Author: claimsbot

1. A method of preparing primary heart muscle cells, characterized in that after non-heart muscle cells are removed from fragmented heart tissue, the heart tissue is digested with a protease.
2. The preparative method according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-heart muscle cells are removed by washing the fragmented heart tissue with a phosphate-buffered physiological saline.
3. A method of preparing primary heart muscle cells, characterized in that after fragmented heart tissue is digested with a protease, erythrocytes are removed.
4. The preparative method according to claim 3, characterized in that erythrocytes are removed by hemolysis treatment.
5. A method of preparing primary heart muscle cells, characterized by hemolysis treatment of heart muscle cells isolated from heart tissue.
6. A method of preparing primary heart muscle cells, characterized in that after non-heart muscle cells are removed from fragmented heart tissue, the heart tissue is digested with a protease, and then erythrocytes are removed.
7. The preparative method according to claim 6, characterized in that the fragmented heart tissue is washed with a phosphate-buffered physiological saline to remove non-heart muscle cells, and the heart tissue digested with a protease is subjected to hemolysis treatment to remove erythrocytes.
8. A method of detecting apoptosis of heart muscle cells, characterized in that after serum is added to a culture of heart muscle cells having apoptosis induced by culturing the cells in a serum-free medium, the cells are cultured, and the number of viable heart muscle cells is determined.
9. The detection method according to claim 8, wherein the number of viable heart muscle cells is determined by measuring an intracellular dehydrogenase activity.
10. The detection method according to claim 8, wherein the culture time after addition of serum is about 6 to 30 hours.
11. The detection method according to claim 9, wherein the intracellular dehydrogenase activity is measured by using MTT or WST-8.
12. The detection method according to claim 8, wherein the primary heart muscle cells obtained by the preparative method described in any one of claims 1 to 7 are cultured in a serum-free medium.
13. A method of screening a compound inhibiting apoptosis or a salt thereof, characterized in that by the detection method described in claim 12, the number of viable cells in a case (i) where apoptosis is induced in the presence of a test compound is compared with that in a case (ii) where apoptosis is induced in the absence of a test compound.
14. An inhibitor of apoptosis of heart muscle cells, comprising a compound obtained by the screening method described in claim 13 or a salt thereof.
15. A gp130-mediated receptor agonist, comprising a compound obtained by the screening method described in claim 13 or a salt thereof.
16. An enhancer of heart muscle cell-protective signal, comprising a compound obtained by the screening method described in claim 13 or a salt thereof.
17. A prophylactic andor therapeutic agent for heart diseases, comprising the heart muscle cell apoptosis inhibitor described in claim 14, the gp130-mediated receptor agonist described in claim 15 or the heart muscle cell-protective signal enhancer described in claim 16.
18. A method of preventing and treating heart diseases, characterized in that an effective dose of the heart muscle cell apoptosis inhibitor described in claim 14, the gp130-mediated receptor agonist described in claim 15 or the heart muscle cell-protective signal enhancer described in claim 16 is administered to mammals.
19. Use of the heart muscle cell apoptosis inhibitor described in claim 14, the gp130-mediated receptor agonist described in claim 15 or the heart muscle cell-protective signal enhancer described in claim 16 for producing a prophylactic andor therapeutic agent for heart diseases.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of parallel data rate setting in first and second modem pools, each modem pool including a plurality of modems, where each modem in one of said modem pools is paired with a corresponding modem in the other of said modem pools, the method comprising the steps of:
a) setting substantially in parallel each of said modem pairs to an initial data rate;
for each of said modem pairs:

b) performing the following steps c)-d) one or more times until a termination condition is met:
c) if said modem pair is synchronized within a synchronization time period, increasing said modem pair’s data rate;
d) if said modem pair is not synchronized within said synchronization time period, decreasing said modem pair’s data rate; and
e) setting each of said modem pairs to the highest data rate at which said modem pair achieved synchronization.
2. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising establishing a vector of initial data rates, wherein each of said data rates corresponds to a different one of said modem pairs, and wherein said setting step a) comprises setting each of said modem pairs to its corresponding initial data rate in said vector.
3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said establishing step comprises establishing said vector at one of said modem pools and communicating said vector to the other of said modem pools.
4. A method according to claim 2 wherein said establishing step comprises establishing said vector from data rates previously used by said modem pairs.
5. A method according to claim 2 wherein said establishing step comprises:
measuring wire attenuation for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolating said corresponding data rate from said wire attenuation using heuristics.
6. A method according to claim 2 wherein said establishing step comprises:
measuring SNR for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolating said corresponding data rate from said SNR using heuristics.
7. A method according to claim I wherein said performing step b) comprises incrementing an iteration counter and wherein said termination condition is met when said iteration counter reaches an iteration limit.
8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said performing step b) comprises performing until an elapsed time limit is reached.
9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said performing step b) comprises performing until there is no change in said data rates from a previous iteration of step b).
10. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising adjusting said highest data rate for any of said modem pairs according to the formula
9
Rate
Corrected

=
Rate
max

–

StabilityFactor
*
SNR

Re
f
–
SNR
SNR

Re
f
where RateMax is said highest data rate, StabilityFactor is any factor for step adjustment, SNR is the measured SNR of said modem pair, and SNRRef is any SNR value.
11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said adjusting step comprises using the minimum SNR of said modem pair where the SNR differs for each of said modems in said modem pair.
12. A method of parallel data rate setting in first and second modem pools, each modem pool including a plurality of modems, where each modem in one of said modem pools is paired with a corresponding modem in the other of said modem pools, the method comprising the steps of:
a) establishing a vector of initial data rates, wherein each of said data rates corresponds to a different one of said modem pairs;
b) setting substantially in parallel each of said modem pairs to said modem pair’s corresponding data rate in said vector;
c) setting a lower rate for each of said modem pairs that is less than or equal to said modem pair’s initial data rate;
d) setting an upper rate for each of said modem pairs that is greater than or equal to said modem pair’s initial data rate;
for each of said modem pairs:

e) performing the following steps f)j) one or more times until a termination condition is met:
f) if said modem pair is synchronized within a synchronization time period:
g) setting a lower rate for said modem pair equal to the current data rate of said modem pair; and
h) setting a maximum rate for said modem pair equal to the current data rate of said modem pair;
i) if said modem pair is not synchronized within said synchronization time period, setting a higher rate for said modem pair equal to the current data rate of said modem pair;
j) setting said modem pair’s corresponding data rate in said vector to between said lower rate and said higher rate; and
k) setting each of said modem pairs to said modem pair’s maximum rate where said modem pair achieved synchronization at said maximum rate.
13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said establishing step comprises establishing said vector at one of said modem pools and communicating said vector to the other of said modem pools.
14. A method according to claim 12 wherein said establishing step comprises establishing said vector from data rates previously used by said modem pairs.
15. A method according to claim 12 wherein said establishing step comprises:
measuring wire attenuation for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolating said corresponding data rate from said wire attenuation using heuristics.
16. A method according to claim 12 wherein said establishing step comprises:
measuring SNR for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolating said corresponding data rate from said SNR using heuristics.
17. A method according to claim 12 wherein said performing step e) comprises incrementing an iteration counter and wherein said termination condition is met when said iteration counter reaches an iteration limit.
18. A method according to claim 12 wherein said performing step e) comprises performing until an elapsed time limit is reached.
19. A method according to claim 12 wherein said performing step e) comprises performing until there is no change in said data rates from a previous iteration of step e).
20. A method according to claim 12 and further comprising adjusting said highest data rate for any of said modem pairs according to the formula
10
Rate
Corrected

=
Rate
max

–

StabilityFactor
*
SNR

Re
f
–
SNR
SNR

Re
f
where RateMax is said highest data rate, StabilityFactor is any factor for step adjustment, SNR is the measured SNR of said modem pair, and SNRRef is any SNR value.
21. A data communications system comprising:
a first and a second modem pool, each modem pool including a plurality of modems, where each modem in one of said modem pools is paired with a corresponding modem in the other of said modem pools; and
a parallel data rate setter operative to:
a) set substantially in parallel each of said modem pairs to an initial data rate;
for each of said modem pairs:
b) perform the following steps c) – d) one or more times until a termination condition is met:
c) if said modem pair is synchronized within a synchronization time period, increase said modem pair’s data rate;
d) if said modem pair is not synchronized within said synchronization time period, decrease said modem pair’s data rate; and
e) set each of said modem pairs to the highest data rate at which said modem pair achieved synchronization.
22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to establish a vector of initial data rates, wherein each of said data rates corresponds to a different one of said modem pairs, and set each of said modem pairs to its corresponding initial data rate in said vector.
23. A system according to claim 22 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to establish said vector at one of said modem pools and communicate said vector to the other of said modem pools.
24. A system according to claim 22 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to establish said vector from data rates previously used by said modem pairs.
25. A system according to claim 22 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to:
measure wire attenuation for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolate said corresponding data rate from said wire attenuation using heuristics.
26. A system according to claim 22 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to:
measure SNR for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolate said corresponding data rate from said SNR using heuristics.
27. A system according to claim 21 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to increment an iteration counter and wherein said termination condition is met when said iteration counter reaches an iteration limit.
28. A system according to claim 21 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to perform step b) until an elapsed time limit is reached.
29. A system according to claim 21 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to perform step b) until there is no change in said data rates from a previous iteration of step b).
30. A system according to claim 21 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to adjust said highest data rate for any of said modem pairs according to the formula
11
Rate
Corrected

=
Rate
Max

–

StabilityFactor
*
SNR
Ref

–
SNR
SNR
Ref
where RateMax is said highest data rate, StabilityFactor is any factor for step adjustment, SNR is the measured SNR of said modem pair, and SNRRef is any SNR value.
31. A system according to claim 30 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to adjust using the minimum SNR of said modem pair where the SNR differs for each of said modems in said modem pair.
32. A data communications system comprising:
a first and a second modem pool, each modem pool including a plurality of modems, where each modem in one of said modem pools is paired with a corresponding modem in the other of said modem pools; and
a parallel data rate setter operative to:
a) establish a vector of initial data rates, wherein each of said data rates corresponds to a different one of said modem pairs;
b) set substantially in parallel each of said modem pairs to said modem pair’s corresponding data rate in said vector;
c) set a lower rate for each of said modem pairs that is less than or equal to said modem pair’s initial data rate;
d) set an upper rate for each of said modem pairs that is greater than or equal to said modem pair’s initial data rate;

for each of said modem pairs:
e) perform the following steps f)j) one or more times until a termination condition is met:
f) if said modem pair is synchronized within a synchronization time period:
g) set a lower rate for said modem pair equal to the current data rate of said modem pair; and
h) set a maximum rate for said modem pair equal to the current data rate of said modem pair;
i) if said modem pair is not synchronized within said synchronization time period, set a higher rate for said modem pair equal to the current data rate of said modem pair;
j) set said modem pair’s corresponding data rate in said vector to between said lower rate and said higher rate; and
k) set each of said modem pairs to said modem pair’s maximum rate where said modem pair achieved synchronization at said maximum rate.
33. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to establish said vector at one of said modem pools and communicate said vector to the other of said modem pools.
34. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to establish said vector from data rates previously used by said modem pairs.
35. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to:
measure wire attenuation for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolate said corresponding data rate from said wire attenuation using heuristics.
36. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to:
measure SNR for any of said modem pairs; and
interpolate said corresponding data rate from said SNR using heuristics.
37. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to increment an iteration counter and wherein said termination condition is met when said iteration counter reaches an iteration limit.
38. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to perform step e) until an elapsed time limit is reached.
39. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to perform step e) until there is no change in said data rates from a previous iteration of step e).
40. A system according to claim 32 wherein said parallel data rate setter is additionally operative to adjust s aid highest data rate for any of said modem pairs according to the formula
12
Rate
Corrected

=
Rate
Max

–

StabilityFactor
*
SNR
Ref

–
SNR
SNR
Ref
where RateMax is said highest data rate, StabilityFactor is any factor for step adjustment, SNR is the measured SNR of said modem pair, and SNRRef is any SNR value.

1. A method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal received by a radio receiver, such method comprising:
detecting a pilot or synchronization symbol within the windowed time division multiplexed signal;
determining a difference between the detected pilot or synchronization symbol and a corrected pilot or synchronization symbol where the corrected pilot or synchronization symbol has been corrected for distortion caused by windowing of the windowed time division multiplexed signal; and
calculating a channel response estimate based upon the determined difference between the detected pilot or synchronization symbol and corrected pilot or synchronization symbol.
2. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 further comprising retrieving the corrected pilot or synchronization symbol from a memory of the radio receiver.
3. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 wherein the step of determining the difference further comprises determining a gain and phase change.
4. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 further comprising correcting an information symbol within the windowed time division multiplexed signal using the calculated channel response estimate.
5. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 further comprising detecting a synchronization symbol and synchronizing the radio receiver to the windowed time division multiplexed signal using the synchronization symbol.
6. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 further comprising estimating a set of information symbols within the windowed time division multiplexed signal using the calculated channel response estimate.
7. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 further comprising recovering the detected pilot or synchronization symbol from an initial set of symbol locations within the windowed time division multiplexed signal.
8. The method of processing a windowed time division multiplexed signal as in claim 1 wherein the windowed time division multiplexed signal further comprises a Quadrature Amplitude Modulated signal.
9. A time division multiple access system using a windowed time division multiplexed signal comprising:
a radio frequency transmitter that transmits the windowed time division multiplexed signal;
a radio frequency receiver that receives the windowed time division multiplexed signal;
a detector within the radio frequency receiver that detects a pilot or synchronization symbol in the windowed time division multiplexed signal;
a corrected pilot or synchronization symbol provided within the radio frequency receiver where said corrected pilot or synchronization symbols have been corrected for distortion caused by windowing of the time division multiplexed signal; and
a channel response estimator processor within the radio frequency receiver that calculates a channel response estimate based upon detected and corrected pilot or synchronization symbols.
10. The time division multiple access system as in claim 9 wherein the channel response estimate further comprises a channel gain and a phase change.
11. The time division multiple access system as in claim 9 wherein the detected symbol further comprises an initial set of symbols of a frame of the windowed time division multiplexed signal.
12. The time division multiple access system as in claim 9 further comprising a symbol estimation processor that estimates a received symbol based upon the calculated channel response estimate.
13. The time division multiple access system as in claim 9 wherein the first communication device comprises one of a base station and a radio subscriber that transmits the windowed time division multiplexed signal to the base station.
14. The time division multiple access system as in claim 13 wherein the second communication device comprises one of a base station and a radio subscriber that receives the windowed time division multiplexed signal.
15. The time division multiple access system as in claim 9 wherein the windowed time division multiplexed signal further comprises a Quadrature Amplitude Modulated signal with a constellation of at least 16 symbols.
16. The time division multiple access system as in claim 9 wherein the detected symbol further comprises a reference pilot symbol.
17. A communication device that receives a windowed time division multiplexed signal in a time slot comprising:
a radio frequency receiver that receives the windowed time division multiplexed signal;
a detector coupled to the radio frequency receiver that detects a pilot or synchronization symbol in the windowed time division multiplexed signal;
a corrected pilot or synchronization symbol provided within the communication device where said corrected pilot or synchronization symbols have been corrected for distortion caused by windowing of the windowed time division multiplexed signal; and
a signal processor that calculates a channel response estimate based upon a corrected pilot or synchronization symbol.
18. The communication device as in claim 17 wherein the communication device further comprises a base station.
19. The communication device as in claim 17 wherein the communication device further comprises a portable receiver.
20. The communication device as in claim 17 wherein the windowed time division multiplexed signal further comprises a Quadrature Amplitude Modulated signal.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions executable by one or more processors to perform operations including:
initiating a first snapshot of a first one or more volumes that include one or more virtual disk image files of a virtual machine and a second one or more volumes that include data written by the virtual machine, wherein the first snapshot is based on a first point in time, wherein the virtual machine uses physical resources of a physical computer system, wherein a hypervisor controls access to the physical resources by the virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes;
creating a first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot, wherein the first backup image of the second one or more volumes is based on the first point in time;
initiating a second snapshot of the first one or more volumes that include the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine, wherein the second snapshot is based on a second point in time after the first point in time;
creating a second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine using the second snapshot, wherein the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files is based on the second point in time; and
reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time using the first snapshot in order to make the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files time consistent with the first backup image of the second one or more volumes.
2. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1,
wherein the second one or more volumes are stored on one or more physical disk drives, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes on the one or more physical disk drives.
3. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1,
wherein the second one or more volumes are stored on one or more iSCSI disk drives, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes on the one or more iSCSI disk drives.
4. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1,
wherein the second one or more volumes are stored on one or more storage area network (SAN) devices, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes on the one or more SAN devices.
5. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to request the virtual machine to perform said initiating the first snapshot.
6. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to request the virtual machine to perform said creating the first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot.
7. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to request host software that manages the virtual machine to perform said initiating the second snapshot of the first one or more volumes.
8. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to request host software that manages the virtual machine to perform said creating the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine.
9. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to perform:
mounting the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine from the second backup image prior to reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time.
10. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to perform:
receiving a request to restore the virtual machine;
wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to perform said reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time using the first snapshot in response to said receiving the request to restore the virtual machine.
11. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 1,
wherein, at the second point in time, the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine include snapshot data of the first snapshot, wherein the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files includes the snapshot data of the first snapshot.
12. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 11,
wherein said reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time using the first snapshot comprises reading the snapshot data of the first snapshot from the second backup image and using the snapshot data of the first snapshot to revert the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time.
13. A method comprising:
one or more processors initiating a first snapshot of a first one or more volumes that include one or more virtual disk image files of a virtual machine and a second one or more volumes that include data written by the virtual machine, wherein the first snapshot is based on a first point in time, wherein the virtual machine uses physical resources of a physical computer system, wherein a hypervisor controls access to the physical resources by the virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes;
the one or more processors creating a first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot, wherein the first backup image of the second one or more volumes is based on the first point in time;
the one or more processors initiating a second snapshot of the first one or more volumes that include the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine, wherein the second snapshot is based on a second point in time after the first point in time;
the one or more processors creating a second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine using the second snapshot, wherein the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files is based on the second point in time; and
the one or more processors reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time using the first snapshot in order to make the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files time consistent with the first backup image of the second one or more volumes.
14. The method of claim 13,
wherein the second one or more volumes are stored on one or more physical disk drives, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes on the one or more physical disk drives.
15. The method of claim 13,
wherein said creating the first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot comprises the one or more processors requesting the virtual machine to create the first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot.
16. The method of claim 13,
wherein said creating the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine comprises the one or more processors requesting host software that manages the virtual machine to create the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine.
17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
the one or more processors mounting the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine from the second backup image prior to reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time.
18. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including:
initiating a first snapshot of a first one or more volumes that include one or more virtual disk image files of a virtual machine and a second one or more volumes that include data written by the virtual machine, wherein the first snapshot is based on a first point in time, wherein the virtual machine uses physical resources of a physical computer system, wherein a hypervisor controls access to the physical resources by the virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes;
creating a first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot, wherein the first backup image of the second one or more volumes is based on the first point in time;
initiating a second snapshot of the first one or more volumes that include the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine, wherein the second snapshot is based on a second point in time after the first point in time;
creating a second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine using the second snapshot, wherein the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files is based on the second point in time; and
reverting the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files of the virtual machine to the first point in time using the first snapshot in order to make the second backup image of the one or more virtual disk image files time consistent with the first backup image of the second one or more volumes.
19. The system of claim 18,
wherein the second one or more volumes are stored on one or more physical disk drives, wherein the virtual machine is configured to bypass the hypervisor to access the second one or more volumes on the one or more physical disk drives.
20. The system of claim 18,
wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to request the virtual machine to perform said creating the first backup image of the second one or more volumes using the first snapshot.