A composition for treating arthroses in animals includes exogenous glucosamine, hydrolyzed collagen and a bioflavanol. Preferred glucosamines are glucosamine hydrochloride (HCI) and glucosamine sulfate. Preferred bioflavanols are those extracted from grape seeds, pine bark or turmeric root. Proanthocyanidin (also referred to as leucocyanidin or pcynogenol) is the most preferred bioflavanol. With horses and larger animals, a preferred treated method involves application of the composition of the present invention as a top dressing twice a day to the animal's feed. A preferred treatment for humans, dogs and cats involves the ingestion of 1 to 4 tablets or capsules per day of the composition of the present invention.

Cartilage is the connective tissue which cushions moveable joints. Joint cartilage damage is commonly referred to by a number of terms which are used interchangeably here, including arthritis, arthroses and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a syndrome characterized by pathologic change of synovial joints accompanied by clinical signs of pain and disability. Unfortunately, most animals have sustained damage to joint cartilage by middle age. Although the causes of degenerative processes are generally unknown, as a general matter, cartilage damage can be classified as one of two forms of osteoarthritis. Primary osteoarthritis occurs when normal forces act on abnormal cartilage causing degeneration. An example is the aging process, where daily physical activity and cellular metabolism create wear and tear on the articular cartilage leading to an arthritic condition. Secondary osteoarthritis occurs when abnormal forces act on normal cartilage causing degeneration. An example is traumatic injury such as tearing the anterior cruciate ligament which may cause enough damage to the joint capsule to lead to arthritis. The result of primary and secondary osteoarthritis is the same--a painful condition in which the animal typically is caught up in a cycle in which the body cannot efficiently repair itself at a rate faster than the rate of degeneration.
Referring now to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a normal joint 10 constitutes the interface between opposing compact bones 1 and 11. Normal joint 10 includes a fibrous joint capsule 3 which defines a joint cavity 5. Joint cavity 5 is lined with a synovial membrane 4 and is filled with synovial fluid 9. Articular cartridge 6 cushions the contact of bones 1 and 11 in normal joint 10.
Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that an arthritic joint 12 exhibits deterioration of articular cartilage 6' as evidenced by worn, irregular and insufficient thicknesses of articular cartilage 6'. The cushioning of the contact between bones 1' and 11' is thereby diminished, which leads to pain and inflammation in the area. The volume of synovial fluid 9' may also be decreased, further diminishing the cushioning ability of arthritic joint 12.
Many factors affect or exacerbate the extent of cartilage deterioration. For example, some animals are predisposed genetically to joint disease and degeneration of joint tissue at an early age. In addition, an animal's genetic makeup can influence the thickness and durability of cartilage which will affect an animal's predisposition to arthritis. Other animals experience abnormal wear and tear on joints as a result of poor conformation and/or excess mechanical stress on musculoskeletal systems. Also, aggressive exercise schedules during youth (as may occur with race horses or athletes) may accelerate the manifestation of joint deterioration problems in later years.
In any case, once the cartilage of a joint is damaged, an inflammatory response ensues. Inflammation itself may be painful, causing the animal to make musculoskeletal adjustments that can exacerbate the joint damage. In addition, inflammation can reduce circulation to the damaged area, preventing needed nutrients and building materials from reaching the damaged area. The body's attempt to repair the damage can even worsen the injury. Degradative enzymes and histamine released at the site of tissue injuries can cause or worsen an arthritic condition. In addition, it is known that as neutrophils invade the area, free radicals (molecules with an electron shortage) are released into the environment causing oxidative damage. Free radicals released in the joint produce further cellular damage before they can be captured by other electrons from surrounding tissues, for example, from cellular membranes, in order to stabilize themselves, which results in a devastating chain reaction causing further tissue damage and inflammation. If cellular membrane damage becomes extensive, cells may die. Free radicals have also been shown to irreversibly break down cartilage matrix proteoglycans.
Initial attempts at dealing with arthroses involved treatment with non-steriodal anti-inflammatory agents such as aspirin. However, as anatomical and physiological knowledge about cartilage, connective tissue and joints has grown, preferred treatments include dietary supplements for use in rebuilding the damaged connective tissue. In the last two decades, popular treatments have focused on one or another substances, reflecting in part, the growing knowledge about cartilage structure and physiology.
It is now known that cartilage fibers and matrix are initially formed by cells called chondroblasts. After cartilage formation is complete, the mature chondrocytes remain in the matrix to produce cartilage as needed to maintain the cartilage. Hyaluronic acid is an acidic mucopolysaccharide present in the extracellular substance of connective tissue which attracts and holds moisture within the connective tissue and complexes to other amino sugars to form the ground substances of the cartilage matrix.
Glucosamine, an amino sugar, is a major constituent of hyaluronic acid and is preferentially taken up by chondrocytes and used in the synthesis of hyaluronic acid. By increasing the amount of hyaluronic acid, glucosamine supplementation leads to the rehydration of cartilage, resulting in increased lubrication and shock absorbing capability. Glucosamine supplementation also leads to an increase in proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage, thereby increasing the overall amount and the structural integrity of the cartilage.
Glucosamine is also used by chondrocytes to produce glycosaminoglycans, which lead to the production of proteoglycans that hold and hydrate connective tissue. With glucosamine supplementation, chondrocytes may be able to replenish the cartilage matrix and synovial fluid when cartilage is damaged. This is accomplished, in part, because glucosamine increases production of chondroitin sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan which is a component of joint tissue. In addition, chondroitin sulfate inhibits degradative enzymes. However, due in part to the high molecular weight of chondroitin sulfate, chondroitin sulfate is believed to be broken down in the digestive tract for "re-assembly" into chondroitin sulfate in the joint tissue where needed. The breakdown into smaller pieces is significant because one of these smaller pieces is galactosamine which has been shown to decrease or inhibit chondroitin sulfate synthesis, in comparison to a control group in studies.
Studies have been performed to ascertain the effectiveness of glucosamine as a treatment for arthroses in people, dogs and horses. A common view among veterinarians and medical doctors is that the chondroprotective effect of glucosamine is well supported, with results variable but generally positive, and glucosamine considered generally safe for use in joint disease treatment. Surveys of responses indicated that animals and people treated with glucosamine commonly experience some benefit after two or more weeks of treatment. In humans, substantial benefit was experienced after eight or more weeks of treatment. A survey of veterinarians who utilized a glucosamine product to treat dogs with arthritis concluded the product was helpful for improving mobility and alleviating pain. A study of 25 horses diagnosed with degenerative joint disease showed improvement in horses treated with an oral glucosamine formulation.
However, there appears to be substantial variability in positive response of glucosamine treatments compared to placebo treatment. Three glucosamine treatment studies are summarized below in Table I.
TABLE I Glucosamine Placebo Treatment Time for Treatment % Positive 50% % Positive Data Source Response Response Response Drovanti, et al., "Therapeutic 73% 20 days 41% Activity of Oral Glucosamine Sulphate in Osteoarthritis: A Placebo-Controlled Double- Blind Investigation," Clinical Therapeutics, 3(4):266-72, 1980. Crolle, G., et al., "Glucos- 27% 3 weeks 0% amine Sulphate for Manage- ment of Arthrosis: A Controlled Clinical Investigation," Current Medical Research and Opinion, 7(2):104-109, 1980. Houpt, J., et al., study 49% 8 weeks 45% presented at July 1998--12.sup.th PanAmerican Congress of Rheumatology, Montreal.
While glucosamine does show a benefit, results are clearly variable, from 27% to 49% to 73% positive results. Discounting by subtraction for placebo effects, positive results range from 4% to 27% to 32%.
One available treatment for the protection and repair of connective tissue is based upon a therapeutic composition comprising glucosamine and salts thereof, chondroitin sulfate, and soluble salts of manganese, and is intended to stimulate production of proteoglycans and collagens in animals. The beneficial effects of the glucosamine in this supplement is a cornerstone of this composition, which appears to be formulated on the premise that the rate-limiting step in the production of collagen is the maturation rather than the production of, newly synthesized collagen. While proponents of this therapy acknowledge that steroids, such as corticosterioids and other anti-inflammatory materials such as high doses of aspirin are widely used for the treatment of arthroses, they caution that such drugs may also inhibit the body's own natural healing processes, leading to further deterioration of the connective tissue.
In other treatment protocols, bioflavanols/flavonoids, terms which are variously identified as including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, aglycons, glycosides and methylated derivatives, commonly extracted from plants, are being used for their free radical scavenging effect. It has been suggested that the use of plant extracts having proanthocyanidin content are useful for fighting the harmful biological effects of free radicals in collagen degradation, alterations of the synovial liquid, and inflammation. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,433 to Watanabe, et al., which issued Jul. 22, 1997 and is entitled Chondroprotective Agents, identifies a chondroprotective agent comprising a flavonoid compound having a specified general formula, as well as glycosides thereof. The patent teaches that this compound strongly inhibits proteoglycan depletion from the chondrocyte matrix, functions to protect cartilage, and is extremely effective for the treatment of arthropathy. However, this patent also teaches that conventional analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents are not effective against the destruction of the articular cartilage, and in fact, sometimes exhibit adverse effect in experiments using chondrocytes.
More particularly, the antioxidant, cardiovascular, circulatory and skin treatment uses of bioflavanols have been studied. One clinical in vivo study of dogs demonstrated the effectiveness of bioflavanols from grape seed extract for treating canine hip dysplasia. The study was randomized and double-blinded. Data was collected from 18 dogs from 1 to 13 years of age having clinical and radiographic evidence of bilateral coxofemoral osteroarthritis secondary to hip dysplasia. All dogs were determined to be free of other musculoskeletal problems based upon history, physical exam, blood count and serum biochemistry profile. Brief lameness exams and dog owners' assessments were conducted at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 weeks. Data from this study is summarized in Table II below.
TABLE II Bioflavanol Time for Placebo Treatment 50% Treatment % Positive Positive % Positive Data Source Response Response Response Impellizeri, J.A., et al., "14- 85.7% 14 weeks 9.1% Week Clinical Evaluation of an Oral Antioxidant as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis Secondary to Canine Hip Dysplasia," Syosset Animal Hospital, New York, Veterinary Orthopedic Society 24.sup.th Annual Conference, March 1997.
Since cartilage regeneration involves the production of collagen built from the amino acids proline, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, and glycine, other known therapeutic approaches to treatment of arthroses teach the use of peptides soluble in cold water, in particular, hydrolyzed collagen. In one study, patients with arthroses were administered peptides having an average molecular weight from 40,000 to 60,000 for an extended period, after which they reported, as a whole, a substantial decrease in pain. The patients were scored for the incidence of various arthritis symptoms such as pain, stiffness, weakness, and sensitivity to weather after the substances were administered for 60 days. Additional test data is summarized below in Table III.
TABLE III Percentage of Test Participants Exhibiting Specified Reduction in Initial Score after Administration of Test Substances Test Substance <25% from 25% to 50% >50% Gelita-Sol D 19% 33% 48% Protein from hen's egg white 77% 13% 10% Gelatin powder 15% 29% 56%
While the treatments discussed above and other therapies are known for the treatment of arthoses, it can be seen that there remains a need for a therapeutic composition which quickly acts to facilitate the repair of connective tissue while concurrently minimizing ongoing degeneration and providing faster relief from the often high levels of joint pain. It is against that background that the advances of the present invention over individual exogenous glucosamine, hydrolyzed collagen, and bioflavanol therapies for the repair of animal connective tissue have been made.
The present invention relates to a new composition and technique for treating osteoarthritis in animals. The preferred embodiment of a composition of the present invention includes exogenous glucosamine, hydrolyzed collagen and a bioflavanol. Preferred glucosamines are glucosamine hydrochloride (HCI) and/or glucosamine sulfate. Preferred bioflavanols are those extracted from grape seeds, pine bark and turmeric root. Proanthocyanidin (also referred to as leucocyanidin or pcynogenol) is most preferred. With horses and larger animals, a preferred treatment method involves application of the composition of the present invention as a top dressing twice a day to the animal's feed. A preferred treatment for humans, dogs and cats involves the ingestion of 1 to 4 tablets or capsules per day of the composition of the present invention.

Therapeutic compositions containing glucosamine, collagen and a bioflavanol for repair and maintenance of connective tissue


A conductive anti-reflection coating has a surface quarterwave layer that is broken up into smaller portions by inserting one or more thin layers of conductive material in the dielectric material. The resulting stack of alternating layers of a dielectric material and an electrically conductive material provides a solid electrical contact to the buried conductive layer and exhibits a low surface contact resistance.

Anti-reflection coatings are used extensively in optical and/or opto-electrical applications where it is often necessary to decrease reflections at an interface, such as at the boundary between air and glass.
The simplest anti-reflection coating consists of a single layer of a transparent dielectric material deposited directly on a substrate. The layer of transparent dielectric material is selected such that it has an index of refraction, n, that is less than the index of refraction of the substrate, and such that it has a thickness, d, that allows the optical thickness (n times d) to be about one quarter of the central wavelength of the spectral region for which the reflectance is to be reduced.
More complex anti-reflection coatings are made by depositing two or more layers of transparent dielectric materials on a substrate. For example, according to one type of anti-reflection coating, a first layer having an index of refraction higher than that of the substrate is deposited on the substrate such that its optical thickness is about one quarter of the central wavelength, while a second layer having an index of refraction lower than that of the substrate is deposited on the first layer such that its optical thickness is also about a quarter of the central wavelength. This type of anti-reflection coating is often referred to as a V-coat design because it generally achieves a zero reflectance at the central wavelength, with sharply increasing reflectance at either side of the central wavelength.
Multi-layer anti-reflection coatings that are more suitable for broadband applications generally have at least three dielectric layers of alternating high and low refractive index materials stacked together. For example, one particularly well-known broadband anti-reflection coating includes a first layer formed from a material having a high index of refraction and having an optical thickness of about one-eighth of the central wavelength deposited on the substrate, a second layer formed from a material having a low index of refraction and having an optical thickness of about one-eighth the central wavelength deposited on the first layer, a third layer formed from a material having a high index of refraction and having an optical thickness of one half the central wavelength deposited on the second layer, and a fourth layer formed from a material having a low index of refraction and having an optical thickness of one quarter of the central wavelength deposited on the third layer. The optical thicknesses of the first and second layers are selected to provide a combined optical thickness that is about one quarter of the central wavelength of the spectral region for which the reflectance is to be reduced such that first and second layers form what is commonly referred to as a simulated quarterwave layer.
As illustrated above, the surface layer of most anti-reflection coatings is selected to have a low index of refraction, which is preferably lower than that of the substrate, and a quarterwave optical thickness so as to minimize reflectance from the surface of the coating. While this is feasible in most instances, design challenges often arise when the anti-reflective coating is designed to be electrically conductive.
Conductive anti-reflection coatings have found widespread use in numerous applications where electrical conductivity and high optical transparency are needed. For example, conductive anti-reflection coatings are commonly used for electro-magnetic interference (EMI) shielding in cathode ray tubes (CRTs), as electrodes in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and in thin film resistive heaters. In these applications, the electrical conductivity is typically provided by a layer of transparent electrically conductive material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO).
The index of refraction of most transparent electrically conductive materials, however, is relatively large. It is this high index of refraction that complicates the design of conductive anti-reflection layers. For example, as discussed above, it is generally preferred that the surface layer of an anti-reflection coating be a quarterwave dielectric layer having a low index of refraction so as to minimize reflectance from the surface of the coating. In contrast, it is also preferred that the conductive layer, which generally has a high index of refraction, be fabricated as the surface layer to reduce the high contact resistance associated with a surface quarterwave dielectric layer.
In practice, most conductive anti-reflection coatings are arranged such that the conductive layer is buried below a quarterwave dielectric layer. For example, in the above-mentioned four layer design for broadband applications, the conductive layer typically corresponds to the halfwave layer. This arrangement improves the anti-reflection properties of the coating, protects the conductive layer, and provides more flexibility in varying the thickness of the conductive layer. To reduce the high contact resistance associated with the surface quarterwave dielectric layer, the electrical connections are typically made either by penetrating the surface dielectric layer (e.g., using an ultra-sonic soldering or welding procedure) or with direct contact to the conductive layer in regions where the dielectric layer is absent (e.g., using a mask during production to keep the conductive surfaces free of dielectric material).
Unfortunately, these methods of reducing surface contact resistance significantly increase costs and lengthen production times. In particular, ultra-sonic soldering or welding procedures are known to cause a bottleneck in the production of conductive anti-reflection coatings. Similarly, using a mask to create dielectric-free regions on the conductive layer is associated with expensive precision tooling and additional time-consuming steps. For example, when the conductive and dielectric layers are deposited by vacuum evaporation, the latter process includes the additional time-consuming steps of venting the chamber after the conductive layer has been deposited, precisely applying the mask, and re-evacuating the chamber prior to depositing the surface dielectric layer.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a conductive anti-reflection coating with low surface contact resistance.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a conductive anti-reflection coating with low surface contact resistance that is fabricated without significantly increased costs and lengthened production times.


A method for forming the gate electrode in an integrated circuit, in which a cap silicon nitride layer is deposited in a two step process to improve the condition of silicon nitride residue remaining on the surface of tungsten silicide. First, a layer of polysilicon and a layer of tungsten silicide are sequentially formed on the semiconductor substrate, subsequently, a thin film of silicon nitride is formed at a first temperature and a second silicon nitride is formed at a second temperature, then the pattern of the contact window of gate is defined and the first etching is performed to remove the second and the second silicon nitride, finally, the second etching is performed to remove the layers of polysilicon and tungsten silicide to form a gate electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for forming gate electrodes in integrated circuits and, more particularly, to a method for forming a gate electrode by a two-step deposition of a cap silicon nitride.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The packing density of the number of circuits on a semiconductor chip has been greatly enhanced along with reducing the size of the device and increasing the integration density. This has resulted in a tremendous improvement in the electrical property of the devices and in lowering of the manufacturing cost.
However, some problems have arisen with the continued reduction in the size of the devices. These problems arise because of, for example, the natural limit of the manufacturing process and the electrical properties of the devices. One of the process limitations is the inability to control the precision of the lithography. Another is the necessary repetition of processing steps when etching a thick isolation layer to open the contact window which is part of interconnect since a certain distance to gate must be maintained. This problem in etching control becomes much more serious in the manufacturing process of multi-layered polysilicon. Therefore, the process of self-aligned contact (SAC) has been developed to decrease the area of the contact window.
The technology of self-aligned contact has been applied on the source-drain contact of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) in ultra large scale integrated circuits. The gate of the metal-oxide-semiconductor comprises, in general, the layers of metal, oxide and semiconductor. But due to the poor adhesion ability of most kinds of metals to silicon dioxide which is used as the oxide layer, polysilicon which posses excellent adhesive ability to silicon dioxide and compatibility with the process is widely used in place of metal in MOS. However, the resistively of polysilicon is still too high to be a conductor even after doping. Therefore, metal silicide which as better conductivity is incorporated with the polysilicon. This new metal layer comprising polysilicon and metal silicide provides excellent electrical characteristics for MOS operation. This metal layer including polysilicon and metal silicide is called polysilicon, among which the most popular material is tungsten silicide (Wsi.sub.x).
A conventional process to form the contact window of a source/drain is shown in FIG. 1. A polysilicon layer 20 and a tungsten silicide layer 30 are sequentially formed on the semiconductor substrate 10. Then a layer of silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) is applied as a cap dielectric 40 and another layer of silicon nitride which is subsequently formed as sidewall spacers function together as isolation between source/drain and gate in a so-called self-aligned contact (SAC) process, in which the thickness of sidewall spacers ranges from 300 to 800 angstroms. The typical way to form silicon nitride is by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) at the temperature around 780 degrees C, for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,276 to Hsu of RCA (the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference). However, the phase transition of tungsten silicide will spontaneously take place at such a high temperature, so that undesirable effects including recrystallization of tungsten silicide and a rough interface between silicon nitride and tungsten silicide are unavoidably a result of this process. Meanwhile, the practices of silicon nitride will fall into the cracks and voids between the tungsten silicon grain boundaries, causing defects in the device.
In the following description some steps conventional steps are excluded to form the gate pattern. Lithography and etching are previously used to form a contact window, after the gate pattern on the silicon nitride is defined, the first etching 100 is performed to remove silicon nitride which was not covered by a photoresist pattern (not shown). The photoresist is then removed, and the second SAC etching 200 is performed to remove the silicide and polysilicon layers which are covered by the patterned silicon nitride, as shown in FIG. 2.
Worst of all, because silicon nitride which has already generated into the cracks and voids of the interface between silicon nitride and the tungsten silicide, cannot be totally cleared up during the first etching; silicon nitride residue 41 will be induced on the interface. Due to a large difference of etching selectivity between silicon nitride and tungsten silicide (about 1:4) during the second etching, the shape of the remaining silicon nitride residue 41 will further transfer to tungsten silicide and polysilicon, thus undesired polysilicon residue 21 will also be left over on the substrate.
The present invention relates to a method for forming a gate in which the silicon nitride residue on the interface is avoided. This reduces the problems associated with etching tungsten silicon and polysilicon due to the presence of silicon nitride residue as discussed above.

Two step cap nitride deposition for forming gate electrodes


The present application relates to a headband arrangement comprising: an attachment structure; and a helmet mounting structure which can be selectively slid along the attachment structure, the helmet mounting structure having a lockable component, the lockable component being pivotable about a pivotal shaft between a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein a first magnetic part is secured in the lockable component, a second magnetic part is secured in the helmet mounting structure or the attachment structure, a repulsive force can be generated between the first and second magnetic parts to drive the lockable component to return from the unlocking position to the locking position and to hold the lockable component in the locking position. The present application also relates to a headband arrangement having a band part for attaching at or adjacent to the back of a user's head, wherein the band part is provided with a sheath for adjusting the band part's length, and a cushion structure is pivotally provided on a side of the sheath facing the back of the user's head. The present application further relates to a welding helmet having one of said headband arrangements.

Welding helmets have become essential devices on welding sites for protecting welders. A welding helmet generally comprises a helmet shell and a headband arrangement disposed in the helmet shell. A protection sheet is mounted on the helmet shell to protect a welder's eyes. The headband arrangement is connected to the helmet shell and can be used to be directly worn on the welder's head.
A helmet mounting structure provided at a side of each ear of the welder is used to connect the headband arrangement to the helmet shell. If the welder can adjust the distance between his/her eyes and the protection sheet in case that the welding helmet is worn, it will be more benefit to protect the welder's eyes.
Further, in a conventional headband arrangement, no sufficient flexible cushion structure is provided at a location of protecting the back of the welder's head, such that the same headband arrangement cannot enable wearers whose heads have different shapes (especially the back of the head) to feel comfortable enough, which may indirectly impact the effectiveness of the wearer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Headband arrangement and welding helmet equipped with the same


This disclosure describes one or more implementations of a model segmentation system that generates accurate audience segments for client devices/individuals utilizing multi-class decision tree machine-learning models. For example, in various implementations, the model segmentation system generates a customized loss penalty matrix from multiple loss penalty matrices. In particular, the model segmentation system can generate regression mappings of model evaluation metrics for a plurality of decision tree models and combine loss penalty matrices based on the regression mappings to generate a customized loss penalty matrix that best fits an administrator's customized needs of segment accuracy and reach. The model segmentation system then utilizes the customized loss penalty matrix to train a multi-class decision tree machine-learning model to classify client devices into non-overlapping audience segments. Further, in one or more implementations, the model segmentation system refines the multi-class decision tree machine-learning model based on adjusting the tree depth.

Recent years have seen significant improvements in hardware and software platforms for training and utilizing machine-learning models. For instance, many machine-learning methods have achieved promising performance in areas such as intelligent selection and distribution of dynamic digital content to client devices across computing networks. Notwithstanding these improvements, conventional systems continue to suffer from several problems with regard to the accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility of computing device operations, and in particular, with respect to generating digital audience segments. For example, many conventional systems are complex, inflexible, and inefficient. In addition, many conventional systems produce inaccurate segments that have large amounts of overlap.
Accordingly, these along with additional problems and issues exist in current solutions with respect to the technical field of digital content dissemination.

Generating and utilizing machine-learning models to create target audiences with customized auto-tunable reach and accuracy


A method of folding plastic composition flooring, including but not limited to LVP, LVT, SPC or WPC, to form a desired shape, such as stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, or the like. The method includes the steps of incorporating a thermal insulation layer between the plastic composite flooring and a heat generator, applying heat until reaching a heat transmission coefficient to allow the plastic composite flooring to become malleable, removing the heat, applying pressure to the heated section of the plastic composite flooring to form into a desired shape using a positive and negative embossing die mold on the top and bottom heated section of the plastic composite flooring, and removing the embossing die-molds once the plastic composite flooring has cooled down to its initial temperature.

Installation of flooring requires an installer to adapt to the particular substrate that forms the floor foundation. Typically, an installer must accommodate various provisions which include stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, and the like. Stair noses are provisions that are installed at the edge of stair treads above and at the edge of the flooring. Baseboards are a narrow wooden board running along the base of an interior wall, typically installed above flooring. Quarter-rounds are a convex folding with a cross section in the form of a quarter circle; it is typically used as a decorative build-up element at the lower edge of a baseboard to hide any gaps between the baseboard and a floor. Trim folding is a general term used for corner moldings, accent molding, endcaps and the like, and is used to create added detail or cover up gaps; it is typically installed above the flooring.
The similarities in all the above provisions are that they are installed separate from the flooring, which can cause a mismatch with flooring. For instance, these provisions may be used to fill gaps between flooring and walls junctions. The provisions may not match the rest of the flooring material, or the estimator may have under/over ordered such pieces, adding to the burden of the installation. In many instances, the provisions are constructed of a different material, such as solid milled wood, plaster, plastic, or reformed wood, which can lead to different textures, visual appearance, wear patterns, and an unhappy consumer. It is desired at times to provide a seamless transition from the floor to the wall junction, which is not possible with conventional flooring.
Flooring, as used herein, is a general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. It also generally describes any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. The most common flooring materials include wood, laminate, tile and vinyl. The choice of flooring material is affected by factors such as cost, endurance, noise insulation, comfort and cleaning effort. Some types of flooring should not be installed below grade, such as laminate and hardwood, unless a barrier material is put in place to avoid potential damage from moisture.
Luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank are usually less than 4 mm in thickness. LVT and LVP are soft and pliable, and will not be forgiving with subfloor imperfections. They are available in click lock, loose lay and glue down versions.
One of the latest trends in home flooring design is rigid core flooring. Many homeowners are choosing this stylish and affordable option to give their home a new look. There are two main types of rigid core flooring: stone plastic composite and wood plastic composite. A stone plastic composite (SPC) vinyl and wood plastic composite (WPC) vinyl flooring is manufactured with a wood-plastic composite backing instead of a solid PVC backing. The backing combines recycled wood pulp and plastic composites to form a bond of strength and stability. It is then topped with a standard vinyl top layer.
The basics about stone plastic composite (SPC) vinyl flooring and wood plastic composite (WPC) vinyl flooring is that it is constructed of layers, which helps it provide superior comfort and stain resistance. Generally, there are four layers. The top "wear" layer which protects and guards against scratches, dents, stains, and general wear and tear. The second printed vinyl layer, which lies just below the wear layer. This layer has imprinted design and colors. Under the second layer is the waterproof core, which is the biggest benefit of SPC and WPC flooring, as it won't buckle, ripple, or show any other sign of liquid damage due to moisture. The final layer contains a padded underlayment, making it ideal for floating installation. Rigid core as used herein is identified as WPC, SPC, or densified foam core.
There are a variety of benefits associated with SPC and WPC flooring. They both have a completely waterproof core, thereby helping to prevent warping when exposed to moisture. Additionally, their waterproof property allows for this type of flooring to be used in areas of the home where hard flooring and other moisture-sensitive flooring types are not typically recommended, such as laundry rooms, basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. Both are resistant to scratches and stains, as well as major impacts due to their density. Generally, SPC and WPC flooring comes in thickness of 3.2 mm to 12 mm. A thicker flooring option can make up for slight flaws in subfloor defections. They hold up well to wear and tear, even in high-traffic areas of the home. They are also easy to install, making them a good choice for "DIY" homeowners. They are made to be installed on top of just about any type of subfloor or existing floor, and do not require adhesives. Lastly, there is a large variety of stylish options, as they come in just about any color and pattern, since the design is simply printed onto the vinyl layer. For example, one can get WPC or SPC flooring that looks like tile, stone, or hardwood flooring.
One beneficial aspect of SPC and WPC flooring is its ability to conform. The present invention discloses a method of applying heat and pressure to a plastic composite flooring system to fold such into provisions, such as stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,369 illustrates a molding profile having interlocking profiles to transition from a first flooring surface to a second flooring surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,590,266 discloses a machine and method for installing curved hardwood flooring. The machine maintains the wood grain in the direction of any bends required to conform to a curved structure. The method has a first step to establish the desired floor boundary and anchor a plurality of pressure units in place at appropriate intervals to accurately represent the desired shape of the curved hardwood floor to be installed. A second step is to make appropriate adjustments to the pressure units and position the hardwood flooring in the machine. A third step is to activate the pressure units to bend the flooring into the desired contour, hold securely, make adjustments if necessary, and nail the hardwood flooring to the subfloor. Then, repeat steps 2 and 3 until the hardwood floor is completed.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0032175 discloses a method of making flooring products. Disclosed is a polymeric thermoplastic material plank that can be rectangular, triangular, square, hexagonal and octagonal, or have any number of sides. Also, the floor panel can have other geometrical designs, such as curves.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,138,639 illustrates a molding assembly for use in bridging a gap between floor covering materials.
Therefore, there is a need for a machine and method of installing flooring wherein the flooring can be folded to conform to contours during installation.

Portable method and apparatus for folding plastic composite flooring


Laminar staple including two walls which are substantially at right angles to each other and which form an edge and two ribs which extend substantially at right angles to the walls; the walls and the ribs form a cutting edge, and the ribs have two planar portions substantially parallel to the edge which progressively diverge proximate to the cutting edge into circular arc portions.

The present invention relates to a laminar staple for joining profiled strips at an angle, particularly for manufacturing frames, frameworks and the like.
In the manufacture of picture frames or of similar wood frameworks, it is known to join strips at an angle by resorting to laminar staples inserted astride the joining plane formed by the contact of the appropriately chamfered ends of the strips. Staples of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,959,360, in French patents no. 877,266 and no. 2,318,715, in Italian patent no. 1,041,695, in British patent no. 1,165,482 and in German patents no. 2,102,501 and 1,400,848.
Laminar staples are also commercially available which comprise a steel lamina folded so as to form two mutually perpendicular walls and two edge ribs or ridges which are at right angles to said walls and extend outwards, so that the staple assumes a substantially W-shaped profile. Staples of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 29,957 and in French patent no. 2,318,715.
In order to mutually join two profiled strips, for example cut at an angle of 45.degree. in order to arrange them at right angles, said W-shaped staples are inserted astride the joining plane formed by the mutual contact of the strips, so that the edge formed by the perpendicular walls and laying at the centerline plane of the staple is at the joint.
In order to facilitate insertion, one of the borders with a W-shaped profile of the staples has a cutting edge.
Problems have been observed with these staples in keeping the strips in contact at the joining plane due to non-uniformities in their cutting and in particular to their expansion caused by the insertion of the staples.
In order to obviate this drawback, U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,498 proposed a contoured staple, but the result was positive only in the case of natural wood strips. In the case of wood pulp strips, instead, mutual contact of the strips resumes only at the upper part of the joint, whereas the lower part, which has expanded due to the insertion of the staples, remains partially open.

Laminar staple for angularly joining profiled strips


The present invention pertains to antagonists of excitatory amino acid receptors, their method of preparation as well as compositions pertaining to them, which have the general formula: ##STR1## wherein n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, halomethyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, hydroxyl, hydroxymethyl, C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 lower alkyl and C.sub.7 to C.sub.12 higher alkyl, aryl and aralkyl; and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to novel non-N-methyl-D-aspartate excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor antagonists and particularly to novel, potent and selective antagonists of kainic acid (KA) and AMPA [(R,S)-.alpha.-aminomethyl-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole propionic acid]-type receptors having anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antiepileptic, analgesic, antiemetic, neuroprotective and cognition enhancing actions achieved through the antagonism of these receptors. In particular, the invention is directed to: substituted 4-phosphonoalkylquinolin-2-ones and their interaction with KA and AMPA receptors, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and to uses thereof.
2. Description Of the Prior Art
Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) mediate a substantial portion of the neurochemical synaptic activity occurring in the central nervous system. Current understanding recognizes at least three major ionotropic receptors for EAAs. Most commonly identified by prototypical agonists, these include:
(1) receptors activated by AMPA [(R,S)-.alpha.-aminomethyl-3-hydroxy-methylisoxazole propionic acid], a cyclic analog of L-glutamate (GLU), (2) receptors recognizing the pyrrolidine neurotoxin kainic acid (KA), and three receptors responding to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), a synthetic analog of L-aspartate [D. R. Curtis, A. W. Duggar, D. Felix, G. A. R. Johnston, A. K. Tebecis and J. C. Watkins, Brain Res., 41, 283-301 (1972); J. C. Watkins and R. H. Evans, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 21, 165-204 (1981); A. C. Foster and G. Fagg, Brain Res. Rev., 7, 103-164 (1984)]. In addition to these major ion channel-linked receptors, evidence now suggests the presence of metabotropic EAA receptors which directly activate second messenger systems [D. Schoepp, J. Brockaert and F. Soladeczek, In C. Lodge and G. L. Collinridge (eds.) Tr. Pharmacol. Sci., Special Report, "The Pharmacology of Excitatory Amino Acids," Elsevier, Cambridge, U.K., 74-81 (1991)]. Furthermore, it is now apparent that the NMDA-mediated ionotropic responses are subject to complex regulatory influences and, that this particular recognition site may exist as a supramolecular entity similar to the GABA/benzodiazepine/barbituate effector proteins [E. Costa, Neuropsycholpharmacology, 2, 167-174 (1989)].
In general EAA agonists are potent convulsants in animal models. Additionally, AMPA, KA and the endogenous NMDA agonist, quinoline acid (QUIN) and the mixed ionotropic/metabotropic agonist ibotenic acid have been used to produce laboratory models of neurodegenerative disorders [K. Biziere, J. T. Slevin, R. Zaczek, J. S. Collins and J. T. Coyle. In H. Yoshida, Y. Hagihara and S. Ebashi (eds.), "Advances in Pharmacology and Therapeutics," New York: Pergamon 271-276 (1982); R. Schwarcz, E. O. Whetsell and R. M. Mango, Science, 219, 316-318 (1983)]. It has been suggested for some time that a dysfunction in EAA neurotransmission may contribute to the neuropathology associated with the epilepsies and neurodegenerative conditions [B. Meldrum and M. Williams (eds.), "Current and Future Trends in Anticonvulsant, Anxiety and Stroke Therapy," Liss, New York: Wiley (1990)],
The development of selective NMDA antagonists has further expanded the understanding of EAA neurotransmission, physiology and pathophysiology in the mammalian brain. In particular, substantial preclinical evidence is now available suggesting the NMDA receptor antagonists may be useful as anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antiemetics, antipsychotics or muscle relaxants, and that these compounds may prevent or reduce neuronal damage in instances of cerebral ischemia, hypoxia, hypoglycemia or trauma [R. P. Simon, J. H. Swan, T. Griffiths and B. S. Meldru, Science, 226, 850-852 (1984); D. N. Stephens, B. S. Meldrum, R. Weidman, C. Schneider and M. Grutzner, Psychopharmacology, 90, 166-169 (1986); D. Lodge and G. L. Collinridge (eds.) "The Pharmacology of Excitatory Amino Acids," Elsevier Trends Journals, Cambridge, U.K. (1991); A. I. Fader, J. A. Ellison and L. J. Noble, Eur. J. Pharmacol., 175, 165-174 (1990)].
Given the broad therapeutic potential of EAA antagonists, it is not surprising that efforts have been initiated to identify antagonist compounds. The advent of potent and selective antagonists of EAAs exemplified by .alpha.-amino-.omega.-phosphonoalkylcarboxylic acids has been provided a point of departure for the pharmacologic intervention of EAA action at their receptors [J. C. Watkins, Can. J. Physiology Pharmacol., 69, 1064-1075 (1991)]. While there has been substantial success in finding competitive and non-competitive antagonists of non-NMDA receptors, there are few reports of potent and selective antagonists of KA or AMPA-type EAA receptors [J. C. Watkins, P. Krogsgaard-Larsen and T. Honore, In D. Lodge and G. L. Collinridge (eds.), "The Pharmacology of Excitatory Amino Acids," Elsevier Trends Journals, Cambridge, U.K., 4-12 (1991); M. J. Sheardown, E. O. Nielson, A. J. Hansen, P. Jacobsen and T. Honore, Science, 247, 571-573 (1990); A. Frasden, J. Drejer and A. Shousboe, J. Neurochem., 53, 297-300 (1989)]. Identification of such antagonists is important since these agents are expected to share many of the potential therapeutic actions of antagonists of NMDA-type EAA receptors.
Other related compounds having NMDA antagonist activity have been reported in Rzeszotarski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,899. In particular, Rzeszotarski et al. disclose potent and selective EAA neurotransmitter receptor antagonists having the general formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, halogen, amino, nitro, trifluoromethyl or cyano, or taken together are --CH.dbd.CH--CH.dbd.CH--; n and m=0, 1, 2, or 3; and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and the 2-acetamido-2-carboethoxy esters thereof. Rzeszotarski et al. also disclose specific compounds, including 2-amino-3-[2-(2-phosphonoethyl) phenyl]propanoic acid, 2-amino-3-[2-(3-phosphonopropyl) phenyl]pentanoic acid, 2-amino-5-[2-phosphonomethylphenyl]pentanoic acid, and 2-amino-3-[2-phosphonomethylphenyl]propanoic acid which are disclosed as antagonists of NMDA and show very low binding affinity for kainate receptors; see Table I on column 13. The valuable pharmacological properties of the present new compounds are particularly surprising in view of the compounds disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,899.

Phosphonoalkylquinolin-2-ones as novel antagonists of non-NMDA ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors


In an embodiment of the invention, the voice coil of an electro dynamic transducer is protected against thermal overload by estimating the temperature of a magnet in the electro dynamic transducer. When a power limit based on the temperature of the magnet and on a predetermined voice coil temperature limit is reached by an audio signal, the power applied to the voice coil is reduced.

Loudspeakers used in compact and portable devices require significant design compromises that may lead to suboptimal sound quality and loudness. A loudspeaker used in a compact device (e.g. a cellular phone, an electronic tablet, a laptop computer, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a media player etc.) is usually small. As a result, the sensitivity of the loudspeaker can be low and the diaphragm on the loudspeaker can have a limited range of motion. Often loudspeakers are overdriven in order to obtain the loudness needed to hear the audio signal coming from it.
Overdriving a loudspeaker can cause a magnet and a voice coil in the loudspeaker to overheat because of the additional current needed to overdrive the speaker. Overheating the magnet in a loudspeaker can cause permanent damage to a loudspeaker. For example, overheating can change the shape of the diaphragm of the loudspeaker. A loudspeaker where the diaphragm has changed shape from its original form distorts sound coming from the loudspeaker.
In addition to changing the shape of the diaphragm, overheating a magnet and a voice coil in a loudspeaker can cause the glue holding the voice coil to the driver to melt. When the glue melts it can cause the voice coil to separate from the driver rending the loudspeaker inoperable. Overheating the magnet and the voice coil can also cause the solder connecting an amplifier to the voice coil to melt, disconnecting the loudspeaker from the amplifier.
Loudspeakers used in compact devices are relatively cheap. However, damage to a loudspeaker in a compact device may cause a return of the entire device. In order to reduce the damage done to loudspeakers and improve the loudness and quality of the loudspeakers, the power applied to a loudspeaker needs to be controlled to reduce overheating of the voice coil in a loudspeaker.

Thermal control of voice coils in loudspeakers


Embodiments described herein are directed to generating a subset aggregate document from an existing aggregate document. Data pages in an existing aggregate document that satisfy node selection criteria are identified. An aggregate document slice is created that includes the data pages that satisfy the node selection criteria. Connections between the data pages from the existing aggregate document to the aggregate document slice are imported to form at least one continuous path with the data pages.

1. Technical Field
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to generating an aggregate document slice from an existing aggregate document in a computing environment.
2. Brief Discussion of Related Art
Networks, such as intranets and the Internet, give people access to vast amounts of networked documents from different sources. Recently, the notion of aggregate documents has been introduced. An aggregate document can be generated using a collection of separate individual documents from different sources (e.g., source documents). One or more pages of the source documents can be included as an ordered sequence of data pages or sub-documents in the aggregate document.
An aggregate document can be represented as a content trail, where each subdocument or data page in the aggregate document can be a node in the trail. Users can "walk" the trail by following nodes of the trail along a path defined by relationships between the nodes. A trail can be displayed as a map of the connections between nodes, giving users a quick view of the high level structure of the aggregate document and the possible pathways users can take through the trail to discover information about topics included in the aggregate document. For example, a content trail can be displayed as a directed graph. As the number of subdocuments or data pages increases in the aggregate document, the map can become increasingly complex and difficult to interpret.
For example, an aggregate document constructed for the purpose of organizing research materials for a graduate thesis could grow quite large and have numerous subtopics resulting in complex relationships forming complex patterns and/or pathways. Comprehending the context of the different nodes and the paths through the subtopics can become difficult. Even with zoom and pan capabilities, focusing on only the portions of the map of the content trail corresponding to the aggregate document a user considers relevant at a given time can be a challenge.
A sample of a moderately complex content trail 800 is shown in FIG. 8. Although there are only 35 nodes 802 and few branches, the trail 800 has become almost unmanageable. This management problem is of comprehension, or in selecting which portions are most interesting. If a user wished to walk a designated default path from start to finish in their browser, it would be a simple process. Likewise, exporting the entire aggregate document represented by the trail to a single printable format would be no harder than for any other trail. However, in both the following and printing cases, the users would be forced to accept the content and organization of the whole and sift through it for the parts meaningful to them afterwards, leading to a prototypical case of information overload.

Generating a subset aggregate document from an existing aggregate document


An image pick-up apparatus includes a lens module, a base plate, and an image sensor. The lens module includes a lens barrel and an optical lens received in the lens barrel. The base plate has two opposite surfaces and a rectangular through hole defined between the two surfaces. The image sensor is fixed to the base plate. The image sensor has a top surface facing the lens module. The top surface includes a rectangular exposed portion in the through hole. The exposed portion includes a rectangular optically effective region configured for capturing images. A distance between neighboring long sides of the optically effective region and the exposed portion being greater than 0.47 times of a length of the through hole, and a distance between the neighboring short sides of the optically effective region and the exposed portion being greater than 0.27 times of the length.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an image pick-up apparatus having a lens module and an image sensor.
2. Description of Related Art
Image pick-up apparatuses are used in a variety of consumer electronic devices, such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular telephones. An image pick-up apparatus includes a lens module, a base plate, and an image sensor mounted on the base plate. The lens module includes a lens barrel and a number of lenses received in the lens barrel. The base plate is fixed to an end of the lens barrel, and defines a through hole for exposing an optically effective region of the image sensor and allowing light to be transmitted from the lens module onto the effective region of the image sensor. An inner wall of the base plate adjacent to the through hole may reflect light back onto the effective region of the image sensor, which may cause glare during image capture.
Therefore, there is a need for an image pick-up apparatus to overcome the above mentioned limitations.


The present invention provides a furniture assembly that includes rods and connection members, and that can be fully assembled without using tools or additional hardware. In one embodiment, the rods include a threaded end and an unthreaded end, and the connection members include an interior member and an exterior member, where the interior member and exterior member may be separate or of unitary construction. The exterior member includes unthreaded apertures for receiving the rods and the interior member includes an unthreaded aperture and a threaded aperture, also for receiving the rods. The rods and connection members are interconnected and gradually tightened to provide a stable furniture frame. Multi-level framing and methods of assembly are also provided. In an alternate embodiment, a connector assembly is provided for securing a plurality of rods within a connector using a leg threaded into the connector obliquely to a plane occupied by the rods.

Existing furniture framing assemblies typically utilize at least one hardware item, such as a nail, screw, nit or bolt at a corner position or at a connection point, thereby requiring the person assembling the furniture item to utilize some type of tool to assembly the item. Therefore, the person assembling the furniture must find a proper tool to perform the assembly. A more frustrating case exists where the furniture item to be assembled is packaged with one or more missing hardware components. For example, many people have faced the frustration associated with buying a disassembled furniture item, only to find that it is missing hardware, such as a screw, bolt, or nut, and have had to either find a substitute hardware piece or return the furniture item to the retailer for a refund or replacement. Accordingly, there is a need for an assembly whose component pieces can be assembled by a person without having to resort to finding a tool that fits a specific screw or bolt that comes with the assembly, or otherwise find a substitute piece of hardware for a missing piece.
In view of the above, there is a long felt but unsolved need for furniture connection devices and methods for the same that avoid the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art and that are versatile in potential uses while being relatively simple to assemble.

Furniture framing assembly and method of use


The present invention relates to a trap (10) for bed bugs (2) comprising an inner element (20) having an outer surface (24) delimited by a first base (22) and a first top (26), and an outer element (80) being hollow and having a second base (86) and a second top (88) delimiting an inner surface (84). The outer element is positioned around the inner element with the second top adjacent the first top and the second base adjacent the first base, whereby a tapering space (12), tapering towards the first top, is defined between the outer surface of the inner element and the inner surface of the outer element. The tapering space is accessible to bed bugs crawling on the outer surface of the inner element through a base opening defined between the outer surface of the inner element and the second base. An adhesive (6) is provided on at least part of the inner surface of the outer element for adhering to the dorsal side (4) of a bed bug crawling on the outer surface of the inner element. The invention further relates to a method of detecting and/or trapping bed bugs.

Insect infestation of human habitats has been on the increase in recent years. One reason for this increase is the development of resistant insect species (although this differs from region to region) to prevalent extermination methods. By way of example, the population of bed bugs, having been almost eradicated in the developed world in the 1940s, has slowly been recovering since then. Moreover, the recovery has accelerated since mid-1990s.
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius, Cimex hemipterus) are wingless insects with exoskeleton, the size and shape of an apple seed. They favor tight and dark spaces. Consequently, they prefer to hide in beds and crevices and cracks in floor/walls and behind skirting-boards. They feed on blood, are active at night and bite any areas of exposed skin. A number of adverse health effects may occur due to bed bug bites, including skin rashes, allergic reactions and/or mental distress. Obviously, above-mentioned rise in population has contributed to increase in bed bug bites and related conditions.
Several methods of combatting insect infestation in general, and that of bed bugs in particular, are known in the art.
One way to address said problem is to subject, for a determined period of time, the infested area to a temperature, either high or low, that is injurious to bed bugs. Accordingly, to kill adult bed bugs as well as laid eggs, said area needs to be heated to 60° C. for one hour or be kept below −18° C. for at least 48 hours.
Another frequently used method for combatting bed bugs is to spread diatomaceous earth (DE) in powder form on the floor and/or along or behind skirting-boards of the room. Once the bed bug comes into contact with DE, sharp micrometer-sized pieces of DE absorb the wax layer on the bed bugs. This starts an irreversible dehydrating process in the bed bug eventually leading to its death. This method may also be used in combatting other insects having similar properties and behavioral patterns.
Still other methods propose the use of different kinds of traps designed to trap bed bugs. These traps typically are of the pit-fall type where bed bugs fall of a precipice into a container in which they are collected, one example being shown by US20090183419A1 wherein a bed bug trap comprises a cone having a top opening through which the bed bugs fall, the inner surface of the cone being covered by an adhesive. Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,792 wherein an insect trap comprises dual cones stacked on top of each other to define a passageway into the inner cone in which a bait or lure is placed and into which an insect is lured and trapped.
Despite these advancements there is still a need for further traps for trapping and detecting bed bugs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a trap for bed bugs which is simple and of low cost so that it may be used in high numbers to more securely detect the presence of, and/or trap, bed bugs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a trap for bed bugs which decreases the risk that the bed bugs detect and grow wary of the trap.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a trap for bed bugs which allows the capture of bed bugs to be easily detected.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a trap for bed bugs which can be supplied in a knock-down, unassembled or unfolded shape to be assembled by a user.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a trap for bed bugs which when used together with a lure is effective for a long time.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method of detecting and/or trapping bed bugs.


A stacked solid state solid electrolytic capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor units, a substrate unit and a package unit. The substrate unit includes a positive guiding substrate and a negative guiding substrate. The positive guiding substrate has a positive exposed end integrally extended therefrom along a first predetermined direction. The negative guiding substrate has a first negative exposed end integrally extended therefrom along a second predetermined direction, a second negative exposed end integrally extended therefrom along a third predetermined direction, and a third negative exposed end integrally extended therefrom along a fourth predetermined direction. The first, the second, the third and the fourth predetermined directions are different. The capacitor units are stacked on top of one another and disposed on the negative guiding substrate. The package unit encloses the capacitor units, one part of the positive and one part of the negative guiding substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stacked solid-state electrolytic capacitor, and more particularly, to a stacked solid-state electrolytic capacitor with multi-directional product lead frame structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Various applications of capacitors include home appliances, computer motherboards and peripherals, power supplies, communication products and automobiles. The capacitors such as solid electrolytic capacitors are mainly used to provide filtering, bypassing, rectifying, coupling, blocking or transforming function.
Because the solid electrolytic capacitor has the advantages of small size, large electrical capacity and good frequency characteristic, it can be used as a decoupling element in the power circuit of a central processing unit (CPU). In general, a plurality of capacitor elements is stacked together to form a stacked solid electrolytic capacitor with a high electrical capacity. In addition, the stacked solid electrolytic capacitor of the prior art includes a plurality of capacitor elements and a lead frame. Each capacitor element includes an anode part, a cathode part and an insulating part. The insulating part is insulated from the anode part and the cathode part. More specifically, the cathode parts of the capacitor elements are stacked on top of one another. Furthermore, conductive layers are disposed between adjacent capacitor elements so that the capacitor elements are electrically connected to one another.

Stacked solid-state electrolytic capacitor with multi-directional product lead frame structure


Techniques for improved storage in a multi-cloud computing environment are provided. For example, a system manager for a storage system comprises a client interface layer configured to provide one or more application programing interfaces for one or more clients accessing the storage system, and a client interface layer handler configured to manage the one or more application programing interfaces of the client interface layer. Further, the system manager comprises a unified storage resource interface layer configured to provide a set of application programming interfaces to enable access for the one or more clients to a storage resource layer operatively coupled to the unified storage resource interface layer. The storage resource layer comprising one or more public cloud platform-based storage resources and a blockchain manager that coordinates access to one or more enterprise-level storage resources and one or more individually-owned storage resources.

Enterprises such as corporations typically utilize a cloud computing environment to host their applications, services and data. One or more cloud platforms that are part of this environment may be within the exclusive control and management of the enterprise, and therefore are considered "private clouds." On the other hand, the cloud computing environment may include one or more cloud platforms that can be used by multiple enterprises, and are not necessarily controlled or managed by any of the multiple enterprises but rather are controlled and managed by one or more third-party cloud providers (or cloud vendors). Such cloud platforms are typically considered "public clouds." More typically, enterprises may choose to host their applications, services and data on a combination of one or more private clouds and/or one or more public clouds that form a "multi-cloud computing environment."
Cloud platforms that are part of such a multi-cloud computing environment utilize reconfigurable virtual resources operating on top of physical resources (sometimes collectively referred to herein as "cloud resources") to meet changing user needs in an efficient, flexible and cost-effective manner. For example, cloud platforms typically use various types of virtualization techniques including operating system level virtualization techniques that implement resources such as containers and/or virtual machines, logical storage units, and the like. However, significant challenges remain in the implementation of multi-cloud computing environments such as, for example, cloud vendor lock-in (e.g., inability or difficulty in utilizing another cloud provider for data storage that can lead to data silos among other data storage issues) and a lack of cross-cloud data storage capability.

Blockchain-as-a-service integrated hybrid object storage system in multi-cloud computing environment


A vehicle console assembly includes a vehicle console and a support member. The vehicle console includes first and second cup holders. Each of the cup holders has an upper opening defined by a surface of the vehicle console and a bottom portion extending downwardly in the vehicle. The bottom portions of the cup holders are spaced from each other. The support member directly couples the bottom portion of the first cup holder to the bottom portion of the second cup holder. Also, the support member is spaced apart from the surface of the vehicle console that defines the upper openings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle console assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle console assembly including a support member that couples the bottom portions of a plurality of cup holders together to improve stability of the cup holders.
2. Background Information
The passenger compartments of many vehicles include a vehicle center console that is typically positioned between the front driver's seat and the front passenger's seat. A vehicle center console typically includes a storage compartment having a lid that can be opened to access the storage compartment and closed to conceal the storage compartment. A vehicle center console also typically includes a plurality of cup holders, in particular, two cup holders that are positioned proximate to each other in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle or in a side-by-side relationship.
As known in the art, the cup holders can be formed as separate cylindrically shaped cavities in the upper panel of the vehicle center console during a molding process. Since the bottom portions of the cup holders are not secured, each of the cup holders can typically flex transversely due to the motion that occurs when a cup or bottle is being placed into or removed from either of the cup holders. The cup holders can also flex transversely when a person presses against the sides defining the cavities during, for example, cleaning of the cup holders. This transverse flexing or movement may cause the upper panel of the vehicle center console to become partially disengaged from the main body of the center console, thus adversely affecting the fit-and-finish of the center console and potentially requiring repair.


A hard mask composition, a method of forming a pattern, and a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the hard mask composition including a solvent; and an aromatic ring-containing compound, the aromatic ring-containing compound including at least one of a moiety represented by the following Chemical Formula 1 and a moiety represented by the following Chemical Formula 2:

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to a hard mask composition, a method of forming a pattern using the same, and a semiconductor integrated circuit device including the pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
In industrial fields including microelectronics manufacturing as well as microscopic structure manufacturing, e.g., micromachines, magnetoresist heads, etc., chips including many circuits with a decreased size of patterns are desirable.
An effective lithography technique is desirable for decreasing the size of patterns. Lithography affects the fabrication of a microscopic structure not only in terms of directly imaging a pattern on a predetermined substrate but also in terms of fabricating a mask typically used for such imaging.
A typical lithography process may include a process of forming a patterned resist layer by exposing a radiation-sensitive resist to an imaging radioactive ray. Then, a pattern image is obtained by developing the exposed resist layer with a development solution. A pattern is then transferred onto an underlying material by etching the material through an opening of the patterned resist layer. After the transfer of the pattern, the remaining resist layer is removed.
However, in some lithography imaging processes, the resist layer may not provide sufficient resistance to effectively transfer a predetermined pattern to the layer under the resist in the subsequent etching process.
Therefore, when, e.g., an ultrathin film resist layer is needed, when the layer (under the hard mask layer) to be etched is thick, when an etching depth is large, and/or when a particular etchant is used for the layer under the hard mask layer, a hard mask layer may be used as an intermediate layer between the resist layer and the material layer to be patterned through transfer from the patterned resist.
The hard mask layer may accommodate the pattern from the patterned resist layer and may be resistant against an etching process for transferring the pattern onto the material layer.

Hard mask composition, method of forming a pattern, and semiconductor integrated circuit device including the pattern


A boiling-water reactor plant employs a baffle that parallels the interior surface of a thermally-conductive containment wall, defining an intermediate condensate channel. When the plant turbine becomes isolated from the boiling-water reactor, the reactor is shut down and steam is released from the reactor pressure vessel to the containment. Steam rises through an opening at the top of the baffle, allowing some of the steam to condense on the interior surface of the containment. Condensate then flows into the channel, which is dimensioned so that noncondensable gases are dragged into the channel along with the condensate. This minimizes thermal insulation due to the noncondensables and enhances the transfer of heat from the containment. Furthermore, the noncondensable gases are dragged at a sufficient velocity to induce turbulence. The resulting mixing of condensate flow layers further improves heat transfer to the containment wall.

The present invention relates to nuclear reactor plants and, more particularly, to a plant depressurization system. A major objective of the present invention is to provide for simple and reliable handling of steam generated during a plant shutdown.
In a nuclear reactor, heat is generated by fissioning within a reactor core. In a boiling-water reactor (BWR), this heat is used to boil water circulating within a reactor pressure vessel enclosing the core. The steam so generated can be used to drive a turbine, which in turn can drive a generator to produce electricity.
Under certain exigencies, the turbine can become decoupled from the reactor. In response to this decoupling, control rods are automatically fully inserted to minimize further fissioning and, thus, heat generation. Heat already generated in the core continues to boil water, which no longer is condensed by the transfer of energy to the turbine. Pressure due to the accumulating steam is relieved by releasing steam from the reactor pressure vessel via a piped connection to the wetwell in the containment where the released steam is condensed.
After the control rods are fully inserted, fissioning falls to about 1% of reactor power within three hours and to about 0.5% within one day. To prevent core overheating, coolant released to the containment is replenished by water delivered from a gravity-driven cooling system (GDCS).
It is economically undesirable to build a wetwell structure large enough to handle all the steam that can be generated by decay heat over a period of days. Instead, a reactor plant is designed so that, so far as is possible, the heat is removed from the containment, relieving the pressure buildup. In existing reactor plant designs, this is done by cooling the wetwell using heat exchangers and pumps. In newer passive designs the use of pumps is not desired and excessive pressure buildup and consequent failure of the containment must be prevented even in the absence of electrical power to drive the pumps.
One option is to condense the steam on steel containment walls. This process can be facilitated by spilling water on the exterior of the containment walls. However, in addition to condensable steam, the wetwell contains noncondensable gases, such as nitrogen, that fill the drywell before the isolation event. The noncondensable gases can accumulate near containment walls, inhibiting heat transfer from steam to the walls, thus limiting condensation. Moreover, the surface area required for adequate pressure relief results in a huge containment structure. A huge containment structure is more costly and is more subject to defects than a more compact structure. Thus, an approach to pressure relief is required that permits a more compact structure.
A more economical approach is to duct released steam from the reactor vessel to an isolation condenser. A typical isolation condenser is a heat exchanger including a multitude of small-diameter tubes submerged in a pool of water. As steam flows through these tubes, heat is transferred from the steam through the tube walls to the condenser pool. Once the condenser pool boils, the steam so generated can be vented to the environment since it contains no radioactive material. Isolation condensers are also subject to the insulating effects of noncondensable gases, but proper design can lead to the evacuation of the noncondensable gases from the tubes, facilitating heat transfer and steam condensation.
A concern with the use of isolation condensers is that the relatively thin condenser tube walls become, in effect, a weak link in the primary system boundary, as the condenser is normally connected to the reactor vessel and is at full reactor pressure. Failure of the thin condenser walls will lead not only to a slow depressurization of the reactor vessel but also forms a direct pathway for radioactive products in the vessel to the environment, thereby bypassing the containment.
In addition, an isolation condenser presents a complex structure that must be periodically maintained. Preferably, the isolation condensers are made compact to permit their removal for repair. This poses serious problems on the flow stability of the exterior side of the condenser. The isolation condenser will thus be designed to have a minimum surface area, in order to reduce the probability for leakage. This is achieved in limiting the design to handle the heat load only at full pressure (7 MPa) of the vessel and with no noncondensables present. The conditions are quite different after the failure of systems or lines connected to the reactor vessel or of the reactor vessel itself. Steam and/or hot water will then be released into the drywell in the containment that surrounds the reactor vessel and the attached systems. The volume of the wetwell is however not sufficient to handle all the steam that can be generated by decay heat over a period of days. Accordingly, an effective and economical steam pressure relief system is required which addresses the insulating effects of noncondensable gases, maintains a secure containment boundary, and permits convenient inspection and repair.

Nuclear reactor plant with containment depressurization


A disposable attachment for reciprocably mounting a dental tool and being mounted to a conventional handpiece which provides the drive for the tool. The attachment includes a plastic housing having a neck and sleeve to rotatably mount a shaft which is driven by a dental handpiece and a head which mounts a plastic socket to be reciprocated by a shaft eccentric extended into an annular groove in the socket. A rotational restrainer is provided in the socket groove to permit rotation of the tool which is friction fitted in the socket while a force external to the attachment is exerted on the tool but otherwise retain the tool in a fixed angular relationship relative to the head as the socket is reciprocated. The attachment housing, socket and rotational restrainer are made of plastic while in one embodiment the attachment shaft is also made of plastic.

This invention relates to disposable dental apparatus that is particularly adapted for cleaning and carrying out other treatments of the surfaces of the interproximal human teeth.
Rotary tools such as rubber cups or brushes have been used for removing pellicle, plaque and accretions from teeth. Such rotary tools are very good for removing such material from buccal and lingual surfaces of teeth but only reach part way into the interproximal surfaces of the teeth. It is known in the prior art to provide dental apparatus for reciprocating dental tools for cleaning, polishing, removing plaque and carrying out other types of treatment of teeth, for example see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,977, 4,976,625 and 4,954,082 to Weissman; 3,552,022 to Axelsson; and 4,526,541 to Hubschmid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,653 to Edwardson discloses dental apparatus for vibrating a dental tool. In order to provide improved apparatus for carrying out various dental operations on teeth, particularly for removing material from interproximal surfaces of teeth, and such apparatus is of a disposable type, this invention has been made.


A position calculating method comprising: receiving a positioning signal; and performing a position calculating operation using the received positioning signal, the position calculating operation being a operation based on a given probability distribution model having at least a variation in previous operation result as a random variable.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a position calculating method and a position calculating device.
2. Related Art
A global positioning system (GPS) is widely known as a positioning system using a positioning signal and is used for a position calculating device built in a mobile phone, a car navigation apparatus, and the like. In the GPS, a position calculating operation of acquiring a position coordinate and a clock error of the position calculating device is performed on the basis of information such as positions of plural GPS satellites or a pseudo-range from the respective GPS satellites to the position calculating device.
As the position calculating operation using a satellite positioning system, a position calculating operation using a so-called least-square method of minimizing the square of an error (hereinafter, referred to as a "pseudo-range error") included in the pseudo-range measured using signals received from plural positioning satellites is known (for example, see JP-A-2009-97897).
Regarding the above-mentioned position calculating operation, the position calculating operation using the least-square method or the like is generally performed individually for each time (hereinafter, referred to as an "operation time") to perform the position calculating operation. Accordingly, for example, when a large error is instantaneously infiltrated into the measured pseudo-range, there is a disadvantage that the accuracy of the position calculating operation at that time is rapidly lowered, but there is an advantage that the rapidly-lowered accuracy does not affect the subsequent position calculating operation. However, the occurrence of a so-called position jump that a position greatly separated from the true position is instantaneously obtained as the operation result may cause a serious problem in some cases.

Position calculating method and position calculating device


The present invention provides a method for treating cardiovascular ailments. The method involves first screening an individual to determine their risk of having the potential for unstable plaques. Such individuals can be selected by looking at one of the following criteria: (i) increased plaque neovascularization, (ii) area ratio of intima to wall area of a plaque, (iii) evidence of plaque hemorrhage, or (iv) inflammatory cells associated with plaque vessels. Looking at these criteria permits one to select individuals having the potential for unstable plaques. The method then involves treating the selected individual with an effective amount of an angiogenesis inhibitor.

The present invention is directed to a method for treatment of cardiovascular injuries where plaque formation is present. The method involves administering an angiogenesis inhibitor to the plaque.
Cardiovascular ailments are a significant problem in society. Individuals afflicted with them can have decreased mobility, can require prolonged administration of drugs and the conditions can lead to death. These ailments can include atherosclerosis, restenosis, thrombosis, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, stroke, and other diseases.
Atherosclerosis is a common form of arteriosclerosis that results from the development of an intimal lesion and subsequent narrowing of the vessel lumen. As the lesions increase in size, they reduce the diameter of the arteries and impede blood circulation. The formation of the atherosclerotic lesion is typically classified in five overlapping stagesxe2x80x94(1) migration of smooth muscle cells, (2) lipid accumulation, (3) recruitment of inflammatory cells, (4) proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and (5) extracellular matrix deposition. In a healthy vessel, the vast majority of the smooth muscle cells are contained in the vessel media. As lesions develop, smooth muscle cells migrate from the media to the intima of the vessel. Although smooth muscle cells in healthy vessel walls do not significantly accumulate lipid, the intimal smooth muscle cells have an increased capacity for lipid uptake and storage. One model of lesion progression proposes that macrophages are attracted to the lipid accumulating in the lesions in order to remove the lipid from the vessel wall. Moreover, the intimal smooth muscle cell accumulation is typically accompanied by medial thinning. These lesions are also rich in extracellular matrix deposition, particularly collagen fibers.
In some advanced lesions, new capillaries grow into the inner intimal layer of the plaque. The vasa vasorum are small nutrient arteries and veins found in the media and adventitia of larger blood vessels. In vessels containing artherosclerotic lesions, this microvascular network can become more abundant and extend into the intima (sometimes referred to here as plaque vessels or intimal vessels).
There are presently a number of methods for treating atherosclerosis, which include both surgical and medical treatment. The therapy that is presently preferred is percutaneous translumenal coronary angioplasty (xe2x80x9cPTCAxe2x80x9d, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cballoon angioplastyxe2x80x9d). In this procedure, a catheter equipped with an inflatable balloon is threaded intravascularly to the site of the atherosclerotic narrowing of the vessel. By inflating the balloon, the plaque enlarging the vessel is compressed, thereby reducing the obstruction and improving coronary flow. Thus, this procedure is widely used in patients with coronary artery disease, particularly to relieve myocardial ischemia.
While the initial success appears high, complications can frequently develop. For example, stenosis following this procedure remains a significant problem with a significant number of patients, in some studies up to one-third of the patients, developing restenosis within one to three months.
Restenosis refers to the renarrowing of an artery after initially successful angioplasty. Restenosis of the blood vessel is thought to be due to injury to the endothelial cells of the blood vessel during angioplasty or during the inflation of the balloon catheter. During recovery after surgery, smooth muscle cells proliferate faster than endothelial cells narrowing the lumen of the blood vessel and narrowing the atherosclerotic process anew. Accordingly, in recent years such smooth muscle cell proliferation has been recognized as a major clinical problem limiting the effectiveness of percutaneous translumenal coronary angioplasty.
There have been numerous attempts to deal with this problem. For example, using a double balloon catheter for regional delivery of a therapeutic agent at the angioplasty site, such as heparin. Another approach has been to place endovascular stents in the dilated segments to mechanically block abrupt closure and restenosis. However, the use of such stents is limited by direct (subacute thrombosis) or indirect (bleeding, peripheral vascular complications) complications. Other approaches include treating the patient with anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agents during the recovery period.
Recently the use of angiogenic agents has been proposed to assist in recovery. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,879. This patent teaches that by using an angiogenic agent, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), smooth muscle cell proliferation is indirectly inhibited by the agent, directly facilitating reendothelization of the injured vessel. Angiogenic agents have also been proposed for treatment of other vascular problems. However, the long-term prognosis of the patients treated by this approach is not known. For example, published studies have demonstrated that delivery of endothelial cell growth factors, such as VEGF and members of the FGF family (FGF-1, FGF-2), to the vessel wall have been accompanied by increased intimal thickening at the site of vascular balloon injury. (Lazarous, D. F., Circulation 94: 1074-82, 1996; Nabel, E. G., Nature 362: 844-6, 1993). Accordingly, the need for other methods to reduce problems associated with artherosclerosis and angiogenesis remain. In addition, patients with current malignancies and retinal neovascularization are currently ineligible for treatments with angiogenic agents, but may be appropriate candidates to receive angiogenesis inhibitors.
We have now discovered that by delivering angiogenesis inhibitors to patients having coronary diseases where there is an increase in plaque vessels, we can inhibit plaque growth and reduce intimal neovascularization and inhibit lesion severity.
The angiogenesis inhibitor can be delivered by using the agent itself or a nucleic acid segment encoding the appropriate agent. The angiogenesis inhibitor can be selected from the group consisting of fumagillin derivatives such as O-chloracetyl-carbamoylfumagillol (sometimes called AGM-1470 or TNP-470), endostatin (a C terminal 20 kd fragment of the basement membrane protein Collagen XVIII; Ingber, B., et al., Nature 348: 555-7, 1990; Boehm, T., et al., Nature 390, 404-7, 1997; O""Reilly, M. S., et al., Cell 88: 277-85, 1997), angiostatin, platelet factor 4, vasostatin, interferon-xcex1 and -xcex2 (IFN), thalidomide, thrombospondin peptides, etc. TNP-470 and endostatin are preferred.
In this method one selects an individual showing signs of a coronary vascular problem such as formation of an atherosclerotic lesion. Preferably one screens the individual for an assessment of plaque vessel growth, unstable clinical symptoms, or evidence of increased neovascularization in atherosclerotic lesions. We have found that it is the unstable plaque vessels that can cause the greatest trauma to the individual. The plaques can be determined by looking at the degree of neovascularization or evidence of intramural hemorrhage or for the presence of inflammatory cells. We believe capillaries in the intimal layer of atherosclerotic lesions are permeable and mechanically weak, which predisposes them to bleed. The degree of neovascularization in atherosclerotic lesions is correlated with areas of high inflammatory cell content. Areas of inflammatory cells in some lesions are sites of mechanical weakness and correspond to sites of plaque rupture, which trigger thrombosis in the artery and give rise to heart attacks, strokes and vascular occlusion (Burke, A. P., New Engl. J. Med. 336:1276-82,1997).
Although the capillaries within atherosclerotic lesions are too small to be detected by conventional angiography, the detection of intimal neovascularization in atherosclerotic lesions may be accomplished by known methods such as magnetic resonance imaging with contrast agents that show enhancement in tissues with increased perfusion and permeability; nuclear scintigraphy of lesions that show accumulation of technetium-99m labeled agents that target endothelial cells and/or inflammatory cells in lesions; and by intravascular, duplex, and conventional ultrasound used in conjunction with blood contrast agents (Vallabhajosula, S., J., Nuclear Med 38: 1788-96, 1997). Newly developed technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and infrared or rahman spectroscopy can be enhanced to detect target molecules associated with the endothelial cells that comprise plaque neovascularization or evidence of hemorrhage around the neovascularization in the plaque.
Looking at plaque thickness is an alternative for screening for unstable plaques. In our studies, we found that increased plaque thickness beyond 250 microns, or about 0.3 mm thickness, was associated with a 9-fold increased prevalence of intimal neovascularization in atherosclerotic lesions in mice. This dimension is observed in human atherosclerotic lesions also (Geiringer, E., J. Pathol. Bact. 63: 210-11, 1951). Another criteria is measuring the intima area to total wall area of the plaque, by intravascular ultrasound for example. If the area ratio is at least 0.4, preferably about 0.5, more preferable 0.54 or greater, then the plaque is considered potentially unstable and the individual is selected for treatment.
After an individual is selected, the individual is treated by administration of the angiogenesis inhibitor. In one embodiment one administers a nucleic acid sequence encoding an angiogenesis inhibitor, instead of the agent.
The plaque may be contacted with the agent by any means of administration. For example, subcutaneous injection of the agent, oral administration, or injection by a catheter or needle. One preferred method is by use of standard catheter delivery systems to bring the agent to the general region where the plaque is present. These methods include use of balloon catheter, porous balloon catheter, and a hydrophilic polymer coated balloon such as a hydrogel polymer coated balloon.
The term xe2x80x9ceffective amountxe2x80x9d means the amount necessary on the part of the agent or the nucleic acid delivered to the plaque cells in the lesion to inhibit plaque growth.

Method of treatment of cardiovascular injuries


A pyroelectric sensor array is attachable on a circuit board. The pyroelectric sensor array comprises a pyroelectric board and a plurality of pyroelectric elements formed on the pyroelectric board. The pyroelectric board has a connection surface configured to be placed on the circuit board. The pyroelectric elements contains a peripheral pyroelectric element arranged at a peripheral portion of the pyroelectric board in a predetermined arranging direction and a central pyroelectric element arranged at a central portion of the pyroelectric board. Each of the pyroelectric elements has two adjacent connection electrodes formed on the connection surface. An electrostatic capacity between the two connection electrodes of the peripheral pyroelectric element is larger than an electrostatic capacity between the two connection electrodes of the central pyroelectric element.

This type of pyroelectric infrared detection device generally comprises a circuit board and a pyroelectric sensor array mounted on the circuit board. The pyroelectric sensor array consists of a pyroelectric board and a plurality of pyroelectric sensors (pyroelectric elements) formed on the pyroelectric board. As for thus configured pyroelectric infrared detection device, infrared detection sensitivities of the pyroelectric elements might vary according to an arrangement of the pyroelectric elements.
For example, according to Patent Document 1, as compared with a heat generated by an infrared light in an infrared sensor element (pyroelectric element) arranged in the vicinity of an end of a pyroelectric board, a heat generated in an infrared sensor element arranged in the vicinity of the center of a pyroelectric board is easily dissipated (i.e. a thermal resistance tends to be lowered). Accordingly, detection sensitivities of the infrared sensor elements may vary. According to Patent Document 1, the infrared sensor element and the circuit board are connected with each other by a solder bump. It is possible to adjust the variation of the thermal resistance by forming a size of a cross-section of the solder bump in the vicinity of the end of the pyroelectric board to be different from a size of the cross-section of the solder bump in the vicinity of the center of the pyroelectric board. It is therefore possible to reduce the variation of the detection sensitivity.

Pyroelectric sensor array and pyroelectric infrared detection device