The present invention discloses a 2D/3D switchable liquid crystal lens assembly. The liquid crystal lens assembly from an emitting surface to an incident surface sequentially includes a plurality of adjacently arranged elongated convex lenses, a first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the second transparent substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second transparent substrates. The plurality of electrodes are used for controlling an alignment of liquid crystal molecules inside the liquid crystal layer so as to adjust a refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules inside the liquid crystal layer corresponding to at least one pixel. The refractive index progressively increase or progressively decrease from a center toward both sides to control a propagation direction of incident light and guide the passed incident light to one of the convex lenses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal lens assembly, more particularly, to a two dimension/three dimension (2D/3D) switchable liquid crystal lens assembly having high lens power.
2. Description of the Related Art
Real-world images are perceived by the human eyes, and further, so-called three-dimensional (3D) images are perceived by the human brain depending on an apparent displacement of an object viewed along two different lines of sight. Such a displacement or a spatial difference is called parallax. A so-called 3D display device, simulating human vision to form different viewing angles, is capable of conveying 3D images to the viewer. The 3D display device produces two different 2D images with parallax, one for the viewer's right eye and the other for the left eye. Afterwards, the viewer's brain perceives these two different 2D images as a 3D image.
Nowadays, there are two types of 3D display devices in general, auto-stereoscopic displays and stereoscopic displays. A user of an auto-stereoscopic display can see 3D images without wearing special type glasses. As for a user of a stereoscopic display, he/she has to wear special type glasses to see 3D images. A commonly seen auto-stereoscopic display is divided into two types: parallax barrier auto-stereoscopic displays and lenticular lenses auto-stereoscopic displays. The theorem of parallax barrier auto-stereoscopic displays lies on that a user sees parallax images through both eyes by controlling light propagation direction with an opaque parallax barrier, and the parallax images is perceived as stereoscopic view in the brain.
As for lenticular lenses auto-stereoscopic displays, light propagation direction is controlled by varying the refractive index, which can be realized by different methods. One of them is to make a liquid crystal layer function as a physical lens. With the specially patterned indium tin oxide electrodes on top and bottom substrates, the unevenly distributed electric field lines are generated. The alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is thus changed to result in their different refractive indexes. Hence, the whole liquid crystal layer will behave like a lenticular lens to control the refraction direction of the incident light if a proper design is implemented.
Please refer to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, FIG. 1a is a schematic diagram showing a conventional GRIN lens without being applied with a voltage according to the prior art. FIG. 1b is a schematic diagram showing the conventional GRIN lens being applied with a voltage. The GRIN lens (gradient index lens) is characterized by its refractive index distribution that varies with the distance to the axis. When no voltage is applied on the GRID lens, liquid crystal molecules will align in a manner as shown in FIG. 1a. Owing to the existence of the above-mentioned indium tin oxide electrode pattern (not indicated), the liquid crystal molecules will align in another manner, as shown in FIG. 1b, when a voltage is applied on the GRIN lens. The electric field to be generated will cause the liquid crystal molecules at the center of the lens have the highest refractive index (ne), and decreases gradually from the center to both edges of the lens until the lowest refractive index (no). When light propagates into the GRIN lens, the light travels through both edges of the lens will have a highest speed because of the lowest refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules near the edges. While the light travels through the center of the lens will have a lowest speed because of the highest refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules near the center. For an incident plane wave, the wavefront is thus curved. The curved wavefront, similar to a convex lens, is what focus the light on a focus point F. The equation for focal length is derived as follows:
            f      GRIN        =                  r        2                    2                          d                                [                                          n                max                            -                              n                                                  (                  r                  )                                                      ]                                ,where 'fGRIN' is the focal length of the GRIN lens 10; "d" is the cell thickness; "r" is the radius of the GRIN lens 10; nmax is the extraordinary refractive index ne of the liquid crystal molecules; "n(r)" means that refractive index is a function of r. When a design goal of 4 mm focal length is implanted, the cell thickness d must be maintained at approximately 30 μm if the refractive index difference Δn is 0.21. Therefore, in order to realize a small focal length, the only choice is to increase the cell thickness if the radius of the GRIN lens 10 cannot be reduced and the type of the liquid crystal molecules cannot be changed. However, the increased cell thickness not only increases the cell gap, but also increases the cost. It is therefore very important to provide a 2D/3D switchable liquid crystal lens assembly to improve the focus ability without increasing the cost resulted from the increased cell thickness.

Two dimension/three dimension switchable liquid crystal lens assembly

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


In a client/server network system, multimedia content is streamed from one or more servers to the client. The multimedia content includes multiple media streams that can be streamed to the client from the same server or from different servers. The user is able to modify the playback speed of the multimedia content, allowing the playback to be either speeded up or slowed down.

Multimedia streaming—the continuous delivery of synchronized media data like video, audio, text, and animation—is a critical link in the digital multimedia revolution. Today, streaming media is primarily about video and audio, but a richer, broader digital media era is emerging with a profound and growing impact on the Internet and digital broadcasting.
Synchronized media means multiple media objects that share a common timeline. Video and audio are examples of synchronized media—each is a separate data stream with its own data structure, but the two data streams are played back in synchronization with each other. Virtually any media type can have a timeline. For example, an image object can change like an animated .gif file, text can change and move, and animation and digital effects happen over time. This concept of synchronizing multiple media types is gaining greater meaning and currency with the emergence of more sophisticated media composition frameworks implied by MPEG-4, Dynamic HTML, and other media playback environments.
The term "streaming" is used to indicate that the data representing the various media types is provided over a network to a client computer on a real-time, as-needed basis, rather than being pre-delivered in its entirety before playback. Thus, the client computer renders streaming data as it is received from a network server, rather than waiting for an entire "file" to be delivered.
The widespread availability of streaming multimedia enables a variety of informational content that was not previously available over the Internet or other computer networks. Live content is one significant example of such content. Using streaming multimedia, audio, video, or audio/visual coverage of noteworthy events can be broadcast over the Internet as the events unfold. Similarly, television and radio stations can transmit their live content over the Internet.
Although streaming multimedia content compares favorably with more traditional paper-based content in most regards, one disadvantage is that it requires significant time for viewing. It cannot be "skimmed" like paper-based content. Thus, information consumers are forced to choose between the efficiency of the written word and the richness of the multimedia experience.
The invention described below addresses this disadvantage of prior art streaming multimedia content, allowing more efficient multimedia perusal of streaming multimedia presentations than has previously been possible.

Managing timeline modification and synchronization of multiple media streams in networked client/server systems


An integrated circuit structure comprises a substrate. An antiferroelectric gate oxide is above the substrate, the antiferroelectric gate oxide comprising a perovskite material. A gate electrode is over at least a portion of the gate oxide.

For the past several decades, the scaling of features in integrated circuits has been a driving force behind an ever-growing semiconductor industry. Scaling to smaller and smaller features enables increased densities of functional units on the limited real estate of semiconductor chips. For example, shrinking transistor size allows for the incorporation of an increased number of memory or logic devices on a chip, lending to the fabrication of products with increased capacity. The drive for ever-more capacity, however, is not without issue. The necessity to optimize the performance of each device becomes increasingly significant.
In the manufacture of integrated circuit devices, transistors, whether planar, multi-gate or nanowire, have become more prevalent as device dimensions continue to scale down. The scaling of transistors has not been without consequence, however. As the dimensions of these fundamental building blocks of microelectronic circuitry are reduced and as the sheer number of fundamental building blocks fabricated in a given region is increased, the constraints on the semiconductor processes used to fabricate these building blocks have become overwhelming.
One component that is critical to the performance of the transistor is the gate dielectric that lies between the gate and the conducting channel. Traditionally, an oxide has been used for the gate dielectric, and there is been a mixed amount of innovation with respect to the gate oxide. One innovation has been the use of ferroelectrics based on hafnium and zirconium derivatives as the gate dielectric to obtain high-K. For various reasons, the use of this hafnium oxide and the like as a gate dielectric has not changed for quite some time. In addition, the amount of hafnium-based ferroelectric materials is very limited.
Variability in conventional and state-of-the-art fabrication processes may limit the possibility to further extend such processes into the, e.g. 10 nm or sub-10 nm range. Consequently, fabrication of the functional components needed for future technology nodes may require the introduction of new methodologies or the integration of new technologies in current fabrication processes or in place of current fabrication processes. Thus, significant improvements are still needed in the area of transistor materials and operation, including expanding the material availability of gate dielectrics to a larger class.

Antiferroelectric perovskite gate oxide for transistor applications


This application discloses a session information processing method and device, and a storage medium. The method includes: extracting a to-be-analyzed sentence and preceding sentences of the to-be-analyzed sentence from a session; performing word segmentation on the to-be-analyzed sentence and the preceding sentences, to obtain a first feature set including a plurality of first features; extracting a second feature set including one or more second features from a first word set corresponding to the to-be-analyzed sentence and a second word set corresponding to the preceding sentences, one second feature including a phrase or sentence including a first word and a second word, the first word being one or more words in the first word set, and the second word being one or more words in the second word set; and determining, according to the first feature set and the second feature set, a sentence category to which the to-be-analyzed sentence belongs.

An artificial intelligence (AI) technology is a technology of simulating human's thoughts and behaviors by using a modernization tool such as a computer. With the daily progress of the artificial intelligence technology, the artificial intelligence technology has been applied to various aspects in production and life, such as a dialog system. In the dialog system, an AI dialog robot performs semantic analysis on sentences in a dialog and then makes a corresponding response.

Session information processing method and device and storage medium

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


Analogs of SRIF which are selective for SSTR4 in contrast to the other cloned SRIF receptors are useful in determining tissue and cellular expression of the receptor SSTR4 and its biological role in regulating tumor growth. SRIF analog peptides, such as des-AA1,2,4,5,12,13[Ala7]-SRIF; des-AA1,2,4,5,12,13[Aph7]-SRIF, des-AA1,2,4,5,12,13[Aph7]Cbm-SRIF; des-AA1,2,4,5,12,13[Tyr2,Ala7]-Cbm-SRIF, and des-AA1,2,4,5,12,13[Tyr7,CβMe-L-2Nal8]-SRIF, and counterparts incorporating D-Cys3 and/or D-Trp8 and/or Ala11, bind with high affinity to the cloned human receptor SSTR4 and activate the receptor, but they do not bind with significant affinity to human SSTR1, SSTR2, SSTR3 or SSTR5. By incorporating an iodinated tyrosine in position-2 in these SSTR4-selective SRIF analogs, a labeled compound useful in drug-screening methods is provided. Alternatively, for use in therapy, cytotoxins or highly radioactive elements can be N-terminally coupled or complexed thereto.

The cyclic tetradecapeptide somatostatin-14 (SRIF) was originally isolated from the hypothalamus and characterized as a physiological inhibitor of growth hormone release from the anterior pituitary. It was characterized by Guillemin et al. and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,594 as having the amino acid sequence: (cyclo 3-14)H-Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys-OH (SEQ ID NO:1). This tetradecapeptide has a bridging or cyclizing bond between the sulfhydryl groups of the two cysteinyl amino acid residues in the 3- and 14-positions. SRIF was found to also regulate insulin, glucagon and amylase secretion from the pancreas, and gastric acid release in the stomach, e.g. it inhibits the effects of pentagastrin and histamine on the gastric mucosa. SRIF is also expressed in intrahypothalamic regions of the brain and has a role in the regulation of locomotor activity and cognitive functions. SRIF is localized throughout the central nervous system, where it acts as a neurotransmitter. In the central nervous system, SRIF has been shown to both positively and negatively regulate neuronal firing, to affect the release of other neurotransmitters, and to modulate motor activity and cognitive processes.
Somatostatin and many analogs of somatostatin exhibit activity in respect to the inhibition of growth hormone (GH) secretion from cultured, dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells in vitro; they also inhibit GH, insulin and glucagon secretion in vivo in the rat and in other mammals. One such analog is [D-Trp8]-SRIF, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,884. Somatostatin has also been found to inhibit the secretion of gastrin and secretin by acting directly upon the secretory elements of the stomach and pancreas, respectively, and somatostatin is being sold commercially in Europe for the treatment of ulcer patients. The powerful inhibitory effects of somatostatin on the secretion not only of GH but also of insulin and glucagon have led to studies of a possible role of somatostatin in the management or treatment of juvenile diabetes and have proved useful in studying the physiological and pathological effects of these hormones on human metabolism. SRIF is also known to inhibit the growth of certain tumors.
SRIF affects multiple cellular processes. Studies have shown that SRIF is an inhibitory regulator of adenylyl cyclase in different tissues. SRIF also regulates the conductance of ionic channels, including both K+ and Ca2+ channels. These actions of SRIF are mediated via pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. SRIF also regulates the activity of tyrosine phosphatases, the Na+/H+ antiport, and cellular proliferation through pertussis toxin-insensitive mechanisms.
SRIF induces its biological effects by interacting with a family of membrane-bound structurally similar receptors. Five SRIF receptors have been cloned and are referred to as SSTR1-5. Human SSTR1, mouse SSTR2 and mouse SSTR3 are described in Raynor et al., Molecular Pharmacology, 43, 838-844 (1993), and all five human SRIF receptors are now available for research purposes. Human SSTR1, 2 and 3 are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,155. Additional SRIF receptors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,668,006 and 5,929,209. All five receptors bind SRIF and SRIF-28 with high affinity. Selective agonists at SSTR2 and SSTR5 have been identified and used to reveal distinct functions of these receptors. These two receptors are believed to be the predominant subtypes in peripheral tissues. SSTR2 is believed to mediate the inhibition of growth hormone, glucagon and gastric acid secretion. In contrast, SSTR5 appears to be primarily involved in the control of insulin and amylase release. SSTR3 mediates inhibition of gastric smooth muscle contraction. SSTR4 is found in the pituitary, lungs, GI tract, kidneys, and in certain tumors to the substantial exclusion of the other SRIF receptors; it is believed to be activated upon binding by SRIF. These overall findings indicate that different receptor subtypes mediate distinct functions of SRIF in the body. Additional functions of SSTR4 could be learned if a highly selective agonist or antagonist was available.
There are different types of tissues in the human body that express somatostatin receptors including: (1) the gastrointestinal tract, likely including the mucosa and smooth muscle, (2) the peripheral nervous system, (3) the endocrine system, (4) the vascular system and (5) lymphoid tissue, where the receptors are preferentially located in germinal centers. In all these cases, somatostatin binding is of high affinity and specific for bioactive somatostatin analogs.
Somatostatin receptors are also expressed in pathological states, particularly in neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Most human tumors originating from the somatostatin target tissue have conserved their somatostatin receptors. It was first observed in growth hormone producing adenomas and TSH-producing adenomas; about one-half of endocrine inactive adenomas display somatostatin receptors. Ninety percent of the cardinoids and a majority of islet-cell carcinomas, including their metastasis, usually have a high density of somatostatin receptors. However, only 10 percent of colorectal carcinomas and none of the exocrine pancreatic carcinomas contain somatostatin receptors. The somatostatin receptors in tumors can be identified using in vitro binding methods or using in vivo imaging techniques; the latter allow the precise localization of the tumors and their metastasis in the patients. Because somatostatin receptors in gastroenteropancreatic tumors are functional, their identification can be used is to assess the therapeutic efficacy of an analog to inhibit excessive hormone release in the patients.
A cyclic SRIF analog, variously termed SMS-201-995 and Octreotide, i.e. D-Phe-c[Cys-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys]-Thr-ol is being used clinically to inhibit certain tumor growth; analogs complexed with 111In or the like are also used as diagnostic agents to detect SRIF receptors expressed in cancers. Two similar octapeptide analogs having 6-membered rings, i.e. Lanreotide and Vapreotide, have also been developed, see Smith-Jones et al., Endocrinology, 140, 5136-5148 (1999). A number of versions of these somatostatin analogs have been developed for use in radioimaging or as radiopharmaceuticals in radionuclide therapy. For radioimaging, for example, labeling with 123I can be used as disclosed in U.K. Patent Application 8927255.3 and as described in Bakker et al., 1991, J. Nucl. Med., 32:1184-1189. Proteins have been previously radiolabeled through the use of chelating agents, and there are various examples of complexing somatostatin analogs with 99Tc, 90Y or 111In, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,620,675 and 5,716,596. A variety of complexing agents have been used including DTPA; DOTA; HYNIC; and P2S2—COOH, U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,894 discloses analogs of Octreotide modified to facilitate radiolabeling.
Octreotide and other clinically used SRIF analogs interact significantly with three of the receptor subtypes, i.e. SSTR2, SSTR3 and SSTR5. SSTR2 and SSTR5 have recently been reported to mediate antiproliferative effects of SRIF on tumor cell growth; therefore, they may mediate the clinical effects of Octreotide in humans. U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,499 discloses SRIF analogs which are selective for SSTR1. A comprehensive review of SRIF and its receptors is found in Patel, Y. C. "Somatostatin and its receptor family", Front. Neuroendocrinol, 1999, 20, 157-198.
SSTR4 was one of the later SRIF receptors cloned; it is not found in the abundance in normal human tissue as are some of the other receptors. It has high affinity for SRIF and SRIF-28, while it exhibits low affinity for many synthetic analogs of SRIF. In certain human tumors, SSTR4 mRNA may be the most frequently and most strongly expressed subtype receptor among the SST receptors. As a result of the many tumors that carry SRIF receptors, peptide radiopharmaceuticals have been developed for detection and visualization of such tumors and in addition, compounds that complex with 111In or 90Y are proving to be very promising radioligands for receptor-mediated radiotherapy.
Because of the presence of SSTR4 on some tumors, and because of the otherwise ubiquitous nature of the somatostatin receptors, it would be valuable to have somatostatin analogs that would bind strongly to SSTR4 while at the same time showing only minimal propensity for binding to the other 4 receptors. The search has continued for somatostatin analogs which are more potent than somatostatin and/or exhibit dissociated inhibitory functions, and particularly for analogs which are selective for SSTR4. Non-peptide SRIF agonists have been identified using combinatorial chemistry which exhibit selectivity for each of SSTR1 to SSTR5, Rohrer, S. P. et al., Science, 282, 737-740, 23 Oct. 1998. However, no peptide ligand has thus far been available that selectively binds to SSTR4 and exhibits fairly high affinity; as a result, efforts to determine the precise localization of SSTR4 in the body and to identify more of its biological actions have been hindered. Moreover, such lack of selective SSTR4 peptide ligands having relatively high affinity has hampered efforts to design more selective tumor diagnosis and treatment and radionuclide therapy, because only peptide ligands can be satisfactorily derivatized to incorporate complexing agents for radionuclides.

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies


Provided are systems and methods for paging data into main memory from checkpoint data stored on disk. In one example, the method may include one or more of receiving a request for a database record in main memory, determining whether the database record has been previously stored in the main memory, in response to determining that the database record has been previously stored in the main memory, identifying a slice where the database record was stored from among a plurality of slices included in the main memory, and paging content of the identified slice including a copy of the requested database record into the main memory from a snapshot captured of content included in the identified slice and previously stored on disk. Accordingly, documents can be paged into main memory on-demand from snapshots of slice content rather than paging an entire partition of content.

A document database, also referred to as a document store, differs significantly from a traditional relational database (RDB). Relational databases generally store data in separate tables that are defined by a database administrator, in which data of a single data object may be spread across several tables. Meanwhile, document databases can store all information for a given object in a single database instance, and each stored object can differ from other stored objects. In other words, there may be no internal structure that maps directly onto the concept of a table, and the fields and relationships generally don't exist as predefined concepts. Instead, all of the data for an object is placed in a single document, and stored in the document database as a single entry. This makes mapping objects into the document database a simple task, normally eliminating anything similar to an object-relational mapping. Accordingly, a document store is attractive for programming web applications, which are subject to continual change in place, and where speed of deployment is an important issue.
Paging is a memory management process by which a computer stores and retrieves data from a secondary storage (i.e., disk) for use in main memory (i.e., RAM), Typically, an operating system retrieves data from the secondary storage in same-sized blocks which are referred to as pages. A program begins execution with none of its pages in main memory. As the program requests data from the main memory, page faults occur triggering the operating system to find and transfer the page to main memory. During this process, the operating system must identify a location of the page on disk, obtain an empty page frame from the main memory, load the page to the available page frame, update a page table to refer to the new page frame, and return control of to the program. However, identifying a location of the page on disk can take significant time for a large database systems which often include multiple database nodes requiring the operating system to search each node for the requested page. Furthermore, database paging typically loads an entire partition of a database into main memory even when only a small fraction of data from the partition is being requested by the program. Accordingly, what is needed is a more efficient way of paging data into main memory of a database such as a document store.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated or adjusted for clarity, illustration, and/or convenience.

Paging and disk storage for document store


The present invention provides a method of treating anxiety and related disorders using an agonist which acts at negatively coupled cAMP-linked metabotropic glutamate receptors.

The present invention relates to the treatment of anxiety and related disorders.
The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV.TM.), published in 1994 by the American Psychiatric Association, Washington, D.C., defines anxiety and related disorders. These are panic disorder without agoraphobia, panic disorder with agoraphobia, agoraphobia without history of panic disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety disorder due to a general medical condition, substance-induced anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified.
Anxiety disorders are generally treated by counseling or with drugs. Classes of drugs which are widely prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders include the benzodiazepines (such as diazepam) and buspirone hydrochloride.
The benzodiazepines were introduced during the 1960's. They have achieved widespread acceptance, but their use is nevertheless restricted due to their adverse side-effect profile, in particular their tendency to induce dependence.
Buspirone hydrochloride was introduced during the early 1980's. It lacks the dependence-inducing side effects of the benzodiazepines, but has a slow onset of action (about 4 weeks).
There is therefore a need for new drugs for the treatment of anxiety and related disorders.
Several animal models have been developed which are recognized in the art as being predictive of anxiolytic activity. These include the fear potentiated startle model, described by Davis in Psychopharmacology 62:1; 1979, Behav. Neurosci. 100:814;1986 and TiPS, January 1992 Vol. 13! 35-41, the elevated plus model described by Lister in Psychopharmacol. 92:180-185;1987, and the well-known punished--responding (conflict) model, described, for example, in "Psychopharmacology of Anxiolytics and Antidepressants", edited by S. E. File, pp. 131-153, Raven Press, New York, 1991.
In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), the transmission of nerve impulses is controlled by the interaction between a neurotransmitter, that is released by a sending neuron, and a surface receptor on a receiving neuron, causing excitation of this receiving neuron. The benzodiazepines and buspirone hydrochloride are both believed to exert their anxiolytic effect through binding to such receptors. In particular, the benzodiazepines are believed to act by binding to GABA receptors, while buspirone hydrochloride is believed to bind to 5HT.sub.1a receptors.
L-Glutamate, which is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the CNS, mediates the major excitatory pathway in mammals, and is referred to as an excitatory amino acid (EAA). The receptors that respond to glutamate are called excitatory amino acid receptors (EAA receptors). See Watkins & Evans, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 21, 165 (1981); Monaghan, Bridges, and Cotman, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 29, 365 (1989); Watkins, Krogsgaard-Larsen, and Honore, Trans. Pharm. Sci., 11, 25 (1990). The excitatory amino acids are of great physiological importance, playing a role in a variety of physiological processes, such as long-term potentiation (learning and memory), the development of synaptic plasticity, motor control, respiration, cardiovascular regulation, emotional states and sensory perception.
Excitatory amino acid receptors are classified into two general types. Receptors that are directly coupled to the opening of cation channels in the cell membrane of the neurons are termed "ionotropic." This type of receptor has been subdivided into at least three subtypes, which are defined by the depolarizing actions of the selective agonists N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), .alpha.-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA), and kainic acid (KA). The second general type of receptor is the G-protein or second messenger-linked "metabotropic" excitatory amino acid receptor. This second type is coupled to multiple second messenger systems that lead to enhanced phosphoinositide hydrolysis, activation of phospholipase D, increases or decreases in cAMP formation, and changes in ion channel function. Schoepp and Conn, Trends in Pharmacol. Sci., 14, 13 (1993). Both types of receptors appear not only to mediate normal synaptic transmission along excitatory pathways, but also participate in the modification of synaptic connections during development and throughout life. Schoepp, Bockaert, and Sladeczek, Trends in Pharmacol. Sci., 11, 508 (1990); McDonald and Johnson, Brain Research Reviews, 15, 41 (1990).
The metabotropic glutamate receptors are a highly heterogeneous family of glutamate receptors that are linked to multiple second-messenger pathways. Generally, these receptors function to modulate the presynaptic release of glutamate, and the postsynaptic sensitivity of the neuronal cell to glutamate excitation. The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) have been pharmacologically divided into two subtypes. One group of receptors is positively coupled to phospholipase C, which causes hydrolysis of cellular phosphoinositides (PI). This first group are termed PI-linked metabotropic glutamate receptors. The second group of receptors is negatively coupled to adenyl cyclase, which prevents the forskolin-stimulated accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Schoepp and Conn, Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 14, 13 (1993). Receptors within this second group are termed cAMP-linked metabotropic glutamate receptors.
It has now been found that a compound which is an agonist that acts selectively at negatively coupled cAMP-linked metabotropic glutamate receptors is effective in the fear potentiated startle and elevated plus maze models of anxiety (but does not have benzodiazepine-like efficacy in the punished-responding (conflict) model).


A communication method and related device are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a reference message authentication code is obtained by a terminal device based on a first message authentication code and a second message authentication code. The first message authentication code is used by an AMF to check a service request message, and the second message authentication code is used by an SMF to check the service request message. and sending, by the terminal device, first information and the service request message are sent by the terminal device to the AMF. The first information is used to instruct the AMF to send the service request message to the SMF. The service request message includes second information. The second information includes the reference message authentication code. The SMF can perform a security check on the service request message to ensure security of a communications network.

In a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications standard, an access and mobility management function (AMF) and a session management function (SMF) are introduced. The AMF may be configured to implement an access management function and a mobility management function of a mobility management entity (MME) in a long term evolution (LTE) system. The SMF may be configured to implement a session management function of the MME.
In the LTE system, a terminal device sends a service request (SR) message to the MME by using a non-access stratum (NAS), and the MME checks security of the service request message based on information carried in the service request message, so that the MME implements session management on the terminal device. In a 5G system, a terminal device sends a service request message to the SMF by using the AMF, so that the SMF implements session management on the terminal device based on the service request message. However, because a security risk is exposed to an interface between the AMF and the SMF has, an SR may be tampered with.


The present invention relates to an antireflecting coating composition which is capable of forming a crosslinked coating underneath a layer of photoresist comprising a silicon polymer, where the silicon polymer comprises at least one unit with the structure 1,

Photoresist compositions are used in microlithography processes for making miniaturized electronic components such as in the fabrication of computer chips and integrated circuits. Generally, in these processes, a thin coating of film of a photoresist composition is first applied to a substrate material, such as silicon wafers used for making integrated circuits. The coated substrate is then baked to evaporate any solvent in the photoresist composition and to fix the coating onto the substrate. The baked coated surface of the substrate is next subjected to an image-wise exposure to radiation.
This radiation exposure causes a chemical transformation in the exposed areas of the coated surface. Visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, electron beam and X-ray radiant energy are radiation types commonly used today in microlithographic processes. After this image-wise exposure, the coated substrate is treated with a developer solution to dissolve and remove either the radiation-exposed or the unexposed areas of the photoresist.
The trend towards the miniaturization of semiconductor devices has led to the use of new photoresists that are sensitive to lower and lower wavelengths of radiation and has also led to the use of sophisticated multilevel systems to overcome difficulties associated with such miniaturization.
Absorbing antireflective coatings in photolithography are used to diminish problems that result from back reflection of light from highly reflective substrates. Two major disadvantages of back reflectivity are thin film interference effects and reflective notching. Thin film interference, or standing waves, result in changes in critical line width dimensions caused by variations in the total light intensity in the photoresist film as the thickness of the photoresist changes or interference of reflected and incident exposure radiation can cause standing wave effects that distort the uniformity of the radiation through the thickness. Reflective notching becomes severe as the photoresist is patterned over reflective substrates containing topographical features, which scatter light through the photoresist film, leading to line width variations, and in the extreme case, forming regions with complete photoresist loss. An antireflective coating coated beneath a photoresist and above a reflective substrate provides significant improvement in lithographic performance of the photoresist. Typically, the bottom antireflective coating is applied on the substrate and then a layer of photoresist is applied on top of the antireflective coating. The antireflective coating is cured to prevent intermixing between the antireflective coating and the photoresist. The photoresist is exposed imagewise and developed. The antireflective coating in the exposed area is then typically dry etched using various etching gases, and the photoresist pattern is thus transferred to the substrate. In cases where the photoresist does not provide sufficient dry etch resistance, underlayers or antireflective coatings for the photoresist that act as a hard mask and are highly etch resistant during substrate etching are preferred, and one approach has been to incorporate silicon into a layer beneath the organic photoresist layer, either directly or below an additional organic coating, which maybe used to improve the lithography. A silicon layer directly beneath the photoresist layer is preferred. Silicon is highly etch resistant in processes where O2 etching is used, and by providing an organic mask layer with high carbon content beneath the silicon antireflective layer a very large aspect ratio can be obtained. Thus, the organic mask can be much thicker than the photoresist or silicon layer above it. The organic mask, which is much thicker, can provide the substrate etch masking that the original photoresist was incapable of. Furthermore, these silicon containing antireflective coatings that also reduce or eliminate the reflected exposure radiation are highly desirable.
The present invention provides for a novel antireflective coating composition for a photoresist, where the composition comprises novel silicon containing polymer capable of crosslinking, with or without the crosslinking catalyst. The invention also provides for a process for using the antireflective coating to form an image using the novel composition. In addition to being used as an antireflective coating composition, the novel composition may also be used as a hard mask for protecting the substrate from etching gases or may also be used as a low k dielectric material. The novel composition is useful for imaging photoresists which are coated over the novel antireflective coating composition and also for etching the substrate. The novel composition enables a good image transfer from the photoresist to the substrate, and also has good absorption characteristics to prevent reflective notching and line width variations or standing waves in the photoresist. Additionally, substantially no intermixing is present between the antireflective coating and the photoresist film. The antireflective coating also has good solution stability and forms thin films with good coating quality, the latter being particularly advantageous for lithography.

Antireflective coating composition based on silicon polymer

Abstract: where, R1 is selected from C1-C4 alkyl. The invention also relates to a process for imaging this composition.


A method for manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board in which base sheets composed of Teflon film having heat resistance and low dielectric constant are stacked to prevent loss of a high frequency signal while minimizing dielectric loss due to the high frequency signal and a flexible printed circuit board manufactured by the same are disclosed. The proposed method for manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board comprises a step of preparing a base sheet which is a Teflon film having a thin film pattern formed on one surface thereof, a step of preparing an adhesive sheet, a step of stacking a plurality of base sheets and adhesive sheets, and a step of heating, pressing, and adhering a stacked body in which the plurality of base sheets and adhesive sheets are stacked.

In general, a printed circuit board is a board that may be flexibly bent by forming a circuit pattern on a thin insulating film, and is widely used in a portable electronic device and an automation device or a display product requiring bending and flexibility when mounted and used.
In general, the printed circuit board is manufactured by bonding or die-casting a copper foil to a polyimide (PI) film. At this time, since the polyimide film has characteristics such as high mechanical strength, heat resistance, insulation, and solvent resistance, it is much used as a base material of a printed circuit board.
Meanwhile, as the use of services for transmitting large amounts of information in real time, such as a video call, movie watching, and real-time relay, increases, a portable terminal is mounted with circuits for transmitting large amounts of information by using a high frequency band (for example, GHz).
However, in the case of transmitting a high frequency signal by using a printed circuit board made of a polyimide film, there is a problem in that a signal loss of the high frequency signal occurs due to the dielectric loss inherent in the material.
In other words, there is a problem in that the polyimide film has a high dielectric constant, dielectric loss occurs at transmission and reception of the high frequency signal, such that loss of the high frequency signal occurs, thereby occurring disconnection when using services such as a video call, movie watching, and real-time relay.
Further, there is a problem in that a printed circuit board made of a film having low dielectric constant may minimize the loss of the high frequency signal, but has a low melting temperature to degrade heat resistance, such that a surface is melted by a high temperature of about 250° C. generated in a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) process for mounting a device for a high frequency, thereby causing defects.
Further, there is a problem in that the low dielectric constant and the high heat resistance film are formed at a high price, such that the manufacturing cost of the printed circuit board increases, thereby losing the competitiveness in the market.

Method for manufacturing flexible printed circuit board and flexible printed circuit board manufactured by same


A multiplexer 106 conducts time division multiplexing on various data trains input from a digital broadcast reception tuner 103 and various interfaces 104 and 105 while adding packet arrival time correction information. A demultiplexer 109 demultiplexes time division multiplexed data multiplexed by the multiplexer 106, corrects packet arrival time on the basis of the packet arrival time correction information. A PCR correction section 110 corrects a system clock on the basis of the packet arrival time correction information added by the multiplexer 106. As a result, it becomes possible to transfer an MPEG2 stream and other data in concurrent while maintaining program synchronization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital data transmission apparatus, a digital data reception apparatus, a digital broadcast reception apparatus, a digital data transmission method, a digital data reception method, a digital broadcast reception method, a computer program, and a computer readable recording medium. In particular, the present invention is suitable for time division multiplexing of an MPEG2 stream and arbitrary data.
2. Description of the Related Art
A TS (Transport Stream) of MPEG2 includes reference clock information called PCR (Program Clock Reference) (SCR (System Clock reference) in a PS (Program Stream) of MPEG2), and program synchronization information concerning decoding time and presentation time called DTS (Decode Time Stamp) and PTS (Presentation Time Stamp). In order to attain synchronization intended by the transmission side, the reception side needs to correct the system clock on the basis of the PCR.
In correction of the system clock, there are two kinds. In first correction, a clock value on the transmission side indicated by the PCR is set on the reception side. In second correction, a difference between PCR arrival time intended by the transmission side and actual PCR arrival time is detected as PCR fluctuation and a system clock frequency is increased or decreased in a predetermined range. Herein, the former cited operation of setting the clock value (PCR counter value) on the transmission side to the clock value on the reception side is referred to as "PCR reference time correction," whereas the latter cited PCR fluctuation correction is referred to as "PCR fluctuation correction."
A demand for transmission of a TS of MPEG2 (hereafter referred to as MPEG2 TS) concurrently with other data such as of JPEG data, DV (Digital Video) data or the like input from an external input apparatus after reception of the MPEG2 TS is conceivable in the case where a transmission path is present between an input management section for managing an input and a signal processing section for conducting data processing. As described above, however, the MPEG2 TS is subject to the PCR reference time correction and the PCR fluctuation correction according to the arrival time of the PCR. Therefore, it is not easy to conduct time division multiplexing on the MPEG2 TS and arbitrary data. Herein, "arbitrary data" refers to image data, voice data, and control system data.
Typically, when transferring an MPEG2 TS from a certain processing section to another processing section, the MPEG2 TS occupies the transmission path, and concurrent transfer of the MPEG2 TS and other data is not conducted. Or if the transmission path is shared by the MPEG2 TS and other data, program synchronization using the PCR is not conducted and the program synchronization information is discarded. According to a typical method for reflecting synchronization information such as the PCR as well while transmitting JPEG and DV information in concurrent with a MPEG2 TS in the conventional technique, the MPEG2 TS is temporarily demultiplexed, and the demultiplexed MPEG2 TS and the JPEG and DV information are multiplexed again into a MPEG2 TS. This method has a problem that both the quantity of processing and the memory in use increase.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-183841 discloses a method for multiplexing a plurality of TSs into one TS without conducting demultiplexing. However, multiplexing of a MPEG2 TS and arbitrary data is not mentioned, and the method cannot be applied to arbitrary data.

Digital data transmission apparatus, digital data reception apparatus, digital broadcast reception apparatus, digital data transmission method, digital data reception method, digital broadcast reception method, and computer program


There is provided a pinch valve system for controlling a fluid flow in a fluid flow path. The pinch valve system has an elastic sleeve member having a pair of outwardly extending elliptical folds on the circumference. The sleeve member is novel because the elliptical folds provide additional axial lengths that match the circumferential extension of the sleeve member when the sleeve member is in a pinched condition, thereby allowing the sleeve member always to be in a stress-free state. The sleeve member is novel because the inner surface is coated with a fluorocarbon material having superior chemical inertness and high operating temperature, thereby providing the elastic sleeve member with a long service life.

This invention directs itself to fluid control valves, and more particularly to pinch valve systems for controlling fluid flow in a fluid flow path.
Various types of control valves have been developed for use in plumbing, drainage and other fluid flow applications and systems. It is known that pinch valves systems are particularly suited for controlling fluid flow in vacuum-line systems.
In pinch valve systems, a critical component is the tubular elastic sleeve member that is pinched to occlude the fluid flow. The design of the elastic sleeve member is plagued with a plurality of service problems.
In many prior art systems, when the elastic sleeve member is pinched, the sleeve member is stretched and is subjected to undue stresses. Over repeated use, the stresses can result in fatigue of the elastic material, and eventually lead to a tear in the elastic sleeve member, thereby rendering the pinch valve system useless.
Moreover, particularly in vacuum-line systems, the elastic sleeve member is susceptible to exposure to boiling fluids. It is known to the art that the temperature at which a fluid boils decreases as the surrounding pressure decreases and vice-versa. In vacuum-line systems, the pressure applied to the fluid is below atmospheric pressure and the fluid can experience boiling conditions at significantly lower temperatures. Hence, when a pinch valve system is opened in the presence of warm fluids that were previously below boiling point, the sudden drop in pressure applied to the fluid can cause the fluid to boil almost instantly. Over repeated use, the vigorous boiling actions of the fluids can cause surface vitrification and material hardening of the sleeve member. The surface vitrification, characterized by tiny pits and holes, and hardening of the material become points of weakness from which a tear can propagate, thereby reducing the service life of the sleeve member.
Additionally, fluid flows in plumbing and drainage systems can contain caustic chemicals, oils, fats and the like. While these chemicals, oils and fats can have deleterious effects on the elastic sleeve member even at ambient conditions, the deleterious effects are further exacerbated when the fluids experience boiling conditions.
Finally, fluid flow in plumbing or drainage systems often contains solids such as refuse from food preparations, coffee grounds and the like. In vacuum-line systems, the fluid flow travels at high speeds and the impact of these solids on the elastic sleeve member can cause damage to the sleeve member.
It is known to the art that fluorocarbon materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytrifluorochloroethylene and the like provide excellent chemical inertness, high service temperature, high strength and durability. A coating of a fluorocarbon material that is adapted with good adhesion to the underlying substrate material protects the substrate material from aforementioned weaknesses, thereby significantly increasing the service life of the substrate material. Likewise, an elastic sleeve member coated with a fluorocarbon material will benefit from the chemical inertness, high service temperature, high strength and durability of the fluorocarbon, resulting in a longer service life for the sleeve member.
Polytetrafluoroethylene is commercially sold by E.I. DuPont Nemuors and Company under its registered trademark "Teflon" and by Polymer Corporation under the registered trade name of "PolyPenco." Polyvinylidene fluoride is commercially sold by Elf Atochem North America, Inc. under its registered trademark of "Kynar." Polytrifluorochloroethylene is commercially sold by M.W. Kellogg under its registered trademark "Kel-F."


A DAC architecture is described. The architecture is specifically adapted to provided an analog voltage output based on a digital input word. The architecture includes a resistor ladder configuration sub-divisible into a first component, adapted to convert a lower part of the input word, and a second component adapted to convert an upper part of the input word. The DAC is calibrated such that the first component can be used to tune the output of the second component on selection of specific segment from the second component.

DAC structures are well known in the art. They are used to convert an input digital signal, usually provided in the form of a binary code, to an analog output signal- either in the form of a corresponding voltage or current. This is achieved using switches or a network of resistors or current sources. An example of known DAC structures is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,174 (U.S. Pat. No. '174) of Dempsey et al which is assigned to the Assignee of the present application, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. '174 describes an R-2R ladder structure which includes a plurality of legs. Each leg contributes towards the resolution of the device, such that the more legs that are provided in the structure the better the resolution. However, as one adds more legs to the ladder structure it is also necessary to add a plurality of corresponding switches, which need to be scaled appropriately. The addition of switches is not a trivial activity, as each new switch needs to be scaled appropriately to the preceding switch. This scaling of the switches is addressed by the invention of U.S. Pat. No. '174 which provides a control circuit such that the on resistance of the switches is controlled with regard to a reference value. However, if one wants high resolution from the DAC there is still the problem of keeping the switches in reasonable operating parameters and in providing sufficient area on the circuit layout to accommodate for the large number of switches.
A further issue with high resolution DACs is that the linearity and monotonicity of the DAC is limited by component matching. Random component mismatch can reduce the monotonicity and linearity of the DAC structure. This problem has traditionally been countered either by laser trimming components to adjust their values or by incorporating calibration circuitry on board.
There is therefore a need to provide a DAC configuration which is adapted to provide for high DAC resolution and which facilitates calibration of DAC linearity errors.


A contact-type film probe including a plastic substrate and multiple signal lines arranged on one face of the substrate. A contact conductive layer is disposed at one end of each signal line. A buffer layer is disposed between the contact conductive layer and the substrate. The other section of the signal line free from the contact conductive layer is coated with an insulating layer. By means of the buffer layer, when contacting with the wires of the liquid crystal display, the force is fully evenly exerted onto the contact conductive layers and the direct contact force exerted onto the contact conductive layers is reduced so as to prolong the using life of the contact-type film probe.

The present invention is related to a film probe for testing liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a contact-type film probe in which a buffer layer is additionally disposed for providing a buffering effect and reducing the direct contact force exerted onto the contact conductive layers. Therefore, the using life of the contact-type film probe can be prolonged.
In a conventional contact-type soft film probe structure, multiple one-to-one straight film probes are directly made on a specific tool according to the wire layout of a liquid crystal display. The probes directly contact with the wires of the liquid crystal display. After contacted, the signal will be input via the probes to activate the liquid crystal display. According to the state of display, it can be judged whether the liquid crystal display is good or bad.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a conventional contact-type soft film probe. Multiple signal lines 82 are arranged on one face of a plastic substrate 81 according to wire layout of a liquid crystal display. A contact conductive layer 83 is disposed at one end of each signal line 82 to form a probe. The other section of the signal line 82 free from the contact conductive layer 83 is coated with an insulating layer 84.
The thickness of each layer of the film probe is in the grade of micron so that the thickness of the film probe as a whole is still very thin. Accordingly, when contacting the film probe with the wire 91 of the liquid crystal display 9 as shown in FIG. 7, it is necessary to apply a pressure onto the probe, whereby the contact conductive layers 83 of the film probe can truly contact with the wires 91 of the liquid crystal display. However, the contact conductive layers 83 are generally made of copper foil material. Therefore, during contacting, the edges and corners of the wires 91 of the liquid crystal display tend to partially over-wear the contact conductive layers 83 and signal lines 82. This may cut off the contact conductive layers 83 and the signal lines 82. As a result, the signal cannot be normally transmitted to the wires of the liquid crystal display. This will make the liquid crystal display unable to display pictures or lead to poor display of the pictures. Accordingly, the test result of the liquid crystal display will be affected. Furthermore, in the case that the contact conductive layers 83 are worn out or cut off, the using life of the film probe will be shortened and the cost will be increased.


Methods, systems, and media for providing dynamic media sessions with audio stream expansion features are provided. In some embodiments, the methods include: receiving an indication that audio content associated with a video content item is to be presented by a follower device synchronously with the audio content presented by the leader device; identifying candidate follower devices by determining whether devices connected to a local area network are capable of being designated as a follower device; causing a user interface to be presented that indicates each candidate follower device; receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one of the candidate follower devices; and transmitting, from the leader to the selected follower device, control instructions that cause the audio content associated with the video content item to be presented synchronously by the selected follower device with the video content item presented by the leader device.

With the increase in networked media devices, users may generally be interested in combining multiple devices to consume media content, thereby creating a richer media experience. For example, a user may want to begin watching a video content item on a first device with a display (e.g., a television, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a virtual assistant device, etc.), and then cause audio content associated with the video content item to be synchronously presented from other devices (e.g., nearby speakers, etc.) to provide a richer audio experience.
However, it can sometimes be difficult to identify devices that are capable of synchronously presenting audio content associated with a video content item. For example, in some cases, a first device that begins presenting a video content item can be considered a leader device, and devices that synchronously present audio content associated with the video content item can be considered follower devices. Continuing with this example, in some cases, it can be difficult to identify follower devices capable of synchronously presenting content with a leader device.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide new methods, systems, and media for providing dynamic media sessions with audio stream expansion features.


A known elastomeric non-methyl methacrylate soft material has been used as a soft denture liner material. The material includes powder and liquid components which are mixed together and cured. The invention involves lining an underlying surface of an acrylic overdenture, wherein the overdenture is applied over a crown coping over a tooth or over a post with a ball or hour-glass shaped abutment. A liner is formed having the characteristics of being flexible, resilient, shape retentive, hydrophobic, soft, spongy and cushiony. A known sealer component is then applied over the liner to create a non-absorbent exterior surface seal and glaze. By varying the powder to liquid ratio, the material can be made more dense thus hardening or softening it for various applications. By removing the exterior surface and roughening the material, it can easily be adjusted, repaired or refurbished. The material allows for a quick cure or a dental laboratory processed cure and is compatible for either chairside or laboratory use.

For decades, restorative dentists and dental product manufacturers have attempted to develop a soft liner for dentures and prosthetic devices addressing the various short term and long term clinical challenges presented by partially and fully edentulous patients. Examples of long term uses of soft denture liners may be indicated where the patient has undercuts caused by severe alveolar ridge resorption; anatomical voids requiring obturators; anatomical growths such as palatal tori; and, knife edge alveolar ridges. Examples of short term uses of soft denture liners include overdentures supported by implants or teeth; post-surgical prosthodontic situations that require interim lining while both soft and hard tissue heal; and, gasket like connectors and liners over and around existing teeth.
Various types of soft denture liners exist in the art which are intended for short term or long term service. Soft denture liners are known in the art which are laboratory-processed and intended as long term liners, such as include Molloplast-B.TM. (Buffalo (Dental). Also known in the art are chairside-processed soft liners intended for short term service. These include Lynal.TM. (L.D. Caulk/Dentsply) and Visco-Gel.TM. (Ash/Dentsply). Until the methods of the present invention were developed, no soft denture liner was known that was chairside or laboratory-processed and intended for short, intermediate and long term clinical use.
In addition, prior art liners have different problems associated with their clinical applications. In particular, silicon soft liner materials must be "glued" onto the hard acrylic surface with an adhesive bonding agent, and often this bonding agent contains a methyl methacrylate monomer. These self-curing adhesives leach into the soft material and harden it.
Moreover, adhesives harden and crack at the "seam," or junction where the soft material is glued on to the hard acrylic. Lactic acid, alcohol, and/or medication accelerate this separation. At this point, bacteria, fungus, odor, debris, and stain penetrate the soft liners. This natural absorption degrades the soft liners creating a hardening, peeling, as well as chemically and physiologically unstable condition.
In addition, the repair process of other existing materials is difficult since the base material either flakes off when trimmed, or it cannot be re-molded with standard dental tools. Also, to "glue" small sections of liner onto thin acrylic edges is difficult or impossible as the liners break off under the constant pressure which occurs in the oral cavity.
There are various products which use heat or light to cure resins of various formulation onto prosthetic devices. Almost all of these formulations require a bonding agent which runs into the same problems as mentioned above. Many of these finished liners absorb liquids accelerating their deterioration.
Another category of liners which are temporary in nature are known as "tissue conditioners". These gels or stick-on resins last only weeks or a few months before they peel-off. They usually are soft due to high porosity, and thus they absorb liquids which ultimately breakdown the materials. The absorbency allows bacteria and odor buildup in the mouth creating an undesirable situation.
Hence, prior to the development of the present invention, a need existed for clinical techniques using a non-methyl methacrylate soft liner material capable of remaining soft during intermediate to long term service and is chairside or laboratory compatible.

Methods of anchoring dentures over crown copings and post abutments


At least one part of at least two user connections (TA1 . . . 6) having configured performance criteria and being allocated to at least two network devices (LE1 . . . 3) is assigned to at least one group (NWHG), to which group-specific performance criteria and/or characteristics (PDN, HUNT) can be allocated. The group (NWHG) is controlled by one of the network devices (LE1), whereby the user connections (TA1, 3, 4, 6) which have not been physically allocated to this network device (LE1) are allocated to said device as virtual user connections.

In present-day communication networks, in particular in communication networks configured as a telephone network, it is known not only for private branch exchanges to be connected to public switching devices but also for a number of subscriber lines to be combined to form a "Multi Line Hunting Group"—also referred to hereafter as "MLHG"—replicating the function of a private branch exchange. An MLHG is assigned a group call number or pilot call number—also referred to as "Pilot Directory Number" or "Pilot DN"—shared by all the grouped-together subscriber lines, after the selection of which—for example for setting up a communication relationship with one of the communication terminals assigned to the MLHG—within the group a free subscriber line is found with the aid of a defined search procedure—referred to hereafter as a "Hunting Algorithm"—for setting up the connection.
In the case of an MLHG, the same search procedures or hunting algorithms as in the case of classical private branch exchanges can be used, for example                "Sequential Hunting" (selection of the first free subscriber line, always beginning from a defined starting point),        "Circular Hunting/Uniform Call Distribution (continuing the search after the last-found, free subscriber line),        "Non-sequential Hunting" (selection of the subscriber line which has been free for the longest),        "Stochastical Hunting" (selection of a free subscriber line on the random principle).
The MLHG is of interest in particular for small and medium-sized companies which require call distribution in connection with a pilot call number in the manner of a private branch exchange, but do not wish to invest in private switching devices or branch exchanges.
However, an MLHG has the disadvantage that the subscriber lines combined to form an MLHG have to be physically assigned to the same switching device, which means a local restriction of the MLHG or of the group-specific service features provided by the MLHG.
Within the framework of the ITU Specification ITU-T Q.82.4, an extension of the provision of group-specific service features is mentioned, for example extension of search algorithms or hunting algorithms to a number of switching devices or network nodes—, but so far no solution has been disclosed.
Within present-day telephone networks, the signaling for the setting-up and clearing-down of 64-kbit user channel connections for controlling ISDN services takes place on the basis of the ITU-T signaling system No. 7—also referred to as SS NO.7.
The actual task of the signaling protocol No. 7 is the exchange of signaling messages within the communication networks. The signaling messages are exchanged by the user parts within the reference model. Depending on the type of signaling messages, a distinction is made, for example, between the Telephone User Part—TUP the Data User Part—DUP—, the ISDN User Part—ISUP—and the Broadband ISDN User Part—B-ISUP. The TUP was implemented as the first application in the signaling protocol No. 7. Building on the basis of the TUP for generally establishing the ISDN and for establishing the signaling within the ISDN, the ISUP was defined.
The ISUP gave rise, as the latest application, to the B-ISUP for applications within ATM-based networks. The main tasks of the ISUP are:                setting up and clearing down user channel connections,        handling the signaling for supplementary services,        coupling two "logical" signaling connections (for example on transfer from the national network into the international network).
The ISDN user part makes use directly of the message transfer part—MTP—and of the control part for signaling connections—SCCP, layer 4—, the ISUP itself is consequently to be classified as belonging to layers 4 to 7 in the OSI reference model. The ISDN user part controls both the link-by-link signaling for reaching the destination and the end-to-end signaling relationship between the originating switching point and the destination switching point. With the aid of the link-by-link signaling, the path for the user channel connection and the signaling connection is sought and, after corresponding commands, is set up. The MTP is used for this purpose. For the user channel connection, all the involved switching points must be informed, for example about the switching through of the user channel, while only the originating switching point and the destination switching point exchange signaling information for the control of the supplementary services. For the end-to-end signaling, the ISUP makes use of the services of the SCCP. In the ISDN user part, the actual signaling information is exchanged. All the lower-lying layers ensure that this information is transferred in an acknowledged form and reaches the addressed user part. For the exchange of the end-to-end signaling messages for handling ISDN supplementary services, the end-to-end signaling of the SCCP is used on the basis of a TCAP dialog.
For more complex applications within communication networks, such as for example for supporting data bank inquiries in the case of services of the Intelligent Network—also referred to as IN—or in the case of mobile radio applications, the Transaction Capabilities Application Part—TCAP—was introduced into signaling procedure No. 7. For example, the freephone service of the Intelligent Network is used by the initiator of the connection to dial an IN call number (0130 or 0800), which determines a destination call number by a call to the Intelligent Network in dependence on the customer parameters. For the determination of the valid destination call number, only signaling messages have to be exchanged; the user channel is not switched to the IN. This service call is, for example, a typical TCAP application. In the communication of TCAP entities, a distinction is made between structured dialog and unstructured dialog. In the case of structured transport, a transaction relationship is commenced before the exchange of messages and the transaction identification—also referred to as transaction ID—is issued in both communication devices of the two signaling nodes involved for the identification of this relationship. After a BEGIN message, individual items of information are transferred in the structured dialog by CONTINUE messages. The BEGIN message contains the transaction identification of the initiator, the CONTINUE messages contain, according to the direction of transfer, the identification of the initiator or that of the communication partner as the originating identification and the identification of the communication partner as the destination identification. After the transfer of information, the dialog is routinely ended by the END message. The structured dialog is used, for example, for data bank inquiries, such as for example in mobile radio networks or in the IN; all the exchanged messages can be marked by the transaction identification as belonging to this activity.
An intelligent network or IN is a concept comparable to an architecture for introducing complex services into existing telecommunication networks, the architecture describing the structure of an actual IN implementation. The architecture is designed in such a way that it is suitable as a uniform basis for a large number of different services. Supplementing the conventional telecommunication networks, the architecture of intelligent networks represents a platform on which the actual services are based. In the standardization, three (physical) levels were established, to which the various components and functions of the conceptual model of an Intelligent Network are assigned.
The platform implemented by the architecture of the IN comprises not only hardware components, but also a software platform, on which very specific services can be developed by the IN operators by means of suitable aids and can be loaded into the hardware components. The hardware of intelligent networks primarily comprises switching points of the telephone network—also referred to as SSP or Service Switching Points, which detect the actual call of an IN service and direct it to a corresponding SCP—also referred to as a Service Control Point. The actual service runs on an SCP, a very powerful computer with a large, complex data bank, by which many inquiries can be handled in a short time. For the operation of the services, a further level is required, which is also referred to as the SMP or Service Management Point. The SMPs can be used by service customers to dial into the Intelligent Network and change or adapt their respective setting data or parameters for the respective service.
A service switching point implementing service switching functions detects IN calls and forwards the inquiries to the corresponding SCP. The SCP is a digital switching point with special control programs (for example all telecommunication points of a specific level). The call of an IN function is coupled in the control of the switching point by means of predefined triggers. In this case, not only certain call numbers can represent a so-called trigger point—also referred to as a trigger detection point—, it is also possible for certain states of the connection—for example encountering a busy subscriber, subscriber does not answer and so on—to be coupled with IN trigger points. In the simplest case, just the lifting of a telephone without further dialing is enough to initiate an IN trigger. Further actions—for example dialing the call number—can already be assessed by IN. The communication of a number of SSPs with an SCP takes place by means of No. 7 messages, for example by means of TCAP or INAP dialog.
In an SCP or Service Control Point, functions for detecting and controlling IN services are implemented. An SCP is formed by one or more computer systems, by which the IN services are detected and correspondingly controlled. An SCP forwards for example the traffic routing information to the corresponding SSP and determines the charges incurred for the use of the corresponding ISDN services.
The IN services of the SCP are set up, changed, managed and monitored by the Service Management Point or SSP implementing the service management functions, it being possible for all the parameters—for example call numbers, time dependence etc.—to be set and changed by means of the SMP.
The IN elements described—SSP, SCP, SMP—essentially influence the control of connections within a communication network. With the aid of the signaling protocol No. 7, the signaling of the connections to the SCP to be switched within the communication network is diverted, but not the user channels.
The user channels are switched within the telecommunication network on the basis of the control functions implemented by the IN. For certain services, however, inclusion of the user channels is also required. For example, if subscriber inquiries have to be carried out, certain announcements controlled by the IN system have to be activated and, if appropriate, responses to a predetermined possible selection or an identification of the subscriber have to be recorded. The responses of the user are often given in the form of DTMF signals, which are likewise sent in the user channel. For these special tasks, special devices are provided within the IN architecture, having the user channels on one side and signaling connections to the IN on the other side. Such special devices are referred to as Intelligent Peripherals or IPs. These do not have to be restricted to the playing of predetermined announcements or the recording of DTMF signals. In future, systems of this type can also be extended to voice recognition systems or data-oriented systems. The bringing together of different IN functions, in particular the functions of SCP and SSP, is also referred to as a Service Node or SN.

Implementation of additional functions for user connections having individually configured performance criteria


A multi-blade rotor (1), especially for a helicopter rear anti-couple propeller, includes a hub body (3) to which are connected twistable straps (11 to 17) each formed by two bundles (20) of fibers with a flattened cross section arranged radially around the hub (3), each of the bundles (20) forming at least two halves of different blades (11 to 17) and being twisted and curved in the region of its passage near the center of the hub body (2) in such a way that it forms a tangent to the circumference of the center of the hub body (3) along the greater dimension of its cross section.

In order to fix the variable-pitch blades onto the rotationally-driving hub body by means of a device offering suitable mechanical strength, particularly to counter the centrifugal tensile forces which are exerted on the blades due to their high speed of rotation, it is known to use twistable straps constituted by high-mechanical-strength fibers, said straps being arranged radially between the hub body and each blade and being rendered integral at their outer end, with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotor, with the strong structure of the blade and at their inner end with the hub body.
Thus, in the patent FR-A-2 430 354, is described a method for constituting a multi-blade propeller comprising at least one pair of opposed blades. This pair of opposed blades is constituted in essence by, on the one hand, a single elongated strap, made in high-mechanical-strength fibers agglomerated by a synthetic resin, said strap being fastened at its middle to a drive hub and, on the other hand, by two aerodynamically-profiled shells fixed respectively to said elongated strap on either side of the hub, the inner end with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotor of each shell being integral with a control member for the pitch of the corresponding blade, produced in such a way as to exert, on said shell, a torsion couple centered on the longitudinal axis of the elongated strap. This strap is formed by two flat half-bundles arranged side by side along the small dimension of their cross section and slightly spaced at their mid-length in such a way as to let the sliding shaft for control of the pitch of the blades pass through.
A propeller can thus be constituted by a plurality of such pairs of opposed blades, the respective strap forming the various twistable tie rods connecting said aerodynamically-profiled shells being superimposed in planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotor, in the area of their passage close to the control shaft and coated by a binder integrating the set of these straps together in this central area, where they thus constitute the hub body, which is integral with a drive shaft.
Moreover, there is known, by the patent FR-A-2 041 747 a link element, and its manufacturing method, between two rigid bodies, which comprises a bundle of high-mechanical-strength fibers arranged longitudinally in this element. Such a link element, flattened in shape, may constitute the retaining attachment for a rotor blade onto the hub body of said rotor, said bundle being twistable in such a way as to allow the controlled pitch variations of said blade. The strong armature of such a blade may then be constituted by extensions of such bundles into its aerodynamically-shaped part.
Such embodiments however comprise limitations. In the patent FR-A-2 430 354, the blades have to be opposed, thus imposing an even number of blades, which can be troublesome if, for acoustic reasons for example, it is suitable to install an odd number of them. Moreover, the straps are stacked in the hub body and there is thus no rotational symmetry, each strap turning in a plane which is peculiar to it, which dictates that a different torsion is provided for each strap so that the corresponding points on each strap can turn in a common plane. Moreover, the fact that each half-bundle partially surrounds the central bore of the hub body over half of its circumference, implies that these straps occupy a relatively large volume in the central area of the hub body. The half-bundles are then trapped in this area by the binder over a relatively great length and are thus unable to provide any torsional elasticity in this area, in particular for following the controlled pitch variations of the blades. It is then necessary to elongate the twistable part of the straps in order to obtain the torsional elasticity necessary for correct operation of the rotor up to its pitch limits.
In the embodiment described by the patent FR-A-2 041 747, it is possible to have an even or odd number of blades, but the total number of constituent bundles of said blades is limited due to the fact that these bundles of fibers are bent on the flat in the hub body, hence along the direction where they exhibit the greatest inertia, by an angle equal to that existing between two neighboring blades, which entails the existence of substantially different lengths between the fibers of the same bundle and, thus, poor distribution of the mechanical stresses between the fibers of this bundle.

Plastics multi-blade variable-pitch rotor


The invention is a method of reducing catalyst dissolution in the cathode of a membrane electrode assembly fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a membrane electrode assembly comprising an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode; (b) assembling a fuel cell using the membrane electrode assembly; (c) applying a fluid comprising an oxidant to the cathode of the_membrane electrode assembly; (d) applying a fluid comprising a fuel to the anode of the membrane electrode assembly; and (e) supplying a sufficient quantity of reducing agent to the cathode to maintain the average open-circuit voltage of the cathode at less than about 0.98 V.

Fuel cells are devices that convert fluid streams containing a fuel, for example hydrogen, and an oxidizing species, for example, oxygen or air, to electricity, heat and reaction products. Such devices comprise an anode, where the fuel is provided; a cathode, where the oxidizing species is provided; and an electrolyte separating the two. The fuel and/or oxidant typically are a liquid or gaseous material. The electrolyte is an electronic insulator that separates the fuel and oxidant. It provides an ionic pathway for the ions to move between the anode where the ions are produced by reaction of the fuel, to the cathode, where they are used to produce the product. The electrons produced during formation of the ions are used in an external circuit, thus producing electricity. As used herein, fuel cells may include a single cell comprising only one anode, one cathode and an electrolyte interposed therebetween, or multiple cells assembled in a stack. In the latter case there are multiple separate anode and cathode areas wherein each anode and cathode area is separated by an electrolyte. The individual anode and cathode areas in such a stack are each fed fuel and oxidant, respectively, and may be connected in any combination of series or parallel external connections to provide power. Additional components in a single cell or in a fuel cell stack may optionally include means to distribute the reactants across the anode and cathode, including, but not limited to porous gas diffusion media and/or so-called bipolar plates, which are plates with channels to distribute the reactant. Additionally, there may optionally be means to remove heat from the cell, for example by means of separate channels in which a cooling fluid can flow.
A Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is a type of fuel cell where the electrolyte is a polymer electrolyte. Other types of fuel cells include Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC), etc. As with any electrochemical device that operates using fluid reactants, unique challenges exist for achieving both high performance and long operating times. In order to achieve high performance it is necessary to reduce the electrical and ionic resistance of components within the device. Recent advances in the polymer electrolyte membranes have enabled significant improvements in the power density of PEMFCs. Steady progress has been made in various other aspects including lowering Pt loading, extending membrane life, and achieving high performance at different operating conditions. However, many technical challenges are still ahead. One of them is for the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to meet the lifetime requirements for various potential applications. These range from hundreds of hours for portable applications to 5,000 hours or longer for automotive applications to 40,000 hours or longer in stationary applications. In all cases, the membrane must not fail, and there must not be severe electrode degradation.
As is known in the art, decreasing the thickness of the polymer electrolyte membrane can reduce the membrane ionic resistance, thus increasing fuel cell power density. Within this application power density is defined as the product of the voltage and current in the external circuit divided by the geometric area of the active area in the cathode. The active area is the area in the cathode where the catalyst has access to oxidant in the cathode electrode.
However, reducing the membranes physical thickness can increase the susceptibility to damage from other device components leading to shorter cell lifetimes. Various improvements have been developed to mitigate this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. RE 37,307 to Bahar et al., shows that a polymer electrolyte membrane reinforced with a fully impregnated microporous membrane has advantageous mechanical properties. Although this approach is successful in improving cell performance and increasing lifetimes, even longer life would be desirable.
During normal operation of a fuel cell or stack the power density typically decreases as the operation time goes up. This decrease, described by various practitioners as voltage decay, fuel cell durability, or fuel cell stability, is not desirable because less useful work is obtained as the cell ages during use. Ultimately, the cell or stack will eventually produce so little power that it is no longer useful at all. The causes of this power loss with time are not completely understood, but are thought to occur because of various forms of degradation of the materials present in the fuel cell. For example, consider the degradation in the properties of the electrodes. Such electrode degradation mechanisms can include but are not limited to reduction of catalyst activity through reduction of effective area resulting from particle sintering or agglomeration; physical loss of the catalyst, catalyst support or ionically conducting component in the electrode; degradation of the interfaces between the electrode and adjacent components; or degradation of the interfaces within the multiple phases present within the electrode.
One of these mechanisms, the physical loss of catalyst from the electrode, is particularly relevant to this application. Under certain conditions in a fuel cell, Pt metal is thermodynamically unstable and should corrode in the electrode. [See Van Muylder, J., DeZoubov, N., & Pourbaix, M.; Platinum, in Atlas of Electrochemical Equilibria, 1974 edn, M. Pourbaix, ed., National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Houston, Tex., pp. 378-383]. The extent of corrosion will depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to the local conditions near the Pt in the cell, the kinetics of the dissolution reaction, and the temperature. Although the fact that Pt may corrode in the fuel cell has been understood in the art for some time, the extent to which it does so, and methods and techniques to mitigate such corrosion have not been previously delineated.
Another critical variable in the operation of fuel cells is the temperature at which the cell is operated. Although this varies by the type of system, for PEMFCs, the operating temperature is less than about 150 degrees Celsius. PEMFCs are more typically operated between 40 and 80 degrees Celsius because in that temperature range the power output is acceptably high, and the voltage decay with time is acceptably low. At higher temperature, decay rates tend to increase, and cell durability thereby decreases. It would be highly desirable to operate at higher temperatures, for example between about 90 and 150 degrees Celsius, though. By so doing the effects of potential poisons, for example carbon monoxide, would be reduced. Furthermore, above 100 degrees Celsius, flooding and other deleterious effects of water are less of an issue. Yet, with current materials and operating conditions lifetimes are unacceptably short at these higher temperatures.
Yet another factor that is currently limiting the broad acceptance of fuel cells is their cost. In part, this is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of precious metal catalysts, i.e., Pt, in the electrodes. Historically the concentration of Pt in the electrodes in state-of-the-art fuel cells has decreased from a ˜5-10 mg/cm2 Pt loading 30 years ago to ˜1 mg/cm2 today. Yet, to meet aggressive cost targets for high volume transportation applications, loading levels will need to decrease by as much as an additional order of magnitude. Such low loadings will require very low electrode degradation during cell operation because there will be no "reserve" Pt present in the electrode as there is with today's loading levels. For example, in a cell with an initial loading of 0.4 mg/cm2 Pt in an electrode, if 0.1 mg/cm2 becomes inactive or is lost because of degradation during fuel cell operation there will still be 0.3 mg/cm2 "active" Pt catalyst available. On the other hand, the same amount of Pt activity loss in a cell that began with ˜0.1 mg/cm2 would lead to complete cell failure because there will be little or no Pt available to catalyze the reactions. Thus, it becomes increasingly important to reduce or eliminate electrode degradation mechanisms in fuel cells that render Pt catalytically inactive.
Although there have been many improvements to fuel cells in an effort to improve life of fuel cells, most have focused on using improved materials. Very few have focused on specific operational methods or means of operating a fuel cell that would act to maximize lifetimes or durability of a fuel cell.

Method for reducing degradation in a fuel cell


A resource is protected by an armor structure comprising a magnetic field such that the magnetic field will interfere with a warhead blast to weaken the blast. In particular, magnetic field will interfere with a molten metal jet from a shaped charge to disperse the jet, allowing subsequent layers of armor to absorb the jet energy without penetration. In one embodiment, the magnetic field is produced by a layer of magnetic material magnetized with the field lines perpendicular to the primary threat direction and typically parallel to the surface of the area to be protected. The magnetic material layer may include ferromagnetic (iron or steel, or other) layers to strengthen and contain the magnetic field, protect the magnetic material and act as additional armor layers. The magnetic layer is typically used in conjunction with an inner shield armor layer to absorb the diffused jet after passing through the magnetic layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of protection of a resource by dispersion and distribution of threat energy, more particularly by using protective armor.
2. Background of the Invention
There is a class of weapon that uses a shaped charge to form a high-speed molten metal jet to cut through armor as a method of armor piercing. Once through the armor, the molten metal continues to do damage to personnel or items such as explosives stored behind the armor. One typical example of such a weapon is a Russian made RPG-7 (Rocket Propelled Grenade) that is being used extensively in Iraq to inflict casualties to US troops. The RPG-7 has been successful in penetrating many inches of steel armor and is notoriously difficult to develop protection against. One method of protection involves the use of high temperature materials, but the temperature of the shaped charge is effective in penetrating even the highest temperature materials. Alternatively, more and more armor may be used, but the weight becomes prohibitive, especially for mobile assets such as tanks and armored troop carriers. Another type of armor is active armor that explodes on contact or near contact to prematurely set off the shaped charge to disperse the energy and reduce the effectiveness. Active armor, however, when used is spent, providing no protection until replaced.
Therefore, there is a need for an effective method and system of protection against a shaped charge type of armor piercing round, yet is light enough to be used for mobile equipment including tanks and armored troop carriers and maintains integrity and effectiveness when attacked repeatedly.

Magnetic damping field armor system and method