GIAN Abondoned Patents Database

A liquid fuel vaporizer includes a combustion chamber in which heat is generated by burning fuel therein, an vaporization chamber in which liquid fuel is vaporized by the heat transferred from the combustion chamber to the vaporization chamber. Both chambers are integrally built in a housing, and liquid fuel is supplied from a single injector to both chambers. Liquid fuel consisting of small particles is supplied to the combustion chamber to improve combustion efficiency. Vaporized fuel in the vaporization chamber is prevented from being ignited and burnt therein by various manners, such as intercepting combustion flame, controlling an air/fuel ratio in a range out of a combustible range, or keeping vaporized fuel temperature at a level lower than its self-igniting temperature.

Method and apparatus are presented for an augmented reality-based firefighter training system. The system includes hardware for motion tracking, display, and vari-nozzle instrumentation. System software includes a real-time fire model, a layered smoke obscuration model, simulation of an extinguishing agent, and an interface to a zone fire model. Physical modeling and graphical elements in the software combine to create realistic-looking fire, smoke, and extinguishing graphics. The hardware and software components together contribute to a realistic, interactive training experience for firefighters.

A golf training system which utilizes a pair of hinged panels which are placed on the practice surface at a selected angularity in an inverted “V” to provide a reference for club path, stance and ball position to teach the student a repeatable proper swing. Preferably one of the sides of the panels carry grid-like indicia and the opposite sides only a ball position marked. The teaching method employs the panels and the position and angularity of the panels may be varied in accordance with the type of golf shot and physical characteristics of the golf student. For more advanced student, the panels are reversed so the sides substantially devoid of marking are displayed. The system may be used to teach virtually all golf shots including putting.

A method of exercising and various exercise devices. The exercise device includes a substantially circular hoop, the hoop comprising a hollow chamber for allowing a member to move within the chamber. One of at least one handle or at least one mechanism is attached to the hoop for supporting the hoop at a location on a user's body. At least one member is disposed in the hollow chamber, wherein the hoop is postionable around a portion of the user's body. The exercise device can also include at least one substantially circular casing comprising a hollow chamber for allowing a member to move within the chamber and a centrally disposed through opening. A handle rod at least partially disposed within the opening, and at least one member is moveably disposed in the hollow chamber. The casing is removably fixed to the handle rod so that movement of the handle rod causes movement of the at least one member within the casing. The exercising method includes positioning a hoop device about a portion of a user's body, securing the hoop device on the user using at least one securing mechanism which fixes the hoop device with respect to the portion of the user's body, moving the hoop device with corresponding movement of the user's body so as to cause a weight disposed in a hollow chamber of the hoop device to move about.

An exercise device is provided for exercise of the limbs by a seated person. The device is a flat seat that can have a back attached. Typically, the seat and back can be cushions or similar articles that can be used in conjunction with existing seats in a vehicle. One or more resilient straps are provided with grips and attached around the perimeter of the seat and back so that the seated individual can perform exercise.

A magnetic nerve stimulator system is comprised of a core constructed from a material having a high field saturation with a coil winding. A thyrister capacitive discharge circuit pulses the device. A rapidly changing magnetic field is guided by the core, preferably vanadium permendur. For task specific excitation of various nerve groups, specially constructed cores allow for excitation of nerves at deeper levels with higher efficiency than is possible with air-core stimulators. Among the applications possible with this invention are treatment of incontinence, rehabilitation of large muscle groups in the leg and arm, and excitation of abdominal wall muscle groups to aid in weight loss and metabolic rate increase. A C-shape is employed for focussing the stimulation as desired.

A method of extracting biopsy cells from a breast uses an endoscopic instrument having a distal end that is substantially needle like, a working channel, a light source and a lens. The instrument can be coupled to an apparatus for viewing an image including depth of field viewing. The instrument is inserted into a nipple of a breast and liquid is ejected from the distal end. Reverse pressure is applied so that the liquid and biopsy cells are retrieved into the instrument. The cells are then extracted from the breast.

An apparatus for maintaining an intravascular access device in position at an access point on a limb of a patient includes a needle immobilizing unit engaging the needle member and preventing it from dislodgement from the blood vessel, a tube locking member locking the connecting tube in place and preventing it from being separated from the needle member, and a strap which supports the needle immobilizing unit and the locking member immovably on the limb of a patient. For further support of the apparatus in place, a splint assembly is provided which includes two splint members, forearm splint member which is secured to the forearm part of the limb and arm/hand splint member which is securable to either the arm or hand of the limb. The splint members can be used separately or coupled to each other; joint between the splint members has a latching mechanism allowing to adjust the angle between the forearm and arm/hand splint members. The strap carrying the needle immobilizing unit and the tube locking member is secured to a splint member and facilitates in securing the splint.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a substance delivery device (1) capable of insertion into a body cavity of an animal, including delivery apparatus (11) capable of actively being controlled to deliver a substance to an outlet, and retention apparatus (2, 3) capable of retaining the substance delivery device within the body cavity of an animal. In one embodiment, a microprocessor (18) can be remotely programmed to enable control over the delivery device after it is placed in the animal. The microprocessor (18) can also communicate with an external device to enable the operation of the delivery device to be determined. The invention may also include sensors to monitor the environment around the delivery device, to determine when a substance should be delivered into the body.

An ablation apparatus includes a handpiece, an electrode extending from a handpiece distal end, a probe, a thermal sensor and an energy source. The electrode includes a distal end and a lumen, a cooling medium inlet conduit and a cooling medium exit conduit. Both conduits extend through the electrode lumen to an electrode distal end. A sidewall port, isolated from a cooling medium flowing in the inlet and outlet conduits, is formed in the electrode. The probe is at least partially positionable in the electrode lumen and configured to be advanced and retracted in and out of the sidewall aperture. The thermal sensor is supported by the probe. The electrode is coupled to an energy source.

A flexible bag is formed with a opening for placing the bag about the head of the patient and a separate connector for connection to an air supply. The open end has a closure unit permitting the collapse of the opening about the neck to enclose the head. Alternatively, the open end can be placed beneath the ears and over the nose to enclose the upper portion of the head. A separation wall within the bag separates and defines an upper air supply chamber and a lower head heating chamber. The wall has openings including flaps to distribute the air from the air supply chamber to the head enclosing chamber and thereby heating the head with the blood passing therefrom to heat the body of the patient. The head heating chamber includes air directing elements therein. The air supply chamber is L-shaped to direct air over the top of the head and to the side or back of the head. The flexible bag may be formed of a thin plastic and packaged as a flat member with a stack of them provided for single use and throw away as needed in a surgical environment.

A thermoresponsive coloring formulation for use on a reimageable image carrier is provided. An image may be created by exposing the thermoresponsive coloring formulation to heat and erased by exposing it to white light.A screen coated with an uncured stencil coating is placed in registration with the image carrier. The screen and image carrier are exposed to a curing agent which is prevented from passing beyond the image carrier in those areas covered by the image, while the areas of the coated screen that are exposed to the curing agent are hardened by the curing agent. After the stencil coating has been hardened in the desired areas, the screen is removed, and the uncured stencil coating is rinsed away from the screen, leaving a portion of the screen with open pores through which ink can flow.

Black-dyeing aqueous inks having good black shades without a shade change in artificial light and outstanding lightfastness comprising 20 to 95% by weight of at least one dye (A), together with 5 to 80% by weight of at least one dye chosen from the group consisting of (B) and (C), based on the total weight of the dyes (A), (B) and (C) in the ink, and 1 to 40% by weight of a water-miscible organic solvent, based on the total weight of the ink, the dye (A) containing, as the colouring part of the molecule, one or more radicals of the formula (I), (II), (III) or (IV) the dye (B) containing, as the colouring part of the molecule, one or more mono- or disazo radicals containing sulfo groups or one or more radicals of the formula (V), (VI), (VII) or (VIII) and the dye (C) containing, as the colouring part of the molecule, one or more mono- or disazo radicals containing sulfo groups or one or more radicals of the formulae (V), (VI), (VII) or (VII) and one or more radicals of the formulae (I), (II), (III) or (IV), in which the substituents are as defined herein.

A system and method cure a resin disposed between a combination of a top substrate and a bottom substrate with low power. One of the top and bottom substrates includes metallized data pits. Resin-curing light is directed at sides of the data pits.

Apparatus and method for the automatic removal of a protective cover from a planar sheet. Air under pressure is directed angularly from an air nozzle system at the cover to partially dislodge same and to force a portion of the cover into contact with a rotating roll. The portion of the cover in contact with the roll is held thereby until presented to the force of suction at an entrance to a suction duct. The cover is carried away by air currents in the duct after the cover and is fully stripped from the sheet.

An apparatus and method for controlling and optimizing a non-planar target shape of a sputtering magnetron system are employed to minimize the redeposition of the sputtered material and optimize target erosion. The methodology is based on the integration of sputtered material from each point of the target according to its solid angle view of the rest of the target. The prospective target's geometry is optimized by analytically comparing and evaluating the methodology's results of one target geometry against that of another geometry, or by simply altering the first geometry and recalculating and comparing the results of the first geometry against the altered geometry. The target geometries may be of many different shapes including trapezoidal, cylindrical, parabolic, and elliptical, depending upon the optimum process parameters desired. A sputtering system is developed using this methodology, having a main magnet stack, a rotating magnet, a target having selected target shapes optimized for controlling erosion, downstream magnets, a substrate, and an electric field induced plasma stream.

An Sn—Bi alloy plating bath has a pH about 2.0 to 9.0 and comprises Bi3+ ions, Sn2+ ions, complexing agent (I) and complexing agent (II). Complexing agent (I) can be (a) aliphatic dicarboxylic acids having alkyl groups of 1-3 carbon atoms, (b) aliphatic hydroxymonocarboxylic acids having alkyl groups of 1-3 carbon atoms, (c) aliphatic hydroxypolycarboxylic acids having alkyl groups of 1-4 carbon atoms, (d) monosaccharides, polyhydroxycarboxylic acids produced by partially oxidizing the monosaccharides, and their cyclic ester compounds, and (e) condensed phosphoric acids. Complexing Agent (II) can be (s) ethylenediamineteraacetic acid (EDTA), (t) nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and (u) trans-1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CyDTA).

The invention relates to a continuous process for preparing aminoplastics and/or phenolics, in which a precondensate solution is prepared in a first extruder (14), the precondensate solution is continuously fed, with addition of additives, to a second extruder (20) with partial filling in the feed section (E) and devolatilization section (G), devolatilized in the second extruder (20) and then formed to give a molding composition or an end product. The process is particularly suitable for preparing melamine resins, in particular melamine-formaldehyde resins, as well as for preparing urea-formaldehyde resins.

A process comprising introducing CO2 into milk of lime, in which the milk of lime is first ground, and then the CO2 is introduced to precipitate the calcium carbonate.

A pharmaceutical composition for the sustained release of human growth hormone from a polymer matrix is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises a biocompatible polymer, particles of metal cation-complexed human growth hormone wherein said particles are dispersed within the biocompatible polymer and an aqueous injection vehicle.

Complex mixed metal containing thin films can be deposited by CVD from liquid mixtures of metal complexes without solvent by direct liquid injection and by other precursor dispersing method such as aerosol delivery with subsequent annealing to improve electrical properties of the deposited films. This process has potential for commercial success in microelectronics device fabrication of dielectrics, ferroelectrics, barrier metals/electrodes, superconductors, catalysts, and protective coatings. Application of this process, particularly the CVD of ZrSnTiOx (zirconium tin titanate, or ZTT) and HfSnTiOx (hafnium tin titanate, or HTT) thin films has been studied successfully.

An aromatic polyester composition which comprises 5 to 95 wt % of an ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate copolymer and 95 to 5 wt % of an ethylene terephthalate (co)polymer and has a compatibility between these polymers of 0.15 to 0.5, and whose melting point lowers depending on the content of ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate. This composition has excellent compatibility, transparency, barrier properties and heat resistance and is an excellent raw material for forming various molded products, particularly bottles. A bottle and its production process are also disclosed.

A structure for reducing shock transmitted from a source (6) to an equipment unit (7) in a hardware system, which structure includes a honeycomb cellular support member (2, 3, 4 or 5) carrying the equipment unit to be protected from shock and/or the source. At least some of the honeycomb cells are filled with rigid microgranules whose dimensional characteristics are preferably heterogeneous, within given limits.

A method for producing an opaque polymeric film comprises:(a) extruding a base layer comprising a polymeric matrix and at least one cavitating agent;(b) coextruding at least one additional layer on at least one side of the base layer;(c) cooling the coextruded multi-layer film; and then(d) orienting the film in at least the machine direction (MD);wherein at least said base layer contains polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polycarbonate.

A non-sticking composite material for office automation equipment which is produced by applying, to a substrate, a material comprising a fluorine-containing polymer having an excellent adhesive property to the substrate without necessitating complicated steps and is excellent in heat resistance, non-sticking property, stain-proofing property, water- and oil-repelling property, stain removing property, chemical resistance, rust-preventive property, antibacterial property, resistance to energy ray and abrasion resistance. The non-sticking composite material for office automation equipment is produced by applying, to the substrate, the material comprising a fluorine-containing ethylenic polymer having functional group which is prepared by copolymerizing (a) 0.05 to 30% by mole of at least one of fluorine-containing ethylenic monomers having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, carboxyl, a carboxylic salt group, a carboxylic ester group and epoxy, and (b) 70 to 99.95% by mole of at least one of fluorine-containing ethylenic monomers having no functional group.

A sensor assembly can detect at least one target material in an environment. The sensor assembly comprises at least one sensor and an amorphous fluoropolymer material coating disposed on a surface of the at least one sensor.

The magnetic recording medium of the invention comprises a substrate and a magnetic layer stacked thereon and composed of a dispersion of a ferromagnetic powder in a binder, and is characterized in that the binder contains a polyurethane resin 1 obtained by polymerization of a diol compound having a cyclic structure and a long-chain form of alkyl chain with a diisocyanate compound. Preferably, the polyurethane resin contains as diol components a dimer diol and an aliphatic diol having a medium-chain form of alkyl branched chain. The polyurethane resin may comprise a polyether polyol having a cyclic structure. A dibasic acid in the polyester polyol may contain an aliphatic dibasic acid, the diol component may contain an aliphatic diol that does not include a cyclic structure having an alkyl branched chain, and an chain extender may include a polyester polyol comprising an aliphatic diol having an alkyl branched chain.

A silver halide photographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having provided thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer, wherein the silver halide emulsion layer contains, in the dispersion medium phase of the emulsion, one or more kinds of inorganic fine particles having a refractive index the total weight of the fine particles contained in the unit volume of the dispersion medium phase is from 1.0 to 95 wt %, the dispersion medium phase containing the fine particles is substantially transparent to the photosensitive peak wavelength light of the emulsion layer, and the photographic material is exposed and processed in the development process comprising at least a developing step and a fixing step.

Described are modified Noggin muteins, compositions comprising the muteins, and DNA or RNA sequences comprising coding (sense) or antisense sequences for the muteins.

The present invention relates to a recombinant expression vector which is prepared by inserting a human parathyroid hormone gene containing a urokinase-specific cleavage site into an L-arabinose inducible vector containing a phosphoribulokinase gene fragment of Rhodabacter sphaeroides or its mutated gene as a fusion partner, or its mutate gene as a fusion partner, a recombinant microorganism transformed with the said expression vector, and a process for preparing human parathyroid hormone on a large scale by cultivating the said microorganism in a medium containing L-arabinose. In accordance with the invention, a recombinant human PTH having the same activity of the native human PTH can be prepared in a high yield through the precise control of induction by a manufacturing process which comprises a step of inducing expression of fusion protein in the microorganism transformed with the recombinant expression vector by L-arabinose.

This invention provides an isolated DNA molecule which is at least 30 nucleotides in length and which uniquely defines a herpesvirus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma. This invention provides an isolated herpesvirus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma. This invention provides an isolated peptide encoded by the isolated DNA molecule. Further, this invention provides an isolated DNA virus wherein the viral DNA is about 270 kb in size; wherein the DNA encodes a thymidine kinase; and wherein the viral DNA is capable of selectively hybridizing to a nucleic acid probe selected from the group consisting of SEQ. ID NOs:10-12. This invention provides an antibody specific to the peptide. Antisense and triplex oligonucleotide molecules are also provided. This invention provides a transgenic nonhuman mammal and a cell line containing at least a portion of the isolated DNA molecule. This invention provides a method of vaccinating a subject for KS, prophylaxis diagnosing or treating a subject with KS and detecting expression of a DNA virus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma in a cell.

A method for fabricating a boron-contained silicate glass layers, such as borosilicate and borophosphosilicate glass films at low temperature using High Density Plasma CVD with silane derivatives as a source of silicon, boron and phosphorus compounds as a doping compounds, oxygen is described. RF plasma with certain plasma density is maintained throughout the entire deposition step in reactor chamber. Key feature of the invention's process is a flow capability of boron-contained silicate glass materials which provide a film with good film integrity and void-free gap-fill within the steps of device structures after low temperature thermal budget anneal conditions.

According to the present invention, there is provided a gene therapy material which includes a nucleic acid material and a carbohydrate wherein the carbohydrate preferably is a modified pectin. Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a gene therapy material including a nucleic acid material, a carbohydrate material associated with the nucleic acid material, and a protective coating disposed about the carbohydrate material.

Neural tissue edema is treated by circulating a hyperoncotic artificial cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebrospinal fluid pathway in the vicinity of edematous tissue to cause the edematous tissue to be dehydrated due to an oncotic gradient between the hypertonic artificial cerebrospinal fluid and intracellular fluid and withdrawing the fluid from the pathway after it has been so circulated.

&agr;- and &bgr;-amino acid hydroxyethylamino sulfonamide compounds are effective as retroviral protease inhibitors, and in particular as inhibitors of HIV protease.

The present invention provides a method for coloring a rubber substrate with a latex-based colorant comprising the steps of providing a latex-based colorant that includes an elastomeric latex-based binder and a pigment system and mixing the latex-based colorant with the rubber substrate. Optionally, the latex-based colorant further comprises a surfactant system, a thickener, a defoamer, and an antioxidant. The present invention further provides a colored rubber and a latex-based colorant for coloring rubber.

The invention provides an improved process for the synthesis of compounds carrying at least one phosphate group, especially polyalkylene glycol phosphate compounds, said process comprising the steps of: (a) reacting a compound containing at least one primary alcohol moiety with a diaryl- or diaralkyl-halophosphate whereby to form the corresponding diaryl- or diaralkyl-phosphate ester; (b) reductively cleaving the resulting product; and (c) if desired, repeating steps (a) and (b) with the product of step (b) whereby to produce a compound carrying two or more phosphate groups. Advantages of the process in accordance with the invention are that this avoids the production of by-products and results in products which are low in impurities. Also provided are novel diaryl- and diaralkyl-phosphate ester compounds, in particular polyethylene glycol diphenylphosphate ester and derivatives thereof.

The present invention relates to polynucleotide and polypeptide molecules for zsig45, a novel human protein expressed in thyroid. The polypeptides, and polynucleotides encoding them, may be used for detecting human disease states and chromosomal abnormalities, and as a therapeutic. The present invention also includes antibodies to the zsig45 polypeptides.

The present invention provides an mbCRP capable of effectively suppressing complement activity and completely inhibiting generation of intermediates damaging a transplanted tissue during the complement activation. To be more specific, the present invention provides a membrane-bound C1 inhibitor comprising a protein containing a functional domain of a water-soluble C1 inhibitor and an anchor molecule attached to an end and/or an interior of the protein.

Novel gene, rin2, and encoded protein are disclosed which can inhibit the functional response induced by Ras-dependent signaling pathways are disclosed. Methods of inhibiting or enhancing Ras-dependent signaling and methods of treatment utilizing Rin2 are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a disposable surface wipe having a sensor which detects bodily waste contamination on a surface and which provides a signal indicating the presence of such contamination, desirably by detecting a component of the waste normally present in waste excreted by healthy individuals and not a component infrequently present in the waste due to special circumstances related to the health or other transient condition of the excreter. The signal provided by the sensor can be visible to a user of the article, and the article can include a substrate which incorporates the sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the article is a cleaning article which can efficaciously clean bodily waste contamination from a surface.

An arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances comprises an excitation glass fiber into which light which excites the storage luminescent substance can be fed by means of a light source. Light emitted by the excited storage luminescent substance can be fed into a receiving glass fiber, an end of the excitation glass fiber which is positioned close to the storage luminescent substance being arranged next to an end of the receiving glass fiber which can be positioned close to the storage luminescent substance. The excitation glass fiber (12) has a first numerical aperture and the receiving glass fiber has a second numerical aperture which is large compared with the first numerical aperture, as a result of which the light fed out from the excitation glass fiber is directed straight onto the storage luminescent substance without an optical arrangement and the stimulated light can be captured by the receiving glass fiber without an optical arrangement. A glass fiber drum scanner uses the arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances to achieve a two-dimensional readout of the storage luminescent substance by means of an advancing device which moves the one ends of the excitation glass fiber and the receiving glass fiber in one direction and by means of a rotary drum to which the storage luminescent substance is attached.

A microorganism manipulating apparatus that has a low cost and that uses optical trapping to concurrently acquire a plurality of microorganisms, comprises: an optical trapping device, including a single laser beam output unit for emitting a laser beam, an optical system for condensing the laser beam, and a single galvanoscanner for making the laser beam scan and emitting the laser beam to a microorganism to be manipulated to acquire the microorganism; and a multi-trap controller, for controlling a laser output control unit and a galvanoscanner driver so that the optical trap device can concurrently acquire a plurality of microorganisms in a time-sharing manner. With this arrangement, the cost required for equipment of an expensive laser projection system and an expensive scanning/optical system, can be reduced, and inexpensive equipment can be used to perform an efficient microorganism operation.

A controlled plasma deposition system and method are provided including a vacuum vessel. An electron adding mass spectrometer is connected to a vacuum vessel for carrying out a gas treatment for a semi-conductor wafer. In the mass spectrometer, a gas in the vacuum vessel is incorporated, and electrons are added to the particles in the gas. Then the value of negative ions obtained by ionizing the particles, for example specific radicals, is measured. Once measured, the information is forwarded to a controller that may optimize the plasma deposition method.

The present invention provides a technique capable of improving a mounting failure in a resin encapsulated semiconductor device and repairability thereof.The present semiconductor device includes a resin encapsulater, a semiconductor chip located within the resin encapsulater and having a plurality of electrodes on one main surface, a semiconductor chip loading portion disposed within the resin encapsulater and having a loaded surface for mounting the semiconductor chip thereon and an unloaded surface provided on the side opposite to the loaded surface, and a plurality of input/output leads which are connected to the plurality of electrodes to input signals to the plurality of electrodes of the semiconductor chip or output signals from the plurality of electrodes thereof and which extend outside the resin encapsulater. Further, the unloaded surface of the semiconductor chip loading portion comprises a plurality of regions separated from one another and the plurality of regions are exposed from the resin encapsulater.

An inspection stage has the following a chuck top on which an object to be examined is mounted, a Z base for which the chuck top is provided and which is vertically movable, an X stage which supports the Z base to be vertically movable and which is movable in an X direction, and a Y stage which supports the X stage to be movable in the X direction and which is movable in a Y direction. The Z base is held and supported by three Z shaft lift mechanisms and is vertically movable. The inspection stage is applicable to an inspection stage.

An air traffic control system in which an airborne GPS receiver on a trans-oceanic flight is provided pseudo range correction data and satellite integrity information from a group of terrestrial HF transmitters, transmitting on a common set of frequencies and using a time division multiplexing scheme.

In a pair of spectacles using liquid crystal lenses, an electrical circuit, for controlling the optical transmission of the liquid crystal lenses, controls the amplitude and/or duty cycle of the voltage driving the lens so as to operate the liquid crystal lens in the transition region, between maximum and minimum optical densities.

A plasma display panel having a structure that is capable of reducing a discharge area to decrease a discharge power. In the panel, first and second electrodes for generating a radio frequency discharge are arranged to be opposite and perpendicular to each other. The two electrodes generating the radio frequency discharge are perpendicularly arranged to limit the luminous area into the perpendicular area, thereby reducing a discharge power and improving the luminescence efficiency.

In an exposure control method and apparatus, pulsed illumination light from an excimer laser light source is reduced by an energy rough modulator before illuminating a reticle. The reticle and a wafer are moved or scanned relative to a projection optical system to sequentially transfer a pattern image of the reticle to individual shot areas on a wafer. An integrator sensor indirectly monitors the amount of exposure on the wafer, and an energy monitor monitors the energy of pulsed illumination light inside the excimer laser light source. Based on the result of measurement by the integrator sensor and the correlation between the result of measurement by the integrator sensor and the result of measurement by the energy monitor, the emission power of the excimer laser light source is finely modulated at a high speed without employing an energy fine modulator that finely modulates the transmittance by a mechanical drive and without causing an energy loss along the optical path of illumination light.

A first magnetic member including a first pole portion and a first yoke portion is formed so as to be supported by a substrate, and a write gap film is formed so as to cover the first magnetic member. A thin film is formed so as to be supported by an insulating film, and thereafter, an antireflection film is formed on the surface of the insulating film including an inclined portion rising on the write gap film. The antireflection film is patterned by a photolithography process so that the patterned antireflection film can remain only on the inclined portion. Then, a photoresist is applied so as to cover the antireflection film and the insulating film, and is processed by a photolithography process for a second magnetic member to form a resistframe having a given enclosed pattern. In the enclosed pattern of the resistframe is formed, so as to cover the antireflection film, the second magnetic member including a second pole portion opposing to the first pole portion via a write gap film and constituting, with the first pole portion, an air bearing surface to oppose to a magnetic recording medium and a second yoke portion magnetically connected to the first yoke portion in the remote position from the air bearing surface. In this way, the thin film magnetic head having the antireflection film between the insulating film and the second pole portion of the second magnetic member can be obtained.

A guide mechanism and method for positioning a tape media in a transverse position at a transducer. A first surface guide disposed to one side of the transducer engages the tape media surface to orient the tape media surface non-planar with respect to the transverse position. A second surface guide disposed between the first surface guide and transducer engages the tape media surface to orient the tape media surface parallel to the transverse position. An edge guide disposed adjacent to the transducer engages the edge of the tape media positioning the tape media at a predetermined transverse position. A third and fourth surface guides and a second edge guide may be provided on the opposite side of the transducer to permit positioning of the tape media having bidirectional movement.

A wiring board according to the present invention includes a mounting region in which memories having different storage capacities can be mounted. The mounting region has: first wires for, when a first memory is mounted, making it possible to access all the addresses of the first memory; and second wires for, when a second memory having a storage capacity different from that of the first memory, making it possible to access to all the addresses of the second memory. For this reason, before an electronic device on which the wiring board is mounted is shipped, a memory mounted in the mounting region can be selected depending on the demand of a user.

Transfer of ancillary information, typically related to main information stored on an optical disk, to or from a storage on a disk is performed before the disk is capable of reproducing information. Described is a disk fitting aid member arranged in a recording and reproduction apparatus. Reproduction or recording of management information or catalog information for main information recorded or to be recorded is triggered by the operation of the fitting aid member. Alternatively, a recording and reproduction apparatus is mounted with a disk detector, with which the mounting of the disk on a tray can be detected, and the recording and reproduction of information to or from the storage is triggered by this detection.

A semiconductor laser includes a substrate, semiconductor layers formed on the substrate, which construct a cavity including a waveguide with an active region and include at least one semiconductor layer whose refractive-index temperature coefficient is set at a non-positive or minute value sufficient to achieve at least one of the functions of stabilizing an oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser and suppressing an overflow of carriers from the active region, and a driving unit for causing electron-hole recombination in the active region.

A phase-shift distributed feedback semiconductor laser emitting device includes a resonator between a diffraction grating and a multiple quantum well layer, and the diffraction grating has a modulated period region different in period from a standard period region so as to make the diffraction grating asymmetrical with respect to a center of the diffraction grating, thereby increasing an optical output power at an output end surface.

The present invention provides an apparatus for generating L-band light source and an optical signal amplifier, specifically, relates to an apparatus for generating L-band light source by increasing amplification gain against an L-band light to execute a stable resonating operation, and to an optical amplifier which amplifies L-band light signal efficiently. That is, it is possible to use the output light of the first optical fiber amplifier 10 as a pumping light of the second optical fiber amplifier 20 by connecting the first optical fiber amplifier 10 for supplying a maximum amplification gain against an input light having a wavelength of 1530 nm to 1560 nm with the second optical fiber amplifier 20 for supplying a maximum amplification gain against an input light having a wavelength of 1570 nm to 1610 nm in series, thus securing a satisfied amplification gain against a L-band light and to generate a desirable light source.

A dual film image capture, electronic image capture camera is capable of electronic information editing after each substantially simultaneous film and electronic exposure, and it magnetically records the information adjacent each one of the exposed film frames after completed exposure of the entire film length.

The invention relates to a method for the control of the bandpass width in the filtering of an intermediate frequency signal of an audio receiver of a radio reception apparatus. A signal parameter of a user signal of the audio receiver which is received at a reception frequency is determined and taken into account and a signal parameter of at least one neighboring signal which is received at a neighboring frequency which is adjacent to the reception frequency is determined. The bandpass width of the intermediate frequency filtering is selected in dependence at least on the signal parameter which is determined from the user signal, on the signal parameter which is determined from the neighboring signal and on the frequency distance between the reception frequency and the user frequency. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding radio reception apparatus.

The present invention provides a cellular phone comprising: a housing having front and rear casings wherein the rear casing comprises a metallic layer coated on an inner side of the rear casing for insulating electromagnetic radiation, a circuit board installed in the housing having a board surface and an antenna connector installed at an upper end of the board surface, an antenna installed at an upper end of the housing and electrically connected with the antenna connector at the upper end of the board surface for receiving or emitting electromagnetic radiation, and an elastic conductor. When the front and rear casings are connected, the elastic conductor is elastically clamped between the board surface of the circuit board and the metallic layer on the inner side of the rear casing so that the metallic layer on the inner side of the rear casing, the upper end of the board surface and the elastic conductor will form an insulating envelope for preventing electromagnetic radiation emitted from the antenna connector from interfering with circuits of the cellular phone which are positioned inside the housing of the cellular phone and outside the insulating envelope.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for medical imaging of parts of a patient in which imaging data acquisition is gated by a combination of electrocardiogram (ECG) and peripheral pulse (PPU) signals from the patient. The methods of the invention include obtaining ECG signals from a patient in a medical imaging apparatus, obtaining PPU signals from the patient, providing one or more synchronization signals in dependence on both the ECG signals and the PPU signals, wherein the synchronization signals indicate occurrences of pre-determined phases of the cyclic movements of the heart only if the PPU signals also indicate that the determined heart phase is physiologically possible, and controlling the medical imaging apparatus in dependence on the synchronization signals to collect imaging data synchronized with cyclic movements of the heart from the patient in the examination zone and to reconstruct a medical image of a part of the patient from the collected imaging data. The medical imaging apparatus of the invention includes such units in addition to the imaging units as are necessary from the practice of the methods of the invention. This invention is preferably applied to magnetic resonance imaging and to computed tomographic x-ray imaging.

Noninvasive instrumentation and procedures have been developed for estimating the apparent age of human and animal subjects based on the irradiation of skin tissue with near-infrared light. The method of age estimation provides additional information about primary sources of systematic tissue variability due to chronological factors and environmental exposure. Therefore, categorization of subjects on the basis of the estimated apparent age is suitable for further spectral analysis and the measurement of biological and chemical compounds, such as blood analytes. Furthermore, age determination of subjects has particular benefit in assessment of therapies used to reduce the effects of ageing in tissue and measurement of tissue damage.

An enhanced filling/weighing system utilizes first and second weighing stages. The first stage includes a first top container having an associated weighing device, e.g., a load cell. The second stage includes a second bottom container having an associated weighing device, e.g., a load cell. A high speed bulk feed subsystem supplies product to the top cup. A low speed dribble feed subsystem supplies product to the lower cup. In operation, the bulk feed subsystem feeds product to the top cut at a high speed. The top cup fills to its first setpoint (plus overfill, e.g., attributable to feed momentum) once per cycle. When the system controller recognizes that the top cup weight has reached the first setpoint, it pauses th bulk feed, discharges the top cup into the bottom cup, starts the dribble feed into the bottom cup, and starts the next cycle of bulk feed into the top cup. Thus, the top cup fills at high speed during cycle N+1 concurrently with the bottom cup filling at low speed during cycle N. When the system controller recognizes that the bottom cup weight has reached a second setpoint, the dribble feed is interrupted and the content is transferred out of the bottom cup awaiting the next transfer from the top cup.

A system for allowing a node to be accessed through multiple address spaces. The system includes a virtual address memory providing a software settable bus identification address and a stable node identification address for each node in a net, a physical address memory providing a physically assigned node identification address for each node in a local bus, and a logical address memory providing a stable node identification address for each node in the local bus.

An apparatus and method for establishing construction information of an unmanaged Ethernet switch which is capable of readily replacing a memory according to a construction form of each option slot without opening or closing an outer casing. In the apparatus for establishing construction information of an unmanaged Ethernet switch, a first memory storing switch construction information, in the case where there is no option board mounted in an option slot, is positioned on a main board, and a second memory storing switch construction information, in the case where there is a option board in the option slot, is positioned on the option board, so that when there is no option board in the option slot, the first memory is automatically used, and when there is an option board in the option slot, the second memory is used.

A memory system architecture/interconnect topology that includes at least one point-to-point link between a master, and at least one memory subsystem. The memory subsystem includes a buffer device coupled to a plurality of memory devices. The memory system may be upgraded through dedicated point-to-point links and corresponding memory subsystems. The master communicates to the plurality of memory devices in each memory subsystem through the respective buffer device via each point-to-point link.

The disk array controller includes a plurality of interfaces with respective processors for connecting with a host computer or disk devices, duplicated shared memories connected in a one to one ratio between each interface and respective access paths, a selector connected to the plurality of interfaces, and a cache memory connected to the selector. The number of access paths between the selector and the plurality of interfaces is greater than the number of access paths between the cache memory and the selector. Each processor performs dual writing in the duplicated shared memories.

A computer system and methods for loading a program and for modifying a program loaded in a memory without stopping the computer system are disclosed. The computer system includes a memory having a first area storing the executable codes, a second area storing the data codes, a third area which is a reserve area for the first area, and a fourth area which is a reserve area for the second area. When a modification of the program is required, execution of the program is stopped temporarily and modified executable codes are loaded in at least the first area. Then, the execution of the program is resumed. The modified executable codes may be loaded in the first area and third area when the size of the modified executable codes is greater than the size of the first area. The control program may be an operating system (OS), for example, of the computer system.

An LSI design method includes (a) performing an arrangement wiring on a plurality of macro blocks, (b) performing a timing analysis on the plurality of macro blocks based on the result of the arrangement wiring, and (c) designing an inside portion of each of the plurality of macro blocks based on the result of the timing analysis.

The database generation unit refers to the source program, lists routes passed during the execution of the source program, and enters the route information in the route information database. As a result of executing the load module, the relevant information such as a value of a parameter used when a route is passed, and an execution state are entered in the route information database. The similar route determination unit extracts from the route information database a route path not passed, determines a similar route from passed routes, and transmits the relevant information in the input parameter generation unit. Based on the information about similar routes, the input parameter generation unit generates and outputs an input parameter required to pass a non-passed route path and a condition to be satisfied by an input parameter.

A cardboard-plastic slide mount includes a cardboard bottom, a cardboard cover and a plastic brace between the bottom and the cover. The cardboard bottom and the cardboard cover include aligned film windows. The cover and bottom have a plastic coating on their inner surface, allowing the plastic brace to be bonded to the cover and base using a bonding agent. When assembled, the plastic brace is located between the bottom and the cover to define a film nest for containing a film transparency.

A wall panel system of the present invention includes a plurality of inter-connecting tongue-and-groove panels which are framed by top, bottom, and side channel members to form walls which may be easily erected and taken down. The bottom channel member has a back leg, a front leg, and a bottom surface extending between the back and front legs. The top channel member can either be an integral, one-piece assembly or a two-piece assembly. In the one piece assembly, the top channel member is substantially similar to the bottom channel member. The two piece top channel member includes a fixed member and a locking leg mountable to the fixed member. The fixed member includes a back leg, an upper surface, and a rearwardly facing groove in the upper surface. The locking leg includes a finger which is received in the groove. The locking leg can have either a single panel or have or a pair of spaced apart arms. The locking leg extends down from the fixed member when mounted to the fixed member to define a front leg of the top channel member. Fasteners are used to secure the single panel locking member to the wall panel. When the double-arm locking leg is used, fasteners are not required.

A method and plant for treating laminated glass having at least two glass sheets between which is arranged at least on intermediate sheet of non-glass material. The glass is attacked in a basic solution of fragmented laminated glass, so as to obtain an attack medium, wherein the fragments are disintegrated into non-laminated glass fragments and non-glass material, separating in a) the basic solution, b) the disintegrated non-laminated fragments and c) the disintegrated fragments of the non-glass material, and neutralizing the disintegrated fragments “b) and c)” before their subsequent recycling or upgrading.

An electronic combination lock including an electronic combination input device, a lock-bolt mounted for movement between locked and unlocked positions and a rotatable first engagement element having disengaged and engageable positions. A first electric actuator is electrically coupled with the electronic combination input device and includes a rotatable output for rotating the first engagement element to its engageable position in response to a proper combination input. A manually operated and rotatable second engagement element may be engaged with the first engagement element in the engageable position thereof. A lock-bolt drive mechanism is operatively coupled between the lock-bolt and the first engagement element. A second electric actuator includes a movable output operatively coupled to the first engagement element to prevent the first engagement element from rotating until the proper combination is input.

In the tire testing method before and after an alteration in the tire pressure a respective interferogram is produced of the tire surface using coherent radiation and the interferogram is used to obtain an information concerning any defects present in the tire is obtained. The tire testing apparatus comprises a rotatably supported shaft on which the wheel with the tire to be tested is mounted, a bearing device by which the wheel with the shaft is shiftable in longitudinal direction of the shaft, a shaft locking device by which the shaft is locked with respect to a movement in the longitudinal direction of the shaft thereafter, a guiding device by which the test head is moved in a radial direction of the wheel, a wheel locking device by which the wheel is mechanically locked when the wheel is further rotated by hand by an amount of a test segment and when the next segment is in test position in front of the test head, and a starting device by which the testing on defects of a first test segments of the tire is started.

A test fixture for testing hovering performance of a tailcone of a countermeasure device is disclosed. The tailcone includes a motor and a propeller which is driven by the motor. The test fixture includes an upper support device, a lower support device, at least one cable connected between the upper and lower support devices and a connection device which slidably attaches the tailcone to the at least one cable, thereby restricting movement of the tailcone along the at least one cable. The upper support device is supported above a water-filled tank, the lower support is disposed in the water-filled tank and the hovering capability of the tailcone is tested by operating the tailcone in the tank. The connection device includes a number of extensions affixed to the tailcone. The extensions each include a clasp spaced from the tailcone. The clasps, are slidably joined along the cables, thereby attaching the tailcone to the cables. The fixture further includes a winch attached to the upper support device, wherein one of the cables is wound onto the winch. The winch retracts the attached cable, thereby pulling the lower support device from the tank.

An oil level sensor for a vehicle includes a receiver tube oriented upright in the oil pan of the vehicle. A level tube is disposed in the receiver tube and below the level tube is a reference tube. A circuit is electrically connected to the tubes for outputting a signal representative of oil level in the oil pan. As the engine oil level decreases within the level tube, the output of the sensor drops. When the engine oil level is below the bottom of the level tube but higher than the top of the reference tube, the output reaches the lowest value. As the engine oil level continuous decreasing (below the top of the reference tube), the output increases for a first circuit configuration (i.e., level with reference tube), and will stay constant for the second configuration level.

A method and apparatus for evaluating the end cap round transducer horn assemblies used in debubbling operations wherein the ECR THA can be evaluated off-line at both high and low power and on-line by making electrical measurements on the ECR THA. The electrical measurements are used to characterize the physical condition of the piezoelectric ceramics of the THA. A test box is employed to practice the method. The test box is connected between the THA and a signal analyzer. Power is supplied to the THA and the electrical signals across the THA are sampled. The sampled electrical signals are transmitted to the signal analyzer while maintaining the amplitude and phase relationship thereof. The sampled electrical signals are used to generate an impedance trace for the particular THA. That impedance trace is compared to a model impedance trace. In such manner, it can be determined whether the ECR THA is operational. Further, if the ECR THA is in working condition, the impedance trace can be used to determine how efficiently it is operating. This allows for an ultimate determination to be made of how well a particular ECR THA is functioning.

A method for producing steel rolling bearing rings, starting from a hot-rolled tube, the structure of which is similar to a spheroidized structure and from which rings of the same continuous length are hot-cut while supplying a lubricant and, after cooling, are further processed. The hot-cutting takes place at a temperature below the transformation temperature of the rolling bearing steel used but above 720° C., with subsequent cooling in static air. From the blank ring a green or soft ring of a rolling bearing ring is produced with narrow tolerances of its shaped elements by an optimally timed multistage machining type of cold further processing operation, the main element of the cold further processing being a turning operation.

The invention is a tar retention device for insertion in the smoke path of a cigarette between the point of combustion and the smoker. The device is comprised of a chamber with an inlet duct formed on the side of the point of combustion and outlet side facing the smoker. The inlet duct is narrower than the outlet duct and each duct tapers towards their respective ends inside of the chamber. The difference in dimensions of the inlet and outlet ducts creates a hypobaric action within the chamber causing the deposition of tar within the chamber.

A bone cement delivery apparatus is provided. The delivery apparatus includes a delivery tube and a connector. The delivery tube has an inner wall providing an axial bore. The connector is provided at a proximal end of the delivery tube. The connector includes at least one receiving slot in the inner wall. The receiving slot includes a transverse portion comprising an override surface and a local recess which cooperate to removably mate the delivery tube and the connector with a bone cement dispensing apparatus.

Disclosed is a pneumatic tire adopting a bias ply structure in which plural carcass layers are disposed so that cords cross each other between the layers, and having an aspect ratio of 55% or less and an outer diameter of 300 mm or less, wherein a cord angle to a tire circumferential direction of said carcass layer is set to a range from 27 to 37° in the center line position, and a surface shape of a tread portion is formed to be straight to a tire width direction in the region of 60 to 75% of a tread width.

A method and system for implementing a secure return policy of supply chain for digitally stored products. The method and system verifies whether each product for return originated within the supply chain. If the product did originate within the supply chain and qualifies for return under the supply chain's return policy, the data existing on the physical media is securely rendered unusable. A record of the destruction allows for a reversal of the entire transaction within the supply chain.

Various instruments are provided to the structural chassis of a riding or standing mower, in order to accessorize various equipment that may be applied thereto, or readily removed, as required. These include tubular mounting brackets, that may secure, normally, permanently to the structural framework of the chassis, and accept the mounting thereto of the framework of any accessory, when installed in preparation for usage, or quickly removed, when no longer required. In addition, this invention provides mechanism for controlling the operations of the pivotal gate used in conjunction with, more specifically, a fertilizer spreader, and electrifies its functioning, so that the spreader can be initiated and applied through the application of a single ignition switch, which may be operated by the hand, or ever as a foot lever, to commence the operations of the spreader, or to immediately shut it off, as required by the operator.

An airbag inflation system for a vehicle utilizes a truck's an ambient air compression system including a holding tank for providing compressed air to vehicle systems and an air pump. An outlet is added to the holding tank with a frangible seal closing the outlet until discharge of the air is required to inflate the airbag. An air line connecting the outlet to the airbag is filled upon activation of a squib for breaking the frangible seal upon detection of a rollover related event.

A tension sensing switch assembly for a seat restraint system in a vehicle includes a housing for mounting to a seat restraint buckle of the seat restraint system and an actuating member disposed in the housing for movement therein and cooperating with belt webbing. The tension sensing switch assembly also includes a spring disposed in the housing for cooperating with the actuating member. The tension sensing switch assembly further includes a switch disposed in the housing and cooperable with the actuating member to indicate a first tension level and a second tension level in the seat restraint system when the spring is deflected.

A preferred embodiment of a fluid powered apparatus has a housing, a piston and an off-axis member to deter piston rod rotation relative to the housing. In a further aspect of the present invention, an off-center pin actuates one or more sensors while also deterring rotation of a piston rod relative to a housing. An additional aspect of the present invention provides for complete retention and sealing of a sensor within a housing.

A lamp attachment for a flashlight includes a hollow bulb for transmitting light, the bulb having an open end,mounted on a hollow base. The base is interiorly threaded for attachment to the threaded end of a flashlight with the lens attachment removed from the flashlight housing. The lighting element of the flashlight projects within the bulb to provide used light like a lamp.

An optical fiber connector and cable having a transducer and a receiver for optical transmission is provided. The optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber cable, and first and second connectors. The first connector has a transducer for controlling data transmission, and is connected to one end of the optical fiber cable. The second connector has a receiver for controlling data reception, and is connected to the other end of the optical fiber cable. The first and second connectors are inserted into coaxial cable connectors which are respectively connected to an external transmission interface unit and an external reception interface unit. According to the connector and cable, a transducer and a receiver which are used for optical fiber cable transmission are installed in a connector of an optical fiber cable. Therefore, the connector and optical cable are compatible with digital data transmission systems which exclusively use a coaxial cable. Further, an interface system between a computer and multiple peripheral apparatus uses an optical fiber cable rather than a coaxial cable as a transmission cable, so that the data transmission speed and the performance can be improved.

In electronic film development, a film is scanned, using light, multiple times during development. The light is reflected from an emulsion containing milky undeveloped silver halide embedded with developing grains. The undeveloped halide layer has a finite depth over which photons from a light source scatter backward. This depth is within the range of the coherency length of infrared sources commonly used in electronic film development, causing coherency speckle noise in the scanned image. A prescan made after the emulsion swells, but before the silver grains develop, normalizes subsequent scans, pixel by pixel, to cancel coherency speckle and other defects.

A keyway is cut in a shaft by means of a cutting unit moved along a guideway on a base that is clamped on the shaft. The cutting unit has a milling head that is slimmer than the desired keyway. The keyway is cut in more than one sweep and the transverse position of the cutting unit is adjusted between the sweeps. In this way, narrow and wide keyways can be cut with the same precision and with one and the same comparatively small machine.

An exercise device for use with a support frame is disclosed. The device includes a pair of spaced clamp members each having a body portion terminating in first and second edges. A length-adjustable attachment member interconnects the clamp members, and a grip element is associated with the attachment member intermediate the clamp members. A leverage mechanism is operatively connected to the clamp members so that when the clamp member first edges are supported on a frame, the leverage mechanism urges the clamp member second edges laterally inwardly against the support frame in response to a downward force exerted on the grip element.

The present invention relates to novel members of the Tumor Necrosis Factor family of receptors. The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding human TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptors. TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 polypeptides are also provided, as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptor activity. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting disease states related to the aberrant expression of TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptors. Further provided are therapeutic methods for treating disease states related to aberrant proliferation and differentiation of cells which express the TR11, TR11SV1, and TR11SV2 receptors.

An anal incontinence disease treatment apparatus and method include and use an operable restriction device implanted in a patient and engaging the colon or engaging the rectum to form a restricted fecal passageway in the colon or rectum. A source of energy for energizing the restriction device is provided, as well as a control device for releasing energy from the source of energy from outside the patient's body. The released energy is used in connection with the operation of the restriction device, i.e. to enlarge and contract the fecal passageway to allow or substantially prevent passage of fecal material through the passageway.

The present invention 10 discloses a prosthetic device used for end to side, end to end, and side to side anastomosis without clamping and suture or without suture but with clamping wherein the graft is inserted into the lumen 17 of the tubular member 18 of the prosthesis having a diameter approximately equal to the inside diameter of the tubular member 18 of the prosthesis for end to end and end to side anastomosis and can be everted 28 to cover that part of the prosthesis that will reside within the vein, artery or other tubular organ 12 and affixed to the base of the prosthesis by a circular suture 30. The tubular member 18 of the prosthesis 10 is attached to a base flange member 16 having apertures 24 therein which allow the flange 16 to be stitched to the outside of the aorta or other tubular organ 12 to eliminate the introduction of foreign bodies into the lumen of the anastomosis. The prosthesis 10 can be manufactured in varying sizes to accommodate varying sizes of grafts 14 and may have bezelled edges 38, a border 36 and be U-shaped 40 and it can also be cut in halves. The prothesis can be made of titanium, stainless steel, silicone, biodegradable materials, or of any other inert materials. The prothesis 10 makes it possible to do any kind of vascular, intestinal, urinary, choledochal anastomosis or anastomosis between any two tubular organs.

On the-inside of heated molds hollow bodies are formed by vulcanization, the bodies are formed of elements from natural or synthetic rubber and/or treated elastomers, possibly associated with different materials such as leather, skin, cotton, metals, expanded rubbers and others, combined with each other. A pressurized fluid, such as hot or cold air, vapor or compatible gas, is injected between the hollow bodies being formed. During vulcanization, the components, airtight-coupled with each other along at least a contact and sealing common line, are pushed and kept in forming adhesion against the mold surfaces by the pressurized fluid.

The invention is embodied in an RF plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, including as reactor chamber bounded by a chamber wall defining an interior region of the chamber, a gas inlet, an RF power source and an RF power applicator proximal the chamber and connected to the RF power source, and an opening in this chamber communicating with the interior region of the chamber. The invention further includes a magnet apparatus disposed adjacent said opening to resist flow of plasma ions through the opening, and the magnet apparatus comprising a first pair of magnetic poles and a second pair of magnetic poles, the first pair of magnetic poles facing the second pair of magnetic poles across the opening.

The present invention generally provides an apparatus for forming a doped metal film on a conductive substrate. In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided that includes a phosphorus doped anode used for depositing a phosphorus doped metal film, such as a seed layer, in an electrochemical deposition process. The phosphorus doped anode preferably includes an enclosure providing for flow of an electrolyte therethrough, a phosphorus doped metal disposed within the enclosure, and an electrode disposed through the enclosure and in electrical connection with the phosphorus doped metal. Another aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for electrochemical deposition of a phosphorus doped metal onto a substrate includes a substrate holder adapted to hold the substrate in a position where the substrate plating surface is exposed to an electrolyte in an electrolyte container, a cathode electrically contacting the substrate plating surface, an electrolyte container having an electrolyte inlet, an electrolyte outlet and an opening adapted to receive the substrate plating surface, and a phosphorus doped anode electrically connected to the electrolyte.

A method of preparing a porous film comprises electrodepositing material from a mixture onto a substrate, the mixture comprising: (I) a source of metal, inorganic oxide, non-oxide semiconductor/conductor or organic polymer, (II) a solvent such as water; and (III) a structure-directing agent such as octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether in an amount sufficient to form an homogeneous lyotropic liquid crystalline phase in the mixture. Electrodepositing the film from a lyotropic liquid phase in this manner provides a porous film having a substantially regular structure and substantially uniform pore size. Following deposition, the porous film may be treated to remove the structure-directing agent. The porous film may optionally be subjected to further treatment such as the electrochemical or chemical insertion of ionic species, the physical absorption of organic, inorganic or organometallic species, or the electrodeposition, solution phase deposition or gas phase deposition of organic, inorganic or organometallic species.

A non-magnetic substrate having a super-clean and defect-free smooth surface for ultra high-density GMR recording is produced by a surface treatment called a “ZP” process. The term “ZP” means zap cutting with photon ozone treatment of the cut surface. “Zap cutting” is a process for cutting asperity of the non-magnetic substrate's surface. The ZP process could be applied to the whole substrate or certain areas of the non-magnetic substrate. The non-magnetic substrate could be used for disk drives that use either a landing zone design or a load/unload mechanism. The resulting magnetic recording medium exhibits improved flying stability, glide performance, reliability, tribology and long term durability for providing zero glide hits.

Multilayer articles, particularly multilayer articles having electrical or ionic conductivity, are made using an improved melt extrusion process. The process includes a combination step in which a macroscopically homogeneous mass is formed prior to introduction into an extruder. The multilayer article may include an electrode layer and a separator layer that are extruded onto a metal current collector. Such structures are particularly useful in lithium-ion batteries.

Contacts connected to wires are set in a lower mold and an upper mold is then fitted on the lower mold. The upper and lower molds include contact restraining portions and wire restraining portions, and upper mold holding members and lower mold holding members extending into the cavity at opposite positions enabling these holding members to restrain the wires. The upper and lower molds further include elastic members arranged to urge the upper and lower mold holding members into the cavity of the upper and lower molds for restraining the wire before an insulating plastic material is poured into the cavity. Either of the upper and lower mold is provided with a contact positioning portion adapted to abut against distal ends of the contacts for positioning the contacts relative to the molds. Under closed condition of the molds, an insulating plastic material is poured into the cavity of the molds, while the upper and lower mold holding members are forced away from the wires out of the plastic material by the pressure of the plastic material being poured into the cavity. The plastic material is then cooled or heated so as to be solidified or hardened. After solidification, the upper mold is removed from the lower mold and the harness comprising the contacts and wires held and fixed in the plastic material is then taken out of the lower mold.

A process for separating a solid compound other than lithium hydroxide, such as sodium chloride, in which lithium hydroxide is hydrosulfurized by bubbling gaseous hydrogen sulfide through an aprotic solvent, such as a polar organic compound, containing lithium hydroxide and the solid compound other than lithium hydroxide, solid-liquid separation is conducted under a condition in which the reaction of lithium hydrosulfide to lithium sulfide and hydrogen sulfide is suppressed and at a temperature of the liquid for separation at 50 to 150° C., and the separated crystal cake is further washed with the aprotic solvent to highly recover lithium hydrosulfide.

Disclosed are methods and materials for obtaining spatially resolved images of specific types of tissues. The method for imaging tissue comprises administering to the tissue a deuterated imaging agent and performing spectroscopy, preferably Raman spectroscopy. Electromagnetic radiation, such as a near infrared laser beam, is directed to a tissue of interest. The radiation can be scanned across and within the tissue of interest. When used in combination with a light collection system, it is possible to map out a specific volume of tissue, obtaining information regarding the distribution of specific endogenous chemical species. In some embodiments, specific imaging agents are employed to impart contrast between chemically different types of tissues.

Methods and compositions are disclosed for producing air-activated, i.e., oxygen (O2) activated, disinfectant-sterilent solutions. Solutions containing a haloperoxidase (i.e., a halide:hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidoreductase, such as myeloperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase or lactoperoxidase) plus a halide or combination of halides (i.e., chloride, bromide and/or iodide), an oxidase (i.e., a substrate:O2 oxidoreductase) capable of generating H2O2, and a substrate specific for that oxidase, are separately prepared under aerobic conditions, but all of the component solutions are made anaerobic prior to final combination and mixing. The anaerobic formulations are dispensed into containers capable of maintaining the anaerobic condition (e.g., pressurized canisters). Dispensing the solution at the time of use exposes the formulation to air (i.e., O2) which activates its disinfectant-sterilent properties. O2 is the rate limiting component for oxidase generation of H2O2. Under aerobic conditions the oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of its substrate and the reduction of O2 to generate H2O2. In turn, H2O2 serves as substrate for haloperoxidase which catalyzes the oxidation of halide to hypohalous acid. Hypohalous acid reacts with an additional H2O2 to generate singlet molecular oxygen (1O2). Hypohalous acid (e.g., hypochiorous acid) and especially 1O2 are potent microbicidal agents. Both haloperoxidase generation of hypohalous acid and its reactive consumption to yield 1O2 are dependent on the availability of H2O2. A high rate of H2O2 generation does not result in the accumulation of hypohalous acid, but instead results in a high rate of 1O2 production. The microbicidal capacity and toxicity of 1O2 are limited by the half-life of this metastable electronically excited reactant, and as such, disinfectant-sterilent activity is temporally defined by and confined to the dynamics of oxidant generation.

The present invention relates to use of natural flavidin compound (2,7-dihydroxy 9,10-dihydrophenanthro-4,5 bcd-pyran) as an antioxidant in compositions comprising flavidin and other additives.

An elongated structural member is provided, which in a specific embodiment includes an outer thin-walled shell, with at least one elongated strut member and at least one planar rib member having an outer peripheral surface disposed within the shell in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell, a first portion of the outer periopheral surface of the at least one rib member contacting the inner surface of the shell and a second portion of the outer peripheral surface of the at least one rib member contacting the at least one strut member.

The disclosure relates to a carpet, a process for manufacturing a carpet and a method for recycling a carpet. The carpet of the present disclosure includes a primary backing having tufts of synthetic carpet fibers protruding from a top surface and, optionally, a secondary backing, with an extruded sheet of a polyolefin polymer composition between and integrally fused to a bottom surface of the primary backing and an upper surface of the secondary backing. The extruded sheet polymer composition comprises at least 10%, preferably, at least 20% by weight of a syndiotactic polypropylene product. The extruded sheet polymer composition may further comprise less than 40% by weight of an impact modifier. The process for manufacturing the recyclable carpet includes contacting the extruded sheet with the primary backing and, optionally, the secondary backing, at a temperature sufficiently high to integrally fuse the extruded sheet to the respective backing. The extruded sheet provides excelled adhesion and abrasion properties.

The invention relates to a passive ceramic component with a carrier substrate, at least one first electrode, at least one first barrier layer, at least one dielectric, and at least one second electrode. A metal, an alloy, or a conductive oxide is used for the barrier layer.

In an LDD structure MOSFET, a protecting multilayer insulating film is formed to cover a gate electrode in order to protect the gate electrode and the gate oxide film from a moisture included in an upper level layer. The protecting multilayer insulating film includes a protecting nitride film for preventing infiltration of moisture, and another protecting insulator film having a compressive stress for relaxing a tensile stress of the protecting nitride film. Thus, it is possible to prevent infiltration of moisture, and simultaneously, it is possible to minimize energy levels for trapping electrons and holes, which would have otherwise been formed within the gate oxide film and at a boundary between the gate oxide film and the semiconductor substrate because of the tensile stress of the protecting nitride film.

According to one aspect of the present invention an optically active glass contains Sb2O3, up to about 4 mole % of an oxide of a rare earth element, and 0-20 mole % of a metal halide selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal bromide, a metal chloride, and mixtures thereof, wherein this metal is a trivalent metal, a divalent metal, a monovalent metal, and mixtures thereof. In addition, any of the glass compositions described herein may contain up to 15 mole % B2O3 substituted for an equivalent amount of Sb2O3.

A method for increasing immune responses of a human patient infected with HIV, involving contacting the T-cells, in vitro or in vivo, with an organic compound at a concentration effective to cause T-cell proliferation, but below an amount that causes detectable cytotoxicity.

The invention relates to the use of creatine and/or creatine derivatives for treating typical disorders in women, for example PMS or dysmenorrhea, which involves the prophylactic of therapeutic use, in particular, of creatine monohydrate, creatine pyruvates, creatine ascorbates and creatine &agr;-ketoglutarates as creatine derivatives in preferred daily doses of 0.1 g to 20 g. The invention also provides for the use of creatine or its derivatives as mixtures with a pyruvate, ascorbate or &agr;-ketoglutarate. The creatine or its appropriate derivatives are not restricted to any particular form of application, which makes them all the more suitable for the many symptoms of typical female disorders.

A wide array of textile fabric substrates can be treated to improve the colorfastness and washfastness of ink jet ink formulations. The aqueous treatment formulations include between about 5-95% cationic polymers or copolymers, and between about 5-20% fabric softeners. Additionally, the formulations may also include between about 0-80% of a polymeric latex binder so as to increase washfastness. These percentages are based on a conventional measurement for solids content.

Erythromycin A oxime in the form of a hemihydrate.

Method of generating creeping discharge with certainty without causing puncture is applied on the basis of researching the creeping discharge characteristic of insulated wire. An overhead distribution system including insulated wire is provided with an insulated wire for field relaxation having twice such a predetermined length that creeping flashover is occurred by lightening surge from supported point of the insulated wire by an insulator, but is not followed by AC follow current, and the insulated wire for field relaxation is disposed in parallel to the insulated wire, supported at its central portion by the insulator and connected at both ends of the conductor of the insulated wire for field relaxation to the conductor of the insulated wire and covered at their connected portion with an insulating cover.

The present invention relates to a cover element, such as a lid for a module, such as a DC/DC-module and then preferably for a DC/DC-module of the so-called BGA-type. To enable manufacture and handling of DC/DC-modules to be simplified, the modules have been provided with a lid (2). The main purposes of a module lid is to provide a surface which enables the module to be vacuum-plucked and which provides a surface for marking the module and also which provides a certain degree of mechanical protection to the module printed circuit board (1) when handling the module. The lid has partially open sides (5) which enable cool air to pass around the components on the module and which also enable washing and rinsing liquids to be evacuated from the module.

A light emitting device and a method of increasing the light output of the device utilize a chirped multi-well active region to increase the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes within the light emitting active layers of the active region by altering the electron and hole distribution profiles within the light emitting active layers of the active region (i.e., across the active region). The chirped multi-well active region produces a higher and more uniform distribution of electrons and holes throughout the active region of the device by substantially offsetting carrier diffusion effects caused by differences in electron and hole mobility by using complementary differences in layer thickness and/or layer composition within the active region. Thus, the chirped design of the multi-well active region increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes within the light emitting active layers of the active region, which results in an increased light output of the device. The multi-well active region of the device may be chirped with respect to light emitting active layers and/or barrier layers of the active region. The light emitting device may be a III-V material LED, a II-VI material LED, a polymer or organic LED, a laser diode or an optical amplifier.

A method and apparatus are provided for implementing enhanced silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate operations. The apparatus for implementing enhanced silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate operations includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate field effect transistor. A select input is coupled to the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate field effect transistor. A discharging field effect transistor of an opposite channel type is coupled to the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate field effect transistor. The discharging field effect transistor is activated during an off cycle of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate field effect transistor. The discharging field effect transistor is coupled to the body of the SOI passgate field effect transistor. The discharging field effect transistor is deactivated during an on cycle of the SOI passgate field effect transistor, whereby the body of the SOI passgate field effect transistor floats during the on cycle. The method for implementing enhanced silicon-on-insulator (SOI) passgate operations can be used with N-channel or P-channel implementations as well as with a combination of N-channel and P-channel devices.

A semiconductor device includes a base substrate which has four sides, a first major surface and a second major surface opposite to the first major surface, and a semiconductor chip which is mounted on the first major surface and has an electrode formed thereon. The semiconductor device also has a bonding pad which is formed on the first major surface, a wiring pattern which is formed on the first major surface and is connected to the wiring pattern, and a bonding wire which connects the electrode of the semiconductor chip to the bonding pad. The semiconductor device also has a dummy pattern which is formed on the first major surface positioned between the center of one side and the semiconductor chip, and a sealing resin which covers the semiconductor chip, the bonding wire, the bonding pad and a part of the dummy pattern.

In a method for producing a warning signal for switching on a vehicle lighting system when the environmental brightness is inadequate, the external light signal is transmitted as a radio signal, in a first step, and is received by the vehicle. In addition, further operating data are detected, an evaluation is then carried out by a control unit and, if necessary, a warning signal is produced for the operator. In an apparatus for use with the method there is control unit for detection and logic-processing of signals. This control unit produces a warning signal for the driver.

In an optical printing apparatus, an image having a high image quality is desirably produced under stable condition, even when variations occur and exposure conditions are different from each other, which are caused by differences in response speeds of a light source and a liquid crystal shutter element, and also by differences in element driving conditions. The optical printing apparatus is arranged by including: image data input for inputting image data; reference level generator producing a reference level; comparator for comparing multi-value data outputted from the image data input with the reference level so as to convert the multi-value data into binary data; data transferring element for transferring the binary data outputted from the comparator as head data to the print head; latch controller for latching data of the print data; and strobe controller capable of causing the print head to expose the light therefrom. Then, the liquid crystal shutter element corresponding to a non-recording pixel is also ON/OFF-driven. Accordingly, deterioration in the image quality and color shifts, which are caused by a difference in driving intervals, can be solved.

A privacy screen, an image separating screen suitable for creating stereoscopic images, and an image interlacing screen also suitable for use in creating stereoscopic images, are prepared by modifying a standard microprism sheet of the type having a plurality of v-shaped grooves. The modifications may include altering the transmission properties of at least one surface of each groove in such a manner that light transmitted in different directions has different properties, for example by attenuating light in one plane and not in the second plane to create a privacy screen, or by altering polarizations in the two planes so as create a stereoscopic effect. The modifications may also include arranging the microprism sheet to interlace images from different sources.

Liquid modular lens, without sphencal deviation, provided with means to absorb the solar energy condenser, supplied with a thermal plate capable of absorbing high temperatures, consisting of a liquid modular lens consisting of lenticular circular crowns, with a precise and adequate refraction index, making possible the convergence of the luminous front captured by the lens towards a single focus, having blunt ends in the lenticular crowns, it being possible to modify the exit angle of every luminous ray in the lenticular crowns, and keeping a proper separation to prevent breakages caused by dilatations, all the constituent pieces of the lens being sealed in their internal and external perimeters, thermal plate consisting of a body made of a ceramic material of great thermal resistance provided internally with a cavity.

The invention relates to an optical device for a system for presenting collimated images including an off-axis spherical mirror. The device has an additional aspherical mirror whose surface forms, in the plane of symmetry of the unfolded optical system, a curve whose radius of curvature is variable. The surface provides for correction of the image of a pupil of an eye given by the spherical mirror and the pupil image is rectified on the optical axis. The surface may be a paraboloid, an ellipsoid and it may exhibit symmetry of revolution.

A tracking error balance adjustment circuit, and a current control circuit used for a variable gain RF amplifier automatically controlled to output a signal having a predetermined amplitude. The tracking error balance adjustment circuit comprises two separate gain adjusting circuits, each having variable attenuation circuit having first gm amplifier of variable gm type, a second gm amplifier of variable gm type connected to the variable attenuation circuit, and an output circuit connected to the second gm amplifier, comprising an operational amplifier circuit having feedback resistor, wherein the first and second gm amplifiers are differentially controlled commonly by a control current. The a current control circuit is arranged in a variable gain RF amplifier connected to a head amplifier circuit amplifying an output signal from optical pickup, controlling a current output of the variable gain RF amplifier so that it changes in accordance with different functions in the range where the control voltage input is lower than the reference potential and the range where the control voltage input is higher than the reference potential, with the result that the gain control sensitivity can be set almost equal between the two ranges.

A plurality of periodical signals are generated as the moving body moves. The periodical signals are given respective fundamental values. The fundamental value of one of the periodical signals that has a maximum value is detected sequentially. An extension value is generated in such a manner as to be incremented or decremented when the detected fundamental value changes from one unit repetition range to another. Position detection information of the moving body is constructed as a combination of the detected fundamental value and the extension value. The position detection information is stored.

A fixing device includes a pressure application roller 120 pressed against a fixing belt 110 (or fixing roller) to be heated. One of the them is driven while the other follows the one in rotation. A recording medium S having a toner image thereon is moved to pass through a central part N1 of a press contact portion N, whereby the toner image is fused and fixed on the recording medium. High grip portions G are provided on both side ends of the fixing belt or the pressure application roller.

To enhance accuracy of the size and the shape of manufactures, and to shorten the time of operation, there is provided a method for manufacturing a 3D model comprising steps of designing the 3D model and collecting shape data of the 3D model slicing the 3D model into several layers in height, dividing each of the layers into several sublayers so that a sublayer is formed by depositing a material at once, depositing a material in accordance with shape data in relation to a sublayer divided from one layer of the 3D model, and deciding whether the one layer of the 3D model has been completed. The method is conducted using computer-aided design and computer aided manufacturing system including a variable deposition manufacturing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a material feeder 11, an electrical melting device 13 connected to the material feeder 11 through a conduit 12, a variable nozzle 15 connected to the variable nozzle 15 through a flow controller 14, a three-dimensional moving mechanism for moving the variable nozzle is in relation to the 3D model and a turntable adapted for rotating the 3D model.

In apparatus and method for automatically controlling a vehicular velocity of an automotive vehicle maintaining an inter-vehicle distance to a preceding vehicle, a follow-up run controller determines whether such a follow-up run control as to control the vehicular velocity should be released or not according to a vehicular motion when a shift lever of an automatic transmission shift mechanism (or of a continuously variable transmission) is operated to shift a drive (D) range to a gear maintaining range (such as a second-speed range or third- speed range). If the shift operation occurs from the drive range to the 2nd-speed range during the follow-up run control, the engine speed N2nd in the second-speed range is estimated. If the engine speed N2nd is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value NTH, the follow-up run control is continued. If the engine speed N2nd is in excess of the predetermined threshold value NTH, the follow-up run control is released.

A machine protection system and method for rotating equipment introduces new alarming features and makes use of full proximity probe sensor information, including amplitude and phase. Baseline vibration amplitude and phase data is estimated and tracked according to operating modes of the rotating equipment. Baseline vibration and phase data can be determined using a rolling average and variance and stored in a unit circle or tracked using short term average and long term average baselines. The sensed vibration amplitude and phase is compared with the baseline vibration amplitude and phase data. Operation of the rotating equipment can be controlled based on the vibration amplitude and phase.

The process of dividing sentences into phrases is automated. The sentence is divided into sub-sentences using statistical analysis. Then, the sub-sentences are into phrases, using statistical analysis. For example, for each pair of adjacent words in the sentence a metric is calculated which represents a strength of disconnection between the adjacent words. The sentence is divided into sub-sentences at locations in the sentence where the metric exceeds a first threshold.

The invention relates to a method and a device for comparing acoustic input signals fed into an input device (1) with acoustic reference signals stored in a memory (3). The first step in this case is to carry out a harmonic analysis of the input signals in a frequency analyzer (4) connected to the input device (1) and the memory (3), in order to produce a time-dependent Fourier spectrum. Thereafter, preselectable characteristics of the Fourier spectrum are determined as input signal coordinates for defining an n-dimensional input signal vector, where n is a number of the characteristics. Thereafter, the input signal vector is checked for correspondence of respectively corresponding coordinates within prescribed tolerances with at least one reference signal vector, which is defined in the same way and thereafter stored in the memory (3).

Apparatus generates data in processor usable form from natural language input data units in different unit categories. Input data categorized into categories generates data units having unit identification data and corresponding unit category data for input to a cascaded plurality of matching processing stages. Each matching processing stage of this cascade except the first uses any unmatched unit category data and group category data from previous matching processing stages in place of matched category data to match the unit and/or group category data with at least one predetermined pattern of unit and/or group category data. New group category data is output for any unit and/or group category matching each predetermined pattern of unit and/or group category data. At least one of the matching processing stages outputs unit data corresponding to matched unit category data as a plurality of variables. At least one of these variables is indexed by another of the variables.

A system and method for handling purchasing transactions over a computer network using pre-paid cards as the medium of exchange between a purchaser and a merchant. Selection of salable items on a merchant's display site by the purchaser is followed by activation of a purchasing option which triggers a third party processor to substitute an alternative display substantially duplicating the merchant's sales presentation such that the merchant's display features remain in the view of the purchaser while the transaction is being authorized. Notification of the transaction is dependent upon the outcome to preserve valuable system resources.

An adder logic circuit for performing an addition operation of a first numerical value and a second numerical value having a bit width narrower than that of the first numerical value is described. The adder logic circuit is composed of an adder element for performing an addition operation of the second numerical value and a third numerical value composed of a lower bit sequence of the first numerical value, the bit width of the third numerical value being equal to the bit width of the second numerical value; and a higher bit handling logic circuit connected to the adder element for receiving a carry out from the most significant bit of the adder element together with a fourth numerical value composed of a higher bit sequence composed of the remainder of the first numerical value, the most significant bit of the second numerical value in order to output one of the fourth numerical value, the fourth numerical value as incremented and the fourth numerical value as decremented in accordance with the carry out from the most significant bit of the adder element and the most significant bit of the second numerical value.

A computer system includes a processor for executing a program and an interruption handler from a memory. The processor includes an instruction pointer indicating a memory location of a current executing instruction. The processor executes a trampoline check instruction in the program which tests a condition and if the condition is true, causes an interruption and supplies an address displacement. The interruption handler responds to the interruption and restarts execution of the program at a restart point indicating a memory location of a special handler in the program. The restart point is a sum of the address displacement and a value of the instruction pointer at the time of the interruption. If the condition is false, normal control flow of the program is continued.

Pins of an integrated circuit are provided with timing axis signals for testing in the time axis without discrepancies. An electro-optic probe in proximity to a plurality of contact points of a device under test uses positions of equal distance or a pre-set distance as skew measurement points, and detects timing axis signals on each microstrip line, A phase detector detects the phase of the timing axis signals that the electro-optic probe detects, and a phase difference calculator finds the phase difference between the phase detected by the phase detector and a reference value. Phase control of the timing axis signals is carried out by a phase controller so as to cancel the obtained phase difference.

A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for writing data to and reading data from a disk storage medium. A first channel encoder encodes a first j-k bits of a j-bit data block to generate first encoded data, and an ECC encoder encodes the first encoded data and a remaining k-bits of the data block to generate ECC redundancy symbols comprising a plurality of bits. A second channel encoder encodes the remaining k-bits of the data block and the ECC redundancy symbols to generate second encoded data. The first encoded data and the second encoded data are then output as channel data written to the disk storage medium.

An object oriented mechanism and method allow allocating a greater number of objects on a method's invocation stack. Each instruction that creates an object (i.e., allocation instruction) is first analyzed to determine whether it is one of the following three types: no escape, global escape, and arg escape. If an allocation instruction is global escape, the object must be allocated from the heap. If an allocation instruction is no escape, it can be allocated on the method's invocation stack frame. If an allocation instruction is arg escape, further analysis is required to determine whether the object can be allocated on an invoking method's stack or must be allocated from the heap. If the method that contains an arg escape allocation instruction can be inlined into a method from which the lifetime of the object does not escape, the object can be allocated on the invoking method's stack. This inlining can be done for several layers up, if needed and possible. This allows for nested objects to be potentially allocated on a method's stack, instead of forcing each of these objects to be allocated from the heap.

An optimization process is disclosed. The process first finds a parallel compare sequence in a program flow, for example using a flow graph. The guarding predicate (gp) is obtained for the compares. If a new dominating predicate (dp) can be found, the process proceeds to determining if compares for the dp generate the correct or needed initial value for the gp. If there are free result slots available, the proper compares are generated and folded into the initialization. If no free slots are available, it is determined if there is a use of a gp between the dp and gp. If not, the dp is renamed to gp, and the proper compares are generated and folded into the initialization. If there is such a use, the guarding predicate of the compares is found and the process reiterates until it ends with the failure to find a new dominating predicate dp.

An aquarium photo display device and method for displaying one or more photographs in connection with an aquarium. The aquarium photo display device includes a static cling attachable sea-life decorated plastic background sheet having a transparent photo receiving pocket within which a photo is removably insertable. The photo display method includes the steps of a) providing an aquarium photo display device; b) inserting a photo into the transparent photo receiving pocket of the aquarium photo display device; and c) placing the static cling attachable sea-life decorated plastic background sheet against the back glass of the aquarium with the photo facing into the aquarium.

A masonry reinforcement system includes a number of tensioning rods extending from the top to the bottom of a masonry wall structure in spaced columns. In each column, several rod segments are interconnected at each floor diaphragm using a double conical connector assembly. In portions of the wall structure where rod columns cannot be placed, such as window regions, spring tensioning assemblies are installed using a similar double conical connector assembly. Each type of connector assembly is embedded in a pocket formed in the masonry wall structure using a hardenable grout. After installation, the rods are post-tensioned to provide a compressive axial load to the masonry wall structure. The spring tensioner assemblies are tensioned prior to applying the grout to the void in the wall. For deteriorated masonry walls, reinforcing members are installed in bore holes formed in the mortar using a hard epoxy bonding agent and a finishing mortar layer so that the reinforcing members blend into the appearance of the masonry wall structure.

A drug inspection device which makes drug inspection work extremely easy and simple. It has a conveyor for feeding drugs packaged in bags according to prescription data, a camera for taking pictures of drugs in the bags being fed by the conveyor, a camera monitor for displaying one after another the pictures taken by the camera, and a graphic monitor for calling image data to be prescribed from a data base and displaying the thus called data. The picture of the drugs in each bag and the image data on drugs corresponding to the drugs in said each bag are displayed simultaneously on the respective monitors for a predetermined time. By visually checking the monitors, a pharmacist can easily inspect drugs.

A control system for an engine or exhaust system includes a sensor that detects an exhaust gas temperature and a sensor that detects an exhaust coolant temperature. The sensors communicate with a controller. Based upon the output from the sensors, the controller determines whether each sensor is functioning properly and whether the cooling system is functioning properly. In the event of a malfunction of a sensor or the cooling system, an alarm is issued and the speed or operation of the engine is altered. In addition, if the controller detects a problem with the coolant system based upon coolant temperature or with the coolant temperature sensor, then the controller disables a starter motor such that the engine cannot be restarted without resetting the starter motor. The start motor can be disabled through a relay and the relay can be reset manually or automatically after a preset period of time.

A tubing is used in a well bore capable of furnishing a well fluid. The tubing has an annular member having a passageway. The tubing has at least one port that is connected to detect a composition of the well fluid and control flow of the well fluid into the passageway based on the composition.

An abrading tine for use with a turf aeration apparatus has abrading structure that is defined on and protrudes from an outer surface of the metal tube forming the tine. The abrading structure forms at least ten discrete protrusions per tine and such that a distance between a peak of each protrusion and the outer surface ranges between 1-12 mm. The abrading structure is defined such that a significant increase in water infiltration and root mass of the grass turf is achieved as compared to a conventional tine. The abrading tine is adapted to allow the proximal end of the tube to be operably coupled to the turf aeration apparatus by any number of known attachment arrangement. The tube may be slightly tapered and the distal end beveled for easier insertion into grass turf. The abrading structure can comprise a plurality of grating elements or a knurled pattern defined in the outer surface. In one embodiment, a metal sheet having grating elements comprised of apertures and corresponding raised structures is welded around the tube. In another embodiment, a knurled or threaded pattern is formed on the outer surface of the tube to create the abrading structure.

A slatted recycling and refuse receptacle is provided with detents at the top for the mounting of a demountable top on the receptacle. Various tops can be mounted with various decorative treatments. Having the decoration on the top itself enables such decoration to be removed with the top so it doesn't interfere with removal of trash and recyclables from the receptacle through the top.

An improved blocking member and vegetation barrier for the bottom of fences. A ground covering member has first and second opposite ends and opposite rolled under edges, and it somewhat rigid but somewhat flexible. The ground covering member can be placed directly on the ground even if the ground undulates relative to the fence bottom, and can be kept in that position once the riser is secured to the fence. The ground covering member can be resilient and create reactionary force if it is pressed against the ground. This can further assist in maintaining the blocking member and vegetation barrier in a fixed position relative the ground and the fence. The device can be made in lengths that can be interconnected with one another and/or installed between fence posts.

My invention is a portfolio to contain small papers in an orderly fashion with index tab dividers that enables categorical filing of coupons and receipts or any other small paper documents. The invention is constructed of polypropylene material and is generally the size of a large standard and/or small standard envelope of which size is generally 4 inches by 9 inches and 4 inches by 6 inches respectively.

The invention concerns a method of controlling the machining of a workpiece which moves during the machining operation and on which a plurality of tool units operate simultaneously at different machining locations, in particular for controlling the rotary milling of a rotating workpiece such as for example a crankshaft at a plurality of machining locations (A, B, . . . ) simultaneously by separate tool units (a, b, . . . ), which is characterised in that with knowledge of the optimum motion parameters (nkwa, na, xa, ya, . . . ; nkwb, nb, xb, yb, . . . ) of workpiece (KW) and tool (WZ), which are separate for each machining location (A, B), the speed of motion of the workpiece, in particular the rotary speed (nKWa, nKWb) of the crankshaft (KW) and the speeds of motion (na, xa, ya, . . . ;nb, xb, yb, . . . ) of the tool units (a, b . . . ) are so selected that in the sum (S) of all simultaneously machined machining locations (A, B, . . . ) an optimum machining result is achieved overall.

A system of retrofitting non-dental implant secured dentures with dental implant technology in order to save time and expenses to the denture wearer and to provide a marketing capability that uses the benefits of retrofitted dentures as communicated to denture wearers to convince the denture wearers to receive dental implants.The retrofitting of the said denture comprises of modifying the depression receptacle of the denture base to accept a portion of the exposed part of at least one implant affixed to the denture wearer and to accept a portion of the dental implant securing device. A portion of the dental implant securing device is affixed to the depression receptacle so as to positioned dental implant securing device to reversible attach to at least a portion of the exposed art of at least one implant affixed to the denture wearer when the denture is affixed to the denture wearer.

A multi-pole angle-connecting device to be soldered onto a printed circuit board includes a planar filter, a continuous signal conductor assigned to each pole and having soldering ends on one side to be soldered to soldering points of the printed circuit board and ends on another side constructed as connector pins or plug-in sockets. In order to ensure that the angle-connecting device can be produced cost-effectively and can be soldered easily onto printed circuit boards, the filter is constructed as a filter plate which has openings through which the angular conductors are led and which rests on a metallic filter holder that is connected to ground and to a collar of the angle-connecting device. The filter holder has corresponding openings for leading through the soldering ends of the angular conductors, but with larger diameters. The planar filter is advantageously supported by a supporting carrier.

Medical devices that are coated with an echogenic material that includes an electrically insulative base layer and an echogenic layer demonstrate both improved ultrasonic imaging and protection against RF electrical breakdown. The echogenic layer includes a polymeric matrix that (i) defines a plurality of void spaces, (ii) includes glass microsphere particles, or (iii) both defines a plurality of void spaces and includes glass microsphere particles. Medical instruments exhibit enhanced ultrasonic imaging even when viewed along their lengths.

There is provided an absorbent article, such as a diaper, a pant diaper or an incontinence protector that includes longitudinally extending edges and transversally extending edges, a bottom liquid-impermeable sheet, an absorbent layer, longitudinally extending liquid barriers fastened along or on the longitudinal edges of the article, side-flaps which extend laterally outside the liquid barriers and a first upper, essentially liquid-permeable surface sheet between said liquid barriers and a second upper, essentially liquid-impermeable surface sheet outwardly of said liquid barriers, wherein the ends of the liquid barriers are folded down at the front and/or rear end-part and fastened flat against the first and/or the second upper surface sheet. Those areas of the surface sheets situated at the front and/or the rear end-part are comprised of essentially liquid-impermeable material or are covered with essentially liquid-impermeable material. At least a part of said areas has been made permeable to liquid, preferably by perforating said part, down to the absorbent layer which extends beneath at least portions of said part. That part which has been made permeable to liquid is located within at least parts of the downwardly folded ends of the liquid barriers and/or the second surface sheet.

A cannula includes a tubular body having proximal closed end and distal blunt end, at least one lumen extending the length of the body, an endoscope having a lighted, viewing end disposed in the lumen near the distal end of the body, and a transparent, tissue separating member substantially covering the distal end of the body. The tissue separating member has a blunt tip disposed from and of the end distal to the body. A method of using such a cannula separates tissue to form an elongated cavity along the course of a small blood vessel and subsequently harvesting the blood vessel.

A tourniquet cuff (10) includes a first layer (20), a second layer (40), and a third layer (60). The first layer (20) has an inner side (22) impermeable to air and the second layer (40) has a first side (44) impermeable to air. The inner side (22) of the first layer (20) and the first side (44) of the second layer (40) cooperate to define a first cavity (96) formed to receive a gel-like material (15) therein. Further, the third layer (60) has an inner side (64) which cooperates with a second side (42) of the second layer (40) to define a second cavity (94) formed to receive pressurized air. The tourniquet cuff (10) adjustably secures about a patient's limb such that the gel-like material (15) is positioned between the patient's limb and the second cavity (94) to uniformly and comfortably distribute pressure around the patient's limb.

A composition for steel used for tires or solid wheels of rail vehicles, which composition provides improved properties, in terms of wear, crack susceptibility, ability to withstand thermal loads, homogenous microstructural properties and suitability for high dynamic loads, as compared to standard steels used for tires or solid wheels of rail vehicles. The steel is a modification of AISI S2 steel previously only used for antifriction bearings. The elements of the composition and their presence by percentage of total mass of the steel and ratios of the presence of various elements are disclosed.

A method of batch fabrication of ultraminiature fiber optic pressure transducers including the steps of: providing a first substrate with a first sacrificial layer formed thereover; forming a plurality of light reflective diaphragm structures on the first sacrificial layer; forming a plurality of fiber stopper structures on the light reflective diaphragm structures; forming a plurality of fiber alignment cavity structures on the fiber stopper structures, the light reflective diaphragm structures, fiber stopper structures and fiber alignment cavity structures providing a plurality of fiber alignment assemblies; providing a second substrate with a second sacrificial layer formed thereover; forming a plurality of ferrule structures over the second sacrificial layer; inputting a plurality of fibers into the ferrule structures and sealing each of the ferrule structures to the fiber inserted therein, the ferrule structures and the fibers providing a plurality of fiber-ferrule assemblies; etching the second sacrificial layer releasing the fiber-ferrule assemblies; inputting the fiber-ferrule assemblies into the fiber alignment assemblies and sealing each of the fiber alignment assemblies to the fiber-ferrule assembly inserted therein, the fiber alignment assemblies and the fiber-ferrule assemblies providing a plurality of fiber optic pressure transducers; and etching the first sacrificial layer releasing the fiber optic pressure transducers.

A method of making a dosage device comprises mixing a suspension concentrate comprising at least one active ingredient which is in solid form at 25° C., and which has an average particle size of less than 10 microns, in a carrier liquid in which the active ingredient is non-soluble or sparingly soluble, and a drying agent for the carrier liquid. The drying agent takes up at least some of the carrier liquid of the suspension concentrate, thereby to dry the active ingredient at least partly and to obtain a mixture comprising the active ingredient and the drying agent. The mixture is compressed into at least one unitary dosage device.

Bags for produce or the like are prepared by advancing a thermoplastic sheet and a mesh sheet, each having an upper edge, along a process line. The plastic sheet has a bottom portion which is folded to define a lower edge of the thermoplastic sheet at a fold line. One seals the folded portion of the solid-wall thermoplastic sheet to a lower edge of the mesh sheet. Transverse slits are then formed in the sheets, and the sheets are heat sealed together near edges of the slits to form separate bags between the slits. The slits extend across both lower edges of the bags, but are preferably spaced from the upper edges. One drops produce between the sheet upper edges into the bags, and the bags are then heat sealed adjacent to the upper edges thereof, and subsequently separated by cutting. A novel heat seal die is also shown.

A method of applying surface-modifying auxiliary substances to the working area interior surfaces of die molds for the production of molded products, in particular made of rubber or plastics. The auxiliary substance is supplied in the form of a gas or vapor to the interior surfaces of the die mold, which is integrated into the processing machine, and the gas or vapor is condensed there.

A multilayered volume hologram structure of the invention comprises a substrate 2 for a certificate or the like, and an adhesive layer 5, a volume hologram layer 5 and a surface protective film 7 laminated on the substrate in the described order. When a multilayer structure consisting of the volume hologram layer 5 and surface protective layer 5 is forcibly released from the substrate for the purpose of making a photograph replacement or falsifying a personal information area, the volume hologram image can break down certainly, thereby ensuring prevention of falsification. A multilayered volume hologram structure-making label is useful for making a multilayered volume hologram structure.

Fluid permeable graphite article in the form of a perforated flexible graphite sheet having increased electrical and thermal conductivity transverse to the surfaces of the sheet.

The present invention relates to the construction and use of expression plasmids in the manufacture of recombinant interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-4 muteins.

A structure of a semiconductor device of a chip scale package structure is provided. In the semiconductor device, the limitation to size reduction due to the bonding tool is small and the bonding pitch of the semiconductor chip can be reduced to 100 &mgr;m or less, and the chip shrink technique of a technique for lowering the cost can be employed and in connection with this compatibility among packages can be kept.The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip; a TAB tape being directly laminated onto a circuit formed surface of the semiconductor chip or being laminated through a stress moderating elastomer onto the circuit formed surface of the semiconductor chip, the TAB tape having leads made of a metallic film formed on an insulator tape having flexibility; and an externally connecting member formed in an end of the lead of the TAB tape, wherein the TAB tape has holes in the insulator tape, each of the holes corresponding to a bonding pad formed on a circuit formed surface of the semiconductor chip at a position corresponding to a position of the bonding pad; the lead being formed so as to bridge across the hole; and the lead formed above the hole being joined to the bonding pad of the semiconductor chip.

Methods are provided that use disposable and permanent films to dope underlying layers through diffusion. Additionally, methods are provided that use disposable films during implantation doping and that provide a surface from which to dope underlying materials. Some of these disposable films can be created from a traditionally non-disposable film and made disposable. In this manner, solvents may be used that do not etch underlying layers of silicon-based materials. Preferably, deep implantation is performed to form source/drain regions, then an anneal step is performed to activate the dopants. A conformal layer is deposited and implanted with dopants. One or more anneal steps are performed to create very shallow extensions in the source/drain regions.

A method for forming a silicon on insulator substrate includes the step of dissociating a plasma of molecules including at least any one of oxygen and nitrogen to obtain ions. The ions are accelerated by passage through gaps between acceleration electrodes at a predetermined acceleration energy for irradiation of the accelerated ions onto a silicon substrate which is heated to form an insulation film within the silicon substrate.

An ion exchange method is provided for loading and uniformly distributing noble metals into a catalyst substrate comprising a zeolite to make a monofunctional, non-acidic reforming catalyst. The catalyst substrate is contacted with an aqueous loading solution comprising noble metal cations and non-noble metal cations. The loading solution is formulated such that the equivalents of non-noble metal cations remaining in the catalyst not ionically bonded to the zeolite when loading is complete is 1.2 to 6.0 times the equivalents of non-noble metal cations displaced from the zeolite when the noble metal cations ion exchange into the zeolite, and simultaneously the endpoint pH of the loading solution is between 10.0 and 11.5. The required 1.2 to 6.0 ratio is achieved when the ratio of moles of non-noble metal cations added to the loading solution to moles of noble metal added to the loading solution is between 1 and 10. The use of ion exchange method results in zeolite catalysts having reduced amounts of detrital material in the micropores of the zeolite.

The present invention relates to a mixture of soluble hydrophobic peptides of an enzymatic hydrolysate of milk having skin hydrating properties and percutaneous absorption levels of 4 to 5%. The mixture also exhibits wound healing properties but does not have the allergenicity of the milk-protein. One fraction of the mixture is capable of increasing in vitro the growth rate of cell-cultured keratinocytes by at least 50%. The soluble peptides of the fraction have a molecular weight of about 900 daltons ranging from 200 to 1400 daltons, and an average hydrophobicity of 11 Kcal/mole. The soluble peptides are constituted of 66% hydrophobic amino acids and 17% aromatic amino acids, and have aromatic amino acids and other hydrophobic amino acids located at the C- and N-terminal ending in proportion over 85%. Another fraction is capable of increasing the growth rate of cell-cultured fibroblasts by 37% and the production of collagen by 73%. The soluble hydrophobic peptides of the fraction have a molecular weight of about 2000 daltons ranging from 1400 to 2600 daltons. The hydrolysate and peptides of the present invention can be formulated in cosmetic composition, in skin cell culture medium and in wound healing composition.

Compounds of the formula: are provided, and are useful as cysteine protease inhibitors, particularly in the treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis or autoimmune disorders in which cathepsins K or S contribute to the pathology or symptomatolgy of the disease.

An inbred maize line, designated RPK7250, the plants and seeds of inbred maize line RPK7250, methods for producing a maize plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred maize line RPK7250 with itself or with another maize plant, and hybrid maize seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line RPK7250 with another maize line or plant.

An inbred maize line, designated RPK7346, the plants and seeds of inbred maize line RPK7346, methods for producing a maize plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred maize line RPK7346 with itself or with another maize plant, and hybrid maize seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line RPK7346 with another maize line or plant.

A multi-layer wiring substrate capable of high density packaging, and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a carrier substrate, in which through holes can be easily formed in high density corresponding substantially to a pitch of connecting terminals in a semiconductor chip, and build-up layers are formed on the substrate with the application of a conventional build-up technique. When the build-up technique for repeatedly forming insulating layers and wiring layers on a carrier substrate is used to manufacture a multi-layer wiring substrate, the carrier substrate is formed in the following manner. First, an insulating resin layer is formed in a copper foil, in which a plurality of first windows are regularly provided, to cover the copper foil, and the resin layer fills the interior of the windows. Subsequently, second windows of a particular shape are provided in regions of layers of the insulating resin filled in the windows, and independent conducting paths are formed through the second windows to extend from front sides of the second windows to back sides thereof. The conducting paths are formed radially to be spaced a substantially equal distance from centers of the respective second windows.

A photocoupler device includes a light emitting element; a monitor photodetector and an output photodetector for receiving light from the light emitting element; a primary side lead frame for mounting the light emitting element and the monitor photodetector; and a secondary side lead frame for mounting the output photodetector, wherein the light emitting element and the output photodetector are placed so as to face each other.

There is provided a method by which lightly doped drain (LDD) regions can be formed easily and at good yields in source/drain regions in thin film transistors possessing gate electrodes covered with an oxide covering. A lightly doped drain (LDD) region is formed by introducing an impurity into an island-shaped silicon film in a self-aligning manner, with a gate electrode serving as a mask. First, low-concentration impurity regions are formed in the island-shaped silicon film by using rotation-tilt ion implantation to effect ion doping from an oblique direction relative to the substrate. Low-concentration impurity regions are also formed below the gate electrode at this time. After that, an impurity at a high concentration is introduced normally to the substrate, so forming high-concentration impurity regions. In the above process, a low-concentration impurity region remains below the gate electrode and constitutes a lightly doped drain region.

An indium-implanted transistor is provided. The transistor has a silicon channel region that includes a buried layer of an Si1−xGex alloy into which indium is implanted, with 10−5≦x≦4×10−1. A first method for fabricating an indium-implanted transistor is also provided. A multilayer composite film is produced on at least one region of a surface of a silicon substrate where a channel region of the transistor is to be formed. The multilayer composite film includes at least one Si1−xGex alloy layer, in which 10−5≦x≦4×10−1, and an external silicon layer. Indium is implanted into the Si1−xGex alloy layer, and fabrication of the transistor is completed so as to produce the transistor with a channel region that includes a buried Si1−xGex alloy layer. Additionally, a second method for fabricating an indium-implanted transistor is provided. Germanium is implanted into at least one region of a silicon substrate where a channel region of a transistor is to be formed, in order to form a buried layer of an Si1−xGex alloy in which 10−5≦x≦4×10−1. Indium is implanted into the Si1−xGex alloy layer, and fabrication of the transistor is completed so as to produce the transistor with a channel region that includes a buried Si1−xGex alloy layer.

A microwave device, including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a plurality of electrically conductive vias extending through the substrate from the first surface to the second surface, a first interconnect trace connected to the first surface of the substrate and electrically connected to a first of the plurality of vias, a second interconnect trace connected to the first surface of the substrate and electrically connected to a second of the plurality of vias, and a microwave circuit chip connected to the second surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the first and second conductive vias.

A semiconductor chip having an internal circuit formed on a semiconductor substrate and a chip connection pad formed on the semiconductor substrate and used for interchip connection to another semiconductor chip. Further formed on the semiconductor substrate are an other-service-than-interchip-connection pad used for other service than interchip connection, and a switching circuit for selectively connecting, to the internal circuit, the chip connection pad or the other-service-than-interchip-connection pad.

A ballast layer for a field emissive device includes a very thin layer of strongly doped nanocrystalline silicon and one or more moderately doped layers of an amorphous silicon-based material.

The invention relates to a plasma cell able to be fixed in a vacuum chamber by means of a first flange, having an outer envelope in which a gas under pressure (P′) is added and provided in its upper part with a discharge opening, and electrodes, at least one anode and one cathode, arranged in said envelope and mounted on a second flange, to whose terminals a voltage may be applied, such as to cause ionization of the gas producing the monoatomic species which are to be discharged through the opening. Electrodes can be dismounted and are assembled on a second removable flange. Electrically insulated separation means are provided between cathode and anode(s). A gas inlet opening is provided in the lower part of the envelope.

The conventional semiconductor element testing equipment is arranged to position each probe accurately and need a burdensome operation for fixing, and includes only a limited number of electrode pads and chips to be tested at a batch. An equipment for testing a semiconductor element is arranged to keep each of electrode pads formed on a semiconductor element to be tested in direct contact with each of probes formed on a first substrate composed of silicon, one of electric connecting substrates disposed in the equipment. On the first substrate, each probe is formed on a cantilever and a wire is routed from a tip of each probe along a tip of the cantilever to the electrode pad formed on an opposite surface to the probe forming surface through an insulating layer.

A three electrode plasma display panel (PDP) operates in concurrent sustain and addressing periods, rather than separating the sustain and addressing periods. Because of this concurrent operation, a PDP with a brighter display is produced. Crosstalk between sustain electrodes and the column electrodes of non-selected rows is mitigated by implementing column voltages such that there is no difference in crosstalk brightness levels in non-addressed pixels in the on state compared to non-addressed pixels in the off state. This is accomplished by choosing column voltages that are approximately symmetric about one-half of the sustain voltage.

An image forming apparatus which writes an electrostatic image onto a photoconductor by laser light. An image writing resolution is set and a controller controls writing laser power according to the set image writing resolution. The controller also controls the writing laser power for a high resolution mode to be greater than the writing laser power for a low resolution mode.

A method and apparatus for maintaining a purged optical gap between a pellicle and a reticle in a photolithography system is described. A porous frame between a reticle and a pellicle maintains the purged optical gap. A porous frame includes a first and a second opposing surface. The first opposing surface defines a first opening, and is configured to mate with the pellicle. The second opposing surface defines a second opening, and is configured to mate with the reticle to enclose the optical gap between the pellicle and the reticle. A gas supply interface infuses a purge gas through the porous frame and into the gap.

The present invention relates to an optical system for an apparatus for multi-part differential particle discrimination to facilitate analysis, classification, and sorting of various fluid components for presentation. The optical system is characterized by one or more of the following: a synchronized illumination beam and flow cell conduit, a flow cell arrangement to control back reflection, and light sensor arrangement to particularly gather a specific range of light scatter, such specific range of light scatter directly corresponding to at least one type of particle capable of being identified by the apparatus.

An energy conserving device is adapted to be connected to an infrared receiving circuit of a remote controlled apparatus that receives an infrared control signal from a remote controller, and controls the supply of an operating voltage to the infrared receiving circuit. The energy conserving device includes an input voltage unit for providing a voltage output that is lower than the operating voltage, a voltage increasing unit, and a sleep control unit. The voltage increasing unit is operable in one of a wake mode, where the voltage increasing unit is enabled to generate the operating voltage from the voltage output of the input voltage unit and to supply the operating voltage to the infrared receiving circuit, and a sleep mode, where the voltage increasing unit is inhibited from generating the operating voltage to the infrared receiving circuit. The sleep control unit is adapted to receive the infrared control signal from the remote controller, and controls the voltage increasing unit to operate in the wake mode for a predetermined time period upon receiving the infrared control signal from the remote controller, and in the sleep mode when the sleep control unit ceases to receive the infrared control signal after the predetermined time period has elapsed.

A thin film magnetic head that reduces the coil resistance of the coil layer formed between core layers is formed by increasing the conductor width at a fixed ratio from the inner to the outer side of the coil layer in the conductor width of each turn. The conductor width on the front side with respect to a base end portion of an upper core layer is smaller than the conductor width on the rear side with respect to the base end portion, whereby it is possible to reduce the coil resistance value of the entire coil layer. Further, using a change in conductor width, it is possible to increase the magnetic efficiency of the magnetic head compared to conventional magnetic heads.

Provided are a head slider suspension, a head assembly and an information recording/reproducing apparatus, which can reduce manufacturing cost by reducing the number of components and can be flexible in the production of a small quantity of many types. A magnetic head assembly comprises a head slider, a head slider suspension for supporting the head slider, a wiring unit attached to the head slider suspension, and a coil. The head slider suspension includes a slider support section for functioning as a gimbal, a suspension section for supporting the slider support section, an arm section for supporting the suspension section, and a coil support section for supporting the coil. These elements constitute a part of a continuous structure either a wiring pattern extending from the first surface of the continuous structure, around one end of the continuous structure and to the second surface, reaches the slider support section and covers the surface of the slider support section, on which the head slider is to be placed, or the wiring pattern extending from the first surface of the continuous structure, via a communication hole bored through a part of the continuous structure and to the second surface, reaches the slider support section and covers the surface of the slider support section, on which the head slider is to be placed.

Method and device for rapid characterization of arrays of crystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous materials; in particular for the formation and X-ray diffraction analysis of polymorph libraries and the discovery of new crystal forms. According to one aspect, a multi-well plate comprising a masking plate with an array of openings and a removable base plate is used to crystallize precipitates. X-ray diffraction analysis is performed by scanning an X-ray beam over the base plate and recording diffractograms of the crystalline precipitates.

A communication device connecting a computer to a data-network correctly recognizes a telecommunication company call-waiting signal, and notifies a user regarding the attempted call. The user is allowed to handle the call-waiting event by performing a sequence of predefined alternative actions in a flexible manner that correspond to the known options supplied by the telecommunication company in respect to the call-waiting event.

A method and apparatus implements a novel surround sound panning paradigm. Rather than controlling the x-y position of a perceived sound source within a linear grid, the perceived sound is characterized by specifying perceived arrival energy as a function of direction of arrival. In one embodiment, perceived sound source azimuth and width (or spatial extent) are specified, which parameters are used in a novel panning law to control each output channel. In a preferred implementation, the panning control is provided in a Plug-In application for a conventional DAW environment such as Pro Tools, which application includes an interface that provides precise control over the direction and spatial extent of audio.

A communication device (100) including a receiver (110), a demodulator (120), a frequency dependent LF amplifier (130) as well as a frequency dependent decoder (150) receives a HF signal (105) onto which speech information and data information are modulated on a single carrier. The LF signal (125) provided from demodulator (120) includes two separated frequency bands for speech and data. The amplifier (130) makes audible the speech via a speaker (140) and the decoder (150) evaluates the data information, displays the same at a display (160) and controls the amplifier (150,155), respectively.

A method for identifying failure signatures of semiconductor wafers is disclosed. Testing for obtaining a first set of test data indicative of a failure signature is performed on a number of wafers having circuit patterns thereon. The test data is divided into a first subset of test data associated with a failure signature and a second subset of test data not associated with the failure signature. The set of test data is used to generate coefficients of a discriminant function. Testing is performed on a subsequently manufactured wafer to obtain a second set of test data. The discriminant function is applied to the second set of test data to obtain a discriminant value, and the wafer is identified as having the failure signature when the discriminant value is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

A method and apparatus for compressing, storing and transmitting measurement data correlative to machine status is disclosed in which the measurement data is continuously sensed, sampled and processed to extract significant spectral elements including magnitude and phase information from each successive period of the originally measured data and to store those spectral elements in a memory means from an initial period of significant spectral elements and each successive period of significant spectral elements which have changed since the previous period for developing a compressed data history correlative to a continuous history of the status of the machine being monitored and from which continuous signals can be regenerated and analyzed for any earlier historical time.

A method and apparatus for classifying textual data is provided. The invention is adapted to automatically classify text. In particular, the invention utilizes a sparse vector framework to evaluate natural language text and to accurately and automatically assign that text to a predetermined classification. This can be done even where the disclosed system has not seen an example of the exact text before. The disclosed method and apparatus are particularly well-suited for coding adverse event reports, commonly referred to as “verbatims,” generated during clinical trials of pharmaceuticals, The invention also provides a method and apparatus that can be used to translate verbatims that have already been classified according to one coding scheme to be translated to another coding scheme in a highly automated process.

Query results and statistics regarding them are generated using a novel representation of an n-attribute relation as an order n relational tensor. Orders of the relational tensor respectively correspond to each of the attributes, and each coordinate along an order relates to a key value of the corresponding attribute. Numeric values are stored in the relational tensor, each numeric value representing a count of tuples having the attribute key values that correspond to the coordinate of the numeric value along the orders of the relational tensor. This storage representation is useful in a variety of contexts for enhancing the performance of a RDBMS system. Specifically, a data-representing relational tensor can be used to produce results for tuple grouping operations such as the SQL operations COUNT . . . GROUP BY, SUM . . . GROUP BY, AVG . . . GROUP BY, MIN . . . GROUP BY and MAX . . . GROUP BY.

A data search method capable of representing a complex search condition with a reduced number of filters and allowing high data visibility is used in a data search system including a storage disposed to store a plurality of data to be administered and attribute values associated with a desired number of attributes and respectively assigned to the plurality of data, a display, an input unit receiving an instruction from a user to perform an operation through a user operation to be performed on an object displayed on the display, and a data operation unit performing an operation on the plurality of data in response to the instruction received by the input unit. The data search method includes the steps of: creating a filter associated with a plurality of attribute values each associated with a predetermined display position; defining a data attribute and a data attribute value associated with the filter for search; using the data attribute and the data attribute value to search data; and displaying a symbol of retrieved data in the filter at a display position corresponding to an attribute value of the data.

Emerging patterns (EPs) are itemsets having supports that change significantly from one dataset to another. A classifier, CAEP, is disclosed using the following main ideas based on EPs: (i) Each EP can sharply differentiate the class membership of a (possibly small) fraction of instances containing the EP, due to the big difference between the EP's supports in the opposing classes; the differentiating power of the EP is defined in terms of the EP's supports and ratio, on instances containing the EP. (ii) For each instance t, by aggregating (124) the differentiating power of a fixed, automatically selected set of EPs, a score is obtained for each class (126). The scores for all classes are normalized (144) and the largest score determines t's class (146). CAEP is suitable for many applications, even those with large volumes of high dimensional data. CAEP does not depend on dimension reduction on data and is usually equally accurate on all classes even if their populations are unbalanced.

In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a modular application collaborator for providing inter-operability between applications including a plurality of connectors for communicating with a like plurality of applications and an interchange server. The interchange server includes an application collaboration module and service module. The service module transfers messages between connectors and the application collaboration module. The application collaboration defines the inter-operability between two or more applications. The interchange server service module includes a transaction service and an error service. Transactions are executed in the application collaboration module and the transaction service records each action and a compensating action for undoing an associated action. An error service monitors for errors in the interchange server, and, upon detection of an error, stops the execution of a transaction and initiates the execution of any required compensating actions to undo the interrupted transaction. The compensating transactions may be executed at the connectors and are not required to be overseen by the interchange server.

A method is presented for estimating the reliability of a data sequence after Viterbi decoding. Within the Viterbi decoding, corresponding to an initial time instant, the possible initial states for the Viterbi decoding are established (801). After proceeding to a subsequent time instant (804), at each state corresponding to the present time instant, a surviving trellis path is selected among the trellis paths coming into that state (805). The steps of proceeding and selecting are repeated until a final time instant (807), and at said final time instant a final surviving trellis path is selected to represent the decoded data sequence. At the selection step of the Viterbi decoding, a characteristic reliability metric is updated separately in association with each selected surviving trellis path (806). After selecting a final surviving trellis path, its characteristic reliability metric is converted to a sequence reliability statistic corresponding to the estimated reliability of the decoded data sequence (809, 810-814).

Tooling and process for installing a split type, circular snap ring into a slotted or grooved wrist pin journal of a piston utilizing an installation sleeve member with an internal bore therethrough which is positioned against the piston so that its bore is aligned with the piston's wrist pin journal. The bore in the installation sleeve including a tapered passage to progressively radially inwardly constrict the snap ring as it moves axially through the installation sleeve. An elongated plunger assembly is moved axially to engage the snap ring and move it through the bore of the installation sleeve. The plunger assembly is sized to permit it to move through the entire extent of the tapered portion and into the piston's journal so that in turn the snap ring is moved into the wrist pin journal and finally into alignment with a retainer slot or groove into which the snap ring can radially expand outwardly into a seated position.

A method and apparatus for use in aligning automotive wheels. The apparatus includes a body having a first end and a second end, and including an aperture at the first end arranged to receive a wheel assembly lug; an adjustable camber liquid level arranged longitudinally within the body; and, a horizontal liquid level arranged perpendicularly to the adjustable camber liquid level. The method includes the steps of measuring camber of an automotive wheel with the tool of the invention affixed to a single lug of the wheel assembly, where the tool comprises a liquid level having a horizontal liquid level and a camber liquid level, and the measuring consists of zeroing the horizontal liquid level and the camber liquid level prior to making a repair of the vehicle; removing the tool from the single lug; performing the repair of the vehicle; re-affixing the tool to the single lug; and, adjusting the camber of the wheel assembly such that the horizontal liquid level and the camber liquid level are re-zeroed.

A method for merging the disc pack, E-block and magnet of a disc drive, the disc pack conveyed to a first selected position in a merge assembly station and moved to a merge slide assembly where calibration measurements of disc pack height and squareness are made at a reference position. The merge slide assembly moves the disc pack from the reference position to a shuttled position, the E-block is moved to an E-block nest assembly where the load arms of the E-block are spread in response to the calibration measurements, and the discs of the disc pack are interweaved between opposing read/write heads of the E-block. A magnet slide assembly positions the magnet to straddle the E-block. The disc pack, E-block and magnet are moved together, maintaining the merged interrelationship, to the basedeck and fastened to the basedeck.

A boom body (23) comprises a boom front member (20), a boom intermediate member (22) and a boom rear member (21). An arm-connection bracket (24) is jointed to the boom front member (20) and a vehicle body-mounting bracket (25) is jointed to the boom rear member (21), thereby forming a boom. With this structure, a cross section of the boom body (23) is less prone to be deformed and therefore, the plate thickness can be reduced, the rigidity of the boom body (23) can be increased without mounting a cross section restraint material and the cross section of the boom is not deformed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the boom in weight.

A removable window safety barrier includes two vertical frame members, two horizontal frame members, and additional horizontal and vertical members attached to the horizontal and vertical frame members. The barrier includes at each end of the vertical frame members flanges having holes of suitable size and shape to engage and be supported by pins affixed to the sides of a window with two such pins pointing upwardly from the bottom of the window, and two such pins facing downwardly from the top of the window.

A building construction system including a pair of rigid vertical frame members secured to an underlying support surface, a connection trough defined between the vertical frame members, a horizontal suspension member also extending between the vertical frame members and suspended at generally a top portion thereof, and a plurality of corrugated material panels. The corrugated material panels are suspended from the horizontal suspension member, so as to hang between the vertical frame members and into the connection trough. Furthermore, the corrugated material panels include a plurality of apertures defined therein. A quantity of concrete is also included and is applied on the corrugated material panels, the apertures defined in the corrugated material panels facilitating adherence of the concrete to the corrugated material panels until hardening. The concrete is also structured to be dispensed into the connection trough and to harden therein to define a footer of the wall member defined by the hardened concrete on the corrugated material panels.

A method for producing an optical quartz glass for use in excimer lasers, comprising a step of forming a porous silica preform by depositing silica in a soot-like form formed by flame hydrolysis of a high-purity volatile silicon compound, followed by a step of vitrifying said porous silica preform into transparent glass in an atmosphere containing water vapor and hydrogen, and a vertical type heating furnace for carrying out the production method therein.

A tomographic spray momentum mapping system and method of use for determining the spray momentum of dense, high-pressure sprays such as petroleum-based fuel sprays discharged from electronically-controlled fuel injection systems is disclosed. The present system comprises a mechanical probe assembly having a probe wire drawn across a Y-shaped handle, which includes a force transducer attached in operative relation thereto that receives force input from the impact of the spray impinging on the probe wire and generates output signals in response thereto. The probe assembly is traversed through the spray to obtain force measurements at selected points therein. The present system includes a coordinate measuring apparatus for precisely positioning the probe wire within the spray structure. The output signals derived from the transducer are processed through signal conditioning electronics and input to a computer system, which utilizes a computed topography software program to process the force measurements and convert the integrated measurements into tomographic reconstructions showing the spray momentum distribution in a two- or three-dimensional domain. This information is used directly for understanding spray structure and improvement of injection systems, and indirectly for improvement of computer spray models used to simulate engine performance.

The present invention has several aspects to it, one of which is the provision of a chisel point which is straight and tapered from its thinnest part at the extreme front to a thicker part at the rear thereof for causing a sweep to wear longer than prior art sweeps. This sweep also improves soil penetration and is self-sharpening. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an earth working sweep having a front end, a right side, a left side, and a central upper portion for connecting the sweep to an implement. It also has a right rear wing portion and a left rear wing portion with an intermediate portion connecting the front end to the central upper rear portion and the left and right rear wing portions. A right edge and a left edge have concave edges on the front and convex edges on the back so as to form a somewhat S-shaped configuration which reduces scrap when being made and adds to the longevity and performance of the sweep. Another aspect of the present invention is a method of making a ground engaging sweep from a sheet of metal which has two parallel sides, a first end and a second end. The edges of the sweep are cut so that the right side of one sweep is a mirror image of the left side of the next adjacent sweep so that no material is wasted therebetween as they are cut from one sheet of material. By using this method, as much metal as possible is utilized in the sweep itself rather than having wasted metal as scrap and thereby enhancing the life and performance of such sweep.

The conveyor product transfer apparatus of the present invention includes at least one product transfer member mounted for translational (and preferably reciprocating) movement between product conveying surfaces or between a discharge or receiving station and a conveying surface separated by a distance sufficient to provide equipment clearance for an operation performed upon product transferred by the transfer member. Preferably, each transfer member is mounted for reciprocating translational movement between ends of conveying surfaces that are separated a distance apart, and has a sliding member in sliding engagement with a track to facilitate such movement. Each transfer member is coupled to an actuation assembly for movement thereof. The actuation assembly is preferably a camshaft assembly. To support the conveyed product during product processing operations (e.g., product cutting) in the gap, the present invention also preferably includes a kick member mounted for movement into and out of the gap between the conveying surfaces. In product cutting operations, the kick member preferably backs the product being cut adjacent to the saw blade and preferably is timed to move away from the gap after the product has been cut. Most preferably, this motion is reciprocating and is generated by a camshaft and cam assembly. The actuation assemblies of the transfer members and the camshaft and cam assembly of the kick member are preferably coupled to and driven by the same motor driving the log saw so that the transfer members, kick member, and log saw operate in synchronicity.

For the purpose of providing markings, in particular printing, on a material web (11) for producing blanks (10), the material web (11) is stopped temporarily, with the result that a printing unit (34) can provide the marking or printing. In order to ensure that the marking is positioned precisely in each case, the relative positioning between the material web (11) and printing unit (34) is controlled by a printed-mark reader (37), which is assigned to the printing unit (34). In the case of incorrect positioning, the material web (11) is moved, for correction purposes, in the conveying direction or counter to this until the correct relative positioning is achieved.

A method and system for fabricating a device on a substrate with a process gas, such as with chemical vapor deposition. A reaction chamber and support chuck cooperate to form a low conductance configuration for axisymetric process gas flow over the substrate and to form a high conductance configuration for enhanced evacuation of residual process gas from the reaction chamber upon completion of the process. A dual conductance chuck has an indented region that aligns with the exhaust port of the reaction chamber to restrict process gas flow in the low conductance configuration, and that moves distal a showerhead and the exhaust port to provide reduced restriction of process gas flow for reaction chamber evacuation. The chuck includes thermal control for enhancing film deposition on the substrate and for reducing residual film deposition on the chuck. An evacuation opening in the housing provides independent evacuation of residual gas from the housing. The present invention enhance throughput of device formation by reducing purge and process cycle times.

A fuel injected watercraft engine includes a controller for continuing the operation of an electric fuel pump for a predetermined time period after the engine has been stopped. The control system additionally may include a routine for stopping the fuel pump if the lanyard switch is tripped or the watercraft is capsized.

A fuel injection system for an engine includes an improved construction and provides a method for releasing a needle valve which has adhered to a valve seat in a fuel injector. The fuel injector is a normally closed type and the valve is activated by a solenoid to part from the valve seat to inject fuel. A first power supply unit is provided to supply electric power to the solenoid under an ordinary operating condition of the engine. A second power supply unit is additionally provided to supply electric power greater than the power supplied by the first power supply unit. In one embodiment, the second power supply unit includes a booster to raise the voltage. A switchover mechanism, such as detachable couplers, are provided to switch over between the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit. In one embodiment of the method, the operator detaches the coupler of the first power supply unit from the coupler of the solenoid and joins the coupler of the solenoid to the coupler of the second power supply. Then the operator operates the second power supply unit to supply the greater power to the solenoid to break the adhesion.

A molded fuel filler pipe for use in automobiles, in particular cars, comprises a one-piece structure which is blow molded. The conduit produced in the blow mold has a smooth edged tubular portion and a bellows portion which is molded at the same time. By deforming the bellows portion, flexibility in the relative location of the two ends of the conduit is provided. This eliminates taking two separate pieces and joining those pieces which may give rise to fuel vapour permeation through the joints.

A sensor carrier assembly for supporting one or a plurality of sensors to facilitate mounting the plurality of sensors to the vehicle. The sensors are mounted to a carrier or mounting beam which is then in turn mounted directly to the vehicle. The mounting beam mounts directly to the vehicle and a bumper covers the mounting beam. Alternatively, the sensor mounts externally to a vehicle body part, such as a bumper. Fastening points for attaching the carrier assembly to the vehicle are preferably placed in proximity to the sensors to assist in maintaining proper orientation of the sensors.

A disc brake assembly includes a stationary member, a rotating member defining an axis of rotation, a plurality of stationary discs spaced axially along the axis of rotation within the stationary member, and a plurality of movable discs interspaced with the stationary discs. A brake coupler supports the movable discs. During non-braking vehicle operation, the movable discs and the brake coupler remain stationary relative to the stationary discs. During a braking maneuver, the coupler couples the movable discs to the rotating member such that the movable discs are caused to rotate with respect to the stationary discs. Once the coupler and rotating member are interconnected a piston moves the stationary and movable discs together to reduce rotation of the rotating member and brake the vehicle. Once the braking maneuver is completed, a first return spring moves the stationary and movable discs apart and a second spring disengages the coupler from the rotating member to return the movable discs to their original position. This eliminates undesirable drag that occurs between stationary and rotating discs in a disc brake during non-braking vehicle operation.

An ATM enhancement computer is connected to the ATM computer to detect ATM activity in the ATM machine. A switch is connected between the ATM computer and its monitor and printer. When the switch is in its fail-safe first position, the monitor and printer are controlled by the ATM computer. When there is no ATM activity, the ATM enhancement computer actuates its switch to its second position wherein the monitor and printer are controlled by the ATM enhancement computer to provide displays and printed output. That output can be updated by connecting the ATM enhancement computer to a remote enhancement host. The ATM enhancement computer also has an audio output.

In a conventional method which defines an authentication key for each record, as the number of the records is increased in an access right management for records in a memory of an IC card, the number of the types of authentication keys is also increased to require a larger memory area for storing the authentication keys, thus causing lower memory efficiency. In order to solve such a problem, terminal types (ex. “0H”-“7H”) are defined for interrogators, so that only the number of authentication keys equal to the number of the terminal types are stored. Each record has the number of access permission bits equal to the number of the terminal types, and specifies terminal types, to which an access is permitted, by setting the bits ON or OFF.

Linear drive apparatus and process of using the same. The apparatus includes a movable device and a first high-speed thrust device coupled to the movable device. The first high-speed thrust device exerts an acceleration force on the movable device to move the movable device from a ready position. A movable retaining device is coupled to the movable device, so that the retaining device is adapted to hold the movable device in the ready position against the acceleration force. A release of the movable retaining device triggers immediate movement of the movable device via the acceleration force. The process includes positioning the movable device in an idle position, holding the movable device in the idle position with the retaining device, exerting an acceleration force on the movable device while it is being held in the idle position, and releasing the movable device from the idle position by moving the retaining device. In this manner, the acceleration force moves the moving device.

A method and apparatus for a gasket with a molded-in bolt retention means is herein provided. The apparatus includes a gasket carrier encased in a silicone rubber gasket, with the gasket carrier containing a series of holes. The holes in the gasket carrier are preferably in a star-shape and secure the bolt in place when the bolt is pressed through the opening. The method of assembling the gasket is also provided, the method including the steps of encasing the gasket carrier within the gasket, attaching an associated cover to the gasket, sliding the associated bolt through the various openings, and securing the bolt in place.

A bicycle protector which comprises a cushioning cover adapted to be draped over a wheeled bicycle to cover at least the bicycle frame from the right and left hand sides and having fastening means, to secure the cover in place by attachment to or around the bicycle or a part thereof, the cover being filled in use with a resilient cushioning material to protect the bicycle frame from damage in storage or transit.

An overhead clamp-type gripping device for gripping a load from above, includes a carrier frame which is movable in a vertical direction and has support elements positioned on both sides of a center plane and extending downwards from the carrier frame for movement relative to one another. The support elements have longitudinal guides which define an upwardly open angle with respect to the center plane. Received in the longitudinal guides of the support elements is a gripper unit which includes gripping elements for laterally contacting a load. The gripping elements are movable in load direction from a ready position in which the gripping elements are disposed at an upper end of the longitudinal guides and securable by a locking mechanism, to an active position in which the gripping elements grab the load whereby during lifting of the carrier frame the gripping elements move relative to the support elements in the load direction to thereby automatically apply a clamping action at a clamping force which depends on the weight of the load.

A control method for an ink jet printer capable of a non-discharge nozzle driving operation for stimulating and vibrating an ink meniscus in each ink nozzle of the ink jet head to prevent nozzle clogging does not lead to a drop in print speed. An ink jet head 30 is moved on a carriage 302. Prior to printing on a printing medium (block B2), this non-discharge driving operation (block B31) is performed while the carriage 302 is moving the ink jet head to the print position. Printing is therefore not delayed by the non-discharge driving operation, and nozzle clogging can be prevented without lowering the print speed.

A method of mounting a fluid ejection device having a first plurality of pads on a carrier substrate having a corresponding second plurality of pads includes positioning the first plurality of pads with respect to the second plurality of pads, and melting solder between the first plurality of pads and the second plurality of pads. Melting the solder includes aligning the first plurality of pads with respect to the second plurality of pads with a solder reflow force and forming a fluidic boundary between the fluid ejection device and the carrier substrate with the solder.

A cover used in conjunction with a lightweight luminaire for a suspended ceiling to increase the fire rating of the luminaire. The fire-rated cover being made of the same or similar material as the fire-rated ceiling tile used in the suspended ceiling; thus, providing a fire rating for the covered luminaire that is equal to that of the rest of the ceiling system. In its simplest embodiment, the cover itself acts as the reflector of the luminaire.

Stack consisting of a multiplicity of bags which are connected to one another and are made of plastic film, in particular vending machine bags, and also process and apparatus for producing and filling bags of this typeThe invention concerns a stack consisting of a multiplicity of bags which are connected to one another and are made of plastic film, in particular vending machine bags, and also a process and apparatus for producing and filling bags of this type which, for the purpose of simple production and handling when filling with a product, such as, for example, a loaf of bread or the like, have perforation lines (9, 9′) which run at an angle with respect to the filling opening (6) in order to form corner sections (11) with interconnecting points (12) provided in them, and which, when filling, can be severed cleanly from the bag stack and taken for packaging with a nice-looking exterior.

A spindle device equipped with a combined externally pressurized gas-magnetic bearing assembly, and a machining apparatus utilizing the spindle device. The spindle device is capable of accomplishing a high speed rotation with high rotational precision and includes a main shaft (4) rotatably supported by the combined bearing assembly (6 to 9), an electric current detecting device (15 to 18) disposed in a spindle controller (3) for detecting a current supplied to electromagnets of the combined bearing assembly (6 to 9). Also provided is a machining status determining device (19) for determining the machining status in reference to the current detected by the current detecting device (15 to 18). The machining status may be an indication of the extent to which a machining tool is impaired.

Actuator assemblies for adjustment mechanisms of exercise machines. In one embodiment, an actuator assembly includes a connecting member having a first end attached to the adjustment mechanism and a second end, a shaft rotatably coupled to the exercise machine proximate the second end, an actuating handle attached to the shaft, and a coupling member attached to the second end of the connecting member and having an engagement portion contacting an actuating portion of the shaft. As the shaft is rotated, the actuating portion of the shaft pushes the engagement portion of the coupling member, tensioning the connecting member and actuating the adjustment mechanism. The actuator mechanism advantageously reduces wear and breakage of the connecting member. In another embodiment, the shaft may be rotated in either a forward or an aft direction, improving the convenience of the actuator assembly for the user.

A method and apparatus for implanting seeds in or about a target area, such as a tumor, within a patient. The implantation device includes an implantation needle having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough from a proximal and to a distal end of the needle, the needle bore being adapted to permit at least one seed to pass therethrough. An elongated plunger extends longitudinally through the implantation device in aligned relation to the needle bore and is selectively movable in the longitudinal direction relative the needle from a retracted position spaced apart from the needle to an extended position wherein the plunger is advanced through the needle bore to eject at least one of the seeds through the bore, out of the distal end of needle and into the target area. An optical device is carried by and operatively connected to the plunger to provide visual assistance to an operator of the implantation device to guide and verify implantation of the ejected seed into the target area. A seed cartridge is releasably connected to the implantation device to store unused seeds and to load the seeds into the implantation device.

An infusion apparatus comprises a plurality of ports, a plurality of one-way directional valves, and a joint. Each port is adapted to receive and secure a syringe to allow for a flow of a liquid through the syringe into the port. Each one-way directional valve is in fluid communication with a respective port of the plurality of ports to enable the liquid to flow away from the port. The joint has a plurality of inputs to receive the flow from the plurality of one-way directional valves. The inputs are in fluid communication with each individual port of the plurality of ports. The joint has an output.

A method for improving the stability of the shape of trousers (10) subjected to treatment with a fluid. During the treatment, the inside (12b) and outside (12a) of each leg (12) of the trousers are attached, at locations on the respective legs which are on or adjacent the crotch (16) of the trousers. Attachment may be by means of a mechanical.

A colored interference pigment having a platelet-shaped layer as substrate, a coating of at least one metal oxide layer and, optionally, a further layer, at least two layers comprising or consisting of colorants.

The present invention involves a carbon fiber-filled sheet molding compound and method of manufacturing the same. The invention comprises providing chopped automotive carbon fibers, a predetermined resin paste, a first carrier film, and a second carrier film. The method further involves coating substantially completely one side of one of the first and second carrier films with the predetermined resin paste to define a coated side, depositing the chopped automotive carbon fibers onto the coated side, and covering the deposited carbon fibers with the second carrier film to define a compactible carbon-filled laminate. The method further includes compacting the carbon-filled laminate to admix the resin paste with the carbon fibers between the films, whereby to form the automotive carbon fiber-filled sheet molding compound.

A solid-liquid filtering method and system which comprises a thick band (7) of assembled filaments prepared by closely arranging paralleled monofilaments of predetermined length, a means for fixing (11) one end portion of said band and a network support (4) for keeping said band in a plane situation at proper location when said band is forced to turn in a regular direction, one end portion of said monofilaments being fixed and the other end portion being floated.

A lightweight cathode ray tube is formed by reducing a cross-sectional area on the apeture grill tapes in the aperture grill. One exemplary embodiment of the reduced cross-sectional area aperture grill tape includes a central longitudinal channel in a side of the aperture grill tape that faces away from the screen. The reduction in cross-sectional area reduces a linear density of the tape thereby decreasing the tension required by the frame. As each of the aperture grill tapes includes this central longitudinal channel, the weight of the overall aperture grill is significantly reduced and the aperture grill frame weight is reduced due to the lower aperture grill tension. A method for producing the reduced cross-sectional area aperture grill tape is possible without significantly increasing the cost of manufacturing the aperture grill tape. One exemplary embodiment of this method includes a two-step etching process, in which one of the etching steps involves etching both sides of the aperture grill, during which step a central longitudinal channel is etched in each of the aperture grill tapes and the other etching step involves etching the screen side of the aperture grill only.

An efficient process is described for making rubber tube segments, such as lathe-cut gaskets or conveyor roller covers, by cross-head extrusion of uncured rubber onto an axially aligned string of mandrels. Each mandrel in the string is separated from its two neighbors by respective spacers. The outer diameter of the extruded tube is kept within precise tolerances by making a non-contact measurement of the outer diameter at the output from the extruder and using the measured diameter to control the extrusion process. The extruded tube is cut into segments by a cutter that acts responsive to a spacer sensor and that makes the cuts between the mandrels. In one version, the extruded tube is conveyed through a curing oven by apparatus that only contacts and supports the tube adjacent ones of the spacers.

A reinforced window system for mounting within an opening in a wall, the window system comprising a first frame corresponding with an out-side of the wall and a second fame fixed behind the first frame and corresponding with an in-side of the wall. At least the first frame supports a reinforced window pane. The first frame bears against the second frame such that forces applied to the first fame in a direction normal to the pane are at least partially absorbed and dampened by the second frame.

Backed sanitaryware, such as baths, shower trays, wash basins and the like comprise an acrylic polymer moulding, the reverse of which is reinforced with a polymer material containing neither glass fibre nor asbestos, which material is firmly bonded to the acrylic polymer moulding, wherein the reinforcement is obtainable by curing a polymerisable, cold-curing reactive (meth)acrylate system sprayed onto the reverse of the acrylic polymer moulding, which system contains, in addition to further constituents, A) as polymerisable monomers:A) a)(meth)acrylate30-100 wt. %a1)methyl (meth)acrylate  0-99.8 wt. %a2)C2—C4(meth)acrylate  0-99.8 wt. %a3)≧C5 (meth)acrylate0-50 wt. %a4)polyfunctional (meth)acrylates0-50 wt. %a5)urethane (meth)acrylates0.2-50 wt. %   b)comonomers0-70 wt. %b1)vinyl aromatics0-35 wt. %b2)vinyl esters0-35 wt. %wherein components a1) to b2) are selected such that they amount to 100 wt. %. The further constituents of the (meth)acrylate system are disclosed in the description. The sanitaryware according to the invention meets all requirements of DIN EN 198 and further relevant standards and is completely and straightforwardly recyclable.

A polymer electrolyte for lithium secondary batteries in which growth of lithium dendrites is suppressed is disclosed, batteries exhibiting excellent discharge characteristics in low to high temperature, comprising a polymer gel holding a nonaqueous solvent containing an electrolyte, wherein the polymer gel comprises (I) a unit derived from at least one monomer having one copolymerizable vinyl group and (II) a unit derived from at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (II-a) a compound having two acryloyl groups and a (poly)oxyethylene group, (II-b) a compound having one acryloyl group and a (poly)oxyethylene group, and (II-c) a glycidyl ether compound, particularly the polymer gel comprises monomer (I), compound (II-a), and a copolymerizable plasticizing compound are disclosed.

This invention relates to a method for treating human hepatitis B or C by the combination of a complex of polyadenylic acid and polyuridylic acid and interferon-&agr;.

The invention provides mammalian nucleic acid molecules and fragments thereof. It also provides for the use of the mammalian nucleic acid molecules for the characterization, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, or prevention of conditions, diseases and disorders associated with cell signaling, the immune system, and cell proliferation, particularly colon cancer. The invention additionally provides expression vectors and host cells for the production of the protein encoded by the mammalian nucleic acid molecules.

A method of distinguishing between fluorescent light emitted by green fluorescent protein and fluorescent light emitted by auto-fluorescent molecules, the method comprising:using plane-polarised light to illuminate a sample containing green fluorescent protein and auto-fluorescent molecules;detecting the intensity of fluorescent light that is emitted with a first polarisation from the sample;detecting the intensity of fluorescent light that is emitted with a second polarisation from the sample; andsubtracting a first of said detected intensities from a second of said detected intensities to obtain a difference signal.

A procedure for the preparation of pseudomonic acid A comprising submerged cultivation of a Pseudomonas bacterium strain capable of biosynthesis of the substantially pure pseudomonic acid A in aerated conditions via fermentation; and isolation of the desired compound is disclosed. In particular, the procedure of the present invention comprises cultivation of the Pseudomonas sp. bacterium strain No. 19/26 deposited under accession No. NCAIM(P)B 001235 in the National Collection of the Agricultural and Industrial Microorganisms, Budapest, Hungary, or its pseudomonic acid A-producing mutant or variant, on a medium at a temperature of between about 20° C. and 30° C. containing organic nitrogen and carbon sources and, optionally, mineral salts.

Electrochemoluminescent detector for analyzing a biochemical or biological substance, comprising at least a cell (11, 12) generating and detecting the electrogenerated chemoluminescence, which includes: at least a working electrode (16, 17) produced on a substrate (20); electric power supply (13) connected to the electrode; a photodiode (14) detecting the light generated by electrochemoluminescence; and a device for measuring the signal delivered by the photodiode. The photodiode (14) is produced by being integrated in the substrate (20). The cell comprises two interdigital working electrodes protected by a passivation layer (18) leaving part of their top surface in contact with outside. An intermediate layer (19) of dielectric material is inserted between the electrodes and the substrate (20).

The present invention provides methods of forming in situ doped rugged silicon and semiconductor devices incorporating conductive rugged silicon. In one aspect, the methods involve forming a layer of doped amorphous silicon on a substrate at a substantially constant deposition temperature; and converting the amorphous silicon layer into hemispherical grain silicon by annealing the amorphous silicon layer at substantially the deposition temperature while varying pressure. In another aspect, the methods involve forming a discontinuous first layer of doped silicon on a substrate; forming a second layer of amorphous silicon on the first layer of doped silicon and the substrate not covered by the first layer of doped silicon; and annealing the first and second layers. In yet another aspect, the methods involve forming a discontinuous first layer of silicon on a substrate and forming a second conformal layer of doped amorphous silicon on the first layer of doped silicon.

Problematic dishing and erosion in forming embedded metal interconnection by a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method are suppressed.Formation of embedded Cu interconnects 46a to 46e by chemical mechanical polishing of a Cu film 46 formed in interconnect trenches 40 to 44 is performed by abrasive-grain-free chemical mechanical polishing using a polishing liquid of an abrasive grain content less than 0.5 wt % (CMP of the first step); with-abrasive-grain chemical mechanical polishing using a polishing liquid of an abrasive grain content of 0.5 or more wt % (CMP of the second step); and selective chemical mechanical polishing using a polishing liquid to which an anticorrosive such as benzotriazole (BTA) is added (CMP of the third step).

A catalyst composition and a process for hydrodealkylating a C9+ aromatic compound such as, for example, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene to a C6 to C8 aromatic hydrocarbon such as a xylene are disclosed. The composition comprises an alumina, a metal oxide, a phosphorus oxide and optionally, an acid site modifier selected from the group consisting of silicon oxides, sulfur oxides, boron oxides, magnesium oxides, tin oxides, titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, molybdenum oxides, germanium oxides, indium oxides, lanthanum oxides, cesium oxides, and combinations of any two or more thereof. The process comprises contacting a fluid which comprises a C9+ aromatic compound with the catalyst composition under a condition sufficient to effect the conversion of a C9+ aromatic compound to a C6 to C8 aromatic hydrocarbon.

A security feature is imparted to record material for use in pressure-sensitive copying paper systems by dyeing the surface sizing composition and/or other coatings present in the paper and then applying the dyed composition or coating in a manner such as to produce an uneven coating pattern, for example a film-split pattern. The dye accentuates the coating pattern and produces a visual effect which is difficult to replicate without access to a papermaking or paper coating machine, and which has a distinguishably different appearance from that of the opposite surface of the reccord material. The invention is particularly suited for use with a Billblade coater which applies a dyed surface sizing composition to one surface of the paper and a pigment coating to the other surface or with a metered size press coater.

New therapeutic uses for BPI protein products that involve treatment of chronic cardiac disease.

A method for increasing chick production by increasing the level of L-DOPA in the bloodstream of breeder hens is described. Chick production is increased by increasing rates of egg laying, fertility of laid eggs, and number of fertile eggs that hatch. Methods for reducing the effects of stress on egg laying by increasing the level of L-DOPA in the bloodstream of breeder hens are also described.

A chlorine-containing resin composition for covering an electric wire of the present invention, has a heat stability of not less than 240 minutes and a volume resistivity of 5.0×1013 to 1.0×1016 &OHgr;·cm when measured according to JIS K6723, and comprises:100 parts by weight of a chlorine-containing resin, and1.5 to 10 parts by weight of Mg—Al-based hydrotalcite-type particles having a composition represented by the formula:[MgxCay]·Alz·(OH)2·An−p·mH2O wherein0.2≦z/(x+z)≦0.6; 0.01≦y/(x+z)≦0.20; x+y+z=1;p=(2(x+y−1)+3z)/n; A is a n-valent anion; and m is more than 0 and not more than 0.75, having a plate surface diameter of 0.1 to 1.0 &mgr;m and a thickness of 0.02 to 0.08 &mgr;m, and containing calcium at a molar ratio of Ca to a sum of Mg and Al of 0.01:1 to 0.20:1, and having a heat-resisting time of not less than 4 hours upon a chlorine-containing resin composition containing the Mg—Al-based hydrotalcite-type particles.

The invention relates to alteration of a linear low density polyethylene which is ordinarily free of long chain branching to introduce long chain branching into the polymer.

Mixtures of isomeric alkylthiated mononuclear aromatic amines comprising in the range of about 30 to about 70 mole percent of (i) at least one 3,5-di(alkyl-thio)-2,6-diamino-1-alkylbenzene and in the range of about 30 to about 70 mole percent of at least one 3,5-di(alkylthio)-2,4-diamino-1-alkylbenzene, such mixture containing at least about 90 mole percent of (i) and (ii), and optionally containing up to 10 mole percent of one or more isomers of (i) and/or (ii). An alkyl group may be present as a substituent in lieu of a hydrogen atom in the remaining ring position. These mixtures are useful as curatives or extenders in processes for making polyurethanes, polyurethane-ureas, and polyureas.

A process is provided for preparing a low odor composition containing a dicyclopentenyl ester including the steps of preparing a distillation mixture containing the dicyclopentenyl ester and from 10 to 10,000 parts per million by weight based on weight of the dicyclopentenyl ester, of a suitable inhibitor; distilling the distillation mixture at a temperature in the range of 140° C. to 250° C.; collecting a first distillation fraction of the dicyclopentenyl ester; and then collecting a second distillation of the dicyclopentenyl ester; wherein the level of dicyclopentenyloxy(meth)acrylate in the second distillation fraction is in the range of 0 to 0.2 weight %, based on the weight of the dicyclopentenyl ester in the second distillation fraction. The second distillation fraction provides a low odor composition of the dicyclopentenyl ester which is useful as a reactive coalescent.

The invention concerns novel compound of general formula (1) in which: P, T1, T2, X and n are as defined in claim 1, their tautomeric forms, and their additive salts with pharmaceutically acceptable bases. The invention also concerns methods for preparing these compounds and their applications as medicines. These compounds inhibit the aldose reductase enzyme and can be used in the treatment or prevention of peripheral and autonomous neurological diabetic complications, renal and ocular disorders such as cataract and retinopathy.

Multicomponent superabsorbent gel particles are disclosed. The multicomponent particles comprise at least one acidic water-absorbing resin and at least one basic water-absorbing resin. Each particle contains microdomains of the acidic resin and/or the basic resin homogeneously dispersed throughout the particle.

A method and associated structure for excising laminate chip carriers from a panel that has a thickness less than about 100 mils. A laser beam is focused on a surface of the panel, and the panel is moved relative to the laser beam in a geometric pattern, such that cells of the panel (e.g., chip carriers) are excised from the panel. The laser parameters include a wavelength between about 500 nanometers and about 600 nanometers, a pulse width greater than about 100 nanoseconds and less than about 350 nanoseconds, an average power of at least about 1 watt, a pulse repetition rate between about 5,000 pulses/sec and about 20,000 pulses/sec, and a target diameter (D) between about 2 microns and about 30 microns. The kerf width between adjacent excised cells is between about 2 microns and about 75 microns. The width of an excised cell is at least 5 mm. A displacement between successive pulses of the laser beam is less than about 2D. The panel may comprise a layered structure that includes an organic layer and a metal layer. The laser includes, inter alia, a lasant of Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:YAP, or Nd:YVO4. The method of the present invention wastes less panel area by at least a factor of about 13 than does the mechanical excising techniques of the related art.

An SCR cell structure provides a plurality of divided p+ and n+ blocks, and varies the spacing, sizes and locations of these divided p+ and n+ blocks to minimize latchup caused by non-ESD events. To further minimize latchup caused by non-ESD events, the SCR cell structure can also provide a plurality of divided blocks of Nwell and Psub pickup contacts, and varying the spacing, sizes, shapes and locations of these divided blocks of Nwell and Psub pickup contacts. In addition, the spacing of contact holes within the pickup contacts can also be varied to further minimize latchup caused by non-ESD events.

A semiconductor memory device having a capacitor protection layer and a method for manufacturing the same. A capacitor of the semiconductor memory device is entirely covered with an encapsulating layer having a multi-layered structure. The encapsulating layer comprises at least a blocking layer and a capacitor protection layer, each of which is formed of different materials. The blocking is formed of a material capable of preventing a capacitor dielectric layer from volatilizing and/or capable of preventing a reaction between a material layer under the blocking layer and the capacitor protection layer. The capacitor protection layer is formed of a material layer capable of preventing diffusion of hydrogen into the capacitor dielectric layer. In addition, the semiconductor memory device may has a hydrogen barrier layer as another capacitor protection layer, between the capacitor and a passivation layer.

A semiconductor chip having a plurality of flash memory devices, shallow trench isolation in the periphery region, and LOCOS isolation in the core region. A hard mask is used first to create the shallow trench isolation. The LOCOS isolation is then created. Subsequent etching is used to remove stringers. The flash memory is able to use shallow trench isolation to limit encroachment. The flash memory may also have a nitridated tunnel oxide barrier layer. A hard mask is used to prevent nitride contamination of the gate oxide layer.

A method and device for improved salicide resistance in polysilicon gates under 0.20 &mgr;m. The several embodiments of the invention provide for formation of gate electrode structures with recessed and partially recessed spacers. One embodiment, provides a gate electrode structure with recessed thick inner spacers and thick outer spacers. Another embodiment provides a gate electrode structure with recessed thin inner spacers and recessed thick outer spacers. Another embodiment provides a gate electrode structure with thin inner spacers and partially recessed outer spacers. Another embodiment provides a gate electrode structure with two spacer stacks. The outermost spacer stack with recessed thin inner spacers and recessed thick outer spacers. The inner spacer stack with thin inner spacers and thin outer spacers. Another embodiment provides a gate electrode structure with two spacer stacks. The outermost spacer stack with recessed thin inner spacers and recessed thick outer spacers. The inner spacer stack with recessed thin inner spacers and recessed thin outer spacers.

First, a lower layer wiring is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Then, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the lower layer wiring. Next, a first Ti film is formed on the interlayer insulating film. Thereafter, a TiN film is formed on the first Ti film. Then, a via hole is formed in the TiN film, the first Ti film and the interlayer insulating film such as to reach the lower layer wiring. Then, a second Ti film and an Al or Al alloy film are sequentially formed in the via hole and on the TiN film. Next, a thermal treatment is carried out, thereby allowing Ti in the second Ti film and Al in the Al or Al alloy film to react with each other in a bottom of the via hole.

A motor includes a hollow yoke having an open end. A coupling member is coupled to the yoke so as to cover the open end of the yoke. A stator is accommodated in the yoke and has a receptacle. A rotor is received in the receptacle of the stator. A first bearing is arranged in the coupling member or the stator to rotatably support a first end of the rotor. A second bearing is formed integrally with the yoke to rotatably support a second end of the rotor.

A hybrid synchronous machine includes a cylindrical element having slots; excitation windings situated in at least some of the slots; and permanent magnets situated in at least some of the slots, the permanent magnets comprising radially magnetized permanent magnets.

A spark plug having enhanced heat transfer capabilities is provided. The spark plug comprises a tubular insulator body, a center electrode and a thermally conductive filler material. The tubular insulator body has an inner surface, and the center electrode has an outer surface. The center electrode is positioned within the tubular insulator body such that a gap is formed between at least a portion of the inner surface of the tubular insulator body and at least a portion of the outer surface of the center electrode. The thermally conductive filler material has a high heat transfer coefficient. It is positioned within at least a portion of the gap so as to intimately contact the inner surface of the tubular insulator body and the outer surface of the center electrode. Positioned accordingly in the gap, the thermally conductive filler material enhances the ability of the spark plug to transfer heat away from the firing tip and into the body of the spark plug. This enables a designer to employ performance-improving features in a spark plug without the compromises inherent in currently used spark plug designs.

A device for measuring the rotational speed of a rotating body, in particular a toothed wheel, is provided with a variable-inductance speed pick-up which is mounted in a housing and faces an annular measurement zone of a rotating body having at least one measurement-sensitive discontinuity of measurement. The rotating body is further provided with at least one disturbance zone with at least one disturbance discontinuity that influences the measurement. In order to improve the quality of the measurement it is provided that at least one screen is arranged between the disturbance zone and the speed pick-up.

A planarizer for a probe card assembly. A planarizer includes a first control member extending from a substrate in a probe card assembly. The first control member extends through at least one substrate in the probe card assembly and is accessible from an exposed side of an exterior substrate in the probe card assembly. Actuating the first control member causes a deflection of the substrate connected to the first control member.

An object of the invention is to provide a wireless input apparatus capable of recognizing the end of an operation with reliability even when any trouble occurs in a wireless communication channel. When an operation of pressing a key of a wireless keyboard is carried out, the operation is detected by a key press detecting section, and a key press signal is transmitted from an infrared rays emitting section with a medium of infrared rays. When the key is kept pressed, the key press signal is transmitted at intervals of a time detected by a time detecting section. The signal received by an infrared rays receiving section of a processing unit is detected by a signal detecting section, and a timer for a threshold time is restarted by a time detecting section. The threshold time is set so as to be longer than the interval of signal reception. When the signal transmitted with the medium of infrared rays is interrupted, a release signal is issued by a key release signal issuing section, whereby a control section recognizes that the operation of pressing the key is ended.

In a method for filtering shade attributes of surface points of a graphic object onto pixels in an image buffer according to depth values stored in a depth buffer, tangential disks are constructed at positions of each surface point. The tangential disks have increasingly larger radii. Each tangential disk is projected to an ellipse in texture space. View independent filter functions are applied at the position of each surface point to generate texture mipmaps for the surface point. The filter functions have an extent equal to the projected tangential disk. The surface point is projected to the pixels in the depth buffer, and a view dependent filter function is applied to each pixel in the image buffer to determine colors for the pixels.

A method and device for increasing the horizontal resolution of both a color flat panel display and a cathode ray tube (CRT) display. The method involves fine horizontal positioning of pixels according to information encoded in the color. Since pixel size is not changed, the display and processing bandwidth requirement is not increased. For the case of the color flat panel display, the fact that each pixel is constructed of a horizontal stripe of 3 primary color sub-pixels is utilized. Complex color information is spread across adjacent pixels to increase the apparent horizontal resolution by a factor of three. For the case of the CRT, a clock multiplier is used to multiply the video clock frequency by three. The apparent horizontal resolution of the CRT is increased by a factor of three by delaying pixels a varying multiple of this high clock speed. By encoding the fine repositioning information in the pixel color, the same display output can be post-processed respectively for the color flat panel and the CRT, allowing them to be driven and resolution enhanced simultaneously.

Projection lens systems for use in CRT projection televisions are provided. The lens systems include a negative lens unit (U4) which is associated with the CRT during use of the lens system and four lens elements (L1, L2, L3, CR) on the image side of the negative lens unit (U4). Three of those lens elements (L1, L2, L3) are arranged as follows from the long conjugate to the short conjugate of the lens system: a first lens element (L1) which has a weak optical power and at least one aspherical surface; a second lens element (L2) which has a positive focal length and provides most of the optical power of the lens system; and a third lens element (L3) which has a positive focal length and at least one aspherical surface. The last lens element of the system is a corrector lens element (CR) which is located adjacent to the second lens element (L2) and has a weak optical power, at least one aspherical surface, and is substantially flat. The lens systems achieve wide fields of view, low f-numbers, and low levels of thermal focus drift.

A potting compound for use in the fabrication of fiber optic gyro sensor coils utilizes a silver-filled silicone base to reduce gyro sensitivity to changes in heat rate and thereby improve gyro performance during warm-up and periods of thermal cycling.

An apparatus (100) for formatting bitmapped image data for printing. An image data bus section (120) has an image bus interface (122) adapted to be coupled to a computer bus to transmit the image data, a front end memory (124) coupled to the image bus interface (122) to receive the image data in an unformatted form, a back end memory (126) for receiving the image data in a formatted form, and a print interface device (1280 coupled to the back end memory (126) for transmitting print data based on the image data in a formatted form. A processor bus section (140) has an image processor (146) and a processor bus interface (1420 adapted to be coupled to the computer bus to communicate print processing instructions between the print processor (146) and the computer. A gateway (160) couples the print processor (146) to the front end memory (124) and the back end memory (126) whereby the print processor 9146) receives the image data in an unformatted form from the front end memory (124), formats the image data, and transmits the image data in a formatted form to the back end memory (126). The image data signals and the processor instruction signals are separated and transmitted over separate buses and bus interfaces to minimize processor I/O wait states and parasitic capacitance.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating a three-dimensional display from a conventional television screen or computer monitor, and in particular to an adapter that may be placed in front of a television screen or computer monitor to enable three-dimensional images to be perceived by a viewer.

The thin film magnetic head of the present invention includes an improved P2 pole tip/yoke interface structure. The interface structure includes yoke material that is formed in a concave curved shape at the interface between the P2 pole tip and the yoke, such that a right angle interface between the P2 pole tip and the yoke is eliminated. The process for forming the P2 pole tip/yoke interface includes a second CMP polishing step that is performed on the surface of the write head wafer subsequent to the plating of the P2 pole tip thereon, and subsequent to a first CMP step. This second CMP step utilizes a relatively soft polishing pad and an acidic polishing slurry having a pH within the range of approximately 1 to approximately 5, and preferably approximately 2.5. The acidic polishing slurry contains a chemical agent which preferentially attacks the P2 pole tip material, such that the second CMP step results in the recession of the upper surface of the P2 pole tip relative to the dielectric layer surrounding it, as well as the significant rounding of the upper edges of the dielectric trench in which the P2 pole tip is formed. Thereafter, when the yoke is plated onto the P2 pole tip the rounded upper edges of the dielectric trench result in a concave curved interface between the yoke and the P2 pole tip. The resulting P2 pole tip/yoke interface possesses improved magnetic flux flow control properties and results in decreased side writing. Greater track per inch areal data storage results from the reduced side writing of the improved write head.

A method for forming a transducing head first requires the deposition of a bottom shield, a bottom thick gap, a bottom thin gap, a sensor, a first flux guide, a top thin gap, a top thick gap, and a top shield. After each of the layers is deposited, an air bearing portion of both the top and bottom thick gaps is removed, such that a length of the air bearing portion of the top thick gap is substantially equal to a length of the air bearing portion of the bottom thick gap. Next, an air bearing shield is deposited over the air bearing surface, the air bearing shield being in contact with the top and bottom shields, the top and bottom thick gaps, the top and bottom thin gaps, and the flux guide. Finally, the air bearing surface of the transducing head is planarized, resulting in the top and bottom thin gaps and the first flux guide each being exposed at the air bearing surface.

When data is reproduced by an apparatus which is different from an apparatus used for recording the data, the fluctuation of edge positions of the reproducing data increases, making reproduction incompatible, and the present invention solves this problem. The present invention comprises reproducing learning means 13 and 24 for switching a frequency characteristic of the reproducing system, which detects the changes of the local optical constant, to a predetermined frequency characteristic, and recording learning means 20 for correcting the start edge or end edge position of the recording pulse for each combination of length of a mark block and length of the preceding or subsequent space, so that the edge position of the binarized reproducing data comes to a desired position, and since the frequency characteristic of the reproducing system is unified before learning the edge shift amount caused by the thermal interference between marks, the length of the recorded marks and spaces can always be constant, which improves the reproducing compatibility among reproducing apparatuses.

A data storage disk cartridge including a shutter assembly with a stress relief mechanism. The disk cartridge includes a housing assembly having an opening for accessing a disk. A molded shutter assembly is operably connected to the housing assembly. The molded shutter assembly is moveable between a closed position across the opening and an open position allowing access to the disk by a disk drive. The molded shutter assembly includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and an endwall extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. A first joint is defined by the junction of the first sidewall and the endwall. A stress relief mechanism is positioned at the first joint whereby the first sidewall is maintained substantially parallel to the second sidewall after removal from a molding process die assembly.

The present invention incorporates an optical fiber cleaving mechanism within a prior art optical fiber impact mounting device. The optical fiber cleaving mechanism is pivotally mounted within the fiberoptic connector holding mechanism, such that an optical fiber cleaving blade is disposed proximate the tip of the fiberoptic connector. After the optical fiber has been engaged within the fiberoptic connector an end of the optical fiber protrudes from the tip of the fiberoptic connector. An actuator member is then manipulated to cause the optical fiber cleaving mechanism to rotate downwardly, such that the cleaving blade will make cleaving contact with the surface of the optical fiber. Immediately prior to the contact of the cleaving blade with the optical fiber, a portion of the cleaving mechanism makes contact with the protruding end of the optical fiber to bend it downwardly, and the subsequent contact of the cleaving blade will cleave the optical fiber. In the preferred embodiment, the cleaving blade is movably mounted, such that it makes a scoring contact with the optical fiber to aid in the cleaving process. After the cleaving step, the optical fiber is mounted within the fiberoptic connector and its protruding end has been cleaved, whereupon it is removed from the apparatus for subsequent polishing.

Logical coverage areas are dynamically rearranged to meet the traffic needs of a wireless switching system. Further, the logical coverage areas do not have to be initially provisioned during deployment of the wireless switching system since the initial determination of the logical coverage areas is automatically performed. Once the logical coverage areas are established, the logical coverage areas adapt to the changing needs of the community of wireless handsets. A first embodiment allows the base stations to control the rearrangements, and a second embodiment allows a system wireless controller controlling the wireless switching system to control the rearrangements.

A system and method for data communication with adaptive security in which a send host transmits a data stream to a receive host in packets which contain an authentication data block with an authentication header and a signature block. The authentication header advantageously contains various fields including a verification type, a security algorithm, a minimum security level, a target security level, and an actual security level. The receive host adaptively performs verification of the data packets using varying security levels based in part on the availability of security operations per second (SOPS) in the receive host. Where a data stream in the receive host is delayed by a security processing bottleneck, the receive host may alter the verification type, security algorithm, or the actual security level to speed up the processing of the data stream by reducing the amount of security processing performed. The receive host further allocates the SOPS among the data streams received based on a priority assigned to each data stream.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently creating and maintaining a remembered set in a generational garbage collection scheme using a write buffer and a barrier bit associated with each object. A barrier bit associated with each object differentiates generations in a generational garbage collection scheme. When an object is first created, the barrier bit of the object is set to zero. The barrier bit is set when the object becomes old, for example, after surviving a first garbage collection. The barrier bit is used to determine whether to make an entry into a write buffer when a reference to another object is stored into an object. An entry is made in the write buffer only if the barrier bit of the object that is written into is set. At the end of each garbage collection, entries in the write buffer are added to the remembered set for the next garbage collection if the objects satisfy the criterion for membership, i.e., they are live and may contain pointers to objects in a younger generation. Thus, the remembered set consists of objects that were in the write buffer at the time of a garbage collection, that must be remembered for the next garbage collection. The write buffer is kept small by eliminating duplicate entries. The present invention turns off the barrier bit after the first store during each reclamation period (which causes the object to be identified in the write buffer). The barrier bit is turned on again by the garbage collector after the write buffer has been processed.

A digital differential analyzer (DDA) is described that avoids using comparisons, and instead uses shifts, multiplies, and adds. Shifts are less costly to use in terms of processor time, and already exist in the hardware of a computer graphics system. The DDA provides improved linear interpolation procedures for use in computer graphics applications such as line drawing, computing polygon edges, texture mapping, and image scaling. The shifts are used to generate an “imposter” DDA having a larger denominator that substantially exactly simulates a DDA for a finite number of terms. The imposter DDA is a fixed point simulator of the original DDA that provides error-free approximations.

A software virtual machine mechanism that increases the efficiency of context switching is disclosed. In an application to the networking environment, the software virtual machine is operative to increase the efficiency of handling input/output operations through the improved control of switching between contexts. The software virtual machine supports restartable instructions such that the resumption of a previously blocked context will continue at the instruction that had previously blocked.

A symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) of hierarchical connection realizing an inter-partition shared memory has at the gateway of an inter-node connection switch from each node, a translator for translating an address of an access command for an area shared between partitions, between a real address used in a partition and a shared area address used in common between partitions. Thereby, the address of a local area of each partition is freely set, and cache coherent control of a shared area is conducted at high speed by using a snoop command of the hierarchical connection SMP. Fault containment between partitions is realized by checking conformity between the address of the access command issued from another partition and the shared area configuration. Nodes included in other partitions may be reset from each partition. In addition, the configuration information of the shared area between partitions may be dynamically modified.

In a method of designing a semiconductor integrated circuit device, there are provided a common block macro for a common circuit and data communication block macros having the same size or different sizes. Each of the data communication block macros is for a data communication circuit. Each of the data communication block macros has a layout pattern for an input terminal of a signal and a layout pattern for an output terminal of the signal at corresponding positions between the data communication block macros. The common block macro has a layout pattern for an output terminal of the signal at a position corresponding to the layout pattern for the input terminal of the data communication block macro. Thereby, a layout pattern of a semiconductor integrated circuit device is formed.

An apparatus for keeping several versions of a file includes a memory and an overwriting unit coupled to the memory. An initial version of the file is stored in a first area of the memory, and a current version is stored in a second area of the memory, the current version resulting from a modification of the initial version. The overwriting unit substitutes the current version for the initial version in response to a validation signal. The validation signal is produced after the current version has been permanently stored.

A method for fabricating an Invar tool includes the step of superplastically forming an Invar facesheet for the tool. A tool header is provided, and the Invar facesheet is then formed with an SPF diaphragm driver to match the predetermined contour of the tool header. The Invar facesheet is then welded to the tool header. Forming the Invar facesheet is achieved by positioning the Invar facesheet between a superplastically formable diaphragm and a die having the predetermined contour. The diaphragm is heated to a predetermined superplastic temperature, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the diaphragm. Application of the predetermined pressure allows the diaphragm to cause the Invar facesheet to form against the predetermined contour of the die. Superplastically forming the Invar facesheet results in a negligible amount of excess scrap, reduces material costs, and reduces labor costs.

A system for fixing sun protection cloths to produce shade on projecting balconies of houses wherein two guiding elements extending parallel to each other and set at different heights are used, the lower guiding element being borne by stretching or retaining devices fixed to the balcony guard-rail or to the said guard-rail hand rail. The stretching or retaining devices consist of a supporting base, a retaining arm so that it can move on the support base, the guiding element being pulled by the movement of said retaining arm. In another embodiment or as a complement, the supporting base can be made to pivot about the hand rail.

A method for manufacturing tube-shaped packages made of flexible material, characterized in that an annular portion is pushed inward in a U-shaped arrangement at at least one closed end of a tube-shaped package, said annular portion being at least partially heat-sealed to the remaining part of the package at facing portions thereof. An apparatus for carrying out the method. A package obtained with the method and the apparatus.

Processes for the production of a smooth translucent glass sheet comprise grinding at least one face of a clear glass sheet using a conventional abrasive such as sand. Preferably the clear glass sheet is a sheet of clear float glass. The process may be carried out using a conventional glass grinding and polishing facility operated in a manner that the ground sheet is ground but not polished. The product preferably has a satin finish and a roughness Ra of less than 5.0 &mgr;M and is sufficiently translucent as to be useful in privacy glazing. The ground glass products may have a haze value of from 80 to 90% and an Ra value of from 1.0 &mgr;M to 3.0 &mgr;M are believed to be novel.

A control cam or a gear wheel having a plurality of layers of flat material placed one on top of the other. Each of the layers of flat material is of a multi-part form with partition lines that extend in a direction of planes over the layers of material. At least some of the partition lines of neighboring layers of the flat material are offset in relation to one another. The partition line of a layer of flat material is arranged so that in both circumferential directions it lies approximately equally spaced in relation to a partition line of a neighboring layer of flat material.

In the case of an earth boring apparatus, preferably a thrust boring apparatus, the head of which is actuated by a pneumatically operated reciprocating ram, a supply hose (5) provides the connection from a compressor as an example to the thrust boring apparatus which also serves to reverse the direction of operation by the rotation of the hose. To ensure error-free control over greater lengths of hose and to avoid kinking—partly due to the pressure from surrounding ground—the hose (5) is equipped with a snugly fitting corset (12) in the form of a spring wire spiral or a woven wire support.

In a transaction record storing device of a transaction machine, electronic journal data including transaction contents are stored into a storage medium whose stored data is unalterable or a storage medium which keeps its data alteration record. This ensures a guarantee of the truth with respect to the electronic journal data stored in the storage medium.

A toothbrush holder adapter having an elongated body, an insertion member extending downwardly from a first end of the body to be inserted into a hole of a standard toothbrush holder and an opening at a second end of the body for receiving at least a portion of a toothbrush handle. The insertion member preferably includes extensions or fins to engage the interior of the opening of a standard toothbrush holder.

An apparatus and method are provided for controlling the presentation of articles to the singulation head of a system for singulating a stack of edge-mounted articles, for example mixed mail, which mechanism senses the instantaneous pressure at which the lead article of the stack is pressed against the singulation head. A feedback control may be provided responsive to a difference between detected instantaneous pressure and a desired target pressure for controlling at least one drive member in a manner so as to reduce such difference. Where there is a pick window of instantaneous pressure at which singulation can be effectively performed, a control may also be provided to inhibit operation of the singulation head when the instantaneous pressure is outside the pick window. Two vertically spaced pressure sensors may be provided on the singulation head to detect the angle at which the lead article is presented to the head and controls may be provided for the drive mechanism(s) to reduce the difference between the instantaneous angle detected and an optimum angle for singulation and/or to inhibit operation of the singulation head when the instantaneous angle is outside of a range where singulation may be effectively performed. The sensor preferably includes a lever extending from the surface of the singulation head which is moved by a distance dependant on the pressure applied thereto. A servo motor may be connected to the lever to apply a bias pressure thereto which bias pressure is determined by a control signal applied to the motor. The sensor may also include a position encoder generating an output indicative of lever position.

An elastomer seal between a piston and a cylinder or a shaft of an automatic automobile transmission.An elastomer seal between a piston and a cylinder or a shaft of an automatic automobile transmission, the piston and cylinder or shaft carrying out translatory movement with respect to each other, when in operation, comprising a sealing lip which bridges a gap between the circumference of a supporting body of the piston and a sealing surface of the cylinder or shaft and is pressed against this sealing surface, the elastomer seal being bonded to the supporting body by an adhesive, is characterized in that the supporting body has a radial surface which is engaged axially by an end of the elastomer seal remote from the lip, said end especially starting at a radial spacing from the circumference of the supporting body, which spacing is dimensioned sufficiently great to block elastomer material from flowing across when the elastomer seal is molded to the piston, and that the circumference of the supporting body comprises a circumferential surface which is free of sealing material and defines a gap with the sealing surface of minimized gap width.

A booklet is provided which is easily formed in the in-line finishing process part of a web printing press operation having a plurality of sheets or layers, each sheet or layer having multiple removable portions positioned about a central portion used to attach the layers or sheets to one another. The removable portions of the booklet are particularly useful as coupons, advertising material or the like. The booklet may be attached to a newspaper, magazine, catalog or the like by extending the outer edge of one of the removable portions so such outer edge can be attached to the newspaper, magazine, or the like. The booklet may also be removable from the newspaper, magazine, catalog or the like by placing perforations between the attachable extension and the outer removable portion. Also provided is a method of making the inventive booklet.

A locking device is to be mounted on a bed of a truck or within an ambulance to lock or fasten goods on the bed or a stretcher within the ambulance. The locking device includes a frame, an operating handle rotatably mounted on the frame, a link mechanism connected to the operating handle and having a recess defined therein, a hook connected to the operating handle via the link mechanism, and a locking pin slidable relative to the operating handle. The hook is locked by introducing the locking pin into the recess and is unlocked by moving the locking pin apart from the recess.

A reinforcing nut plate (40) contacts one surface of an automotive vehicle body pillar (28) with hot-melt adhesive bodies (52) therebetween. A door hinge plate (15) is secured to the pillar (28) and nut plate (40) by one or more bolts (20,22) providing a predetermined mounting arrangement. On rust-proofing or other manufacturing treatment raising the door temperature a significant amount, the adhesive bodies affix the nut plate to the pillar. Now, the door may be removed from the pillar and transported to another work site for accessories to be mounted, following which the door can be readily reinstalled to the predetermined arrangement with the pillar and nut plate.

A parking brake switch for a vehicle including a switch having a contacting surface, the switch being positioned between an actuated state and a deactuated state, a first contact connected to a brake valve associated with an electro-hydraulic braking system, a second contact connected to a pair of electronic control modules, and a third contact connected to the pair of electronic control modules and a coil, the contacting surface being adapted to engage all of the contacts when the switch is in the actuated state.

An ink cartridge is provided which includes a rigid housing and a flexible ink storage bag inserted within the housing. The storage bag, which is connectable to the ink supply line of a printer by a hollow needle, is impenetrable by the needle or similar when the storage bag is depleted of ink.

A mirror assembly in which the mirror housing and multi-function backing plate provide various useful functions. The multi-function backing plate supports not only a conventional reflective element but also supports a wide angle reflective element. The wide angle reflective element may be adjustable. The multi-function backing plate supports an indicator light assembly so that the mirror assembly can provide an indicator light function. The multi-function backing plate also support a recessible spot or approach lamp which, when the mirror is in an operative position, is recessed within the housing. When the mirror is in an inoperative state, the multi-function backing plate can be rotated so as to expose the spot or approach light. Various light pipe configurations enable transmission of light projected from a light source mounted to and behind the multi-function backing plate to project light through the light pipe externally to the mirror housing to provide an indicator light function.

The present invention discloses an apparatus for locating the position of an object behind a panel and protecting the object or any contents therein during the cutting of an aperture in the panel. In particular, the invention discloses an apparatus for locating the position of an electrical outlet or switch box or the like behind a panel and protecting any wires situated in said box during the cutting of an aperture in the panel to reveal said box. The apparatus comprises a base composed of substantially planar front and back surfaces. The edge of said base may extend a distance generally normal to one of said substantially planar front and back surfaces to thereby define a support extension that supports and stabilizes the apparatus when positioned in a box. A locator pin is connected to the base by means, and extends outwardly from the base for piercing the panel. The invention further discloses a method of cutting an aperture in a panel to reveal an electrical outlet or switch box or the like located behind said panel, comprising the steps of inserting the apparatus into the electrical outlet or switch box such that the locator pin extends out of said box a distance at least the width of the panel; and moving the panel into a desired position and causing the locator pin to protrude through the panel, thereby locating the position of the box behind the panel and protecting any contents therein such as any wires during the cutting of the aperture. Prior to cutting the aperture, the locator pin may be removed to facilitate the cutting. An aperture may be accurately cut in the panel to reveal said box, preferably using a router.

A configurable instrument panel design is provided that integrates component designs so that an instrument panel can be configured for a specific vehicle content as late in the vehicle assembly process as possible. An electrical system is provided that utilizes a flat flexible cable that is the same for every vehicle independent of vehicle content. Electronic modules are provided with connectors that only connect to the specific wires required for a particular module. A plurality of different multiplexing links are built-in to the electrical system and wiring arrangement allowing the system to be universal across all possible instrument panel configurations. This allows the system to accommodate lower option vehicles at a lower cost than conventional technology. Thin smart switch units can be installed at a final stage in the instrument panel assembly process to configure the feature content of the instrument panel. Features that can be configured include selecting between different types of audio system, climate control system, and integrated instrument panel, all without customizing the electrical system and wiring arrangement.

The present invention provides a series of devices useful for surgical procedures utilizing rotatable components for grinding, cutting, ablating, polishing, drilling, screwing, etc., tissues of the body of a patient. The invention includes, in one aspect, a series of devices comprising surgical instruments including rotatable shafts, and surgical components drivable by the shafts that can be utilized for contact with tissue in a surgical operating field. Some preferred surgical instruments provided by the invention utilize a liquid jet-driven rotor mechanism for driving rotation of the rotatable shaft. Some preferred instruments provided by the invention include both a liquid jet-driven rotor mechanism and a nozzle at the distal end of the instrument for forming a liquid cutting jet for cutting or ablating tissue of a patient. Such instruments can include a liquid flow directing valve therein that includes a pressure-tight sealing component comprising a sealing element that is constructed and arranged to be slidably moveable within a cylinder of the valve. The invention provides methods for utilizing the inventive surgical instruments in surgical procedures involving both cutting or ablating tissue of a patient with a liquid cutting jet and grinding, cutting, or ablating tissue with a rotating surface of a surgical instrument.

A method of producing a layer of lithiated material is provided wherein a mixture of Li(acac) and Co (acac)3 is dissolved in an aqueous solvent to produce a solution. The solution is deposited upon a substrate by atomizing the solution, passing the atomized solution into a heated gas stream so as to vaporize the solution, and directing the vaporized solution onto a substrate.

A method for controlling particulate matter occurring in the manufacture of paper and board. A web (1) is passed to web treatment equipment (22, 23) wherein at least one treatment step is applied to the web (1) causing the emission of particulate matter (24). In the vicinity of the emission point (21) of the particulate matter are placed at least two electrodes (25, 26) and at least one electrode, called a counter-electrode (26), is at a low potential. At least one electrode (25) is at a potential higher than that of the counter-electrode (26), and the potential difference between the electrodes (25, 26) is made to generate a corona discharge between the electrodes that causes an ion-blast wind toward the electrode (26) of the lower potential, the ion-blast wind transferring particulate matter, which enters the gap between the electrodes, toward the electrode of lower potential.

A method of producing semiconductor devices which have an excellent separability from a metal mold after resin encapsulation and thus eliminates the need to clean the metal mold. A metal mold for producing such semiconductor devices is also provided. According to the method of the present invention, the metal mold is first opened, and two separation sheets are disposed on dividing surfaces including cavity forming surfaces of a first metal mold and a second metal mold. A substrate is then placed on one of the separation sheets, with its semiconductor chip formed surface facing the second metal mold. An encapsulation resin is provided on the substrate placed on one of the separation sheets. The metal mold in a heated state is closed and pressed to form a resin layer for encapsulating electrodes formed on the substrate. The metal mold is again opened, and the resin-encapsulated substrate is taken out of the metal mold. After the separation sheets are removed, the substrate is divided into individual semiconductor devices.

Disclosed are a porous material comprising particles without substantial fibrous structure and having pores, the pores having a mean pore diameter in a meso-pore region, sharp pore size distribution, and at least a part of the pores being connected three-dimensionally to form a three-dimensional network structure with random passages, the porous material preferably being of alumina and having a spongy structure or the porous material preferably being an aggregate of particles having an aspect ratio of 3 or less; a process of producing the porous material which includes a step of aging a system capable of becoming an oxide on thermal decomposition; a catalyst for exhaust gas purification having excellent NOx removal performance, high resistance against sulfur poisoning, and satisfactory high-temperature durability which comprises the porous material as a carrier having supported thereon a noble metal and an NOx storage component; and a method of exhaust gas purification using the catalyst.

A metered dose inhaler having part or all of its internal surfaces coated with one or more fluorocarbon polymers, optionally in combination with one or more non-fluorocarbon polymers, for dispensing an inhalation drug formulation comprising beclomethasone dipropionate or a physiologically acceptable solvate thereof, and a fluorocarbon propellant, optionally in combination with one or more other pharmacologically active agents or one or more excipients.

A metered dose inhaler having part or all of its internal surfaces coated with one or more fluorocarbon polymers, optionally in combination with one or more non-fluorocarbon polymers, for dispensing an inhalation drug formulation comprising beclomethasone dipropionate or a physiologically acceptable solvate thereof, and a fluorocarbon propellant, optionally in combination with one or more other pharmacologically active agents or one or more excipients.

The invention relates to novel detergent cosmetic compositions comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one anionic surfactant chosen from 2-hydroxyalkyl ether carboxylic acid and salts thereof and at least one non-cellulosic cationic polymer the cationic charge density of which is greater than or equal to 2 meq/g. The invention also relates to processes for washing and/or treating keratin substances with the novel detergent cosmetic compositions.

Food products are prepared using co-injection molding apparatus. The food products are layered or enrobed. Preferred products expand upon cooking.

Provided is a method using a dry deposition apparatus for depositing grains on a substrate comprising:an electrostatic chuck having one or more collection zones, wherein the substrate is layered on the chuck for processing;a charged grain delivery apparatus for directing charged grains for electrostatic deposition on the substrate at the locations of the collection zones; andan optical detection device for quantifying the amount of grains deposited.

Systems and methods are described for inhibiting the readability of an optical media due to changes in a pseudo-transmissive material that composes the optical media after the optical media has been exposed to air for a predetermined time. A optical media includes a substrate. At least a fraction of the substrate transforms from a substantially optically transmissive state to a substantially optically non-transmissive state as at-least-in-part a function of time from an initializing event. The systems and methods provide advantages because of low cost, limited content lifetime, avoidance of rental returns and minimum changes to existing manufacturing processes.

The instant invention provides a means and method for producing multi-laminar elements, said elements being suitable for operation in high temperature, atmospheric or vacuum environments such as those which may be required when processing materials such as substrates for semiconductors or for chemical vapor deposition.

A voltaic pile has first and second terminals by which it is charged and discharged. The pile comprises a plurality of modules (3), each having respective third and fourth terminals with a plurality of voltaic cells connected in series therebetween. The modules are connected series-wise or in series-parallel configuration by the respective third and fourth terminals, with the end terminals of the series of modules defining the previously mentioned first and second terminals. A power supply Load (1) is provided with DC input terminals and AC output terminals, the DC input terminals connected via lines (2) with the first and second terminals. Thus, even in the absence of Power charging current or drain current, the power supply is able to draw upon the output of the pile to supply power back to individual modules that may require charging, to maintain balance among the modules. Each of the modules has respective charging terminals connected with the power supply AC output terminals, and also has a transformer with a primary winding connected to the charging terminals and a secondary winding coupled via a rectifier with the cells of the modules, whereby the cells are charged.

In a polymer electrolyte battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a polymer electrolyte containing a non-aqueous electrolyte solution, a solvent in said non-aqueous electrolyte solution contains vinylene carbonate in a concentration of 0.1 to 90 vol % so that the non-aqueous electrolyte solution contained in the polymer electrolyte is restrained from reacting with the positive electrode and negative electrode.

The invention provides human fatty acid beta-oxidation enzymes (HUFA) and polynucleotides which identify and encode HUFA. The invention also provides expression vectors, host cells, antibodies, agonists, and antagonists. The invention also provides methods for treating or preventing disorders associated with expression of HUFA.

A system and a method for purifying a gaseous contaminated stream are provided. The system and method include a treatment solution that includes at least one non-pathogenic bacteria that digests at least a portion of contaminants contained in the contaminated stream.

A method for identifying a change in the composition of a liquid, comprising the steps of applying a time varying electrical or electromagnetic input signal to the liquid in a range of frequencies encompassing a resonant frequency of an electrical circuit comprising the liquid; measuring an impedance quantity of the electrical circuit comprising the liquid by means of the output signal as a function of the frequency of the time varying electrical or resonant frequency input signal in said range of frequencies; determining a resonant frequency of the electrical circuit comprising the liquid; after a change in the composition of the liquid, measuring variation in the impedance quantity at or near to the previously determined resonant frequency of the electrical circuit comprising the liquid; and relating the variation in the impedance quantity at or near to the resonant frequency of the electrical circuit comprising the liquid to a change in the composition of the liquid.

A combined IC/Mems process forms the IC parts first, and then forms the MEMS parts. One option forms a parylene overlayer, then forms a cavity under the parylene overlayer.

The invention relates to new phenyl-substituted cyclic ketoenols of the formula (I) in whichHet represents one of the groups wherein A, B, D, G, X, Y and Z have the meaning given in the description, several processes and intermediate products for their preparation and their use as pest control agents and herbicides.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pharmaceutical combination useful for the treatment of viral infections comprising a at least one antiviral active compound of formula (1): and at least one further therapeutic agent chosen from nucleoside analogues; NNRTIs; and protease inhibitors.

The application of film-forming compositions to aquatic sites, especially aquatic breeding sites for control of surface-active aquatic breeding insects other than black flies, especially for immature mosquitos, has been found to be enhanced when different compounds than those suggested in the prior art are used. The compounds according to the present invention comprise film-forming chemicals which are biodegradable, nonionic, insoluble or partially soluble in water, and include C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, and C11 alcohol ethoxylates, propoxylates, and/or alkoxylates with an average of one (1) to five (5) moles of ethylene and/or propylene oxide per mole of alcohol, and mixtures thereof. The compositions may be applied directly as liquids or released into the aquatic environment from a carrier, such as a biodegradable, water-erodible, water-soluble or water-dispersible carrier. Compositions may also be formulated with chemical or microbial pesticides prior to application as a liquid or from a carrier for enhanced single stage or multistage insect control.

A vinylidene fluoride resin composition which is stable to heat at molding temperatures and is free from foaming and coloration, and molded products made by forming the vinylidene fluoride resin composition are provided. The vinylidene fluoride resin composition of the present invention comprises 100 parts by weight of a vinylidene fluoride resin, 2-20 parts by weight of a polyester plasticizer, 0.01-0.5 parts by weight of a phosphite compound. The vinylidene fluoride resin composition may further comprises a phenol compound.

Medical protective wraps made of a liquid impermeable, stretchable polymeric material which provide a watertight seal and barrier to protect wounds from contamination due to dirt, microbes or infiltration of water during bathing while not constricting blood flow to the healing tissue. The protective wraps comprise a liquid impermeable stretchable polymeric sheet of a sufficient length to wrap around the body part at least once. Positioned along opposing peripheral edges of the polymeric sheet are sealing cuffs having reduced stretchability relative to the sheet. Also, there are first and second terminal edges running transverse to the longitudinal axis of the peripheral edges. A fastener is attached to the first terminal edge which secures the sheet to the body and the second terminal is fastened to the sheet after at least one wrapping of the sheet around the body part.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising a sequence of SEQ ID NO:2. The nucleic acid sequence can be transformed into plant cells. The nucleic acid codes for disease resistance in plants. The transformed plant cells can then be introduced to plants for regeneration of disease resistant plants.

A maize hybrid designated RPG824, the plants and seeds of maize hybrid RPG824, methods for producing a maize plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the maize hybrid RPG824 with itself, with another maize plant, or transforming said maize hybrid.

An image reading method and apparatus allow reading light to be incident on a film to obtain projected light and read the thus obtained projected light photoelectrically to perform reading of an image recorded on the film. In the method and apparatus, at least one of a scratch and a foreign matter on the film is detected based on two respective reading results obtained using types of reading light in different states of diffusion such as a parallel light and a perfectly diffused light from two light sources, respectively. The method and apparatus are capable of surely detecting a scratch on the film, or dirt or foreign matter adhered to the film and correcting it as required, whereupon high-quality images having no image deterioration due to the scratch, the dirt or foreign matter can be reproduced in a consistent manner.

A color cathode-ray tube is provided with constitution between a shadow mask electrode and a frame body such that difference of expansion and contraction between the shadow mask electrode and the frame body according to heat brings no-picture quality deterioration with practical cost. The shadow mask electrode made of metal whose thermal expansion rate is low. The shadow mask electrode is supported by a shadow mask electrode supporting body made of metal whose thermal expansion rate is approximately the same as that of the shadow mask electrode. The shadow mask electrode supporting body is supported by a frame body made of metal whose thermal expansion rate is different from that of the shadow mask electrode.

A spurious signal reduction circuit which is connected to a main signal line. The spurious signal reduction circuit comprises a resistor having a terminal connected to the main signal line, an LC parallel resonance circuit and an LC series resonance circuit. The parallel resonance circuit has a resonance frequency which is equal to a main signal frequency and has a terminal connected to another terminal of the resistor. The series resonance circuit has a resonance frequency which is equal to a spurious signal frequency and has a terminal connected to the other terminal of the resistor.

This disclosure is of 1) the utilization of the spectrum from 250 nm to 1150 nm for measurement or prediction of one or more parameters, e.g., brix, firmness, acidity, density, pH, color and external and internal defects and disorders including, for example, surface and subsurface bruises, scarring, sun scald, punctures, in N—H, C—H and O—H samples including fruit; 2) an apparatus and method of detecting emitted light from samples exposed to the above spectrum in at least one spectrum range and, in the preferred embodiment, in at least two spectrum ranges of 250 to 499 nm and 500 nm to 1150 nm; 3) the use of the chlorophyl band, peaking at 680 nm, in combination with the spectrum from 700 nm and above to predict one or more of the above parameters; 4) the use of the visible pigment region, including xanthophyll, from approximately 250 nm to 499 nm and anthocyanin from approximately 500 to 550 nm, in combination with the chlorophyl band and the spectrum from 700 nm and above to predict the all of the above parameters.

In order to start sweeping an optical spectrum analyzer 1 and a wavelength tunable light source 14 on the same timing, a motor 6 for driving a spectroscope 4 in the optical spectrum analyzer 1 is controlled. To this end, a drive circuit 7 outputs a control signal to determine the timing where the motor 6 starts to rotate. A wavelength control circuit 19 in the wavelength tunable light source 14 controls the sweep of the wavelength of single-mode oscillation from a light source unit 20 and starts sweeping the light source unit 20 in response to a signal externally supplied to control the timing of sweep start. As a result, the sweep of the wavelength being measured with the optical spectrum analyzer 1 and that of the wavelength of single-mode oscillation from the wavelength tunable light source 14 are started on the same timing and high-speed sweep is achieved.

A scanning position detecting device which allows detection of the scanning position of a laser beam scanning at high speed is disclosed. A position sensitive detector is provided to detect the scanning position of a laser beam when the laser beam passes through the device. A lens is provided to direct the laser beam to a predetermined point of the position sensitive detector to form the beam spot for a predetermined time period during which the laser beam is scanning the device.

A recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a magnetic tape as a recording medium such that, when holding by a holding mechanism is released at the position where a cover member is closed and a magnetic head is moved between a contact position, where contact with a magnetic tape which travels by a traveling mechanism provided in the apparatus body is obtained, to a position distant from the magnetic tape or when the magnetic tape is pinched by the traveling mechanism, the pinching of the magnetic tape by the traveling mechanism is released and the magnetic head is moved to a distant position. In this manner, even if the apparatus is stopped when the power source is shut off while the FWD reproducing mode or the REV reproducing mode is kept set, the magnetic tape can be safely and securely extracted from the attachment section.

An electrical connector is disclosed. The electrical connector includes a housing made of a near insulative material. The near insulative material has a resistance to current flow in the presence of low voltage current and has a surface resistivity which allows sufficient current flow to dissipate static electrical charges. The housing has a surface resistivity level within the range of 104 to 1010 ohms per square, and preferably within the range of 105 to 108 ohms per square. The material used for the housing has negligible current flow in the presence of low voltage current such as when the conductor is conducting signals or electricity during normal operations. The current flow is in an amount sufficient to dissipate a static charge on the housing to a level where placing the jumper onto a set of pins will not produce a failure in a microchip electrically coupled to the jumper.

The present invention generally provides a system and method for writing data to a register file. In architecture, the system of the present invention utilizes a plurality of registers and a write port coupled to each of the registers. The write port receives a register identifier identifying one of the registers and receives a first signal, such as a bit of predicate data, a set signal, or a reset signal. The write port transmits the first signal and a decode signal to each of the registers. The write port is configured to assert the decode signal transmitted to the one register identified by the register identifier and to deassert the decode signal transmitted to the other registers. Each of the registers includes a set/reset latch and is configured to receive the first signal and the decode signal transmitted to it from the write port.

An adjusting mechanism of the guide rod of the optical pick-up in an optical disk drive, including an optical disk drive chassis, an elastic fixture of the optical pick-up module, a substrate of the optical pick-up module, the guide rods of the optical pick-up, and adjusting screws, wherein the substrate of the optical pick-up module is fixed on the optical disk drive chassis by the elastic fixture of the optical pick-up module, and the vibration can be released by virtue of the elasticity, and to provide the fixture of the guide rod of the optical pick-up. Therefore, the incident angle of the laser beam can be adjusted by adjusting the screws to eliminate deviation of the incident angle due to the error of manufacture, then the number of part can be reduce, and the assembly process can be simplified, so the added value can be promoted.

A total aggregation plan (TAP) which connects an end-subscriber to an Customer or a Customer. The present invention encourages Customers to use more than one type of telecommunications service to connect to its end-user (subscriber) by requiring that the Customer choose a specified number of data services that are available from the telephone company under the plan. The Customer is then required to sustain an annualized billing of greater than a specified amount and maintain at least a specified percentage of billing allocations to each one of the data services chosen. If the Customer does comply in this manner, then a billing credit is provided to the Customer based on the billing history.

A key distribution method and system are disclosed in which a sender and receivers share a common key information for performing a secure broadcast communication. By use of a center side apparatus, a center generates key information of a receiver in association with a subset inclusive of two or more elements of a proper finite set S1 on the basis of a space determined by a subset inclusive of two or more elements of another finite set S2. A sender side apparatus, a sender makes the multi-address transmission of key distribution data W inclusive of data generated corresponding to each element of the finite set S1 and data generated corresponding to a set of plural receivers through a communication network. By use of a receiver side apparatus, a receiver generates common key information between the sender and the receiver from the key distribution data W and the key information of the receiver.

An AAA receiving circuit 105 calculates reception weight of signals received by adaptive array antennas 101, and a direction of arrival estimating circuit 106 estimates a direction of arrival of the received signals. A demodulating circuit demodulates the received signals to separate transmission power control information. A radiation pattern calculating circuit 108 calculates directional gains based on the reception weight and the arrival direction of the received signals. A gain controlling circuit 109 calculates a correction value based on the directional gains and transmission power control information, and controls a gain of a transmission power amplifier. A transmission weight calculating circuit calculates transmission weight based on the reception weight and the correction value. This makes it possible to control transmission power such that reception power of each communication counterpart becomes constant, and to improve communication quality and an increase in the number of containable users in a system wherein directivity is sequentially changed in accordance with the positions of the communication counterparts or a propagation environment.

The invention relates to an electronic control unit for controlling individual, autonomously controlled assemblies. The inventive electronic control unit comprises a central control device, a memory and control interfaces. The memory has several non-overlapping memory zones, each of which is assigned a diagnostic address and a programming address. The central control device is connected to the different memory zones in such a way that it cooperates with these in a time division multiplex, thus forming a virtual control unit for each assembly. The central control device has a diagnostic interface, and is so designed that the memory are assigned to the respective address can be accessed individually from outside by means of the diagnostic interface and using the addresses. Furthermore, the control interfaces are also connected to the central control device, and a control interface is assigned to each virtual control unit. The electronic control unit is used for controlling autonomously controlled assemblies in motor vehicles.

A trigger node for a measurement and control system which enables relatively precise timing in the application of stimuli and/or measurement of responses without specialized adaptation of analog signaling to the measurement and control system. A trigger node according to the present teachings includes a synchronized clock that maintains a time using a synchronization scheme that provides the timing precision needed for the application of stimuli and/or measurement of responses. A trigger node according to the present teachings further includes mechanisms for asserting a trigger signal when the time from its synchronized clock matches a trigger time associated with the trigger signal. Multiple trigger nodes may be used to coordinate the timing of multiple measurement and control devices by appropriately setting the trigger times in the trigger nodes.

Sets of coefficient polynomials are used to design embedded-component architectures that have capability for asynchronous parallel execution at an advantageous arithmetic level where algebraic merging is realized with other operations, algorithms or applications. Because of the particular hardware structures made possible by the use of CPA, higher computational granularities and complex modules are more easily feasible than by using conventional arithmetic and, additionally, increased efficiency is obtained for algorithmic computations involving single and multiple operations. This is achieved by the merging of operations and the integration of algorithms, and thereby avoiding the necessity of performing the entire basic arithmetic separately for each operation or algorithm. In the Asynchronous Parallel Arithmetic (APA) Processor Utilizing Coefficient Polynomial Arithmetic (CPA), the various sets of coefficient polynomials represent the merged operations or algorithms at much earlier time slots and their resolution to the final result level is accomplished with notably increased efficiency when compared to conventional structures.

An intelligent bus listening device, and a method which may be implemented as a computer program product, listens to SCSI commands on a first SCSI bus of a SCSI system via a listening connection to the first SCSI bus. The listening device is separately coupled via an interface to a second bus for communicating commands onto the second bus. A processor is coupled to the listening connection and to the second bus interface, the processor receiving the first commands from the first SCSI bus, converting the first commands to second commands related to the first commands, and providing the second commands to the second bus interface. In a SCSI library that accesses media from storage shelves with an autochanger in response to access commands from hosts, the intelligent bus listening device decouples the first SCSI bus from the autochanger, listens to commands on the first SCSI bus, and converts the access commands to a more efficient set of movement commands, and supplies the movement commands on a separate second bus for the autochanger.

Disclosed are a data storage library and library computer processor implemented methods for expiring logical volumes in response to expiration selection from a host. A library server maintains a mapping database which identifies each logical volume and maps the logical volumes to data storage media. A library manager classifies the host selected expired logical volume in a category of logical volumes having a “SCRATCH” attribute, which may have an expiration delay, and identifies the selected logical volume in a searchable database as comprising the category having the “SCRATCH” attribute, and may calculate an expiration time for the selected logical volume from the delay. The library manager subsequently searches the searchable database for logical volumes identified as comprising a category having the “SCRATCH” attribute, and whose expiration time has passed, providing an indication to the library server that the searched identified logical volumes are expired. The library server then expires the identified logical volumes from the mapping database.

A makeup brush is provided which facilitates application of blush or rouge to the cheeks. The brush head is configured such that the tuft is less thick than wide. The approximate length of the bristles vary across the width from a shorter side to a longer side. At each side of the width is a curved or tapered portion is formed.

In a mold for pressing an electric-wire clamping portion of a terminal, a lower side-wall mold part and an upper side-wall mold part are provided for pressing side walls connected to the electric-wire clamping portion. A pressure face substantially continuously connected to a pressure face of an upper conductor mold part is provided on one end side of the upper side-wall mold part. A taper face is provided on the other end side of the upper side-wall mold part so as to be enlarged toward the other end. Accordingly, side walls pressed between the lower side-wall mold part and the upper side-wall mold part are deformed so that the quantity of deformation at one end is near the quantity of compressive deformation of the electric-wire clamping portion and so that the quantity of deformation is reduced gradually toward the other end side. Thus, local stress concentration is not caused in the side walls so that cracks are prevented from occurring in the side walls.

A rock crushing system or conical rock crusher includes a bowl which is threadably engaged to a main frame. The bowl can be adjusted with respect to the main frame at more than one speed by utilizing a gap adjustment mechanism including a variable displacement hydraulic motor. Preferably, a set of two variable displacement hydraulic motor units can be utilized to drive the bowl with respect to the frame at a lower torque, higher speed setting and at a higher torque, lower speed setting.

Provided is a compact power actuator which is simple in structure, reliable in operation, and easy to install. The power actuator comprises a piston assembly which is received in a fixed cylinder for either directly or indirectly engaging a vehicle occupant restraint member, and a propellant for rapidly increasing the inner pressure of the cylinder to push the piston assembly outward so that the restraint member may be instantaneously driven. A spring is interposed between the piston assembly and the propellant to urge the piston assembly in the projecting direction. The front end of the propellant fits into the central opening so that the available space may be fully utilized. Therefore, the size of the power actuator can be reduced, and the required amount of the pyrotechnic material for the propellant can be reduced due to the reduced initial volume of the chamber for the expansion of the generated gas.

A method for servicing an inkjet printhead without removing the printhead from a carriage of the printer, wherein a controlled pressure differential is generated across the nozzle plate of the printhead to cause the formation of a controlled puddle of ink on the outside of the nozzle plate. Ink is then fired into the puddle through the nozzles of the printhead. The puddle may then be drawn back into the printhead through the nozzles. Alternatively the puddle is generated, is maintained for a predetermined period of time and then is withdrawn into the printhead without ink being fired from the nozzles.

A projection apparatus having a light source, a color separating system for separating the light from the light source into a plurality of color beams, a plurality of light modulating elements for modulating the separated color beams, based on an image signal, a color combining system for combining the modulated color beams, and a projection optical system for projecting composite light of the combined color beams, onto a screen. The color combining system incorporates a cross dichroic prism with dichroic films on joint surfaces between four prisms, each of the color beams incident to the cross dichroic prism is converted into linearly polarized light, and the following relation is met:0°<&thgr;<90°where &thgr; is an angle between a polarization direction of a color beam component transmitted by all the dichroic films and a polarization direction of a color beam component reflected by the dichroic film.

A practice golf net assembly includes a pair of collapsible closed, elongated loops interconnected one to the other with a netting panel for receiving and retaining a golf ball or the like on any relatively flat ground surface. A first of the collapsible loops forms a first substantially horizontal periphery and a second of the collapsible loops is attached to opposite sides of the horizontal periphery of the first loop. An arc of the second loop defines a vertical portion disposed perpendicularly to the horizontal periphery of the first collapsible loop, while the remaining arc of the second loop generally defines an horizontal portion proximate a horizontal portion of the first loop. The netting panel is attached to the vertical portion of the second loop and to one of the horizontal portions of the first or second loop to form a substantially vertical netting surface for engaging the ball.

A golf swing elbow angle control device for various types of golf shots, e.g. ninety degrees for long wood drives, and lesser angles for iron drives and chip shots. The device is readily adjustable, providing easy and rapid changes in its elbow angle control function, and customized fiducial settings of the device for various types of shots are readily established for the players having different forearm and elbow sizes and shapes. The device also functions as a convenient anchor for an elastic belt extending around the opposite upper arm of the player, keeping the arms together to provide a simple and easy way to prevent the player's elbows from extending away from the body, which is detrimental to good golf swing form.

A doorframe mountable exercise system for providing an exercise system that uses a relatively small area of space. The doorframe mountable exercise system includes an elongate member. The elongate member has a first end and a second end. A first rod and a second rod each has an end integrally coupled to and extending away from one of the ends of the elongate member. The first and second rods each have a pair of openings therein. A first and second support bar is removably fastened to opposite sides of a doorframe. A variable weight resistance system includes cables and a plurality of biasing members. Each of the cables extends through the opening of each of the rods. The biasing members are generally resiliently elastic along a longitudinal axis. The biasing member each have a distal end and a proximal end. Each of the distal ends is removably couplable to an end of the cables. A plurality of coupling means removably couples the proximal ends of the biasing members to the first and second rods.

Medical appliances for the treatment of blood vessels by means of ionized radiation.

A method and apparatus for determining the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) of a subject during tonometric conditions. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises one or more pressure and ultrasound transducers placed over the radial artery of a human subject's wrist, the latter transmitting and receiving acoustic energy so as to permit the measurement of blood velocity during periods of variable compression of the artery. During compression, the ultrasound velocity waveforms are recorded and processed using time-frequency analysis. The time at which the mean time-frequency distribution is maximal corresponds to the time at which the transmural pressure equals zero, and the mean pressure read by the transducer equals the mean pressure within the artery. In another aspect of the invention, the ultrasound transducer is used to position the transducer over the artery such that the accuracy of the measurement is maximized. In yet another aspect of the invention, a wrist brace useful for measuring blood pressure using the aforementioned apparatus is disclosed. A method of continuously estimating systolic and diastolic pressure is also described.

Apparatus and methods for electromagnetic skin treatment, including the removal of hair. Devices include pulsed light sources such as flashlamps for providing electromagnetic treatment of the skin, including hair removal. The devices and methods provide for the removal of large numbers of hairs at the same time, rather than on a hair by hair basis.