Described is a method of targeting specific genes to the mammary gland which results in the efficient synthesis and secretion of biologically important molecules. Further, there is described as a composition of matter, a transgenic mammal having the ability to reproduce itself and being suitable for the secretion of biologically active agents into its milk. Additionally there is disclosed as a composition of matter, recombinant DNA gene complexes designed to integrate into a mammalian genome and to synthesize and secrete biological active agents into the milk. Furthermore methods of producing and using altered milk are disclosed.

Caseins are the principal milk proteins and are normally synthesized and secreted only in the mammary gland during lactation. The first detailed characterization of the casein genes was done is the inventor's laboratory. Yu-Lee, et al., Nuc. Acids Res., 14:1833-1902 (1986)
Since its introduction, microinjection of DNA into the pronucleus of a fertilized one-cell embryo has been used to transfer a large number of genes into the mouse genome. Gordon et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77:7380-7384 (1980); Palmiter and Brinster, Cell 41:343-345 (1985) and Palmiter and Brinster Ann. Rev. Genet. 20 465-499 (1986). The technique is useful for studies of the specific nucleotide sequences involved in gene expression and regulation, and for its practical applications for improvement of domestic livestock. Transgenic sheep and pigs have now been produced. Hammer et al., Nature (London) 315:343-345 (1985). Studies in cattle are in progress. Kraemer et al., In: Gene Transfer in Cattle and Sheep, Banbury Report No. 20 pp. 221-227 (1985).
To produce transgenic animals of practical use in agriculture, the foreign gene must be integrated into the genome of the host animal and transmitted to its offspring; it must be expressed in the appropriate tissue; and its expression must be at a high rate and subject to normal or artificial regulatory mechanisms. Tissue specificity of transgene expression has been reported for several genes including the rat elastase I gene, Ig light and heavy chain genes, the rat myosin light chain gene and mouse/human .beta.-globin gene; Swift et al., Cell 38:639-646 (1984); Storb et al., Nature (London) 310:238-241 (1984), Grosscheldl et al., Cell 41:885-897 (1984); Shani, Nature (London) 314:283-286 (1985); and Chada, et al., Nature (London) 314:377-380 (1985). The factors directing tissue-specific expression are not fully understood. The evidence from the work with the MMTV promoter and the mouse metallothionein promoter suggests that DNA sequences in 5'-flanking DNA are important. Stewart et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 12:3895-3906 (1984) and Palmiter and Brinster, Cell 41:343-345 (1985).
Clues to this problem are beginning to emerge from studies both in transgenic animals and in cell culture systems. It is apparent that specific enhancer sequences in 5' flanking DNA, sometimes located far upstream from the transcription start site, and sequences in or close to the promoter itself, are involved in tissue-specific gene expression. Gene expression in transgenic mice has been targeted to the appropriate tissue by inclusion of 5'-flanking and/or 3'-flanking DNA from the homologous gene in the case of .beta.-globin, elastase, .alpha.-fetoprotein, .alpha.-A-crystalline and insulin. Magram et al., Nature (London) 315:338-340 (1985); Ornitz et al., Nature (London) 313:600-602 (1985); Krumlauf et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 5:1639-1648 (1985); Overbeek et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82:7815-7819 (1985); and Hanahan, Nature (London) 315:115-121 (1985).
The insulin gene has been analyzed the most extensively. The rat insulin I gene requires both an enhancer region between -103 and -133 and the promoter region itself for expression of a marker gene in hamster insulinoma (HIT) cells compared to BHK cells. Edlund et al., Science 230:912-916, (1985). Furthermore, the rat insulin II gene requires a 530 bp 5'-flanking sequence to direct the expression of an SV40 oncogene to the .beta. cells of the pancreas in transgenic mice. Hanahan, Nature (London) 315:115-121 (1985).
The bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene expression has been targeted to the eye lenses by linking a -364 to +45 DNA fragment of the murine .alpha.-A-crystalline to the coding sequence of the CAT gene. Overbeek et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82: 7815-7819 (1985).
The ability to target specific genes to the mammary gland should result in the efficient synthesis and secretion of proteins, ultimately impacting the fields of biotechnology, pharmacology, medicine, food science and cancer research. For example, while a variety of expression vectors have been developed for the efficient synthesis of proteins in bacteria and yeast, in many cases the biological activity of these proteins is impaired because of the failure to correctly process these proteins. Development of mammalian cell culture systems provides an alternative strategy but the cost of these cell cultures may be prohibitive. The mammary gland provides a highly efficient in vivo model for the synthesis and secretion of grams of protein per day. The secretion continues during the lactation cycles of a mammals' life. In addition, the mammary gland contains the necessary post-translational modification systems required for the clevage, phosphorylation and glycosylation of proteins. Therefore, using this approach should make it possible to efficiently synthesize and secrete biologically important molecules. For example, proteins, hormones, growth factors, drugs, lipids and carbohydrates can be synthesized and secreted, providing new tools in medicine and pharmacology. This methodology also provides a method to manipulate the composition of mammary fluid (milk) by altering its protein, carbohydrate and lipid composition and by the inclusion of bacteriostatic agents. These changes will represent important changes in agricultural and food technology science. Additionally, the ability to target oncogenes to the mammary gland will facilitate basic breast cancer research, because it provides a model to analyze the basic mechanisms of transformation in mammary epithelial cells. This investigational methodology is not available when using in vitro cell culture systems.
The present invention provides a method that not only targets the expression of genes in the mammary gland but also provides for efficiently secreting these proteins during lactation.

DNA sequences to target proteins to the mammary gland for efficient secretion


A socket contact includes a base bottom portion and a contact connection portion. The base bottom portion is mounted on a printed board. The contact connection portion is provided on both sides of the base bottom portion in a lateral direction, and connected with a counterpart contact. The base bottom portion includes an opening and a pair of first feet. The pair of first feet extends in longitudinal directions substantially perpendicular to the lateral direction. The first feet are soldered to the printed board. The contact connection portion includes an elastic arm, a first bent arm, a rigid arm, a second bent arm, and a second foot. The first bent arm includes a contact point having contact with a first surface of the counterpart contact, and the second bent arm includes a guide face along which a second surface of the counterpart contact slides.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket contact. In particular, the present invention relates to a socket contact that is elastically connected to a counterpart contact shaped like a flat plate and that can be mounted to a printed board.
2. Related Art
In recent years, a small motor is installed inside an imaging electronic device. Generally, such a small motor has a pair of flat plate-like contacts (hereinafter referred to as input terminals). Power is supplied to these input terminals so as to activate the small motor.
For example, the input terminals of the small motor described above are directly connected to ends of electric wires by soldering. In addition, the input terminals are soldered in through holes, which are provided in a rigid or flexible board. A compact imaging electronic device frequently uses a flexible board that is structurally divided into multiple branches and foldable. This flexible board provides electrical connection between the small motor, internal electric and electronic elements, and the like.
It is difficult to introduce automation into a process in which an input terminal of a small motor is soldered to a flexible board. The reason for this is that since the automated process requires the flexible board and the input terminal, accordingly including the small motor, to be placed in a reflow furnace so as to perform automatic soldering, the process has an adverse effect of heating on the small motor. As a result, it has been necessary to rely on manual operation by a skilled worker instead. This has hindered improvement in productivity.
Under the circumstance as described above, a small motor has been disclosed, having features such as a mechanism of easily detachable attachment to a flexible board, versatility and a possible reduction in cost (see Patent Document 1 for example).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5-115148
FIG. 23 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the main part of a small motor according to Patent Document 1. In FIG. 23, a small motor 80 has a case 81 shaped like a hollow cylinder having a bottom. The case 81 internally includes a rotor including an armature and a commutator (not shown). An insulating end plate 82 is attached to a rear end of the case 81.
In FIG. 23, an end of a pair of brush arms (not shown) electrically connected with the commutator in a slidable manner protrudes from the end plate 82 as an input terminal 83. A circular cylinder-like bearing portion 84 for rotatably supporting an end of the rotor protrudes from the end plate 82. At an outer circumference of the bearing portion 84, a circular ring-like protrusion 84a rises.
As shown in FIG. 23, a connector unit 90 includes a substantially circular disc-like housing 91 and a pair of strip-like contacts 92. Each contact 92 is fixed to the housing 91 and is shaped like a substantially circular arc. The housing 91 includes an opening 91a into which a printed board (not shown) can be inserted. In addition, at a center of the housing 91, there is a circular hole 91b engaging with the bearing portion 84. At both sides of the hole 91b, a pair of rectangular insertion holes 91c is provided.
In FIG. 23, the contact 92 has a slit member 92a at a first end that is bent and inserted into an engagement hole (not shown) communicating with the opening 91a, and has a contact member 92c at a second end that is bent and inserted into the insertion hole 91c. When the connector unit 90, the housing 91 of which is assembled with the pair of contacts 92, is attached to the end plate 82, the electric continuity between the contact 92 and the input terminal 83 is established. Furthermore, when a printed board is inserted into the opening 91a, an end of the printed board is held between the slits of the slit members 92a. In this way, the electric continuity between the printed board and the contact 92 is established.
Patent Document 1 describes that it is possible to securely attach the printed board to the small motor only if one end of the printed board, Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC), for example, is inserted into the connector unit which has been attached to the end plate of the small motor. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that since the printed board, which is detachably attached to the connector unit, can be easily adapted to different circuit requirements, it reduces a burden associated with the maintenance performed by a user, such as a manufacturer of assembled products.
However, electronic devices that are compactly configured in recent years internally include densely mounted elements. Therefore, such electronic devices have no room for mounting a contact, which has a housing as described in Patent Document 1, to a small motor. It has been difficult for the manufacturer to accept such a contact. Accordingly, there is a demand for a socket contact of a different type, which has the following features: Bare contacts, which are not supported by a housing, are mounted on a printed board such that the socket contact has a height (a height for being mounted) small enough when it is connected to an input terminal of a small motor.
In addition, in order to connect the socket contact to the input terminal of the small motor with low electric contact resistance, the input terminal is preferably subjected to gold plating. However, such gold plating is not generally adopted in order to reduce the manufacturing cost of the small motor. Instead, a bare surface is common, and a surface treatment more than zinc plating or tin plating is not adopted. For these reasons, a socket contact that has a mechanism for increasing a contact pressure has been required such that an electric contact resistance can be restricted to a certain low value.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the socket contact is structurally configured to be easily manufactured in an automatic assembly line when it is mounted onto a printed board. Such structure of the socket contact can improve productivity. It is one of objectives of the present invention to solve the above-described disadvantages.


The present disclosure relates to a tape that comprises a weft-inserted warp knit fabric, which utilizes a combination stitch to secure the wales of the fabric. The combination stitch comprises a majority of successive chain stitches that are used with a minority of subsequent successive tricot stitches, such that the stitch follows the expression x+y, where x is the number of successive chain stitches and y is the number of subsequent successive tricot stitches. Contemplated x values are in the range of 5 to 15, and contemplated y values are in the range of 1 to 4. Multiple stitch formations can also be used (e.g., following an x+y/m+n/etc. configuration). The resulting weft-inserted warp knit fabric possesses superior dimensional stability and internal geometry, while maintaining the tearability requisite for a hand-tearable tape product.

Pressure sensitive tapes having a fabric layer between two or more polymeric layers (such as films, adhesives, etc.) are well known. Previous efforts to create these types of pressure sensitive tapes have, in large part, included a woven substrate as the textile component. Such substrates are susceptible to raveling along the cut edges of the finished tape. For this reason, woven substrates used in tapes are generally treated at the edges, for example, by tucking the edges or otherwise sealing them, to minimize this problem.
More recently, it was discovered that an acceptable tape substrate could be manufactured using a weft-inserted warp knit fabric as the textile reinforcing component. Generally, the existing weft-inserted warp knit fabric performs well for its intended purposes. It is easily torn in both horizontal and vertical directions, and it adheres well to a wide variety of surfaces. Such a tape is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,425, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Despite its acceptable performance, the previous weft-inserted warp knit fabric exhibits several problems that are the result of the fabric's relative lack of dimensional stability. Because the chain stitches in the weft-inserted warp knit fabric run vertically through the fabric without any interlocking between chains, there is a tendency for the yarns to shift horizontally during manufacture of either the fabric or the tape. As a result, two situations are observed. First, it is difficult to handle the fabric substrate after it is wound onto a take-up roll without shifting the stitch yarns. Second, because of the fabric's shifted yarns, the finished tape often lacks uniform internal geometry, a visually apparent flaw that, if severe, can result in the finished tape being rejected as "off-quality."
Another problem results from the fabric's relative lack of dimensional stability. This issue is known as "stringing," a condition that occurs during processing if the film that provides the outer surface of the tape is not properly aligned with the fabric. In this situation, the raw edges of the fabric are left exposed, and the loose yarns (that is, those not secured to the film) slide off the fabric as it passes over the calendar roll. As the master roll is wound, these loose ends on the edges of the fabric can become tangled with one another or, even worse, can become adhered to the adhesive side of the roll. In many instances, especially when the strings on the edge of the fabric become adhered to the underside of the tape, the stringing is so significant that the smaller rolls made from the outermost edges of the master roll must be discarded. This waste is a significant problem for tape manufacturers.
One contemplated approach for solving the stringing problem is to include a plurality of tricot stitches in the weft-inserted warp knit fabric substrate. This has the effect of locking adjacent wales together, so that shifting and stringing are substantially reduced. However, replacing all of the chain stitches with tricot stitches results in a condition commonly known as "neck-down", in which the fabric telescopes or collapses inward on itself to create a narrower than desired width. Clearly, this tendency would not be acceptable in production of a flat tape that must be rolled up on itself for packaging. As a further complication, a tricot knit fabric is more likely to be difficult to tear uniformly.
The present disclosure addresses and overcomes these problems.

Tape having weft-insert warp knit fabric reinforcement


The entire coding region of the gene involved in von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis (NF1) and a ubiquitously expressed large transcript (NF1LT) of the gene have been identified, cloned and sequenced. With the identification of the NF1 gene and its gene product, nucleic acid probes and antibodies raised to the gene product can be used in a variety of hybridization and immunological assays to screen for NF1 and detect it in its early stages. Conventional and gene therapies can also be developed to treat those afflicted with the disease.

Von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis (NF1), often referred to as the "elephant man disease,".sup.1 is one of the most common autosomal dominant human disorders, affecting about 1 in 3,000 of the general population. The disease primarily involves neural crest-derived tissue and is characterized by cafe-au-lait spots, neurofibromas increasing in size and number with age, learning disabilities and mental retardation, seizures, and an increased risk of malignancy. The expression of the disease is extremely variable in its symptoms and severity, and the spontaneous mutation rate is remarkably high, with about 30 to 50% of all cases representing new mutations. Clinical diagnosis of NF1 has been relatively difficult early in life, due to the variability of the symptoms and their delayed appearance. FNT .sup.1 An NIH panel, however, recently concluded that "Elephant Man" J. Merrick did not actually suffer from neurofibromatosis, but from an extremely rare disease known as the Proteus syndrome.
Direct cloning of the NF1 gene has not been possible due to the lack of a consistent abnormality in NF1 tissue which would provide sufficient information about the gene product. The remaining alternative has been positional cloning of the gene, utilizing its chromosomal map position rather than its functional properties. Using this approach, genetic linkage analysis led to the assignment of the NF1 gene to the proximal long arm of chromosome 17. Subsequent collaborative multipoint mapping efforts narrowed its genetic location to about 3 centiMorgans of 17q11.2. A combination of somatic cell hybrid techniques, linking clones and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) applied to two unrelated NF1 patients having balanced translocations t(1;17) and t(17;22), with breakpoints approximately 60 kb apart on chromosome 17, further narrowed the location of the gene to a few hundred kilobases of chromosome band 17q11.2. See Collins, F. S. et al., Trends in Genetics 5:217-221 (1989).
The first NF1 candidate gene was identified in mice as a site of retroviral integration in murine leukemia. See Buchberg, A. M. et al., Oncogene Research 2:149 (1988). It has now been found, however, that the human homolog EVI2A, previously named EVI2, which maps between the NF1 breakpoints, is not interrupted by the aforementioned NF1 translocations, and no abnormalities in this gene have been identified as the cause of NF1. Similarly, EVI2B, previously named NF1-c2, a gene newly identified in the course of this invention by chromosomal walking and jumping, mapped between the NF1 breakpoints, was not interrupted by the NF1 translocations and exhibited no abnormalities in NF1 patients. It thus became clear that the NF1 gene had not yet been identified.
Recently, a gene was identified by positional cloning showing mutations in individuals affected with NF1. Cawthon, R. et al., Cell 62:193-201 (1990); Viskochil, D. et al., Cell 62:187-192 (1990); Wallace, M. R. et al., Science 249:181-186 (1990). Further cloning and partial sequence analysis demonstrated that the gene product contains a domain showing approximately 30% similarity to the catalytic domains of yeast IRA1 and IRA2 proteins and the mammalian GTPase activating protein (GAP). Buchberg, A. et al., Nature 347:291-294 (1990); Xu, G. et al., Cell 62:599-605 (1990). GAP is a cytosolic protein that catalyzes the conversion of active GTP-bound ras p21 to the inactive GDP-bound form. Trahey M. et al., Science 238:542-545 (1987). It was subsequently shown that the GAP related domain of the NF1 gene product can also interact with human and yeast RAS p21 to down-regulate its activity. Ballester, R. et al., Cell 63:851-859 (1990); Martin, G. A. et al., Cell 63:343-349 (1990); Xu, G. et al., Cell 63:835-841 (1990). Our previous reports of cDNA cloning of NF1 contained in parent application U.S. Ser. No. 547,090 were based on partial fragments of the transcript which is approximately 13 kb by Northern blotting. Wallace, M. R. et al., Science 249:181-186 (1990). The entire coding region of the NF1 gene has now been cloned and sequenced, the gene product identified and antibodies raised thereto, as described and claimed herein.

The Regents of the University of Michigan


A system of the present invention includes a development system having a language compiler for generating application and system software from source listings. The system includes an Integrated Development Environment having a browser. Methods of the present invention include inspecting symbols (e.g., classes, objects, methods, variables, and the like) dynamically, i.e., while retaining active scope of the symbol. More particularly, the browser of the present invention directly references symbol information stored in object code or executable modules, which are generated during compilation of the source listings. In this manner, the system provides symbol information directly relevant to the context (location in source listing) the user/programmer is currently working.

The present invention relates generally to the field of computer systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for compiling source programs, particularly object-oriented ones, into system and application programs.
Before a digital computer may accomplish a desired task, it must receive an appropriate set of instructions. Executed by the computer's microprocessor, these instructions, collectively referred to as a "computer program," direct the operation of the computer. Expectedly, the computer must understand the instructions which it receives before it may undertake the specified activity.
Owing to their digital nature, computers essentially only understand "machine code," i.e., the low-level, minute instructions for performing specific tasks--the sequence of ones and zeros that are interpreted as specific instructions by the computer's microprocessor. Since machine language or machine code is the only language computers actually understand, all other programming languages represent ways of structuring human language so that humans can get computers to perform specific tasks.
While it is possible for humans to compose meaningful programs in machine code, practically all software development today employs one or more of the available programming languages. The most widely used programming languages are the "high-level" languages, such as C or Pascal. These languages allow data structures and algorithms to be expressed in a style of writing which is easily read and understood by fellow programmers.
A program called a "compiler" translates these instructions into the requisite machine language. In the context of this translation, the program which is written in the high-level language is called the "source code" or source program. The low-level or machine language, on the other hand, comprises "object code." Once created, object code (e.g., .obj file) is a separate program in its own right--it includes instructions which may be executed by the target microprocessor. In practice, however, the object code is usually first linked (i.e., combined) with other object code or libraries, which include standard routines.
Compilers are fundamental to modern computing. Translating human-oriented programming languages into computer-oriented machine languages, compilers allow computer programmers to ignore the machine-dependent details of machine language. Instead of focusing on the register set or memory architecture of a particular computer, for instance, one may simply concentrate on solving the problem at hand. Thus, high-level languages are "portable," that is, they afford a level of abstract which permits a single program to be implemented on several different machines, including ones of vastly different architecture.
Of particular interest to the present invention are compiler and development tools designed for graphic user interfaces (GUIs), such as Microsoft.RTM. Windows and Apple.RTM. Macintosh System 7. Employing an intuitive "desktop metaphor", including such familiar objects as file cabinets, folders, and trash cans, these system have largely displaced awkward command-line systems, such as MS-DOS.
While GUIs are easy for the users to use, they are by no means simple to program. Instead, the intuitive user interface belies an extremely complex system, one having hundreds of API (Application Programming Interface) calls. A simple "Hello World" Microsoft Windows program written in C, for example, requires a hundred or so lines of source code. Besides the sheer bulk of the API, however, the programmer faces an even greater challenge--that of understanding the intricacies of a message-driven environment.
At the heart of a GUI such as MS-Windows is a message or event-driven system, one which requires a shift in the way programmers normally think about computer programs. Traditionally, programmers have developed programs consisting of sequential procedures or modes. As such these programs have a well-defined beginning, middle, and end, with little or no flexibility for the user to vary this pre-determined sequence.
A GUI, in contrast, promotes a "modeless" model, that is, one not tied to any particular predefined sequence of modes. To accomplish this, these systems introduce the notion of "events" and "messages." An event is any activity of interest, such as the press of key on a keyboard or movement of a pointing (mouse) device. The system responds to an event by sending a message to the currently executing application(s). In MS-Windows, for instance, when the user clicks a left mouse button, a WM.sub.-- LBUTTONDOWN message is sent. Similarly, pressing a keyboard key causes a WM.sub.-- KEYDOWN message to be sent. If the user selects an item from a menu, a WM.sub.-- COMMAND message is sent. Other messages correspond to manipulating scroll bars (WM.sub.-- HSCROLL, WM.sub.-- VSCROLL), resizing windows (WM.sub.-- SIZE), redrawing windows (WM.sub.-- PAINT), closing windows (WM.sub.-- CLOSE), and so on.
There are so many messages which may be generated in fact that managing them has become quite a chore in itself. Using C, for example, the programmer writes an event loop that checks to see whether there any messages which must be responded to. In practice, however, this entails writing a gargantuan case statement that dispatches messages to various functions. And in a Windows program of any complexity, this case statement often spans several pages, making development and maintenance of the program an exceedingly difficult task. Thus, there is much interest in devising tools which reduce or eliminate the complexity of GUI development.
Although not an object-oriented system itself, Windows possesses characteristics which facilitate application development with object-oriented programming (OOP) methodologies. Most notably, Windows is an event-driven or message-based system; its messages are analogous to the OOP concept of sending messages to objects. Combining the event-driven nature of Windows with an OOP language creates a single, more consistent development model. Just as a high-level language frees a programmer from the need to understand machine-level details, an OOP language, by hiding Windows details, eases the task of learning an event-driven architecture.
While the move from procedural to object-oriented programming has facilitated the creation and maintenance of GUI application software, present day development tools have not kept pace. More particularly, application development in an object-oriented programming language, such as C++, brings with it a host of new complexities which the application developer must somehow manage. For instance, a C++ program of even modest complexities requires the creation and maintenance of immense class hierarchies--sophisticated data structures with complex interdependencies. Thus, while a programmer may encapsulate the complexities of a GUI application in an object-oriented framework, the complexities of such a framework, in turn, must be managed with tools which are inadequate for object-oriented development.
What is needed are system and methods for simplifying the creation and management of object-oriented applications, particularly those with complex class hierarchies. More particularly, such a system should provide the developer with the ability to easily manage the complex data structures attendant to object-oriented development. The present invention fulfills this and other needs.

Symbol browsing in an object-oriented development system


A method and an apparatus to reduce network utilization for source-based snoopy cache coherent protocols have been disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a first processor an invalidating snoop with respect to a physical address of a portion of a memory in a multiprocessor system from a second processor, checking whether a cache of the first processor stores a copy of data associated with the physical address, and recording an identification (ID) of the second processor if the cache of the first processor stores the copy of data associated with the physical address. Other embodiments have been claimed and described.

Source-based snooping protocols have recently emerged as a useful technique for latency reduction in a small-scale link-based multiprocessor system. These protocols are effective because on a miss to a block of data in a memory within the system, such as block B, in the last level cache, the missing processor, processor S, typically sends a snoop (also known as a probe) to each of the remaining processors in the system. A snoop is a query sent from a first processor to a second processor to check if the cache of the second processor has a particular piece of data.
In response to the snoop, the processors check their caches to determine if the cache of any one of the processors has the requested data, block B. If the cache of a processor N has block B, processor N may send a copy of block B to processor S, where processor N and processor S are distinct processors. This is a relatively fast cache-to-cache transfer, and the latency experienced by processor S is generally less than would otherwise occur if processor S were to retrieve block B from the memory. Typically, there are various policies to ensure that if more than one processor has copies of block B, only one processor may deliver a copy of block B to processor S.
These source-based snooping protocols use a large amount of network bandwidth within the multiprocessor system. One reason is that each miss typically generates a separate snoop for each processor in the system (except the missing processor). This increase in network traffic causes increased link utilization, which in turn causes increased latencies. Moreover, the amount of network bandwidth used increases even more as the number of processors in the system increases.

Method and an apparatus to reduce network utilization in a multiprocessor system


A lamp bulb for a Christmas tree light set including two filaments connected between two lead-in wires thereof at different elevations above a mica disc.

The present invention relates to lamp bulbs for a Christmas tree light set, and relates more particularly to such a lamp bulb which has two filaments connected between two lead wires thereof at different elevations.
A regular lamp bulb 10' for Christmas tree light, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a mother bulb 26', a daughter bulb 27' inside the mother bulb, a first lead-in wire 21', a second lead-in wire 22', a mica disc 25' fastened to the first lead-in wire 21' and the second lead-in wire 22' inside the daughter bulb 27', an exhaust bead 20' fastened to the first lead-in wire 21' and the second lead-in wire 22' inside the daughter bulb 27' and below the mica disc 25', and a filament 23' connected between the alloy tip of the first lead-in wire 21' and the magnesium-coated tip of the second lead-in wire 22' inside the daughter bulb 27' and spaced from the mica plate 25' at one side opposite to the exhaust bead 20'. Because this structure of lamp bulb has only one filament disposed inside the daughter bulb, it is less brightness when turned on.

Lamp bulb with two filaments for Christmas tree light


According to one exemplary embodiment, a low harmonic switching device includes a first switching block including a first multi-gate FET, where the first switching block is coupled to a first input and a shared output of the low harmonic switching device. A first capacitor is coupled between a first gate and a source of the first multi-gate FET and a second capacitor is coupled between a second gate and a drain of the first multi-gate FET so as to cause a reduction in a harmonic amplitude in the shared output. A resistor can couple the source to the drain of the first multi-gate FET. The first switching block can further include a second multi-gate FET, where a source of the second multi-gate FET is coupled to the drain of the first multi-gate FET and a drain of the second multi-gate FET is coupled to the shared output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally in the field of electrical circuits. More specifically, the invention is in the field of high-frequency switching circuits.
2. Related Art
High-frequency switching devices, such as high-frequency switching devices having multiple inputs and a shared output, can be used in mobile communication devices, such as cellular handsets, to provide operation at more than one frequency. For example, a high-frequency switching device can be used in a cellular handset operating in a system using a global system for mobile communications (GSM) communications standard to enable the cellular handset to operate either at a low band frequency of 900.0 MHz or a high band frequency of 1800.0 MHz by selectively coupling a corresponding input to the shared output. For high-frequency switching devices, such as high-frequency switching devices used in mobile communication devices using the GSM communications standard, there is a continuing need to provide high power handling capability and low harmonic output, such as low third harmonic output.
A conventional high-frequency switching device can include two or more switching blocks, where each switching block includes a number of field effect transistors (FETs) coupled together, and where each switching block is coupled to a separate input and a shared output. The gates of the FETs in each switching block can be coupled to a control voltage input, which can provide a high control voltage to turn on the switching block and a low control voltage to turn off the switching block. To achieve increased power handling capability, the number of FETs in each switching block can be increased. However, increasing the number of FETs in each switching block undesirably increases the semiconductor die area consumed by the switching device. To reduce harmonic output, a first capacitor can be coupled between the gate and drain of the FET in each switching block that is coupled to the shared output of the switching device and a second capacitor can be coupled between the gate and source of the FET in each switching block that is coupled to an input of the switching device. However, this solution does not provide a sufficient reduction in harmonic output for many applications.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a high-frequency switching device that provides increased power handling capability and reduced harmonic output.

High-frequency switching device with reduced harmonics


According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device is provided which comprises a floating diffusion, a transfer gate, and a photoelectric conversion element. The floating diffusion is provided in a surface of a semiconductor layer. The transfer gate extends inward from the surface of the semiconductor layer and bends in the semiconductor layer toward the floating diffusion side. The photoelectric conversion element is provided in part of the semiconductor layer on the opposite side of the transfer gate from the floating diffusion and stretches from the side-surface side of the transfer gate to a position under the bottom thereof.

Conventionally, there have been solid-state imaging devices wherein photoelectric conversion elements are formed along a depth direction of a semiconductor substrate so as to reduce the occupied area without decreasing the saturated electron number and wherein longitudinal transfer gates are embedded between the photoelectric conversion elements and floating diffusions so as to improve the charge transfer efficiency.


The number of lines per page and the maximum number of characters per line defined by image data supplied from a host apparatus or the like are determined. On the basis of the number of lines per page and the maximum number of characters per line, it is determined whether image data will be formed in a non-printing area of a cut sheet of paper. If it is determined that the image data is formed in the non-printing area of the cut sheet of paper, the line and character pitches of the image data are changed into smaller pitches so that the image is printed in an printing area of the cut sheet of paper. The image data is printed in the printing area of the cut sheet of paper in accordance with the changed line and character pitches.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for receiving image data from an external apparatus and printing the received data on a cut sheet of paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since a dot-matrix printer prints an image on a continuous sheet of paper, the entire area of the sheet can be used as a printing area.
In a laser printer for performing printing on a cut sheet of paper, however, non-printing areas are provided on the leading and trailing ends and the right and left ends in consideration of possible skewing upon conveyance of a sheet or during fixing. For this reason, actual printing areas are different between the dot-matrix and laser printers even when the same form length is designated, i.e., an area of a cut sheet is smaller than that of a continuous sheet.
Conventional laser printers, however, recognize a designated form length (cut sheet length) as a printing area and prints printing data.
When an image is printed in conventional laser printers and the entire surface of a cut sheet is considered a printing area, therefore, some or all data in a non-printing area are lost, as shown in FIG. 12.

Image forming apparatus for forming character images in only a predetermined image forming area


An electric oven for cooking a food product in a fat substance comprises a cooking chamber, at least one electrical heating resistance housed in the cooking chamber, a vessel mountable inside the cooking chamber and housing, at least one rotatable stirring blade that is able to rotate the food product to cover the food product with a film of fat substance, and a drive pin to drive said stirring blade in rotation. The stirring blade is configured so as to displace the food product such that at last a portion of the food product comes into contact with the fat substance for combined cooking by action of air on the portion of the food product located above the fat substance and by action of fat substance immersion at least on a portion of the food product immersed in said fat substance.

In conventional fan-assisted electric ovens, the food product placed therein is cooked by contact with forced circulation of air from the fan. Should it also be wished that the food be cooked by frying, the user must either apply a large volume of fat substance to the cooking surface at the beginning of the cooking process or repeatedly extract the vessel containing the food product, apply fat substance, and displace the food product in order to coat the cooking surface of the vessel and/or coat the food product. Should it further be wished that the food be cooked by deep-fat frying, a significant amount of fat substance is required such that the food product is completely immersed in the fat substance or the user must repeatedly extract the vessel containing the food product and mix the food product to ensure that it is evenly immersed in the fat substance.
Use of a large volume of fat substance is unhealthy, expensive and results in a product having low organoleptic properties. Fat substance used in deep-fat frying is often re-used in order to lower expense, thereby further lowering the organoleptic properties of the cooked food product. It is therefore desirable to use a lower amount of fat substance in cooking. However, repeated extraction of the vessel and application of additional fat substance and/or mixing of the food product is time consuming and poses a safety hazard due to the high thermal heat capacity of fat substance.

Electric oven and procedure for cooking a food product in a very low level of fat substance


The present invention describes a method for inducing epizootic viral infections in insects which consists essentially of potentiating the latent virulence of indigenous insect viruses by contacting the insect with, or applying to its habitat or food supply, a potentiating amount of a stilbene compound. This invention further describes a method for protecting agronomic crops, trees, shrubs, orchards and ornamentals from attack by an insect which employs the application of a stilbene compound to a plant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the novel use of stilbene compounds to effectively potentiate natural epizootic viral infections of insects as a means of insect control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although several commercial formulations of entomopathogens (e.g., viruses and bacteria) have been available for many years, their use in agricultural and forestry pest management programs has been rather limited. In general, efficacy of currently available formulations of entomopathogens against pestiferous insects has been considered inadequate due to (1) length of time required to subdue the pest (i.e., unacceptable level of crop-damage may occur before the pest succumbs to factors associated with pathogenic infection) and (2) short residual effectiveness against pest infestation (e.g., stability of entomopathogenic viruses is adversely affected by exposure to ultraviolet solar radiation; Jaques, Can. J. Microbiol., 14: 1161-1163 (1968)).
Doan et al. (J. Insect Pathol., 6: 423-429 (1984)) suggested that greater insect control could occur with the use of viruses if the formulation could be enhanced by the addition of certain adjuvants. Potential virus adjuvants included selected analogs or salts of the stilbene compound, 4,4'-diamino-2,2'-stilbene disulfonic acid. Two such analogs are Calcofluor White and Phorwite (Shapiro et al., published U.S. patent application (USDA), Ser. No. 07/609,848, filed Nov. 7, 1990). Results from several laboratory studies reported by Shapiro et al. demonstrated that Calcofluor White M2R potentiated (as much as 1000-fold) the virulence of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) against the gypsy moth larvae, Lymantria dispar (as determined by enhanced LT.sub.50 and LD.sub.50 values). Shapiro et al., however, made no claims or suggestions regarding the use of stilbene compounds as enhancers of temperate or virulent indigenous viruses. In fact, the stilbene compounds employed alone in the bioassays which are reported in the literature caused no gypsy moth mortality. There have been no reports of insect mortality from the application of the stilbene compounds alone.
Although the mode-of-action pertaining to the stilbene's ability to potentiate the virulence of a virus against an insect is still speculative, there are reports in the literature regarding the biological properties of stilbene compounds. Stilbenes, and at least some of their photoproducts, have been shown to irreversibly bind to proteins in wool, silk, bovine serum albumin and apomyoglobin (Holt et al., Aust. J. Biol. Sci., 27: 23-29 and 195 (1974)). It has been demonstrated that certain stilbene compounds can inhibit cellulose and chitin microfibril formation (Roberts et al., J. Cell Biology, 9: 115a (1981); Herth, J. Cell Biology, 87: 442-450 (1980)). The stilbene, Calcofluor White, prevented formation of cellulose microfibrils in Acetobacter xylinum by hydrogen bonding with glucan chains (Haigler et al., Science, 210: 903-906 (1980)) and inhibited chitin synthetase activity in Neurospora crassa (Selitrennikoff, Exp. Mycol., 8: 269-272 (1984)). Shapiro et al. found that another stilbene compound, Phorwite AR, synergized a cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV) against gypsy moth larvae. Since CPV multiplies only in the midgut epithelial cells, it has been suggested that the site of action of the brightener was the insect's midgut (Dougherty et al., "Mode of Action of Fluorescent Brighteners as Enhancers for the Lymantria Dispar Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (Ld NPV) in the Gypsy Moth," oral presentation, Am. Society for Virology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., Jul. 9, 1991). With the exception of some fluid-feeding species, many insects possess a midgut which is lined with peritrophic membrane, which in turn, is comprised of chitin and protein (Chapman, The Insects Structure and Function, p. 46 (Elsevier, N.Y. 1971)).
It is well known in the art that baculoviruses are abundant in the environment and most of them are existing at very low levels of infection or in an inactive state. For example, a study examining the prevalence of nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (Trichoplusia ni (Hubner)) on cabbage revealed that a typical coleslaw serving could contain approximately 10.sup.10 polyhedra per serving. Yet, consumers and insects eat this raw cabbage without undue mortality or disease. Similarly, the gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus does not appear to be highly and reliably virulent when present in the environment. But applied at high concentrations, the gypsy moth NPV becomes deadly to the insect. Prior entomopathogens with or without the concomitant use of stilbene compounds have focused on applying large lethal concentrations of such viruses to target insects. Therefore, it would be very useful for more effective and safe insect control if the virulence of indigenous insect viruses which are found in nature at cryptic and/or low levels of infection could be potentiated. Furthermore, as a consequence of the instability associated with the prior entomopathogenic viruses in practical use, it is highly desirable to find an inexpensive means for enhancing the latent virulence of the ubiquitous, indigenous insect viruses and inducing epizootic viral infections to effectively control insects.

Potentiation of epizootic viral infections of insects


A depth of interaction detector with uniform pulse-height comprises a multi-layer scintillator obtained by coupling at least two scintillator cells on a plane and then stacking the planar coupled scintillator cells, in layers, up to at least two stages and a light-receiving element connected to the bottom face of each scintillator cell of this multi-layer scintillator, wherein the detector is provided with a means for discriminating the position of a scintillator cell, which receives radiant rays and emits light rays and a means for making, uniform, the quantity of the light emitted from each scintillator cell and received by the light-receiving element. The detector can provide precise detection information even when radiation is absorbed by and emitted from a scintillator layer positioned above the scintillator layer optically coupled to the light-receiving element, permits the production of a depth of interaction detector having a three-dimensional depth of interaction-detecting function and can provide the same total output signal, which is independent of the position or a specific scintillator cell practically emitting light if the radiation energy is identical.

The present invention relates to a depth of interaction detector with uniform pulse-height, which is a scintillation radiation detector having a function of detecting radiation depth of interaction and a function of selecting radiation absorption energy imparted thereto.
Conventionally, there has been known a three-dimensional depth of interaction detector (see, for instance, Document 1 as will be given later) as a depth of interaction detector, which is a scintillation radiation detector having a function of detecting radiation depth of interaction and a function of selecting radiation absorption energy imparted thereto. In this detector, however, the conditions set for absorbed radiation energy may vary depending on every scintillation cell and they must thus be selected independently or individually. For this reason, this detector never has a structure in which radiation energies are selected through a circuit on the basis of the same selection conditions or the same signal-processing circuit. This not only complicates the structure of such a signal-processing circuit for a multi-layer scintillation block obtained by stacking up scintillator cells, but also suffers from a problem in that images thus obtained are non-uniform because the energy resolution capacity of the scintillator cells differ from one another. In other words, there is observed, for scintillator cells located far away from a light-receiving element, a decrease of the sum of output signals due to such stacking up of the scintillator layers and accordingly, the overall depth of interaction-detecting characteristics and energy-resolving characteristics of the device would be damaged.
FIG. 7 shows an example of a conventional depth of interaction detector and FIG. 8 shows the energy spectrum of energy distribution observed for each scintillator cell with respect to the total quantity of light rays received by the light-receiving element of the conventional depth of interaction detector (1) wherein the pulse-heights observed for a γ-ray of a single wavelength considerably differ from cell to cell (see, for instance, Document 2 as will be given later). Thus, the conventional detector would require the use of an amplifier having a wide dynamic range and a digital processing ability upon the processing of signals output from the detector and this makes the design of a front-end processing circuit difficult.
To obtain the same pulse-height for the sum of signals irrespective of which scintillator cell indeed emits light rays, there has been used an optical attenuation technique such as the replacement of a part of the light-reflecting material surrounding cells located in the proximity to the light-receiving element with a light-absorbing material (see, for instance, Document 3 as will be given later). However, this method suffers from a problem such that all of the abilities of resolving energy, position (depth of interaction) and time are deteriorated because of the reduction of the quantity of light capable of being utilized by the light-receiving element.    Document 1: Japanese Un-Examined Patent Publication Hei 1-229995    Document 2: Japanese Un-Examined Patent Publication Hei 11-142523    Document 3: IEEE, Nuclear Science, 1998, Vol. 45(3), pp. 1152–1157

Depth of interaction detector with uniform pulse-height

National Institute of Radiological Sciences


A process for leaching a mineral particulate material comprising the steps of feeding the mineral particulate material to a leaching step (10) in which at least one valuable metal in the mineral particulate material is leached into a leach solution to form a pregnant leach liquor and a solid residue containing undissolved mineral matter, the leaching step being conducted under conditions such that elemental sulphur is formed in the leaching step, wherein beads or particles that take up elemental sulphur are added to the leaching step such that elemental sulphur is taken up by or collects on the beads or particles, and separating the beads or particles from the pregnant leach liquor and the solid residue. The beads or particles may be treated to remove sulphur and the beads or particles are returned to the leaching step. Alternatively the mineral doesn't need to comprise a soluble component and can be a refractory sulphide of iron and/or arsenic containing precious metals that require oxidation before downstream conventional processes such as cyanidation.

A number of processes for treating mineral ores or concentrates involve leaching the ore or concentrate under conditions such that desired metals go into solution. The solution is then separated from a solid residue and the solution is treated to recover the desired metal from solution. In some instances, some valuable metals or other components remain with the solid residue and it can be desirable to further treat the solid residue from the leaching step to recover valuable metals therefrom.
To provide one example of this, the Albion Process (which is a trademark of the present applicant) involves treating ores or concentrates, typically sulphide ores or concentrates, containing copper, cobalt, lead, zinc, iron and/or nickel as well as precious metals, by leaching in an acid regime under oxidative conditions. The copper, cobalt, zinc and/or nickel present in the ore or concentrate are dissolved into solution and can be recovered from the solution following solid/liquid separation. If the ore or concentrate also contains silver or gold, the silver or gold does not dissolve into solution and stays with the solid residue. It can be desirable to recover the silver or gold from the solid residue. A cyanidation process is typically used to recover the silver or gold from the solid residue. Another example is where precious metals are contained in sulphide concentrates that must first be oxidised before treatment in conventional flowsheets such as gold contained in pyrite and treatment in a cyanidation process following oxidation.
Due to the oxidative conditions under which the leaching step occurs in the Albion process, sulphides in the ore or concentrate are oxidised to form elemental sulphur. The elemental sulphur is in the form of a solid and it reports to the solid residue following the solid/liquid separation step. When the solid residue is treated with cyanide, the elemental sulphur consumes significant quantities of cyanide. This can adversely impact on both the processing and the economics of the silver gold recovery process. To address this issue, some solid residues containing elemental sulphur are subjected to a flotation step. The elemental sulphur floats and the rest of the solids report to tails, thereby enabling elemental sulphur to be separated from the solid residue. However, some of the silver or gold can also float with the elemental sulphur. This, of course, results in a loss of valuable yield of silver or gold or requires treatment in another unit operation for recovery.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

Process for leaching a mineral particulate material


A method and system to improve emergency call continuity by allowing inbound mobility towards non-member CSG cells is disclosed. The method enables the UE to detect an emergency call. Then the UE initiates an autonomous search procedure by itself, without need for network to configure the UE for proximity reporting. The method enables the UE to use non-member CSG cells for continuity of emergency calls. The method also enables the UE to confirm emergency call handling support provided by the target CSG cell before initiating handover.

Communication network operators give highest priority to Emergency Calls (EC). With wide spread use of mobile phones communication networks need to have an enhanced emergency call handling infrastructure across cells. The emergency call handling infrastructure should be able to provide emergency call continuity for a roaming user. The inbound mobility refers to a network controlled, handover functionality for User Equipment (UE) in Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state with an established connection to the network.
In Long Term Evolution (LTE) as per third generation partnership project (3GPP) standard the networks support handover of the calls across the cells. The UE in connected mode measures only the cells on frequencies configured by the network and reports the measurement results based on event or on periodical reporting criteria. Autonomous search procedure allows the UE to search for the Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cells present on those frequencies, for which the UE is not configured by the network. As per 3GPP specifications, 36.331 and 36.304, the UE in connected mode starts the autonomous search procedure only when the network configures the UE for proximity reporting. The UE can transmit proximity report for the detected CSG cell only if the CSG cell is present in its CSG whitelist (member CSG cell).
Moreover, in the existing methods the UE reports proximity indication of the detected member CSG cell even though the member CSG cell fails to support emergency call service. The UE follows the autonomous search procedure irrespective of type of the call, which can be an emergency call or a normal (regular) call. With existing method, the UE is unable to utilize available services of the non-member CSG cell which is not part of its white list. Thus, the UE never reports proximity of the detected non-member CSG cell to the network. If the UE fails to detect another member CSG cell the emergency call maybe discontinued.
Due to above mentioned reasons, existing methods following the 3GPP standard specification 36, fail to provide emergency call continuity in non-member CSG cells. The existing method relies on the network to configure the UE for initiating autonomous search procedure and delay in the process may result in discontinuation of the emergency call.

Method to improve emergency call continuity by allowing inbound mobility towards non-member CSG cells


A portable electrical device with heat dissipation mechanism includes a housing with an acoustic hole, an earphone receptacle with a earphone hole, and two fans. The earphone receptacle and the fans are disposed in the housing. The fans are respectively located adjacent to the acoustic hole and the earphone hole, and generate airflow passing through the acoustic hole and the earphone hole. Thus, the portable electrical device dissipating heat utilizes the holes existing on the housing, without additional heat-dissipation holes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a portable electrical device, and in particular, to a portable electrical device with a heat dissipation mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the development trend of portable electrical devices, portable electrical devices such as smartphones with thinner profiles and higher performance are required. Therefore, a number of electronic elements are disposed in a housing of the portable electrical device that has a limited volume. Further, a heat dissipation mechanism is also disposed in the housing to dissipate the great amount of heat that is generated by the electronic elements, and thus additional holes are formed in the housing for dissipating heat.
However, the additional holes in the housing make the appearance of the portable electrical device worse. Further, conventional axial fans or centrifugal fans may not be disposed in a very thin housing.

Portable electrical device with heat dissipation mechanism


In one example, there is designed a system for calculating an evaluation index for sample ink amount data from a color difference evaluation index and an image quality evaluation index, and creating a profile based on a highly rated sample. In this system, the printer driver is designed to use different indexes to create plural profiles, and to perform color conversion using these plural profiles. These plural profiles may be selected appropriately according to user needs, printing conditions, type of image targeted for printing, and the like.

In recent years, the use of color ink-jet printers, color laser printers, and the like as color printers has become widespread. A color printer uses a color conversion lookup table to convert input color image data into amounts of plural inks. In the conventional method for creating a color conversion lookup table, (i) a plurality of color patches are printed, (ii) colors of the color patches are measured to obtain calorimetric values, and (iii) a lookup table that represents correspondence relationships between color patch colorimetric values and the amounts of ink used to print the color patches is created.
However, colorimetric values are dependent upon viewing condition during color measurement. Accordingly, where a color conversion lookup table has been created so as to give a printout having good color reproduction under a certain viewing condition, it will not necessarily be the case that printouts created using that color conversion lookup table will afford good color reproduction under other viewing conditions. Accordingly, there has for some time existed a need for a color conversion lookup table able to give good color reproduction under various viewing conditions. There has also been a need, when creating a reproduction of a painting or drawing for example, to create a color conversion lookup table that can reproduce as faithfully as possible the color appearance of the original.
Image quality of a printout created using a color conversion lookup table is dependent in large degree on colorimetric values and ink amounts specified in the color conversion lookup table. In practical terms, it is necessary for a color conversion lookup table to simultaneously afford good reproduction under various viewing conditions, and high image quality of printed output. According, there was a need to create a color conversion lookup table capable of affording good reproduction under various viewing conditions while at the same time printing with high image quality Such requirements are not limited just to color conversion lookup tables, but are generally desirable in all manner of profiles used for color conversion.
As described above, while it is necessary for a color conversion lookup table to simultaneously fulfill of requirements as to a large number different qualities, these qualities will differ depending on the printing application, conditions at the time of printing, or user needs. Accordingly, there exists a need for a system whereby suitable profiles can be created easily in response to a certain printing application or conditions at the time of printing, the system also affording selection of a suitable profile from among a multitude of profiles, with reference to printing application or conditions at the time of printing.

Production of color conversion profile for printing


An electrolytic electrode comprising a substrate made of a valve metal, an intermediate layer formed on a surface of the substrate containing an oxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, titanium, and zirconium, and a coating layer formed on the intermediate layer containing an iridium-tantalum mixed oxide and platinum. In separate embodiments of the invention, the intermediate layer may contain platinum and/or a stabilizing layer formed on the coating layer containing an oxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tin, titanium, tantalum, zirconium, and niobium.

Electrolytic plating or electrolytic surface treatment of metals has been conducted using an article to be treated as the cathode and using, as the counter electrode, a soluble anode or an insoluble anode comprising a corrosion-resistant material such as lead or a lead alloy.
Soluble anodes have conventionally been used extensively because, theoretically, electrolytic plating operations employing a soluble anode can be conducted continuously without changing the composition of the electrolyte solution, that is, while the same metal as that deposited on the cathode (from the electrolyte solution) is released from, and supplied by, the anode in an amount equal to the deposited amount. However, use of soluble anodes has generally been defective. For example, the balance between the anode and cathode is disturbed resulting in the need to regulate the composition of the electrolyte solution or frequently replace the anode with a fresh one. Thus, the maintenance of the electrolytic system is troublesome. Another problem associated with the use of soluble anodes is that the distance between the cathode and anode is not constant. Therefore, soluble anodes have been unable to meet the recent demand for higher quality, higher speed, and energy saving, and as a result, insoluble anodes which do not dissolve in electrolytic baths (which changes the composition thereof) and which can be treated independently of electrodes have come to be used.
Lead or a lead alloy is used as a material for such insoluble anodes. The lead-based anode has the merits of inexpensiveness and is easily shaped. However, the use of such lead-based anodes are problematic. For example, when electrolysis is conducted at a high current density, i.e., at a high speed, the electrode material dissolves into the electrolyte solution at a rate of several milligrams per W.H to contaminate the electrolyte solution, leading to poor product quality. Another problem exists if the electrolysis is continued further. In such a case, the lead or lead alloy itself softens resulting in impaired dimensional stability. Although a platinum-plated titanium electrode is also being used as an insoluble electrode (in addition to the lead-based electrode), it is expensive, and; disadvantageously, its life is greatly shortened if on-off operations are repeatedly conducted.
On the other hand, a so-called dimensionally stable electrode (DSE) was developed which comprises a valve metal substrate and, provided thereon, a coating mainly comprising an oxide of a platinum group metal. Use of this electrode, which is regarded as free from most of the conventional problems, is spreading rapidly. In particular, in the caustic soda-producing electrolysis not involving oxygen generation, which is the mainly employed technique in the present-day industrial electrolysis for caustic soda production, almost 100% of the electrolytic cells employ a DSE.
Hitherto, it has been attempted to use the abovedescribed DSE in electrolysis involving oxygen generation, and the use thereof is rapidly expanding in recent years. One example of a DSE is an electrode comprising a substrate made of titanium or a titanium alloy and, formed on the substrate, an oxide coating containing iridium as an electrode material, and titanium or tantalum as a stabilizer. The most serious problem associated with these kinds of electrodes has been that when used in oxygen-generating electrolysis, the electrode forms a passive-state layer at the interface between the coating and the substrate and becomes unable to be used any longer before the electrode material is completely consumed. As a result of studies by the present inventors, they succeeded in inhibiting the formation of such a passive-state layer by providing a thin layer of an electrically conductive oxide at the coating-substrate interface.
However, even in the case of such an insoluble metal electrode having a thin layer of an electrically conductive oxide, its life in oxygen-generating electrolysis is one year at the most when the electrode is used at a current density of about 100 A/dm.sup.2. This life is extremely short as compared to the lives of several years or more which the insoluble metal electrode has when used in soda-producing electrolysis. Therefore, it has been desired to increase the life of the insoluble metal electrodes used in oxygen-generating electrolysis.


A work station system suitable for an office can include an elongate support beam, rigid, vertical posts supporting this beam above the floor, and a movable desk unit with a work surface and rollable members mounted at a bottom end thereof A wall is mounted on the top of the beam in a vertical position and is supported by the beam. A flexible cable and wire carrier device extends between elevated positions on the support beam and the desk unit and is connected to both. Preferably this carrier device includes an elongate carrier section comprising a plurality of interconnected links that are pivotable with respect to each other. The carrier device permits the desk unit to move towards and away from the support beam and, if a desk unit which is vertically adjustable is connected to the carrier device, the carrier device also permits the desk unit to move upwardly or downwardly. The carrier device can include a connecting module attached to its beam end. The invention can also be used with a supporting wall that is supported directly by the floor and that has no beam member supporting it.

This invention relates to work station systems suitable for offices, particularly such systems which employ elongate support beams and/or support walls that are mounted on the floor and that extend horizontally.
A variety of work station systems for use in offices and other work areas have been developed in recent years, many of these systems being designed for the purpose of using office space more efficiently. Because modern offices commonly require a considerable amount of electronic office equipment and cables and wires to operate and support same, modern office systems must be adapted to accommodate this type of equipment and must make it easy for workers and employees to use and operate this equipment in an efficient and effective manner. In addition, work station systems must take into account the need to have access to this electronic office equipment, including telephone units and the wires and cables for same, for the purpose of providing maintenance, repairs, and upgrades or changes to the equipment.
Work station systems suitable for an office which are based on an elevated, horizontal, structural beam support are known and used in the office furniture industry and these systems can be used to support electronic office equipment and phone systems. One such beam-type work station system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,177 issued Jun. 13, 1989 to Nova-Link Limited. This system is capable of mounting reasonably heavy electrical communication and computer equipment along the rear of a horizontal work surface. Support legs mount a beam of rectangular cross-section in a horizontal position above the floor while support brackets are detachably connected to one or both sides of the beam with the work surfaces being mounted on these brackets. Although this known work station system works reasonably well, the work surfaces provided by this system are not generally or easily adjustable or movable either in a horizontal direction or in a vertical direction.
Canadian patent application serial No. 2,207,344 filed Jun. 9, 1997 and assigned to Nova-Link Limited, describes and illustrates an improved beam-type work station system which not only employs a horizontal support beam and work surfaces mounted on at least one side of this beam, but also has a primary support wall capable of bearing reasonably heavy loads and mounted on top of the beam in a generally vertical position so as to be supported by the beam. This pending application also describes the use of a support wall extension which can be mounted on top of the primary support wall so as to increase the overall height of the support wall, which extension is detachable from the primary support wall. Preferably the primary support wall and any extension thereof have major surfaces thereof formed by metal panel members on which office equipment or shelves can readily be mounted by means of horizontally extending rails integrally formed on the panel members.
The aforementioned pending application also teaches the use of adjustable support brackets that can be mounted on one or both sides of the beam and that can be used to support not only electrically operated display screens and/or computer equipment but also horizontal work surfaces. However, although the support brackets are extendible to some extent in a horizontal direction, thereby moving the work surface outwardly away from the beam, any such adjustment does require some time and effort by the user or his or her equipment provider and therefore any such adjustment would only be carried out occasionally, possibly when the office was being reorganized or when new office equipment was required. Furthermore, this known system does not provide for any easy adjustment in the height of the work surface.
It is also known in the office furniture art to provide readily movable tables and desks, often by providing wheels or rollers mounted on the bottom of the furniture or at the bottom of the legs thereof. A recent example of a movable office desk with a keyboard support is that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,299 which issued Jan. 6, 1998 to Haworth. Inc. This keyboard support stand includes a support frame assembly and a height-adjustable top work surface that is divided into two side surfaces. The legs of the stand extend upwardly from two horizontal base members which can have a rollable caster mounted at one end thereof to facilitate repositioning of the stand. A support foot is mounted at the end of the base member located away from the caster. One known difficulty however with movable office furniture is that they may not be suitable for computer and/or communication equipment which can be quite delicate and easily damaged by movement. For this reason, it is generally desirable to mount such delicate equipment so that its position is substantially fixed.
Another problem with movable desks and tables is that, if electrical equipment is placed or mounted thereon, loose cables and wires for this equipment can be a problem and can even create a safety hazard. There is a clear need to reduce or avoid entirely any loose cables and wires and to properly provide for conducting same to the desk
Devices such as protective sleeves and conduits for protecting and supporting electrical cable and wires are known in the cable and wire industry. For example, it is known to provide flexible, metal conduit which will protect wiring as well as persons and equipment located in the vicinity of this wiring. Rigid, metal pipes can also be used along walls to conduct and protect wiring and cable.
In particular, it is known to provide flexible, cable carriers for use in conjunction with large machine tools that have a moving machine component. One such cable carrier which is said to be self-supporting is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,577 which issued Apr. 21, 1987 to A & A Manufacturing Co., construction. Each segment has a generally rectangular cross-section with a hollow interior. The segments are pivotable with respect to each other a limited amount to form a flexible tube which fully encloses the cables or wires and supports same. The segments are preferably molded in one piece from a suitable plastic.
Also it is known in the modular office furniture art to provide rigid supporting walls that are mounted on the floor and not on a beam structure. Such walls can provide conduits for electrical wires and cables that are connected to office and computer equipment. Desk and shelving modules can be rigidly connected to these supporting walls.

Combined cable manager and table connector


A semiconductor wafer structure for integrated circuit devices includes a bulk substrate; a lower insulating layer formed on the bulk substrate; an electrically conductive back gate layer formed on the lower insulating layer; an upper insulating layer formed on the back gate layer; and a hybrid semiconductor-on-insulator layer formed on the upper insulating layer, the hybrid semiconductor-on-insulator layer comprising a first portion having a first crystal orientation and a second portion having a second crystal orientation.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor device manufacturing techniques and, more particularly, to fabrication of hybrid double buried oxide (BOX), back gate (DBBG) extremely thin silicon-on-insulator (ETSOI) wafers with enhanced mobility channels.
Fully depleted transistor devices are essential for device scaling. Extremely thin SOI (ETSOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors with back gate controls have shown advantages with respect to reducing short channel effects (SCE), reducing threshold voltage (Vt) variability due to body doping fluctuations, and using the back gate voltage to adjust/tune the threshold. However, the drive current of such back gated ETSOI devices is limited due to relatively lower carrier mobility in such thin silicon (Si) regions. Although some stress techniques such as the application of stressed contact area (CA) liners may be applied in order to improve the carrier mobility, it is still difficult to form embedded SiGe in the source/drain areas due to the extremely thin Si layer.

Hybrid double box back gate silicon-on-insulator wafers with enhanced mobility channels

International Business Machines Corporation


A light mount for mounting a light to a steering arm on an axle may include a bracket designed to attach to the steering arm; and a bracket orifice extending through a portion of the bracket, the bracket orifice sized to accommodate a light pod fastener extending from a light pod, wherein the bracket and, thus, the light pod rotate with rotation of the steering arm. The bracket may have various forms and may be a Z-shaped bracket, a mounting perch integrated into the structure of a steering arm, or a mounting plate designed to be attached to an existing steering arm.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to automotive accessories and, more particularly, to a bracket for mounting a light to a steering arm on an axle.
Most vehicles do not have lights that turn with the wheels, leading to night time visibility issues. While some high end vehicles come standard with this feature, there is currently no aftermarket product that can be added to a vehicle with standard lights to allow the lights to turn with the wheels.
Therefore, what is needed is a bracket for mounting a light to a steering arm on an axle, allowing the light to turn with the turning of the steering wheel.

Bracket for mounting light to steering arm


A semiconductor device has a multilayered metalization including a CVD tungsten film, a thin buffer layer deposited on the CVD tungsten film by sputtering, and an Al-alloy layer formed on the buffer layer. Due to the existence of the thin buffer layer, the crystal grains of the Al-alloy layer do not become small and the electromigration resistance as wiring is enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved configuration of metal wiring and an improved method of fabricating the metal wiring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, as components in a semiconductor device are highly integrated, the line width of metal wiring is reduced and the aspect ratio of a contact hole is increased. Accordingly, the density of current flowing through the wiring becomes high and the step coverage of metal wiring in contact holes is deteriorated. As a result, the reliability of the wiring and the contact holes cannot be ensured.
A known wiring structure in a conventional semiconductor device which can eliminate the above disadvantage is a double-layered structure constituted by an aluminum alloy (Al-alloy) film and a barrier metal film. The double-layered structure is formed in such a manner that the barrier metal film is sputter deposited and then the Al-alloy film is deposited. As the barrier metal film, a refractory metal film or a refractory metal compound film such as a refractory metal nitride film is used.
However, when the components are more highly integrated, and hence, the size of a contact hole is reduced, the barrier metal film formed by sputtering is very thin on the bottom of the contact hole due to the poor step coverage. This causes a problem in that the reliability of contact cannot be ensured. In order to solve the problem, a method has been proposed in which a tungsten film formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (hereinafter, referred to as a CVD tungsten film) is used as the barrier metal film instead of the barrier metal film formed by sputtering. The step coverage is extremely improved when utilizing CVD as compared with the case of sputtering, so that the tungsten film is thickly formed on the bottom of the contact hole, and therefore, the reliability of contact is ensured.
In order to solve the problem of poor step coverage of an Al-alloy film, another method further improved over the above-mentioned method has been proposed. In such method, contact holes are filled with tungsten by depositing a tungsten film to a thickness equal to or larger than a half length of the short side of a contact hole, and then an Al-alloy film is deposited. This improved method, however, has a disadvantage that the film thickness as wiring increases. Therefore, another method has been proposed in which a tungsten film is deposited to a thickness equal to or larger than a half length of the short side of a contact hole, and the tungsten film is used as wiring without depositing an Al alloy. This method still has a disadvantage that the wiring resistance is high because of the absence of an Al alloy. Accordingly, still another method has been reported in which a tungsten film is deposited to a thickness equal to or larger than a half length of the short side of a contact hole, and then the entire surface of the tungsten film is etched to reduce the thickness of the tungsten film. Next, an Al-alloy film is deposited, so that the total film thickness as wiring is reduced. Such a method is reported, for example, in IEEE, IEDM, Technical Digest, pp. 462-465, 1988.
An example of the above-mentioned conventional semiconductor device which is fabricated in such a manner that a tungsten film is deposited to a thickness equal to or larger than a half length of the short side of a contact hole, and then an Al-alloy film is deposited will be described below with reference to FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the main portions of the conventional semiconductor device. In FIG. 3, a first insulating film 2 is formed over a silicon substrate 1. A metal wiring 3, and then a second insulating film 4, are formed on top of the first insulating film 2. A contact hole 5 is formed in the second insulating film 4. A seed layer 6 of a titanium tungsten (TiW) film is formed on the second insulating film 4 and in the contact hole 5 as a seed for the growth of a tungsten film over the insulating film. In the case where a tungsten film is formed over an insulating film, it is necessary to form a seed layer on top of the insulating film, because a CVD tungsten film is not grown on the insulating film. Over the seed layer 6, a CVD tungsten film 7 is formed, and an Al-alloy film 9 is formed thereover.
In the semiconductor device with the above-mentioned configuration, the contact hole is filled with tungsten by forming the CVD tungsten film 7, thereby ensuring the reliability of contact. The multilayered structure of the tungsten film 7 and the Al-alloy film 9 enables the specific resistance to be lowered as compared with a single layer structure of tungsten film. Generally, the surface of the CVD tungsten film 7 is rough, as is shown in FIG. 3.
A comparison in reliability as wiring of a multilayered structure of a barrier metal film and an Al-alloy film between a case where a CVD tungsten film is used as the barrier metal film and a case where a TiW film deposited by sputtering is used as the barrier metal film is reported by H. H. Hoang et al. in Proceeding, IEEE, VMIC Conference, pp. 133-141, 1990. The report mentions that, since the surface of a CVD tungsten film is rough, in the case where the tungsten film is used as the barrier metal film, the crystal grains of the Al-alloy film are small as compared with the case of using the TiW film. Therefore, the reliability as wiring (e.g., the electromigration resistance) is poor. The report further mentions that if the Cu concentration in the Al-alloy film is 2%, there is no difference in reliability between the two cases using the different kinds of barrier metal films.
It is known that the electromigration resistance becomes high with the increase in grain diameter of an Al-alloy film. The electromigration is a phenomenon in which, when electrons flow, the electrons collide with Al atoms to move the Al atoms. It is known that, since the Al atoms are moved along the grain boundaries, in a portion A where plural grain boundaries combine into one as is shown in FIG. 4 along the direction of the flow of electrons, the Al atoms go to excess to cause hillock which results in a short circuit. In a portion B where one grain boundary divides into plural grain boundaries, the Al atoms are not sufficient so as to cause void which results in breaking of wiring. Therefore, as the crystal grain is larger, the number of grain boundaries decreases, and the electromigration resistance is enhanced.
It is also known that the electromigration resistance is enhanced when copper is added as an impurity to Al-alloy, and as the concentration of copper is higher, the effect is further enhanced. It is considered that this is because copper deposits itself on the grain boundaries and suppresses the movement of Al atoms along the grain boundaries.
However, with the above configuration using the Al-alloy film containing 2% copper, there remains a problem in corrosion of wiring. Since it is known that the corrosion of Al alloy is more likely to occur as the concentration of copper becomes higher, the Al-alloy film usually contains 0.5% copper, or 1% copper at the most. With the decrease in size of a semiconductor device, the line width of wiring is further reduced, so that the slight corrosion may cause a defect. Therefore, it becomes further difficult for the Al-alloy film to contain much copper.

Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method and apparatus for cutting an end of a tie wrap after a locking mechanism of the tie wrap has been engaged includes inserting the end of the tie wrap in proximity with a curved blade of a cutting tool. Pressure is applied to the cutting tool to force the curved blade against the tie wrap until the tie wrap is cut through.

1. Field of the Invention
The described invention relates to the field of cutting tools. In particular, the invention relates to a cutting tool having a curved blade for cutting a tie wrap.
2. Description of Related Art
It is common, particularly in routing network cables, to use tie wraps (also called zip ties) to bind bundles of cables together. This allows similar groupings of cables to be kept together. Tie wraps prevent cables from tangling and allowing for better cable management.
FIG. 1 shows a typical tie wrap 1. The tie wrap is typically made of plastic or nylon. One end of the tie wrap has a tie head 3; the other end of the tie wrap is a free end 7 which is typically tapered at the very end. The tie wrap is wrapped around cables or other materials meant to be bound up. The free end 7 is then put through an eye 5 of the tie head 3, and pulled tight. The tie wrap has a locking mechanism within the tie head 3 that allows the free end 7 to be pulled through the eye 5. This engages the locking mechanism and the free end 7 cannot be pulled back out of the eye 5. Thus, the tie wrap can be made tighter, but not be loosened. A number of notches or ridges 11 in the tie wrap are used by the locking mechanism to achieve the one-way tightening process. A tie wrap that has its locking mechanism engaged is referred to as a xe2x80x9clocked tie wrapxe2x80x9d herein.
FIG. 2 shows a tie wrap that has been tightened. There is an excess 15 of the tie wrap that extends through the eye 5. This excess tie wrap is trimmed. If the excess tie wrap 17 is trimmed flush to the tie head 3, as shown in FIG. 3, the tie head 3 buffers the sharp edges of the cut tie wrap end from causing injury to people working with or near the tie wraps. However, if the excess tie wrap 19 is cut close to but not flush with the tie head 3, as shown in FIG. 4, this produces a firm protrusion that can easily cause injury due to sharp edges.


An architecture for use in packet processing and supporting compatibility with current BSD implementations for packet processing is proposed wherein two MBUF formats are supported. A first format includes a header portion and a data portion for storing data therein. A second format includes a header portion but is absent a data portion and is for addressing data stored within a cluster and external to the MBUF itself.

Memory buffers (MBUFs) are well known in the software and hardware design of protocol stack processors. MBUFs according to the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) implementation include a control portion and a data portion. The MBUF allocated memory is of a fixed size relating to the memory available and communication data being processed. A typical choice for MBUF size is between 128 and 512 bytes.
BSD was designed with systems having significant power and memory resources in mind. In today's technology markets, wireless battery operated circuits are becoming ever more popular. With their popularity, increased resource efficiency becomes a critical limitation on performance.
It would be advantageous to provide an architecture for more efficient resource utilization that is backward compatible with current protocol implementations.

Packet memory processing system having memory buffers with different architectures and method therefor


A system for providing a CMOS I/O circuit design that may replace existing bipolar I/O circuitry, and thus behave in substantially the same manner as bipolar I/O circuitry. Thus, an I/O circuit using a standard CMOS process is made that mimics operation of an ECL I/O circuit created using bipolar transistors. The CMOS input circuitry can receive input signals from an ECL output circuit, so as to mimic traditional ECL input circuitry. The CMOS output circuitry can output signals to an ECL input circuit, so as to mimic traditional ECL output circuitry. The CMOS I/O circuitry is designed to mimic the temperature dependent signals level, as present within traditional ECL I/O circuitry.

Input/output, or I/O, is circuitry that allows parts of an information processing system (such as a computer or chip) to communicate with each other. Inputs are signals received by the chip and outputs are signals sent from the chip. I/O circuitry is usually located on a periphery of the computer chip to perform as an interface between chips. Output circuitry receives signals from a core of a chip and transforms the signals electrically into a form that can be transmitted across a cable or board to another chip. Input circuitry receives signals from the cable or board and transforms signals electrically into a form that can be used by a core of the chip.
Many legacy I/O circuit designs use ECL (Emitter-Coupled Logic) circuitry. ECL is a logic family in which current is steered through bipolar transistors to compute logical functions. ECL is based on use of a multi-input differential amplifier to amplify and combine digital signals, and emitter followers to adjust DC voltage levels. As a result, none of the transistors enter saturation, nor do the transistors become completely turned off. The transistors remain entirely within their active operating regions at all times. As a result, the transistors do not have a charge storage time to contend with and can change states much more rapidly, allowing ECL circuits to operate at a very high speed. However, the transistors are continuously drawing current, which means the circuits require a lot of power.
ECL uses bipolar transistor technology rather than CMOS technology. Therefore, ECL specifications are usually written around bipolar capabilities, which are different than CMOS. For example, changes in temperature levels cause inherent shifting of input and output levels when using bipolar transistors. CMOS transistors may not be affected in the same manner. Further, CMOS integrated circuits typically operate with a power supply of 5 V or 3.3 V, while ECL traditionally operates with a negative power supply (such as −5 V). Standard ECL is not generally compatible with CMOS circuits. Accordingly, driving an ECL circuit from a CMOS circuit presents difficult design issues.
It would be desirable to replace ECL circuitry, when needed, with current CMOS circuitry and processes rather than redesigning the whole system. Thus, an I/O design or interface cell produced using CMOS processes is needed that behaves in the same manner as existing bipolar I/O circuitry.

System for providing a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) emitter coupled logic (ECL) equivalent input/output (I/O) circuit