Author: claimsbot

1. A wastewater treatment apparatus to decontaminate a wastewater comprising:
a wastewater intake unit;
a decontaminated water discharge unit; and
a plurality of gravity separation air flotation units connected together and connected between the intake unit and the discharge unit;
a rake having an attached blade to remove a floc blanket from the top of at least one of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units, the attached blade having a roller attached to each of its two ends; and
supports for the rollers attached to the apparatus to support the rollers at each of the two ends of the blade.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a modular apparatus formed of modular units having compatible sizes, shapes, and configurations.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the modular units have modular support structures.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units comprises a gravity separation air flotation unit that has been inserted between the intake unit and the discharge unit.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units contain a standard housing element having a standard shape, size, and configuration in the unit.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units contain an identical rectangular side panel.
7. The apparatus of claim 1:
wherein the intake unit and the discharge unit each contain an end panel having a particular horizontal length;
wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units have a side panel having a second horizontal length that is the same as the particular length; and
wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units contain four identical trapezoidal panels that have a third horizontal length along a longest side thereof that is the same as the particular length.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a gravity separation air floatation unit of the plurality is connected to another unit by nuts and bolts to allow the gravity separation air floatation unit to be separated from the other unit.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intake unit comprises a split manifold.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intake unit comprises an opening to accommodate flow from a conduit.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge unit comprises a filter.
12. A wastewater treatment apparatus to remove particulate contaminants from a wastewater, comprising:
a plurality of gravity separation air flotation units that each contain an upper housing to remove floatable particulate contaminants and a lower conical housing to remove gravity separable particulate contaminants;
a plurality of rakes corresponding to the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units, the rakes each having an attached blade to remove a floc blanket from the top of one of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units, the attached blade having a roller attached to each of its two ends; and
supports for the rollers attached to the apparatus at each of the ends of the blades for each of the rakes.
13. The apparatus of claim 12:
wherein the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units each comprise a plurality of standard housing elements; and
wherein the plurality of standard housing elements comprise a rectangular side panel belonging to the upper housing and a trapezoidal side panel belonging to the lower conical housing.
14. The apparatus of claim 12:
wherein each of the upper housings are formed of a first plurality of standardized housing elements; and
wherein each of the lower housings are formed of a second plurality of standardized housing elements.
15. The apparatus of claim 14:
wherein the first plurality of standardized housing elements comprise a pair of identical side panels; and
wherein the second plurality of standardized housing elements comprise four identical trapezoidal panels.
16. The apparatus of claim 12:
wherein a first lower conical housing of the plurality comprises a first plurality of identical panels that are each attached to two other panels of the first plurality along edges thereof;
further comprising a tank coupled with the lower conical housing by a line to receive sludge from the lower conical housing, the tank containing a second lower conical housing comprising a second plurality of identical panels that are each attached to two other panels of the second plurality along edges thereof; and
wherein each of the first plurality of panels have the same shape and size as each of the second plurality of panels.
17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an intake unit containing a split manifold and an opening to accommodate flow from a conduit.
18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a discharge unit containing a filter.
19. A wastewater treatment apparatus to decontaminate a wastewater comprising:
a wastewater intake unit;
a decontaminated water discharge unit;
a plurality of gravity separation air flotation units connected together and connected between the intake unit and the discharge unit;
a plurality of rakes corresponding to the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units, the rakes each having an attached blade to remove a floc blanket from the top of one of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units, the attached blade having a roller attached to each of its two ends; and
supports for the rollers attached to the apparatus at each of the ends of the blades for each of the rakes.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is a modular apparatus formed of modular units having compatible sizes, shapes, and configurations.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each of the modular units have modular support structures.
22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units comprises a gravity separation air flotation unit that has been inserted between the intake unit and the discharge unit.
23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units contain a standard housing element having a standard shape, size, and configuration in the unit.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units contain an identical rectangular side panel.
25. The apparatus of claim 19:
wherein the intake unit and the discharge unit each contain an end panel having a particular horizontal length;
wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units have a side panel having a second horizontal length that is the same as the particular length; and
wherein each of the plurality of gravity separation air flotation units contain four identical trapezoidal panels that have a third horizontal length along a longest side thereof that is the same as the particular length.
26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a gravity separation air floatation unit of the plurality is connected to another unit by nuts and bolts to allow the gravity separation air floatation unit to be separated from the other unit.
27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the intake unit comprises a split manifold.
28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the intake unit comprises an opening to accommodate flow from a conduit.
29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the discharge unit comprises a filter.

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. Purified human metabotropic glutamate receptor (hmGluR) which is a member of the hmGluR4 subfamily selected from the group consisting of subtypes hmGluR4, hmGluR6 and hmGluR7, wherein hmGluR 4 has the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2; hmGluR7 is selected from the group consisting of hmGluR7a having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12, hmGluR7b having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14 and a hmGluR7 subtype comprising a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, 8 or 10, respectively; and hmGluR6 comprises a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16.
2. Receptor according to claim 1 which is the hmGluR4 subtype having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2.
3. Receptor according to claim 1 which is a hmGluR7 subtype selected from the group consisting of hmGluR7a having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12 and hmGluR7b having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
4. Receptor according to claim 1 which is a hmGluR7 subtype comprising a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of the polypeptides having the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs. 6, 8 and 10, respectively.
5. Receptor according to claim 1 which is a hmGluR6 subtype comprising a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16.
6. Variant of a receptor according to claim 1 selected from the group consisting of splice variants, amino acid mutants, glycosylation variants, membrane-bound and soluble fragments and covalent or aggregative moieties with other chemical entities.
7. Process for the preparation of a receptor according to claim 1 comprising multiplication in vitro or in vivo of a suitable host cell transformed with a hybrid vector comprising an expression cassette comprising a promoter and a DNA coding for such receptor which DNA is controlled by said promoter.
8. Use of a receptor according to claim 1 for screening of a compound which modulates the activity of said receptor.
9. Nucleic acid comprising an isolated nucleic acid coding for a receptor according to claim 1, or a fragment of said nucleic acid.
10. Nucleic acid according to claim 9, which is a DNA.
11. A DNA according to claim 10 selected from the group consisting of the DNAs having substantially the nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15, respectively.
12. Nucleic acid probe comprising at least 14 contiguous bases of the DNA according to claim 10 or 11, or the complement thereof.
13. Process for the preparation of a nucleic acid according to claim 10 comprising chemical synthesis, recombinant DNA technology or polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
14. A DNA according to claim 10 which is a hybrid vector.
15. A host cell comprising the DNA of claim 10.
16. A eukaryotic host cell expressing the DNA of claim 10.
17. A host cell according to claims 15 or 16 which is a mammalian cell.
18. Use of a host cell according to claim 15 for the screening of a compound which modulates the activity of a receptor according to claim 1.
19. Process for the preparation of a host cell according to claim 15 comprising transfection or transformation of the host cell with the hybrid vector of claim 14.
20. Purified mRNA complementary to the DNA according to claim 11.
21. A method for identifying DNA encoding a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 comprising contacting human DNA with a probe according to claim 12, and identifying DNA(s) which substantially hybridize to said probe.
22. A method for identifying compounds binding to a hmGluR subtype comprising use of a receptor protein according to claim 1 in a competitive binding assay.
23. An assay for identifying compounds which modulate the activity of a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 comprising
contacting the cells of claim 16 with at least one compound or signal whose ability to modulate the activity of said receptor subtype is sought to be determined, and subsequently
analyzing cells for a difference in functional response attributable to said receptor.
24. Assay according to claim 23 comprising
contacting the cells of claim 16 with at least one compound or signal whose ability to modulate the second messenger activity of a receptor subtype of the invention is sought to be determined, and subsequently
monitoring said cells for a change in the level of a particular second messenger.
25. A Method for modulating the signal transduction activity of a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 comprising contacting said subtype with an effective amount of at least one compound identified in the assay of claim 24.
26. A Method for detecting a glutamate agonist or an allosteric modulator of a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 having agonistic activity comprising the steps of (a) exposing a compound to a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 coupled to a response pathway, under conditions and for a time sufficient to allow interaction of the compound with the receptor and an associated response through the pathway, and (b) detecting an increase or decrease in the stimulation of the response pathway resulting from the interaction of the compound with the hmGluR subtype, relative to the absence of the tested compound and therefrom determining the presence of an agonist or an allosteric modulator having agonist-like activity.
27. A method for identifying a glutamate antagonist or an allosteric modulator of a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 having antagonistic activity, said method comprising the steps of (a) exposing a compound in the presence of a known glutamate agonist to a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 to a response pathway, under conditions and for a time sufficient to allow interaction of the agonist with the receptor and an associated response through the pathway, and (b) detecting an inhibition of the stimulation of the response pathway by the agonist resulting from the interaction of the test compound with the hmGluR subtype, relative to the stimulation of the response pathway induced by the glutamate agonist alone, and therefrom determining the presence of a glutamate antagonist or an allosteric modulator having antagonist-like activity.
28. An antibody directed against a protein of claim 1.
29. An antibody according to claim 28 which is a polyclonal antibody.
30. An antibody according to claim 28 which is a monoclonal antibody.
31. A method for modulating the signal transduction activity of a hmGluR subtype according to claim 1 comprising contacting said receptor with an antibody of claim 28.
32. A receptor according to claim 1 obtainable by recombinant DNA technology.
33. A fusion protein comprising a receptor according to claim 1.

1. A method for characterizing formation fluid present in a subsurface earth formation, the method comprising:
extracting a plurality of gas components from a volume of drilling mud comprising formation fluid and gases, while drilling;
measuring a gas trap value for each gas component of interest;
determining a gas trap response factor for each gas component of interest by dividing the gas trap value by a laboratory fluid analysis value for each gas component of interest;
determining a relative response factor for each gas component of interest by dividing the gas trap response factor for each gas component of interest by the gas trap response factor for the gas component of interest with the lowest molecular weight; and
calculating the corrected gas trap value for each gas component of interest by dividing the gas trap value by the relative response factor for each gas component of interest;
wherein the corrected gas trap value for each gas component of interest is utilized to calculate gasoil ratios for characterizing the formation fluid from the volume of drilling mud.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas components are extracted from the volume of drilling mud using a gas trap.
3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas components comprises methane, ethane, propane, butane, andor pentane.
4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the gas components of interest are chosen from the group of methane, ethane, propane, butane, andor pentane.
5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the gas trap values are measured using gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the laboratory fluid analysis value is measured using gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the corrected gas trap values are used to calculate gas to oil ratios to characterize the formation fluid.
8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the determined relative response factors are utilized to correct gas trap values measured in the same well at various depths.
9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the determined relative response factors are utilized to correct gas trap values measured in surrounding wells utilizing a similar drilling fluid.
10. A method for using previously determined relative response factors for correcting gas trap values for gas components in a drilling mud, comprising:
extracting a plurality of gas components from a volume of drilling mud comprising formation fluid and gases, while drilling;
measuring a gas trap value for each gas components of interest; and
calculating the corrected gas trap value for each of the gas components of interest by dividing each gas trap value by a previously determined relative response factor for each of the gas components of interest;
wherein, the corrected gas trap value for each of the gas components of interest is utilized to calculate gasoil ratios for characterizing formation fluids from the volume of drilling mud.
11. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the previously determined relative response factor for each gas component of interest is utilized to correct gas trap values for each of the gas components of interest measured in surrounding wells utilizing a similar drilling fluid.
12. A system for automatically correcting a plurality of gas trap values, comprising:
a data storage device having non-transitory computer readable data including mud logging data relating to the plurality gas trap values;
a processor, configured and arranged to execute machine executable instructions stored in a processor accessible memory for performing a method comprising:
acquiring a gas trap value for each gas component of interest;
determining a gas trap response factor for each gas component of interest by dividing the gas trap value by a laboratory fluid analysis value for each gas component of interest;
determining a relative response factor for each gas component of interest by dividing the gas trap response factor for each gas component of interest by the gas trap response factor for the gas component of interest with the lowest molecular weight;
correcting the gas trap value for each gas component of interest by dividing the gas trap value by the relative response factor for each gas component of interest; and
utilizing the corrected gas trap value for each gas component of interest to calculate gasoil ratios for characterizing formation fluids.
13. A system as in claim 12, further comprising a user interface configured and arranged to allow a user to adjust parameters used in correcting the gas trap value for each gas component of interest.
14. A system as in claim 12, further comprising a user interface configured and arranged to allow a user to adjust parameters used in the calculation gasoil ratios.
15. A system as in claim 12, further comprising a display, configured and arranged to display a layer structure of a subsurface region from which the formation fluid and gases were taken, based, at least in part, on the gas trap values.

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 plug connector for use in a connector system having a receptacle connector, the receptacle connector having alignment projections projecting toward an interior of a box shaped housing of the receptacle connector, the plug connector comprising:
a body having a bottom plate with a width W, a top plate with a width W\u2032 that is smaller than W, a first side plate and a second side plate each having a step to accommodate the width differential between the top and bottom plates, wherein the first and second side plates are smaller relative to the top and bottom plate providing a substantially flat body; and
a plurality of electrodes located within the body, the plurality of electrodes consisting of a single row of electrodes extending in the direction of the depth of the body and being positionally secured by insulating material to an interior surface of the bottom plate of the body leaving an insertion cavity in the interior of the body between the single row of electrodes and the top plate, wherein all electrodes within the body are in the single row,
wherein the steps in the first and second side plates are aligned with the alignment projections of the receptacle connector to guide insertion of the plug connector into the receptacle connector housing.
2. The plug connector of claim 1 further comprising a shell that is made of a single sheet of conductive material wrapped around the plug connector.
3. The plug connector of claim 1 wherein the steps on each side plate of the plug connector have curved edges.
4. The plug connector of claim 1 wherein the single row of electrodes can have up to 30 pins.
5. The plug connector of claim 1 further comprising an integrated trim ring molded to a base of the plug connector.
6. The plug connector of claim 5 wherein the trim ring is made of high temperature resilient material such as glass reinforced nylon.
7. The plug connector of claim 5 wherein the trim ring and the plug connector dimensions are selected to improve acoustic performance.
8. The plug connector of claim 5 wherein the plug connector with the integrated trim ring is disposed on a printed circuit board at a predetermined angle from the vertical axis.
9. The plug connector of claim 8 wherein the predetermined angle is approximately 10 degrees from the vertical axis.
10. The plug connector of claim 1 wherein using a single row of electrodes provides a thin plug connector.
11. The plug connector of claim 1 wherein the single row of electrodes comprises 30 electrodes.
12. The plug connector of claim 1 wherein the top, bottom, first side, and second side plates are formed of a single piece of conductive material.
13. The plug connector of claim 12 wherein the single piece of conductive material forms at least one chassis contact.
14. A cable connector assembly including the plug connector of claim 1, further comprising:
a cable housing a plurality of wires;
a boot connecting a first end of the cable to the plug connector, wherein electrical coupling between the plurality of wires inside the cable and the single row of electrodes inside the body of the plug connector is made via a printed circuit board integrated into the boot; and
a resistor disposed on the printed circuit board and electrically coupled to a predetermined electrode of the plug connector.
15. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of solder pads adapted to receive a corresponding plurality of wires from the cable.
16. The cable connector assembly of claim 15 wherein the printed circuit board further comprises a plurality of conductive traces electrically coupling the plurality of solder pads to a corresponding plurality of contacts for the single row of electrodes.
17. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 further comprising one or more electronic components placed on the printed circuit board and configured to perform one or more predetermined functions.
18. The cable connector assembly of claim 17 wherein electrostatic discharge protection circuitry is disposed on the printed circuit board and is electrically coupled to one or more predetermined electrodes of the plug connector.
19. The cable connector assembly of claim 17 wherein EMI containment means are disposed on the printed circuit board.
20. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the resistor disposed on the printed circuit board identifies a type of the cable connector.
21. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the second end of the cable is coupled to a universal serial bus connector.
22. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the resistor is coupled between two predetermined electrodes.
23. The cable connector assembly of claim 22 wherein the single row of electrodes comprises at least 30 pins disposed in a row and wherein the resistor is coupled between electrode number 15 and a ground electrode.
24. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the plurality of wires comprises four wires for universal serial bus (USB) connection.
25. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the cable comprises one or more mesh braids configured to provide electrical shielding.
26. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the printed circuit board is in the shape of a bracket with its opening adapted to receive the cable.
27. The cable connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the cable comprises a Ferrite wrap adapted to increase EMI absorption.
28. A plug connector comprising:
a connector shell formed from a single piece of conductive material, the connector shell having a bottom portion with a width W, a top portion with a width W\u2032 that is smaller than W, a first side portion and a second side portion each having a step to accommodate the width differential between the top and bottom portions;
insulating material on the inside of the bottom portion of the connector shell, such that an insertion cavity is formed between the insulating material and the top portion of the connector shell; and
a single row of pins disposed within the connector shell, the pins of the single row being secured in position by the insulating material on the inside of the bottom portion of the connector shell such that pins are present only along a bottom side of the insertion cavity,
wherein having all pins in a single row allows the connector shell to be substantially flat.
29. The plug connector of claim 28 wherein the single row of pins comprises 30 pins.
30. The plug connector of claim 28 wherein the connector shell forms at least one chassis contact.
31. The plug connector of claim 28 wherein the connector shell includes at least one raised tab.
32. A plug connector comprising:
a body having a bottom plate with a first width, a top plate with a second width that is smaller than the first width, a first side plate and a second side plate each having a step to accommodate the width differential between the top and bottom plates, wherein the first and second side plates are smaller relative to the top and bottom plate providing a substantially flat body; and
a plurality of electrodes located within the body, the plurality of electrodes consisting of a single row of electrodes extending in the direction of the depth of the body and being positionally secured by insulating material to an interior surface of the bottom plate of the body leaving an insertion cavity in the interior of the body between the single row of electrodes and the top plate, wherein all electrodes within the body are in the single row,
wherein a region extending from a top side of the insertion cavity to an interior surface of the top plate is devoid of electrodes.
33. The plug connector of claim 32 wherein the single row of electrodes comprises 30 electrodes.
34. The plug connector of claim 32 wherein the top, bottom, first side, and second side plates are formed of a single piece of conductive material.
35. The plug connector of claim 34 wherein the single piece of conductive material forms at least one chassis contact.
36. A plug connector comprising:
a body having a bottom plate with a width W, a top plate with a width W\u2032 that is smaller than W, a first side plate and a second side plate each having a step to accommodate the width differential between the top and bottom plates, wherein the first and second side plates are smaller relative to the top and bottom plate providing a substantially flat body; and
a plurality of electrodes located within the body, the plurality of electrodes consisting of a single row of electrodes, each electrode having a single elongated finger shape, the electrodes extending in the direction of the depth of the body and being positionally secured by insulating material to an interior surface of the bottom plate of the body leaving an insertion cavity in the interior of the body between the single row of electrodes and the top plate, wherein all electrodes within the body are in the single row,
wherein the steps in the first and second side plates are aligned with alignment projections of a receptacle connector to guide insertion of the plug connector into the receptacle connector.
37. The plug connector of claim 36 wherein the single row of electrodes comprises 30 electrodes.
38. The plug connector of claim 36 wherein the top, bottom, first side, and second side plates are formed of a single piece of conductive material.
39. The plug connector of claim 38 wherein the single piece of conductive material forms at least one chassis contact.