An arrangement to determine whether a tennis ball is "in" or "out" on a playing surface, which includes both a transmit coil and a receive coil beneath the playing surface and a modified tennis ball to have a non-zero magnetic permeability, so that an alternating signal can be transmitted from the transmit coil and re-radiated from the tennis ball, which can then be detected by the receive coils, and can be synchronously demodulated and resistive and reactive components of the signal analysed to discriminate the ball from other influences. The receive coils can be wound to avoid electro-magnetic interference from far fields.

It is a well known problem to which there are several proposed solutions.
Systems utilizing balls containing conductive fibres which close circuits when making contact between exposed sensor conductors on the court surface, such as those described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,883,860 and 4,299,384, have the problem that the balls may have to be of different colour, surface texture, friction coefficient, and moment of inertia than that of the now conventionally used tennis ball, and the court will necessarily be of substantially different texture near the lines. Furthermore the circuits may be closed by any electrical conductor such as an aluminium tennis racket, or conductive fibres which may have fallen out of the ball and lie across the sensing conductors on the court.
Systems utilizing electromagnetic interrogation by means of sensing coils buried below the court surface are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,774,194 and 4,664,376.
The former patent describes a radio frequency bridge circuit, one "arm" of which comprises a buried coil, which is used to sense a tennis ball containing a resonant electrical circuit tuned to the radio frequency transmitted by the coil.
The latter patent describes a buried coil which is part of the resonator of an oscillator whose frequency and quality factor are altered by the close presence of a ball of substantially non-zero magnetic permeability.
There are difficulties with such an arrangement in so far that there is susceptibility to external influences. Furthermore, there is great difficulty to assess whether a ball touches the line in cases where the ball is either just "in" or "out"; rather; the described systems merely sense the close proximity of the ball to the sensing coils. In addition, the ball described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,194 has physical properties substantially different from a standard ball, such as moment of inertia which necessarily has distinct Elgen axes.
In order to determine whether the ball is "in" or "out", it is necessary to process the received data by means of pattern recognition algorithms or arithmetic algorithms of the data of the received pulse shape generated by the close passage of the ball. Merely measuring the close presence of a ball as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,376 will result in inaccuracies for reasons given later.
It is an object of this invention to at least reduce one or more of the above difficulties.


The present invention provides a CCL20 locked dimer polypeptide, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of using said dimer in the treatment of psoriasis, inflammatory disorders and autoimmune disease.

Chemokines are a superfamily of chemoattractant cytokine proteins which primarily serve to regulate a variety of biological responses and promote the recruitment and migration of multiple lineages of leukocytes and lymphocytes to a body organ tissue. Chemokines are classified into four families according to the relative position of the first two cysteine residues in the protein. In one family, the first two cysteines are separated by one amino acid residue (the CXC chemokines) and in another family the first two cysteines are adjacent (the CC chemokines). In a third family, the first two cysteines are separated by three amino acids (CX3C chemokines). In a fourth family there is only one cysteine in the amino terminus (C chemokines).
The chemokine-receptor pair of CCL20/CCR6 regulates dendritic and T cell trafficking to sites of injury or infection through the establishment of concentration gradients in vivo (Liao et al., 1999). During the general inflammatory response, the ˜8 kDa chemokine is secreted by lymphoid cells into the extracellular matrix where it binds and activates its single, seven transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), CCR6 expressed on the surface of migratory cells (Baba et al., 1997).
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2-3% of the global population (Kurd and Gelfand, 2009) characterized by the infiltration of Th17 cells to the skin in response to injury or autoantigens. T cells, including those with low expression of the gamma-delta T cell receptor, are recruited to the dermis and epidermis by a number of chemokines, including CCL20. Together with its receptor CCR6, CCL20 plays a critical role in the development of psoriasiform dermatitis in mouse models.
Current psoriasis treatments that target Th17 pathway cytokines and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) can be highly effective in treating humans with psoriasis (Langley et al., 2014). However, a neutralizing anti-CCL20 monoclonal antibody reduced psoriasis-like inflammation, suggesting that inhibition of CCL20/CCR6-mediated T cell recruitment may also be a useful therapeutic strategy (Mabuchi et al., 2011).
Chemokines engage their receptors via an extensive protein-protein interface that encompasses domains at the extracellular surface and a deep pocket within the transmembrane domain (the orthosteric site) that is occupied by the chemokine N-terminus (Kufareva et al., 2014). Native chemokines are typically full, balanced GPCR agonists that elicit characteristic cellular responses, including the release of intracellular calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum and cell migration. Chemokine receptor antagonists, such as small molecules, peptides or mutated chemokines, typically block GPCR signaling by preventing activation at the orthosteric site (Crump et al., 1997; Hassan et al., 2011; Rosenkilde et al., 2004).
Partial or biased agonists of chemokine receptors are characterized by a selective loss of efficacy, such as AOP-Rantes, which induces CCR5-mediated calcium signaling but lacks pro-migratory signaling and has altered receptor recycling (Rodriguez-Frade et al., 1999). Additionally, Zadir and colleagues showed that biased agonism of CCR7 by its two chemokine ligands, CCL21 and CCL19, results in differing patterns of GPCR kinase recruitment but no difference in Gi/o, signaling (Zidar et al., 2009). While N-terminal modifications can alter the pharmacologic properties of a chemokine by disrupting orthosteric site contacts, manipulation of the chemokine oligomeric state can also change its signaling profile in potentially useful ways.
Chemokines typically bind and activate their cognate GPCRs in the monomeric state, but self-association is important for binding to cell surface glycosaminoglycans and thus for in vivo chemokine function (Campanella et al., 2006). Members of the CXC and CC chemokine subfamilies generally adopt distinct quaternary structures that utilize either the β1 strand (CXC) or residues near the N-terminus (CC) for the dimer interface (Jansma et al., 2009). Changes in the oligomeric state of a chemokine can alter receptor binding, activation and downstream signaling. Dimerization of most CC chemokines occludes key receptor binding epitopes, rendering them nonfunctional as GPCR ligands (Tan et al., 2013). Some CXC chemokines, however, that have been modified to be constitutively dimeric are competent to bind their receptors and can function as partial agonists and inhibitors (Veldkamp et al., 2008). Among CC chemokines for which structures have been solved, CCL20 is unique in that it adopted a CXC-type dimer in two high-resolution crystal structures with no evidence for the canonical CC dimer (Hoover et al., 2002; Malik and Tack, 2006).
Accordingly, there is a current need for cost-effective pharmaceutical agents and treatment methods for treating psoriasis and other autoimmune or inflammation disorders.

Engineered CCL20 locked dimer polypeptide


The main object is to provide a volume hologram transfer foil showing an excellent foil cutting property and capable of being transferred easily to a transferred body. This object is solved by providing a volume hologram transfer foil comprising a substrate, a volume hologram layer formed on the substrate and a heat sensitive adhesive layer formed on the volume hologram layer, wherein the volume hologram layer has a breaking strain at 25° C. in a range of 0.5% to 15% and a breaking strain at 120° C. in a range of 0.5% to 30%, and the heat sensitive adhesive layer has a breaking strain at 25° C. in a range of 0.5% to 15%.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a volume hologram transfer foil used for, for example, security application and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in most hologram transfer foils, surface relief type hologram having irregularity on the surface is used, and in its general structure, a substrate, a delaminating layer, surface relief type hologram layer, reflective film layer and heat sensitive adhesive layer are laminated sequentially. In the case of a hologram transfer foil, since layers such as a delaminating layer, hologram layer, heat sensitive adhesive layer and the like other than the substrate are cut due to a heat mold in its heat transfer (also referred to simply as transfer, hot stamp), it is necessary that a foil cutting property is excellent and hologram is assuredly transferred to a transferred body. A hologram transfer foil of general relief type shows an excellent foil cutting property and used in many applications.
On the other hand, as materials capable of being used regarding volume hologram, silver salt materials, photopolymers and the like are mentioned, and in general, photopolymers which can be produced by a dry process are used in mass production. However, such a photopolymer is required to have increased refractive index modulation value (Δn) to make the image of hologram brighter, and in allowing a film to have low viscosity and forming volume hologram, monomers and the like are moved in the layer, therefore, the hardness of a coated film itself is low. Consequently, a foil cutting property is poor and a transferring property is instable, leading to a problem that it is extremely difficult to make a transfer foil of volume hologram.
Even if the hardness of a material is increased by improving the volume hologram material itself for solving this problem, there is also a problem that it is difficult to completely improve a transferring property and refractive index cannot be modulated sufficiently by further increasing the hardness of a coated film, making the hologram darker.
Further, the one is known which the foil cutting property is improved by previously making slits on a delaminating layer, hologram layer, heat sensitive adhesive layer and the like at transferring portions and delaminating them from a slit line along a heat mold in transferring. However, this method has a problem that a slit mold for making slits and a slit process are necessary, needing time and cost.
Furthermore, the present inventors have suggested a volume hologram transfer foil having a hologram layer made of a specific material having specific breaking strain(Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-272295)). However, also in this method, soft thermoplastic resins are often used as a heat sensitive adhesive layer in making a transfer foil, consequently, its foil cutting property is a problem in some


A bulkhead assembly includes bulkhead having a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction. The second surface is opposite the first surface. A first connector is disposed on the bulkhead facing the first direction. A second connector is disposed on the bulkhead facing the second direction.

Air conditioner units are conventionally utilized to adjust the temperature within structures such as dwellings and office buildings. In particular, one-unit type room air conditioner units may be utilized to adjust the temperature in, for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. A typical such air conditioner unit includes an indoor portion and an outdoor portion. The indoor portion is generally located indoors, and the outdoor portion is generally located outdoors. Accordingly, the air conditioner unit generally extends through a wall, window, etc. of the structure.
In the outdoor portion of a conventional air conditioner unit, a compressor that operates a refrigerating cycle is provided. At the back of the outdoor portion, an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the compressor is disposed, and facing the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan for cooling the outdoor heat exchanger is provided. At the front of the indoor portion of a conventional air conditioner unit, an air inlet is provided, and above the air inlet, an air outlet is provided. A blower fan and a heating unit are additionally provided in the indoor portion. Between the blower fan and heating unit and the air inlet, an indoor heat exchanger connected to the compressor is provided.
When cooling operation starts, the compressor is driven to operate the refrigerating cycle, with the indoor heat exchanger serving as a cold-side evaporator of the refrigerating cycle, and the outdoor heat exchanger as a hot-side condenser. The outdoor heat exchanger is cooled by the outdoor fan to dissipate heat. As the blower fan is driven, the air inside the room flows through the air inlet into the air passage, and the air has its temperature lowered by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger, and is then blown into the room through the air outlet. In this way, the room is cooled.
When heating operation starts, the heating unit is operated to raise the temperature of air in the air passage. The air, having had its temperature raised, is blown out through the air outlet into the room to heat the room.
Further, conventional air conditioner units include a bulkhead which is positioned between the indoor portion and outdoor portion, and thus generally separates the components within the indoor portion from the components in the outdoor portion. Various components may additionally be connected to the bulkhead, such as the blower fan and heating unit. Components which may be connected to the bulkhead include components located in both the indoor portion and the outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit.
One issue with many presently known bulkheads and air conditioner units is the difficulty in accessing connectors positioned on only one side of the bulkhead.
Accordingly, improved apparatus for accessing connectors associated with bulkheads in air conditioner units is desired in the art. In particular, apparatus which facilitate such access during manufacture and/or maintenance of air conditioner units and thus reducing the associated time and labor would be advantageous.

Bulkhead assemblies for air conditioner units


A method of monitoring a behavior of carbon dioxide in a stratum by using a marine Controlled-Sources Electromagnetic survey, includes: (S10) collecting a sample of sandstone at a stratum for charging carbon dioxide; (S20) calculating an effective porosity of the collected sample; (S30) measuring an electrical resistivity by saturating the collected rock sample with a pore fluid having a different concentration; (S40) forecasting a change of an electrical resistivity of stratum by charging carbon dioxide; (S50) carrying out a Marine CSEM exploration before and after charging the carbon dioxide separately in each step; and (S60) monitoring a charging behavior of carbon dioxide in stratum by a Marine CSEM exploration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of monitoring the behavior of carbon dioxide put into a layer of submarine sandstone by using the marine Controlled-Sources Electromagnetic ("CSEM") survey. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of monitoring the behavior of carbon dioxide in a layer of sandstone by analyzing a value of marine CSEM and using the variation in the amplitude of an electric field and the phase difference before and after charging carbon dioxide, when arising an electrical resistivity with charging carbon dioxide into a layer of sandstone which is saturated with salt water. According to the present invention, Archie's empirical formula can be induced by measuring an electrical resistivity after saturating a sandstone taken from a subterranean level submarine with various solutions having different NaCl concentrations, and then an empirical formula can be established, which can be used for the calculation of an electrical resistivity according to an amount of carbon dioxide charged into a layer of sandstone. Also, according to the present invention, a simple geological stratum model can be established, which includes a porous sandstone suitable for storing carbon dioxide under the ground and shale of an impermeable layer which covers the sandstone layer, and to calculate an inputting value of an electrical resistivity for a layer of sandstone according to an amount of carbon dioxide put into a layer of sandstone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In storing CO2 under the ground to reduce a greenhouse gas, it is important to develop a technique of monitoring the behavior of CO2. At laboratory and pilot site the electrical resistivity and the seismic wave velocity are being used. However, there has been no proposed monitoring technique or monitoring method in relation to the storing of CO2 under the marine ground, other then the seismic survey.
Considering the characteristics of stratum and a geological structure of the pilot site for storing CO2 under the ground located at the district of Nagaoka, Japan and Ketzin, Germany, the layer of sandstone which is an object for charging CO2 has a porosity above 20%, and this layer is covered with a shale having a low permeability so that it has a geological condition which does not leak CO2 after charging (Andrea Forster et al., 2006; Xue, et al., 2006). Korean continental shelf has similar characteristics of stratum and geological structure with the above-mentioned district. Thus, there is a possibility for storing CO2 under the ground through analyzing a data of geophysical surveys and drilling search for the Korean continental shelf.
To make a practical technique for storing CO2 under the ground, above all, it should be able to measure a storing potential and a behavior of CO2 charged under the ground. Various experiments at a pilot site and lab experiments have been carried out to the purpose mentioned above.
Indoor experiment may be carried out by monitoring the behavior and the charged amount by using an increase of electrical resistivity and a reduction of seismic wave velocity according to the charged amount of carbon dioxide through measurement of electrical resistivity and seismic wave velocity at the time before and after charging carbon dioxide into a layer of sandstone (Onishi, et al., 2006; Xue and Lei, 2006). Also, experiment at pilot site may be carried out by monitoring the behavior of CO2 under the ground by using either seismic wave tomography survey, or various monitoring technique for exploration such as gravity prospecting and well logging (Xue, et al., 2006; Saito et al., 2006; Sherlock et al., 2006).
Among these methods for exploration, the tomography survey which uses a seismic wave and an electrical resistivity is proposed as useful method in analyzing the behavior of CO2 under the ground due to its high solution capacity for a result of exploration, even though there is a difficulty in using an exploratory hole.
Since the approach for the method of an electrical resistivity and a seismic wave tomography survey is not easy in storing CO2 under the marine ground, the example using marine seismic survey has been reported (Chadwick, et al., 2009). However, seismic survey has a drawback in that it is difficult to measure a charged amount quantitatively because velocity reduction is not incurred corresponding to the increase of a charged CO2 amount, even though it is advantageous for analyzing a charging range with inducing a large reduction of velocity before and after charging carbon dioxide.
On the other hand, since an electrical resistivity is continuously increased either at the time before and after charging carbon dioxide, or upon to increase of a charged amount so that it is easy to measure a charging range of CO2 as well as a charged amount quantitatively, it is necessary to review the adaptability of Marine CSEM.

Method of monitoring behavior of carbon dioxide in porous aquifer by using marine controlled-sources electromagnetic survey

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)


In a multi-sensor device for a medical apparatus at least one first sensor unit and at least one second sensor unit are arranged at a fluid-guiding line connection along which the sensor units detect at least one variable from a flowing fluid in predetermined proximity to each other in such manner that predetermined signal portions occur and are detectable practically simultaneously in outputs of each of the first and second sensor units. In a method for defining a proximity in said multi-sensor device, positions of the individual sensors are varied in the multi-sensor device and the occurrence of predetermined signal portions is detected in at least two signals detected by the individual sensors, and those positions at which the predetermined signal portions occur practically simultaneously are defined as positions of the proximity.

In extracorporeal blood treatment (e.g. hemodialysis) dialysis fluid flows within a dialyzer around blood of the patient. For determining, for example, the pressure, the temperature, the flow rate of the dialysis fluid, a possible blood leakage, the conductivity, the absorbance and, respectively, extinction or fluorescence of substances usually eliminated with the urine and/or electrolytes and/or the pH value, dialysis machines frequently include plural individual sensors at the outlet for used dialysis fluid of the dialyzer.
Some of said sensors merely constitute safety measures. For example, a sensor serving as blood leakage detector in the event of membrane rupture detects blood flows into the dialysis fluid which have to be detected in due time so as to avoid high blood loss of the patient. Other sensors in turn establish rather uncritical parameters such as the dialysis dose Kt/V. For establishing the dialysis dose Kt/V optical sensors are employed, for example, which measure the absorption of light in the dialysis fluid from which the presence of substances usually to be eliminated with the urine can be concluded. Other methods are based on simultaneous conductivity measurement on the dialysis side upstream and downstream of the dialyzer.


The electrical dampening circuit for dampening resonance of a power signal in a power distribution network, comprises a capacitor C, an inductance L connected in parallel to capacitor C, and a resistance R connected in series with capacitor C and inductance L, values of capacitor C and inductance L being calculated so that (2.pi.f).sup.2 LC=1, where f is frequency of the power signal. The value of R is calculated so that 3.sqroot.L/C <R<(2/3) .sqroot.L/C whereby dampening of resonance is obtained.

It is known in the art that the combination of a capacitive coupling system and a nonlinear magnetizing inductance of the isolating transformer of a capacitor voltage transformer can cause a variety of nonlinear oscillations. This problem is discussed in the publication of KUMAR, B.S.A. and SUAT ERTEM, "Capacitive Voltage Transformer Induced Ferroresonance-Causes, Effects and Design Considerations" Electric Power Systems Research 21, (1991) 23-31. The problem of resonance discussed in the above-mentioned publication has not been solved in a simple and efficient manner.

Electrical dampening circuit for dampening resonance of a power signal in a power distribution network


A urine collection bag holder including a fabric strip having a hip portion and a leg portion depending therefrom and a pouch removably attached to the leg portion wherein the pouch receives a urine collection bag therein, in order to conceal the urine collection bag beneath a user's clothes. A belt that slidingly engages a continuous belt opening within the hip portion and a pair of leg straps secure the device to a user. A plurality of slits and a tube opening disposed in the leg portion receive and guide a cathether tube therethrough to connect with an upper receptacle.

Various types of urine collection bag holders are known in the prior art. However, what is needed is a urine collection bag holder that includes a fabric strip with a pouch disposed upon a leg portion, the pouch configured to receive a urine collection bag, which urine collection bag is thereby comfortably concealed beneath a user's clothes.


A rechargeable battery unit and method for charging a battery is provided. The battery unit can be connected to a constant current charging device for charging the battery unit. The constant current charging device has a plurality of poles and a cut-off voltage. The battery unit has an internal resistance, a lithium battery cell having a predetermined end-of-charge voltage, and a switch unit. The switch unit is configured to enable alteration of the internal resistance when the predetermined end-of-charge voltage has been reached, such that the voltage at the poles of the constant current charging device is greater than the cut-off voltage of the constant current charging device to terminate the charging process.

Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries are known from the prior art. Because of the heavy metal cadmium that they contain, they are harmful to the environment and can essentially only be used for special applications such as, for example, emergency power supplies.
It is likely that because cadmium-based batteries will become less available, cadmium-free batteries will increasingly be used for special applications too. It is especially likely that cadmium-based batteries will be replaced by cadmium-free batteries. This is expensive, however, because in some circumstances peripheral devices such as charging devices and the like need to be replaced too.

Rechargeable battery unit and charging method


A balance weight for the rotor of a gas turbine engine is adapted to mount within the cavity formed between the innermost surface of the dovetail slots formed in the circumference of the rotor disk and the bottom of the dovetail root of the rotor blades inserted within the dovetail slots. The balance weight has a head portion formed with a bottom surface which mates with the innermost surface of the dovetail slots, and a lip connected to the head portion which engages the aft surface of the rotor disk. The balance weight is supported in an aft direction within the dovetail slots by an aft blade retainer having a shoulder or projection which contacts the balance weight.

The turbine of gas turbine engines such as those used in jet aircraft provides the power necessary to drive the compressor and accessories, and, in engines which do not make use solely of a jet for propulsion, the turbine provides the power to drive the shaft of a propeller or rotor. Energy produced from the continuous flow of hot gases released by the combustion system of the engine is extracted by the turbine which expands the gases to lower pressure and temperature. In order to produce the driving torque required in the gas turbine engine, turbines normally consist of one or more stages. Each stage of the turbine normally employs one row of stationary nozzle guide vanes fixedly mounted to the turbine case, and a rotor which includes a row of rotor blades circumferentially mounted to the rotor disk. The rotor disk is either formed integrally with or has a shaft flange which is bolted to the shaft of the turbine.
The blades in the rotor of the turbine each have a blade root, e.g., a dovetail root, adapted to mount within mating, circumferentially spaced slots formed around the rim of the rotor disk. The blades also include an air foil extending radially outwardly from the blade root which terminates at a blade tip. In view of the high rotational speeds of the turbine rotor blades and the mass of the materials which form the blades, proper balancing of the rotors of the turbine is extremely important. Any unbalance can seriously affect the rotating assembly bearings and engine operation.
One prior art method of balancing the rotor in the turbine of gas turbine engines has been to employ weights which are bolted to the disk shaft flange of the rotor disk at one or more locations about its circumference. Each weight produces a moment about the center of rotation of the rotor disk which is the product of the mass of the weight and its distance from the center of rotation. The number, position and mass of the weights required is determined first by weighing each individual rotor blade and categorizing them, and then balance testing the turbine rotor. After finding the unbalance of the turbine rotor, the results are compared with the weight of the blades. Each blade is installed in a selected dovetail slot of the rotor disk and final balancing of the rotor is obtained by mounting the balance weights to the disk shaft flanges.
One problem with this balancing method is that a relatively large amount of weight is often needed on the disk shaft flanges of the rotor in order to balance the rotor. This is because the radius or moment arm between the center of rotation of the rotor disk and its aft flange is small. In order to increase the moment produced by the weight over such a short moment arm, the magnitude of the weight must be substantial.
Another problem with mounting balance weights to the aft flange of the rotor disk is that the relatively small radius between the center of rotation of the rotor disk and its aft flange makes it difficult to accurately mount the weights on the aft flange at the desired angular position relative to the center of rotation of the rotor disk. This is particularly true for relatively small angular adjustments, e.g., 1.degree. or 2.degree., wherein the weights can be moved only a very small distance along the circumference of the aft flange to produce the desired angular adjustment relative to the center of rotation of the rotor disk.
In order to lessen the amount of weight required to balance the rotor, another approach in the prior art to balance turbine rotors involves mounting weights to the blade retainers which are located at the rim of the turbine rotor to prevent fore and aft movement of the rotor blades relative to the rotor disk. These blade retainers are located at a much higher radius from the center of rotation of the rotor disk and thus the moment arm between the center of rotation of the rotor disk and the weights is much larger. As a result, the magnitude of the weight can be reduced compared to the prior art method wherein the weights are mounted to the low radius, disk shaft flanges of the rotor disk.
The problem with mounting prior art balance weights to the blade retainers is that bolts and nuts are required to form the connection therebetween. More current turbine rotors have eliminated bolts and nuts for attaching blade retainers or seals to the rotor disk, and have replaced them with boltless blade retainers and seals. One advantage of boltless blade retainers is that stress concentrations are eliminated because bolt holes are no longer formed in the rotor disk or retainers. In addition, windage problems i.e., interference in the air flow around the turbine rotor created by the presence of obstruction such as bolts and nuts, are reduced by the use of boltless blade retainers and seals. As a result of these improvements in methods of attaching blade retainers and seals, no structure is provided for bolting prior art balance weights at the rim of the rotor disk.
This problem has been overcome to some extent by another prior art method of rotor balancing in which the rotor disk is formed with an arm mounted to the rotor disk at a location intermediate its center of rotation and rim. This arm supports an annular flange formed with circumferentially spaced holes. Balance weights are inserted through such holes and secured to the flange by pins or rivets to balance the rotor.
The problem with this design is that the arm and flange add additional weight and cost to the rotor. Moreover, the holes in the flange create stress concentrations which are likely to reduce the cyclic life of the rotor. Additionally, the protruding balance weights, arm and annular flange produce windage affects which could result in engine performance penalties.

Boltless balance weight for turbine rotors


A high voltage switch circuit of a semiconductor device includes a buffer circuit configured to output a control signal in response to an input signal and a boost circuit configured to output a block selection signal to an output terminal by connecting a current path between a voltage supply node and the output terminal in response to the control signal, and to block the current path in case where the control signal falls from a high voltage level to a low voltage level.

Exemplary embodiments relate to the high voltage switch circuit of a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to the high voltage switch circuit of a semiconductor device, which is capable of performing a normal operation even when an internal voltage becomes a low voltage level.
An exemplary semiconductor device including a high voltage switch circuit, from among semiconductor devices, is described below.
The semiconductor device includes a controller for outputting a high voltage switch enable signal in response to an address, a plurality of high voltage switch circuits for outputting a block selection signal in response to the high voltage switch enable signal, and a plurality of block switches for transferring a high voltage to a selected memory cell block in response to the block selection signal.
When a high voltage switch circuit selected from among the high voltage switch circuits is activated and the remaining unselected high voltage switch circuits are inactivated, the activated high voltage switch circuit may output the block selection signal of a high level, and the unselected high voltage switch circuits may output the block selection signal of a low level.
Recently, in order to reduce a voltage drop of the block selection signal which is an output signal of the high voltage switch circuit, the high voltage switch circuit consists of a high voltage transistor and a negative transistor having a negative threshold voltage.
More particularly, the high voltage switch circuit includes a boost circuit for outputting the block selection signal of a high voltage when the high voltage switch circuit is activated. The boost circuit may include the negative transistor and the high voltage transistor coupled in series. The high voltage transistor may be a high voltage PMOS transistor, and the negative transistor may be a negative NMOS transistor.
Here, when the high voltage switch circuit is activated, the high voltage PMOS transistor is turned on, and when the high voltage switch circuit is inactivated, the high voltage PMOS transistor is turned off. That is, when the high voltage PMOS transistor is turned on, the feedback loop of the boost circuit becomes formed and so a level of the block selection signal rises, and when the high voltage PMOS transistor is turned off, the feedback loop is not formed and so an output node is discharged. Accordingly, the block selection signal of a low level is outputted.
Meanwhile, in order to fully turn off the high voltage PMOS transistor, a sufficiently high level voltage is supplied to the gate of the high voltage PMOS transistor. However, if the level of the turn-on voltage becomes lowered (for example, the level of the internal voltage becomes lowered), the high voltage PMOS transistor may be slightly turned on, and so a channel may be formed. That is, the voltage level of a source of the high voltage PMOS transistor may rise. The source of the high voltage PMOS transistor is coupled to the gate of the negative NMOS transistor so that the feedback loop is formed. Thus, if the voltage level of a source of the high voltage PMOS transistor rises, the turn-on voltage of the negative NMOS transistor also rises. Accordingly, the feedback loop may be formed in operations in which the feedback loop should not be formed, and so the high voltage switch circuit may not perform a normal operation. Consequently, reliability of the high voltage switch circuit may be deteriorated in a low voltage level.

High voltage switch circuit of semiconductor device


There is provided a new and useful tamping tool for a railway ballast tamping machine comprising: a shank comprising a shaft, means for fastening the shaft to a tamping machine, and, integral with the shaft, a foot including a first surface; a deformable stress equalizing pad; and a tamping pad adapted to be removably secured to the foot, the tamping pad having a cavity adapted to receive the foot therein, the cavity having a surface corresponding to the first surface of the foot and having at least one other surface corresponding to a second surface of the foot, the relative dimensions of the foot and the cavity being such that when the foot is inserted into the cavity with the equalizing pad between the first surface and the surface corresponding thereto, the at least one other surface is jammed against the second surface, and the equalizing pad is deformed in compression to a thickness which is less than its original thickness. Components for the tool and a method of joining a tamping pad to a shank are also provided.

As is known, the railway industry requires that the railbed ballast be tamped periodically in order to maintain or correct as required the alignment and elevation of the rails. Complex machines which ride on the rails and carry out the tamping operation as they move along have been developed and are widely used.
The tamping tools which are used on these machines and which actually do the tamping are subject to extreme conditions. The tools are plunged down into the crushed rock ballast and moved horizontally through the ballast, then withdrawn, while at the same time being subjected to a vibratory motion. It is the effect of these violent conditions on the tamping pad at the end of the tool and on the tool shank which gives rise to the present invention.
The tool generally takes the form of a shank which has integral foot at the end thereof and has attached to the foot a tamping pad or shoe. The tamping pad is generally attached to the shaft by bolts, welding or a combination of the two. The tool is therefore for practical purposes a one piece factory made unit. Once installed, the unit is utilized until the pad wears out or the shank breaks. The unit is then consigned to scrap. This is highly wasteful, since the shank will usually outlast the pad. Even if the shank breaks before the pad is worn out, there is a substantial waste factor in scrapping the combined unit since the pad normally represents something in the area of 20% of the value of the tool.
It would therefore be highly advantageous and cost efficient to have a two piece tamping tool in which the tamping pad and the shank can be separated without difficulty in the event of the failure of one of them, so that only the failed part need be replaced. As a general proposition, the railways would find it very advantageous to be able to install and use a single set of shanks for an entire tamping season, replacing only the pads as required.
To date no satisfactory system utilizing readily removable pads has been made available.
Against this background the present invention provides a two piece tamping tool which permits the tamping pad to be readily removed from the shank. The invention also extends to the shank and the tamping pad per se, and to a method of joining the two.


An echo canceller system includes a first echo canceller having a first voltage divider and an adaptable second voltage divider that is configured to generate a first replica of an echo. A second echo canceller is configured to generate a second replica of an echo and has tap values that are generated in response to an error signal. A controller is coupled to the first and second echo cancellers and includes a selection algorithm that responds to the tap values of the second echo canceller and selects a voltage divider value for the adaptable second voltage divider.

Echo cancellers are used in telephone or similar communication lines and related communications systems to remove the echo from the voice communication and improve voice quality on a telephone call. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) often generates echo when electrical energy is reflected at a 2W to 4W conversion point. For example, most telephone local loops use two-wire circuits. Transmission facilities, on the other hand, use four-wire circuits. A 2W to 4W converter is used when converting from two-wire to four-wire circuits, which produces echoes.
The magnitude of the echo depends on how well the 2W to 4W converter is set to match the connected 2W facility. To the extent that the match is imperfect, echo becomes part of the telephone communications. Although tolerable in some telephone systems as long as the delay is short, for example, shorter than about 40 milliseconds, the longer delays are distracting and confusing to a far-end speaker. The echo canceller is used towards each end of a path to cancel echo that otherwise would return to the far-end speaker. Some echo cancellers monitor the signals on the received channel of a four-wire circuit and generate estimates of the actual echoes expected to return over the transmit channel.
It is known that full duplex two-wire telecommunications systems use a single wire-pair (two wires) to transmit and receive data, which typically have overlapping spectra or frequency bands. Echo cancellation is also sometimes used to separate the transmitted and received signals to facilitate full duplex data communications. Sometimes the echo cancellation is performed using a full-duplex to half-duplex conversion circuit, for example, a two-wire to four-wire converter or hybrid.

System and method for cancelling echo in a communications line


A magnetic tape drive has a drive system to move a magnetic tape longitudinally; servo head(s) for reading servo band information from a magnetic tape as the magnetic tape is moved longitudinally; a magnetic tape read write head configured to read and to write the magnetic tape, having a data write width (w) greater than a normal shingled track pitch width (p) of the magnetic tape; an actuator system for positioning the read write head laterally; and a control. The magnetic tape drive stores an overwrite erase format of non-shingled track pitch longitudinal pattern(s) whose pitch is greater than the normal shingled track pitch width (p); and, the control, in response to activation of overwrite erasure of the tape drive, operates the actuator system and the magnetic tape read write head to write non-data to magnetic tape in the stored overwrite erase format.

When a magnetic tape user determines that data stored on the magnetic tape is no longer needed, there is often a security need to destroy or erase the data before relinquishing control over the tape. It may also be useful and provide cost savings to preserve the servo information on the tape so that the tape may be reused. The servo information is written to the tape during manufacture of a tape cartridge in a precision servo formatting operation. Potential re-use of the tape prevents use of "bulk erase" processes which would erase both the data and the servo information. A current method of erasing data without erasing the servo information comprises providing a special erase tape drive with erase heads specifically designed and arranged to erase the data area. Another method is to provide an application for a host system to write data that is useless or that comprises a special pattern to the tape, but this is time consuming and expensive because of the involvement of the host system to access the tape drive and do the writing to every track of the magnetic tape that has data recorded thereon.

Tape drive provided write format for overwrite erasure of magnetic tape data recorded in tracks

International Business Machines Corporation


A card connector for use with a card comprising electronic circuitry and a card reader device comprising electronic circuitry which can communicate with the card. The card connector is configured to receive the card when the card is inserted into the card reader. The card connector has a connector body and an attached cover. The connector body includes a plurality of electronic contacts that engage the card circuitry and operationally link the card to the card reader device. The cover includes one or more retaining springs which engage the card to secure the card and draw heat from the card. The cover also has a lip or tongue and grounding tabs which provide electrostatic discharge protection.

Smart cards are utilized in various types of electronic devices to provide authentication and other types of functionality. For instance, cellular telephones typically have a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card reader and satellite television receivers typically include a smart card reader. Subscribers are issued a SIM or smart card which, when inserted into the card reader in an appropriate device will allow the subscriber to be authenticated as an authorized user.
SIM and smart cards (herein "card") typically include embedded integrated circuits. When inserted into an appropriate card reader, power is applied to the card thereby powering the embedded integrated circuits. The integrated circuits embedded on a card can generate significant heat, especially when utilized in small passively cooled electronic devices, such as set-top boxes.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.

Card connector with improved heat-dissipation, retention, and ESD protection features


The invention discloses a protective coating solution suitable for forming a resinous protective coating layer on a patterned resist layer in the manufacture of semiconductor devices having, in particular, crowdedly hole-patterned areas and areas of an isolated hole pattern. The essential ingredients of the solution are (A) a resinous compound such as an acrylic resin and (B) a crosslinking compound such as a triazine compound which are combined in such a proportion of 2:8 to 4:6 by weight that the overall weight-average molecular weight of the components (A) and (B) is in the range from 1300 to 4500. This inventive coating solution is advantageous in respect of evenness in the thickness of the coating layer even on a patterned resist layer having a crowdedly hole-patterned area and an isolatedly hole-patterned area and absence of unfilled voids within the hole patterns.

The present invention relates to a protective coating composition for dual damascene process or, more particularly, relates to a coating composition to form a protective coating film on a finely patterned resist layer used in the dual damascene process, which is capable of planarizing a patterned resist surface having a level difference between areas with a densely crowded pattern and areas with an isolated pattern.
In connection with semiconductor silicon-based integrated circuits, use of copper as a wiring material is under studies in recent years to provide a solution for the problems due to wiring resistance or wiring delay. In place of the conventional prior art method for the formation of wiring in an electronic device by etching of a thin metal film, the so-called dual damascene process is also highlighted, in which wiring of a metallic material is formed by implanting the material by plating. When formation of a via hole is followed by the formation of a trench hole by this dual damascene process, it sometimes occurs that the wiring material provided in advance on the substrate surface is damaged during formation of the trench after formation of the hole so that such damage is prevented by forming a protective film within the hole. The requirements for this protective film include the antireflection characteristic to reduce reflection of the exposure light on the substrate surface, implanting characteristic for complete filling of the hole not to leave an unfilled space and planarizing characteristic to keep constancy of the substrate thickness after implantation.
While the material for forming the protective film is usually an organic material such as a photoresist composition suitable for development with an alkaline developer solution (Japanese Patent Kokai 10-223755), such an organic material is disadvantageous because, when the hole has a relatively large aspect ratio, a bubble or void is formed in the course of the baking treatment within the hole to decrease the protecting effect on the metallic material and, in addition, when a protective coating film is formed by coating the substrate surface having a densely patterned area (referred to as the Dense area hereinafter) and isolatedly patterned area (referred to as the Iso area hereinafter) as is illustrated in FIG. 1, the film thickness cannot be even adversely influencing the succeeding trench-forming step by the photolithographic process.
The present invention accordingly has an object, in view of the above described problems in the prior art to provide a coating composition capable of giving a protective coating layer on a patterned resist layer having a hole pattern, which is free from occurrence of a void within the hole even when the aspect ratio of the hole is great and which has a fully planarized surface with evenness of the film thickness when the protective coating layer is formed on a patterned resist layer having both of Dense areas and Iso areas.
Thus, the present invention provides a protective coating composition for a dual damascene process comprising (A) a resinous ingredient and (B) a crosslinking agent dissolved in an organic solvent of which the weight proportion of the resinous ingredient as the component (A) and the crosslinking agent as the component (B) is in the range from 2:8 to 4:6 and the overall weight-average molecular weight of the solid matter, i.e. components (A) and (B), is in the range from 1300 to 4500.

Protective coating composition for dual damascene process


The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising steps of: bonding one semiconductor chip to each of multiple mounting portions of a substrate; covering the semiconductor chips bonded to the mounting portions with a common resin layer; bringing the substrate into contact with the resin layer and gluing the substrate to an adhesive sheet; and performing dicing and measurement for the semiconductor chips that are glued to the adhesive sheet.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and relates in particular to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device whereby a smaller mounting area can be provided by reducing the external size of a package without using lead forming, and a considerable reduction in manufacturing costs can be realized.
In a process for the manufacture of semiconductor devices, multiple semiconductor chips, produced from a single wafer by dicing, are securely mounted in a lead frame, after which transfer molding, using a die and resin injection, is used to seal them. The thus sealed semiconductor chips are then separated to provide multiple individual semiconductor devices. For this process, either a strip-shaped or a hoop-shaped lead frame is employed, but regardless of which type of lead frame is used, only a single sealing procedure is required to simultaneously seal a plurality of semiconductor devices.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a transfer molding process. During this process, the semiconductor chip 1 fixed to a die pad of a lead frame 2 by die bonding or wire bonding is mounted inside a cavity 4, formed of an upper and a lower die 3A and 3B, and an epoxy resin is injected into the cavity 4 to seal the semiconductor chip 1. Once the process has been completed, the lead frame 2 is cut to complete the fabrication of a separate semiconductor device (e.g., Japanese Patent Publication No. H05-129473).
For this process, as is shown in FIG. 13, multiple cavities 4a to 4f, a resin source 5 for injecting a resin, a runner 6, and gates 7 for injecting the resin into the cavities 4a to 4f via the runner 6, are formed in the surface of the die 3B. For example, if ten semiconductor chips 1 are mounted on a single lead frame, ten cavities 4, ten gates 7 and one runner 6 are formed for one lead frame. And the cavities 4 equivalent to, for example, twenty lead frames are formed in the inner surfaces of the die 3.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a semiconductor device obtained by transfer molding. The semiconductor chip 1 whereon elements, such as transistors, are formed is securely attached to an island 8 of the lead frame by a brazing material 9, such as solder; the electrode pad of the semiconductor chip 1 is connected to a lead terminal 10 by a wire 11; the periphery of the semiconductor chip 1 is covered with a resin 12 that conforms to the shapes of the cavities 4; and the distal end of the lead terminal 10 is extended outside the resin 12.
Since, in a conventional package, the lead terminal 10 for an external connection is exposed, outside the resin 12, the distance up to the tip end of the lead terminal 10 must be considered as being part of the mounting area, and thus, the mounting area is much larger than the external dimensions of the resin 12.
Further, since according to the conventional transfer molding technique the resin is hardened under pressure, even the resin in the runner 6 and the gates 7 is hardened, and the residual resin therein must be disposed of. Thus, according to the method using the above lead frame whereby the gates 7 are provided for the individual semiconductor devices that are to be manufactured, efficiency in the use of the resin is low, and relative to the amount of resin employed, only a small number of semiconductor devices can be manufactured.
Further, since, after a transfer molding process a lead frame is separated into tiny packages comprising individual semiconductor devices, it is extremely difficult to handle the obtained semiconductor devices when they must be measured or stored in tape because it is difficult to determine which are their obverse and which are their reverse sides, and because of how the lead terminals are positioned. As a result, work efficiency is adversely affected and greatly deteriorated.
To achieve the shortcomings, according to the invention, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of:
bonding one semiconductor chip to each of multiple mounting portions of a substrate;
covering the semiconductor chips bonded to the mounting portions with a common resin layer;
bringing the substrate into contact with the resin layer and gluing the substrate to a adhesive sheet;
performing dicing and measurement for the semiconductor chips that are glued to the adhesive sheet. Thus, the semiconductor chips that are integrally supported by the adhesive sheet can be measured, without the having to be separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Further, according to the invention, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of:
bonding a semiconductor chip to each of multiple mounting portions of a substrate;
covering the semiconductor chips bonded to the mounting portions with a common resin layer;
bringing the substrate into contact with the resin layer and gluing the substrate to an adhesive sheet;
dicing and measuring the semiconductor chips while the substrate is glued to the adhesive sheet; and
storing directly in a carrier tape semiconductor devices glued to the adhesive sheet. Thus, the semiconductor chips can be processed while integrally supported by the adhesive sheet, and need not be separated into individual semiconductor devices until they are stored in a carrier tape.

Semiconductor device manufacturing method


Technologies are generally described for a player matching scheme for a game system. In some examples, a player matching system may include an access pattern analysis unit configured to analyze access patterns of a plurality of players of a game provided by a game server, and a player recommendation unit configured to recommend to one player of the plurality of players at least some others of the plurality of players with whom the one player can compatibly play the game, based at least in part on the analyzed access patterns.

The birth of cloud computing technology and the dissemination of high-end mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have been attracting users to enjoy online games, such as a role playing game (RPG), with their devices. The users tend to play online games wherever and whenever they want.
A massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) is a type of role playing games in which a large number of players make their own characters and for gaming purposes. In the MMORPG, many players may form a guild to play a game together in the long term or a group of players may temporarily form a party to achieve a short-term goal. Thus, it may be important for a player of the MMORPG to find other players with whom he/she can compatibly play the game.


A radio communication terminal receives position information showing a position of another radio communication terminal. The radio communication terminal obtains, from the position information, a terminal ID of the radio communication terminal, and a beacon ID for identifying the predetermined location nearest to the radio communication terminal. The radio communication terminal accepts the predetermined location designated by a user. The radio communication terminal determines as a communication partner terminal, the other radio communication terminal that is nearest to the accepted predetermined location based on the terminal ID and the beacon ID. The radio communication terminal performs communication with the determined communication partner terminal.

Conventionally, radio communication terminals capable of broadcast communication, such as a transceiver, have been widely used outdoors and indoors as a communication means among workers.
These days, radio communication terminals capable of transmission merely to specific radio communication terminals by connection to a wireless LAN or the like, as well as the broadcast communication, are also widely used.
As for a radio communication terminal, Patent Literature 1 discloses a controlling technology for preventing a radio communication terminal in a group consisting of a plurality of radio communication terminals from performing transmission to the other radio communication terminals in the same group when the terminal performs transmission to the outside of the group (Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2007-96838).
When the radio communication terminals are used for business, a user of terminal may want to make a call to any person staying at a specific location, not only to a specific person. For example, the user may want to perform transmission to make a call merely to a radio communication terminal existing in the periphery of a specific location inside a large store.
Even under such a situation, it has been necessary to identify a radio communication address desired for communication.

Radio communication terminal and radio communication method


An aspect includes displaying a list of test case functions via a user interface. Each of the test case functions includes a corresponding set of instructions that is extracted from a development application, and each of the test case functions is configured to execute an atomic action with respect to a test case. The set of instructions is transparent to a user of the user interface. An aspect further includes receiving, via the user interface, a user-inputted selection of the test case functions from the list. For each test function of the selected test case functions, an aspect includes displaying, via the user interface, a field for receiving a device identifier for a device subject to the test case; receiving, via the user interface, a user-inputted device identifier; assembling the test case from the selected test case functions and the device identifier; and executing the test case for the device.

In computer systems and network environments, there are typically code developers that are experienced in developing code to enable the computer systems to perform specified tasks, as well as to enable these systems to interoperate efficiently with other computer systems. In these environments, there are also test engineers (e.g., quality assurance engineers) who are tasked with designing tests for ensuring that these systems and devices operate according to minimum standards.
It is common for these test engineers to have much less knowledge and/or experience in coding than their code development peers. Without this knowledge and experience, creating and implementing testing such on system devices and components can be challenging for the test engineers.


A light-emitting element material including an ionic iridium complex in which a 4,4′-bipyrimidine structure is coordinated to iridium is provided. Alternatively, a light-emitting element material including an ionic iridium complex represented by the following structural formula (1) is provided. In addition, a light-emitting element including the light-emitting element material is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a light-emitting element material, and a light-emitting element, a light-emitting device, an electronic device, and a lighting device including the material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, research and development have been extensively conducted on light-emitting elements. For example, in one of basic structures of light-emitting elements utilizing electroluminescence (EL), a layer containing a light-emitting substance is interposed between a pair of electrodes. By applying voltage to this element, light emission from the light-emitting substance can be obtained.
In order to improve element characteristics of such light-emitting elements, improvement of an element structure, development of a material, and the like have been extensively carried out (for example, Patent Document 1). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a light-emitting element material including an organic compound capable of converting triplet excitation energy into light to achieve high-luminance emission or high emission efficiency.

Light-emitting element material, light-emitting element, electronic device, and lighting device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A process for fabricating thin film silicon wafers using a novel etch stop composed of a silicon-germanium alloy includes properly doping a prime silicon wafer for the desired application, growing a strained Si.sub.1-x Fe.sub.x alloy layer onto seed wafer to serve as an etch stop, growing a silicon layer on the strained alloy layer with a desired thickness to form the active device region, oxidizing the prime wafer and a test wafer, bonding the oxide surfaces of the test and prime wafers, machining the backside of the prime wafer and selectively etching the same to remove the silicon, removing the strained alloy layer by a non-selective etch, thereby leaving the device region silicon layer. In an alternate embodiment, the process includes implanting germanium, tin or lead ions to form the strained etch stop layer.

1. FIeld Of The Invention
This invention is directed to a method of forming a silicon-on-insulator structure and more particularly to the formation of such a structure using a novel etch stop comprising a silicon-germanium alloy.
2. Background Description
In the present era of very large scale integration (VLSI), in which the dimensions of transistors and other semiconductor structures are shrinking below one micrometer, a host of new problems must be addressed. In general, greater isolation is required between devices. For CMOS applications, this isolation must prevent latch-up. At the same time, this increased isolation must not be provided at the expense of available chip space.
Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology appears to be a particularly promising method of addressing this problem. Silicon-on-insulator substrates are in use for the fabrication of devices that are high speed, resistant to latch up, and are radiation hard.
Separation by Implanted oxygen (SIMOX) has been the most thoroughly studied SOI system to date to replace silicon on sapphire. A general example of this technology is shown in the article by R. J. Lineback, "Buried Oxide Marks Route to SOI Chips", Electronics Week, Oct, 1, 1984, pp. 11-12. As shown in this article, oxygen ions are implanted into a bulk silicon to form a buried oxide layer therein. The implant is then annealed for two hours so that portion of the silicon lying above the buried oxide is single-crystal silicon. The various semiconductor devices are then formed on the single-crystal layer. The underlying buried oxide provides isolation between adjacent devices and the substrate region.
Although SIMOX is a promising technology, threading dislocations generated by the implantation in the active device region limit the performance of the material. In addition, the buried oxide is of poor quality resulting in back channel leakage.
Bond and etch back silicon-on-insulator (BESOI) technology, as an alternative to SIMOX, has the advantage of a cleaner oxide/silicon interface with less defects and charge trapping states at the buried oxide. This material is generated by oxidizing the seed and/or handle wafers, followed by bonding the two wafers. The active device region is generated on the seed wafer by lapping and etching to the desired film thickness. Although this technology is suitable for the fabrication of 600 nm SOI, the presence of an etch stop is essential to achieve SOI wafers with a nominal thickness of 500 nm or less.
Heavily doped boron regions placed by diffusion or implantation into the silicon have been reported to make an effective etch stop, and CMOS devices fabricated from these materials have been reported. Silicon membrane technology uses similar techniques to fabricate these materials. The limitations inherent in the utilization of boron is that boron is a p-type dopant in silicon. Both implantation and diffusion of boron results in residual p doping of the silicon film. Also, boron incorporated by ion implantation and annealing results in the generation of threading dislocations in the device region. This limits performance of devices made from these materials.

Method of producing a thin silicon-on-insulator layer

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Techniques are described herein for using artificial intelligence to “learn,” statistically, a target programming style that is imposed in and/or evidenced by a code base. Once the target programming style is learned, it can be used for various purposes. In various implementations, one or more generative adversarial networks (“GANs”), each including a generator machine learning model and a discriminator machine learning model, may be trained to facilitate learning and application of target programming style(s). In some implementations, the discriminator(s) and/or generator(s) may operate on graphical input, and may take the form of graph neural networks (“GNNs”), graph attention neural networks (“GANNs”), graph convolutional networks (“GCNs”), etc., although this is not required.

Writing source code, or "programming," involves both form (e.g. syntax, semantics) and programming style. The former captures functionality, the latter good practices, experience or personal preferences (e.g. in design choices). An organization that develops software may wish to impose a particular programming style on source code developed by its employees. This particular programming style may be dictated by standards and/or best practices published by the organization. If those standards and/or best practices are followed during development of source code for the organization, the particular programming style may consequently be captured statistically in the developed source code. Particular programming styles are not limited to organization-imposed programming styles. For example, a particularly influential programmer may have a programming style that others wish to imitate. That programmer's programming style may also be captured statistically in source code written by, or at least under the supervision of, the influential programmer.


Provided is a transmission device with which, by orthogonalizing different transmission bandwidth DM-RSs, CoMP performance is improved, and it is possible to increase MU-MIMO communication multiplexing. In the device, a sequence generator unit (103) generates a reference signal of a number of transmission bandwidths which is less than a prescribed number using a first sequence which is used in a reference signal of a number of transmission bandwidths which is greater than or equal to the prescribed number when a coordinated receiving by a plurality of receiving devices is applied, and generates the reference signal of the number of transmission bandwidth which is less than the prescribed number using a second sequence which differs from the first sequence when the coordinated receiving is not applied. A transmission unit (112) transmits the reference signal.

3GPP LTE (3rd Generation Partnership Project Long-term Evolution) has adopted a CG (computer generated) sequence for transmission bandwidths of 1 and 2 RBs and a ZC (Zadoff-Chu) sequence for transmission bandwidths of 3 RBs or more as code sequences used for data demodulation reference signals (DM-RS: demodulation-reference signal) used in uplink.
In an LTE uplink, a large number of sequences are divided into 30 sequence groups in each transmission bandwidth (1 to 110 RBs (resource blocks)) and a transmission bandwidth (more specifically, the number of allocated RBs) is associated with a sequence in each sequence group. Each sequence group is assigned a different number (sequence group number) and each cell is assigned one sequence group as shown in FIG. 1 (cell-specific sequence group assignment). Since each sequence group is configured of sequences having a high cross-correlation among sequences, the probability that sequences with a high cross-correlation may be used among neighboring cells is reduced and interference among neighboring cells is thus reduced. Since a base station (may also be called "eNB") broadcasts a sequence group number to a terminal (may also be called "UE (User Equipment)") in the cell, even when a transmission bandwidth is changed, the terminal can identify a DM-RS code sequence number, which in turn makes it possible to omit signaling of the code sequence number.
The reason that a CG sequence which is different from a ZC sequence is selected in transmission bandwidths of 1 and 2 RBs is that the ZC sequence for transmission bandwidths of 1 and 2 RBs cannot secure 30 (number of sequence groups) sequences. That is, since 30 ZC sequences cannot be secured in transmission bandwidths of 1 and 2 RBs, a reuse factor of sequence (the number of repetitions of a ZC sequence number used as a DM-RS) decreases, so that the same sequence number may be assigned in neighboring cells, thus increasing inter-cell interference. Thus, the CG sequence is adopted in transmission bandwidths of 1 and 2RB.
Since the sequence length of a ZC sequence is a prime number, for a DM-RS code sequence (ZC sequence) of 3 RBs or more, a sequence is used in which the leading portion of the ZC sequence which is smaller than a DM-RS in size is copied (extended) to the rear end portion (e.g., see FIG. 2).
The ZC sequence is a kind of CAZAC (constant amplitude and zero auto-correlation code) sequence and expressed by following equation 1. The number of ZC sequences generated is (ZC sequence length NZCRS−1).
                    [        1        ]                                                                                r                  _                                                  u                  ,                  v                                                                          (                n                )                                      =                                          x                q                                                          (                                  n                                                                                mod                                                                                N                    ZC                    RS                                                  )                                              ,                      0            ≤            n            <                          M              sc              RS                                                                                x                q                                                          (                m                )                                      =                          ⅇ                                                -                  j                                                                                π                                                                                qm                                                                    (                                                  m                          +                          1                                                )                                                                                N                    ZC                    RS                                                                                ,                      0            ≤            m            ≤                                          N                ZC                RS                            -              1                                                          (                  Equation                                                              1                )
ZC sequence number q assigned to each sequence group is calculated by equation 2.[2]q=└ q+½┘+v·(−1)└2 q┘ q=NZCRS·(u+1)/31  (Equation 2)
Note that as shown in equation 3, sequence group number u is associated with cell ID(NIDcell) and sequence group hopping is applied in order to randomize interference between sequence groups.
                                                                [          3          ]                                                                                u            =                                          (                                                                            f                      gh                                                                                (                                              n                        s                                            )                                                        +                                      f                    ss                                                  )                                          mod                                                                                30                                                                                f                gh                                                          (                                  n                  s                                )                                      =                          {                                                                                0                                                                                if                                                                                group                                                                                hopping                                                                                is                                                                                disabled                                                                                (                                                                                ∑                                                                  i                                  =                                  0                                                                7                                                                                c                                                                                (                                                                                8                                                                                n                                          s                                                                                +                                      i                                                                        )                                                                                ·                                                                  2                                  i                                                                                )                                                                              mod                                                                                30                                                                                if                                                                                group                                                                                hopping                                                                                is                                                                                enabled                                                                                f                    ss                    PUCCH                                                  =                                                                            N                      ID                      cell                                                            mod                                                                                30                                                                                f                      ss                      PUSCH                                                        =                                                            (                                                                        f                          ss                          PUCCH                                                +                                                  Δ                          ss                                                                    )                                                            mod                                                                                30                                                                                (                  Equation                                                              3                )
Using equation 2, a combination of sequences whose q/NZCRS value which is a ratio of ZC sequence number q and ZC sequence length NZCRS becomes closer to each other is assigned to an identical sequence group. Sequences whose inter-sequence q/NZCRS becomes closer to each other means sequences with a high cross-correlation. It is thereby possible to reduce the cross-correlation between sequence groups (e.g., see PTL 1).
A CG sequence is expressed, for example, by following equation 4 (e.g., see NPL 1). Note that, φ(n) shown in equation 4 is defined in each sequence group number u for a transmission bandwidth of 1 RB as shown in FIG. 3 and defined in each sequence group number u for a transmission bandwidth of 2 RBs as shown in FIG. 4 (e.g., see NPL 1).[4] ru,v(n)=ejφ(n)π/4,0≦n≦MscRS−1  (Equation 4)
In LTE-Advanced which is an evolved version of LTE, studies are being carried out on a heterogeneous network (HetNet) using a plurality of base stations having coverage areas different in size for further capacity improvement. For example, in an operation of HetNet, a picocell (LPN (low power node), also called "small power RRH" (remote radio head)) having small transmission power is disposed within a coverage area of a macrocell (also called "HPN" (high power node)) having large transmission power.
In LTE-Advanced, studies are further being carried out on application of CoMP (coordinated multiple point transmission and reception) which is a communication scheme whereby a plurality of cells (base stations) cooperate to transmit/receive signals to/from a terminal for the purpose of improving throughput of users mainly located on a cell edge in a HetNet environment. For example, in the case of UL (uplink) CoMP, a plurality of cells (base stations) cooperate to receive signals from one terminal, then combine the signals and thereby improve receiving quality. In order to reduce the influence of inter-cell interference, a plurality of cells cooperate to schedule terminals to prevent inter-cell interference from increasing within a CoMP set (group of cells that cooperate to perform transmission/reception).
Studies are being carried out on introduction of MU-MIMO (multiple user-multiple input multiple output) communication of a plurality of terminals to which UL CoMP is applied to obtain more performance improvement effects of the above-described UL CoMP, that is, terminals (hereinafter may also be referred to as "UL CoMP terminals") that cooperate to receive and combine transmission signals. MIMO communication is a technique that provides the transmitting and receiving sides with a plurality of antennas and enables simultaneous spatially multiplexed transmission of different signal sequences at the same frequency. MU-MIMO communication is a technique of carrying out MIMO communication between a plurality of terminals and a base station, and can improve frequency utilization efficiency of a system.
To demultiplex signals from different terminals in MU-MIMO communication, it is necessary to transmit DM-RSs which are orthogonal between the terminals. There are various methods of orthogonalizing DM-RSs such as application of OCC (orthogonal cover code) or use of a ZC sequence with CSs (cyclic shifts) differing among terminals applied (CS-ZC sequence). When OCC is applied, DM-RSs for a maximum of two terminals (UEs) can be orthogonalized. A CS-ZC sequence is a sequence obtained by cyclically shifting a ZC sequence. In the CS-ZC sequence, by setting a greater value than a maximum propagation delay time of a transmission signal of a terminal as an amount of cyclic shift, it is possible to orthogonalize a plurality of CS-ZC sequences obtained by cyclically shifting a ZC sequence of the same sequence number.
However, since DM-RSs are received by a plurality of different cells in UL CoMP, there are cases with the aforementioned cell-specific sequence group assignment, where sequence numbers used vary among terminals for which MU-MIMO communication is introduced, causing a situation where DM-RSs cannot be orthogonalized. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, studies are being carried out on introducing, for terminals to which CoMP is applied, a UE-specific sequence (Group#2 in FIG. 5) in which a sequence is indicated to each terminal instead of using a cell-specific sequence (Group#0,#1 in FIG. 5), and orthogonalizing DM-RSs between UL CoMP terminals.
MU-MIMO communication involves a problem in that, when transmission bandwidths vary among multiplexing target terminals, CS-ZC sequences used among the terminals (CS-ZC sequences of different bandwidths) are not orthogonalized.
To solve the problem that CS-ZC sequences of different bandwidths are not orthogonalized, NPL 2 discloses that it is possible to orthogonalize CS-ZC sequences of different transmission bandwidths within an identical sequence group (combination of sequences having close q/NZCRS) by applying, to the ZC sequences, cyclic shift (CS) corresponding to the transmission bandwidth. This makes it possible to increase the number of terminals that can orthogonalize DM-RSs in MU-MIMO communication and increase the multiplex number of MU-MIMO communication.

Transmission device and transmission method

Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America


An arc detection and intervention system for a solar energy system. One or more arc detectors are strategically located among strings of solar panels. In conjunction with local management units (LMUs), arcs can be isolated and affected panels disconnected from the solar energy system.

Solar energy systems are often plagued by arcing. In most cases, the arcing occurs inside the solar panels. This problem can affect the performance and safety of the whole system, and it can even lead to shut-offs due to sporadic short circuits. Arcing often occurs when solar panels have become cracked or damaged, permitting water to leak into the panel. The presence of water may cause a short circuit of the silicon wafers to the frame or to the underlying structure, resulting in arcing. What is needed is a system and method by which an arc can be found and isolated from the rest of the system, hence improving system performance and reducing safety risks such as the risk of fire.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for arc detection and intervention in solar energy systems


An electrical connector includes terminals and a base formed with terminal slots each having opposite first walls and second walls. Pressing a metal plate forms a material tape and the continuous terminals connected thereto. Each terminal, assembled within the corresponding slot and then separated from the tape, has a cut surface, a plate surface, a fixing portion, an elastic arm and a pin portion. The fixing portion has a plate surface close to the first wall. The arm is connected to the fixing portion and has a plate surface, which extends longitudinally and slantingly upwards in a direction toward one side of the fixing portion and extends across the second wall to a location above the neighboring terminal slot. A connection point near a distal end of the arm is formed, and the pin portion disposed below the fixing portion extends downwards to a bottom end of the base.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector having elastic arms of terminals extending slantingly upwards, and more particularly to an electrical connector having terminals that can be moved elastically and vertically.
2. Related Art
A bottom surface of a chip (e.g., a CPU) is formed with many connection points, and an electrical connector to be connected to this type of chip provides a downward pressing force to fix the chip onto a base so that the connection points of the chip are in elastic contact with terminals disposed in terminal slots of the base and the electrical connections therebetween can be ensured.
Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector to be connected to a chip includes a base 10 and terminals 14. The base 10 is formed with terminal slots 11. The terminals 14 are respectively disposed in the terminal slots 11 of the base. Each terminal 14 has a fixing portion 16 and an elastic arm 15 that can be moved elastically and vertically. The fixing portion 16 is tightly pressed against the terminal slot 11. The elastic arm 15 is connected to a top end of the fixing portion 16, and a projecting connection point 17 is formed near a distal end of the elastic arm 15.
When the chip 90 is placed on the base 10, each connection point 91 of the chip 90 contacts the connection point 17 of each terminal 14. As shown in FIG. 2, when the chip 90 is pressed down, each terminal 12 retracts due to the elasticity of the elastic arm 15. At this time, the connection point 17 tightly presses against the connection point 91 elastically to achieve the electrical connection effect.
The prior art has the following drawbacks. Each terminal slot 11 has a rectangular shape and is arranged on the base 10, and the terminal 14 is disposed in the terminal slot 11. The elastic arm 15 of the terminal 14 cannot have the unlimited extending length but only has the longest extending length equal to the length of the terminal slot 11. So, the elasticity of the elastic arm cannot reach the best state. More particularly, when the function of the CPU is getting more and more powerful, the connection points thereof are getting more and more. Thus, the base 10 has to be formed with more terminal slots 11 so that the length of the terminal slot is reduced. Thus, the extending length of the elastic arm 15 of the terminal 14 is also decreased so that the elasticity thereof is poor and the fatigue of elasticity tends to occur.

Electrical connector having elastic arms of terminals extending slantingly upwards


In some examples, a system includes a first processor, a second processor, and a storage medium to store first information comprising machine-readable instructions executable by the second processor. The first processor is to validate the machine-readable instructions using an iterative validation process involving a plurality of iterations at different times, where each respective iteration of the plurality of iterations includes issuing a respective indication to the second processor to compute a value based on a respective subset of the first information, wherein the respective indication includes respective subset information identifying the respective subset, wherein the respective subset information differs from different subset information included in another indication issued in another iteration of the plurality of iterations, the different subset information identifies a different subset of the first information. Each iteration further includes determining a validity of the machine-readable instructions based on the value returned to the first processor by the second processor.

A computing device can include a main processor to execute machine-readable instructions to perform various operations. A "main processor" can refer to a processor in the computing device that executes programs such as system firmware, an operating system, and an application program. A "program" refers to machine-readable instructions. In addition to the main processor, the computing device also includes other electronic components, such as a storage device, a memory device, a network interface controller, a graphics controller, and so forth.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

Validating machine-readable instructions using an iterative validation process

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


A gadget holding device for releasably holding a cell phone, an ipod or other similar gadget on a users clothing, belt or purse. The gadget holding device preferably comprising a clip, a D-ring, and a hanging interlock clasp, wherein the D-ring connects the clip to the hanging interlock clasp that permits the D-ring to rotate relative to the clip and the hanging interlock clasp to rotate and slide relative to D-ring. This configuration releasably holds a gadget and enables easy one-handed release from the gadget holding device. In this way, the gadget-holding device is a sleek, flat, lightweight, fashionable and ultimately inconspicuous way to carry a cell phone, music player or any other gadget on a person comfortably.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for releasably holding a personal gadget, and more specifically to a device for releasably holding a cell phone, an ipod or other similar gadget on a user's belt or clothing.
2. Description of the Related Art
While there are many different options available on the market for carrying devices such as cellular phones, music players, etc., nothing exists that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing—particularly for a woman. Bulky carriers that sit at the waistband create a bulge under the shirt if worn un-tucked and ultimately make the waist look larger, something a woman avoids at all costs. Also, while there are many holders that attempt to be fashionable by means of color and style, their bulkiness causes many women shy away from wearing them unless ultimately necessary for whatever reason. This can create a variety of problems for those who carry cell phones but have no desirable means of carrying them on their person. For example, important phone calls can be missed because the phone has been lost in the bottom of a purse, or inadvertently left in another room. Also, many women are fashion conscious and would prefer that their expensive phone or the latest ipod is not covered by some bulky case. In many instances, a phone or gadget purchase was made because of the way that it looked. Covering up the sleek look of the newest gadget on the market is not desirable either.
In addition, while available gadget holders may function adequately for men, they still present the problem of being bulky and in many informal settings when guys wear their shirts un-tucked, the bulk at the waistband can be undesirable. It also makes it inconvenient to use the gadget when it is hidden way up under the shirt. Being able to wear a more comfortable, convenient, inconspicuous and yes, fashionable gadget or cell phone holder, appeals to men as well as women.
What is needed is a sleek, flat, lightweight, fashionable and ultimately inconspicuous way to carry a cell phone, music player or any other gadget on a person comfortably.