gas as refrigerant, a brine circuit in which the brine circulates, a hot water circuit in which hot water heated by an engine circulates, a front air-conditioning unit for performing an air-conditioning of a front portion in the passenger compartment, a rear air-conditioning unit for performing an air-conditioning of a rear portion in the passenger compartment. In the front air-conditioning unit, there are provided a cooler for cooling conditioned air by using the brine, a heater for heating conditioned air by using the hot water, a blower. In the rear air-conditioning unit, there are provided an air-conditioning heat exchanger for cooling conditioned air by using the brine and for heating conditioned air by using the hot water, and a blower. For adjusting a temperature of the low-temperature side, the heating amount by the heater is set to zero, and a temperature of the brine is variably controlled by varying a capacity of the refrigeration cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brine type air conditioning apparatus in which a brine cooled by a brine-refrigerant heat exchanger circulates into a cooler in a passenger compartment to cool the passenger compartment. The present invention is preferably employed for a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, in view of preventing warmth of the earth, there has been proposed an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, in which refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle is changed from feron to flammable gas such as propane gas to cool a passenger compartment of the vehicle, as disclosed in JP-U-58-54904.
In the above-described air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, a cooler (evaporator) for cooling conditioned air by latent heat of evaporation of the flammable gas is disposed in a passenger compartment; and therefore, the flammable gas may be leaked into the passenger compartment as a closed space from a pipe connecting portion of the cooler, or the like.
To prevent the gas from leaking into the passenger compartment, the inventors of the present invention have developed a brine type air conditioning apparatus in which a brine-refrigerant heat exchanger is disposed in an engine compartment (a space opened to the atmosphere) outside the passenger compartment, brine (water to which a compound for decreasing a freezing temperature is added) is temporarily cooled in the brine-refrigerant heat exchanger, and this low-temperature brine circulates into a cooler disposed in the passenger compartment to cool the passenger compartment.
In the brine type air conditioning apparatus, the inventors have examined, as a temperature control system for controlling a temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, a system for adjusting a heating amount in a heater using hot water (engine cooling water) usually employed in a vehicle, e.g., an air-mixing type for adjusting a ratio of an amount of cool air and an amount of warm air.
According to this temperature control system, after the conditioned air is cooled and dehumidified by the low-temperature brine, a temperature of which is lowered down to approximately 0.degree. C., the cooled air is re-heated up to a desired temperature; and therefore, it is preferable in view of the air-conditioning function. However, as the refrigeration cycle, since the brine is always cooled down to approximately 0.degree. C., when the re-heating amount in the heater becomes large as in the intermediate seasons of spring and fall, the consumed energy in the refrigeration cycle may be increased wastefully.


The present invention relates to a mass measurement system and method capable of precisely measuring the mass of a sample in a gravity-free environment. The mass measurement system using measurement of frequency shift of a vibrator according to the present invention includes a vibrator vibrating at a predetermined resonance frequency with a mass of a sample added thereto, a frequency counter for measuring a resonance frequency of the vibrator caused by vibration, a standard mass database for storing therein known standard masses and standard mass frequency shifts corresponding to variation in the standard masses, and a main controller for calculating a sample mass frequency shift corresponding to the added sample mass on the basis of the resonance frequency received from the frequency counter, searching the standard mass frequency shifts stored in the standard mass database, comparing the calculated sample mass frequency shift with the searched standard mass frequency shifts, extracting a predetermined standard mass, outputting the extracted standard mass as the mass of the sample, and controlling the entire system. Accordingly, the present invention can precisely measure the mass of a small-sized sample, in particular, an animal sample, in a gravity-free environment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a mass measurement system and method and, more particularly, to a mass measurement system and method using the measurement of the frequency shift of a vibrator, which measure a frequency shift according to the variation of mass added to a vibrator, thus precisely measuring the mass of a sample, especially in a gravity-free environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates a mass measurement system and method in a gravity environment, as well as a gravity-free environment, but, hereinafter, an embodiment implemented, in particular, in a gravity-free environment is described.
Generally, the inside of a spacecraft traveling in space is in a micro gravity environment having little gravity, or in a gravity-free environment. In order to measure the mass of a sample, which is a space experiment object, such as a rat, in a spacecraft having a micro gravity or gravity-free environment, the mass of the sample is measured using a device generally known as a so-called "space mass measuring device", not a typical balance for measuring mass in a gravity field.
Hereinafter, a conventional mass measurement device in a gravity-free environment, which is designated as a so-called "space mass measuring device", is described.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration view showing conventional mass measurement in a gravity-free environment.
The conventional mass measurement in a gravity-free environment of FIG. 1 is performed using a spring 10 having a predetermined elastic modulus k, a sample S connected to the spring 10, and a frequency counter (not shown) connected to the sample S to measure the frequency of the spring 10.
In a mass measurement method performed by the conventional mass measurement device in a gravity-free environment, external force is applied to the sample S to cause vibration, so that the frequency of the sample S connected to the spring 10 is measured by the frequency counter (not shown).
Further, the mass of the sample S is measured using a calculation program based on the measured frequency of the spring 10 and the elastic modulus k of the spring 10.
However, the above-described conventional mass measurement method in a gravity-free environment causes the following problems.
First, the mass of the sample S measured by the conventional mass measurement technology in a gravity-free environment in FIG. 1 has a large error because it is difficult to precisely measure a vibration period due to the damping effect of the measurement device itself.
Second, if the above-described mass measurement method in a gravity-free environment is used, there is a problem in that repeated measurements must be performed for a long period of time so as to perform precise measurement.
Third, a vibration system itself using the mass measurement device of FIG. 1 is a non-linear system, so that it is very difficult to obtain the mass of a sample S on the basis of a vibration period, and measurements are subject to error.
Further, according to the conventional mass measurement method currently used in a spacecraft, it is known that an error of about 1% occurs at the time of measurement, so that the method is not suitable for precise measurement and it has actually been used for a method of roughly measuring the weight of an astronaut.
Fourth, the conventional mass measurement method is limitedly used to approximately measure large masses such as the weight of an astronaut (for example, a mass of about 100 kg). That is, there occurs the problem in that the conventional mass measurement method is not suitable for the precise measurement of a small mass (for example, a mass of 5 kg or less) for space experiments, the necessity of which is recently increasing, for example, precise measurement having an error of 1% or less.
Accordingly, since precise measurements prior or subsequent to an experiment on a space experiment sample are mainly performed on earth, a large inconvenience is caused, thus the precision and efficiency of space experiments are greatly limited.

Mass measurement system and method using measurement of frequency shift of vibrator


An Intranet-based system with methods for co-active information delivery is described. The system allows users to manage the distribution and delivery of information across an enterprise Intranet, the Internet, and common communication channels (e.g., printers, fax, pager and e-mail). The system provides a wizard-like user interface which intuitively walks users through various tasks, including distribution of new documents, updating of existing documents, modifying profiles/policies of documents, groups, roles and individuals. The system provides "Adaptive Distribution" methodology so that, as organizational changes occur, the system ensures that the most current, relevant information is always made available to appropriate eligible subscribers; no additional effort is required from either the subscribers or the distributors. Subscriber lists of a distribution automatically respond to changes in group composition, accommodating new or departing individuals within the organization, as well as accommodating changing organizational roles. As an organization changes, newly eligible recipients are electronically contacted with their new profile. At the same time, newly ineligible people are automatically cut off from the information flow. In this manner, the adaptive methodology ensures that all of these profiles are contextually linked together and changed automatically as new information or context for any part of the profile is updated.

The present invention relates generally to the area of information processing and, more particularly, to system and methods for managing delivery of time-sensitive, business-critical information to multiple individuals located at various locations.
The Internet is a new common carrier for information which has already signaled major transformations in virtually all segments of society, in virtually every corner of the globe. At this early and fervent stage of development, Internet usage is in widespread corporate trial and deployment. There can be little doubt that the Internet, including its internal corporate version (i.e., "Intranets"), will fundamentally transform the nature of corporate communication.
New carriers for information do not happen often, and have historically fundamentally altered basic business and social processes. A "common carrier" is a conduit for information that is not specific to a particular task or kind of information and can carry that information independent of ultimate purpose. It is insightful to explore how the telephone, the last common carrier, evolved.
At the outset of its deployment as a communication carrier, telephone "applications" required significant manual control and intervention and carried rather simple interpersonal voice communication. While the handset and basic instrumentation have changed little, the "back office" requirement of a manual switchboard and operator patch panel needed to bring the telephone into a community was a very significant investment and ongoing resource commitment. All call origination and completion were manual activities.
In fact, the telephone network took many decades to evolve as a common carrier for all types of information, involving more applications than the literal use of a telephone handset held to the ear. Over this period, the telephone evolved into a carrier for voice and data and has been used for embedded communication and coordination with a vast array of applications, such as fax machines, burglar alarm systems, voice mail, and the like. As the uses and types of information carried on the telephone evolved, the telephone realized its more complete purpose as a common carrier of information.
The Internet is in its early, literal phase. Today, most activity is focused on the carrier-level development and deployment--in effect, basic plumbing and tools. This is very similar to the first literal phase for the telephone, concentrating on developing and deploying the community switchboards and its first application for interactive voice. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) lines, routers and firewalls are the equivalent of telephone wiring, while the Web Server and Mail Servers correspond to the telephone switchboard, with Web browsers and e-mail readers analogous to the first literal use of the telephone. As it matures, the Internet will begin to realize its full potential as a common carrier of information--carrying all kinds of data for different purposes, and for use within a variety of information-centric applications.
It is useful to review what the Internet actually constitutes. At its core, the Internet is an open standard for communicating and interconnecting packets of information represented digitally, regardless of the type or format of the information or originating source or destination. Every computing device on the Internet has a unique address, the IP (Internet Protocol) address, and can direct its flow of packets to a specific application or process at the destination (the port). The Internet too can server as a common carrier. It is platform independent, application independent, and format independent. Its strength lies in exactly this generality.
For fifteen years, the Internet was primarily used by academic researchers. Common applications employed with the Internet included: Electronic mail (SMTP application programs communicating with each other to exchange delivered mail); Client/Server terminal access to a remote application (Telnet); and File transfer between sites (FTP--File Transport Protocol). The majority of information flowing was textual information or proprietary data formats. Text was, in effect, the "lingua franca" of the Internet.
The World Wide Web has injected fundamental vibrancy and urgency to the Internet. In addition to adding multimedia richness, the World Wide Web breaks through the rather esoteric user interfaces formerly used by academics. The Web is a specific client and server Internet application that uses the capabilities of the Internet for cataloging, browsing, retrieving and displaying multimedia information. Specifically, it contributes a new application protocol--HTTP (HyerText Transport Protocol)--and a specific Web server application to use it, for information retrieval and processing. A new application, the "Web Browser," was introduced which understands how to interact using HTTP and how to interpret and richly display the content received via HTTP. A new "lingua franca" data format, HTML, arose--a format that is dramatically richer in layout and formatting capability than text. The Internet today overwhelmingly consists of Web servers, Web browsers, mail servers and mail reader applications tied together on the common carrier.
Virtually the only applications today that understand the HTTP protocol are Web servers and interactive Web browsers. There are few, if any, other types of applications that have built-in use of Internet and Web protocols other than the literal interactive application for which it was conceived. This is very similar to the early telephone usage described earlier where the telephone instrument is used solely by people for interactive voice communication. Control of the telephone common carrier for data communications and automated inter-application coordination and information flow came later.
The "Intranet," as popularly defined, is the usage of the Internet protocols, tools and applications within a corporate environment. The target purpose is as a common carrier of business-critical information for and between people and business systems. At a plumbing and tool level, the Intranet is essentially the same as the Internet. However, at an application level, the two differ substantially. Intranet applications, as they evolve, will be information-centric solutions to corporate business problems. Intranet application solutions will be different from general Internet solutions for the simple reason that corporate information needs are different from the needs of the general public.
Thus far, Internet applications and Intranet applications, as available from various Internet vendors, have not been distinguished. Applications have been underlying tools for customization and development by the corporate customer. The customer, or an outside consultant, must invest further to create Intranet applications for business critical needs.
Undoubtedly, the core elements of today's Internet applications and tools will survive, but the general Internet landscape of the future will barely resemble that of today. New applications will use common Internet protocols and formats but take the shape of business application solutions rather than that of the underlying technical platform. Web Servers, as known today, may disappear. Web browsers and e-mail readers will likely continue to evolve as universal clients, while new types of applications will build in Web-browser-like access within specialized application interfaces. The Internet and Intranet landscape in the future will consist of specialized business applications which are full participants on the Internet in providing information, participating in wide-area transactions, and seamlessly retrieving information from the Internet whenever needed for its processing.
The kind of specialized business application servers that will exist include, firstly, all or most of the current client/server business applications such as customer support systems, order entry systems, data warehousing and data mining, document management, configurators, inventory planners, sales lead tracking and opportunity management, and the like. All of these will be specialized application servers present and addressable on the Internet. All will make their data and transactions available from a Web browser. On the other hand, many new applications will be created that are either new specialized servers for outstanding business problems that cross departmental boundaries--applications that could not have easily been handled by previous dedicated client-server or groupware systems without massive coordination and changes in business structure and process. It is the common carrier status of the Internet and its ability to allow data and application communication to cross people, tasks, data formats, and vendor boundaries that empowers this change. This transformation of the nature of Internet applications will be equivalent of the telephone network reaching common carrier status.
It is useful to divide the types of information present within a corporate setting into "static information" and "dynamic information." Static information is information of general interest, that is, information that does not have a high time-value but is useful for general reference. Dynamic information, on the other hand, is information that has a high time value; here, changes or updates have immediate impact. In general, dynamic information is business-critical information for which communication on a timely basis can have business revenue and productivity impact. This is the information that runs the company and reflects the corporate response to changing events. Examples of this includes: Pricing updates or modifications that occur based on market pressure or competitive announcements; Emerging market or industry analyst reports that are competitive weapons for or against one's company and must be known by employees and partners in advance of the customers; Presentations of new products and update bulletins to be used by sales representatives and outside partners as a critical sales tool; and Reports and Flash Updates of sales forecasting and sell-through.
The Internet and the World Wide Web today are best suited for static information and as an archive for dynamic information. Business critical, dynamic information must be targeted to the right people for immediate impact. This is performed today, even in the most highly technologically advanced companies, by combinations of electronic interpersonal mail, fax blasters, Federal Express packages, and hastily dispatched voice mails. In most companies, all of the these methods are used in order to try to guarantee business critical information reaches the right parties at the right time. Unfortunately, such an approach is a significant burden which relies on mostly manual ad hoc practices to "get the word out." Specifically, the approach produces information overload for the recipients and causes the most critical information to be often overlooked. It is this business-critical target information flow that the Internet can provide a solution for. This is not addressed with present-day Internet tools and applications. What is needed are system and methods which provide for management and delivery of time-sensitive, business-critical information to multiple individuals located at various locations.

Intranet-based system with methods for co-active delivery of information to multiple users


An application server includes a cache memory that stores in a correlated form a retrieval condition and a retrieval result, an update condition setting unit that sets a cache update condition that indicates when the cache memory is to be updated; and an update processing unit that reads the retrieval condition from the cache memory upon fulfillment of the cache update condition, retrieves data as the retrieval result from the database using the retrieval condition, and updates the retrieval result in the cache memory corresponding to the retrieval condition.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for matching contents of a cache memory to contents of a database.
2) Description of the Related Art
Systems are known that make is possible to execute electronic-commerce transactions, over the Internet and using a web browser, from terminal of the users, or make it possible to access database of an enterprise, over the Internet and using a web browser, from terminal of the users. An application server is used in such systems as a middleware to control access to the database from the terminals of the users.
Although it is difficult to handle status transition in the web browser, it is not so difficult in the application server. Therefore, the systems mentioned above can be easily construction and operates smoothly when the application server is provided as the middleware.
In such systems, a cache is provided to reduce frequency of access to the database. A related technology has been disclosed in, for example, Introduction to Web system, Jan. 23, 2003, HYPERLINK http://www.atmarkit.co.jp/fjava/rensai2/websys08/websys08.html.
However, when the database is updated, a mismatch is produced between the contents in the cache memory and the contents in the database. To solve this problem, a notification that indicates that the database has been updated is sent to the application server and the application server refreshes the contents in the cache to match with the contents in the database.
However, there is a problem that it is necessary to provide a means to generate and output the notification that indicates that the database has been updated.
In recent years, especially, parts-production of a program running in an application server or the like has advanced due to object-oriented languages such as JAVA 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE). However, the parts-production of the program becomes difficult due to dependence on the processing performed at the database-side.
Further, cache contents in the application server are not stored at the database side, and a location in the database from which the cache contents have been extracted is not stored at the server side. Hence, when the database has been updated, an update notification is transmitted regardless of whether the cache contents should be refreshed, and moreover, the application server erases from the cache, even data that is not required to be updated. As a result, excessive cache refreshing occurs, which results in an increased load on the server.
Further, when the number of application servers connected to a database increases, load required for the database to perform a cache processing in each application server increases, which reduces the processing speed of the database.

Application server, cache program, and application server system


Methods, systems, and storage media for classifying content across media formats based on weak supervision and cross-modal training are disclosed. The system can maintain a first feature classifier and a second feature classifier that classifies features of content having a first and second media format, respectively. The system can extract a feature space from a content item using the first feature classifier and the second feature classifier. The system can apply a set of content rules to the feature space to determine content metrics. The system can correlate a set of known labelled data to the feature space to construct determinative training data. The system can train a discrimination model using the content item and the determinative training data. The system can classify content using the discrimination model to assign a content policy to the second content item.

In a computer networked environment such as the internet, third-party content providers provide third-party content items for display on end-user computing devices. These third-party content items, can be displayed on a web page associated with a respective publisher. These third-party content items can include content identifying the third-party content provider that provided the content item. Content can exist in a range of formats, including text, audio, video, or some combination thereof. However, appropriate classification of content across different media formats can be challenging, computationally intensive, and require specially trained models using manually curated training sets. The use of manual labelling processes in training models specialized to certain media formats is time consuming and produces inconsistent results.

Cross-modal weak supervision for media classification


A method of assembling an electro-optical device is disclosed. A first unit of the electro-optical device is positioned with respect to a second unit of the electro-optical device to pre-align an optical communication pathway between the first unit and the second unit. The first unit is positioned with respect to the second unit to pre-align an electrical communication pathway between the first unit and the second unit. The first unit is bonded to the second unit to assemble the electro-optical device to establish optical communication and electrical communication between the first unit and the second unit.

The present invention relates generally to electro-optical packaging and, more specifically, to providing electrical and optical coupling between a silicon photonic chip and an electro-optical carrier.
In computing systems, one or more processors may exchange data among themselves at rates as high as several Terabits per second (Tbit/s) with a projected bandwidth of hundreds of Tbit/s. Integration of photonics with electronics is key to achieving this projected bandwidth. Silicon photonics has been introduced into Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology to allow simultaneously manufacture of electronic and optical components on a single integrated chip. In addition, various optical components have been demonstrated to enable optical signal coupling between a silicon photonic chip and a standard optical fiber. As bandwidth increases, the complexity of electro-optical packages that support the projected bandwidth and the number of assembly steps of such electro-optic packages increases.

Method of assembling an electro-optical device

International Business Machines Corporation


An arbitrary node that belongs to a virtual LAN sends a request packet including a count value indicating the number of communication hops across nodes to each of its adjacent nodes that belong to the virtual LAN and are adjacent. Upon receiving the request packet, each of the adjacent nodes sends the request packet in which the count value is incremented or decremented to each of its adjacent nodes that belong to the virtual LAN and are adjacent to the node, excluding a sender of the request packet received, and sends a reply packet including the sender's address, an address of the node that is a replying node, and the count value to a given return destination. The return destination collects reply packets sent thereto and keeps track of the topology of the nodes constituting the virtual LAN from information contained in the reply packets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Ethernet network or the like and, more particularly, to a technique for keeping track of virtual LAN topology set up on the Ethernet network.
2. Description of the Related Art
When telecommunications carriers and the like (type one telecommunications carriers which are generally termed carriers) that possess their own infrastructures required to provide services provide communications services, it is general practice to organize and operate multiple so-called virtual local area networks (LANs) in which nodes constituting their own Ethernet networks are logically grouped and allocated to companies which are their customers, using a virtual LAN technology (for example, IEEE 802.1Q). This kind of service is generally called a wide area LAN service or wide area L2 (layer 2) service.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of communications network infrastructure that a carrier possesses. In FIG. 1, the communications network 1 owned by the carrier is made up of nodes 10 denoted by small circles, links 12, each of which enables node-to-node communication, and an operation system 30 which administrates the entire communications network consisting of the nodes 10 and links 12. Combination of N and a number indicates a node ID and combination of P and a number indicates a port ID that is used for one node to communication with another node. For example, nodes N1 and N2 communicate through a port P1 of the node N1 and a port P2 of the node N2.
In the example of FIG. 1, the carrier logically sets up a virtual LAN 20-A with nodes N1 to N4 for company A and a virtual LAN 20-B with nodes N3 to N10 for company B.
Now, there will occur no problem as long as all configurations (settings) of these virtual LANs are performed by the operation system 30, but reconfigurations are sometimes performed by a person in charge at a node 10 not the operation system 30. In such an event, the operation system 30 may lose track of exact states of connections on the virtual LANs, as the virtual LANs management data supervised by the operation system 30 does not agree with actual configurations of nodes constituting the virtual LANs.
As prior art, ping and traceroute that are TCP/IP related utilities provide means for knowing node-to-node connectivity and nodes interconnections on the IP level. By applying techniques equivalent to the above utilities to the Ethernet level, it is possible to recognize bridge-to-bridge connectivity and bridge-to-bridge connections. However, to use these techniques, it is necessary to know the address (IP address or MAC address) of a target node. Therefore, these techniques are not useful in conditions where reconfiguration occurs with a node that is not exactly identifiable among the nodes constituting a virtual LAN like the above event. The IP address is an Internet Protocol address and the MAC address is a Media Access Control address.

Method and apparatus for keeping track of virtual LAN topology in network of nodes


This disclosure provides novel reversibly terminated ribonucleotides which can be used as a reagent for DNA sequencing reactions. Methods of sequencing nucleic acids using the disclosed nucleotides are also provided.

In-vivo RNA and DNA polymerases utilize ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides respectively, for the polymerisation of nucleic acids, and discriminate between these nucleotides with high fidelity. Extensive efforts have been made to permit the incorporation of modified nucleotides by polymerases, including base modifications, sugar modifications, and backbone modifications. The use of such modified nucleotides as substrates for both RNA- and DNA-polymerases is desirable for a variety of reasons. Among others these include the incorporation of fluorescent labels for product detection (Raap), ribose-modified nucleotides for the generation of polynucleotides less susceptible to nuclease action (Sioud) or the use of terminating dideoxyribose nucleotides for DNA sequencing (Sanger).
Attempts to use modified nucleotides are often hampered by the substrate specificity of the polymerase in question. Modification with additional chemical moieties on the base have on the whole met with good success providing that the additional groups are attached to non Watson-Crick pairing residues and project out of the major groove. On the other hand modifications of the sugar rings have proven to be much less well tolerated presumably reflecting the presence of exquisitely precise interactions between the sugar and the enzyme during nucleotide binding and catalysis. Nevertheless there are several notable successes of the employment of mutagenesis to engineer polymerases capable of improved capacity to use sugar-modified nucleotides. In the case of DNA sequencing, polymerases have been improved in their utilisation of 2′3′-dideoxynucleotide terminators by engineering an amino acid substitution in the active site rendering the polymerase more similar to T7 DNA polymerase, demonstrated to tolerate such nucleotides well (Tabor).
Furthermore investigation into the biochemical and structural source of differing substrate specificity between bacterial and phage DNA and RNA polymerases has lead to the identification of residues which if substituted enable RNA polymerases to use deoxyribonucleotides, and others that allow DNA polymerases to use ribonucleotides. In particular a peptide loop referred to as the 'steric gate' appears to prevent DNA polymerases from accepting groups bulkier than the lone hydrogen atom present at the 2′ position in deoxyribonucleotides. This loop is essentially missing in phage-encoded RNA polymerases. On this basis there is reason to believe that RNA polymerases may be somewhat more tolerant to the presence of other groups attached to the 2′ position of the sugar ring providing the groups are relatively small. Consistent with this Padilla and Sousa have shown that T7 RNA polymerase is capable of utilising nucleotides modified at the 2′ position with O-methyl groups, or with azido (N3) groups (Padilla), provided that one or two additional enabling amino acid substitutions are also introduced.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.