A method of measuring the absolute value of thermal conductivity of low thermal conducting solid materials is disclosed. Thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the sample are determined simultaneously in a single measurement with the prerequisite that these values are frequency independent. This method is realized on power-compensated differential scanning calorimeters without any modification in the measuring system. DSC is calibrated in a standard way for temperature and heat flow. The method uses temperature-time profiles consisting of one fast temperature jump of 0.5 to 2 K and an isotherm. The measuring time for each temperature is less than 1 min. As input parameters only sample thickness and contact area with the DSC furnace (or sample diameter if the sample is disk shaped) are needed together with sample mass. In addition to the sample thermal conductivity and heat capacity the effective thermal contact between sample and DSC furnace is determined.

The present invention relates to a method of using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (xe2x80x9cDSCxe2x80x9d) to measure the thermal conductivity of materials.
Thermal conductivity characterizes the ability of a material to conduct heat. Traditional methods for measuring the thermal conductivity of materials comprise imposing a temperature gradient upon a material of known geometry, and measuring the heat flow through the material. The heat flow is measured by, for example, measuring the temperature drop across a sheet of material having a known thermal conductivity. Traditional methods of measuring thermal conductivity are limited in that they assume that thermal contact of a sample is highly reproducible and determinable from a calibration measurement. The present invention overcomes this limitation by using a simultaneous thermal contact measurement. No method has been heretofore proposed to determine the actual thermal contact and the thermal conductivity simultaneously from a single measurement of a heat capacity spectrum.
Thermal conductivity data are in great demand by industry, for use in polymer injection molding, in encapsulation of electronic devices and, in general, in modeling of different processes. Nowadays commercial techniques often measure thermal diffusivity or effusivity and calculate thermal conductivity using heat capacity values, measured separately.
DSC is a commercially available and widely used technique to measure heat capacity of samples of milligram size in a wide temperature range. Therefore it would be opportune to add to DSC instruments a feature to measure thermal conductivity of typical DSC samples.
Prior art of interest includes P. G. Knibbe, J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum., vol. 20, pp. 1205-1211 (1987) which describes a xe2x80x9chot wirexe2x80x9d technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of a material. This technique uses a temperature-sensitive resistor wire embedded in a sample of the material. The resistor wire serves the dual function of supplying heat to the specimen, and measuring the temperature change at the wire. This rate of change is related to the thermal conductivity of the sample of the material.
D. G. Cahill and R. O. Pohl, Phys. Rev. B. vol. 35, p. 4067 (1987), and D. G. Cahill, Rev. Sci. Instrum. vol. 61(2), pp. 802-808 (1990), describe a xe2x80x9c3xcfx89xe2x80x9d technique for measuring thermal conductivity. This technique uses a temperature sensitive resistive metal film evaporated as a narrow line onto the surface of the sample to simultaneously heat the sample and detect the flow of heat away from the metal line. A current at angular frequency xcfx89 heats the metal line at a frequency of 2 xcfx89. Because the resistance of a metal increases with increasing temperature, and this temperature is modulated by the sample thermal conductivity, this produces a small oscillation in the resistance of the metal line, resulting in a voltage across the resistor at a frequency of 3 xcfx89. The thermal conductivity of the sample is then calculated from the amplitude of the 3xcfx89 voltage oscillations.
J. H. Flynn and D. M. Levin, Thermochimica Acta, vol. 126, pp. 93-100 (1988), describes a thermal conductivity measurement method, suitable for measuring the thermal conductivity of sheet materials, based upon first-order transitions in a sensor material. A film of the sensor material is placed on a surface of the sheet material. The thermal conductivity measurement is made at the temperature at which the sensor material undergoes a first order transition. For example, if indium is used as the sensor material, the measurement is made at the melting point of indium, i.e., at the temperature at which indium undergoes a first order transition. The flow of heat into the sensor material must match the transition enthalpy. The thermal conductivity of the sheet material is obtained by comparing the data obtained with only the sensor material in the heater of a differential scanning calorimeter, to the data obtained with the sensor material on top of the sheet material in the differential scanning calorimeter.
T. Hashimoto, Y. Matsui, A. Hagiwara and A. Miyamoto; Termochimica Acta vol. 163, pp. 317-324 (1990), describes a method to obtain thermal diffusivity by an AC calorimetric method. The AC current is passed through the heater; the periodical heat flow generates and diffuses to the rear surface of the sample. The variation of the temperature at the rear surface was detected. A sputtered gold layer on both surfaces was used as the heater and the sensor of temperature variation. The thermal diffusivity of four polymers were measured over the temperature range 20-200xc2x0 C.
S. M. Marcus and R. L. Blaine, Thermochimica Acta, vol. 243, pp. 231-239 (1994) (herein incorporated by reference), describes a thermal conductivity measurement method where thermal conductivity is measured without modification of the commercially available DSC cell. A calculation of thermal conductivity is determined from a ratio of apparent and true heat capacities measured from a thick (about 3 mm) and a thin (about 0.5 mm) sample, respectively, in temperature-modulated mode. An additional calibration step takes heat losses through the purge gas surrounding into account. This method is based on the assumption that the face of the specimen at the heat source follows the applied temperature modulation, which means no thermal resistance between the sample and the furnace.
S. L. Simon and G. B. McKenna, J. Reinforced Plastics Composites, vol. 18, pp. 559-571 (1999) (herein incorporated by reference), describes two problems in the aforesaid method of Marcus and Blaine. First, the equation relating the apparent heat capacity to the thermal conductivity is limited in range due to an approximation made in their derivation. Second, a thermal resistance between the sample and the furnace can have significant effect on the measured apparent heat capacity. This reference also teaches that when calculating a value for thermal conductivity it is necessary to know the heat transfer coefficient, for without it, an accurate value cannot be obtained.
S. L. Simon and G. B. McKenna, J. Reinforced Plastics Composites, vol. 18, pp. 559-571 (1999), as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,993 to Marcus et al. (herein incorporated by reference), additionally describe a method of determining thermal conductivity by obtaining the value from a single run at several frequencies, i.e. it is not necessary to measure two samples. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,993 the method described therein has insufficient sensitivity, in part; because it measures the conductivity of massive bodies brought into thermal contact with thin film wafers and does not fully eliminate interface thermal resistance. The basic problem with this patent as well as S. L. Simon and G. B. McKenna, J. Reinforced Plastics Composites, vol. 18, pp. 559-571 (1999), is that the actual thermal contact between sample and oven is not considered in the calculation of thermal conductivity. Theses references teach that thermal contact is considered to be highly reproducible and determined from the calibration measurement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,775 to Reading et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,291 to Reading utilize frequency measurement resulting from the application of heat to determine phase transition of materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,291 to Reading (herein incorporated by reference) describes a technique for determining physical properties of a sample using thermal modulation techniques. Two identical samples are used, with one experiencing a linear temperature ramp and the other experiencing the same ramp with a temperature oscillation imposed. A chopped light source can be used to provide the energy necessary for the temperature oscillation. Thermocouples attached to each sample measure the temperature of each sample. Light is used as a radiation source to heat the temperature-modulated sample.
Of interest is Pat. No. 5,688,049 to Gorvorkov, which teaches a device and method for measuring the thermal conductivity of a thin film by determining the change in temperature near the surface of the film after a sample including the film is illuminated with a beam of light. This method is accomplished by modulating the beam of light at a selected modulation frequency and measuring the amplitude of the sound waves created in the gas near the surface of the sample as a result of the repetitive heating and cooling of the surface.
These techniques are all subject to significant limitations. For example, the hot wire technique requires large samples, long times for the sample to come into equilibrium, and an additional long measurement period. The AC and the 3xcfx89 techniques require a thin metal film in intimate contact with the sample, with fine electrical contacts to the film. The metal film must be thermally isolated from any heat sink, except for the sample being measured. The combination of film and sample is not mechanically robust, and is not readily separable so that other samples can be measured. The first order transition technique is restricted to the temperatures where materials are available with sharp first order transitions.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a simple, rapid and nondestructive technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of low thermal conducting solid materials, particularly one that is sensitive enough to measure the conductivity of materials with K in the range of 0.1-2 W mxe2x88x921 Kxe2x88x921, and is suitable for on-line control in an industrial production setting and overcomes other drawbacks of the prior art. Since thermal contact cannot be reproduced an improved method to determine the actual thermal contact and the thermal conductivity simultaneously from the heat capacity spectrum from a single measurement is disclosed. No thermal conductivity calibrant is necessary.
The present method determines effective heat capacity Ceff(xcfx89) at different frequencies calculated using a novel step response analysis as a ratio of heat flow rate amplitude AHF and heating rate amplitude Aq. With this model one can thoroughly describe the dynamic behavior of DSC and temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) systems under conditions of an appreciable temperature gradient inside the sample. A novel algorithm to determine the most important parameters: sample heat capacity, effective thermal contact between the sample and the furnace and finally sample thermal conductivity for the case of real valued heat capacity and thermal conductivity is disclosed.
The present invention provides for quick measurements of small samples for thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the sample are determined simultaneously in a single measurement with the prerequisite that these values are frequency independent. The method is appropriate for state-of-the art power-compensated differential scanning calorimeters without any modification of the measuring system.
xe2x80x9cThermal conductivity,xe2x80x9d as used herein, is the ratio of the heat flow per unit area in the sample to the temperature gradient in the sample.
xe2x80x9cSpecific heat,xe2x80x9d as used herein, is the ratio of the change in heat content of a sample of uniform temperature to the product of the change in temperature of the sample and mass of the sample.
xe2x80x9cEffective heat capacity,xe2x80x9d as used herein, is the ratio of the amplitude of the heat flow into a sample to the amplitude of the heating rate applied to the sample at the heat source.
xe2x80x9cThermal contact,xe2x80x9d as used herein, is the ratio of the heat flow through the sample bottom surface to the temperature difference between furnace and sample.
xe2x80x9cStep response analysisxe2x80x9d, as used herein, is the measurement of heat flow rate and heating rate in time domain.
The present invention uses known DSC equipment to provide novel techniques for measuring the thermal conductivity of low thermal conducting solid materials, particularly one that is sensitive enough to measure the conductivity of materials with thermal conductivity in the range of about 0.1 W mxe2x88x921 Kxe2x88x921 to about 2 W mxe2x88x921 Kxe2x88x921.
A system exists in a furnace system where:
It is the object of the present invention to teach a method to determine simultaneously thermal conductivity, the thermal contact and heat capacity of low thermal conducting materials like polymers. No additional measurements, no thermal conducting calibrants, and no modifications of the commercially available DSC are necessary.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method based on temperature waves propagation through the sample. At low frequencies of perturbation temperature waves go through whole sample without damping, the whole sample is modulated and, therefore, large effective heat capacity is measured. At higher frequencies, temperature waves are damped and the sample is modulated only partly. Thus, measured effective heat capacity is smaller. The damping is stronger for poor thermal conducting materials.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method, which overcomes the disadvantage of known techniques for measuring thermal contact.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method, which determines the actual thermal contact and the thermal conductivity simultaneously from a heat capacity spectrum from a single measurement. No thermal conductivity calibrant is necessary.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for measuring thermal conductivity where heat capacity of the sample is measured at different frequencies. Low frequency temperature waves go through the whole sample without damping, the whole sample is modulated and therefore, a large apparent heat capacity is measured. Higher frequency temperature waves are damped and the sample is partly modulatedxe2x80x94the measured apparent heat capacity is smaller. The damping is stronger for poor thermal conducting materials. However, the same damping effect appears by finite thermal contact (heat transfer coefficient) between the sample surface and the furnacexe2x80x94a poor thermal contact damps the temperature waves more strongly than a good one. But the thermal contact and thermal conductivity lead to different frequency dependencies of apparent heat capacity. This difference allows the necessary separating of damping effects due to the thermal contact and due to the thermal conductivity. Moreover, it is not necessary to measure apparent heat capacity at different frequencies with TMDSC. The spectrum of temperature waves can be easily generated by a single step in the program temperature.
In the preferred embodiment of this invention, known DSC apparatuses are utilized, and may be simplified to cases where a solid sample is measured directly in a DSC furnace. Three parameters need to be determined: specific heat capacity, effective thermal contact between the sample and the furnace (K), and thermal conductivity (xcexa).
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring thermal conductivity of a sample where effective heat capacity Ceff(xcfx89) at different frequencies can be calculated from step response analysis as a ratio of heat flow rate amplitude AHF and heating rate amplitude Aq:                                           C            eff                                          (            ω            )                          =                                            A                              H                                                  xe2x80x83                                                F                                                    A              q                                =                                                                      ∑                                      i                    =                    1                                    n                                                                  H                                                        xe2x80x83                                                                          F                    i                                                      cos                                                        xe2x80x83                                                                          (                                          ω                                                                    xe2x80x83                                                                                t                        i                                                              )                                                              -                              i                                                                      ∑                                          i                      =                      1                                        n                                                                          H                                                              xe2x80x83                                                                                F                      i                                                                                sin                                                                    (                                                  ω                                                                                xe2x80x83                                                                                t                            i                                                                          )                                                                                ∑                                      i                    =                    1                                    n                                                                                q                    i                                                      cos                                                        xe2x80x83                                                                          (                                          ω                                                                    xe2x80x83                                                                                t                        i                                                              )                                                              -                              i                                                                      ∑                                          i                      =                      1                                        n                                                                                q                      i                                                            sin                                                              xe2x80x83                                                                                (                                              ω                                                                          xe2x80x83                                                                                t                          i                                                                    )                                                                                (        1        )
where points of heat flow rate, HFi, and heating rate, qi, should be taken both with the same sampling rate (number of points per unit time). Points are collected from the beginning of the temperature step until the heat flow reaches the steady state value at the isotherm, having in total n points. After that the Ceff(xcfx89) values are corrected for apparatus influence (instrumental delay) as:
Capp(xcfx89)=Ceff(xcfx89)xc2x7B2(xcfx89)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
where Capp(xcfx89) is an apparent heat capacity at frequency xcfx89, and B2(xcfx89) is the dynamic calibration factor of the instrument.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring thermal conductivity where the first parameter of the system, the specific heat capacity cp, can easily be determined as                               c          p                =                                            C              eff                                                  (              0              )                                            m            s                                              (        3        )
where ms is the sample mass and Ceff(0) is calculated from Eg. (1) for xcfx89=0.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring thermal conductivity where apparent heat capacity is given as                                           C            app                                          (            ω            )                          =                                            C              α                                                  (              ω              )                                            1            -                                                            i                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      ω                                K                                                                            C                  α                                                                  (                  ω                  )                                                                                (        4        )
where Cxcex1(xcfx89) is the apparent heat capacity in a case of ideal thermal contact between the sample and the furnace. Apparent heat capacity is measured directly on the bottom surface of the sample.
Equation (4) from above can be re-written as:                                           C            α                                          (            ω            )                          =                                            C              app                                                  (              ω              )                                            1            +                                                            i                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      ω                                K                                                                            C                  app                                                                  (                  ω                  )                                                                                (        5        )
Unknown parameter in Eq. (5) is K because Capp(xcfx89) is measured by DSC. The lower the frequency xcfx89k the larger the modulus of Capp(xcfx89k) and Cxcex1(xcfx89k).
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring thermal conductivity where the second parameter (effective thermal contact of said sample) of the system is determined by describing Cxcex1(xcfx89) on a solid curve. The theoretical Cxcex1(xcfx89) curve in a polar plot representation depends only on the value Cxcex1(xcfx89=0), that is sample true heat capacity cp*ms, and does not depend on all other parameters. The correct value for K is then the value at which all Cxcex1(xcfx89k) points, calculated by Eq. (5), lie on the theoretical curve.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring thermal conductivity where sample thermal conductivity xcexa is readily determined.                                           C            α                                          (            ω            )                          =                              -                          1                              i                                                  xe2x80x83                                                ω                                                                    κ            ·            S            ·            α                                          xe2x80x83                                          tanh                                      (                              α                ·                d                            )                                                          (        6        )
where all measured parameters, except thermal conductivity xcexa, are known (density xcfx81 can be calculated from the sample mass and sample size, which are set before measurement). At any given frequency xcfx89kxe2x89xa00 increasing of xcexa leads to shifting the position of the Cxcex1(xcfx89k) point on the theoretical curve towards Cxcex1(xcfx89=0).
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring thermal conductivity where by varying xcexa in                                           C            α                                          (            ω            )                          =                              -                          1                              i                                                  xe2x80x83                                                ω                                                                    κ            ·            S            ·            α                                          xe2x80x83                                          tanh                                      (                              α                ·                d                            )                                                          (        6        )
the condition is reached where the same set of xcfx89k calculated Cxcex1(xcfx89k) points coincide with measured points Cxcex1(xcfx89k), determined by Eq. (5).
The measured points for Cxcex1(xcfx89k) will not exactly coincide with theoretical ones, rather a scatter corresponding to only about 1 to about 2 percent uncertainties in determination of thermal conductivity (xcexa) and effective thermal contact (K) is produced.

Method for measuring absolute value of thermal conductivity


Twinned circular, parallel arrays of spoke-like second-class levers (10, 12) enclosing a centered cargo cradle for towing 2½ ton stone blocks (26) up a stepped structure of stone courses (34) by rotation of the whole.

1. Field of Invention
No historical description has been found or is likely to be found of the method used to raise heavy (average 2½ ton) stone blocks upwards for emplacement in the construction of a pyramidal structure in some cases more than 400 feet high.
Of the many books and articles on this subject, the consensus is that ramps of various shapes and of lesser slope than the sides of the pyramid were built to slide the blocks of stone upwards.
The method proposed here in my invention is not mentioned in any previous account of the ancient pyramids.
2. Description of Prior Art
Straight ramps of lesser slope than the sides of the pyramid are of a massive bulk to be constructed and then removed. The length of the haul and the volume of the ramp increases with a lesser slope. A spiral around the pyramid involves a bulky ramp and a far greater distance of haul as compared with a route straight up the side of the structure. Ramps involve massive amounts of friction to overcome. Massive friction must be overcome with massive manpower and massive amounts of time.
My crawler-climber, in comparison, offers a minimum distance of haul as well as being virtually frictionless.

Stone block transporting crawler-climber


A wood working lathe includes a granite lathe bed including a guiding rail extending thereon longitudinally and an opening vertically formed through an end thereof, with the opening in communication with the guiding rail. A driving unit is installed to the lathe bed. A granite fixed stock is disposed on the end of the lathe bed relative to the opening of the lathe bed and includes a driven unit inserted therethrough axially and a compartment formed therein and in communication with the driven unit. The driving unit drives the driven unit to turn through the compartment. A granite foot stock is slidably installed on another end of the lathe bed and includes a positioned member for selectively fixing the foot stock to the lathe bed and a feeding device. An axis of the feeding device is coaxial with an axis of the driven unit, with cooperation of the driven unit and the feeding device adapted for clamping works to be turned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wood working lathe.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional wood working lathe is usually made of metal material like cast-iron, die-cast aluminum and so on. No matter which metal material the wood working lathe is made of, the shortcomings of the metal wood working lathe are instability and properties of wear resistance. Therefore, this kind of wood working lathe is easy to be influenced via temperature and humidity. It causes higher cost of maintenance.
Moreover, during long-time use of the wood working lathe, the degree of deformation of the bed rails disposed on the wood working lathe would be increased to influence processing accuracy and tilt the location of the lathe center. Further, wood pellets easily enter the transmission case of the wood working lathe as to influence operation of the wood working lathe. Therefore, it is troublesome to clean the transmission case of the wood working lathe frequently.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


An X-ray tube for generating two focal spots displaced with respect to each other and a medical device using such X-ray tube are proposed. The X-ray tube (1) comprises a cathode (7) and an anode (9) wherein the cathode (7) comprises a first electron emitter (15) adapted for emitting a first electron beam (17) for generating a first focal spot (25) on the anode (9) and a second electron emitter (19) for emitting a second electron beam (21) for generating a second focal spot (27) on the anode (9). Therein, each electron emitter (15, 19) comprises an associated switchable grid (37, 39) for blocking the respective emitted electron beam (17, 21). In order to realize a desired displacement of the first and second focal spots (25, 27) in a y-direction, the first and second electron emitters (15, 19) may be displaced in the z-direction. Due to the focal spots (25, 27) being displaced in y-direction, an overall resolution of for example a high quality CT scanner may be significantly enhanced.

The present invention and its technical background will be described herein in conjunction with high power X-ray tubes for use with high quality CT scanners and the like. It is to be appreciated, however, that the invention will also find application in conjunction with conventional X-ray diagnostic systems and other penetrating X-radiation systems for medical and non-medical examinations.
Typically, a high power X-ray tube includes an evacuated envelope or housing which holds a cathode filament through which a heating current or filament current is passed in order to serve as an electron emitter for thermionic emission of electrons. A high electrical potential, typically in the order of 100 to 200 kV, is applied between the cathode and the anode which are also located within the evacuated envelope. This potential causes a tube current or beam of electrons to flow from the cathode to the anode through the evacuated region in the interior of the evacuated envelope. The electron beam impinges on a small area of a focal spot of the anode with sufficient energy to generate X-rays. The X-rays may then be transmitted through an object to be observed such as a patient. While a portion of the X-rays will be absorbed within the object, the transmitted X-rays may be detected by an X-ray detector arranged at an opposite side of the object.
In order to increase the resolution of the CT scanner, it may be desirable to modulate a position of the focal spot between two or more positions, thereby creating two locally distinct point sources of X-radiation. High quality CT scanners may use a movement of the focal spot to double the resolution of the imaging system.
In a conventional X-ray tube design, a cathode is provided for emitting an electron beam towards a rotating disk-shaped anode such that a focal spot is generated on a slanted X-ray emitting surface of the anode. The generated X-rays are emitted in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of the impinging electron beam.
In such X-ray tube, it may be advantageous to provide a focal spot which can be moved in a direction of the anode's rotating axis in order to be able to generate two distinct focal spots. This direction typically coincides with a direction of the impinging electron beam and is usually referred to as y-direction. A direction perpendicular to the y-direction, i.e. the typical direction of the emitted X-rays from the anode towards the X-ray window of the X-ray tube and then towards the patient is usually referred to as z-direction. A direction perpendicular to both, the y-direction and the z-direction, i.e. a direction tangential to the rotating anode disk, is usually referred to as x-direction.
In such typical X-ray tube design, the desired movement of the focal spot and of the emitted X-ray beam in y-direction may be obtained by a movement of the electron beam in the z-direction, i.e. in a direction towards the detector.
Conventionally, two different methods have been employed to control and move the position and/or width of the focal spot of an X-ray tube.
One method of focal spot control employs electrostatic grids or biasing electrodes associated to a single electron emitting filament of the cathode. Voltages on the two electrostatic grids may be varied to change the location as well as the width of an electron beam impinging on the focal track of the rotating anode. However, such electrostatic grids for controlling both, the position and the width of a focal spot, may require a special complex and expensive grid design.
Another method of focal spot control may employ a magnetic yoke in order to create a magnetic field that affects a path of an electron beam emitted from the anode. However, the provision of magnetic yokes within a housing of an X-ray tube may require a special expensive design of the whole X-ray tube. For example, the magnetic yoke tube requires two additional connections to be passed through the X-ray tube housing, making it incompatible with many CT systems. In addition, the magnetic fields employed to deflect and focus the electron beam may not be moved in a square wave fashion between the two focal spot positions, thereby potentially creating a gap in the collected X-ray detection data.

X-ray tube for generating two focal spots and medical device comprising same


A computer-implemented method for efficient assembly of oligonucleotides for nucleic acid based data storage includes receiving encoded data including binary data encoded into nucleic acid sequence data, and assembling a target nucleic acid data strand based on the encoded data by, concatenating one or more selected codeword oligonucleotides obtained from a codeword stack strand.

The present invention generally relates to data storage systems, and more particularly to nucleic acid based data storage.
Due to high packing density and chemical stability, nucleic acid molecules such as, e.g., deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules, can be used as long-term data storage media. For example, DNA molecules can preserve their chemical structures in a natural environment for long durations of time due to long half-lives (e.g., multiple centuries).

Efficient assembly of oligonucleotides for nucleic acid based data storage

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The method of controlling droplet discharge for a liquid discharge apparatus which discharges droplets from a discharge head onto a discharge receiving medium, the method comprises the steps of: successively discharging a plurality of droplets from the discharge head so that at least some of the droplets discharged to mutually adjacent deposition points on a surface of the discharge receiving medium overlap; and carrying out at least one form of control selected from control which modifies a droplet discharge amount so that the droplet discharge amount of at least some of the droplets of the plurality of successively discharged droplets becomes relatively larger sequentially, and control which modifies flight velocity of the droplets so that the flight velocity of at least some of the droplets of the plurality of successively discharged droplets relatively increases sequentially.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a droplet discharge control method, and a liquid discharge apparatus, and more particularly to a droplet discharge control technique which forms a favorable image, drawing, or another shape with consideration for the effect of mutual interference of the droplets as they land.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, inkjet printers have come to be used widely as data output apparatuses for outputting images, documents, or the like. An inkjet printer forms data on recording paper by driving recording elements (nozzles) of a recording head in accordance with data, thereby causing ink to be ejected from the nozzles.
In an inkjet printer, a recording head with a large number of nozzles and a recording medium are relatively moved and a desired image is formed on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles.
There is a demand for high-speed and high-quality printing in inkjet recording apparatuses, and high-speed printing is achieved by reducing the ink droplet discharge cycle, conveying the recording medium at high speed, and performing other techniques.
In order to print high-quality images, on the other hand, high-quality half-toning and higher resolution is achieved by making the dots that form the image more minute and ensuring higher density. Making the dots smaller is achieved by discharging ink in small amounts, for example, and increasing the density of the dots by forming with greater density the nozzles which eject ink. When the dots are made more highly dense, the spacing between dots that are formed in mutually adjacent positions results in an overlapping formation area thereof.
In a row of dots in which a plurality of dots are formed so as to overlap, when the next droplet lands before the previously landed ink droplet has completed permeation or before the ink droplet has finished curing, the ink droplet that landed afterward is drawn to the previously landed ink droplet, and it is possible that landing interference may occur in which a dot of the target size is not formed in the target dot formation position. Therefore, in order to inhibit such mutual interference (landing interference) between droplets when they land, droplet discharge is controlled so as to wait for the ink that previously landed to permeate and then discharge the ink droplet that will land next. However, it is difficult to achieve high-speed printing with droplet discharge control whereby the system waits for the ink that previously landed to permeate and then discharges the ink droplet that will land next.
The related art is more specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 13A to 15D.
FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams that describe the discharge control of the related art.
FIG. 13A shows a row 200 of dots formed on a recording paper using an inkjet recording apparatus. In the row 200 of dots, dots 202, 204, 206, and so forth having the same diameter D are aligned on the same line with the same pitch P between the dots.
In FIG. 13A, the pitch P between the dots is set to be less than the diameter D of the dots (that is to say, D>P), and the row 200 of dots is formed so that the adjacent dots are mutually overlapping.
FIG. 13B shows a line drawing 240 composed of the ink droplets which form the dots in the row 200 of dots shown in FIG. 13A, formed on the recording paper in which the ink droplets are discharged with a discharge cycle (discharge frequency) to an adjacent deposition point before the landed ink droplets completely permeate the recording paper. It should be noted that the key symbol 202′ shown by the broken line 202 shows the intended (theoretical) shape of the line drawing 240 that was to be formed. Also, the discharge sequence of the ink droplets that form the row 200 of dots is the direction indicated by the arrow K (left to right direction in FIG. 13A).
As used herein, the term "dot" commonly refers to a substantially circular shape formed when an ink droplet discharged onto recording paper is fixed on the recording paper, and represents a substantially circular shape formed after the ink droplet has completed permeation. In the present specification, when the shape of the ink droplet breaks down and a shape that is different from a substantially circular shape is formed, or when a shape is formed that differs from a shape formed by the overlapping of a plurality of substantially circular shapes due to phenomena such as the grouping of a plurality of ink droplets, the shape formed by the deposition points is also referred to as a dot.
The present inkjet recording apparatus waits for a droplet discharge frequency at which ink droplets are discharged to an adjacent deposition point in at least one direction selected from the forward, rearward, leftward, and rightward directions before an ink droplet discharged to a certain deposition point has completely permeated the recording paper. For example, droplet discharge is carried out so that the ink that forms the dot 204 adjacent to the dot 202 lands on the recording paper before the ink droplet that forms the dot 202 completes permeation.
In this manner, when the ink droplet that forms a dot (dot 204) adjacent to a dot (dot 202) formed by the ink droplet is discharged before the ink droplet which has landed on the recording paper (ink droplet that forms dot 202, for example) completes permeation, the ink droplet that landed afterward connects with the previously landed ink droplet, and these become a single unit to form an image. This is a phenomenon that occurs when ink droplets are successively (same amounts) discharged, and due to aggregation immediately after the start of discharge the ink droplet that landed afterward is drawn to the previously landed ink droplet.
Originally, a line with a uniform (line width h=D) width should be formed when the ink droplets that form the row 200 of dots are successively discharged, but due to the above-described aggregation, a line drawing 240 in which the line width h=D′ (that is to say, D′>D) is formed immediately after writing is started, as shown in FIG. 13B.
This is substantially equivalent to when a dot 202′ with a diameter D′ is formed by aggregation at the droplet deposition point at which the dot 202 with the intended diameter D is formed, and the line width of the line drawing 240 is actually nonuniform.
A more specific example is shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D and FIGS. 15A to 15C, which show line drawings 242 to 246 that are formed when two or more ink droplets are discharged with the following discharge conditions: an ink quantity of 2 pL per single discharge, a dot diameter D=30 μm when the dots are formed singly by the ink droplets, a pitch of P=10 μm between the dots, and a droplet discharge frequency that is 10% of the ink permeation time.
It should be noted that in FIGS. 14A to 14D and FIGS. 15A to 15D, the same key symbols are assigned to the same or similar portions as FIGS. 13A and 13B, and a description thereof is omitted.
FIG. 14A shows the case in which a single ink droplet is discharged to form a single dot 202. When a single ink droplet is discharged, a single dot is formed with a diameter of 30 μm.
FIG. 14B shows a line drawing 242 formed when five ink droplets have been successively discharged under the above-described conditions. It should be noted that the advancing direction of the droplet discharges is indicated by the arrow K and is the left-to-right direction in FIG. 14B.
When droplets are discharged so that the next ink droplet lands before the previously landed ink droplet completes permeation, as shown in FIG. 14B, the subsequently landed ink droplet is drawn to the previously landed ink droplet.
This situation is essentially the same as when an ink amount that is greater the prescribed 2 pL lands at the landing position of the previous ink droplet, and an ink amount that is less than the prescribed 2 pL lands at the landing position of the following ink droplet. The shape formed by these droplets is different from the shape formed by two dots with the same dot diameter that should be formed, a dot is formed with a diameter that is greater than the dot that was intended to be formed at the landing position of the previously landed ink droplet, a dot is also formed with a diameter that is less than the dot that was intended to be formed at the landing position of the following landed ink droplet, and the resulting shape is essentially the same as the shape of the two joined together.
In a similar manner, the third ink droplet is drawn to the ink droplet in which the first and second ink droplets have been joined together, and the phenomenon whereby the most recently landed ink droplet is drawn to the previously landed ink droplets. It should be noted that ratio (variation amount of ink) of recently landed ink droplets drawn to the previously landed ink droplets decreases as droplet discharge advances.
The ultimate shape of the line drawing 242 formed in this manner after the ink has completed permeation results in a state in which the width h1 (=40 μm) on first-droplet side (writing start side, left edge in FIG. 14B) is greater than the width hn (h5=20 μm in FIG. 14B) on the last-droplet side (writing end side). The density on the writing-start side is higher than the density on the writing-end side. This is due to the fact that the amount of droplet discharge on the writing start side (left side in FIG. 14B) is greater than that on the writing end side (right side in FIG. 14B) because the second droplet and later droplets are drawn to the liquid on the writing start side that landed previously.
It should be noted that the line width h1 of the edge of the writing start side is 40 μm, which is greater than the intended line width of 30 μm, and the line width h5 of the edge of the writing end side is 20 μm, which is less than the intended line width of 30 μm. The line width of the line drawing 242 gradually decreases from the writing start side toward the writing end side.
FIG. 14C shows a line drawing 244 formed when the 10 ink droplets are successively discharged under the above-described conditions, and FIG. 14D shows a line drawing 246 formed when the 60 ink droplets are successively discharged under the above-described conditions.
In the line drawing 244 formed with 10 ink droplets, the width h1 on the writing start side is 45 μm, and the width hn (h10 in FIG. 14C) on the writing end side is 20 μm, and since the width of the line drawing 244 gradually changes, the slope (when the width changes) is substantially fixed, as shown in FIG. 14C.
In the line drawing 246 formed with 60 ink droplets, the width h1 on the writing start side is 50 μm, and the width hn (h60 in FIG. 14D) on the writing end side is 15 μm, as shown in FIG. 14D. However, the slope of the width of the line drawing 246 shown in FIG. 14D is different depending on the writing start area 260, intermediate area 262, and writing end area 264.
In other words, in the writing start area 260, the width of the line drawing 246 gradually decreases from h1 (h1=50 μm in FIG. 14D) to hi (hi=30 μm in FIG. 14D); in the intermediate area 262, the width of the line drawing 246 does not vary from hi; and in the writing end area 264, the width of the line drawing 246 gradually decreases from hi to hn (h60=15 μm in FIG. 14C).
FIGS. 15A to 15D show the three-dimensional shape (cross-sectional shape) of the ink that forms the line drawings 242, 244, and 246 shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D.
In the line drawings 242 and 244 formed with about five to 10 droplets, as shown in FIGS. 15B and 15C, the height of the ink droplets gradually changes from the writing start side toward the writing end side.
Conversely, in the line drawing 246 shown in FIG. 15D, the height of the ink droplets gradually vary from the writing start side toward the writing end side in the writing start area 260 and writing end area 264, and the height of the ink droplets tend to remain unvaried in the intermediate area 262.
Therefore, when the ink droplet subsequently discharged before the previously landed ink droplet completes permeation lands so as to overlap the previously landed ink droplet, a phenomenon occurs whereby the width of the formed line drawing becomes nonuniform, and the quality of the resulting image is reduced due to landing interference that occurs on the recording paper, as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D and FIGS. 15A to 15D. The phenomenon is difficult to observe as a difference in line thickness, but differences in line density are easily observed, and the phenomenon is particularly easily observed when a plurality of line drawings are formed next to each other.
It should be noted that the numerical values shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B as well as FIGS. 14A to 14D are merely examples, and the values may vary depending on the type of ink, type of recording paper (recording medium), and combinations thereof.
In the recording method and apparatus thereof cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-272226, the configuration outputs the original recording data and interpolation data during separate head scans and carries out recording in order to prevent mutual interference of adjacent dots, and ink bleeding and mixing between the inks are prevented.
However, the discharge cycle cannot be reduced with control in which the subsequent ink lands after the previously landed ink droplet completes permeation. Also, since the permeation time of the ink (permeation velocity) varies depending on the combination of ink and recording medium, control must be carried out so as to vary the discharge cycle in accordance with the type of ink and recording medium that is to be used, and the control load of the apparatus is increased.
In the recording method and apparatus thereof cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-272226, the original recording data scan and the interpolation data scan must be separately carried out when dots are formed with high density, a reduction in productivity is unavoidable, and it is difficult to achieve both higher image quality and higher printing speed.

Droplet discharge control method and liquid discharge apparatus


This invention relates to a method of automatic recognition for limited speech and its correlative system and device. The main technical content is: Establish the relationship between the voice file and the identification information for a limited range of speech, and then insert the identification information into the voice file, or replace the content of the voice file with the identification information. After the transmitter sends the modified voice file, the receiver receives the modified voice and distinguishes the identification information in the voice. It then extracts the corresponding speech in the predetermined relationship using this identification information. The benefits of the embodiment of this invention include: a lower-cost method for automatically recognizing limited speech; high efficiency speech recognition, no need to wait for the voice file to finish to complete speech recognition; and lastly, a high recognition hit-rate or accuracy rate.

This invention relates to a technology of speech recognition, more particularly, it relates to the method, system, device of transmitter and receiver, which can automatically recognize limited speech. It is used in intelligent voice telephone systems.
When testing a telecommunication product such as a Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN) switch, SoftSwitch, Access Gateway (AG), etc., we need to verify those services which used intelligent voice, e.g., when you dial a wrong number, we will hear the voice prompt: "The number is incorrect, please check and dial again"; when we register a supplementary service, we will hear the voice prompt: "Welcome, your new service has been successfully registered, you may now use it", and so on. For most card-type services or computer-regulated services (that kept watch by computer), a voice prompt is widely used to provide a prompt or guidance for subsequent user operations. When manually testing a telecommunications product, voice prompts will be heard and verified by a human. But manual testing usually takes much more, and much of that work is repetitive work. Therefore, more and more voice services need to implement automatic testing. However, when automatic testing is implemented, how the machine or computer recognizes the voice prompts, becomes a major technical issue. This issue must be resolved to ensure the correctness and the integrity of the testing results. In this document, speech recognition means the recognition for the voice content.
One of the current technical schemes is Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). The rationale is: first, convert voice to text; second, recognize the voice content by analyzing the text. The defect of this scheme is 1. the implementation process is complicated, and the implementation costs are high. 2 recognition speed of ASR is slow. As for most intelligent voice services, they require speech recognition to be achieved in a limited or short time, and the execution of follow-up dialing and other operations. Once timed out, intelligent voice services will not be executed according to the normal procedures. Therefore, from both a cost and performance standpoint, ASR technique is not suitable for telecommunication device speech recognition services.
The rationale of another current technical scheme is: from original voice file, generate voice templates that include the characteristic value of all voices, then load the templates; find the start and end point of the voice that being recognized, analyze and get the characteristic value between the start and the end point of the voice, compare the characteristic value of the voice being recognized with the characteristic value of voice templates, separate and analyze, and get the recognition results. The defect of this scheme is: 1. it requires a very high voice quality; if there is some voice distortion, the correctness of recognition will drop down visibly. 2. According to this scheme, when recognizing a voice, it is needed to get the characteristic value from the start to the end of the voice, that is to say, the recognition program can not start until the voice has finished. Therefore, recognition efficiency is lower.

Method, system and device for automatic recognition of limited speech


A fusion splicer includes a pair of holder installation parts for mutually butting optical fibers in a first direction, and a fusion splicing part for mutually fusing and splicing the optical fibers by a pair of electrodes opposed along a second direction, and the holder installation part includes a base fixed to a body, and a positioning member in which a base fitting part fitted into the base is formed in a lower side, and the positioning member can be attached to and detached from both of the bases after an attitude is reversed, and a center position in a width direction along the second direction in the base fitting part is arranged in a straight line of the first direction passing through a center position between the electrodes even in a state in which the positioning member is fitted into any of the bases.

A known apparatus (fusion splicer) for mutually fusing and splicing optical fibers is an apparatus for gripping a coated part of the optical fiber by an optical fiber gripping part and receiving a bared optical fiber part exposed to the distal end beyond this coated part in a groove of a groove stand formed in the inside beyond the optical fiber gripping part and aligning the bared optical fiber part (for example, see Patent Reference 1).
An optical fiber holder which is the optical fiber gripping part of the fusion splicer has a holding lid rotatably joined to the back side of the fusion splicer beyond a position in which the optical fiber is gripped, and the optical fiber is gripped or its grip of the optical fiber is released by opening this holding lid from the front side to the back side or closing the holding lid from the back side to the front side. Also, the fusion splicer includes an apparatus for providing the back side beyond the optical fiber holder in the fusion splicer with a reinforcing work part for reinforcing the fused optical fibers by a heat-shrink tube etc.


A balance between customer satisfaction and cost to providing customer care can be achieved based on the use of online interaction classification techniques. Such techniques can use measurements such as a log likelihood ratio to determine if an interaction should be removed from automation to live support if it appears necessary.

Automating customer care through self-service solutions (e.g., Interactive Voice Response (IVR), web-based self-care, etc.) results in substantial cost savings and operational efficiencies. However, due to several factors, such automated systems are unable to provide customers with a quality experience. Such factors include the highly constrained nature of automated interactions, poor error recovery in automated interactions, and poor context handling in automated interactions. The present invention addresses some of the deficiencies experienced with presently existing automated care systems.
One challenge in providing automated customer service (e.g., through an interactive voice response system) is a tradeoff between cost and customer satisfaction. While customer interactions which take place using an automated system (e.g., an interactive voice response system) are generally less expensive than interactions which take place between a customer and a human being, automated interactions are also likely to lead to lower customer satisfaction. One technique for addressing this problem is to provide customer service wherein an interaction initially takes place between a customer and an automated system, and, if the interaction seems to be approaching a negative outcome (i.e., "going bad"), transferring the interaction from an automated to a live interaction. However, an obstacle to the successful use of this technique is the problem of determining when an interaction is "going bad." If an algorithm for determining when an interaction is "going bad" is oversensitive, then too few interactions will be completed using automation, resulting in unnecessary cost. If an algorithm for determining when an interaction is "going bad" is under-sensitive, then too few interactions will be transferred to a live interaction, resulting in lower customer satisfaction and, ultimately, a lost customer and lost business. Further, even creating an algorithm for determining whether an interaction is "going bad" can be a difficult task. The teachings of this application can be used to address some of these deficiencies in the state of the art for systems and methods used in customer interactions.

System and method for automated customer service with contingent live interaction

Convergys Customer Management Delaware LLC


Liquid-cooled electronics apparatuses and methods are provided. The cooled electronics apparatuses include a liquid-cooled cold rail and an electronics subassembly. The liquid-cooled cold rail has a thermally conductive structure and a coolant-carrying channel extending within and cooling the thermally conductive structure. The electronics subassembly includes an electronics card(s) and one or more thermal transfer plates. The electronics card(s) includes electronic devices to be cooled, and the one or more thermal transfer plates are each rigidly affixed to one or more electronic devices of the electronics card(s). Each thermal transfer plate is thermally conductive and couples the electronics subassembly to the liquid-cooled cold rail to thermally interface the one or more electronic devices to the liquid-cooled cold rail to facilitate cooling of the electronic devices. In one embodiment, the electronics subassembly includes multiple interleaved electronics cards and thermal transfer plates.

The present invention relates to heat transfer mechanisms, and more particularly, to cooling apparatuses, liquid-cooled electronics racks and methods of fabrication thereof for removing heat generated by electronic devices within one or more electronic subsystems.
As is known, operating electronic devices produce heat. This heat should be removed from the devices in order to maintain device junction temperatures within desirable limits, with failure to remove heat effectively resulting in increased device temperatures, potentially leading to thermal runaway conditions. Several trends in the electronics industry have combined to increase the importance of thermal management, including heat removal for electronic devices, including technologies where thermal management has traditionally been less of a concern, such as CMOS. In particular, the need for faster and more densely packed circuits has had a direct impact on the importance of thermal management. First, power dissipation, and therefore heat production, increases as device operating frequencies increase. Second, increased operating frequencies may be possible at lower device junction temperatures. Further, as more and more devices are packed onto a single chip, heat flux (Watts/cm2) increases, resulting in the need to remove more power from a given size chip or module. These trends have combined to create applications where it is no longer desirable to remove heat from modern devices solely by traditional air cooling methods, such as by using air cooled heat sinks with heat pipes or vapor chambers. Such air cooling techniques are inherently limited in their ability to extract heat from an electronic device with high power density.
The need to cool current and future high heat load, high heat flux electronic devices and systems therefore mandates the development of aggressive thermal management techniques using liquid cooling.

Liquid-cooled electronics apparatus and methods of fabrication

International Business Machines Corporation


A paper feeding mechanism with a separator and paper blocking mechanisms. When feeding paper, a lift plate carrying paper is moved up to allow a pick-up roller and the separator to move one sheet from the lift plate. After feeding paper, the lift plate is lowered away from the pick-up roller, and the paper blocking mechanism pushes excess paper back to the lift plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feeding system and, in particular, to a paper feeding system with a separator and paper blocking mechanisms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Business machines are often used in offices to help with the manipulation of documents. These business machines include copiers, fax machines, printers, etc. To facilitate a continuous document process, these business machines all have paper feeding systems to supply paper. Since any business machine can only process one page at a time, the paper feeding system has to be able to send exactly one sheet of paper each time. If the paper feeding system sends out more than one sheet of paper at a time, the sheets are likely to become jammed within the machine, causing delays in the whole printing process, as well as wasting paper. Therefore, it is of great importance to design a paper feeding system that can send out precisely one sheet of paper at a time.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic view of a conventional paper feeding system 10. This paper feeding system 10 comprises a paper tray 12, a lift plate 14 rotatably fixed in the paper tray 12, a lift rod 16, and a pick-up roller 18. When the lift rod 16 rotates counterclockwise, the front end of the lift plate 14 will be lifted up so that the pick-up roller 18 contacts the uppermost paper on the lift plate 14 and pushes the paper out of the paper feeding system 10.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which shows the situation when the conventional paper feeding system 10 sends out multiple sheets of paper 11. Since the conventional paper feeding system 10 uses only the pick-up roller 18 to push the paper 11, it is likely that several sheets of paper 11 will be sent out of the paper feeding system 10 at one time because of friction between the sheets of paper. Such multiple paper feedings cause jamming in the machine. This not only wastes paper 11, but can also reduce the lifetime of the machine.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a paper feeding system with separator and paper blocking mechanisms to solve the above-mentioned problems.
The present invention provides a paper feeding system with a separator and a paper blocking mechanism. The paper feeding system has a housing, and a lift plate installed in the housing for holding paper. The lift plate includes a front end and a rear end, and the rear end is rotatably fixed in the housing. A first elastic device is located under and contacts the front end of the lift plate, and is used to lift up the front end of the lift plate. A pick-up roller is rotatably fixed in the housing above the front end of the lift plate. When the first elastic device lifts up the lift plate, a sheet of paper carried by the lift plate will come into contact with the pick-up roller, and the pick-up roller frictionally engages and moves the uppermost sheet of paper out of the lift plate into a paper feeding path. A depressive device in the housing presses down on the front end of the lift plate. A separator in the housing elastically contacts the lower side of the pick-up roller. A paper blocking mechanism is rotatably fixed in the housing. The paper blocking mechanism is installed ahead of the front end of the lift plate and capable of blocking the paper, preventing the paper from moving forwards and leaving the lift plate. Finally, a driving device drives the pick-up roller and the depressive device. When the driving device drives the depressive device to press down on the front end of the lift plate so that the paper on the lift plate is moved away from the pick-up roller, the lift plate will press the separator and cause the separator to move away from the pick-up roller. The paper blocking mechanism will push the paper backwards to the lift plate, and when the driving device drives the depressive device in the opposite direction, the first elastic device will lift up the front end of the lift plate so that the uppermost sheet of paper on the lift plate contacts the pick-up roller, and the separator will contact the pick-up roller due to the motion of the lift plate. The paper blocking mechanism is pushed away at the same time so that the paper on the lift plate can be moved forwards and leave the lift plate.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the paper separator and paper blocking mechanisms ensure that the automatic paper feeding system delivers only a single sheet of paper at a time.
These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.


A process for formation of a delta-doped quantum well field effect transistor is disclosed, and the transistor includes: a substrate, a super lattice, a buffer layer, quantum wells, a cap layer, and an ohmic layer. Then a drain, a source and a gate are formed on the ohmic layer. Each of the quantum wells is formed in such a manner that: a first GaAs layer is formed by applying a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process under a low reaction pressure; then an Si impurity such as SiH4 or Si2H6 is delta-doped into the layer; and then, a second GaAs layer is formed by applying the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process under the same condition, thereby forming the GaAs/AlGaAs delta-doped quantum well field effect transistor of the present invention, having the advantage of economy.

Conventionally, high speed GaAs/AlGaAs delta doped quantum well field effect transistors have been manufactured by applying molecular beam epitaxy process (MBE). Japanese Patent Application No. Sho-61-276269 discloses one of such GaAs/AlGaAs delta-doped quantum well field effect transistors which are formed by applying molecular beam epitaxy process. In this prior art, a delta-doped quantum well is formed on a region other than the channel, and a doped GaAs is used on the gate. With such an arrangement, not only the break-down voltage is lowered, but no other superior characteristics can be obtained in the field effect transistor.
Another example of the prior art is the GaAs field effect transistor by A. Ishibashi et al, which is described in Electronics Letters, Volume 24, No. 16, pp1034, August 1988. In this GaAs field effect transistor which provides a gate length of 0.15 .mu.m, there is obtained a maximum intrinsic transconductance of 400 mS/mm which is a relatively high level.
A still another example of the prior art is a field effect transistor proposed by E. F. Schubert et al, which is described IEEE volume 33, No. 5, pp625, May 1986. According to this proposal, the molecular beam process is applied in such a manner that GaAs is doped in such a manner as to form an electronic concentration profile corresponding to Dirac delta function, thereby forming a field effect transistor. In this case, a high 2-dimensional electron gas (2 DEG), a high breakdown voltage and a high extrinsic transconductance can be obtained, thereby making it possible to obtain a high performance device. A still another case of the prior art is a field effect transistor by W. P. Hong et al, which is described in IEEE, volume 37, No. 8, pp1924-1926, August 1990.
The molecular beam epitaxy process is applied in forming this transistor, and a maximum transconductance of 160 mS/mm, a gate voltage swing of 2.1 V and a maximum drain current of 420 mA/mm are realized with a cap layer of 300 .ANG. and with a gate length of 1.3 .mu.m.
However, in the above described conventional techniques, the GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well field effect transistors are formed mostly by applying the molecular beam epitaxy process, and, if the molecular beam epitaxy process is to be carried out, an ultra high vacuum of below 10.sup.-11 torr has to be provided, with the result that the economy and productivity of the manufacturing process are aggravated.

Process for formation of delta-doped quantum well field effect transistor

Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology


A polypeptide has the antibody binding activity of the 46 Kdalton HMFG antigen and/or homology to at least one of the light chains of clotting factors V and VIII and/or contains RGD and/or EGF-like segments. The polypeptide is provided as a recombinant and/or glycosylated and/or fusion protein. An antibody has high affinity for specificity epitopes of the polypeptide of the invention. Polynucleotide segments encode the polypeptide, recombinant and fusion protein of the invention or fragments thereof, and immunoassay kits comprise the antibodies and/or polypeptides of the invention and other components. In vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro methods of therapy, vaccination and diagnosis utilize the polypeptide, fusion protein anti-sense nucleotides, antibodies or and polynucleotides of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of diagnosis and therapy of cancer and the prevention and treatment of viral infections. More particularly, it relates to a polypeptide having the antibody binding specificity of the 46 Kdalton HMFG antigen, hybrid protein thereof, anti-idiotype antibodies and polynucleotides, anti-sense polynucleotides encoding them, kits, and their application to the in vitro detection, the in vivo and ex vivo of delivery of a therapeutic agent, the detection of the polynucleotides by hybridization with labeled probes, and the vaccination against and treatment of cancer and viral infections.
2. Description of the Background
The human milk fat globule (HMFG) has been used extensively as a source of antigenic material for the preparation of both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies that have found widespread use in the diagnosis of breast cancer, as well as in the study of the breast epithelial cell surface and the processing of its antigenic components.
Polyclonal antiserum was originally prepared, that after appropriate absorptions with non-breast tissue was found to identify surface antigens of human mammary epithelial cells (HME-Ags). This antiserum (anti-HME) had a high specificity for normal breast epithelial cells and breast carcinomas. It identified mainly three components of the human milk fat globule which had molecular weights of 150 Kdalton, 70 Kdalton, and 46 Kdalton, respectively.
Monoclonal antibodies were first made against the HMFG in 1980. These antibodies were applied to identify a hitherto unknown component of the breast epithelial cell surface, a large molecular weight mucin-like glycoprotein, that was named non-penetrating glycoprotein (NPGP). This latter component appears to be extremely antigenic in the mouse. The vast majority of monoclonal antibodies prepared against HMFG as well as breast tumors have been found to have specificity against different epitopes of this mucin. Less frequently, monoclonal antibodies have been prepared against the 70 Kdalton and 46 Kdalton components of the HMFG.
The reason for the high immunogenicity of NPGP was elucidated by the characterization of cDNA clones selected from a .lambda.gt11 breast cell library using both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against the mucin. These cDNA clones consist of large arrays of highly conserved 60 bp tandem repeats. The resulting 20 amino acid repeat contains epitopes for several anti-mucin antibodies. The repeat is apparently unstable at the genomic level. This may account for the observed polymorphism seen at the gene, RNA and protein levels for this high molecular weight mucin. An initial report on cDNA cloning of the mucin product suggested that the core protein had a molecular weight of about 68 Kdalton. However, the mRNA was found to be large enough to code for proteins from about 170 Kdalton to 230 Kdalton. More recently, using milder deglycosylation methods, a core protein was identified having a molecular weight of about 200 Kdalton. Attention has also been devoted to the study and use of the NPGP mucin, largely as a result of its high immunogenicity. Thus, a large number of monoclonal antibodies were prepared against it. However, the smaller components of HMFG also appear to be important molecules on the surface of breast epithelial cells. They have a breast specificity as demonstrated by the anti-HMFG antibodies.
The 46 Kdalton and 70 Kdalton HMFG antigens are found in serum of breast cancer patients and thus can be used as markers for breast cancer in serum assays. In addition, the 70 Kdalton component has been found to co-purify with the intact mucin complex and has been reported to be associated with the NPGP mucin complex by means of disulfide bonds, making it a possible linker protein of this surface mucin complex. Polyclonal antibodies against a major component of the HMFG having molecular weight of 155 Kdaltons have been prepared. It was found that antisera bound also to the apical surface of lobules and terminal ducts, but not to the larger ducts of the mammary gland. The latter also did not bind to the apical surface of normal apocrine and eccrine sweat gland coils and ducts, or sebaceous glands in skin. The MFGM-gpl55 did become localized in Paget's disease and breast disease but not in cases of extramammary disease.
Few monoclonal antibodies, however, have been prepared against the smaller components of the HMFG system, such as the 70 Kdalton and 46 Kdalton HMFG antigens. The breast mucin glycoprotein molecule appears to be highly antigenic because of its internally repeated structure. The components of the mucin glycoprotein was recently determined and a partial sequence for the 70 Kdalton antigen obtained by cDNA cloning. A role for the 70 Kdalton antigen has been suggested as a linker protein for the breast mucin. The 46 Kdalton component of the HMFG system has been found to be present in the serum of breast cancer patients. In addition, with the aid of both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against the 46 Kdalton HMFG antigen, circulating immune complexes of the 46 Kdalton HMFG antigen were detected in breast cancer patients, and an increase in the circulating 46 Kdalton HMFG antigen was found to be associated with tumor burden.
Accordingly, there is still a need for an improved product and methods suitable for diagnostic and therapeutic applications to human cancer and virus-associated infections.

46 kilodalton human milk fat globule (HMFG) antigen, fragments and fusion protein


A container for a manually operable oil dispenser for use with metal working machines comprises a bucket providing a reservoir for oil to be dispensed and a pan in the bucket for catching oil and chips dropping thereinto and for returning the oil to the bucket. The bucket has a bottom, a sidewall and an annular upper end, and the pan has an apertured bottom spaced above the bottom of the bucket, a sidewall inwardly of the sidewall of the bucket and an upper end overlying and slidable circumferentially relative to the upper end of the bucket. The bucket and pan have locking members interengaging during relative sliding displacement therebetween to releasably interengage the bucket and pan against separation. The bottom and sidewall of the bucket are contoured to minimize the volume of oil necessary in the reservoir area for continual operation of the dispenser, and the bucket is provided with a bulkhead fitting for attachment to a dispensing pump hose at an angle of 45° to horizontal.

This invention relates to the art of containers for fluid dispensers and, more particularly, to a container for oil to be dispensed onto a workpiece in metal working machinery such as pipe threaders.
Portable oil dispensers have been provided heretofore for use with pipe threading apparatus, for example. One such oil dispenser has been available from the Ridge Tool Company of Elyria, Ohio under the latter's product designation No. 418 Oiler, comprising a bucket providing a reservoir for thread cutting oil, a drip pan removably mounted on the bucket for receiving chips and oil from the thread cutting apparatus and separating the oil for return to the reservoir area in the bucket, and a handheld trigger operated pump connected to the bucket by a flexible hose and operable by a threading machine operator to dispense oil onto a workpiece being threaded. The initial version of the 418 Oiler, and others currently on the market which are similar thereto, include a round, flat bottom metal bucket and a metal drip pan removably mounted on the rim of the bucket by a plurality of over-center latches having bases spot welded on the bucket. Further, the latter is provided with a bail having its opposite ends pivotally associated with bail mounting supports which are welded to the bucket. The drip pan in the earlier version of the 418 Oiler includes a pair of handles welded thereon for lifting the pan from the bucket, and the bulkhead fitting for connecting the hose to the bucket is mounted on the arcuate sidewall of the bucket and has a discharge opening extending vertically and to which the pump hose is attached. In a later version of the 418 Oiler, the metal drip pan is replaced by a plastic pan which is removably mounted on the bucket through the use of the existing latches and which has integral handles for lifting the pan from the bucket.
While oilers of the foregoing character serve their intended purpose, there are a number of disadvantages attendant to the structure and use thereof. In this respect, for example, the number of parts and the necessary assembly operations with respect thereto make the cost and the weight thereof undesirably high. Moreover, during use, the pump hose is often used to pull the bucket and pan assembly from one location to another along the underlying floor or other support surface, and the frictional engagement between the surface and the flat bottom of the bucket makes the sliding movement difficult. Further in this respect, the flat bottom bucket contour requires maintaining an excessive quantity of oil in the bucket for continuous operation of the oiler, and the weight of the oil adds to the difficulty with respect to sliding the oiler across the underlying surface. Still further, the vertical disposition of the hose at the outlet of the bulkhead fitting results in the imposition of side forces and bending of the hose at the fitting when the hose is used to pull the oiler. Ultimately, this causes fracture of the hose requiring replacement thereof. Moreover, using a plastic drip pan with the latch arrangement used for metal pans results in deterioration of the plastic and thus the latched interengagement of the pan with the bucket, whereby the pan becomes loose. This looseness promotes instability with respect to pan retention should the oiler be dropped during transportation, or turned over during use, and promotes a decrease in the seal between the bucket and pan which can result in leakage of oil during use, transportation or storage of the oiler.