A customizable Web portal service comprises a server that hosts a master Web site. The master Web site serves as a Web portal. Users of a first class can establish accounts on the server. For each account holder, the server hosts a separate copy of the master Web site. Each account holder can customize its copy of the master Web site in accordance with a first level of customizability. In addition, users of a second class can create customized copies of the master Web site and of the account holder copies thereof in accordance with a second level of customizability.

The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links. The interconnected computers exchange information using various services, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web ("WWW" or "the Web"). The WWW service allows a server computer system (i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote client computer system can then display the Web pages. Each resource (e.g., computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator ("URL"). To view a specific Web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for that Web page in a request (e.g., a HyperText Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") request). The request is forwarded to the Web server that supports that Web page. When the Web server receives the request, it sends that Web page to the client computer system. When the client computer system receives that Web page, it typically displays the web page using a Web browser. A Web browser is a special-purpose application program that effects the requesting of Web pages and the displaying of Web pages. Examples of commercially available Web browsers are Microsoft® Internet Explorer and Netscape® Navigator®.
Web pages are typically defined using the HyperText Markup Language ("HTML"). HTML provides a standard set to tags that define how a Web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to a Web browser to display a Web page, the Web browser sends a request to the server computer system to transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the Web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client computer system, the Web browser displays the Web page as defined by the HTML document. A Web page (i.e., HTML document) typically contains a variety of Web page elements, such as tags that control the displaying of text, graphics, controls, and other features. A Web page may also contain hyperlinks to other Web pages available on that server computer system or other server computer systems on the Web. A user can "follow" a hyperlink to another Web page by moving a mouse cursor over the link and depressing the mouse button. A Web page can also include other Web page elements, such as animations, videos, Java Applets, Active X controls, and the like.
One increasingly popular form of Web site is referred to as a Web portal. A Web portal is a Web site that offers a centralized point of access to other resources and services on the Web, including other Web sites and Web pages. A Web portal site typically consists of one or more Web pages that provide various menus of hyperlinks, usually grouped by subject. For example, a Web portal site might provide a menu of hyperlinks to various news sources on the WWW, and another menu of hyperlinks may point to various on-line shopping Web sites. Another menu of hyperlinks may point to selected Web sites specializing in travel services. Some Web portal sites may specialize in only one type of information, for example, computer helpdesk services, travel services, on-line shopping services, etc. Examples of Web portal sites that offer hyperlinks to a variety of different services on the Web are www.yahoo.com and www.lycos.com.
Some Web portal sites, including, for example, both www.yahoo.com and www.lycos.com, allow users to create personalized versions of these Web sites, wherein the user can select which hyperlinks are displayed on that user's personalized version of the site and can arrange some elements of the screen display. Typically, a user desiring to create a personalized version of one of these Web portal sites must register with the site, usually providing a username and password. Thereafter, the user can "login" to his/her personalized version of the site by entering the username and password at a login prompt.
Hosting and maintaining a Web portal site can be difficult and expensive. Many companies and organizations that might otherwise desire to provide a Web portal site for use by their members, employees, or customers do not have the technical or financial resources to do so. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a service that offered these companies and organizations the use of a preexisting Web portal site, hosted and maintained by another party, that can be customized by each company or organization to meet the specific needs of its members, employees, or customers. In addition, it would be desirable if the members, employees, or customers of a given company or organization could further customize the preexisting Web portal site to create personalized versions thereof. The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing such a service.

System and method for providing a customizable web portal service


A fetch director in a multithreaded microprocessor that concurrently executes instructions of N threads is disclosed. The N threads request to fetch instructions from an instruction cache. In a given selection cycle, some of the threads may not be requesting to fetch instructions. The fetch director includes a circuit for selecting one of threads in a round-robin fashion to provide its fetch address to the instruction cache. The circuit adds a first addend to a 1-bit left-rotated version of a second addend to generate a sum and a carry-out bit. The circuit includes the carry-out bit as a carry-in bit of the add to generate the sum. The sum is ANDed with the inverse of the first addend to generate a 1-hot vector indicating which of the threads is selected next. The first addend is an N-bit vector where each bit is false if the corresponding thread is requesting to fetch instructions from the instruction cache. The second addend is a 1-hot vector indicating the last selected thread. In one embodiment threads with an empty instruction buffer are selected at highest priority; a last dispatched but not fetched thread at middle priority; all other threads at lowest priority. The threads are selected round-robin within the highest and lowest priorities.

Microprocessor designers employ many techniques to increase microprocessor performance. Most microprocessors operate using a clock signal running at a fixed frequency. Each clock cycle the circuits of the microprocessor perform their respective functions. According to Hennessy and Patterson (see Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, 3rd Edition), the true measure of a microprocessor's performance is the time required to execute a program or collection of programs. From this perspective, the performance of a microprocessor is a function of its clock frequency, the average number of clock cycles required to execute an instruction (or alternately stated, the average number of instructions executed per clock cycle), and the number of instructions executed in the program or collection of programs. Semiconductor scientists and engineers are continually making it possible for microprocessors to run at faster clock frequencies, chiefly by reducing transistor size, resulting in faster switching times. The number of instructions executed is largely fixed by the task to be performed by the program, although it is also affected by the instruction set architecture of the microprocessor. Large performance increases have been realized by architectural and organizational notions that improve the instructions per clock cycle, in particular by notions of parallelism.
One notion of parallelism that has improved the instructions per clock cycle, as well as the clock frequency, of microprocessors is pipelining, which overlaps execution of multiple instructions within pipeline stages of the microprocessor. In an ideal situation, each clock cycle one instruction moves down the pipeline to a new stage, which performs a different function on the instruction. Thus, although each individual instruction takes multiple clock cycles to complete, because the multiple cycles of the individual instructions overlap, the average clocks per instruction is reduced. The performance improvements of pipelining may be realized to the extent that the instructions in the program permit it, namely to the extent that an instruction does not depend upon its predecessors in order to execute and can therefore execute in parallel with its predecessors, which is commonly referred to as instruction-level parallelism. Another way in which instruction-level parallelism is exploited by contemporary microprocessors is the issuing of multiple instructions for execution per clock cycle. These microprocessors are commonly referred to as superscalar microprocessors.
What has been discussed above pertains to parallelism at the individual instruction-level. However, the performance improvement that may be achieved through exploitation of instruction-level parallelism is limited. Various constraints imposed by limited instruction-level parallelism and other performance-constraining issues have recently renewed an interest in exploiting parallelism at the level of blocks, or sequences, or streams of instructions, commonly referred to as thread-level parallelism. A thread is simply a sequence, or stream, of program instructions. A multithreaded microprocessor concurrently executes multiple threads according to some scheduling policy that dictates the fetching and issuing of instructions of the various threads, such as interleaved, blocked, or simultaneous multithreading. A multithreaded microprocessor typically allows the multiple threads to share the functional units of the microprocessor (e.g., instruction fetch and decode units, caches, branch prediction units, and load/store, integer, floating-point, SIMD, etc. execution units) in a concurrent fashion. However, multithreaded microprocessors include multiple sets of resources, or contexts, for storing the unique state of each thread, such as multiple program counters and general purpose register sets, to facilitate the ability to quickly switch between threads to fetch and issue instructions.
One example of a performance-constraining issue addressed by multithreading microprocessors is the fact that accesses to memory outside the microprocessor that must be performed due to a cache miss typically have a relatively long latency. It is common for the memory access time of a contemporary microprocessor-based computer system to be between one and two orders of magnitude greater than the cache hit access time. Instructions dependent upon the data missing in the cache are stalled in the pipeline waiting for the data to come from memory. Consequently, some or all of the pipeline stages of a single-threaded microprocessor may be idle performing no useful work for many clock cycles. Multithreaded microprocessors may solve this problem by issuing instructions from other threads during the memory fetch latency, thereby enabling the pipeline stages to make forward progress performing useful work, somewhat analogously to, but at a finer level of granularity than, an operating system performing a task switch on a page fault. Other examples of performance-constraining issues addressed by multithreading microprocessors are pipeline stalls and their accompanying idle cycles due to a data dependence; or due to a long latency instruction such as a divide instruction, floating-point instruction, or the like; or due to a limited hardware resource conflict. Again, the ability of a multithreaded microprocessor to issue instructions from other threads to pipeline stages that would otherwise be idle may significantly reduce the time required to execute the program or collection of programs comprising the threads.
Because there are multiple threads in a multithreading processor competing for limited resources, such as instruction fetch and execution bandwidth, there is a need to fairly arbitrate among the threads for the limited resources. One fair arbitration scheme used in other contexts is a round-robin arbitration scheme. In a round-robin arbitration scheme, an order of the requesters is maintained and each requestor gets a turn to use the requested resource in the maintained order. The circuitry to implement a round-robin arbitration scheme in which each of the requestors requests the resource each time the resource becomes available is not complex. A conventional round-robin circuit may be implemented as a simple N-bit barrel shifter, wherein N is the number of requesters and one bit corresponds to each of the N requesters. One bit of the barrel shifter is initially true, and the single true bit is rotated around the barrel shifter each time a new requestor is selected. One characteristic of such a round-robin circuit is that the complexity is N. In particular, the integrated circuit area and power consumed by the barrel shifter grows linearly with the number of requestors N.
However, the circuitry to implement a round-robin arbitration scheme in which only a variable subset of the requestors may be requesting the resource each time the resource becomes available is more complex. A conventional round-robin circuit accommodating a variable subset of requesting requestors may be implemented by a storage element storing an N-bit vector, denoted L, having one bit set corresponding to the previously selected requestor and combinational logic receiving the L vector and outputting a new N-bit selection vector, denoted N, according to the following equation, where E.i indicates whether a corresponding one of the requesters is currently requesting:
N.i = ; This requestor is enabled, i.e., is requesting.  E.i AND ; The requestor to the right was selected last time.  (L.i−1 OR ; A requestor further to the right was selected last ; time AND the requestors in between are disabled.  (~E.i−1 AND L.i−2) OR  (~E.i−1 AND ~E.i−2 AND L.i−3) OR   . . . ; This requestor was selected last time, ; but no other requestors are enabled.  (~E.i−1 AND ~E.i−2 AND ~E.i−3 AND . . . ~E.i+1 AND L.i))
As may be observed from the equation above, the complexity of the conventional round-robin circuit accommodating a variable subset of disabled requesters has complexity N2. Thus, as the number of requesters—such as the number of threads in a multithreading microprocessor—becomes relatively large, the size of the conventional circuit may become burdensome on the processor in terms of size and power consumption, particularly if more than one such circuit is needed in the processor.
One application in which a round-robin circuit accommodating a variable subset of disabled requesters may be needed is in a multithreading microprocessor having multiple threads that request to fetch instructions from an instruction cache. The threads compete to fetch their instructions from an instruction cache, which can only accept one fetch address at a time. In any given selection cycle, only a subset of the threads may need to fetch instructions. It may be desirable to select the threads requesting in a fair manner. Therefore, what is needed is a round-robin apparatus and method for use in a fetch director that accommodates a variable subset of all threads requesting to fetch instructions at a time, which has reduced complexity over a conventional circuit.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fetch director employing barrel-incrementer-based round-robin apparatus for use in multithreading microprocessor


A massage pad for a bath includes a cushion having multiple protrusions formed at a top side of the cushion. Multiple suction cups are formed at a bottom side of the cushion. A joint is formed on the cushion. Multiple conduits are communicated with the joint and each has multiple apertures defined through a top surface of the conduit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a massage pad, and more particularly to a pad used in a bathtub for spraying water or air in a bath.
2. Description of Related Art
Relentlessly increasing pressure and tension in modern lives has resulted in a demand for relaxation therapy, especially massage baths. However, the luxurious aspect of such devices for the home tends to cause them to be expensive and beyond affordability for many. Therefore, people who want to enjoy a massage bath, SPA etc., must go to a professional bathhouse providing these services, so they will feel some inconvenience as it is troublesome to have to go out and return home.
Therefore, the invention provides an inexpensive massage pad to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A hand-held passenger control unit for use by a passenger on an aircraft or any other type of vehicle is provided. The control unit may include a controller, a memory, and a display panel. The control unit may have a first and a second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, the control unit controls its own display panel. In the second mode of operation, the control unit controls a remote video display unit that is disposed proximate to the passenger. The control unit may also have an integrated audio player, thereby permitting passengers to bring their own audio content aboard the aircraft without having to bring their own audio players.

The availability of and the type of in-flight amenities helps to differentiate airlines in the increasingly commoditized business of air travel. Airlines may offer in-flight media options such as audio and movies to their passengers. One problem with conventional in-flight audio delivery mechanisms, however, is that the same music selections are piped to all passengers on an aircraft. Passengers who do not want to listen to the canned selections of the airline are thus forced to bring their own personal audio players and audio content, hoping that their batteries last for the duration of the flight. Thus, there is a need for a device and system that addresses the foregoing problem. Also, due to space and weight limitations on an aircraft, it is also desirable that such a device and system by multifunctional, and have the ability to perform tasks beyond the playing of audio content.

Passenger control unit for an in-flight entertainment system


A method for dubbing audio on rewritable medium such as a high-density rewritable optical disc (BD-RE) is provided, which is capable of simultaneously recording a main A/V stream and a dubbed audio stream on the recording medium, while automatically and continuously producing and recording real play lists and a virtual play list adapted to control reproduction of the main A/V stream and dubbed audio stream. The user can conveniently manage recording of a dubbed audio stream corresponding to a main A/V stream on the rewritable recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for dubbing audio on rewritable medium such as a high-density rewritable optical disc which is adapted to manage recording and reproduction of a dubbed audio stream corresponding to a main A/V stream on the recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, standardization of new high-density rewritable optical discs has rapidly progressed, for example, BD-RE (Blu-Ray Disc REwritable), which can store a large quantity of high-quality video and audio data. As a result, products associated with such discs have also been developed. Such products are expected to be commercially available in the near future.
FIG. 1 illustrates a part of the configuration of an optical disc apparatus such as a video disc recorder (VDR) for recording or reproducing signals on a recording medium such as a BD-RE. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical disc apparatus includes an optical pickup 2 for reading out a signal recorded on a recording medium 1 such as a BD-RE or recording a data stream externally inputted thereto and subjected to a signal processing procedure, a VDR system 3 for reproducing the signal read out by the optical pickup 2 or converting a data stream externally inputted thereto into a data stream to be appropriately recordable, and signal-processing the converted data stream, and an encoder 4 for encoding an analog signal externally inputted thereto, and outputting the encoded signal to the VDR system 3.
The VDR system 3 of the optical disc apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration may record and manage, as an auxiliary audio stream, a dubbed audio stream corresponding to an A/V stream on the BD-RE 1. This will be described in detail hereinafter.
FIG. 2 illustrates a linked condition between real play lists and virtual play lists in a rewritable optical disc, for example, a BD-RE. Main A/V streams are sequentially recorded on a BD-RE, for example, the BD-RE 1 of FIG. 1, in the unit of clips, and managed for recording and reproduction thereof by real play lists recorded on the BD-RE 1 while containing play control information for reading and reproduction of the main A/V streams in the unit of clips, respectively. For example, a portion of a main A/V stream corresponding to a first clip, that is, a first clip main A/V stream (Clip 1 Main A/V Stream), is managed for its recording and reproduction by a first real play list (Real PlayList 1) containing play control information for reading and reproduction of the first clip main A/V stream, as shown in FIG. 2.
Meanwhile, a dubbed audio stream corresponding to each clip main stream is additionally recorded on the BD-RE 1 as a new clip auxiliary audio stream or dubbed audio stream. For example, a dubbed audio stream corresponding to the first clip main stream managed by the first real play list is recorded as a second clip dubbed audio stream (Clip 2 Auxiliary Audio Stream). This second clip dubbed audio stream is managed for its recording and reproduction by a second real play list (Real PlayList 2).
Also, the VDR system 3 of the above-mentioned optical disc apparatus produces and records virtual play lists in order to allow the user to optionally select, edit, and play real play lists recorded and managed in the above-mentioned procedure. As shown in FIG. 2, such a virtual play list, for example, a first virtual play list (Virtual PlayList 1), may include a play item (PlayItem) for a main path adapted to read out and reproduce the first clip main A/V stream linked to the first real play list, and a sub play item (SubPlayItem) for a sub path adapted to read out and reproduce the second clip dubbed audio stream linked to the second real play list.
Accordingly, the VDR system 3 of the optical disc apparatus can selectively reproduce the second clip dubbed audio stream managed by the second real play list at the request of the user during a reproduction operation thereof in which the first clip main A/V stream managed by the first real play list is read out and reproduced. Thus, the user can simultaneously view the video image of the first clip main A/V stream and the audio sound of the second clip dubbed audio stream.
In the above-mentioned optical disc apparatus, however, the recording of the dubbed audio stream corresponding to the main A/V stream and the second real play list (Real PlayList 2) managing the dubbed audio stream is executed in accordance with an editing operation of the user, following recording of the main A/V stream and the first real play list (Real PlayList 1). Also, the virtual play list (Virtual PlayList) linked to the first and second real play lists is subsequently produced and recorded. For this reason, there is a problem in that it is impossible to record a dubbed audio stream corresponding to a main A/V stream, simultaneously with recording of the main A/V stream.

Method for dubbing audio on rewritable medium


The invention provides reagents, kits and methods for detecting and/or quantifying proteins in complex mixtures, such as a cell lysate. The methods can be used in high throughput assays to profile cellular proteomes. In one aspect, the invention provides a peptide internal standard labeled with a stable isotope and corresponding in amino acid sequence to the amino acid sequence of a subsequence of a target polypeptide. In another aspect, the peptide internal standard is labeled at a modified amino acid residue and is used to determine the presence of, and/or quantitate the amount of a particular modified form of a protein.

There is a need to provide novel methods for the quantification of proteins and modified proteins from cell lysates. The current standard for protein detection (quantification) is based on immunoreactive detection (Western analysis). However, this technique requires the availability of an appropriately specific antibody. In addition, many antibodies only recognize proteins in an unfolded (denatured) form, cross-reactivity can be severely limiting, and quantification is generally relative.
The development of methods and instrumentation for automated, data-dependent electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in conjunction with microcapillary liquid chromatography (LC) and database searching has significantly increased the sensitivity and speed of the identification of gel-separated proteins. Microcapillary LC-MS/MS has been used successfully for the large-scale identification of individual proteins directly from mixtures without gel electrophoretic separation (Link et al., 1999; Opitek et al., 1997). However, while these approaches dramatically accelerate protein identification, quantities of the analyzed proteins cannot be easily determined, and these methods have not been shown to substantially alleviate the dynamic range problem also encountered by the 2DE/MS/MS approach. Therefore, low abundance proteins in complex samples are also difficult to analyze by the microcapillary LC/MS/MS method without their prior enrichment.
There is thus a need to provide methods for the accurate comparison of protein expression levels between cells in two different states, particularly for comparison of low abundance proteins.
Another metholology has recently been described. ICAT™ reagent technology makes use of a class of chemical reagents called isotope coded affinity tags (ICAT). These reagents exist in isotopically heavy and light forms which are chemically identical with the exception of eight deuterium or hydrogen atoms, respectively. Proteins from two cells lysates can be labeled independently with one or the other ICAT reagent at cysteinyl residues. After mixing and proteolysing the lysates, the ICAT-labeled peptides are isolated by affinity to a biotin molecule incorporated into each ICAT reagent. ICAT-labeled peptides are analyzed by LC-MS/MS where they elute as heavy and light pairs of peptides. Quantification is performed by determining the relative expression ratio relating to the amount of each ICAT-labeled peptide pair in the sample.
Identification of each ICAT-labeled peptide is performed by a second stage of mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and sequence database searching. The end result is relative protein expression ratios on a large scale. The major drawback to this technique are 1) quantification is only relative; 2) specialized chemistry is required, and 3) database searches are hindered by the presence of the large ICAT reagent molecule, and 4) relative amounts of posttranslationally modified (e.g., phosphorylated) proteins are transparent to analysis.

Absolute quantification of proteins and modified forms thereof by multistage mass spectrometry

President and Fellows of Harvard College


Field emission display and method for fabricating the same, the field emission display including a cathode array having a cathode electrode formed on a substrate, insulating layers and carbon nanotube films for use as emitter electrodes formed alternately on the cathode electrode, and a gate electrode formed on the insulating layer, thereby permitting fabrication of a large sized cathode plate at a low cost because the film is formed by screen printing and exposure, which can reduce the cumbersome steps in fabrication of the related art Spindt emitter tip, and both a low voltage and a high voltage FEDs because the carbon nanotube film used as the emitter has a low work function, with an easy and stable electron emission capability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a field emission display, and more particularly, to a field emission display which has a stable driving voltage and an excellent productivity, and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Background of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a related art Spindt type FED(Field Emission Display) is provided with an anode part 10, a cathode part 20, and a spacer 9 connected between the anode part and the cathode part. The anode part 10 has a face plate 1 which is a glass substrate, an anode 2 which is an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin film electrode formed thereon, and R, G, B stripes 8 of fluorescent materials coated thereon. The cathode part 20 has a base plate 3 of a nonconductive material, an orthogonal matrix of cathode electrode 4 rows and gate electrode 5 columns, FEA(Field Emission Array) emitters 6 matrix addressed between adjacent row electrode and column electrode for emission of electrodes, and an approx. 1 xcexcm thick insulator 7 between adjacent emitters. The spacer 9 is inserted between the anode part 10 and the cathode part 20, to maintain a 20xcx9c400 xcexcm gap between the face plate 1 and the base plate 3, with the two plates sealed with frit glass to maintain a cavity formed thereby to be 10xe2x88x927 torr. The cathode electrode 4, the row electrode of the cathode part 20, is negative electrode, and for stable operation by reducing current from the emitter 6, electrons from 1000xcx9c10000 the emitters are designed to be directed toward one pixel formed on a screen of the face plate.
The related art FED display forms an image as an electric field is provided to the cathode electrode 4, to boost a voltage on the gate electrode 5, that causes the emitter 6 to emit electrons, which are accelerated toward the anode 2 until the electrons hit onto the fluorescent surface 8 on the anode 2 that causes the fluorescent surface emits light, to form the image. If an intense field are provided to a surface of a metal and the like having a work function, which makes a potential barrier thinner, electrons overcome the barrier and are emitted out of the surface(tunneling). The more intense the field become, the thinner the potential barrier become, for easier emission of the electron. And, in order to maximize the field under the same voltage, a structure with a sharp end, such as a tip, is formed. Accordingly, the Spindt type emitters are used in the related art. The Spindt type emitters are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications H10-12166, H11-111160, H10-69867.
In the meantime, according to Fowler-Nordheim theory, an emission current is heavily dependent on a work function of an emissive substance, wherein Fowler and Nordheim found an equation for calculating a current density xe2x80x98Jxe2x80x99 which can be obtained when a field emission is occurred by application of a field to the substance in 1928. This is a calculation of a flow of electrons (current) emitted from a free electron metal with a work function xcfx86, which has a step barrier on a surface thereof and is applied of an electric field. The above theory can be expressed as the following equations (1) and (2).                                           ⟨            MARGIN            ⟩                                          ⟨            TR            ⟩                                          ⟨            P            ⟩                                          ⟨            CHAR            ⟩                              J                =                                                            A                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                  β                  2                                                                  V                  2                                            Φ                                    Exp                    -                      (                                          B                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                  Φ                                      3                    2                                                                              β                                                  xe2x80x83                                                v                                      )                                              (        1        )                                                                    ⟨                              /                CHAR                            ⟩                                                  ⟨                              /                P                            ⟩                                                  ⟨              P              ⟩                                                  ⟨              CHAR              ⟩                                                  xe2x80x83                                                  Ln                                            (                                  I                                      V                    2                                                  )                                              =                                    Ln                                            xe2x80x83                                                          (                a                )                                      -                          (                              b                V                            )
                                              ⟨                          /              CHAR                        ⟩                     less than                                     /              P                                                  "AutoLeftMatch"              ⟩                                                          (        2        )
where, J denotes an emission current density A/cm2, V denotes an electric field applied to a metal surface V/cm,  less than MARGIN greater than  less than TR greater than  less than P greater than  less than CHAR greater than xcfx86= less than CHAR greater than  less than /P greater than  work function of a metal eV, A, and B denote constants, xcex2 denotes an electric field multiplication coefficient: an electrode gap, Tip sharpness. A graph drawn taking 1/V as an X-axis and ln(1/v2) as a Y-axis in the equation (1) is called as a Fowler-Nordheim Plot(or FN plot), which is an important method for determining characteristics of field emission electrons. A straight portion of the graph with a negative slop is a current region caused by the field emission.
According to the equation (2), the work function is required to be small for effective electron emission. However, with the work function between 4xcx9c5, the Spindt tip emitter requires much energy for the electron emission. And, in fabrication of the FED, because an E-beam is used, screen size can not be any larger than 20xe2x80x3, fabrication of the FED takes much time, and product cost is high.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a field emission display and a method for fabricating the same that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a field emission display and a method for fabricating the same, which is suitable to form a large sized display with easy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a field emission display and a method for fabricating the same, which makes a driving voltage stable, has a uniform field emission characteristic, low cost, and an excellent productivity.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the field emission display including a cathode array having a cathode electrode formed on a substrate, insulating layers and carbon nanotube films for use as emitter electrodes formed alternately on the cathode electrode, and a gate electrode formed on the insulating layer.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a field emission display, including the steps of (1) forming a cathode electrode, an insulating layer, and a gate electrode on a substrate in succession, (2) etching the gate electrode and the insulating layer into a cathode array pattern, to form an emitter region, (3) forming a sacrificial layer on the gate electrode which is not etched, (4) depositing a carbon nanotube film on the cathode electrode in the emitter region, to form an emitter, and (5) etching the sacrificial layer for removing the carbon nanotube formed on the sacrificial layer, to form a cathode array.
In further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a field emission display, including the steps of (1) forming a cathode electrode, an insulating layer, a gate electrode, and a sacrificial layer on a substrate in succession, (2) etching the sacrificial layer, the gate electrode, and the insulating layer into a cathode array pattern, to form an emitter region, (3) forming a carbon nanotube film as an emitter on the cathode electrode in an etched emitter region, and (4) etching the sacrificial layer not etched in the step (2) for removing the carbon nanotube formed on the sacrificial layer, to form a cathode array.
Thus, the present invention can fabricate a large sized cathode plate at a low cost because the film is formed by screen printing and exposure, which can reduce the cumbersome steps in fabrication of the related art Spindt emitter tip. And, as the carbon nanotube film used as the emitter has a low work function, with an easy and stable electron emission capability, both a low voltage and a high voltage FED can be made available.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Field emission display including carbon nanotube film and method for fabricating the same


The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing and specifically relates to a method for manufacturing a tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel. The U-shaped channel can effectively extend the transistor channel length, restrain the generation of leakage current in the transistor, and decrease the chip power consumption. The method for manufacturing a tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel put forward in the present invention is capable of realizing an extremely narrow U-shaped channel, overcoming the alignment deviation introduced by photoetching, and improving the chip integration degree.

1. Technical Field
The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing, relates to a method for manufacturing a tunneling field effect transistor, and more especially, to a method for manufacturing a tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the microelectronic technology with silicon integrated circuits as their core has developed rapidly, and the development of the integrated circuit chip has basically followed Moore's law, namely the integration degree of semiconductor chips increases at a speed of doubling every 18 months. However, with the increase of the integration degree of semiconductor chips, the channel length of MOS transistors is also continuously reducing, and the semiconductor chip performances will decline, or even be unable to work due to the short channel effect when the channel length of the MOS transistor becomes extremely short.
The tunneling field effect transistor is a kind of transistor with an extremely small leakage current, which can further minimize the circuit size and decrease voltage, thus reducing the chip power consumption significantly. By using the tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel structure, the transistor channel length can be effectively extended, thus further restraining the generation of leakage current in the transistor. Therefore, the tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel has been widely used. The traditional tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel is as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the tunneling transistor 10 includes a source region 12, a drain region 13, a substrate region 11 and a stacked gate region composed of a gate dielectric layer 14 and a gate conductive layer 15. The sidewall 16 of the stacked gate region is an insulator of, for example, Si3N4 material, which insulates the conductive gate layer from other conductive layers of the device. The impurity concentration of the substrate 11 is of light doping, the source region 12 and the drain region 13 are of heavy doping, and are of contrary doping types. The insulation layer 17 is the device passivation layer, which isolates the device from other devices and protects the device form the influence of the outside world. The conductive layer 18 is of metallic material and used as the device electrode.
At present, the U-shaped channel of a tunneling field effect transistor is usually realized by forming a silicon oxide film on the provided substrate, then forming a layer of photoresist with a pattern on the silicon oxide film and etching the silicon oxide film and the semiconductor substrate to form a U-shaped device channel. As described above, when manufacturing a U-shape device channel, a layer of photoresist with a pattern will be formed, which will introduce the misalignment of pattern, causing the product manufacturing yield be reduced. In addition, the manufacturing of narrow U-shaped channel is also a difficult point.

Method for manufacturing a tunneling field effect transistor with a U-shaped channel


From such a state that the steady running of a kneading extruder is temporarily stopped in the heating state where it is supplied with resin material, the operation of a cutter device (5) is stopped, the heating quantity of a die (2) is reduced, and an external surface (2a) of the die is covered with cooling water, the heating quantity of the die (2) is increased so that softened resin material filling the inside of the nozzles (7) is melted, and the cutter device (5) as well as the kneading extruder are started to be driven at the same time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an underwater granulating method and an underwater granulating die in which thermoplastic resin material is kneaded, melted and extruded by a screw type kneading extruder so as to be granulated under water, and particularly relates to the improvement of the manner in which it starts.
2. Related Art
Generally, an underwater granulating method using a screw type kneading extruder and an underwater granulating apparatus are widely used to granulate a large quantity of thermoplastic resin material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. from raw powder into pellets. That is, raw powder is supplied to a screw type kneading extruder where it is kneaded and melted, and then extruded as thin strings from nozzles of a die provided on the head of the kneading extruder. The strings are extruded into cooling water at a temperature range of 40 to 80.degree. C. circulating in an underwater granulating apparatus, and at the same time cut by a cutter, so as to be cooled by the cooling water and granulated into granular pellets.
In such an underwater granulating method, there sometimes arises a case where the apparatus must be stopped temporarily due to problems associated with the apparatus, the raw material system or the product system, or due to routine maintenance requirements. In that case, the screw type kneading extruder and the underwater granulating apparatus are stopped temporarily and restarted after a short time after the problem or maintenance has been attended to.
Heretofore, such temporary stopping and restarting of the screw type kneading extruder and the underwater granulating apparatus are performed in the following manner. First, the supply of the raw powder is stopped, and at the same time the screw type kneading extruder is stopped. However, the heating of the resin material remaining in the inside of the extruder is continued so that it remains melted. Next, the cutter is separated away from the die surface and stopped, and the cooling water is exhausted from the underwater granulating apparatus to ensure that the melted resin material in the nozzles is not cooled and solidified by the cooling water. The die surface is kept at a high temperature of about 250.degree. C. without contacting the cooling water, so that the die is kept in a restart condition. In the case of restart, first, the cutter device is driven. Next, steps of returning the cutter to the die surface, supplying and circulating cooling water to the underwater granulating apparatus, and driving the screw type kneading extruder so as to extrude the melted resin material from the die are performed substantially at the same time.
In addition, in the case where the screw type kneading extruder is driven for the first time, or in the case of routine inspection, overhaul or the like is performed (i.e., in the case where driving is performed in the state where no resin material is included) first, an underwater granulating apparatus 3 is separated from the extruder as shown in FIG. 4, so that only the screw type kneading extruder is driven and the melted resin material 12 flows incontinently from nozzles 7 of a die 2. Next, when the melted resin material flowing incontinently is brought into a normal stationary state, the drive of the screw type kneading extruder is stopped while the heating state is maintained, the surface of the die 2 is cleaned, and the underwater granulating apparatus 3 is coupled with the die 2 so as to be brought into a stand-by state. Thereafter, start-up is performed in the same manner as in the above-mentioned case of temporary stoppage.
With temporary stoppage and restart performed in such a manner as mentioned above, a conventional underwater granulating method of thermoplastic resin material has had the following problems.
Because the die surface is kept at a high temperature to keep the resin material in the melted state during stoppage, the resin material contained in the nozzles melts and flows over the die surface. Further, because the screw type kneading extruder is also maintained in the heated state in running, part of the melted resin material filling the upstream portion of the die flows through the nozzles. As a result, a space is produced in the upstream portion in the die, and the air enters the space from the nozzles. As a result, the resin material melted at a high temperature reacts with oxygen in the air and is oxidized, thus deteriorating its quality. Therefore, pre-running of the screw type kneading extruder for eliminating the deteriorated portion of the resin material is performed before start as shown in FIG. 4, so that the resin material extruded from the nozzles is wasted. When the manufacturing facility is 20 ton per hour, the quantity of the wasted materials reaches 300 to 500 kg in two to three minutes running at half speed or lower. In addition, in the case of the stopping conditions where the screw type kneading extruder can run, the screw type kneading extruder is operated temporarily with a minimum number of rotations so as to extrude melted resin material from the nozzles to avoid a space being produced in the upstream portion of the die even in the stop state of the extruder. Also in this case, the extruded resin material is wasted. In either case, because melted resin material is extruded from the nozzles in a period from stop to restart, the underwater granulating apparatus is separated from the die as shown in FIG. 4.
To start the screw type kneading extruder, first, the die surface where the melted resin material flows inconsistently is cleaned out after completion of the pre-running. Next, the underwater granulating apparatus is coupled with the die disposed on the head of the screw type kneading extruder, and the cutter device is driven. Next, the steps of moving the cutter to approach the die surface, supplying and circulating the cooling water to the underwater granulating apparatus, and driving the screw type kneading extruder so as to extrude the melted resin material from the die are performed at substantially the same time. Such a series of starting operations must be performed rapidly before the melted resin material flows from the nozzles. In addition, in these starting operations, the timing relation between supplying and circulating the cooling water to the underwater granulating apparatus and extruding the melted resin material from the die is important. If the cooling water is supplied and circulated too early, the die surface is cooled suddenly so that a difference of temperature arises locally to thereby produce an unevenness in extruding. If the melted resin material is extruded too early, the melted resin material adheres to the cutter, so that granulating is not possible. When the timing is off, the above operations from the pre-running are repeated again thus wasting more resin material and manpower.
Further, wear-resistant material is applied on the die surface to thereby form a hardened layer on the die surface in order to protect against contact by the cutter. Maintained at a high temperature of about 250.degree. C., the hardened layer contacts the cooling water of 40 to 80.degree. C. so as to be cooled suddenly so that this hardened layer receives a thermal impact. Cracks are generated in the hardened layer by repetition of this cooling. This may be one of the causes of separation of the hardened layer.


In an internal combustion engine with a cooling system and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system including an EGR heat exchanger with a coolant inlet opening connected to a coolant outlet opening of the engine for receiving coolant therefrom and the engine including a coolant collecting rail mounted directly to the engine and having a coolant inlet opening connected to the EGR heat exchanger and at least one other coolant inlet opening in communication directly with at least one other coolant outlet opening of the engine.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine with a cooling system and exhaust gas recirculation system and with a coolant collecting rail extending alongside the engine for collecting the coolant from the areas around the various cylinders.
An internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle conventionally comprises an engine housing with a cylinder head, a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of coolant lines. The coolant lines are connected by means of at least one coolant inflow opening to a coolant pump for feeding a cooled coolant to the engine, and by way of at least one coolant outflow opening to a coolant collecting rail. The coolant collecting rail correspondingly has at least one first coolant inflow opening and a coolant outflow opening which is connected by means of a coolant line to a cooler for cooling the coolant. The coolant which is cooled in the cooler in this way is then returned to the coolant pump.
In an internal combustion engine with an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, a part of the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine can be supplied via an EGR line back to the intake duct of the internal combustion engine. An EGR heat exchanger for cooling the recirculated exhaust gas is arranged in the EGR line, and the EGR flow is controlled by means of an EGR valve which may likewise be cooled. The EGR heat exchanger and the EGR valve are therefore likewise constituents of the cooling system, and the EGR heat exchanger has a coolant inflow opening, which is connected to the coolant pump, and a coolant outflow opening. The coolant outflow opening of the EGR heat exchanger is connected to a second coolant inflow opening of the coolant collecting rail, so that all of the coolant of the cooling system is collected in the coolant collecting rail.
The cooling system of the internal combustion engine generally has further components, such as for example oil coolers, compensating tanks, thermostat valves, various pressure sensors and temperature sensors and the like, which are however not of significance for the present invention.
On account of the ever more restricted available installation space, there is demand for compact constructions for internal combustion engines of said type.
It is thus for example known from the documents DE 101 19 484 A1, JP-A-2000-248936 and JP-A-2002-030995 to mount the EGR heat exchanger directly on the cylinder head of the engine housing. In JP-A-2001-227414, the EGR valve is fastened directly to the cylinder head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,017 discloses an internal combustion engine in which the complete EGR line including the EGR heat exchanger is integrated in the engine housing.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a compact and at the same time cost-effective arrangement of a cooling system and exhaust gas recirculation system of an internal combustion engine.

Internal combustion engine with cooling system and exhaust gas recirculation system


A removable cap attached to a writing instrument in an insertion manner for preventing ink from evaporating from the writing instrument, comprises: a hollow cylindrical cap main body; and a hollow cylindrical inner cap fixedly mounted in the cap main body. The cap having been detached from the writing instrument permits open air to axially flow through the interior space of the cap through: a front axial opening of the cap; a ventilating hole of the inner cap; a space defined between the inner cap and the cap main body; and a clearance defined between a rear-end opening of the cap main body and a rear-end projecting portion of the inner cap, which projecting portion is disposed in the rear-end opening of the cap main body while space apart therefrom, whereby there is no fear that the cap suffocates infant's bronchi even if the infant swallows the cap whole.

The present invention relates to an improvement of a removable cap attached, in an insertion manner, to a front-end portion of a writing instrument such as marking pens, markers, water-color ink ball point pens and the like so as to protect and ink-applying portion of the writing instrument from damage and also so as to prevent ink from evaporating from the writing instrument.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, removable caps attached to the writing instruments such as marking pens, markers and the like are made of resin material which is excellent in properties preventing ink from evaporating from the writing instruments. A conventional type of the removable caps of the writing instruments has a construction as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, in which: a conventional removable cap 24 has a double-walled construction closed at its rear end and opened at its front end so as to provide and inner cap portion 25 in an inner space 26 of the cap 24. When the cap 24 is attached to a front-end portion of a writing instrument, the inner space 26 of the cap 24 is hermetically sealed. Consequently, the conventional removable cap of the writing instrument having the above construction is excellent in properties of preventing ink from evaporating from the writing instruments and in properties of protecting the ink-applying portion of the writing instrument from damage, and therefore, there is no problem in writing use itself. However, since the conventional removable cap 24 having the above construction is completely closed at its rear end, there is a fear that the cap 24 suffocates infant's bronchi when the infant swallows the cap 24 whole. Thus, it is apparent that the need exists for an improved removable cap which will prevent ink from evaporating from a writing instrument and protect an ink-applying portion of the writing instrument from damage without a fear that the cap suffocates infant's bronchi even if the infant swallows the cap whole.


An electronic device having a substrate including a metal layer, an electrically insulating layer disposed above the substrate, a semiconductor module disposed above the electrically insulating layer and a lamination layer disposed above the electrically insulating layer. The lamination layer at least partially embeds the semiconductor module.

Electronic device including a metal substrate and a semiconductor module embedded in a laminate
This invention relates, in general, to electronic devices and methods for fabricating electronic devices. In particular, the electronic devices may include a metal substrate and a semiconductor module embedded in a laminate.
Electronic devices may include a substrate like a metal core substrate, a metal base layer substrate, or an Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS). Electronic devices may be used in a number of applications, for example as AC-DC converters or DC-DC converters, for electric power steering applications, for high current applications, etc. A substrate may provide a limited surface area for mounting active electrical components like transistors or passive electrical components like capacitors or shunts above the substrate. In other words, the size of the surface area may limit the number of electrical components that can be mounted on the substrate.
Electronic devices and methods of fabrication thereof constantly have to be improved. It may thus be desirable to improve the operation, the design and the fabrication methods of the electronic devices. More particular, it may be desirable to provide an electronic device and a fabrication method that may offer additional free space on the surface area of the substrate without increasing the size of the substrate. In addition, it may be desirable to reduce the size of the substrate without the need of reducing the number of active or passive electrical devices included in the electronic device including the substrate. Furthermore, it may be desirable to improve the thermal management of the electronic devices. For example, it may be desirable to improve the efficiency with which heat generated by a semiconductor element included in the electronic device is dissipated.


An apparatus includes an encoder adapted to encode data bits for transmission via a communication link using pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). The encoder includes a logic circuit. The logic circuit is adapted to perform a logic operation on a pattern of bits and the data bits in order to reduce a run-length and/or improve the DC balance of the data bits.

Electronic circuitry and systems sometimes use a high speed link to facilitate communication between two circuits or subsystems. The link, which might be a serial link, may communicate information or data with encoding added by a transmitter that may indicate word-boundaries, distinguish data and control information, scramble the data to spread out electromagnetic interference (EMI), avoid long run-lengths, and balance the number of zeros and ones to avoid a DC imbalance (a lack of DC balance). Examples of encoding schemes include 8b10b, 64/66, and 64/67, which are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art. Such encoding schemes may be used with a variety of physical layer arrangements, such as pulse amplitude modulation (e.g., PAM-4 and PAM-8) schemes, known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
At the receiver, the data communicated via the link are processed to determine word boundary, obtain lock with the transmitter, decode, etc. Once word lock is found, the data transitions are used to confirm that word-lock is maintained. The details of those operations are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.

Apparatus for improved encoding and associated methods


A pixel arrangement structure, including a plurality of repeating units, wherein each of the plurality of repeating units includes one first sub-pixel, one second sub-pixel, and two third sub-pixels; in each of the plurality of repeating units, the two third sub-pixels are arranged in one of a first direction and a second direction, and the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel are arranged in the other one of the first direction and the second direction; the plurality of repeating units are arranged in the first direction to form a plurality of repeating unit groups, the plurality of repeating unit groups are arranged in the second direction; and the first direction and the second direction are different directions.

Nowadays, the continuous developments of the display technique has led to higher requirements to the display resolution and the higher display resolution in turn would increase the techniques complexity and cost for preparing and making displays. When the display resolution is at a similar level of the naked-eye resolution, the conventional mode of using three sub-pixels namely red (R), green (G) and blue (B) for defining one pixel briefly may be changed, based on the differences of naked eyes in distinguishing different colored pixels. That is, by sharing some sub-pixels which color have less sensitive resolutions at certain location in different pixels, and using relatively less sub-pixels to simulate the same pixel resolution performance, complexity and cost of the Fine Metal Mask (FMM) techniques is reduced.

Pixel arrangement structure and driving method thereof, display substrate and display device


Provided is a memory system with an inductor. In the memory system, the inductor is connected to an on-die termination unit of a memory chip, thereby realizing constant gain characteristics without respect to a variation in an operating frequency. The inductor of the on-die termination unit may be embodied by connecting a wire bonding, a package line pattern, a PCB line pattern, a wire line, and/or an inductor device to pads of the memory chip.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a memory system, and more particularly, to a memory system including an on-die termination unit having an inductor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A line used to transmit a signal to and/or receive a signal from a memory system may be terminated using terminal resistance to suppress the reflection of a signal, caused at a receiving side and/or a transmitting side. Signal reflection may degrade signal integrity (SI) and may significantly degrade the performance of a memory system supporting high-speed data transmission.
In conventional memory systems, input/output (I/O) terminals of a memory controller and/or a DRAM may be embodied as on-die termination (ODT) units terminated by termination resistance. The termination resistance may be set to match the impedance in a transmission line.
A transmission line connected to a receiver of a receiving side may contain parasitic capacitance caused by input capacitance in the receiver and/or junction capacitance in a driver. The parasitic capacitance may cause the termination resistance to vary in response to a variation in an operating frequency of a memory system. Accordingly the termination resistance may not be substantially fixed if the termination resistance varies.
If a termination resistance in the I/O terminal is maintained at a constant value, a gain in the I/O terminal may be maintained at a constant value even if the operating frequency is changed from a low frequency to a high frequency. However, if a termination resistance in an I/O terminal varies with a parasitic capacitance, the gain in the I/O terminal may fluctuate.
To reduce and/or remove issues stemming from or relating to a parasitic capacitance and to realize broadband termination, ODT may require inductance. Signal integrity may be improved by adding an inductor into an ODT unit. However, because the size of an inductor is typically large, the addition of the inductor may significantly increase the chip size.

Memory system including on-die termination unit having inductor


Processes for reducing the ultra high molecular weight polymeric material content of a high density polyethylene produced with a bis-triarylsilyl chromate catalyst system are provided. Processes for reducing the gel content of articles produced from high density polyethylene are also provided. The gel content of the articles is reduced by using the high density polyethylene with reduced ultra high molecular weight polymeric material content to produce the articles. The processes described reduce the content of ultra high molecular weight polymeric material in comparison to conventional high density polyethylene by introducing at least one catalyst deactivator into a recycle gas line containing a recycle gas stream associated with the fluidized bed reactor. The at least one catalyst deactivator has a boiling point lower than the maximum temperature within the recycle gas line. In certain embodiments, the at least one catalyst deactivator is introduced in the portion of the recycle gas line upstream of a recycle gas cooler at a ratio of 0.0075 mole of the at least one catalyst deactivator per 1 million moles of make-up ethylene to about 0.12 mole of the at least one catalyst deactivator per 1 million moles of make-up ethylene in the reaction system. In certain embodiments, the at least one catalyst deactivator is oxygen.

Numerous systems and processes for polymerizing olefins are known. Introduction of various compounds into polymerization reactors to control polymer product properties is also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,933 to Wright, et al., discloses the addition of a "catalyst poison", such as oxygen, to a fluidized bed reactor used to produce high density polyethylene using bis-triarylsilyl chromate catalyst systems. The catalyst poison is added directly to the reactor or in a gas recycle line at a location downstream of the associated recycle gas cooler. The '933 patent discloses that the catalyst poison is to be introduced into the reactor in the range of about 0.005 to about 0.5 part by volume per million parts by volume of ethylene feed to the reactor. The catalyst poison is added in this manner to increase environmental stress crack resistance of articles made with the polymer produced. The '933 patent refers to the addition of oxygen as "oxygen addback". Another effect attributed to the "oxygen addback" is lowering the molecular weight of the high density polyethylene produced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,251 to Goode, et al., discloses a process for the reduction of sheeting during polymerization of alpha-olefins by the introduction of positive charge generating additives or negative charge generating additives into the polymerization reactor to neutralize the static charge in the reactor. The polymerization processes disclosed are for use with titanium or vanadium catalysts with aluminum cocatalysts. Positive charge generating additives are identified as alcohols containing up to 7 carbon atoms, oxygen, and nitric acid. Methanol is described as the preferred positive charge-generating additive. Negative charge generating additives are identified as ketones containing up to 7 carbon atoms such as acetone and methyl isobutyl ketone. The '251 patent describes that the additives are to be added to the reactor. Introduction of the additives to the recycle stream "just upstream of the inlet to the bottom of the reactor vessel" is described and exemplified. This location is downstream of the recycle stream compressor and cooler.
Addition of compounds to the recycle gas stream in olefin polymerization systems is known. For example, Published U.S. Patent Application 2004/0236040 to Mihan, et al., discloses the introduction of a liquid catalyst poison upstream of a cyclone separator positioned in the recycle stream. The liquid catalyst poison serves to "wet" fine dust particles to facilitate removal of the particles from the recycle gas in the cyclone. Another effect attributed to the catalyst poison wetting the dust particles is that the catalyst poison is removed from the circulating gas to prevent it from reaching the reactor where it "can have an adverse effect on the polymerization reaction." The Application also indicates that the fine dust wetted by the catalyst poison that is not removed in the cyclone serves to avoid undesirable polymerization and deposit formation in the circulating gas. The Application discloses that the catalyst poison must have a boiling point above the maximum temperature within the recycle stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,736 to Dumain, et al., discloses the addition of an activity retarder into a reaction system for polymerization of alpha-olefins, particularly linear low density polyethylene. The activity retarder may be a polymerization inhibitor. The retarder is added to the polymerization system to control the temperature within the polymerization reactor. The retarder may be added directly to the reactor; to a monomer feed line; to a recycle separator device such a cyclone separator, to a recycle line from the cyclone separator, or to a reaction mixture recycle line located downstream of a heat exchanger used to cool the reaction mixture recycle stream.

Processes for producing high density polyethylene


A conveyor belt scraper assembly includes a plurality of blade scraper units detachably mounted to a support shaft with a clamping bolt and hold-down bar arrangement. The plural scraper units are preferably molded from resilient material. The one or more scraper units adapted to contact center portions of the conveyor belt is preferably formed of a harder material than the scraper units contacting side portions of the belt. The assembly is driven into and out of scraping contact with the conveyor belt into means of a piston and cylinder arrangement with the cylinder preferably actuated with pressurized water from conventional sources as available in a mining environment. The cylinder is transparent to permit visual monitoring of the location of the piston head. First and second marker tapes fixed to the transparent cylinder provide points of reference indicative of blade wear and the need for replacement when the piston head contacts the second marker.

In my co-pending application, as depicted in FIG. 1 and 2 herein for ease of explanation, there is disclosed a belt scraping apparatus 10 including a cylinder 12 in sealing contact with upper and lower end caps 14 and 16 sealed to ends of the cylinder with plural tension rods 18 each applying a predetermined tightening force to the end caps by conventional heads or nuts 20 and 22, respectively. The lower end cap 16 may be provided with two openings or ports 24 and 26 formed to receive known types of fittings. One of these openings or ports 26 is connected to a pressurized water source 27 through a hose 27a and an optional pressure regulating device 27b to admit pressurized water into the lower end of cylinder 12 where it acts on a piston head of a single acting type slidably contained within the cylinder.
The pressurized water source, in a mining environment for example and as in the present invention, is preferably a conventional pumping station P that generally comprises an available source of water supplied by a pump located outside the mine through the hose 27b to the mining site at a pressure generally between 45-300 psi. This pressurized water is conventionally used for cleaning of equipment, and as a means for fighting fires within the mine. In accordance with the invention described in my co-pending application, the piston within the cylinder is of a single acting type in that the piston is moved to and maintained at the upper end of the cylinder under the action of pressurized water to maintain the belt scraper described more fully below in contact with the conveyor belt until such time as the supply of pressurized water into the lower end of the cylinder is shut off via the pressure regulating device. The other opening 24 is for connection to a pressure release mechanism (optional and not shown) and preferably a pressure gauge. A closeable fitting 28 in the upper end cap 14 allows drainage of any pressurized water that may leak past the piston head contained within the cylinder 12 during use.
The pressurized water cylinder assembly described above, in accordance with my co-pending application, is mounted by an attachment fork 30 (secured to the bottom of end cap 16) to a base 36 via rotatable connection to a trunnion 34 with pin 32. The piston is connected to a connecting rod 38 sealingly and slidably guided through upper end cap 14. Rod 38 is moveable in opposite directions indicated by arrow A in a direction parallel to the cylinder axis. The cylinder 12, the piston therewithin, end caps 14 and 16, are preferably made up of materials which are not corroded by the pressurized water, such as fiber glass, acrylic plastics, or reinforced composites that are readily lubricated by water without the need for externally provided lubrication.
The upper end of connecting rod 38 supports a fork element 42 rotatably pinned to a lever arm 44 rigidly connected to a shaft 46 rotatably supported in a pair of bearings 48.
A plurality of through holes 43 are distributed along the length of arm 44 for selective engagement of pin 42 therethrough, which persons skilled in the mechanical arts will immediately appreciate as a means to discretely adjust the moment arm at which the connecting rod force is applied about the axis of shaft 46.
Rigidly attached to a portion of shaft 46 between supporting journal bearing elements 48 is a transverse element 50 at a distal end of which is attached a scraper blade element 52 having a scraping edge 54. As is indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 1, a cylinder 56 of circular cross-section is conventionally used to support and guide thereover an approaching length 58 of a moving belt which passes over the cylindrical outer surface of cylinder 56 and returns for reloading as a moving length 62 of the belt. Naturally, the scraper blade element 52 must be so positioned vis-a-vis cylinder 56 and the moving belt as to be itself movable into controlled scraping contact with moving belt length 62, as best understood with reference to FIG. 2.
Although considerable adjustment of the applied moment to rotate shaft 46 is obtained by selecting one of the plurality of through holes 43 in arm 44 for a given position of base 36, even further adjustment may be obtained by relocating attachment means 64, e.g., conventional nuts and bolts into any of paired apertures 65 in a fixed support element 66 that stays in place vis-a-vis the conveyor belt structure. Given the structure described hitherto, it is easy for a user, simply by loosening a few bolts and nuts such as 64 and/or repositioning pin 42 in any of apertures 43, to very quickly and securely adjust a component of the force providable by connecting rod 38 and the moment arm at which such a force is applied to generate a useful torque about the axis of shaft 46. There is, thus, provided in the present invention a very easily adjustable means for discretely controlling the force with which scraper blade element 52 can be applied to a length 62 of a moving belt to scrape the same. Note that the adjustment so described is in addition to and complementary of any adjustment that may be obtained by regulating the pressure of the pressurized water actuating the piston within cylinder 12.
In practice, therefore, once the user using his judgment and experience decides exactly which holes 43 and 65 to use to locate the cylinder assembly 10, he or she will set a pressure regulator of known type to limit the pressure of pressurized water that may enter cylinder 12 to a maximum value, thereby ensuring that a desired factor of safety is obtained to avoid accidental rupture of cylinder 12. He or she then operates whatever controls are necessary, e.g., a valve, to provide pressurized water to cylinder 12 to generate an outward motion of connecting rod 38 vis-a-vis cylinder 12, so that a force is applied as indicated by arrow "A" in a direction normal to arm 44. This will cause shaft 46 and the attached scraper blade assembly to rotate clockwise as illustrated in FIG. 1.
The scraper blade assembly therefore moves in an arcuate path, as indicated by the curved arrow B, toward contact with the belt 58 passing over the outer surface of cylinder 56. Upon sufficient movement of blade element 52, the scraping edge 54 thereof will move as indicated by the arrows C into scraping contact along a line 60 (parallel to the axis of shaft 46) so that substantially the entire length of blade edge 54 is controllably pressed against the outer surface of turning moving length 62 of the conveyor belt. For most applications it may be most convenient to ensure that this line of contact 60 is located so that scraper blade edge 54 presses on the conveyor belt in a manner resisted by the outer surface of cylinder 56.
While the foregoing apparatus 10 of my co-pending application provides a highly desirable belt scraping action in a manner using pressurized water that is entirely safe and compatible with the use of equipment in sensitive locations without increasing any operational hazards, the following problems noted. First, since the scraper blade 52 is formed of the same material extending continuously for substantially the full width of the belt, the blade tends to wear unevenly since most of the material conveyed along the upper run of the belt gathers at the center longitudinally extending portion thereof, exerting greater abrasive contact against the center part of the scraper than at the edge portions of the scraper located adjacent the center part. Thereby, the belt scraper wears unevenly and eventually assumes a curved concave configuration with minimal if any scraping contact between the center portion of the scraper and the center of the belt where scraping is particularly necessary.
In my blade scraper mechanism of the aforesaid co-pending application, the scraping blade is of one piece extending transversely the full width of the conveyor belt. Replacement of the scraper blade necessitates removal of the entire blade element as well as the shaft 46 from its journal supports 48.
It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a scraper element for a belt scraper mechanism that wears evenly along the entire length of the scraper.
Another object of the invention is to easily detach the scraper element from the scraper mechanism for ease of replacement or repair.
Still another object of the invention is to form the scraper from individual scraper units easily detachably mounted to the scraper mechanism to form a continuous edge extending the full width of the belt.
Another object of the invention is to detachably mount the individual scraper units without requiring removal or manipulation of the blade scraper unit support shaft assembly from the conveyor.
Still another object is to provide a belt scraper mechanism wherein the individually mounted belt scraper units are of different hardness along the width of the conveyor belt to insure even wear of the belt scraper units across the entire belt width.
Yet a further object is to form the at least one or more individual belt scraper units mounted to contact the center portion of the belt where the most abrasive conditions occur of a material having a greater hardness than belt scraper units mounted to contact lateral or side portions of the belt where less abrasive conditions occur due to a smaller amount of abrasive material on the conveyor belt in comparison with greater amounts of abrasive material conveyed on center portions of the belt.
During belt scraping action, the belt scraper is subject to wear and must eventually replaced. However, as a result of scraping, the belt scraping element becomes coated with dirty and gritty material scraped from the belt, rendering it difficult if not impossible to visually monitor the belt scraper element to determine when replacement is necessary.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a means for visually detecting the extent of wear of the belt scraper elements to determine when replacement becomes necessary.
Another object of the invention is to determine when replacement of the belt scraper units becomes necessary by monitoring the degree to which the piston head moves during belt scraping operation as a function of further extension of the piston connecting rod which occurs as the belt scraper wears and which is proportional to the extent of incremental wear.
Yet a further object is to monitor movement of the piston head as a function of wear of the belt scrapers by visually marking reference locations on a transparent cylinder carrying the piston head to temporarily halt belt scraping operations for replacement of one or more of the belt scraper units when the piston head travels along the cylinder to a position adjacent one of the reference marks.
In my aforesaid co-pending application, the belt scraping element is depicted in contact with the belt as it passes around the conveyor end roll. While this a commonly accepted mounting arrangement for the scrapers, the belt scraper elements wear quickly when used to clean the conveyor belts formed with wire seams, i.e. as the wire seams pass around the conveyor 10 roller, they generate considerable abrasive contact with the belt scraper elements causing premature wear and frequent replacement.
Another object of the invention is to provide a belt scraper mechanism having one or more resilient belt scraper units mounted to contact the lower run of the conveyor belt at a location spaced from the conveyor roller, i.e. without counter-pressure from the conveyor roller, particularly when using seamed conveyor belts.


Disclosed herein is a method for preventing senescence and increasing bone mass namely, bone volume and bone strength which method comprises administering 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol in a pharmaceutically effective amount, and also use of 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol for preparing anti-senescent compositions and compositions for increasing bone mass.

The present invention relates to a method for preventing senescence, particularly bone senescence, which method comprises administering 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol in a pharmaceutically effective amount.
The present invention relates further to a method for increasing bone mass, namely a method for increasing bone volume and increasing bone strength, which method comprises administering 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol in a pharmaceutically effective amount.
In Japan, population of the aged 65 years or over old is steadily increasing at a rate far greater than that in any other foreign country. It has been demonstrated that the bone volume in the aged tends physiologically to decrease as they grow old. It is generally held that the bone volume of a person begins to decrease about when the person becomes forty. Thus, the decrease of bone volume serves as an index of senescence. The bones have a biological significance that they not only play a part of a mechanical support for the whole body but also serve as an important storehouse of calcium ions indispensable to homeostasis of the body. The decrease of bone volume due to senescence, therefore, constitutes itself a serious problem. No medicine safe and capable of preventing sencescence has been available to date.
Owing to the arrival of the so-called senile society in recent years, even when normal persons who do not specifically suffer from disorders in bone metabolism are aged, the aged tend to suffer from the aforementioned decrease of bone volume coupled with the physiological decrease of bone strength and, consequently, tend to suffer a fracture more readily under a feeble external force than in their younger days. In the aged, immobilized osteopenia advances quickly once they suffer a fracture. The increment of bone strength in the aged, therefore, is a very important task. In such circumstances, the development of a medicine safe and capable of increasing bone strength has been urgently expected.
The present inventors have continued a study as to a physiological activity of a substance inherently occurring in the body of a healthy person and exhibiting proven safety and as a result, found that 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol (hereinafter referred to as "the present substance" or as "24,25-(OH).sub.2 -D.sub.3 ") possesses numerous physiologically activity. As concerns the bones, they have found that the present substance has an activity of preventing osteoporosis, i.e. one of the disorders in bone metabolism. As the result of their latest experiment on lifelong administration of the present substance to rats, they have found that the present substance has an activity of increasing bone volume (decrease of which is an index of senescence), without affecting the bone quality and thereby preventing senescence. One aspect of the present invention has been perfected based on the above findings. In an extension of the experiment, they have further found that a normal mammal to which the present substance is administered exhibits bone strength clearly surpassing the average bone strength of non-administered normal mammals, and as a result, another aspect of the present invention has been perfected. These findings are literally epochal in the light of the fact that the conventional pharmaceutical compositions for adjusting bone metabolism is found to be only capable of restoring bones having abnormality due to morbidity near to normality. Further, the method for increasing bone volume and the method for increasing bone strength according to the present invention can be effectively applied not only to aged mammals but also to adult mammals and infantile mammals.
When the present invention is applied to adult mammals and aged mammals, not only the bone mass thereof is increased but also the systemic senescence relative to the increment of bone mass is clearly prevented.
From the viewpoint of anti-senescence activity thereof, therefore, the findings which have culminated in the present invention are epochal in the true sense of the word.
The first object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing senescence, comprising administering 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol in a pharmaceutically effective amount.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a method for increasing bone volume, comprising administering 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol in a pharmaceutically effective amount.
The third object of the present invention is to provide a method for increasing bone strength of a normal mammal, comprising administering 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol in a pharmaceutically effective amount.
The fourth object of the present invention is to provide use of 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol for preparing anti-senescent compositions.
The fifth object of the present invention is to provide use of 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol for preparing compositions for increasing bone volume.
The sixth object of the present invention is to provide use of 24,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol for preparing compositions for increasing bone strength of a normal mammal.

Method for preventing senescence and increasing bone mass


A sunshade device has a sunshade awning, a clamp device, an angle adjusting device, and an extensible support. The sunshade awning has a flexible steel ring and a fabric. The extensible support has an outer pipe, and an inner pipe inserted in the outer pipe. The clamp device has a lower tube, a first clamping plate, and a second clamping plate. The first clamping plate and the second clamping plate clamp the flexible steel ring. The angle adjusting device has an upper sleeve inserted in the lower tube and a lower sleeve engaging with the upper sleeve. The lower sleeve has a lower pipe inserted in the inner pipe.

The present invention relates to a sunshade device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sunshade device which has an angle adjusting device to adjust an angle of a sunshade awning.
Referring to FIG. 11, a conventional sunshade device has a support rod 20, a stiff annular frame 10 supported by the support rod 20, and a fabric enclosed by the stiff annular frame 10. Since the stiff annular frame 10 occupy a large room, it is difficult to carry the stiff annular frame 10 or to store the stiff annular frame 10. Further, the angle of the stiff annular frame 10 cannot be adjusted.


A system for plugging a fibre optic cable into a fibre optic receptacle includes: a base element having at least one base port, and an adapter unit having at least one adapter, the at least one adapter and the at least one base port being spaced of a predetermined length. The system includes a cable adaptor associated with the fibre optic cable, the cable adaptor including a connector for being plugged into the adapter; an anchoring device for anchoring the fibre optic cable to said base port, and a connector retaining element for receiving the connector and a cable end portion, the connector retaining element defining the predetermined length and removably engaging with the anchoring device. A cable adaptor for a fibre optic cable and a method of installing a fibre optic cable into a fibre optic receptacle, especially into a joint closure, are also described.

The present invention relates to a system for plugging a fibre optic cable into a fibre optic receptacle.
In particular, the present invention relates to a system for plugging a fibre optic cable into a joint closure, said fibre optic cable being provided with a cable adaptor.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a cable adaptor for plugging a fibre optic cable into a fibre optic receptacle, e.g. a joint closure.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of installing a fibre optic cable into a fibre optic receptacle.

System for plugging a fibre optic cable into a fibre optic receptacle and cable adaptor therefor


A shock absorbing device for an enclosure. The shock absorbing device including a shock absorbing frame. The shock absorbing frame includes an inner surface coupled adjacent to the enclosure and an outer surface. The shock absorbing device also includes a plurality flexible shock bumpers spaced apart from each other and formed on the outer surface of the shock absorbing frame. Each flexible shock feature includes a mount feature.

Disc drives are typical data storage systems and are commonly used in work stations, personal computers, portable computers and other computing systems to store large amounts of data in a form that can be readily available to a user. A disc drive includes a head disc assembly that is attached to a printed circuit board assembly. The head disc assembly includes a variety of components. The components include one or more discs having data surfaces that are coated with a magnetizable medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The disc(s) are mounted on a spindle motor that causes the disc(s) to spin and the data surfaces of the disc(s) to pass under respective aerodynamic bearing disc head sliders. The sliders carry magnetic transducers, which write information to and read information from the data surfaces of the discs.
With the rapid increase in a real density of the magnetizable medium, continued demand exists for disc drives having a small size suitable for use in handheld or portable devices, such as communication devices (e.g. cell phones), audio devices (e.g. digital music players), computing machines (e.g. personal data assistants), video recorders (e.g. digital cameras) and other small consumer applications. Small sized disc drives for use with these types of consumer products must be robust enough to withstand accidental drops and high operating shock and vibration levels.
In general, shock bumper designs for disc drives use hard and inflexible materials to absorb external shock. The thicker the hard and inflexible material, the more shock energy can be absorbed. For small sized disc drives, the spaced allotted for a shock bumper is limited. Therefore, the thickness of the material is also limited and allows for only a limited amount of shock energy to be absorbed.
Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.


A substrate for an electronic device includes an insulating layer; a via extending into the insulating layer; a light shielding layer in the via; and a thin film transistor comprising an active layer on the light shielding layer and in the via. The light shielding layer is configured to shield light from irradiating on the active layer.

Display devices such as liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) have been widely used. LCD and OLED display devices use thin film transistor (TFT) to control pixels in the display panel. Examples of TFT include amorphous silicon TFT, polycrystalline silicon TFT, single crystal silicon ITT, and metal oxide TFT. A thin film transistor may be classified into a top gate type or a bottom gate type.

Substrate for electronic device, display apparatus, method of fabricating substrate for electronic device

Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A device for forming stacks of piece goods batches, includes a movable transport device for transporting the piece goods batch. A feed device feeds the piece goods batch to the transport device. The transport device includes a support device which at least intermittently supports the piece goods batch and relative to which the piece goods batch can move and which can be removed essentially completely from a region located below the piece goods batch. The transport device includes at least one controllable fixing device for temporarily fixing an intermediate layer, wherein the fixing device for fixing the intermediate layer moves below the piece goods batch.

Palletisers are known from the prior art. In order to load a pallet, firstly an empty pallet is prepared in a loading station and then packs such as for example drinks crates, disposable containers or the like are deposited on said pallet in layers. Usually intermediate layers of paper or cardboard for example are arranged between individual layers of packs.
DE 29 45 883 A1 discloses a device for loading pallets with piece goods. This device has support rails which run transversely to a layer transfer direction and in which a support plane is guided.
G 92 02 553.6 discloses a device for breaking up and forming piece goods stacks. This device comprises a plurality of vacuum grippers which grip the piece goods themselves from above. Provided below these vacuum grippers is a support plane in the form of a roller conveyor, which can be displaced below the piece goods layer. Also provided are clamping bars for clamping the piece goods layers.
It is also known from the prior art that such palletising systems in each case arrange in sequence an intermediate layer, then a layer of packs and then again an intermediate layer, one on top of the other. However, this method is relatively time-consuming.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a palletising system which allows a higher palletising speed.

Method and device for packing large drinks packs


A fuel pump includes an output shaft of a motor and an impeller configured to rotate integrally with the output shaft. An outer periphery of the output shaft includes a first flat portion for engaging with the impeller. The impeller includes a through hole at a center thereof, the through hole being larger than an outer diameter of the output shaft and including a second flat portion for engaging with the output shaft. In this fuel pump, when the output shaft and the impeller are arranged coaxially, spots exist which have different lengths of a gap between the first flat portion and the second flat portion in a rotational axis direction of the output shaft.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H4-66797 (hereinafter, Patent Literature 1) describes a fuel pump. The fuel pump in Patent Literature 1 has an output shaft extending from a motor, and this output shaft is engaged with an impeller and rotates the impeller. The impeller includes a through hole into which the output shaft is to be inserted. Further, in order to prevent the output shaft from running idle, each of the output shaft and the through hole includes a flat portion.