The present teachings provide methods, devices, systems, and materials for performing electrophoresis in an automated fashion. The electrophoresis system may simultaneously image gel during an electrophoresis run. In some embodiments, the electrophoresis system may analyze an imaged gel during or after electrophoresis. The device may comprise a gel processing system, a gel illumination system, an image capture system, and an image analysis all housed within a housing.

Gel electrophoresis is a common procedure for the separation of biological molecules, such as DNA, RNA, polypeptides and proteins. In gel electrophoresis, molecules can be separated into bands according to the rate at which an imposed electric field causes them to migrate through a filtering gel. A gel enclosed in a glass tube or sandwiched as a slab between glass or plastic plates can be utilized. Gels have an open molecular network structure, defining pores that are saturated with an electrically conductive buffered solution of a salt. These pores are large enough to enable passage of the migrating macromolecules through the gel.
Polyacrylamide gels are commonly used for electrophoresis. Other gels suitable for electrophoresis include agarose gels and starch gels. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or PAGE is popular because the gels are optically transparent, electrically neutral and can be made with a range of pore sizes. Methods of making PAGE gels are well known. See, for example, B. Hames and D. Rickwood, Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins (2d ed. Oxford University Press, 1990); and A. Andrews, Electrophoresis (2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1986). In general, stock solutions containing acrylamide monomer, a crosslinker such as bisacrylamide, gel buffers, and modifying agents such as sodium dodecyl sulphate ("SDS") are prepared. These stock solutions can be stored until a gel is needed. To manufacture a gel, the stock solutions are mixed with water in proportions according to the final desired concentrations of the various constituents. The gel is placed in a chamber in contact with buffer solutions which make electrical contact between the gel and the cathode or anode of an electrical power supply. A sample containing macromolecules and a tracking dye can be placed on top of the gel. An electric potential can be applied to the gel causing the sample macromolecules and tracking dye to migrate toward the bottom of the gel. The electrophoresis is halted just before the tracking dye reaches the end of the gel.
The locations of the bands of separated macromolecules are determined by staining the macromolecules in a sample staining apparatus and then imaging the gel in a separate imaging apparatus. Oftentimes, the image from the imaging apparatus must be manipulated in order to review the results and identify the positions of the various bands. By comparing the distance moved by particular bands in comparison to the tracking dye and macromolecules of known mobility, the mobility of other macromolecules can be determined. Thereby, the size of the macromolecules can then be calculated. Existing methods of electrophoresis require multiple time consuming steps and multiple pieces of large equipment to perform the electrophoresis, the gel staining, the imaging, and the image manipulation/analysis. A need exists in the art for better gel electrophoresis methods, devices, systems, and materials.

Gel electrophoresis, imaging, and analysis methods, devices, systems, and materials


A sputtering target for forming a thin film consisting of high-purity titanium, in which the content of alkali metal is 0.1 ppm or less, the content of radio active elements is 1 ppb or less, and the oxygen content is 100 ppm or less, and, further, the balance of the elements is Ti, is produced by a fused salt electrolysis, in which the members of the electrolytic cell being in contact with the fused salt consist of Ni.

2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a high-purity titanium. The present invention also relates to a high-purity titanium target for sputtering. Particularly, the present invention relates to a production of a high-purity titanium which has a purity appropriate for producing a semiconductor device by using the titanium target.
2. Description of Related Arts
Along with a high integration of LSIs, attention has been focused on the high melting-point metals, such as molybdenum, titanium and tungsten.
Particularly, in the case of titanium, which is one of the high melting-point metals, its utilization as metallic Ti, TiSi, TiN and the like has attracted interest ("VLSI Production Technique" (in Japanese) Nikkei BP Co., Ltd. Published on Jan. 14, 1989, page 167). Particularly, TiSi can be used as a barrier metal of an Si-gate NOS transistor, which is a subject of interest. In addition, there are attempts to substitute titanium for aluminum, heretofore used as conductors of LSIs and NOS electrodes. Research is advanced particularly in the use of titanium as a conductor having a fine pattern. A representative method for forming the barrier metals, conductors and the like by using titanium, is sputtering, in which a target made of titanium is sputtered in an argon atmosphere.
The titanium target is produced by shaping, sintering, and melting commercially available titanium, followed by machining.
In order to enhance the performance-reliability of the components of a semiconductor device, such impurities as follows must be decreased.
(1) Alkali metals such as Na, K, Li and the like
(2) Radio active elements such as U, Th and the like
(3) Heavy metals such as Fe, Cr and the like
(4) Oxygen
The alkali metals, such as Na and K, move easily in the gate-insulation layer of MOS transistor and become a cause of deterioration in the properties of interface between the insulation layer and Si. Radio-active elements such as U emit rays therefrom, thereby causing the soft error of LSI memory. Heavy metals such as Fe also cause trouble at the bonding interface. Oxygen incurs deterioration of properties of MOS transistor.
The purity of a titanium target used for producing recent 1MDRAMs and 4MDRAMs is 5N (99.999%) except for the gaseous components. More specifically, the content of alkali metals, must be 0.1 ppm or less for each of Na, K and the like. The content of radio active elements must be 1 ppb or less for each of U, Th, and the like. The content of heavy metals must be 0.5 ppm or less for each of Fe, Cr and the like. The oxygen content must be 150 ppm or less, preferably 100 ppm or less.
Pure titanium, which is industrially produced at present, contains a large amount of the above mentioned alkali metals, heavy metals and gaseous components. Pure titanium having such a poor level of purity cannot be used in the field of semiconductors.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 62-294177 and 62-294179 describe a thermal decomposition method of titanium iodide, for further purifying industrially produced titanium. This method, however, involves limitations in the refined purity. That is, the Fe content in the examples of these publications is 50 ppm, and hence is exceedingly higher than the required level.
The above method is, therefore, not suitable for producing the semiconductors. In addition, the thermal decomposition method is inherently adapted for a laboratory scale and is not suitable for industrial production. This is because the titanium-deposition rate is too small, for example, 0.225 g of Ti per hour.cm.sup.2. Provided that the diameter of a titanium plate is 10 cm, 176 g of titanium is obtained in 10 hours, i.e., only 17.6 g of titanium is obtained per hour. In the thermal decomposition method of titanium iodide, induction heating is used to maintain the decomposition at a high temperature, i.e., 1100.degree. to 1500.degree. C. The deposition amount of titanium per electric power is 0.59 g/kwh, a very small amount. As is described above, the thermal decomposition method of titanium iodide involves limitations in purity, and low productivity, and, is further, extremely expensive.
Another known method is the fused-salt electrolytic method. The fused-salt electrolytic method has been studied up to now for electrolytic extraction of titanium from difficult to reduce titanium ore. Consideration was also made as to how to refine sponge titanium by means of the above method. For example, in "Bureau of Mines" (1957, pages 1-43) the following method is described (c.f. "Report of Investigation"). The mixed salt of LiCl-KCl is admitted in a crucible made of iron and is fused. The TiCl.sub.4 is first blown onto the Ti strips which are put in the molten salt. An iron basket, in which the sponge Ti is contained, and a Ti cathode, are admitted in the fused salt. The electrolysis between the Ti sponge as the anode and the Ti cathode is carried out while using TiCl.sub.2 as the carrier, thereby depositing pure titanium on the Ti cathode. The Fe content of pure titanium deposited by the above described method is 200 ppm and hence is very high. Electrolysis, which is similar to the one described above, is carried out in the other apparatus using a cell made of soft steel. The Fe content of pure titanium deposited in this apparatus is 110 ppm. It is impossible in any one of the apparatuses to attain the refinement at the level of Fe<1 ppm, since the iron content obtained by the above methods is extremely high.
The present inventors instead considered an iron crucible or container made of such materials as stainless steel or graphite, which can withstand the fused salt containing TiCl.sub.4 and TiCl.sub.2. Any one of such materials is, however, subjected erosion caused by the fused salt when it reaches a high temperature of from 500.degree. to 850.degree. C. and is partially dissolved, thereby causing the contamination of deposited titanium. The refined products contain oxygen at a high content, as well.

Method and apparatus for producing a high-purity titanium


A method of compensating resistivity of a near-surface region of a substrate includes epitaxially growing a buffer layer on the substrate, wherein the buffer is grown as having a dopant concentration as dependent on resistivity and conductivity of the substrate, so as to deplete residual or excess charge within the near-surface region of the substrate. The dopant profile of the buffer layer be smoothly graded, or may consist of sub-layers of different dopant concentration, to also provide a highly resistive upper portion of the buffer layer ideal for subsequent device growth. Also, the buffer layer may be doped with carbon, and aluminum may be used to getter the carbon during epitaxial growth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) high electron mobility devices for use in high-power, high-frequency device applications, to controlling or compensating charge within the channel of such high electron mobility devices, and the use of buffer layers to adaptively improve substrate resistivity.
2. Background
The aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride hetero-interface or heterojunction creates a planar region of high charge and high mobility electrons called a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), and is commonly used in high electron mobility devices. However, typical performance problems with gallium nitride based high electron mobility devices include dispersion related to unintentional traps in the nominally undoped or intrinsic gallium nitride buffer layer. These traps result in reduced channel charge in the two dimensional electron gas, current slump during device operation and reduced device lifetimes, among other problems. Also, AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility devices are planar growth structures that are typically depletion-mode devices that are normally-ON in their unbiased state, so that electrical current flows between source and drain contacts even when voltage is not applied to a corresponding gate contact. For electrical power switching applications, normally-OFF or enhancement-mode devices are preferable, such that charge does not flow between source and drain contacts in absence of applied voltage to the corresponding gate contact. Thus, there is a need to provide high electron mobility devices having improved performance, and also normally-OFF high electron mobility devices having improved performance.
Another performance problem that impacts high electron mobility devices is current leakage. To help reduce the impact of current leakage, there is a desire to manufacture high electron mobility devices on substrates having high resistivity in a range of 107-1012 ohms/cm. However, high resistivity substrates are expensive, and process yields are low. This contributes to the overall expense of high electron mobility devices. Thus, a cost-effective, high yield approach for providing high resistivity substrates is needed.

Method of manufacturing an adaptive AIGaN buffer layer


The present invention relates to a method and device for the in vitro testing of potential nematicidal and nematistatic agents, comprising treatment of nematodes with test substances, followed by assessment of the ability of the treated nematodes to move through a chemattractant gradient set up on a coated solid support, said coating comprising a gellable polymeric substrate incorporating a stabilizing agent.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a device for assessing the vitality of nematodes as a measure of the efficacy of potential nematicidal and nematistatic agents.
The assay device comprises a solid support coated with a gellable polymer intimately mixed with particular chemicals that serve to stabilize the assay. Included in the device are disks impregnated with a particular chemical that is an attractant for nematodes. Included in the invention are methods for using the aforementioned device in chemotaxis assays, such assays being useful for assessing the efficacy of particular compounds as nematicidal or nematistatic agents.
2. Brief Description of the Background Art
The invasion of plant roots by parasitic nematodes leads to destruction of the plant. This is a serious problem in the agricultural industry world wide. For example, the genus Meloidoqvne can infect more than 2000 different species of plants R. S. Hussey, Advanced Treatise on Meloidogyne, vol. 1, North Carolina State Univ /Graphics, Raleigh, N.C., 1985.
It is well known that the invasion of host cells is preceded by the accumulation of plant-parasitic nematodes around plant roots. H. B. Jansson et al., J. Gen. Microbiol. 112:89 (1979). It has long been recognized that one approach to preventing invasion of plant roots by nematodes is to interrupt the mechanisms of such accumulation.
It is recognized that plant-parasitic nematodes utilize specific recognition mechanisms for finding their hosts and prey in the soil. The general consensus is that, in nematodes, the primary food-finding mechanisms are governed by chemotactic factors emanating from the host. This process, which is called chemotaxis, mediates movement toward or away from chemical gradients. In no cases known to the inventors have the chemattractants emanating from plants or microorganisms been isolated and identified. Other stimuli, such as thermal, vibratory or tactile stimuli are believed to play minor roles, if any, in food-finding behavior. N. A. Croll, et al., in The Behavior of Nematodes: Their Activity, Census, and Responses, Edward Arnold, Publisher, London, 1970; B.M. Zuckerman, et al., Ann. Rev. Phytopathol. 22:95-113 (1984).
There is no direct evidence on the manner in which reception of chemotactic signals leads to an oriented response, but a recently proposed hypothesis on nematode chemoreception speculates that carbohydrates exuded by chemosensory sensillae bind to the cuticle glycocalyx and thereafter interact with the chemotactic factors, and thereby play a role in chemoreception. B. M. Zuckerman, 1984 supra. Another hypothesis speculates that, following binding of platn chematractants to receptors in the sensory process, there results an influx of both sodium and calcium ions via ion pumps, thereby causing the generation of action potentials. K. A. Wright, J. Nematol. 15:151-158 (1983).
At present parasitic nematodes are attacked by chemical agents with nematicidal or nematistatic properties, in order to prevent their invastion of plant roots. The commonly used compounds are toxic, not only to plant parasitic nematodes, but to animals (including man) as well.
For example, one of the o-(methylcarbamoyl) oximes, aldicarb (Temik.RTM.10G Union Carbide), is registered for use on several crops for the control of insect and nematode pests. The nematicidal properties of aldicarb against the root-knot nematode M. incognita were first described by Spurr, et al., (Plant Dis. Rep. 50:424-5 (1966)).
The nematicides carbofuran (C. P. DiSanzo, J. Nematol 5:22-7 (1973) and carbaryl (D. W. Fenwick, Tropic Agric. Trinidad 25:125-16 (1968)) appear to interfere with the orientation that is necessary for survival of plant parasitic nematodes.
The possibility of intervening in the detection by nematodes of chemotactic signals produced by their hosts offers attractive options for novel and non-environmentally hazardous control of plant parasitic nematodes. The development of such methods of control, as well as the discovery of new nematicidal and nematistatic agents that are more selectively toxic for nematodes, requires rapid screening procedures to allow evaluation of large numbers of potential nematicidal or nematistatic compounds. Field testing procedures are incompatible with such mass screening programs since they are cumbersome, expensive and potentially hazardous. Thus, there is a need for a rapid, reproducible, inexpensive and safe in vitro assay method for screening the effects of a large variety of substances on nematode vitality.
Many researchers have utilized nematode movement as a criterion for in vitro screening of nematicidal and nematistatic compounds. Nematodes exposed to a toxicant are classified as either motile or non-motile. Lack of motility often is equated with inability to infect or with death, and the potency of a candidate compound is thereupon evaluated. A. Hough et al., J. Nematol. 7:221-229 (1975).
One complication of such assays is that under laboratory conditions, nematodes exposed to low concentrations of a toxicant may recover and become active when the toxicant is removed. For example, the in vitro evaluation of various nonfumigant nematicides with cholinesterase-inhibiting properties can be misleading when their action is assessed by nematode motility tests which involve removal of the toxicant prior to assay. Furthermore, cholinesterase-inhibiting toxicants exhibit reversible reaction with the substrate, and treated nematodes often recover fully after the toxicant is removed. C. C. Yu et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 25:537-540 (1972).
An additional complication to in vitro assays is that many organophosphates and carbamates will kill at very high doses. It is believed that the mode of action of sublethal doses of these compounds is nematistatic, and it is known that intoxication with carbamate nematicides is reversible at sublethal dosages. A. Hough, 1975, supra.
Thus, there is need for a reproducible in vitro assay method that is sufficiently rapid so as to obviate the complications of reversibility of the toxic effects of some nematicidal and nematistatic agents.
Assays employed in studies of chemotactic agents are potentially suitable for the rapid in vitro assessment of the potential of candidate nematicides and nematistatic agents. Nematode chemotaxis assay methods and devices are disclosed by S. W. Ward (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.70:817-21 (1973)), J. Balan et al., (Nematologica 22:306-11 (1976)), J.-C. Prot (Rev. Nematol. 1:21-6, 135-142 (1978); (Rev. Nematol. 2:11-21 (1979)), H.-B. Jansson, et al.,(J. Gen. Microbiol. 112:89-93 (1979)) and J. Schmidt, et al. (Environ. Entomol. 7:605-7(1978)), and are reviewed by D. B. Dusenbery (J. Nematol 15:168-173 (1983)). All devices, except that of Prot supra, comprise Petri dishes coated with a layer of agar, agarose or Sephadex, the material of the coating being suspended initially in either sterile water or water-based HEPES buffer containing a detergent. Generally, the chemattractant in a suitable solvent is placed upon the surface of the coating at a prescribed location. The point of application of the chemattractant is usually covered with a disc of paper or agar. During a diffusion period of from 24 to 48 hours, gradients of the chemattractant are formed in the coating. A water or buffer control is applied to another site on the coating. Thereafter, a suspension of nematodes is placed at an appropriate site on the plate, and movement of nematodes toward the attractant is followed.
The device of Prot supra comprises a U-tube containing in both arms a continuous column of agar. The method comprises the addition of a chemattractant to one arm of the tube, and the formation of a gradient during a 48-hour diffusion period; water is added to the other arm as a control. Thereafter, nematodes are introduced into the bottom center of the agar column, and the number of nematodes moving to the chemattractant is determined and compared to the number moving to the control.
In spite of these methods and devices, it would still be useful to provide improved devices, and methods for using same, that aid in rapidly assessing the efficacy of large numbers of potential nematicidal and nematistatic agents in coated-plate motility assay systems that are based upon the principle of chemotaxis. Furthermore, the identification and use of specific nematode chemattractants in such assay systems may permit the discovery or development of new compounds which offer greater selectivity for plant parasitic nematodes and at the same time less toxicity for beneficial insects, as well as for animals and man.

Device for assessing nematode vitality and method for using same


Theophylline can be determined with an analytical element and method which utilize the inhibition, by theophylline, of alkaline phosphatase activity on an appropriate substrate. The assay is carried out at a pH of 9 or less. The element comprises a porous spreading zone, a subbing zone and at least one other zone. The zones are in fluid contact with each other. The isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase and a suitable substrate for the isoenzyme are located in different zones of the element. The subbing zone contains polyvinylpyrrolidone and a buffer for maintaining a pH of 9 or less.

Theophylline is a drug frequently administered for treatment of asthma and pulmonary diseases. For the drug to be used successfully without serious side-effects, it must be frequently and carefully monitored in a patient because it has a relatively narrow therapeutic range of use, that is, 1-2 mg/dl.
Numerous techniques have been used to determine the amount of theophylline in human serum. Most of these techniques have serious drawbacks. For example, known spectrophotometric methods require large sample volumes, extensive pretreatment and suffer from interferences by similarly structured xanthines, such as caffeine and theobromine. Known gas chromatographic methods are more specific, but require derivatization and are time consuming.
Nonisotropic immunoassay techniques are most frequently used because they provide rapid results and are simple to use. Although satisfactory sensitivity has been generally obtained with immunoassay techniques, it has been found recently that they may produce highly elevated results depending upon a patient's renal condition and the specificity of the antibody used in the assay. Moreover, immunoassays require the use of generally costly reagents which have limited stability.
High performance liquid chromatography techniques are also known. These techniques vary in specificity depending upon whether pretreatment of the test sample is carried out. Organic extraction steps are necessary to improve the accuracy and specificity of the assay. Many chromatography methods are susceptible to interferences from a number of substances including some common antibiotics. Other disadvantages include the need for expensive instrumentation and a specialized technical staff to perform the assays.
It is known that theophylline can be determined by measuring its inhibitory effect on alkaline phosphatase activity. However, when assaying human biological fluids in this manner, it is known that endogenous alkaline phosphatase can affect the assay and render inaccurate results on the low side. Endogenous alkaline phosphatase must then be destroyed or removed in some manner prior to the assay to avoid this problem.
In commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 900,069, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,017, filed Aug. 25, 1986 by Frickey et al entitled "Analytical Element and Method for Theophylline Determination Using Buffer in Spreading Zone", an element is described that has an isoenzyme for alkaline phosphatase and a buffer for maintaining the pH at 9 or less during the assay. Substantially all of the buffer is located in the spreading layer. No buffer is included in the subbing layer of the element.
While this element provides a simple and rapid assay for theophylline in which endogenous alkaline phosphatase exhibits a reduced effect, there is a need for further improvement. The element described above has a limited range and significant alkaline phosphatase bias.

Analytical element for theophylline determination using buffer in a subbing zone


Various embodiments relate generally to data science and data analysis, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to interface among repositories of disparate datasets and computing machine-based entities configured to access datasets, and, more specifically, to a computing and data storage platform to implement computerized tools to facilitate expedited queries based on query results generated by disparate computing and database architectures, according to at least some examples. For example, a method may include generating multiple results of queries, storing the multiple results of queries in a memory, and linking each of the multiple results of queries to a portion of data stored in a graph. The method can include receiving data representing a query and accessing data representing quiescent data values to form a query result.

Advances in computing hardware and software have fueled exponential growth in the generation of vast amounts of data due to increased computations and analyses in numerous areas, such as in the various scientific and engineering disciplines, as well as in the application of data science techniques to endeavors of good-will (e.g., areas of humanitarian, environmental, medical, social, etc.). Also, advances in conventional data storage technologies provide an ability to store an increasing amount of generated data. Consequently, traditional data storage and computing technologies have given rise to a phenomenon in which numerous desperate datasets have reached sizes and complexities that tradition data-accessing and analytic techniques are generally not well-suited for assessing conventional datasets.
Conventional technologies for implementing datasets typically rely on different computing platforms and systems, different database technologies, and different data formats, such as CSV, TSV, HTML, JSON, XML, etc. Known data-distributing technologies are not well-suited to enable interoperability among datasets. Thus, many typical datasets are warehoused in conventional data stores, which are known as "data silos." These data silos have inherent barriers that insulate and isolate datasets. Further, conventional data systems and dataset accessing techniques are generally incompatible or inadequate to facilitate data interoperability among the data silos. Various, ad hoc and non-standard approaches have been adopted, but each standard approach is driven by different data practitioners each of whom favor a different, personalized process.
As graph-based data structures grow at increasing rates (e.g., at arithmetical or exponential rates), the complexity with which to match data between a newly-uploaded dataset and previously-uploaded datasets increases correspondingly. Typically, datasets of various types of formats, such as CSV, TSV, HTML, JSON, XML, etc., require additional processing, including manual intervention, to identify related datasets that may be disposed, for example, in graph-based data arrangements. For instance, some conventional data formats are designed for relational database architectures, which generally known for being difficult to scale as data and related datasets increase in size. As such, relational databases of large sizes are not well-suited for expeditiously identifying classes or types of data over large-scaled data arrangements with which to join a newly-added dataset.
Furthermore, traditional approaches in generating queries applied over conventional disparate data sources (e.g., different computing platforms and systems, different database technologies, and different data formats) typically require data transformation among the various different data sources to generate results based on data from the conventional data sources. Typically, a query on data in the conventional disparate data sources may refer to a set of architecture-specific queries, which are to be executed individually against specific database technologies and formats at the time the principal query is performed. Therefore, multiple architecture-specific queries may be executed responsive to execution of the principal query, thereby consuming computational resources. In some approaches, an update to an architecture-specific query and its results upon which the principal query interrelates can cause cascading of any query that may rely on the updated data, which, if performed at time of the principal query would impede or slow down determination of the query results due to the cascaded architecture-specific queries. The detrimental effects become more pronounced as the complexity and number of multiple architecture-specific queries are interrelated to generate results for the principal query. In this case, computational resources can be consumed irrespective of execution of the principal query and other computational priorities. Such approaches can be viewed (or analogized) as early or static binding that is performed irrespective of execution or run-time or execution of a principal query.
Thus, what is needed is a solution for facilitating techniques to optimize data operations applied to querying datasets, without the limitations of conventional techniques.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Content addressable caching and federation in linked data projects in a data-driven collaborative dataset platform using disparate database architectures


CoCrPtB is a conventional material used in some of the layers of a thin film magnetic media structure used for recording data in data storage devices such as hard drives. Typically the CoCrPtB layers used for magnetic media have high Cr and low B in bottom magnetic layers and low Cr and high B in top magnetic layers. In accordance with one embodiment of this invention and to improve media electrical performance, fifth elements, such as Ta, Nb and Hf, etc. were added to the CoCrPtB materials, resulting in CoCrPtB—X, to enhance the grain segregation. The five element CoCrPtB—X layers were deposited using a pulsed direct current sputter technique instead of conventional direct current sputtering techniques. The resulting magnetic media structure having CoCrPtB—X alloy layers exhibits an increase in coercivity Hc and improvement in recording performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of disc drive storage, and more particularly to multilayer magnetic media used in data storage devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional disc drives are used to magnetically record, store and retrieve digital data. Data is recorded to and retrieved from one or more discs that are rotated at more than one thousand revolutions per minute (rpm) by a motor. The data is recorded and retrieved from the discs by an array of vertically aligned read/write head assemblies, which are controllably moved from data track to data track by an actuator assembly.
The three major components making up a conventional hard disc drive are magnetic media, read/write head assemblies and motors. Magnetic media, which is used as a medium to magnetically store digital data, typically includes a layered structure, of which at least one of the layers is made of a magnetic material, such as CoCrPtB, having high coercivity and high remnant moment. The read/write head assemblies typically include a read sensor and a writing coil carried on an air bearing slider attached to an actuator. This slider acts in a cooperative hydrodynamic relationship with a thin layer of air dragged along by the spinning discs to fly the head assembly in a closely spaced relationship to the disc surface. The actuator is used to move the heads from track to track and is of the type usually referred to as a rotary voice coil actuator. A typical rotary voice coil actuator consists of a pivot shaft fixedly attached to the disc drive housing closely adjacent to the outer diameter of the discs. Motors, which are used to spin the magnetic media at rates of higher than 1,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), typically include brushless direct current (DC) motors. The structure of disc drives is well known.
Magnetic media can be locally magnetized by a read/write head, which creates a highly concentrated magnetic field that alternates direction based upon bits of the information being stored. The highly concentrated localized magnetic field produced by the read/write head magnetizes the grains of the magnetic media at that location, provided the magnetic field is greater than the coercivity of the magnetic media. The grains retain a remnant magnetization after the magnetic field is removed, which points in the same direction of the magnetic field. A read/write head that produces an electrical response to a magnetic signal can then read the magnetization of the magnetic media.
Magnetic media structures are typically made to include a series of thin films deposited on top of aluminum substrates, ceramic substrates or glass substrates. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional magnetic media structure having a substrate 105 made of aluminum with nickel phosphorous (NiP) coating, a first layer 110 made of chromium (Cr), a second layer 120 made of chromium-tungsten (CrW), chromium-molybdenum (CrMo), or chromium-titanium (CrTi), a third layer 130 made of cobalt-chromium (CoCr), cobalt-chromium-tantalum (CoCrTa), or cobalt-chromium-ruthenium (CoCrRu), a fourth layer 140 made of cobalt-chromium-platinum-boron (CoCrPtBo), a fifth layer 150 made of a material having a high magnetic saturation Ms alloy, and a sixth layer 160 which acts as an overcoat and is typically made of a carbon containing material.
The magnetic media structure described with reference to FIG. 1 above is made using conventional magnetic media manufacturing processes. Conventional media manufacturing processes typically start by cleaning the substrate 105 and then texturing the substrate. Typically the substrate 105 is made of aluminum with a nickel phosphorous coating that acts as a hard surface that can be textured. After the substrate has been textured it is usually cleaned again before the subsequent layers are deposited on top. The deposition process includes sputtering target material of usually the same material as their respective layers so that thin films of the sputtered material grow on the substrate. The deposition process is usually done either at ambient temperatures or at elevated temperatures and only after the deposition chamber has been evacuated to low pressures. Multilayer longitudinal media is typically deposited at elevated temperatures in order to achieve desirable magnetic properties.
The magnetic layers of the structure can be used for perpendicular or longitudinal recording media, which include a single or a couple of magnetic layers wherein the thickness of each layer can range from about 10 Å to about several hundred angstroms, are typically deposited onto substrates that have been heated to high temperatures, such as 250° C. Growing thin films on hot substrates reduces noise by promoting desired crystallographic orientations and by enhancing Cr segregation into grain boundaries. During deposition, the higher substrate temperature enhances molecule mobility permitting desired crystallographic orientations to grow and enhancing Cr segregation into grain boundaries reduces exchange coupling of the grains reducing noise.
In addition to using temperature to make magnetic alloys with better crystallographic orientation or high anisotropy, the reduction of magnetic film thickness is also used. This is usually accomplished by using alloys having high magnetic remnant moment (MrT), high orientation ratio (OR) and high magnetic saturation moment (Ms). Additionally, using alloys having uniform and small grain size help make media with such performance.
The problems with some of these techniques are that magnetic media having high coercivity (Hc) and high anisotropy is limited head writability. The increase of Hc from larger grain size also negatively affects the media signal to noise ratio. Although higher MrT orientation ratio can be achieved through texture and cleaning processes, the improvements are limited. Another approach for film thickness reduction is using high Ms alloy through reducing Cr atomic percentage. However, high Ms alloys with lower Cr at % usually has significant impacts on the grain segregation, which negatively affects the media by increasing the media noise. Although continuous grain size reduction improves signal to noise properties and is desirable, it is limited by media thermal decay due to superparamagnetic behavior. The nominal grain size for longitudinal media has been reduced to 10 angstroms or less with a grain distribution of 2-3 angstroms of standard deviation.
Materials having four elements CoCrPtB, as discussed with reference to FIG. 1 have been commonly used for magnetic layers of magnetic media. These materials have been optimized to have high Cr and enough B to improve the magnetic media. However, there is a limitation to the amount of optimization of these compositions that can be done because the Cr percentage has increased to the point that the materials are on the verge of being non-magnetic. Increasing the Cr and B percentage in these materials decreases the coercivity Hc and remnant moment Mrt of the magnetic media to the point that it is unusable.
Despite the improvements that have been made in reducing noise of recording media having high areal density there are still many problems that need to be addressed including making desirable thermally stable magnetic media with higher signal to noise ratios and narrow track recording widths. Therefore what is needed is a system and method that results in a thermally stable magnetic media for recording information that has high areal density and reduced noise.

Magnetic recording media having five element alloy deposited using pulsed direct current sputtering


A system and method for securing wireless communications are provided. A method for secure communications by a first user includes estimating a channel between the first user and a second user based on a pilot signal transmitted by the second user, determining a first threshold and a second threshold based on the estimate of channel, selecting a first subset of channel estimates, signaling the first subset of channel estimates to the second user, receiving a second subset of channel estimates from the second user, for each channel estimate in the second subset of channel estimates, quantizing the channel estimate based on a relationship between a gain of the channel estimate and the first threshold and the second threshold, generating a first secret key based on quantized channel estimates, verifying that the first secret key matches a second secret key generated by the second user, and transmitting information to the second user.

Broadcasting is inherent to wireless communications. Any receiver operating within range of a transmission may be able to listen to the transmission and may be able to decode at least a portion of the transmission. The broadcast nature of wireless communications may be exploited to allow simultaneous transmissions to several receivers at high rates. However, eavesdropping may also become easier.
Cryptography is a traditional approach to protect transmissions against eavesdropping. In general, there are two different types of cryptographic systems: secret key cryptosystems and public-key cryptosystems. Secret key cryptosystems require a secret key shared between a sender and a receiver. Public-key cryptosystems do not require the pre-establishment of a secret key, but may be more susceptible to advanced attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attack. Both types of cryptosystems may be based on an assumption that the eavesdropper has limited computational power. For example, in the well-known RSA public-key cryptosystem, the security is based on the computational complexity involved in factoring large integers, while many other cryptosystems are based on the difficulty of computing discrete logarithms in certain groups. Therefore, traditional cryptosystems lack absolute security since given enough time and computation power, they may be broken.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art cipher system 100. Cipher system 100 may be illustrative of a Shannon cipher system. Shannon defined a secrecy system to be perfectly secret if the cipher text is statistically independent of the message. Perfect secrecy is the strongest notion of security since observing the cipher text does not reveal any information regarding the message. In cipher system 100, assumptions include: 1) transmitter 105 and receiver 110 share a secret key that is unknown to eavesdropper 115; 2) transmission of the message is noiseless to both receiver 110 and eavesdropper 115. Under these assumptions, cipher system 100 may be shown to have perfect secrecy if the length of the secret key is at least as long as that of the message.
Shannon's result on perfect secrecy systems presents is pessimistic. It has been shown that Shannon's pessimistic result is not due to the strong notion of information-theoretic security, but is a result of the assumption that the transmission of the message occur over noiseless channels. By extending the Shannon cipher system to a noisy setting, it may be possible to design cipher systems that can deliver a message reliably to a receiver while keeping it asymptotically perfectly secret from an eavesdropper without the need for a secret key shared initially.
In fact, it has been shown that if the transmitter and the receiver can observe a common noisy channel, they may exploit the inherent noisiness of a channel to generate a secret key that may be used to encrypt messages sent over the channel. Furthermore, if the transmitter and the receiver can communicate over an error-free public channel (herein referred to as public communications), they can generate the same secret keys with high probability. However, when communicating over a public channel, no significant knowledge about the secret key may be revealed. In other words, obtaining publicly communicated information must not provide the eavesdropper knowledge about the secret key.

System and method for securing wireless communications


A locking arrangement includes an inner element (1) and an outer element (3), (302), where the inner element (1) is axially shiftable relative to the outer element (3), such as a shaft of a tool, one end of the outer element (3), (302) has a locking member (4) for locking the inner element (1) and the outer element (3), (302) relative to one another, the locking member (4) is maneuverable by a maneuvering member (5) that is remote from the locking member (4) in a direction toward another end of the outer element (3), (302) via an affecting member (301) that is shiftable along or rotatable about an axis that is parallel to a lengthwise axis of the outer element so that the affecting member has a tube (301) that completely or partially encloses the outer element (302).

In WO 02/18802A1 an arrangement is described that is mainly adapted for a tool shaft that has a telescopic function. The arrangement includes a tubular shaped element, an inner and an outer, that can be locked relative to one another. The locking is done with the help of a locking member that is securely mounted on the end of the outer element. The opening of the lock is done with the help of a maneuvering member at the other end of the outer element. The transfer of the opening forces is done with the help of an affecting member between the two ends on the outer element. In the description a number of different variations of affecting members are suggested. The preferred embodiment of the affecting member is a thin steel band that is inserted between the inner and the outer elements.
This embodiment functions well but is costly to produce. Not only is the cost for the band that requires openings and cutting high but also the mounting is cumbersome and time-consuming. None of the remaining variations of the affecting members that are hitherto known result in any substantial reduction of the production costs. In addition to the locking details, the tube system accounts for a major portion of the costs. Especially the outer element is costly. One reason is the demanding requirements of durability and the surface on the outer tube. The outer element is usually manufactured of hardened aluminum that has been surface treated in a certain way. It must be able to endure normal handling without being damaged which requires a thickness of at least one millimeter. Furthermore, it is desirable that the surface is painted since it is used for gripping. Anodized surfaces are also used but are experienced as being cold to hold.
The object of the present invention is to achieve an arrangement according to the ingress that makes it possible to manufacture at substantially lower costs compared to earlier known variations.
This object is achieved by the locking arrangement that has two elements that are slidable into one another such as a shaft for a tool where the length is adjustable. The shaft has a locking member at an outer element of one end. The locking member is maneuverable with a maneuvering member that is at a distance from the locking member in a direction towards the other end on the outer element via an affecting member that is slidable along or rotatable about an axis that is parallel to the lengthwise axis of the outer element. The affecting member includes a tube that is made of a polymeric material. The tube encloses the outer element and the outer element has a thin walled, untreated tube of metal, preferably hardened aluminum.

Adjustment of telescopically movable elements


A printer includes a head that is positioned at a plurality of recording positions by moving in a direction which is orthogonal to a transport direction of a sheet and a pressing member that has a medium guide surface which is able to face the sheet, in which when the head is positioned, the medium guide surface is positioned below the head surface, and during maintenance of the head, the medium guide surface is positioned above the head surface.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that is provided with a medium pressing member that is able to suppress lifting up of a medium from a support portion.
2. Related Art
In the related art, a recording apparatus is known that is provided with a transport portion that transports a sheet that is an example of a medium, and performs recording (printing) of an image or the like by discharging ink (liquid) from a liquid discharge surface of a head onto a printing surface of the sheet that is transported by the transport portion. For example, a transport portion is known that is provided with an endless transport belt that revolves suspended on a roller. The transport belt is able to adsorb and transport a surface on the opposite side from a printing surface of the transported sheet to a belt surface.
Although the sheet is adsorbed to the belt surface, the sheet lifting up from the belt surface leads to a reduction in printing quality. In addition, in a case where the sheet is transported in an undried state, an end portion of the sheet tends to curl and lift up from the belt surface. Therefore, a recording apparatus in JP-A-2012-218354 is provided with a medium pressing member that presses a medium on a medium guide surface that protrudes to a pressing position that is closer to the belt surface than a liquid discharge surface of a head at the upstream side of the head in order to suppress lifting up of the sheet from the belt surface.
Meanwhile, in a state in which the medium guide surface protrudes further than the liquid discharge surface of the head, there is a risk that maintenance of the head, for example, cleaning or capping of the head is obstructed by the medium pressing member. Therefore, the recording apparatus in JP-A-2012-218354 moves the medium pressing member such that the medium guide surface does not protrude further than the liquid discharge surface of the head during maintenance of the head.
Note that, in a case where a gap between the medium guide surface and the belt surface is large at the pressing position, there is a risk that a state in which the end portion of the sheet lifts from the belt surface tends to be permissible and printing quality reduces without performing appropriate printing. However, in a case where the gap between the medium guide surface and the belt surface at the pressing position is small with respect to curl of the sheet, there is a risk that clogging of sheets is generated without the sheets entering between the medium guide surface and the belt surface.

Recording apparatus with moveable medium pressing member


A side face excluding the edge of a squeegee cleaner made of a plate-shaped urethane rubber is brought into pressure contact with a squeeze roller. Even for long-term use, a pressure contact surface of the squeegee cleaner does not break and long life of the squeegee cleaner is obtained and good cleaning performance is maintained and a liquid developing agent of a surface of the squeeze roller is surely removed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wet type image formation apparatus for forming a toner image using a liquid developing agent, and a liquid developing agent cleaner.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wet type image formation apparatus for obtaining a toner image using a liquid developing agent configured by toner particles and a carrier solvent has advantages that high image quality can be achieved since very fine toner particles with a submicron size can be used, that texture equivalent to printing (for example, offset printing) can be achieved in addition to economy since a sufficient image density can be obtained by a small amount of toner, and further that energy saving can be achieved since toner can be fixed on paper at a relatively low temperature, etc.
In such a wet type image formation apparatus, it is necessary to scrape a surplus liquid developing agent on a photoconductor after a liquid developing agent is supplied to the photoconductor in order to prevent a fog of a toner image and improve transfer efficiency as well as efficiency of a dry process. For this purpose, there is conventionally an apparatus for disposing a squeeze device for removing a surplus liquid developing agent on a photoconductor after development (for example, see JP-A-7-302028 (Pages 3 and 4, FIGS. 1 and 2))
In JP-A-7-302028, after development by a developing roller, a surplus liquid developing agent adhering to a photoconductor drum is removed by a squeeze roller and further an edge of a blade made of urethane rubber and mylar with a high hardness are sequentially abutted on the squeeze roller and an angular portion of fastened toner on a surface of the squeeze roller is shaved by the mylar and then the liquid developing agent is removed by the blade.
However, in JP-A-7-302028, a structure using both of the mylar and the blade is adopted and the fastened toner is shaved to a certain extent by the mylar but the blade for removal of the liquid developing agent is configured by its edge abutted on the squeeze roller. In addition, the blade tends to cause breakage by suffering chemical degradation due to a carrier solvent and has low durability. As a result of this, even when the angular portion of the fastened toner is previously shaved using the mylar, the edge portion of the blade tends to break and when the edge breaks in long-term use, there was a problem that the liquid developing agent on the surface of the squeeze roller by the blade is insufficiently removed or unevenness of removal occurs thereby causing defects in an image.

Wet type image formation apparatus and liquid developing agent cleaner therefor


A mounting bracket adapted for use in mounting a wastegate actuator to a turbocharger of an automotive engine. The mounting bracket includes a flat metal bracket having a hole formed therein, for supporting the wastegate actuator, and a clamping portion integrally attached to the metal bracket. The clamping portion surrounds a cylindrical inlet portion of the turbocharger to mount the bracket thereon. The clamping portion is also used to tighten the wastegate actuator in place on the turbocharger body. Once a desired position of wastegate actuator is achieved, the clamping portion is tightened around the turbocharger pipe using a fastener to keep the two halves of the clamping portion fastened together. The design of the mounting bracket allows for a large number of positions in which the wastegate actuator is placed on the turbocharger.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to turbocharged engines and related hardware. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clamping bracket for use in mounting a wastegate actuator to a turbocharger, and to a method of using the bracket. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting method and to a clamping bracket for mounting a wastegate actuator to a turbocharger assembly which provides improved adjustability in positioning the wastegate actuator on the turbocharger.
2. Description of the Background Art
Turbochargers, powered by high pressure exhaust gases produced by internal combustion engines, are widely used in automotive vehicles to supply pressurized intake air to the vehicle's combustion chamber, to yield increased engine power. A typical turbocharger normally includes a turbine housing and a compressor housing constructed side by side. The turbine housing contains an exhaust gas-driven turbine wheel mounted on a rotatable shaft, and the compressor housing contains a compressor wheel mounted on the other end of the same rotatable shaft, for concurrent rotation with the turbine wheel.
Turbochargers are also typically equipped with a wastegate, disposed in a passageway between the exhaust gas inlet and outlet portions of the turbine housing, to allow the flow of exhaust gas to bypass the turbine wheel as needed. The wastegate is opened, for example, when the intake manifold pressure exceeds a preset value, sometimes referred as a lift off pressure.
The wastegate includes four components, namely, an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a wastegate actuator and a wastegate valve.
The wastegate actuator generally includes a spring loaded diaphragm, housed within an actuator canister, and an actuator rod for actuating the spring loaded diaphragm. The wastegate actuator is mounted on the compressor housing of the turbocharger. The actuator canister is connected to the compressor portion of the turbocharger, through a sensing hose, to provide air pressure to the diaphragm. The diaphragm, which is controlled by intake manifold pressure, acts on the actuator rod for activating the wastegate valve which is mounted on the turbine housing of the turbocharger.
A wastegate valve is disposed in a passageway between the inlet portion and the outlet portion of the wastegate. The wastegate valve is normally closed in a default position, and held closed by the diaphragm spring housed inside the actuator canister. When the air pressure level of the intake manifold exceeds the preset value, the wastegate valve progressively opens the passageway, allowing some exhaust gas to bypass the turbine wheel of the turbocharger.
The diaphragm spring is selected or the length of the actuator rod is adjusted such that the wastegate valve remains in closed position up to a preset air pressure, and when the air pressure of the intake manifold exceeds the preset level, the actuator rod moves against the action of spring and opens the wastegate valve.
There has been an ongoing trend in engine compartment design, in recent years, to pack components tightly together under the hood. It will be appreciated that the different engine compartments, of different automotive vehicles, have different amounts of space available for mounting a turbocharger. Therefore, it is important to accommodate the turbocharger within the available space, oriented in a position to achieve effective performance of the turbocharger, and to achieve higher efficiency of the automotive engine.
In previous designs of mounting brackets for wastegate actuator, the wastegate actuator is mounted using a fixed bolt pattern, generally formed on the compressor housing, which severely limits the indexing possibilities of the wastegate actuator. See, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 6.
There are a few clamping and mounting devices used in automotive vehicles as illustrated in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,937,893 (Hill et al), 4,558,891 (Wagner et al), 4,059,045 (McClain), 5,199,260 (Iwick), 6,402,119 (Miska), and 6,658,846 (McEwan).
Hill et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,893, issued in 1960 and entitled "Resealable Conduit Coupling with Abutting Resilient Flange Surfaces", discloses a band-type conduit coupling for connecting two pipe sections together. The conduit coupling includes a band which wraps around the pipes to be joined, and the band is tightened by spinning a nut on a threaded shaft provided at one end of the band.
Wagner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,891, issued in 1985 and entitled "Clamp for Exhaust System", discloses a band clamp for securing overlapping telescoped adjacent tubes in an exhaust system of automotive vehicle to form a substantially leak-proof joint. The band clamp includes a circular band and a bolt having a curved end secured thereto over a predetermined circumferential distance adjacent one end of the band and a straight threaded end extending through an extension secured adjacent to the opposite end of the band. A nut is provided on the straight threaded end of the bolt for tightening against the extension to draw the ends of the band together in near abutting relationship to engage the lap joint over a substantially continuous circumferential area. The extension either can bridge the gap to serve as a guide for the outer end of the band, or it can be an integral portion of the band.
McClain, U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,045, issued in 1977 and entitled "Engine Exhaust Rain Cap with Extruded Bearing Support Means", discloses a circular metal band for mounting a rain cap mechanism to a circular exhaust pipe of a heavy duty vehicle.
Miska, U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,119, issued in 2002 and entitled "Textile-Reinforced Rubber Exhaust System Hanger", discloses a hanging bracket assembly, for a muffler system of an automotive vehicle, which includes a plurality of the brackets on the vehicle frame that serve as mounting points for mounting for an exhaust pipe which has a plurality of circular clamps attached thereto at points corresponding to the brackets. Each clamp has a clamp pin integrally attached thereon that protrudes in the same direction as the pin of its corresponding bracket.
Iwick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,260, issued in 1993 and entitled "Wastegate Actuator Valve for a Turbocharger", discloses a wastegate control valve for a turbocharger. McEwan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,846, issued in 2003 and entitled "Turbocharger With Wastegate", discloses a turbocharger having an actuating rod which controls the wastegate. The disclosures of these U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,199,260 and 6,658,846, do not specifically discuss how the wastegate actuator is attached to the turbocharger, however, it appears that the wastegate actuator is attached to the turbocharger via bolts, which are positioned in a preset fixed bolt pattern on the turbocharger, which do not permit positioning of wastegate actuator on the turbocharger as desired.
However, none of the existing clamping devices or brackets are suitable for mounting the wastegate actuator on the turbocharger, in a manner that would permit a large range of positions at which the wastegate actuator could be mounted on the turbocharger. Increased turbocharger efficiency and increased engine power can be derived by properly positioning the wastegate actuator on the compressor housing of the turbocharger.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for an improved mounting bracket for orienting a wastegate actuator on a turbocharger body. More particularly, there is a need for a wastegate actuator mounting bracket which permits a large number of positioning possibilities to overcome the limitations encountered with the known art.

Wastegate actuator mounting bracket, turbocharger incorporating the bracket, and method of using same


Disclosed herein is a method for preparing coal-based, briquetted activated carbon. The method includes subjecting raw coal to a briquetting process, pulverizing the briquettes into particles, and performing carbonization and activation to obtain activated carbon. The briquetting process includes pulverizing raw coal to produce a feed, feeding the feed into a feed bin for degassing, adjusting the temperature and the water content of the feed in the feed bin, and feeding the feed in the feed bin into a briquetting apparatus for briquetting to form coal briquettes. The raw coal briquetting process of the preparation method is suited to a wide variety of coal, including non-caking coal. The preparation method yields a coal briquette product with a strength greater than 89% without any binder, which is beneficial to improve the strength and the like of activated carbon.

Due to the highly developed pore structure and extremely large specific surface area of activated carbon, its application developed from decolorization and deodorization for food and medicine, gas masks, to large-scale use in solvent refining and recycling, advanced water treatment, flue gas purification and blood purification etc. The development has brought new and higher requirements on the properties such as adsorption and strength of activated carbon.
In addition, in the production of activated carbon, the method of preparing coal-based activated carbon using coal as raw material has been widely used. In order to make the obtained activated carbon have higher strength when used, usually, it is necessary to carry out a briquetting treatment before the coal is carbonized and activated. Therefore, high-strength briquetting of coal is also the basis for the preparation of high-strength activated carbon.
Although pulverized coal briquetting technologies have been widely used in the deep processing of raw coal, various binders such as coal pitch still need to be added in most pulverized coal briquetting technologies, which not only increases the cost, but also the prepared coal briquettes need to be air-dried or heated and roasted, thereby reducing the production efficiency; in addition, since the commonly used binders such as coal pitch and coal tar will melt and volatilize after being heated, so that the strength of the final product is not high, and in the production of activated carbon, residues such as coal pitch will block the pores of activated carbon, some residues also contain harmful substances, which is not conducive to improving the quality of activated carbon, thus limiting the application of non-caking coal in the preparation of coal-based activated carbon.
At present, the research on the preparation of binder-free, coal-based activated carbon has become a hot topic. CN101402454A discloses a preparation method of formed activated carbon, wherein pulverized coal is subjected to press forming before being activated by carbonization, however, in order not to add a binder, a large amount of weak caking coal and strong caking rich coal have to be added to the pulverized coal raw material. Due to the addition of a large amount of caking coal, it is necessary to slowly increase the temperature during the carbonization process to prevent the particles from foaming and coking during the carbonization process, and a long activation time is required to make the obtained activated carbon have a large enough surface area.
CN1033262A discloses a method for preparing activated carbon comprising pulverizing non-caking coal to below 10 μm and then subjecting the pulverized coal to press forming. It is stated in this patent application that the smaller the particle size after pulverization of raw coal, the more advantageous it is to increase the number of contact points per unit weight between the particles to increase the adhesion between the sub-particles in the particles. However, the smaller the particle size after pulverization of pulverized coal, the greater the possibility of agglomeration. Considering the requirement of moisture in subsequent press forming, moisture control is difficult, and pulverization is also difficult, requirements to equipments are high and the method is difficult to popularize. At the same time, studies found that too fine particle size of pulverized coal tends to cause the internal pores to be too fine after briquetting, affecting the escape of subsequent carbonized volatiles and the diffusion of gas used for activation into internal pores when activated carbon is prepared, and thus affecting the yield and adsorption of the final product.
Therefore, it is necessary to propose a new preparation method for binder-free, coal-based, briquetted activated carbon.

Preparation method for binder-free, coal-based, briquetted activated carbon

CHINA ENERGY INVESTMENT CORPORATION LIMITED


A method for forming metal on a dielectric includes forming a seed layer on a surface including a reactant element. A first metal layer is formed on the seed layer wherein the first metal layer wets the seed layer. A second metal layer is formed on the first metal layer wherein the second metal layer wets the first metal layer. Diffuse the reactant element of the seed layer into the first metal layer by annealing to convert the first metal layer to a dielectric layer.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to integrated circuit processing, and more particularly to methods for growing a metal on a dielectric material with reduced or eliminated agglomeration.
Description of the Related Art
Growing a thin film of metal on top of a dielectric is challenging, since the metal does not wet a surface of the dielectric, and instead balls up into small agglomerations. This makes the film rough (or perhaps even discontinuous), and hence unusable.
In a magnetic tunnel junction, one magnetic metal layer must be grown on top of an oxide tunnel barrier, such as a top CoFeB layer in a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB structure. In another example, for magnetic tunnel junctions used in spin torque magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), a free layer needs to be sandwiched in between an oxide cap and an oxide seed layer, for example, a free layer (CoFeB) is sandwiched between MgO layers (e.g., oxide seed layer (MgO)/free layer (CoFeB)/oxide cap layer (MgO)/CoFeB). Other examples and applications in thin film technology outside of MRAM devices also suffer from similar constraints when forming metal on dielectric.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for removing an organic ligand from a surface of a particle including:                obtaining a particle having an organic ligand disposed on a surface thereof;        contacting the particle with an alkylammonium salt represented by Chemical Formula 1:NR′4+A−  Chemical Formula 1        wherein groups R′ are the same or different and are each independently hydrogen or a C1 to C20 alkyl group, provided that at least one group R′ is an alkyl group, and A is a hydroxide anion, a halide anion, a borohydride anion, a nitrate anion, a phosphate anion, or a sulfate anion; and        heat-treating the particle to carry out a reaction between the alkylammonium salt and the organic ligand.

1. Field
A process for removing a surface ligand compound is disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a small entity (e.g., a particle) having a nano-size or a micron-size is prepared, an organic compound capable of coordinating to a surface of the entity (also called as "an organic ligand) is used for controlling a size or a crystal type thereof. The organic ligand may be often used for preventing aggregation of the particles.
However, the organic ligand coordinated to the surface of the particle may have a detrimental effect on performance of that particle. Thus, developing a technology for removing (or substituting) the ligand from the particle is necessary. In addition, the removal of the surface-coordinated organic ligand would be necessary for analysis of the prepared particles or the ligand itself. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a technology enabling the removal or separation of the organic ligand in a simple manner within a short time.


Methods treat ash from waste incineration, wherein the methods at least comprise: a) the digestion of the ash by a leaching liquor containing phosphate ions in solution such as to form a first solid phase comprising impurities and a first liquid phase comprising phosphate ions; and b) the separation of said first liquid phase comprising phosphate ions from said first solid phase. Step a) is carried out for a duration of less than one hour or at a temperature of more than 40° C.

Given the increasingly severe environmental and ecological constraints, the recovery of waste or residues, irrespective of their origin, has become all the more pertinent. Waste is generally incinerated to form two types of residues: solid non-combustible materials, called clinker or slag, containing high concentrations of pollutants such as heavy metals, which may be released when exposed to water; and residues from the smoke treatment, which are made up of ash from dust removal and smoke detoxification residues from the gas treatment. The recovery of these types of waste may be complex, depending on their composition. Some of these are used in construction or in the preparation of bituminous mixtures.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,132 describes the recovery of ash via the production of ceramic materials. The ash is brought into contact with borax and a calcium compound, and is then heated to very high temperatures (approximately 1000° C.) to form ceramics.
EP 0 743 079 also describes the treatment of ash from waste incineration, which is used to stabilise the heavy metals in the ash. The ash is subjected to a phosphating reaction at very high temperatures (between 500° C. and 1200° C.) in order to transform the toxic metal chlorides into phosphate salts.
Moreover, WO 97/31874 mentions a method of making ash inert via its reaction with a phosphate mixture in order to form a paste that is fully carbonised at a temperature of more than 600° C. The resulting residue is mixed with water and a hydraulic binder such as cement.
These different processes mainly aimed at encapsulating or confining the heavy metals present in the ash, ceramics or cement, in order to prevent them from spreading in the environment. These processes therefore resulted in a significant increase in the mass of the waste, without adding to the value of their constituent elements, which are simply trapped in the cement or the ceramics before being disposed of in specific landfills.
In addition, JP H11-33594 shows us a process for treating sewage sludge via a phosphoric acid solution at a temperature of 40° C. This process is not optimal for purifying sewage sludge.
This invention seeks to overcome these drawbacks and recover at least a part of the constituents of the ash obtained from waste incineration.

Method for recovering ash from waste incineration


The claimed subject matter is directed to certain thioxanthene derivatives and phenothiazine derivatives suitable for use as anti-infective agents, in particular, for the treatment of infectious diseases. The claimed subject matter furthermore relates to compositions including said anti-infective agents.

The treatment of infectious diseases is a major clinical concern worldwide. As infectious agents become resistant to more and more antibiotic compounds, the development of new and more efficient infectious agents is a major task in the art. Resistance to chemotherapy is a common clinical problem in patients with infectious diseases. During the treatment of infections, the drug targets of prokaryotic or eukaryotic microorganism cells are often found to be refractory to a variety of drugs that have different structures and functions. This phenomenon has been referred to as multidrug resistance (MDR).
The incidence of the multiple antimicrobial resistance of bacteria which cause infections in hospitals/intensive care units is increasing, and finding microorganisms insensitive to more than 10 different antibiotics is not unusual. Examples of such resistant bacteria include methicillin-resistant and methicillin-vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; vancomycin-resistant enterococci, such as Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium; penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, and cephalosporin and quinolone resistant gram-negative rods (coliforms), such as E. coli, Salmonella species, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas species and Enterobacter species. More recently, pan antibiotic resistant gram-negative and gram-positive bacilli have emerged.
The rapidity of emergence of these multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria is not being reflected by the same rate of development of new antibiotics, and it is therefore conceivable that patients with serious infections soon will no longer be treatable with the currently available anti-infective agents. Several international reports have highlighted the potential problems associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in many areas of medicine and also outlined the difficulties in the management of patients with infections caused by these microorganisms.
Although most of the hardier microorganisms are present in hospitals, strains of multidrug resistant bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis have also caused serious community-acquired infections. The prevalence of drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has increased 60-fold since 1980 with 51% and 8% of isolates demonstrating intermediate- or high-level resistance to penicillin or third-generation cephalosporins, respectively. Thus, pneumococcal pneumonia is becoming more difficult to treat with first-line anti-infective agents. Resistant bacteria from hospitals can be introduced into the community via patients discharged for continued treatment at home taking with them, for example, multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin resistant enterococci.
Phenothiazines and thioxanthenes are used clinically as neuroleptic and antiemetic agents. Phenothiazines, and structurally related antipsychotic agents, inhibit several cellular enzymes and block the function of critical cellular receptors. The extrapyramidal side effects associated with antipsychotic therapy are attributed to dopamine receptor binding. In general, these extrapyramidal side effects have proven to be dose limiting in clinical trials using phenothiazines and thioxanthenes in non-psychotic areas, such as anti-cancer treatment. The relevant serum levels of phenothiazines and thioxanthenes are generally in the range from approximately 0.3 μg/l to 0.5 mg/l (0.3 ng/ml to 0.5 μg/ml) in order to avoid potential side effects.
Phenothiazines and thioxanthenes have been shown in themselves to have modest, but broad, antimicrobial activities. MICs (the minimal concentration of compound at which the infectious agent is inhibited) are generally high above clinically relevant concentrations inasmuch as the disclosed minimum effective concentrations in vitro are in the order from approximately 20 mg/l to several hundreds mg/l. Although the mechanism by which phenothiazines modulate MDR is not yet clear, it has been suggested that their pharmacological properties may be mediated at least in part by the inhibition of efflux pumps. Also, promethazine has been recognised as an effective antiplasmid agent in cultures containing bacterial species such as Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The concentrations used, however, are generally high above clinically relevant concentrations.
It has recently been shown that certain phenothiazine and thioxanthene derivatives used as anti-infective compounds are surprisingly effective in assisting in killing infectious agents, such as multidrug resistant infectious agents, even at clinically relevant concentrations, when used in combination with an anti-infective agent.
Accordingly, WO2005/105145 A discloses the use of certain thioxanthene derivatives and phenothiazine derivatives as chemosensitising compounds. Chemosensitising compounds are anti-infectious compounds for the treatment of infectious disease in combination with an anti-infectious agent. The disclosed derivatives all have a nitrogen containing substituent on the thioxanthene or phenothiazine backbone. The problem solved according to that disclosure relates to a combination treatment of infective diseases and does not teach that the disclosed compounds are suited for administration as single anti-bacterial agents but rather that the disclosed compounds are suited for a combination treatment where another antibiotic agent is used simultaneously in combination with the disclosed compounds. The compounds according to the present invention differ from the compounds according to WO2005/105145 A e.g. in the substitution of C for N in the atom linking substituents R9 and R10 according to the present invention.
WO2008/080408 A discloses the surprising finding that a sub-group of the compounds disclosed in WO2005/105145 A may in fact be useful as sole antibacterial agents. This finding is surprising as it was thought that the function of the compounds according to WO2005/105145 A as chemosensitising compounds was to reverse resistance against one or more anti-infectious agent.
EP-A-0338532 discloses the use of clopenthixol among other compounds as an anti-protozoal agent.
Kolaczkowski M et al., International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (2003) Vol. 2, No. 3 discloses trans-flupenthixol among a range of compounds as modulators of yeast multidrug resistance.
Kristensen et al., International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (2000) Vol. 14, No. 3 discloses cis- and trans-flupenthixol as HIV-inhibitors.
It is clear that the increase in resistance to anti-infective agents, such as antibiotics, present a major impediment to the treatment of infections. Thus, there is an urgent need for new anti-infective agents. There is also a need for compounds inhibiting and reversing drug resistance and development of drug resistance in infective agents.
The object of the present invention is to provide anti-infective agents capable of killing or inhibiting growth of clinically relevant microorganisms, especially resistant, including multidrug resistant, cells or microorganisms by the administration of clinically relevant amounts of such anti-infective agents to a subject in need thereof.
Further, an object of the present invention was to provide chemosentisising agents capable of, in combination with an additional anti-infective agent, killing or inhibiting growth of clinically relevant microorganisms, especially resistant, including multidrug resistant, cells or microorganisms by the administration of clinically relevant amounts of such anti-infective agents to a subject in need thereof.

Thioxanthene derivatives for the treatment of infectious diseases


In one aspect, a method is provided for controlling access to a facility including a movable barrier and a plurality of loading docks. The method includes receiving, from a user device associated with a vehicle, a check-in communication that includes a check-in identifier. The method includes receiving a verification communication that verifies a presence of the vehicle relative to a sensor associated with the movable barrier. The method further includes causing a movable barrier operator associated with the movable barrier to move the movable barrier between closed and open positions in response to the check-in identifier indicating authorization to access the facility and in response to receiving the verification communication. Further, the method includes selecting a particular loading dock from the plurality of loading docks and communicating a loading dock identification representative of the particular loading dock to the user device to direct the vehicle to the particular loading dock.

Movable barrier operators of various kinds are used to control the opening and closing of gates, doors, and other barriers that permit access to secured premises and/or enclosed spaces. Example movable barrier operators include gate operators, rolling shutter operators, garage door operators, and the like.
Commercial and industrial facilities may have a fence or wall around the facility and one or more gates or other barriers for controlling access to the facility. Examples of such facilities include warehouses, factories, logistic centers, and assembly plants. Typically, when a vehicle such as a semi-trailer truck arrives at such a facility, the vehicle operator must "check in" at a gate before the vehicle is permitted to enter the facility. If the vehicle is authorized, an employee at the gate will open the gate. This check-in process may be time consuming, resulting in increased vehicle idle time at the perimeter of the facility. Increased idle time reduces the efficiency of both the vehicle operator and the facility.
Upon check-in, a vehicle may be directed by the employee at the gate to a loading dock to load or unload freight. In some instances, the loading or unloading of freight may be delayed upon arrival of the vehicle at the loading dock. Such a delay may occur, for example, when facility personnel are not available at the loading dock at the time the vehicle arrives at the loading dock. Thus, conventional approaches for logistics at a facility may result in idle time of vehicles at the gate of the facility as well as detention time and/or dwell time within the facility. As can be appreciated, facility inefficiencies such as the foregoing-mentioned idle time, detention time and dwell time may result in lost time to carriers (or vehicle drivers/operators) and additional cost to shippers or receivers.
Another problem with conventional approaches is that there is often no way for a trucking company to independently confirm the time a truck has arrived or departed from a facility. The employee of the facility such as a spotter or a guard at the entry/exit gate may keep a paper record of the trucks entering and exiting the facility, but the paper record may be lost or tampered with. A related problem encountered by trucking companies is that the contents of trailers are often tracked using paper bills of lading, which create delays and difficulties in reconciliation including freight tracking and billing.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be employed for particular applications or implementations.

System and method for controlling movable barrier operation at a secured premises


In a method of operating an electric motor which drives an auxiliary oil pump for supplying a hydraulic pressure of an ATF to a transmission, only at an idle stop of an engine via a rotation shaft pivotally supported by ball bearings, the electric motor is rotated at a very low speed or in an intermittent manner when an automobile is traveling and the auxiliary oil pump is not used. According to the configuration, the electric motor is slightly rotated during when the automobile is traveling, whereby impressions are prevented from being formed on the ball bearings.

The present invention relates to a method of operating a vehicle electric motor for driving vehicle-mounted driven equipment such as an auxiliary oil pump which supplies a hydraulic pressure of an ATF to a transmission at, for example, an idle stop of an engine, in order to protect a rolling bearing which pivotally supports a rotation shaft of the electric motor.
In an automobile having an AT (Automatic Transmission), as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation of an engine 1 which is an internal combustion engine is usually changed in speed by a transmission 3 via a torque converter 2, and transmitted to driving wheels which are not shown. The transmission 3 uses an ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) as a hydraulic pressure for speed change, and lubrication. The ATF is circulatively supplied from a drain 5 to the transmission 3 by a main oil pump 4 which operates with using the rotation of the engine 1 as a driving force. Although illustration is omitted, also the torque converter 2 receives a supply of the ATF as a power transmission medium fluid from the main oil pump 4. In the figure, I1 indicates various kinds of drive information, and P1 indicates a driving power source at an idle stop.
Among such automobiles, there is an automobile which is equipped with an idle stop function of, in idling operation of the engine 1, stopping the engine 1 by an idle stop controller 6, thereby intending to improve the fuel efficiency and conserve the environment. The idle stop controller 6 controls the engine 1 on the basis of various kinds of drive information such as the travel speed of the automobile, the position of a select lever, and an operation on a pedal. At stopping of the automobile due to a stoplight, a traffic jam, or the like, such as the case where a brake pedal is depressed and the automobile is stopped while being gradually decelerated, the engine 1 is stopped.
When it is predicted that traveling is again started, such as the case where the foot gets off the brake pedal, the engine 1 is restarted. When it is predicted that traveling is immediately restarted, such as the case where the automobile is suddenly stopped, or when the burden of restart of the engine 1 is large, such as the case where the temperature of the engine 1 is low, or the remaining battery capacity is small, the engine 1 is not stopped.
When the engine 1 is stopped by the idle stop function during stopping of the automobile, however, the main oil pump 4 is caused not to operate, and the supply of the ATF to the transmission 3 and the like is cut off so that the hydraulic pressure is lowered. In a situation such as that an acceleration pedal is depressed down immediately after the engine 1 is restarted, even when the supply of the ATF is restarted by the main oil pump 4, the hydraulic pressure is not instantly restored. Consequently, there is a case where smooth restart of traveling is disabled because, for example, the engine 1 once enters the idling state and the automobile is then suddenly started by the restored hydraulic pressure.
In order to comply with this, conventionally, the supply of the ATF is performed also by an auxiliary oil pump 8 driven by an electric motor 7, in addition to the main oil pump 4, so that, when the engine 1 is stopped by the idle stop function, the hydraulic pressure can be maintained by the auxiliary oil pump 8. Namely, when the engine 1 is stopped by the idle stop function, the idle stop controller 6 supplies the driving power source to the electric motor 7 to cause the auxiliary oil pump 8 to operate, during a period when the engine 1 is stopped.
Various configurations in which the electric motor 7 and the auxiliary oil pump 8 are integrated with each other to facilitate installing of them into an automobile have been proposed (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. HEI9-32738).
The applicant has already proposed an electric pump in which, as shown in FIG. 4, the electric motor 7 and the auxiliary oil pump 8 are integrated with each other, and a rotation shaft 9 that is shared by the electric motor 7 and the auxiliary oil pump 8 is pivotally supported at the both ends by ball bearings 10, 11 (see Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-23524 "Electric internal gear pump"). In the electric motor 7 of the electric pump, permanent magnets 7a are placed in the rotor, and coils 7c are wound around a core 7b of the stator. The motor is used as a sensorless motor. As the auxiliary oil pump 8, a trochoid pump is used in which an inner rotor 8b having an external gear meshes with the inner peripheral side of an outer rotor 8a having an internal gear, and the rotors 8a, 8b are placed eccentrically and rotatably.
In the case where the above-described electric pump is used as the electric motor 7 and auxiliary oil pump 8 having the idle stop function shown in FIG. 3, only when the automobile is stopped, the electric motor 7 is rotated by the idle stop controller 6, and, during traveling of the automobile, the electric motor 7 is always stopped.
In the ball bearings 10, 11 which pivotally support the rotation shaft 9 of the electric motor 7 and the auxiliary oil pump 8, during a period when the rotation shaft 9 is stopped, however, plural balls 10a, 11a which are rolling elements are stopped on raceway surfaces of outer rings 10b, 11b and inner rings 10c, 11c. When, in this state, repeatedly subjected to vibrations due to traveling of the automobile, the balls 10a, 11a repeatedly collide against the same places of the raceway surfaces, so that impressions are easily formed. In the rotor of the electric motor 7, particularly, the shaft diameter is often increased in order to obtain a larger torque. Since the permanent magnets 7a shown in FIG. 3, and the like are placed, the rotation shaft 9 has a relatively heavy weight. Therefore, impacts which are produced when the balls 10a, 11a receiving vibrations collide against the raceway surfaces are large.
In the case where the rotation shaft 9 of the electric motor 7 used for the idle stop function is pivotally supported by the ball bearings 10, 11, consequently, there is conventionally a problem in that impressions are easily formed on the outer rings 10b, 11b and inner rings 10c, 11c of the ball bearings 10, 11, and the life periods of the bearings are shortened.
The problem is not restricted in the electric pump in which the electric motor 7 and the auxiliary oil pump 8 are integrated with each other, and occurs similarly in the case where the single electric motor 7 is used. The problem is not restricted in the ball bearings 10, 11, and occurs similarly in the case where rolling bearings including various roller bearings are used. Furthermore, the problem is not restricted in the electric motor 7 used for the idle stop function, and occurs commonly in an electric motor for driving driven equipment which is sometimes in no use for a long term during when a vehicle travels.
It is an object of the invention to solve the problem in that, when an electric motor is not rotated for a long term during when a vehicle travels, the life period of a rolling bearing which pivotally supports the rotation shaft of the electric motor is shortened.

Method of operating a vehicle electric motor