The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of transgenic plants, tissues or plant cells thereof having long-lasting resistant to the geminiviruses by a) “identification” or “selection” of a viral gene sequence encoding an amino acid sequence able to confer resistance against geminiviruses; b) mutagenesis or “choice” of the viral gene sequence so as to make it an ineffective target of the post-trascriptional silencing induced by infecting geminivirus; and c) insertion of the geminivirus mutated or chosen gene sequence obtained in step b) through a construct as described previously, in the plant, tissue or plant cell thereof.

It is known that geminiviruses are a wide and diversified class of plant viruses that infect several plants of agronomic interest causing serious harvest losses. Such viruses are characterised by virions consisting of two geminate icosahedric particles. Their genome, consisting of one or two circular single-stranded DNA molecules (ssDNA), replicates in the nucleus of infected cells through double stranded intermediates (Hanley-Bowdoin et al., 1999).
The Geminiviridae family is divided in four genera named Mastrevirus, Begomovirus, Curtovirus and Topocuvirus based on the insect vector, the host spectrum and the genome structure (Briddon et al., 1985; Fauquet et al., 2003).
A serious disease of the tomato plant, transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, is from a long time known as "tomato yellow leaf curl" in the areas of the Middle East, Asian South East and Africa, (Czosnek et al., 1997). This disease, that can cause harvest losses of 100% (Picò et al., 1996; Czosnek et al., 1997), successively spread both throughout the Western Mediterranean, reaching Sardinia, Sicily and Spain (Czosnek et al., 1997), and America (Polston et al., 1997).
Recently the agents of the disease have been identified and isolated, being viruses belonging to the Geminiviridae family, genera Begomovirus. Phylogenetic studies have highlighted the presence of different viral species related to different geographical origins of the Begomovirus: Asia, Africa and America (Czosnek et al., 1997).
The genoma of the Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) species, is monopartite (Kheyr-Pour et al., 1991). The DNA is transcribed bidirectionally and contains six open reading frame (ORF), two on the viral strand (V): V1 and V2, and four on the complementary strand (C): C1, C2, C3 and C4, as shown in FIG. 1. Between the C1 and V2 ORFs there is a non-coding region named intergenic region (IR) analogous to that present in the genome of all Geminiviridae. The genomic organization of TYLCSV is structurally similar to that of the bipartite Begomoviruses component A such as the tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) and the African cassava virus (ACMV). In the case of bipartite Begomoviruses the nomenclature of the ORFs present on the component A of the complementary strand is: AL1 or AC1, AL2 or AC2, AL3 or AC3, AL4 or AC4, while on the viral strand AR1 or AV1, AR2 or AV2; on the complementary strand of the component B is: BL1 or BC1 and on the viral strand BR1 or BV1.
Strategies used until now in order to control the infection of the geminiviruses transmitted by the Bemisia tabaci are based on the use of expensive fine mesh nets (for the cultivation of fresh-market tomato) and particularly on repeated insecticide treatments (cultivations of both fresh-market and processing tomato). Such strategies result in an increase of the production expenses and represent a serious danger for the health of the agricultural operators and consumer. Furthermore the onset of Bemisia tabaci populations resistant to the insecticide imidacloprid has been already reported (Cahill et al., 1996; Williams et al., 1996).
The development of resistant cultivated species represents the most practical and economic way to control viral infections. Classical breeding programs for introducing resistance to geminiviruses that cause the tomato yellow leaf curl were based on the transfer of resistance genes from wild species of Lycopersicon to species of cultivated tomato. Thereby lines with variable levels of resistance to TYLCSV have been obtained and commercialized, the best lines showing reduced symptoms and low viral replication. However plants with low and mean levels of resistance represent a potential receptacle for further infections.
Another important aspect to be considered is that the agronomic characteristics of the lines obtained are not always optimal and however reflects those of the genotype of cultivated tomato used in breeding programs.
A tomato line immune to the viruses causing the tomato yellow leaf curl disease, namely, with neither symptoms nor viral DNA replication has not been released yet.
With the advent of genetic engineering new perspectives were opened up for the introduction of resistance characters against plant viruses. Most strategies are based on the introduction and expression of pathogen-derived sequences in the plant of interest, Pathogen Derived Resistance (PDR) (Sanford & Johnson, 1985; Abel et al., 1986; Tavazza and Lucioli, 1993).
Although such strategies have been successfully applied for the introduction of resistance characters to plant viruses with RNA genome (Beachy, 1997), in the case of geminiviruses, with a DNA genome, the expression of pathogen-derived sequences has produced plants with no lasting resistance and/or tolerance.
The mechanisms that induce virus resistance achieved through the expression of pathogen-derived sequences can be grouped in two wide classes:                a) resistance mediated by the expression of a pathogen protein such as, for instance, the expression of a dominant negative mutant;        b) resistance mediated by the post-transcriptional gene silencing (Baulcombe, 1996; Beachy, 1997; Zaitlin and Palukaitis, 2000).
The post-trascriptional gene silencing is a ubiquitary process in eukaryotes, involving the degradation of specific RNAs following the formation of double strand RNA (dsRNA) molecules having sequences homologous to the target RNA.
Although there may be different contexts able to induce the production of dsRNA homologous to the transgene (transcription of aberrant transgenic RNAs, presence in the transgenic RNA of sufficiently long inverted and repeated sequences, integration of the transgene in the plant genome in inverted and repeated multiple copies), once the dsRNA is produced, the latter is recognised and degraded in short molecules of dsRNA of about 21-26 nucleotides, referred to as siRNA.
The siRNAs are then integrated in a multiprotein complex named RISC, that is able to degrade all RNAs having sequence homology with the siRNAs. The latter ones represent therefore the determining factors of RNA silencing specificity and their presence related to a determined sequence establishes univocally that this RNA sequence is post-transcriptionally silenced.
Therefore, transgenic plants post-transcriptionally silenced for sequences derived from viral RNA genome, are resistant to the homologous virus and to viruses with nucleotide sequences closely related to the transgene.
The transgene silencing can be also induced following virus infection.
In fact, viral replication is able to induce silencing of a transgene, initially not silenced, if the nucleotide sequence of the transgene is homologous to a portion of the infecting virus genome. The activation of the silencing mechanism involves the specific degradation of the RNA molecules having sequence homology with the inducer RNA.
As direct consequence, the silencing activation by the virus is associated with a degradation of both transgenic mRNA sequences homologous to the virus and viral genome. This results in the host recovery after an initial infectious step, so that the new vegetative part is proved to be virus free. A peculiar characteristic of the plant tissues that develop subsequently to the recovery phenomenon is that they are highly resistant to a following infection by the same virus.
The resistance mediated by post-transcriptional gene silencing, since based on recognition at the nucleotidic level, confers resistance only against viral isolates closely homologous to the virus genome from which the transgene was derived. Instead, strategies based on the expression of a pathogen protein normally produce plants resistant also to viral strains or isolates not-closely related from a nucleotide point of view.
It is also been shown that the transgene silencing is influenced by the temperature, being inactive at temperatures below 15° C. (Szittya et al., 2003). Therefore plants exposed in field conditions at temperature range below 15° C. can lose the silencing-mediated resistance.
It must be borne in mind that, although from several years transgenic plants resistant to RNA genome viruses have been achieved through mechanisms based on transgene silencing, so far it is not reported that such strategy can be successfully applied to the geminiviruses (DNA genome-viruses).
It's clear that the best strategy in order to obtain plants resistant to a wide spectrum of geminiviruses is the one in which the interfering product is the protein. It is clear that the width of the resistance spectrum increases the agronomic and commercial value of the produced plant.
Thereby the expression in transgenic plants of dysfunctional variants of geminivirus replicative Rep protein has been used in order to obtain plants with greater levels of resistance or immunity against the geminiviruses.
It's known in literature that the expression of a truncated replicative Rep protein (Rep-210) of TYLCSV is able to confer resistance against viral infection, although such resistance is not lasting because the virus is able to overcome it over time.
In tables 1 and 2 are shown the results of the analysis of the resistance of TYLCSV-agroinoculated Rep-210 expressing transgenic plants of Tomato 47×wt (Brunetti et al. 1997) and of N. benthamiana line 102.22 (Noris et al. 1996) respectively.
TABLE 1No infected% infectedLycopersiconTimeplants/inoculatedplants/inoculatedesculentum(weeks)plantsplantsRep-21040/13092/1315185/1338Wild-type46/6 100
TABLE 2No infected% infectedNicotianaTimeplants/inoculatedplants/inoculatedbenthamiana(weeks)plantsplantsRep-2102 4/2119311/2152418/2186Wild-type26/6100
From the results reported in tables 1 and 2, it can be clearly inferred that the resistance against TYLCSV mediated by the transgenic expression of a pathogen-derived sequence, is overcome with time.
Similarly, also the resistance induced by the transgenic expression of a dominant negative mutant of Rep of the bipartite geminivirus "African Cassava Mosaic Virus" is overcome with time (Sangaré et al., 1999).
Another example is represented by the transgenic expression of the TYLCV capsid protein in a tomato interspecific hybrid (Lycopersicon esculentum X L. pennellii) which confers a partial resistance against viral infection (Kunik et al., 1994). Even in this case the resistance mediated by the expression of the capsid protein is not long lasting and it results to be poorly useful from an agronomic point of view.
In the light of the above, is clear the need to have new methods that would allow to use successfully the polynucleotide sequences derived from the geminiviruses in order to obtain long lasting resistant plants against geminiviruses.
The authors of the present invention have now prepared polynucleotide sequences encoding pathogen-derived viral proteins and able to confer virus resistance to the host, suitably modified in order to be ineffective targets of the virus-induced post-transcriptional gene silencing to obtain transgenic plants with lasting levels of resistance against geminiviruses.
In fact during the experiments the authors show that the overcoming of the resistance, and therefore the difficulty to achieve lasting resistance against geminiviruses, is due to the unexpected abilities of the geminiviruses to silence post-transcriptionally the transgene and to spread in a plant in which the transgene, with sequences homologous to the infecting virus, is post-transcriptionally silenced.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, both in the transgenic plants of N. benthamiana line 102.22 and in the plants of Tomato 47×wt the virus ability to overcome the resistance results from the transgene silencing by the same virus and from the unexpected ability of the virus to spread in a silenced plant.
The TYLCSV ability to spread in a plant in which the transgene Rep-210 is post-transcriptionally silenced, is further circumstantiated as set forth in FIG. 4.
The results show that the transgenic tomato plants 47×10D (Brunetti et al., 1997), post-transcriptionally silenced before agroinoculation, as shown by the absence of the Rep-210 protein and by the concurrent presence of the transgene-homologous siRNAs, are susceptible to the TYLCSV infection as well as the controls.
From the above it results that, contrary to RNA viruses, the geminivirus is not blocked by an active silencing of viral gene sequences. The above said is not limited to the kind of transgenic plant to be used or the way the virus should be inoculated, through agroinfection or Bemisia tabaci. In fact, as shown in table 3, using a reduced number of viruliferous bemisia per plant, so as to infect between 90% and 100% of the control plants, about 40% of transgenic plants (line 201) whose transgene is post-trascriptionally silenced, are not or late infected, while at a higher inoculum concentration, all the plants challenged with viruliferous insects are infected similarly to the experiments carried out using agroinoculation.
TABLE 3Low concentrationHigh concentrationMolecular Analysisof inoculumaof inoculumbbefore inoculum2c36236Transgenic plantsRep-210siRNAs 6/15 7/15 8/1516/2120/2121/21(No)(Si)Not transgenicRep-210siRNAs11/1211/1211/128/88/88/8(No)(No)aSeven viruliferous insects per plant for 2 daysbThirty-five viruliferous insects per plant for 5 dayscWeeks after inoculum
Therefore it's important to consider that the viral agroinoculation conditions used for testing the resistance and assessing persistence over time (as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 and in tables 1 and 2) correspond to high or very high viral pressure conditions. This experimental approach allows to identify transgenic plants with very high resistance levels or immune against the viral infection and therefore of very high commercial value.
Accordingly, the introduction of resistance characters against geminiviruses through the expression of pathogen-derived sequences is limited due to the unexpected ability of the geminiviruses to silence post-trascriptionally the transgene and to spread in the silenced plant.
Furthermore the authors show that the transcripts both of positive (V1 and V2) and negative strand (C1, C2, C3 and C4) of TYLCSV are subjected, during a normal infection on wild-type plants, to the viral post-trascriptional silencing, as shown in FIG. 5. This results in the impossibility to achieve long-term resistance through expression of sequences derived from the same pathogen, unless these are suitably modified in order not to be a target or to be an ineffective target of the virus-induced post-trascriptional gene silencing. Instead, by introducing in the plant genome a sequence suitably mutated or chosen according to the invention it is possible to obtain a long lasting resistance against geminiviruses, unlike that achieved with the known methods.

Method for the preparation of transgenic plants characterised by geminivirus lasting resistance

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Power transmitting fluids, especially automatic transmission fluids, possess improved properties such as antiwear, durability, antioxidation, and shift-time performance by incorporation of high viscosity polyalphaolefins.

The present invention relates to power transmitting fluids, particularly automatic transmission fluids, of enhanced performance capabilities.
Automobile builders continually strive to produce more durable vehicles. Overall vehicle durability is a function of the durability of each of the components in the vehicle, e.g., the engine, transmission, etc. In order to improve overall vehicle durability, the durability of every major component in the vehicle must be improved. To improve the durability of the automatic transmission, automatic transmission fluids (ATF's) of improved performance must be produced. Relative performance of an automatic transmission fluid can be determined by evaluating the consistency of transmission shifts with increasing time or mileage, the extent to which the transmission has worn, and the extent to which the ATF has oxidized and sheared (lost viscosity). What we have now found is a method of simultaneously improving all of these ATF performance characteristics.
Although many `bench` tests have been devised to evaluate ATF performance, e.g., SAE #2 friction test machines and Vickers vane pump tests, the best assessment of transmission durability is gained from running an actual transmission. Running a transmission in an extremely severe operating regime, under highly controlled conditions, is quite difficult. However, General Motors has devised such a test. It is described in the General Motors DEXRON.RTM.-III specification as the 4L60 Cycling Test (ATF Specification GM-6297M, April 1993, Appendix F). In this test a full automobile driveline (engine and transmission) is loaded by means of an energy absorption dynamometer. The dynamometer is programmed to simulate the inertia of a fully laden vehicle. With the transmission sump temperature held at 135.degree. C., the engine is accelerated from idle to 3400 rpm under full throttle conditions. Each acceleration from idle to 3400 rpm is termed a `cycle`. A standard test consists of 20,000 cycles. This test correlates very well with severe field service. Using this test to evaluate overall transmission durability and fluid degradation, what we have now found, is that ATF's that contain a minor amount of a high viscosity polyalphaolefin as part of the base oil mixture provide unexpected good transmission durability.

Automatic transmission fluids with improved transmission performance


An exercise bench includes a floor engaging base, a vertical column, a body support, and inclined rails which occupy a vertical plane together with the column. Cables are interconnected between respective handles and respective pivot arms. At least one resistance device is interconnected between the pivot arms and one of the frame members. The cables are routed about pulleys which are selectively movable along respective rails to facilitate different types of exercise motions.

The present invention relates to exercise equipment and especially to a multi-purpose exercise bench.
Many types and variations of exercise equipment are known in the art. The xe2x80x9chome gymxe2x80x9d is one recognized exercise equipment category. Generally speaking, this type of product is intended to provide a variety of exercises on a single piece of equipment which is relatively compact and affordable.
The present invention provides a multi-purpose exercise bench which strikes a desirable balance between the cost of manufacture and both the quantity and quality of available exercises. Many of the features and/or advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the more detailed description that follows.


A charged-particle beam microscope is provided for imaging a sample. The microscope has a stage to hold a sample and a charged-particle beam column to direct a charged-particle beam onto the sample. The charged-particle beam column includes a charged-particle beam source to generate a charged-particle beam, and charged-particle beam optics to converge the charged-particle beam onto the sample. The microscope also has a light beam column to direct a light beam onto the sample. The light beam column includes a light beam source to generate a light beam, and light-beam optics to converge the light beam onto the sample. One or more detectors are provided to detect charged-particle and light radiation emanating from the sample to generate an image. A controller to analyze the detected charged-particle radiation and detected light radiation to generate an image of the sample.

Microscopy, which includes charged-particle beam microscopy and light microscopy, can be used to image samples at very small dimensions. For example, charged-particle beam microscopy, which includes electron microscopy and focused ion beam microscopy, can be used to investigate samples at dimensions smaller than what is possible using solely light microscopy. Charged-particle beam microscopy may also reveal information that is not readily available through light microscopy, such as in relation to composition, crystallography, and topography of the sample.
However, conventional charged-particle microscopes typically have a number of practical disadvantages compared to light microscopes. Conventional charged-particle microscopes are usually cumbersome to maintain and repair. For example, replacing worn or damaged internal components of a microscope may require specialized knowledge and extreme care so as not to contaminate the normally evacuated space within the microscope or damage the sensitive componentry.
Moreover, microscopes may be complicated to operate, requiring extensive training. In addition, microscopes may be expensive and require the human operator who wants to image a sample to be present at the microscope or at a single user terminal that is locally connected to the microscope. Popular access to the benefits of certain types of microscopy has therefore been severely limited.
Thus, it is desirable to provide microscopy that is reliable and permits relatively easy maintenance and repair. It is also desirable for a microscope to be relatively accessible and easy to use without extensive training.

Hybrid charged-particle beam and light beam microscopy


Accessory for a liquid container (20), in particular a beverage container, such as a glass or a cup, having a main body and two clamping members (2, 3, 13) to be placed on either side of the upper edge of the liquid container and integrally formed with the main body, which in unloaded situation leave an insertion opening (23) for the edge open, the first clamping member (5, 6) intended for engagement of the inner side of the liquid container being provided with at least two first clamping surfaces spaced apart in edge circumferential direction and the second clamping member (13) intended for engagement of the outer side of the liquid container being provided with a second clamping surface situated in between them, in which the first clamping member is provided with portions extending with a directional component in edge direction, on which portions the first clamping surfaces are situated, which portions are deformable, in particular bendable, in a plane parallel to the plane in which the edge of the liquid container is situated.

The invention relates to an accessory for a liquid container, in particular a beverage container, such as a glass for a soft drink or beer, or tea, or a cup or mug for it.
It may be desirable to separately serve or add an ingredient for the beverage to the beverage in the beverage container. An example of this is a slice of lemon with a glass of white beer. Another example is a tea bag.
It may also be desirable to add something special, sometimes festive or something striking to a beverage container. An example of this is an ornament, such as an animal figure. An other example is an advertisement picture.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,502 a little cup or a slice of lemon is known, which has a curved shape and which at the concave side at the top is provided with a hook with which the little cup can be hung from the upper edge of the glass. The little cup is deformable in order to be pressed in to squeeze the slice of lemon, the juice escaping through the bottom of the little cup.
From Dutch patent application 88.00568 another holder for a lemon slice is known, consisting of two hingeably connected lemon slice-shaped halves.
Both halves are provided with lip portions, which in closed position of the holder form a lip which with the rest of the holder defines an accommodation space for the edge of a glass. The holder is designed to extend above the contents of the glass in the positioned situation. Both halves of the holder can be pressed together in order to squeeze the lemon slice, the juice escaping through a channel.
A drawback of the aforementioned known accessories for liquid or beverage containers is that their positioning on the beverage containers is far from stable and that they are suitable fur only a limited number of (beverage) container sizes. It may therefore occur that the lemon slice holders fall from the glass while serving the beverage and the lemon slice gets dirty. Also during drinking, the lemon slice holder may fall from the glass, so that a provision has to be made to be able store the lemon slice holder away. In order to facilitate the drinking in the above-mentioned second proposal the holder first has to be removed from the glass in any ease.

Accessory for a liquid container, in particular a beverage container


A method for evaluating a dynamic power consumption of a block, the method includes: receiving or generating information representative of the block during a preliminary block design stage that precedes a gate level simulation of the block; estimating change probabilities of signals of internal components of the block; and evaluating a dynamic power consumption of the block in response to the change probabilities of the signals of internal components of the block.

Integrated circuits are designed by a highly complex design process. Typically, each stage of the design process provides more information about the designed integrated circuit, but is more costly and typically more complex. In addition, problems that are detected during later stages of the design process are typically harder to resolve, especially if their amendment requires performing earlier design process stages.
An integrate circuit includes multiple blocks and each block includes multiple internal components, input ports and output ports. An internal component can include a logic gate, (also referred to as a combinatory cell), a flip-flop, a transistor, or even a function. A block can be a core, a logic circuit, a memory unit, and the like. A block is typically re-used in different integrated circuits.
A typical design process of an integrated circuit block includes various stages. The design process can include receiving a register transfer level description and synthesizing the register transfer level description. This description can be transformed to a gate level design by synthesis. It is noted that the synthesis process can include a so-called placed and route stage that provides the layout of the block. This stage is followed by verifying the block design. Various vendors such as Cadence and Synopsis provide various tools such as that streamline the design process. Verilog and VHDL are known hardware description languages for describing blocks during the design process.
A known prior art tool for power estimation (such as Power Meter or Primepower) provides a power estimate after a gate level design of the block is generated. The power estimate is very accurate but is executed at a relatively late stage of the design process and requires a gate level run on a test pattern, which consumes time and machine time. Altering the design of the block at such a late stage of the design process is very costly and time consuming.

System and method for evaluating a dynamic power consumption of a block


A brush holder for a replaceable interdental brush having a body portion and a gripping member mounted on the body portion and movable relative to it. The stem of a brush can be inserted into the holder and is retained between opposed surfaces of the body portion and gripping member. Preferably the opposed surfaces may be textured or have ribs. Optionally the holder is adapted to retain the brush in a variety of orientations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holders for brushes and particularly to interdental brush holders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical interdental brush has bristles extending radially from a deformable wire stem. Such brushes are not easily gripped by the user and may therefore be difficult to use. It is therefore desirable to provide a holder for such brushes.


A bone cap device for use over a meat cut having at least one exposed bone is provided. The meat cut is positionable inside a separate outer bag with the bone cap device cushioning the exposed bone from piercing the separate outer bag. The bone cap device comprises a first bone cap positionable over the first exposed bone. A second bone cap is positionable over the second exposed bone. A connection member connects the first bone cap to the second bone cap wherein the first bone cap and the second bone cap inhibits the first exposed bone and second exposed bone, respectively, from piercing the separate outer bag.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a bone plastic cap device for meat positioned within an outer vacuum sealed bag and, more particularly, it relates to a bone plastic cap device for meat which is positioned over exposed bone portions cushioning and inhibiting the exposed bone portions from piercing the outer vacuum sealed bag and which the bone plastic cap device also maintains its position over the exposed bone portions within the outer vacuum sealed bag.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Large cuts of meat are often processed for sale to a butcher rather than to the ultimate retail consumer. The local butcher then re-cuts the meat for display and resale to the purchasing public. In the modern-day processing of freshly killed meat, problems occur during the packaging process where vacuum sealing of the meat in an outer bag for shipping is employed.
During the butchering process, portions of exposed bone typically protrude from various places in the meat cut and may pierce the vacuum sealed outer bag producing a so-called "leaker". Since these various types of meat cuts can be quite large and can vary in shape and in the cut of meat, the problem of preserving the meat cut in an vacuum sealed outer shipping bag manifests itself whenever an exposed bone portion tears the vacuum sealed outer bag. The destruction of the vacuum seal caused by the exposed bone pieces permits entry and rapid growth of bacteria in the package, thus reducing the shelf life of the meat. The visible evidence of the bacteria growth is very apparent and can destroy the fresh appearance of the package of meat.
In order to overcome the serious bone puncture problem, the prior art solutions have attempted using separate cushions over the exposed bone portions with a cloth material impregnated with wax or other soft pliable materials thereby accomplishing a protective padding. Other cushions also have been tried using flat sheets of plastic material over the exposed bone portion. Both of the above prior art solution attempts have a distinct disadvantage of being labor intensive in application. Furthermore, the beeswax coated cushions did not permit a clear viewing of the meat underneath the padding since the beeswax coated cushions are not transparent. Additionally, separate small cushions were labor intensive to apply and difficult to keep in place over the exposed bone portions during insertion into the outer vacuum sealed bag.
For a more detailed discussion of the problems using prior art cushion devices, reference should be made to the Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,822, issued on Jun. 14, 1977, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,533, issued on Aug. 13, 1991, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,21 1, issued on Nov. 17, 1992, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a bone plastic cap device for covering exposed bone portions of meat which inhibits bone piercing or punctures of the outer vacuum sealed bag. Additionally, a need exists for a bone plastic cap device for covering exposed bone portions of meat which maintains its relative position over the exposed bone portions of the meat during insertion into the outer vacuum sealed bag and during shipment of the meat. Furthermore, there exists a need for a bone plastic cap device for covering exposed bone portions of meat which expands to simultaneously cover at least two oppositely situated exposed bone portions of the meat and is maintained in relative position over the exposed bone portions.

Bone plastic cap device and method of using for meat cuts


A method and apparatus for indicating when only a given minimum preset number of winding layers are present on a drum of a winch. An optical sensor system is included in a space in a hollow housing to count the number of revolutions of the drum and the direction of rotation to produce an alarm signal when only the minimum number of winding layers remains on the drum.

The operator of a winch or hoist, either on a crane or on a truck, cannot always see the load that is being moved which can present a hazard when being lowered. When making a lift or pull, operators are frequently guided by an additional person giving directions either by radio or by hand signals. A need exists to prevent the operator of a winch or hoist from spooling off all of the cable on a winch drum and particularly a requirement exists for an indicator of how many wraps of cable remain on the winch drum. In the industry it is typically called a "third wrap indicator" and as the name implies this device warns the operator with an audible or visual signal when only three wraps of cable remain on the winch drum.
Several methods are known to determine the amount of cable that is left on a cable drum of a winch. These frequently use separate idler sheaves that the cable engages which can lead to error due to cable slippage. In another method an algorithm is used to calculate the amount of cable on the drum. The algorithm method considers the revolutions of the drum and the amount of cable that is analytically on the drum at any instant. However, it relies on the assumption that the cable wraps perfectly for each revolution of the drum. Current systems all use an indirect means to calculate the amount of cable that is on the drum or has passed over the drum. As the cable is wound on the drum, each layer has a different amount because the circumference has changed. The current systems rely on the proposition that each wrap of cable is wound analytically perfect. This is very difficult to achieve in practice and therefore it is difficult to accurately measure the length of a cable as it wraps on the drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,859 shows a load height indication with a rotation-measuring device and indicator to display the load position in numbers of feet from a reference point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,295 shows a pneumatic penetration sensor for oil drilling with paying out of a first layer of cable from the drum, the sensor pulses being coupled to a first pneumatic counter, which is preset so as to provide an output pulse corresponding to a predetermined increment of motion during the paying out of the first layer. Additional counters are provided with different preset limits so that they will provide output pulses corresponding to the predetermined increment of motion during the paying out of second and additional layers of cable from the drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,163 shows a system for calculating and displaying cable payout from a rotatable drum storage device with up/down counter 43 to count the net value as accumulated from a predetermined reference zero position, e.g. "0" cable paidout. A calculating capability in arithmetic unit 44 performs the required computations and a clock source 45 provides a timing reference for a computer.
The following references are of general interest for showing cable payout from a drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,020; U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,130; U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,299; U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,217; U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,358; U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,596; DE010029757; DE019900916; GB002074970.

Winch or hoist including a device for signaling when a preset minimum number of cable windings are left on a winding drum


A new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea rose plant is provided which abundantly forms attractive salmon pink blossoms. The blossoms commonly possess approximately 30 to 34 petals per bloom. The buds are large and are borne on straight erect stems. Attractive dark green semi-glossy foliage is formed. The new variety is particularly well suited for forming cut flowers under greenhouse growing conditions.

Rosa hybrida/Hybrid Tea Rose Plant.
cv. xe2x80x98Keihayanasaxe2x80x99.
The new variety of Rosa hybrida Hybrid Tea rose plant was discovered during 1998 in Japan while growing among plants of the xe2x80x98Febesaxe2x80x99 variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,529). The new variety of the present invention accordingly is believed to be a naturally-occurring mutation of the xe2x80x98Febesaxe2x80x99 variety of unknown causation.
It was found that the new variety of Hybrid Tea rose plant of the present invention possesses the following combination of characteristics:
(a) Forms large elongated buds on straight stems,
(b) Forms in abundance attractive salmon pink blossoms,
(c) Forms attractive dark green semi-glossy foliage, and
(d) Is particularly well suited for the production of cut flowers under greenhouse growing conditions.
The new variety well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be used to advantage during the commercial production of cut flowers under greenhouse growing conditions.
The new variety was selected and preserved primarily because of its distinctive blossom coloration that differed from the parent xe2x80x98Febesaxe2x80x99 variety. More specifically, the xe2x80x98Febesaxe2x80x99 variety exhibits light pink blossoms whereas the new variety of the present invention forms blossoms that are salmon pink in coloration. In addition, the number of petals per blossom is different. More specifically, the xe2x80x98Febesaxe2x80x99 variety commonly forms approximately 20 to 24 petals per blossom on average whereas the new variety of the present invention commonly exhibits approximately 30 to 34 petals per blossom on average.
The new variety of the present invention can be distinguished from the xe2x80x98Keihatakahoxe2x80x99 variety (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/832,840, filed concurrently herewith) that also is a mutation of the xe2x80x98Febesaxe2x80x99 variety. More specifically, the xe2x80x98Keihatakahoxe2x80x99 variety forms deep pink blossoms having approximately 50 petals blossom.
The new variety has been found to undergo asexual propagation by a number of routes, including budding, grafting, and the rooting of cuttings. Such asexual propagation by the above-mentioned methods as performed in France has shown that the characteristics of the new variety are strictly transmissible by such asexual propagation from one generation to another.
The new variety has been named the xe2x80x98Keihayanasaxe2x80x99 variety.

Hybrid Tea rose plant named xe2x80x98Keihayanasaxe2x80x99


A soil monitoring system for an agricultural tillage implement includes a sensor configured to be coupled to a frame of the agricultural tillage implement. The sensor is configured to be directed toward a region of a soil surface. In addition, the sensor is configured to emit an output signal toward the region of the soil surface and to receive a return signal indicative of a profile of the soil surface within the region. Furthermore, the soil monitoring system includes a controller configured to identify a rough soil profile in response to determining that at least one variation in the profile of the soil surface within the region is greater than a first threshold value, and/or in response to determining that a number of variations in the profile of the soil surface within the region is greater than a second threshold value.

The present disclosure relates generally to a soil monitoring system for an agricultural tillage implement.
Certain agricultural tillage implements include ground engaging tools configured to interact with the soil. For example, an agricultural tillage implement may include tillage points and/or disc blades configured to break up the soil for subsequent planting or seeding operations. While performing tillage operations, an operator may periodically stop the agricultural tillage implement and inspect the soil behind the agricultural tillage implement. The operator may then adjust various parameters associated with the tillage operation (e.g., the penetration depth of one or more ground engaging tools, the speed of the agricultural tillage implement through the field, etc.) based on the inspection to enhance the tillage operation. Unfortunately, the process of periodically stopping the agricultural tillage implement and performing the inspection may substantially delay the agricultural tillage operation, thereby reducing the efficiency of the tillage process.

Soil monitoring system for an agricultural tillage implement


Methods of increasing yields of succinate using aerobic culture methods and a multi-mutant E. coli strain are provided. Also provided is a mutant strain of E. coli that produces high amounts of succinic acid.

Carboxylic acids hold promise as potential precursors for numerous chemicals. For example, succinic acid can serve as a feedstock for such plastic precursors as 1,4-butanediol (BDO), tetrahydrofuran, and gamma-butyrolactone. New products derived from succinic acid are under constant development, with the most notable of these being polyester which is made by linking succinic acid and BDO. Generally, esters of succinic acids have the potential of being "green" solvents that can supplant more harmful solvents and serve as precursors for millions of pounds of chemicals annually at a total market value of over $1 billion. Along with succinic acid, other 4-carbon dicarboxylic acids, such as malic acid, and fumaric acid also have feedstock potential.
Succinic acid can be used as a monomer for the production of various polyesters. It is commercially prepared by hydrogenation of maleic or fumaric acid, and is also produced by aqueous alkali or acid hydrolysis of succinonitrile. Currently more than 15,000 tons of succinic acid are manufactured annually in the United States.
The production of these carboxylic acids from renewable feedstocks (in this case through fermentation processes) is an avenue to supplant the more energy intensive methods of deriving such acids from nonrenewable sources. It has long been known that a mixture of acids are produced from E. coli fermentation. However, for each mole of glucose fermented, only 1.2 moles of formic acid, 0.1–0.2 moles of lactic acid, and 0.3–0.4 moles of succinic acid are produced. As such, efforts to produce carboxylic acids fermentatively have resulted in relatively large amounts of growth substrates, such as glucose, not being converted to desired product. Anaerobic production of succinate is hampered primarily by the limitations of NADH availability, slow cell growth and production.
Metabolic engineering has the potential to considerably improve process productivity by manipulating the throughput of metabolic pathways. Specifically, manipulating enzyme levels through the amplification, addition, or deletion of a particular pathway can result in high yields of a desired product.

Aerobic succinate production in bacteria


The object is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a polyhydroxy carboxylic acid according to which an annular dimer can be efficiently obtained in the production of polyhydroxy carboxylic acid which is small in distribution breadth of molecular weight in depolymerization and opening ring polymerization steps. There are provided a depolymerization device 11 which depolymerizes hydroxy carboxylic acid or a polycondensate thereof into an annular dimer, a upper distillation column 13 which condenses the annular dimer vaporized in the depolymerization device 11, and lower distillation column 12 which refluxes the annular dimer and is provided between the depolymerization device 11 and the upper distillation column 13, said depolymerization device 11 having a polycondensate feed opening 54 and an annular dimer discharge opening 55 which are provided at a casing 50, a liquid film being formed inside the casing 50 and heated by a heating part.

Conventional apparatuses are, for example, those which are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. According to these apparatuses, a polylactic acid is produced by concentrating lactic acid to reduce the content of water and then polycondensing the concentrated lactic acid to produce a lactic acid oligomer, once depolymerizing the lactic acid oligomer with addition of a catalyst such as antimony oxide, thereby to obtain an annular dimer (lactide), if necessary, carrying out purification by crystallization or the like, and thereafter opening ring polymerizing the lactide with addition of a catalyst such as tin octylate to produce a polylactic acid.
Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus including a lactide-forming reactor which depolymerises lactic acid oligomer and a condenser which condenses evaporated lactide, with a reflux condenser being provided between the lactide-forming reactor and the condenser.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-11-217425
Patent Document 2: JP-A-10-168077

Method and apparatus for producing polyhydroxy carboxylic acid


An electrical floor box assembly for installation in a floor structure includes an electrical floor box having a plurality of sidewalls and at least one clamp device attached to a sidewall so that the floor box may be mounted to a raised floor structure or leveled atop a support surface using the clamp device. The clamp device includes a clamp body, a threaded rod mounted for rotation along a longitudinal axis within the clamp body, and a clamp arm threadingly engaging the threaded rod so that it is movable along the rod in association with rotation thereof and can be moved into engagement with the undersurface of the floor structure to secure the floor box in place. The clamp device may further include a leveling subassembly for installation of the electrical floor box onto a support surface prior to construction of the floor around the leveled floor box.

Electrical floor boxes are typically installed in a floor to house electrical components and provide a connection to electrical, communication and other wiring routed under and through the floor of a building structure. Such floor boxes generally must be mounted substantially flush with the upper surface of the floor. Various buildings have floors of different types, materials and thickness. For example, electrical floor boxes may be installed in a concrete floor, such as in an exhibition center, arena or office building, or in a joisted or raised floor, such as in a house. Some construction sites may utilize both concrete and raised floors. Each type of floor presents different requirements for positioning and mounting a floor box with respect to the floor. Currently, when floor boxes are installed, electricians must bring to the construction site multiple types of brackets, shims and mounting devices so as to be prepared to install floor boxes in either type of floor. If the electrician has the wrong equipment for installation of the box, the electrician may need to leave the construction site to obtain the proper installation devices, thereby resulting in added time for completion of a job.
Concrete floors are commonly constructed in a couple of manners. For example, a concrete floor can simply be poured onto a leveled dirt surface, such as for the ground level. Alternatively, the floor may be constructed by pouring concrete in steel forms, such as for upper levels of a building structure. Cable plenums for wiring the structure are typically pre-located on the leveled dirt or within the steel form structure, and are located under the floor once the concrete is poured. In order to connect to source power and signal cables running through such cable plenums, the plenums must be accessed by a hole formed through the concrete and the steel. Forming such a hole in an existing concrete floor for installing a floor box can be expensive, dirty, and disruptive to other uses of the area surrounding the intended in-floor box location. Thus, electrical floor boxes customarily are installed, prior to pouring the concrete floor, into pre-designated or pre-framed clearance holes where the boxes rest directly on the leveled dirt surface or within the steel form structure. Depending on floor thickness, different box wall heights may be required to bring an upper edge of the in-floor box level with the desired floor level. Additionally, with concrete floors, it is critical to ensure that the floor box is level before the concrete is poured so that the upper surface of the floor box is flush with upper surface of the concrete floor.
Electrical floor boxes also can be used in floor structures built with raised floor designs, such as board-on-joist floor designs. Board-on-joist floors can include traditional wood flooring as well as laminate, linoleum, carpeting, or other flooring material supported on a joisted sub-floor. In a board-on-joist floor design, cable plenums are located between the joists. A cable plenum under a board-on-joist floor can be accessed relatively quickly and without significant cost or disruption of the surrounding area. However, actually installing a floor box into an existing board-on-joist floor can be challenging. In particular, firmly fastening the box to the floor can be difficult because many flooring materials do not accept or retain conventional fasteners, or may interfere with penetration of fasteners into the sub-floor or joists. In particular, stone or ceramic tiles and some types of wood-finish resin laminates can frustrate most desirable methods of fastening a floor box in the floor. Ceramics are particularly frustrating because incautious fastening efforts can destroy the tile flooring. Fastening the floor box to the floor structure is further made more difficult by a desire to minimize secondary cuts or holes drilled in the flooring material, since each additional cut or hole further weakens and detracts from the appearance of the flooring material.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an effective and inexpensive device for locating an electrical floor box at an appropriate height above a steel form for concrete floors. Also, there is a need for an effective and inexpensive device for firmly attaching a floor box to a raised floor. Ideally, a single device capable of addressing both needs, especially a device that can be removably attached to the floor box and adjusted into desired position and orientation once attached, is desirable. Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an electrical floor box assembly that overcomes the problems and drawbacks associated with installation of a floor box in a concrete floor structure as well as a raised floor structure.

Apparatus for installation of electrical floor boxes


A remote control system for moving an access door includes an indicator, at least one uniquely coded remote transmitter, and a controller that is switchable to a learning mode for learning a unique code of a remote transmitter to define a learned remote transmitter. The controller is switchable to a door moving mode based upon receiving a signal from the learned remote transmitter. The controller cooperates with the indicator for indicating whether a new uniquely coded remote transmitter has been learned based upon the controller being switched to the door moving mode to thereby alert a user of a potentially unauthorized learned remote transmitter. Alternately, a remote switch may be used to activate the indicator.

A typical remote control system for an access door, such as a garage door, for example, includes a receiver associated with a controller that cooperates with one or more remote transmitters. The controller is used to operate a motor that moves the access door between open or closed positions.
The controller may include features to store and compare unique codes associated with the remote transmitters, with each remote transmitter having its own unique code initially programmed therein. The unique codes may be added or learned into the controller or deleted from the controller.
Unfortunately, a would-be thief gaining access to the controller may readily enter its programming or learn mode to install the code of an unauthorized remote transmitter. The owner would thus be unaware of such activity, until the thief returns with the unauthorized remote transmitter to open the access door to steal items from within the closed off area.
A remote control system for a garage door sold by Linear Corp. includes an LED that indicates the number of learned remote transmitters by blinking an indicator light which allows the user to confirm the number of such transmitters upon learning a new remote transmitter. Unfortunately, activation of the LED is not readily convenient or accessible to the owner after installation of the controller. This is particularly so since the activation button is carried by a housing that is mounted to the ceiling of the garage. The housing also carries the receiver, the controller and the motor.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Remote control system for an access door having remote transmitter verification


An apparatus includes an elongated member configured for transoral placement into a stomach, and a distal end effector including first and second members configured to engage stomach tissue, e.g., tissue beyond the: esophageal junction. The first and second members are movable relatively toward one another generally in a first plane, and the distal end effector is movable relative to the elongated member in a second plane generally transverse to the first plane. A third member of the distal end effector is configured to engage stomach tissue. The third member is movable in a distal direction relative to the first and second members. A tissue securement member of the apparatus is coupled to at least one of the first and second members for securing together tissue engaged thereby. The tissue securement member includes first and second parts, a suture attached to the first part, and a securing element attached to the suture and configured for engagement with the second part when the first and second members move relatively toward one another to engage tissue, to thereby secure the second part to the first part.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for reconfiguring tissue, and more particularly to reconfiguring tissue in the vicinity of the gastroesophageal junction.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common upper-gastrointestinal disorder in which acidic contents of the stomach flow inappropriately from the stomach into the esophagus. Backflow of gastric contents into the esophagus results when gastric pressure is sufficient to overcome the resistance to flow that normally exists at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) or when gravity acting on the contents is sufficient to cause flow through the GEJ. Medication, open surgical procedures, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and endoscopic techniques are known for treating GERD.
According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus includes an elongated member configured for transoral placement into the stomach, and a distal end effector including first and second members configured to engage stomach tissue, e.g., stomach tissue beyond the esophageal junction. The first and second members are movable relatively toward one another generally in a first plane, and the distal end effector is movable relative to the elongated member in a second plane generally transverse to the first plane.
Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features.
The distal end effector includes a third member configured to engage stomach tissue. The third member is movable in a distal direction relative to the first and second members. The third member includes a tissue engaging portion, e.g., a coil having a tissue penetrating tip.
The apparatus includes a tissue securement member for coupling to at least one of the first and second members for securing together tissue engaged thereby. The tissue securement member includes a first part for coupling to the first member for engagement with a first tissue section, a second part for coupling to the second member for engagement with a second tissue section to be secured to the first tissue section, a suture attached to the first part, and a securing element attached to the suture and configured for engagement with the second part when the first and second members are moved relatively toward one another to engage the first and second tissue sections, thereby to secure the second part to the first part. The securing element is configured for deployment from the first member, and the first member includes a deploying element for deploying the securing element from the first member. The first member includes tissue piercing elements defining a channel for receiving securing elements.
The second plane is generally perpendicular to the first plane. The distal end effector is configured for movement between a first position generally aligned with the elongated member and a second position in which the distal end effector has moved in the second plane out of alignment with the elongated member. A cable actuatable from a proximal end of the apparatus and coupled to the distal end effector moves the distal end effector in the second plane. A cable actuatable from the proximal end of the apparatus and coupled to the distal end effector moves the first and second members generally in the first plane.
The elongated member defines a channel for receiving an endoscope.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method includes advancing an apparatus including an elongated member transorally into the stomach. The apparatus includes a distal end effector having first and second members configured to engage stomach tissue. The first and second members are movable relatively toward one another generally in a first plane. The method includes then moving the distal end effector relative to the elongated member in a second plane generally perpendicular to the first plane to position the first and second members for engagement with the tissue.
Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features.
The first and second members are moved relatively toward one another in the first plane to engage tissue, e.g., stomach tissue beyond the esophageal junction. Moving the first and second members engages a first tissue section with a first securing part and a second tissue section with a second securing part. The first securing part includes a suture attached thereto and a securing element attached to the suture. The method includes moving the securing element into engagement with the second securing part to secure the second securing part to the first securing part. Moving the first and second members causes tissue piercing elements of the first member to pierce tissue. Securing elements are deployed through the tissue piercing elements.
The method further includes piercing the tissue with a third member of the distal end effector prior to engaging the tissue with the first and second members.
The instrument and method of the invention advantageously provide an endoscopic approach to treating GERD that does not require the surgical formation of portals to access the GEJ. The procedure can be performed as an outpatient procedure done under sedation, without general anesthesia being required. The procedure can be performed by gastroenterologists rather than a surgeon, and takes less time, has fewer complications and side-effects and has lower overall procedure costs than surgical methods. The procedure recreates or augments the natural anatomy, and is easily reversible.
Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims.


A locking positioning mechanism includes a first element and a second element, the first element and second element rotatable relative to one another about a common rotational axis between a locked orientation and an unlocked orientation and axially translatable relative to one another. The mechanism further includes one or more first locking surfaces of the first element and one or more second locking surfaces of the second element. The second locking surfaces are configured to clear the first locking surfaces in the unlocked orientation. The second locking surface is configured for an interference fit with a first locking surface in the locked orientation.

Many products contain components that are positioned relative to one another during a manufacturing assembly process. However, after initial positioning, it may be desired that these components be held in a fixed relative position. For example, many mobile cameras (those embedded in wireless telephones for instance) have a fixed focal length. Accordingly, the camera modules, e.g., lens assembly components, may be adjustably focused during manufacturing and then are locked for the life of the product.
Current approaches for facilitating adjustment during manufacturing and locking of camera components thereafter include threading a plastic part that holds the lenses into another plastic housing that holds the imaging sensor. The spacing between the lens assembly and the sensor is adjusted by turning the threaded engagement. When correctly positioned, UV cure epoxy is typically used to lock the two plastic parts together. This approach has a number of undesirable attributes, for example: 1) the threaded engagement can generate particles that may contaminate the sensor surface and produce blemishes in the images made by the camera; 2) the curing of the UV-cure epoxy adds cycle time to the manufacturing process; 3) the epoxy impedes rework of modules that are discovered to be out of focus at final test; and 4) the thread tolerances allow for play in the threaded engagement, which can result in relative movement after focus is set, but before UV cure.


Immobilized nucleotide primers of this invention include a modified nucleotide tethered to a support substrate through a linking group. In particular, the modified nucleotide is constructed such that the C-5xe2x80x2 end of the nucleotide is tetherable to the linking group and the protected C-3xe2x80x2 end is available for further controlled modification, e.g., addition of other nucleotides in specific sequences to the immobilized nucleotide primer. Additionally, the linking group is of sufficient length to allow the immobilized nucleotide primer to be used to synthesize and screen arrays of oligonucleotides, e.g., enzymatic C-3xe2x80x2 primer extension.

Of all the genes in a genome, only a small fraction are expressed in any individual cell. The temporal and spatial regulation in gene expression determines life processes. Many pathological developments, such as oncogenesis, are driven by gene expression. Identification of multiple genetic alterations as they occur in the genome is critical to understanding the molecular genetic events. Sequence analysis of nucleic acid molecules is essential to understanding and diagnosing disorders. Genetic alterations identified as being related to diseases can then be used as a guide for drug discovery. In the past two decades, the invention of techniques for immobilizing nucleic acid molecules on a solid phase has had a profound impact on the progress of the nucleic acid analysis, such as the use of DNA chips for gene expression analysis and solid phase primer extension for single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Automation of solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis has helped propel the advancement of molecular biology, which undoubtedly has laid the foundation of the modern understanding of life sciences.
In general, the present invention features a method for producing an immobilized oligonucleotide attached to a substrate via a C-5xe2x80x2 position and having a terminal C-3xe2x80x2 position.
In one aspect, this invention is directed to a method of producing an immobilized oligonucleotide on a substrate to which a first nucleotide is covalently attached via its C-5xe2x80x2 oxygen. The first nucleotide can be a nucleotide monomer or the 5xe2x80x2 terminal nucleotide of a nucleotide polymer. In general, such a first nucleotide includes a modified nucleotide tethered to a support substrate through a linking group. In particular, the modified nucleotide is constructed such that the C-5xe2x80x2 end of the nucleotide is tetherable to the linking group and the C-3xe2x80x2 end is available for further controlled modification, e.g., addition of other nucleotides in specific sequences to the immobilized nucleotide. In the case of adding a nucleotide monomer as the first nucleotide, the C-3xe2x80x2 end is the C-3xe2x80x2 of the nucleotide monomer. In the case of adding a nucleotide polymer as the first nucleotide, the C-3xe2x80x2 end is the C-3xe2x80x2 of the terminal nucleotide of the polymer. Additionally, the linking group is of sufficient length to allow the immobilized nucleotide to be used to synthesize and screen arrays of nucleotide oligomers, e.g., enzymatic C-3xe2x80x2 primer extension.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for in situ solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis with C-5xe2x80x2 attached to the substrate, thereby producing oligonucleotides which are a polymer of nucleotides. The method covers an in situ deprotection-activation-coupling cycle of oligonucleotide synthesis that includes covalently coupling a modified nucleotide via its C-5xe2x80x2 oxygen to an immobilized hydroxyl, wherein the modified nucleotide includes a C-3xe2x80x2 photolabile protecting group and a C-5xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group, and also wherein the immobilized hydroxyl group is activated with a phosphorous activating group. The synthesis includes sequentially deprotecting photolabile group from the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen of an immobilized nucleotide at terminus, activating the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen at terminus, in situ, with an activating phosphorous group, and coupling C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotides to the activated nucleotide at terminus. Optionally, the cycles of deprotecting, activating, and coupling can be repeated until a desired oligonucleotide is obtained. Typically, the immobilized C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen is activated with a phosphorous group such as a phosphoramidite, [(i-Pr)2N]POCH2CH2CN. The produced oligonucleotide can be further involved in enzyme-catalyzed reactions, e.g., polymerase mediated primer extension.
In further another aspect, the invention provides a method for an oligonucleotide synthesis in a direction of 5xe2x80x2 to 3xe2x80x2, thereby producing oligonucleotides that are a set of specific nucleotides. The method covers a deprotection-activation-coupling oligonucleotide synthesis which consists of a nucleotide or an oligonucleotide having a free terminal C-3xe2x80x2 hydroxyl and a terminal C-5xe2x80x2 that is blocked by a group, wherein the free terminal C-3xe2x80x2 hydroxyl is activated with a phosphorous activating group. The synthesis includes sequentially deprotecting a photolabile protecting group from the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen of a nucleotide at terminus, activating the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen, in situ, with an activating phosphorous group, and coupling another C-3xe2x80x2 photolabile protected nucleotides to the activated nucleotide at terminus. Optionally, the cycles of deprotecting, activating, and coupling can be repeated until a desired oligonucleotide is obtained. Typically, the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen is activated with a phosphorous group such as a phosphoramidite, e.g., [(i-Pr)2N]POCH2CH2CN.
The invention also features an array. The array includes a substrate having a plurality of addressable sites. Each of the sites of the plurality has an oligonucleotide covalently attached to the substrate via its C-5xe2x80x2 oxygen atom. Each site of the plurality can be directly adjacent to at least one other site. The sequence of each oligonucleotide of a site can be unique among the plurality. Addressable sites other than the sites of the plurality can be disposed on the array. The array can have a density of addresses and oligonucleotides described below. A spatially selective irradiation technique can be used to make such an oligonucleotide array. Generally, the method covers an in situ deprotection-activation-coupling oligonucleotide synthesis to covalently couple the C-5xe2x80x2 position of a non-immobilized nucleotide or oligonucleotide to a substrate to form an immobilized oligonucleotide having a photolabile group protected C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen available for the attachment of subsequent C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotides. The substrate includes a plurality of immobilized nucleotide starters arranged on the substrate as a 2-dimensional array. The synthesis for covalently coupling the C-5xe2x80x2 position of a non-immobilized nucleotide or oligonucleotide to a substrate includes selectively removing photolabile groups from a subset of immobilized nucleotides or oligonucleotides in the array by irradiating the subset to produce an hydroxyl group at the C-3xe2x80x2 terminus. The C-3xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group on the immobilized nucleotide at terminus can be activated again in-situ to form phosphoramidite for coupling the next non-immobilized nucleotide or oligonucleotide having a C-5xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group. Alternatively, the C-3xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group on the immobilized nucleotide can couple with a non-immobilized nucleotide or oligonucleotide having an C-5xe2x80x2 activated group and a C-3xe2x80x2 photolabile protecting group. The sequence and the length of the immobilized oligonucleotide can be chosen for specific applications. Photolabile protecting groups include, but are not limited to, NVOC, MBNPEOC, and MeNPOC.
Within the scope of this invention is a method to synthesize a nucleotide that is activated at C-5xe2x80x2 and photolabile group-protected at C-3xe2x80x2. The method includes protecting the C-5xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group, attaching a photolabile protecting group to the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen, deprotecting the C-5xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group, and attaching an activated phosphorous group to the C-5xe2x80x2 oxygen of a ribonucleic or deoxyribonucleic acid. Typically, the activated phosphorous group is phosphoramidite, i.e., [(i-Pr)2N]POCH2CH2CN. In general, the stereochemistry at C-1, i.e., where the base is attached to the sugar ring, can be selected to improve the synthetic yield of the C-5xe2x80x2 activated, C-3xe2x80x2 photolabile group protected nucleotide. Also contained within the scope of this invention is a method to covalently couple the C-5xe2x80x2 activated terminus of a monomeric nucleotide to a surface modified functional group on a substrate to form an immobilized nucleotide primer with an C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen available for the attachment of the next C-5xe2x80x2 activated, C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotide.
The invention features a C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotide having the formula
wherein X is selected from the group consisting of a photolabile protecting group and a chemically labile protecting group; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxyl; P is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a phosphorous activating group, and a phosphate or derivative thereof, and Base is selected from the group consisting of pyrimidine, purine, and derivatives thereof.
C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotide can have the formula
wherein R1, R2, R3 each independently is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, aryl, benzyl, and C1-C10 alkoxyl; R4 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, aryl, and benzyl; and P is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and [(i-Pr)2N]POCH2CH2CN.
The C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotide can also have the formula
wherein R1, R2, R3 each independently is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, aryl, benzyl, and C1-C10 alkoxyl; R4 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C10 alky, C2-C10 alkenyl, aryl, and benzyl; and P is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and [(i-Pr)2N]POCH2CH2CN.
Embodiments of the aspects of the invention may include one or more of the following. The terminal position of the linking group for coupling with a C-3xe2x80x2 protected nucleotide is a functional group. The functional group is activated in-situ to form a phosphoramidite. The terminal phosphoramidite is coupled with a C-5xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group of a nucleotide bearing a photolabile group protecting the C-3xe2x80x2 oxygen. The immobilized monomeric nucleotide is covalently attached to the linking group via the C-5xe2x80x2 oxygen. Preferably, the nucleotide of the immobilized monomeric nucleotide is deoxyinosine.
The invention provides one or more of the following advantages. The in situ deprotection-activation-coupling oligonucleotide synthesis is economical and versatile and generates solid phase phosphoramidite that exhibits unexpected high efficiency in coupling with sequentially added C-3xe2x80x2 photolabile group protected nucleotides. The in situ deprotection-activation-coupling oligonucleotide synthesis provides high yield in-situ surface activation, e.g., substantially quantitative and stable, for forming surface phosphoramidite at the immobilized C-3xe2x80x2 position. The photolabile group-protected C-3xe2x80x2 nucleotides provide sufficient solubility in organic solvents for conducting nucleotide coupling reactions and have a short half-life that can improve the efficiency of photo-deprotection at the C-3xe2x80x2 position. Additionally, excess C-3xe2x80x2 photolabile group protected nucleotides can be recycled and directly used in the later coupling reactions, whereas coupling methods for coupling non-immobilized, phosphoramidite-containing nucleotides require a large excess of the phosphoramidite containing nucleotide (up to 50 folds) which subsequently decomposes in the coupling reaction. Inosine is known to help stabilize hybridization with another DNA molecule.
More than a single disease associated target gene can be tested to reveal more detailed disease information by producing DNA chips which contain a series of spatially arrayed specific immobilized nucleotide primers. Testing spatially arrayed immobilized nucleotide primers on DNA chips also will provide more precise disease diagnostic data of a patient and therefore more efficient treatment. Use of the PCR technique to identify the target genes with the primer-containing DNA chips is more reliable than hybridization alone. Currently, PCR-based disease diagnostics have not been widely used because of the cost concern. Thus, the immobilized oligonucleotides containing DNA chips of this invention would be more useful, accurate and relatively inexpensive.
Due to the orientation of the immobilized oligonucleotides, bound C-5xe2x80x2 and terminal C-3xe2x80x2, the immobilized oligomer acts as an oligonucleotide array for use in primer extensions in the presence of an enzyme, such as polymerase, DNA templates, and nucleotide triphosphates. The ability to perform primer extension in an array format has many important applications including single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis in pharmacogenomics, transcriptional profiling and on-chip gene sequencing. Unlike immobilized oligonucleotides having C-3xe2x80x2 bound and C-5xe2x80x2 at the terminal position which can only be used in hybridization for genetic analysis, the immobilized oligonucleotides having C-5xe2x80x2 bound and C-3xe2x80x2 at the terminal position can be used as primers for polymerase mediated primer extension. The enzymes used in the primer extension can also avoid mismatches during hybridization but before the enzyme mediated primer extension occurs to provide an advantage of proofreading the matched sequences of the DNA probes. The proofreading ability of the enzyme forms the basis of the detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).

C-3xe2x80x2 protected monomeric nucleotides and synthesis of oligonucleotides on solid support


A germicidal UV reactor for use in fluid purifiers is provided, in which the UV reactor comprises an UV lamp with an UV transparent primary envelope and also an UV transparent secondary envelope around the primary envelope. The outer surface of the secondary envelope is in contact with a flowing fluid to be purified. There is an isolating space between the outer surface of the primary envelope and the inner surface of the secondary envelope. At least one of the outer surface of the primary envelope and the inner surface of the secondary envelope is provided with electrical means for heating and thus enhancing UV emitting efficiency of the UV lamp.

This invention relates to a germicidal UV reactor for use in fluid purifiers and to an UV lamp for use in such a germicidal UV reactor.
In the commonly used fluid purifiers, there are germicidal UV reactors used to effect sterilization, disinfection. The possible variety of fluids is wide, covering water, tap water, wastewater, any other water based liquid mixtures, liquid foods and beverages, and also non-water based liquids such as, for example, edible oils. This fluid can also be gaseous, such as air, for example, in case of air conditioners.
The germicidal effect of the UV radiation is well known. Published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2004/0232846 discloses an amalgam mercury low pressure UV lamp. In order to reach an optimum temperature during operation of the lamp, means are provided for influencing the temperature of the amalgam. Common UV lamps used in germicidal UV reactors are not immersed directly into the liquid to be treated and disinfected. The temperature of the flowing water or other liquid is usually too low to maintain the necessary operating temperature of the UV lamp. Therefore, the lamp is sheathed in an UV transparent cladding tube, which results in an air gap between its inner wall and the outer envelope of the UV lamp. The low thermal conductivity of air guarantees at steady operation of the UV lamp that the latter will not cool down below the optimum temperature range. In some cases, however, the air gap is quite narrow in order to provide sufficient UV density at the surface of the cladding tube. The narrow gap diminishes its thermal resistance and thus the cooling effect on the envelope of the UV lamp.
The ignition of the UV lamp requires some time, in the order of a minute, until the desired operational germicidal efficiency is reached. Usually, continuous lamp operation is suggested, e.g. in water disinfection reactors, due to the long warm up period of germicidal UV lamps. In case of non-continuous lamp operation, the UV lamp is switched on only when water starts flowing. The germicidal effect is significantly reduced at non-continuous operation due to the long warming up of standard fluorescent UV lamp. U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,246 discloses a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp with a discharge vessel, which is provided with auxiliary amalgam. This lamp has an improved warm-up characteristic whereby the lamp has a relatively short run-up time during the starting period. However, an immediate effect right after switching on is not yet expectable. Furthermore, the lamp temperature can vary over a longer period, e.g. in use of an UV reactor when the temperature of the flowing fluid changes.
Thus there is a particular need for an UV reactor for use in fluid purifiers and an appropriate UV lamp for the reactor in which the maximum germicidal efficiency is steadily provided both in quasi-immediate manner after switching on and during a long time use under changing external thermal conditions.


A metallic glass-coated microwire has controllable surface porosity. The porosity is achieved by etching the metallic glass-coated microwire or other shapes of glass-coated bodies with acid after annealing to produce a multi-phase glass coating. Porous metallic glass-coated microwires are found to make superior PCR machines, which find use in a variety of in vivo, biochemical, and chemical sensors. Advantageously, the PCR apparatus is smaller, less expensive to construct than conventional units. It readily carries out in vivo passive or active operations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the use of metallic glass-coated microwire (MGCM) in support of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and more particularly, to a micro-scale, self-contained PCR system that is capable of conducting the PCR (or an RT-PCR) reaction, detecting PCR products, and transmitting a signal that indicates whether or not a nucleic acid amplification event has occurred.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The genetic material of each living organism, whether plant or animal, bacterium or virus, possesses sequences of its nucleotide building blocks (usually DNA, sometimes RNA) that are uniquely and specifically present only in its own species. Indeed, complex organisms such as human beings possess DNA sequences that are uniquely and specifically present only in particular individuals. These unique variations make it possible to trace genetic material back to its origin, identifying with precision the species of the organism from which the genetic material came; and oftentimes the particular member of that species.
Such an investigation requires, however, that enough of the DNA under study is available for analysis, which is the issue that PCR addresses. PCR [R. K. Saiki, et. al., "Primer-directed Enzymatic Amplification of DNA with Thermostable DNA Polymerase", Science 239 (1988) pp. 487-491] exploits the remarkable natural function of the enzymes known as polymerases. These enzymes are present in all living things, and their function is to copy genetic material and also to then proofread and correct the copies. PCR can characterize, analyze, and synthesize a specific piece of DNA or RNA. It works even on extremely complicated mixtures, seeking out, identifying, and duplicating a particular bit of genetic material from blood, hair, or tissue specimens, from microbes, animals, or plants, some of them many thousands, or possibly even millions of years old.
PCR requires a template molecule (the DNA or RNA to be copied) and two primer molecules to get the process started. These primers, called nucleotides or bases, are short chains of the four different chemical components that make up any strand of genetic material. DNA itself is a chain of nucleotides. Under most conditions, DNA is double-stranded, consisting of two such nucleotide chains that wind around each other in what is commonly known as a double helix. Primers are single-stranded. They consist of a string of nucleotides in a specific sequence that will, under the right conditions, bind to a specific complementary sequence of nucleotides in another piece of single-stranded RNA or DNA. For PCR, primers must be duplicates of nucleotide sequences on either side of the piece of DNA of interest, which means that the exact order of the primers' nucleotides must already be known. These flanking sequences can be constructed in a laboratory or purchased from commercial suppliers.
There are three basic steps in PCR. First, the target genetic material must be denatured; that is, the strands of its helix must be unwound and separated by heating to 90-96° C. The second step is hybridization or annealing, in which the primers bind to their complementary bases on the now single-stranded DNA. The next step is DNA synthesis by a polymerase. Starting from the primer, the polymerase can read a template strand and match it with complementary nucleotides very quickly. The result is then two new helixes in place of the first, each composed of the original strands plus its newly assembled complementary strand.
All that PCR requires in the way of equipment is a reaction tube, reagents, and a source of heat. Different temperatures have been found to be optimal for each of the three steps in the PCR reaction. Thus, commercial PCR machines have been developed to automatically control these temperature regimes automatically.
To get more of the DNA desired, the process is simply repeated by denaturing the DNA that has already been made. The amount of DNA will double with every processing cycle, each of which takes only 1-3 minutes so that repeating the process for just 45 minutes can generate hundreds of millions (usually billions) of copies of a specific DNA strand. Once the primers have been characterized and obtained, PCR can do, in one week, work that used to be technically impossible (e.g. the cloning of a single copy DNA molecule).
One of the most troublesome technical problems encountered with PCR involves contamination of the sample with extraneous genetic material, thereby generating numerous copies of irrelevant DNA. When such contamination occurs, the resulting product is rendered useless; and oftentimes leads erroneous conclusions. Preventing contamination is of particular importance in human applications, such as medicine or the law, in which someone's life may literally hang in the balance. Likewise, security and defense applications will require a very low number of 'false positive' events. For example, mistaken activation of a PCR-based bioweapons sensor could result in mobilization of defense forces or heighten public anxiety due to inaccurate information predicting a bioweapons-based attack.

Polymerase chain reaction using metallic glass-coated microwire


A bucket for use on a steam turbine rotor wheel, the bucket comprising a shank portion and an airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having a radially outer tip with a tip cover adapted to be engaged, in use, by a similar tip cover on an adjacent bucket, wherein a radial step is formed in the tip cover and the airfoil portion along a leading edge of the airfoil portion.

This invention relates to steam turbines and more specifically, to the design of last-stage steam turbine buckets with integral covers.
The tip areas of last-stage steam turbine buckets or blades with integral covers operate in a wet steam condition, typically with supersonic relative velocity between the steam flow and the buckets. The action of high speed, wet steam flow on the buckets can produce erosion, and can contribute to corrosion damage of the metal surfaces in the tip areas. The covers between adjacent buckets contact each other during operation by virtue of the bucket's rotation caused by the untwisting effect of the applied centrifugal forces. Connection or contact of the integrally covered buckets during operating conditions enhances the rigidity of the bucket structure and improves vibration damping. The presence of moisture on these contact areas can contribute to stress corrosion cracking. The design of the last stage bucket, therefore, must be tolerant of wet steam in existing environmental conditions. Moreover, any flow disturbing elements at the bucket tip region must be avoided to minimize aerodynamic losses.
The tip bucket design for certain last stage turbine buckets results in a pocket area (or simply, pocket) being formed between adjacent bucket tip covers that tends to trap moisture produced by adjacent surfaces of the bucket covers and leading and trailing edges of the adjacent airfoils. The trapped moisture in the pocket area can cause damage to the buckets themselves as well as the damping contact surfaces of the covers.


Methods and apparatus for controlling the critical dimensions and monitoring the phase shift angles of photomasks. Critical dimensions measurement data before wafer processing and after wafer processing are collected by an integrated metrology tool to adjust the process recipe, to determine if the critical dimensions are in specification and to determine if additional etching is required. Phase shift angle and uniformity across substrate measurement after wafer processing are collected by an integrated metrology tool to determine if the phase shift angle and its uniformity are in specification. The real time process recipe adjustment and determination if additional etching is requires allow tightening of the process control. The phase shift angle and uniformity monitoring allows in-line screening of phase shift photomasks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fabrication of photomasks useful in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
2. Background of the Related Art
Photolithography techniques use light patterns and photoresist materials deposited on a substrate surface to develop precise patterns on the substrate surface prior to the etching process. In conventional photolithographic processes, a photoresist is applied on the layer to be etched, and the features to be etched in the layer, such as contacts, vias, or interconnects, are defined by exposing the photoresist to a pattern of light through a photolithographic photomask which corresponds to the desired configuration of features. A light source emitting ultraviolet (UV) light, for example, may be used to expose the photoresist to alter the composition of the photoresist. Generally, the exposed photoresist material is removed by a chemical process to expose the underlying substrate material. The exposed underlying substrate material is then etched to form the features in the substrate surface while the retained photoresist material remains as a protective coating for the unexposed underlying substrate material. Since photomasks are used repeatedly to create device patterns, quality control of photomask manufacturing is very important.
Photolithographic photomasks, or reticles, include binary (or conventional) photomasks and phase shift masks (PSM), which could be used in sub 0.13 μm technology. Binary (or conventional) masks typically include a substrate made of an optically transparent silicon based material, such as quartz (i.e., silicon dioxide, SiO2), having an opaque light-shielding layer of metal, such as chromium, on the surface of the substrate. Phase shift masks improve the resolution of the aerial image by phase shifting. The principle of phase shift mask is described in P. 230-234 of Plummer, Deal and Griffin, "Silicon VLSI Technology Fundamentals, Practice and Modeling", 2000 by Prentice Hall, Inc. Phase shift masks could be either attenuated phase shift or alternate phase shift mask. An attenuated phase shift mask typically includes a substrate made of an optically transparent silicon based material, such as quartz, having a translucent layer of material, such as molybdenum silicide (MoSi) or molybdenum silicon oxynitride (MoSiON), on top. When the photolithographic light, e.g. at 248 nm wavelength, shines through the patterned mask surface covered by the translucent layer, the transmission (e.g. 6% at 248 nm wavelength) and the thickness of the translucent layer create a phase shift, e.g., 180°, compared to the photolithographic light that shines through the patterned mask surface not covered by the translucent layer. An alternate phase shift mask typically includes a substrate made of an optically transparent silicon based material, such as quartz, which is etched to a certain depth to create a phase shift with the un-etched transparent substrate when the photolithographic light shines through the patterned mask.
Photomasks allow light to pass therethrough in a precise pattern onto the substrate surface. The metal layer on the photomask substrate is patterned to correspond to the features to be transferred to the substrate. The patterns on the photomask could be 1×, 2× or 4× of patterns that will be patterned on the wafer substrate. Typically, a photolithographic stepper reduces the image of the photomask by 4× and prints the pattern on the photoresist covering the wafer surface. Conventional photomasks are fabricated by first depositing one to two thin layers of metal, which could either be opaque or translucent depending on the types of masks being formed, on a substrate comprising an optically transparent silicon based material, such as quartz, and depositing a photoresist layer on substrate. The photomask is then patterned using conventional laser or electron beam patterning equipment to define the critical dimensions in the photoresist. The top metal layer, typically opaque, is then etched to remove the metal material not protected by the patterned photoresist, thereby exposing the underlying silicon based material. For a binary mask, the photomask is formed after the metal etching step. While for attenuate and alternate phase shift masks, additional photoresist patterning and etching of transparent substrate or translucent metal layer are needed to form the photomask.
Since photomasks are used repeatedly to create device patterns, the accuracy and tight distribution of the critical dimensions, and the phase shift angle and its uniformity across the substrate are key requirements for binary and phase shift photomasks. Critical dimensions are defined here as the widths of features being measured and are affected by etching process. Overetching could enlarge the dimension, while underetching could result in wider dimension distribution or metal layer not completely etched. In the case of phase shift masks, the accuracy and tight distribution of the phase shift angle, typically 180°, are also key requirements. For attenuated phase shift mask, the phase shift angle is affected by the thickness and transparency of the translucent metal layer (e.g. MoSi), while for alternate phase shift mask, the phase angle is affected by the transparent material and its etch depth.
A conventional method of controlling critical dimensions for the photomasks comprises measuring the critical dimensions of the respective elements of the etched photomasks, statistically processing the results of such measurements, determining if the measurement passes the requirement, and adjusting the etch process performed on subsequent batches of the substrate. Unfortunately, this method does not compensate for substrate-to-substrate variations of the critical dimensions within a batch of substrates. Variables inherent to the etch process may broaden distribution for the critical dimensions. This means that the post-etch statistical distribution of the critical dimensions for etched structures may be broader than the pre-etch distribution of critical dimensions of the etched structure of the photomask. As such, some etched structures may have critical dimensions outside a pre-determined range of acceptable values.
A conventional method of monitoring phase shift angle for the photomasks comprises measuring the phase shift angles and the uniformity (or distribution) of the photomasks, statistically processing the results of such measurements, determining if the measurement passes the requirement, and adjusting the etch process performed on subsequent batches of the substrate. Variables inherent to the metal film deposition processes that affect metal film thickness and metal film transparency of an attenuated phase shift mask could make the phase shift angle measurement results of an attenuate phase shift photomask outside a pre-determined range of acceptable values. In addition, variables inherent to the etch process combined with the variables of the photomask lithography process may broaden the distribution of the etch depth, which affects phase shift angle and its uniformity for an alternate phase shift mask. As such, some etched structures may have phase shift angles outside a pre-determined range of acceptable values.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for controlling the critical dimensions and monitoring phase shift angle and its uniformity of photomask in a semiconductor photomask processing system.

Integrated phase angle and optical critical dimension measurement metrology for feed forward and feedback process control


A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly in a battery case, and a buffer sheet between the electrode assembly and the battery case, the buffer sheet contacting the electrode assembly and the battery case.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a rechargeable battery. More particularly, example embodiments relate to a rechargeable battery with a structure capable of absorbing or damping impact and vibrations with respect to an electrode assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery differs from a primary battery in that it can be repeatedly charged and discharged, while the primary battery cannot, i.e., the primary battery makes only an irreversible conversion of chemical to electrical energy. A low-capacity rechargeable battery may be used as a power supply for small electronic devices, e.g., cellular phones, notebook computers, and camcorders, while a high-capacity rechargeable battery may be used as a power supply for large devices, e.g., for driving motors in hybrid vehicles and the like.
A high-power rechargeable battery using a non-aqueous electrolyte with a high energy density has been recently developed. For example, the high-power rechargeable battery may be constructed with a high-capacity rechargeable battery having a plurality of rechargeable cells coupled to each other in series, such that it can be used as the power supply for driving motors in electrical vehicles requiring high power.
A conventional rechargeable battery may include an electrode assembly with positive and negative electrodes and a separator interposed between the two electrodes, a case mounting the electrode assembly therein, and positive and negative terminals electrically connected to the electrode assembly and protruded to the outside of the case. The rechargeable battery may have a cylindrical shape, a prismatic shape, a pouch shape, etc.
The above information disclosed in this Description of the Related Art section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Rechargeable battery with buffer sheet between electrode assembly and battery case