A poly-silicon thin film transistor array substrate includes a gate line and a gate electrode over a substrate, a semiconductor layer having source/drain regions doped with impurity ions, a data line crossing the gate line, and source/drain electrodes connected to the source/drain regions, and a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode, wherein the semiconductor layer is poly-silicon except for a amorphous silicon region below the gate line.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a poly-silicon thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Active matrix liquid crystal display (AM-LCDs) devices are flat panel display devices widely utilized in a variety of applications, such as notebook computers, private mobile communication terminals, television (TV) sets and aircraft monitors. AM-LCDs have characteristics of low-driving voltage, full color rendering, compact size, thin profile, and lightweight due in part to the use of thin film transistors (TFTs) as switching devices. Thin film transistors (TFTs) can be broadly divided into TFTs using amorphous semiconductor films, such as amorphous silicon (a-Si), and TFTs using polycrystalline semiconductor films as an active semiconductor layer. Examples of polycrystalline silicon are poly-silicon (Poly-Si) and microcrystalline silicon (μ c-Si).
Semiconductors made of polycrystalline silicon have a carrier mobility that is 10 to 100 times greater than that of semiconductors made of amorphous silicon, so as to have excellent characteristics as an active layer for a switching device. Because the thin film transistors (TFTs) utilizing polycrystalline silicon in an active semiconductor layer can achieve high-speed operation, various logic circuits, such as CMOS-TFT (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor TFT), EPROM (Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) RAM (Random Access Memory), driving circuits of liquid crystal display (LCD) devices and driving circuits of electroluminescent display (ELD) devices use polycrystalline silicon TFTs as switching devices. The LCD device generally includes a TFT array substrate having a thin film transistor (TFT) for selective application of signals to a pixel electrode and a storage to ensure that the pixel region is maintained in the charged state until the unit pixel region is addressed by a next signal, a color filter layer array substrate having a color filter layer for realization of desired colors, a layer of liquid crystal molecules interposed between the TFT array substrate and the color filter layer array substrate, and a driving circuit for driving various elements on the two array substrates to display an image in response to external signals.
FIG. 1 is a process flow chart showing the fabrication sequence of a poly-silicon TFT array substrate according to the related art. FIGS. 2A to 2E are cross-sectional views of the process for forming a poly-silicon TFT array substrate according to the related art. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the related art poly-silicon TFT array substrate.
As shown in FIG. 2A, a buffer layer 12 of silicon dioxide (SiO2) is formed over a surface of an insulating substrate 11 using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The PECVD method is based on the principle in which plasma-excited electrons collide with gaseous compounds introduced in a neutral state to decompose the gaseous compounds. The decomposed gaseous compounds are recombined to form a thin film by assistance of the reaction between the thus-formed gas ions and the thermal energy supplied from the gas. Thereafter, a poly-silicon layer 22 is formed over the surface of the buffer layer 12 using the PECVD method or the like, as described in step S11 of FIG. 1.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the poly-silicon layer 22 is patterned to form a semiconductor layer 13 by photolithography, and an inorganic material SiO2 is then deposited on the surface of the semiconductor layer 13 to form a gate insulating layer 14. Next, a low-resistance metal layer is deposited on the gate insulating layer 14 and is then patterned to form a gate line having a gate electrode 15a in one direction, as described in step S12 of FIG. 1. The gate electrode 15a is formed of one of a single metal layer of aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu), and a double metal layer having a metal stack of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), chromium (Cr) or platinum (Pt) on an aluminum (Al) layer. The gate electrode 15a overlaps a predetermined region of the semiconductor layer 13.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, a high concentration of n-type impurity ions is doped into the semiconductor layer 13 using the gate electrode 15a as a mask to form source/drain regions 13a and 13b, as described in step S14 of FIG. 1. The semiconductor layer 13 between the source region 13a and the drain region 13b in which the impurity ions are not doped due to the shielding by the gate electrode 15a becomes a channel layer 13b.
Then, as shown in FIG. 2D, an inorganic material such as SiO2 is deposited over the surface of the semiconductor layer 13, including the gate electrode 15a, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), thereby forming an interlayer dielectric layer 16, as described in step S14 of FIG. 1.
Next, the surface of the semiconductor layer 13 is subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA), laser beam irradiation using excimer laser, or thermal annealing inside a furnace, thereby activating the semiconductor layer 13, as described in step S115 of FIG. 1. After the activation process, the gate insulating layer 14 and the interlayer dielectric layer 16 are etched to expose the source/drain regions 13a and 13b, thereby forming first contact holes 20a and 20b. To etch the gate insulating layer 14 and the interlayer dielectric layer 16, dry etching is commonly carried out.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2E, a low-resistance metal layer is deposited on the interlayer dielectric layer 16 and is then patterned to form a data line perpendicular to the gate line and having source/drain electrodes 17a and 17b, which are in contact with the source/drain regions 13a and 13b, respectively, as described in step S16 of FIG. 1. The source/drain electrodes 17a and 17b are formed of one of a single metal layer of aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu), and a double metal layer having a metal stack of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), chromium (Cr) or platinum (Pt) on an aluminum (Al) layer. As a result of the above-described process steps, a poly-silicon thin film transistor is formed having an active semiconductor layer 13 utilizing poly-silicon.
Next, an inorganic material, such as silicon nitride (SiNx), is deposited over the poly-silicon thin film transistor, including the source/drain electrodes 17a and 17b, thereby forming a passivation layer 18, and then the substrate is heated to a range of heat resistance temperature thereof to perform a hydrogenation process, which diffuses hydrogen atoms contained in the passivation layer 18 into the polycrystalline semiconductor layer 13, as described in step S17 of FIG. 1.
Subsequently, the passivation layer 18 is selectively removed so as to expose the drain electrode 17b, thereby forming a second contact hole 40, and a pixel electrode 37 on a pixel region in such a manner that the pixel electrode 37 is in contact with the drain electrode 17b via the second contact hole 40 (S18).
The related art poly-silicon TFT array substrate and a method for fabricating the same employ an exposure mask at least 6 times for formation of a semiconductor layer, a gate line layer, first contact holes, a data line layer, a second contact hole, and a pixel electrode. Using exposure masks six times results in complicated processes that increase process time and process costs while lowering process efficiency. Further, exposure equipment is expensive. Therefore a great deal of study has been continuously made to omit process steps that involving use of the exposure equipment.
A method has been proposed which involves co-patterning of the semiconductor layer and the gate line layer by application of a diffraction exposure. When the semiconductor layer and the gate line layer are concurrently patterned by the diffraction exposure, as shown in FIG. 3, below the gate line 15 and the gate electrode 15a, the semiconductor layer 13 is disposed in the same pattern as the gate line and the gate electrode, and extends over the right/left sides of the gate electrode 15a. The semiconductor layers on the right/left sides of the gate electrode become the source and drain regions, respectively. In such a pattern, a data voltage applied to a first sub-pixel through the data line 17 should flow to be charged to a pixel electrode 19 of the first sub-pixel through a thin film transistor of the first sub-pixel (Route {circle around (1)}), but the data voltage flows to be charged through the semiconductor layer disposed below the gate line to a pixel electrode of a second sub-pixel adjacent to the first sub-pixel (Route {circle around (2)}), thereby resulting in a problem of signal distortion.

Poly-silicon thin film transistor array substrate and method for fabricating the same


A magnetic thin film memory device having information recorded in a magnetic thin film thereof by the direction of magnetization, and adapted to reproduce the recorded information on the basis of the voltage generated as a result of the change of the magnetization direction due to the extraordinary Hall effect, magnetoresistance effect or the like.. A magnetic thin film memory device in which a magnetic thin film is formed of ferrimagnetic substance having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and producing extraordinary Hall effect in the composition of RE rich and having the minimum saturation field which enables recording in a small magnetic field and is hard to be influenced by temperatures.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic thin film memory device designed to record or reproduce information in accordance with the direction of magnetization.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional magnetic thin film memory device disclosed in "Magnetic Thin Film Engineering" (p. 254, Magnetic Engineering Lecture 5; Maruzen Co., Ltd., 1977).
An example how to manufacture the memory element will be discussed in the first place. A mask with rectangular holes is brought in tight contact with a smooth glass substrate G, onto which a vacuum deposited film of Fe, Ni about 2000 .ANG. thick is formed within a vacuum apparatus. As a consequence, many magnetic thin film memory elements MF are manufactured in matrix at one time. A driving line to drive the magnetic thin film memory elements is obtained by photoetching copper strips on both surfaces of a thin epoxy resin plate or a thin polyester sheet in a manner that the strips on the one surface to be orthogonal to those on the other surface. The lines on the both surfaces are rendered word lines and digit lines, respectively, and the memory device is assembled in a manner that each crossing point of the lines is arranged to overlapped onto each memory element.
The principle of the operating of the memory element will be depicted. The lines parallel to the axis of easy magnetization in the drawing are word lines W1 through W3, while those orthogonal to the axis of easy magnetization are digit lines D1 through D3. The digit line serves also as a sense line to read the storing state of information in the memory element. The magnetization in the film is stabilized along the axis of easy magnetization corresponding to the storing state of information "0" or "1" in the memory element. Specifically, a white upward arrow in the drawing shows that information "0" is stored and a white downward arrow shows that information "1" is stored in the memory element. Supposing that magnetic fields acting to the magnetic thin film by a digit current Id and a word current Iw are respectively Hd and Hw, when the current Iw of a unipolar pulse is allowed to run by selecting the word line W1, the magnetic field Hw acts to the whole of the memory elements MF below the word line W1, and the magnetization is directed to the axis of hard magnetization. At this time, pulse voltages of the opposite polarities are induced to the digit lines D1 through D3 which become reading voltages depending on whether the magnetization is turned from the "1" state or "0" state. In recording, the digit current Id is fed as to overlap the trailing edge of the Iw pulse, and in the condition of the magnetization being directed in the axis of hard magnetization, the magnetic field Hd of the polarity corresponding to an information signal is super-imposed, thereby determining the direction of magnetization in order to record information in the "1" state or "0" state. The value of Iw is set to generate the magnetic field Hw sufficient to turn the magnetization of the magnetic thin film from the axis of easy magnetization to the axis of hard magnetization. The value of Id is set to generate the magnetic field Hd about half the coercive force Hc of the magnetic thin film.
Among the memory elements MF along the word line W1, the upper one reads "1" and writes "0", the middle one reads "0" and writes "0" and writes "1", and the lower one reads "0" and rewrites "0" after reading. As is clear from the foregoing description, since the magnetization immediately after reading is directed to the axis of hard magnetization, and it is infinite to which direction, "1" or "0", the magnetization is turned, the turning direction is determined by applying the magnetic field Hd.
In conventional reading method, since a minute electromagnetic induced voltage resulting from the rotation of the magnetization is used. Therefore, the S/N ratio at reading is so small that read-out was difficult. Moreover, since the electromagnetic induced voltage is proportional to the size of the magnetic moment, it is required to make the magnetic thin film larger to obtain a large electromagnetic induced voltage. In consequence, the magnetic field necessary for recording/reproducing is undesirably enlarged, thereby causing a hindrance to saving of power. The amount of information stored per unit area is impossible to be increased.
Meanwhile, a magnetic thin film memory device which reads information with use of the magnetoresistance effect is already known. FIG. 2 shows the principle of a magneto-resistive element disclosed in "Magnetic head and magnetic recording" (pp. 182-190, M. Matsumoto; Sogo Denshi Shuppan). In FIG. 2, a reference numeral 101 indicates a magneto-resistive element formed of a magnetized film with the axis of easy magnetization denoted by A. The magnetoresistance effect is a phenomenon that when a current I runs in the magnetoresistive element 101 to impress an external magnetic field H, thereby to change the direction of magnetization, resistance of the magnetoresistive element is changed by an angle of the direction of the current I to the direction of magnetization M corresponding to the external magnetic field H.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are a perspective view of a conventional magnetic thin film memory element and a circuit diagram of a magnetic thin film memory device using the conventional element revealed in "Reprogrammable Logic Array Using M-R Elements" (pp. 2828-2830, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 26, No. 5; Sep., 1990). In FIGS. 3 and 4, reference numerals represent respectively: 101a, 101b a magnetic thin film of permalloy or the like having the magnetoresistance effect: 102 a metallic thin film of copper, etc. sandwiched between the magnetic thin films 101a and 101b; 103 a word line for applying an external magnetic field to the magnetic thin films 101a, 101b; 111 a magnetic thin film memory element; 112 a sense line constituted of the magnetic thin films 101a, 101b and metallic thin film 102; 113 a dummy line corresponding to the sense line 112; 114 a switching element for determining the direction of a voltage to be fed to the sense line 112; 115 an autozero circuit for detecting a zero signal automatically; 116 a differential amplifier; 117 a switching element for determining the sense line 112 to be accessed; and 125 a comparative resistance on the dummy line 113. The word line 103 is formed orthogonal to a current running in the magnetic thin films 101a, 101b, and parallel to the axis of easy magnetization A of the magnetic thin films 101a, 101b.
The above magnetic thin film memory device operates in a manner as follows. First of all, the magnetoresistance effect will be explained below. As shown in FIG. 5, an external magnetic field Hex is applied in the direction of the axis of hard magnetization 151 so as to direct the magnetization 152 of the magnetic thin film 101 at an angle .theta. to the direction of the axis of easy magnetization 150. At this time, by impressing a voltage E to both ends of the magnetic thin film 101 and measuring a sensor current (i) by an ammeter 162, the relation between the direction of magnetization and current (i) becomes as indicated in a graph of FIG. 6. In other words, when the direction of magnetization 152 is parallel to the running direction of the current (here, direction along the axis of hard magnetization 151) (.theta.=.+-.90.degree.), resistance of the magnetic thin film 101 becomes maximum. On the other hand, when the direction of magnetization 152 is perpendicular to the direction of current (.theta.=0.degree.), resistance becomes minimum (the current flows most).
The operation of the magnetic thin film memory element illustrated in FIG. 3 will be described now. In recording, when a word current is allowed to run in the direction shown by an arrow, the direction of the magnetic field generated by the current is the direction of the axis of that magnetization 151 of the magnetic thin film 101, thereby to turn the direction of magnetization 152 (referring to FIG. 5) to be the direction of the axis of hard magnetization 151, if a sufficient amount of current is allowed to flow. Subsequently, a current is supplied to the sense line 112 to determine the direction of magnetization. Although the magnetic field generated by this current is reverse in direction between the magnetic thin films 101a and 101b, both are along the axis of easy magnetization 150. Therefore, the direction of magnetization can be determined by shutting off the current of the word line 103. As indicated in FIG. 7, the directions 152a, 152b of magnetization of the magnetic thin films 101a, 101b are determined by the direction of a current 163 running in the sense line 112.
Next, in reproducing, it will be discussed in conjunction with only the magnetic thin film 101a for brevity's sake with reference to FIG. 8 which is a bottom view when a smaller current than in recording is allowed to flow in the word line 103. The direction of magnetization 152a is inclined .theta., to the direction of the axis of easy magnetization 150 because of the magnetic field Hex generated by the current running in the word line 103. This fact holds true both in FIGS. 8A and 8B except that the angle .theta., is plus or minus. Then, when the current 163 is fed to the sense line 112 a magnetic field Hsf is generated by the sense line 112 as shown in FIG. 9. The direction of magnetization 152a is determined by the external magnetic field 60. An angle .theta..sub.2 of the direction of magnetization 152a to the direction of the axis of easy magnetization 150 is varied in accordance with the recorded state of magnetization, and the recorded state of magnetization can be detected as an increase or decrease of the electric resistance as shown in FIG. 6.
The operation of the memory device will be discussed with reference to FIG. 4. In recording, only the memory element 111 having both the word line 103 and the sense line 112 simultaneously turned on is driven. Although the recording state is determined by the direction of the current running in the sense line 112 as described before, the direction of the current is decided by the switching element.
In reproducing, firstly, by turning on the switching element 117 of the sense line 112 to be accessed without supplying a current to the word line 103, the potential at a connecting point x is compared with that at a connecting point Z of the dummy line 113 by the auto zero circuit 115 and the potential difference is stored therein. Thereafter, by supplying a current to the word line 103, the recording state of the element is detected according to whether the potential difference becomes larger or smaller than the stored difference.
As described before, since the memory elements 111 in the conventional magnetic thin film memory device are connected in series to the sense line 112, resistances of the memory elements 111 work in series, making the impedance of the sense line 112 larger in proportion to the number of the connecting memory elements 111. As a result, only a limited number (4 in the prior art) of memory elements can be arranged on a single sense line so as to secure the sufficient S/N ratio. Fundamentally, the signal is detected by the static resistance of the sense line 112, thus requiring the comparative resistance 125. The temperature compensation of the resistance of each memory element 111 becomes necessary, therefore the comparative resistance 125 must be formed of a magnetic thin film. As such, the prior art is disadvantageous in its complicated structure with little allowance of design.
Moreover, ferromagnetic alloy made of Ni, Fe, Co or the like used conventionally as a magnetoresistive element for read-out is magnetized thin film having horizontal magnetic anisotropy. A large external magnetic field is needed against a demagnetizing field in order to change the magnetization M in a perpendicular direction to the film surface. Therefore, the conventional magnetoresistive element is poorly low in detecting sensitivity to the magnetic field perpendicular to the film surface.


Various embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic virtual running/walking coach that notifies a person as to how hard the person's feet have been impacting a surface, notifies the person as to whether the person's feet are impacting a surface at a proper relative distance from the body and/or at a proper side-to-side angle, and/or notifies the person as to how much cushioning life remains in a pair of shoes. When the notifications are provided to the person during the running/walking activity, the person can respond by taking immediate actions to adjust the foot placement relative to the body and/or adjust the level of foot impact to an acceptable level by varying the speed, step distance, and/or posture while running/walking and/or by selecting among different available surfaces on which to run/walk. A person may also more accurately determine when a particular pair of shoes should be replaced because they no longer provide a sufficient level of cushioning to compensate for the levels of foot impact that are occurring.

Over the course of a 5-K run, the average runner strikes the ground about 3,000 times, placing ground reaction force loads of 2 to 3 times the body weight on each leg and sending shock waves through the feet, legs, spine, and elsewhere. Because of this repetitive high-impact loading, many injuries are associated with running. The injuries can include "runner's knee" (pain in the knee), Shin splints, bone stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinitis. Repetitive stress in the same tissues/bones without enough time for recovery or running with improper form can lead to such injuries.
The advice generally given to runners to attempt to avoid such injuries is to warm up before exercising, use cross training with different speeds/distances/exercises as part of an exercise routine, run-on softer surfaces, use high-quality cushioned running shoes, and to replace running shoes often. Because the cushioning provided by running shoes wears out over time, avid runners are generally advised to replace running shoes every six months. In view of the high cost of quality running shoes, runners are presented with a dilemma of balancing the replacement cost of shoes with essentially a guesstimate as to when a particular pair of running shoes no longer provides sufficient cushioning and should be replaced before injury. Once a pair of shoes is replaced, it generally is never used again for running, although it may still provide sufficient cushioning for running on softer surfaces, such as on treadmills, gravel/dirt, or grass.
Consequently, there continues to be a tremendous need for further innovation that can assist runners with avoiding preventable injuries while enabling more cost effective use of running shoes.

Circuits, systems, and methods for monitoring and reporting foot impact, foot placement, shoe life, and other running/walking characteristics


The present invention allows a user to draw a closed periphery around an amount of information on the display of a pen-based computer system. The periphery information is transmitted to the computer system by a digitizing tablet. When received by the computer system, the computer system divides the area enclosed by the periphery into a number of lines. The computer system then processes each of these lines and determines the information to erase on a given line.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to pen-based computing items. Specifically, this invention relates to a method and apparatus for erasing information from the screen of a pen-based computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the popularity of pen-based computer systems has grown, so has the need for quick and efficient methods to manipulate images on these computers"" displays. One specific type of function that can greatly enhance the functionality of a pen-based computer system is the ability to quickly and easily remove information from the display. A well-designed erase function enhances functionality by making it easy to edit and delete text and graphics from the display.
The prior art has addressed the general problem of erasing unwanted information from a computer display in a number of ways. Some prior art computer systems allow a user to select an object (e.g., an icon, a paragraph, etc.) and then command the computer system to delete that object. For example, in a word processing program, a user may be able to select an entire paragraph of text and then command the computer system to delete that text. This approach is not effective for pen-based computer systems because information is often not stored in discreet, organized sections.
Another prior art solution allows the user to convert the cursor into an electronic eraser. Information from the display can then be deleted by moving the cursor over it. However, this type of erase function does not make efficient use of the movements of the cursor, and it can be difficult to completely erase all of the information in a given area.
Yet a final prior art solution allows a user to encircle an area of information on the computer display and then mark that area for deletion. This type of erase operation is efficient from a user""s standpoint, as it tends to minimize cursor movements. However, prior art implementations of this function have involved extensive data manipulation which is not possible using the more limited processing resources of a pen-based computer system.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus for allowing a user to quickly mark an area of information on a computer system to be erased. Also, such a method and apparatus would need to make efficient use of the computer""s processing resources so it would be practical to implement on a pen-based computer system.
The present invention may be characterized as either a method or an apparatus. When characterized as a method, the present invention allows a user to draw a closed periphery around an amount of information on the display of a pen-based computer system. The periphery information is transmitted to the computer system by a digitizing tablet. When received by the computer system, the computer system divides the area enclosed by the periphery into a number of lines. The computer system then processes each of these lines and determines the information to erase in a given line.


All in one mobile computing devices and methods performed by the devices. The all in one mobile computing device includes a processor, memory, and software instructions configured to be executed on the processor to enable the mobile computing device to perform various operations. The all in one device may include various wired and wireless interfaces that enable it to communicate with a wide-range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, personal computers, smart TVs, and others. The all in one device is capable of being remotely accessed when linked in communication with a second device, and is enabled to aggregate data from various user devices and cloud-based services to create unified data resources. Data that is accessed by the device may be synched with a cloud-based storage service to enable a user to access data from across a range of devices via the all in one device. The all in one device has a form factor that is approximately the size of a credit card, yet is capable of running a full-fledged desktop operating system.

In today's ever-connected society, it is common for users to have several devices that are used for specialized purposes. For example, users typically have a smartphone for voice and electronic communication and entertainment (as well as other purposes), at least one desktop, laptop, notebook or similar type of computer for work and/or personal tasks, and may further have a tablet, netbook, or Chromebook that is used (generally) for accessing the Internet, watching videos, etc. Each of these devices provide means for connecting to the Internet and accessing data from various sources and repositories.
Software and device manufacturers have been targeting universal platforms and seamless environments, but so far have come woefully short in reaching their objectives. For example, Microsoft has been pushing for a unified platform around Windows 8 (and soon to be Windows 10) under which various classes of devices (desktop/laptop, smartphone, and tablet) share a similar user interface (UI) and provide a similar user experience (UX). The Windows 8 paradigm of using a tile-based UI that is inherently designed for use with touch-based user input has not been well-received by the business community, which is entrenched with using Microsoft productivity software applications and networking services. In particular, UI functionality, such as the start menu used in Windows 7, was stripped out of Windows 8, but added back in (with some limitations) in Windows 8.1 after a huge level of user complaints. Worse yet, for Microsoft, is the market share for Windows Phones is hovering around 2-3% in the United States, with slightly higher penetration in other markets. Microsoft's Surface tablets have a similar irrelevant market share. In view of the dominance of Android and Apple's iOS devices in the smartphone and tablet markets, it is very unlikely Microsoft will ever gain much traction in these markets. Conversely, it is likely Microsoft will continue to dominate in the business and consumer software and operating system markets.
Another aspect that is being addressed by various companies is universal access to data. This is typically facilitated via "cloud"-based data facilities, such as provided by Google (e.g., Google Docs and Google Drive), Microsoft (Office 365 and SkyDrive), Apple (iCloud), Dropbox, and others. On one hand, cloud-based data facilities provide some level of universal access to at least some user data. However, this is not without problems. Notably, you need to have access to the Internet-hosted facilities just to access the data; no Internet access means no data access. In addition, there are issues with network latencies and security concerns. While Microsoft emphasizes Office 365's ability to access documents from multiple devices, from an actual usage standpoint it is primarily being used as a subscription service for accessing Microsoft Office's productivity applications on a single device using local storage of application document data rather than using cloud-storage of the documents produced and accessed by the applications.
In addition to the foregoing, users generally prefer to have data accessed directly from their devices, a usage model under which the user has more control over their own data. First, this is what users have grown accustom to over the years, and the thought of relying on someone else to protect their data is a bit unsettling. Second, the real-time interaction provided by cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs, is less than optimal, even with a fast network connection. While Google has done a great job of implementing productivity application functionality via web pages (a daunting technical task), there is nothing like using an application running directly on your device.
Having data stored on users' devices has its own drawbacks. First, data may be stored on a different device that is currently not available to the user (e.g., left at home or at work). Second, it is very common to replicate the same data across multiple devices, wasting storage resources. For example, it is very common for iPhone and iPad users to replicate photos and videos across multiple devices, such as having the same photos on an iPhone/iPad and in iPhoto on an Apple Mac computer. While Apple has attempted to address this through the use of its iCloud service, they amount of storage space occupied by the photos in videos typically exceed the amount of iCloud storage offered per user for free, and users are reluctant to pay for the extra storage. Thus, every synching or backup operation just results in further replication of data.
To a large degree, usage models in the foreseeable future will reflect those in the recent past. A typical user will still use his or her Android or iPhone mobile phone for purposes those devices excel in, while using a desktop or laptop computer (often hooked to a second display) for productivity tasks, and possibly using other devices (tablets, netbooks, etc.) for leisure.


A method and related system to, among other things, automatically infer answers to all of the ADL questions and the first four questions of the IADL in the home. The inference methods detect the relevant activities unobtrusively, continuously, accurately, objectively, quantifiably and without relying on the patient's own memory (which may be fading due to aging or an existing health condition, such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)) or on a caregiver's subjective report. The methods rely on the judicious placement of a number of sensors in the subject's place of residence, including motion detection sensors in every room, the decomposition of each relevant activity into the sub-tasks involved, identification of additional sensors required to detect the relevant sub-tasks and spatial-temporal conditions between the signals of sensors to formulate the rules that will detect the occurrence of the specific activities of interest.

Functional assessment of a person's health status, or recuperation after injury, hospitalization and treatment is of primary concern in medicine. Most branches of Medicine, including geriatrics, rehabilitation and physical therapy, neurology and orthopedics, nursing and elder care research studies currently rely on one of three basic strategies: self-report (either in questionnaires, or structured interviews), observational judgment by professionals or family members (such as the Activities of Daily Living [ADL] scales (Katz 1963), and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [IADL] scales (Fillenbaum 1985)), or demonstrated performance of specific skills. Despite being considerably useful, one challenge of these approaches is to relate the findings obtained in the physician's office or research laboratory with the person's function at home (Reuben 1995). An implicit assumption is that an individual's functional ability is independent of the environment. Clinical experience suggests that an individual's functional ability is actually environment-specific, since function increases when subjects are in familiar surroundings due to reduced confusion (Kane 1985). The artificial setting of direct observation in a doctor's office or laboratory setting does not allow the observer to determine the effect of environmental barriers such as unfamiliarity or artificiality on function. Moreover, one-time assessment of function does not allow for assessment of variability of functional performance over the course of a day or several days. Further, one-time measurement of function does not allow for assessment of change, and episodic, rather than continuous measurement of function does not permit determination of the rate of change, a parameter which is vitally important in determining the adequacy of certain clinical services and treatments (such as rehabilitation) following functional loss. The accuracy of a prognosis is improved by measuring the rate of change of a patient's condition.
Since there is little correlation between the presence of a certain disease and its impact on an elder's functional abilities, direct assessment of function is an integral part of geriatric care. For example, an octogenarian with systolic hypertension, congestive heart failure, maturity-onset diabetes mellitus, severe osteoarthritis and a past history of hip fracture might be a vigorous, independent community volunteer, or a frail, highly dependent resident of a nursing home (Fried et al. 1997).
Despite a variety of activities of daily living (ADL) tools developed over the last several decades, a consensus exists with regard to the basic components of such functional assessments. Almost all validated scales include measures of dressing, bathing, toileting, transfer and feeding ability (Fleming et al. 1995). ADL scores indicate the degree to which an individual has independent functioning in each of the self-care areas. However, progress in the assessment of function since the early 1960's has not been well implemented in everyday assessment strategies.
Many devices have been invented to continuously measure the activity levels of patients and to assess their functionality, using piezoelectric sensors and accelerometers (such as that of Dynaport). However, these devices measure activity level and do not really discern, measure or assess the activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score comprises six questions that correspond to the individual's ability to bathe, dress, use the toilet, move in out of bed, control their bladder or bowels and feed themselves without help. Similarly, IADL score includes five questions that seek information about the individual's ability to get to places that are outside walking distance, go shopping for groceries, prepare meals, do house work and handle finances without help. None of these devices can automatically infer any the above-mentioned activities specifically.

System and method for the inference of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living automatically

University of Virginia Patent Foundation


Tetraphenolic compounds such as the tetraphenol of ethane and the tetraphenol of xylene can be prepared in a heterogeneous reaction mixture using an acidic cationic exchange resin catalyst. A continuous process can be most effectively carried out in the presence of an alcohol cosolvent for the reaction mixture.

This invention relates to the preparation of tetraphenolic compounds. In one aspect, the invention relates to a process for the continuous preparation of a tetraphenolic compound in a heterogeneous reaction mixture. In a specific embodiment, the invention relates to the continuous catalytic preparation of the tetraphenol of ethane from glyoxal and phenol.
Tetraphenolic compounds such as the tetraphenol of ethane are starting materials for the preparation of multifunctional epoxy resins for coatings and electronics applications. The tetraphenol of ethane can be prepared by the acid-catalyzed condensation reaction of glyoxal and phenol in a homogeneous liquid reaction mixture. Typical acid catalysts include aqueous hydrochloric acid and oxalic acid. When aqueous HCl is the catalyst for the reaction, a typical procedure is to neutralize the acidic reaction product mixture by addition of a base such as sodium hydroxide. The neutralized product mixture is then distilled for removal of excess phenol and by-products. The product yield of such a process is typically low, and the product is often contaminated with by-product from the sodium neutralizing agent. Use of strong acids also requires the use of special equipment including a glass-lined reactor, adding to the expense of the process.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a process for preparing tetraphenolic compounds. In one aspect, it is an object of the invention to provide a continuous heterogeneous process for the preparation of a tetraphenolic compound. In a further aspect, it is an object of the invention to improve product yield and purity in the preparation of the tetraphenol of ethane.

Process for preparing tetraphenolic compounds


Provided are mammalian cells devoid of lactate dehydrogenase activity.

Lactate dehydrogenase activity catalyzes the interconversion of pyruvate and lactate and can be catalyzed by multiple enzymes which include gene products from genes including but not exclusive to LDHA, LDHB, LDHC in humans, mice, Ldha, Ldhb, Ldhc in mice and Chinese hamster cells, and many other homologous genes in other organisms. Herein, we use the human and Chinese hamster names interchangeably (e.g., LDHA and Ldha, LDHB and Ldhb, etc.) to refer to homologs of these genes. Despite several efforts by other groups, others have failed to completely remove lactate dehydrogenase, including LDHA and lactate dehydrogenase activity from mammalian cells. At best, others have only reduced lactate production.
U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2013/0084605 and Zhou, et al., J Biotechnol. (2011) 153(1-2):27-34 used siRNAs to knockdown Pdk (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, also sometimes abbreviated PDHK) isoforms 1, 2, 3 and LDHA, which reduced but did not eliminate expression of Pdk isoforms and LDHA. Yip, et al., Mol Biotechnol. (2014) 56(9):833-8 used siRNAs to knockdown Pdk 1, 2, and 3 then attempted unsuccessfully to knockout LDHA homozygously. Yip concluded that a complete knockout of LDHA is lethal in CHO cells, despite simultaneous down-regulation of PDK1, 2, and 3.
Toxic bioproducts such as lactate and ammonia have posed considerable challenges in bioprocessing since they limit cell growth and impact critical quality attributes of recombinant protein production (e.g., therapeutic drugs, enzymes). This is because lactate decreases pH in the culture and alters the regulation of biosynthetic enzymes. To mitigate the negative effects of lactic acid accumulation and control the culture pH, base is added to the media during the course of a bioprocess. However, the base addition increases osmolarity over time, which also negatively impacts the bioprocess by inhibiting growth and shortening the length of time in which the cells can produce the recombinant protein.

Mammalian cells devoid of lactate dehydrogenase activity

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


The present disclosure provides topical compositions of rofecoxib and methods of making said compositions. The present disclosure also provides methods of using topical compositions of rofecoxib to treat inflammation.

Oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a mainstay in the management of inflammatory diseases, including arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis. NSAIDS exert analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects through inhibition of the cyclooxygenase enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2. NSAIDS are used to reduce pain and inflammation. NSAIDS are however associated with serious potential side effects including nausea, vomiting, peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and cardiovascular events. The side effects of NSAIDS led to the development of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. Although COX-2 inhibitors reduce the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, COX-2 inhibitors are still associated with cardiovascular events. The selective COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib exhibits a greater therapeutic efficacy for treating pain than celecoxib and acetaminophen. However, rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market due to an increased risk of cardiac toxicity associated with long-term use. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for the development of alternative NSAID formulations that effectively treat inflammation and exhibit fewer side effects.

Topical compositions containing rofecoxib and methods of making and using the same


A method for providing reduced pressure treatment to a tissue site is further provided according to an illustrative embodiment. The method includes applying a reduced pressure to the tissue site. The method collects exudate drawn from the tissue site in a liquid collection chamber and utilizes the collected exudate in the liquid collection chamber to generate electricity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tissue treatment systems and in particular to systems and methods for collecting exudates.
2. Description of Related Art
Clinical studies and practice have shown that providing a reduced pressure in proximity to a tissue site augments and accelerates the growth of new tissue at the tissue site The applications of this phenomenon are numerous, but application of reduced pressure has been particularly successful in treating wounds. This treatment (frequently referred to in the medical community as "negative pressure wound therapy," "reduced pressure therapy," or "vacuum therapy") provides a number of benefits, including faster healing and increased formulation of granulation tissue. Typically, reduced pressure is applied to tissue through a porous pad or other manifold device. The porous pad contains cells or pores that are capable of distributing reduced pressure to the tissue and channeling fluids that are drawn from the tissue. The porous pad often is incorporated into a dressing having other components that facilitate treatment. Fluids or exudates are generally collected in a canister for disposal or analysis.
The reduced pressure is typically applied by a reduced pressure source that may be a vacuum pump driven by a motor or other device. The reduced pressure source may be housed within a reduced pressure treatment unit which may contain other electrical devices including, for example, sensors, alarms, computers and processing units. All of this electrical equipment requires a separate source of electrical power.

System and method for utilizing exudate with a reduced pressure treatment system to generate electricity


An interdigitated turbine assembly for a gas turbine engine, the interdigitated turbine assembly including a first turbine rotor assembly interdigitated with a second turbine rotor assembly. A first static frame is positioned forward of the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly. The first turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to an inner rotatable component of a gear assembly. The second turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to an outer rotatable component of the gear assembly. The static structure is connected to the first static frame. A driveshaft is operably coupled to the outer rotatable component. A first bearing assembly is operably coupled to the driveshaft and the first static frame. A second bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first static frame and first turbine rotor assembly. A third bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly.

Counter-rotating or interdigitated turbine assemblies may provide improved operating efficiency over conventional non-interdigitated turbine assemblies. However, counter-rotating, interdigitated, or vaneless turbine assemblies are challenged with being structurally supported as well as having undesired vibrations and rotor dynamics mitigated. Additionally, such turbine assemblies are challenged with supplying and scavenging lubricant, providing buffer and damper fluid, and other functions at bearing assemblies while mitigating undesired weight increases, system complexities, and undesired vibrations and dynamic modes. While conventional and interdigitated turbine assemblies may be faced with such challenges, interdigitated turbine assemblies are challenged with rotor-to-rotor interfaces, vibrations, and rotor dynamics unlike those of conventional, non-interdigitated turbine assemblies. As such, there is a need for bearing arrangements for counter-rotating or interdigitated turbine assemblies.


An arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer includes first and second slab waveguides. At least one of the first and a second slab waveguides includes first and second portions which are separated along an intersecting face intersecting an optical path in the first or second slab waveguides. A slider is fixed at a temperature shifted from a predetermined temperature to compensate a center wavelength difference between a target center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the predetermined temperature and the measured center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the predetermined temperature. The slider is configured to cause a relative motion between the first and second portions along the intersecting face according to a temperature change.

The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-256343, filed Aug. 27, 2001. The contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Background
Recently, in optical communications, research and development of the optical wavelength division multiplexing transmission has been conducted actively for the way to dramatically increase the transmission capacity thereof, and practical applications have been proceeding. The optical wavelength division multiplexing transmission is that a plurality of lights having a wavelength different from each other are multiplexed and are transmitted, for example. In order to demultiplex the multiplexed light on the receiving side, such optical wavelength division multiplexing transmission systems need optical components which transmit lights having only predetermined wavelengths.
As one example of such optical components, an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) which is shown in FIG. 12 is known. Referring to FIG. 12, generally, the arrayed waveguide grating is formed as a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) chip. This construction is hereinafter referred to as an arrayed waveguide grating.
Referring to FIG. 12, the arrayed waveguide grating is manufactured by forming a waveguide forming region 10 made from silica-based glass on a substrate made from silicon. The arrayed waveguide grating has at least one optical input waveguide 2 provided side by side, a first slab waveguide 3 connected to the outgoing side of the optical input waveguides 2, an arrayed waveguide 4 including a plurality of channel waveguides (4a) which are connected to the outgoing side of the first slab waveguide 3, a second slab waveguide 5 connected to the outgoing side of the arrayed waveguide 4, and a plurality of optical output waveguides 6 connected to the outgoing side of the second slab waveguide 5. The length of adjacent channel waveguides (4a) are different from each other by a predetermined length difference (xcex94L).
The arrayed waveguide grating is designed and manufactured to have a center wavelength of optical transmission which is equal to a target center wavelength at a predetermined temperature. However, the arrayed waveguide gratings have different center wavelengths of optical transmission and the yield of the arrayed waveguide gratings deteriorates because refractive index, width and thickness of the core vary during manufacturing process.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer includes at least one first optical waveguide, a first slab waveguide, an arrayed waveguide connected to the at least one first optical waveguide via the first slab waveguide, a second slab waveguide, and a plurality of second optical waveguides connected to the arrayed waveguide via the second slab waveguide. The first slab waveguide includes first and second portions which are divided along an intersecting face intersecting an optical path in the first slab waveguide. A slider is fixed at a temperature shifted from a predetermined temperature to compensate a center wavelength difference between a target center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the predetermined temperature and the measured center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the predetermined temperature before the first slab waveguide is divided to the first and second portions, the slider being configured to cause a relative motion between the first and second portions of the first slab waveguide along the intersecting face according to a temperature change.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing an arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer includes providing an arrayed waveguide grating including at least one first optical waveguide, a first slab waveguide, an arrayed waveguide connected to the at least one first optical waveguide via the first slab waveguide, a second slab waveguide, and a plurality of second optical waveguides connected to the arrayed waveguide via the second slab waveguide. A measured center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating is measured at a predetermined temperature. A center wavelength difference between a target center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating at the predetermined temperature and the measured center wavelength is found. At least one of the first and second slab waveguides are divided to first and second portions along an intersecting face intersecting an optical path in the at least one of the first and second slab waveguides. A slider is fixed at a temperature shifted from the predetermined temperature to compensate the center wavelength difference such that the slider causes a relative motion between the first and second portions along the intersecting face according to a temperature change.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer includes at least one first optical waveguide, a first slab waveguide, an arrayed waveguide connected to the at least one first optical waveguide via the first slab waveguide, a second slab waveguide, a plurality of second optical waveguides connected to the arrayed waveguide via the second slab waveguide. The second slab waveguide includes first and second portions which are divided along an intersecting face intersecting an optical path in the second slab waveguide. A slider is fixed at a temperature shifted from a predetermined temperature to compensate a center wavelength difference between a target center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the predetermined temperature and the measured center wavelength of optical transmission of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the predetermined temperature before the second slab waveguide is divided to the first and second portions. The slider is configured to cause a relative motion between the first and second portions of the second slab waveguide along the intersecting face according to a temperature change.

Arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer and method for manufacturing the same


In a mobile communication system including macro cells and femtocells, a neighbor cell identification method includes: transmitting, by a neighbor cell that is a macro cell or a femtocell, a neighbor cell identifier containing information regarding the type and access mode of the neighbor cell to a user equipment. The user equipment identifies, after receiving the neighbor cell identifier the type and access mode of the neighbor cell. The user equipment also accesses the neighbor cell according to the identification result.

A femtocell is an indoor cell in a home or office managed by a miniaturized base station that is connected through a broadband link to the core of a mobile communication network. The word 'femtocell' is a compound word formed from the word 'femto' meaning 10-15 and the word 'cell' meaning a coverage area for mobile communication, and refers to a cell having a radius of about 10 m. Femtocell base stations may contribute to extension of indoor cell coverage, enhancement of radio signal quality, and effective delivery of wired and wireless convergence services. Femtocell base stations enable subscribers to receive high-quality data services, and are expected to play a major role in both existing third generation mobile communication systems and next generation mobile communication systems such as 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) LTE (Long Term Evolution). A femtocell has much narrower coverage than a macro cell, and is normally deployed directly by the subscriber at a desired location.
In an environment of macro cells, a user equipment is readily able to identify a particular cell while approaching the cell. However, in an environment where 5000 to 7000 femtocells may be deployed in a unit area of 1 km2, a user equipment may have difficulty in identifying whether a neighbor cell is a macro cell or femtocell. Further, as discussed recently, a femtocell may operate in a closed access mode where the femtocell serves only a registered user, in an open access mode where the femtocell serves both a registered user and a non-registered user, or in a hybrid access mode where the closed access mode and open access mode are possible.
Accordingly, it is necessary for a user equipment to identify whether a neighbor cell is a macro cell or a femtocell, and, if the neighbor cell is a femtocell, to identify the access mode of the femtocell.

Method and apparatus for identifying types and access modes of neighbor cells in femtocell environment


A sheet punching apparatus capable of improving the accuracy of movement distance of a movable member and maintaining the durability of a drive unit of the apparatus. A sheet post-processing apparatus controller computes a time period corresponding to an amount of overrun of a slider at the time of stopping the slider in an initial operation. In a punching operation, the sheet post-processing apparatus controller starts a punch motor at a timing earlier by the computed time period corresponding to the amount of overrun than a stop timing of a conveyance motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet punching apparatus for punching a sheet and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The sheet punching apparatus is classified into a press punch type for punching conveyed recording sheets one sheet by one sheet while temporarily stopping sheet conveyance and a rotary type for punching recording sheets without stopping sheet conveyance. The press punch type is generally more accurate in punched hole position and smaller in variation in punched hole position than in the rotary type.
To make the apparatus compact in size and reduced in cost, a punch drive motor comprised of a DC motor is used in the sheet punching apparatus. However, the DC motor is lower in stop accuracy as compared to a pulse motor and hence produces a large variation in stop position from a target stop position.
In order to suppress a variation in stop position, a punching apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,185 is configured to start, immediately after start of a punch motor, a time measurement in which pulses are counted by an encoder attached to the punch motor, and applies brake to the motor upon lapse of a predetermined time from the start of the motor.
The punching apparatus described in the U.S. patent causes the punch motor to restart so as to bring a punch blade close to a desired position, if a punch blade position detected at the time of or prior to a motor stop deviates from the desired position, thereby improving the accuracy of motor stop position.
Although the punching apparatus described in the U.S. patent is suitable for correction of a variation (individual difference) of the apparatus (punch motor), operation of the apparatus is liable to vary even if the apparatus operates at the same load. Thus, even when a timing at which brake is started to be applied to the punch motor is kept the same, the punch motor (a movable part of the apparatus) does not always stop at the same position, and therefore the accuracy of movement distance of the movable part is not high. FIG. 16 is a timing chart of a punch motor stop operation that entails a variation in motor stop position due to repetitive operations.
With the punching apparatus described in the U.S. patent that restarts the punch motor (DC brush motor) to correct a deviation of the stop position of the punch blade, the motor is repeatedly started and stopped, and therefore the service life of the motor is shortened, posing a problem that component parts of the apparatus must frequently be replaced and the maintenance cost of the apparatus increases.

Sheet punching apparatus and control method thereof


A procurement system for procuring a plurality of subjects, comprises a storage, a relation processor, a determining processor, and a bidding processor. The storage is configured to store information on a price, a function, and a quantity of each of the subjects. The relation processor is configured to obtain a relation between prices and functions of the subjects, based on the information stored in the storage. The determining processor is configured to determine a priority, for at least one of the subjects each of whose price is higher than a reference value which corresponds to the function of the each subject. The priority is obtained from the relation obtained by the relation processor. Further, the priority is determined based on the quantity of the each subject stored in the storage and a divergence between the price and the reference value of the each subject. The bidding processor is configured to automatically call for a bid on the at least one of the subjects in accordance with the priority determined by the determining processor.

Many companies usually try to reduce procurement cost. To be cost effective, some consider a method of evaluating parts information of a plurality of suppliers, and setting up various conditions. This is, for example, disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. 2000-113051.
Further, the electronic bid system is known to electronically call for bids. The electronic bidding using this system is performed with connection, through communications, such as the Internet, to an information processing apparatus, operated by a bid host. Additionally, the electronic bidding is also performed with a connection to information processing apparatuses operated by bid participants.
Such an electronic bid system is not only used for dealings between individuals, but can be used for dealings between companies (usually bid hosts) and suppliers (usually bid participants). Using such a system, a performance-function value may be calculated based on a difference from a bid host's expectation (desired values) about, for example, functions, prices, and delivery dates of each bid participant's parts, and the bid host orders parts of which the calculated value becomes the minimum. This is for example, disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. 2001-266046.
However, when trying to cost effectively use the electronic bid system for dealings between companies and suppliers (that is, for a bid and purchase of parts between the companies and the suppliers), the companies had to analyze information on the parts and prices, information on receiving an order for products requiring the parts, and information producing the products. Only then can the system cost effectively call for bids on one of the parts and purchase them.
In the conventional electronic bid system, a bid host had to consider each of the above information separately since there was no technique of collectively judging or analyzing information, such as the above mentioned information related to the parts, prices, receipt of order for products requiring the parts and to producing the products, when, for example, parts to be called for bids are selected. Therefore, it was difficult to collectively judge and analyze such information and to cost-effectively purchase the parts.
Moreover, it requires a lot of work to consider the information, such as the parts information, price information, information of receipt of orders for products requiring the parts, information of producing the products, and so on. This is especially true when many kinds of parts have to be called for bids on. In such a situation, an operator of a bid host may be engaged in a lot of work and it may lead to problems of failing to call for bids on necessary parts and/or of mistakenly calling for bids on unnecessary parts.
Furthermore, in the conventional electronic bid system, much time and effort was required to consider the above conditions since there was no technique of statistically analyzing the bid conditions (bidding quantity, bidding price, etc.) in a market about the parts to be called for bids and to be purchased.

Procurement system which automatically calls for bids on predetermined subjects


A rotary electric apparatus having a fractional slot configuration in which a number of slots per every pole and per every phase is not an integer includes: a stator which includes a stator core formed with a plurality of slots, and a stator winding having a plurality of coil sides accommodated in the plurality of slots and a plurality of coil ends connecting each of same side end portions of the plurality of coil sides; and a mover which is movably supported with respect to the stator, and includes a mover core and a plurality of mover magnetic poles installed in the mover core.

A rotary electric apparatus described in JP 5948061 B (Reference 1) is a rotary electric apparatus having an integral slot configuration in which the number of slots per every pole and per every phase is an integer. Further, the rotary electric apparatus described in Reference 1 includes a stator winding having a plurality of slot conductor groups, each of which is constituted by a plurality of slot conductors in the same phase. Further, the plurality of slot conductors of the slot conductor group are inserted into and pass through a predetermined number Ns of slots arranged continuously in a circumferential direction of a stator core so that the slots and the layers are adjacent to each other. Further, the predetermined number Ns is set to Ns=NSPP+NL when the number of slots per every pole and per every phase is NSPP and the number of layers is 2×NL. Accordingly, the invention described in Reference 1 tries to reduce noise of the rotary electric apparatus.
A three-phase alternating-current motor described in JP 2016-140202 A (Reference 2) is a three-phase alternating-current motor having a fractional slot configuration in which the number of slots per every pole and per every phase is not an integer. Further, in the three-phase alternating-current motor described in Reference 2, windings overlap and are disposed in three layers per slot. Further, the winding of the first layer is disposed so that the disposition of each winding of three phases of U phase, V phase, and W phase has rotational symmetry of ±120 degrees in terms of a mechanical angle. The winding of the second layer is disposed to be misaligned by L slots with respect to the disposition of the winding of the first layer. The winding of the third layer is disposed to be misaligned by L slots with respect to the disposition of the winding of the first layer in a reverse direction of the direction of the misalignment of the winding of the second layer. Accordingly, the invention described in Reference 2 aims to reduce torque ripple of the three-phase alternating-current motor.
"Practical Electric Apparatus Study", Moriyasu Shoji (published by Morikita Co., Ltd., Jul. 25, 2000 (First edition, First printing), p. 72) (Non-Patent Reference 1) describes that an armature winding is normally made to be an oblique slot by one slot pitch when it is necessary to remove a slot harmonic voltage, and the same effect is achieved even in the case where the armature winding is made to be an oblique slot by 1/c of the slot pitch in the case of a fractional slot configuration in which the number of slots per every pole and per every phase is not an integer. Herein, c refers to a denominator portion when the number of slots per every pole and per every phase is expressed as a mixed fraction and a proper fraction portion of the mixed fraction is expressed by an irreducible fraction.
However, the invention described in Reference 1 may not be applied to a rotary electric apparatus having a fractional slot configuration in which the number of slots per every pole and per every phase is not an integer. Specifically, in the rotary electric apparatus having the fractional slot configuration, the predetermined number Ns is not an integer, so that it is impossible to regulate the disposition of the plurality of slot conductors.
The invention described in Reference 2 tries to reduce torque ripple and it is difficult to reduce noise and vibration of the three-phase alternating-current motor. Specifically, in the three-phase alternating-current motor described in Reference 2, a magnitude of magnetomotive force generated by the windings in which the directions of the currents in the same phase accommodated in two slots adjacent to each other in a rotation direction of a rotor are the same changes at a ratio of 4:3:3:4 in the direction of the rotation of the rotor, and this is repeated. Because of this, even when the winding of the third layer is misaligned by a predetermined slot in the direction of the rotation of the rotor, the magnetomotive force generated when the winding is electrically conducted becomes uneven at every pole of the magnetic poles of the rotor. As a result, vibromotive force of a lower-order spatial deformation mode is more likely to be generated as compared to the number of magnetic poles of the rotor. The stator has a unique number of vibrations corresponding to the spatial deformation mode, and as the spatial deformation mode has a lower order, the three-phase alternating-current motor has a resonance point of noise and vibration in which the unique number of vibrations corresponding to the spatial deformation mode of the stator coincides with the frequency of the vibromotive force of the spatial deformation mode of the corresponding low order in the lower number of rotation, so that countermeasures are necessary.
As described in Non-Patent Reference 1, in the rotary electric apparatus having the fractional slot configuration, torque ripple (including cogging torque) may be reduced by a skew amount of 1/c of the slot pitch, but it is difficult to reduce noise and vibration of the rotary electric apparatus. Specifically, in the rotary electric apparatus having the fractional slot configuration, equivalence of each pole collapses in the electromagnetic attractive force distribution generated between the stator and a mover, so that vibromotive force of a spatial deformation mode of an order obtained by dividing the number of magnetic poles of the mover by c is generated. That is, in the rotary electric apparatus having the fractional slot configuration, vibromotive force of the spatial deformation mode of a lower order is more likely to be generated as compared to the rotary electric apparatus having the integer slot configuration (c=1) in the case where the number of magnetic poles of the mover is the same. As described above, the stator has the unique number of vibrations corresponding to the spatial deformation mode. As the spatial deformation mode has the lower order, the rotary electric apparatus has a resonance point of noise and vibration in which the unique number of vibrations corresponding to the spatial deformation mode of the stator coincides with the frequency of the vibromotive force of the spatial deformation mode of the corresponding low order in the lower number of rotation, so that countermeasures are necessary.
Thus, a need exists for a rotary electric apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.


Provided herein is technology for lung neoplasia screening and particularly, but not exclusively, to methods, compositions, and related uses for detecting the presence of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of death among men and women younger than 85 years in the US. It accounts for 27% of all cancer deaths and 221,000 lost lives annually. This mortality rate exceeds that of the next 4 highest ranking cancers combined. Gene expression profiling has confirmed unique mRNA expression in cancers and can be used as an approach for detection of lung malignancies. An mRNA multi-marker approach to detect all subtypes of lung cancer needs to be explored. This study assesses the value of measuring expression levels of multiple mRNA markers in detecting lung cancer of different subtypes.

Detection of lung neoplasia by amplification of RNA sequences


A non-woven, randomly oriented polyester fiber cushion is provided with conditioned air to regulate a temperature of the cushion assembly. The overlapping fibers form interstices through which the air is blown. The air flows through the fibers in a tortuous path.

This invention relates to polyester cushions for various applications.
It is desirable in modern vehicles to control the temperature of the seat to increase the comfort to the vehicle occupant. For example, truckers can spend a significant amount of time seated in the vehicle during lengthy cross-country trips. As a result, seating comfort is especially important for truckers. Typically, vehicle HVAC systems may not adequately cool the interface between the driver and the seat.
For heating, resistive heating elements have been arranged between seat bottom foam cushions and seat coverings to heat a vehicle seat. However, it may not be desirable to use electrical heating elements for various reasons and they cannot cool the seat.
Vehicle seats typically use polyurethane foam cushions as the primary support for the occupant. The structure of the foam does not permit air to flow through the foam. Recently, some manufacturers have formed holes in the foam cushion so that conditioned air can be blown through the holes. However, providing the holes, and any other passageways, can add cost and complexity to manufacturing the cushion. Furthermore, polyurethane cushions have undesirable flammability and recyclability properties.
What is needed is a system that regulates the temperature of a cushion by providing conditioned air, for example, in a seat.


A method of manufacturing a variable wavelength interference filter includes forming an electrostatic gap forming groove, a wiring forming groove extending from the electrostatic gap forming groove to an outer peripheral edge of the chip region, and an air communication groove through which the wiring groove forming groove communicates with the outside of the first substrate, in a chip region of a first substrate.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a variable wavelength interference filter that selects and emits a light a desired objective wavelength from incident light.
2. Related Art
A variable wavelength interference filter is known in which high reflection mirrors are oppositely disposed on the opposing surfaces of a pair of substrates, respectively. In such a variable wavelength interference filter, by reflecting the light between a pair of mirrors, causing only the light of a specific wavelength to be transmitted therethrough, and removing the light of other wavelengths by the interference, only the light of a specific wavelength is caused to be transmitted from the incident light. At this time, in order to cause only the light of a desired wavelength to be transmitted by changing the distance (gap) between the mirrors, high gap accuracy is required in the variable wavelength interference filter. In order to improve the gap accuracy, it is important to secure a uniform joining strength in the opposing substrates surfaces.
Thus, various joining methods are suggested such as a method of applying an adhesive to all joining surface regions, a joining method of interposing a spacer, and a joining method of using a siloxane combination (for example, see JP-A-2001-281443, JP-A-2003-195031, JP-A-2006-350124, and JP-A-2009-134027).
However, in the case of using the joining methods described in the above patent documents, since air is gathered in a gap between the opposing substrates upon gluing the opposing substrates and an internal pressure increases, there is a problem in that the gap between the mirrors cannot be accurately controlled. Furthermore, since a space, where the gap is formed, is sealed, the internal pressure increases due to a change in atmospheric pressure in some cases, and also in this case, the gap cannot be accurately controlled.

Method of manufacturing variable wavelength interference filter and variable wavelength interference filter


Time information is retrieved from time signals transmitted by a transmitter and received by a receiver. The retrieval relies on the examination of at least one time portion (86, 87, 88) within a time frame. The time portion has a duration shorter than the duration of the time frame (80-82), to reduce processing operations. The examination checks whether an amplitude of the time signal changed within a time portion. The amplitude change either up or down is then evaluated for the retrieval of the time information. A receiver for receiving the time signals includes components for preprocessing the received time signals thereby reducing the processing steps of a microprocessor connected to the output of the receiver.

Measuring and displaying the passage of time must be as precise as possible and has been a historical concern. That concern is even more important for modern society with its complex economic activities and with its different communication systems which require a uniform and additionally an especially exact time measuring. Precise time information has been made possible by modern cesium controlled atomic clocks which measure the time with a very high precision. However, there is a need to provide the precise time information also to people who do not have access to an atomic clock.
Following the discovery of radio waves it has been recognized early that such waves are a suitable medium for the transmission of time information. In spite of the importance that the transmission of time information through satellites has achieved, the distribution of time information by long wave radio transmission plays an important role today. Particularly the following characteristics of a long wave radio wave make these waves of interest for the transmission of time information today and in the future. Long wave time signals have a very large range. These waves penetrate into buildings and they can be received with very small ferrite antennas. Obstructions such as trees or buildings cause a substantial damping of received high frequency satellite signals. Contrary thereto the receipt of long wave signals is hardly impaired by such obstacles. The propagation characteristics of long waves modulated with time information combined with the availability of modern microelectronics make it possible to construct compact radio controlled clocks which can, for example, be operated with a battery or by solar energy collected by solar cells.
A transmitter is required for transmitting long waves modulated with the time information. Such a transmitter must supply the respective time information to all radio controlled clocks present within the transmitting range of the transmitter. In Germany the "Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)" maintains a long wave transmitter DCF-77 which transmits a reliable time signal and a normal frequency. This DCF-77 transmitter in Germany is controlled by atomic clocks and emits at the frequency of 77.5 KHz with a transmission power of 50 KW. This frequency is outside the receiver frequency range of normal radio receivers. Further, the transmitter DCF-77 transmits, on a continuous basis, long wave time signals in accordance with the official atomic time scale CET (Central European Time). Similar transmitters are used in other countries, for example in Japan and the USA. These transmitters transmit time information on long wave carrier frequencies in the range between 40 and 120 KHz by means of amplitude modulated signals.
The above mentioned countries use the same format for the transmission of time information. The so-called format is a time frame which has a duration of precisely one minute. This time frame comprises values or information for the minute, the hour, the day, the weekday, the month, the year, and so forth. This information within the time frame is present in the form of a BCD (binary coded decimal) code. These binary coded decimal codes are transmitted with a pulse duration modulation at the rate of 1 Hz per bit. In such a pulse duration modulation either the leading edge or flank or the trailing edge or flank of the first pulse of a time frame is synchronized with exactly zero or null seconds. A typical radio controlled clock is so constructed that the time adjustment begins with the point of time or instant at which the null second signal was received for the first time and then receiving the time information of a time frame or of several time frames.
The transmission of time information is accomplished by these transmitters with the aid of so-called time signals. Therefore, these transmitters or receivers of time signals are referred to herein as time signal transmitters or time signal receivers. A time signal is defined as a transmitter time signal of short duration which has the purpose or object to transmit the time reference information provided by the time signal transmitter. More specifically, the time signal is a modulation oscillation with generally several time markers which, after demodulation, merely represent one impulse or pulse which reproduces the transmitted time reference with a defined uncertainty. This demodulation result in the form of a single impulse or pulse must not be confused with an encoded time information which transmits the text of a clock time value in the form of an impulse code.
FIG. 1 shows a coding scheme or plan A of the encoded time information for the time signal transmitter DCF-77 in Germany. The coding plan or scheme comprises 59 bits whereby each bit corresponds to or represents one second of the time frame. Thus, within a minute it is possible to transmit a so-called time signal telegram which contains binary encoded information particularly with regard to time and date. The first fifteen bits B comprise a general or common encoding which for example contains operating information. The next five bits C contain a general information. The reference character R designates an antenna bit. A1 designates an announcement bit for the transition from Central European Time (CET) to Central European Summer Time (CEST) and back again. Reference characters Z1 and Z2 designate time zone bits, A2 designates an announcement bit for a leap second while S designates a starting bit of the encoded time information. Beginning with bit 21 and ending with bit 59 the time and date informations are transmitted in a BCD-code whereby the data are respectively valid for the next following minute. Further, the bits in the zone D comprise information regarding the minute, the bits in the zone E contain information regarding the hour, the bits in zone F contain information regarding the calendar day, the bits in the zone G contain information regarding the day of the week while the bits in the zone H contain information regarding the month and the bits in the zone I contain information regarding the calendar year. These informations are available in a bit-by-bit fashion and in encoded form. At the end of each zone D, E and I so-called testing bits P1, P2, P3 are inserted. The 60th bit is not occupied and serves for the purpose of indicating the beginning of the next time frame. Reference character M designates a minute marker and thus the beginning of the time information telegram.
The structure and the bit occupancy of the encoded plan or scheme A shown in FIG. 1 for the transmission of time signals is generally known and described for example in an article by Peter Hetzel entitled "Time Information and Normal Frequency" published in Telecom Praxis, Volume 1, 1993.
The transmission of the time signal information is performed by amplitude modulating a carrier frequency with the individual second markers. The modulation comprises a lowering X1, X2 or a raising of the carrier signal X at the beginning of each second with the exception of the 59th second of each minute. The carrier amplitude is reduced for the duration of 0.1 seconds at X1 or for the duration of 0.2 seconds at X2, to about 25% of the normal amplitude. These amplitude reductions and increases are used in the above mentioned transmitter DCF-77. These amplitude reductions having differing time durations respectively define second markers or data bits. These differing time durations of the second markers serve for the binary encoding of the time of day and the date, whereby the second markers having a duration of 0.1 seconds (X1) correspond to the binary "0" while those second markers with a duration of 0.2 seconds (X2) correspond to the binary "1". The absence of the 60th second marker announces the next following minute marker. This announcement in combination with the respective second makes possible an evaluation of the time information transmitted by the time signal transmitter. FIG. 2 shows by way of an example a section or portion of such an amplitude modulated time signal which is encoded by the lowering of the carrier frequency signal whereby the lowering has different impulse durations.
Conventional time signal receivers as for example described in the German Patent Publication DE 35 16 810 C2, receive the time signal as transmitted by the time signal transmitter in amplitude modulated form. These conventional receivers provide at their output a demodulated signal in the form of impulses having different durations. This demodulation takes place in real time, more specifically an impulse of a different duration appears per second at the output of the receiver corresponding to an idealized time signal as shown in FIG. 2. The time information is thus available in coded form based on the impulses of different time durations. The time signal receiver supplies these impulses of different time durations to a microcontroller connected to the output of the time signal receiver. The microcontroller evaluates the impulses and decides, based on the pulse duration, whether a logic bit value of "1" or "0" is to be allocated to the respective pulse or impulse. To perform this bit value allocation, first the beginning of a second of a respective time frame of the time signal is determined. Once the beginning of a second is known, it is possible to determine based on the pulse duration whether the bit value "1" or "0" applies. The microcontroller accepts in the following all 59 bits of a minute and determines on the basis of the bit encodings of a respective second impulse which precise time and date are present. This evaluation of the precise time and date is however only possible if the 59 second bits of a minute have been recognized without any ambiguity so that a "0" or a "1" can be allocated unambiguously to each of these second bits. Such a method for ascertaining the beginning of a second in the signal of a time signal transmitter is for example described in the German Patent Publication DE 195 14 036 C2.
In connection with the above mentioned German Patent Publication DE 195 14 036 C2 there exists a problem in that interfering signals may be superimposed on the time signals. Such interfering signals occur due to interfering fields generated by electrical or electronic equipment. FIG. 3(a) of said German Patent Publication shows a measurement of a time signal on which an interference signal is superimposed. Such a signal becomes available at the output of the receiver. FIG. 3b shows, compared to FIG. 3a, the respective time signal as it is transmitted by the time signal transmitter without any superimposed interfering signals. Depending on the type and size or volume of the interfering signals it may happen that the reception of the time signals is impaired. In such a case it is, however, necessary that the time signal is transmitted and received for a full minute until a correct reception of the time signal is possible so that the 59 second bits for determining the correct time and the correct date are available. Following such a situation, the previous result is compared with a second reception free of disturbances for one minute based on a complete time signal telegram to perform a plausibility test. When it is ascertained that coincidence or rather conformity exists between the two received time signal telegrams the information can be decoded and transformed into the time information.
Disturbances are particularly substantial in environments which are disturbance prone, for example in large cities, in and around large industrial plants, and in offices where there is a large number of data monitors and computer devices. In these facilities the disturbances are especially large and are called "disturbance fog". Due to this disturbance fog it is frequently possible only after a very long time to have a correct reception of the time signal telegram. As a result, the time signal receivers must remain activated for a respectively long time. In connection with time signal receivers that are operated for example by a battery or an accumulator, this situation leads to a rapid consumption of the available energy supply.
Frequently a reception free of disturbance is available only during night hours. This means that a new start of the time signal receiver is possible only during that night time or only the following day when an exact time signal is available. This may happen for example when batteries need to be exchanged.
Further problems have been found to exist as follows. A microcontroller or processor is used in the radio controlled clock for decoding the time signal. The microcontroller which receives the output signal from the time signal receiver is typically constructed as a four-bit microcontroller to keep costs down. Such a microprocessor comprises a rather small memory of about two kBytes. This memory is used primarily for the program of the microcontroller. The program in turn serves primarily for the treatment of the disturbances and of different second impulses. The microcontroller in conventional clocks is substantially completely occupied with evaluating the received, disturbed second impulses. During this time the microcontroller is not available for solving other problems.
A very substantial knowledge regarding the occurrence of these disturbances during the reception of the time signal is necessary especially for a time signal on which disturbances are superimposed, as shown particularly in FIG. 3a of German Patent Publication DE 195 14 036 C2. Based on the special knowledge, the respective programs of the microcontrollers are so developed that a sufficiently certain evaluation of the time signal is possible even in an environment where relatively large disturbances exist. These programs are currently optimized with regard to the treatment of disturbances and thus determine substantially the quality of conventional radio controlled clocks.
Moreover, due to limited memory space it is possible to use only very compact programs. These programs are typically developed in an assembler programming language in order to achieve a high quality and certainty in the evaluation of the second impulses and in order to realize a very intelligent recognition of the disturbing signals. For these reasons, an exceptionally high or large know-how is necessary for the programming in order to solve the problems that must be met by the receiver technology and the limiting conditions outlined above. These problems particularly involve the influence of disturbances on the precision of the time signals and further problems mainly derived from the long wave technology and analog technology. Additionally, these programs are supposed to be programmed to be very compact so that the memory space requirement becomes as small as possible. However, at this time there are hardly any programmers capable of developing such respective programs while maintaining or satisfying the above mentioned limiting conditions. The quality of such programs, however, determines substantially the quality of a radio controlled clock.
The following publications provide further background information regarding radio controlled clocks and receiver circuits for receiving time signals. Reference is made in this context to German Patent Publications: DE 198 08 431 A1; DE 43 19 946 A1; DE 43 04 321 C2; DE 42 37 112 A1 and DE 42 33 126 A1. With regard to the synchronization of a time signal, reference is made to DE 298 13 498 U1 and DE 44 03 124 C2. Regarding the information retrieval and processing of time information from time signals, reference is made to DE 195 14 031 C2; DE 37 33 965 C2 and EP 042 913 B1.

Radio controlled clock and method for retrieving time information from time signals


Translation of role-based authoring models for managing RBAC “roles” to resource authorization policy (RAP), such as ACL-based applications, is provided. A generic RBAC system is defined from which mappings to other authorization enforcement mechanism make possible the translation of RBAC “roles” to resource authorization policies applied to resources managed by a resource manager, e.g., a file system resource manager. An implementation is described that uses Windows Authorization Manager as a storage mechanism and object model to manage object types and relationships translated from an RBAC system.

One of the most challenging problems in managing large networks results from the sheer complexity of security administration, making authorization an important issue in computer and network systems. In this regard, authorization mechanisms exist in operating systems, applications, or anywhere resource access control is concerned. Authorization is traditionally composed of two separate processes: authentication and access control. Authentication deals with the problem "who is the user?" and access control deals with the problem "what can the user do to/with a certain resource?"
At the resource level, historically, networks have used resource authorization policy (RAP) to decide whether a user is authorized to connect to a specified resource. For an exemplary RAP, traditional distributed computing networks have used domain based access control lists (ACL) as the dominant mechanism for access control. An ACL specifies access rights of users to the resources in terms of read, write or execute permissions in data structures, but inevitably brings manageability and complexity problems as the number of resources and users continue to proliferate to great numbers in today's shared computing spaces.
In contrast to conventional RAP methods of access control, which grant or revoke user access on a rigid, object-by-object basis, an alternative to RAP is role based access control (RBAC) policy, also called role based security. RBAC has become a prominent model for access control because it reduces the complexity and cost of security administration in large networked applications. RBAC is a method of regulating access to computer or network resources based on the roles of individual users within an enterprise. In this context, access is the ability of an individual user to perform a specific task, such as view, create, or modify a file. Roles are defined according to existing roles/labels within the enterprise, e.g., job competency, authority or responsibility.
When properly implemented, RBAC enables users to carry out a wide range of authorized tasks by dynamically regulating their actions according to flexible functions, relationships, and constraints. In RBAC, roles can be easily created, changed, or discontinued as the needs of the enterprise evolve, without having to individually update the privileges for every user.
RBAC thus enables activities that are difficult in distributed access control list (ACL) models on most computer systems. Such activities include authorization queries across applications. However, currently there is no way to translate role-based authoring models for managing RBAC "roles" to resource authorization policy (RAP), such as ACL-based applications, or other authorization enforcement mechanisms. As described in more detail below with respect to the various embodiments of the invention, it would be desirable to improve upon these and other deficiencies of the state of the art.

Translating role-based access control policy to resource authorization policy