A low-workfunction photocathode includes a photoemissive material employed as a coating on the photocathode. The photoemissive material includes AnMC2, where A is a first metal element, the first element is an alkali metal, an alkali-earth element or the element Al; n is an integer that is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; M is a second metal element, the second metal element is a transition metal or a metal stand-in; and C2 is the acetylide ion C22−. The photoemissive material includes a crystalline structure or non-crystalline structure of rod-like or curvy 1-dimensional polymeric substructures with MC2 repeating units embedded in a matrix of A.

Workfunction is the energy difference of the least bound electron of a solid and the electron's potential energy in vacuum outside the solid. The workfunction varies for different surfaces of solids. Photocathodes are devices that convert a fraction of the incident photons to emitted electrons. When a photocathode is struck by a photon, the absorbed energy causes electron emission due to the photoelectric effect. Low-workfunction photocathodes can be used in a variety of applications such as, without limitation, solar-cells, image-intensifier tubes, photomultipliers, field-emission displays, electron guns, free-electron lasers, and photosensors/detectors. Low-workfunction photocathodes are especially useful in night vision devices which magnify or intensify radiation in the visible and infrared spectrum. An exemplary low-workfunction photocathode is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,778 to Kurtin which discloses an infrared low-workfunction photocathode for surveillance purposes constructed using a thin metal, Cs2O (cesium oxide) laminate.
In many photo-physical applications photoemissive materials are sought after that can turn a high fraction of the incident photons into emitted electrons, i.e. materials that have a high quantum-yield. Often, the quantum-yield of these materials depends heavily on the wavelength of incident photons. For many applications, ranging from electron-guns for synchrotrons and free-electron lasers to night vision devices, high quantum-yield photoemission using visible or infrared irradiation is desirable. In electron-guns of synchrotrons and free-electron lasers, emission in the visible range is advantageous for the improved control of the shape of the emitted electron bunch that is critical for time-resolved applications. In night-vision devices a very low flux of infrared photons has to be turned into emitted electrons with a high yield in order to obtain an image as sharp as possible. Therefore there is a quest for new and improved materials with optimized quantum-yield and low-workfunction.
One of the current best photoemissive materials is Cs2Te (cesium telluride). Cs2Te has been known since the 1950s and, conventionally, is widely used as a photoemissive material for photocathodes. Cs2Te is a high photo-yield compound. However, its workfunction is about 3 eV, which means only the photons in the ultraviolet spectrum cause electrons to be emitted. In electron-guns of synchrotrons and free-electron lasers, emission in the visible range is advantageous for the improved control of the shape of the emitted electron bunch that is critical for time-resolved applications. In addition to not being photoemissive in the visible spectrum, the surface of a photocathode made of Cs2Te oxidizes, reducing its photo-yield. Other photocathodes based on multi-alkali antimonide compounds, such as K2CsSb and (Cs)Na3KSb, have a relatively short operational lifetime especially when used in radio-frequency accelerating cavities. It is desirable to have a photoemissive material made of a material that has a high photo-yield like Cs2Te, but has a longer operational lifetime and a lower workfunction. Further, it is desirable to have a photoemissive material that functions in the visible light spectrum.

Low-workfunction photocathodes based on acetylide compounds


Disclosed herein is a device that includes a first buffer circuit coupled between a first power supply line and a data terminal and a second buffer circuit coupled between a second power supply line and the data terminal. First and second internal data signals complementary to each other are supplied to a level shifter, thereby third and fourth internal data signals complementary to each other are generated by changing amplitude values of the first and second internal data signals. The first and the second buffer circuits are controlled based on the third and fourth internal data signals such that one of the first and second buffer circuits turns on and the other of the first and second buffer circuits turns off.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and, in particular, relates to a semiconductor device including a level shifter.
2. Description of Related Art
In semiconductor devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), an output buffer circuit is provided for outputting a data signal to the outside of the semiconductor device. Some of versatile semiconductor devices, in particular, are configured to be able to select impedance of the output buffer circuit (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-203405).
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-203405, the output buffer circuit has the structure in which a pull-up buffer circuit consisting of p-channel MOS transistors and a pull-down buffer circuit consisting of n-channel MOS transistors are connected in series. A data terminal is connected to a contact node between the pull-up buffer circuit and the pull-down buffer circuit. When a high-level data signal is outputted from the data terminal, it is controlled in such a manner that the pull-up buffer circuit is turned on and the pull-down buffer circuit is turned off. On the other hand, when a low-level data signal is outputted from the data terminal, it is controlled in such a manner that the pull-up buffer circuit is turned off and the pull-down buffer circuit is turned on.
During a period when the data signal is not outputted from the data terminal, however, it is necessary to allow the output buffer circuit to be in a high impedance state or to function as a termination resistor having predetermined impedance. The function of the output buffer circuit as the termination resistor is referred to as ODT (On Die Termination).
In order to allow the output buffer circuit to be in the high impedance state, it is necessary to turn off both of the pull-up buffer circuit and the pull-down buffer circuit. With DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), both of the pull-up buffer circuit and the pull-down buffer circuit need to be turned on when the output buffer circuit performs ODT operation. Thus, it is necessary for the DDR3 SDRAM to deal with four cases in total, that is, the case where only the pull-up buffer circuit is turned on, the case where only the pull-down buffer circuit is turned on, the case where both of the buffer circuits are turned on, and the case where both of the buffer circuit are turned off. Therefore, operation of the pull-up buffer circuit and operation of the pull-down buffer circuit need to be controllable separately.
Generally, the DRAM generates an internal voltage that is lower than an external voltage, and drives various peripheral circuits by the internal voltage so as to reduce power consumption. In this case, a difference arises between an amplitude value of an internal signal voltage and an amplitude value of an external signal voltage, and a level of the amplitude value is converted by a level shifter disposed in a data path. To realize the above-described four cases in the pull-up buffer circuit and the pull-down buffer circuit, at least two-bit signals and at least two level shifters are required. When high-speed operation of the DRAM is performed, it is also necessary to provide an adjustment circuit because skew in rising and falling edges becomes unable to ignore.

Semiconductor device having output buffer circuit in which impedance thereof can be controlled


A follower for a firearm magazine and a method are disclosed. The follower platform is shaped to support a cartridge and has a top surface, a bottom surface opposing the top surface. The top surface defines at least one plane. A normal of the bottom surface defines a vertical axis of the follower. The front end has an interior surface and an exterior surface for engaging a magazine body. The rear end has an interior surface and an exterior surface for engaging the magazine body. A spacer is positioned on the platform. The bottom surface, the front end, and the rear end define a spring receiving space. The spring receiving space is shaped to limit an upper portion of the spring to vertical compression when the upper portion of the spring is compressed into the spring receiving space.

Followers are well known in the prior art and are regularly used in dispensing systems for uniform items. One such system is an ammunition magazine, whereby ammunition cartridges are individually dispensed from the magazine into the chamber of a firearm. Magazine and follower systems in the prior art have always had a possibility of jamming when in use due to the existence of low precision relative to the various degrees of freedom that the follower has within the magazine. As a result, the rapidity of fire, the possibility of damage to the magazine, and jarring of the rounds and the follower (e.g., when dropped) can all lead to jamming. For instance, rapid fire creates vibrations that can cause misalignment of the rounds and follower, and rapid fire also can prevent realignment of components that might realign under slow rate of fire conditions. As another example, damage to a magazine can cause misalignment of the rounds and/or the rounds and the follower. Further, jarring of the magazine given the low precision and numerous degrees of freedom of the follower, can lead to restacking or bouncing of the follower out of position
Self-leveling followers have helped to mitigate jams in the magazine, but in certain cases, the structure of a self-leveling follower can actually lead to new and unforeseen issues. In particular, there are many firearms platforms where optimum round feeding occurs when a top surface of the follower has a slight ascending angle of incidence from front to back when compared to a plane that is perpendicular to a magazine casing at any elevation within the magazine (i.e., regardless of the number of rounds remaining). The Steyr AUG (translated "universal army rifle") platform is just one of many such platforms. The Steyr AUG is an Austrian bullpup rifle chambering 5.56 mm rounds and used by various national armed forces as well as the Austrian Bundesheer and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. In the art, followers have been used that are not self-leveling and as a result they have a greater ability to rotate front to back than self-leveling followers. In the Steyr AUG and similar systems the shape of the magazine, round interface with the receiver, and the configuration of the rounds, leads the follower to naturally tip slightly and thereby achieve a top surface of the follower having a slightly upward angle of incidence. Self-leveling followers are unable to naturally tilt and thus unable to achieve the optimum angle of incidence for the top surface of the follower. There is thus a need in the art for a self-leveling follower designed for the Steyr AUG and similar systems that can achieve the above-described optimum angle of incidence for the top surface of the follower.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A power measurement system, including a voltage measurement circuit having a resistive network comprising first and second resistors connected in series on a first single substrate, and a feedback amplifier having an input in electrical communication with a point between the first and second resistors, and an output in electrical communication with the second resistor in a feedback configuration to output an attenuated voltage signal, and a transresistance current measurement circuit including a current transformer to transform an input primary current into a secondary current, a plurality of amplifiers configured in a cascading arrangement, and a feedback resistor configured in parallel with the cascaded amplifiers such that the combined gain of the cascaded amplifiers directs substantially all of the secondary current through the feedback resistor, wherein the system is selectively switchable between a voltage measurement mode and a current measurement mode.

Field testing in the electric utility industry presents challenges in that extremely varying conditions such as temperature and other environmental conditions can have adverse effects on testing equipment. For example, the extreme range of temperatures that one may encounter in climates varying from sub-freezing temperatures in near polar areas to the sweltering temperatures found in other geographic regions have typically demanded that conventional measuring equipment include expensive components to handle wide ranging environmental and operational conditions. Such conventional configurations may also typically be difficult to transport and be quite heavy and bulky.
Several other of the many challenges in field testing, particularly in the area of current measurement, are due to the sheer differences in magnitude of current signals encountered. For example, a high current load in a factory is vastly different than a high current load in a residential home. Therefore, a device is needed that is capable of testing large ranges of current. However, care has to be taken in the design of measurement circuitry on the secondary side of a measurement device including a current transformer, due to the additional burden on the current transformer that is produced with any load-increasing components. Also, some conventional current measurement devices employ different circuits that must be selected by switching according to the level of current involved. Not only do these conventional circuits introduce too much burden on the secondary side of the current transformer, but data-loss incurred during the switching between the circuits results in losses of revenue from the companies supplying the power to the customers for whom the measurements are being taken. Thus, a device to measure current with a low secondary burden is desired, and one that minimizes losses when switching between different current ranges.
Thus, a sturdy and readily portable device to overcome these challenges, as well as other functions such as effective analog to digital conversion and other conditioning of the signals that are helpful in the analysis of the measured signals, is desired.


The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition which mimics the extracellular matrix to stimulate the regeneration of skin cells, and more particularly to a cosmetic composition which contains active ingredients consisting of low-molecular-weight materials, which easily permeate through the skin, at a composition ratio similar to that in the extracellular matrix. The cosmetic composition stimulates the repair of the skin to maintain homeostasis and is effective for the regeneration of skin cells.

All living organisms are aged as they grow older. Also, the skin undergoes an aging process. Efforts to delay this aging process have been continuously made, and thus the nature and causes of aging have been continuously studied. Skin aging can be broadly divided into two types: intrinsic aging and extrinsic aging. Intrinsic aging is the progressive deterioration in physical structure and biological function that occurs with advancing age. Extrinsic aging is caused by external factors such as sunlight. Both intrinsic aging and extrinsic aging result in structural changes in the skin, and consequently, the skin becomes dry, losses elasticity and develops wrinkles.
More specifically, the structural changes of the skin resulting from aging, the epidermal, dermal and subcutaneous tissues of the skin become thin. Also, the components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that is attributable for the firmness and tightness of the skin change. The extracellular matrix is a three-dimensional structure which contains inorganic salts, nutrients, aqueous solutions such as waste materials, and large polysaccharide molecules. It forms a network in the space surrounding cells to maintain the shape of tissue and plays an important role in signaling between cells and regulating the growth and differentiation of cells.
ECM components that have been mimicked till now are mostly of animal origin. However, components of animal origin are generally used in cosmetic products, because they pose safety problems, such as infection with pathogens.
Collagen accounting for 70-80% of the extracellular matrix is a long fiber-like protein that increases the strength and elasticity of the skin. It is known to have a close connection with skin aging, that is, a reduction in elasticity or the formation of wrinkles. However, collagens which are currently used are mostly of animal origin and are polymers having a molecular weight of about 300,000 Da, and thus the absorption of these collagens themselves into the skin is limited.
Hyaluronic acid, an ECM component, serves to combine skin dermal cells with each other and to delivery nutrients and allows the skin to retain a suitable amount of water. However, because hyaluronic acid is a polymer which has a molecular weight ranging from several hundred thousands to several millions and is highly viscous, the application thereof in cosmetic products is limited and it is difficult to permeate through the skin when it is applied directly to the skin.

Cosmetic composition for skin cell regeneration mimicking extracellular matrix


The invention relates to a contact arrangement, particularly intended for current-limiting low-voltage circuit breakers, with a double-break movable contact arm, the central part of which is attached to an insulating shaft which is rotatably journalled in elongated holes in stand parts on each side of the contact arm. In the closed position of the arrangement, the movable contact arm is pressed against two U-shaped fixed contact arms with the aid of two torsion springs. The contact arms have flat shape and are arranged with their broad sides facing each other. The shaft consists of two sleeve-formed holders surrounding the torsion springs. One holder exhibits a stop face for a latching member for arresting the movable contact arm in the open position.

An electric switching device with rotatably journaled movable contacts and two series-connected breaking points per pole is previously known from DE-A-2 845 950. In this switching device the movable contact is attached together with the contact pressure springs in a diametrically through-going hole in a shaft of insulating material. This hole must be sufficiently large to accommodate the spring movement of the contact. For this reason the shaft must have a relatively large diameter, which entails a relatively large mass of the movable system. This is a disadvantage, especially in current-limiting circuit breakers, since the larger movable mass gives lower contact acceleration upon breaking, which reduces the breaking capacity.
In a contact device of a similar kind disclosed in EP-B-0 174 904, in which a double-break movable contact arm has a central bearing arrangement, the movable contact arm exhibits an elongated bearing hole, the longitudinal axis of which is directed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the contact arm. This enables the contact arm to be displaced, within certain limits, transversely in the plane of rotation so that approximately the same contact pressure is achieved at the two breaking points, independently of manufacturing tolerances, contact wear, etc. Furthermore, the movable contact arm is formed with stop faces for two catches which constitute parts of a coupling shaft. A drawback with this design is that the movable contact will have large cross-sectional dimensions in the plane of rotation in relation to the dimension perpendicular thereto. This means that the electrodynamic repulsion force, which influences the movable contact arm upon a short circuit, becomes lower than in contact arms which have their main extension perpendicular to the plane of rotation, since the distance between the antiparallel current lines in the contact arms becomes larger. This results in slower contact separation and reduced breaking capacity.

Contact arrangement for electric switching devices


An apparatus for measuring speed of movement of an object deforming lines of Earth's magnetic field includes a first and second magnetometer disposed on either side of a traffic roadway for the object and substantially perpendicular to the object. The magnetometers are configured for measuring deformation of Earth's magnetic field by the object travelling over the roadway. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured for extracting, from each of the magnetometers, a measurement value corresponding to a quotient defined by a distance of the object with respect to the magnetometer divided by a speed of movement of the object, and for calculating a speed of the object from the measurement values and a geometrical disposition of the magnetometers with respect to one another and with respect to the traffic roadway.

The measurement of the speed of vehicles is an on-going issue for ensuring road safety. Thus, studies have demonstrated that the number of road accidents is directly correlated with the average speed of the vehicles.
At the present time, several devices exist for measuring the speed of automobile vehicles:
For example, fixed or mobile radar devices are noted. These installations which allow a precise measurement of the speed to be made are very costly and complex.
Laser sighting devices use the Doppler effect for the speed measurement and also allow a precise measurement of the speed of vehicles. However, an operator has to aim at the vehicle and the driver at fault has to be apprehended shortly following his infraction.
Furthermore, inductive loops installed under the roadway also exist. However, the precision of the measurement is not optimum and the cost of installation of an inductive loop into the roadway is a significant intervention and very costly. Furthermore, these loops integrated into the roadway are subjected to large stresses, in particular by heavy trucks, reducing their lifetimes.
The documents EP 0 629 861, U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,268 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,299 describe devices for measuring the speed of terrestrial vehicles, comprising two sensors disposed one behind the other at a predetermined distance along the road at the side of the latter and comprising a measurement unit connected to the sensors which determines the phase-shift or the time-shift of the electrical output signals from the sensors and calculates, from these, with the distance of the sensors, the speed of the vehicles.
The sensors are magnetometers which detect the deformation of the Earth's magnetic field by the vehicle (ferromagnetic overall).
Although the price of these sensors is affordable, these installations suffer from a lack of precision, such that their use, notably in urban areas requiring a more precise speed measurement, is not appropriate.
The document 102 0 658 describes an analogous installation with an overhead gantry on which are installed for each lane two magnetometers, one behind the other in the direction of flow of the vehicles.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,869 describes a device for measuring the speed of a terrestrial vehicle with a single magnetometer which detects the speed along a rectilinear path.
However, this solution described with military vehicles is not adapted to a situation for monitoring traffic where the vehicles can closely follow one another.

Device for measuring the speed of displacement of an object deforming the lines of the terrestrial magnetic field

Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives


An electro-chemical analysis device and method for analyzing biomolecular samples, including a means for holding a sample on a substrate platform, a thermal sensor, a biosensor formed having a specific spatial resolution as related to the thermal sensor, and a means for providing radiation to the biomolecular sample. The means for holding the sample, the thermal sensor, the biosensor, and the means for providing radiation all three-dimensionally integrated with the substrate platform, thereby defining a compact biomolecular analysis device having a volume resolution of less than 50 micro liters. During operation, radiation is provided to the biomolecular sample to provide for a constant temperature at which hybridization of the biomolecules takes place. The temperature of the biomolecular sample is monitored and controlled by the integrated thermal sensor and the integrated heater. Once hybridization takes place, the change in electric condition (e.g. voltage, current and/or power) is recorded and identification of the molecule within biomolecular sample is made by utilizing an exterior reader.

The present invention pertains to the analysis of biomolecular samples. More particularly, the present invention relates to fabrication and integration of thermal management techniques and devices for close proximity monitoring of a bioassay in a bioelectronic analyzer for the analysis of biomolecular samples such as nucleic acids.
Molecular biology is an ever expanding field of study. Of great importance within the field of molecular biology is the detection and analysis of RNA, DNA, bacteria, proteins, and the like. Identification of molecular structure has become very important in many industries. In particular, biological molecules such as nucleic acids and proteins are analyzed to form the basis of clinical diagnostic assays. Currently it is predicted that a large market exits for bio-chips (micro-array chips) in the diagnosing and treating of diseases. Envisioned is a day when physicians will have the capabilities to use bio-chips to make an immediate genomic marker based diagnosis in their offices without the need for a lab as an intermediate diagnostic facility.
Currently, the greatest emphasis and market existence for bio-chips is within the field of genetic and pharmaceutical research, where many thousands of genes can be analyzed in parallel. The procedures utilized often involve large numbers of repetitive steps which consume large amounts of time. With the advent of large projects such as the human genome project, faster and less complex techniques are required.
Simpler and quicker analysis of molecules has been provided by the development of devices often referred to as biochips, which include arrays of test sites formed on a substrate platform. Each of the plurality of test sites includes probes therein to bond with target molecules from samples applied to the device. During analyzation, once certain conditions are met (discussed presently), the binding of a biomolecular to a probe is noted, thereby providing for the identification of the specific biomolecular.
DNA chips or microarrays generally consist of thin wafers of glass, silicon, plastic, printed circuit board (PCB), or ceramic having numerous microscopic bits of bio-molecules or porous support medium containing biomolecules, such as immobilized DNA probes sequences arrayed on the surface. These are used to identify specific disease genes and to speed drug discovery efforts. For example, microarray data has been used to identify gene clusters based on co-expression (Eisen, M. B. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 95, p. 14863-8, (1998)), define metrics that measure a gene""s involvement in a particular cellular event or biochemical process (Spellman, P. T., et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 9, p. 3273-97, (1998)) and predict regulatory elements (Brazma, A., et al., Genome Research, 8, p. 1202-15, (1998)). It is anticipated that in the future increased use of bio-molecule related science will allow for a more personalized practice of medicine, more particularly the design and use of customized treatments and therapies based on a patient""s genetic makeup (for review see Health Horizons articles on http://www.msnbc.com/news/horizons_front.html).
Currently, bio-chips, more specifically DNA chips, are known that are based on a common method of manufacture, namely the etching of silicon computer chips, as currently utilized in the semiconductor industry (O""Donnell-Maloney, Maryanne J. et al., Tibtech, 14, p. 401-407, (1996)). Of all of the uses of bio-chips to study bio-molecules, the study of DNA is the most mature. In one specific instance, a photoactivated DNA probe synthesis process is used to manufacture high density DNA chips (Fodor et al., Science, 251, p. 767-773, (1991)). Typically eighty photolithographic mask levels are used to synthesize DNA probes. Alternative approaches for dispensing reagents on a substrate have been reported in the prior art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,699, issued Apr. 11, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,446, issued Nov. 1, 2000). In particular, the use of dispensing techniques to place purified, presynthesized oligonucleotides onto specific locations on a surface to produce a DNA chip is described in Schober, A., et al., BioTechniques, 15(2), p. 324-329, (1993) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,762, issued Jul. 4, 2000. The later technique does not require photolithography and requires fewer redundant probes because the purity of the probe sequences is much higher than in the photoactivated probe synthesis process. [E.P. 0910570 A1, issued Apr. 28, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,960, issued Nov. 6, 2001].
An alternative means for synthesizing DNA probes is by using tiny micromirrors which allow for the placement of in excess of 300,000 bits of DNA onto a chip in just a few hours. In addition, the use of ink-jet printing is known, using high-speed robotic devices to print DNA on tiny squares of glass, to form an array. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,490B1, issued on Sep. 4, 2001). These types of machines are capable of forming as many as 32,000 DNA molecules on a single chip.
Still other methods include the use of fiber-optic bundles to build chips capable of holding 50,000 different DNA fragments on a single chip, and microelectronic chips that utilize electricity to attach DNA molecules to the surface of the chip. Other techniques can comprises the use of RF transponders, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,166A1, issued on Nov. 9, 1999), microbeads (Czarnik et al., Modern Drug Discovery, 1(2), p. 49-55 (1998)); U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,459B1, issued Jul. 24, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,782B1, issued Jul. 17, 2001).
In the typical application, the biomolecular, or biological, sample that is being tested must be heated while held in the biochip to enhance kinetics prior to analyzation. In most instances, an external separate probe for temperature measurement is utilized to monitor the temperature of the biomolecular sample while the sample and biochip are placed in an oven or in conjunction with an external power source generating heating of the entire biochip or part thereof (e.g. the use of a Peltier heater/cooler requires mass transfer through at least the mass of the substrate of the chip on which said sample is attached that can typically limit the efficiency and duration of the thermal process to about 1 C/s). More particularly, the probe (e.g. resistance temperature device (RTD), pn junction, electrode, Kelvin probe, (e.g. used in atomic force microscopy) (AFM)) is in thermal contact with the biomolecular sample which must be heated to a given temperature and held at that temperature for a given period for analyzation of the sample to take place. Typically, a separate, externally located Peltier cooler/heater is utilized to accomplish this heating of the biomolecular sample and maintenance of the sample at the appropriate temperature. Prior to use, the heater must undergo calibration so that proper temperature sensing is achieved. (or alternative differential measurement). The bio-chip, containing the DNA probes and the biomolecular sample is introduced into a pre-calibrated oven chamber or preferably a calibrated Peltier heater, where the temperature is sensed and adjusted so that proper analyzation can take place. This presents not only an additional analyzation step, but a delay in a xe2x80x9csample in, data outxe2x80x9d cycle. Furthermore, there is no control of the thermal profile at the chip level yielding to possible uncontrolled inhomogeneous thermal gradient at the sensor pad of the microarray of the biochip. More recently, Kajiyama et al. (Kajiyama, T., et al, Micro Total Analysis Systems 2000, p. 505-508, (2000) and E.P. No. 1108472A2, published on Jun. 20, 2001) described how to arrange DNA probes based on their melting temperature and hybridization using Si-islands that can be independently controlled by using the simple function of the pn-junction""s voltage. Although, Kajiyama is teaching a method for attaching oligonucleotide probes to a silicon nitride surface, the method requires (i) chemically modifying the silicon nitride for generating reactive amino groups on the surface (ii) depositing probes at concentration greater than 25 xcexcM and (iii) using dye-tagged PCR products for fluorescence scanning detection. Such an approach is costly, slow and not easily integratable. The present invention aims to overcome most of the limitations by combining highly sensitive and labeless bio-electronic detection of nucleic acid (e.g. single-stranded DNA) with high spatial thermal actuation and monitoring of a biochemical reaction. Continuous monitoring of a target binding process and quantitative measurements as well as the high degree of integration of such a platform are some of the critical improvements described in the present invention. The proposed apparatus doesn""t require any washing steps that can interfere with in-situ thermal profiling as it has been published in the prior art.
Optical analysis of the biomolecular sample is typically utilized with conventional DNA chips. Many instances in the prior art require the binding of a fluorescent marker to the sample so that the amount of fluorescence of the marker bound to a diagnostic probe can be measured with an optical microscope system [Corle, G. S., and Kino, G. S., Confocal Scanning Optical Microscopy and Related Imaging Systems, Chapter 1.3, Academic Press 1996]. An optical system, such as a confocal-point microscope or an epifluorescence imaging microscope, may be utilized and the amount of the bonded sample is calculated on the basis of the amount of the fluorescence. Typically, the operation of most commercially available DNA chip scanners comprise an epifluorescence imaging microscope, a substantially planar wavelength-selective mirror holder disposed askew to a common optical pathway, the holder having a plurality of mirrors mounted thereon and having an axle attached normal thereto for rotating the holder so as to place a selected one of the mirrors in the common optical pathway. A motor is connected to the axle for rotating the mirror holder, either selectively or continuously. When a selected mirror is placed in the common optical pathway, the pathway is split so that an excitation light beam of one wavelength traveling along a source optical pathway from a light source is reflected by the mirror along the common optical pathway toward a sample (e.g. DNA spots of a microarray), while fluorescence light produced by the sample and directed back along the common optical pathway passes through the mirror to travel along a detector optical pathway to a detector (e.g. CCD camera). [Basarsky, T., Verdnik, D., Zhai, J. Y., and Wellis, D., Microarray Biochip Technology, p. 265-284, BioTechniques Books, edited by Mark Schena, Eaton Publishing (2000)]. Most of the fluorescence-based bioassay also require typically several labeling steps to incorporate some organic dye molecules within preferably a DNA sample. These steps are often costly, labor intensive and they can result in errors (e.g. loss of specificity due to unspecific binding).
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for analyzing a biomolecular sample with integrated controlled thermal conditions, including a plurality of bio-molecules, and method for fabrication and use thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for analyzing bio-molecules in which an integrated biochip, including at least one integrated thermal sensor, is utilized to achieve on-chip direct temperature measurements and biosensing.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for analyzing bio-molecules which is fast and efficient by controlling the environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, moisture, fluid mixing properties) of a sample in near proximity of a sensor array.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for analyzing bio-molecules wherein the analyzing of the bio-molecules includes an integrated bio chip, including at least one thermal sensor, which is utilized to achieve on-chip direct temperature measurements and biosensing.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a method and apparatus wherein biosensing is performed preferably by electronic detection of biological reactions such as nucleic acid hybridization (e.g. DNA, RNA) or protein interactions (e.g. immunoassay).
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a method and apparatus for analyzing bio-molecules that provides for rapid deployment of an accurate analysis device with minimal manufacturing difficulty.

Electro-chemical analysis device with integrated thermal sensor and method for monitoring a sample using the device


Circuits and methods are provided for a reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) enabled and self-regulated frequency and delay sensor of a semiconductor. A circuit for measuring and compensating for time-dependent performance degradation of an integrated circuit, includes at least one critical functional path of the integrated circuit, and Wearout Isolation Registers (WIR's) connected to boundaries of the critical functional path. The circuit also includes a feedback path connected to the WIR's, and a sensor control module operable to disconnect the critical functional path from preceding and succeeding functional paths of the integrated circuit, connect the critical functional path to the feedback path to form a critical path ring oscillator (CPRO), and enable the CPRO to generate an operating signal. A delay sensor module is operable to measure a frequency of the operating signal to determine and compensate for a degradation of application performance over a lifetime of a semiconductor product.

The introduction of nanometer technologies has enabled products integrating multi-core processors, hybrid accelerators, and large static random access memory (SRAM), ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM), and/or embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) content. These nanometer-enabled semiconductor products may render traditional measurement methods based on device-level solutions insufficient to achieve the level of reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) required of these products. For example, measurement methods for current RAS features may include a technique for measuring a degradation of a maximum operating frequency of a semiconductor product to detect and avoid system faults. These methods may include mimicking a functional path of the semiconductor and measuring the frequency of a signal correlated to the mimicked functional path. Alternative methods may include using specific functional patterns to derive the application performance of the semiconductor product.
Furthermore, traditional methods have limited accuracy for application operating above 1 GHz. For instance, mimicking a functional path of a semiconductor requires complex and unpredictable estimations of numerous specifications related to the actual functional path resulting in significant performance and area overhead during normal operation of a functional path.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.

Circuit and method for RAS-enabled and self-regulated frequency and delay sensor

International Business Machines Corporation


An automatic video tape converter which is capable of converting a camera-used video tape into a general video tape suitable for a common video player to play, wherein a rotary shaft is disposed at a corner of a drive cover, permitting the same to be opened/closed in an arch rotary manner instead of the conventional straight pushing manner, whereby a user can easily and smoothly operate the drive cover and in case the drive cover is not completely moved to a true close position, one corner of the drive cover will protrude outside the converter to prevent the same from being inserted into the video player and thus avoid damage of the tape member of the video tape.

A conventional video tape converter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,929 as shown in FIG. 1, which is capable of converting camera-used video tape into general video tape suitable for a common video player to play, wherein a pair of corresponding guide grooves are formed on a box body for a drive cover having a rack portion to slidably associate with. A winding mechanism and left and right arm members and fixing blocks being disposed in the box body, whereby when the video tape is placed therein, the drive cover can move forward or backward to push the winding mechanism and outward swing the left and right arm members, making the same fixedly engaged with the fixing blocks, or to make the winding mechanism reversely wind the tape member of video tape therein.
In the above arrangement, the left and right arm members are engaged with the fixing blocks when the drive cover is completely pushed into the box body. As a result, in case the drive cover is not entirely pushed into the box body due to the user's negligence, the arm members will not be fixedly located. At this time, the shaft rod of the arm menders will be tilted by the pulling force of the tape member wound by the winding mechanism and thus damage the tape member. Moreover, the drive cover of the above arrangement is often unable to slide smoothly within the guide grooves due to the uneven force exerted thereon leftward and rightward.


The exemplary embodiments of the coupling device described and illustrated herein are suitable for use as a secondary or redundant system for retaining attachment between a user's arm and a closed handled device in the event the user looses her grip of the device handle. Each of the coupling devices include a body constructed from a pliable material, such as leather, nylon, poly or cotton webbing, etc. Formed at the ends of the body are first and second loops and that define first and second openings, respectively. The first opening is sized and configured such that the second loop may be routed therethrough. The second opening is sized to slide over the hand and wrist of a user.

Currently, there are many products commercially available to assist people in walking their dogs. One such product is a retractable dog leash. The retractable dog leash typically includes a rounded box-like housing defining a closed handle at one end. The housing retains a length of strap that is stored in a coiled configuration around a reel located within the housing, and is retractable to and from the housing through a port. The retractable dog leash further includes a retraction mechanism for selectively retracting the strap into the housing. The retracting mechanism can be, for example, a conventional torsion spring mechanism attached to the center of the reel in the interior of the housing that automatically retracts the strap inside the housing. The strap ends in a fastening mechanism, such as a clip, that engages with a ring or the like on the dog's collar.
While these retractable dog leashes perform well for its given task, they sometimes create other problems for the user. For example, the closed handle is awkward to grasp, resulting in the user either loosing control of or dropping the leash. This is especially evident when the retractable dog leash is used to walk larger dogs, which can pull or yank the handle away from the grasp of the user. Once the user's grasp of the handle is gone, the dog may be free to run off, etc.
Therefore, there is a need for a coupling device that assists a user hand in maintaining attachment to a closed handled device, such as the retractable dog leash, in the event the user looses her grasp of the handle.


A cleaning tool for an extraction cleaner includes a tool body including a nozzle portion connected to an elongated handle portion and a nozzle cover removably mounted to the nozzle portion forming a suction nozzle therebetween. The suction nozzle is configured to extract recovered liquid and dirt. The cleaning tool also includes an internal conduit in fluid communication with the suction nozzle configured to transport recovered liquid and dirt extracted by the suction nozzle. The internal conduit extending longitudinally within the handle portion between opposite ends of the handle portion. The cleaning tool further includes a spray nozzle configured to distribute cleaning liquid forward of the nozzle cover and a supply tube configured to carry cleaning liquid to the spray nozzle. The spray nozzle passes through the suction nozzle or the inlet conduit.

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning tool for an extraction cleaner.
An extraction cleaner, such as an upright extractor or a canister extractor, typically dispenses cleaning fluid from a supply tank through a distribution nozzle and onto a surface, for example carpet, upholstery, or a hard floor, to clean the surface. It may also be possible to deliver water from the supply tank to the surface through the distribution nozzle to rinse the surface before and/or after the cleaning fluid is applied. The extraction cleaner then draws the cleaning fluid along with dirt from the surface through a suction nozzle and into a recovery tank, leaving the surface relatively clean and dry. Some extractors may be supplied with an accessory tool that includes a suction nozzle to facilitate cleaning of different surfaces.

Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited


Static neutralization of a charged object is provided by generating, in an ionizing cell or module, an ion cloud having a mix of positively and negatively charged ions, and reshaping the ion cloud by redistributing the ions into two regions of opposite polarity by using a second voltage. The second voltage creates an electrical field, which is preferably located in the vicinity of the ion cloud. The redistribution of the ions increases the effective range in which available ions may be displaced or directed towards the charged object. The electrical field redistributes ions that form the ion cloud. Ion redistribution within the ion cloud occurs because ions having a polarity corresponding to the polarity of the second voltage are repelled from the electrical field, and ions having a polarity opposite from that of the electrical field are attracted to electrical field. Redistribution of the ions into two regions of opposite polarity in the ion cloud in turn reshapes the ion cloud so that a portion of the cloud corresponding to the repelled ions is displaced by ions attracted to the electrical field, thus enhancing the range in which the ions may be dispersed or directed. This manner of redistributing ions into two regions is sometimes referred to as “ion polarization” in the disclosure herein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for electrostatic neutralization, and more particularly, to an electrostatic neutralizer and method for neutralizing a charged object that has a distance within a relatively wide range from an ion generating source.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrostatic neutralizing ionizers that generate positive and negative ions by corona discharge are known in the art. These conventional ionizers typically limit the distance an object targeted for neutralization may be positioned away from an area from which ions are generated by the corona discharge. In addition, power supplies that generate alternating and relatively high voltages, e.g., (+/−) 15 kV, are typically used in conventional ionizers to maximize the number of negative and positive ions that are generated over a given time period. In other implementations, a gas, such as air or nitrogen, is also used to dispense the generated ions towards the charged object. Using high voltages, gas, or both increases the cost to produce and use such conventional ionizers. Generating an alternating high voltage that is sufficient to generate a relatively large number of negative and positive ions requires a more expensive power supply and results in the power supply having a size and weight that are generally difficult to reduce. Using gas also adds expense because in certain environments the gas must be relatively free of unwanted particles to avoid contaminating the ionizing electrode and the object targeted for neutralization. Moreover, using a gas other than air also adds the further expense of acquiring the gas. Consequently, there is a need for an improved electrostatic neutralizer and method for neutralizing a charged object having a distance within a relatively wide range, such as from 1 to 100 inches, from an ion generating source.

Wide range static neutralizer and method


A hand tool has a shifting gear unit containing an output drive shaft. The drive shaft can be coupled with different gears by a connecting device so that a coupled gear drives the shaft. The connecting device is displaced by a slide and the slide is, in turn, displaced by a rotatable handle. Drive cams on the handle seat in engagement recesses in the slide. The drive cams and engagement recesses are spaced equal distances apart, so that as the handle is rotated, the drive cams, one after the other, entrain the engagement recesses and move the slide.

The present invention is directed to a hand tool with a shifting gear unit containing gears arranged on an output drive shaft. The gears can be selectably coupled by a connecting or shifting device with the output drive shaft so that the gear rotates the shaft. The connecting or shifting device includes a slide actuatable by a rotatable handle.
Hand tools, such as motor driven drills, often contain a gear box for providing different operating speeds or different functions. As an example, DE-PS 1 602 712 discloses a drill with a two-speed gear shift. This known drill has a connecting or shifting device for selectively coupling one of two gears with an output drive shaft so that the gears are fixed to and rotate the shaft. The shifting action is effected by a slide. The slide forming a part of the shifting device is actuated by means of a rotatable handle. A drive cam, arranged eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the handle, engages a closed slot in the slide for displacing the slide. As a result, rotation of the handle leads to a displacement of the slide. The selected shifting position is maintained by means of a ball catch cooperating with the handle.
This known hand tool has the disadvantage that the handle displaces the slide only along a small path corresponding to the eccentric arrangement of the drive cam, whereby this known arrangement is not suitable for shifting a multiple-speed gear unit with a correspondingly larger displacement path. Means for providing larger displacement paths, known from other technical fields, are susceptible to disturbances in that they are unsuitable for use in hand tools of the type to which the present invention is directed.


A roof transition assembly for a roof deck having a corrugated sheet and a rigid sheet wherein a base component is positioned at the perimeter of the roof deck and has two legs. The first leg secures the base component to the corrugated sheet, and the second leg extends from the first leg, generally parallel to a free edge of the roof deck. The second leg includes an anchoring surface. An upper component positioned at the perimeter of the roof deck has a connector portion and an anchor portion. The anchor portion is secured to the roof deck, and the connector portion extends from the anchor portion and overlays and is secured to the anchoring surface of the base component, thus anchoring the base component and upper component to the roof deck.

The present invention relates to improved roofing components. More particularly, this invention relates to transition assemblies for protecting and reducing the stresses at roof deck perimeters and parapet walls.
Conventional roof deck design typically calls for wood blocking at the termination points of the roof deck assembly and at the transitions between multiple roof decks, such as expansion joints. The wood blocking is used to provide starting and stopping points for the roof decking, roof insulation, and the roof covering, as well as an anchorage medium for sheet metal flashing and gutter hardware. The wood members can be made a part of the assembly, or can act as fillers, independent from the roof deck assembly, being mounted to a wall or other non-roof deck component. Roof deck stress occurs at the joints between the wood blocking and roof assembly and at the termination points of the roof deck.
As relatively thin, plate-like structures, roofs experience diaphragm forces due to building movement induced by wind and seismic loading. These diaphragm forces result in stress between roof components, especially at roof transition and termination points. These stresses are transferred to the wood blocking and roof supporting structure. Further stress is caused by linear expansion and contraction forces. Since the roof components are formed of different materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion, they can undergo significant relative thermal growth. Such relative movement results in local stresses between the roofing and blocking materials and between the roof assembly and the roof support system. These stresses also occur at the junctures between multiple roof assemblies.
Further problems arise with wood blocking as the wood ages. As it dries, the wood shrinks, warps and buckles, losing its dimensional stability and its ability to retain fasteners. This presents problems for building flashing as it causes substrate movement and fastener loosening resulting in leaks and failures.
To deal with these problems, there is need for improved protection from the stresses between the roof deck and the roof supporting structure at the roof deck perimeter and between adjoining roof assemblies.
A roof transition assembly suitable for roof perimeter and wall transitions. The roof transition assembly is for use with roof decks with a sheet of rigid material and a sheet of corrugated material. The roof transition perimeter assembly comprises a base component and an upper component The base component has two legs: one secured to the sheet of corrugated material, the second extending upward along the roof deck edge. The base component further has a connecting surface for attachment to the upper component. The upper component has a connector portion and an anchor portion, with the anchor portion secured to the top of the roof deck. The connector portion extends from the anchor portion, overlays, and is secured to, the connecting surface of the base component, thus anchoring the transition assembly to the roof deck.
The transition assembly for a roof deck and a parapet wall has a base component and a wall component. The base component, as in the perimeter assembly, has two legs. The first leg is attached to the corrugated sheet of the roof deck, and the second leg extends generally parallel to and overlaps a portion of the parapet wall. The second leg again has a connecting portion for securement to the wall component. The wall component has a connector portion, and a hook portion. The hook portion extends over the top of the parapet wall, and the connector portion overlays and is secured to the connecting surface of the base component, thus anchoring the transition assembly to the roof deck and parapet wall.
The parapet wall transition assembly can further be fitted with a cant component. The cant component is positioned at the intersection of the parapet wall and the roof deck. The cant component has a central portion and a leg extending from each end of the central portion. One leg is secured to the roof deck and the second leg extends up the parapet wall and is secured to the wall component.


Surface-modified adhesives may be prepared by contacting an adhesive layer to an at least partially discontinuous layer on a releasing substrate and removing the adhesive layer such that at least a portion of the at least partially discontinuous layer adheres to the adhesive surface. The modified adhesive surface remains an adhesive surface. The modified adhesive layer can be used to prepare adhesive articles, including articles containing multiple surface-modified adhesive layers.

Adhesives have been used for a variety of marking, holding, protecting, sealing and masking purposes. Adhesives are used in a wide array of products including tapes, decorative articles, optical and electronic devices, medical uses, structural bonding, and the like. One type of adhesive, a pressure sensitive adhesive, is particularly suitable for many applications.
Pressure sensitive adhesives are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art to possess certain properties at room temperature including the following: (1) aggressive and permanent tack, (2) adherence with no more than finger pressure, (3) sufficient ability to hold onto an adherend, and (4) sufficient cohesive strength to be removed cleanly from the adherend. Materials that have been found to function well as pressure sensitive adhesives are polymers designed and formulated to exhibit the requisite viscoelastic properties resulting in a desired balance of tack, peel adhesion, and shear strength.
The use of adhesives, especially pressure sensitive adhesives, in areas such as the medical, electronic and optical industries is increasing. The requirements of these industries place additional demands upon the adhesive beyond the traditional properties of tack, peel adhesion and shear strength. New classes of materials and new techniques for preparing and delivering pressure sensitive adhesives have been developed to meet the increasingly demanding performance requirements for pressure sensitive adhesives.


Method for deriving at least one animation parameter from audio data, said animation parameters being descriptive of the mood of said audio data, comprising the following steps: determining a current mood model for said audio data; calculating at least one distance measure for at least one reference mood model, wherein said distance measure represents the distance between said current mood model and the respective reference mood model; setting of at least one animation parameter depending on said distance measure.

When music is being played on a device which has a screen, the music might be animated, i.e. visualized, on the screen. An example of related art is the Microsoft Windows media player which offers a wide variety of animations from spectrograms to flying objects which are all controlled by the music being played.
However, animation of music in prior art systems is often perceived by the user as being boring or not matching to the music.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a method for deriving animation parameters from audio data, an animation display device and an animation device overcoming this drawback.

Method for deriving animation parameters and animation display device


A substrate inspection apparatus generates, when anomalies of a plurality of second solder pastes among a plurality of first solder pastes printed on a first substrate is detected, at least one image indicating a plurality of second solder pastes with anomalies detected by using an image about a first substrate, applies the at least one image to a machine-learning-based model, acquires a plurality of first values indicating relevance of respective first fault types to the at least one image and a plurality of first images indicating regions associated with one of a plurality of first fault types, determines a plurality of second fault types, which are associated with the plurality of second solder pastes by using the plurality of first values and the plurality of first images, and determines at least one third solder paste, which is associated with the respective second fault types.

A process of printing a solder paste on a substrate to be mounted on an electronic device is performed by a screen printer. The process of printing the solder paste on the substrate by the screen printer is as follows. The screen printer places the substrate on a table for fixing the substrate and aligns a stencil on the substrate so that the openings of the stencil are located on the corresponding pads of the substrate. Then, the screen printer uses a squeegee to print a solder paste on the substrate through the openings of the stencil. Thereafter, the screen printer separates the stencil from the substrate.
The shape of the solder paste printed on the substrate may be inspected through a solder paste inspection (SPI) technique. The SPI technique is a technique of obtaining a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the solder paste printed on the substrate through an optical technique, and inspecting the shape of the solder paste printed on the substrate from the obtained image.

Substrate inspection apparatus and method of determining fault type of screen printer

KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A novel approach for transferring management functions between participants generally involves the use of an associate master participant that assumes responsibilities for functions assigned to the master participant if the master participant can no longer perform the functions. A participant in a communications arrangement is designated as the master participant and is responsible for performing one or more functions. Another participant from the communications arrangement is designated as an associate master participant. The associate master participant assumes the role of master participant, i.e., performs the functions previously assigned to master participant, if any of a set of handoff criteria are satisfied. The particular handoff criteria used may vary depending upon the requirements of a particular application and the invention is not limited to any particular handoff criteria. After associate master participant assumes the role of master participant, a new associate master participant may be designated. The approach reduces the amount of time required both to determine that the master participant can no longer perform the functions and to assign responsibility for performing the functions to another participant once that determination is made.

A communications network is any system or mechanism that provides for the exchange of information or data between participants. As used herein, the term "participant" refers to any device or mechanism that exchanges data with other devices or mechanisms over a communications medium. In some communications networks, one of the participants is designated as a master participant. The master participant performs one or more functions that are assigned to only the master participant and not to other participants. For example, a master participant may initiate and manage communications with other participants. As another example, the master participant may select a particular frequency hopping scheme to be used in the communications network. In communications networks with a master participant, the other participants are conventionally referred to as slave participants. Communications networks that use a master participant conventionally use only a single master participant, with any number of slave participants. Master participants are typically elected from available slave participants according to a selection or voting algorithm.
Using only a single master participant can have numerous drawbacks. In particular, if for any reason the master participant cannot perform its assigned functions, then the communications network will not function and the participants will not be able to communicate with each other. Master participant may not be able to perform their assigned functions for a variety of reasons. For example, in a wireless communications network with mobile participants, the master participant may move out of range of one or more slave participants, or vice versa. As another example, the master participant's power supply may drop below a minimum threshold or the master participant may otherwise fail. In any of these situations, the slave participants must first recognize that the master participant can no longer perform its assigned functions. Once the slave participants have made this determination, a new master participant must be selected from the available slave participants. Once the new master participant is selected, the functions assigned to the prior master participant must be assigned to the new master participant. Given that a master participant may fail at any time for a variety of reasons, either or both of these tasks may require a significant amount of time and computational resources and cause a significant disruption to the communications network.
Based on the need for wireless communications and the limitations in the conventional approaches, an approach for transferring management functions between participants that does not suffer from the limitations of the prior approaches is highly desirable.

Approach for transferring functions between participants in a communications arrangement


A flag support system comprising a staff, a base for mounting the staff to a vertical surface and a drop weight for maintaining tension upon the bottom end of the flag in its angulated position. A finial is disposed at the top end of the staff, which finial, drop weight and base element have a common configurational aspect for enhancing the appearance of the flag staff assembly as a whole as well as the functionality thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flag support systems and, more particularly, to a flag staff system incorporating an angulated staff utilizing an ornamental drop weight to effect tension on the heading of the flag during its extension from the staff.
2. History of the Prior Art
Flags have been displayed for centuries in one form or another. The contemporary form of a flag display incorporates a generally rectangular cloth member having the appropriate indicia formed thereon and suspended from a vertically disposed flag pole or an angulated staff. The flag staff generally extends outwardly from a vertical surface, such as a building wall or vertical column, whereas flag poles are mounted in the ground. Typically, vertical flag poles are rather large in construction and are used for large residential structures, as well as a myriad of commercial areas. The staff for use in presenting a flag in an angulated configuration relative to a vertical surface is generally of a shorter length and adapted for support of a flag therefrom.
A variety of systems have been developed for positioning and securing flags to vertical, horizontal, and angulated flag suspension arrangements. In the main, the systems include a means for maintaining a degree of tautness at the bottom of the flag nearest the support member. In upstanding flag poles, the securing system may include retainer loops appropriately securing the top and bottom of the heading of the flag about the flag pole and/or weight members that may depend from the generally horizontally disposed flag. The weight members provide a means for maintaining a degree of tension in the flag in a manner that allows some degree of movement. Such retainer loops are currently in use by commercial enterprises, such as banks, for vertical flag poles.
Staffs used for angulated display of flags are not as well equipped with regard to means for maintaining the tautness at the bottom of the flag. In certain instances, ropes have been used to secure the flag about the flag staff but various disadvantages are associated therewith. Not the least of these disadvantages is the aesthetic appearance of such a rope around the flag staff. However, in most cases on a staff the flag is secured by a halyard with snaps for the top and bottom attachment holes. This also has disadvantages. The use of other tensioning devices has apparently not been accepted in prior art flag assemblies. It would be an advantage to incorporate a system utilizing the distinct advantages of the prior art flag support systems with the multitude of additional advantages in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing a flag staff support system utilizing a counter weight that may be disposed upon or adjacent the bottom corner of the heading of a flag disposed relative to the angulated staff. The flag is loosely mounted to the staff, by a ring or the like, to permit the weight to induce tautness in the attached bottom of the flag.


A lead cartridge for a mechanical pencil, provided with an openable capping structure. The openable capping structure is fixedly joined to the open end, namely, the front end, of the lead cartridge so as to engage the lead guide of the mechanical pencil when the lead cartridge is inserted in the mechanical pencil. The openable capping structure opens a lead passage formed therein when engaged with the lead guide and closes the lead passage when separated from the lead guide to prevent the leads contained in the lead cartridge falling off the lead cartridge.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lead cartridge with an openable capping structure, for so-called cartridge type mechanical pencils.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently there has been proposed a so-called cartridge type mechanical pencil, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which the lead cartridge is changed for another one for changing the leads being used for leads or for replenishing the mechanical pencil with leads, instead of changing or supplying the leads individually, so that the leads are changed for different leads or the mechanical pencil can be replenished with leads without soiling the hand.
In changing leads or supplying leads to the conventional cartridge type mechanical pencil, a cap 1 covering the open end of a lead cartridge 2 is removed and thrown away, and then the lead cartridge 2 is fitted in the cylinder of the mechanical pencil with the front end open. Accordingly, the leads contained in the lead cartridge 2 are liable to fall off the lead cartridge 2 if the open end of the lead cartridge is directed downward even slightly. Therefore, in fitting the cartridge 2 in the cylinder, the lead cartridge must be held with the open end thereof directed upward and to be fitted carefully into the cylinder or the mechanical pencil.
On the other hand, in removing the lead cartridge 2 from the cylinder 3, the leads slip off the lead cartridge 2 if the open end of the lead cartridge 2 is directed downward even slightly, and hence remain in the cylinder 3.
Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the conventional mechanical pencil accommodates the lead cartridge 2 containing a plurality of leads, and a lead guide 7 detachably holding the lead cartridge 2 in the cylinder 3 thereof, and the residual leads are returned into the lead cartridge 2 in removing the lead cartridge 2 from the cylinder 3. Therefore, the inner surface of the open end of the lead cartridge 2 needs to be tapered to form a taper surface 21 and an inner expansion 31 needs to be formed in a portion of the cylinder 3, so that the inside diameter of the cylinder is reduced partly in a portion corresponding to the inner expansion 31 limiting the outside diameter of the lead cartridge 2, and thereby the capacity of the lead cartridge 2 is reduced. Furthermore, since it is impossible to form such a cylinder 3 having such an inner expansion 31 through extrusion molding, the cylinder 3 needs to be formed through injection molding, which requires a molding die which is more expensive than that for extrusion molding.

Lead cartridge with an openable capping structure


A method includes sending, from a server to a network device, a request for channel change server data, the request identifying a time slot. The method includes receiving, at the server, the channel change server data from the network device responsive to the request. The channel change server data identifies a set of times during the time slot and an estimated number of active channel change servers for each time of the set of times. The method also includes, in response to a first particular estimated number for a first particular time of the set to times indicating to increase a number of active channel change servers, sending an activation command from the server to a first idle channel change server at a first time before the first particular time. The activation command instructs the first idle channel change server to transition to an active channel change server.

A media content distribution system associated with a service provider may provide media content to media devices associated with subscribers. Active channel change servers (e.g., distribution servers or "D-servers") of the media content distribution system receive media content from content sources and provide initial content to media devices associated with subscribers when channel change requests are received from media devices. A channel change request may be received when a media device and/or a display device coupled to the media device is turned on (e.g., a television), when user input received at the media device via a remote control or other control device indicates a channel change, when a personal video recorder associated with the media device requests a media stream to record, when user input received at the media device requests a picture-in-picture view, based on other input, or combinations thereof. The initial content sent to the media device in response to the channel change request may reduce a time to fill a buffer of the media device. Reducing the time to fill the buffer may enable a fast channel change (e.g., enabling display media content of a requested channel in less than one second) so that the media device can quickly begin playback of the requested media content. After receiving the initial content, the media device may receive the media content from another media server (e.g., an allocation server or A-server).


There are provided hydroxamic acids, and the esters and chelates thereof having the structure ##STR1## and their use for the prevention, control or amelioration of diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi. Further provided are compositions and methods comprising those compounds for the protection of plants from fungal infestation and disease.

Phytopathogenic fungi are the causal agents for many diseases that infect and destroy crops. In particular, the diseases sugar beet cercospora leaf spot, apple scab, tomato early blight, banana black sigatoka, peanut leaf spot, and grape and pepper botrytis are especially devastating.
Sugar beet is susceptible to many foliar diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi. One of the most frequently encountered and destructive foliar diseases occurring on sugar beet is sugar beet cercospora leaf spot, caused by the fungus, Cercospora beticola. Sugar beet cercospora leaf spot is common to sugar beet plants throughout the world, and is particularly destructive in regions with wet, warm growing seasons, such as Western and Southern Europe, and the Midwestern United States. During periods of high temperature and wetness, sugar beet cercospora leaf spot spreads rapidly in the field. Ultimately, the disease kills sugar beet leaf tissue, resulting in reduced sugar beet weight and sugar content.
The leaves and fruit of apple trees are susceptible to attack by a fungus, Venturia inaequalis, resulting in a disease called apple scab. The disease occurs wherever apples are grown, but is most common in the United States and Europe. Uncontrolled, apple scab results in deformed, low quality fruit.
Tomatoes are also susceptible to diseases caused by fungi. For example, the foliage, stem and fruit of the tomato plant may be attacked by a fungus, Alternaria solani, resulting in a disease called tomato early blight. Tomato early blight occurs wherever tomatoes are grown, but is particularly destructive in regions with wet or humid climates. Uncontrolled, tomato early blight causes the defoliation of the tomato plant, resulting in reduced fruit number and size.
The leaves of the banana plant are also subject to attack by fungi, for example, Mycosphaerella fijiensis, which causes a disease called banana black sigatoka. Uncontrolled, banana black sigatoka kills the leaves of the banana plant, resulting in small, poor quality fruit. Because bananas are a major export for many Latin American and other tropical countries, the control of banana black sigatoka is critical to those countries' economies.
Currently, only five fungicide classes are used to treat banana black sigatoka. In some areas, the offending fungus has become resistant to the two most effective of those fungicide classes. The result has been more intensive spraying with the less effective fungicides. Therefore, there is a need for new fungicides with other modes of action for the continued protection of bananas.
Peanut leaf spot, caused by fungi of the Mycosphaerella genus, such as Mycosphaerella arachidis, but more importantly fungi such as Cercospora arachidicola and Cercosporidium personatum, is the most destructive foliar disease of peanut plants in the southeastern United States. Uncontrolled, peanut leaf spot causes the rapid defoliation of entire fields, resulting in reduced pod size and number. To date, management of peanut leaf spot has been difficult. Because of the development of resistance to certain fungicides, and the repeal of regulatory approval for other fungicides, ninety-nine percent of the peanuts grown in this region are sprayed with a single fungicide.
Grapes and peppers are susceptible to attack by the fungus, Botrytis cinerea, causing grape botryitis and pepper botrytis, respectively. Grape botrytis, for example, is an especially destructive disease that destroys the cell walls of the fruit, resulting in bunch rot. Grape botrytis occurs wherever grapes are grown, but is most common in Europe.
In spite of the commercial fungicides available today, diseases caused by fungi still abound. Accordingly, there is ongoing research to create new and more effective fungicides for controlling or preventing diseases caused by phytopathic fungi.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide compounds which are highly effective for controlling or preventing phytopathogenic fungal infestations in agronomic crops, both growing and harvested.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for the prevention, control or amelioration of a disease caused by a phytopathogenic fungus by contacting said fungus with a fungicidally effective amount of a compound.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description thereof set forth below.


An apparatus for optically analyzing samples contained in sample sites of a sample holder, the apparatus has a first light source and at least one second light source, a monochromator having an input to which first light source is optically connected or connectable and an output for monochromatized light, light guiding portion for guiding light originating from the first and from the at least one second light sources to the sample sites, and a detector for detecting light from the sample sites. A light relay having a first input optically connected to the output of the monochromator, at least one second input optically connected or connectable to a second light source such that the light from the second light source by-passes the monochromator, and a first output for guiding light from selected input of the light relay to the sample sites. Based on the apparatus and light relay a versatile sample analyzer can be achieved in a cost-effective manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to optical sample detectors used in various fields of life and analytical sciences, in particular medical and biomedical assays. In particular, the invention relates to sample analysers capable of fluorescence measurements.
2. Prior Art
Analysers of the present kind are commonly adapted to detect light successively from each one of a plurality of sample sites contained in the microplate. Therefore, they are frequently called as microplate "readers". One example or such a system is the EnVision-reader and its variants available from PerkinElmer.
The present commercial microplate readers typically include a broad-band excitation light source. Different kinds of optical arrangements for manipulating and guiding light from the light source to the sample sites are disclosed in US 2003/0081207, U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,608, WO 00/63680, US 2002/0109841, U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,471, WO 2005/057187, U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,025 and WO 2003/027724. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,025 discloses a measurement apparatus having a plurality of light sources and an optical path switching mechanism comprising a slidable shuttle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,221 discloses an apparatus having an array of LEDs and an Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF) controlled by multiplexing means to obtain a broadband spectrometer.
In addition BioTek Instruments Inc. has published a Synergy™ 4 Multi-Detection Microplate Reader. The system is provided with a Xenon flash as its light source and it combines both filter-based and quadruple monochromator-based fluorescence detection technology.
Each particular type of light source has its own advantages and disadvantages and allows for certain types of measurements, i.e. measurement modes, to be carried out. Moreover, a single light source can be used in several measurement modes, depending on how the light is guided to the sample and how light is collected from the sample. Apparatuses according to the prior art have the disadvantages that they are limited either to one light source or that the changing of light source used and/or the measurement mode is either difficult or accomplished in a complex way. Thus, the prior optical solutions are as such not well suitable for modern multi-purpose apparatuses intended to allow for carrying out diverse optical measurements in different optical configurations.


The present invention is directed to a suppression system in which a carrier gas and suppression liquid are contained in a common containment vessel and separated by a separation member. The separation is one or more of movable, deformable, or shape changing in response to pressure exerted by the stored gas.

Having an effective and reliable strategy for fire safety is of the utmost importance, particularly in isolated and enclosed environments, such as in terrestrial vehicles and aircraft, and partial-gravity conditions, such as in spacecraft and extraterrestrial manned enclosures. For example, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses carbon dioxide (CO2) for fire suppression on the International Space Station (ISS) and halon chemical extinguishers on the Space Shuttle.
While each of these technologies is effective, they also have drawbacks.
The toxicity of carbon dioxide (threshold limit value (TLV)=5000 ppm) requires that the crew wear breathing apparatus when the extinguishers are deployed. Furthermore, the subsequent removal of the discharge CO2 will tax the spacecraft's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS).
Halon use in future spacecraft has been taken out of consideration by NASA out of observance of the international protocols against substances that destroy the ozone layer. Gaseous agents used in halon fire-fighting systems have been associated with depletion of the ozone layer, and their use is being phased out around the world. A timetable for replacement was developed as part of the Montreal Protocol, which has encouraged a significant effort here and abroad to identify replacement agents that are as effective as halons, but do not impact the environment. To date, this effort has focused on near-term substitution of other halocarbon compounds, including halochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons. Although halon deployed in low earth orbit (LEO) or farther out will not come into contact with the Earth's ozone layer, NASA protocols require de-orbiting of a spacecraft after deployment of a halon extinguisher because the ECLSS systems have no means of scrubbing bromofluorocarbons. Another issue is the loss of fire protection once the halon system has been discharged.
An important area of research on halon replacements has been in the use of fine water mists for fire suppression. Fine water mist can suppress fires by attacking all three legs of the "fire triangle": heat, radiation, and fuel source. Water mist can take away heat from the fire as both sensible and latent heat. Perhaps surprisingly, research has shown that the sensible heat effects of water are as significant as the latent heat. However, the heat of vaporization is still important in removing energy from the fire. The steam produced can then act as an inerting agent, or diluent, to inhibit fire propagation. Finally, water mist can act to wet surfaces, which reduces the volatilization of solids and thus the amount of fuel present. An additional mechanism by which water mist can inhibit fires is through the attenuation of infrared radiation. A water aerosol becomes an optically dense medium that prevents the infrared heating of unburned surfaces by burning surfaces. Also, the nitrogen gas used in the generation and propulsion of the fine water mist displaces the oxygen, thereby removing a combustion component from the fire.
Fine water mists hold considerable promise as fire suppression agents. Important design criterion for fine water mist extinguishers include the droplet properties of size and momentum, which are in large part controlled by the atomizer/nozzle design. Engineering of fine mist systems for specific applications is needed, because development of fine mist technology is in an early stage.

Fine water mist multiple orientation discharge fire extinguisher


An image-reading method which allows a transporting motor to transport, relative to each other, an original document having an image to be read and a light-receiving element for scanning the image in the width direction, so as to read the image in a direction that is orthogonal to the width direction. The method allows the light-receiving element to read the image and output the resulting image data. The transporting speed of the transporting motor is increased based on the desired suppression in the resolution of the image data. Therefore, a facsimile machine using the above-mentioned method can read the image of an original document with a desired resolution.

An image reading section is installed in apparatuses such as a facsimile machine, a copying machine and an image scanner serving as a peripheral device of a personal computer. In such an image reading section, a method is adopted in which an original image is read while a reading member is being transported relative to an original document as described above. Here, in the image reading section, normally, the discrimination F (mm/step), which corresponds to the amount of feed of the original document per 1 step of a feeding motor, and the resolution P (mm/line) of the reading member are coincident with each other. Therefore, in an apparatus such as the above-mentioned facsimile machine, when the feeding motor makes one revolution (step), the reading member also carries out one reading operation for one (line).
However, alternation of the resolution P is demanded, for example, in cases such as the standard-letter mode and minute-letter mode in a facsimile machine. In order to meet such a demand, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 75780/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-75780) has disclosed a typical conventional technique. In this conventional technique, when a reading operation is carried out by using the resolution reduced to 1/n of the maximum resolution, respective "n" number of adjacent CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) serving as the reading members are connected in parallel with one another so as to addition-combine the outputs of the pixels.
Therefore, the problem with this conventional technique is that it is not applicable unless the desired resolution P is set at an integral multiple of the discrimination F.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 145715/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-145715) is listed as another conventional technique. In this conventional technique, supposing that the normal transport speed is V, a transporting operation is carried out at a low speed in the range of V/2 to V, and a predetermined number of scanning lines are disabled depending on the transporting speed.
The subsequent problem with this conventional technique is the occurrence of image distortion due to the disabled scanning lines.
Similarly, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 191261/1987 (Jitsukaishou 62-191261) has disclosed another conventional technique in which lines that have been read are counted and thinned out so as to fit the resolution on the playback side.
Therefore, the subsequent problem with this arrangement is also the occurrence of image distortion due to the thinning-out process on the above-mentioned lines.
In order to solve these problems, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.257382/1988 (Tokukaishou 63-257382) has disclosed a conventional technique which can change the resolution P while suppressing image distortion even if the resolution P is not set at an integer multiple of the discrimination F. In this conventional technique, after a reading operation has been carried out with the discrimination F of the transporting motor being set at a predetermined value, conversion to a desired resolution P is made by operation processing on a software basis.
Furthermore, another conventional technique proposes a method in which supposing that the reading speed of a reading member is Vp (msec/line), image data of the entire original document is converted by using a buffer memory so that the transporting speed Vf (msec/step) of a transporting motor can satisfy the following equation (1): EQU Vf.times.j=Vp.times.k (1),
where j and k are arbitrary integers.
In addition, in the above-mentioned technique, another modified method is proposed in which in the case when, upon using the above-mentioned equation (1), the capacity of the buffer memory has an image-data amount less than one page of an original document, the reading operation of the reading member is temporarily stopped when the buffer memory becomes full.
However, the method using the operation processing on a software basis raises the following problems: an operation processing circuit is required, image distortion occurs due to the operation processing, and the time required for the operation processing gives adverse effects on the entire reading time.
Moreover, another problem with the method using the buffer memory is that a large memory, that is, a memory large enough to store the amount of image data corresponding to at least one page of original document, is required in order to carry out a smooth reading operation, thereby resulting in high costs.
Furthermore, in the method in which the reading operation is stopped when the buffer memory becomes full, upon stoppage of a reading operation, an accumulated offset takes place which is equivalent to the number of lines that have been read and which corresponds to the difference between the discrimination F of the transporting motor and the resolution P of the reading member. This results in an image distortion corresponding to one line, in the very worst case.


An ultrasonic transducer structure, an ultrasonic transducer, and a method of manufacturing the ultrasonic transducer are provided. The ultrasonic transducer structure includes a driving wafer that includes a driving circuit; and an ultrasonic transducer wafer that is disposed on the driving wafer and includes a first wafer in which a via-hole is formed, a first insulating layer formed on the first wafer, a second wafer spaced apart from the first insulating layer, and a cavity formed between the first insulating layer and the second wafer.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to ultrasonic transducer structures, ultrasonic transducers, and methods of manufacturing the ultrasonic transducers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasonic transducers such as micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs) convert an electrical signal into an ultrasonic signal or convert an ultrasonic signal into an electrical signal. MUTs may be applied to, for example, medical image diagnostic devices to obtain images of tissues or organs of human bodies non-invasively. MUTs may be classified into piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs), capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs), and magnetic micromachined ultrasonic transducers (mMUTs) according to their transduction methods. From among the MUTs, the cMUTs are widely used.

Ultrasonic transducer structure, ultrasonic transducer, and method of manufacturing ultrasonic transducer


Methods and apparatus are described that reduce the possibility that unintended subway short-circuits will occur between contacts of different potentials along the boundary between tensile and compressive liners (the T-C boundary). This may be done without unduly increasing the size of the semiconductor device, or even increasing the size at all over previous designs. For example, simply by adjusting the layout of the device, the contacts of two different common gates may be offset in opposing directions relative to the T-C boundary. Or, by forming a T-C boundary having a zigzag or other similar pattern, the contacts may be arranged even closer together while still reducing the likelihood of short-circuiting subways forming. Such layout adjustments do not otherwise require any additional steps or cost.

It is well-known that applying appropriate compressive stress to the channel of a P-type field-effect transistor (PFET) and appropriate tensile stress to the channel of an N-type field-effect transistor (NFET) drastically improves channel performance. This is usually accomplished by disposing a compressive silicon nitride (SiN) layer over a PFET and a tensile SiN layer over an NFET.
For example, referring to FIG. 1, an NFET and a PFET (also referred to herein as NFET A and PFET A) are disposed on a silicon layer 100. The portion of silicon layer 100 shown is divided into a P-well 101 and an N-well 102. In addition, the NFET and PFET are isolated from neighboring components with a shallow-trench isolation layer 106, and are also covered with a dielectric material 103. A tensile SiN layer 104 covers the NFET, and a compressive SiN layer 105 covers the PFET. Tensile and compressive layers 104, 105 contact each other at a tensile-compressive (T-C) boundary. The NFET and PFET share a common polysilicon gate 108, which extends across the T-C boundary, which is electrically connected to a conductive plug 107 that allows electrical connection of common gate 108 to other portions of the circuitry.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, tensile and compressive layers 104, 105 slightly overlap each other at the T-C boundary. This is a result of the manufacturing process typically used to form tensile and compressive layers 104, 105. The overlap is considered desirable as it prevents unintentional etching of structures disposed below layers 104, 105. However, where conductive plug 107 is co-located with the T-C boundary as shown in FIG. 1, the overlap can cause problems. In particular, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, when forming conductive plug 107 (which may be formed of, for example, tungsten (W)) using traditional manufacturing processes, one or more conductive "subways" 501, 502 may be formed that extend parallel to and on opposing sides of the T-C boundary. These subways 501, 502 are essentially conductive material that leaks through tunnels created between compressive and tensile layers 104, 105.
Techniques for reducing the size of semiconductor devices include placing plug 107 and other similar plugs on the T-C boundary and configuring NFET/PFET pairs to share common gates. However, this can cause problems. For instance, where another plug 601 for another gate 602 common to a second NFET/PFET pair (NFET B and PFET B, the positions of which are roughly indicated with broken circles) is also co-located with the T-C boundary, there is a significant likelihood that subway 501 and/or subway 502 will electrically connect plug 107 with plug 601. This is extremely undesirable as plug 107 and plug 601 should be able to be at different voltages from each other as desired. Thus, subways 501 and/or 502 may act as unintended short-circuits in a significant percentage of manufactures devices having the shown configuration.
One possibility would be to prohibit locating contacts near the T-C boundary. However, this rule would drastically increase chip size. This is not a practical option.

Reduction of short-circuiting between contacts at or near a tensile-compressive boundary

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.