A light-emitting compound that can be easily applied to vacuum vapor deposition and exhibit long wavelength light is disclosed. Further, a light-emitting element without inferior luminescence properties due to the carbonization of a light-emitting compound during vapor deposition; and a light-emitting device that is composed of the light-emitting elements are also disclosed. A pyran derivative is represented by the following general formula 1:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pyran derivative, and more particularly such a pyran derivative that exhibits long wavelength light. Further, the present invention relates to a light-emitting element containing the pyran derivative.
2. Related Art
A light-emitting device utilizing light emission from an electroluminescent element (light-emitting element) has attracted attention as a device for lighting or displaying an image.
In recent years, in the development area for a light-emitting device, the research and development of a light-emitting device capable of displaying a high quality full color image has been accelerated to secure a market of display devices for various information-processing devices such as a TV set or a car navigation system.
In order to obtain full color image from a light-emitting device, it is required that regions exhibiting respectively at least three primary colors of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) are independently provided so as to emit light at the right time.
Various methods have been developed to provide the foregoing regions for exhibiting three primary colors. One method for providing the foregoing regions is forming layers, each of which contains light-emitting compounds displaying different colors, at different sites, thereby providing light-emitting elements each containing one of the layers independently.
In case of using the foregoing method, light-emitting compounds are required to be selected for the respective emission colors. Therefore, light-emitting materials that exhibit light emission over various wavelength ranges have been developed.
For example, as a material exhibiting reddish emission, a bis-4H-pyran derivative as disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-19946 has been developed.
However, some of the bis-4H-pyran derivative disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-19946 are difficult to be formed into a film by vacuum vapor deposition since they are easily carbonized during vapor deposition.
In the case that such light-emitting material as are easily carbonized is used, a tarry substance is liable to be attached to an evaporation source. Accordingly, the exchange frequency of an evaporation sources is increased. As a result, there arises a problem that more light-emitting material for deposition is needed, and so the efficiency in the use of the material becomes worse. Further, there may arise another problem that good luminescence properties cannot be obtained due to a carbonized light-emitting material, or the like.
Therefore, it has been required to develop a light-emitting material that is not only be able to exhibit light emission with good luminescence properties, but also be easily applied to vacuum vapor deposition.

Abstract: wherein R1 is a hydrogen element or an alkoxy group.

Semicondutor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A tool changer comprising a master module and a tool module includes a rapid-connect communication bus between the master and tool modules. A unique tool identification number, along with other tool-related information, may be transmitted from the tool module to the master module within about 250 msec of the master and tool modules coupling together. The master module includes a robotic system communications network node connected to the rapid-connect communication bus, and operative to transmit data between the tool and the network via the communication bus. The need for a separate network node in the tool module is obviated, reducing cost and reducing the start-up time required to initialize such a network node upon connecting to a new tool. The rapid-connect communication bus may be a serial bus.

The present invention relates generally to the field of robotics and specifically to a rapid-connect communication bus between the master and tool modules of a robotic tool coupler.
Industrial robots have become an indispensable part of modern manufacturing. Whether transferring semiconductor wafers from one process chamber to another in a cleanroom or cutting and welding steel on the floor of an automobile manufacturing plant, robots perform many manufacturing tasks tirelessly, in hostile environments, and with high precision and repeatability.
In many robotic manufacturing applications, it is cost-effective to utilize a relatively generic robot to accomplish a variety of tasks. For example, in an automotive manufacturing application, a robot may be utilized to cut, grind, or otherwise shape metal parts during one production run, and perform a variety of spot welding tasks in another. Different welding tool geometries may be advantageously mated to a particular robot to perform welding tasks at different locations or in different orientations. In these applications, a tool changer is used to mate different tools to the robot. One half of the tool changer, called the master module, is permanently affixed to a robot arm. The other half, called the tool module, is affixed to each tool that the robot may utilize. When the robot arm positions the master module adjacent the tool module connected to a desired tool, a coupler is actuated that mechanically locks the master and tool modules together, thus affixing the tool to the end of the robot arm. Utilities such as electrical current, air pressure, hydraulic fluid, cooling water, electronic or optical data signals, and the like, may be transferred through the robot changer from the master module to the tool module via mating terminals, valve connections, electrical connectors, and the like, making the utilities available to the selected tool. Tool changers and their constituent couplers are well known in the robotics arts, and are commercially available, such as from the assignee, ATI Industrial Automation of Apex, N.C.
In sophisticated robotic environments, one or more central controllers monitor and control some or all aspects of the robots' operations. To perform these monitoring and control functions, the controllers are typically connected to a robotic system communications network. One example of such a network is the DeviceNet specification promulgated by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA), information on which is available from odva.org. Alternatively, other network and/or point-to-point data communications system known in the art may be used. A typical robotic system communications network, such as DeviceNet, defines a plurality of nodes having specified functionality and capability, a physical connection and data communication specification, and a set of logical and operational protocols to effect orderly operation of the network and data communications between and among its nodes.
Particularly in applications where a variety of tools are utilized by a given robot in succession during an operation or sequence of operations, bringing each tool "on-line" quickly is of paramount concern. In this context, bringing a "new," i.e., newly attached, tool "on-line" may comprise identifying the tool by reading a unique tool ID and/or tool function or class code; initializing the tool by providing configuration and/or calibration data, instructions, or the like; monitoring various parameters associated with the tool, such as the state of various safety interlock switches; and similar functions. One or more of these or other initialization functions are typically required prior to the tool being used to perform its task.
Typically, to accomplish this communication between the tool and the central controller or other nodes on the robotic system communications network, a network node is provided in the robotic coupler tool module that is attached to the tool. Upon attaching the tool to the robot by coupling the master module to the tool module, electrical power and other services are provided to the tool module and to the tool, and the tool module robotic system communications network node initializes and begins communicating with the network. This process may be lengthy, such as on the order of eight to ten seconds or more, which time is "idle" with respect to the robot performing useful work. Even if improvements to the network protocols and/or network node specifications reduce this start-up time, the provision of a fully functional network node on each tool module (hence, one per tool), is expensive and inefficient.


A Stoneley wave is generated in a borehole in a saturated porous earth formation. Measurements are made of the velocity of motion of the formation and the fluid in the formation. The difference in the velocities is indicative of formation permeability. An additional measurement of the electric field at the borehole wall enables determination of the electroacoustic constant.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure pertains to logging while drilling apparatus and more particularly to acoustic logging while drilling apparatus and generating and using Stoneley waves to measure formation permeability and electroacoustic constant.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Acoustic wellbore logging instruments are used to measure velocities of earth formations in one or more modes of acoustic energy propagation. Acoustic wellbore logging instruments are typically used in liquid-filled wellbores drilled through the earth formations. Velocity is generally determined using these instrument by measuring the time taken by an acoustic energy pulse to traverse a particular distance along the wall of the wellbore. The wall forms the interface between the liquid in the wellbore and the earth formations.
One form of acoustic energy pulses of particular interest to the invention is referred to as "Stoneley" waves. Stoneley waves, also known as tube waves, are essentially guided pressure pulses travelling in the wellbore. It had been determined in earlier research that a relationship is likely to exist between the transmission properties of Stoneley waves as they propagate along the wellbore, and the hydraulic characteristics of the formations along the wellbore wall. See for example, J. Rosenbaum, Synthetic Microseismograms: Logging in Porous Formations, Geophysics, vol. 39, pp. 14-32, Society of Exploration Geophysicists (1974). Determining formation permeability was not practical using the acoustic logging instruments available at the time the Rosenbaum reference was published because those instruments typically did not generate detectable Stoneley waves, and in the instances where they did so, separation of the Stoneley waves from the acoustic signals as detected was very difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,333 to Tang et al., having the same assignee as the present disclosure and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method for determining the permeability of earth formations penetrated by a wellbore from acoustic signals measured by an acoustic wellbore logging instrument. The method includes separating components from the measured acoustic signals which represent Stoneley waves propagating through the earth formations. Signals representing Stoneley waves propagating through the same earth formations are synthesized. The separated acoustic signal components and the synthesized Stoneley wave signals are compared. The permeability is determined from differences between the synthesized Stoneley wave signals and the separated acoustic signal components. In a preferred embodiment, the step of calculating the permeability includes inversion processing a wave center frequency shift and a wave travel time delay with respect to the permeability of the earth formations.
The present disclosure is directed towards a method and apparatus for directly measuring the formation permeability and the electroacoustic constant of a porous formation. It makes use of the fact that an elastic wave (such as a Stoneley wave) propagating along the borehole wall produces an electrical signal that can be measured.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Radial waves in a borehole and stoneley waves for measuring formation permeability and electroacoustic constant


An exercising device is described that permits exercising the arms and/or legs of a person, such as a wheelchair-bound person. The device has a drive shaft to which foot pedals are mounted. The foot pedals are mounted off of the axis of rotation and at an angle to the axis of rotation such that when a person's feet are strapped to the foot pedals and the drive shaft is rotated, the feet will circle the axis of rotation and will cause circular motion of the ankles. Arm exercising members are attached to the drive shaft will cause an oscillatory pivotal motion of the arm exercising members.

It has long been known that for individuals who have limited mobility of their limbs, regular exercise can provide significant benefits. Such individuals, who may have suffered a spinal injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), muscular dystrophy (MD), or other similar injury or disorder that impairs mobility (either temporarily or permanently), may also find that their impairments can even present significant obstacles to exercising other relatively unaffected body parts.
Regular movement of all major body parts has been shown to be necessary to promote the comfort, health and general well-being of individuals suffering from such disabilities. A failure to do so can have painful, even unhealthful and dangerous consequences. For example, immobility tends to lead rapidly to stiffened and painful joints and tendons. In the longer term, atrophy of unusused and underused muscles can occur. A greater susceptibility to the formation of blood clots has been demonstrated. Long-term immobility also leads to an overall deterioration of the cardiovascular system.
By way of contrast, when impaired limbs are regularly exercised (e.g., when subjected to repeated manual extensions by a physical therapist), joints tend to become more flexible, circulation is improved, the tendency to atrophy is reduced, the heart tends to work more efficiently, and the patient tends to experience less pain and discomfort. While the benefit of such exercise is indisputable, it can require considerable time and effort of both the afflicted individual and the assistant (therapist or volunteer). In some cases, truly effective exercise of a disabled person can tax the limits of strength and stamina of the assistant.
In response, several mechanical and electromechanical devices have been designed to help in providing a practical means by which a disabled person can exercise relatively unassisted. While beneficial in many ways, these devices often have their limitations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,399 ('399), entitled EXERCISING DEVICE, issued to Kenneth O. Richardson, describes a device for exercising the arms and legs of a person who otherwise has difficulty moving these limbs. While the exercising device disclosed in the '399 patent has proven effective, it does not afford motion of the feet comparable to that which would be achieved in walking.


The present invention disclosed N-acetyl amino acid ester derivatives of betulin and the preparation method thereof, the method comprising the steps that in the presence of an alkaline substance, a catalyst and a racemization-inhibitor, the carboxyl group of N-acetyl amino acid is activated by a coupling agent; and then the activated N-acetyl amino acid is reacted with betulin via esterification reaction to obtain the N-acetyl amino acid ester derivative of betulin. The present invention provided a simple synthesis method to synthesize the N-acetyl amino acid ester derivatives of betulin by using betulin as a precursor compound and modifying the molecular structure of betulin. Such structural modification of betulin significantly enhances the anti-tumor activity of the betulin derivatives and therefore has important values.

Betulin (also known as Lup-20(29)-ene-3β,28-diol or betulinol) is a needle-like crystal with a molecular formula of C30H50O2, a molecular weight of 442.70, and a molecular structure as below:

Betulin is a pentacyclic triterpenoid of lupane structure, the content of which in the bark of birch tree can reach up to 40%. Betulinic acid which is a betulin derivative shows unique anti-tumor activity and is substantially non-toxic, and thus some novel derivatives synthesized from betulinic acid as a precursor compound have been extensively studied.
Unlike betulinic acid, betulin itself has poor anti-tumor activity, but its price is low as only 10% of that of betulinic acid. Therefore, it has important value for semi-synthesis from betulin as a precursor to look for new derivatives which have superior anti-tumor activity.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.

N-acetyl amino acid ESTER derivatives of betulin and preparation method thereof


A fixing device includes: a rotary body; a pressure body; a frame supporting the rotary body; and a pressure varying mechanism for providing a nip pressure to a nip region formed between the rotary body and the pressure body. The pressure varying mechanism includes a first spring and a second spring for urging one of the rotary body and the pressure body. The first spring applies a first urging force, and the second spring applies a second urging force acting in an opposite direction from the first urging force. The pressure varying mechanism can vary the nip pressure between a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. The nip pressure becomes the first nip pressure while only the first urging force is applied, and becomes the second nip pressure while both of the first urging force and the second urging force are applied.

As an example of a conventional fixing device, Japanese Patent No. 4730472 discloses a fixing device that includes: a heating member for heating a sheet; a pressure pad configured to nip the sheet together with the heating member; two springs for pressing the heating member toward the pressure pad; and a nip-pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting urging forces of the springs applied to the heating member to vary a nip pressure applied to the sheet. Specifically, in this fixing device, one of the two springs applies the urging fore to the heating member for applying weak nip pressure to the sheet, and both of the two springs apply urging forces thereof to the heating member for applying intense nip pressure to the sheet.

Fixing device including mechanism for varying pressure at nip region between rotary body and pressure body


Communicating for a mesh network is disclosed. A battery-powered node is assigned to communicate with a sending powered backbone node. The sending powered backbone node is assigned to either a first group or a second group. If the sending powered backbone node is assigned to the first group, then the sending powered backbone node sends a packet to either a gateway node or a second group receiving powered backbone node that is assigned to the second group and that is closer to the gateway node. If the sending powered backbone node is assigned to the second group, then the sending powered backbone node sends a packet to either a gateway node or a first group receiving powered backbone node that is assigned to the first group and that is closer to the gateway node.

A wireless mesh network can have both battery-powered and powered nodes. Randomly connecting battery-powered and powered nodes can lead to poor performance of the mesh network especially for the battery-powered nodes. For example, a battery-powered node may have been assigned connections such that substantial traffic is routed through the node. In addition, randomly connecting battery-powered and powered nodes can lead to poor performance of the mesh network in terms of the latency time associated with moving a packet from any given node and a gateway node.

Providing a low latency backbone in a wireless mesh network


Techniques for fragmenting a file or a collection of media data are disclosed. According one aspect of the techniques, a file pertaining to a title is fragmented into a header and several tails or segments. The header is a continuous portion of the file while the segments are respective parts of the remaining portion of the file. The header is seeded substantially in all boxes, and none, one or more of the segments are distributed in each of the boxes in service. When a title is ordered, the header is instantly played back while the segments, if not locally available, are continuously fetched respectively from other boxes that have the segments.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is generally related to multimedia delivery over a distributed network. Particularly, the present invention is related to techniques for instant playback of a title ordered from a local machine, wherein the local machine is not preloaded with data.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a video delivery system 100 that is commonly used for delivering video services over a network. The video delivery system 100 includes a video server 102 that is sometimes referred to as a head-end. Through a data network 104, the video server 102 can provide continuous, scheduled and video-on-demand (VOD) services to respective client machines 106-1, 106-2, . . . 106-n (i.e., its subscribers). Hence, the system 100 is a typical client-server architecture with one server 102 serving a plurality of client machines 106-1, 106-2, . . . 106-n. The server 102 is further coupled to a media storage device 112 that may be configured to store various media files (e.g., movies or news footage). The media storage device 112 must be on-line and must store and supply titles scheduled or demanded for delivery to any of the client machines 106-1, 106-2, . . . 106-n.
To ensure quality of service (QoS), the bandwidth requirement of the network path (e.g., 108-1, 108-2, . . . 108-n) to each of the client machines 106-1, 106-2, . . . 106-n has to be sufficient. However, as the number of the subscribers continues to increase, the demand on the bandwidth of the backbone network path 110 increases linearly, and the overall cost of the system 100 increases considerably at the same time. If the server has a fixed bandwidth limit and system support capability, an increase in the number of subscribers beyond a certain threshold will result in slower transfer of data to clients. In other words, the transmission of the video data over the network 104 to the subscribers via the client machines 106-1, 106-2, . . . 106-n is no longer guaranteed. When the video data is not received in a client machine on time, the display of the video data may fail or at least become jittery.
To alleviate such loading problem to the video server 102, a video delivery system often employs multiple video servers as rendering farms, perhaps in multiple locations. Each of the video servers, similar to the video server 102, is configured to support a limited number of subscribers. Whenever the number of subscribers goes beyond the capacity of a video server or the bandwidth thereof, an additional video server needs to be deployed or additional bandwidth needs to be allocated. Subsequently, overall costs go up considerably when more subscribers sign up with the video delivery system 100.
An alternative solution to the typical client-server architecture shown in FIG. 1 is what is commonly referred to as "peer-to-peer" architecture. In a peer-to-peer network, systems such as Kazaa, eDonkey, Gnutella, and Direct Connect, facilitate ordinary Internet users to trade files by directly connecting one-to-one. One of the advantages in a peer-to-peer system is that files can be shared without having access to a proper server and because of this there is little accountability and absolute no management for the contents of the files. Hence, these networks tend to be very popular for illicit files such as music, movies, pirated software, etc.
Typically in such a peer-to-peer system, a downloader receives a file from a single source. If the file is popular, the single source may be in high demand that in return slows down the sharing of the file. In reality, there is a greater chance that a popular file may be offered by a number of peers (e.g., one of them has previously obtained a copy from an original source). In addition, there is a significant protocol overhead in these peer-to-peer systems. For every search query received, an entire system must be inquired (i.e., all available peers have to be inquired). In reality, the number of peers that one can reach is often limited as a result. Further the availability of a particular file is generally dependent on the goodwill of the users.
There, thus, is a great need for a system that facilitates users in the system to receive a desired file from specified client machines under the management of a service provider.

Method and apparatus for instant playback of a movie title


In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a memory and a processor operatively coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to identify a feature vector for a potentially malicious file and provide the feature vector as an input to a trained neural network autoencoder to produce a modified feature vector. The processor is configured to generate an output vector by introducing Gaussian noise into the modified feature vector to ensure a Gaussian distribution for the output vector within a set of modified feature vectors. The processor is configured to provide the output vector as an input to a trained neural network decoder associated with the trained neural network autoencoder to produce an identifier of a class associated with the set of modified feature vectors. The processor is configured to perform a remedial action on the potentially malicious file based on the potentially malicious file being associated with the class.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to efficiently processing data from potential malware files to determine relationships between the potential malware files, and known malware threats.
In some known systems, characteristics of a malware file may be used to identify the type of malware detected. However, determining the most useful characteristics from a potential malware file can be difficult and resource-intensive since identifying different malware threats can involve identifying different characteristics to extract and compare with known malware threats. For example, certain characteristics of a given malware file can be better for identifying some malware threats than other characteristics of the malware file. Alternatively, characteristics for some types of suspected malware threats can be difficult to compare with known malware threats when those characteristics are not represented in a particular format. Determining the best manner in which to represent characteristics for a potential malware threat, however, can also be difficult and resource-intensive.
Accordingly, a need exists for methods and apparatus that can process features of malware files to determine how to represent and process characteristics of a potential malware threat.

Methods and apparatus for detecting and identifying malware by mapping feature data into a semantic space


The present invention relates to methods and materials used to express an HBM-like polypeptide derived from HBM, LRP5 or LRP6 in animal cells and transgenic animals. The present invention also relates to transgenic animals expressing the HBM-like polypeptides. The invention provides nucleic acids, including coding sequences, oligonucleotide primers and probes, proteins, cloning vectors, expression vectors, transformed hosts, methods of developing pharmaceutical compositions, methods of identifying molecules involved in bone development, and methods of diagnosing and treating diseases involved in bone development and lipid modulation. In preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods for treating, diagnosing and preventing osteoporosis.

Two of the most common types of osteoporosis are postmenopausal and senile osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects men as well as women, and, taken with other abnormalities of bone, presents an ever-increasing health risk for an aging population. The most common type of osteoporosis is that associated with menopause. Most women lose between 20-60% of the bone mass in the trabecular compartment of the bone within 3-6 years after the cessation of menses. This rapid loss is generally associated with an increase of bone resorption and formation. However, the resorptive cycle is more dominant and the result is a net loss of bone mass. Osteoporosis is a common and serious disease among postmenopausal women. There are an estimated 25 million women in the United States alone who are afflicted with this disease. The results of osteoporosis are both personally harmful, and also account for a large economic loss due to its chronicity and the need for extensive and long-term support (hospitalization and nursing home care) from the disease sequelae. This is especially true in more elderly patients. Additionally, while osteoporosis is generally not thought of as a life-threatening condition, a 20-30% mortality rate is related to hip fractures in elderly women. A large percentage of this mortality rate can be directly associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The costs alone associated with the treatment of osteoporotic fractures in the United States is $10 to $15 billion annually. Worldwide incidence of osteoporotic hip fractures is estimated to exceed 1.7 million cases.
The most vulnerable tissue in the bone to the effects of postmenopausal osteoporosis is the trabecular bone. This tissue is often referred to as spongy bone and is particularly concentrated near the ends of the bone near the joints and in the vertebrae of the spine. The trabecular tissue is characterized by small structures which inter-connect with each other as well as the more solid and dense cortical tissue which makes up the outer surface and central shaft of the bone. This crisscross network of trabeculae gives lateral support to the outer cortical structure and is critical to the biomechanical strength of the overall structure. In postmenopausal osteoporosis, it is primarily the net resorption and loss of the trabeculae which lead to the failure and fracture of the bone. In light of the loss of the trabeculae in postmenopausal women, it is not surprising that the most common fractures are those associated with bones which are highly dependent on trabecular support, e.g., the vertebrae, the neck of the femur, and the forearm. Indeed, hip fracture, Colle's fractures, and vertebral crush fractures are indicative of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
One of the earliest generally accepted methods for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis was estrogen replacement therapy. Although this therapy frequently is successful, patient compliance is low, primarily due to the undesirable side-effects of chronic estrogen treatment. Frequently cited side-effects of estrogen replacement therapy include reinitiation of menses, bloating, depression, and fear of breast or uterine cancer. In order to limit the known threat of uterine cancer in those women who have not undergone a hysterectomy, a protocol of estrogen and progestin cyclic therapy is often employed. This protocol is similar to that which is used in birth control regimens, and often is not tolerated by women because of the side-effects characteristic of progestin. More recently, certain antiestrogens, originally developed for the treatment of breast cancer, have been shown in experimental models of postmenopausal osteoporosis to be efficacious. Among these agents is raloxifene (See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,763, and Black et al, J. Clin. Invest., 93:63-69 (1994)). In addition, tamoxifene, a widely used clinical agent for the treatment of breast cancer, has been shown to increase bone mineral density in post menopausal women suffering from breast cancer (Love et al, N. Engl. J. Med., 326:852-856 (1992)).
Another therapy for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis is the use of calcitonin. Calcitonin is a naturally occurring peptide which inhibits bone resorption and has been approved for this use in many countries (Overgaard et al, Br. Med. J., 305:556-561 (1992)). The use of calcitonin has been somewhat limited, however. Its effects are very modest in increasing bone mineral density and the treatment is very expensive. Another therapy for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis is the use of bis-phosphonates. These compounds were originally developed for use in Paget's disease and malignant hypercalcemia. They have been shown to inhibit bone resorption. Alendronate, one compound of this class, has been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. These agents may be helpful in the treatment of osteoporosis, but these agents also have potential liabilities which include osteomalacia, extremely long half-life in bone (greater than 2 years), and possible "frozen bone syndrome," e.g., the cessation of normal bone remodeling.
Senile osteoporosis is similar to postmenopausal osteoporosis in that it is marked by the loss of bone mineral density and resulting increase in fracture rate, morbidity, and associated mortality. Generally, it occurs in later life, i.e., after 70 years of age. Historically, senile osteoporosis has been more common in females, but with the advent of a more elderly male population, this disease is becoming a major factor in the health of both sexes. It is not clear what, if any, role hormones such as testosterone or estrogen have in this disease, and its etiology remains obscure. Treatment of this disease has not been very satisfactory. Hormone therapy, estrogen in women and testosterone in men, has shown equivocal results; calcitonin and bis-phosphonates may be of some utility.
The peak mass of the skeleton at maturity is largely under genetic control. Twin studies have shown that the variance in bone mass between adult monozygotic twins is smaller than between dizygotic twins (Slemenda et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 6:561-567 (1991); Young et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 6:561-567 (1995); Pocock et al, J. Clin. Invest., 80:706-710 (1987); Kelly et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 8:11-17 (1993)), and it has been estimated that up to 60% or more of the variance in skeletal mass is inherited (Krall et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 10: S367 (1993)). Peak skeletal mass is the most powerful determinant of bone mass in elderly years (Hui et al, Ann. Int. Med., 111:355-361 (1989)), even though the rate of age-related bone loss in adult and later life is also a strong determinant (Hui et al, Osteoporosis Int., 1:30-34 (1995)). Since bone mass is the principal measurable determinant of fracture risk, the inherited peak skeletal mass achieved at maturity is an important determinant of an individual's risk of fracture later in life. Thus, study of the genetic basis of bone mass is of considerable interest in the etiology of fractures due to osteoporosis.
Recently, a strong interest in the genetic control of peak bone mass has developed in the field of osteoporosis. The interest has focused mainly on candidate genes with suitable polymorphisms to test for association with variation in bone mass within the normal range, or has focused on examination of genes and gene loci associated with low bone mass in the range found in patients with osteoporosis. The vitamin D receptor locus (VDR) (Morrison et al, Nature, 367:284-287 (1994)), PTH gene (Howard et al, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 80:2800-2805 (1995); Johnson et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 8:11-17 (1995); Gong et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 10: S462 (1995)) and the estrogen receptor gene (Hosoi et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 10: S170 (1995); Morrison et al, Nature, 367:284-287 (1994)) have figured most prominently in this work. These studies are difficult because bone mass (the phenotype) is a continuous, quantitative, polygenic trait, and is confounded by environmental factors such as nutrition, co-morbid disease, age, physical activity, and other factors. Also, this type of study design requires large numbers of subjects. In particular, the results of VDR studies to date have been confusing and contradictory (Garnero et al, J. Bone Miner. Res., 10:1283-1288 (1995); Eisman et al, J. Bone. Miner. Res., 10:1289-1293 (1995); Peacock, J. Bone Miner. Res., 10:1294-1297 (1995)). Furthermore, the work thus far has not shed much light on the mechanism(s) whereby the genetic influences might exert their effect on bone mass.
While it is well known that peak bone mass is largely determined by genetic rather than environmental factors, studies to determine the gene loci (and ultimately the genes) linked to variation in bone mass are difficult and expensive. Study designs which utilize the power of linkage analysis, e.g., sib-pair or extended family, are generally more informative than simple association studies, although the latter do have value. However, genetic linkage studies involving bone mass are hampered by two major problems. The first problem is the phenotype, as discussed briefly above. Bone mass is a continuous, quantitative trait, and establishing a discrete phenotype is difficult. Each anatomical site for measurement may be influenced by several genes, many of which may be different from site to site. The second problem is the age component of the phenotype. By the time an individual can be identified as having low bone mass, there is a high probability that their parents or other members of prior generations will be deceased and therefore unavailable for study, and younger generations may not have even reached peak bone mass, making their phenotyping uncertain for genetic analysis.
Regardless, linkage analysis can be used to find the location of a gene causing a hereditary "disorder" and does not require any knowledge of the biochemical nature of the disorder, i.e., a mutated protein that is believed to cause the disorder does not need to be known. Traditional approaches depend on assumptions concerning the disease process that might implicate a known protein as a candidate to be evaluated. The genetic localization approach using linkage analysis can be used to first find the general chromosomal region in which the defective gene is located and then to gradually reduce the size of the region in order to determine the location of the specific mutated gene as precisely as possible. After the gene itself is discovered within the candidate region, the messenger RNA and the protein are identified and, along with the DNA, are checked for mutations.
The genetic localization approach has practical implications since the location of the disease can be used for prenatal diagnosis even before the altered gene that causes the disease is found. Linkage analysis can enable families, even many of those that do not have a sick child, to know whether they are carriers of a disease gene and to evaluate the condition of an unborn child through molecular diagnosis. The transmission of a disease within families, then, can be used to find the defective gene. As used herein, reference to "high bone mass" (HBM) is analogous to reference to a disease state, although from a practical standpoint high bone mass can actually help a subject avoid the disease known as osteoporosis.
Linkage analysis is possible because of the nature of inheritance of chromosomes from parents to offspring. During meiosis, the two parental homologues pair to guide their proper separation to daughter cells. While they are lined up and paired, the two homologues exchange pieces of the chromosomes, in an event called "crossing over" or "recombination." The resulting chromosomes are chimeric, that is, they contain parts that originate from both parental homologues. The closer together two sequences are on the chromosome, the less likely that a recombination event will occur between them, and the more closely linked they are. In a linkage analysis experiment, two positions on the chromosomes are followed from one generation to the next to determine the frequency of recombination between them. In a study of an inherited disease, one of the chromosomal positions is marked by the disease gene or its normal counterpart, i.e., the inheritance of the chromosomal region can be determined by examining whether the individual displays symptoms of the disorder or not. The other position is marked by a DNA sequence that shows natural variation in the population such that the two homologues can be distinguished based on the copy of the "marker" sequence that they possess. In every family, the inheritance of the genetic marker sequence is compared to the inheritance of the disease state. If, within a family carrying an autosomal dominant disorder such as high bone mass, every affected individual carries the same form of the marker and all the unaffected individuals carry at least one different form of the marker, there is a great probability that the disease gene and the marker are located close to each other. In this way, chromosomes may be systematically checked with known markers and compared to the disease state. The data obtained from the different families is combined, and analyzed together by a computer using statistical methods. The result is information indicating the probability of linkage between the genetic marker and the disease allowing different distances between them. A positive result can mean that the disease is very close to the marker, while a negative result indicates that it is far away on that chromosome, or on an entirely different chromosome.
Linkage analysis is performed by typing all members of the affected family at a given marker locus and evaluating the co-inheritance of a particular disease state with the marker probe, thereby determining how often the two of them are co-inherited. The recombination frequency can be used as a measure of the genetic distance between two gene loci. A recombination frequency of 1% is equivalent to 1 map unit, or 1 centiorgan (cM), which is roughly equivalent to 1,000 kb of DNA. This relationship holds up to frequencies of about 20% or 20 cM.
The entire human genome is 3,300 cM long. In order to find an unknown disease gene within 5-10 cM of a marker locus, the whole human genome can be searched with roughly 330 informative marker loci spaced at approximately 10 cM intervals (Botstein et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet., 32:314-331 (1980)). The reliability of linkage results is established by using a number of statistical methods. The method most commonly used for the analysis of linkage in humans is the LOD score method (Morton, Prog. Clin. Biol. Res., 147:245-265 (1984), Morton et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet., 38:868-883 (1986)) which was incorporated into the computer program, LIPED, by Ott, Am. J. Hum. Genet., 28:528-529 (1976). LOD scores are the logarithm of the ratio of the likelihood that two loci are linked at a given distance to that they are not linked (>50 cM apart). The advantage of using logarithmic values is that they can be summed among families with the same disease. This becomes necessary given the relatively small size of human families.
By convention, a total LOD score greater than +3.0 (that is, odds of linkage at the specified recombination frequency being 1000 times greater than odds of no linkage) is considered to be significant evidence for linkage at that particular recombination frequency. A total LOD score of less than −2.0 (that is, odds of no linkage being 100 times greater than odds of linkage at the specified frequency) is considered to be strong evidence that the two loci under consideration are not linked at that particular recombination frequency. Until recently, most linkage analyses have been performed on the basis of two-point data, which is the relationship between the disorder under consideration and a particular genetic marker. However, as a result of the rapid advances in mapping the human genome over the last few years, and concomitant improvements in computer methodology, it has become feasible to carry out linkage analyses using multi-point data. Multi-point analysis provide a simultaneous analysis of linkage between the disease and several linked genetic markers, when the recombination distance among the markers is known.
Multi-point analysis is advantageous for two reasons. First, the informativeness of the pedigree is usually increased. Each pedigree has a certain amount of potential information, dependent on the number of parents heterozygous for the marker loci and the number of affected individuals in the family. However, few markers are sufficiently polymorphic as to be informative in all those individuals. If multiple markers are considered simultaneously, then the probability of an individual being heterozygous for at least one of the markers is greatly increased. Second, an indication of the position of the disease gene among the markers may be determined. This allows identification of flanking markers, and thus eventually allows isolation of a small region in which the disease gene resides. Lathrop et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81:3443-3446 (1984) have written the most widely used computer package, LINKAGE, for multi-point analysis.
There is a need in the art for identifying the gene associated with a high bone mass phenotype. There is also a need for tools for the study of the high bone mass gene and phenotype. More generally there is need for the development of diagnostic tools and treatments. The present invention is directed to these, as well as other, important ends.

HBM variants that modulate bone mass and lipid levels


A chain is provided, whose strength is increased and whose power loss is reduced as a result of reduced friction resistance between link units and link plates. A pair of link plates 160 are pivotally coupled to a link unit 101 in the chain 100. A pair of connecting pin portions 110 and a pair of plate portions 140 are inseparably joined at joint parts 150 to form one link unit 101. A stopper portion 123 is provided to the connecting pin portion 110 between a plate portion 140 and a link plate 160 adjacent each other in the width direction to restrict the link plate 160 from coming closer to the plate portion 140.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chain formed by a plurality of inner links and outer links coupled together alternately and pivotally in the longitudinal direction and placed over a sprocket. The chain is used as a transmission chain, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chains that are placed over a sprocket are generally formed by a plurality of inner links and outer links. The inner link has a pair of inner link plates and a pair of bushings press-fitted in the link plates. The outer link has a pair of outer link plates and a pair of connecting pins press-fitted in the link plates. The connecting pins of each outer link are loosely fitted in the bushings of each inner link so that the inner links and the outer links are alternately and pivotally coupled together in the longitudinal direction of the chain (hereinafter referred to as "longitudinal direction").
One known chain uses inner links that are formed as a single piece component to include a pair of inner link plates and a pair of bushings by a single piece forming process (for example, second to fourth columns and drawings of Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. H2-10848).
The pair of bushings of the inner links of the conventional chain cause the tensile force to be applied as pressing force to a pair of non-facing portions of the inner link plates that are opposite from the pair of facing portions where the link plates face each other in the longitudinal direction.
In the inner link plates, therefore, tensile stress is concentrated (hereinafter, "concentrated tensile stress") in portions surrounding the respective bushings, at boundary portions around the boundaries between the facing region, which is an area between a pair of facing portions facing each other in the longitudinal direction, and the non-facing region, which is an area between the pair of non-facing portions in the longitudinal direction.
Such concentrated tensile stress repeatedly generated as a result of fluctuation of tensile force decreases the fatigue strength of the inner link plates and lowers the durability of the chain.
The applicants of the present invention have proposed a chain formed by coupling together link units and pairs of link plates alternately in the longitudinal direction, the link units each having a pair of connecting pin portions and a pair of plate portions integrally joined together at joint parts, and the pairs of link plates each being coupled to the connecting pin portions such as to be pivotable around a pivot center line.
In the proposed chain, the pair of connecting pin portions apply the tensile force as pulling force to the respective plate portions via the joint parts located in facing portions facing each other in the longitudinal direction, so that the concentration of tensile stress in conventional chains is prevented, and the chain can have improved durability as a result of increased fatigue strength of the plate portions.
One problem in the proposed chain is that, as the link units and link plates can pivot around the pivot center line relative to each other, if plate portions and link plates adjacent each other in the width direction of the chain contact each other in a large area, the friction resistance is accordingly large as the link units and link plates slide on each other when the chain bends, so that power loss in the chain is increased.


A composition for hard, sintered, tough and wear resistant ceramic articles is described. The composition is comprised of alumina, titanium carbonitride and filaments of titanium diboride or titanium nitride. The ceramic articles made of this composition are isostatically hot pressed or sintered at high temperature in inert gas. The density of the ceramic articles is usually in excess of 99% theoretical density and the hardness is greater than 20 GPa. The process was applied to manufacture ceramic cutting inserts of the above composition.

Alumina-based ceramic compositions have been used for cutting tools, nozzles and in similar applications, where high performance in wear resistance, hardness and fracture toughness are requirements.
An earlier ceramic cutting tool composition is described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,254 issued to Rich et al. on Dec. 28, 1982, essentially consisting of alumina and zirconia in which refractory metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides are homogeneously dispersed. The composition further contains less than 1 percent iron group metals. Landingham in U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,091 issued on May 17, 1988, describes another wear resistant composition containing a predominantly alumina matrix supplemented with other oxides such as zirconia, magnesia and hafnia, the oxides being further modified with silicon nitride or aluminum nitride, and having dispersed within the above two phases small particles of carbides, nitrides and/or carbonitrides of refractory metals. Yet another composition for cutting inserts is described by Iyori et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,343 issued on Sep. 24, 1985, which comprises titanium carbide and/or titanium boride particles dispersed uniformly in alumina and zirconia containing matrix. The composition of Iyori et al. also contains stabilizing and sintering aids, such as magnesium oxide, yttria and aluminium nitride.
It is to be noted that the above described compositions provided hard and substantially wear resistant ceramic articles, however, the cutting inserts made of such compositions were still subject to chipping and crack formation due to thermal stress. Further cutting insert developments were intended to overcome the above shortcomings by incorporating carbide and nitride whiskers into the oxide matrix.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,999 issued to Mehrotra et al. on Aug. 1, 1989, describes a ceramic composition having an alumina matrix, in which single crystal titanium carbide whiskers have been dispersed. The size of the whiskers ranges between 0.25 and 3 .mu.m cross-sectional width, and according to Mehrotra et al. may have lengths up to 150 .mu.m. The composition of Mehrotra et al. contains zirconia as the preferred sintering aid. Brandt et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,761 issued on Sep. 19, 1989, teach a similar ceramic cutting insert consisting of alumina-zirconia matrix in which whiskers of carbides, nitrides and/or borides of titanium and/or zirconium are homogeneously dispersed. The composition of Brandt et al. may also contain silicon carbide whiskers. The whiskers of Brandt et al. are monocrystals, having 0.5-10 .mu.m diameter and 2.5-100 .mu.m length, and aspect ratio ranging between 5-10. Yet other similar compositions containing additionally chromium compounds, or whiskers of tantalum compounds are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,804,645 and 5,141,901 issued to Ekstrom on Feb. 14, 1989 and Brandt on Aug. 25, 1992, respectively. The whiskers in the above cutting tool compositions are added to increase strength and chipping resistance. Moreover, it is known that these substances added in the form of whiskers, increase heat conductivity and thereby reduce thermal cracking of the alumina matrix.
It is, however, known that whiskers, especially refractory substance containing whiskers, may be highly carcinogenic and environmentally harmful. Whiskers which are considered harmful have usually less than 4 .mu.m diameter. The harmful effects of the whiskers may be manifested during the preparation of the composition, as well as during usage of the sintered ceramic article made of a whisker containing composition.
The object of the present invention is to provide an alumina based composition for hard, sintered, wear resistant ceramic articles, which are also resistant to chipping and thermal cracking, while substantially eliminating the harmful side effects of ceramic whiskers.

Ceramic compositions for wear resistant applications


Disclosed are methods for treating cancer comprising administering a xenotypic antibody and a chemotherapeutic drug to a patient suffering from cancer. Also disclosed is a method for inducing a host immune response in a patient against a multi-epitopic in vivo tumor antigen present in the host serum, which antigen does not elicit an effective host immune response, comprising administering to the patient a chemotherapeutic drug and a composition comprising a binding agent that specifically binds to a first epitope on the antigen and allowing the binding agent to form a binding agent/antigen pair, wherein an effective host immune response is elicited against a second epitope on the antigen.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to immunology. More particularly the invention relates to the use of immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Despite the progress that modern medicine has made in treating cancer, cancer recurrence remains a concern. For a majority of cancers, typical treatment includes surgery followed by high doses of chemotherapy. A majority of these patients relapse and do not respond to other chemotherapeutic treatments. These patients then avail themselves to experimental or salvage treatments.
Current experimental regimens focus on mixing chemotherapies in an attempt to overcome resistance issues. Most of these treatments result in serious blood toxicities such as neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. Other serious and frustrating symptoms to the patient include hair loss and nausea. Researchers are now looking at ways to enhance the immune system through less toxic means while still eliminating the cancer.
Many have turned to the use of chemotherapy in conjunction with antibody treatments. Many of these have also presented similar toxicities to the chemotherapy.
Thus, there remains a need to identify new treatments that not only treat the initial symptoms of a disease, but also alleviate and/or prevent recurrence of those symptoms.

Combination therapy for treating disease


An automatic circuit generation methods and apparatus (1) provide a desired circuit performance by reducing a leakage current during both a standby state and an active state, where cells having only High-Vth and Mt cells having both High-Vth transistors and Low-Vth translators are optimally mixed in a logical circuit. It is thereby possible to suppress efficiently the leakage current, in a design stage, generated according to miniaturization of LSI layout design and also lowering a supply voltage to the LSI.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic circuit generation apparatus and method which automatically generate a circuit capable of eliminating a leakage current in a target circuit in a CMOS logical LSI, and relates to a computer program product for executing the automatic circuit generation method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, according to miniaturizatlon of LSI layout design and lowering a supply voltage to the LSI, the threshold voltage Vth of a MOS transistor in the LSX is more decreased as low as possible. Because the lowering the threshold voltage Vth causes to increase the amount of a sub-threshold leakage current, the increasing of the sub-threshold leakage current in the MOS transistor also causes a serious problem to decrease the battery-life in battery drivers such as portable phones (or digital cellular phone), personal digital assistants, notebooks. palm-top computers, mobile communication terminals, and the like. The standby leakage current always flows through the MOS transistor on a standby mode (or a sleep period) and in an active mode in which the circuits comprising NOS transistors operate.
MTCMOS (MultiThreahold-Voltage CMOS) technology shown in FIG. 1 has been proposed as a conventional method of reducing the leakage current. In this MTCMOS technology, the entire logical circuits (including a plurality of cells such as NAND cells and inverter cells In this example) is made up of MOS transistors of a low threshold voltage (L-Vth). In addition, logical circuits are connected to the virtual VDD line 61 and virtual VSS line 62, and the virtual VDD line 61 and the virtual VSS line 62 are connected to a VDD line 65 and a VSS line 66 through KOS transistors 63 and 64 of a high threshold voltage (H-Vth), respectively. The voltages VDD mad VSS are supplied from external devices (not shown) to the VDD line 65 and the VSS line 66. In order to reduce the amount of the leakage current, the MTCMOS method controls that both the MOS transistors 63 and 64 of the H-Vth are ON (the active mode) during the operation and both the MOS transistors 63 and 64 are OFF on the standby mode (the sleep period).
However, in the above-described conventional method based on the MTCMOS technology, the amount of the current to be supplied from the VDD line 65 to the virtual VDD line 61 and the amount of the current flows from the virtual VSS line 63 to the VSS line 66 during operation are determined according to the ON resistances of both the MOS transistors 63 and 64 of a high threshold voltage H-Vth. In order to achieve the high-speed operation of the LSI, it in necessary to reduce the ON resistance of each MOS transistor. That is, It is necessary to increase a width (W) of each of the KOS transistors 63 and 66 of the high threshold voltage H-Vth. This causes to increase the area of the LSI. Further, it must be necessary to determine the width of each MOS transistor of the high threshold voltage H-Vth based on following various conditions, for example:
First, the amount of the leakage current is greatly changed according to an input pattern supplied to a logical circuit: and
Second, in a case that a part of MOS transistors connected to the virtual VDD line 61 consumes a large amount of power, the level of a voltage on the virtual VDD line 61 is temporarily down. This decreased voltage affects the operation of other MOS transistors connected to the virtual VDD line 61. For example, the operation speed of the MOS transistor is decreased. These problems described above lead to a complicated circuit design under MTCMOS technology.
Furthermore, there is VTCMOS (Variable Threshold-Voltage CMOS) technology shown in FIG. 2 as a conventional leakage current decreasing technology. In VTCMOS, the entire logical circuit comprises low-threshold voltage MOS transistors 71 and 72. A substrate voltage control (VT) circuit 73 supplies a substrate voltage (+xcex94V1 and xe2x88x92xcex94V2) to both the MOS transistors 71 and 72 an the standby mode in order to enhance an effective threshold voltage Vth and to decrease the amount of the leakage current.
However, the use of this conventional VTCMOS technology requires to form a device with a triple-well structure in order to achieve the reliability of the device, and to form the device with the layout structure in which the substrate voltage is supplied to each MOS transistor independently. This demand also leads to a complicated circuit design under VTCMOS technology.
There is another conventional method of reducing the amount of the standby leakage current in which a power is shut down forcedly on the standby mode. However, in this conventional method, data items stored in memory circuits and flip-flops (F/F) mounted on a LSI are erased or broken. In order to avoid this drawback, although it must be necessary to create backup copies of required data items before the shutdown of the power, the system design becomes complicated. Furthermore, it is necessary to keep the time to restore the backup copies to the corresponding memory circuits and F/Fs when the standby mode is shifted to the operation mode in addition to the time to create the backup copies of the data items. This causes to increase the operation time period and to reduce the operation speed (performance).
The three conventional methods described above still have another serious problem, that is, the active leakage current during the active mode. According to progress of the miniaturization of LSI layout design, the power consumption of the active leakage current in the active mode becomes large, namely not negligibly when compared with that of the switching operation. Those conventional three methods cannot suppress the active leakage current that flows in the active mode.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is, with due consideration to the drawbacks of the conventional techniques, to provide an automatic circuit generation method and apparatus, and a computer program product for executing the automatic circuit generation method by a computer system. The automatic circuit generation apparatus and method of the present invention can automatically generate a circuit that reduces a standby leakage current during both the standby mode and active mode as low as possible with keeping a circuit performance such as operation speed and circuit area, in order to increase the efficiency of the circuit design.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an automatic circuit generation method and apparatus basically have a function defined by following steps (A) to (C): (A) Inputting circuit information, to be used for performing an automatic logical circuit generation, including a net list having high-threshold cells made up of only high-threshold voltage transistors, and interpreting the circuit information inputted; (B) Identifying a path whose delay time is larger than a timing constraint that has been set in advance by performing a static timing analysis for a logical circuit in the net list based on the result of the analysis for the circuit information inputted; and (C) Replacing high-threshold cells in at least a part of the path, whose delay time is larger than the timing constraint, with MT cells, each MT cell made up of the high-threshold voltage transistors and low-threshold voltage transistors.

Automatic circuit generation apparatus and method, and computer program product for executing the method


An ink jet printer includes an image forming unit. The image forming unit includes a main tank configured to receive ink via a supply port and to store the ink therein, a subtank configured to receive the ink from the main tank and to store the ink therein, and a recording head configured receive the ink from the subtank and to dispense the ink onto a recording medium to form an image thereon. The printer also includes an image reading unit positioned above the image forming unit. The image reading unit is configured selectively move between a first position in which the image reading unit covers the supply port, and a second position in which the image reading unit is separated from the supply port.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inkjet printers, and in particular, to inkjet printers comprising an image forming unit and an image reading unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known inkjet printer, such as the inkjet printer described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-35662, includes an image forming unit and an image reading unit positioned above the image forming unit.


A semiconductor structure having: a Group III-N channel layer, a Group III-N top-barrier polarization-generating layer forming a heterojunction with an upper surface of the channel layer; and a Group III-N back-barrier polarization-generating layer forming a heterojunction with a lower surface of the channel layer. The channel layer has disposed therein a predetermined n-type conductive dopant.

As is known in the art, a double heterojunction (DH) Gallium Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistor (DH-HEMT) has a back-barrier providing charge confinement in the gate channel thereby improving gate control resulting in lowering off-state conduction and allowing for improved gain performance at higher voltage operation. See for example, an article entitled AlGaN Barrier/GaN channel/InGaN Back-barrier/GaN Buffer, T. Palacios, A. Chakraborty, S. Heikman, S. Keller, S. P. DenBaars, and U. K. Mishra, IEEE Electron Device Letters Vol. 27, 2006, pp. 13-15.
Typically this back barrier consists of an Aluminum Gallium Nitride (AlGaN) layer with relatively low Aluminum (Al) mole-fraction (typically 3%˜8%). However, because of polarization, the channel charge (also called 2 Dimensional Electron Gas or 2-DEG) in the DH-HEMT is lower compared to a comparable HEMT structure without back-barrier, thereby impacting maximum current. To compensate for the reduced 2-DEG and current, the Al mole-fraction and/or the thickness of the top-barrier layer is increased. However, this brings several drawbacks including increased strain in the semiconductor structure leading to performance degradation.

Double heterojunction group III-nitride structures


Object: To provide a sliding member with a low friction coefficient in which, when fine dents are formed in a surface of the sliding member by dimpling using a laser, no hard raised portions are generated, and which does not damage a mating member; and to provide a process for producing the sliding member.

Thermoplastic resins have recently been used as a sliding member for use in high-load parts because of their low specific gravity, wide range of options for the shapes of molded articles, and excellent moldability.
Polyamide resins have been widely used as a sliding member because of their high self-lubricating properties among thermoplastic resins. Glass fibers have been added to polyamide resins, in order to improve the mechanical strength and heat resistance (Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
With the recent growing concern for environmental issues, it is necessary, even in the area of a sliding member such as seal rings, to enhance energy efficiency, and, therefore, to improve sliding properties, e.g., to reduce the friction coefficient.
As a means for improving sliding properties, e.g., reducing the friction coefficient, the formation of fine dents in a sliding surface using a laser is known (Patent Literature 3).
However, in the case of a sliding member made of a glass fiber-reinforced polyamide resin, the glass fiber is melted by the laser heat during laser processing, causing melted spheres to be formed on the sliding surface. These melted spheres cause problems such as damage to a mating member or an increased friction coefficient.

Sliding member and process for producing the same

Abstract: Solution Means: A sliding member comprising a polyamide resin and 10 to 50 wt % of a fibrous filler selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, aramid fibers, and whiskers, and having fine dents formed in a sliding surface thereof by dimpling using a laser; and a process for producing a sliding member comprising adding 10 to 50 wt % of a fibrous filler selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, aramid fibers, and whiskers to a polyamide resin, and forming fine dents in a sliding surface of the sliding member by dimpling using a laser.


A messaging service node sends encoded messages to wireless devices prompting the devices to capture media (e.g., audio and/or image) and send the media file to a network address specified in the message. The service node may be managed by a wireless service provider, and provides this media capture message service for unrelated, independent entities such as insurance companies, health or medial companies, government agencies, etc. The encoded message may take the form of a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, but other formats are possible. The media is preferably captured by a camera or microphone incorporated into the wireless device.

A. Field
This invention relates generally to communications between wireless communications devices (cell phones, personal digital assistants, laptop computers with wireless modems, and the like) and network entities on a packet switched network. More particularly, it relates to a method for automatically prompting a wireless device to capture media (preferably with a media capture mechanism included with the device) and send the media over a radio access network to a receiving network node on a packet switched network.
B. Related Art
It is generally known today for wireless communication devices (WCDs), such as cell phones and wirelessly equipped computing devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and laptop computers to be able to engage in wireless packet-data communications and to thereby wirelessly send and receive messages and other content from land-based network entities. A wireless service provider, for instance, may provide a radio access network (RAN) and packet-data serving node (PDSN) that cooperatively establish wireless packet-data connectivity between a WCD and a packet-switched network such as the Internet or a private packet network.
In usual practice, a WCD initiates acquisition of a packet-data connection by sending a packet-data origination message over an air interface access channel to the carrier's RAN. In response, the RAN then assigns an air-interface traffic channel for use by the WCD, and the RAN signals to a packet data serving node (PDSN) or other gateway, which negotiates with the WCD to set up a data link layer connection. In addition, the gateway or a mobile-IP home agent assigns an IP address for use by the WCD to engage in packet-data communications. The WCD may then communicate with other entities on the packet-switched network in much the same way as a traditional personal computer would, except that the WCD would communicate over a wireless air interface and via the RAN.
One difficulty with this kind of arrangement is that, depending on configuration, it typically precludes pushing of packet-data communications to a WCD, i.e., sending of packet-data to a WCD without the WCD initially requesting the data. Rather, in order for a WCD to receive packet-data, the WCD must usually first acquire packet-data connectivity and then request the data. For instance, to receive content from a particular URL, the WCD must first acquire packet-data connectivity and then send an HTTP request seeking content from that URL.
One well-accepted way to overcome this limitation is to send a specially-coded data-notification message over an air interface control channel to the WCD, such that the WCD receives the data-notification message without needing to acquire packet-data connectivity. The data-notification message may take the form of an SMS message of the type defined by industry standard protocol published as EIA/TIA IS-637 for instance, carrying a special code that designates it as a data notification message and carrying a URL of a network location where the data to be delivered is stored. Upon receipt of such a data-notification message (and detection that it is such a message), the WCD may then automatically acquire data connectivity and send an HTTP request to obtain the data from the designated URL.
Systems that deliver data in this manner go by various names, such as "WAP Push" and, more recently, "Multimedia Messaging Service" (MMS) (which actually uses WAP Push technology). These techniques are known in the art and described in the relevant standards documents and associated technical literature, therefor a detailed description is omitted for the sake of brevity. MMS messaging, for instance, is commonly used to send media such as digital images or video clips to a WCD. MMS architecture is described generally in the document WAP MMS Architecture Overview, Version 25 Apr. 2001, published by the Wireless Application Protocol Forum, Ltd., the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
To send an MMS message to a WCD, for instance, a server or other message-sender delivers to an MMS server an MMS message file that contains an MMS header followed by a multipart binary MIME message defining the content. The server then stores the MMS message and transmits a subset of the MMS header as an MMS notification message (MMS message type "m-notification-ind") via SMS to the WCD together with a URL pointer to a location of the complete message on the MMS server. Upon receipt of the MMS notification message, program logic on the WCD would then automatically send an HTTP request to download the message from the designated URL.
Thus, it is known for the WCD station to present a pop-up message to a user and, typically after user consent, to then go to the designated URL (i.e., send an HTTP message to the URL) to get the content. That process facilitates "pushing" content to the mobile station.
The present invention provides methods by which a WCD may be automatically prompted to transmit media content (e.g., audio recording such as voice, or photographs or video imagery) to a network node. In contrast to the above-described content "push" methods, the present invention may be considered a sort of "pull" method since it "pulls" content from the device instead.
Fraccaroli, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0137528 dated Sep. 26, 2002, describes a method by which digital images created by a mobile station are provided to an assistance center, such as a "911" type emergency dispatch center. The image is created automatically upon initiation of a request for assistance from the assistance center at the mobile station. While the '528 patent application discloses a method of sending media from a wireless device to an assistance center, it does not contemplate or suggest a network entity automatically providing prompts or other input to stimulate generation of media content and transmitting the content from the mobile station to a network node, and thus does suggest features of this invention. Nor does it contemplate a system in which a messaging service node managed by a wireless service provider provides media capture messaging services for unrelated entities, e.g., insurance companies or health care companies.

Network initiation and pull of media from mobile devices


The invention concerns a pneumatic and/or hydraulic actuator. The pneumatic and/or hydraulic actuator is one in which the run of a driving shaft, which is pneumatically operated by a piston, can vary on the basis of the insertion in the body of the actuator or at least one cylinder, so that the body of the cylinder forms a barrier along the run of the driving shaft causing the stoppage of the shaft itself.

Various hydraulic actuators in which a shaft is pneumatically moved along an axis by the movement of a piston operating by means of compressed air, have been proposed in the known art.
The run of the shaft substantially corresponds to the run of the piston and exclusively creates two pre-established positions in the project phase of said type of actuator.
The Applicant considered the possibility of varying the run of the driving shaft of an actuator operating with air/oil, in relation to the possible applications which the actuator itself can have.


A destruction device capable of destroying a plurality of types of storage devices includes: a support plate mounting part to which a support plate is detachably mounted; a crushing member mounting part to which a crushing member is detachably mounted; a support plate detection part capable of detecting the support plate mounted on the support plate mounting part; a crushing member detection part capable of detecting the crushing member mounted on the crushing member mounting part; and a control unit that determines whether the support plate detected by the support plate detection part and the crushing member detected by the crushing member detection part correspond to a same type of storage device, and executes a crushing process for crushing the storage device upon determining that the support plate and the crushing member correspond to the same type of storage device.

The present invention relates to a destruction device capable of destroying a storage device.
Since confidential information is stored in a storage device such as a hard disk, a destruction device that physically crushes a storage device to be disposed of has been used in order to prevent information leakage (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Number 2018-10706). The destruction device includes a tray that supports the hard disk, and a crushing tool that crushes the hard disk by sandwiching the hard disk between itself and the tray.
Recently, various storage devices such as a solid state drive (SSD) in addition to hard disks are utilized, and destruction of a plurality of types of storage devices with a single destruction device has been sought. The sizes and shapes of these storage devices are different from each other, and a tray and a crushing tool to be mounted to a destruction device also differ according to the storage devices. For this reason, when a combination of the tray and the crushing tool to be mounted is not appropriate for a storage device to be destroyed, the tray and the crushing tool may be damaged at the time of destroying that storage device.


An ultrasonic imaging system capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasound over a wide frequency range, i.e., 500 KHz-300 MHz. Ultrasound may be transmitted from a single transducer array at multiple frequencies simultaneously or sequentially via separate, acoustically isolated transducer elements, each having a unique resonant frequency. Signal-to-noise ratio may be enhanced through use of multiple piezoelectric layer transmit transducer elements and single piezoelectric layer receive transducer elements, both on a single transducer array. Aspect ratios approaching unity for transducer elements of the array may be obtained, which can be used to reduce grating lobes. Sparsely populated transducer arrays are included in the imaging system. Methods of ultrasound imaging and ultrasound therapy obtainable with the present imaging system are included in the invention.

New areas of medical study and new clinical applications involving the use of 500 KHz-300 MHz frequency ultrasound imaging are constantly being developed. Ultrasound images made at the high end of this frequency range have spatial resolutions that approach the wavelength of the ultrasound energy, e.g., 20 microns for a 75 MHz ultrasound signal in water. Initial clinical applications of high frequency ultrasound include imaging the eye, the vasculature, the skin, and cartilage. Such imaging may be used, for example, to determine the vertical growth phase of skin cancers, to distinguish between cancerous tissue and fat in the breast, and to determine quantitative information about the structure of atherosclerotic plaque in arteries.
Future improvements in ultrasound image quality will require the fabrication of ultrasonic transducer arrays using designs and fabrication techniques not heretofore available. More particularly, transducer arrays manufactured with current transducer fabrication technology have limited spatial resolution, restricted scan slice thickness, inadequate phase correction capability, and primitive beam steering for volumetric scanning. To overcome these limitations, the next generation of ultrasonic transducer arrays will need to be multi-dimensional and operate over a broad range of frequencies.
Ultrasound imaging arrays having a 2-D (N.times.M) configuration are the subject of much research and development due to their potential for overcoming some of the above-described limitations of known one-dimensional (N.times.1) linear arrays. Unfortunately, rapid development and commercialization of 2-D ultrasound imaging arrays has been hampered by difficulties in fabricating transducer elements with small dimensions and low electrical impedance.
Once 2-D ultrasonic imaging arrays having improved resonant frequency, sensitivity and other operating characteristics are developed, it is anticipated a number of ultrasound applications will become available. First, focusing could be performed in an elevation plane that is perpendicular to the primary imaging plane at slice thicknesses and image resolutions not currently available. Second, cross axis phase aberration caused by differences in ultrasonic propagation velocity through different tissue types could be corrected through the use of 2-D imaging arrays. Third, 2-D arrays with improved sensitivity and resolution will allow true volumetric imaging of structures that are too small to be imaged with current technology.
Another area of current interest, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), has significant potential for use in therapeutic ultrasound applications including noninvasive myocardial ablation, drug delivery, drug activation, ultrasound surgery and hyperthermia cancer therapy. Ideally, HIFU therapies would be performed while simultaneously viewing the area being treated. For example, for therapy, high power sound bursts are delivered at one frequency, while for imaging, a different frequency may be desirable to provide images with sufficient resolution.
Unfortunately, known ultrasonic imaging systems do not typically permit such dual application of ultrasound with a single transducer array. Instead, with current systems, the body region to be treated is generally imaged with a first transducer, and then the HIFU therapy is administered with a second transducer. Introduction of an ultrasound transducer into certain body regions can be a relatively lengthy, e.g., 45 minutes, and risky procedure. Also, appropriate placement of the transducer delivering the HIFU therapy is a challenge given the absence of contemporaneous imaging information.
In an attempt to address this limitation with known ultrasonic imaging systems, experiments have been conducted using broadband ultrasonic transducers, i.e., ceramic and composite-based transducers having an upper frequency that is about 1.6 times the center frequency and a lower frequency that is about 0.4 times the center frequency. By controlling the frequency content of the drive signal, the transducer can be operated to transmit and receive ultrasound near the opposite ends of the transducer's frequency range. However, broadband ultrasonic transducers operated in this manner have a serious shortcoming due to different characteristics of therapy and imaging ultrasound transducers. A sharp resonance is required for improved efficiency for therapy, while a broad bandwidth is required for effective imaging. In addition, in some circumstances it is desirable to provide ultrasonic energy at two frequencies that are spaced farther apart than is achievable with known broadband transducers.
Sheljaskov et al., in the article A Phased Array Antenna for Simultaneous HIFU Therapy and Sonography, Proceedings of the 1996 Ultrasound Synopsium, pages 1527-1530, describe an ultrasonic transducer capable of generating ultrasonic energy with the same transducer at 1.7 MHz and 5.5 MHz. The transducer features two piezoceramic layers stacked one on top of the other, and one matching layer. One of the piezoelectric layers is divided into three separately wired sections. The piezoceramic layer divided into three separate sections may be operated independently of the other layer to produce the 5.5 MHz signal. The 1.7 MHz signal is created by operating the entire transducer as a single unit. Thus, the separate piezoelectric sections of the transducer necessarily acoustically communicate with each other. The transducer apparently cannot be operated to provide the 1.7 MHz signal at exactly the same time it is providing the 5.5 MHz signal because the same piezoelectric ceramic is required to produce both the high and low frequency ultrasonic energy. Thus, when Sheljaskov et al. indicate their transducer provides both signals "simultaneously," it is believed they use this term loosely. In addition, it is believed this transducer faces the same limitations as other prior art broadband transducers described above, i.e., non-optimum design for two mutually exclusive uses.
Thus, a need clearly exists for an ultrasonic imaging system for providing multiple frequencies of ultrasonic energy at frequencies higher than those achievable with known imaging systems. In addition, certain ultrasound applications require higher signal-to-noise ratios, and hence resolutions, than are achievable with known dual-frequency imaging systems.
As used herein, the term "1-D array" refers to an array having (N.times.1) discrete transducer elements, the term "2-D array" refers to an array having (N.times.M) discrete transducer elements where N and M are equal or nearly equal in number, and the term "1.5-D array" refers to an array having (N.times.M) discrete transducer elements where >>M, e.g., where N=128 and M=3.

Ultrasound system and method of administering ultrasound including a plurality of multi-layer transducer elements


In accordance with some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a dual mode control interface that can be used to provide both a radio frequency front end (RFFE) serial interface and a two-mode general purpose input/output (GPIO) interface within a single digital control interface die. In certain embodiments, the dual mode control interface, or digital control interface, can communicate with a power amplifier. Further, the dual mode control interface can be used to set the mode of the power amplifier.

A number of electronic devices, including wireless devices, may have one or more components that are controlled or set by a front-end component. For example, a power amplifier may be set or configured by a power amplifier controller. In some cases, the power amplifier controller may itself be controlled or configured by another interface component based on the state of the device.
Often, various components within a device will be created by different organizations. To facilitate interoperability between components, which may be designed by different organizations, standards are often adopted for different types of devices and components. As technology advances, standards may change or new standards may be adopted. In some cases, the newer standards are not compatible with the older standards.

Dual mode power amplifier control interface with a multi-mode general purpose input/output interface


Disclosed are methods for treating a disorder to the immune system or an immunodeficiency state which comprise the steps of administering to a patient an effective amount of at least one serotonin agonist and at least one dopamine agonist, where the combination of the serotonin agonist and the dopamine agonist are present in an amount effective to treat the patient's condition, where administration of each of the agents is confined to the time of day during which the administration is capable of adjusting the prolactin profile of the patient to conform or to approach the standard human prolactin profile.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods for rectifying or ameliorating abnormal responses of the mammalian immune system, and modifying normal responses of the mammalian immune system. More particularly, this invention relates to methods employing the alteration of prolactin rhythms as a method of adjusting mammalian immune response.

The General Hospital Corporation/Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University


It is intended to provide an anti-allergic agent, which efficaciously relieves symptoms accompanying an allergic disease without causing any serious side effect. This object is achieved by providing an anti-allergic agent which contains, as an effective ingredient, proteins collected from royal jelly or purified royal jelly, or royal jelly or purified royal jelly containing the proteins.

In these days, change in diet, etc. has brought a problem of increasing patients suffering from allergic diseases. Particularly, the increase of atopic diseases such as pollinosis, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and contact hypersensitivity has become to be a serious problem. Anti-histamic agents or steroids have been usually administered to symptomatically treat allergic diseases. However, such agents have a problem of causing serious side effects in their long-term use. Under these circumstances, a method for treating allergic diseases, which enables to effectively alleviate various symptoms thereof and which is applicable for a long-term use without affecting daily life, has been desired.
Recently, royal jelly (may be abbreviated as "RJ", hereinafter) has been arousing public interest as a health food, while its various biological activities have been confirmed. Royal jelly is known to be a milky secretion from the exocrine of worker bees, and it is stored in queen cells in beehives, and it is a food for a larva to become a queen bee. Varying depending on its origin and harvesting season, the composition of royal jelly is known to be slightly changed in the range of 65–75% of water, 15–20% of proteins, 10–15% of carbohydrates, 1.7–6% of fats, and 0.7–2% of ash. J. Schimitzova et al. has succeeded to clone cDNAs of five major proteins contained in royal jelly using honeybee (Apis mellifera) and revealed their nucleotide sequences and putative amino acid sequences. The five proteins were named as "MRJP1", "MRJP2", "MRJP3", "MRJP4", and "MRJP5" by abbreviating the following capitals of "major royal jelly protein". However, these proteins have not yet been studied on their biological activities.
Under the above circumstances, the present invention has an object to provide a method for effectively alleviating various symptoms caused by allergic diseases without causing serious side effects when applied to patients in need thereof.


A light emission detection device having a flow path from which light to be detected is emitted is provided. The device includes a detection-side substrate having a joining surface and a detection surface provided opposite the joining surface, the joining surface having a depression and a light-shielding film provided over an area excluding the depression, the depression forming the flow path, the detection surface transmitting the light emitted from the flow path; and a wiring-side substrate having a joining surface and a conductive pattern provided with a varying thickness on the joining surface, the joining surface of the wiring-side substrate joining the joining surface of the detection-side substrate. In the area over which the light-shielding film is provided, adhesive is provided with a thickness corresponding to the varying thickness of the conductive pattern and the detection-side substrate and the wiring-side substrate are closely joined to each other with the adhesive.

In earlier sample tests, the amounts of reagents required in chemical analysis, formulation of reagent, chemical synthesis, detection of reaction, and so forth are in milliliter to microliter order. In such test-tube-scale tests, microscopic reaction sites are formed by application of technologies such as a lithographic process and a thick-film process. Thus, nanoliter-order tests have recently become practicable. A technology called micro total analysis system (μ-TAS) in which such microscopic reaction sites are utilized is applied to the fields of, for example, medical tests and diagnosis including genetic tests, chromosome tests, and cell tests, and biotechnologies including tests for very small amounts of substances contained in the environment, investigations of environments in which crops and the like are grown, and genetic tests for crops. In earlier test technologies, reagents are handled basically relying on the skill of testing technicians. The procedure of such a test, however, is complicated, and expertise in the operation of testing instruments is necessary. In contrast, μ-TAS is attracting attention as a technology that produces great advantages in terms of automation, high speed, high accuracy, low costs, quickness, reduced impact on the environment, and so forth.
To conduct a test with a flow path device employing the μ-TAS technology while utilizing the fluorescence intensity, noise fluorescence emitted from any matter other than the sample liquid needs to be suppressed because the intensity of fluorescence from a nanoliter-order sample is weak. To suppress noise fluorescence, PTL 1 discloses a flow path device 110 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) in which light-shielding portions 116 are provided on a substrate 111 having a flow path 113 in such manner as to extend along the flow path. Thus, fluorescence emitted from the substrate 111 is blocked with the light-shielding portions 116.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the flow path device 110 disclosed by PTL 1. In PTL 1, a joining method in which no adhesive is used, such as hot pressing, is employed. In such a joining method, joining surfaces 111a of the substrates 111 and 112 to be joined to each other need to be completely flat, as illustrated in sectional view in FIG. 8, or the substrates 111 and 112 need to be sufficiently deformable in response to an external action performed when the substrates 111 and 112 are joined (for example, the substrates 111 and 112 need to be made of resin). That is, if the substrates 111 and 112 are made of a brittle material such as quartz, a step of flattening the joining surfaces 111a of the substrates 111 and 112 is necessary after the light-shielding portions 116 are formed. For example, after the light-shielding portions 116 are formed on the substrate 111, another material may be provided thereover with a larger thickness than the light-shielding portions 116 and the surface of the material may be ground. For another example, portions of the substrate 111 may be removed in advance to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the light-shielding portions 116, and, after the light-shielding portions 116 are formed, the resulting body may be ground so as to remove unnecessary part and flatten the surface. In either way, a flattening step is necessary. Such a method is disadvantageously troublesome and costly.
Meanwhile, PTL 2 discloses a flow path device that is manufactured using adhesive and includes a light-shielding layer. In PTL 2, no specific method of manufacturing the flow path device is disclosed, and whether or not any wiring patterns and so forth are included in the device is unknown.

Light emission detection device having a flow path formed by a depression of a detection side substrate and method of manufacturing the same


A thinned integrated circuit device and manufacturing process for the same are disclosed. The manufacturing process includes forming a through-silicon via (TSV) on a substrate, a first terminal of the TSV is exposed on a first surface of the substrate, disposing a bump on the first surface of the substrate to make the bump electrically connected with the TSV, disposing an integrated circuit chip (IC) on the bump so that a first side of the IC is connected to the bump, disposing a thermal interface material (TIM) layer on a second side of the IC opposite to the first side of the IC, attaching a heat-spreader cap on the IC by the TIM layer, and backgrinding a second surface of the substrate to expose the TSV to the second surface of the substrate while carrying the heat-spreader cap.

Integrated circuit (IC) is one of the most common components for electric products in our daily lives. To increase the number of the logic gates or circuits in a unit area/volume is a consistent goal for IC engineers. 3D IC integration has many advantages compared to normal encapsulation process, such as smaller component size, less signal loss, and better electrical performance.
Wafer thinning is one of the key techniques to develop 3D IC integration, and the wafer can be thinned under 100 micrometers by current technology. Generally, the manufacturing process is exposing the through-silicon via (TSV) of the thinned wafer and executing the following processes, such as circuit redistribution on the back, removing the bond (stripping) of the carrier, and finishing the fabrication of the medium layer. However, the disadvantage of the current method for wafer thinning is that it is easy to damage the carrier when removing the bond and the step of thinning is very complex. Therefore, the current yield rate of wafer thinning is not ideal and the cost is amazing.

Thinned integrated circuit device and manufacturing process for the same

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