Managing subscriber access to online subscription services providing online subscribers or potential new subscribers access to a subscription or trial subscription content at a normal level of service during the subscription period but, after the subscription has expired, providing a decreased level of service during a post-expiration period. The level of service may be decreased incrementally by reducing the content available to a subscriber, downloading the subscription content at a slower than normal rate, delivering certain features in black and white instead of color, deleting sound files, disabling any inter-active features, or any combination of these features. A subscription server manages the various databases and downloads subscription content to the online subscribers. The databases contain information about the subscribers and instructions for the subscription server to follow in granting normal or reduced access to the subscription content.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and system for managing subscriber access to online subscription services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and similar printed media have been available by mail and other delivery systems for many years. With the surge in possession of personal computers, both in the home and in the work place, many providers of traditional printed media subscriptions now offer online subscriptions for their products. Online subscriptions are currently offered not only for the traditional subscription media such as newspapers, popular magazines, and trade journals but also for non-traditional media such as entertainment sites and informational sources including encyclopedias and databases of interest to different business and technology sectors.
When a subscription for traditional printed media expires or is nearing expiration, subscription providers normally mail a reminder to the subscriber, usually with an enticement to encourage renewal, and hope that the subscriber will renew the subscription. When the subscription expires, however, the subscription provider must, to remain profitable, remove the subscriber from the subscription mailing list until the subscriber requests a renewal. Due to the high cost of printing, handling and delivering the printed media, subscription providers usually have no choice but to stop subscription delivery after the subscription period expires. The subscription provider must then rely on mail solicitations, which are often discarded unopened, and other mass media advertising to entice the subscriber to again subscribe to the publication.
For almost all products, a successful marketing campaign is required to attract new customers and retain old ones. A common method of attracting new subscribers used by printed media subscription providers is to offer a free copy or a short trial subscription of the printed media to induce the potential subscriber to acquire a full subscription. However, these offers must also be for only a relatively few copies of the printed media due to the high cost of printing, handling and delivering the printed media.
Online subscription providers deliver the same subscription content to online subscribers without the subscription content first being reduced to a paper format, then mass produced on printing presses, and then processed through a massive delivery system, typically involving warehouses, trucks, rail, and other transportation means, including the mail system. Online subscriptions are delivered over the Internet to online subscribers who connect, with a browser, to a subscription server that downloads the subscription content to the online subscriber. The files downloaded from the subscription server contain all the information, in computer readable format, for the words, pictures, colors of the presentation, sound and presentation layouts required by the online subscriber's computer to display the same subscription content.
Because special editions are so inefficient to produce, it is a practical necessity to adopt an all or nothing approach to delivering printed media subscriptions to a particular subscriber. To vary the content of a printed media subscription requires separate press runs for each separate edition of the printed media. Producing separate editions becomes especially difficult with the problems associated with identifying, shipping and delivering these varying subscription editions to various subscribers.
Therefore, there is a need to entice subscribers of online subscriptions to renew expired subscriptions not constrained by the usual methods used for printed media. There is a further need to develop methods to generate new subscriptions for new subscribers without the constraints of the printed media.


In such a product that torque of a motor is continuously generated when a rotation number of the motor is nearly equal to zero, since an output voltage is kept at a constant value in accordance with a rotation position of the motor, such a condition that currents are concentrated in a specific element are maintained. As a result, a temperature of the specific element is increased, so that there are problems that a temperature fail of an inverter apparatus may readily occur, and thus, lifetimes of elements are lowered. In a power converter of a motor drive apparatus, windings are energizing-controlled in such a manner that only 1 phase of a switching circuit is pulse-width-controlled when the motor is under motor locking condition.

The present invention is related to a motor drive apparatus and method, and an electrically-driven brake apparatus.
Recently, while motors have been employed in various sorts of fields, generally speaking, constructions and control contents as to these motors are made different from each other, depending upon characteristics of objects which should be driven by the motors. There are many sorts of purposes, for instance, high speed rotations of motors are major purposes; precise rotation numbers of motors at low speeds are purposes; magnitude of rotation torque of motors constitutes important aspects; torque of motors at low speeds constitutes important aspects, and the like. Therefore, constructions and controls of motors are selected based upon purposes thereof. For example, rotation speeds of motors may constitute important aspects, whereas magnitude of torque in such a drive region that rotation numbers of motors becomes nearly zero may constitute important aspects.
As the latter example, there is such an electrically-driven brake apparatus having the following structure (refer to, for instance, JP-A-11-257389): That is, while a motor is provided in a brake apparatus of an automobile, rotation power of the motor is converted into depression force along a shaft direction, so that braking force is applied via a friction pad to a rotary disk of the automobile.
As the above-described motors, 3-phase AC motors, or multi-phase AC (Alternating Current) motors such as permanent magnet brushless motors are employed many times, in which AC voltages are used as power supply voltages. The motors use inverter apparatuses including a plurality of switching elements in order to apply the AC voltage thereto. In general, switching elements of inverter apparatuses are ON/OFF-controlled based upon a sine wave pulse width modulation control operation. The sine wave pulse width modulation control operation corresponds to such a method for controlling ON/OFF timing and ON/OFF pulse widths of all of the switching elements in such a manner that output voltages of the inverter apparatus become sine waveforms, while all of these switching elements are continuously turned ON/OFF.
However, in the above-exemplified electrically-driven brake apparatus, since the friction pad is depressed to the rotation disk by converting the rotation power of the motor into the depression force, under such a condition that a depression gap becomes zero and the braking force is maintained, the predetermined constant voltage is outputted while the rotation of the motor remains substantially stopped (such a condition that either rotation angular velocity or rotation number of motor becomes smaller than, or equal to very small value, which involves rotation stopping condition). Such a condition will be referred to as a "motor locking" state.
In this case, when the braking force is applied, the rotation number of the motor is nearly equal to "0 (zero)." However, in order to maintain the braking force, the motor is required to continuously output such a torque whose magnitude is larger than, or equal to the predetermined magnitude. When the motor is rotated, since the inverter output voltages are changed in the periodic manner, heat generations of the switching elements are averaged, whereas when the motor is locked, in order to keep the inverter output voltages to the constant values in accordance with the rotation positions of the motor, such a condition is held that currents are concentrated to flow through a specific element. More specifically, if the currents are concentrated to the specific element, then the temperature of this specific element is increased. As a result, a temperature fail of the inverter apparatus may readily occur. Therefore, there is such a problem that lifetimes of the elements are lowered, and the like.
Also, since there are many limitations as to installation spaces of motor drive apparatus for automobile auxiliary machines, such active cooling methods as water cooling methods and forcible air cooling methods are not employed, but in order to reduce the motor drive apparatus, lowering of loss of the motor drive apparatus constitutes the necessary condition.

Motor drive apparatus and method and electrically driven brake apparatus


A method of memory matrix interpolation in an ASIC processor requires a reduced amount of program code and memory space in the interpolation routine by shifting values in the interpolation routine between shift registers and overwriting redundant data in the shift registers with intermediate results. A switched reluctance drive system incorporating such a method provides similar advantages.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of interpolation in a matrix. The invention is particularly, though not exclusively, concerned with interpolating between stored values in a memory matrix, for example, for a controller for an electrical machine.
2. Description of Related Art
A reluctance machine is a form of electrical machine, consisting of two main parts: the stator, which has salient poles with coils around them which typically carry unidirectional current; and the rotor, which has salient poles but no windings or permanent magnets.
The combined control and power switching electronics, and the reluctance machine are commonly referred to as a switched reluctance (SR) drive system. The power electronics typically consist of two switches and two diodes per phase supplied from a DC source or a rectified AC supply. The switching of these devices has to be synchronized to the position of the rotor for the machine to operate correctly. To achieve this, a position sensor, usually having a moving part mounted on the rotor shaft of the SR machine, is used to generate an angular rotor position signal which is fed back to the control electronics to produce the firing signals for the power devices. A more detailed description of the switched reluctance machine and its control and power electronics can be found in "The Characteristics, Design and Applications of Switched Reluctance Motors and Drives" by Stephenson and Blake, presented at the PCIM '93 Conference and Exhibition at Nurnberg, Germany, Jun. 21-24, 1993, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Increasingly, in low-cost, high-volume applications, the control electronics are based around an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which has a microprocessor embedded in it.
The control law according to which the SR machine is operated will interpret a specific torque demand on the machine to maintain the required machine output. Typically, the controller inputs are the torque demand, or possibly a speed demand in a closed-loop speed control system, and the actual machine speed derived from the rotor position signal. In response, the controller provides one of a selection of control parameters as outputs for controlling the machine. The outputs are commonly an ON command, an OFF command, a freewheel (FW) command and a CHOP command. While it is possible, in some applications, to program the controller with the control law in order to compute the appropriate output for a given input in real-time, a controller will often employ a look-up table of set outputs for given inputs instead. One form of look-up table comprises a matrix of coordinates in which the inputs of torque and speed are used as row and column addresses for accessing an array of stored parameter values. In order to minimize the amount of space given over to the matrix, a sparse matrix is sometimes used in which less than a complete set of outputs is available for a given set of inputs, i.e. there are more discrete combinations of inputs than address locations. In this circumstance it is necessary to interpolate between the stored parameter values to achieve smooth control. A sparse matrix may be arranged either as a regularly spaced set of parameter values or as an irregularly spaced set of parameter values which are clustered around the values of the more common operating conditions.
As opposed to determining a parameter value by accessing it in a look-up table, interpolation is a real-time processing activity. Therefore, there are situations in which the speed of interpolation is a limiting factor on the speed of response of the system to an input. It is desirable to be able to reduce the processing time taken by interpolation in order to increase the responsiveness of the drive.


A condiment shaker includes a flip top lid having pins configured to travel through dispensing openings in the shaker top.

Salt and other condiments shakers are commonly used to store and dispense salt, pepper or other spices. The shakers generally consist of a hollow container having a screw or push-on top. The top is removed while the shaker is filled with condiment. The top includes several openings through which the contained condiment can be shaken through once the top is secured.
Condiments, particularly salt, tends to absorb moisture from outside air that enters the shaker. Such moisture often imparts undesirable qualities to the stored condiment, and can among other problems, clog dispensing openings. Protective covers used to minimize moisture can be difficult and inconvenient to manipulate. For instance, caps having pins to clean the dispensing holes must be screwed onto a shaker to remove debris. This requirement is inconvenient for the user and prone to spills.
There is therefore a need for an improved condiment shaker.


A rubber composition for use in tire treads comprises a diene rubber including not less than 40% by weight of a modified conjugated diene polymer rubber and, per 100 parts by weight of the diene rubber, from 66 to 110 parts by weight of a filler. The filler comprises not less than 50% by weight of silica. The modified conjugated diene polymer rubber is obtained by copolymerizing a conjugated diene monomer unit and an aromatic vinyl monomer unit in a hydrocarbon solvent using an organic active metal compound as an initiator. A resulting active conjugated diene polymer chain thereof has a terminal modified group, obtained by reacting at least one type of compound having a functional group that is reactable with the active terminal of the polymer chain. Moreover, the terminal modified group has a functional group that interacts with the silica.

Increased interest in the global environmental issues has led to a demand for superior fuel consumption performance in pneumatic tires, along with superior steering stability. Techniques involving increasing tire rigidity for the purpose of enhancing steering stability are known. However, when the amount of a filler, compounded in a rubber composition used to form a tread portion, is increased for the purpose of increasing the rigidity of a tire, fuel consumption performance declines. Therefore, a large amount of silica is compounded in rubber compositions for use in treads in order to suppress heat build-up and reduce rolling resistance, which leads to the improvement in the fuel consumption performance of the pneumatic tires. Additionally, improvement effects in grip performance (wet grip performance) on wet road surfaces are obtained by compounding silica.
However, silica has poor affinity with diene rubber and dispersibility tends to be insufficient. There are problems in these cases in that the effects of improving the dynamic visco-elasticity characteristics such as the loss tangent (tan δ) of the rubber composition and the like have not been achievable. Additionally, reinforcing effects tend to be lower when compounding silica in a rubber component than when compounding carbon black. As a result, there is a problem in that when dispersibility is poor, wear resistance is insufficient.
To resolve this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-091498, WO/2005/021637 and WO/2003/102053 propose improving the dispersibility of silica by compounding silica in a rubber composition with a terminal-modified solution polymerization styrene butadiene rubber where the terminals are modified by a polyorganosiloxane or the like, thereby reducing heat build-up (tan δ at 60° C.). While effects of reducing heat build-up can be obtained with such a rubber composition, users demand even greater enhancements in low rolling resistance and steering stability. Thus, there is a need for greater improvement in low rolling resistance and steering stability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Rubber composition for use in tire treads


The present invention relates to novel therapeutical use of agonist ligands specific to G2A receptor. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for treating a disease or disorder associated with neutrophil accumulation and hyperactivity and/or excessive release of IL-8, or with microbial infection, in a subject, comprising administering LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine), SPC(sphingophosphorylcholine) or derivatives thereof to the subject. The agonist ligands for G2A receptor according to the present invention and pharmaceutical- or therapeutical composition comprising said ligands can be used effectively in treatment of a disease or disorder associated with neutrophil accumulation and hyperactivity and/or excessive release of IL-8, specifically inflammatory diseases and diseases associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury as well as microbial infection.

Inflammation is an important defense response occurring in body against pathogens, foreign substances and tissue injury. Inflammation accompanies systemic symptoms such as fever, weakness, loss of appetite and chill, or local symptoms such as redness, swelling, pain and dysfunction. Inflammation is divided into acute inflammation, subacute inflammation and chronic inflammation according to its duration. Acute inflammation reaction occurs in blood vessel and is mostly mediated by neutrophils. Especially, in the case of suppurative inflammation, remarkable increase of neutrophils is observed. Chronic inflammation is continued for several weeks or several months. It is different from acute inflammation in that injury and recovery of tissues occur at the same time (Robbins Pathological Basis of Disease by R. S. Cotran, V Kumar, and S. L. Robbins, W.B. Saunders Co., p. 75, 1989). Although chronic inflammation may be derived directly from acute inflammation, it generally results from continuous infections that cause prolonged hypersensitive reactions (ex., tuberculosis, syphilis, fungal infection), exposure to continuous endotoxin (ex., increased plasma lipids) or exotoxins (ex., silica, asbestos, tar, surgery sutures), or autoimmune response against self-tissues (ex., rheumatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis) and it can thus initiate insidious onset that proceeds as times goes by. Accordingly, chronic inflammation includes numerous medical symptoms such as rheumatic arthritis, restenosis, psoriasis, multicentric sclerosis, surgery synechia, tuberculosis and chronic inflammatory lung diseases (ex., asthma, pneumoconiosis, chronic occlusive lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis). Subacute inflammation refers to an inflammation between acute and chronic inflammations.
As main inflammatory diseases, there are rhinitis and sinusitis such as infectious rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis; otitis media such as acute purulent otitis media and chronic purulent otitis media; pneumonia such as bacterial pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, lobar pneumonia, Legionella pneumonia and viral pneumonia; acute or chronic gastritis; enteritis such as infectious enterocolitis, Crohn's disease, idiopathic ulcerative colitis and pseudomembranous colitis; and arthritis such as pyogenic arthritis, tuberculous arthritis, degenerative arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, there is sepsis that accompanies extreme systemic inflammatory reaction at early stage. This sepsis results from excessive reaction of hosts against endotoxin of gram-negative bacteria, etc. In prior arts, so as to treat sepsis, there have been used antibiotics and steroid preparations, but their effects are weak and thus the death rate of hosts due to septicemia is still high.
Also, excessive inflammation causes permanent injury of surrounding tissues, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is regarded as one of typical inflammatory diseases resulting from tissue injury by excessive inflammation. The ARDS is an acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to pulmonary edema resulting from the increased permeability of alveolar capillary barrier. It is regarded as the most severe case in acute lung injury (ALI). Clinical symptoms that lead patients to the risk of ARDS are various, for example, trauma, bleedings or septicemia, and ARDS results from excessive systemic inflammation reaction due to these symptoms. Even though there have been conducted treatments such as treatment of hypoxia, endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, etc., the death rate due to ARDS still reaches 50˜70%. Circulating inflammatory cells, especially neutrophils, have been known to have an important role in initiation and development of acute lung injury, e.g., pulmonary edema, inflammation reaction, etc. (Abraham et al., Am. J. Physiol., 279, L1137-L1145, 2000). Several scientists proved that neutrophils are extensively accumulated in lungs of ARDS patients (Weinacker & Vaszar, Annu. Rev Med., 52: 221-37, 2001). These neutrophils, once activated, discharge proteases including matrix metalloproteinases and other mediators causing lung injury. Hence, if neutrophil accumulation in lung is suppressed, ARDS due to acute lung injury may be treated.
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a disease resulting from the complication of sepsis, etc. As examples of MODS, there can be included acute hepatic failure, acute renal failure, lung failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc. For the treatment of MODS, antibiotics and steroid preparations have been used, however, their effects are weak.
Meanwhile, neutrophils (also called 'polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs)') are phagocytic cells that have an important role in host defense mechanism and occupy approximately 60% of leucocytes that are circulating in body. The membrane of neutrophils has receptors for hemopoietic growth factors such as GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor), G-CSF (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor), etc., G proteins involving in signal transduction associated with receptors for opsonin and chemotactic factors, ion channels associated with the ion exchange of Na+, K+, Ca2+, etc., enzymes and phospholipids. Also, at the surface of neutrophils, there exist Fc receptors against an IgG antibody such as CD16 and CD32 and receptors to C3 complement proteins such as CR1 and CR3. Accordingly, antigens bound thereto can be easily recognized and eliminated. As within the granule of neutrophils, there are defensin associated with disinfection such as peroxidase, lactoferrin, leukocyte adhesion receptor and alkaline phosphatase, and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), which destroy infectious agents or are involved in the proceedings of inflammatory reaction. Besides, the neutrophils express cell adhension proteins such as CD11a/CD18(LFA-1), selectin, etc., which have an important role in the movement of neutrophils in inflammatory reaction.
For a normal adult, neutrophils are produced in an amount of 0.85-1.6×109 cells/kg/day. After being produced and differentiated in bone marrow over approximately 14 days, they enter peripheral bloods and circulate there for about 6 hours. They penetrate then into tissues and die or are lost at mucous membranes after surviving for several days in the tissues. Neutrophils have a short half-life of about 6-10 hours and they are removed in macrophages by apoptosis. The neutrophil apoptosis occurs spontaneously or by the external stimulus. As a typical example of the external stimulus, there can be mentioned a Fas pathway. Fas is a substance similar to TNF receptor that exists at the surface of neutrophils, and it induces apoptosis via an FADD pathway in cells once it is stimulated by a Fas ligand. Caspase has been known to have an important role in such a pathway. Neutrophil apoptosis has been known to be delayed or suppressed by various inflammation mediators. Some reports proposed that the delay (suppression) of neutrophil apoptosis observed in ARDS is due to GM-CSF. However, the intracellular transduction pathway that delays apoptosis of neutrophil had been hardly known. That is, in several inflammatory diseases, various inflammation mediators suppress neutrophil apoptosis that is physiologically and actively occurring, and consequently, continuous inflammatory reaction occurs by excessive neutrophil accumulation resulting in the damage to surrounding tissues. As inflammation mediators, there have been known G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6, etc. that are endogenous factors as well as LPS (lipopolysaccharide) that is derived from outside of the body.
Recently, numerous studies about LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine) and SPC (sphingosylphosphorylcholine) having LPA (lysophosphatidyl acid) or S1P (sphingosine 1-phosphate), which have been known as lipid transmitter, and a choline bound thereto, are being under progress. LPC and SPC have been known to have an important role in functioning not only as intermediates in biosynthesis of cellular membranes, together with LPA and SIP, but also as signaling molecules (Fukushima, N. et al., Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 41: 507-534, 2001). They are bound to their receptors and induce various cell reactions such as cell proliferation, differentiation, movement, cell death, etc. through several signal transductions (Lynch, K. R. et al., Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 20(12): 473-475, 1999). The receptors to which they are bound are a kind of receptors that are classified as G protein-coupled receptors. Since OGR-1 (orphan G-protein-coupled receptor 1) was for the first time found as a receptor of SPC (Xu, Y. et al., Nat. Cell. Biol., 2(5):264-267, 2000), studies about identifying ligands for GPR4- and G2A receptors having a structure similar to OGR-1 have been conducted. As a result, it was identified that GPR4 recognized SPC and LPC as its ligand and GPR4 promoted cell proliferation by SPC and LPC whereas OGR-1 suppressed cell proliferation by SPC (Zhu, K. et al., J. Biol. Chem., 276(44): 41325-41335, 2001). Moreover, it was reported that G2A had a high affinity to LPC, however, it had a low affinity to SPC (Kabarowski, J. H. et al., Science, 293(5530): 702-705, 2001). G2A is mostly found in lymphocytes and the expression thereof is upregulated by stress and prolonged mitogenic signals. It was reported that in knockout mice that did not have G2A receptors, autoimmune diseases were caused (Le, L. Q. et al., Immunity, 14(5): 561-571, 2001).
Hence, in the course of conducting continuous studies to find out new therapeutic agents for treating inflammatory diseases, the present inventors identified that agonist ligands specific to G2A receptor that exists in neutrophils block suppression of neutrophil apoptosis by inflammation mediators and release of IL-8 (interleukin-8) in neutrophils and monocytes, and exhibit excellent therapeutic effect on an inflammatory disease, especially inflammatory diseases associated with hyperactivity of neutrophil and excessive release of IL-8, or a disease associated with microbial infection, and thus they have completed the present invention.

Therapeutic use of agonist ligands specific to G2A receptor


An example of an optical source includes a VCSEL and a filter. The filter is positioned on the VCSEL and is configured and arranged such that an input to the filter from the VCSEL comprises a directly modulated optical data signal, and a corresponding output of the filter comprises an amplitude and/or phase modulated optical data signal, optimized for long-distance transmission in the optical fiber.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSEL). More specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to VCSELs with an integrated optical filter.
2. Related Technology
Computing and networking technology have transformed the world. As the amount of information communicated over networks has increased, high speed data transmission has become ever more critical. Many high speed data transmission networks rely on fiber optic networks, due to the large bandwidth of fiber optics and the ability of fiber optics to handle high speed data transmissions. Fiber optic networks are thus found in a wide variety of high speed applications ranging from as modest as a small Local Area Network (LAN) to those that form the backbone of the Internet.
Typically, data transmission in such networks is implemented in part through the use of an optical transmitter such as a laser. The optical transmitter emits light in response to a drive current and the intensity of the emitted light is a function of the current magnitude. Data reception in such networks is generally implemented by way of an optical receiver, an example of which is a photodiode. Particularly, the optical receiver receives an optical signal and generates a current, where the magnitude of the generated current is a function of the intensity of the received optical signal.
In many fiber optic networks, it is often desirable to use directly modulated laser (DML) sources as the optical transmitter in order to lower overall system cost. Examples of directly modulated lasers include Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs), Fabry-Perot (FP) lasers, Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers, and Distributed Bragg Reflection (DBR) lasers.
Among directly modulated lasers, VCSELs are often the lowest cost to implement. The light forming cavity of a VCSEL is usually formed by epitaxially grown distributed Bragg reflectors, and the emission of laser light occurs in a direction that is normal to the laser epitaxial plane, or vertical. This vertical geometry enables high processing yield, low-cost on-wafer laser testing, and tight emission angles.
Commercial VCSELs for fiber optic communication applications commonly have operating wavelengths that are relatively short, near 850 nm, and thus have been limited to relatively short distance data communication through multi-mode fibers. It has proven much harder, however, to use VCSELs in fiber optic communication applications requiring wavelengths of 1310 nm and 1550 nm, which are more desirable wavelengths for single mode fiber long haul communication applications. More recently however, progress has been made in using VCSELs for long haul communication applications.
For traditional single mode fiber communications, directly modulated edge-emitting lasers such as FP, DFB, and DBR lasers have typically been used for applications requiring 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths. Of the directly modulated edge-emitting lasers, FP lasers are typically the lowest cost to implement and are capable of multi-longitudinal mode emission. However, because of the fiber absorption and dispersion in the transmission fiber, FP lasers are generally limited to use for shorter distances, or in lower data rate applications over single mode fibers
On the other hand, DFB and DBR lasers are relatively more complicated and expensive to make than FP lasers, but the single longitudinal mode behavior that results from a grating or a DBR mirror in the DFB and DBR laser active regions enables a light signal to propagate much further in single mode fibers than when using the FP laser.
Many directly modulated lasers, however, lack sufficient performance for higher speed and longer distance links such as, for example, at 10 Gb/s or greater and 40 km and above, due to a large chirp inherent in directly modulated lasers. In particular, the wavelength of the directly modulated lasers changes slightly when the lasers are modulated by signal data. This change in wavelength, or chirp, causes optical frequency distortion in the optical fiber, resulting in corruption of the transmitted data signal.
One approach to the chirp problem in high speed, long-haul applications is the use of electro-absorptive modulator lasers ("EML") or other light sources with external modulators to reduce the chirp and extend the distance. However, such an approach requires the use of expensive EML chip and packaging, or external modulators and electronic controls, which add to the overall cost of the system.
Another approach to the chirp problem is to use directly modulated lasers in conjunction with an external narrow-band optical filter to convert frequency modulation, or the chirp, to amplitude modulation. However, this approach of using an external optical filter with a DML is still very expensive to implement due to the complex packaging and additional equipment and electronic control of the system.


A multi-speed transmission has drive and output shafts, three front-mounted and two rear-mounted planetary gear sets, and shift elements which can be engaged to selectively implement at least eleven forward gears and one reverse gear. The front gear sets are connected to one element of the rear gear sets. Five shift elements are assigned to the front gear sets and two are assigned to the rear gear sets, such that the front gear sets transmit seven output speeds to the rear gear sets. If normalized to the input speed of the drive shaft, at least one output speed of the front gear sets is less than 0, one output speed is greater than 1, one output speed is equal to 0, one output speed is equal to 1 and two output speeds are between 0 and 1.

For instance, from document EP 1 373 756 B1, a multi-speed transmission is known as an automatic transmission, in which, for instance, two front-mounted gear sets and two rear-mounted gear sets are provided, to which seven shift elements are assigned, wherein at most eleven forward gears and one reverse gear can be achieved, however. A connecting shaft is used to permanently connect the front-mounted gear sets to the rear-mounted gear sets. Further, the rear-mounted gear sets can be connected to the drive shaft via a shaft and a clutch as shift elements and can be grounded via a further shaft and a brake as further shift elements, such that the two rear-mounted gear sets simultaneously transfer torque in at least three of the forward gears. In the known gears, any high-precision optimization of the gear spacings is possible only to a limited extent. In addition, acoustic problems may arise. Further, in the known gear set, additional gears cannot be implemented without considerable design effort.


A support device is provided to hold a pre-mounted device, such as a stent mounted on a balloon of a delivery catheter, for insertion in a coating apparatus. The support device stabilizes, aligns and holds the pre-mounted stent assembly in order to allow correct location and rotation in relation to a coating applicator in a coating apparatus and to avoid damage during the coating process.

The benefits of delivering drug-loaded prostheses to patients are becoming well known. Studies have shown the importance of delivering the correct drug dose density on coronary stents to prevent restenosis by application of drugs such as paclitaxel or rapamycin. Numerous processes have been proposed for the application of such a coating including: soaking or dipping the implantable device in a bath of liquid medication, soaking in an agitated bath, introducing heat and/or ultrasonic energy in conjunction with a medicated bath, and spraying the medication by way of pressurized nozzles.
Initially, such coatings were applied at the time of manufacture of the medical device. For various reasons, including the relatively short shelf life of some drugs compared to the time span from manufacture to implantation, a need has arisen for technologies that permit applying a coating to a medical device just prior to implantation of the device sometimes referred to as application at the "point of care." Just in time delivery of properly dosed devices would address the shelf-life limitations of various medicinal coatings as well as provide custom treatment.
Many of the methods and devices intended to coat a device just prior to implantation, however, deposit the coating material onto any and all surfaces that are exposed to the coating. This may result in depositing coating material on surfaces for which the coating is unwanted or undesirable. Further, the coating may crack or break away when the implantable device is removed from the implantation apparatus. An example of this would be a stent deployed on a catheter balloon. As the balloon is inflated, and the stent is expanded into position, the coating may crack along the interface between the stent and the balloon. These cracks may lead to a breaking away of a portion of the coating from the stent itself. Similar problems can occur in cases where the coating technique fails to prevent inadvertent overlapping with the edges, i.e., the internal surfaces along the edges of various devices, e.g., struts of stents. This, in turn, may affect the medicinal effectiveness of the coating, and negatively affect the entire medical procedure.
It is known to use ink-jet technology to apply a liquid to selected portions of a surface. An ink-jet nozzle moves in three dimensions with respect to the device to be coated with the aid of a motion control system. The motion control system enables the ink-jet nozzle to move over the portions of the prosthesis to be coated. Alternatively, a real-time picture can be taken with a camera to determine the position of the ink-jet nozzle in relation to the prosthesis. Based upon the feedback of nozzle location, the ink-jet applicator can be controlled by activating the spray, moving the ink-jet nozzle, and/or moving the prosthesis to adjust to the pattern to better conform with the actual prosthesis.
For systems where the motion is preprogrammed, selected patterns may fail to accommodate inherent variability in the surface of the prosthesis. In one non-limiting embodiment, for example, a stent crimped around a balloon catheter will not be crimped the same as a next crimped stent such that successive crimped stents present the same surface each time. The crimping cannot be determined from the factory according to the manufacturer's specifications of the stent.

Device to stabilize and align a pre-mounted stent


Printing plates are formed from a layer of photopolymerizable resin by a process and assembly which involves moving a resin layer past a variable intensity light source so as to sequentially and selectively cross-link the resin layer as the resin layer moves past the light source.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the production of printing plates from photopolymerizable resins. More particularly, this invention relates to the production of printing plates wherein a resin layer is selectively cross-linked by being moved past a varying intensity light source.
2. Brief Description of the Art
The production of printing plates by selectively cross-linking polymerizable resins is known in the prior art. The printing plate is conventionally formed by first placing a negative on a supporting glass plate. An optically transparent release film is then placed on top of the negative which is subsequently coated with a layer of photopolymerizable resin. A backing sheet is then placed on top of the photopolymerizable resin, and the backing sheet is then covered by another glass sheet. Irradiation by actinic light, such as UV light, through the top glass/backing sheet combination forms a solid floor layer of photoresin, which adheres to the backing sheet. The thickness of the floor layer is less than the total thickness of the photoresin. Irradiation through the lower glass plate negative release sheet selectively hardens the photoresin to form an image-printing surface which mirrors the image on the negative. The hardened regions adhere to the floor layer, but not the transparent release sheet. Subsequent processing removes unhardened (liquid) photoresin to reveal a relief image.
When following the teachings of the prior art, the photopolymerizable resin layer can be placed on the glass plate and a capping blade can be drawn across the resin layer so as to level the layer of resin on the glass plate. The result is a relatively constant thickness resin layer formed on the supporting glass plate in the printing plate production assembly. The uniform layer of resin is then exposed to a UV light source through the negative so as to produce cross-linked solid areas in the resin layer which form a printing image or pattern in the resin layer. The non-cross-linked liquid portions of the resin layer are then removed from the plate, and the result is a selectively relieved cross-linked resin printing pattern on the plate. The aforesaid procedure for producing printing plates is relatively time consuming, and, is to some degree, size-restrictive. Direct production of large relief images requires large pieces of very flat glass. The photo negatives required can be both costly and time-consuming to produce.
It would be desirable to provide a process and assembly which would be able to produce different sized printing plates in a continuous fashion with, or without, the need for an image-producing negative, and without the required set up time of the prior art procedure. This is especially true for time-critical applications such as newspapers.

Continuous production of cross-linked resin relief images for printing plates

MacDermid Imaging Technology, Incorporated


A method and apparatus are provided for translating the speed of a drive shaft which is driven at a first speed to the speed of a driven shaft at a second speed, by providing a drive cam, a driven cam, and at least one reciprocating transfer element driven at a constant angular velocity and held in a slotted, fixed retainer, for interacting the two cams, such that the driven cam can be driven at the second speed by the drive cam driven at the first speed.

The present invention relates to mechanical power transmissions, and more particularly, to speed reducers and the like for use between a drive and driven shaft.
Speed conversion is an important capability in the efficient utilization of rotary motive force. The occasion often arises for increasing or reducing of the speed of a drive member to a higher or lower speed at a driven member. In automobiles, for example, a hydraulic transmission, with various combinations of gear assemblies, accomplishes the task of translating the high rotary speed of the gasoline engine to the lower rotational requirements at the driven axle. Typically, such transmissions are quite complex, requiring many parts to operate in sophisticated syncopation, and are quite labor intensive for both assembly and service.
Other speed conversion applications include elevators, where an electric motor typically is employed for lifting and lowering the elevator cab, and robotics, where an electric motor is employed as an actuator to effect motion. These applications often require a zero backlash arrangement so as to be able to achieve a desired level of driven member position control during operation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a speed converter which is simplified in nature but is robust in transmission capability.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a single stage speed converter which requires few moving parts.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a single stage speed converter, where a plurality of single stages can be ganged to form a multi-stage speed converter.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a speed converter having an auto braking feature.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a speed converter with zero backlash.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a speed converter which is relatively easy to assemble and service.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a constant velocity speed converter design which is adaptable to a variety of applications, including automotive transmissions, elevator drives, robotic actuators, and other applications where precise and efficient speed conversion is beneficial.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide load sharing among the multi-elements that transmit the rotary motive force in a speed converter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide multiple output shafts at desired output speeds with one input shaft.


A laser module with trimming capacity has a base having an indented portion formed thereon so as to be non-annular in configuration. A lens is disposed inside the base. A laser diode is disposed inside the base and behind the lens. A printed circuit board electrically connects the laser diode. Alternatively, the base has a polygonal rotation portion, instead of the indented portion, disposed on an external surface thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser module with trimming capacity, and particularly relates to a laser module adapted for an orientation apparatus and operated with fine-tuning capacity.
2. Background of the Invention
A conventional circular saw machine is implemented for cutting materials rapidly and effectively. There are several kinds of circular saws, such as a manual circular saw machine, which is used for orientating materials and having a circular saw blade that manually pushed; and an automatic circular saw machine, which can orientate a circular saw blade thereof and automatically push materials. Before cutting the materials, a cutting line is marked on the materials and the blade can work along the cutting line. To prevent missing the cutting line, a laser module is provided on the blade for aligning the cutting line.
"A laser orientation module of a circular saw machine" is disclosed in Taiwan Publication Patent No. M240285, published on Aug. 11, 2004. The machine includes a cover, a laser module, and a power supply and control unit. The laser module and the power supply and control unit are disposed in the cover and electrically connected to each other. The laser orientation module can be disposed on a central portion of a blade of the circular saw machine. When the circular saw machine is turned on, plural LEDs of the laser module emit light, and the light can be converged by a lens to focus a cutting line marked on a prepared material. Thus, the displacement between the blade and the prepared material can be avoided effectively. However, the laser module disposed inside the cover makes fine-tuning difficult. Low precision in cutting thus occurs and causes inconvenience in practice.


The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for making and using chimeric polypeptides that comprise a VEGFR-2 ligand. The chimeric molecules of the present invention retain VEGFR-2 binding activity and an enhanced angiogenic activity as compared to native VEGF-A.

Angiogenesis is a fundamental process required for normal growth and development of tissues, and involves the proliferation of new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels. Angiogenesis is not only involved in embryonic development and normal tissue growth, repair, and regeneration, but is also involved in the female reproductive cycle, establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and in repair of wounds and fractures. In addition to angiogenesis which takes place in the healthy individual, angiogenic events are involved in a number of pathological processes, notably tumor growth and metastasis, and other conditions in which blood vessel proliferation, especially of the microvascular system, is increased, such as diabetic retinopathy, psoriasis and arthropathies. Inhibition of angiogenesis is useful in preventing or alleviating these pathological processes.
Because of the crucial role of angiogenesis in so many physiological and pathological processes, factors involved in the control of angiogenesis have been intensively investigated. A number of growth factors have been shown to be involved in the regulation of angiogenesis; these include fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor α (TGFα), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). See for example Folkman et al, "Angiogenesis", J. Biol. Chem., 1992 267 10931-10934 for a review.
It has been suggested that a particular family of endothelial cell-specific growth factors and their corresponding receptors is primarily responsible for stimulation of endothelial cell growth and differentiation, and for certain functions of the differentiated cells. These factors are members of the PDGF/VEGF family, and appear to act via receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs).
To date a number of PDGF/VEGF family members have been identified. These include PDGF-A (see e.g., GenBank Acc. No. X06374), PDGF-B (see e.g., GenBank Acc. No. M12783), PDGF-C (Intl. Publ. No. WO 00/18212), PDGF-D (Intl. Publ. No. WO 00/027879), VEGF (also known as VEGF-A or by particular isoform), Placenta growth factor, PlGF (U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,899), VEGF-B (also known as VEGF-related factor (VRF) Intl. Publ. No. PCT/US96/02597 and WO 96/26736), VEGF-C, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,839 and WO 98/33917), VEGF-D (also known as c-fos-induced growth factor (FIGF) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,713, Intl. Publ. No. WO98/07832), VEGF-E (also known as NZ7 VEGF or OV NZ7; Intl. Publ. No. WO00/025805 and U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2003/0113870), NZ2 VEGF (also known as OV NZ2; see e.g., GenBank Acc. No. S67520), D1701 VEGF-like protein (see e.g., GenBank Acc. No. AF106020; Meyer et al., EMBO J. 18:363-374), and NZ10 VEGF-like protein (described in Intl. Patent Application PCT/US99/25869) [Stacker and AChen, Growth Factors 17:1-11 (1999); Neufeld et al., FASEB J 13:9-22 (1999); Ferrara, J Mol Med 77:527-543 (1999)].
Vascular endothelial growth factors act by binding to receptor tyrosine kinases. Seven receptor tyrosine kinases have been identified, namely Flt-1 (VEGFR-1), KDR/Flk-1 (VEGFR-2), Flt4 (VEGFR-3), PDGFR-α, PDGFR-β, Tie and Tek/Tie-2. All of these have the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity which is necessary for signal transduction. The essential, specific role in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis of Flt-1, Flk-1, Tie and Tek/Tie-2 has been demonstrated by targeted mutations inactivating these receptors in mouse embryos. Overexpression of either the VEGF/PDGF family of growth factors or VEGF/PDGF receptors can lead to aberrant development of the vasculature system (Saaristo et al., FASEB J. 16:1041-9, 2002; Kubo et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 99:8868-73, 2002.). The activity of VEGF/VEGFR also promotes angiogenesis of new cells and developing tissue, thereby facilitating the angiogenesis and vascularization of tumor cells.
While the aforementioned VEGF molecules have shown some promise with respect to the development of new blood vessels and other growth factor properties, there remains a need for the development of improved therapeutic approaches for promoting angiogenesis.

Modified VEGF-A with improved angiogenic properties


An improved method of rail survey deploys feature identification tags along an inner edge of a train track rail. Each tag includes a unique identifier to identify a respective feature along the train track. Each tag includes a reflector to reflect light to a sensor on a track surveyor. The sensor reads track feature tags without the need for stopping at each feature. A track database is provided that is capable of storing tables that associate track features with geo-locations. As each tag is deployed or read during a rail survey, it can be paired with geo-location data and stored in the track database.

In many instances it would be desirable to have a database that describes the geometry of a train track centerline (e.g., grade, curvature, direction, location, etc.), as well as the geo-locations of various features (e.g., grade crossings, mileposts, signals, platforms, switches, spurs, etc.) along the train track. For example, such a database would be useful in train motion, along track position, and path-taken navigation algorithms, predictive braking algorithms, and locomotive fuel management algorithms. Consequently, it would also be desirable to have an efficient method of obtaining the data for such databases.

Efficient data acquisition for track databases


The invention provides a liquid fueled pulsed detonation air breathing engine. The engine has at least one, and preferably a multiplicity of, detonation chambers, each of which has an inlet end for opening and receiving a charge of fuel and air, and an outlet end for discharging combustion product gases. A fast-acting valve is located above the inlet ends of the detonation chambers and cyclically opens the fuel and air receiving openings in the inlet ends of the detonation chambers to allow a fuel/air charge to enter the chambers. In a preferred embodiment, the valve is of a rotary type with a body that has at least one opening through which fuel and air can flow into the inlet end of the detonation chamber. Once the valve has closed, detonation is initiated by an ignitor and impulse force is provided by the resultant shock wave. Thereafter, the valve opens again so that the detonation chamber can be charged with fuel and air to recommence the cycle. The invention also provides an embodiment of an engine that has both inlet and outlet valves. These valves operate out of phase so that when the inlet valve is open to receive fuel and air into the detonation chamber, the outlet valve is closed. When detonation commences, the outlet valve is open and the inlet valve is closed. Optionally, a source of oxygen allows a stratified charge in the engine to enhance detonation. Also provided is a control system (48) for sensing the position of the valves, (58, 80) and using this sensed position to inject fuel, inject oxygen and ignite the fuel and air mixture.

Jet engines may be divided into two classes: deflagrative and detonative combustion engines. Deflagrative engines are well known and are typically used in commercial jet airliners, for instance. In a deflagrative engine, the combustion process produces combustion product gases that are propagated at velocities in the range of a few feet per second. These gases provide motive force for a vehicle to which the engine is mounted.
In contrast, in a pulse detonation engine, motive force is provided by combustion products that result from a detonation process. These combustion products are propagated at velocities very much higher than the combustion products of deflagrative processes. Indeed, typical velocities are of the order of several thousands of feet per second. U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,758 of T. R. Bussing (hereby fully incorporated by reference to the extent consistent with the invention disclosed and claimed below) describes a pulse detonation engine and the principles applied in its operation. However, the patent does not show details of a liquid fueled pulse detonation engine.

Liquid fueled pulse detonation engine with controller and inlet and exit valves


A signal transforming and transmitting apparatus and a signal transforming and transmitting method are provided. The signal transforming and transmitting apparatus includes a processing chip, and a signal dividing/integrating unit. The processing chip defines a signal-download period and a signal-upload period according to a clock signal. The signal dividing/integrating unit is coupled to the processing chip, and is adapted for dividing a wired downloading signal from a wireless downloading signal transmitted from the base station during the signal-download period, and transmitting the wired downloading signal and the wireless downloading signal to corresponding downstream devices. The signal dividing/integrating unit is adapted for integrating a wired uploading signal and a wireless uploading signal into an integrated wireless uploading signal and transmitting the integrated wireless uploading signal to the base station, during the signal-upload period. In such a way, the present invention avoids the interference caused by overlaps between uploading and downloading operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a signal transforming and transmitting apparatus, and more particularly, to a signal transforming and transmitting apparatus adapted for transforming between a wired signal and a wireless signal, and a signal transforming and transmitting method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, internet has become more popularized than ever before, and more multimedia information are accessible from the internet. Therefore, the demands of users for network transmission rate are drastically increased. For example, a present wired network may even achieve a transmission rate up to 1000 Mbps. However, a wired network is usually featured with a poor mobility, and a user using the wired network is often restricted by the layout of the wiring network and cannot use the wired network when moving. As a solution provided addressing to this disadvantage, wireless network techniques are developed. Although the transmission rate and the reliability of a typical wireless network are usually less than that of a typical wired network, the wireless network advantageously eliminates the wiring layout and the location restriction, thus enhancing the share of wireless networks in the market.
Wireless networks are creatively developed and innovated, and more and more kinds of wireless networks are provided to the users for selection. For example, from the earliest Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 wireless network, to the current 3G (3rd generation) wireless network, or even to the worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) wireless network, the transmission rate and reliability are continuously improved, and the signal transmission distance for providing service is improved from several meters to several kilometers.
Generally, a user can select to use a modem or a repeater for accessing services provided by wireless network service suppliers. The operation mode of the modem is receiving wireless signals provided by the wireless network service supplier, thus obtaining a frequency bandwidth, and then connecting a network interface of a user end via a wiring layout. The modem transforms between wireless signals and wired signals, by which the user can get access to the wireless network. As to the repeater, it receives wireless signals from the wireless network service supplier, and then transmits received wireless signal out. Differing from the modem, the repeater eliminates the necessity of wiring layout, and further expands the coverage region of the service provided by the wireless network service supplier, thus improving the convenience of enjoying the wireless network service.
However, viewing from the standpoint of users, although wired signals are more reliable than wireless signals, the wiring layout restricts the application range thereof. On the contrary, even though wireless signals provide better mobility, in that the wireless network can be accessed at anywhere covered by the repeater, the wireless signals are less reliable than the wired signals. As such, the foregoing two approaches of accessing a wireless network are featured with their own advantages and disadvantages, respectively. When considering the cost factor, a wireless network service supplier often cannot afford offering both a repeater and a modem for free to the user. As such, if a user desires not only steady signals, but also convenient accessing to the network, he has to buy a repeater or a modem on his own. Therefore, it introduces additional expense. Further, it is inconvenient of simultaneously carrying both of the two apparatuses, which also occupied a large room, thus bringing further inconvenience to the user.

Apparatus and method for transforming and transmitting signal


A liquid cosmetic case adapted to dispense a cosmetic material which includes a tube-shaped container adapted to house a cosmetic material, said container being provided at one end thereof with threaded walls which define an aperture; a cap provided with locking slots and threads for screw engagement with the threaded walls of said container; a discharger disposed within said aperture, said discharger containing liquid guiding passages which communicate at one end with the container and at the other end with a conduit provided in such discharger; and a support cap engaged with the upper external portion of said discharger for securing a brush to the discharger conduit, said support cap containing locking flanges which engage with said locking slots provided in said cap, whereby upon the engagement and disengagement between the cap and the discharger, the communication through said liquid guiding passes between said container and said conduit in the discharger can be opened or closed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid cosmetic case in which a supporting cap to which a brush is fixed is attached to the upper side of a tube-shaped container that stores liquid cosmetic and is coupled with a discharger which is closed after discharging the liquid cosmetic. The cap is thread-coupled with the upper side of the tube-shaped container so that the discharger coupled with the supporting cap ascends and descends by opening and closing the cap. When the cap ascends, a ring-shaped step in the upper end of a liquid supplying container is opened so that a through hole and a liquid guiding passage formed by an inner protrusion wheel step are connected to a discharge hole and that the liquid cosmetic in the tube-shaped container is discharged to the brush. When the cap descends, the ring-shaped step in the upper end of the liquid supplying container is pressed and closed so that the liquid cosmetic stored in the tube-shaped container does not leak and that a user can safely carry the liquid cosmetic case.
2. Discussion of Related Art
According to a conventional art, a screw rod with which a piston is thread-coupled to ascend and descend and in which a liquid cosmetic guiding passage is formed so that a ball for opening and closing the liquid cosmetic guiding passage is elastically supported by a spring in the liquid cosmetic guiding passage is provided in a container that stores the liquid cosmetic and is coupled with a body.
Therefore, according to the conventional art, a large number of parts are coupled with each other and the structure is complicated so that manufacturing expenses increase. Also, a user must hold the container and rotate the body several times during use, which is inconvenient.


Improved plasma displays utilize electrodes including low electron affinity (LEA) materials such as diamond. In dc displays the LEA materials are disposed on the cathode. In ac displays the LEA materials are disposed on the dielectric layers of both electrodes. The improved displays exhibit reduced operating voltage, higher resolution, and enhanced robustness.

Plasma displays utilize emissions from regions of low pressure gas plasma to provide visible display elements. A typical display cell comprises a pair of electrodes within a sealed cell containing a noble gas. When a sufficient voltage is applied between the electrodes, the gas ionizes, forms a plasma, and emits visible and ultraviolet light. Visible emissions from the plasma can be seen directly. Ultraviolet emissions can be used to excite visible light from phosphors. An addressable array of such display cells forms a plasma display panel. Typically display cells are fabricated in an array defined by two mating sets of orthogonal electrodes deposited on two respective glass substrates. The region between the substrates is filled with a noble gas, such as neon, and sealed.
Plasma displays have found widespread applications ranging in size from small numeric indicators to large graphics dismays. Typical applications are described in H. G. Slottow, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, Vol. ED-23, No. 7, p. 760 et seq (1976) and S. Mikoshiba, Society for Information Display, Seminar No. F-2 (1993) which are incorporated herein by reference. Plasma displays are strong contenders for future workstation displays and HDTV displays.
The commercial success of plasma displays is due to many desirable properties. For example, a plasma has very strong nonlinear current-voltage characteristic which is ideally suited for multiplexing or matrix addressing. This nonlinearity also provides internal memory and logic capabilities which can be used to reduce the number of external circuit drivers. The ultraviolet radiation from a plasma can be used to excite phosphors, thereby permitting fabrication of full color displays. Other favorable attributes of plasma displays include long lifetime (.about.10,000 hrs for dc displays and >50,000 hrs for ac displays) with no catastrophic failure mechanism. They provide high resolution, good contrast ratio, a wide viewing angle (comparable to a CRT), and gray scale capability (8-bit, 256 levels). The displays are rugged, self-supporting structures which can be made in large areas (a display as large as 1.5 m diagonal with 2,048.times.2,048 pixels has been reported), and they are tolerant to harsh environment and wide temperature variations. The principal drawbacks of plasma displays are their high driver voltage (150-200 V), relatively low luminance (.about.100 cd/m.sup.2 compared to 700 cd/m.sup.2 for a CRT) and low luminous efficiency (0.2 lm/W compared to 4 lm/W for a CRT).
Plasma displays are usually classified as dc or ac. In a dc display, the electrodes are in direct contact with the plasma. The current is limited by resistance. In an ac display the electrodes are typically separated from the plasma by a dielectric, and the current is limited by capacitance.
DC displays ultimately fail because the cathode material is gradually sputtered or eroded away under the bombardment of positively charged energetic ions from the plasma. Erosion or sputtering of these cathode materials limits the typical lifetime of a dc plasma display at .about.10,000 hours. The sputtering also leads to the deposit of cathode material on the inner surface of the enclosing glass envelope, reducing the transmission of light.
Addition of small amounts of mercury reduces the sputtering problem but does not solve it. Although the addition of mercury in the gas reduces the effect of sputtering by several orders of magnitude, mercury particles tend to condense at the coldest spot. As a result, active regions where sputtering is severe have less mercury. Mercury is also chemically reactive with metals such as Ba and Ag which are used as electrode or electric lead materials. In addition, the strong visible emission from mercury degrades the color purity.
AC displays using conventional materials are subject to problems of contamination. In a typical ac plasma display the conductive electrode is covered by a dielectric layer which is, in turn, overcoated with MgO. The MgO overcoating has a high secondary electron emission coefficient which reduces the breakdown voltage for the gas. In addition, MgO is resistant to sputtering and thus gives the device a very long lifetime. The problem is that MgO is susceptible to contamination in the manufacturing process. Once contaminated, it is virtually impossible to clean.
The high operating voltage (150-200 V) in conventional plasma displays is disadvantageous. The use of relatively high operating voltages and associated problems in dielectric breakdown make it necessary to use tall dielectric barrier ribs between the cathode and the anode. Since much of the energy loss in the plasma displays is due to the collision of the plasma with the barrier ribs, high aspect ratio display cells with large surface to volume ratios are not desirable. In addition, higher pixel-density displays with smaller cell sizes are difficult to obtain if the barrier rib is to stay tall.
If the operating voltage can be lowered, the height of the rib can be reduced and hence smaller cell sizes can be implemented. Shorter ribs would increase the solid angle subtended by the front transparent electrode and reduce the number of photons absorbed by the barrier rib. Thus for a given input power, more photons would exit the display.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop new electrode materials for both dc and ac plasma displays which will provide low operating voltage, mechanical robustness, chemical stability and tolerance to harsh environment.

Plasma displays having electrodes of low-electron affinity materials


A method for subjecting a microorganism to a combination of ozone and irradiation of UV light which has a synergistic effect on the reduction of the microorganism that may be resistant to either ozone or UV light alone. In particular, Adenovirus and Naegleria fowleri, are significantly more reduced when subjected simultaneously to the combination of ozone and UV light than when subjected only to ozone or UV light, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for disinfecting (microbiological reduction) drinking water or wastewater using an ultraviolet (UV) lamp that generates both UV, for irradiating the water, and ozone for entraining the ozone in the water with a vortex generating apparatus.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) promulgated the final version of the Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR) on Jan. 5, 2006. This rule has the goal to reduce the incidence of water-borne disease associated with the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum and other pathogenic microorganisms found in surface waters (USEPA, 2006). In the LT2ESWTR, the USEPA establishes tables that require an ultraviolet (UV) dose of 58 mJ/cm2 for a 1-log (90%) virus inactivation credit, 134 mJ/cm2 for a 3-log (99.9%) credit and 186 mJ/cm2 for a 4-log (99.99%) credit. The USEPA also has provided a draft companion Ultraviolet Disinfection Guidance Manual (UVDGM) (USEPA, 2003), which gives additional recommendations on the design of UV disinfection systems and operation and validation protocols to assure that the required UV doses are achieved reliably. The UVDGM specifies that the actual validated UV dose that a reactor must deliver to achieve conformance with the UVDGM is the target UV dose in the LT2ESWTR table multiplied by a safety factor, which can vary from 1.2 and 3.0 depending on the conditions of the specific validation test, whether or not medium pressure or low pressure UV lamps are used and the specific UV reactor being used.
The UV doses for virus inactivation were derived based on the UV dose response of the adenoviruses, currently the most UV resistant set of pathogenic viruses known, even though many microorganisms, such as hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, and the enteroviruses, are significantly more sensitive to UV than are adenoviruses, as set forth in Table 1.
TABLE 1UV dose required to achieve 3-log (99.9%) inactivationof a variety of microorganisms (from Yates et al.,2006 and Chevrefils et al., 2006).UV dose (mJ/cm2)Microorganismfor 3-log inactivationAdenovirus type 2 75-119Adenovirus type 15122Adenovirus type 40155Virus inactivation credit (USEPA, 2006)143Calicivirus bovine 18Calicivirus feline21-25Coxsackievirus B320-27Coxsackievirus B520-23Hepatitis A virus12-15Echovirus16-25Poliovirus 114-38Poliovirus Type Mahoney 14Rotavirus SA-1123-27MS2 (Phaage)38-57Bacillus subtilis spores47-60Escherichia coli O157:H72.5-4.5Legionella pneumophila5-9Shigella spp. 2Salmonella spp. 3-15Cryptosporidium parvum3-9Encephalitozoon intestinalis microsporidia16-18Giardia spp.2-6
Prior to publication of the LT2ESWTR and UVDGM, a UV dose of 40 mJ/cm2 had been widely accepted in the United States as providing 4-log (99.99%) inactivation of bacteria and viruses. Table 1 indicates that UV doses below 30 mJ/cm2 are generally sufficient for 3-log (99.9%) inactivation of several waterborne viruses, including hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, and poliovirus, while a UV dose below 15 mJ/cm2 would achieve 3-log inactivation of vegetative bacteria. Table 1 also indicates that protozoan pathogens are as sensitive to UV as vegetative bacteria.
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) has for many years certified UV drinking water treatment units under their NSF/ANSI Standard 55, which specifies a minimum UV dose of 38 mJ/cm2. Other nations (e.g., Germany and Austria) have since 1994 required validation of UV reactors to achieve minimum UV doses of 40 mJ/cm2. Recently, the NSF amended Standard 55 (to 55A) to require a minimum UV dose of 40 mJ/cm2. Many states (and provinces in Canada) require that UV systems in use in their jurisdiction be certified by the NSF Standard 55A, thereby endorsing (by default) the 40 mJ/cm2 UV dose requirement.
Recent research (see Table 1) suggests, however, that adenoviruses exhibit considerably more UV resistance than the viruses traditionally considered being of significant waterborne concern (e.g., hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, and enteroviruses). Adenoviruses, presently listed on the USEPA's Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) (USEPA, 2005), have been found in recent research to require at least 120 mJ/cm2 and possibly as much as 200 mJ/cm2 or 4-log inactivation (Ballester and Malley, 2004; Gerba et al., 2002; Meng and Gerba, 1996; Nwachuku et al., 2005; Shin et al., 2005; Thompson et al., 2003; Thurston-Enriquez et al., 2003a) (see Table 1). Based on this research, the USEPA adopted a UV dose of 186 mJ/cm2 for a 4-log inactivation credit in the LT2ESWTR. However, assuring a delivered UV dose of 186 mJ/cm2 dose will require applied doses in the 200 to 300 mJ/cm2 range using protocols detailed in the UVDGM, depending on the safety factor required.
Most viruses (particularly the adenoviruses) are quite sensitive to chlorine or chloramines (Ballaster and Malley, 2004). Since the USEPA requires either chlorine or chloramine treatment in the distribution system for surface water drinking water treatment plants, no virus inactivation credits would normally be required if UV disinfection is used with chlorine or chloramine added to provide a residual in the distribution system. There are, however, some surface water systems that will require significant virus disinfection credit, since they currently lack the ability to maintain an adequate free chlorine contact time (CA) for viruses (e.g., systems in agricultural regions where the influent ammonia levels make the use of free chlorine cost prohibitive and systems that have uncovered finished water reservoirs and insufficient contact time between the reservoir and their closest customer's tap).
Other water systems, such as groundwater systems (not subject to the LT2ESWTR), may be significantly impacted by the high UV dose levels for virus inactivation, since many of these systems do not employ chlorine or chloramine treatment following a UV disinfection system. For such systems, no UV dose requirements are currently prescribed in National Primary Drinking Water Standards, hence, states are free to specify the UV doses for groundwater systems in their state. However, it is likely that states will apply the high UV dose values for virus inactivation from the LT2ESWTR and the UVDGM to groundwater systems. The adoption of such high UV dose limits may raise the costs of UV disinfection to the point that utilities using groundwater sources (mostly small communities) will find them uneconomical and this could affect the health of many Americans. For example, the Cadmus Group (2000) found that currently, there are more that 158,000 public ground water systems in the USA. Almost 89 million people are served by community ground water systems, and 20 million people are served by non-community ground water systems. Ninety-nine percent (99%) (157,000) of ground water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people. However, systems serving more than 10,000 people serve fifty-five percent (55%) (more than 60 million) of all people who get their drinking water from public ground water systems.
The threat of water-borne viral infection is not insignificant. Failure to properly protect against viral contamination (e.g., fecal contamination) in drinking water systems (particularly groundwater systems) could lead to disease outbreaks as shown in Table 2.
Table 1 demonstrates that UW disinfection is very effective for bacteria, protozoa and most viruses. However, it is not effective against adenoviruses. On the other hand, Thurston-Enriquez et al. (2005) found that ozone is very effective against adenoviruses. They found that at a Ct value of 0.6 mg/L min can achieve more than 4 logs (99.99%) inactivation of adenoviruses even at 5° C. For example, this could be achieved with a contact time C(t) of two minutes and an ozone residual of only 0.3 mg/L. Thus it appears that a combined ozone and UV treatment system could provide protection for all known pathogenic microorganisms.
TABLE 2Illnesses Caused by Waterborne Fecal Viral PathogensEnteric VirusIllnessPoliovirusParalysisCoxsackievirus AMeningitis, fever, respiratorydiseaseCoxsackievirus BMyocarditis, congenital heartdisease, rash, fever, meningitis,encephalitis, pleurodynia,diabetes, melitis, eye infectionsEchovirusMeningitis, encephalitis, rashfever, gastroenteritisNorwalk virus and otherGastroenteritiscalicivirusesHepatitis A virusHepatitisHepatitis B virusHepatitisSmall round structured virusesGastroenteritis(probably calciviruses)RotavirusGastroenteritisenteric adenovirusRespiratory disease, eyeinfections, gastroenteritisAstrovirusGastroenteritis
Low pressure UV lamps have two principal emissions at wavelengths of 254 nm and 185 nm, with the latter being about 8% of the intensity of the former. The 254 nm UV light is absorbed by DNA and RNA in microorganisms and leads to their inactivation (by prevention of replication). The 185 nm UV light is blocked by the quartz envelop that is used for most low pressure UV lamps; however, if one uses an envelop made of very pure quartz, it is possible to transmit the 185 nm UV light through into the air surrounding the lamp. Such UV lamps are called "ozone-producing" UV lamps, since the 185 nm UV light is absorbed by oxygen in the air leading to the production of zone. Thus a single UV lamp can produce both germicidal UV light (254 nm) and ozone (185 nm) that could be used for secondary disinfection.
Czulak and Kawchitch (1964) obtained U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,099 which describes an "ozone-producing" UV lamp. Water was treated with a UV disinfection system and ozone produced from the lamp was directed to a separate tank where the ozone dissolved and produced a secondary disinfection effect.
Coviello et al. (1979) obtained U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,616 which describes an improvement on the Czulak apparatus. Ozone produced by the UV lamp to provide secondary disinfection in a separate storage tank in which the ozone was introduced into the water.
Beitzel (1981) obtained U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,660 which describes an apparatus that collects ozone produced from the air surrounding a UV lamp and injects the ozone containing air into the water surrounding the quartz sleeve so that the UV impinges on water than contains ozone from the injection port. The apparatus is described but no results concerning the disinfection effectiveness are provided.
Venosa et al (1984) Disinfection of Secondary Effluent With Ozone/UV, J. Wat. Pollut. Control Fed. 56(2): 137-142. describes a process for treating secondary effluent in a wastewater plant. Ozonated water is subjected to UV light from 14 UV lamps. The disinfection efficiency of the ozone was increased on increasing the UV dose applied. It was determined that disinfection with UV alone was very small and set forth the conclusion that a combined UV/ozone treatment had a considerable synergistic effect.
Wang and Kurylko (1993) obtained U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,299 which describes an apparatus in which UV light impinges on water in a chamber which is also fed with ozone. The primary purpose of this apparatus is to remove volatile organic compounds from the water. No mention is made of the possible use of UV and ozone together for disinfection.
Korin (1999) obtained U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,431 which describes a treatment similar to that of Czulak and Kawchitch (1964) and Coviello et al. (1979). That is, ozone produced by a UV lamp is used to provide ozone disinfection downstream of the UV reactor.
Amirsardari et al. (2001) Effect on Ozonation And UV Irradiation With Direct Filtration On Disinfection And Disinfection By-product Precursors In Drinking Water Treatment, Environ. Technol. 22: 1015-1023. describes treatment of a raw water source for a drinking water plant first with ozone and then with UV. A reduction of the heterotrophic plate count from 960 to 680 cfu/mL in the ozone disinfection stage and down to 120 cfu/mL in the subsequent UV disinfection stage was found. There is no discussion of an attempt at any simultaneous treatment.
Collivignarelli and Sorlini (2004) AOPs With Ozone And UV Radiation In Drinking Water: Contaminants Removal And Effects On Disinfection Byproducts Formation, Wat. Sci. Technol. 49(4): 51-59. describes a study concerning the advanced oxidation treatment of raw surface water using a combined ozone/UV system. It was found that the combined system could effectively remove geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (odiferous compounds) as well as the pesticide metolachlor. The UW doses used were very high (up to 1,400 J/cm2) and no results concerning disinfection were given.
Chang (2005) obtained U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,903 which describes an apparatus in which ozone produced by a UW lamp is injected into the water to be treated which then flows in a spiral fashion around the UW lamp and sleeve, so as to lengthen the contact time of the UW radiation with the ozone-containing water. As with the Wang and Kurylko (1993), no description of the disinfection effectiveness of this apparatus is given.
Chin and Berube (2005) Removal Of Disinfection By-product Precursors With Ozone-UW Advanced Oxidation Process. Wat Res., 39: 2136-2144. describes a combined UW/ozone system for the advanced oxidation treatment of raw surface water to examine the effectiveness of removal of disinfection by-product precursors. A considerable reduction in the levels of disinfection by-product precursors was found; however, the UV doses used (1,610 mW/cm2) were very high.

Method and apparatus for reducing microorganisms in water


The method of replacing the electrical components of a monitoring system. The method includes attaching a housing that contains a battery, sensor and other electronic components to a container. Next, a first lid that contains electronic components that are electrically connected to the sensor in the housing via an electronic cable is removed by detaching the electric cable from the electronic components of the lid. A second lid is then provided wherein the electric cable is electrically connected to the second lid at which point in time the second lid is secured to the housing to complete the replacement.

This invention relates to monitoring systems for measuring materials in a container. More specifically, this application relates to the replacing of electrical components of a monitoring system.
Monitoring or detection systems for determining the material level in a container are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0011970 to Mruk teaches such a detection system and is incorporated in full herein. While such systems are sufficient at determining material level in a container, problems exists changing out communication cards and electronic components when such need to be replaced, updated, or changed based upon use with a particular communication system. Thus, a need exists for an improved system that facilitates replacement of parts of such systems.
Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to facilitate the replacing of electrical components of a monitoring system. These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the specification and claims.

Method of replacing electrical components of a monitoring system


A test structure for detecting void formation in semiconductor device layers includes a plurality of active device areas formed in a substrate, a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions separating the active device areas, a plurality of gate electrode structures formed across the active device areas and the STI regions, and a matrix of vias formed over the active device areas and between the gate electrode structures. At least one edge of each of a pair of vias at opposite ends of a given one of the STI regions extends at least out to an edge of the associated active device area.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor device processing techniques and, more particularly, to a test structure and method for detecting via contact shorting above shallow trench isolation (STI) regions of a semiconductor device.
As the size of integrated circuit devices continues to shrink, the level of integration increases while the structures for electrically isolating devices also reduces correspondingly. For example, the conventional field oxide layer formed by the local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) method is no longer suitable as an isolation structure when the device is increasingly miniaturized, due in part to the so-called bird's beak encroachment that often leads to the production of leakage current.
Because of the difficulties in fabricating miniaturized isolating devices, other methods of isolating devices have been developed. One of the most widely adopted isolation methods for sub micron devices is to form a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure, wherein trenches are defined within a substrate surface and then prepared for filling with dielectric materials. The resulting trenches typically display a steep sidewall profile as compared to LOCOS oxidation. The trenches are subsequently refilled with a dielectric such as chemical vapor deposited (CVD) silicon dioxide (SiO2). In contrast, "active" regions are regions in which active devices (e.g., source/drain diffusions) are fabricated, and which lie between the trenches.
Before formation of metal via contacts, it is usually required to deposit a protection layer (most commonly using nitride) to protect devices from mobile ions and moisture, as well as to provide a etch stopper for etching contact holes. One problem, however, associated with decreasing device size and pitch (spacing) between structures such as transistor gate electrodes is that of voiding when protection layers are conformally deposited over the gate and spacer structures. The voids are easily formed when an aspect ratio between gate height and pitch is high. Due to multiple steps of etching, cleaning, and photoresist stripping before depositing the protection layer, the surface level of STI regions is much lower than active area (i.e., the Si surfaces). Therefore, the aspect ratio between gate height and pitch in STI regions usually is larger than that in active areas. Thus, the voids are more easily formed above STI areas than active areas. In some cases, the voids are formed only above STI regions and not at all formed in active areas.
Consequently, when an insulative material (e.g., oxide) is then blanket deposited over the protection layer, the pinching of protection layer prevents the oxide from filling the voids. Then, during subsequent via formation, the metal fill material (e.g., tungsten or TiN) can also end up filling the void if the via contact holes connect to the void, thereby creating undesirable "stringers" that can short adjacent vias to one another. Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to efficiently detect a potential stringer problem in the formation of such semiconductor devices.

Test structure and method for detecting via contact shorting in shallow trench isolation regions

International Business Machines Corporation


A D-type flip-flop (DFF) includes an input circuit having a plurality of transistors configured to receive a clock signal and a data signal, a first inverter (INV1) having a pair of transistors, the first inverter configured to receive an input voltage (x) from the input circuit at a first inverter input, the first inverter configured to provide an output voltage (y) to a first inverter output, a second inverter (INV2) coupled to the first inverter (INV1), the second inverter having a second inverter input and a second inverter output, the second inverter input coupled to the first inverter output, a third inverter (INV3) coupled to the second inverter (INV2), the third inverter having a third inverter input and a third inverter output, and a current device coupled to the first inverter output, the current device configured to provide a current at the first inverter output.

Wireless communication devices and technologies are becoming ever more prevalent. Wireless communication devices generally transmit and receive communication signals. A communication signal is typically processed by a variety of different components and circuits. One of the circuits that process a communication signal is an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). As the name implies, an ADC is a circuit that converts a signal from the analog domain to the digital domain. One type of ADC is referred to as a delta-sigma ADC.
In a conventional ADC, an analog signal is sampled with a sampling frequency and subsequently quantized in a quantizer into a digital signal. This process introduces noise due to quantization error. In delta-sigma modulation, accuracy of the quantization is improved by passing the digital output through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and subtracting the resulting analog signal from the input signal (delta). The residual signal is subsequently processed by one or more integrator stages (sigma) before being quantized by the quantizer.
An ADC may employ what is referred to as a time-to-digital converter (TDC) to quantize the sampled analog signal. A TDC may use D-type flip-flops (DFF) as phase samplers. In a high-speed ADC, where the clock pulses are quite closely spaced, a phase sampler may become metastable. Metastability is a condition where a logic gate (for example, a register) in the quantizer may not settle to a defined value (for example, a logic zero (0) or a logic one (1)) in sufficient time to avoid timing violations, resulting in a condition where the output may be indeterminate. A fast phase sampler is desirable to avoid metastability.

Analog-to-digital converter, phase sampler, time-to-digital converter, and flip-flop