In one aspect, a method of inducing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from a region of an object to be imaged is provided. The method comprises applying to the region a preparation sequence configured to substantially establish a zero flip-angle pseudo steady state (PSS) for the region, applying to the region a transitioning sequence configured to transition the zero flip-angle PSS to a higher target flip-angle PSS, and applying a radio frequency (RF) pulse sequence configured to cause the region to emit detectable NMR signals.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique used frequently in medical settings to produce images of the inside of the human body. MRI is based on detecting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals, which are electromagnetic waves emitted by atomic nuclei in response to state changes resulting from applied electromagnetic fields. In particular, magnetic resonance (MR) techniques involve detecting NMR signals produced upon the re-alignment or relaxation of the nuclear spin of atoms in the tissue of the human body. MR techniques may be used to image and study the properties of tissue in a variety of regions of the human body, for example, for detection and/or diagnosis of tissue anomalies, study of blood flow, etc.
During an MRI procedure, NMR signals emitted from a volume of interest or from a slice (i.e., a relatively thin region) of the volume of interest are detected. The detected NMR signals may then be reconstructed to form a two-dimensional (2D) image of the slice. A 2D image is comprised of pixels, each pixel having an intensity (e.g., a magnitude or value) that is proportional to the strength of the NMR signal emitted by a corresponding location in the volume of interest. A plurality of such 2D images reconstructed from NMR signal data obtained from successive slices may be stacked together to form a three-dimensional (3D) image. A 3D image is composed of voxels, each voxel having an intensity proportional to the strength of the NMR signal emitted from a corresponding portion of the volume of interest.
As discussed above, MRI exploits the NMR phenomenon to distinguish various tissue characteristics. In particular, MRI operates by manipulating the spin characteristics of tissue, and more specifically, spin characteristics of hydrogen atoms (e.g., in water molecules) which compose a significant proportion of the human body, including both blood, tissue and fat. MRI techniques include aligning the spins of hydrogen nuclei with an axial magnetic field B0, and then perturbing the magnetic field in a targeted region with one or more radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields B1.
The NMR phenomenon results from exciting hydrogen nuclei by generating RF signals B1 at the Larmor frequency and applying them to a region of interest. The Larmor frequency is related to the rate at which nuclear spins precess about an axis at which the spins are aligned, which rate is, in turn, proportional to the strength of the axial magnetic field B0. When applied, the RF magnetic field B1 causes the nuclear spins to change orientation, and causes some nuclei to achieve a higher energy state.
When the RF signal B1 subsides, the nuclear spins realign with the axial magnetic field B0. Those nuclei that achieved the higher energy state upon excitation, return to the lower energy state by releasing electromagnetic energy. The released electromagnetic energy may be detected as NMR signals and used to form one or more images representative of the tissue type in the region of interest. The NMR signals may be detected using one or more RF coils sensitive to electromagnetic changes caused by the NMR signals, as discussed in further detail below.
The NMR phenomenon may be invoked in a number of ways. Conventional methods include applying the magnetic field B1 in a pulse sequence, referred to herein as an RF pulse sequence. One pulse sequence, commonly referred to as a spin-echo pulse sequence, includes applying an RF excitation signal (also known as an excitation pulse), followed by one or more RF refocusing signals (also known as refocusing pulses) to create a spin-echo, as described in connection with FIGS. 1A and 1B, which illustrates the magnetic field geometry in a coordinate frame 100.
With reference to the illustrated coordinate frame 100, the magnetic field B0 may be applied in substantial alignment with the z-axis. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, applying the magnetic field B0 along the z-axis will cause spins to align in one of two configurations: 1) a low energy configuration in which spins align in the −Z direction; and 2) a high energy configuration in which spins align in the +Z direction. The spin property of atomic nuclei can be viewed as a magnetic moment. When aligned in the +Z direction, the magnetic moment vector is similarly aligned in the +Z direction. Likewise, spins aligned in the −Z direction have a magnetic moment vector aligned in the −Z direction.
When a region of interest is placed in magnetic field B0, more spins will align in the +Z direction than in the −Z direction (i.e., more spins will orient themselves according to the high energy configuration). As a result, the region of interest will have a net magnetization vector M oriented in the Z direction. That is, the net magnetization vector M will have a relatively large Mz component, and substantially zero Mx and My components. The magnitude of the Mz component will depend, at least in part, on the strength of magnetic field B0. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 1A is referred to as the equilibrium state.
When an appropriate RF pulse is applied at 90° to the z-axis (e.g., applied substantially parallel to the XY plane, as illustrated by magnetic field B1 in FIG. 1B), spins may be perturbed from their equilibrium state in alignment with the axial magnetic field B0 such that the net magnetization vector M is rotated into the XY plane. FIG. 1B illustrates the magnetic field geometry after a 90° excitation pulse has been applied, and the spins have been rotated 90° from their alignment with the axial magnetic field B0 (Z-axis) to be aligned with the Y-axis. As shown, the component Mz goes substantially to zero, and the Mxy component (referred to as the transverse component) becomes relatively large.
With the net magnetization vector aligned in the XY plane (referred to as the transverse plane), the spins will precess about the Z-axis at the Larmor frequency. That is, the net magnetization vector will rotate about the Z-axis as illustrated by arrow 121 in FIG. 1B. After the RF pulse subsides and is no longer influencing the region of interest, the spins begin to re-align with magnetic field B0, returning to the equilibrium state along the z-axis. The time constant governing how the net magnetization vector returns to equilibrium is referred to as the spin relaxation time (T1). That is, T1 describes the rate at which the net magnetization vector regains its equilibrium component in the direction of magnetic field (e.g., the rate at which the Mz component of the net magnetization is recovered).
As discussed above, the application of the 90° RF pulse causes the net magnetization vector to rotate to the XY plane. As a result, the net magnetization vector obtains a substantial component Mxy. As the net magnetization vector precesses about the z-axis, the spins begin to dephase at different locations within the excited region. There are a number of reasons for the dephasing. First, atomic nuclei are influenced by slightly different magnetic field strengths (e.g., as a result of inhomogeneities in the applied magnetic fields), resulting in the various spins precessing at slightly different Larmor frequencies. In addition, the chemical environment may cause spins to precess at different rates, and magnetic field gradients used to localize NMR effects may also contribute to spin dephasing. As a result of dephasing, the component of the net magnetization vector in the XY plane (i.e., Mxy) decays to zero or substantially zero. The time constant governing the decay of Mxy is referred to as the transverse relaxation or spin-spin relaxation time (T2). T2 depends at least upon various molecular interactions and generally microscopic inhomogeneities in the applied magnetic fields.
Following the 90° excitation pulse, a 180° RF pulse (referred to as a refocusing pulse) may be applied to cause the phases to regain coherence, recovering the transverse magnetization (e.g., recovering Mxy). The recovery of the transverse magnetization subsequently produces an NMR signal referred to as a spin-echo. The spin-echo may be detected to characterize the subject matter of the region of interest (e.g., to ascertain the hydrogen concentration characteristic of particular tissues in the body). It should be appreciated that spin lattice and spin-spin relaxation occurs simultaneously. That is, spin dephasing occurs simultaneously with realignment of the net magnetization vector with the z-axis, though at different rates. In particular, T2 can be no larger and is typically substantially smaller than T1.
Spin-echo pulse sequences typically include applying a 90° RF pulse followed by one or more 180° RF pulses as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In particular, one conventional spin-echo pulse sequence is illustrated in FIG. 2A, wherein a 90° RF excitation pulse is configured to rotate the net magnetization vector M into the XY plane, where the spins begin to dephase causing the transverse magnetization Mxy to decay. After some interval, a 180° RF refocusing pulse may be applied to align the spin phases. As result of the refocusing pulse, a spin-echo S is generated which can be detected by RF coils (e.g., the RF coils configured to deliver the RF pulse sequences). At some later point related to T1, the magnetization vector recovers the equilibrium state and the process (e.g., an excitation pulse, followed by a refocusing pulse) may be repeated to obtain sufficient NMR data to characterize a region being imaged.
One variant on the spin-echo pulse sequence is referred to as the fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence. FSE exploits the fact that T2 is typically substantially smaller than T1. Accordingly, a plurality of refocusing pulses may be applied between successive applications of excitation pulses, as illustrated in FIG. 2B. In particular, the FSE pulse sequence may include an initial RF excitation signal (e.g., a 90° pulse) followed by a series of RF refocusing signals (e.g., a series of 180° pulse). As a result, multiple spin-echoes may be detected for each excitation pulse, increasing the speed of image acquisition.

Echo train preparation for fast spin-echo acquisition

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.


A mounting land structure and a mounting structure include land patterns to be bonded to outer electrodes of a laminated ceramic capacitor. Each of the land patterns includes a first conductor pattern and a second conductor pattern separated from each other in a width direction and a third conductor pattern connecting the first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern. The first conductor pattern and the second conductor pattern include respective portions to be bonded to first ridgeline portions of the laminated ceramic capacitor provided with the outer electrodes. The third conductor pattern is arranged at a position overlapping the corresponding outer electrode as viewed in a height direction, when the laminated ceramic capacitor is mounted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting land structure and a mounting structure that mounts a laminated capacitor including inner electrodes and dielectric layers that are alternately laminated.
2. Description of the Related Art
A chip component, particularly a laminated ceramic capacitor, is often used in a mobile terminal device, such as a cellular phone, and a variety of electronic apparatuses, such as a personal computer. The laminated ceramic capacitor is configured to include a substantially rectangular component body including inner electrodes and dielectric ceramics that are alternately laminated and outer electrodes provided on mutually facing opposite ends of the component body.
The outer electrodes are directly mounted on mounting lands of a circuit substrate of an electronic apparatus, and the mounting lands and the outer electrodes are bonded together by a bonding agent, such as solder. Thereby, the laminated ceramic capacitor is electrically and physically connected to the circuit substrate.
When an alternating-current voltage or a direct-current voltage superimposed with an alternating-current component is applied to such a laminated ceramic capacitor, vibration due to a mechanical strain is generated in the laminated ceramic capacitor by the piezoelectric effect and the electrostrictive effect of the dielectric ceramics. The vibration of the laminated ceramic capacitor is transmitted to the circuit substrate, and the circuit substrate vibrates. The vibration of the circuit substrate may produce vibration sound (hereinafter referred to as acoustic noise) that is audible to the human ear.
As a configuration to address this issue, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-55752, for example, indicates that a laminated ceramic capacitor is mounted on a substrate with the planes of inner electrodes oriented substantially perpendicular to a mounting surface of the substrate, to thereby prevent the substrate from directly receiving vibration of the laminated ceramic capacitor caused by repeated expansion and contraction of dielectric ceramics in the thickness direction thereof (lamination direction of the inner electrodes) due to the application of a voltage and, thus, reduce the acoustic noise.
However, the laminated capacitor vibrates not only in the lamination direction of the inner electrodes but also in the planar direction of the inner electrodes. In some cases, therefore, the configuration according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-55752 fails to suppress the acoustic noise depending on the circuit substrate. The inventors of the present invention have discovered that the acoustic noise changes depending on the position of the outer electrodes bonded to the circuit substrate.

Mounting land structure and mounting structure for laminated capacitor


A lens for a light emitting diode (LED) lamp is formed as two ellipses rather than as one. The ellipses are axially symmetric and are translated away from the optical axis with each ellipse having a focus located on the LED chip away from the central bond pad so that the bond pad shadow does not decrease on-axis light intensity. In alternative embodiments, the depression located at the intersection of the two ellipses is flattened and the axes of the two ellipses are translated away from the optical axis and are also tilted.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have typically been used in low power devices such as displays and annunciators. More recently, higher power LED chips have made possible LED illumination lamps which have begun to replace incandescent bulbs in applications such as automobile stop lights. In many low and high power applications the on-axis intensity of the LED must be maximized in order to maximize the perceived brightness of the LED.
Commonly available LED lamps, such as the Hewlett-Packard Company model HLMP-D101 lamp shown schematically in FIG. 1, use an axially centered radius dome lens to image the top surface of the LED chip onto a viewing plane. Since electrical power is provided through a wire bonded to the top surface of the chip, the lens also images the shadow cast by the bond pad. Unfortunately, this shadow falls directly on the longitudinal axis of the LED lamp and the on-axis light intensity is minimized as shown in FIG. 2A. A viewer looking at the LED lamp along the longitudinal axis would see a central dark spot surrounded by a ring of light as shown in FIG. 2B.
In accordance with an illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multiply conic lens is used to maximize the on-axis light intensity of the LED lamp by overcoming the effect of the bond pad shadow. In cross-section, the lens appears as two rotationally symmetric conic sections rather than as the single ellipse used in the prior art. For optimal illumination, ellipses may be used as the conic sections. In this case, the axes of the two ellipses are parallel to the longitudinal (or optical) axis and each ellipse has a focus located on the top surface of the LED chip. Unlike the centered single ellipse used in prior art lenses, the axes of the two ellipses are each translated away from the optical axis which intersects bond pad centered on the chip. The two ellipses of the lens create overlapping images of the chip top surface which combine to maximize the on-axis light intensity of the LED lamp.
In another illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, the center depression in the lens formed by the intersection of the two ellipses is flattened. This flattening greatly improves manufacturability of the lens and has only a small effect on the on-axis light intensity of the LED lamp.
In yet another illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axes of the two ellipses (which are each translated away from the optical axis) are tilted either inward or outward in order to modify or tailor the light intensity profile of the LED lamp.

Light source having a multiply conic lens


Some embodiments of the invention include a delay locked loop having a delay line for delaying an input signal. The input signal is generated from a first signal. A delay controller controls the delay line to adjust the timing relationship between the first signal and an internal signal. The delay locked loop also includes cycle control circuitry for controlling the cycle time of the signal entering the delay line and the cycle time of the signal exiting the delay line.

Delay locked loops (DLL) reside in many integrated circuits for delaying an external signal to obtain an internal signal. The internal signal usually serves as a reference signal for the integrated circuits instead of the external signal because the internal signal matches internal operating conditions of the integrated circuits, such as process, voltage, and temperature, better than the external signal does.
A typical DLL has number of delay elements, forming a delay line. The external signal propagates through a certain number of activated delay elements in the delay line to become the internal signal. The activated delay elements toggle (switch) in every cycle of the external signal. Each delay element consumes power when it toggles. The power consumption is proportional to the number of toggles. In some cases, improving the power consumed by the DLL is necessary.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor memory device capable of controlling clock cycle time for reduced power consumption


Disclosed are a drive integrated circuit (IC) capable of being applied to all of a chip on film (COF) type and a chip on glass (COG) type and a display device including the drive IC. The drive IC includes an input pad part including a plurality of input bumps and an output pad part including a plurality of first diode parts, a plurality of second diode parts, and a plurality of output bumps. At least two of the plurality of output bumps overlap the plurality of first diode parts and the plurality of second diode parts, and a first output bump of the at least two output bumps is connected to at least one of the plurality of first diode parts and at least one of the plurality of second diode parts.

With the advancement of information-oriented society, various requirements for display devices for displaying an image are increasing. Therefore, various display devices such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices and light emitting display devices are being practically used. Examples of light emitting display devices include organic light emitting display devices, which use an organic light emitting device as a light emitting device, and micro light emitting display devices which use a micro light emitting diode as a light emitting device.
Display devices each include a display panel which includes a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines, and a plurality of pixels connected to the data lines and the gate lines, a gate driver which supplies gate signals to the gate lines, a data driver which supplies data voltages to the data lines, and a timing controller which controls an operation timing of each of the gate driver and the data driver. The data driver includes at least one source drive IC.
The source drive IC is connected to the data lines, for supplying the data voltages to the data lines of the display panel. In this case, the source drive IC may be connected to the data lines as a chip on film (COF) type or a chip on glass (COG) type.
In detail, in the COF type, the source drive IC is attached on a flexible film (or a tape carrier package) by using an anisotropy conductive film. Subsequently, the flexible film with the source drive IC attached thereon is attached on a plurality of pads which are provided on a substrate of the display panel and are connected to the data lines. On the other hand, in the COG type, the source drive IC is directly attached on the pads provided on the substrate of the display panel.
In addition to the lines connected to the source drive IC, another line may be provided on the substrate of the display panel. For example, as in FIG. 1, a power line passing through a third side S3 and a fourth side S4 of a source drive IC SIC may be provided. In FIG. 1, a plan view of the source drive IC SIC is illustrated. In FIG. 1, it is illustrated that a first side S1 and a second side S2 of the source drive IC SIC are sides facing each other in a first direction (an X-axis direction) and the third side S3 and the fourth side S4 are sides facing each other in a second direction (a Y-axis direction) intersecting the first direction (the X-axis direction). When the source drive IC SIC is attached as the COG type, input bumps of the source drive IC SIC may be disposed in only the first side S1 and output bumps thereof may be disposed in only the second side S2 as in FIG. 1, for preventing interference between lines connected to the source drive IC SIC and the power line.
Moreover, bumps of the source drive IC SIC attached as the COF type are connected to leads of the flexible film, and bumps of the source drive IC SIC attached as the COG type are connected to the pads provided on the substrate. In this case, a pitch of each of the leads of the flexible film is greater than that of each of the pads of the substrate, and thus, a pitch of each of the bumps of the source drive IC SIC attached as the COF type is greater than that of each of the bumps of the source drive IC SIC attached as the COG type. Therefore, when the source drive IC SIC is attached as the COF type, a length of the source drive IC SIC in the first direction (the X-axis direction) should extend in order for the output bumps of the source drive IC SIC to be disposed in only the second side S2. However, in a case where the output bumps of the source drive IC SIC are disposed in a portion of the first side S1, the third side S3, and the fourth side S4 as well as the second side S2, all of the output bumps may be disposed without extending the length of the source drive IC SIC in the first direction (the X-axis direction).
As described above, when the source drive IC SIC is attached as the COG type, the bumps of the source drive IC SIC are provided in only the first side S1 and the second side S2, for preventing interference between a line connected to the source drive IC SIC and another line (for example, the power line) provided on the substrate. On the other hand, when the source drive IC SIC is attached as the COF type, the bumps of the source drive IC SIC are provided in all of the first side S1, the second side S2, the third side S3, and the fourth side S4 due to an interval between adjacent bumps of the source drive IC SIC. In FIG. 1, it is illustrated that the first side S1, the second side S2, the third side S3, and the fourth side S4 of the source drive IC SIC are an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the source drive IC SIC, respectively.
Moreover, the pitch of each bump of the source drive IC SIC attached as the COF type differs from that of each bump of the source drive IC SIC attached as the COG type. That is, a disposed position and a pitch of each bump of the source drive IC SIC are changed based on the COF type and the COG type. Therefore, the source drive IC SIC should be differently designed based on the COF type and the COG type.
The gate driver may include at least one gate drive IC, and in this case, the gate drive IC may have a problem similar to that of the source drive IC.

Drive integrated circuit and display device including the same


The present disclosure provides a method of forming a photomask layout. In one example, the method comprises selecting a pattern feature on the photomask layout, defining a global area centered at the pattern feature on the photomask layout, calculating a pattern density inside the global area, and correcting the pattern feature based on the pattern density and patterning process data.

In semiconductor technologies, a material layer is etched to from a plurality of pattern features by a lithography process. Dimensional and geometrical variations of the pattern features can be introduced during an etching process. For example, a global etching loading effect during an etching process to form a pattern in a semiconductor wafer may result in critical dimension (CD) variation associated with a global etching pattern density.

Mask CD correction based on global pattern density

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Image curation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, one or more modules are launched for execution on a computing device. Responsive to the launch, criteria are generated automatically and without user intervention through execution of the one or more modules by a computing device. Images are curated using the generated criteria automatically and without user intervention through execution of the one or more modules, the curated images identified from a plurality of different image sources that are associated with a user. The curated images are caused to be displayed by a display device of the computing device automatically and without user intervention through execution of the one or more modules.

The amount of images with which a user captures and interacts with in everyday life is ever increasing. For example, with the addition of camera functionality to a mobile phone, a user may readily capture a multitude of images, e.g., still images and videos. Additionally, the user may receive images from a variety of other users that were captured on their mobile phones.
These images may be shared using a variety of different services, including email, photo sharing sites, social networks, and so on. Consequently, even a typical user may have a large quantity of images spread out amongst a variety of different sources, which may make it difficult for a user to locate particular images of interest.


A magnetic fluid treatment apparatus is embedded within or mounted adjacent an air and fuel mixing or injecting device for internal combustion engines. The apparatus includes a plurality of magnets arranged to produce a strong, focused magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of flow of the air and fuel mixture within the fuel mixing chamber. The magnets are positioned downstream from the discharge nozzle from the main jet of the fuel mixing chamber or injecting device at a point where the velocity of the air and fuel mixture is at or near its maximum, thus providing optimal utilization of the magnetic fields generated by the magnets. The magnets may be embedded in a carburetor wall with a north polarity end of a first magnet oriented toward and in close proximity to a south polarity end of a second magnet. The magnets may also be positioned adjacent the external surface of the carburetor wall with a north polarity end of a first magnet oriented toward and in close proximity to a north polarity end of a second magnet. A method of magnetic treatment of fluids and gaseous fuel mixtures within internal combustion engines is also disclosed.

Magnetic apparatuses have been used for many years for the treatment of fluids, and in particular, for treating water, gasoline, or other fuel mixtures in both the liquid and gaseous state. The mechanism of operation of the magnetic apparatuses is based on a Lorentz Force, which is a resultant of the interaction of the magnetic field(s) of appropriately located magnets with moving ionic and atomic charges within a fluid or fluid spray. The magnetic interactions cause positive and negative charges within the moving fluid or fluid spray to alter trajectory, thereby causing collisions of supermolecules, or large molecules, and compounds in the fluid, which break apart these large molecules and compounds. "Supermolecules" are agglomerations of molecules. The resulting smaller molecules and compounds withing the moving fluid or fluid spray provide for improved mixing with air and other gases, and allow more complete combustion of fluid fuel or fluid spray thereof. The primary limitation of the prior apparatuses is the relatively slow movement of the fluid through the magnetic field. This limitation is because the speed of the positive and negative charges within the fluid or fluid spray media is a major contributor in creating the Lorentz Force, and thus, the subsequent breaking apart of the large molecules. A need exists for providing a treatment method and apparatus for air and fuel mixtures for an internal combustion engine to decrease noxious emissions of the engine.

Magnetic fluid treatment apparatus for internal combustion engine and method thereof


Calibrating a battery capacity gage employs a controlled discharge of a backup battery unit. A method of updating a capacity gage includes charging a backup battery unit to a predetermined high charge level. A first amount of energy is discharged from the backup battery unit at a first controlled discharge rate so as to discharge the backup battery unit from the predetermined high charge level to a first low charge level. The backup battery unit is charged back to the predetermined high charge level. A power system controller estimates, based on the first amount of energy and the first controlled discharge rate, a second amount of energy that can be discharged from the backup battery unit at a second controlled discharge rate greater than the first controlled discharge rate. The capacity gage is updated based on the second amount of energy estimated by the power system controller.

Many critical electrically powered systems include one or more backup battery units that provide backup power to the system in the event of a loss of utility power. Backup battery units, however, can degrade over time to a point of not being capable of providing adequate backup power to the system in the event of loss of utility power.


A method and algorithm for semi-active suspension damper control is described. The algorithm controls the damper setting to limit vehicle body movement in terms of body modal velocities of heave, roll and pitch. The main input, body movement, is measured with accelerometers. The control output comprises a request in percent of damper control range. Vehicle speed-dependent minimum and maximum limits are applied. The method includes monitoring vehicle speed and a modal sensing system. A common damping rate for the dampers is determined based upon parameters for speed, heave, pitch, and roll. Each damper is controlled based upon the common damping rate adjusted based upon a location of each of the controllable suspension dampers. The output comprises a single signal, translated to a front and rear setting. The purpose is to always have a balanced setting of the four dampers.

Current systems for controlling active vehicle suspensions require many sensors, including, e.g. accelerometers. A typical system includes a standard sensor layout requiring as many as five accelerometers, including three on the car body to measure heave, pitch and roll, and one at each of the front wheels. Another area of concern for current systems which provide damping by controlling damping force is that when force requests are not correlated to damper velocities, the control force is often unattainable. The result may be that a requested damping force is only realized on one or some of the dampers. The damping force request is translated through a lookup table into a control electrical current using an estimated damper velocity and the requested force. Special functions are needed to avoid the dampers providing high levels of damping, i.e., hard damping, at low damper velocities for a moderate force request. Furthermore, although the control input is a low frequency (2-3 Hz) the control electrical current to the dampers varies at about 15 Hz, which is a governing frequency for wheel movement. This last effect leads to problems with damping system control valve noise. Therefore there is a need for a damping control system which addresses the above concerns.

Method and apparatus for controlling damping of a vehicle suspension


A RF paging receiver which is tunable to channels to receive pages comprising characters to be displayed with the pages being transmitted in a plurality of licensed frequency bands with each band containing a plurality of FM channels in which signal strength of pages on received channels in the bands varies as a result of variable antenna gain with programming of channels being accomplished by channel programming commands in accordance with the invention includes a tunable antenna (12, 14) having a reception bandwidth spanning the frequency bands with the antenna being tunable in response to an antenna tuning signal to achieve maximum antenna gain for a received channel in any one of the plurality of licensed frequency bands; a RF tuner (16), coupled to the tunable antenna, for receiving individual channels from the bands in response to varying a receiver tuning signal specifying reception of one of the channels within the plurality of frequency bands, the RF tuner comprising a plurality of RF amplifiers (102, 104 and 106) with each RF amplifier for amplifying channels from at least one different licensed frequency band, each RF amplifier having an operating bandwidth which is narrower in frequency than the frequency band of channels applied to the RF amplifier and which is shiftable to center the operating bandwidth within the frequency band of channels amplified by the RF amplifier on the specified channel; an IF signal processor (34), coupled to the RF tuner, for producing an intermediate frequency signal, for producing the antenna tuning signal which is a function of the level of the intermediate signal during operation of the RF tuner to dynamically tune the antenna to achieve maximum antenna gain in response to variation in the gain of the antenna in receiving a channel from any one of the channels within the frequency bands and for providing the RF amplifier tuning signal which is a function of the level of the intermediate frequency signal and the receiver tuning signal; a display (64') for displaying characters contained within a page; and a controller (24), coupled to the intermediate frequency signal, and responsive to channel programming commands, for decoding a change in at least one channel contained within a channel programming command and controlling generation of the receiver tuning signal applied to the RF tuner specifying reception of one channel specified by a received channel programming command from one of the frequency bands to cause reception of the specified channel and display of characters in pages received on the channel on the display.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 110,514, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,830 discloses a paging receiver with a continuously tunable antenna having programmable channels for receiving pages from 10,600 channels contained in the VHF and UHF bands (149-162, 278-290 and 449-462 MHz) used for in approximately 98% of the licensed paging channels in use today in the world. The tuned antenna disclosed in the aforementioned patent application is required to have a wide bandwidth to permit the reception of channels within the aforementioned plural frequency bands. The channels which are received by the paging receiver disclosed in the aforementioned application are dynamically programmable by a channel programming command which permits the channel(s) being received to be changed to accommodate varying paging traffic on channels used by a local paging service as well as to accommodate transporting of the paging receiver to remote areas out of broadcast range of the transmitter of the local paging service providing paging service to receive pages on another channel(s) which are relayed to the remote area by a long distance paging network. Existing long distance commercial paging networks to date rely upon paging receivers being programmed to receive a single channel or to sequentially scan a group of closely spaced channels in a single frequency band.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of paging receiver 10 as disclosed in Ser. No. 110,514. Actual circuits for implementing the various functions of the block diagram of FIG. 1 are set forth in FIGS. 7-20 of Ser. No. 110,514. Additionally, the main control program for the main CPU 24 is set forth in the Appendix contained within Ser. No. 110,514.
An internal antenna 12 functions to receive a total of 10,600 possible programmable channels from the three discrete frequency bands referred to above. The channels are programmed by a channel programming command disclosed in Ser. No. 110,514. Because of the large number of possible channels which may be received in the distinct three frequency bands, the antenna 12 has a broad band reception characteristic. In the paging receiver, the antenna 12 is designed to the extent possible to be resonant in all of the three frequency bands from which it is designed to receive channels. In other words, an optimum impedance match is desired.
The gain of the antenna 12 is subject to substantial variation as a consequence of interaction of the antenna with the person on which the paging receiver is typically located and as a consequence of interaction of the antenna with the physical surroundings of the paging receiver. The person's body on which a paging receiver is located, physical surroundings and electrical interference caused by the main CPU 24 and VCO 30 described below can substantially degrade the gain of the received page applied by the antenna 12 to antenna circuit 14. The antenna circuit 14 is a tuner containing variable capacitance diodes to which is applied an ANTENNA TUNING SIGNAL to maximize the gain of the antenna 12 for the particular channel that RF tuner 16 is tuned to receive. The antenna circuit 14 is tuned by the ANTENNA TUNING SIGNAL which functions to tune the antenna 12 to achieve maximum gain in a manner described below in detail. The RF tuner 16 is comprised of three separate radio frequency amplifiers and mixers 18, 20 and 22 which respectively receive UHF 149-162 and 278-190 MHz channels and 449-462 MHz VHF channels. The main CPU 24 controls the activation of a power controller 26 which selectively activates one of the amplifier and mixer circuits 18, 20 and 22 depending upon in which of the frequency bands a page is being received. The digital RECEIVER TUNING SIGNAL outputted by the main CPU 24 specifies one of the 10,600 possible channels to be received which are stored in ROM 58 as discussed below. The RECEIVER TUNING SIGNAL is applied to phase lock loop 28 which frequency locks the voltage controlled oscillator 30 on the particular channel specified by the RECEIVER TUNING SIGNAL. When a particular channel is to be received by the RF tuner 16, the main CPU 24 digitally commands the power controller 26 to activate a particular one of the amplifier and mixer circuits 18, 20 and 22 which is to receive the channel to be received. By deactivating the remaining two amplifier mixer circuits power is conserved over that which would be consumed if all three amplifiers and mixer circuits 18, 20 and 22 were simultaneously activated which is important in a battery operated paging receiver. The voltage controlled oscillator 30 produces an output frequency which is mixed with the signal being received by one of the amplifier and mixers 18, 20 and 22 to produce a 21.4 MHz output signal. The 21.4 MHz output signal is filtered by a 21.4 MHz filter 32. The output of the 21.4 MHz filter 32 is applied to an IF processing signal circuit 34 to produce the IF signal of 450 kHz. The output signal from the mixer oscillator 36 is applied to an IF amplifier 38 which amplifies the IF signal to a level sufficient for discrimination by FM discriminator circuit 40. A RSSI circuit (received signal strength indicator) 42 produces an output signal having a magnitude directly proportional to the level of the output signal from the discriminator 40. The RSSI signal outputted by the RSSI circuit 42 is applied to an antenna controller circuit 44. The antenna controller circuit 44 contains an analog-to-digital converter 46 which converts the analog RSSI signal into digital format suitable for processing by a dedicated ASIC microprocessor. The ASIC microprocessor executes a program contained in a ROM in the ASIC circuit. The ASIC microprocessor functions to produce a wobble signal which is outputted as a variable digital value which is applied to digital-to-analog converter 48 to produce the ANTENNA TUNING SIGNAL having a variable analog value which causes the antenna circuit 14 to be tuned variably through a frequency band for the purpose of continually locking on the point of maximum gain as a channel is being received. The variation in signal amplitude caused by the wobbling of the tuned frequency of the antenna circuit 14 is detected by the RSSI circuit 42 so that the antenna controller circuit 44 continually outputs an ANTENNA TUNING SIGNAL which tunes the antenna circuit to achieve maximum gain for the antenna 12. The ANTENNA TUNING SIGNAL compensates for environmental factors which change the gain of the antenna 12 during reception such as variable inductance and capacitance caused by a person's body and the physical surroundings as well as compensating for electrical interference caused by the CPU 24 and VCO 30. The discriminator circuit 40 outputs either no signal (level F) or one of fifteen discrete sinusoidal frequencies each of which encodes a different signal value received from either an analog or digital FM paging receiver transmitter. A buffer amplifier 50 amplifies the sinusoidal output signal from the discriminator circuit 40 to a level to create a square wave having a period equal to the period of the sinusoidal signal outputted by the discriminator 40. The square wave outputted by the buffer amplifier 50 is filtered by low pass filter 52 to attenuate frequencies below 400 hertz. The output of the low pass filter 52 is applied to high pass filter 54 which attenuates channels above 3000 hertz. A tone decoder circuit 56 converts the discrete tones contained within the 400 to 3000 hertz pass band defined by the low pass filter 52 and high pass filter 54 to produce an output level signal indicative of 16 possible levels. The main CPU 24 processes successive coded transmissions of data by combining them into a two-digit decimal number and decoding the two-digit number into alphanumeric characters. Single coded transmissions are used for numeric only characters. The control program for the main CPU 24, is stored in ROM 58. The ROM 58 also stores the possible channels which may be received, which in the preferred embodiment are 10,600, a command structure table used for decoding each of the commands as disclosed in Ser. No. 110,514, as well as the display control for the LCD display 64'. Variable data is stored in RAM 60. The RAM 60 has separate memory sections for storing pages including specific memory sections which are addressable by command, the channels which are programmed to be received by the channel programming command including any destination code for restricting reception of pages or a group of paging receivers to receive a page in a geographical area and the paging receiver identification. The main CPU 24 controls a liquid crystal display driver circuit 62'. The liquid crystal driver circuit 62' drives a liquid crystal display 64'. An external data port 67 is used to relay the output signal from the discriminator 52 to another data processing or storage device when the main CPU 24 executes an external data command. A port 68 is coupled to the main CPU 24 for driving an external printer. A port 69 is provided for establishing necessary communications between the CPU 24 and an external printer. A display switch 70 is used for activating the display 64'. A light switch 71 is used for activating back lighting of the display 64'. The switches 70 and 71 may also be used for inputting data when suitable displays are made on the display 64' by the control program of the main CPU 24. Port 72 is connected to the paging receiver battery (not illustrated) for providing power. Port 73 is provided for activating an audio alarm contained in the paging receiver and port 74 permits connection to an external antenna which may be used when the paging receiver is connected to an external device such as a printer.
The main CPU 24 is responsive to a channel programming command to dynamically tune the RF tuner 16 to discrete channels. Each channel programming command is decoded by the main CPU 24 to output any change in channel contained therein of the 10,600 possible channels stored in ROM 58 for storage in a channel memory section of the random access memory 60.
The continuously tunable antenna of the paging receiver discussed above provides dynamic compensation for variable antenna gain consequent from receiving programmable channels within at least one frequency band. Dynamic compensation for variable antenna gain is especially important in achieving maximum reception range and accurate reception on programmable channels spanning at least one frequency band when the antenna is internal within the case of the paging receiver. As a consequence of an internal antenna having a short length, a person's body carrying the paging receiver and surroundings proximate to the person will often substantially vary the antenna gain. The dynamically tuned antenna of the paging receiver described above satisfactorily compensates for variation in antenna gain in a paging receiver having an internal antenna for receiving pages on channels which are dynamically programmed from multiple frequency bands.
The paging receiver discussed above is subject to degradation in reception performance in metropolitan areas. This degradation is caused by the RF amplifiers 18, 20 and 22 having a broadband reception characteristic spanning the entire bandwidth of each frequency band for amplifying pages received on channels contained within the band. For example, if the paging receiver is tuned to receive a channel on one end of a frequency band by applying an appropriate output signal from VCO 30 to the mixer within the amplifier, the broadband amplification characteristic of the amplifier will amplify received signals contained in other parts of the band which diminishes the overall signal to noise ratio of the signal being inputted into the mixer on the channel being received which contains the page. This diminishing of the signal to noise ratio can severely degrade the ability of the paging receiver to accurately receive alpha-numeric and numeric pages in areas such as large metropolitan areas where large numbers of other signals are simultaneously present from non paging sources or from other paging channels within a frequency band containing a channel on which the paging receiver is receiving pages.

Paging receiver with continuously tunable antenna and RF amplifier


A substrate treatment device according to an embodiment includes: a liquid treatment part configured to supply a liquid onto a substrate to form a liquid film remaining in a liquid state on the substrate; an imaging part configured to capture an image of a front surface of the substrate, on which the liquid film remaining in the liquid state is formed; a determination part configured to determine a quality of a formation state of the liquid film based on the captured image of the substrate; and a post-treatment part configured to treat the substrate on which the liquid film is formed, when the determination part determines that the formation state of the liquid film is good.

There is known a substrate treatment device which forms a drying-prevention liquid film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a wafer) or the like, which is a substrate, and brings the wafer having the liquid film formed thereon into contact with a treatment fluid remaining in a supercritical state to dry the wafer (for example, see Patent document 1).

Substrate treatment device and substrate treatment method


The present invention relates to a method of treating infectious diseases, that involves: (a) providing an alpha-glycosidically linked starch polysaccharide derivative; and (b) inhibiting the growth of an infectious disease by administering a composition comprising the alpha-glycosidically linked starch polysaccharide derivative. The alpha-glycosidically linked starch polysaccharide derivative represented by the following general formula I,

It is known that infections with bacterial pathogens are increasing globally and that antibacterial resistance is a general health problem in this connection. A worldwide increase in tuberculosis infections due to mycobacterial strains which, over the course of time, has become resistant to the usual therapeutic agents (B. R. Bloom, J. L. Murray, Science 257, 1992, 1055), and the treatment of infections due to multi-resistant staphylococci (M. Kresken, Bundesgesundheitsblatt [Federal Health Newspaper] 38, 1996, 170), make it necessary to design new active substances. Alternative active compounds, possessing new mechanisms of action, in particular for counteracting antibiotic resistance and for controlling bacterial infections when there is intolerance towards existing active compounds, are urgently required. While a significant advance in controlling life-threatening infections was achieved with the development of highly selective nucleoside and nucleotide virustatic agents, such as acyclovir, penciclovir, ganciclovir, sorivudine and cidofovir for herpes viruses, these therapeutic agents all have the same principle of action. They inhibit the viral DNA polymerase. Another disadvantage of these compounds is that they also interfere with the DNA metabolism of the infected cell and therefore harbor the risk of inducing mutagenic, teratogenic and oncogenic effects (Wutzler, P. Thust, R. Antiv. Res. 49, 2001, 55). Furthermore, when nucleoside and nucleotide virustatic agents have been used over long periods, resistance to these medicaments has been shown to develop both in infected cell cultures and in immunosuppressed patients (Andrei, G. et al. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1995, 39, 1632; Pavic, I. et al. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1997, 39, 2686). For this reason, it is necessary to additionally develop novel highly active antiviral prophylactic and therapeutic agents which have another mechanism of action.
The large group of biologically active substances includes quaternary ammonium compounds. They are able to destroy microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Low molecular weight quaternary ammonium salts are used as disinfectants or biocidal coating materials (J. Controlled Release 50, 1998, 145). A typical problem associated with the low molecular weight compounds is inadequate bioavailability which is caused, for example, by a variety of transport and breakdown processes. Polymeric quaternary amine-functionalized materials can be synthesized from commercial quaternary exchange resins, by the graft polymerization of polyurethanes with polybutadiene hydroxytelecheles or from polysiloxanes possessing primary alcohol functions in the side chain. These biocidal polymers usually have high production costs and are frequently toxic since they contain residues of the toxic monomers (Trends in Polymer Science 4, 1996, 364). In addition to this, the polymers may accumulate in an undesirable and dangerous manner in the body since they are not biologically degradable. Furthermore, synthetic polymers which contain cationic functions are used as dispersions for preserving wood (U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,383). Disadvantages of the synthetic polymers which contain cationic functions are the high costs of preparing them, their toxicity (contamination with residual monomer) and their stability towards biological degradation.
Polysaccharide derivatives possessing quaternary ammonium functions are known and have thus far been used, in particular, as surface improvement additives for the paper and textile industries and as consistency regulators in cosmetics, in connection with which they only have a low degree of substitution (DS) of <0.2. To date, nothing is known about their biological effects. On the other hand, starch ethers which contain long alkyl chains (C8-C22) and are bonded to the starch by way of silyl ether groups are reported to have antiinfective effects, especially antibacterial effects (JP 05295002). The low chemical stability of the alkyl silyl ethers of polysaccharides leads to an uncontrolled release of functional groups simply as a result of the effect of atmospheric moisture and consequently to a reduction in, or to the loss of, the biological activity (D. Klemm et al., Comprehensive Cellulose Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, 1998). In addition to this, low molecular weight silyl compounds are toxic. In addition, publications refer to cellulose fibers and chitosan derivatives which possess antibacterial activity (W. H. Daly, M. M. Guerrini, Polym. Mat. Sci. Eng. 79, 1998, 220). As a natural cationic polysaccharide, chitosan is the one which is most frequently described and is used as a fungicidal agent in cosmetics (T. Tashiro, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 286, 2001, 63, K. C. Gupta, M. N. V. R. Kumar, J. M. S.-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C40, 2000, 273). Disadvantages of these polysaccharides are that they are frequently contaminated with other biogenic substances, that they are expensive as a result of the elaborate isolation and purification methods required and their inherent structure, with the ammonium groups being exclusively located on the polymer backbone. In addition to this, it is not possible to control their distribution and the content is limited to a degree of substitution of 1. Superabsorbers composed of cationically modified and crosslinked polysaccharides such as cellulose (EP 0 582 624 B1) have also been described.
While there are statements in the literature to the effect that the biological activity results from the presence of the quaternary ammonium functions, it is reported, on the other hand, that, as can be shown, typical compounds possessing cationic tetra-alkylnitrogen groups, such as polyquaternium 10, do not possess any bioactivity (W. A. Daly, M. M. Guerrini, D. Culberson, J. Macossay, in: Science and Technology of Polymers and Advanced Materials, Plenum Press 1998, 493). It is in no way possible to conclude from the results which are available in the literature whether the structures, and if so which, are in fact biologically active.

Method of treating infectious diseases with polysaccharide derivatives

Abstract: in which: the alpha-glycosidically linked starch polysaccharide derivative has a degree of quaternary ammonium group substitution of from 0.4 to 2.0; n is 2-4; R1 is selected from the group consisting of C1-4 alkyl, benzyl and benzyl substituted with a member selected from the group consisting of C1-3 alkyl, halogen, alcoxy, carbamoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, cyano, dialkylamino and hydrogen; R2 and R3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C1-4 alkyl, benzyl and benzyl substituted with a member selected from the group consisting of C1-3 alkyl, halogen, alcoxy, carbamoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, cyano and dialkylamino; and X is an anion selected from the group consisting of halide, hydroxide, sulfate, hydrogen sulfate and carboxylate.


The terminals for a display content control signal or product specification control signal output by an integrated circuit for detecting a display format of a display panel are all connected to a corresponding drive pattern of a circuit board used for conveying drive signals to the display panel through a connector, so that a plurality of different types of displays may be driven without requiring different dedicated electronic circuits modified for each type of display. A plurality of different display panels each having a unique display format are prepared for use in different destinations, and the drive pattern on the display panel indicates the destination, thereby making possible to provide a display content switch section or product specification switch section within the display panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, to a display device for an electronic appliance capable of switching display content or product specification by remounting a display device 3 and a display device 4.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When considering a variety of product development or OEM supply, there is change of display content on a display device as one of simple and effective methods. In this case, in order to switch a display-content control signal in an integrated circuit 2, on a circuit board 1 as shown in FIG. 3 a pattern corresponding to display-content switching is shorted (see FIG. 4A) or made open (see FIG. 4B) by soldering or attaching a switch member 7 and switching the same (see FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B). Furthermore, adopted is a method of switching by shorting (see FIG. 5A) or making open (see FIG. 5B) a terminal in wire bonding.
In the conventional art, there has been disadvantage that electronic circuits mounting an integrated circuit 2 have to be manufactured and controlled that are difficult to identify at a glance and slight in difference such as a presence or absence of soldering or short or open in wire bonding despite the same in circuit configuration.
Also, there has been disadvantage that, when the wire bonding is shorted or open, the wire itself is hidden by a seal member 6 and invisible and mistakes in the manufacture process are impossible to correct.
Furthermore, in the case of short or open due to soldering and switching action using a switch member 7, in the recent circuit design aiming at high density design with high integration, its solder pattern 1b and switch member 7 are large in size and occupy a large surface area in the circuit board 1 resulting in bottleneck upon pattern interconnection.
In order to solve the foregoing problem, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the terminals 2a for a display content control signal or product specification control signal of an integrated circuit 2 are all connected to a corresponding pattern 1c of a circuit board 1. A display content control signal or product specification control signal pattern 1d is provided together in a display device drive signal pattern 1a for input to the display device 3 or display device 4 through a connection member 5 such as a connector. With this arrangement, a plurality of kinds of electronic circuits mounting integrated circuits 2 are not required to manufacture/manage. A soldering pattern 1b (see FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B) or switch member 7 (see FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B) for display content switching or product specification switching is excluded from the circuit board 1.
The display content control signal or product specification control signal inputted to the display device 3 or display device 4 through the above route is, in the pattern interconnection in the display device 3 or display device 4 prepared on the basis of each destination, a certain one is formed with a state that the display content control signal or product specification control signal is shorted (see FIG. 1) and another certain one with a state that the display content control signal or product specification control signal is open (see FIG. 2), thereby making possible to provide a display content switch section or product specification switch section within the display device 3 or display device 4.

Display device for an electronic appliance


Systems, device and techniques are disclosed for asynchronous remote call with undo data structures. A remote call associated with a database transaction in a local database may be prepared. An undo data structure for the remote call may be stored in a storage. The remote call associated with the database transaction may be transmitted to a remote computing device to be executed by the remote computing device. Performance of the database transaction may begin in the local database. The performance of the database transaction or the remote call has may be determined to have failed. The undo data structure may be transmitted to the remote computing device to be executed.

Transactions in a local database may involve remote calls to remote services. A transaction in the local database and the results of the remote call to a remote service for that transaction may need to be kept consistent, and the transaction in the local database may not be committed until the remote call completes successfully. Performing the remote call synchronously with the transaction to the local database to ensure that the transaction is not committed until the remote call is successful may result in performance degradation in the local database.

Asynchronous remote calls with undo data structures


An MRI method is disclosed, by which, when liquid moving in a body to be examined stays in a predetermined region, this region is excited by using the nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon and when the liquid thus excited moves from that excited region, a nuclear magnetic resonance signal produced by the excited spin and emitted during the relaxation time thereof is detected.

This invention relates to an MRI method, and in particular to a method for imaging the coronary artery in a completely noninvasive and safe manner.
Heretofore, the coronary artery imaging by means of an X-ray coronary artery imaging device is almost the only method for imaging the coronary artery, except for the ultrasonic imaging method used for imaging the brain aneurysm of children (Kawasaki disease) as a special case. However, in order to execute this method, it is necessary to introduce a catheter by an operation and to inject a lot of iodine contrast media directly into the coronary artery. Therefore it is accompanied by danger and pain to a patient.
According to the prior art method described above it is necessary to introduce a catheter by an operation and to inject a lot of iodine contrast media directly into the coronary artery. Therefore it was a test, which was not only dangerous but also painful to a patient.
This test has not only a problem of exposure to X-ray but also a number of problems of allergy shock due to a lot of iodine contrast media, etc. other than that the catheter impairs the wall of the blood vessel or induced infarction.
That is, since the prior art technique is invasive and further it is fairly dangerous and painful, it cannot be applied to a general health examination and it is usual to effect examination using contrast media after appearance of symptoms of the disease.
On the other hand, if it is possible to image the coronary artery and to find strangulations, it is possible to prevent beforehand myocardial infarction by a coronary artery bypass operation, for which technique has been already established and which is thought to be safe.


Systems and methods fatigue a ferroelectric memory device. Within a single cycle, a group of selected ferroelectric memory cells is fatigued by reading a first logical value from the cells while also writing a second logical value to the memory cells. The first logical value is temporarily stored into latches of sense amplifiers associated with the selected memory cells in order to decipher logical values. Subsequently, the first logical value is written back to the ferroelectric memory cells and a cycle of the fatigue operation is ended.

Memory devices, whether they are volatile or non volatile, operate by storing, maintaining, and providing data. Of course, it is expected that memory devices should perform their duties reliably in that provided data should be the same data that was originally stored. However, over time, individual cells in memory devices can lose their ability to reliably store, maintain, and provide data. As a result, manufacturers often test their memory devices over a simulated lifetime in order to determine whether their memory devices provide an adequate life expectancy.
One non-volatile memory device in particular is a ferroelectric memory device, also referred to as ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM). A ferroelectric memory device generally includes an array of memory cells where each memory cell contains at least one ferroelectric capacitor. The ferroelectric capacitor contains a ferroelectric material sandwiched between conductive plates. To store a data bit in a ferroelectric memory cell, a write operation applies write voltages to the plates of the ferroelectric capacitor in the ferroelectric memory cell to polarize the ferroelectric material in a direction associated with the data bit being written. A persistent polarization remains in the ferroelectric material after the write voltages are removed and thus provides non-volatile storage of the stored data bit.
A conventional read operation for a ferroelectric memory device determines the data bit stored in a ferroelectric memory device cell by connecting one plate of a ferroelectric capacitor to a bit line and raising the other plate to a read voltage. If the persistent polarization in the ferroelectric capacitor is in a direction corresponding to the read voltage, the read voltage causes a relatively small current through the ferroelectric capacitor, resulting in a small charge and voltage change on the bit line. If the persistent polarization initially opposes the read voltage, the read voltage flips the direction of the persistent polarization, discharging the plates and resulting in a relatively large charge and voltage increase on the bit line. A sense amplifier can determine the stored value from the resulting bit line charge or voltage.
Repeated reading and writing of a ferroelectric memory cell, which changes the polarization state of the ferroelectric capacitor, can fatigue the ferroelectric material and alter the properties of the ferroelectric memory cell. The resulting fatigue may eventually lead to a failure in that the ferroelectric memory cell is unable to maintain/store values. One mechanism employed to predict when a particular ferroelectric memory cell may fail is to measure the properties on the ferroelectric memory cell before and after performing a series of read and write operations on the ferroelectric memory cell. A measured change in the properties of the ferroelectric memory cell can then be extrapolated to the desired minimum life of the ferroelectric memory cell to project whether the ferroelectric memory cell will still be operable. If the extrapolation indicates that the ferroelectric memory cell will fail before reaching the desired minimum life, the ferroelectric memory cell may have a latent defect and may be replaced with redundant ferroelectric memory cells in a memory device.
The number of read or write cycles expected before a failure of a ferroelectric memory cell is relatively large (e.g., on the order of 10E15 cycles or more) in order to provide a memory device with a commercially viable life. The large number of cycles before failure can make fatigue testing time consuming. Thus, suitable life cycle testing could require about 10E12 to about 10E15 read/write cycles in order to simulate a lifetime of a ferroelectric memory cell. However, performing 10E12 read and write operations on every memory cell in a reasonable size ferroelectric memory device (e.g., in a 6-megabit ferroelectric memory device) would require days, weeks, or even months, making such testing impractical for production testing of ferroelectric memory device and at least bothersome when testing a ferroelectric memory device design. Extrapolation, which estimates a desired lifetime based on a shorter number of actual performed cycles, can be employed but can reduce the accuracy and/or reliability of the lifetime testing.

Accelerated low power fatigue testing of FRAM


An apparatus for automatically displaying a grade of a liquid crystal display device and operating method thereof, includes a grade determining unit of a liquid crystal display panel; a grade inputting unit for inputting the grade of the liquid crystal display panel whose grade has been determined in the grade determining unit; a grade discriminating unit for transferring the grade of a corresponding liquid crystal display panel based upon receiving data input to the grade inputting unit; a storing unit having a grade displaying unit for classifying the graded liquid crystal display panels according to grades and storing the grades; and a robot driving unit for transferring the liquid crystal display panel to the storing unit according to instructions from the grade discriminating unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grade displaying apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus for automatically classifying liquid crystal display devices according to grades and displaying each grade to the outside, if each grade is determined after the liquid crystal display devices are completed.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device is thin, light and portable, and thus has been widely used as an image displaying device.
Such a liquid crystal display device may be provided with a liquid crystal display panel comprising a color filter substrate for displaying an image in colors, a thin film transistor array substrate attached to the color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer filling in a cell gap formed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate.
The thin film transistor functions as a switching device for applying or cutting off an electric field to/from the liquid crystal is arranged in a matrix form at the thin film transistor array substrate.
Additionally, in the color filter substrate, sub-color filter layers of red, green and blue for displaying information in colors are formed at every unit pixel.
The thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter substrate are manufactured using different production lines. Then they are formed as one unit cell through attaching and cutting processes.
In addition, a liquid crystal is injected into the liquid crystal display panel manufactured through the above steps to form one unit liquid crystal display panel.
When the liquid crystal display panel is formed through these processes, an auto verification process is performed to examine the driving state of the completed liquid crystal display panel and determine whether it is inferior.
The auto verification process is used to determine whether the liquid crystal display panel is inferior by displaying a predetermined image on the completed liquid crystal display panel. The auto verification process examines whether the driving of colors is good, whether a voltage is properly applied to each unit pixel, whether there is a line defect or a point defect on a screen displaying unit, whether there is a stain on a screen, or the like. On the basis of the inspected results from the auto verification process, an operator determines a grade or rating of the liquid crystal display panel and inputs it to equipment such as a computer.
If the grade of the liquid crystal display panel corresponds to a predetermined standard, the operator inputs the grade of the liquid crystal display panel to a computer, or the like. The liquid crystal display panel is transferred to a predetermined storing place by a robot controlled by a host.
A plurality of cartridges may be classified into several grades and arranged at the storing place of the liquid crystal display panels. A robot arm stores the liquid crystal display panel which have been graded to the cartridge based on its determined grade.
However, determination of the grade varies according to a client's request. Namely, what one client regards as inferior may be accepted by another client. In addition, according to uses of the image displaying device using the liquid crystal display panel, an acceptable range of inferiority may be different. Accordingly, the grade is not fixed but changeable on demand.
Moreover, since the cartridge in which the liquid crystal display panel whose grade has been determined is stored has no means to check the grade, a product having a different grade may be shipped.
And, to check the grade, each cartridge may be marked manually. However, when a standard for grade and the cartridge in which the liquid crystal display panel having a predetermined grade is stored are changed, the corresponding cartridge should be manually re-marked.

Apparatus for automatically displaying the grade of liquid crystal display device and operating method thereof


A method for sequencing a population of nucleic acids, which includes (a) binding the population of nucleic acids with a fractionally labeled mixture of nucleotides, thereby forming a fractionally labeled population of nucleic acids, wherein the mixture includes nucleotide cognates for a common base type in the templates, and wherein a fraction of the nucleotide cognates for the common base type in the mixture are exogenously labeled nucleotides that produce a signal that is not produced by other nucleotide cognates for the common base type in the mixture; (b) detecting the signal from the fractionally labeled population of nucleic acids; and (c) repeating (a) and (b) using a second mixture of the fractionally labeled nucleotides, wherein the fraction of the exogenously labeled nucleotides is higher in the second mixture.

The present disclosure relates generally to detection of analytes and has specific applicability to sequencing of nucleic acids.
Detection of specific analytes in complex samples is a fundamental goal for biological assays that underly a wide variety of clinical and laboratory procedures. Such assays are typically designed to achieve specificity of detection while minimizing damaging effects of the detection conditions used on the samples and while preventing the detection conditions from creating artifacts and biases that would skew the accuracy of the assay results. Luminescence provides a salient example of a phenomenon that provides advantages of detection specificity but not without risks of adversely impacting the sample under analysis. Luminescent analytes, when exposed to light of an appropriate wavelength, will emit luminescence that can be detected using any of a variety of optical detection devices. Although the luminescence is typically specific for the analyte of interest due to low background luminescence of most samples, light is a form of electromagnetic irradiation that can cause damage to the samples.
The adverse impacts of electromagnetic radiation can be partially mitigated, for example, by minimizing the amount of time that the sample is exposed to the radiation or by minimizing the intensity of the radiation used. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. For example, nucleic acid sequencing presents unique challenges due to the extended amount of time that the sample spends being exposed to radiation, for example, over repeated detection cycles. A variety of nucleic acid sequencing methods employ luminescent components (e.g. fluorescently labeled nucleotides) as probes for the chemical structure of the nucleic acid. In many cases, a population of nucleic acids is evaluated via iterative cycles, each cycle including steps of delivering luminescent components to the nucleic acids, irradiating the nucleic acids with light in the presence of the luminescent components and detecting emitted luminescence to identify interactions between the luminescent components and the nucleic acids. The sequence of the nucleic acids is then determined based on observations of which luminescent components interact with the nucleic acids in each cycle. Radiation damage to nucleic acids is often manifested as reduced sequence read length or loss of sequence read accuracy.
Thus, there exists a need to improve stability for clinical and laboratory samples that are evaluated using techniques that have potential to degrade the samples, such as luminescence techniques.

Mitigating adverse impacts of detection systems on nucleic acids and other biological analytes


A storage system 200 has a storage device 240 providing a plurality of logical volumes 250 used as data storage areas of a host 100 and a plurality of MPPKs 210 executing data IO processes for the logical volumes 250 from the host 100 and, when it is determined whether the MPPKs 210 correlated with the logical volumes 250 must be changed based on a storage function such as local copy set for the logical volumes 250, if it is determined that the change is necessary, the usage rates of processors 212 of the MPPKs 210 are acquired and compared with each other and if it is determined that the comparison result satisfies a predetermined condition, the process cost for the logical volumes 250 is calculated for each of the responsible MPPKs 210 to determine the destination MPPK 210 such that the costs of the MPPKs 210 are equalized.

Various organizations such as governments, companies, and colleges use a relatively large scale storage system to manage data since a large amount and variety of data are handled. This storage system is configured by arranging a multiplicity of storage devices (e.g., hard disk drive (hereinafter, "HDD")) into an array and provides a storage area based on RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks), for example. At least one logical volume (hereinafter, "volume") is formed on a physical storage area provided by a storage device group and this volume is provided to a host computer (hereinafter, "host"). The host transmits predetermined commands to the storage system to write/read data to/from the volume.
The above volume is a unit of the logical storage area provided by the storage device group, and a logical unit (LU) recognized as a unit logical storage area by the host is generated by setting a logical storage area created by one or a plurality of volumes such that the area becomes identifiable from the host.
Improvement in performance has been required for storage systems. PTL 1 discloses a technology related to higher performance of a storage system. Specifically, PTL 1 discloses a technology of preliminarily determining microprocessor packages (hereinafter, "MPPK") responsible for respective volumes in a control unit executing data processes (such as writing and reading of data) in the volumes to store control information necessary for the processes in local memories within the MPPK. PTL 1 also discloses a technology of changing MPPK responsible for a process of a certain volume to another MPPK.

Storage system and processing efficiency improving method of storage system


A hierarchical object is exported from a first electronic system to a second electronic system, where the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems, and where a baseline version of the hierarchical object is created. A first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system is compared against the baseline version, to form a first data structure identifying any changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version. A second data structure is received identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version. A visualization based on the first and second data structures is provided.

An enterprise, such as a company, educational organization, and government agency, can maintain a relatively large number of data items. Examples of data items include intellectual assets created by personnel of the enterprise. For example, business, product, software or other types of specifications or other design documents can be created for various projects. As another example, test documents can be created that define tests to be applied to projects in the enterprise. Such intellectual assets can be linked together to form a hierarchical object. For example, a first specification may contain other specifications or test documents.
During use, such a hierarchical object may change over time. In some cases, a hierarchical object may be exported from one system to another, which can make identifying changes difficult.

Comparing versions of a hierarchical object

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A shaft sealing apparatus is installed in an annular space between a rotor and a stator in a rotating machine and divides the annular space into a low-pressure side region and a high-pressure side region in an axial direction of the rotor. The shaft sealing apparatus includes a seal body formed by stacking a plurality of thin seal pieces, which extend from the stator toward a radial inner side of the rotor, in a circumferential direction of the rotor, and lateral plates having a surface facing the axial direction and curved and extending in a circumferential direction of the annular space. The seal body is welded to the surfaces of the lateral plates which face the axial direction so that the seal body follows a curved shape of the lateral plates.

To reduce a leakage amount of working fluid flowing from a high-pressure side to a low-pressure side, a shaft sealing apparatus is installed around a rotor in a rotating machine such as a gas turbine or a steam turbine. As an example of the shaft sealing apparatus, for example, the shaft sealing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known.
Such a shaft sealing apparatus is equipped with a housing installed on a stator, and a seal body made up of numerous thin seal pieces.
The seal body is configured so that the numerous thin seal pieces are mutually stacked with microgaps with a thickness direction of each thin seal piece directed in a circumferential direction of a rotor. Every thin seal piece is slantingly disposed so that a radial inner end (front end) thereof is located at a position closer to a rotating-direction front side of the rotor than a radial outer end (rear end) thereof. The thin seal pieces are configured so that the rear ends thereof are connected to one another, and so that the front ends thereof are free ends.
In the shaft sealing apparatus schematically configured in this way, when the rotor stands still, the front end of each thin seal piece is in contact with the rotor. In contrast, when the rotor rotates, the front end of each thin seal piece is raised from an outer circumference of the rotor and comes out of contact with the rotor due to a dynamic pressure effect caused by the rotation of the rotor. For this reason, in the shaft sealing apparatus, the wear of each thin seal piece is suppressed, and a seal service time is increased.
FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration view of a conventional shaft sealing apparatus 110. The shaft sealing apparatus 110 is configured so that a plurality of seal segments 111 extending in a circular arc shape are disposed in a toric housing 9 supported on an inner circumferential surface of a stator.
The seal segment 111 is made up of a seal body 112 composed of numerous thin seal pieces 120, holding rings 113 and 114 having a U-shaped cross section and holding the numerous thin seal pieces 120, and high-pressure side lateral plate 116 and low-pressure side lateral plate 117 installed with the seal body 112 interposed therebetween in an axial direction of the rotor.
The holding rings 113 and 114 are members for holding head parts 121 of the numerous thin seal pieces 120. Further, rotor radial outer ends of the high-pressure side lateral plate 116 and low-pressure side lateral plate 117 are formed with protrusion parts 116a and 117a directed in the axial direction. The protrusion parts 116a and 117a are held so as to be prevented from falling off in a radial direction by the holding rings 113 and 114 in a state in which they are inserted into dents 123 between the head parts 121 and body parts 122 of the thin seal pieces 120.

Shaft sealing apparatus and rotating machine equipped therewith


An improved homogenous granular fertilizer composition is disclosed; the composition is comprised primarily of urea, N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), and dicyandiamide (DCD). The composition of this invention can be applied to a field crop in a single surface application and will nevertheless supply sufficient nitrogen to the plants throughout their growth and maturing cycles. The new improved composition increases the nitrogen uptake by plants, enhances crop yields, and minimizes the loss of both ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen from the soil.. The NBPT is incorporated into the homogenous granular fertilizer composition of this invention by blending a concentrated solution of NBPT in a solvent selected from the group consisting of liquid amides, 2-pyrrolidone, and N-alkyl 2-pyrrolidones directly into molten urea prior to its granulation; the DCD may be added to the urea melt as a solid or in dissolved form along with the NBPT.

Nitrogen is an important plant nutrient. In addition to phosphorous, potassium, and other nutrients, nitrogen is needed to support the growth and development of plant life. Some plants, such as legumes, through a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria take up elemental nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix this nitrogen into the soil. However, most plants grown to produce human and animal food require the use of nitrogen fertilizer in order to sustain their agricultural production.
The most widely used and agriculturally important high-analysis nitrogen fertilizer is granular urea, CO(NH.sub.2).sub.2. About 60 million tons per year of urea are produced world-wide and used on a variety of crops, such as corn, wheat and rice. When applied to moist soil, the urea becomes a source of ammonia as a result of hydrolysis catalyzed by urease, an enzyme produced by numerous fungi and bacteria. The reaction may be written as follows: ##STR1##
The ammonia formed as shown above undergoes very rapid hydrolysis to form ammonium ions in accordance with the following equilibrium: ##STR2##
In most soils, the ammonium formed through the hydrolysis of urea is readily converted to nitrate via a sequence of bacterial oxidation reactions; the overall oxidation reaction may be written as follows: EQU NH.sub.4.sup.+ +20.sub.2 .fwdarw.NO.sub.3.sup.31 +H.sub.2 O +2H.sup.+
and is commonly referred to as "nitrification".
Both, the ammonium nitrogen derived through the hydrolysis of urea as well as the nitrate nitrogen derived through the oxidation of ammonium may be assimilated directly by the plant. Thus, the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea and the bacterial oxidation of ammonium are two key steps in the vital transformation of urea nitrogen first into ammonium nitrogen and then into nitrate nitrogen, both of which function in soils as nitrogen nutrients.
The major problems associated with the use of urea as a source of these nitrogen nutrients to support the growth of crop plants relate to the fact that the time frame for the catalytic hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and for the subsequent nitrification of ammonium does not coincide with the ongoing demand for nitrogen by the root system of the plants. More specifically, the catalytic hydrolysis of urea and the subsequent nitrification of the ammonium ions proceed relatively rapidly, i.e. within 2 to 20 days, as compared to the 50 to 200 day growing seasons for typical crop plants. Since both ammonia and nitrate can be lost from the soil by various mechanisms before being assimilated by the plant, the premature conversion of urea into ammonium and nitrate nitrogen contributes to the low (40%) efficiency with which crop plants utilize fertilizer nitrogen. Examples of mechanisms by which nitrogen can be lost from the soil include loss of ammonia through volatilization to the atmosphere and loss of nitrate through leaching to the subsoil by rainwater and/or through denitrification, i.e. bacterial conversion of nitrate to elemental nitrogen. Another drawback related to rapid hydrolysis of urea is the potential for excessive accumulation of ammonia in the soil shortly after seeding which may damage germinating seedlings and young plants.
Prior art offers three approaches to make nutrient nitrogen derived from urea-containing granular fertilizers available to root systems of plants throughout their growing season: (1) multiple fertilizer applications, (2) the use of controlled release fertilizers, and (3) the incorporation of urease inhibitors or nitrification inhibitors into the fertilizer formulation. There are certain limitations and disadvantages associated with each of these approaches advocated by prior art.
The first approach involves the use of multiple fertilizer applications during the course of a crop growth season. Such multiple fertilizer applications can provide adequate nitrogen to meet the demand of growing plants, but they do so at the expense of higher fertilizer costs, higher fertilizer application costs, and of the adverse environmental impact associated with the loss of nitrate through leaching to the subsoil.
The second approach to extending the availability of nutrient nitrogen to crop plants over a longer period of time involves the use of controlled release granular fertilizers. The patent literature provides numerous references to prior art methodology for the production of controlled release urea-containing fertilizers. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,950 discloses a method of producing sulfur-coated nitrogen fertilizer pellets having a controlled fertilizer dissolution rate. The process comprises applying a coating of sulfur to fertilizer pellets and subsequently top-coating the resultant particles with an oily sealant to impregnate any cracks and voids in said sulfur coating. As a result, a sulfur shell is formed which is nearly impervious to water and suitable for regulating the dissolution rate of the nitrogen fertilizer, and thereby extending its availability to the plants.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,576,613; 3,903,333; and 4,081,264 disclose improved processes for sulfur encapsulation of nitrogen fertilizers to provide controlled fertilizer dissolution rates. The '613 patent provides a method for reducing the amount of sulfur needed to attain a coating which is impervious to rain water and which releases nutrients at a rate selected to match the demands of the growing plants. The improvement offered by the '333 patent centers on applying a precisely uniform coating of sulfur onto substrate particles of urea. The process is designed to ensure that the substrate consists of smooth, round granular particles and that each granule is covered by a plurality of sequentially applied streams of fluid (molten) sulfur to form a multitude of thin concentric layers of sulfur coating upon the urea substrate. Finally, the '264 patent discloses a process for preparing a slow release nitrogen fertilizer in which the sulfur coating is impregnated with bitumen and then coated with a mineral powder to produce free flowing particles. In all three cases the desired product is a slow release nitrogen fertilizer, i.e. a material in which the sulfur coating serves to control the release of the substrate to the soil over an extended period of time. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,877,415 and 3,991,225 disclose equipment suitable for applying a uniform coating of sulfur to urea and thereby imparting slow release characteristics to the coated urea fertilizer. While sulfur-coated urea (SCU) is an article of commerce, its use is very limited. This is a reflection of SCU's premium price and of its lower nitrogen content, as compared to granular urea.
The third approach toward improving the availability of nitrogen to the root system of plants over an extended period of time entails the incorporation of a urease inhibitor or of a nitrification inhibitor into granular urea-containing fertilizers. Urease inhibitors are compounds capable of inhibiting the catalytic activity of the urease enzyme upon urea in moist soil. Among the most effective urease inhibitors are the phosphoric triamide compounds disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,714. An example of an effective urease inhibitor disclosed in the '714 patent is N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide, which will be referred to herein as NBPT. When incorporated into a urea-containing fertilizer, NBPT reduces the rate at which urea is hydrolyzed in the soil to ammonia. The benefits realized as a result of the delayed urea hydrolysis include the following: (1) nutrient nitrogen is available to the plant over a longer period of time, (2) excessive build up of ammonia in the soil following the application of the urea-containing fertilizer is avoided, (3) the potential for nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization is reduced, (4) the potential for damage by high levels of ammonia to seedlings and young plants is reduced, (5) plant uptake of nitrogen is increased, and (6) an increase in crop yields is attained. While NBPT does not directly influence the rate of ammonium nitrification, it does control the levels of ammonium which are subject to the nitrification process and thereby indirectly controls the levels of nitrate nitrogen in the soil.
NBPT has not been commercially used heretofore as an additive in granular urea, presumably because of the lack of a suitable method for the preparation of such urea-based granular fertilizers stemming from certain physical and chemical characteristics of industrial grade NBPT which render this material difficult to handle. Industrial grade NBPT is a waxy, sticky, heat-sensitive and water-sensitive material. Consequently, the material is susceptible to decomposition during storage and methodology for metering NBPT into continuous production equipment has been heretofore unavailable. Another potential drawback associated with the use of NBPT as a urease inhibitor for granular urea-containing fertilizers is believed to be related to the low ammonium to nitrate ratios which are likely to be observed in soil systems treated with such fertilizers.
The availability of nitrate nitrogen to plants over an extended period of time can also be enhanced through the incorporation of nitrification inhibitors into urea-containing fertilizers. Nitrification inhibitors are compounds capable of inhibiting the bacterial oxidation of ammonium to nitrate in the soil. Among the most effective nitrification inhibitors is dicyandiamide, also referred to as DCD. A granular urea-containing fertilizer formulation containing DCD is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,100. While DCD does not affect the rate at which urea is hydrolyzed to ammonia in the soil, it significantly reduces the rate at which ammonium is oxidized to nitrate. The benefits realized as a result of the delayed nitrification process include the following: (1) nutrient nitrogen is available to the plant over a longer period of time than is the case in the absence of DCD, (2) the potential for loss of nitrate nitrogen through denitrification and/or leaching is reduced, (3) plant uptake of nitrogen is increased, and (4) crop yields are increased. However, the improvement in the performance of DCD-containing granular urea fertilizers attributed to the incorporation of DCD in these formulations is believed to be severely limited by the susceptibility of these formulations to urease-catalyzed hydrolysis following application of the fertilizer to the soil. This may result in relatively high ammonia losses through volatilization and/or in ammonia damage to seedlings and young plants.
In addition to the foregoing, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,517,003; 4,517,004; 4,932,992; and 4,954,156 make reference to various compounds which are capable of inhibiting both the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea and the oxidation of ammonium to nitrogen. None of these, however, have found commercial acceptance in the fertilizer industry as additives capable of improving the performance of urea-based granular fertilizers in terms of their ability to enhance crop yields.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a granular urea-containing fertilizer formulation which offers an effective alternative to the high amounts of urea-containing nitrogen fertilizer that are currently used to assure that crop yields are not limited by the availability of nitrogen as a plant nutrient.
It is a further object of this invention to increase nitrogen uptake efficiency of urea-containing granular fertilizers without the need for applying a substantially impervious sulfur coating to such fertilizers.
It is another object of this invention to provide a urea-based granular fertilizer formulation the performance of which is characterized by relatively low ammonia volatilization losses, low losses of nitrate nitrogen through denitrification and/or leaching, and substantially enhanced crop yields.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a method for the production of the urea-containing granular fertilizer formulations disclosed hereinbelow.

Freeport-McMoRan Resource Partners, Limited Partnership