A self-erecting structure includes a series of fabric panels each tautly spread by a length of steel wire or other resiliently flexible, filiform material. The steel wire may form a closed loop, an open loop or a mere arc. The wire is selectively inserted into at least two of several pockets or fabric straps positioned around the periphery of the panel. The selection of the wire-holding pockets or straps defines the shape of the spread-out panel. Parts of the fabric which are not encompassed by a wire are held folded over it and against the spread-out portion. The shape of the structure can be quickly modified by repositioning of the wires.

The prior art contains a great number and variety of self-erecting, collapsible and portable structures made by the juxtaposition of panels of many shapes and dimensions where each panel is formed by a sheet of fabric stretched by a loop of steel wire or similar resiliently flexible filiform elements. Examples of this type of structure are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,161 Norman and U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,812 Norman, which patents are incorporated in this specification by his reference. In every instance, the wire loop is permanently attached to the periphery of the panel. While such fixedly defined panels can be joined in a variety of ways in order to change the shape, size or even nature of the structure, there is a definite advantage in providing ever improved versatility so that the same device can be put to variety of uses.


An ammunition retaining feed tray for a firearm including a feed tray with a distal and a proximal end, a cartridge stop for alignment of an ammunition belt, at least one pawl opening, and a pawl assembly engagement; a pawl assembly connected to the pawl assembly engagement of the feed tray with the pawl assembly including at least one pawl operable to move within the at least one pawl opening of the feed tray and for engaging an ammunition belt.

The present invention relates to an ammunition retaining feed tray for a firearm. More particularly, the invention pertains to an ammunition retaining feed tray for a belt-fed firearm such as the M240 machine gun, so as to improve loading of the firearm. Optionally, a pawl assembly may be utilized with the feed tray to retain an ammunition belt in position while a user performs steps to load the firearm. In some optional embodiments, the pawl assembly may have two pawls to contact cartridges within an ammunition belt on each side of the linkage of the ammunition belt. In further optional embodiments, a pawl assembly may provide for pawls to be in either an upward or downward position.
One very popular belt-fed firearm is the M240 machine gun. The M240 machine gun has generally been used by the United States military since at least about the late 1970s. Currently, the firearm has multiple applications, being used by both infantry as well as with vehicles, both on land and on water. In use, the M240 machine gun is often fired from an integrated bipod or from a mount that may be attached to a vehicle or a fixed location. Some embodiments allow for an M240 machine gun to be more easily filed while held by a user. The firearm is very reliable and relatively standardized among the NATO countries.
A variety of other belt-fed firearms are utilized throughout the world. For many of these belt-fed firearms, a top cover assembly must be opened, then the ammunition belt must be properly positioned for the firearm to function with minimal malfunctions. Specifically, the individual cartridges of the ammunition belt must be properly aligned so that upon firing the firearm, the ammunition belt smoothly feeds through the firearm while each cartridge is fired. However, in loading a belt-fed firearm, often a user must hold and maintain the ammunition belt in the proper, aligned position and then subsequently close the top cover or cover assembly of the firearm. In doing so, a user generally must use two hands, one hand to hold the ammunition belt in place and the other hand to manipulate the top cover into the proper position for the firearm to function. Unless careful manipulation is performed, the user risks the ammunition belt becoming misaligned within the firearm and thus not functioning properly, or alternatively, the ammunition belt slipping off of the feed tray of the firearm.
What therefore is desired, is a feed tray for a firearm which can improve the loading of such firearm to minimize malfunctions and misalignments when loading the firearm. Specifically, what is desired is an device and method for retaining an ammunition belt on the feed tray of a firearm in proper alignment while loading the firearm.


The present invention relates to the use of the A20-binding inhibitor of NF-κB activation (ABIN), or a functional fragment or variant thereof to protect against TNF-induced liver failure, such as viral hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease. More particularly, it relates to the prevention of the toxic effects of said diseases, including lethality, by overexpressing ABIN.

Acute liver failure is a clinical syndrome that results from massive necrosis and apoptosis of liver cells leading to hepatic encephalopathy and severe impairement of hepatic function. It is caused by different kinds of diseases, such as viral hepatitis (A, B, C, . . . ), drugs, intoxication, auto-immune hepatitis, etc. Many studies have shown that TNF plays a central role in liver disease. TNF is produced mainly by activated macrophages but is also produced in smaller amounts by several other cell types. TNF exerts a variety of effects on different cell types and is implicated as an important mediator in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In addition, it has become clear that TNF is an important mediator of apoptosis (programmed cell death).
TNF was originally identified by its capacity to induce hemorrhagic necrosis of tumors in mice. Attempts to use TNF for systemic anti-cancer therapy have failed due to the appearance of severe side effects before therapeutic doses could be reached. One of the side effects of TNF treatment was an elevation in serum levels of transaminases and bilirubin levels, indicating a direct cytotoxic effect of TNF on human hepatocytes. Subsequent studies have shown that TNF may be involved in viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and fulminant hepatic failure (Muto et al., 1988; Bird et al., 1990; Gonzalez-Amaro et al., 1994; Diehl et al., 1994; Larrea et al., 1996). TNF serum levels are clearly elevated in patients with fulminant hepatitis (Muto et al., 1988). In addition, it was found that serum TNF levels were significantly higher in patients who died than in patients who survived (Bird et al., 1990).
A role for TNF in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B and C viral infection has been suggested. Both viruses induce TNF expression in human liver and human hepatoma cell lines (Gonzalez-Amaro et al., 1994). Patients with chronic hepatitis B have elevated plasma TNF levels, and their peripheral blood mononuclear cells show enhanced TNF production in vitro. In addition, in chronic hepatitis B-infected patients undergoing interferon treatment, a massive increase in spontaneous TNF production by blood mononuclear cells was observed at the time of successful antigen seroconversion (Diehl et al., 1994), suggesting that the increased TNF levels may be involved in hepatitis B virus clearance. Furthermore, the serum levels of soluble TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 are significantly elevated in chronic hepatitis B infection. The serum levels of soluble TNF-R2 correlate closely with the extent of inflammation and hepatocyte death in the liver. During interferon therapy, the response and the increase in transaminases are associated with an increase in soluble TNF-R2 serum levels. For hepatitis C patients, interferon treatment clears the virus and reduces TNF levels to normal in responsive patients (Larrea et al., 1996). Interestingly, pretreatment levels of TNF were higher in unresponsive compared with responsive patients (Larrea et al., 1996). Hepatitis C proteins interact with the TNF receptor, although whether this interaction promotes or prevents apoptosis is not clear (Ray et al., 1998). Recently, an interaction between hepatitis C virus NS5A protein and the TNF-receptor-associated proteins TRADD and TRAF2 has been shown (Majumder et al., 2002; Park et al., 2002). Park and coworkers showed that NS5A impairs TNF-mediated hepatic apoptosis by preventing the association between TRADD and FADD. Moreover, both groups also showed that NS5A prevents TRADD and TRAF2-mediated NF-κB activation.
TNF serum levels are increased in patients with alcoholic hepatitis, and the levels correlate inversely with patient survival. TNF concentrations were significantly higher in patients who did not survive an episode of acute alcoholic hepatitis (Bird et al., 1990). Monocytes isolated from patients with alcoholic hepatitis spontaneously produced higher amounts of TNF compared with healthy controls. Monocytes derived from patients with alcoholic hepatitis also produced significantly more TNF in response to LPS than normal monocytes. Several hypotheses have been developed to explain increased TNF levels in patients with chronic ethanol exposure. Chronic ethanol feeding increases the permeability of the gut to bacterial products such as LPS, potentially inducing TNF production in macrophages (McClain, 1991). In addition, studies investigating the promoter polymorphism in patients with alcoholic steatohepatitis indicated that patients with alcoholic steatohepatitis had a mutation in the TNF promoter that increases its activity (Grove et al., 1997). Thus genetic factors may be involved in the increased TNF production in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.
The role of TNF in liver injury has been studied in several animal models. By using neutralizing anti-TNF antibodies or knockout mice for TNF, TNF-R1, or TNF-R2, it has become evident that TNF triggers apoptosis and/or necrosis of hepatocytes in vivo. In different animal models of liver injury, TNF plays a central or an additive role in the pathogenesis of acute liver injury. Here we used the TNF/Galactosamine (GalN) model. In this model, TNF is administered in combination with D-(+)-galactosamine (GalN), a hepatotoxin, that selectively blocks transcription in hepatocytes by depleting uridine nucleotides (Dekker and Keppler, 1974), inducing lethality, activation of caspases and subsequent hepatocyte apoptosis (Leist et al., 1995; Van Molle et al., 1999; Tiegs et al., 1989). TNF-R1 knockout mice are resistant to TNF/GalN treatment, demonstrating the essential role of TNF-R1 in this apoptosis model (Leist et al., 1995). The sensitizing effect of GalN suggests that the transcriptional block induced by GalN directly inhibits synthesis of anti-apoptotic proteins. Recently, the transcription factor NF-κB has been shown to regulate the expression of a number of anti-apoptotic proteins.
NF-κB is an essential transcription factor that is ubiquitously expressed in all cell types and whose activity is modulated by a wide range of inducers, including cytokines and bacterial or viral products. Many of the NF-κB responsive genes play a key role in the regulation of inflammatory and immune responses. Deregulation of NF-κB activity is often observed in several chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as in acute diseases such as septic shock. Furthermore, NF-κB serves to protect against apoptosis and supports cell cycle progression. The first indication that NF-κB activation may modulate hepatocyte responses relevant to liver injury was the finding that knockout mice deficient in the p65/Rel-A subunit of NF-κB were nonviable because of massive hepatocyte apoptosis during embryogenesis (Beg et al., 1995). Recent reports from several laboratories have now demonstrated that NF-κB activation regulates hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. In rats subjected to partial hepatectomy, inhibition of NF-κB activation impaired subsequent liver regeneration and triggered hepatocyte apoptosis (Iimuro et al, 1998). These findings suggest a critical role for NF-κB activation in hepatocytes following a mitogenic stimulus, although the mechanism by which inhibition of NF-κB activity blocked proliferation is unclear. Apoptosis may have resulted from a cell cycle block or from sensitization to TNF produced following partial hepatectomy. An essential role for NF-κB activation during hepatocyte proliferation is also supported by the finding that inhibition of NF-κB activity resulted in apoptosis in an exponentially growing murine hepatocyte cell line (Bellas et al., 1997). However, other studies in confluent rat hepatocyte cultures have demonstrated that NF-κB inhibition by itself did not result in cell death (Xu et al., 1998). In these cells, NF-κB inhibition did convert the hepatocellular response to the mitogenic stimulus of TNF from proliferation to one of apoptosis (Xu et al., 1998). The mechanism by which NF-κB inactivation triggered TNF-induced apoptosis in these studies involved activation of the caspase cascade, and cell death could be prevented by caspase inhibition or NO (Xu et al., 1998).
The NF-κB-dependent gene product(s) that protects hepatocytes against TNF-induced injury remains to be identified. Possible candidate genes are iNOS and interleukin-6, since they are regulated by NF-κB and their gene products may have hepatoprotective effects. It also remains to be determined whether NF-κB activation inhibits hepatotoxicity from injurious agents other than TNF. In the hepatoma cell line Hep G2, treatment with a nontoxic concentration of the superoxide generator menadione protected against subsequent toxic doses of menadione or H2O2 by an NF-κB-dependent mechanism (Chen and Cederbaum, 1997). However, studies in a rat hepatocyte cell line demonstrated that, although H2O2 and copper induced NF-κB activation and caused apoptosis at toxic concentrations, inhibition of NF-κB activity did not sensitize the cells to death from H2O2 or copper (Xu et al., 1998). NF-κB activation may therefore stimulate a defense mechanism specific for the TNF death pathway.
The possibility that NF-κB activation in hepatocytes is protective following liver injury points to the complexity of events following global activation of NF-κB in all cell types in the liver. After a toxic stimulus, it is known that activation of NF-κB in hepatic macrophages results in the production of injurious products such as cytokines and reactive oxygen intermediates. Inhibition of hepatic NF-κB activation was therefore viewed as a potential therapy for liver injury. It now appears that NF-κB signalling represents a problematic therapeutic target, since blanket inhibition of hepatic NF-κB activation may lead to both beneficial and detrimental effects.
Recently, considerable progress has been made in understanding the details of signalling pathways that regulate and mediate NF-κB activation in response to TNF and IL-1. These cytokines act by binding to specific cell surface receptors, which in turn initiate the recruitment of a number of specific adaptor proteins, and the activation of a kinase complex that phosphorylates the NF-κB inhibitor IκB. The latter retains NF-κB in the cytoplasm in an inactive dimeric form. Once phosphorylated, IκB is marked for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome, allowing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Whereas members of the IκB family have been well studied as direct inhibitors of NF-κB, a number of other proteins have been reported to negatively regulate NF-κB-dependent gene expression. We and others have previously shown that the zinc finger protein A20 is a potent inhibitor of NF-κB activation in response to TNF, IL-1, LPS and CD-40 (reviewed in Beyaert et al., 2000). In addition, A20 also exerts an anti-apoptotic function in a number of cell lines. A20 is only expressed upon NF-κB activation, and is involved in the negative feedback regulation of NF-κB activation. A20-deficient mice were recently shown to be defective in the termination of NF-κB activation, leading to strong inflammatory responses and cachexia (Lee et al., 2000). The underlying mechanisms responsible for the inhibition of NF-κB-dependent gene expression by A20 is still unclear. A20 interacts with the IκB kinase complex, as well as with TRAF2 and TRAF6, which are part of the IκB kinase activation cascade initiated by TNF and IL-1/LPS, respectively. In addition, three novel A20-binding proteins (ABIN, ABIN-2 and ABIN-3) were recently isolated. Upon overexpression in cell lines, these proteins were shown to inhibit NF-κB-dependent gene expression in response to TNF or IL-1 (Beyaert et al., 2000; Heyninck et al., 1999; Van Huffel et al., 2001, Van Huffel et al., unpublished; AJ320534).

Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut Voor Biotechnologie VZW


The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for monitoring deterioration of lambda probes in the context of a two-probe control. The signal of the lambda probe forward of the converter functions to control the lambda controller and the signal of the lambda probe rearward of the converter influences the lambda controller via an actuating variable and the degree to which the controller is influenced operates for monitoring of the probe forward of the converter. With this method and arrangement, the quality and deterioration of the lambda probe forward of the converter are advantageously detected and, if required, an alarm signal is generated.

Two-probe systems are generally already known. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,932 discloses a method as well as an arrangement for monitoring the activity of a catalytic converter in the exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine. Here, the probe forward of the catalytic converter operates for the actual closed-loop control; whereas, the probe rearward of the catalytic converter operates in combination with the probe forward of the catalytic converter to monitor this converter. For this purpose, changes in the output signals of both lambda probes are detected and the time delay between the two changes is evaluated as a measure of the catalytic activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,589 shows a similar arrangement. Here too, a conclusion is drawn as to the effectiveness of the catalytic converter by means of a comparison of the two probe signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,614 also discloses a two-probe system for an internal combustion engine. Here, the probe disposed upstream is used for the closed-loop control of the actual air/fuel ratio In addition, an open-loop control variable is formed in dependence upon the output signal of the probe rearward of the catalytic converter. At the end of the abstract of this patent, it is stated that the computation of the air/fuel ration is prevented when the probe disposed downstream is in an abnormal condition.

Method and arrangement for monitoring a lambda probe in an internal combustion engine


A process for the deposition of thick coatings with a thickness >1 mm on products made of copper or alloys thereof, wherein said products are subjected to the following operations: surface activation of the product made of copper or alloys thereof; optional heat stabilization to a temperature below the ones causing deterioration of the chemical and physical properties of the copper or alloys thereof; deposition of a first layer, for example of Ni or alloys thereof; optional interdiffusion heat treatment; optional activation of the surface of the first layer; thermal stabilization of said product at a temperature of between 20.degree. and 400.degree. C.; deposition of one or more intermediate layers of at least one of the following: Al; AlSi; Cu; Ni; NiAl; NiCr; NiCu; MCrAlY (wherein M can be Ni, Co, Fe or mixtures thereof), mixtures thereof, or mixtures of said intermediate layers with said thick coating; thermal stabilization of the product coated with said intermediate layers at a temperature of between 20.degree. and 300.degree. C.; and deposition of said thick coating on the product coated with said intermediate layers.

The present invention can be applied to all those cases where the presence of closely adhering coatings on copper substrates is required, such as applications on components subjected to thermal cycles, for example in the fields of power generation and in foundries.
An example of a possible application are those components that, in nuclear reactors, face onto the plasma. In these cases the presence of a coating is necessary to provide resistance against heat and erosion by ion bombardment. In nuclear plants, many components (for example the divertor), which are made for example of copper to guarantee effective heat exchange levels, are subjected to the erosive action of particles and ions from the plasma, as well as being subjected to the high temperatures resulting from the presence of plasma. As a result of this, their average lifespan is reduced to unacceptable levels, and problems also arise in relation to pollution of the plasma and of the atmosphere in the reactor itself by the particles and compounds that evaporate, sublimate or are removed by sputtering. Furthermore, the presence on the surfaces of metals such as cobalt or nickel results in the formation of radioactive isotopes, with the consequent danger of pollution and damage to human health.
The materials currently considered most suitable to protecting the surfaces of said components against erosion are the following: tungsten and boron carbide (materials with a high and a low atomic number, respectively). In particular, tungsten is considered to be the most interesting material. However, application of tungsten is not easy, as this material is solid up to 3750 K and characterised by a thermal expansion coefficient that differs considerably with respect to that of copper.
The methods used to apply a protective coating of said material are currently those of welding or brazing of solid tungsten tiles and plasma-spray coating. However, each of these methods involve problems that make it difficult to obtain reliable coatings, in particular for applications that foresee thermal stress during service, due for example to the thermal cycles induced by the operations for start-up and shut-down of the plant.
Brazing and electron-beam welding make it possible to apply solid tungsten tiles, even tens of millimetres in thickness, on the components to be protected. However, the use of this method involves the following problems:
the difficulty in producing tungsten tiles of complex shapes, capable of providing an exact reproduction of complex curved surfaces; PA1 the difficulty in welding/brazing on surfaces with a complex shape; PA1 the difficulty in welding/brazing on very large surfaces; PA1 the action into the component of stresses induced by the welding temperature, due to the different expansion coefficients in the substrate and in the tungsten and to the high temperatures required to join the two elements. PA1 stresses induced by the deposition temperature due among other things to the high levels of power required to melt the particles of tungsten; PA1 low adhesion of the coating, in the specific case of copper alloy components, due to the speed with which a layer of copper oxide, which is fragile and difficult to remove, is formed on the surface of the copper in the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere. PA1 surface activation of the copper product or alloys thereof; PA1 optional heat stabilisation to a temperature below the temperature causing deterioration of the chemical and physical properties of the copper or alloys thereof; PA1 deposition of a first layer, for example of Ni or alloys thereof; PA1 optional interdiffusion heat treatment; PA1 optional surface activation of the first layer; PA1 thermal stabilisation of said product at a temperature of between 20.degree. and 400.degree. C.; PA1 deposition of one or more intermediate layers of at least one of the following: Al; AlSi; Cu; Ni; NiAl; NiCr; NiCu; MCrAlY (wherein M can be Ni, Co, Fe or mixtures thereof), mixtures thereof, or mixtures of said intermediate layers and said thick coating; PA1 thermal stabilisation of the product coated with said intermediate layers at a temperature of between 20.degree. and 300.degree. C.; and PA1 deposition of said thick coating on the product coated with said intermediate layers.
Mechanical application of plates, locked for example using screws, does not appear to be practicable, due to the imperfect adherence between the plate and the substrate, which results in a drastic reduction in the thermal conductivity of the whole component.
On the contrary, thermal spraying makes it possible to coat even objects with a complex geometry. It has the advantage of allowing local repairs to be carried out. However, at the present time the use of thermal spraying is limited by the following problems:
The problem of low adhesion appears to be the most critical for function of the coating, and the most important to solve, as the reliability of the component when in service depends upon it, in particular during operations for start-up or shut-down of the plant.
This problem is emphasized by the presence of thermo-mechanical stresses induced in the coating at every change in temperature, due to the considerable difference in thermal expansion coefficients (close to 20.times.10.sup.-6 K.sup.-1 for copper; approximately 4.times.10.sup.-6 K.sup.-1 for tungsten), this stress being concentrated in particular in the copper/tungsten interface area.
The difference in expansion coefficients is also the cause of creation within the coating of so-called residual deposition stress (see for example, T. W. Clyne, S. C. Gill: "Residual stress in thermal spray coatings and their effect on interfacial adhesion."--Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, March 1995). This stress, when added to the stress generated by the temperature variations to which the component is subjected during function, result in a considerable decrease in the adhesion of the coating itself. Limitation of the maximum thickness obtainable with plasma-deposit coatings is mainly due to the phenomenon described above (see, for example, T. Shinoda et al.: "Development of dry process for heavy thickness coating layer"--Acts of the International Thermal Spray Conference '95, Kobe, J, which indicates a maximum thickness obtainable with plasma-deposit coatings of around one millimeter).
In order to obtain thick and reliable coatings, it is therefore necessary to solve the problem of adhesion of the coating itself to the copper substrate, and of distribution of residual stress to the tungsten-copper interface.
From the above considerations, it can be seen that, at the present state of the art, it is practically impossible to obtain thick and reliable coatings on copper and alloys thereof using thermal spraying technology. The statement made above for the specific case of thick tungsten coatings is also true in general, and the more so the more the thermal expansion coefficients of the component and coating materials differ.

Process for deposition of layered coatings on copper and alloys thereof


The present invention provides methods and compounds for treating viral infections using modulators of host cell enzymes relating to long chain fatty acid and lipid droplet metabolism. It includes a method of treating viral infections using triacsin C and its relatives, analogs and derivatives as well as other inhibitors of long chain fatty acid metabolism and lipid droplet metabolism.

There is a great unmet medical need for agents that more safely, effectively, and reliably treat viral infections, from HIV to the common cold. This includes a major need for better agents to treat human cytomegalovirus (where current agents suffer from significant toxicity and lack of efficacy), herpes simplex virus (where current agents are beneficial but provide incomplete relief), influenza A (where resistance to current agents is rampant), and hepatitis C virus (where many patients die from poor disease control). It further includes a major need for agents that work across a spectrum of viruses, facilitating their clinical use without necessarily requiring identification of the underlying pathogen.

Inhibitors of long and very long chain fatty acid metabolism as broad spectrum anti-virals


A wireless communication apparatus capable of suppressing the reduction in the error correction ability in the wireless communication apparatus at the receiving end even when the propagation path environment is bad and hence the reception quality of received signals is low. This apparatus comprises a turbo encoding part (111) for performing an error correction encoding of transport data; a modulating part (113) for modulating the transport data as error correction coded to generate a modulated signal; a modulation diversity modulating part (120) for generating a modulation diversity modulated signal from the modulated signal; an S/P part (133) for generating a transport signal from one of the modulated signal and the modulation diversity modulated signal; and a deciding part (112) for deciding, in accordance with the propagation path environment of the transport signal as wireless transmitted, from which the transport signal is generated by the S/P part (133), the modulated signal or the modulation diversity modulated signal.

In recent years, multicarrier communication apparatuses using an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) scheme draw attention as apparatuses achieving high-speed radio transmission, because such communication apparatuses have resistance to multipath and fading and realize high-quality communication. Further, in multicarrier communication, it is possible to further improve communication quality by applying a technique referred to as modulation and demodulation using a modulation diversity technique or simply as modulation diversity (for example, refer to non-patent document 1).    Non-patent document 01:03 AMGPP TSG RAN WG1 #31 R1-030156 "Modulation diversity for OFDM"

Wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method


Methods for manufacturing reinforced tubing suitable for medical device applications are disclosed. An inner layer is molded around a core to define an inner surface adjacent to the core and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. The outer surface includes one or more recessed pathways defined therein. A reinforcement member is then formed in each of the one or more recessed pathways of the molded inner layer. An outer layer including an inner surface and an outer surface is subsequently molded over the inner layer and the reinforcement member. The inner surface of the outer layer substantially conforms to the outer surface of the inner layer and the reinforcement member. The core is then removed from within the inner layer to provide a lumen through the inner layer.

In certain implantable devices, flexible silicone tubing is used to provide a fluid conduit between and connect device components. One such implantable device is a multi-component inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP). In the early 1980's, spiral reinforcement was incorporated in silicone tubing for IPP to provide kink-resistance. Historically, spiral reinforced silicone tubing is fabricated by first extruding and curing an inner layer of silicone elastomer over a core material, wrapping the inner layer of silicone with spiral reinforcement, extruding and curing an outer layer of silicone elastomer over the spiral reinforced inner layer, cutting the tubing and core material to desired lengths, and separating the tubing from the core material.

Method of manufacturing reinforced medical tubing


An insulating layer is formed on at least one side surface of a spring portion of a contact, and a contacting portion formed on the spring portion is made narrower than the thickness of the spring portion, and a contacting surface of the contacting portion spaced from an edge portion of the insulating layer inwardly of the side surfaces of the spring portion.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contact for elastically contacting an electric part terminal, and particularly to a contact suitable to be contacted with an IC package, etc. at micro pitches.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In Japanese Patent Early Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 64-3977, an insulating film is applied to a side surface of a contact on which an IC lead is placed for contact, and the contact is implanted into a substrate with this insulating film intimately engaged with to an adjacent contact in order to electrically isolate the adjacent contacts, thereby making contact pitches smaller.
In the case where the insulating film is interposed between adjacent contacts in order to intimately engage to an adjacent contact in accordance with the prior art, the arrangement is very effective for making each contact pitch smaller. However, since the adjacent contacts are very close to each other separated only by a thin film, terminals of an electric part and contacting portions of contacts cannot not be placed in correct correspondence, one by one, with each other when positioning of the electric part is not exact with respect to a connector having contacts. As a result, it gives rise to the problem that, for example, a terminal contacts two adjacent contacting portions on opposite sides of the insulating film and therefore, the adjacent terminals are short-circuited.

Contact having spring portion with smaller thickness contacting surface


To restrict a fitting length of an inserting side tubular member such as a corrugate tube into a receiving side tubular member having a flexible portion such as a rubber boot when the inserting and receiving side tubular members are connected. Projections 16 are formed on the inner surface of a fitting end portion 13. When a corrugate tube 20 is fitted into the fitting end portion 13, a leading end 20A thereof comes into contact with the projections 16, thereby restricting any further insertion of the corrugate tube 20. This prevents the entry of the corrugate tube 20 into the flexible portion 12. Accordingly, there is no likelihood that the smooth deformation of the flexible portion 12 is hindered by the entry of the corrugate tube 20 into the flexible portion 12. Further, since there is no need for a consideration as to an excessive insertion of the corrugate tube 20, the connection can easily be performed.

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a connection construction for tubular members for connecting an inserting side tubular member with a receiving side tubular member having a deformable flexible portion by fitting or inserting the inserting side tubular member into the receiving side tubular member.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Wires extending from a connector in a prior art wiring harness often are protected in a corrugate tube. The corrugate tube typically is made of resin or some other material that is relatively difficult to deform. Thus the configuration of the wires can be maintained substantially in a desired state. However, the wires spread in the vicinity of the connector, and therefore the corrugate tube having a specified fixed diameter cannot protect the wires in this spread portion of the wire bundle.
In view of the above, the prior art includes a rubber boot 3 mounted between the connector 1 and the corrugate tube 2 as shown in FIG. 6. The prior art rubber boot 3 includes a connector connection portion 7 whose width increases toward its open end, a bellows-like flexible portion 4, and a fitting end portion 5 with a longitudinally extending slit 6. The wires W extending from the connector 1 are protected by the connector connection portion 7, and the leading end of the corrugate tube 2 is fitted into the fitting end portion 5. A tape T then is wound around the fitting end portion 5. The tape T causes the slit 6 to narrow and urges the fitting end portion 5 against the outer surface of the corrugate tube 2. In this way, the rubber boot 3 and the corrugate tube 2 are connected.
The leading end of the corrugate tube 2 is fitted into the fitting end portion 5 during the connection of the rubber boot 3 and the corrugate tube 2. However, the leading end of the corrugate tube 2 is concealed by the fitting end portion 5 of the rubber boot 3 and the amount of insertion cannot be confirmed visually. Thus the leading end of the corrugate tube 2 may pass beyond the fitting end portion 5 and may enter the flexible portion 4 as shown in FIG. 7.
If the rubber boot 3 and the corrugate tube 2 are connected in this state, a smooth deformation of the flexible portion 4 may be hindered by the difficulty of the corrugate tube 2 to be deformed. Such a deformation often is necessary to arrange and align the wiring harness while bending the wires W at the flexible portion 4.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to provided a connection construction, which ensures a smooth deformation of a deformable portion of the connection construction.

Connection construction for tubular members


The invention relates to a method for optimizing a mask layout pattern comprising at least one structural feature. First a desired layout pattern is provided. Based on the desired layout pattern, an optimized reference diffraction coefficient is provided. After selecting an initial mask geometry having polygon-shaped structures, initial diffraction coefficients are calculated. A difference based on the reference diffraction coefficient and initial diffraction coefficients is used to optimize the initial geometry in order to provide a mask layout pattern.

The manufacturing of integrated circuits aims for continuously decreasing feature sizes of the fabricated components. Semiconductor manufacturing includes repeatedly projecting a pattern in a lithographic step onto a semiconductor wafer and processing the wafer to transfer the pattern into a layer deposited on the wafer surface or into the substrate of the wafer. This processing includes depositing a resist film layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, projecting a photo mask with the pattern onto the resist film layer and developing or etching the resist film layer to create a resist structure.
The resist structure is transferred into a layer deposited on the wafer surface or into the substrate in an etching step. Planarization and other intermediate processes may further be necessary to prepare a projection of a successive mask level. Furthermore, the resist structure can also be used as a mask during an implantation step. The resist mask defines regions in which the electrical characteristics of the substrate are altered by implanting ions.
The pattern being projected is provided on a photo mask. The photo mask is illuminated by a light source having a wavelength ranging from ultraviolet (UV) light to deep-UV in modem applications. The part of the light that is not blocked or attenuated by the photo mask is projected onto the resist film layer on the surface of a semiconductor wafer using a lithographic projection apparatus. The lithographic projection apparatus comprises a projection lens that usually performs a reduction of the pattern contained on the photo mask, e.g., by a factor of four.
In order to manufacture patterns having line widths in the range of 90 nm or smaller, large efforts have to be undertaken to further enhance the resolution capabilities of a lithographic projection apparatus.
The achievable resolution is determined by several factors. In optical lithography the relationship between the maximal resolution bmin and the influence of the projection is given by Rayleigh's law:bmin=k1*λ/NA, with k1>0.25.
The maximal resolution bmin of a dense line-space-grating is therefore dependent on a technology characterising coefficient k1, the illumination wavelength λ and the numerical aperture NA of the lens of the projection system. The maximal resolution bmin corresponds to half of the period of the line-space-grating.
While the illumination wavelength λ and the numerical aperture NA are fixed for a given generation of a lithographic projection technology, optimizing the illumination process and implementing so-called resolution enhancement techniques (RET) reduces the technology characterising coefficient k1 and thus improves the resolution capabilities of the lithographic projection apparatus.
Currently, there are two concepts known in the art that address the problem of increasing the resolution capabilities. First, off-axis illumination in the projection system of the projection apparatus together with sub-resolution sized assist features is used. Second, the concept of alternating phase shift masks is employed so as to enhance the resolution capabilities of the projection apparatus. Off-axis illumination is achieved by providing an annular-, quasar- or dipole-shaped aperture stop, thus enhancing contrast and depth of focus of densely spaced patterns. However, off-axis illumination impairs imaging of isolated structures. In order to allow imaging of isolated structures, sub-resolution sized assist features are used, which facilitate the resolution of these structures.
In order to achieve dimensional accuracy of the mask pattern during imaging, the sub resolution sized assist features are determined using a simulation model of the photolithographic projection. As discussed in N. Cobb, "Fast Optical and Process Proximity Correction Algorithms for Integrated Circuit Manufacturing," PhD thesis, University of California, Berkeley (USA), 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference, a model-based OPC simulation uses a simulation model for imaging structural elements of the photo mask onto a photo resist layer. In order to perform this calculation, a model for forming an aerial image, a model of the resist exposure, and for the photo mask is provided.
The result of the simulation is returned to the layout program so as to alter the geometric structures on the mask. In order to alter the structural elements, a fragmentation into individual structures is performed. Each fragment is optimized individually, leaving the process of optimizing as a feedback problem.
In the field of simulation for lithography other concepts have been developed, which are aiming at a formulation of the imaging problem as a numerical optimization problem. The result of the optimizing step is provided as a mask layout being substantially independent of the geometry of the initial mask.
As discussed by A. Rosenbluth et al., "Optimum Mask and Source Patterns to Print a Given Shape," Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4346 (2001), pages 486 to 502, which is incorporated herein by reference, optimizing the geometry of the structural elements of the mask together with the illumination source can be achieved by calculating a respective source distribution in order to enlarge the available process window.
Similar to the above document, U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,566, which is incorporated herein by reference, discusses an optimized illumination source and reticle are discussed. The process of optimizing both illumination and mask pattern allows the development of mask patterns that are not constrained by the geometry of the desired pattern to be printed. The resulting mask patterns using the process of optimizing do not obviously correspond to the desired patterns to be printed. Such masks may include phase-shifting technology that use destructive interference to define dark areas of the image and are not constrained to conform to the desired printed pattern.
The process of a simplified global optimization step according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,566, which is incorporated herein by reference, can be represented as a generalized fractional program. Although techniques are known in the art for solving fractional optimization problems, it can be approximated as a cubic polynomial optimization, and solved, for example, by a homotopy method. An approximate solution scheme is used that exploits the fact that two simplified variants are more readily solvable. First, if the diffracted wave front orders are fixed, it is possible to find the globally optimum solution for the source intensities. Second, if illuminating light is incident from only a single direction, the optimization problem reduces to a non-convex quadratic optimization problem.
Another approach for describing the imaging problem and for optimizing the lithographic projection step is discussed in A. Erdmann et al., "Mask and Source Optimization for Lithographic Imaging Systems," Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5182 (2003), pages 88 to 102, which is incorporated herein by reference. There, a genetic algorithm is used, which is based on an analytical merit function describing weighted contributions of line width discrepancies, slopes of mask transmittance distributions, higher order diffraction patterns and mask structural elements. The merit function is used to perform a non-analytical global optimization.
The above-described methods use rather complex and therefore computing time intensive algorithms to achieve the desired optimizing step.

Method for optimizing a photolithographic mask


A method to regulate the endocrine and exocrine glands generally comprising generating at least one glandular function waveform signal that substantially corresponds to at least one waveform signal that is generated in the body and is operative in the regulation of an endocrine or exocrine gland and transmitting the generated glandular function waveform signal to the subject's nervous system.

As is well known in the art, bodily homeostasis is the process through which organs, glands and the central, cranial and peripheral nervous system harmoniously function to balance life equilibrium. The process includes, but is not limited to, glandular participation in the regulation of the body temperature, heart rate, respiration, digestion, energy metabolism, immunity and reproduction.
The glandular flow of chemicals or hormones plays an important role in the homeostasis process. There are two principal classes of secretory glands; the "endocrine" glands that secrete directly into the blood stream, and the "exocrine" glands that secrete into ducts in the body.
Endocrine glands include the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, parathyroid, ovary, testis and part of the pancreas. The endocrine glands also include the placenta, thymus and pineal gland.
Exocrine glands include the mammary glands that secrete milk and the sweat glands, which help cool the body. The exocrine glands also include the sebaceous glands, which lubricate the surface of the skin with an oily substance and the lachrymal glands, which make tears to cleanse and lubricate the eyes.
Another type of exocrine glands are those that provide digestive chemicals, such as saliva from the salivary glands, bile from the liver, and pancreatic juice from the liver; all of which are involved in the digestion of food.
As is also well known in the art, the brain modulates (or controls) the endocrine and exocrine glands via electrical signals (i.e., action potentials or waveform signals), which are transmitted through the nervous system. The nervous system includes two components: the central nervous system, which comprises the brain, brain stem and the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which generally comprises groups of nerve cells (i.e., neurons) and peripheral nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord. The two systems are anatomically separate, but functionally interconnected.
As indicated, the peripheral nervous system is constructed of nerve cells (or neurons) and glial cells (or glia), which support the neurons. Operative neuron units that carry signals from the brain are referred to as "efferent" nerves. "Afferent" nerves are those that carry sensor or status information to the brain and brain stem.
A typical neuron includes four morphologically defined regions: (i) cell body, (ii) dendrites, (iii) axon and (iv) presynaptic terminals. The cell body (soma) is the metabolic center of the cell. The cell body contains the nucleus, which stores the genes of the cell, and the rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, which synthesizes the proteins of the cell.
The neuron cell body typically includes two types of outgrowths (or processes); the dendrites and the axon. Most neurons have several dendrites; these branch out in tree-like fashion and serve as the main apparatus for receiving signals from other nerve cells.
The axon is the main conducting unit of the neuron. The axon is capable of conveying electrical signals along distances that range from as short as 0.1 mm to as long as 2 m. Some axons split into several branches, thereby conveying information to different targets.
Near the end of the axon, the axon is divided into fine branches that make contact with other neurons. The point of contact is referred to as a synapse. The cell transmitting a signal is called the presynaptic cell, and the cell receiving the signal is referred to as the postsynaptic cell. Specialized swellings on the axon's branches (i.e., presynaptic terminals) serve as the transmitting site in the presynaptic cell.
Most axons terminate near a postsynaptic neuron's dendrites. However, communication can also occur at the cell body or, less often, at the initial segment or terminal portion of the axon of the postsynaptic cell.
The electrical signals transmitted along the axon to control the endocrine and exocrine glands occur naturally as (i) a burst of neuron activity, i.e., rapid and transient "all-or-none" nerve impulses, or (ii) a continuous pattern of signals followed by a pause, another burst and a final pause of shorter or longer duration, with periods of silence. The amplitude of a signal (or signals) or duration of each pause can be varied to accomplish the required glandular activity.
A "neurosignal" is a composite electrical signal that includes a plurality of nerve impulses (or action potentials) or pattern of signals, and an instruction set for proper gland and organ function. A lachrymal gland (i.e., exocrine gland) neurosignal would thus include an instruction set for commencing secretion of tears to cleanse and lubricate the eyes, the amount and duration of the tears, etc.
Neurosignals or "neuro-electrical coded signals" are thus codes that contain complete sets of information for complete gland and organ function. As set forth in Co-Pending application Ser. No. 11/125,480, filed May 9, 2005, once these neurosignals have been isolated, standardized and transmitted to a subject (or patient), a generated nerve-specific waveform instruction can be employed to regulate the endocrine and exocrine glands and, hence, treat a multitude of disorders associated therewith. The noted disorders include, but are not limited to, abnormal levels of secretion of endogenous insulin, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, Addison's disease, abnormal levels of testosterone and dry eyes.
Various apparatus, systems and methods have been employed to treat glandular abnormalities. Illustrative is the apparatus and method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,988.
A major drawback associated with the apparatus and method disclosed in the noted patent, as well as most known systems, is that the stimulus signals that are generated and transmitted to a subject are "user determined" and "device determinative" (e.g., implanted electrical stimulator). The noted "stimulus signals" are thus not related to or representative of the signals that are generated in the body and, hence, would not be operative in the direct regulation or modulation of the endocrine or exocrine glands if transmitted thereto.
It would thus be desirable to provide a method and system for regulating the endocrine and exocrine glands that includes means for generating glandular function waveform signals that substantially correspond to the recorded waveform signals (i.e., coded electrical neurosignals) that are generated in the body and are operative in the regulation of the endocrine and/or exocrine glands, and means for transmitting the glandular function waveform signals to the body.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating the endocrine and exocrine glands that includes means for generating glandular function waveform signals that substantially correspond to coded waveform signals that are generated in the body and are operative in the regulation of the endocrine and exocrine glands.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating the endocrine and exocrine glands that includes means for recording waveform signals that are generated in the body and operative in the regulation of the endocrine and exocrine glands.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating at least one endocrine gland that includes processing means adapted to generate a base-line endocrine gland signal that is representative of at least one coded waveform signal that is generated in the body.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating at least one endocrine gland that includes processing means adapted to compare recorded waveform signals to generated baseline endocrine gland signals and generate an endocrine gland waveform signal as a function of the recorded waveform signal.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating at least one exocrine gland that includes processing means adapted to generate a base-line exocrine gland signal that is representative of at least one coded waveform signal that is generated in the body.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating at least one exocrine gland that includes processing means adapted to compare recorded waveform signals to generated baseline exocrine gland signals and generate a exocrine gland waveform signal as a function of the recorded waveform signal.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating at least one endocrine gland that includes means for transmitting endocrine gland waveform signals to the body that substantially correspond to coded waveform signals that are generated in the body and are operative in the regulation of the endocrine gland.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulating at least one exocrine gland that includes means for transmitting exocrine gland waveform signals to the body that substantially correspond to coded waveform signals that are generated in the body and are operative in the regulation of the exocrine gland.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for regulating the endocrine and exocrine glands that includes means for transmitting glandular function waveform signals directly to the nervous system in the body that substantially correspond to coded waveform signals that are generated in the body and are operative in the regulation of the endocrine and/or exocrine gland.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for regulating the endocrine and exocrine glands that includes means for generating confounding glandular function waveform signals that are adapted to restrict and/or abate secretion of chemicals and/or hormones from endocrine and exocrine glands when transmitted to a subject.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system for regulation of the endocrine and exocrine glands that can be readily employed in the treatment of glandular disorders, including, without limitation, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, Addison's disease, abnormal levels of testosterone and estrogen, and dry eyes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for regulation of endocrine and exocrine glands by means of neuro-electrical coded signals


A mobile object self-moving system self-moves mobile objects 14 in a set field. The system comprises charging means 32 for charging batteries 52 of the mobile objects 14 is disposed at a set charging position in the field plate 12, position detecting means 24, 25 for detecting positions of the mobile objects 14 in the field plate 12, and moving course storing means 26 for storing moving courses which are routed via the charging position every a prescribed period of time. Movement control means 28 controls the mobile objects 14 to move along the moving courses, based on positions of the mobile objects 14 detected by the position detecting means 24, 25. The mobile objects 14 are positioned at the charging position 16 every the prescribed period of time to have the batteries thereof charged by the charging means 32. The system is easy to maintain for adjustment, repairs, etc., and can be produced at low costs.

The present invention relates to a mobile object self-moving system for moving mobile objects by themselves in a set field.
A conventionally known mobile object self-moving system for moving mobile objects by themselves in a set field is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Tokkaihei 01-259404/1989.
In the mobile car self-moving system described in the above-described publication, coordinate values of at least two positions of respective mobile cars are read, directions for the mobile cars to move in and speeds for the mobile cars to move at are computed based on the read coordinate values of the at least two positions of the respective mobile cars, and coordinate values of target coordinate values, and driving amounts of drive means for the respective mobile cars are computed based on the directions and the speeds, and the drive means are driven by the computed driving amounts to self-move the mobile cars. Thus the conventional system enables the mobile cars to freely drive along free drive lines.
However, in the conventional mobile object self-moving system, a run plate is provided below a floor plate with run courses provided thereon independent thereof, self-moving cars for moving model cars, etc. on the run courses are provided on the run plate, and running of the self-moving cars is controlled to cause the model cars on the run courses to move following the self-moving cars by magnets. Thus the conventional mobile object self-moving system has a complicated structure which includes the floor plate, and the run plate which is provided independent of the floor plate. As a result, this adds to costs, and the floor plate must be detached for every adjustment and maintenance, which makes maintenance bothersome. These are disadvantages of the conventional mobile object self-moving system.
In the conventional mobile object self-moving system, electric power for driving mobile objects is supplied by the run plate through contacts. Contact between the contacts and the run plate tends to be unstable, and maintenance for ensuring stable power supply is bothersome. This is a disadvantage.

Battery operated self moving mobile object and charging system


A reader apparatus for an RFID-implanted human user is incorporated into a wristband such as a bracelet or a watchstrap worn by the user. The RFID device is subcutaneously implanted in the vicinity of the user's wrist, ensuring close proximity of the reader apparatus to the RFID device to support reliable near-field RF communications at low power levels. The wristband includes a reader coil having a plurality of turns, a reader circuit, and a rechargeable battery for powering the reader circuit. The same reader coil is used to simplify recharging of the battery by inductively coupling the reader coil to a charging coil disposed in a small charging stand or storage case. In watch strap applications, the reader circuitry and battery are disposed in a watch case affixed to the strap, and the watch case includes an alphanumeric display for communicating information from the RFID device to the user.

Although passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices have been approved for subcutaneous implanting in human beings, it can be difficult to design a battery operated bodily worn reader apparatus that is capable of reliably communicating with an implanted device under all conditions. The difficulties arise due to variations in clothing, skin thickness and proximity of the reader to the implanted device, for example. A practical reader apparatus must be small in size and low in power consumption, and this can only be achieved if the reader apparatus is maintained in close proximity to the implanted device. Accordingly, what is needed is a reader apparatus that is both practical and convenient for an RFID-implanted person to wear and maintain.

Wristband reader apparatus for human-implanted radio frequency identification device


The present invention is directed to a slider that includes at least one fluid pathway that is in fluid communication with an air bearing face and/or the trailing edge face of the slider. The at least one fluid pathway is configured to propel/transport a fluid such as a lubricant toward at least one side face via capillary action. The present invention is also directed to related apparatuses and methods.

Magnetic data storage devices generally include magnetic recording heads, commonly referred to as transducing heads, which can detect and modify the magnetic properties of a magnetic storage medium to store data.
Air-bearing sliders can be used in magnetic data storage devices to appropriately position a transducing head above a rotating magnetic disc. During operation, the disc typically rotates at high speeds, which can generate a stream of air flow immediately adjacent to the flat surface of the disc. This stream of air acts upon a lower air-bearing surface of the air-bearing face of the slider and can generate a force directing the slider away from the disc and against a load beam causing the slider to "fly" a small distance above the disc.
A prior art magnetic recording apparatus is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus 10 is commonly referred to as a hard disc drive (HDD) and includes a slider 14 that flies above a disc 11 by using air as a lubricant. Referring to FIG. 1, a disc 11 is placed on a spindle motor 12 that can rotate and a negative pressure air-lubricated bearing slider 14 is attached at a suspension 15 to correspond to the magnetic disc 11. The negative pressure air-lubricated bearing slider 14 can be moved (as indicated by the arrow and dashed lines) by an actuator 16 which pivots so that the slider 14 moves to a desired position on a track 13 of the disc 11. As shown, the disc 11 used as a recording medium has a circular shape and different information can be recorded on each track 13. In general, to obtain desired information, the slider 14 moves in search of a corresponding track on the disc 11. Disc 11 can have a magnetic layer that is susceptible to physical and/or chemical damage. To help mitigate such damage, such a disc often has a coating such as Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) as an overcoat to help protect the magnetic layer from physically and/or chemically induced damage. Discs such as disc 11 often have one or more lubricants on the top surface thereof to help reduce friction and corrosion.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of prior art air-bearing slider body 120 of a magnetic recording head, which includes air-bearing face 122 defined by leading edge 120a, trailing edge 120b, and two side edges 120c connecting the leading and trailing edges. Air-bearing slider 120 also includes transducing head 124. As shown in FIG. 2, transducing head 124 is arranged toward trailing edge 120b of slider body 120. Air-bearing face 122 can be designed to control the aerodynamic performance of slider body 120 as it flies over a rotating magnetic disc. As shown, air-bearing face 122 includes structural features such as rails, lands, ramps, depressions and the like that are typically designed to maximize the pressure on air-bearing surfaces of the air-bearing face created by the stream of air flowing between face 122 and the disc near transducer 124. Causing pressure at transducer 124 to be relatively high can help increase the stiffness of the suspension assembly (not shown) of the magnetic recording head at transducer 124. Increasing the stiffness can cause the suspension assembly, e.g. an actuator arm, and thereby the recording head, to be less subject to system vibration during operation, which in turn can minimize fly height sensitivity to manufacturing variation, environmental factors, and disk roughness.
As magnetic disc storage systems are designed for greater and greater storage capacities, the aerial density of magnetic discs is generally increasing such that the air-bearing gap between the transducer carried by the slider and the rotating magnetic disc is oftentimes reduced, which in turn can result in operating the air-bearing slider at ultra-low fly heights.
Unfortunately, a reduction in flying height can result in a variety of undue interactions between the slider (especially the trailing edge of the slider) and disc. For example, lubricant that is typically provided on a disc may result in interference among a slider and the lubricant on the disc to an undue degree. One problem with lubricant and undue interactions among a slider and a disc is described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a slider body 230 includes an air bearing face 215 having a leading edge 225 and a trailing edge 250. Slider body 230 also includes a first side face 235, a second side face (not shown), and trailing edge face 270. During operation, lubricant 220 (which sometimes includes contaminants) can be transferred to slider body 230 from disc 210 during operation of a disc drive and form droplets 225 on air bearing face 215. After lubricant 220 transfers to air bearing face 215, it tends to migrate on the air bearing face 215 due to, e.g., underlying shear and pressure gradient forces represented by streamlines 240. The droplets 225 of lubrication tend to migrate toward the trailing edge 250 of the slider 230. Near trailing edge 250, the lubrication tends to accumulate and form larger droplets 226 of lubrication. This may result in undesirable changes to the mean targeted head-media clearance and thereby affect drive performance to an undue degree. Additionally, droplets 226 can stick on to the slider body 230 near trailing edge 250 and grow in size until they eventually drop off under the action of some triggering force (such as during a shock event). The droplets of lubrication that are transferred back to disc 210 can interact with the slider 230 under certain circumstances to an undue degree (e.g., reduce head-disc clearance, cause large head-media spacing variation, and the like). Such interaction can in turn result in an excitation of the slider that may cause weak writes and/or read-write errors.
Accordingly, there is a need to manage lubricant that has transferred from a disc onto a slider body.

Slider including one or more fluid pathways, and related apparatuses and methods


A MOS capacitor in which an insulating layer of thermal oxide film is disposed between the electrode 2 and the silicon wafer 1 is formed. While a light beam of an energy larger than 1.1 eV is irradiated on the electrode 2 and its periphery, electrons inject from the electrode 2 side (voltage is applied from the silicon wafer 1 side). The injected electrons are activated by the light irradiation. For both p-type or n-type semiconductor, the dielectric breakdown electric field strength can be precisely measured according to the degree of processing defects. The evaluation method is particularly effective for the n-type semiconductor wafer, which was difficult to evaluate by the prior art.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a method of evaluating a semiconductor wafer. In particular, it relates to a method of evaluating a semiconductor wafer, which is suitable for judging the quality of a mirror-polishing process and the quality of the polishing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices are usually manufactured by a silicon wafer which has at least one mirror-polished surface and is obtained by slicing a silicon single crystal manufactured by using the CZ method or the FZ method, chamfering the periphery, grinding the surface and reverse surface, lapping, polishing and heat treating.
In recent years, with the scaling-down of semiconductor devices and the high degree of integration, the dielectric strength of thermally grown oxide film characteristic has particularly received attention. One cause that lowers the dielectric strength of thermally grown oxide film of LSI is the processing flaw or the residual stress produced in the process of grinding and polishing for the mirror surface finish of the silicon wafer. The degree of the damage of the wafer surface caused by processing can be evaluated by means of measuring the dielectric strength of thermally grown oxide film.
The method for evaluating the dielectric strength of thermally grown oxide film of a silicon wafer is carried out by the following procedures. First, the mirror-polishing processed silicon wafer is cleaned and then is heat-treated in an oxidizing atmosphere to form a thermal oxide film on the wafer surface. Next, a polysilicon layer is formed on the thermal oxide film by the CVD method, and then a predetermined number of electrodes having a predetermined area are formed by photolithography. By subjecting the wafer to these procedures, a MOS capacitor in which an insulating layer of thermal oxide film is disposed between the electrodes and the silicon wafer is formed. Thereafter, a voltage is applied between the electrodes and the silicon wafer, and the electric current is measured while the applied voltage is raised in a predetermined step. The current-voltage characteristic obtained by this measurement is referred as the I-V characteristic. In this I-V characteristic, the electric field causes a certain leakage current leaks through the insulating layer, for example a current of 10 .mu.A, is deemed "the dielectric breakdown electric field of the insulating layer".
When the wafer to be evaluated is a p-type semiconductor, the voltage is applied from the side of the wafer 1 as shown in FIG. 5. That is, the electrons inject from the side of the electrode 2. As a result, an I-V characteristic diagram as shown in FIG. 6 is obtained. In FIG. 6, "A", "B", "C" and "D" are the symbols for distinguishing mirror-polishing line or mirror-polishing process. "A" represents a wafer obtained by normal processing, and following the "B", "C" and "D" order, the degree of the damage of the wafer due to the processing deteriorates. That is, wafer "A" has the highest dielectric breakdown electric field, while the dielectric breakdown electric field decreases according to the order of "B", "C" and "D".
In contrast, when the wafer to be evaluated is an n-type semiconductor, the voltage is applied from the electrode 2 as shown in FIG. 7. That is, the electrons inject from the silicon wafer 1. As a result, the I-V characteristic diagram as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.
Applying grinding and polishing for the purpose of mirror-polishing the silicon wafer subjects the wafer surface to some processing injuries such as scratchs which can not be identified visually, or local residual stress which also can not be identified visually. The above processing injuries are hereinafter referred as processing defects. The above processing defects of the wafer surface conventionally are evaluated by the dielectric strength of thermally grown oxide film evaluation method in which electrons are injected (voltages are applied) to cause majority carriers to enter an accumulated state. Accordingly, for p-type semiconductor, as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to distinguish "A", no processing defects, and "B", "C" and "D", having different degree of processing defects, and to read the intensity of the electric field. However, for n-type semiconductor, as can be seen from the I-V characteristic curve of FIG. 8, compared to "A", with no processing defects, it is very difficult to distinguish "B", "C" and "D". And thus it is not possible to precisely detect whether there are processing defects.

Method of evaluating a semiconductor wafer


Disclosed herein are methods and systems for detecting a risk of payment default. In various embodiments, the systems/methods receive mortgage data associated with a mortgage application of an applicant, generate one or more models based on data related to historical mortgage transactions and determine a payment default risk score based at least partly on the one or more generated models, the mortgage data associated with the mortgage application, and the credit data related to the applicant. In another embodiment, a system is disclosed for selecting mortgage applications for further fraud evaluation based on the determined risks of early payment default associated with the mortgage applications and performing the fraud evaluation on those selected mortgage applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments described herein relate to determining or predicting the likelihood of payment defaults in financial transactions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fraud detection systems detect fraud in financial transactions. For example, a mortgage fraud detection system can be configured to analyze loan application data to identify applications that are being obtained using fraudulent application data.
Existing fraud detection systems, however, have failed to keep pace with the dynamic nature of financial transactions and mortgage application fraud. Moreover, such systems have failed to take advantage of the increased capabilities of computer systems.
Additionally, there currently are no effective systems for detecting the probability of payment default, such as early payment default (EPD). EPD, for example, can have a large impact on a lender. Beyond the obvious lost revenue potential, EPD can generally reduce the value of loans in the secondary market. If EPD, as well as longer term defaults, can be reduced or eliminated, then there will be less inherent risk in the loans and the overall value of the loans should increase.

Methods and systems of predicting mortgage payment risk


The present invention can be used in medical practice specifically in chemical and pharmaceutical production of medicinal agents capable of modulating the immune system. This invention essentially relates to a new medicinal preparation 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt having immunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The preparation is obtained from 3-nitro-phthalanhydride by consecutive isolation of intermediate and end products. The intermediate products include 5-nitro-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione and 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthala2ine-1,4-dione. The reaction between 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione and sodium hydroxide yields the target product, 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt. The method allows to produce the medicinal preparation with high pharmaceutical activity. It is provided an example of application of this preparation.

The present invention relates to the field of medicine, specifically to medicinal preparations affecting the immune system, and to production of such preparations.
It is known a medicinal preparation xe2x80x9csodium nucleinatexe2x80x9dxe2x80x94a sodium salt of nucleic acidxe2x80x94which is an immunological activity preparation, a white or yellowish powder easily soluble in water with formation of opalescent solutions, stimulating migration and cooperation of T-and B-lymphocytes, enhancing phagocytic activity of macrophages, and activity of nonspecific resistance factors (M. D. Mashkovsky, Medicinal Preparations, Meditsina, Moscow (1985), Vol. 2, p. 172 [in Russian]).
Injections of this preparation cause, however, pain feeling, which necessitates treatments of patients with analgesics.
The closest art for xe2x80x9csodium nucleinatexe2x80x9d is 2-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt dihydrate, used as an immunomodulator, which also has antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties (Russian Federation Patent No. 21113222, priority: Sep. 30, 1997; IPC: A 61 K 31/04, A 61 K 31/13), being a pale-yellow crystalline powder easily soluble in water.
Administration of this preparation to patients with impaired cellular immunity, e.g., in case of malignant neoplasms, activates macrophages, interleukins and other acute-phase proteins. In case of inflammatory processes this immunomodulator inactivates macrophages for several hours, but stimulates the microbicidal system in cells.
The preparation does not cause side effects and allergic reactions, however, in patients with chronic and other diseases long-term treatment with this agent causes tolerance and decreases the efficiency of therapy with this medicinal preparation, which dictates the necessity of substituting other more efficient analogues for the preparation.
It is known a method for manufacturing the medicinal preparation including obtaining 3-amino-phthalhydrazide, its molecular rearrangement, followed by treatment with sodium hydroxide, and isolation of the target product of 2-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt dihydrate (Russian Federation Patent No. 2138264, Priority; May 6, 1999; IPC: A 61 K 31/50, C 07 D 237/32, Bull. No. 27, Sep. 27, 1999).
This method allows to increase the yield of product and decrease the amount of waste products, however, its use is limited to manufacturing of said preparation.
The closest art to the present invention is the method for manufacturing 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione (luminol) (see e.g., USSR Inventor""s Certificate No. 130903, Priority: Nov. 21, 1959; Bull. No. 16, 1960), comprising reduction of 3-nitrophtlialic acid with hydrazine hydrate in a water medium in presence of a skeletal nickel catalyst, followed by evaporation of the solution, and its heating in presence of hydrazine hydrate and acetic acid at 120xc2x0 C.
The end product of the known method is an orange-colored powder with pronounced luminescence properties, however, this compound is medically ineffective.
The object of the present invention is a medicinal preparation, whose effects is similar, but more pronounced, than those of the closest art thereof, e.g. for replacement of the known preparation in case of patient""s tolerance thereto.
The present invention the xe2x80x9cmethod for manufacturing the medicinal preparationxe2x80x9d is based on development of a procedure providing production of an efficient medicinal preparation, having immunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
The problem was solved by a medicinal preparation 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt having immunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
This problem was solved by a method for manufacturing 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt, comprising reduction of the product by hydrazine hydrate in presence of a skeletal nickel catalyst, first by interacting 3-nitro-phthalanhydride with hydrazine hydrate in acetic acid at 90-120xc2x0 C. with formation of 5-nitro-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione, after reduction thereof by hydrazine hydrate in a water-alkaline medium in presence of a skeletal nickel catalyst, isolating 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione, which is then treated by sodium hydroxide in the presence of a lower alcohol or a ketone at 20-80xc2x0 C. to obtain the target product.
The medicinal preparation is a white or pale-yellow crystalline powder easily soluble in water.
The medicinal preparation is obtained by the following process:
3-nitro-phthalanhydride (C8H3NO6, 50-60 g) is mixed with acetic acid (CH3COOH, 120-200 ml) and heated to 90-100xc2x0 C. under mixing with dropwise admixing of hydrazine hydrate (N2H4.H2O, 15-20 ml), maintaining temperature of the reaction mixture at 105-120xc2x0 C. After addition of hydrazine hydrate, the reaction mass is boiled and held at least 20-45 min and then rapidly cooled to 70-85xc2x0 C.
Crystallized 5-nitro-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione (C8H5N3O4) is filtered and washed with acetic acid and distilled water. The product (5-10 g) is additionally removed from the filter, the total yield of which comprises 80-85% per 3-nitro-phthalanhydride weight.
5-nitro-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione (40-50 g) and potassium hydroxide (KOH, 10-15 g) are mixed in distilled water (500-700 ml) to complete dissolution. The solution is heated to 60-75xc2x0 C., hydrazine hydrate (N2H4.H2O, 12-15 ml) and Ni-Rene catalyst (2-5 g) are to the solution. This leads to a violent reaction with self-heating and emission of nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2).
When temperature reaches 85-95xc2x0 C., the reaction mixture is cooled by adding distilled water. After 20-40 min, the additional catalyst (2-5 g) is fractionally added to the solution excluding the possibility of an extremely violent reaction. When self-heating is terminated, additional amounts (5-10 g) of the catalyst are added.
After completing the reaction, the solution is decanted from the precipitated catalyst, filtered, and 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dion (C8H7N3O2) is precipitated by acidification of the reaction mixture with an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl) or a mixture of hydrochloric and acetic acids.
The precipitate is filtered, washed with distilled water, and dried.
The product yield per 5-nitro-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione weight is 82-84%.
In the final stage, 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione (30-40 g) is dissolved in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (10-15 g NaOH per 300-500 ml H2O) at a temperature of 20-80xc2x0 C. The solution is filtered, mixed with a lower alcohol (ROH. 1500-2000 ml), e.g., isopropyl alcohol (iso-C3H7OH) and held at 20-25xc2x0 C. for 2-3 hours, isolating the target product (C8H6N3NaO2).
Other lower alcohols or a ketone can also be used.
The target product yield per 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione weight is 85-90%.
The obtained medicinal preparation is characterized by informative UV spectra in the field of 220-400 nm, taken in concentration of 20 xcexcg/ml in various solvents: water, 0.01 M solution of hydrochloric acid, 95% alcohol, and 0.1 M sodium hydroxide.
Clinical tests showed that administration of the medicinal preparation 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt to patients with impaired cellular immunity, e.g., in case of malignant neoplasms, causes activation of macrophages, which is evident by release by them of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukins, and other acute-phase proteins. Besides this, the agent initiates specific reactions of T-lymphocytes.
In case of inflammatory diseases the medicinal preparation selectively (for 4-8 hours) inactivates macrophages, decreasing the contents of TNF and acute-phase proteins, that leads to attenuation of intoxication symptoms. At the same time 5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione sodium salt enhances super-oxidizing function and phagocytic activity of neutrophilic granulocytes, stimulating thus the microbicidal system in cells, and attenuating inflammation process.
These results are confirmed by laboratory analyses on patients, by blood tests, that characterize immunological parameters of the leukocytic and lymphocytic systems.
The medicinal preparation introduced into organism is practically completely eliminated therefrom with expired air and urine in 20-60 min. This preparation in a wide range of doses (20-1500 mg) does not cause side effects and allergic reactions, and its efficiency is similar or even higher than that of prior art immunomodulator, that allows to interchange these medicinal preparations during long-term therapy, in order to prevent the development of patient""s tolerance.
The medicinal preparation can be used in form of powder for injections or tablets for peroral administration.
Clinical efficiency of the developed medicinal preparation is confirmed by the following observations.

Medicinal preparation and process for manufacturing thereof


A method of treating a material on a probe is provided. The method includes the steps of immersing a probe tip into a first fluid, wherein the probe tip includes one or more oxidized metallic fragments on a surface of the probe tip; polarizing the probe tip, through a counter electrode, with a negative current to reduce the one or more oxidized metallic fragments to one or more substantially unoxidized metallic fragments; removing the probe tip from the first fluid; immersing the probe in a second fluid, wherein the second fluid is a complexer for the one or more substantially unoxidized metallic fragments; and polarizing the probe tip with a positive current, through the counter electrode, wherein the positive current oxidizes the one or more substantially unoxidized metallic fragments.

The present application generally relates to the field of methods and apparatus to clean test probes electrochemically, and more particularly to the introduction of at least two different fluids sequentially.
During wafer level testing, portions of controlled collapsed chip connections (i.e., C4 connections) adhere to the test probes during the testing. These portions of material can either carry over on the test probe and get deposited onto subsequent C4 connections during later tests, and/or these portions of material can interfere with test results of the initial C4 connection being tested.
The time it takes for the portions of material to stick onto, or adhere to, the test probes is a substantial factor that limits test probe life. It is therefore desirable to have an ability to remove these portions of material from the test probes to therefore extend probe life.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for producing a skin-covered foamed molded article includes blow molding a parison into a skin and heating expanded polystyrene beads filled in a hollow space of the skin to form a foam layer fuse-bonded to the skin, polystyrene resin composition having specific Charpy impact strength, MFR and branching degree. The skin of the skin-covered foamed molded article is formed of the specific polystyrene resin composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a skin-covered foamed molded article having a polystyrene resin foam layer covered with a polystyrene resin skin, and, more particularly, to a method for producing a skin-covered foamed molded article including forming a parison in a molten or softened state, blow molding the parison into a skin defining a hollow interior space, filling expanded polystyrene beads in the hollow interior space, and heating the expanded polystyrene beads filled in the hollow interior space to fuse-bond the expanded polystyrene beads to each other and to form a foam layer fuse-bonded to the skin. The present invention is also directed to a skin-covered foamed molded article.
2. Description of Prior Art
A skin-covered foamed molded article is heretofore known which is produced by placing a resin parison extruded from a die between mold halves and blow molding the parison into a skin defining a hollow interior space, filling expanded resin beads in the hollow interior space, and supplying a heating medium, such as steam, into the skin to cause the expanded polystyrene beads to expand (secondary expansion) and fuse-bond to each other.
Such a skin-covered foamed molded article not only has a good appearance provided by the skin and high thermal insulation properties derived from the foam layer of the expanded beads but also is excellent in mechanical properties, such as bending rigidity and bending strength, in spite of being light in weight because the hollow interior space of the skin is filled with the foam layer. In addition, the mechanical properties of the entire skin-covered foamed molded article can be further improved by firmly fuse-bonding the expanded beads to each other and the resulting foam layer to the skin.
A method for firmly fuse-bonding a foam layer to a skin is disclosed in JP-A-H6-339979. Specifically, disclosed is a method for producing a skin-covered foamed article including filling the hollow interior space of a skin, formed by blow molding, with pre-expanded thermoplastic resin beads before the skin cools and solidifies, and heating the beads to fuse-bond the beads to each other and to form a foam layer. According to this method, the heat remaining in the skin can be used to firmly fuse-bond the foam layer to the skin.

Method for producing skin-covered foamed molded article and resulting product


A junction field-effect transistor (JFET) device is provided. The JFET includes a drain region, a source region, and a junction gate region disposed between the drain region and the source region, and the source region includes two or more source terminals.

1. Field
The following description relates to a semiconductor device, and to a multi-source junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) device having two or more source regions to control and supply a necessary amount of electric current depending on use of an application which is in need of constant electric current supply.
2. Description of Related Art
A voltage control device such as junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) may function as an electrically-controlled switch when operating in saturation region, while functioning as a voltage control variable resistor when operating in resistive region. The JFET thus provides ideal characteristics for use as a high-input impedance signal source or transimpedance. Further, low current noise and signal distortion characteristics are suitable for audio and high-frequency applications. However, varying input impedance according to temperature, DC performance, or voltage component noise characteristics work as limitation that deters use of JFET amplification application.
The structure of JFET providing the above-mentioned characteristics will be explained below with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a conventional JFET.
Referring to FIG. 1, a JFET 10 includes a drain region 20 at the center, and a gate region 30 formed around the drain region 20. One source region 40, having a fixed area, is also formed outside the gate region 30.
The JFET 10 also includes a bulk region 50, and a metal 60 connected to the bulk region 50. The JFET 10 is hereinafter referred to as "single-source FET."
The single-source FET 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be explained below.
Because the single-source FET 10 has one fixed source region 40, current use is limited. That is, in an application that requires LED be ON constantly, since current is supplied only via one fixed current path, it is not possible to control current amount.
Accordingly, it is necessary to connect a plurality of single-source FETs, when the application needs larger current amount than is provided by a single-source FET 10, which is quite inconvenient.
Furthermore, there is also a burden of having to fabricate new FET with different, suitable structure.


A level measurement arrangement for measurement of a level of a product in a container comprising: a level sensor, comprising: a conductive probe, a mounting element, comprising, and a process connector, for mounting the mounting element on a ferrule on the container, is described, wherein electrical isolation of the conductive probe from the ferrule is ensured via a dielectric insert, which is inserted in the ferrule, fills all cavities inside the ferrule, and extends through the ferrule into the container.

Level measurement forms a central part in many industrial applications. Level measurement data is for example used for industrial process control and/or automation. Various level measurement devices are presently available on the market.
There are level measurement devices on the market, applying time of flight radar techniques to determine the position of the surface of a product in a container. Corresponding level measurement devices comprise a conductive probe that extends into the container. The probe is connected to sensor electronics comprising means for generating and sending short electromagnetic pulses down the probe and means for reception of echoes of the pulses reflected at a surface of the product. The level of the product is determined based on a measurement of a time of flight needed for a pulse to travel down the probe and its echo to return. Such devices are for example the Guided Radar Transmitters Levelflex FMP 40, sold by the applicant, or devices as they are for example described in US-A6,690,320 or DE-A1 100 19 129.
In typical measurement arrangements, a level sensor comprising the conductive probe has a mounting element including a process connector, for mounting the mounting element on a mating ferrule on the container. The conductive probe is isolated from the process connector and the mating ferrule by an electric insulator inside the mounting element and/or the process connector, e.g. by an insulated feed through inside the process connector. A frequently used insulating material is for example polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE). The mating ferrule often comprises a tubular stud or hollow cylinder, enclosing an opening of the container, and a process connector, e.g. a flange, a threaded coupling or a tri-clamp connector, onto which the level sensor is mounted via its process connector. The conductive probe extends through the mating ferrule into the container. Typically a cavity exists between the conductive probe and the sections of the ferrule below its process connector.
The cavity is open to the container. Consequently, there is a possibility, that a product inside the container can enter the cavity. For example, if liquids and powders are mixed inside the container, the materials can be splashed into the cavity. Conductive products entering the cavity can form a conductive path between the conductive probe and the ferrule, which can seriously affect transmission of electromagnetic signals, in particular surface waves, up and down the probe or in the worst case make it impossible. Because of deposits in the vicinity of the probe and the ferrule, undesired reflections, signal attenuation and/or noise may occur. A short circuit in this region renders signal transmission impossible. Quite often, the ferrule and the process connector of the mounting element are connected via metal parts, which form an electrically conductive connection between the process connector and the ferrule. A short circuit between the probe and the ferrule would then short circuit the probe and the process connector of the mounting element.


A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving, on a first storage processor, a configuration IO request concerning a data array coupled to the first storage processor. The configuration IO request is provided to the data array for execution. A failure indication that the configuration IO request failed to execute is received. In response to receiving the failure indication, a status indicator is determined for a second storage processor coupled to the data array. Whether to reset the first storage processor is determined based, at least in part, upon the status indicator of the second storage processor.

Storing and safeguarding electronic content is of paramount importance in modern business. Accordingly, various systems may be employed to protect such electronic content.
The use of high-availability data arrays is increasing in popularity, wherein each data array may be configured to serve a plurality of hosts (e.g., storage processors). These hosts may be configured in a redundant fashion, in which multiple hosts service a single data array.

System and method for storage management