A dye additive suitable for use in improving the dyeing of aramid fibers includes non-water components dissolved in water. The non-water components include about 20-25% (w/w) sodium or potassium nitrate; about 20-25% (w/w) ketone solvent; about 30-40% (w/w) aromatic solvent; about 1-5% (w/w) of each of glycol ether, biodegradable solvent, acetic acid 56% strength or equivalent or equivalent amount of formic acid, brine salt, sodium or potassium hydroxide, and phenylenediamine, about 1-10% (w/w) of each of a strong acid, hydroxycarboxylic acid, and lanolin; wherein the water makes up about 50-70% of the weight of the dye additive and the non-water components make up about 30-50% of the dye additive. The dye additive may be added to a dye bath at a w/w percentage of about 0.25% to about 6%.

Aromatic polyimide (aramid) fibers, for example, Kevlar®, are well known in the art. Aramids are polyamides wherein at least 85% of the amide (—CONH—) linkages are attached directly to two aromatic rings. Aramids have high tensile strength and are flame and heat resistant, which makes them particularly suited to be formed into fabrics usable as protective clothing, and for many other uses.
Aramids are known to be difficult to dye. Further, aramid fibers (e.g., Kevlar®) will degrade and deteriorate at high temperatures under acidic conditions, such as those used in dye baths.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for dyeing additives to prevent degradation of aramid fibers during the dyeing process, even at high temperatures, and to improve properties of the dyed fiber, such as depth, levelness, yarn count, and single end strength.

Dye additive and process for dyeing aramid fibers


An attachment structure for a vibrating motor, in which a cut-out section for forming a mounting space for a vibrating motor is provided in a housing that is housed within a device case with a portion thereof that corresponds to the vibrating motor being in close contact with the inner surface of the device case, and a circuit board is arranged in a non-contact state relative to the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment structure for a vibrating motor used in electronic devices such as wristwatches and mobile phones, and an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wristwatch structure is known in which a circuit board is arranged in a housing inside a wristwatch case, a cut-out portion is provided in the circuit board, and a vibrating motor is arranged in an area corresponding to the cut-out portion, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2011-112460.

Attachment structure for vibrating motor and electronic device


A pyrimidinedione derivative compound has a basic backbone in which a phenyl group part and a pyrimidinedione part are linked by a structure comprising an alkyl chain containing at least two nitrogen atoms. The pyrimidinedione derivative is useful for a medical treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel pyrimidinedione derivatives and acid addition salts thereof, to methods of producing the same and to pharmaceutical agents containing the same, which are effective for the treatment of cardiac dysfunctions such as arrhythmia and cardiac insufficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The mechanism of the occurrence of arrhythmia is complicated. Abnormalities in stimulation production and disorders in the conducting system or combinations thereof are considered to be responsible.
As to disorders in excitation conduction, the re-entry theory is representative.
One of the conditions of occurrence of arrhythmia is irregularity in the refractory period in various parts of the heart. In addition, one-directional block, shortened refractory period, delay in conduction, the presence of circus movement are complicatedly involved.
Conventionally, varieties of antiarrythmic agents have been used for the treatment of arrhythmia.
The antiarrythmic agents are classified into four groups according to their mode of action.
Namely, E. M. Vaughan Williams (Vaughn Williams E. M.; "Advances in drug research, vol. 9", ed. by Harper N. J., Simmonds A. B., Academic Press, London, 1974; pages 69-101) classified the antiarrythmic agents into the following four groups according to their action against the action potential of cardiac muscle or against the ionic current which generates the action potential.
Class I: Sodium channel depressors
These agents are efficacious in repressing a sodium current. However, these agents have no or only minute effects on the retention time of the normal action potential and decrease the maximum rising velocity (V.sub.max) of the sodium current. The antiarrythmic agents which belong to this class have a high antiarrythmic activity but at the same time strongly repress cardiac functions. Careful consideration is required in administering to patients with cardiac failure or hypotension.
Class II: Beta-blocking agents
The agents in this class, represented by propranolol, are efficacious in the beta-blocking action and are useful in treating patients with arrhythmia in which the sympathetic nerve is involved. However, the care must be taken for use since these agents have side-effects caused by the beta-blocking action, such as depression of cardiac functions, induction of bronchial asthmatic attach and hypoglycemic seizures.
Class III: Pharmaceutical agents for prolonging the retention time of the action current.
These agents are efficacious in remarkably prolonging the retention time of the action current of the cardiac muscle and in prolonging an effective refractory period. Re-entry arrhythmia is considered to be suppressed by the action of the pharmaceutical agents of Class III. The medicaments of this Class III include amiodarone and bretylium. However, all the agents have severe side effects; therefore, careful consideration is required for use.
Class IV: Calcium antagonists
These agents control a calcium channel and suppress arrhythmia due to automatic sthenia of sinoatrial nodes and to ventricular tachycardia in which atrial nodes are contained the re-entry cycle.
Among these antiarrythmic agents, pharmaceutical agents of the Class III type are considered to be particularly important and the most efficacious, and known to be effective on ventricular arrhythmia, the most fatal of all symptoms.

Pyrimidinedione compounds, method of producing the same and antiarrythmic agents containing the same


A pearlite rail contains, by mass %, 0.65 to 1.20% of C; 0.05 to 2.00% of Si; 0.05 to 2.00% of Mn; and the balance composed of Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein at least part of the head portion and at least part of the bottom portion has a pearlite structure, and the surface hardness of a portion of the pearlite structure is in a range of Hv320 to Hv500 and a maximum surface roughness of a portion of the pearlite structure is less than or equal to 180 μm.

With regard to freight railways overseas, in order to achieve high efficiency in railway transportation, a carrying capacity of freight loads has been improved. In particular, in rails used for a section through which a large number of trains passes or for sharp curves, significant wear occurs on a head top portion or a head corner portion of the rail (the periphery of corner of the rail head which intensely contacts with flange portions of wheels). Therefore, there is a problem of a reduction in the service life due to an increase in the amount of wear.
In addition, similarly, in a domestic passenger rails, particularly, in the rail used for sharp curves, the wear progresses remarkably as in the freight railways overseas, so that there is a problem in that the service life is reduced due to an increase in the amount of wear.
From this background, the development of a rail with high wear resistance is required. In order to solve the problem, a rail as described in Patent Document 1 has been developed. The main characteristic of the rail is that its pearlite structure (lamellar spacing) is made finely by performing a heat treatment in order to increase the hardness of the pearlite structure.
In Patent Document 1,a technique of performing a heat treatment on a steel rail containing high-carbon steel so as to cause the metallic structure to have a sorbite structure or a fine pearlite structure. Accordingly, by achieving a high hardness of the steel rail, it is possible to provide a rail with excellent wear resistance.
However, in recent years, further carrying capacity and further high speed of trains of freight loads has been improved for the freight railways overseas and the domestic passenger rails in order to further achieve high efficiency in railway transportation. In the rail described in Patent Document 1, it becomes difficult to ensure the wear resistance of the head portion of the rail, so that there is a problem in that the service life of the rail is greatly reduced.
Here, in order to solve the problem, a steel rail with a high carbon amount has been considered. This rail has characteristics such that the wear resistance is enhanced by increasing the volume ratio of cementite in the lamellae of the pearlite structure (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
In Patent Document 2, a rail which has a pearlite structure as its metallic structure by enhancing a carbon amount of the steel rail to a hypereutectoid region is disclosed. Accordingly, the wear resistance is enhanced by increasing the volume ratio of a cementite phase in the pearlite lamellar, so that a rail with higher service life can be provided. According to the rail described in Patent Document 2, the wear resistance of the rail is enhanced, so that an improvement of definite service life is achieved. However, in recent years, an excessive increase in the density of railway transportation has been progressed, so that the generation of fatigue damage from the head portion or the bottom portion of the rail exists. As a result, although the rail described in Patent Document 2 is used, there is a problem in that the service life of the rail is not sufficient.
Citation List
[Patent Literature]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. S51-002616
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H08-144016
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H08-246100
[Patent Document 4] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H09-111352


Print data in which a reusable object whose range of reuse is specified is defined is received. The range of reuse of the reusable object is changed according to a page layout defined by a print setting. Accordingly, the cache period of the reusable object is optimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print-data processing apparatus and a print-data processing method for processing print data.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one-to-one marketing has expanded in recent years, direct mail for providing information according to individual customers' needs has been widely employed. To print such variable jobs, page description languages (PDLs) such as Personalized Print Markup Language (PPML, which is a registered trademark of Print on Demand Initiative Incorporated), Variable-data Intelligence PostScript Printware (VIPP, which is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation), Variable Print Specification (VPS), and FreeForm are employed. These page description languages are configured to include many pieces of variable data including customer information and reusable data that can be repeatedly used on multiple pages.
For example, when PPML data is used as print data, there is a characteristic specification that reusable data can be referred to a multiple number of times within a defined range. Therefore, in a print-data processing apparatus such as a print controller for analyzing print data, a reusable object is cached as analyzed image data. The cached image data is combined with the foregoing variable data in the print-data processing apparatus, and the generated image data is printed. This print technique is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-199105.
However, with the foregoing technique in the related art, cached image data generated by analyzing a reusable object may be high-resolution color image data. FIG. 12 shows specific examples of the capacity of cached image data.
Referring to FIG. 12, high-resolution (dpi) data, color (CMYK) data, and image data of a large sheet size tend to significantly increase in data size.
In this manner, the data size of image data obtained by analyzing a reusable object increases. In this case, stress is placed on a memory in a print-data processing apparatus, resulting in a decrease in the operation performance of the print-data processing apparatus or incapability of the print-data processing apparatus to print the print data. Furthermore, when, for example, a reusable object is raster-image processed (hereinafter referred to as RIP-processed) to generate an image immediately after analysis of print data begins and the image is deleted after printing based on the print data is completed, stress is placed on the memory for a long time.

Print-data processing apparatus and print-data processing method


Machines are provided for the blowing or stretch blow moulding of bottles or containers having a plurality of moulding units, each moulding unit having a first half-shell and a second half-shell, laterally hinged around a hinge pin having a hinge axis, and a bottom suitable for cooperating to cyclically form a closed cavity suitable for receiving a pre-heated pre-form and for allowing the expansion by stretch blow moulding of the preform inside the cavity so as to obtain a bottle, said moulding unit being arranged to cyclically assume a closed mould configuration and an open mould configuration by means of opening and closing elements of the half-shells towards and away from a closure plane X-X passing through said hinge axis, and movement elements of the bottom, wherein said half-shells and said bottom are actuated in a synchronized manner stating from a single motion inlet comprising a single cam coupling.

Obtaining bottles or containers by blowing special preforms appropriately heated inside a mould of the desired shape is a method widely used in the packaging field, in particular for making bottles or containers.
Two basic methods exist: simple blowing and stretch-blow moulding, the latter of which provides for pneumatic blowing and contemporary mechanical stretching of the preform in the mould. In both cases the preforms must reach the blowing or stretch-blow moulding machine in a thermal condition corresponding to the softening point of the material, so they may be plastically deformed inside the moulds.
The production of such bottles usually requires a high hourly production rate so as to reduce the moulding costs of each bottle or container to a minimum, since increased costs would significantly influence the final cost of the product.
Much effort has therefore been made to automate and speed up production methods.
Machines for blowing or stretch blow moulding preforms are known and typically include a plurality of moulds which can be opened, including two half-moulds hinged at one end and actuated by means of levers appropriately positioned and sized to allow the opening and closing thereof in a synchronised manner with predefined loading phases of the preforms and unloading phases of the moulded bottle. Such levers are generally actuated by means of a shaped cam coupling, such coupling being suitable for providing reciprocated movement with progress defined by the shape of the cam.
More specifically, such coupling includes a suitably shaped so-called "cam" profile and a sliding so-called "driven" element, forced to slide along such profile and able to provide mechanical utility with movement depending on the shape of the profile.
Often, to achieve a production high rate, a plurality of moulds are positioned radially around a central rotation axis on a rotating blowing machine, wherein the means for opening and closing the moulds are synchronised with the movement of other devices which co-operate in the functioning of the machine such as a device for moving the incoming preforms and the outgoing bottles, or a blowing device for moving various components of the moulds.
This way some of the processing steps on each successive bottle according to the rotation of the machine, are performed during other processing steps on the previous bottle.
Generally, the aforesaid mechanical devices are actuated singly by separate cams, shaped on the basis of the sequence or the duration of the required movements. In particular, various devices of a mould present their respective driven elements that are projected and orientated so that in a predefined portion of the rotation of the machine they are channelled into respective guides or cams, shaped in a manner suitable for imparting predefined movements on the driven element, which coordinates such movements to the various devices in a predefined manner.
In particular, in previously existing rotary machines having a plurality of moulds, each mould includes two half-shells hinged around a hinge axis parallel to the rotation axis of the machine, which can be closed or opened in a synchronised manner by means of an actuating device actuated by a cam coupling.
In such machines, the half-shells have an end aperture, positioned in a direction parallel to the hinge axis, corresponding to a bottom portion of the bottle to be obtained. Such aperture is suitable for being alternatively closed and opened by a bottom suitable for being moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the bottle. The bottom supports a portion of mould suitable for permitting the moulding of the bottom of the bottle, which presents projections and recesses which extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom.
In such machines the bottom is moved by means of a mechanism which receives the motion from a respective driven element associated with a cam different from that actuating the opening and closing of the mould.
Such pre-existing moulds have the disadvantage that during the blowing of the preform the pressure of the fluid, generally air, inside the preform and therefore inside the mould, exerts an opening force thereon, which tends to open and misalign the edges of the half-shells resulting in the production of an imperfect bottle where the separation line between the two half shells remains clearly visible.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, certain moulds use a bolt suitable for being inserted so as to slide in peripheral passages made at one end of the mould opposite the hinge axis, which, when the mould is closed, is aligned with the other end enabling the bolt to be inserted in the passages which keeps the mould in a closed configuration during blowing. Such bolt must therefore be inserted in the passages before blowing to keep the half-shells closed and removed after blowing to enable the subsequent opening thereof. Such bolts are actuated automatically by means of a respective driven element which engages on a cam different from that performing the opening and closing of the gripper.
While resolving the problem of keeping the half-shells closed, the presence of the bolt entails the further disadvantage of slowing down the production chain in that it can only be inserted when the mould is fully closed. Thus, it is not possible to insert it during the opening and closing movement of the mould.
In addition, the presence of the bolt entails the disadvantage of having to use an additional cam and a corresponding expenditure of mechanical energy.
Such known machines also require extreme precision in the sizing and assembly of the separate cams, in positioning them in the correct relative position with each other to provide the correct mechanical synchronisation of the various mechanical devices actuated in the machine and in particular of the gripper and bottom, as well as the insertion of the bolt. When the various cams are not fitted with extreme positioning, precision forcing could occur between the various mechanical parts which would cause rapid wear of the mechanical couplings. Moreover, because of high functioning speeds, in extreme cases mechanical interferences or impact could occur resulting in damage to the machine.
For these reasons, such known machines do not allow maximum production rate to be exceeded.

Machines for blowing or stretch blow moulding of bottles


A plurality of conductive pads of an apparatus in one example are disposed on a circuit board in a predetermined arrangement compatible with an arrangement of probes on an external test connector. One or more of the plurality of conductive pads is disposed on an embedded layer of the circuit board.

Many electronic products include high-density printed circuit boards (PCBs) that are densely populated with electronic components. Because of their complexity, it is generally desirable to subject each PCB to a thorough test prior to additional assembly operations that may act to make the PCBs inaccessible.
Automated testing is generally considered desirable because of the high testing speed and accuracy attainable through automation. In order to ensure access to required signals on a PCB under test, a test connector is sometimes provided that aggregates desired signals within a small area of the PCB. It is known in the art to use edge connectors, for example, in order to provide test equipment access to these signals.
A physical electrical connector may also be utilized to provide the necessary interface with selected electrical signals on the PCB under test. To perform a test sequence, an operator plugs a mating connector into the test connector provided on the PCB. For testing some kinds of PCBs, a sequentially applied probe is sometimes used to make electrical contact with isolated test pads provided on an exterior layer of the PCB under test.

Arrangement with conductive pad embedment

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A vehicle air conditioner has an actuator for driving an air mixing door and various mode switching doors. An automatic range and a manual range are set in different operating angle ranges of the actuator. In the automatic range, an air outlet mode is automatically switched in accordance with an opening degree of the air mixing door. On the other hand, in the manual range, a multi-mode or a defroster mode is manually set, regardless of the opening degree of the air mixing door. In the manual range, air is simultaneously blown from all openings such as a face opening, a foot opening and a defroster opening in the multi-mode, and air is blown from the defroster opening in the defroster mode.

This application is related to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-242673 filed on Aug. 9, 2001, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving system for driving mode switching doors and a temperature control unit by using a single actuator in a vehicle air conditioner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mode switching pattern when an air outlet mode is manually set.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional vehicle air conditioner, an inside/outside air switching door, mode switching doors and a temperature control unit such as an air mixing door and a hot water valve are independently operated by actuators (servomotors), respectively. Therefore, many actuators are required, thereby increasing production cost of the vehicle air conditioner.
In order to reduce the number of the actuators, the inventors of the present invention proposes a single actuator for performing an air temperature control and a switching operation of an air outlet mode. That is, the air outlet mode is switched to a face mode, a bi-level mode and a foot mode as an operation position of a temperature control unit moves from a low-temperature side to a high-temperature side, so that the temperature control and the switch operation of the air outlet mode are performed by the single actuator.
However, when the temperature control and the switching operation of air outlet mode are performed by using the single actuator, the relationship between the operation position of the temperature control unit and the switching operation of the air outlet mode is fixed at a fixed relationship. Accordingly, for example, it is impossible to set an air-conditioning state where high-temperature air or low-temperature air is blown toward upper and lower sides in a passenger compartment in the bi-level mode, and a selection range of the air conditioning state becomes narrow. Alternatively, it is difficult to set a defroster mode whenever a windshield is fogged, regardless of the operation position of the temperature control unit.
In view of the foregoing problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner where an automatic range and a manual range can be set at different operation angle ranges of an actuator while a temperature control unit and a mode switching member can be operated by the actuator. In the automatic range, one of air outlet modes is automatically switched in accordance with an operation position of the temperature control unit. In the manual range, only a multi-mode or a defroster mode is manually switched at any time by a passenger.
It is a second object of the present invention to reduce of an operation angle of the actuator in the vehicle air conditioner.
It is a third object of the present invention to restrict a temperature change in air blown into a passenger compartment in a mode switching of the manual range.
According to the present invention, in a vehicle air conditioner, a single actuator for driving both a temperature control unit and a mode switching member is operated in a first operation angle range and in a second operation angle range different from the first operation angle range, and a control unit for controlling operation of the actuator sets an automatic range in the first operation angle range of the actuator, and a manual range in the second operation angle range in the actuator. In the automatic range, one mode among plural air outlet modes is automatically switched by the mode switching member in accordance with an operation position of the temperature control unit. On the other hand, in the manual range, one of predetermined modes is manually set by the mode switching member, regardless of the operation position of the temperature control unit. In addition, the predetermined modes in the manual range are only a multi-mode where air is blown simultaneously from a face opening, a foot opening and a defroster opening, and a defroster mode where air is blown from the defroster opening. By setting the multi-mode, functions corresponding to a bi-level mode and a foot/defroster mode can be obtained. Because only the multi-mode and the defroster mode are set in the manual range, an operation angle range of the actuator for the manual range can be made smaller, and an entire operation angle of the actuator can be reduced. Further, the change in the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment can be restricted in the manual range, and air-conditioning felling for a passenger in a passenger compartment can be improved in the manual range. Here, the air outlet modes in the automatic range can include a face mode where air is blown from the face opening, a bi-level mode where air is blown from both the face opening and the foot opening, and a foot mode where air is blown from the foot opening.
Preferably, among the multi-mode and the defroster mode in the manual range, the multi-mode is set adjacent to the automatic range, relative to a change of the operation angle of the actuator. Therefore, the multi-mode that satisfies general requests of the passenger can be readily manually set in a short time only by slightly changing the operation angle of the actuator from the automatic range. Alternately, among the multi-mode and the defroster mode in the manual range, the defroster mode is set adjacent to the automatic range relative to the change of the operation angle of the actuator. In this case, the defroster mode required for a safety driving can be set by slightly changing the operation angle of the actuator from the automatic range in a short time. Therefore, in this case, a windshield of the vehicle can be rapidly defrosted.
Preferably, a single operation member is disposed to manually set the multi-mode and the defroster mode in the manual range by a manual operation of the operation member. Therefore, the multi-mode and the defroster mode in the manual range can be readily manually set.

Vehicle air conditioner with mode switching pattern


Disclosed is a method performed by a network equipment (16) for controlling handover of a User Equipment, UE, (2) from a source network node (1) to a target network node (3a), the method comprises providing (S1), for the UE (2) and for the target network node (3a), information comprising a representation of a UE specific sequence, wherein the UE specific sequence is to be incorporated in a signal, said signal to be transmitted by the target network node (3a) to enable the UE to initiate a radio link establishment procedure with the target network node (3a) based on a reception of a signal comprising said UE specific sequence. Also disclosed are corresponding devices and computer programs. Further disclosed are cooperating methods, and corresponding devices and computer programs, performed by a UE (2) and a network node (3a) during handover of the UE (2) from the source network node (1) to the target network node.

Handover is a vital part of any mobile communication system. A handover is the process of transferring an ongoing connection of a UE from one cell, referred to as the serving cell, to another cell referred to as the target cell in order to accomplish a transparent service over a larger area. The handover should happen without any loss of data and with as small interrupt as possible.
In LTE only the source network node can make a decision about which cell is the target cell based on UE measurement results, and then the UE will be informed the about the target cell to connect to after it receive the HO command from source network node/cell.
In New Radio, NR, i.e., in radio using beam transmissions the HO procedure is different from LTE in some aspects. HO may now be performed also between beams, and not only between cells. The reference signal for UE to measure on may be a dynamically allocated reference signal, and not the static cell-specific reference signal, CRS. The reference signal is not always on, instead it may be controlled by lean design principles and may only be transmitted when needed. However, similar to LTE handover procedure, a source network node can still only determine which beam/node is the target network node after receiving UE measurement report, and the UE can only know which beam/node to connect to after receiving HO command from source network node.
The problem with the solutions in LTE is that if the UE does not receive the HO command, the UE cannot know which target cell, or target network node, to connect to and the HO procedure will therefore fail.
It should in particular be noted that in New Radio, NR, due to the usage of high gain beamforming, it is possible that the serving radio link quality may deteriorate very fast, especially in higher bands. Therefore, the probability that UE does not receive HO command from source, and thus cannot complete the HO, cannot be ignored.
The proposed technology aims to provide mechanisms that counters some of the problems related to handover in a cellular wireless network. It is a particular aim to provide mechanisms that enables a robust handover even in the case of a bad link quality on the radio link between a network node serving the UE and the UE itself.

Methods and devices for handover in a wireless communication network


A cyclonic separating apparatus for separating solid material from a fluid includes a separating chamber, an inlet communicating with the separating chamber for carrying the fluid with the solid matter entrained therein to the separating chamber, and an outlet for carrying the fluid away from the separating chamber after the solid material has been separated therefrom. The outlet is formed by a conduit communicating with the interior of the separating chamber and having a longitudinal axis. A plurality of grooves are formed in an interior surface of the conduit outlet and extend in the same direction as the longitudinal axis. The presence of the grooves in the outlet has the effect of reducing noise generated by the apparatus when in use and also improves pressure recovery.

One of the problems known to be associated with vacuum cleaners is that of noise. It is also perceived that a vacuum cleaner having a higher measure of "airwatts" (which is related to the amount of suction developed by the cleaner at the inlet thereof) will perform better than a vacuum cleaner having a lower measure of airwatts. In relation to the latter, it is well understood that minimising friction losses and pressure drops within the cleaner will result in a maximised measure of airwatts.
The prior art shows that it is known to recover pressure in cyclonic separating apparatus by providing blades or vanes in the outlet thereof such that the spiralling airflow is straightened. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,157. In general, the outlets of cyclonic separating apparatus are normally formed by cylindrical tubes, also known as vortex finders. Outlets which are not cylindrical have occasionally been proposed and U.S. Pat. No. 522,769 illustrates a hexagonal outlet, although no reference is made in the description to the shape of the outlet, nor why the outlet is formed in this way.


A microelectronic device has a pillar connected to an external terminal by an intermetallic joint. Either the pillar or the external terminal, or both, include copper in direct contact with the intermetallic joint. The intermetallic joint includes at least 90 weight percent of at least one copper-tin intermetallic compound. The intermetallic joint is free of voids having a combined volume greater than 10 percent of a volume of the intermetallic joint; and free of a void having a volume greater than 5 percent of the volume of the intermetallic joint. The microelectronic device may be formed using solder which includes at least 93 weight percent tin, 0.5 weight percent to 5.0 weight percent silver, and 0.4 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent copper, to form a solder joint between the pillar and the external terminal, followed by thermal aging to convert the solder joint to the intermetallic joint.

Microelectronic devices commonly have bump bond structures with tin-containing solder on copper pillars to provide connections to lead frames, chip carriers, and such. During operation of the microelectronic devices, current densities of 103 amps/cm2 to 105 amps/cm2 through the bump bond structures may lead to device failures. At these current densities, electromigration combined with ohmic heating in the copper pillar bump bond structures facilitate atomic diffusion of copper into the solder to form copper-tin intermetallic compounds (IMCs) such as Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn. Formation of the IMCs involves volume shrinkage, leading to formation of voids. Voids may accumulate in the bump bond structures, resulting in device failures.
One common practice is to use a barrier metallurgy (such as Ni) to inhibit copper diffusion leading to void initiation and growth. Using a barrier metallurgy slows down the dissolution of the copper into the solder joint but does not stop it completely. Electromigration failures may occur at a later stage.

Bump bond structure for enhanced electromigration performance


A system and method for dynamic security price and value comparison in indexed terms of a large number of user selected factors relating to a large number of user selected securities, all with regard to a single “pivot” security. The method is implemented as a Java script computer program that permits a user to view security data on an indexed basis whereby a pivot company is chosen and represented as 100 for each of the factors. Any of a large number of companies listed can be selected by the user as the pivot security. The benefit of using the Comparator & Indexer is that relative valuations to those of the pivot security become immediately apparent either resulting in a value conclusion or determination as to the areas necessary for further focused study.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information management and, more particularly, to a robust, web-enabled fully automated dynamic security price and share value comparator and indexer.
2. Description of the Background
The art of successful investing is based upon an ability to intelligently compare the values inherent in alternative investment opportunities. This comparison reflects the need for using the principle of opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is defined as the advantage forgone as the result of the acceptance of an alternative. It is measured both in prospect as well as retrospectively as the benefits that would result from the next best alternative investment that were rejected in favor of the one accepted. Opportunity cost is difficult, perhaps impossible, to measure precisely, and the concept is not used by investors in conducting any formalized investment analysis.
Traditional spread sheet analysis of security data is well known. There are a multitude of existing analysis techniques ranging from simple price earnings ratios to more complicated tracking models.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,985 to Anderson shows an automated portfolio management system and method which manages data in a database, and populates the database with data from a data feed off the Internet. The system utilizes double leveraging of funds and purchased index puts as insurance against market downturns, to generate a guaranteed high yield. The double leveraging is accomplished by selling covered calls and using a formula to determine the maximum amount to borrow against the portfolio, and using income from both sources to purchase additional stock. The high yield from the portfolio is protected from market downturns by index puts.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,286 to Fried shows a computer implemented method for screening a database of stock information based upon buyback ratio and prices/sales ratio selection criteria. The buyback ratio represents the percentage of stocks repurchased by a company during a given period that resulted in a net decrease in outstanding shares. The method and system use the criteria to identify companies with a highest buyback ratio and with the lowest price/sale ratio. The resulting list of stocks are ranked and output in an investment report.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,018 to Michaud et al. discloses a method for evaluating a portfolio. Using the "Markowitz paradigm", a portfolio may be optimized, with the goal of deriving the peak average return for a given level of risk and any specified set of constraints, in order to derive a so-called "mean-variance (MV) efficient" portfolio using known techniques of linear or quadratic programming as appropriate. A mean-variance efficient portfolio is computed for a plurality of simulations of input data statistically consistent with an expected return and expected standard deviation of return, and each such portfolio is associated, by means of an index, with a specified portfolio on the mean variance efficient frontier. A statistical mean of the index-associated mean-variance efficient portfolios is used for evaluating a portfolio for consistency with a specified risk objective.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,442 to Barr et al. shows a method for selecting securities based on a set of artificial neural networks which are designed to model and track the performance of each security in a given capital market and output a parameter which is related to the expected risk adjusted return for the security. Each artificial neural network is trained using a number of fundamental and price and volume history input parameters about the security and the underlying index. The system combines the expected return/appreciation potential data for each security via an optimization process to construct an investment portfolio which satisfies predetermined aggregate statistics. The data processing system receives input from the capital market and periodically evaluates the performance of the investment portfolio, rebalancing it whenever necessary to correct performance degradations.
Some of the foregoing tools and techniques have been made available on the internet, and at least a few incorporate executable Java scripts for accomplishing and graphing stock data. One known reference employs indexing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,663 to Bloom et al. (NASDAQ) shows a computer program product for rebalancing a capitalization weighted stock index in order to prevent the capitalization weight of a few high capitalized stocks from dominating the overall performance of the index. Index rebalancing is accomplished while maintaining the original relative position of stocks and reducing the market impact of rebalancing on the Small Individual Stock group.
While the foregoing reflects an adjustment to a stock index to account for large-capitalization companies, neither this nor any other existing technical analysis methods measure opportunity cost as reflected by the use of a pivot stock (as opposed to the calculation of pivot points). For instance, Bolverk's Lair by Arthur Corliss is a website that contains a Stock Pivot Tool that calculates pivot points using the traditional method, and produces historical graphs of both pivot points (with moving averages) and candlesticks. Price crossing the pivot on an up move is a bullish event; a cross below the pivot on a down move is a bearish event. Once a bullish indication has registered the study offers two resistance levels for the price to test. If the first resistance is penetrated price can be expected to test the second resistance. Professional investment decision making should be the result of a study of relative values as the absolute statistics only have relevance when related to alternatives. It would be greatly advantageous to facilitate the comparison in indexed terms, of a large number of user selected factors relating to a large number of user selected securities, all with regard to a single user-selectable "pivot" security. This would result in a better quality of decision making because the indexing would be based on the user's personal opportunity costs rather than a canned index (such as the Dow Jones). If used correctly, this approach could vastly improve the personal investment management performance of the user.

Dynamic security price and value comparator and indexer


A MOSFET has a buried shield plate under the gate and over the drain with the gate being formed on the periphery of the buried shield plate as a self-aligned structure with minimal or no overlap of the gate over the shield plate. Methods of fabricating the MOSFET are disclosed.

This invention relates generally to semiconductor field effect transistors and fabrication processes, and more particularly the invention relates to field effect transistors having gate-drain shields to reduce capacitative coupling. The invention has particular applicability to RF/microwave power MOSFET transistors including an extended drain MOSFET, vertical DMOS transistor, and lateral DMOS transistor.
The gate to drain feedback capacitance (Cgd or Crss) of any MOSFET device must be minimized in order to maximize RF gain and minimize signal distortion. The gate to drain feedback capacitance is critical since it is effectively multiplied by the voltage gain of the device or C.sub.effective =Crss (1+gm R.sub.L) where gm is the transconductance of the device and R.sub.L is the load resistance. The gate length must be minimized also to reduce transit time, increase transconductance, and reduce the on-resistance of the device.
Sub-micron narrow gate lithography can be used to enhance the characteristics of the MOSFET device, but fabrication of such device requires the use of very expensive wafer stepper systems.
Heretofore the use of a Faraday shield made of metal or polysilicon formed over the gate structure has been proposed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,848. As shown in FIG. 1, a lateral DMOS transistor including an N+ source 10, an N+ drain 12, and an N- drain extended region 14 are separated by a P channel region 16 over which is formed a gate electrode 18 separated from the channel region 16 by gate oxide 20. In accordance with the U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,848 patent, the source metal contact 22 extends over gate 18 and is isolated therefrom by an insulative layer 24. The extended source metal 22 provides a Faraday shield between the gate 18 and the drain metal 26 thus reducing gate-drain capacitance. However, substantial gate-drain capacitance exists between gate 18 and the N- drain region 14 as illustrated at 28.
Spectrian (Assignee of the present application) has introduced a buried shield LDMOS transistor as illustrated in FIG. 2 in which gate-drain shielding is enhanced by providing a buried shield 30 which underlies gate 18 to reduce the capacitance 28 of FIG. 1. Further, a buried shield metal 30 is placed on the surface of insulator 24 to reduce capacitance between gate 18 and drain metal 26. However, the overlap of gate 18 over buried shield 30 results in higher input capacitance for the device.
Thus, there is a high cost of scaling down gate dimensions to try and minimize gate-drain capacitance. The described prior art devices using Faraday shields do not completely minimize the gate-drain capacitance, and prior art structures cannot be successfully applied to vertical DMOS devices. The overlap of the gate over the shield in the structure of FIG. 2 results in a higher input capacitance.

MOSFET having self-aligned gate and buried shield and method of making same


A closure part, particularly for forming hermaphroditic closures, has at least one carrier band (16) with a web shape and at least one pair of surface regions (17a, 17b) arranged opposite of each other and connectable at least partially along a connecting region (19) to a main body (26) as third component. Individual closure bodies (2) at least in part of the surface regions (17a, 17b) are located outside of the connecting region (19) and adjacent to it. The bodies protrude from the carrier band (16) and form a fixing feature (24) for further closure parts of the same or different kinds.

Such closure parts have a corresponding plurality of closure members as an essential component of touch-and-close fasteners. These fasteners have become widely known under the tradename "Kletten." The end regions of the stems of the interlocking members are affixed on a base body forming the carrier structure. This base body has a plate-shaped structure, preferably made of a readily injectable plastic material. The closure members are distributed in an arrangement in such that the interlocking heads that project beyond the base body are separated from each other at such a distance that the result is an interlocking engagement with the interlocking heads of another closure part to complete the touch-and-close fastener. If the interlocking heads of both interacting closure parts exhibit an identical shape, they are referred to as hermaphroditic closures.
DE 10 2005 048 215 A1 discloses a closure part of this type, where two closure members at a time form a cramp-shaped or U-shaped pair. Two stems of each pair are connected integrally to each other in pairs on their base sides by a transversely extending intermediate element. The attachment to the base body is carried out by inserting the stems of each pair through the openings in the base body from the back side of the base body, so that the transversely extending intermediate element can be pressed into a recess, extending between the openings, on the back side of the base body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,378 discloses a closure part comprising two sets of walls, each of which extends parallel to each other in a grid structure, so that the sets of walls intersect at right angles. The intersecting points of the walls have the interlocking heads of the closure members. The mushroom-shaped interlocking heads can be formed as one piece with the walls, preferably made of a synthetic plastic material. The spacing or more specifically the sections between the walls are chosen such that when a second closure part engages with the first closure part, the interlocking heads of the second closure part engage with the respective open spaces of the grid structure and interlock the said first closure part by extending under its locking heads.
DE 60 2004 007 373 T2 discloses woven closure products having enhanced flame resistant properties. A woven closure product includes a loop component and a hook component designed to engage or rather mesh with the loop component. In each case, the components have a plurality of loops or hooks woven into a fabric base. The fabric base comprises woven, flame resistant fibers made of a polymer that melts or disintegrates when exposed to a flame.
DE 693 19 608 T2 discloses an interengaging fastening element used advantageously for fastening a window to a window frame of a motor vehicle. The fastening element has a base section and a plurality of engaging strips that project from the base section and extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction. Each engaging strip has a vertical portion adjoining the base section, a head portion adjoining the vertical portion, and two end faces. The engaging strips are designed to engage with the projecting head portion of an opposite fastening element, with the head portion of the engaging strips having a plurality of transverse slots and the vertical portions remaining unslotted. The transverse slots facilitate a sliding engagement of the fastening element with an opposite fastening element.


A control system for an injection molding machine performs a molding cycle. The molding cycle includes a filling process for controlling an advancing motion of a screw of the injection molding machine, and a hold press process for controlling a pressure of a molten resin after the filling process. The control system includes retracting speed limit means for limiting a retracting speed of the screw to a predetermined retracting speed limit value after a pressure control in the hold press process begins.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to control systems for injection molding machines and methods for controlling the injection molding machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control system for an injection molding machine performing a molding cycle including a filling process and a hold press process following the filling process, and a method for controlling the injection molding machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
First, an explanation will be given of a molding cycle of an injection molding machine, comprising a plasticizing process, a metering process, a filling process and a hold press process in a case of a motor-driven injection molding machine as an example.
(1) Plasticizing Process/Metering Process
In the plasticizing and metering processes, a servo-motor for screw rotation rotates the screw. The screw is located within a heating cylinder. Resin is fed from a hopper to the rear portion of the screw in the heating cylinder. By the rotation of the screw, the resin provided to the rear portion of the screw from the hopper is melted and a given amount thereof is fed to the tip end of the heating cylinder. During this time, the screw is retracted while being subjected to a back pressure, namely the pressure of molten resin accumulating at the tip end of the heating cylinder.
An injection shaft is directly connected to a rear end portion of the screw. The injection shaft is rotatably supported by a pressure plate through a bearing. The injection shaft is driven in the axial direction by a servo-motor for injection that is supported on the pressure plate. The pressure plate is driven through a ball screw by a servo-motor for injection to advance and retract along guide bars. The foregoing back pressure of molten resin is detected by a load cell in a manner described later. The detected value of the load cell is controlled by a feed-back control loop for pressures.
(2) Filling Process
Then, in the filling process, driving of the servo-motor for injection causes the pressure plate to advance to fill molten resin into a mold with the screw tip end as a piston. Resin pressure at the screw tip end at this time is detected as an injection pressure.
At the end of the filling process, the molten resin fills a cavity of the mold. At that point, the advancing motion of the screw causes switching of velocity control to pressure control. Such switching of velocity control to pressure control is referred as a V-P switching and affects the quality of the resultant molded article.
(3) Hold Press Process
Following the V-P switching, the resin within the cavity of the mold is allowed to cool under a preset pressure. This process is referred to as a hold press process. In the hold press process, resin pressure is controlled with a feed-back control loop as in the above-mentioned back pressure control.
In an injection apparatus of the injection molding machine, when the process (3) is completed, the control system goes back to the process (1) and shifts to the succeeding molding cycle. In a mold clamping apparatus of the injection molding machine, concurrently with the process (1), the mold is opened to permit an ejector mechanism to discharge a molding product having been cooled and solidified, and then the mold is closed for the process (2).
Meanwhile, for injection molding, measurement precision greatly depends on the profile of the resin pressure in the filling and hold press processes. For example, in a case of manufacturing a thin-walled molded article, due to differences of the resin pressure just after the V-P switching in particular, molding defects phenomena such as a short shot, sink, flash, warpage, and the like may be generated every so often.
There are V-P switching position settings, injection speed settings, hold press settings and the like as molding conditions in order to prevent the above mentioned molding defects phenomena. An operation for the above mentioned settings is called a molding condition determination. The molding condition determination is complex because the above mentioned settings influence each other. Hence, only the "hold press settings" and "time settings" are used as the molding conditions in the conventional hold press process and several values of pressure are set as the hold press settings.
For example, in a case where the resin pressure at the time of V-P switching is high, if the hold press pressure that makes the resin pressure low is set as a hold press setting value, the screw retracts. However, if the retracting speed is not controlled, as described later, there are problems in that the molded article is adversely affected.
FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the filling process and hold press process of the molding cycle when a conventional method for controlling is applied.
More specifically, FIG. 1-(a) shows a profile of injection speeds in the filling process and hold press process of the molding cycle when a conventional method for controlling is applied; FIG. 1-(b) shows a profile of the resin pressure in the filling process and hold press process of the molding cycle when a conventional method for controlling is applied; FIG. 1-(c) shows a profile of a screw position, that is the distance between the tip end of the screw and the end part at the nozzle side of the heating cylinder, in the filling process and hold press process of the molding cycle when a conventional method for controlling is applied.
In FIG. 1-(a), positive injection speed represents an advancing of the screw and negative injection speed represents a retracting of the screw. As shown in FIG. 1-(b), for convenience, only a first segment of pressure setting in the hold press process is shown as an example. Control for the hold press process is performed based on setting the hold press pressure Ph1 and time t1.
As the injection begins, the screw advances as shown in FIG. 1-(a), and the distance between the tip end of the screw and the end part at the nozzle side of the heating cylinder is shortened, so that the resin fills the cavity of the mold.
There is a case where the volume of the resin in the cavity increases when the molten resin compressed by a gate of the screw tip end is injected into the cavity of the mold. In this case, even if the pressure of the screw head part is changed in order to change the hold press pressure in the hold press pressure process, the resin in the cavity is seldom influenced or reacts excessively.
In a case where the resin pressure at the time of the V-P switching is high, when the first hold press setting value is set so as to reduce the resin pressure, the screw retracts. That is, a retracting speed of the screw is generated. Particularly, in a case where there is a big difference between the resin pressure at the time of the V-P switching and the first hold press setting value Ph1, as shown in a part surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 1-(a), the retracting speed of the screw becomes high. If the retracting speed of the screw becomes high, a negative pressure is applied to the molten resin. As a result of this, an adverse effect on the molten resin, such as the generation of a void in the molten resin, may be invited.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Control system for an injection molding machine and a method for controlling the injection molding machine


Methods for inhibiting the activity of Clostridium difficile in a subject comprises administering to the subject in need thereof, a therapeutically effective amount of azaquinone or a pharmaceutical composition consisting of clofazimine or a clofazimine analogue, azaquinone, and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising a therapeutically effective amount of azaquinone or consisting of clofazimine or a clofazimine analogue, azaquinone, and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient are provided for treating Clostridium difficile infection and diseases or symptoms associated therewith.

Clostridium difficile (CD) is a Gram positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus recognized to cause diarrhea, pseudomembraneous colitis, toxic megacolon, other gastrointestinal conditions, and even death. Hedge et al. (2008) New advances in the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management 4(5):949-64; Tsutsumi et al. (2014) Progress in the Discovery of Treatments for C. difficile Infection: A Clinical & Medicinal Chemistry Review, Current Topics Med. Chem. 14:152-75. In its spore form, the bacterium is able to survive harsh environments and common sterilization techniques. Spores of CD are resistant to high temperatures, ultraviolet light, harsh chemicals, and many antibiotics, and remain viable for months or longer (Leffler & Lamont (2009) Treatment of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease, Gastroenterol. 136:1899-1912).
Acquisition of CD occurs by ingestion of the acid-resistant spores, which pass through the stomach and germinate and inhabit the colon. In order for CD to over-populate the colon, there is typically a disruption of the normal bacterial flora which otherwise provides colonization resistance to CD and other opportunistic pathogens. As such, the protection of normal gastrointestinal flora is an important defense to CD infection (CDI). Unfortunately, exposure to common antibiotic regimens (e.g., cephalosporins, penicillins and fluoroquinolones) in the course of medical treatment of infectious and other diseases (e.g., such as bowel surgery and/or cancer chemotherapy) disrupts the natural gut flora, allowing CD resistant to such antibiotics to colonize and overpopulate in the gut of some patients, particularly elderly patients.
Once colonized, CD reproduces and releases enterotoxin (toxin A or TcdA) and cytotoxin (toxin B or TcdB) in the colon. Tsutsumi, 2014; Heinlen & Ballard (2010) Clostridium difficile Infection, Am. J. Med. Sci. 340(3):247-52; Hedge et al., 2008. Both toxins A and B act as glucosyltransferases, inactivating small cellular GTPases (Rho, Rac & Cdc42), and triggering the attraction and adhesion of neutrophils resulting in inflammation of the mucosal lining, cellular necrosis, and increased peristalsis and capillary permeability, thereby degrading the colonic epithelial cells and leading to the clinical symptoms associated with CDI. Although both toxins are cytotoxic and stimulate apoptosis, toxin B is more potent while toxin A stimulates epithelial cell permeability and inflammatory response (effecting cytokine, chemokine and reactive oxygen intermediate production; neutrophil infiltration; mast cell accumulation; and substance P production, stimulating submucosal sensory neurons).
The mechanisms of action of CD toxins TcdA and TcdB are illustrated in FIG. 1, plates A and B. See Voth & Ballard (2005) Clostridium difficile Toxins: Mechanisms of Action and Role in Disease, Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 18(2):247-63. Clinical symptoms vary from asymptomatic colonization or mild diarrhea to life threatening illness, including severe inflammation, lesions and/or tissue necrosis of the gut mucosa. Typically, CDI-associated disease begins as watery diarrhea and progresses to pseudomembranous colitis. Distension of the colon may result in toxic megacolon. In addition, even cases of relatively mild CDI may rapidly progress to fulminant CDI, with such patients suffering systemic toxicity (e.g., leukocytosis, hypotension, renal failure, respiratory distress, or even death).
CD is a leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea, infections and other disease in Europe and North America. Heinlen & Ballard, 2010. Because of their increasing resistance to many common antibiotics, CD spores can remain in the gastrointestinal tract and potentially contribute to recurrent disease following conventional treatment regimens. As such, CD infections (CDIs) are increasing worldwide and have become more severe and refractory to treatment in the past decade. CDIs are one of the most common nosocomial infections in the United States, and presently, hospital-acquired CDIs exceed that of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in some regions.
Increased incidence of hospital-associated CDI may be due to the utilization of a broad spectrum of antimicrobial agents to treat various other conditions. As such, the emergence of hypervirulent epidemic strains of CD (e.g., the fluoroquinolone resistant hypervirulent CD strain designated as NAP1/BI/027 in North America and Europe) produce increased amounts of toxins A and B, and thus exhibit increased rates of recurrence, morbidity and/or mortality (as compared to previously identified strains of CD), particularly in vulnerable elderly patients. For example, NAP1/BI/027 produces 16 times more toxin A and 23 times more toxin B compared to many conventional CD strains, and also produces an additional toxin known as binary toxin (see Hedge et al., 2008), which causes a 3-fold higher mortality rate as compared to patients infected with less virulent strains. Leffler & Lamont, 2009.
Effective treatment of CDI has proven to be quite challenging due to the need for selective eradication of CD without affecting the normal gut flora. After each episode or infection, the risk of recurrence of CDI generally increases. About 15%-30% of CDI patients get another infection after their first CDI, and about 40%-60% get a further CDI after their second episode of the infection. Tsutsumi et al., 2014. As such, for patients who experience two or more recurrences of symptomatic CDIs, a change in strategy is warranted. Leffler & Lamont, 2009.
Current therapies for CDI typically provide for the administration of antimicrobial agents including metronidazole (MET), vancomycin (VAN) or fidaxomicin (FDX). MET is the conventionally accepted agent for treating the first episode of CDI due to its relatively low cost, as well as concerns of emergence of VAN resistant enterococci (VRE) by extensive VAN treatment. See Leffler & Lamont, 2009. However, only VAN and FDX have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of recurrent CDI. Moreover, use of VAN and FDX is relatively limited, particularly for treating the first episode of CDI, due to their relatively high cost (e.g., current cost is about $2000 per treatment).
Failure to respond to MET has become more common recently, and therefore VAN has become more commonly used as a first episode treatment, particularly in patients with more severe CDI. However, reports describing MET failures and questions of the equivalence of MET and VAN for CDI have been raised. Hedge et al., 2008.
Recurrence or failure rate associated with conventional MET, VAN and FDX treatments, as well as other conventional therapies, is relatively high. For example, between about 15% and about 30% of patients have a relapse of symptoms after successful initial treatment with such conventional treatments, usually within the first few weeks after treatment is discontinued Leffler & Lamont, 2009. Such relapse is sometimes due to the persistence of the same CD strain being treated, or alternatively or additionally due to reinfection with a new CD strain. With the emergence of hypervirulent epidemic strains of CD, recurrence rates of CDI have jumped to nearly 50% in patients treated with MET and VAN. The spectrum of activity for FDX is narrower compared to that of MET or VAN. However, efficacy of FDX is similar to that of VAN. When used to treat previous strains of CD, FDX exhibits a somewhat lower recurrence or failure rate as compared to MET and VAN. However, FDX exhibits no improvement in recurrence rates in patients infected with hypervirulent strains of CD (Louie et al. (2011) Fidaxomicin versus vancomycin for Clostridium difficile infection, N. Engl. J. Med. 364(5):422-31), and thus also exhibits recurrence rates of nearly 50%. As such, conventional FDX therapies have not proven to be effective for patients that have suffered multiple CDI relapses.
Thus, due to the increasing emergence of resistant and hyper-virulent CD strains and the high rate of recurrence of CDI after treatment with such conventional agents, there is an urgent need to develop new and better therapies. Alternative non-antibiotic based treatments for treating CDI have emerged, including fecal transplants and probiotics, which seek to restore or repopulate the normal gut flora. Other treatment methods, such as immunotherapy-based treatments and vaccines, attempt to neutralize the CD toxins or enhance the patient's immune response. However, such non-antibiotic based treatments have exhibited mixed results with less efficacy as compared to conventional microbial agents. As such, conventional treatments using MET, VAN and FDX remain prevalent.
Thus, new therapeutics and treatment methods are needed to improve efficacy and reduce failure and/or recurrence rates of CDIs. The ideal therapeutic agent would specifically eliminate or substantially reduce a CD population with minimal disturbance to normal gut flora. However, due to the exorbitant costs involved in the discovery and development of new agents, many pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to invest in new drug discoveries. Moreover, the return on investment for drug companies on short duration therapeutics like antimicrobial agents is not alluring compared to long duration or life-long therapies. Consequently, the discovery of new uses for previously known drugs (repurposing) is a very cost effective option. Indeed, the National Institutes of Health has an ongoing initiative in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies for discovering new therapeutic uses for existing molecules.

Pharmaceutical compositions containing azaquinone for inhibiting clostridium difficile activity


A method for calibration for a Radio Frequency (RF) circuit in a communication device is provided. The method includes performing an independent RF-circuit calibration, storing calibration data generated through the calibration, in an external storage unit, and downloading, to the communication device, partial calibration data among the calibration data stored in the external storage unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication device. More particularly, the present invention relates to calibration in a communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there is a trend of supporting multi-band and multi-mode, and concurrently minimizing cost and power consumption, in a mobile communication system. To meet this trend, a transceiver structure of a Mobile Station (MS) may use a direct conversion scheme. A transceiver employing the direct conversion scheme has a simple structure, and has an advantageous feature in size and cost, and has a reconfigurable structure that is easy to use. However, the direct conversion scheme has a characteristic of being sensitive to circuit impairment such as In-phase/Quadrature-phase (IQ) mismatch, Transmitter Local Oscillator (TX LO) feed-through, RX Direct Current (DC)-offset and the like. The imperfection of the aforementioned Radio Frequency (RF) processing means is one cause of transceiver performance deterioration. Accordingly, calibration is performed to compensate for the aforementioned imperfection.
Also, as the commercialization of a next-generation system having a high data rate makes progress, a transceiver supporting the high data rate is being developed. To provide the high data rate, the transceiver requires lower Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) performance than a legacy system. To meet the low EVM, a distortion of the transceiver generated while a signal goes through the whole system should be minimized. The distortion of the transceiver results in the deterioration of a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of a signal. Mostly, the distortion of the transceiver is generated while a signal goes through an analog and RF circuit. In order to remove the impairment of the analog and RF circuit to guarantee performance, calibration for the analog and RF circuit is performed.
In general, the calibration for the analog and RF circuit is controlled in a digital block processing a digital signal. For instance, the digital block includes a modulator/demodulator (modem). For example, the calibration for the analog and RF circuit is carried out by a control signal from the modem, in a state where the analog and RF circuit and the modem interwork with each other. In this case, it is difficult to achieve an accurate measurement for analog and RF circuit performance, because self-calibration of a chip level including the analog and RF circuit is not performed. Accordingly, when the analog and RF circuit goes beyond a performance difference assumed as a margin upon interworking with the modem, in other words, when the calibration for the analog and RF circuit is performed in a situation where the analog and RF circuit and the modem interwork with each other, there is a possibility that a situation occurs in which the performance of the analog and RF circuit does not meet the required system standard. Also, the calibration for the analog and RF circuit performed in a state where the analog and RF circuit and the modem interwork with each other consumes a relatively higher cost than a test at a chip level.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Apparatus and method for supporting calibration for radio frequency circuit in communication device


A social network service (SNS) system and method for recommending a friend of a friend based on an intimacy between users are provided. The SNS system includes an extracting unit to extract communication information from each of a friend relationship between a user and a first-group friend and a friend relationship between the user and a second-group friend. The system also includes a calculating unit to calculate an intimacy of each of the friend relationships based on the extracted communication information. The system includes a generating unit to generate a list of recommended second-group friends based on the calculated intimacy.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a social network service (SNS) system and method for recommending a friend of a friend based on an intimacy between users.
2. Discussion of the Background
Typically, a friend recommendation function of a social network service (SNS) is used to assist a user to make a new friend, and to provide a service to a user with a number of friends. In a conventional system, when a friend of a user is defined to be a first-group friend, and when a friend of the first-group friend is defined to be a second-group friend of the user, recommending merely the second-group friend to the user (that is, a scheme of recommending a friend of a friend) is provided.
For example, when users A and B are assumed to be friends (F(A, B)=True), and a mutual friend count of users A and C is assumed to be represented by 'M.F.C(A, C),' a set of friends recommended to the user A may be defined to be a set of users C who are friends of the user B, but are not friends of the user A (F(A, B)=True and F(B, C)=True and F(A, C)=not True). In this instance, conventionally, sets of recommended friends may be arranged in an order of 'M.F.C(A, C)' for each of the set of users C. Additionally, friends may be recommended to the user A in the order of 'M.F.C(A, C),' or friends corresponding to 'M.F.C(A, C)' equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
However, in conventional schemes of recommending a second-group friend to a user, a recommendation priority is determined based on only a number of mutual friends between the user and the second-group friend, that is, merely based on the mutual friend count, and accordingly, it is difficult to reflect important factors for recommending friends to a user because the conventional scheme may not consider an actual relationship between the user and the second-group friend. For example, even assuming the conventional scheme determines a number of mutual friends (e.g., 100 mutual friends) between the specific user and the second-group friend, they may not know each other. In other words, the conventional scheme using the mutual friend count may not represent how the two users are related to each other.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach for effectively recommending a friend in a Social Networking Service (SNS).
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Social network service system and method for recommending friend of friend based on intimacy between users


The present invention provides a ammoniated collector (amine, azepine, etc.) alone or in combination with other thiol-type collecting reactants, as well as sodium, iron, magnesium, and/or manganese sulfates, sulfurs, oxides, and hydroxides, acrylic acid polymers and copolymers or other spreading agents, in the process of grinding and floating mineral ores, in order to allow to set new floating operational conditions in existing mineral ore processing plants; to obtain substantial improvements in metallurgic productivity by improving the kinetics of the floating process, which allows to increase recovery of molybdenum, decrease recovery of iron, increase copper grade in copper concentrate, at least keep or improve copper recovery, among others, through the addition of a collecting reactant implying savings of up to 100% of consumption of modifying agents, such as lime, currently used.

Over the past 70 years, worldwide, in the float concentration processes that are carried out in concentrating plants for Copper, Molybdenum, Zinc and other metals, there has not existed much technological innovation in the use of collecting reactants, the most notable ones being that of combing existing collectors at different proportions, or by combining them with reactive foaming agents in order to handle the concept of a genetic reactant).
Currently, based on the size of the release of the mineral species of copper, molybdenum, zinc, and other contained metals, on the relationship of the same species and the electrochemical potential in the species' pulp as well as in the mineral species themselves, the hydrogen potential (pH) is adjusted at values optimum enough to produce the flotation of the mineral species with the assistance of the modifying reactants, the most used being, in decreasing order the following: hydrated lime, calcium hydroxide, calcium peroxide, soda, calcium carbonate, etc.
Based on the above, any technological innovation that may be found and may allow the flotation of copper, molybdenum, zinc mineral ores and other mineral ores contained, at pH's nearing the natural one, or that may decrease the consumption of Ph modifying reactants, kilograms of salt per ton of processed mineral, without the recovery thereof being diminished with respect to the existing collectors or that improve the kinetics of the flotation process thereof, will be of great benefit as to the processes' economic profitability parameters.
Thus, copper-molybdenum, zinc and contained metal concentrating plants operate under the following generic circuit:                Crunching: step of reducing the size of the mineral up to values below 12.7 mm (½″).        Grinding: step whereby the mineral is finally crunched in the previous stages, and the pulp that is formed with the addition of water, pH modifying agents, collecting reactants and foaming agents is reduced to the final particle size that is necessary for the subsequent flotation by values close to 74 microns or −200 meshes;        Flotation: the operation through which the particles hydrofobized through the collector of copper-molybdenum, zinc and contained metals are separated from the iron ore and gangue, which are hydrophilized by the lime. Currently, pH is adjusted with additional quantities of lime, in order to obtain the maximum CU—Mo/Fe and/or Zn/Fe concentration ratio.
The tendency of most plants to regularly float a pH between 10.0 and 11.0, an interval where maximum collection of copper-molybdenum, zinc and contained metal, concentration is achieved, whereas maximum depression of the iron ore is obtained.
However, the consumption of lime or pH modifying agents is very high, becoming a significant percentage of production costs. The consumption of lime may range from 0.6 Kg/TDM (kilograms per Ton of Dried Mineral) to 2.0 Kg/TDM, to get a pH between 10.0 a 11.0.

Collecting agent comprising ammoniated compounds (primary, secondary, tertiary amines), for use in the process of grinding and/or floating copper, molybdenum, zinc, and other contained mineral ores

Procesos Mineros e Industries Conosur S.A.


A variable state planetary shifting transmission can include an input shaft, an output shaft; and a planetary system having a sun gear associated with the input shaft, a planetary carrier, and a ring gear associated with a ring housing. The transmission can include an overrunning clutch operably coupled to the planetary carrier. The transmission can include a clutch assembly coupled to the planetary carrier. The transmission is capable of changing the speed ratio between the input shaft and the output shaft by selective engagement of the clutch assembly against the ring gear which can cause either the freeing or locking of the planetary carrier by the overrunning clutch.

Technical Field:
The present disclosure relates to a variable speed transmission for a vehicle, such as an aircraft.
Description of Related Art:
Conventionally, aircraft such as helicopters, utilize a gearbox to reduce turbine engine speed and achieve the desired main rotor speed. It can be desirable to selectively operate an aircraft at lower main rotor speeds. Typically, a main rotor operated at lower speeds produces less noise. In one conventional method, the lower main rotor speed is achieved by operating the engine at a lower engine speed; however, conventional turbine engines operate most efficiently at just one speed. Moreover, reducing the engine speed can impact engine performance, such as fuel consumption.
Although great strides have been made in the field of aircraft gearboxes, there is a need for an improved variable speed gearbox.


A mooring apparatus (10a; 10b; 10c; 10d) comprising a socket (15a; 15b; 15c; 15d), a connection member (20a; 20b; 20c; 20d), and an arrangement (25a; 25b; 25c; 25d) for positioning and/or controlling the disposition of the connection member (20a; 20b; 20c; 20d) relative to the socket (15a; 15b; 15c; 15d), the connection member (20a; 20b; 20c; 20d) being receivable and/or retainable in the socket (15a; 15b; 15c; 15d). A method of configuring a mooring apparatus (10a; 10b; 10c; 10d), wherein the method comprises providing the mooring apparatus (10a; 10b; 10c; 10d), the method further comprising connecting a first portion of a line (35) to a line engaging apparatus (30a) and positioning or extending the line (35) around the positioning arrangement (25a; 25b; 25c; 25d).

Offshore structures, such as floating structures or platforms, may be moored by mooring lines, such as mooring chains. A tension may be applied to each of the mooring lines, for example, by the use of a tensioning apparatus. The application of tension may serve to moor the floating structure or platform in a desired position.
A mooring apparatus may require assembly before a tension is applied to the mooring line. Assembly may include direct or indirect connection of at least one mooring line to the structure to be moored and direct, or indirect, coupling of each mooring line to another structure, such as an anchor or pile located on the seabed.
The mooring lines, and in particular the ends of the mooring lines, may comprise chains. A connection between a vessel, anchor, or the like, to a chain which may, in use, be under tension, may be prone to stress and wear.
In an offshore environment, because of a relative movement between a vessel, a mooring line and an anchoring point, there may be a degree of movement at a connection between the mooring line and the vessel and/or anchoring point. Such movement may further stress and wear the mooring line and connection components. The relative movement may cause Out of Plane Bending (OPB) fatigue, which may exacerbate the wear of the mooring components.
The use of structures such as lever arms and fairleads, to minimise the effects of OPB, is known. However, such structures may be large, heavy, expensive and difficult to install, operate and/or maintain.
Further, the installation and maintenance of such structures in an offshore or underwater environment may require high levels of skill, the use of divers, operators, and/or underwater Remotely Operated underwater Vehicles (ROVs), and may incur significant expense and risk.
It is an object of at least one embodiment of at least one aspect of the present invention to obviate or at least mitigate one or more problems in the prior art.
It is an object of at least one embodiment of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide a technically simple and/or commercially more cost effective method and apparatus for mooring than in the prior art.


Communication of parent physiological data to an infant may include a first interface device which includes a sensor to record physiological data associated with a heartbeat of a parent, a processor to receive the physiological data from the sensor, and a transceiver; a server which receives the physiological data from the transceiver, accesses an instance of the physiological data from a replay storage location during a loss of communication, assigns a unique identifier, processes the physiological data, modifies the physiological data to be within an allowable threshold or accesses physiological data within the allowable threshold when the physiological data is outside an allowable threshold, filters the physiological data to apply an effect, and transmits the physiological data based on the unique identifier; and a second interface device which includes a transceiver to receive the physiological data and a communication element to communicate the physiological data to the infant.

Communication is a very important part of how people bond and connect with each other, animals, or other loved ones. This communication comes in many different forms such as verbal, non-verbal, physical, and visual communication.
However, there are often situations or obstacles that render various forms of communication inappropriate or impossible. Some of the variables that impact available channels of communication may include facility type, disability of participants, developmental level of participants, or geographic separation. Such variables can prevent a person from communicating with another, thus preventing the bonding and connection that may be desired and beneficial for physical and mental health.

Communication of parent physiological data to infant


A system is disclosed for use in a wireless communication system to provide an estimated pilot signal. The system includes a receiver and a front-end processing and despreading component in electronic communication with the receiver for despreading a CDMA signal. A pilot estimation component is in electronic communication with the front-end processing and despreading component for estimating an original pilot signal using a Wiener filter to produce a pilot estimate. A demodulation component is in electronic communication with the pilot estimation component and the front-end processing and despreading component for providing demodulated data symbols. The Wiener filter is configured by an offline filter determination process that calculates parameters of the Wiener filter to minimize the mean-square error.

The present invention is related to the following Applications for Patent in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:
xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Pilot Estimation Using Suboptimum Expectation Maximizationxe2x80x9d by Farrokh Abrishamkar et al., having Attorney Docket No. 020123, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee hereof;
xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Pilot Estimation Using A Prediction Error Method With A Kalman Filter And Pseudo-Linear Regressionxe2x80x9d, by Farrokh Abrishamkar et al., having Attorney Docket No. 020201, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee hereof;
xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Pilot Estimation Using A Prediction Error Method With A Kalman Filter And A Gauss-Newton Algorithm,xe2x80x9d by Farrokh Abrishamkar et al., having Attorney Docket No. 020205, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee hereof; and
xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Pilot Estimation Using An Adaptive Prediction Error Method With a Kalman Filter and A Gauss-Newton Algorithm,xe2x80x9d by Farrokh Abrishamkar et al., having Attorney Docket No. 020232, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee hereof.
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems generally and specifically, to methods and apparatus for estimating a pilot signal in a code division multiple access system.
In a wireless radiotelephone communication system, many users communicate over a wireless channel. The use of code division multiple access (CDMA) modulation techniques is one of several techniques for facilitating communications in which a large number of system users are present. Other multiple access communication system techniques, such as time division multiple access (TDMA) and frequency division multiple access (FDMA) are known in the art. However, the spread spectrum modulation technique of CDMA has significant advantages over these modulation techniques for multiple access communication systems.
The CDMA technique has many advantages. An exemplary CDMA system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,307, entitled xe2x80x9cSpread Spectrum Multiple Access Communication System Using Satellite Or Terrestrial Repeatersxe2x80x9d, issued Feb. 13, 1990, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference. An exemplary CDMA system is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,459, entitled xe2x80x9cSystem And Method For Generating Signal Waveforms In A CDMA Cellular Telephone Systemxe2x80x9d, issued Apr. 7, 1992, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference.
In each of the above patents, the use of a forward-link (base station to mobile station) pilot signal is disclosed. In a typical CDMA wireless communication system, such as that described in EIA/TIA IS-95, the pilot signal is a xe2x80x9cbeaconxe2x80x9d transmitting a constant data value and spread with the same pseudonoise (PN) sequences used by the traffic bearing signals. The pilot signal is typically covered with the all-zero Walsh sequence. During initial system acquisition, the mobile station searches through PN offsets to locate a base station""s pilot signal. Once it has acquired the pilot signal, it can then derive a stable phase and magnitude reference for coherent demodulation, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,687 entitled xe2x80x9cMobile Demodulator Architecture For A Spread Spectrum Multiple Access Communication System,xe2x80x9d issued Jun. 9, 1998, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference.
Recently, third-generation (3G) wireless radiotelephone communication systems have been proposed in which a reverse-link (mobile station to base station) pilot channel is used. For example, in the currently proposed cdma2000 standard, the mobile station transmits a Reverse Link Pilot Channel (R-PICH) that the base station uses for initial acquisition, time tracking, rake-receiver coherent reference recovery, and power control measurements.
Pilot signals can be affected by noise, fading and other factors. As a result, a received pilot signal may be degraded and different than the originally transmitted pilot signal. Information contained in the pilot signal may be lost because of noise, fading and other factors.
There is a need, therefore, to process the pilot signal to counter the effects of noise, fading and other signal-degrading factors.

Method and apparatus for pilot estimation using a wiener filter


A system and method for automatic configuration upon installation of a network printer are disclosed. The techniques of the invention avoid the burden of manual configuration by users and system administrators. The network printer is associated with printer description files, a driver, a spooler, and a port monitor. The system comprises bi-directional application program interfaces associated with the spooler for allowing the driver to generate a bi-directional request and receive a bi-directional response. The system additionally includes a syntax within the printer description files for representing and associating the bi-directional request and the bi-directional response with a print feature. The system also includes extension files stored in the driver for relating bi-directional values and printer values and a notification infrastructure controlled by the port monitor for providing a bi-directional notification of configuration changes to the driver and selected applications.

Today, installing a network printer is a time consuming and difficult task. Those individuals installing the network printer are generally required to perform a plurality of steps to obtain a static Internet Protocol (IP) address, create a queue, manually configure the queue, manually set a device configuration for the queue, print a test page, and send mail to users with instructions on how to connect with the newly installed network printer.
The available processes for network printer installation are cumbersome to both small and large organizations. Within large organizations, the process of network printer installation is costly for administrators, especially when manual device configuration is required for hundreds of devices with different feature sets. Small organizations typically will not have a dedicated administrator or the expertise to perform the installation.
As a specific example, with currently available installation techniques, after installing a device with duplexing capability, the user or administrator must manually go to the user interface (UI), and set the duplex unit to "installed" in order to perform two-sided printing. Furthermore, subsequent to installation, when the administrator or users add or remove installable options such as the envelope tray or memory, they must manually go to the UI to show the changes.
Accordingly an improved technique is needed for network printer installation. In particular, a technique that eliminates manual configuration is desired. Automatic configuration could save the extensive effort involved in obtaining the correct feature set after installing a large number of network devices. Thus, users would have access to features available on the network devices automatically without any user or administrator intervention.

System and method for automatic configuration


A method for fabricating a structure in a magnetic recording transducer is described. A trench having sidewalls converging in a corner and a depth is formed. A dielectric layer is deposited using physical vapor deposit (PVD). The dielectric layer thickness is not more than one-half of the trench depth. A remaining portion of the trench is unfilled by the dielectric layer and has a top and a bottom. A portion of the dielectric layer is plasma etched. The plasma etch removes the portion of the dielectric layer at the top of the trench at a first rate and removes the portion of the dielectric layer at the bottom of the remaining portion of the trench at a second rate less than the first rate. An additional dielectric layer is deposited, also using PVD. The plasma etch and additional dielectric layer depositing steps are optionally repeated until the trench is filled.

Conventional magnetic recording heads can be fabricated in a number of ways. FIG. 1 is a flow chart depicting a conventional method 10 for fabricating an interferometric tapered waveguide (I-TWG) in an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer using a conventional process. An I-TWG waveguide includes a y-splitter or a multimode interferometric (MMI) device which splits the waveguide into two arms. A path difference may be introduced between the two arms. The I-TWG may be used to provide energy having the desired phase difference to a near-field transducer (NFT). The method 10 may thus be used to provide fabricate I-TWG that provides laser energy to the NFT of an EAMR transducer. For simplicity, some steps are omitted in the method 10.
The bottom cladding, core, and top cladding layers are deposited, via step 12. The bottom and top cladding are typically formed of silicon dioxide. The core is typically formed of Ta2O5. A trench is formed in the top cladding and core layers, via step 14. Because the core layer is overetched, the trench is typically also formed into a portion of the bottom cladding layer. The trench removes the core and top cladding layers between the arms of the waveguide. Thus, the arms of the I-TWB waveguide are defined in step 14.
A single conventional dielectric layer is deposited to fill the trench, via step 16. For example, the dielectric layer deposited may be two hundred fifty nanometers or more thick. The dielectric layer is typically silicon dioxide. Fabrication of the conventional EAMR transducer may then be completed.
FIGS. 2-3 depict plan and side views, respectively, of the conventional EAMR transducer 50. The EAMR transducer includes a waveguide 60. The conventional waveguide is a conventional I-TWG 60. The conventional I-TWG 60 includes a bottom cladding layer 61, arms 62 and 64 formed from the core layer and a top cladding layer 66. In forming the I-TWG 60, a trench 52 is formed in the top cladding and core layers, which is refilled with a dielectric 68. The top cladding 66, dielectric 68 and bottom cladding 61 layers may be formed of the same material. Thus, the boundaries between the layers 61, 66 and 28 are denoted by dashed lines.
Although the conventional method 10 can be used to form the conventional I-TWG 60, there are drawbacks. Some portions of the trench 52 are close to the split between the arms 62 and 64. In this region, refilling of the trench 52 through the deposition of the dielectric layer 68 in step 16 may result in voids 70. The void 70 is an empty space surrounded by the dielectric layer 68. The geometry of the void 70 may be difficult to control. The presence of the void 70 may alter the optical properties of the conventional I-TWG 60. For example, the phase difference between light traversing the arm 62 and the arm 64 may be changed. Further, there may be additional losses due to scattering of light from the void 70. Thus, performance and efficiency of the conventional I-TWG 60 may be adversely affected.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method for fabricating an I-TWG waveguide in an EAMR transducer.

Method for providing a structure having reduced voids in a magnetic recording transducer