Organizations such as on-line retailers, Internet service providers, search providers, financial institutions, universities, and other computing-intensive organizations often conduct computer operations from large scale computing facilities. Such computing facilities house and accommodate a large amount of server, network, and computer equipment to process, store, and exchange data as needed to carry out an organization's operations. Typically, a computer room of a computing facility includes many server racks. Each server rack, in turn, includes many servers and associated computer equipment.
Some computer systems typically include a number of components that generate waste heat. Such components include printed circuit boards, mass storage devices, power supplies, and processors. For example, some computers with multiple processors may generate 250 watts of waste heat. Some known computer systems include a plurality of such larger, multiple-processor computers that are configured into rack-mounted components, and then are subsequently positioned within a rack system. Some known rack systems include 40 such rack-mounted components and such rack systems will therefore generate as much as 10 kilowatts of waste heat. Moreover, some known data centers include a plurality of such rack systems.
Some computer systems, which may function as servers, include a number of components that are mounted in an interior of the computer systems. The components, which can include printed circuit boards (for example, a motherboard) and mass storage devices, can support one or more components that generate waste heat, referred to herein as “heat-producing components.” For example, a motherboard can support a central processing unit, and mass storage devices can include hard disk drives which include motors and electronic components that generate heat. Mass storage devices can also include solid state drives that generate heat. Some or all of this heat must be removed from the components to maintain continuous operation of a computer system. The amount of heat generated by the central processing units, hard disk drives, etc. within a data room may be substantial. Heat may be removed from the heat-producing components via an airflow flowing through a computer system.
In some cases, cooling systems, including air moving systems, may be used to induce airflow through one or more portions of a data center, including airflow through a rack-mounted server that includes various heat-producing components. However, some servers direct airflow through an interior that includes multiple heat-producing components. Air removes heat from the heat-producing components and in turn the air is heated as it passes through the interiors that include the various heat-producing components, so that air passing over heat-producing components in a downstream portion of the server has a higher temperature than air passing over heat-producing components in an upstream portion of the server. Higher temperatures of the air in the downstream portion of the server may result in reduced heat removal capacity relative to air passing over heat-producing components in the upstream portion of the server. As a result, less heat may be removed from downstream heat-producing components than upstream heat-producing components. In some cases, the downstream heat-producing components are more sensitive to heat than the upstream heat-producing components, which can result in a suboptimal configuration.
In some cases, a computer system mounted in a rack includes one or more hot-pluggable electronic components, which can be added, removed, swapped, etc. from a computer system without powering down the computer system. Hot-pluggable electronic components in a computer system are often mounted at an external side of the computer system, including a “front” side through which cooling air is received into the computer system, to enable simplified access to the components for removal, addition, swapping, etc. In addition, mounting hot-pluggable electronic components to an external side of the computer system enables hot swapping without moving the computer system itself. Mounting hot-pluggable electronic components throughout the depth of the computer system interior can hamper hot-swapping efforts while maintaining operations by other hot-pluggable electronic components. Furthermore, as indicated above, mounting hot-pluggable electronic components throughout the depth of the interior can result in preheating of cooling air which removes heat from some components which are downstream of other components, which can reduce cooling efficiency and can negatively affect component performance.
The various embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. Specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.


α2-Antiplasmin (α2AP) is a glycoprotein in blood plasma that rapidly and specifically inhibits the enzyme, plasmin, which digests blood clots, whether presenting early as intravascular platelet-fibrin deposits or as partially or completely occlusive thrombi. Similarly, plasmin and α2AP activities are important to the development and survival of fibrin as occurs in inflammation, wound healing and virtually all forms of cancer and its metastases. Human α2-antiplasmin (α2AP), also known as α2-plasmin inhibitor, is the main inhibitor of plasmin. Plasmin plays a critical role in fibrin proteolysis and tissue remodeling. The inventors discovered antiplasmin-cleaving enzyme (APCE) in human plasma and showed that it is a soluble isoform or derivative of fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP). Like APCE, FAP is also a prolyl-specific enzyme that exhibits both endopeptidase and dipeptidyl peptidase activities.
FAP significantly over-expresses in >90% of epithelial-derived cancers [1-3]. FAP is produced transiently by activated stromal fibroblasts during embryogenesis [4] and wound healing [3], but other than an occasional normal fibroblast or pancreatic islet α-cell, it is not expressed by normal adult tissues or benign tumors [2, 3, 5]. FAP is prominent on the membranes of proliferating fibroblasts in diseases where fibrous tissue growth is a conspicuous feature, such as primary pulmonary fibrosis [6]; chronic hepatitis [7]; certain bone-associated malignancies [8, 9]; and the arthritides [10]. Selected parenchymatous cancer cells may also occasionally express FAP [11].
While a biologic substrate for the proteinase activity of FAP has not been definitively established, results indicate that FAP helps digest extracellular matrix (ECM) components as tissue is remodeled to accommodate cancer expansion [2, 16, 17]. Paradoxically, activated fibroblasts not only digest ECM, but also synthesize ECM components of the stromal scaffolding that support cell division and motility during neoplastic growth [18]. FAP has been considered a potential target in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, with inhibition of FAP proteinase activity posed as possibly therapeutically useful [19, 20]. Santos et al. [21] have shown that genetic deletion or pharmacologic inhibition of FAP by glutamyl-proline boronic acid (Glu-boroPro) decreased stromal growth in mouse models of lung and colon cancer. However, Glu-boroPro has an exceptionally short plasma half-life before cyclizing and losing inhibitory activity [22]. Moreover, it also inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), which is important in plasma glucose regulation and immune function [23]. Hence, despite inhibiting FAP and suppressing tumor growth, Glu-boroPro is not likely to be therapeutically useful in cancer [24].
The measurement of cellular FAP activity and inhibition is confounded by another prolyl endopeptidase: namely, Prolyl Oligopeptidase (POP) which is elevated in many cancers [25]. POP is a prolyl-specific serine proteinases, which cleaves peptides of less than about 30 amino acids in length. The enzyme is present in most tissues, but is noted to be more abundant in selected organs, e.g., brain and kidney. Recently POP has been indicated as making secondary cleavages of thymosin-β4 to yield the derivative peptide, acetyl-serine-asparagine-lysine-proline, which appears to be a potent stimulator of angiogenesis [26]. Both FAP and POP activities are commonly measured using non-specific substrates such as Z-Gly-Pro-AMC or succinyl-Gly-Pro-AMC, neither of which distinguishes between the two activities [27]. Consequently, total prolyl-specific endopeptidase activity, which is often attributed to FAP alone, may also include POP activity. This complicates interpretations about the effects of inhibiting either enzyme on cancer growth. Pre-clinical studies have suggested other promising applications of POP inhibition for managing memory, learning disorders and depression, but development of relatively benign, highly effective POP inhibitors for in vivo testing have been elusive. The results, newly described herein, indicate that POP is expressed in significant amounts by a variety of cancer cells grown in culture.
Certain compounds which specifically inhibit either one or both of FAP and POP and therefore can be used to treat various conditions which involve these proteins are desirable. Thus, the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is directed to, but not limited to, substrates and inhibitors of FAP and/or POP, and to methods of using FAP and/or POP inhibitors for treating conditions such as but not limited to, cancers, neural disorders, and angiogenesis, and to screening methods for identifying such inhibitors, that overcome the disadvantages and defects of the prior art.


Consumption of nutrients, like antioxidants and folic acid, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, has been linked to a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it is well settled that eating fruits high in soluble fiber can reduce cholesterol levels which protects against atherosclerosis.
Other advantages of having a diet high in fruit include better athletic performances, reduced risk of developing chronic bronchitis, a lowered risk of getting most common cancers (including breast cancer), as well as a lowered risk of getting cataracts. Additionally, fruits, like avocado, are high in protein, vitamin E, C, and beta-carotene and may be linked to stroke prevention.
While food products comprising fruits and vegetables have been linked to health benefits in humans, such products are often difficult to prepare for sale in commerce. This is true because the quality of food products comprising fruit often deteriorates (e.g., browns, darkens, grows mold and/or loses flavor) due to enzymatic reactions within the food product, thereby resulting in a product that has a short shelf life and does not have an appealing look or taste after spending a limited period of time in conventional commercial channels.
Known techniques have been used to inhibit the deterioration of food products comprising fruits and/or vegetables. These known techniques include pasteurization of the fruit, high vacuum processing for removing oxygen, and chemically treating the fruit with sulfiting agents before making the food product. The above-described known techniques do not eliminate, for example, browning and darkening in food products comprising fruit, and such techniques have adverse effects on the flavor, aroma, texture and nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables treated, as well as the food products prepared therefrom.
It is of increasing interest to develop a ready-to-serve and ambient stable fruit-based composition that does not, for example, easily brown, darken and lose flavor and that has an extended shelf life at ambient temperature. This invention, therefore, is directed to a ready-to-serve and ambient stable fruit-based composition that has not been subjected to chemical treatment, high vacuum processing and temperatures over about 85° C. The ready-to-serve ambient stable fruit-based composition of this invention is low in fat, substantially free of starch, and suitable to be a beverage, filling, dip, sauce, spread, dressing or the like. Moreover, the ready-to-serve ambient stable fruit-based composition of this invention can be prepared from under ripe, ripened and/or over-ripened fruit and is ambient stable for at least about eight (8) weeks after opening. Such a fruit-based composition has substantially the same visual, texture, aroma and taste attributes of a fruit-based composition made on demand from freshly picked fruits.


The present invention relates generally to porous materials having high surface areas, and more particularly to such materials which are non-degradable, and methods for fabricating the same.
Membranes have been typically used for filtration (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration), reverse osmosis (hyperfiltration), dialysis, pervaporation, and gas separation applications. See Scott, K. and R. Hughes, Industrial Membrane Separation Technology, 1996, London: Blackie Academic & Professional; Baker, R. W., Membrane technology and applications, McGraw-Hill professional engineering, 2000, New York: McGraw-Hill; and Cardew, P. T., M. S. Le, and Royal Society of Chemistry, Process Technology Group, Membrane processes: a technology guide, 1998, Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.
A solid membrane can be made of synthetic polymers, natural macromolecules, inorganic compounds, ceramic, or metallic materials. These membrane materials are generally fabricated through sintering, stretching, extrusion, phase inversion and etching, or casting. See Scott, K. and R. Hughes, Industrial Membrane Separation Technology, 1996, London: Blackie Academic & Professional; and Pinnau, I. and B. D. Freeman, Membrane formation and modification, ACS symposium series, 744, 2000, Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, Distributed by Oxford University Press.
Porous membranes are advantageous in their low resistance to mass transfer of solutes in solution due to the increased permeation rate resulting from the pores. Therefore, porous membranes have been employed for separation of mixtures of proteins and macromolecules, salt concentration, sterilization, etc. They can also serve as 3-D matrices for chemical and biochemical mass exchange or reactions to take place, or for cells or other living organisms (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi) to grow. Therefore, they can be used as matrices in diagnostic systems, catalysis systems, culture systems, drug delivery systems, wound dressings, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,892 discloses a method for producing nanofibrillar matrices utilizing degradable polymers, such as for example, poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(D,L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), and the like. The disclosed nanofibrillar matrices are highly porous and work well for various applications. However, the pore sizes are very small (on the order of 2 μm to 3 μm), which may in some instances render it more difficult for cells to enter. Further, small pore sizes may render it more difficult for material transport, especially materials which are particulate or contain particles. Yet further, the disclosed non-fibrillar structure (a platelet structure) was not as mechanically strong as may be desirable in some instances.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document data management system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an environment in which a document management system is used, a data of a document which is received via facsimile, a document which is scanned and transmitted by a multifunction peripheral or the like can be managed by storing the data to a folder of the document management system. A user carries out various kinds of operations with regard to the stored document data by making an access to a document management server from a client PC to display the prescribed folder. In this case, if a user carries out an operation which is the same as that he/she carried out in the past with regard to, for example, a stored facsimile document data, the user needs to select the operation again and execute the operation. That is, a user needs to repeat the same operation.
Hence, there has been proposed a document management system which can record information of an operation with regard to a document data as related information of a document, and select and acquire the information when other document data is operated and execute the operation.
There is a case in which a user combines a document data which is stored in a device of a multifunction peripheral or the like, and other document data which is stored in a document management system to be a single document, and carries out a collective operation with regard thereto. As a collective operation, for example, plural document data (file) are combined and converted into PDF, plural document data are made to be a binder, plural document data are summarized and transmitted by facsimile or an electronic mail and so on. However, in a case in which document data which are stored in different folders are summarized and subjected to a collective operation, it is necessary to copy the respective document data temporarily in a work folder (temporary work area), which takes time and labor. Also, in a case of carrying out the collective operation as described above with regard to a document data stored by using a sort server, it is conceivable that a combination of document data which are subjected to the collective operation differs for respective individual document data. In this case, it is necessary to carry out the operation by collecting document data of an object of the collective operation in accordance with respective document data.
For example, according to a technology which is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-230221, although related information can be applied to a single document data, it is necessary to acquire and select the related information and execute the application at respective times thereof, and therefore, time and labor are taken.


One proposed power output apparatus is mounted on a vehicle that is equipped with an engine and a hydraulically-driven clutch to connect and disconnect the power transmission from the engine to drive wheels (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 2003-74683). When the engine is separated from the power transmission to the drive wheels by means of the clutch and stops, this proposed power output apparatus performs a low pressure control to regulate the hydraulic pressure to a low hydraulic pressure level immediately before generation of an engagement force in the clutch. Upon satisfaction of engine restart conditions other than a vehicle start request, the power output apparatus performs feedback control to regulate the hydraulic pressure level immediately before generation of the engagement force in the clutch, based on the rotation speeds on both ends of the clutch. In response to a vehicle start request, the power output apparatus learns the regulated hydraulic pressure by feedback control as a hydraulic pressure for a next cycle of the low pressure control.


Many applications include instrumentation, which refers to an ability to: monitor or measure the application's level of performance, diagnose errors or record information regarding the execution of the application. The instrumentation can consist of application code for monitoring specific components in a system, for example, the code may output logged measurements associated with the performance of a system component to a log repository. An event log is a file (e.g., a table) with entries for events taking place in the execution of an application, such as transactions between a server and users of the application. The entry for each of the transactions (or other application activities) logged in the file is referred to as an “event”. An event log can include sequential entries for successive application activities as a series of nested events to indicate a hierarchy of events (e.g., an application activity that invokes another activity), with each entry describing a type, content, start time, end time, or other attribute of the application activities.
Event logs are important for understanding the activities of complex systems. However in complex client-server systems the number of transactions can be very large and it may be difficult to analyze the large volume of data in an event log for an execution of an application of such a system. For example, parallel processing of client-server transactions is often desired, however a failure to process application transactions in parallel (e.g., due to application misconfiguration or faulty application logic) can be difficult to detect from a simple examination of an event log for an execution of the application.


During surgery, a surgical drape is laid over a patient so as to cover a portion of the patient at or near a surgical field. A “surgical field”, which is also commonly referred to as a “surgical site”, is an operating field that is an isolated area where an invasive procedure or surgery is performed and that must be kept sterile by aseptic techniques. Surgical drapes are sterilized linens placed on the patient and around the surgical field in a manner that delineate sterile areas. Surgical appliances are placed on the surgical drape, such that the surgical appliances are within easy reach of the surgeon or the surgeon's assistant during surgery.
The surgical appliances used during surgery are typically scalpels for making incisions, retractors for holding open a portion of the body, forceps for holding organs and tissue, scissors for suturing and cutting, needle holders for holding needles while suturing tissue, tubing for allowing drainage or administration of fluids, staplers for closing the incisions, electrocautery devices for removing unwanted tissue or for sealing blood vessels, and other surgical appliances.
It is important that surgical appliances are contamination-free to reduce risk of patient infection. Contaminants (i.e., bioburden) that can cause infections include pathogens and microbial organisms, such as clostridia, streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli bacilli and other pathogens, bacterium and microbial organisms. Exogenous sources for these surgical field infectious pathogens, bacterium and microbial organisms include surgical personnel, the operating room environment, surgical instruments, and various materials brought to the surgical field. Such pathogens, bacterium and microbial organisms acquired by a patient while in the operating room can lead to serious post-operative, nosocomial (i.e., hospital-acquired) health complications, such as hepatitis, bronchitis, sepsis from intravenous sites, and even death. In the United States, approximately 780,000 of 30 million surgical procedures result in nosocomial surgical field infections. It has been estimated that nosocomial infections result in between 17,000 and 70,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Nosocomial patient infections may also result in medical malpractice tort liability for hospital personnel and/or the hospital facility, if medical personnel or the hospital fails to provide hygienic treatment and the infection is allowed to spread and cause further injury. In a 2005 study, it was estimated that the cost of jury awards for all medical malpractice cases in the United States was about 3.6 billion dollars. In 2006, the median medical malpractice award in the United States was $175,000.
In order to reduce risk of nosocomial patient infection during surgery, surgical appliances are routinely pre-sterilized. Especially in the case of re-usable surgical appliances, the surgical appliance is pre-soaked in a chemisteriliant solution and then hand scrubbed or subjected to ultrasonic cleaning. Pre-soaking, scrubbing and ultrasonic cleaning are performed so that any debris present on the surgical appliance cannot prevent direct contact between a sterilizing agent and microorganisms residing on the surgical appliance. In addition to pre-soaking, scrubbing and ultrasonic cleaning, pre-sterilization techniques also include chemical treatment, subjection to ionizing radiation, placement in a sterilizing chemical vapor or gas, and/or exposure to heat, as well as other pre-sterilization techniques. More specifically, chemical treatment may include use of chemicals with biocide capability, such as isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, bleach, tincture iodine, mercurochrome and other chemicals. Also, surgical appliances, especially surgical appliances having polymer components that cannot withstand elevated temperatures, can be exposed to a Cobalt-60 radiation source. The Cobalt-60 radiation source emits high-energy gamma ionizing radiation to kill microbial organisms. The radiation source can also be an electrical device that generates electron radiation in the form of an electron beam for killing microbial organisms. The chemical vapor or gas, which may be ethylene oxide gas, may also be used as a sterilizing agent. In the case of heat application, the surgical appliance is placed in an autoclave and subjected to moist heat in the form of pressurized steam or placed in an oven and subjected to dry heat. Dry heat may be applied at a predetermined elevated temperature, such as 320° F. (i.e., 160° C.), for a predetermined time duration, such as 60 minutes or wet heat may be applied at the same temperature of 320° F. (i.e., 160° C.), for a predetermined time duration, such as less than one minute. Use of the pre-sterilization techniques mentioned hereinabove reduces risk of patient infection when surgical appliances are delivered to and placed in the surgical field on the surgical drape.
However, a surgical appliance can sometimes slip and fall from the surgical drape and land on the operating room floor. If this occurs, the pre-sterilized surgical appliance may become contaminated with infectious microbial organisms and may even break. In order to reduce the risk of patient infection and possible medical malpractice tort liability, the surgical appliance used during the surgical procedure must be replaced. In this case, the surgical procedure is interrupted, thereby causing more time to complete the surgical procedure. If sterilization of the surgical appliance is routinely performed inside the operating room, hospital personnel must repeat the previously mentioned sterilization procedures for the replacement surgical appliance. If the sterilized surgical appliance was delivered to the operating room contained in a package, another package containing a sterilized appliance must be obtained. Thus, re-sterilizing replacement surgical appliances in the operating room or obtaining another package containing a sterilized surgical appliance results in additional time to complete the surgical procedure, particularly if a sterile replacement surgical appliance is not immediately available. In addition, interruption of the surgical procedure can even pose a health risk to the patient. The health risk to the patient may arise because the surgeon will divert his eyes and attention away from the exacting surgery being performed in order to attend to replacing the surgical appliance. Therefore, it is important that surgical appliances are prevented from slipping from the surgical drape and falling to the operating room floor.
Various approaches have been attempted to address the issues mentioned hereinabove. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,311 titled “Surgical Instrument Retainer” and issued Jul. 31, 1990 in the names of Eldridge, Jr. et al. discloses a reusable, flexible surgical drape which is laid over a patient adjacent the surgical field and which retains surgical instruments thereon to facilitate access to the instruments. A plurality of magnets is embedded in the drape so as to retain magnetizable instruments placed on the drape by means of magnetic force. A non-megnetized portion is provided in the center of the drape for storage of non-magnetizable instruments. However, according to this patent, it appears that the non-magnetizable instruments are merely placed in the center of the drape rather than being securely attached to the center of the drape. Therefore, it appears possible that the non-magnetizable instruments can be inadvertently knocked or displaced from the center of the drape and fall to the operating room floor during the surgical procedure. Also, this patent appears directed to a surgical drape upon which surgical instruments are placed to facilitate access to the instruments and does not appear specifically directed to a surgical drape for preventing instruments from falling to the floor of the operating room.
Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,700 titled “Surgical Securing Tape” and issued Dec. 11, 1990 in the name of Dennis R. Tollini. The Tollini patent discloses a securing tape for securing to a patient's skin or to a support, a medical device such as tubing, a catheter, an intravenous needle, or the like. According to this patent, the securing tape includes an elongated tape having base portions and a central tab formed integrally therewith, The securing tape also includes pressure-sensitive tape on the base portions and on an exposed window of the tab. The securing tape further includes hook and pile fastener portions on opposite sides of the exposed adhesive on the tab and on the base portion facing the tape's exposed adhesive. However, it appears the Tollini patent is directed to securing tubes, catheters, intravenous needles, or the like and is not directed to securing larger surgical instruments of non-tubular shape, such as scalpels, retractors, forceps, scissors, staplers, and other larger, non-tubular instruments,
Yet another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,985 titled “Endoscopic Instrumentation Kit And Package Therefor” and issued Mar. 21, 1994 in the names of Andre P. Decarie, et al. This patent discloses an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrumentation kit including at least one obturator and at least two sleeves forming a trocar assembly. An obturator is a removable plug used during insertion of tubular instruments. A trocar assembly is an assembly having a sharp-pointed instrument equipped with a cannula or tube and used to puncture the wall of a body cavity and withdraw fluid. The kit may also include a catheter, an endoscopic surgical instrument, tissue-gripping sleeve members and attachment devices for the trocar sleeves. The kit is packaged in a vacuum-formed enclosure having raised walls which correspond in size and shape to the instruments packaged therein for retaining and displaying the instruments. A method for utilizing the kit is also disclosed. Although Decarie, et al. disclose an endoscopic instrumentation kit and package therefor, the Decarie, et al. patent does not appear to disclose means for attaching the instruments to a surgical field.
Although the prior art approaches recited hereinabove may disclose (1) a surgical drape including a plurality of magnets embedded in the drape to place magnetizable instruments placed on the drape; (2) a securing tape for securing a tubular medical device such as tubing, catheters, intravenous needles, or the like to a patient's skin or to a support; and (3) an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrumentation kit, the prior art recited hereinabove do not appear to disclose the invention described and claimed hereinbelow.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus, a processing apparatus control method and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as information technology has advanced, technology has been being developed which is intended to improve input/output performances and reliabilities by connecting a processing apparatus and a storage apparatus with a plurality of input/output paths. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,521.
In the case where a processing apparatus and a storage apparatus are connected with a plurality of input/output paths, the processing apparatus selects one of the plurality of input/output paths to transmit a data input/output request to a storage apparatus. The selection of an input/output path is performed according to a round-robin scheme in which an input/output path is selected sequentially from the input/output paths, taking load dispersion into account.


Traditional methods of immunization are achieved by injection of a mixture of antibodies which immunoreact with an invading pathogen (i.e., passive immunization), or by vaccination, which stimulates the immune system to produce pathogen-specific antibodies. Since foreign antibodies are cleared by the recipient, passive immunity confers only temporary protection. Vaccination confers longer-lasting active immunity.
In order to be effective, vaccination must generate humoral and/or cell-mediated immunity which will prevent the development of disease upon subsequent exposure to the corresponding pathogen. The pertinent antigenic determinants must be presented to the immune system in a manner that mimics a natural infection. Conventional viral vaccines may consist of inactivated virulent strains, or live-attenuated strains (Old et al., Principles of Gene Manipulation: An Introduction to Genetic Engineering, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 4th edition, 1989). A general problem with using a vaccine consisting of a virus is that many viruses (such as hepatitis B virus) have not been adapted to grow to high titre in tissue culture and thus, cannot be produced in sufficient quantity (Id.). In addition, the use of inactivated viruses present a potential danger of vaccine-related disease resulting from replication-competent virus may remain in the inoculum. Outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe have been attributed to this cause (Id.). On the other hand, attenuated virus strains have the potential to revert to virulent phenotype upon replication in the vaccinee. This problem has been reported to occur about once or twice in every million people who receive live polio vaccine (Id.). Moreover, encephalitis can occur following measles immunization with attenuated virus (Roit, I. M. Essential Immunology, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Sixth Ed., 1988). Another disadvantage of using attenuated strains is the difficulty and expense of maintaining appropriate cold storage facilities (Id.). A major disadvantage associated with the use of live virus vaccines is that persons with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency risk severe infections. Such persons include children in developing countries who are often immunodeficient because of malnutrition and/or infection with viruses or parasites (Id., Old et al., supra).
As a result of recent advances in molecular biology and peptide synthesis, it is possible to produce purified viral proteins or synthetic peptides for use in immunoprophylaxis (Murphy et al., “Immunization Against Viruses,” in Virology, Fields et al., Eds., Raven Press, New York, pp. 349-370, 1985). Purified antigens may be produced by synthesizing peptides which represent immunologically important domains of surface antigens of the pathogen. The synthetic peptide approach has been successfully used with an antigenic determinant of the foot and mouth disease virus (Id.). One problem with this approach is that the poor antigenicity of synthetic peptides has required the use of Freund's adjuvant to enhance the immune response in experimental animals (Id.). Since Freund's adjuvant cannot be used in humans, an effective adjuvant for human use must be developed (Id.). In addition, a single antigenic site may not be sufficient to induce resistance since large surface antigens usually contain several distinct immunological domains that elicit a protective humoral and/or cell-mediated response (Braciale et al., J. Exp. Med. 153:910-923 (1981); Wiley et al., Nature 289:373-378 (1981)). There may also be difficulties in stimulating an immunologic response to epitopes that are formed by noncontiguous parts of the linear protein molecule (Murphy, et al., supra). There is evidence that the majority of protein determinants are discontinuous and involve amino acid residues that are far apart in the primary amino acid sequence, but are brought into close juxtaposition by peptide folding (Roit, supra).
The alternative approach to preparing proteins for vaccines involves the use of cloned viral DNA inserted into a suitable vector to produce viral protein in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells (Aldovini et al., The New Vaccines, Technology Review, pp. 24-31, January 1992). This approach, also, has several limitations. For example, one must devise suitable conditions for the optimal production of the recombinant protein of interest by the recombinant host cells. The protein product must be isolated and purified from the culture system, and obtained in sufficient quantities for use as a vaccine. Finally, it may be necessary to perform post-translational modifications of the purified protein (such as glycosylation and/or cleavage of a fusion protein).
An alternative to producing the recombinant antigen in vitro is to introduce nucleic acid sequences coding for the antigen into the cells of the vaccinee. In this way, the antigen is produced in vivo by the vaccinee's cells and provokes the immune response. Tang et al. (Nature 356:152-154 (1992)) have shown that it is possible produce an immune response to human growth hormone protein in mice by propelling gold microprojectiles coated with plasmids containing human growth hormone genomic sequences. The resultant variability in the production of antibody production was hypothesized to arise from the operation of the microprojectile device, or the coating of the DNA onto the microprojectiles.
More recently, Ulmer et al. (Science 259:1745-1749 (1993)) injected a plasmid carrying the gene for influenza A nucleoprotein into the quadriceps of mice. The mice produced nucleoprotein antibodies, indicating that the gene was expressed in murine cells. The mice also produced nucleoprotein-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes which were effective in protecting the mice from a subsequent challenge with a heterologous strain of influenza A virus. Similarly, Wang et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:4156-4160 (1993)) observed that the intramuscular injection of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 envelope DNA construct in mice generated antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses. In addition, splenic lymphocytes derived from the inoculated mice demonstrated HIV-envelope-specific proliferative responses. Thus, direct inoculation of DNA coding for pathogenic antigens can provide an alternative to the use of viruses, proteins, or peptides.
One problem with using naked DNA for inoculation is the low efficiency of cellular uptake. For example, the protocol of Wang et al., supra, requires the injection of 100 μg of the DNA construct biweekly for a total of four inoculations. As described herein, the use of cationic lipids as a carrier for DNA constructs provides a more efficient means of genetic immunization. According to the present invention, genetic immunization can be achieved with as little as 5 μg of a DNA construct, which has been complexed with cationic lipid.
Liposomes have been used as carriers of genetic information in the transfection of tissue culture cells. A fundamental problem of liposome-mediated transfection with liposomes comprising neutral or anionic lipids is that such liposomes do not generally fuse with the target cell surface. Instead, the liposomes are taken up phagocytically, and the polynucleotides are subsequently subjected to the degradative enzymes of the lysosomal compartment (Straubinger et al., Methods Enzymol. 101:512-527 (1983); Mannino et al., Biotechniques 6:682-690 (1988)). Another problem with conventional liposome technology is that the aqueous space of typical liposomes may be too small to accommodate large macromolecules such as DNA or RNA. As a result, typical liposomes have a low efficiency (Felgner, “Cationic Liposome-Mediated Transfection with Lipofectin™ Reagent,” in Gene Transfer and Expression Protocols Vol. 7, Murray, E. J. Ed., Humana Press, New Jersey, pp. 81-89 (1991)).
Liposomes comprising cationic lipids interact spontaneously and rapidly with polyanions such as DNA and RNA, resulting in liposome/nucleic acid complexes that capture 100% of the polynucleotide (Felgner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84:7413-7417 (1987); Felgner et al., Focus 11:21-25 (1989)). Moreover, the polycationic complexes are taken up by the anionic surface of tissue culture cells with an efficiency that is about ten to one hundred times greater than negatively charged or neutral liposomes (Felgner, “Cationic Liposome-Mediated Transfection with Lipofectin™ Reagent,” in Gene Transfer and Expression Protocols Vol. 7, Murray, E. J., Ed., Humana Press, New Jersey, pp. 81-89 (1991)). In addition, the polycationic complexes fuse with cell membranes, resulting in an intracellular delivery of polynucleotide that bypasses the degradative enzymes of the lysosomal compartment (Düzgünes et al., Biochemistry 28:9179-9184 (1989); Felgner et al., Nature 337:387-388 (1989)).
Various formulations of cationic lipids have been used to transfect cells in vitro (WO 91/17424; WO 91/16024; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,897,355; 4,946,787; 5,049,386; and 5,208,036). Cationic lipids have also been used to introduce foreign polynucleotides into frog and rat cells in vivo (Holt et al., Neuron 4:203-214 (1990); Hazinski et al., Am. J. Respr. Cell. Mol. Biol. 4:206-209 (1991)). Therefore, cationic lipids may be used, generally, as pharmaceutical carriers to provide biologically active substances (for example, see WO 91/17424; WO 91/16024; and WO 93/03709). Thus, cationic liposomes can provide an efficient carrier for the introduction of foreign polynucleotides into host cells for genetic immunization.
Various cationic lipids are well-known in the prior art. One well-known cationic lipid is N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA). The structure of DOTMA is: DOTMA, alone or in a 1:1 combination with dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) can be formulated into liposomes using standard techniques. Felgner et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84:7413-7417 (1987)) have shown that such liposomes provide efficient delivery of nucleic acids to cultured cells. A DOTMA:DOPE (1:1) formulation is sold under the name LIPOFECTIN™ (GIBCO/BRL: Life Technologies, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.). Another commercially available cationic lipid is 1,2-bis(oleoyloxy)-3-3-(trimethylammonia)propane (DOTAP), which differs from DOTMA in that the oleoyl moieties are linked via ester bonds, not ether bonds, to the propylamine. DOTAP is believed to be more readily degraded by target cells.
A related groups of known compounds differ from DOTMA and DOTAP in that one of the methyl groups of the trimethylammonium group is replaced by a hydroxyethyl group. Compounds of this type are similar to the Rosenthal Inhibitor of phospholipase A (Rosenthal et al., J. Biol. Chem. 235:2202-2206 (1960), which has stearoyl esters linked to the propylamine core. The dioleoyl analogs of the Rosenthal Inhibitor (RI) are commonly abbreviated as DORI-ether and DORI-ester, depending upon the linkage of the fatty acid moieties to the propylamine core. The hydroxy group can be used as a site for further functionalization, for example, by esterification to carboxyspermine.
Another class of known compounds has been described by Behr et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:6982-6986 (1989); EPO Publication 0 394 111), in which carboxyspermine has been conjugated to two types of lipids. The structure of 5-carboxylspermylglycine dioctadecylamide (DOGS) is: The structure of dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine 5-carboxyspermylamide (DDPES) is:
Both DOGS and DPPES have been used to coat plasmids, forming a lipid aggregate complex that provides efficient transfection. The compounds are claimed to be more efficient and less toxic than DOTMA for transfection of certain cell lines. DOGS is available commercially as TRANSFECTAM™ (Promega, Madison, Wis.).
A cationic cholesterol derivative (DC-Chol) has been synthesized and formulated into liposomes in combination with DOPE (Gao et al., Biochim. Biophys. Res. Comm. 179:280-285 (1991)). The structure of this compound is: Liposomes formulated with DC-Chol provide more efficient transfection and lower toxicity than DOTMA-containing liposomes for certain cell lines.
Lipopolylysine is formed by conjugating polylysine to DOPE. This compound has been reported to be especially effective for transfection in the presence of serum (Zhou et al., Biochim. Biophys. Res. Comm. 165:8-14 (1991)). Thus, lipopolylysine may be an effective carrier for immunization.
In addition, Gebeyhu et al. (co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/937,508; filed Aug. 28, 1992) have developed novel cationic lipids according to the general formula:
wherein R1 and R2 separately or together are C1-23 alkyl or alkyl or alkenyl, q is 1 to 6,
Z1 and Z2 separately or together are H or unbranched alkyl C1-6
X1 is —(CH2)nBr, Cl, F or I n=0-6 or
X2 is —(CH2)nNH2 n=0-6 or
X3 is —NH—(CH2)m—NH2 m=2-6 or
X4 is —NH—(CH2)3—NH—(CH2)4—NH2 or
X5 is —NH—(CH2)3—NH—(CH2)4—NH(C2)3—NH2
where p is 2-5, Y is H or other groups attached by amide or alkyl amino group or
X9 is a polyamine, e.g., polylysine, polyarginine, polybrene, histone or protamine or
X10 is a reporter molecule, e.g., biotin, folic acid or PPD, or
X11 is a polysaccharide or substituted polysaccharide, or
X12 is a protein or
X13 is an antibody or
X14 is an amine or halide reactive group or
X15 is —(CH2)r—SH where r is 0-6 or
X16 is —(CH2)s—S—S—(CH2)t—NH2 where s is 0-6 and t is 2-6.
These compounds are useful either alone, or in combination with other lipid aggregate-forming components (such as DOPE or cholesterol) for formulation into liposomes or other lipid aggregates. Such aggregates are cationic and able to complex with anionic macromolecules such as DNA or RNA.


This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 092109286 filed in TAIWAN on Apr. 22, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
(a). Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an illuminated logo device, more particularly, to an illuminated logo device for a display.
(b). Description of the Prior Arts
Following the rapid development of modern technology, the electronic products are becoming lighter, thinner, shorter, and smaller. Therefore, the urgent task of the manufacturers is: how to develop an electronic product having both artistic appearance and superior function, so that the product is most acceptable by public.
Both the desktop computer and notebook computer use displays for displaying data. Further, for the purpose of advertising, almost all manufacturers will design a logo on the casing of the display so as to distinguish it from other brands.
A logo can have its special functions. For example, when the computer is placed in a dark location, an illuminated logo can be the best indicator showing the exact position of the computer. However, an additional light source inside the computer is required for illuminating the logo. Adding the additional light source will increase the cost and the size of these computers or other electronic products. Therefore, this situation is an urgent problem of the manufacturer that requires immediate solution.


The present invention relates to a new and distinctive soybean cultivar, designated S110192. All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.
There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possesses the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single cultivar an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include, but are not limited to, higher seed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to drought and heat, altered fatty acid profile, abiotic stress tolerance, improvements in compositional traits, and better agronomic quality.
These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, can take from six to twelve years from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.
Soybean (Glycine max), is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of soybean plant breeding is to develop stable, high yielding soybean cultivars that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the soybean breeder must select and develop soybean plants that have the traits that result in superior varieties.
The soybean is the world's leading source of vegetable oil and protein meal. The oil extracted from soybeans is used for cooking oil, margarine, and salad dressings. Soybean oil is composed of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It has a typical composition of 11% palmitic, 4% stearic, 25% oleic, 50% linoleic, and 9% linolenic fatty acid content (“Economic Implications of Modified Soybean Traits Summary Report,” Iowa Soybean Promotion Board and American Soybean Association Special Report 92S (May 1990)). Changes in fatty acid composition for improved oxidative stability and nutrition are constantly sought after. Industrial uses of soybean oil, which is subjected to further processing, include ingredients for paints, plastics, fibers, detergents, cosmetics, lubricants, and biodiesel fuel. Soybean oil may be split, inter-esterified, sulfurized, epoxidized, polymerized, ethoxylated, or cleaved. Designing and producing soybean oil derivatives with improved functionality and improved oliochemistry is a rapidly growing field. The typical mixture of triglycerides is usually split and separated into pure fatty acids, which are then combined with petroleum-derived alcohols or acids, nitrogen, sulfonates, chlorine, or with fatty alcohols derived from fats and oils to produce the desired type of oil or fat.
Soybeans are also used as a food source for both animals and humans. Soybeans are widely used as a source of protein for poultry, swine, and cattle feed. During processing of whole soybeans, the fibrous hull is removed and the oil is extracted. The remaining soybean meal is a combination of carbohydrates and approximately 50% protein.
For human consumption, soybean meal is made into soybean flour, which is processed to protein concentrates used for meat extenders or specialty pet foods. Production of edible protein ingredients from soybean offers a healthy, less expensive replacement for animal protein in meats, as well as dairy type products.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making a hydrogenation catalyst having a base material coated with a catalytic metal using mechanical milling techniques. This method produces a hydrogenation catalyst that may be used for the remediation of a plurality of contaminated materials, including, but not limited to, polychlorinated biphenyls.
2. Description of Related Art
The class of 209 aromatic chlorinated molecules resulting from the attachment of up to ten chlorine atoms to a biphenyl is collectively known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Generally, PCBs are known to have the chemical structure C12H10-nCln and, in addition to other chlorinated synthetic aromatic compounds, are of great concern due to their toxicity and persistence in the environment. Among the properties of these synthetic colorless liquids are high chemical stability, low flammability, low thermal and electrical conductivity, and low solubility in water.
Twenty-nine years following the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ban on their manufacture, PCBs remain a continued environmental threat. Their persistence owes to the very high chemical stability of these molecules. Prior to the TSCA ban, these favorable properties were exploited in a variety of applications including paint stabilizers, transformer oils, capacitors, printing inks, and pesticides.
Toxicity evidence was found adequate to justify TSCA regulation; however, the debate over the extent of PCB toxicity on organisms remains heated. PCBs are known to bioaccumulate and concentrate in fatty tissues. Studies suggest increased incidences of cancer with long-term PCB exposure. These studies are arguably inconclusive as they involve the simultaneous analysis of multiple congeners. Further complications arise from the potential for contamination of commercial mixtures with other more toxic chlorinated compounds such as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs).
Until recently, only one option was available for the treatment of PCB-contaminated materials, incineration. This, however, may prove to be more detrimental to the environment than the PCBs themselves due to the potential for formation of PCDDs. PCDDs have been shown to exist at abnormally high levels in proximity to incinerators burning chlorine-contaminated materials. Cancer rates have also been “well correlated” to both dioxins and proximity to chlorine-contaminated waste burning incinerators. The temperature required to incinerate PCB-contaminated material may be up to 1200° C. Additionally, it is expensive to incinerate the PCB-contaminated material and to transport contaminated material.
An alternate approach that has been used to treat PCB-contaminated materials is bioremediation. This is accomplished by the reductive dechlorination of PCBs by anaerobic microorganisms. However, this usually results in an incomplete removal of PCBs. Furthermore, specific conditions are required for bioremediation and are not always seen in contaminated sites.
Solvent extraction has also been used to treat PCB-contaminated materials. Organic solvents are used to extract contaminated matrix. However, extraction is only applied ex-situ and the PCBs are not actually destroyed but transported to another media that has to be further treated.
Base-catalyzed decontamination has been used to treat PCB-contaminated material by adding NaHCO3 or NaOH to the media. However, this remediation process is only applied ex-situ due to operating temperatures.
Metals have been used for the past 10 years for the remediation of halogenated solvents and other contaminants in the environment; however, zero-valent metals alone do not possess the activity required to dehalogenate PCBs.
Recent literature reports the rapid and complete reductive dechlorination of PCBs using palladium coated iron (Pd/Fe) or magnesium (Pd/Mg) in aqueous medium. The use of these bimetallic particles for dechlorination relies on the reduction potentials of magnesium or iron coupled with the hydrogenation-type catalytic activity of palladium. The current techniques for preparing Pd/Fe material provides for the easy preparation of the material using pallameres. Although the Pd/Mg material has a greater thermodynamic driving force and forms a self-limiting oxide layer to prevent extensive air oxidation, this material cannot be easily prepared with pallamerse. Therefore, a process for making palladized zero-valent metals using cost-effective and efficient techniques would be valuable.
Communication theory is principally concerned with reducing the average size of particles in a sample of crystalline or metallic solid; however, it can also be used to understand mechanical alloying of particles. To accomplish either of these tasks, the most commonly used processes involve ball milling, vibrational milling, attrition, and roller milling.
Ball milling is a process in which a material is loaded into a canister partially filled with milling balls. The canister is then rotated at high speed on its major axis so that the balls are held by centripetal force to the inside wall until they reach the highest point inside the canister. Gravitational force then exceeds the upward force of the balls and they fall to the bottom of the canister where they impact other balls and the canister wall.
If some milling material is pinched between the participants in one of these collisions and the collision is of adequate energy, then the particles are fractured into smaller particles. It should also be noted that a certain critical speed of rotation is necessary for this process to occur. At lower speeds the balls will simply roll over one another and at extremely high speeds their upward force will exceed gravity at all points inside the canister and the balls will stick to the canister wall. The approximate critical speed of any ball mill is given below and is usually on the order of about 250 RPMs,Nc=7.05/(D1/2)                where Nc=critical speed and D=milling canister diameter
Vibrational milling is a process similar to ball milling except that the milling vessel is vigorously shaken in a back and forth motion or in a back in forth motion in conjunction with a lateral motion that produces a “figure 8” path. This type of milling relies solely on the extremely high-energy collisions between rapidly moving milling balls rather than the collisions between the balls and the canister wall, as described for ball milling. Since vibrator mills can often shake canisters at a rate of approximately 1200 RPMs, often producing ball speeds of upwards of 5 m/s, vibrational milling commonly yields the desired reduction in particle size at a rate one order of magnitude faster than that of ball milling.
Two other less common types of milling are attrition milling and roller milling. These processes are not commonly seen in laboratory settings but are often seen in industrial work. Attrition milling relies on rapidly spinning paddles to stir the milling balls present in the milling vessel. The rate of size reduction observed is often similar to the rate of reduction observed for vibrator mills of similar size; however, due to the necessity of a cooling system this type of milling is often limited in its capabilities to systems that can be milled in liquid media.
Roller milling is a process that relies on fracturing caused by stress induced in the system from the compression of materials between two rolling bars or cylinders. It is most often used for reduction of very coarse materials into less coarse materials that can later be reduced in size by other means. The previous two systems are not discussed quantitatively.
For all milling types (other than roller milling), the reduction of particle size relies on stresses induced in individual particles caused by collisions within the milling vessel. This process reduces the average particle size until equilibrium is reached, at which point no further size reduction is observed. This phenomenon can be explained if one considers crystal matrix impurities as the cause of fracture. As each fracture occurs at the point or plane of an impurity that disrupts the crystal structure, that particular discontinuity disappears, thus the average number of imperfections in the crystal structure of each particle in the sample reduces. Since the crystal structure of each particle in the sample becomes more perfect each time a fracture occurs, at some point the particles will exhibit a near perfect crystalline structure. At this time, the collisions within the mill will no longer be of adequate energy to cause fracture and the size equilibrium will be reached.
Another explanation for this phenomenon arises from the fact that it is more difficult to inflict upon smaller particles the necessary sheer required to cause fracture. This can be explained by the observation that the probability of a milling ball impacting a particle with the necessary directional velocity is reduced when the particle is smaller. Additionally, smaller particles have a higher surface activity and therefore, have a greater probability of being re-welded to form larger particles.
The equilibrium size of the particles in a milling batch has been the topic of much research and one of the more straightforward methods for calculating this size, based on a number of variables, follows and can be applied to all types of milling:
      W    =                  mass  of  particles  with  surface  area            ≤      S                          W        i                          (        t        )              =                  ∑                  j          =          1                i                                    a          ij                                  ⅇ                                    -                              S                j                                                  t                                where            a      ij        =          [                                    0                                                              for                                                                                i                            <              j                                                                                W                                                  (                  0                  )                                            -                                                ∑                                      k                    =                    1                                                        i                    -                    1                                                                                a                  ik                                                                                for                                                                                i                            =              j                                                                                1                                                      S                    i                                    -                                      S                    j                                                                                ∑                                      k                    =                    j                                                        i                    -                    1                                                                                S                    k                                                                          b                    ik                                                                          a                    kj                                                                                for                                                                                i                            >              j                                          ]                  B      ij        =                                        ψ                                      (                                                x                  j                                /                                  x                  1                                            )                                δ                                              (                                          x                j                            /                              x                i                                      )                    β                    +                        (                      1            -            ψ                    )                                              (                                          x                j                            /                              x                1                                      )                    δ                                              (                                          x                j                            /                              x                i                                      )                    α                                S      j        =                  K                          (                                    x              j                        /                          x              1                                )                    α      To use this equation, the desired mass of reduced size particles and the size of these particles is specified to yield the milling time required for achieving these parameters. Solving this series however, involves the use of many constants, which must be determined through calibration experiments using materials for which the constants are already known.
In other areas of research, such as mechanical activation of reactants in a milling vessel, researchers are focused more on the rate of particle size reduction as opposed to the average particle size of the end product. In general, the rate at which a mill reduces the average size of the particles being milled is a function of the probability of any particle being trapped between the participants in the above stated types of collisions when those collisions possess the energy necessary to fracture a particle. This focus has produced a number of functions, which have been supported empirically, to determine the rate of particle size reduction. A few of the more general examples are shown below for ball milling and vibrational milling.
In terms of the change in total surface area of materials                For Ball Milling
                                      M                                      ⅆ            S                                ⅆ            t                              =              0.50                          k          1                                  K          ϕ          ′                                  LJd                      -            1.7                                            D          2.2                                  x                      β            +            1                                                        U                                      [                              1                -                                  1.1                                                                                σ                        a                                                                                (                                                                                k                              1                                                                                xU                                                                                Y                                                              ρ                                B                                                                                dD                                                                          )                                                                                1                      /                      2                                                                                ]                                1.5                                            for                                U      ≤      1                  M                              ⅆ          S                          ⅆ          t                      =          1.1                    k        2                          K        ϕ        ′                          LJd                  -          2.2                                  D        2.7                          x                  β          +          1                                            {                      1            -                          1.1                                                                                σ                    a                                                                          [                                                                                (                                                      U                            +                                                          k                              1                                                        -                            1                                                    )                                                                        x                                                                                Y                                                      ρ                            B                                                                                dD                                                              ]                                                                    1                  /                  2                                                              }                1.5                                    for                                U      >      1                      For Vibrational Milling18
      M                      ⅆ        S                    ⅆ        t              =      0.6              k      1      ′                  K      ′                  J      2                  LD      2                  d              -        2                  αωθ                                        x                  β          +          1                    .                                                  U                                [                          1              -                              230                                                                                σ                      a                      ′                                                                                (                                                                                k                            1                            ′                                                                              xU                                                                                Y                                                          ρ                              B                                                                                d                                                                                α                            2                                                                                ω                            2                                                                                )                                                                            1                    /                    2                                                                        ]                          1.5
These equations are applicable only when U≦1.
where,U=volume of particles in mill/(volume of mill−volume of balls)                n=0.4d3x−3U        n=number of particles per ball, dimensionless        S=specific surface of particles, sq. cm./g.m         φ=ratio of mill speed to critical one, dimensionless        L=length of mill, cm.        J=fractional ball filling of mill, dimensionless        d=diameter of ball, cm.        D=diameter of mill, cm.        x,x′=particles sizes, cm.        Y=modules of elasticity of materials, g.f/sq. cm.
and all other terms are constants relating to the material being milled
Since these equations are often difficult to use, empirical studies of milling variables may prove to be more useful.
In general, it can be seen that the rate of particle reduction in vibrational milling is much greater than in ball milling. Additionally, for all types of milling, rate increases with ball density and is greatest when the mill filling ratio (volume of material to be milled/volume of mill) is approximately 10-20% while the volume occupied by milling balls is approximately 40-60% of the total mill volume.
In the case where one wishes to mechanically alloy materials, the previously discussed theories apply, however several additional topics must also be considered. Mechanical alloying is a high-energy milling process for producing composite materials with an even distribution (though not homogeneous in the rigorous sense) of one material into another. By definition, at least one of the materials must be metallic to be considered an alloy; however, the topics discussed here can be applied to non-metallic materials as well. Two systems will be discussed; Malleable-Malleable and Brittle-Malleable.
In a malleable-malleable system such as the milling of two soft materials, like sodium and gold, ball-powder-ball collisions initially reduce the size of both materials until the average active surface area of each particle in the sample is large enough for re-welding to occur. When this critical surface area is achieved, in a particle, re-welding can occur between two similar particles or two dissimilar particles. If re-welding occurs between two similar particles, the net process results in no change of the material nature. If re-welding occurs between two dissimilar particles an alloy particle is created. This alloy particle can then undergo further fragmentation along alternative planes and subsequently be re-welded multiple times. The longer this process is allowed to take place the more dissolved one material becomes in the other.
In a brittle-malleable system such as palladium and magnesium, the more ductile magnesium is initially flattened while fragmentation of the more brittle palladium occurs. With further milling, the ductile material occludes brittle fragments leading to an individual particle composition of the starting mixture. Depending on the solubility of the brittle phase, continued milling may result in near chemical homogeneity.
These processes can be carried out using any type of mill however the lower energy route, ball milling, will require much longer milling times to produce a well-distributed alloy. This can be easily explained using theories already discussed. Simply put, ball milling produces relatively few collisions, most of which are relatively low in energy, while vibrational milling produces an abundance of very high-energy collisions of grinding material. Since high-energy collisions are necessary for alloying to occur vibrational milling produces the desired result with a greatly enhanced rate.


Penile compression clamps are well known and widely used to prevent urine leakage. In particular, penile clamps have been applied externally onto the penis for clamping the same. Such external penile clamps have been produced both as long-term reusable devices and also as short-term devices limited to one-week use. Typically, such devices have been employed for use in the inspection and treatment of diseases, wounds and other abnormal conditions of the bodies of humans and lower animals.
For example, Bard, Inc. produces the Cunningham clamp. The Cunningham clamp provides two pivoting arms connected by a single-hinge. Clamp arm surfaces that face the penis are padded for intended comfort. The Cunningham employs a ratcheted latch to clamp the two arms closer together and compress the penis. This clamp is reported to be a reusable, however, the large clamping forces often lead to pain, swelling and penile skin break down.
The Squeezer Klip™ disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,932 provides a padded top and bottom arm in a pivoting configuration. Like the Cunningham, the Squeezer Klip™ is a hinged, reusable clamp. The dorsal and ventral arms include pressure-applying projections intended to contact the urethra, and preferentially apply pressure between the dorsal veins and arteries. The Squeezer Klip™ avoids direct compression of the neurovascular bundle. Patients are often incapable, however, of repeatedly applying the pressure-applying projections to the appropriate location to effect urethral closure. A screw mechanism clamps the penis using a fine compression adjustment via a threaded adjustment knob. The screw mechanism, however, requires a higher degree of manual dexterity to adjust compression, which can be difficult for older arthritic men.
The C3 clamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,629 provides a clamp intended for use that is limited to approximately one week. The C3 is constructed from a co-extruded and thermoformed polyolefin sheet. The resultant component has two clam shelled halves connected by a hinge. The penis is placed through a portal between the two halves and the halves are folded over to compress the penis. The clam shells are held closed by a Velcro® strap. Force is localized on the urethra by presence of a raised bump on the bottom clam shell half. The C3 is available in only two fixed sizes. As there is great penile anatomical variation requiring multiple clamp sizes, a clamp frequently may be improperly selected. Further, the ability to operate the strapping system is often difficult for older, arthritic men. Such inconsistencies in sizing and the user dependent strapping system, however, make the C3 less reliable in its ability to control leakage.
None of the clamps above entirely eliminated urinary leakage.
Other clamps have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,609,522, 6,289,895 B1, 6,609,522 B2, and 6,234,174 B1. These patents, however, provide detailed straps, latches, hinges and mechanisms for “dialing” in required urethral pressure. Experience with the C3 and such clamps indicate that users may be confused by the added complexity of such components.
While these clamps provide some advancement for controlling urinary dysfunction and protecting against bladder malfunction, improvements may yet be made to penile compression devices for males experiencing stress urinary incontinence. There is need for a penile compression device that provides optimum comfort and that is easy to apply and remove, while sufficiently preventing urinary leakage. Improvements may still be made to a penile compression device that provides an absorbent mechanism conveniently and comfortably attached to the compression device.


Tone mapping is a technique used in image processing and computer graphics to map a set of colors to another set so as to approximate the appearance of high dynamic range images in media with a more limited dynamic range. However, tone mapping may fail to reproduce the full range of light intensities present in natural scenes and may cause problematic contrast reduction from the scene values to the displayable range. Preserving the fine image details and color tones in the original scenes are important in many applications.
Recently, Dynamic Backlight Control (DBC) in mobile Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device has become one of the image display applications in applying the tone mapping for scaling up the image data while dimming the backlight so as to minimize the backlight power consumption. However, the image data loses its accuracy during the tone mapping especially in high brightness region.
Therefore, the art would benefit greatly from image data processing methods that can avoid the loss of fine image details or contrast in dynamic backlight control applications.


1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon, a method of manufacturing the same, and a fuel cell using the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon, and more particularly, to a sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon having a high affinity to noble metal catalyst particles, a method of manufacturing the same, a supported catalyst using the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon as a catalyst support, and a fuel cell using the supported catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
A catalyst plays an important role in fuel cell technology as the catalyst is contained in electrodes for the fuel cells to facilitate the electrochemical reaction therein; thus, many attempts have been made to increase the activity of the catalyst. Since the activity of the catalyst increases as the reaction surface area of the catalyst increases, the diameter of catalyst particles should be reduced to increase the reaction surface area of the catalyst and the catalyst should be uniformly distributed in the electrodes. As such, a catalyst support should also have a large surface area, and thus, much research has been dedicated to increasing the surface area of the catalyst support.
In addition to a large surface area, which may be obtained through high porosity, a catalyst support for a fuel cell should be electrically conductive so as to act as a path for the flow of electrons. Also, the catalyst support should support the catalyst particles such that the catalyst particles are highly dispersed, and the catalyst support should have a connected pore structure that facilitates the transfer and transport of fuels. Examples of such a catalyst support include amorphous microporous carbon powder, such as activated carbon or carbon black, structure-ordered carbon molecular sieve materials and the like. For example, see Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-0001127.
However, the micropores of such amorphous microporous carbon particles are poorly connected. Therefore, in a conventional direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), a supported catalyst that is prepared using amorphous microporous carbon particles as a catalyst support exhibits a lower reactivity than unsupported catalyst in which a metal particle itself is used as a catalyst.
However, if the metal particle itself is used as a catalyst, a large amount of the catalyst is required; thus, the manufacturing costs of the DMFC increase. Accordingly, the development of a supported catalyst that can improve the reactivity of a catalyst is urgently required.
One of the crucial problems of electrodes for fuel cells is an agglomeration of catalyst particles when driving the fuel cells for a long period or operating at a high temperature. The agglomeration of catalyst particles increases the size of the catalyst particles, which reduces the number of active sites and hence, the activity of an electrode reaction.


The introduction and temporary implantation through the skin, e.g., transcutaneously, percutaneously and/or subcutaneously, of biosensors has become very common in the treatment of patients inflicted with or suffering from any one of many different types of conditions. These implantable sensors include those monitoring a given parameter that indicates a certain bodily condition, e.g., a patient's glucose level, or the actual state of a treatment, e.g., monitoring the concentration of a drug dispensed to the patient or a body substance influenced by the drug.
In recent years, a variety of temporarily implantable sensors have been developed for a range of medical applications for detecting and/or quantifying specific agents, e.g., analytes, in a patient's body fluid such as blood or interstitial fluid. Such analyte sensors may be fully or partially implanted below the epidermis in a blood vessel or in the subcutaneous tissue of a patient for direct contact with blood or other extra-cellular fluid, such as interstitial fluid, wherein such sensors can be used to obtain periodic and/or continuous analyte readings over a period of time.
Certain transcutaneous analyte sensors have an electrochemical configuration in which the implantable portion of these sensors includes exposed electrodes and chemistry that react with a target analyte. At an externally located proximal end of the sensor are exposed conductive contacts for electrical connection with a sensor control unit which is typically mountable on the skin of the patient. One common application of such analyte sensor systems is in the monitoring of glucose levels in diabetic patients. Such readings can be especially useful in monitoring and/or adjusting a treatment regimen which may include the regular and/or emergent administration of insulin to the patient.
A sensor insertion device or kit is typically provided with such analyte monitoring systems for inserting the sensor into a patient. The insertion kit includes an introducer which typically has a sharp, rigid structure adapted to support the sensor during its transcutaneous insertion. Some introducers are in the form of needles having a slotted or hollow configuration in which a distal portion of the sensor is slidably carried to the desired implantation site, e.g., subcutaneous site, after which the insertion needle can be slidably withdrawn from the implanted sensor. Often, the insertion kit also includes an insertion gun for automatically or semi-automatically driving the introducer and attached sensor to within the skin. Implantation of a sensor with such an insertion device typically involves using the insertion gun to drive the introducer and pre-loaded sensor into the skin of the patient. The introducer is retracted into the insertion gun, leaving the sensor implanted within the patient.
While such sensor insertion tools can greatly assist a user in effectively and efficiently implanting transcutaneous sensors, they are not without their drawbacks. As they are designed to be substantially automatic, the insertion guns tend to be mechanically complex, involving numerous static and moving parts. With the added complexity of such tools are significant costs in designing and fabricating them, contributing significantly to the overall cost of the sensor systems. In addition to the financial and manufacturing-related drawbacks, there are significant clinical consequences to using such transcutaneous sensor insertion tools.
The subcutaneous or other placement of such sensors, or any medical device, produces both short-term and longer-term biochemical and cellular responses which may lead to the development of a foreign body capsule around the implant. Consequently, this encapsulation may reduce the flux of an analyte to the sensor, i.e., may reduce the sensitivity or accuracy of the sensor function, often requiring numerous calibrations over the course of the sensor's implantation period. The extent of the immune response presented by implantable sensors, as well as the amount of pain and discomfort felt by the patient, are exacerbated by the size of the sensor introducer and/or the implantable portion of the sensor, often referred to as the sensor tail. With sensor introducers that carry the sensor within an interior or substantially interior space, there is naturally a limit on the extent to which the cross-sectional dimension of the introducer can be reduced.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a sensor introducer and associated sensor design, and/or a combined assembly, which do not require a separate insertion tool for their transcutaneous insertion, thereby minimizing the number of components involved, and reducing mechanical complexity and manufacturing costs. It would be additionally advantageous if the respective and combined dimensions and configurations of the introducer and sensor were further reduced to minimize the trauma, pain and immune response to sensor insertion/implantation.


The invention relates to a fuel cell system, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a fuel cell stack arranged in a housing, and having a measure for ventilating the housing by coupling a ventilation flow to another gas flow. With regard to the prior art, reference is made to DE 10 2008 016 579 A1.
For example, for use in a motor vehicle, it is known for a fuel cell stack to be arranged (to be “integrated”) in a substantially closed housing, wherein, aside from passage openings that are self-evidently required for media-conducting lines, it is also necessary for ventilation openings to be provided in a wall of the housing in order to permit ventilation of the interior of the housing. This is to be understood, in the present case, as being a “substantially closed” housing, wherein the present invention is also intended to encompass possible housing structures in the case of which no substantially closed side walls are provided, but with which a housing is realized which is substantially closed off at least in an upward direction and below the top side of which it is, for example, possible for hydrogen to accumulate. The hydrogen could, via possible leakage points, escape in small quantities from the media-conducting lines connected to the fuel cell stack.
An air flow, referred to in the present case as a ventilation flow, for the ventilation of the housing and discharge of possibly accumulating hydrogen from the housing is commonly introduced from the surroundings into the housing and discharged into the surroundings again. It is desirable for no dedicated (energy-consuming) delivery device to have to be provided for the delivery of the ventilation flow. In DE 10 2008 016 579 A1, it is proposed that the ventilation flow to be discharged from the housing be admixed to the cathode exhaust-gas flow of the fuel cell stack by way of a de Laval nozzle, utilizing the ejector pump effect. The cathode exhaust-gas flow or exhaust-gas flow of the fuel cell stack thus forms the delivery device for the ventilation flow.
The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a further measure by which a ventilation flow through or out of a housing which contains a fuel cell stack can be discharged in an expedient manner.
The solution to the problem is, for a fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack arranged in a housing and having a measure for ventilating the housing by coupling the ventilation flow to another gas flow, characterized in that the ventilation flow is supplied to an air flow which is conducted through a radiator, in the form of an ambient-air heat exchanger, of the fuel cell system. Here, a radiator of the fuel cell system is to be understood generally to mean an ambient-air heat exchanger which is designed and provided for cooling at least sub-components of the fuel cell system, which may include not only the stack itself but also, for example, the power electronics of the fuel cell system.
A fuel cell system according to the invention has a radiator in the form of an air-cooling fluid heat exchanger, wherein the cooling fluid is conducted in a suitable manner, for example through the fuel cell stack, and the waste heat thereof is dissipated at least partially via the radiator to the ambient air. The radiator exit air flowing through the radiator must in this case be discharged in a suitable manner, such that, for this purpose, an exit-air guide of a certain design is provided. In this case, the so-called ventilation flow is now also conducted away from the fuel cell system by way of the exit-air guide, such that the exit-air guide, in effect, performs a further function. Here, it may also be provided that a pressure gradient or the like, which at least partially contributes to the delivery of the ventilation flow, is generated by way of the ambient-air flow flowing through the radiator.
As used herein, the ventilation flow may be supplied or admixed, upstream of the radiator, to the air flow that is conducted through the radiator, because, upstream of the radiator, a directed flow is encountered which is not disrupted by lamellar structures or the like of the radiator and which, in effect, entrains the ventilation flow in accordance with the ejector pump principle. In this context, a ventilation opening of the housing can be positioned correspondingly, that is to say preferably directly adjacent to the flow path of the radiator inlet-air flow. In the conventional manner, it is then, or in this case, provided that, either for the radiator inlet-air flow or for the radiator exit-air flow, that is to say generally for the ambient-air flow to be conducted through the radiator, a suitable air delivery device in the form of a fan or the like is provided. In the case of a fuel cell system according to the invention installed in a motor vehicle, when the vehicle is moving, the “relative wind” also functions, in effect, as an air delivery device also for the ventilation flow of the housing that contains the fuel cell stack.
Similarly to the known prior art mentioned above, the ventilation flow of the stack housing may, however, also be supplied or admixed to an exhaust-gas flow of the fuel cell stack, for example by way of a Venturi nozzle, wherein, again, the ejector pump effect is utilized for the delivery of the ventilation flow. According to the invention, the exit-air flow of the radiator is then merged with the exhaust-gas flow, comprising the ventilation flow, of the fuel cell stack, such that multiple gas flows are, in accordance with the invention, conducted away from the fuel cell system together or jointly. Here, the exhaust-gas flow of the fuel cell system may be the cathode exhaust-gas flow and/or the anode exhaust-gas flow, which may by all means be merged, preferably downstream of the admixing of the ventilation flow, in a mixer.
In one aspect, a sensor for determining the hydrogen content in a gas flow downstream of the supply of the ventilation flow is provided, that is to say that, by way of a so-called hydrogen sensor of this type, the hydrogen concentration in the gas flow comprising this ventilation flow is measured. This gas flow may be an exhaust-gas flow as mentioned above or may be the radiator inlet-air flow or the radiator exit-air flow or a mixed gas flow comprising one or more of the flows. Thus, with the aid of an electronic monitoring unit, it can be checked whether an inadmissible amount of free hydrogen would pass with the mixed gas flow into the surroundings. It is possible, if appropriate, for suitable measures for this purpose, or for preventing this, to be introduced. If appropriate, with the aid of a sensor of the type and a suitable electronic monitoring unit, it is also possible, on the basis of the hydrogen content (=“sensor signal”) registered by the sensor, for a conclusion to be drawn regarding hydrogen possibly freely situated within the housing. If the gas flow contains exit air, already including hydrogen, of the fuel cell stack, it is specifically the case that the hydrogen concentration present therein is known, at least from a model calculation, to an electronic control unit for the control of the operation of the fuel cell stack, for which reason a hydrogen concentration higher than the known hydrogen concentration is indicative of additional hydrogen from the ventilation flow. It is basically thus possible, by way of a single sensor, to dispense with a (further) dedicated hydrogen sensor within the housing or for the ventilation flow alone.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the figures, identical elements are denoted by the same references designations.


The present invention is concerned with a long-term feed for aquatic animals and especially for fish, shrimp and invertebrates, wherein the feed is stable for an extended time in fresh and sea water and can also be used as weekend and holiday feed for ornamental fish.
Long-term feeds for ornamental fish, i.e., so-called feed blocks or feed stones, are known which have only a very small proportion of organic materials and mainly consist of calcium sulphate. DE 37 07 032 discloses a holiday feed which overcomes the long-term stabilization problems of the calcium sulphate feed blocks through the use of cement and crude rubber. A disadvantage thereof is the fact that the last-mentioned necessary additive materials are almost indigestable for aquatic animals and, in many countries, are not permitted according to the foodstuff laws.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an industrially producable, long-term feed for aquatic animals and especially for fish, shrimps and invertebrates, which feed is stable for an extended time and continuously provides ornamental fish with nutrients. The feed of the present invention can be used in fresh and sea water and is especially useful for warm and cold water ornamental fish without thereby making use of adjuvant materials which are not permitted in certain countries according to food-stuff laws but at the same time, however, does not impair the quality of aquarium water due to other adjuvant materials.
Surprisingly, we have now found that, by means of the use of polysaccharides, for example of plant gums, the use of cement, calcium sulphate and/or latex can be avoided in the preparation of the feed. Additional properties which are substantially improved in comparison with the feeding agents described in DE 37 07 032 are also included in the present invention
Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a long-term feed for aquatic animals, especially fish, shrimps and invertebrates in fresh and sea water. The feed is stable for an extended time., is insoluble, does not load the water chemistry in fresh and sea water and can also be used as a weekend or holiday feed for warm and cold water ornamental fish. The feed contains 1 to 50% by weight of a plant gum, preferred agar-agar. Preferred is a feed for ornamental fish which contains 1-10% plant gum, most preferred 2.9%. Typical plant gums which may be used are, for example, carrageenan, agar-agar, gum arabic, tragacanth, karaya gum, ghatti gum, carob bean meal, tara gum and/or xanthans. Preferably, the plant gum is agar-agar.


The present invention relates to a master cylinder configured to supply a liquid pressure to a braking cylinder of a vehicle.
This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/JP2013/058948 filed 27 Mar. 2013 which designated the U.S. and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-241198, filed Oct. 31, 2012, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.