A field effect transistor (FET) disclosed herein comprising a substrate, a C-doped semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, a channel layer disposed on the C-doped semiconductor layer, and an electron supply layer disposed on the channel layer. The FET further comprises a diffusion barrier layer disposed between the C-doped semiconductor layer and the channel layer, wherein the diffusion barrier layer contacts the channel layer directly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to a field effect transistor.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, III-V compound materials, such as GaN, have been developed rapidly in high power devices. The III-V compound materials allow two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) to generate in a junction by a piezoelectric effect. Due to the high speed, high density and low conductive resistance of electrons, the III-V compound materials have advantages of high power output, high voltage operation and low switching loss.
According to prior researches, it is found that a field effect transistor with a C-doped GaN layer serving as a buffer layer may have a high breakdown voltage if a thinned channel layer (or called a spacing layer) is disposed therein.
However, referring to FIG. 1, the experimental data shown in FIG. 1 are obtained by using a C-doped GaN layer with a C-doping concentration of about 1E18 cm−3, growing intrinsic GaN (i-GaN) layers with different thicknesses as channel layers on the C-doped GaN layer, forming an Al0.25GaN0.75 layer with a thickness of about 20 nm, and then measuring an electron mobility thereof. Then it is found that when the channel layers are thinner, there is a problem that the electron mobility decreases because carbon ions in the C-doped GaN layer diffuse into the region of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) between the i-GaN layers and the Al0.25GaN0.75 layer, which reduces the electron mobility.


A pneumatic tire comprises a radially inner bead core disposed in at least one of the bead portions, a radially outer bead core disposed radially outside the inner bead core, a buffer rubber layer disposed between the radially inner bead core and radially outer bead core to provide a predetermined space therebetween, and a toroidal carcass extending between the bead portions through the tread portion and sidewall portions, wherein the carcass comprises a ply of cords turned up around the radially outer bead core to be secured thereto, passing between the radially outer bead core and the buffer rubber layer, so that a radially outward tension of the carcass caused by tire inflation acts less on the radially inner bead core than the radially outer bead core.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire with reduced road noise.
Road noise is a uncomfortable rumbling sound which may be heard inside of a vehicle when running on relatively rough road surfaces. Such rough road surfaces vibrate the tread portion of the tire, and this vibration is transmitted to the wheel rim, axis, suspension and body of the vehicle and then heard inside of the vehicle as road noise.
In general, as shown in FIG. 8, a pneumatic tire is provided in each bead portion with a bead core (a), and a carcass (b) is secured to the bead core (a) by wrapping the core therein. When the tire is mounted on a rim (j), the thin rubber layer (d) which exists between the carcass portion (b1) under the bead core (a) and the bead seat of the rim is compressed, and tensile strain acts on the carcass. Therefore, with respect to vibration, the tire is provided from the tread portion to the bead portion with a good channel for transmitting vibration.
In such a tire, it is very effective for reducing road noise to interfer with the transmission of vibration in the tread portion (where vibration is introduced), in other words at the boundary between the tire and road surface.
It has been therefore, proposed to use a soft tread rubber composition which is excellent at absorbing vibration and/or to increase the tread rubber thickness. However, in these methods, other running performances tend to deteriorate. For example, in the former method the wear resistance of the tread greatly decreases. In another method of obstructing vibration, it has been proposed to provide a rubber composition, which is excellent in vibration absorption, along the outer surface of the bead portion of the tire which which contacts with the rim flange. However, this method is insufficient for reducing the road noise effect. This method obstructs the transmission of vibration at the boundary between the tire and rim (the exit for the vibration). In this regard, this method is the same as the former method.

Pneumatic tire with radially inner and radially outer bead core


A method provides for inputting and storing data for a clinical study in a uniform manner by different study locations. Accordingly, the method comprises generation of an input platform program for an input of data of a clinical study, distribution of the input platform to input locations, calling up and activating the input platform program dependent on a participant characteristic linked with a study participant in the clinical study, inputting the data at an input location via an input platform generated by the input platform program, and storing the input data.

The efficacy and harmlessness of newly developed pharmaceuticals is often proven in the framework of a clinical study with as many study participants as possible. Pharmaceuticals are defined as chemical compounds or preparations that develop a therapeutic effect in people and/or animals, or as auxiliary chemicals (e.g., contrast agents) that support or, in many cases, first enable the diagnosis of a disease.
To implement such a study, for example, pharmaceutical producers normally conclude cooperation agreements with a plurality of clinics that have the clinics, among other things, undertake in particular documentation with special diligence. In the clinical study, incidental data are generated and also documented within a single clinic at a plurality of locations, for example, at diagnostic or other medical devices. A summarizing documentation requires a high organizational effort. This problem is multiplied when, as is typical, a plurality of clinics participate in a study. Additionally, study data are for the most part stored in different logical formats. Thus some clinics write study data with word processing programs, others use data processing programs for it, etc.
An Internet-based method to implement a clinical study is specified in German patent document DE 100 22 039, in which study forms are made available worldwide from a central server (study server) to arbitrary locations after an authorization check. This enables the authors of the study to store the determined results directly on the study server. To implement the study, the participating doctor can call up the study protocol on the websites of the study server after authorization. The doctor follows the instructions that he receives via the websites and enters all of the data material that he has obtained in the execution of the study into the data templates provided.
Standards for a patient information system have been developed for medical devices that allow data to be transmitted and stored without information loss in a heterogeneous infrastructure (as is present in a clinic, a medical practice, or a medical laboratory), even when the devices communicating with one another cannot fully understand transmitted information. It suffices that specific information exists in a standardized format for transmission and storage, for example, address information, information about the data type, etc.
An example of such a standard is the DICOM standard (DICOM=Digital Imaging and Communication). DICOM standardizes the structure of the formats and descriptive parameters for radiological images and commands to exchange these images, but also the specification of other data objects such as frame rate, examination series and findings. The specification of different methods for data compression is also established in DICOM. The DICOM standard is differentiated, roughly speaking, into three different areas or blocks. A first set defined general block that is binding for all producers and modalities comprises instructions to order and distribute data. Furthermore, a modality-specific block is defined that is binding for all producers. Found in this block, for example in the case of magnetic resonance imaging, are the parameters (echo time, repetition time, etc.) thereby used. Finally, there are proprietary blocks that each producer can complete for his own purposes.

Method to input and store data for a clinical study


A battery in a back-up power system is charged during the time that power is available from the main AC power system by utilizing the main power transformer and the main inverter. When power is available from the main AC power source, an AC voltage appears across the primary of the transformer, which is connected to the inverter. Switches in the bridge inverter are turned on for a relatively brief period of time to short the primary of the transformer causing current through the leakage inductances of the transformer to rapidly build up. When the switching devices are turned off, the inductances induce a current to continue to flow from the primary into the inverter through anti-parallel diodes, normally back biased by the voltage from the battery, into the battery thereby charging the battery with the energy stored in the transformer inductances. The inverter current reaches zero when the energy stored in the inductance is fully discharged. The cycle may be repeated by turning on the switching devices in the inverter bridge at periodic points in time, allowing the current in the inverter to dwell periodically at zero, or by immediately turning on the switching devices again when the current into the inverter reaches zero.

A standby or uninterruptible power supply, referred to herein generally as backup power systems, provide output power to a load when the main input power, usually from commercial power lines, fails. Typical backup power systems have an inverter to convert the DC voltage provided from a storage battery to the required AC output voltage. A static switch or relay may be utilized to isolate the AC output voltage from the failed input power. A common prior art arrangement for a backup power system is illustrated in the simplified schematic of FIG. 1. AC input power from a main source, such as a commercial power system, is received on input lines 10 and 11, and output power is delivered on output lines 12 and 13 to the critical load (not shown). A static switch 14 is connected in a line 15 between the input line 10 and the output line 12 to isolate the input from the output upon failure of the main AC power system, while a line 16 directly connects the input line 11 and the output line 13. Upon failure of the main AC power, a controller (not shown) detects the failure of the AC line power, opens the static switch 14, and turns on an inverter 17 to convert DC voltage, from a storage battery 18, to AC voltage at the inverter output terminals which is provided through a power transformer 19 across the AC output lines 12 and 13. During normal operation when the inverter 17 is off, a battery charger 21 provides DC charging current to the battery 18 by rectifying AC power from a charger transformer 23 which is connected by lines 24 and 25 to the AC power lines. The charger transformer 23 and the power transformer 19 serve in large part to isolate the typically low voltage DC circuits of the battery charger and inverter from the high voltage AC line circuits.
A problem commonly associated with a backup power system of the type shown in FIG. 1 is that while the AC input voltage is present, the inverter 17 is turned off. It is desirable to have a way of testing the inverter to verify that the inverter is in good operating condition, since the reliability of the inverter is crucial to the backup power system's mission. In the prior art, such inverter testing requires additional circuitry and controls, and thus added expense.
The battery chargers used in various backup power systems vary widely in circuit topology, but have common problems. The most significant problem arises from the rectifier/capacitor filter combination typically used to convert the AC voltage from the charger transformer to the DC voltage required by the battery, because current is drawn in bursts or pulses at the crest of the input voltage waveform. This causes harmonic distortion of the AC input current. Phase-controlled battery chargers cause even worse distortions. While solutions exist to solve this problem, such solutions typically require additional circuitry and thus expense. The charger circuitry also adds expense to such backup power systems, with the cost of the chargers being generally proportional to charging current levels.

Method and apparatus for providing battery charging in a backup power system


An apparatus for double seaming an end unit to a can body includes, as is conventional, a double seaming chuck, a double seaming roll and a mechanism for selectively moving the double seaming roll toward the double seaming chuck to perform a double seaming operation. Most advantageously, a drive mechanism is provided for driving the double seaming chuck and the double seaming roll at respective speeds that are selected so as to reduce relative rotational speed between the double seaming roll and a workpiece when the double seaming roll comes into contact with the workpiece during the double seaming operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of packaging and containers, and, more specifically, to the manufacturing of cans using the double seaming process.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Conventionally, cans are sealed by applying a lid using the well-known double seaming process. This is most typically performed on a rotational type machine having multiple spindles. Each spindle or station contains a seaming chuck which acts as an anvil to support the can end unit while two freely rotating round seaming rolls are brought into contact towards the can axis using a cam motion. Each of the seaming rolls is formed with specific groove geometry to work the metal into what is a commercially accepted double seam. The seaming rolls are mounted in bearings and are rotated co-incident to contact with the can body and the end unit. This diameter is reduced in the act of double seaming and leaves a smooth, well rounded edge to the juncture of the can body and end unit. Latest metals technology has allowed for plastic laminates and specialized coatings to be applied to the steel. This protects the steel from oxidation in wet, damp environments. However, these laminates and coatings are upset in the double seaming process. Due to the nature of metal formation, heat is produced in each of the two seaming operations. This resultant heat produced in the first operation of seaming softens the laminate or coating and sets it up for damage in the second operation. The mode of failure is caused by the transfer of inertia to the second operation seaming roll while the coating or laminate is thermally elevated. Performing the second operation double seam generates even more thermal load allowing even more damage to the coating or laminate after contact.
A need exists for an improved system and method for seaming containers that is less destructive to the coating or laminate on the metal than are the systems and methods conventionally in use.

Crown, Cork & Seal Technologies Corportion


A data transfer interface module comprises a storage zone constituted by a plurality of locations referenced by addresses provided by an address generator and serving to acquire a set of data items constituting a block of a size that may be variable, which data items are stored successively in the plurality locations; a control signal COM via control circuit and an acquisition and recording circuit to enable address generation and also loading in the storage zone, the same control circuit in association with a read and transmission circuit then enabling the data to be transmitted, with the data items being extracted one by one from the locations, such that the first item to be transmitted is the last item to have been recorded; and a monitor circuit controlled by the address generator and serving to verify that the number Do of data items transmitted is equal to the number Di of data items acquired and to provide a status word ST which can be read to provide information about proper transmission.

Several types of interface module providing a connection between a first circuit and a second circuit are known. Said modules include a data storage zone constituted by registers or by a memory having various addresses provided by the first circuit during a data acquisition stage and by the second circuit during a data transmission stage. An address multiplexer makes such alternating addressing by the first and second circuits possible. Nevertheless, said module suffers from the drawback of requiring a number of input connections and a number of output connections that is not less than the set of all the address signals issued by the first and second circuits.
It is also known that the provision of address signals by the first circuit and by the second circuit can be omitted by using a first-in first-out (FIFO) structure for the storage zone, in which case management of the storage zone becomes more complex.
It is also known, in particular from patent application No. WO-A-82 01429, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,729, that a last-in first-out (LIFO) structure can be used for this storage zone. However, means are not provided for monitoring and verifying that the number of data items read from the storage zone corresponds to the number of data items previously recorded therein.
The present invention as defined in the accompanying claims solves the problem of creating a data transfer interface module without requiring complex management of the storage zone, without requiring addressing signals to be received from the first and second circuits, and also making it possible to monitor proper operation of data transfer.


A method for transferring a pattern through a photoresist layer in the fabrication of submicron semiconductor devices structures is disclosed. A photoresist is provided on a substrate and the same is imagewise exposed with a desired pattern to form exposed and unexposed patterned areas in the top surface of the photoresist. The photoresist is then baked to form cross-linked regions in the exposed pattern areas of the photoresist. Silylation is then performed to incorporate silicon into the unexposed patterned areas of the photoresist, wherein some incorporation of silicon occurs in the exposed patterned crosslinked areas of the photoresist. The patterned photoresist is subsequently etched using a high density, low pressure, anisotropic O.sub.2 plasma alone to produce residue-free images with vertical wall profiles in the photoresist. This method is particularly advantageous with RFI reactive ion etch systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to top surface imaging processes, and more particularly to residue free patterning in to surface imaging resists.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Fabrication of very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) and ultra large scale integrated circuits (ULSI) requires that the resist materials, lithographic processes, and exposure tools meet necessary performance demands for high throughput manufacturing of sub-micron feature size devices (i.e., devices with feature sizes less than 1.0 .mu.m). In the instance of sub-micron lithography, top surface imaging is used to increase the resolution capability of optical exposure systems. Several TSI processes have been developed, most notably, Roland and Coopman's Diffusion Enhanced Silylated Resist (DESIRE) negative tone process, as discussed in F. Coopmans and B. Roland, Proc. of SPIE, 631 (1986), 34-39; B. Roland, R. Lombaerts, C. Jakus, and F. Coopmans, SPIE, Proc. of SPIE, 771 (1987), 69-76; and Roland, Microelectronic Eng., 13 (1991), 11-18. Another TSI process is the positive tone Silylated Acid Hardened Resist (SAHR) developed by Thackeray et al. as discussed in J.W. Thackeray, J F. Bohland, E.K. Pavelchek, G.W. Orsula, A.W. McCullough, S.K. Jones, S.M. Bobbio, Proc. of SPIE, 1185 (1989), 2-11.
Top surface imaging in general uses reactive ion etching (RIE) to dry develop patterns after exposure and silylation of a photoresist layer. A dry development process for top surface imaging requires high selectivity between exposed and unexposed regions of the photoresist to maintain critical dimensions, high anisotropy to give vertical profiles in the patterned photoresist and should also result in no residues after etching.
A major problem with known TSI resist processes is that RIE residue, in the form of "grass", is produced. RIE grass is a problem in both positive and negative working systems, since residue free images are desired. The grass is produced as a result of silicon being incorporated into regions to be etched, such that micromasks are formed in those regions, thus preventing the desired regions from being completely etched during etching, resulting in the "grass"-like residue.
It is known that the RIE grass problem can be eliminated by use of a two-step etch process for pattern development. The first step is a non-selective and aggressive process which removes silicon from the regions to be etched, either chemically using fluorine plasma or RIE, or physically using ion sputtering. The second step is a high selectivity oxygen etch to develop a grass free pattern. This two-step process is disadvantageous since it involves multiple process steps which introduce undesired effects, such as, process instability.
R. Lombaerts, B. Roland, A. Selino, A.M. Goethals, and L. Van den hove, Microelectron. Eng., 11 (1990), 543-547, discusses a method for optimizing an etch process for the DESIRE top surface imaging process using a two step etch process. The first step comprises a C.sub.2 F.sub.6 /O.sub.2 step to remove unwanted silicon from areas to be etched. The second step comprises a pure oxygen low power etch for pattern transfer. An alternate etch process included a two step oxygen only RIE process to obtain grass free results. The first step comprises a high power etch with low selectivity to remove unwanted silicon and further having a greater sputtering component in the etching process. The second step comprises a low power etch with high selectivity for grass free pattern transfer.
R.S. Hutton, R.L. Kostelak, O. Nalamasu, A. Kornblit, S. McNevin, and G.N. Taylor, "Application of Plasmask Resist and the DESIRE Process to Lithography at 248 nm", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, Microelectron. Process Phenom. (USA), Vol. 8, No. 6, Nov. Dec. 1990, p. 1502-8, discloses a method in developing a grass free RIE etch for the DESIRE process, employes a two-step etch wherein the first step comprises Ar.sup.+ ion sputtering to remove unwanted silicon prior to the second oxygen RIE step to obtain grass free images. In this process, significant amounts of resist are sputtered away prior to the second O.sub.2 RIE in order to minimize grass formation. This however results in patterns with considerable edge roughness.
The above discussed processes, however, are disadvantageous in the manufacturing environment. In particular, process stability is a major concern when using two-step fluorine containing etches. Residual fluorine in the O.sub.2 RIE step can have a catastrophic effect on line-width control during pattern development which results from deposition of varying amounts of carbon fluorine C,F polymer on the walls of the RIE chamber. This material then keeps on being released in the etching ambient with attendant variation in the process, resulting in an unstable process. That is, the chamber conditions change with each subsequent wafer.
Another disadvantage in using multi-chamber processes to improve stability is that it slows manufacturing throughput and increases total process time. Additionally, two step processes using sputtering to eliminate grass formation rely on a high selectivity O.sub.2 RIE which has a low etch rate. This low etch rate results in longer process times and a loss in throughput.
Thus it would be desirable to provide a process for top surface imaging to overcome the above identified problems and disadvantages. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a top surface imaging pattern transfer process for the fabrication of sub-micron feature size devices which is simple, provides high etch rates, and provides residue free images.

Residue free vertical pattern transfer with top surface imaging resists

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to a method for assessing the endometrium receptivity of a patient, comprising a step consisting of measuring the expression level of eleven genes in an endometrial biopsy sample obtained from said patient wherein said genes are MFAP5, ANGPTL1, PROK1, NLF2, LAMB3, BCL2L10, CD68, TRPC4, SORCS1, FST and KRT80.

Despite many advances in assisted reproductive technology (ART), implantation rates are still low after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). It is assumed that two-thirds of implantation failures are associated with inadequate endometrium receptivity or with defects in the embryo-endometrium dialogue. The endometrium is receptive to blastocyst implantation during a spatially and temporally restricted window, called "the implantation window". In humans, this period begins 6-10 days after the LH surge and lasts approximately 48 hours. Several parameters have been suggested for assessing endometrium receptivity, including endometrial thickness which is a traditional criterion, endometrial morphological aspect and endometrial and subendometrial blood flow. However, their positive predictive value is still limited.
More recently, transcriptomic approaches have been driven to identify bio-markers of the human implantation window. Using microarray technology in human biopsy samples, several authors have observed modifications in gene expression profile associated to the transition of the human endometrium from a pre-receptive (early-secretory phase) to a receptive (mid-secretory phase) state (Carson et al., 2002; Riesewijk et al., 2003; Mirkin et al., 2005; Talbi et al., 2006). However, among the various regulated genes, only two genes were in common between all these studies (Haouzi et al., 2009). Such variability in the results with the same approach may have several explanations: differences in the day of the endometrial biopsies, different patient profiles, and inadequate numbers of endometrial samples studied (n≦11). In addition, only one study compared the early and the mid-secretory phase in the same patient (Riesewijk et al., 2003), which seems to us a necessary condition to minimize the impact of inter-patient variability.
Therefore, there is still a need in the ART for reliable biomarkers of the human endometrium receptivity that will help improving the clinical outcome of IVF.

Methods for assessing endometrium receptivity of a patient

Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale


A system and method are provided for imaging and treatment of tumorous tissue in a patient. In an embodiment, the system includes a radiation source for generating a radiation beam comprising high-energy photons with low energy distributions for high contrast imaging along with high energy distributions for efficient treatment dose delivery. The radiation source includes a charged particle accelerator that generates charged particles having energies of less than 6 megavolts (MV), a target to receive the charged particles and generate the high-energy photons of the radiation beam, and a collimator to emit the radiation beam. The system further includes an imaging device of high detective quantum efficiency to define a target region of the tumorous tissue in the patient using the radiation beam, and a controller to determine the shape and modulate the dose for treatment of the tumorous tissue based on the defined target region, using the radiation beam.

A Radiation therapy is widely used to identify and treat tumors in a patient. In radiation therapy, a high energy collimated beam of ionizing radiation is used to target tumorous tissue in the patient. The ionizing radiation damages the DNA of tissue in the tumor leading to cellular death and destroying the tumor. It will be understood that both the dose and placement of the ionizing radiation must be accurately controlled to ensure that the tumor receives sufficient radiation to destroy tumor tissue while damage to the surrounding healthy tissue is minimized. This can be problematic as in many therapies using conventional radiation therapy systems, since the patient's anatomy will often shift or move during the treatment, for example breathing induced movement. This movement can significantly reduce the accuracy and effectiveness of the radiotherapy treatment, particularly for therapies such as hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in which a highly collimated beam is used to deliver a high biological dose of radiation directly to the tumor.
Generally, there are two approaches for ensuring that the tumor receives sufficient radiation to destroy tumor tissue while damage to the surrounding healthy tissue is minimized. The first uses radiation-absorbing internal or external markers on the object (e.g., patient) on an initial or set-up scan, which a radiation therapist can use set the collimated beam of ionizing radiation relative to the markers. While useful for initial set-up, this approach has little utility in maintaining the collimated beam on the targeted tumor when the tumor moves unseen inside the patient.
A second approach uses megavoltage (MV) computed tomography (CT) imaging device. In this approach, the imaging device, commonly referred to as an MV electronic portal imaging device (EPID), is incorporated within the therapeutic radiation system, providing a beams-eye-view (BEV) of the tumor and the area being irradiated. This approach is attractive because it can be used to generate images of the tumor and surrounding soft-tissue immediately before, during or immediately following administration of a therapeutic dose of ionizing radiation. Moreover, an MV EPID can typically be implemented or retrofitted to a therapeutic radiation system without major changes to a linear accelerator of system used to generate the collimated beam of ionizing radiation.
In principle, an MV EPID can generate high contrast images of a tumor and surrounding soft-tissue contrast without the use of markers. However, in practice prior art EPID images exhibit low contrast. In one study, detailed in A. Richter et al., Feasibility Study for Markerless Tracking of Lung Tumors in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, Vol. 78, no. 2, 2010, pp. 618-627, the EPID images were only clear enough to track less than about 47% of the tumors of the 40 patients in their study.
Hence there is a need for an improved system and method for projection image tracking of tumors during radiotherapy.

System and method for projection image tracking of tumors during radiotherapy


Density or reflectance targets for respective first and second marking engines of a document processing system are determined. A series of control patches is printed with the respective first and second marking engines. Relative reflectance values of each control patch printed with the first and second engines are determined. First marking engine relative reflectance error values of each control patch and second marking engine relative reflectance error values of each control patch are determined correspondingly based at least on (a) corresponding first engine relative reflectance value and target relative reflectance value and (b) corresponding second engine relative reflectance value and target relative reflectance value. Based at least on one of the first and second marking engine relative reflectance error values, at least one of the first and second engine relative reflectance targets is adjusted. Based at least on the adjusted target, an image quality control of the document processing system is improved.

The following relates to printing systems. It finds particular application in conjunction with adjusting image quality in print or marking systems with multiple electrophotographic or xerographic print engines. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Typically, in image rendering or printing systems, it is desirable that a rendered, or printed, image closely match, or have similar aspects or characteristics to a desired target or input image. However, many factors, such as temperature, humidity, ink or toner age, and/or component wear, tend to move the output of a printing system away from the ideal or target output. For example, in xerographic marking engines, system component tolerances and drifts, as well as environmental disturbances, may tend to move an engine response curve (ERC) away from an ideal, desired or target engine response and toward an engine response that yields images that are lighter or darker than desired.
In the printing systems which include multiple printing engines, the importance of engine response control or stabilization is amplified. Subtle changes that may be unnoticed in the output of a single marking engine can be highlighted in the output of a multi-engine image rendering or marking system. For example, the facing pages of an opened booklet rendered or printed by a multi-engine printing system can be printed by different engines. For instance, the left-hand page in an open booklet may be printed by a first print engine while the right-hand page is printed by a second print engine. The first print engine may be printing images in a manner slightly darker than the ideal and well within a single engine tolerance; while the second print engine may be printing images in a manner slightly lighter than the ideal and also within the single engine tolerance. While a user might not ever notice the subtle variations when reviewing the output of either engine alone, when the combined output is compiled and displayed adjacently, the variation in intensity from one print engine to another may become noticeable and be perceived as an issue of quality by a user.
One approach to improve consistency among multiple engines is for a user to periodically inspect the print quality. When inconsistency becomes noticeable, the user initiates printing of test patches on multiple engines and scans the test patches in. The scanner reads the test patches and adjusts the xerography of the engines to match. However, this approach requires a user intervention and the scanner to scan the test patches. Another approach to improve image consistency among multiple engines is to print test patches with the engines of the multiple engine system and compare the test patches against one another. However, such approach is complex as it involves substantial software development as well as elaborate scheduling of test patches to not interfere with the print job.
There is a need for methods and apparatuses that overcome the aforementioned problems and others.

Process controls methods and apparatuses for improved image consistency


A method for fabricating a phase shifting mask includes the steps of: forming a light shielding layer on a light transmitting substrate; forming a first mask on the light shielding layer; forming plural openings in the light shielding layer through to the substrate by patterning the light shielding layer using the first mask; forming a second mask layer on the light transmitting substrate and on the first mask layer pattern; patterning the second mask layer to form a second mask that exposes selected ones of the openings in the light shielding layer; and forming a phase shifting region in the light transmitting substrate using the first and second masks. The method prevents the light shielding layer from being damaged by the etching process that forms the phase shifting region, and makes it possible to transfer a pattern accurately, thus achieving a phase shifting mask having high reliability.

In general, a photo mask is used during photolithography, and photolithography is widely adopted in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. The photo mask includes a light transmitting portion and a light shielding portion that combine to expose an underlying surface to a distribution of light. In other words, the photo mask generally includes a light transmitting pattern and a light shielding pattern such that light passing therethrough produces a selective exposure process.
However, as packing density of the pattern increases, diffraction phenomenon of light occurs, which prevents the resolution from being improved. In this regard, a process which improves the resolution using a phase shifting mask has been studied and developed in many fields.
The process using the phase shifting mask includes a light transmitting region which transmits light as it is and a light shifting region which transmits light and shifts it 180.degree. out of phase in order not to reduce the resolution between the light transmitting pattern and the light shielding pattern. In addition, with improvement of the process steps of fabricating the mask, a variety of masks using a phase difference of light have been developed, thereby increasing the limitation of the resolution. For example, there are a RIM type phase shifting mask by Nitayama, and an attenuated phase shifting mask. The RIM type phase shifting mask improves the resolution of a contact hole. The attenuated phase shifting mask reduces the area of the phase shifting mask and is referred to as a half tone phase shifting mask or t.pi. phase shifting mask. Here t means transmittance.
The conventional method for fabricating a phase shifting mask will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1a to FIG. 1h are sectional views of fabricating process steps for a conventional phase shifting mask.
As shown in FIG. 1a, a light shielding layer 11 and a first photoresist 12 are sequentially formed on a light transmitting substrate 10. The light shielding layer 11 is formed of Cr and has a predetermined light transmittance ratio, determined by a predetermined thickness sufficient to be opaque to light.
As shown in FIG. 1b, the first photoresist 12 is patterned by exposure and developing processes to define light shielding regions (lying under the remaining portions of the first photoresist 12).
As shown in FIG. 1c, the light shielding layer 11 is selectively removed by an etching process using the first photoresist 12 as a mask to form openings 3 through which the light transmitting substrate 10 is exposed to light.
As shown in FIG. 1d, the first photoresist 12 on the light shielding layer 11 is removed.
As shown in FIG. 1e, a second photoresist 13 is formed on the overall exposed surface including being formed in the openings 3.
As shown in FIG. 1f, the second photoresist 13 selectively patterned by exposure and developing processes to alternately expose one of the openings 3. The second photoresist 13 has a predetermined alignment margin on the light shielding layer 11.
As shown in FIG. 1g, the light transmitting substrate 10 under the exposed opening 3 is etched to remove enough material so that a phase shifting thickness d remains. The etching process uses the patterned second photoresist 13 as a mask so as to form a phase shifting region 4. The phase shifting thickness d can be expressed by the following formula (1). ##EQU1##
Here, .lambda. is the length of exposure wavelength, and n is the refractive index of the substrate.
In order to etch the light transmitting substrate 1 to remove an amount of the substrate material so that the phase shifting thickness d remains, an etch back process using reactive ion etching (RIE) process is performed. In this case, CF.sub.4 gas is used as the etching gas.
As shown in FIG. 1h, the portions of the second photoresist 13 remaining on the light transmitting substrate 10 and the light shielding layer 11 are finally removed.
The conventional method for fabricating the phase shifting mask has several problems.
First, when the light transmitting substrate 10 is etched to remove enough material so that the phase shifting thickness remains (using the photoresist as a mask by RIE process), a predetermined portion of the light shielding layer 11 is not masked by the photoresist 13 due to the predetermined alignment ratio. This limits the etching ratio between the light shielding layer 11 and the light transmitting substrate 10 because portions of the light shielding layer 11 will be exposed to the etchant. Therefore, because an amount of the light shielding layer is partially and undesirably etched by the CF.sub.4 gas used as an etching gas, the light transmittance ratio of the light shielding layer increases. Either the initial thickness of the light shielding layer must be increased so that a minimum thickness remains after the undesired etching or the additional transmittance near the phase shifting region must be tolerated. As a result, it is difficult to accurately pattern the light shielding layer. In addition, reliability of the phase shifting mask is reduced.
When the light shielding layer 11 is partially and undesirably etched, Cr (which forms the light shielding layer) is mixed with the etching gas CF.sub.4, thereby resulting in problems that Cr particles are formed on, or deposited in, the phase shifting region of the light transmitting substrate 10. This contamination causes the phase shifting mask to fail to accurately transfer the pattern.

Method for fabricating phase shifting mask


Apparatus, system, and method including a circuit including an element having an electrical impedance, an input node to receive a signal, and an output node to couple to a load; a sensing circuit coupled to the input node and the output node to sense a differential voltage between the input and output nodes and to sense a detected voltage at the input node; and a multiplier circuit to receive the differential voltage and to receive the detected voltage. The multiplier circuit provides an output voltage proportional to the instantaneous power delivered to the load based on the differential voltage, the detected voltage, and the impedance of the element. A system may further include a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA). A method may further include controlling a gain of the RF PA to maintain the power delivered to the load at a predetermined level based on the output voltage of the multiplier circuit.

In many radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuit applications, (such as cellular telephone PAs), it may be desirable to measure the power delivered to the load (antenna) in real time. The power measurement may be used as feedback to adjust the amplifier bias point and/or gain to compensate for varying load and temperature conditions. It may be desirable to compensate a RF PA circuit to maintain a constant output power under varying conditions, such as varying load and temperature conditions, for example. Compensation may provide improved performance at the system level and may ensure compliance with FCC emission requirements, for example.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional coupler 100 used in a RF PA circuit for measuring power delivered to a load. Coupler 100 comprises an electrical circuit element 110 that is subject to incident power 116 and reflected power 118 between ports 112, 114. Coupler 100 also comprises a coupled line 120 to couple incident power 116 and reflected power 118 in circuit element 110 between coupled ports 126, 128 of coupler coupled line 120. Coupled line 120 exhibits backward coupling and may be terminated on one end by power detector 122 to measure coupled incident power 130 and may be terminated at another end by power detector 124 to measure coupled reflected power 132. Power delivered to circuit element 110 may be calculated by taking the difference between the coupled incident power 130 and the coupled reflected power 132.
In many applications, coupler 100 may be formed on a commercial circuit board such as a flame retardant 4 (FR4) printed circuit board. In such implementations, coupler 100 is usually large relative to the size of a typical PA circuit and therefore may add unnecessary cost to PA circuitry. The characteristics of coupler 100 may be frequency dependent, i.e., the amount of coupled incident power 130 and coupled reflected power 132 may depend on the coupler's electrical coupling length. Electrical losses of coupler 100 may be proportional to its electrical coupling length. Therefore, because coupler 100 may be long, its losses may be substantial. Accordingly, the performance of a conventional coupler may be frequency dependent due to its electrical coupling length. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is difficult to design a coupler with an octave bandwidth to minimize its electrical coupling length and hence to minimize its frequency dependency on its electrical coupling length. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an octave spread covers a two to one frequency ratio, and accordingly, an octave bandwidth has an upper frequency of operation that is twice the lower frequency of operation. Therefore, in conventional power coupling implementations, coupler 100 requires substantial circuit board surface area, is difficult to design, is circuit specific, and its physical characteristics are substantially frequency dependent.

Apparatus, system, and method for measuring power delivered to a load


Groups of devices may be prevented from accessing content by encrypting the content. A plurality of secrets associated with a decryption key may be generated using a secret sharing algorithm. The plurality of secrets may be sent to one or more groups of devices to derive the decryption key. A non-restricted subset of the groups of devices may receive one or more secrets. Devices within the non-restricted subset of the groups may be able to use one or more secrets to determine the decryption key for the content. Groups that do not receive one or more secrets may be unable to determine the decryption key for the content.

Some network devices may be allowed access to content while other network devices may be prohibited or otherwise restricted from accessing that content. In an Internet Protocol (IP) content distribution environment, allowing and restricting access to content may result in a tune event if access rights are changed. During a tune event, a device may perform transactions with a digital rights management (DRM) license server. A tune event may result in a simultaneous DRM license request from all devices impacted by the change in access rights. The requests may be made to a DRM license server and supporting systems. The result may be a traffic storm which may overwhelm the DRM license server and supporting systems, resulting in video outage.


An optically-pumped solid state laser system having separate subsystems for cooling its gain medium and optical pumping assembly. The invention permits the operating temperatures of the gain medium and optical pumping assembly to be independently controlled, and permits a substantial increase in cooling efficiency as a result of independent control of coolant flow rates in the two cooling subsystems. In a class of preferred embodiments, the gain medium cooling subsystem includes a first channel through which coolant flows with relatively high flow rate and relatively low temperature (to maintain the gain medium at a desired low operating temperature), and the other cooling subsystem includes a second channel through which coolant flows with a relatively low flow rate and relatively high temperature. In one embodiment, the gain medium is a Holmium:YAG rod, and a Cerium doped glass tube surrounds the rod. Three to four gallons per minute of coolant flows through the tube to maintain the rod at an operating temperature in the range from about + 10 to - 15 degrees Celsius. The optical pumping assembly includes a set of flash lamps, and a Cerium doped glass tube surrounds each lamp. A total of no more than two gallons per minute of coolant flows through the tubes around the lamps, to maintain the lamps at a relatively high (but controlled) temperature.

Many conventional solid state laser systems employ optical pumping means to excite solid state gain media into a lasing state. For example, in one type of conventional solid state laser system, the gain medium is a cylindrical rod, and the optical pumping means comprises elongated flash lamps positioned parallel to the rod. Radiation for optically pumping the rod is focused from the lamps onto the rod's central longitudinal axis. The rod and the adjacent flash lamps are mounted within a reflective housing. The entire assembly (comprising rod, flash lamps, and housing) is referred to as a "laser head."
Most solid state gain media in common use can be maintained at a relatively high temperature during lasing operation. However, some solid state gain media, such as Holmium:YAG material, Holmium:YLF material, and other Holmium-doped gain media, are preferably maintained at a low temperature during lasing operation (for example, a low temperature in the range from about +10 degrees Celsius to as low as about -15 degrees Celsius). A cooling system is required for this purpose, since the flash lamps (or other optical pumping means) will otherwise increase the temperature of the entire laser head (including the gain medium) to undesirably high levels.
In cases where gain medium cooling is needed, the cooling is conventionally accomplished by flooding the interior of the laser head's reflective housing with flowing coolant fluid. The gain medium and the flash lamps are thus immersed in a common volume of coolant fluid during lasing operation.
The inventor has recognized that this conventional cooling technique has several serious limitations and disadvantages. First, the conventional technique is inefficient because the heat loads due to the optical pumping means and the gain medium are generally different, and the optimal operating temperature ranges of the optical pumping means and the gain medium are generally different. If the heat load from the gain medium is substantially greater than from the optical pumping means (for example, if a lasing rod must be maintained at very low temperature, such as -15 degrees Celsius, while flash lamps need only be cooled slightly) it would be sufficient to expose the optical pumping means to a turbulent flow of coolant having much lower flow rate than the flow of coolant employed to cool the gain medium. However, the flow rate of coolant which floods the entire prior art laser head (including rod and flash lamps) is much higher than would be adequate if coolant flow were confined to regions immediately adjacent the flash lamps and a region immediately adjacent the rod, with independently controlled (optimal) flow rates in these regions.
Second, the prior art technique does not permit precise control of the gain medium temperature during lasing operation. With better control of the gain medium's operating temperature than is possible using the prior art technique, improved solid state laser performance could be achieved.

Solid state laser with dual cooling loops


Enterprise location discovery in dual-mode phones. As dual-mode phones move within the enterprise Wi-Fi network, they track which cell tower they are associated with, reporting this information to an enterprise mobility controller. The enterprise mobility controller builds a list of cell tower identifiers which are associated with enterprise Wi-Fi coverage, and makes this list available to subscribing dual-mode phones. Subscribing dual-mode phones can use this list to only scan for Wi-Fi availability when they are associated with a cell tower which is on the list.

The present invention relates to the operation of dual-mode phones, and more particularly, to location discovery in dual-mode phones.
As known to the art dual-mode phones can make and receive calls either through a local Wi-Fi network, or through a cellular network. In an enterprise environment, the enterprise PBX connects to the enterprise Wi-Fi network. In such an environment, dual-mode phones can provide seamless connectivity. When an outside party calls into the enterprise, a mobility controller connected to the PBX forwards the call to the Wi-Fi side of the dual mode phone if it is range, or to the cellular side if the phone if it is not within Wi-Fi range. When the dual-mode phone is out of enterprise Wi-Fi range, outside party calls placed to the enterprise number are re-routed through the cellular network to the dual-mode phone. Such systems provide single-number connectivity to users over wide areas where connectivity is available.
For the enterprise, cost savings are maximized by routing calls through the enterprise Wi-Fi network. The dual-mode phone should turn on Wi-Fi service and register with the enterprise PBX to receive calls via Wi-Fi when in the range of Enterprise Wi-Fi services, whether at the enterprise, or through remote access nodes extending enterprise Wi-Fi service. Unfortunately, for most dual-mode phones, scanning for WI-Fi coverage, particularly when outside of Wi-Fi coverage, represents a significant drain on battery life.
What is needed is a way to better control Wi-Fi scanning in dual-mode phones.


In a telecommunication system adapted to exchange n-bit frames according to a dynamic time division multiplexing access method for a maximum of N accessible channels, the use of a shadow time slot assignment table is eliminated by use of a circuit that includes (a) an n×p memory block to store a time slot assignment table which describes the different time slot assignments by specifying which logical channel each bit position of an n-bit frame belongs to, (b) a register having N fields with a granularity of one bit, each bit indicates the status of the corresponding logical channel associated thereto, and (c) a logic circuit connected to the memory block and register that enables or disables the transmission of the logical channel identifier to a time slot assignor depending on the status bit value.

The present invention relates to high speed telecommunication systems and more particularly to an improved dynamic time division multiplexing circuit wherein the shadow table which is memory space consuming is no longer required.
In telecommunication systems split in several subsystems where data are transmitted on a common media they share, the dynamic Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) access method is extensively used to exchange data between said subsystems. The TDM access method consists in splitting the time in time slots, each one corresponding to a logical channel, i.e., a connection between two subsystems. These logical channels, however, have different data throughputs and are only sporadically active, so that the time slot assignment must be dynamically performed via the use of programmable memories.
FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate the fundamentals of the TDM access method. In FIG. 1a, there are shown six subsystems, labeled A to F, that exchange information via a bi-directional common media 10 (e.g., two transmission wires) at different times. For instance, the double arrow that links subsystems A and C illustrates a connection corresponding to a logical channel for full duplex data transmission there between at a given time and for a determined duration (to subsequently allow the other pairs of subsystems to communicate between themselves as suggested by the other double arrows). The maximum number of possible bi-directional logical connections is given by factorial 5 (5!), i.e., 120. In fact, the number of logical connections that is required in reality is much limited. Three double arrows are represented to illustrate full duplex connections only between subsystems A-C, B-E and D-F.
FIG. 1b shows an example of the assignment of the eight data bit positions labeled Bit1 to Bit8 (and more generally of n bit positions) of a TDM frame to three different logical channels X, Y and Z at a given time. These three logical channels (distinguished one from the another by their respective identifier: LC X, LC Y and LC Z) correspond to the full duplex connections between subsystems A-C, B-E and D-F in the example mentioned above. More generally, these identifiers can be understood as represented by a number coded on p bits, associated to any logical channel/connection between two subsystems. Two bit positions (Bit1-Bit2) are assigned to LC X, four bit positions (Bit3-Bit4-Bit5-Bit6) to LC Y and finally, two bit positions (Bit7-Bit8) to LC Z. This assignment thus defines the corresponding time allocation for each logical channel, three time slots in this example, labeled TimeslotX, TimeslotY and TimeslotZ respectively. A Time Slot Assignment (TSA) table 11 (describing the different time slots by specifying which logical channel each data bit position belongs to) can be then set up. Therefore, in the above described example wherein the 8-bit TDM frame is composed of three time slots of different sizes, the common media 10 that transports the serial data bits can be seen as composed of three logical channels of different throughputs (the throughput being proportional to the number of data bits). Because the content of the TSA table is time-dependent, the logical channel that is assigned to each of the TDM frame data bit position is variable. The data bits that fill the eight positions for each TDM frame are stored in dedicated First-In First-Out (FIFO) memories, each FIFO storing the data bits belonging to a determined logical channel. In other words, the content of each data bit position in the data stream transported on the common media 10 is determined by the logical channel assigned thereto, and this assignment dynamically changes.
A conventional technique of the prior art consists of providing a dynamic time slot assignment wherein two TSA tables are used at a given time, one being the active and the other the shadow table. While the active table is exploited by the time slot assignor, the shadow table may be updated by the application software to describe a new time slot assignment. Next, when appropriate, the tables are then swapped so that the shadow table is used as the active one and vice versa. FIG. 2 illustrates a standard dynamic time division multiplexing circuit 20 that implements such a conventional approach.
In FIG. 2, the active TSA table stored in memory block 21-1 contains a determined set of logical channel identifiers, e.g., LC X, LC Y and LC Z to remain consistent with the example described above by reference to FIG. 1b, while the shadow TSA table stored in memory block 21-2 contains another set thereof. The zero ("0") value means that the corresponding data bit is not assigned to any logical channel. Each memory block has n fields. The two TSA tables stored in memory blocks 21-1 and 21-2 can be swapped, written, and read by a computer (or a microprocessor) under the control of an adequate application software as standard. These operations are performed through demultiplexer 22 which interfaces the computer and the memory blocks 21-1/21-2 via bi-directional buses 23 and 24a/24b respectively. Memory blocks 21-1 and 21-2 are connected to multiplexer 25 via buses 26a and 26b respectively, and in turn, multiplexer 25 is connected to the time slot assignor 27 via output bus 28. The time slot assignor 27 basically consists of a multiplexer driven by output bus 28, namely, the content of memory blocks 21-1 and 21-2 (only one can be accessed for a read operation at a given time) and a counter (not shown). The multiplexer is fed by a plurality of FIFOs and its output is the common media 10. The role of the time assignor 27 is to control the transmission of data bits on the common media 10 or the reception of data bits to load the FIFOs.
Assuming the TSA table stored in memory block 21-1 is made active and is exploited by the time slot assignor, the other one, stored in memory block 21-2, becomes the shadow TSA table and can be updated by the computer. While the time slot assignor reads the active TSA table to get the current time slot assignment (via the data path illustrated by gray arrow 29a), the computer edits the shadow TSA table for data updating (via the data path illustrated by double gray arrow 29b). The role of the computer is not to select which TSA table must be active, but rather to determine the time when a swapping operation is necessary. In case of full duplex serial transmission, two circuits 20 are necessary in reality; the first circuit controls the transmission of data bits from the FIFOs to the common media 10 for subsequent processing, and the second one controls the selective loading of data bits transported on the common media 10 in their respective FIFOs.
This approach is very flexible as it allows any kind of modification between the old and new time slot assignments, but it has the important drawback to require two memory blocks, typically SRAMs, to store the TSA tables which may be very large, consuming thereby a huge memory space therein. To date, it is classic to transmit data bits at 8.0192 Mbit/s, within a 125 μs time frame. In this case, a pattern is comprised of n=1024 bits (instead of 8 bits in the above example depicted in FIG. 1b), and thus two TSA tables, each one with 1024 entries, are required. On the other hand, in a typical application to telephony, it is also standard practice to have up to N=256 logical channels sharing the same common media 10, so that p=8 bits are required per logical channel to code its identifier. In such case, the memory space that is required to store either active or shadow TSA table would be n×p bits, i.e., 1024×8 bits.
The above described approach which basically requires two SRAM memory blocks, one demultiplexer circuit and one multiplexer circuit. Thus, there is a desire for a much more efficient approach which decreases the amount of memory space that is required, and/or obviates the use of said demultiplexer/multiplexer circuits.

Dynamic time division multiplexing circuit without a shadow table

International Business Machines Corporation


A processor may receive a request including a vehicle identifier, a first symptom identifier, and a second symptom identifier. In response to receiving the request, the processor may determine a circuit element identifier to include in a reply to the request. To do so, the processor may make a determination that the received vehicle identifier matches or is mapped to a stored vehicle identifier, that the received first symptom identifier matches or is mapped to a stored first symptom identifier, and that the received second symptom identifier matches or is mapped to a stored second symptom identifier. In response to making the determination, the processor may determine that a particular circuit element identifier is the circuit element identifier to include based on the particular circuit element identifier being mapped to these stored identifiers. Then, the processor may generate and subsequently output the reply including the determined circuit element identifier.

Many products produced by manufacturers occasionally have to be repaired. But many owners are unequipped or otherwise unable to repair certain products. Therefore, such owners may depend on professional repair technicians to service or repair the owner's product.
In practice, the repair technicians could use a computing system to assist with the repair process. For instance, the computing system could capture and/or provide a variety of information regarding servicing or repairing a product. As an example, such information may include information regarding the type of repair or service needed or performed, among others.
Although the computing system could provide a variety of information, the computing system may not necessarily indicate the most optimal type of repair or service. For example, the computing system may fail to indicate a repair or service that could help resolve multiple problems simultaneously exhibited by a product. Consequently, it may be beneficial to repair technicians if a computing system could provide more optimal repair information.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Analyzing vehicles based on common circuit elements


Methods and devices for information transmission and in particular for payment transfer from a paying terminal to a selling terminal. In some embodiments, the paying terminal scans an encrypted image, such as a two-dimensional code, displayed on the selling terminal. The paying terminal decrypts the encrypted image to obtain payment information and sends a payment request to a remote server for processing. Security verifications can be conducted by the paying terminal or the server, wherein the server may generate processing results approving or denying the payment request. When the payment amount is greater than a preset value, additional verification can be carried out using, e.g., biometric information. The paying terminal and/or the selling terminal then display the processing results and the remote server completes the payment transfer.

With the development of network technologies, online payment becomes more and more popular, and people often complete transactions and purchases by means of online payment. In current online payment technology, a selling terminal or a transaction platform server sends payment information to a paying terminal, and after acquiring the payment information, the paying terminal completes payment through a bank server. With the development of network technologies, hacking technologies also become more advanced. When a selling terminal or a transaction platform server sends payment information to a paying terminal via a network, hackers may be able to replace the payment information, causing the paying terminal to conduct payment according to the fake payment information. Thus, the current payment technology does not have a high safety level.

Information transmission method, apparatus and system

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A reconfigurable mask for forming erasable patterns is disclosed. The mask includes material having optical properties manipulated by nonphysical means. In a preferred embodiment, the mask includes a liquid crystal array formed by materials that are transparent to the exposure light. A phase-shift mask can also be formed by controlling the refractive index of each cell. The mask can be used to form mask patterns that compensate for overexposure at corners of a mask pattern.

In the semiconductor integrated circuit ("IC") industry, an IC product concept is first implemented by designing circuit schematics. To realize the designed circuit, a mask layout comprising a series of layers of patterns is generated by layout engineers. Each layer of patterns is then made into a photolithographic mask, which is later used to fabricate a semiconductor chip embodying the designed circuit.
An integrated circuit is made using a sequence of processes performed on a semiconductor substrate. The processes performed on the substrate include some or all of the following: chemical and physical film depositions, etching, ion implantation, diffusion, annealing or thermal oxidation. Many of these processes require that a pattern of photoresist first be formed on the substrate. The process for patterning the photoresist is called a photolithographic process--it involves first depositing a uniform layer of photoresist on the substrate, next exposing the photoresist layer to optical illumination through a mask, and then developing the exposed photoresist layer. The photoresist layer that results from this process is patterned to form an image that corresponds to the patterns on the mask. Depending on the type of photoresist used, the image is either a positive one or a negative one.
A conventional mask consists of a thin layer of chromium (about 50 nanometers) deposited and then patterned on a glass or quartz substrate. In the photolithography process, the mask pattern size is reduced by a factor of 5 after it is transferred onto the substrate by a lithographic exposure system. The pattern is binary; that is, it is either opaque or transparent. In a conventional optical lithography system, the image resolution and the depth of focus are determined by the wavelength of the illumination light and the numeric aperture of the optics and not by the mask itself.
In contrast with the binary mask, a phase-shift mask contains phase shifters to enhance the resolution of the mask image, which results in an increased useful lifetime for conventional lithography systems. One kind of phase-shifter is comprised of tiny apertures formed along the peripheries of a chrome mask pattern and a layer of transparent material formed on the apertures. The thickness of the transparent material is such that light passing through the aperture is 180 degrees out of phase with the light passing by edges of the chrome mask pattern. As a result of the interference between the light passing through the apertures and the light passing by the edges, the contrast of the projected mask image is enhanced.
In the last 20 years, lithography innovation has been aimed at improving resolution and alignment accuracy, increasing throughput and reducing defect density. As IC technology advances, the number of layers in an IC has increased and, as a result, the number of photolithographic processes required to fabricate an IC has also increased. Owing to the increasing number of masks needed to make an IC and stringent defect requirements, each set of masks is becoming very expensive. For low volume ICs or prototypes, the mask could be the dominant cost. This becomes an important consideration for prototyping new ICs. Whenever a design modification is required, a new mask must be generated, resulting in increased cost and development cycle time. It is also uneconomical to merge several different mask sets onto a single wafer lot. Thus, the cost of throughput reduction due to loading, alignment, and unloading of masks far out-strips reduction in processing cost.
Therefore, there remains a need for lithography innovation that minimizes prototyping cost and development cycle time. An E-beam (electron beam) direct write system can potentially achieve much of the desired characteristics. In an E-beam system, because the layout is stored in a computer and the photoresist is directly written by an exposure e-beam, no mask is needed. This eliminates the mask cost and the time required to generate the mask. Design modification can be more quickly implemented. In addition, different prototyping products can be merged onto the same wafer lots without reduced throughput. The processing cost, spread among the prototypes on the same wafer lot, can be significantly lowered.
Notwithstanding the aforementioned advantages, the throughput of E-beam lithography is too low to be competitive with conventional optical lithography. It is therefore rarely used except in making masks.
In contrast to the E-beam exposure system, the conventional chrome mask is rigid and inflexible. Except in cases where defects or errors are very limited, repair of the mask is complicated, difficult, and time consuming. Once it is made, a mask's pattern is considered fixed; it is not possible to alter the pattern at will. Previously known optical lithography systems lack the flexibility afforded by E-beam exposure systems.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mask having a mask pattern that can be altered at will;
it is another object of the present invention to provide a mask that can be used to form all of the mask patterns that are needed in making a semiconductor or IC; PA1 it is yet another object of the present invention to reduce the cost and the time for forming a mask pattern; PA1 it is a further object of the present invention to provide a mask wherein layout modification and error correction can be implemented quickly and inexpensively; PA1 it is a still further object of the present invention to provide a phase-shift mask having a mask pattern that can be altered at will; and PA1 it is a further object of the present invention to provide a mask wherein the mask pattern can be modified using exposure modulation to compensate for imperfections of the projected mask image.


A power-monitoring system and method is disclosed. The power monitoring system can comprise a surge arrester, a voltage-monitoring relay, a K1 relay, a reset switch, a K1 switch, a K2 relay, an F1 switch, a K2 switch, and a machine communication port. The K1 relay can activate when voltage-monitoring relay detects an electrical issue. The K2 relay can activate when surge arrester detects a current spike. A method for monitoring power is also disclosed. A surge arrestor and power-monitoring relay can monitor a supply line. The voltage-monitoring relay can activate K1 relay when it detects an electrical issue. The surge arrester can activate K2 relay when it detects a current surge.

This disclosure relates to a system and method for monitoring a three-phase network.
Methods for monitoring three-phase network have evolved over the years. Presently, power arrives at a facility at the facility's main panel. Between the main panel and main switch fuses or a surge protector are installed. After the main switch, a transformer steps the voltage down before the power reaches the load.
Presently, a system and method for monitoring the electric network, lighting potential bonding, and surge protection, between the transformer and load does not exist, even though such monitoring could be more effective and less expensive.
As such it would be useful to have an improved system and method for monitoring a three-phase network.

System and method for monitoring a three-phase network


This invention relates to a metal vapor laser device comprising a sealed enclosure, electrodes placed inside this enclosure, a reactant metal or metal alloy placed between the electrodes, and an elongated pipe or tube to introduce reactive gas between the two electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metal vapor laser devices composed of a set of tubes containing metal to create the laser effect. Electrodes are placed at the two ends of an internal tube, and a pulsed electrical discharge is set up between these electrodes by means of a suitable electricity power supply. This discharge heats this medium between the electrodes, and an injected reactive gas then forms a volatile compound with the metal to be vaporized. The resulting atomic metallic vapor is also excited by the discharge and is subjected to population inversion which is the cause of the laser effect.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of examples of metal vapor laser devices are known, for example metallic halide lasers.
One such laser device is described in document GB-2 219 128. This device comprises an enclosure containing two electrodes and cylindrical metal segments, for example, made of copper or gold. During operation, a halogen gas (for example, bromine mixed with a helium buffer gas) circulates through the enclosure, and a metallic halide (for example, CuBr or Cu.sub.3 Br.sub.3) is produced. When the discharge takes place between electrodes, the metallic halide is vaporized and dissociates to form copper vapor which is then excited to produce a population inversion.
Another device is described in document U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,327. This device comprises a laser tube closed by two windows at its ends, and two electrodes placed inside it. One or several chambers or reaction vessels placed outside the tube contain metal, for example, copper in granular form. Neon and a halogen gas are allowed into this chamber. A coil surrounds the chamber and heats the metal contained in it. When the gas passes the coil, a metal halide is formed which vaporizes due to heating. The assembly is then inserted in the laser tube followed by dissociation of the metal halide and excitation of resulting products causing a population inversion.
A third device is described in the article by D. R. JONES et al. entitled "A high-efficiency 200 W average power copper HgBrID laser", which appeared in the IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 30, No. 10, p. 2385-2390, October 1994.
This device comprises a silica tube inside which there is an alumina tube. A copper anode and cathode, both cylindrical, on each side of this tube create a discharge. A mixture of Ne and HBr is added, the gas inlet being located on the same side as the anode opposite the side facing the alumina tube. Similarly, the gas outlet is on the same side as the cathode opposite the side facing the alumina tube.
In still other known devices, the gas is mixed before it reaches the laser, the active gas usually being introduced between the anode and the nearest window. Everything that remains of the gas after the discharge and the laser effect is extracted from the other side, between the cathode and the other window. Consequently, before entering the internal tube, the active gas passes through an electrode which necessarily includes high temperature zones in which it may react or decompose. The consequence of this is a high consumption of reactive gas (the third document mentioned above gives a consumption of the order of 3 to 4 normoliters/hour), and a reduction in the life of components, particularly of electrodes exposed to the reactive gas. The composition of this vapor phase is modified, and it may even be polluted by corrosion products.
Furthermore, the active gas reacts with metal, therefore its composition changes as it passes along the internal tube. Consequently, the metal halide concentration may have a high longitudinal gradient inside the tube.

Compagnie Generale des Matiers Nucleaires


A new Sutera plant named ‘Cay Julav’ particularly distinguished by large flowers of uniform, lavender color, deep green foliage, cordate, relatively small leaves, well branching and moderately tight, low mounding and trailing plant habit of about medium size.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Sutera, botanically known as Sutera cordata and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Cay Julav'.
'Cay Julav' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in Andijk, Netherlands, in July 2005.
The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary Sutera plant designated 'BA04-142-1', having somewhat larger flowers and lighter lavender flower color, as well as shorter stems than 'Cay Julav'.
The male parent of 'Cay Julav' was an unpatented proprietary Sutera plant designated 'BA04-8-1', having purple flower color, less deep green foliage and smaller plant size than 'Cay Julav'.
The resulting seeds were sown in October 2005, and 'Cay Julav' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in January 2006 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'Cay Julav' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were used from the initial selection in the spring of 2006 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.
Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in the spring of 2006 in Andijk, The Netherlands, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for 'Cay Julav' are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
'Cay Julav' has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.
Plant Breeders' Rights for this cultivar was applied for with the European Union (CPVO) on Jul. 21, 2008. 'Cay Julav' has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.


Neurite outgrowth-promoting prostaglandins (NEPPs) and other electrophilic compounds bind to Keap1, a negative regulator of the transcription factor Nrf2, and prevent Keap1-mediated inactivation of Nrf2 and, thus, enhance Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus of neuronal cells. Therefore, neuroprotective compositions and related methods are provided that employ such neuroprotective compounds, and prodrugs of such compounds, to cause dissociation of Nrf2 from a Keap1/Nrf2 complex.

Cellular antioxidants are crucial for reducing oxidative stress and preventing neuronal death. A recently elucidated pathway to induce antioxidant enzymes involves transcriptional activation through the antioxidant-responsive element (ARE) (Itoh et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:36-45, 2004; Gong et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal. 4:249-257, 2002). In this case, electrophilic agents induce a set of genes encoding "phase 2" enzymes, including hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADPH quinine oxidoreductase 1, and γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase (γ-GCL, also known as γ-glutamate cysteine ligase or γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase [γ-GCS]). These enzymes provide efficient cytoprotection, in part, by regulating the intracellular redox state (Itoh et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:36-45, 2004; Gong et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal. 4:249-257, 2002).
The ARE is a cis-acting element essential for transcriptional activation of phase 2 genes by electrophiles (Itoh et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:36-45, 2004; Gong et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal. 4:249-257, 2002). The transcription factor Nfr2 complexes with Maf family proteins to transactivate the ARE. Under basal conditions, the cytosolic regulatory protein Keap1 binds tightly to Nrf2, retaining it in the cytoplasm (Itoh et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:36-45, 2004; Gong et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal. 4:249-257, 2002). In this regard, the action of Keap1 is analogous to that of IκB, preventing activation and translocation of the transcription factor NF-κB (Itoh et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:36-45, 2004; Gong et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal. 4:249-257, 2002). In the case of Keap1, electrophiles make a Michael adduct with critical cysteine residues in this regulatory protein, causing the liberation of Nrf2 and allowing it to translocate into the nucleus (Itoh et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:36-45, 2004; Gong et al., Antioxid. Redox Signal. 4:249-257, 2002).
Among the phase 2 enzymes, HO-1 has attracted special attention because of its therapeutic effects against neurodegenerative diseases (Maines and Panahian, in Hypoxia: From Genes to the Bedside, eds. Roach et al. (New York: Kluwer), 2001, pp. 249-272; Stocker et al., Science 235:1043-1046, 1987).
HO-1 oxidatively cleaves heme to biliverdin, forms CO, and releases the chelated Fe2+ (Maines and Panahian, in Hypoxia: From Genes to the Bedside, eds. Roach et al. (New York: Kluwer), 2001, pp. 249-272). Bilirubin (a reduction product of biliverdin) serves as a potent radical scavenger (Stocker et al., Science 235:1043-1046, 1987) and protects neuronal ells against oxidative stress at nanomolar concentrations (Dore et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:2445-2450, 1999). Studies using gene-knockout and transgenic mice have confirmed the biological significance of HO-1 as a cellular antioxidant (Poss and Tanegawa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:10925-10930, 1997). HO-1 has been proposed to play an obligatory role in endogenous defense against oxidative stress, because cells from HO-1−/− mice are highly susceptible to oxidative insults (Poss and Tanegawa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:10925-10930, 1997). The significance of HO-1 in terms of drug development against neurodegenerative diseases is based on two facts: (i) HO produces several antioxidative compounds, including biliverdin and bilirubin (Dore et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:2445-2450, 1999), and (ii) the induction of HO-1 can be regulated by various compounds (Satoh et al., Eur. J. Neurosci. 17:2249-2255, 2003). Thus, it has been proposed that an inducer of HO-1 in neurons could represent an efficient neuroprotective compound (Maines and Panahian, in Hypoxia: From Genes to the Bedside, eds. Roach et al. (New York: Kluwer), 2001, pp. 249-272; Dore et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:2445-2450, 1999; Satoh et al., Eur. J. Neurosci. 17:2249-2255, 2003).

Neuroprotective compositions and methods

The Burnham Institute for Medical Research


Methods, computer systems, and servers are provided for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location with or without a human operator controlling primary navigation of the vehicle. One example method includes identifying a vehicle location and determining if the vehicle location is near a self-park location. The method accesses mapping data for the self-park location and receiving a request to initiate a self-park process for the vehicle. The method includes forwarding instructions to the vehicle to proceed with the self-park process. The self-park process acting to control the vehicle to automatically move from a current location to a destination location in the self-park location, and the current location and the destination location are updated dynamically as the current location of the vehicle changes and based on conditions of the destination location. Vehicles can be dropped off, registered for self-parking via a smartphone, and the vehicle moves to an available parking location.

Vehicles, such as motorized vehicles and electric vehicles have been around for some time. Vehicles provide a means that enable humans to drive from place to place. In today's world, vehicles have become an indispensable mode of transportation, and provide the freedom to travel at any time of day and for various distances. Vehicles can be publically operated or can be privately owned. Humans most commonly operate vehicles, no matter the type, whether electric or combustion engine based. In recent years, technology has been advancing to the level that "self-driving" vehicles have been discussed and researched. However, such research has not yielded any type of commercial implementation that would enable the reliable use of self-driving vehicles in society.
It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.

Method and system for cloud-based communication for automatic driverless movement


The present disclosure is relates to novel proteins and peptides having novel and/or enhanced functions and/or behaviors with respect to a native protein or peptide, and methods of making the novel proteins and peptides using techniques of circular permutation and protein engineering.

Lipases play an important role in asymmetric biocatalysis. Their broad substrate specificity, generally high regio- and enantio-selectivity, as well as their ability to function in aqueous and organic reaction medium make them versatile tools for the kinetic resolution, derivatization, chiral synthesis, and polymerization of esters. Lipases can catalyze the formation, hydrolysis, and substitution (transesterification) of ester bonds, amid bonds, and the like. They are important biocatalysts in production of chiral building blocks for fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, as well as in bulk products such as laundry detergent.
Suitable enzymes for a particular substrate can be identified by screening natural lipases or can be tailored by protein engineering. In the latter case, rational protein design, random mutagenesis, and DNA shuffling have generated laboratory catalysts with altered specificity, selectivity, and stability. However, very few natural and lab-made lipases show activity and enantioselectivity for bulky substrates such as esters of large secondary and tertiary alcohols. It has been hypothesized that the cause for the poor turnover of these substrates arises from steric constraints in the lipase active site, yet protein engineers have so far failed to generate improved biocatalysts. Tailoring these enzymes to novel, unnatural substrates is one of the primary challenges of protein engineering. Circular permutation may provide the ability to meet such challenges.
Circular permutation is a technique where the normal termini of a polypeptide are linked and new termini are created by breaking the backbone elsewhere. In many polypeptides, the normal termini are in close proximity and can be joined by a short amino acid sequence. The break in the polypeptide backbone can be at any point, preferably at a point where the function and folding of the polypeptide are not destroyed. Circular permutation creates new C- and N-termini, so the technique is often used in the creation of fusion proteins where the fused peptide or protein is attached at a different place on the host protein. For example, if the natural termini are at the interior of the base protein, it may be disruptive to attach a peptide or protein at the natural termini. By changing the attachment location to a place near the exterior of the host protein, stability of the host protein may be maintained.
Circular permutation provides an experimental way to investigate the biophysical consequences of backbone rearrangement or removal on ligand binding in ways not available using traditional deletion mutants. Circularly permuted proteins have been used previously to investigate the protein folding problem (Yang Y, et al. (1993) Proc Natl Acad Sci US. 90:11980-1984; Graf R, et al. (1996) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:11591-11596). Both naturally occurring and synthetic circularly permuted proteins have been identified (Heinemann U, et al. (1995) Prog Biophys Molec Biol 64:122-143; Lindqvist Y, et al. (1997) Curr Opinion Struc Biol 7:422-427; Goldenberg D P, et al. (1983) J Mol Biol 164:407-413; Luger K, et al. (1989) Science 243-206-209). U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,599 to Pastan et al. discloses fusion proteins created from circularly permuted interleukin 4 (IL4).
As mentioned above, circular permutants generally are created by disrupting the polypeptide chain at a selected point to create new termini and bridging the two natural termini either directly or through a linker such as an amino acid linker. Circular permutation thus has the effect of essentially preserving the sequence and identity of the amino acids of a protein, while generating new termini at different locations. Moreover, the tertiary structure of the protein is generally conserved. Circularly permuted proteins can be made chemically or created by recombinant techniques.

Proteins with enhanced functionality and methods of making novel proteins using circular permutation


Methods and kits are provided for determining which single nucleotide polymorphism (“SNP”) variant of an allele of a heterozygous patient is on the same allele as a disease-causing mutation that is at a remote region of the gene's mRNA comprising a) an allele specific reverse transcription reaction using an allele specific primer which recognizes one SNP variant, wherein further the 3′ end of the primer is positioned at the SNP nucleotide position, and b) analysis of the resulting cDNA product from the reverse transcription reaction at the region of the mutation to determine the presence or absence of the mutation on this allele specific cDNA product, wherein the allele specific primer is shorter than about 20 nucleotides.

Expansions of CAG trinucleotide repeats (CAG repeats) in coding regions of human genes cause numerous disorders by generating proteins with elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches. This group of disorders includes by way of example Dystophia myotonica, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 17, Huntington disease-like 2, Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, Huntington disease, Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy, Oculopharyngeal dystrophy, Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, Infantile spasms, Synpolydactyl), Cleidocranial dysplasia, Holoprosencephaly, Hand-foot-genital syndrome, Type II blephorophimosis, ptosis, and epicanthus inversus syndrome. (Wanker E. E. (2000) Biol. Chem., 381:937-942; Gusella J. F. and MacDonald, M. E. (2000) Nature Rev. Neurosci., 1:109-115; and Usdin K. and Grabczyk, E. (2000) Cell. Mol. Life. Sci., 57:914-931).
For purposes of illustration only Huntington's disease (HD) will be discussed herein. HD is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder which is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and is characterized by chorea, dementia and personality disorder. Martin, J. B. and Gusella, J. F. (1986) N. Engl. J. Med. 315:1267-1276. The gene responsible for HD contains an expanded and unstable CAG trinucleotide repeat. Huntington's Disease Collaborative Research Group (1993) Cell 72:971-983.
The HD gene (IT15 gene), which encodes huntingtin, a 350 kDa protein of unknown function, is located on the human chromosome 4 and consists of 67 exons. The disease-causing mutation is a CAG repeat expansion located within exon 1 of the HD gene (HD exon1). The CAG repeat is translated into a polyQ stretch. The disease manifests itself when the polyQ stretch exceeds the critical length of 37 glutamines (pathological threshold), whereas 8-35 glutamine residues in huntingtin are tolerated by neuronal cells. Experimental evidence has been presented that huntingtin fragments with polyQ tracts in the pathological range (more than 37 glutamines), but not in the normal range (20-32 glutamines), form high molecular weight protein aggregates with a fibrillar morphology in vitro and in cell culture model systems (Scherzinger et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96:4604-4609; and Waelter et al., (2001) Mol. Biol. Cell, 12:1393-1407). In addition, inclusions with aggregated N-terminally truncated huntingtin protein were detected in HD transgenic mice carrying a CAG repeat expansion of 115-156 units and in HD patient brains (Davies et al., (1997) Cell, 90:537-548; and DiFiglia et al., (1997) Science, 277:1990-1993), suggesting that the process of aggregate formation may be important for the progression of HD. The mechanisms, however, by which the elongated polyQ sequences in huntingtin cause dysfunction and neurodegeneration are not yet understood (Scherzinger et al., (1999); Tobin A. J. and Signer, E. R. (2000) Trends Cell Biol., 10:531-536; and Perutz M. F. (1999) Glutamine repeats and neurodegenerative diseases: molecular aspects. Trends Biochem. Sci., 24:58-63).
Unaffected individuals have repeat numbers of up to 30, while individuals at a high risk of developing HD carry more than 37 CAG repeats. Individuals with 30-37 repeats have a high risk of passing on repeats in the affected size range to their offspring (Andrew et al., (1997) Hum. Mol. Genet., 6:2005-2010; Duyao et al., (1993) Nature Genet., 4:387-392; and Snell et al., (1993) Nature Genet., 4:393-397).
It is known that patients are able to survive and live healthy lives with only one functioning copy of the IT15 gene. Thus, selective inactivation of the allele with a disease-causing mutation should diminish or even eliminate the disease while improving the possibilities of survival in heterozygous patients.
The combination of emotional, cognitive and motor symptoms in HD contributes to an unusually high cost of care. People with Huntington's Disease require care from health professionals of many stripes, including general practitioners, neurologists, social workers, home health aides, psychologists, physical therapists, and speech/language pathologists.
Currently, there are a few diagnostic approaches for nucleic acid sequence identification. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20040048301 describes allele-specific primer extension in the presence of labeled nucleotides for sequence identification, but does not include allele-specific primer extension for enrichment of one allele over the other for further analysis of the allele of interest as part of the kit. WO Patent Application No. 2003100101 describes isolation of one sequence in a mixture by hybridization markers and single-strand specific nucleases for use in single-molecule analysis. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030039964 describes a method for isolation of one sequence in a mixture by hybridization to a fixed probe, but does not disclose the use of reverse transcription. U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,431 describes a method for analysis of bases adjacent to a hybridized, immobilized oligo, but does not disclose enrichment of one allele over the other. WO Patent Application No. 9820166 describes a method for specific selection of one allele over the other, followed by mass spectroscopic analysis of the selected molecule, but does not disclose the use of reverse transcription. None of these references disclose methods and diagnostic kits for linking polymorphic sequences to expanded repeat mutations for improved allele-specific diagnosis.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 20040241854 (Davidson) discloses allele-specific inhibition of specific single nucleotide polymorphism variants, and presents data showing that "expanded CAG repeats and adjacent sequences, while accessible to RNAi, may not be preferential targets for silencing" thus describing the problem that our invention addresses (determining what SNP variant at a remote molecular position is linked to the expanded CAG repeat in a particular patient), but does not teach the use of reverse transcription using an allele-specific primer to solve this problem, nor otherwise disclose a method for how to solve this problem. U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060270623 (McSwiggen) discloses multiple siRNA sequences, including those comprising SNP variants, but does not provide any working examples regarding allele-specific RNA interference using these disclosed siRNA sequences, nor disclose how to determine which allele-specific siRNA to administer to a particular Huntington's disease human patient in order to effectively treat that patient's disease by suppression of only the expanded Huntington allele in that patient.
Accordingly, there is need in the art for novel compounds, methods, and kits for allele-specific diagnostics and therapies.

Methods and kits for linking polymorphic sequences to expanded repeat mutations