A wireless local area network allows roaming of a mobile unit to allow it to serially associate with a number of access points of the network fixed backbone. This roaming is supported by an improved measurement of communications link quality, which includes calculating a mean error free length of a test pattern broadcast by each access point and received by a mobile unit. The test pattern is a digital data message. Thus an accurate measurement of link quality is provided which allows a mobile unit to determine whether it should change its association to another access point having improved communications link quality. Further, a load balancing process is provided to balance the communications load amongst a variety of access points, by allowing mobile units also to switch their association with access points in accordance with a current total data rate at any given access point and also considering the number of currently high data rate mobile units associated with a particular access point at any one time.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to local area networks and particularly to a wireless local area network having distributed control and supporting roaming of mobile units in terms of their contact with network access points.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Xircom, Inc. has developed wireless local area network computer communication devices designated "Netwave" and described in published patent document PCT/US94/07004 entitled "Virtual Carrier Detection for Wireless . . . " inventors Kenneth J. Biba et al., published Jan. 5, 1995, incorporated herein by reference. The Netwave technology uses 2.4 GHz ISM band frequency hopping radio data transmissions. This technology allows users to form computer networks of mobile computers without the need to have these mobile computers connected by wires.
Although the Xircom Netwave product is a local area network, it achieves maximum potential when used in the form of multiple connected network service areas that provide coverage throughout a user's facility (e.g. an office building or group of buildings). This is analogous to a cellular radio telephone system in which a total coverage area is divided up into cells that have intelligent relay stations. The term "roaming" comes from cellular telephony and, in that context, describes the process by which a mobile telephone user moves from cell to cell while maintaining the virtual telephone line connection. In the case of the Netwave product, roaming provides the same benefit to the user; however, because the Netwave product supports a packet data network, the underlying roaming process differs.
To provide extended coverage of an area, Netwave uses a dedicated station called an Access Point (AP). An AP is usually connected to some form of fixed "backbone" network (i.e. wired, fiber or point-to-point radio) and it is a relay station that receives radio data packets off the air and transmits them on the fixed backbone and vice versa. FIG. 1 shows a system with four Access Points 10, 12, 14, 16 connected to a wired backbone network 20 that includes resources 24 such as printers and file servers.
Each AP 10, 12, 14, 16 is surrounded by a boundary indicating the edge of the region covered by its radio transceiver. This region is called herein the Basic Service Area (BSA). When APs are linked on backbone network 20, these BSAs can be joined to form an Extended Service Area (ESA). Roaming enables the Netwave user, by using a Mobile Unit (MU) (not shown), to treat the ESA as if it were only one BSA.
The above-referenced patent disclosure describes in detail a method and apparatus for roaming, beginning at page 48. However, it has been found that an improvement is possible over the roaming technique described therein. There is needed a more reliable method for establishing, by a well defined process, with which AP a particular mobile unit should be associated at any given time and when and under what conditions the mobile unit should change its associated AP.
Other wireless local area networks faced with the roaming problem typically use as a measure of goodness of connection quality between a particular mobile unit and an access point, the RSSI (received signal strength indicator) measurement, which is an RF measurement of carrier strength only. For instance, in cellular telephony a cellular site monitors the RSSI of a particular cellular telephone and in conjunction with other cellular sites triangulates to determine the location of that particular cellular telephone, so as to determine with which site that cellular telephone should be linked. Other wireless local area networks use RSSI measurement in the mobile unit to determine which is the closest access point.
It has been found by the present inventors that the RSSI technique, whether carried out by the access point or the mobile unit, is inadequate because it only measures the radio signal strength and does not adequately measure optimum communications quality.
Thus for effective roaming in a local area network, a better approach to roaming and determining the optimum association between a mobile unit and access points is needed.

Seamless roaming for wireless local area networks


To provide a heat shock transcription factor (HSF) 2 binding factor, which can be involved in the transcriptional regulation of HSP70.2 playing an essential role in spermatogenesis; a DNA encoding the binding factor; an expression vector carrying the DNA; a transformant harboring the expression vector; a process for preparing a recombinant protein comprising the step of culturing the transformant; an antibody or a fragment thereof capable of specifically binding to the binding factor; an antisense DNA or antisense RNA complementary to the DNA; and an oligonudeotide probe or primer capable of specifically hybridizing to the DNA.

The present invention relates to a heat shock transcription factor binding protein. More particularly, the present invention relates to a DNA encoding a protein possessing a heat shock transcription factor 2 binding activity; a protein encoded by the DNA; an expression vector carrying the DNA; a transformant harboring the expression vector; a process for preparing the protein; an antibody against the protein; an antisense DNA or antisense RNA complementary to the DNA; and an oligonucleotide probe or primer capable of specifically hybridizing to the DNA.
Heat shock transcription factors (heat shock factor: HSF) bind to the heat shock element (HSE) located upstream of the promoter for heat shock protein (HSP) genes in response to various stresses, thereby regulating the transcription from the promoter.
In HSF of higher eukaryotes, there have been so far known four kinds, namely HSF1, HSF2, HSF3 and HSF4. Among them, HSF1 and HSF3 are activated by stresses including heat, heavy metals and amino acid analogues. HSF2 does not respond to these stresses but is thought to play an important role during differentiation and development. In addition, HSF4 does not have any transcriptional activation domain, and is believed to negatively regulate DNA binding of other HSFs.
The DNA binding activity of HSF2 has been observed in hemin-treated human K562 erythroleukemia cells, in spermatids of mouse testis, in mouse F9 embryonal carcinoma cells, and during early embryogenesis in mice. While the mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of HSP genes by HSF1 has been studied extensively and well understood, very little is known about the transcriptional regulation by HSF2. Concretely, there have been reported that in hemin-treated K562 cells, HSF2 binds to HSE on the HSP70 gene (Sistonen, L. et al., (1992) Mol. Cell. Biol. 12, 4104-4144), and that in mouse spermatogenic cells, HSF2 binds constitutively to HSE on the testis-specific HSP70.2 gene (Sarge, K. D. et al., (1994) Biol. Reprod. 50, 1334-1343). In each case, HSF2 is deduced to be involved in expression of HSP70 and HSP70.2. On the other hand, in F9 cells, the binding of HSF2 to HSE located upstream of the HSP70 promoter has not been found Murphy, S. P. et al., (1994) Mol. Cell. Biol. 14, 5309-5317), and moreover in mouse embryos, no correlation in the expression patterns of the main HSP and HSF2 has been found (Rallu, M. et al., (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 2392-2397).
Since HSF2 can actually bind to HSE located upstream of the HSP70 promoter in K562 cells or in spermatogenic cells, it is believed that there is a possibility that there exists a factor which regulates activation of HSF2 in these cells. However, the regulatory factor has not yet been known at present.
The term xe2x80x9cspermatogenesisxe2x80x9d refers to a process in which spermatogonia, immature masculine reproductive cells, proliferate by mitosis to form spermatocytes; meiosis of the spermatocytes takes place to form spermatoblasts; and further complicated morphological changes result in maturing to sperm. During the spermatogenesis process, expression of HSP is strictly regulated. In general, when exposed to deleterious environmental conditions for cells (under stress), such as high temperature, HSP is rapidly induced in order to prevent irreversible denaturation of intracellular proteins and to protect the cells from disorder caused by the stress. Besides the HSP induced by the stress, there are HSPs (i.e. molecular chaperone) having a role of aiding in folding, association and intracellular translocation of nascent proteins even under usual conditions, and these proteins are constitutively expressed in cells. In the process of spermatogenesis, the gene expression of reproductive cells greatly changes, and as a result, intracellular proteins dramatically change. Therefore, HSPs required for folding and localization of these proteins have been regulated so as to be correctly expressed at the necessary timing (Sarge, K. D. and Cullen, K. E., (1997) Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 53, 191-197).
Many of HSPs have been identified also in testis as in other tissues and cells. The HSP which is expressed at the highest level in mouse testis is HSP70.2, belonging to the HSP70 family, and its expression is testis-specific and constitutive, and is not induced by heat shock. There have been reported that HSP70.2 is expressed at a high level in meiosis phase of the spermatogenetic process, namely from spermatocytes to spermatoblasts (Allen et al., (1988) Mol. Cell. Biol. 8, 828-831; Zakeri, Z. F. et al., (1988) Mol. Cell. Biol. 8, 2925-2932), and that meiosis does not take place in mice of which HSP70.2 gene is disrupted, and consequently the spermatoblast is not formed, resulting in infertility (Dix, D. J. et al., (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 3264-3268). On the other hand, HSF2 is expressed from spermatocytes to spermatoblasts in the spermatogenetic process, and can bind to the HSP70.2 promoter in vitro. Therefore, it is suggested that HSF2 is involved in the transcriptional regulation of HSP70.2 which has a role essential in the spermatogenesis as a molecular chaperone (Sarge, K. D. et al., (1994) Biol. Reprod. 50, 1334-1343).
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above prior arts, and an object of the present invention is to provide an HSF2 binding factor as an activation regulatory factor of HSF2, which is thought to be involved in the transcriptional regulation of HSP70.2, which has a role essential for spermatogenesis by testis-specific expression. Another object of the present invention is to provide a DNA encoding the HSF2 binding factor. A still another object of the present invention is to provide an expression vector carrying the above DNA or a part thereof, and a transformant harboring the expression vector. A still another object of the present invention is to provide a process for preparing a recombinant protein, comprising culturing the above transformant. A still another object of the present invention is to provide an antibody or a fragment thereof capable of specifically binding to the regulatory factor. A still another object of the present invention is to provide an antisense DNA or antisense RNA of which sequence is complementary to the above DNA. A still another object of the present invention is to provide an oligonucleotide probe or primer capable of specifically hybridizing to the above DNA.
Concretely, the gist of the present invention relates to:
[1] a DNA encoding a protein having a heat shock transcription factor (HSF) 2 binding activity, which is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a DNA encoding a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;
(b) a DNA encoding a peptide comprising an amino acid sequence resulting from deletion, substitution, insertion or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;
(c) a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;
(d) a DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence resulting from deletion, substitution, insertion or addition of one or more bases in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;
(e) a DNA capable of hybridizing with a DNA of any one of (a) to (d), under stringent conditions;
[2] a protein encoded by the DNA of item [1] above;
[3] an expression vector carrying all or a part of the DNA of item [1] above;
[4] a transformant harboring the expression vector of item [3] above;
[5] a process for preparing a recombinant HSF2 binding protein, comprising the step of culturing the transformant of item [4] above under conditions capable of expressing a protein from the expression vector of item [3] above;
[6] an antibody or a fragment thereof capable of specifically binding to the protein of item [2] above;
[7] an antisense DNA or antisense RNA comprising 8 or more bases, of which sequence is complementary to the DNA of item [1] above; and
[8] an oligonucleotide probe or primer, capable of specifically hybridizing to the DNA of item [1] above.

Heat shock transcription factor-binding protein


A latch assembly removably joins a steam separator assembly to a support flange disposed at a top end of a tubular shroud in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The assembly includes an annular head having a central portion for supporting the steam separator assembly thereon, and an annular head flange extending around a perimeter thereof for supporting the head to the support flange. A plurality of latches are circumferentially spaced apart around the head flange with each latch having a top end, a latch hook at a bottom end thereof, and a pivot support disposed at an intermediate portion therebetween and pivotally joined to the head flange. The latches are pivoted about the pivot supports for selectively engaging and disengaging the latch hooks with the support flange for fixedly joining the head to the shroud or for allowing removal thereof.

In a conventional boiling water reactor, a nuclear reactor core is submerged in water inside an annular pressure vessel. An annular shroud or chimney extends upwardly from the reactor core for receiving therefrom a water-steam mixture which is channeled therein to a conventional steam separator assembly which separates the steam and water in a conventionally known manner. The steam separator assembly includes a plurality of conventional tubular steam separators each extending upwardly from a tubular standpipe, with the several standpipes extending upwardly from an annular head in the form of either a flat or dome plate disposed on the shroud or chimney. The standpipes are disposed in flow communication with respective holes through the head for receiving the water-steam mixture which is channeled upwardly into each of the steam separators.
The steam separator assembly is conventionally fixedly joined to the shroud by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart bolts extending through an integral flange extending around the outer periphery of the head and into a mating support flange disposed at the top end of the shroud. In order to assemble or remove the steam separator assembly, each of the many bolts must be individually assembled and torqued or untorqued and disassembled from the head which requires a considerable amount of time. Since this operation is usually conducted manually with an operator positioned at the top of the pressure vessel, the operation is relatively complex and subjects the operator to radiation dosage from the reactor core.


A breathing aid for an infant is adapted for delivery of inhalable medication in a gentle flow to an area immediately adjacent the baby's nasal passageway. An oral member formed as a pacifier carries a hollow tube, the open top end of which extends just above the upper rim of the mouth guard of the pacifier. A swivel connector secured to the bottom of the tube allows easy adjustment of the position of the breathing aid in relation to the mouth guard and to a connecting hose, through which oxygen or other medication is delivered.

The present invention relates generally to devices for assisting the breathing of an infant suffering from respiratory problems, nasal congestion, and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus combined with a baby pacifier for inserting into the mouth of the infant for quieting the infant, while delivering oxygen or medication to the infant.
Delivery of a breathing aid medication is indicated in many instances when an infant suffers from cold, breathing disorders, has underdeveloped lungs, as is often the case with premature babies, and in a number of other instances when oxygen or medicated spray needs to be administered to a child. Conventional breathing aids, such as oxygen masks and the like present a problem when used with a baby. The babies tend to change their position frequently during sleep or during waking hours. A baby may also find the breathing mask uncomfortable and may become restless trying to take the mask off. It was noted that the infants tend to breath through their noses and therefore, delivery of a nasal decongestant, oxygen, or vaporized medication if delivered in front of the baby's nose, is likely to be breathed in by the infant.
Various solutions have been offered to the problem of delivering a breathable medication to the infant in combination with a pacifier, which the infant sucks. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,966 discloses a nebulizer for infants which combines a feeding bottle attached to a gas delivery guide to permit the infant to bottle nurse while being nebulized. Another solution is offered in U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,548, where a vapor or an aromatic substance is administered to a child who has trouble breathing. The breathing aid assembly in accordance with the '548 patent, combines a pacifier with a vapor emitter which is insertable in a specially provided chamber of the pacifier nipple. A releasable cover attaches to the oral member, which resembles a nipple of a conventional pacifier.
Still another solution is offered by U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,168, where a nipple is combined with a nebulizing assembly having a mask, which is adaptable to cover the infant's nose and mouth and facilitate the delivery of an inhalable medication to infant and toddler.
While the above solutions may work under certain conditions, it is noted that the bulky construction of some of the known devices may present difficulty in retaining the devices in place when the baby is lying down, or is restless, or often changes his position.
The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of an infant breathing aid that is compact and adapted for connection to an external gas supply, be it an oxygen source or a nebulizer.


A semiconductor device includes: an insulating tape having a device hole and a plurality of holes; a plurality of leads formed on one surface of the tape and extending at one end into the device hole and at the other end into the holes; a semiconductor chip having a plurality of electrodes on a main surface thereof, being connected with the leads extending into the device hole; an encapsulant formed of an insulating resin, the leads and a predetermined portion of the tape; bump electrodes provided on one surface of the leads; slits provided in the tape between the encapsulant and the bump electrodes and extending along a column of the bump electrodes; and a warp prevention reinforcement made of an insulating film and formed over the tape; wherein the semiconductor chip and the bump electrodes are connected to one and the same surface side of the leads.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device of BGA (Ball Grid Array) structure and a method for fabricating the same and more particularly to a technology advantageously applied to a T-BGA manufacturing using a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) tape having leads formed on a surface of an insulating film.
As functions of electronic devices become more sophisticated, the number of components incorporated in them tends to increase. There are also increasing demands on the electronic devices for a smaller size and a lighter weight. Portable electronic devices such as mobile information terminals in particular are being pressed for further reductions in size, thickness and weight. To meet this requirement, efforts are being made to make the electronic components including semiconductor devices mounted on electronic devices still smaller in size, thickness and weight.
As package structures that will make for an improved integration of semiconductor devices and for size and weight reductions, there have been known a TGA that uses a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) tape having leads formed on a surface of an insulating film (T-BGA) and a FBGA (Fine Pitch BGA) using the TAB tape. These package products that use as a printed circuit board a TAB tape having wires formed on a surface of an insulating film such as polyimide resin film (TCP: Tape Carrier Packages) allow for a higher density, more sophisticated functions and an increased number of pins and also have features of excellent electric characteristics.
On the other hand, semiconductor devices suited to three-dimensional mounting, which improves a mounting density by stacking a plurality of semiconductor devices one upon the other, have been proposed (for example in patent reference 1).
A semiconductor device described in JP-A-2001-223297 has a structure in which a semiconductor chip is mounted on one side of an interposer, with electrodes of the semiconductor chip connected to bonding pads through wires. Ball pads connected to the bonding pads are provided with solder balls. Further, the interposer is formed with through-holes on the side opposite the solder balls of the ball pads. The height of the solder balls is greater than the height of an encapsulant resin enclosing the semiconductor chip. As a result, when the semiconductor devices are stacked together, lower ends of the solder balls of the upper layer semiconductor device overlap the ball pads exposed in the through-holes of the lower layer semiconductor device to make electrical connections.
On the other hand, as a semiconductor package for improving a heat dissipation performance as well as reducing the thickness, a structure has been proposed in which a semiconductor chip is situated at a through-hole formed in the printed circuit board, with a first surface of the chip or a second surface opposite the first surface exposed to dissipate heat from the exposed surface (e.g., JP-A-2000-340713).
The applicant of this invention is also developing a semiconductor device suited to a three-dimensional mounting which uses a TAB tape. This semiconductor device has a structure in which the leads protruding into a device hole provided in the TAB tape are connected to electrodes on a semiconductor chip, in which the portions of the leads situated in the holes are connected with bump electrodes to allow for three-dimensional mounting, and in which one surface side of the semiconductor chip is covered with an insulating resin to cover the leads.
In this structure, however, it is found that, during the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a tape substrate formed of a TAB tape which serves as a rearrangement printed wiring board may be warped by thermal stresses.
An object of this invention is to provide a thin semiconductor device free from warping and a method of manufacturing the same.
Another object of this invention is to provide a thin semiconductor device free from warping which is suited to three-dimensional mounting and a method of manufacturing the same.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a thin semiconductor device free from warping at low cost.
The above and other objects and novel features of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Semiconductor device including a semiconductor chip formed on an insulating element such as a tape, and including an improved insulating arrangement


An underwater disruptor comprises a water tight chamber formed by a modified housing, a modified breech, and a modified backplate sealed together by a plurality of O-rings. The underwater disruptor is configured to discharge a firing pin to shoot a water bullet from the modified barrel at a specific underwater explosive threat responsive to receiving a fire command from a remote operator. The water bullet is formed from water ejected from the barrel due to the discharge. The underwater ROV physically hosts the underwater disruptor and is configured to provide video feedback during underwater travel remotely to the specific underwater explosive and to activate shooting of the water bullet responsive to the fire command.

Underwater security operations performed by the military, FBI, Coast Guard, or other security personnel sometimes encounter or suspect underwater explosives. For example, a harbor that was part of a military battle can be swept to clear the way for incoming ships or a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the form of a backpack attached to an underwater section of a pier piling can be neutralized. Because water is an incompressible fluid, the transmission of explosions can be particularly devastating. Moreover, it is extremely hazardous for scuba divers to attempt such security operations in underwater environments.
Conventional terrestrial disruptors are used to disarm or otherwise neutralize IEDs on land. In more detail, an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technician approaches the IED and shoots a laser-aimed water bullet that is projected from up to 10 meters away. However, conventional disruptors are limited to use on land because initiating the gunpowder-based explosive has significant technical challenges when performed underwater.
Shock tubes used for detonation, though simple when used on land, have limitations in an underwater environment. They are very sensitive to water. Even when used exclusively on land, they are susceptible to humidity. Great care must be taken to keep them very dry or they will not perform. Using them in an underwater application greatly reduces their reliability. Additionally, due to the ambient pressure of the deeper underwater environment, increasing one atmosphere every 33 feet, the percussive force of the shock tube is reduced and will not perform below a particular depth.
What is needed is a robust underwater ROV with a disruptor for safely neutralizing underwater IEDs or other explosive devices without detonation, or without substantial detonation.

Underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) with a disruptor for eliminating underwater explosives


An automatically refreshed water supply for pets is provided by diverting the water from the water supply of a toilet to a water dispenser accessible to the pet and returning excess water to the toilet. The water is diverted from the flush cycle of a toilet to an exterior dish which fills to a predetermined level and then overflows over the edge of the dish and then by way of channels into the toilet, retaining the water after the flush cycle is completed. Alternatively a mechanism can be provided for triggering the replacement water flow by sensing of the motion or weight of the pet. The system can be pet-triggered for the toilet flush and/or flow of replacement water to the pet dish, or continuous water flow as long as the pet is detected.

A common concern of pet owners is to provide fresh drinking water for their pets particularly in hot, dry conditions and/or during periods when the owner is not present. Attempts have been made, therefore, to provide a water source for pets which is automatically refreshed. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,470,371 and 5,782,202 disclose a pet dish connected to a water line whereby a float valve in the dish causes the water to be replenished. U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,078 discloses an automatically refillable pet dish incorporated into a refrigerator. Such devices however do not automatically refresh the contents of the water dish so the pet's water may become stagnant and unhealthy. There is therefore a need for a water dish for pets which is regularly and automatically refilled and refreshed.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Apparatus and method for using a toilet as a water supply for pets


A clamp pulse generating circuit comprising a synchronizing decision circuit for deciding whether an external synchronizing pulse is being input or not; an exclusive-OR circuit, a change-over switch and a pulse width detecting circuit for deciding whether a video signal containing a synchronizing pulse is being input or not; and a pulse generating circuit for generating a clamp pulse at the front or rear edge of the external synchronizing pulse output from a synchronizing separator circuit, and outputting the clamp pulse at the front edge selected by a selection switch when the external synchronizing pulse is being input and forcing to select and output the clamp pulse at the rear edge of the synchronizing pulse irrespective of the presence of the external synchronizing pulse when the video signal containing the synchronizing pulse is being input.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clamp pulse generating circuit and more particularly to a circuit for generating clamp pulses used for keeping a pedestal level of a brightness signal in a video signal at a constant level.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because the DC component is lost in a capacitive coupling amplifier circuit and colors of color images cannot be reproduced faithfully in a video signal processing circuit, a pedestal clamp, in which a pedestal level of a brightness signal is clamped by clamp pulses to keep it at a constant level, is used to reproduce the DC component lost by the capacitive coupling. A circuit for generating the clamp pulses used for the pedestal clamp has been adapted to generate the pulses in a timing slightly behind a horizontal synchronizing pulse.
In a pedestal clamp circuit using the clamp pulse generating circuit constructed as described above, the pedestal level has been clamped at a back porch 6 in a horizontal blanking period 2 of a video signal 1 shown in FIG. 1, because the clamp pulse is generated in the timing behind the horizontal synchronizing pulse. However, in the field of computer displays and the like, horizontal frequency tends to be increased with the increase of the resolution and because the gap of the back porch portion 6 becomes narrow as the horizontal frequency is increased, a pulse width of the clamp pulse has to be narrowed.
Then, a problem with increased power consumption occurs when the pulse width of the clamp pulse is set narrower because an output impedance at an output stage has to be lowered so as not to blunt the waveform of the clamp pulse in the clamp pulse generating circuit. When the blunted waveform of the clamp pulse is input to the pedestal clamp circuit on the other hand, it poses a problem in which an accurate pedestal level cannot be held or, in the worst case, the pedestal clamp cannot be performed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clamp pulse generating circuit which can generate a clamp pulse having a desired pulse width in generating the clamp pulse at an external synchronizing pulse.


Methods, computer-readable media, systems, and/or apparatuses for evaluating movement data to identify a user as a driver or non-driver passenger are provided. In some examples, movement data may be received from a mobile device of a user. The movement data may include sensor data including location data, such as global positioning system (GPS) data, accelerometer and/or gyroscope data, and the like. Additional data may be retrieved from one or more other sources. For instance, additional data such as usage of applications on the mobile device, public transportation schedules and routes, image data, vehicle operation data, and the like, may be received and analyzed with the movement data to determine whether the user of the mobile device was a driver or non-driver passenger of the vehicle. Based on the determination, the data may be deleted in some examples or may be further processed to generate one or more outputs.

Entities are using mobile device data to increasingly personalize services provided to users. Many entities are using mobile device data, with permission of the associated user, to evaluate user behaviors, movement, and the like, to generate customized or personalized outputs for the user. Entities are also looking for ways to improve the accuracy of the data and analysis performed on the data. Accordingly, in arrangements in which movement data is used to evaluate, for example, driving behaviors of a user, it is important to accurately determine whether the user was a driver of the vehicle or a non-driver passenger in order to accurately evaluate driving behaviors and generate outputs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multi-computer processing system for dynamically executing response actions based on movement data


A process for easily producing an optically active β-amino alcohol useful as a pharmaceutical intermediate from an inexpensive, readily available starting material is provided. A readily available α-substituted ketone is reacted with an optically active amine to yield a diastereomer mixture of an optically active α-substituted aminoketone. One of the diastereomers is isolated optionally after the diastereomers are converted to salts with an acid. The optically active α-substituted aminoketone or a salt thereof thus isolated was stereoselectively reduced to yield an optically active β-substituted amino alcohol. The optically active β-substituted amino alcohol is subjected to hydrogenolysis to produce an optically active β-amino alcohol or a salt thereof.

Conventionally, the following method for producing an optically active β-amino alcohol has been known in the art:    1) producing an α-oxime ketone from ketone and alkyl nitrite; producing a β-oxime alcohol by asymmetric hydrogenation in the presence of a transition metal catalyst; and reducing the oxime group to produce a β-amino alcohol (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-4948).
However, this method uses explosive alkyl nitrite, which is difficult to handle, to produce explosive α-oxime ketones and is thus not suitable for industrial applications.
As the method for producing an optically active 1-aryl-2-amino-1-ethanol derivative, the following is known in the art:    2) producing a ketone derivative by reacting benzene with an acid chloride of L-alanine and reducing the carbonyl group to produce (1R,2S)-1-phenyl-2-amino-1-propanol((−)-norephedrine) (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-209047);    3) producing N,N-dibenzylalaninal from L-alanine, reacting the N,N-dibenzylalaninal with a phenyl magnesium reagent, and performing debenzylation to obtain (1R,2S)-1-phenyl-2-amino-1-propanol((−)-norephedrine) (European Patent No. 288764, U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,669).
However, these methods are limited to the production of the (1R,2S)-1-phenyl-2-amino-1-propanol((−)-norephedrine) and cannot easily be applied to synthesis of optically active 1-aryl-2-amino-1-ethanol derivatives having substituents in the benzene rings.
As the method for producing an optically active 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-amino-1-ethanol derivative, the following method has been known:    4) producing a salt from tartaric acid and racemic erythro-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-amino-1-propanol (p-hydroxynorephedrine), followed by separation (J. Med. Chem., 1977, 20, 978).
However, in this method, the racemic mixture to be separated is synthesized through multiple stages, and this method is thus not industrially advantageous. Moreover, expensive D-tartaric acid is necessary in order to obtain (1R,2S)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-amino-1-propanol.

Process for producing optically active β-amino alcohol


A cleaning organizer for use with a conventional institutional waste container includes a symmetrical body for mounting on the upper end of the institutional waste container and extending exteriorly downwardly therefrom. A plurality of cleaning implements and articles are attached to the exterior surface of the body for ready access by a user. The cleaning implements and articles include a paper towel roll dispenser, a utility bucket, a compartmented chemical container, a utility pouch, dispensers for dispensing large and small plastic liners, and hooks for hanging towels and cloths. The cleaning organizer is arranged and constructed to leave the open upper end of the institutional waste container unobstructed while organizing the various cleaning implements and articles needed for performing the various cleaning tasks.

The cleaning of large office buildings, hotels, schools, and similar institutions is a labor intensive industry. Typically, each worker (cleaner) has an assigned area to clean including offices, bathrooms etc. Trash removal is an essential part of the cleaning effort and most workers are provided with a convention institutional waste container which is usually mounted on a detachable dolly. This institutional waste container is pushed from one cleaning site to the next site (office, bathroom etc.).
Trash and waste material from the cleaning sites is emptied into the institutional waste container. Each worker also performs a number of cleaning tasks such as dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, etc. In bathrooms, the worker cleans mirrors, counters, urinals and toilets. Plastic liners for waste containers are replaced when the containers are emptied at all the cleaning sites.
Typically, each worker is required to carry the various articles and implements used in the cleaning tasks. In some instances, these implements and cleaning articles are not readily available to the worker which results in time lost as the worker retrieves the needed article or implement.
Some manufacturers presently manufacture specially designed carts which contain all of the articles and implements used in cleaning operations. However, many institutions are reluctant to purchase these specially designed cleaning carts since these institutions already own large numbers of the conventional institutional waste containers. An investment in the purchase of these cleaning carts, in many cases, would be prohibitive.

Cleaning organizer for use with conventional institutional waste containers


Systems and methods are disclosed herein for providing fault tolerant processing of events. The system includes multiple consensus computers configured to communicate with one another and multiple event processors configured to process data such as events. Each consensus computer is further configured to receive a request to process a unit of data from an event processor. A consensus computer communicates with at least one other consensus computer to reach consensus as to whether the unit of data has previously been assigned to an event processor for processing. Then, a consensus computer sends a message to the event processor that sent the inquiry including instructions to either process the unit of data or not process the unit of data. Because the consensus computers determine whether a unit of data has previously been assigned to an event processor, the system ensures that an event is not processed more than once.

Hosts of websites sometimes sell or lease space on their websites to content providers. Often, it is useful for the hosts to provide content relevant to the content providers, such as data related to traffic on the website. In particular, the content providers often pay for space on a website based on the number of interactions (mouse clicks or mouseovers) users have with such websites. The data may be related to user clicks, queries, views, or any other type of user interaction with the website. Sometimes, systems that process this data fail or need to be temporarily disabled for maintenance, and data is lost. This can lead to inaccuracies in the reported statistics and can also lead content providers to underpay or overpay the website host. Thus, robust mechanisms are desired for providing reliable aggregate data in a useful form.


Composite separators having a porous structure and including acid-stable, hydrophilic, inorganic particles enmeshed in a substantially fully fluorinated polyolefin matrix can be utilized in a number of applications. The inorganic particles can provide hydrophilic characteristics. The pores of the separator result in good selectivity and electrical conductivity. The fluorinated polymeric backbone can result in high chemical stability. Accordingly, one application of the composite separators is in redox flow batteries as low cost membranes. In such applications, the composite separator can also enable additional property-enhancing features compared to ion-exchange membranes. For example, simple capacity control can be achieved through hydraulic pressure by balancing the volumes of electrolyte on each side of the separator. While a porous separator can also allow for volume and pressure regulation, in RFBs that utilize corrosive and/or oxidizing compounds, the composite separators described herein are preferable for their robustness in the presence of such compounds.

Redox flow batteries (RFB) have attracted significant attention as an important energy storage system. Advantages of RFB systems include separation of energy capacity and power output, long service life, relative safety, and ease of manufacturing. As a result, RFB systems compose a leading consideration for applications such as large-scale energy storage and integral components in electrical power infrastructure.
However, both technical and economic barriers have limited commercial uptake of RFBs. For example, long-term operation stability and high cost have limited the technology from broader market penetration. In many instances, these barriers are associated with the membrane that provides physical separation between the positive and negative electrolytes to prevent their cross-mixing while allowing passage of charge carriers to complete the circuit.
In many mature RFB systems, perfluorinated ion exchange materials are used as the membrane. However, these materials are not preferable at least because they are extremely expensive and can account for 40% of the total cost of a RFB stack, which comprises a plurality of RFB cells, or repeat units. Furthermore, in all-vanadium RFBs, for example, the use of these materials (e.g., NAFION®) can result in capacity decay due to the different transfer rates of the four vanadium ions and the asymmetrical valence state of vanadium ions caused by subsequent self-discharge reactions between the transferred and native vanadium ions.
One alternative to a perfluorinated ion exchange membrane is a microporous separator. However, it is unlikely that typical microporous separators can withstand the harsh chemical environment of certain RFBs. Accordingly, a need for improved RFB separators exists to reduce cost, improve performance, and/or enable additional property-enhancing developments.

Composite separators and redox flow batteries based on porous separators


A method and apparatus for handling events, such as those which occur in a processor. An event vector is formed by combining event type information indicating a type of event in the processor and mode information indicating an operating mode of the processor. A microcode event handler vector is generated therefrom, for example, by referencing a lookup table. The microcode event handler vector is then used for invoking a microcode event handler to handle occurrence of these events in the processor. By the formation of an event vector, and the microcode event handler vector, execution performance is increased due to avoiding conditional branching within the processor, such as modem high performance architectures, including those which execute instructions in and out-of-order.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of computer systems. More specifically, this invention relates to creation of microcode exception handler vectors using mode and fault information during execution within a processor.
2. Background Information
Typical prior art computer processors implement in-order instruction execution pipeline. An in-order processor usually fetches an instruction stream from a memory, and executes each instruction in the instruction stream according to a sequential program order. Such in-order instruction execution ensures that data dependencies among the instructions are strictly observed.
A processor may perform out-of-order instruction execution to increase instruction execution performance. Such a performance executes ready instructions in the instruction stream ahead of earlier instructions in the program order that are not ready. A ready instruction is typically an instruction having fully assembled source data in available execution resources.
Such out-of-order execution improves processor performance because the instruction execution pipeline of the processor does not stall while awaiting source data or execution resources for a non-ready instruction. For example, an instruction in the instruction stream may require source data from a processor register, wherein the processor register is loaded by a pending external memory fetch operation. Such an instruction awaiting the results of the external memory fetch does not stall the execution of later instructions in the instruction stream that are ready to execute.
A processor may also perform speculative instruction execution to increase instruction execution performance. Such a processor typically determines a speculative execution branch through a program by predicting the result of branch instructions. Such a processor fetches an instruction stream from a memory, predicts a branch result for each branch instruction, and continues fetching and executing the instruction stream according to the predicted branch result. Such speculative execution increases processor performance because the instruction fetch pipeline does not stall during the resolution of branch instructions.
A processor that performs both speculative and out-of-order instruction execution generates speculative result data in an out-of-order sequence in relation to the original program order. The result data is out-of-order because the instructions that cause generation of the result data are executed out-of-order. The result data is speculative until the branch prediction or predictions that caused speculative execution of the instructions is resolved.
Such a speculative out-of-order processor requires a mechanism for coordinating exceptions that occur during the speculative out-of-order execution of the instructions. These exceptions include, for example, software traps and software faults. An example of a software fault is a page fault during a memory access. An example of a trap is a data breakpoint trap. In addition, such a speculative out-of order processor must coordinate the handing of asynchronous events such as interrupts.
When an exceptions occurs in prior art in-order machines, such as those conforming to the Intel brand processor architecture, a special form of far call, the exception handler call, is performed to the exception handler. This far call pushes a return CS and EIP value on to the stack, pushes an EFLAGS register value onto the stack, and branches to an address specified by a CS and EIP value found in the IDT. One prior art method of handling exceptions is described in chapter 9 of the i486 Programmer's Reference Manual. Intel type architecture exceptions can be grouped into four categories:
Faults--exceptions detected while executing an instruction. The instruction is terminated immediately and those state changes made by the instruction are not committed. Return EIP points to the instruction which caused the exception. PA1 Traps--exceptions detected while executing an instruction which are held pending until instruction execution completes. State changes made by the instruction are committed before the exception is handled. Return EIP points to the instruction following the one which caused the exception. PA1 Software Interrupts--exceptions caused by INTn instruction in the Intel architecture. Return EIP points to the instruction following the INTn. PA1 Hardware Interrupts--exceptions caused by the assertion of the INT or NMI pin. The EIP points to the instruction to be executed after servicing the interrupt.
In addition to the differences in the return EIP value pushed on the stack, each different type of exception can require that different values stored in the EFLAGS register in the Intel architecture processor be pushed and that different protection checks be performed on the value obtained from the IDT. They also may require that certain control registers be loaded with data pertaining to the exception and that a special error code be pushed on to the stack for certain exception types. This requires that microcode perform different actions during the exception handler call based on the type of the exception which occurred.
In addition to these differences, different exception handler call actions are required based on whether the Intel brand processor is in Real, Protected, Virtual-8086, or Virtual Mode Extensions (VME) mode at the time the exception occurred. These differences can include different methods of obtaining the CS and EIP information from the IDT, additional protection checks required in some modes, and different EFLAGS register values after the call based on mode and exception type.
Previous processors compatible with the Intel architecture directed microcode execution to different exception handlers based on the type of exception when the exception was posted, and relied on conditional microcode branches within the exception handers to select among the mode specific actions which might need to be performed. This technique suffers from performance penalties in out-of-order speculative execution processors because of the length of the pipeline and the number of buffers which must be flushed during the occurrence of exceptions. The conditional branches based on mode within each handler also incur a high penalty because of these flushing actions.
Thus, there is a need for a processor which can perform different actions based on mode and exception type occurring in a processor, but yet, avoid conditional branching within exception handlers in order to maintain performance at a high level in a speculative out-of order processor.

Method and apparatus for generating event handler vectors based on both operating mode and event type


A thin-film magnetic head includes a first magnetic core, a second magnetic core, a connecting layer which connects the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core, a toroidal coil layer, and a shielding layer. The connecting layer extends in the height direction so as to face the back side in the height direction of the shielding layer. Alternatively, the width in the track width direction of the connecting layer is larger than the width in the track width direction of the toroidal coil layer. Consequently, the volume of the connecting layer is increased, and thereby the heat capacity is increased. Heat generated in the thin-film magnetic head can be properly dissipated via the connecting layer, and an increase in the temperature inside the thin-film magnetic head can be prevented. As a result, protrusion of the thin-film magnetic head due to thermal expansion can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head including a toroidal coil layer, for example, used for a floating-type thin-film magnetic head unit. More particularly, the invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head including a toroidal coil layer in which the heat capacity is increased in a region extending in the height direction at the back of the toroidal coil layer and in which excellent heat dissipation ability is exhibited.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, thin-film magnetic write heads (inductive heads) provided with core layers and coil layers have been miniaturized as recording densities have been increased. Consequently, coil layers must be formed by winding in very small spaces.
Instead of thin-film magnetic heads having a spiral coil structure which uses a space between a lower core layer and an upper core layer and in which a coil layer is spirally wound around a connecting section which connects the lower core layer and the upper core layer to each other, thin-film magnetic heads having a toroidal coil structure in which a coil layer is toroidally wound around a core layer are thought to become mainstream inductive heads.
In the miniaturized inductive heads using such a toroidal coil layer, the following problem has particularly become obvious. That is, in the inductive head with the toroidal structure, since the coil layer is integrated in the front region in the height direction, Joule heat generated by a recording current flowing through the coil layer and heat due to an eddy current generated in the core are not easily dissipated efficiently from the inductive head. As a result, the temperature inside the inductive head is remarkably increased.
If the temperature inside the inductive head is increased, a so-called "pole tip protrusion (PTP)" phenomenon occurs, i.e., due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the coil layer or the core layer composed of metallic materials and the insulating material surrounding them, the inductive head section is likely to protrude from the surface facing a recording medium compared to the other section.
In particular, in the thin-film magnetic head in which a high recording density is enabled, because of the high frequency of the recording current applied to the toroidal coil, the temperature inside the inductive head is rapidly increased, and protrusion from the surface facing the recording medium increases. If the inductive head protrudes from the surface facing the recording medium, the inductive head is more likely to collide with the recording medium, thereby damaging the recording medium or being damaged by the recording medium.
Thin-film magnetic heads in which heat generated in the inductive heads can be dissipated and the PTP phenomenon can be inhibited are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-093113 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-126216 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-282419 (Patent Document 3).
The thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 1 has the toroidal structure as that described above. In this thin-film magnetic head, a lower core layer extends in the height direction at the back of a back gap layer disposed on the lower core layer. The lower core layer in the region at the back of the back gap layer is thought to function as a heat-dissipating member for dissipating heat generated in the coil layer and the core layer.
However, in the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 1, the back gap layer has a small length in the height direction and has a small volume. Generally, in the inductive head, aside from heat generated in the coil layer and the core layer, heat is also generated from the back gap layer due to an eddy current occurring in the back gap layer. In the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 1, since the volume of the back gap layer is small, the heat capacity of the back gap layer is small, and the heat dissipation effect is small. An insulating layer is disposed above the lower core layer at the back of the back gap layer, and thereby the ability to effectively dissipate heat transmitted to the back region of the lower core layer is small.
In the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 2, as shown in FIG. 8, etc., of Patent Document 2, a back gap layer extends in the height direction. The back gap layer is thought to function as a heat-dissipating member for dissipating heat generated in the coil layer and the core layer.
However, since the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 2 has a spiral coil structure in which the coil layer is spirally wound around the back gap layer, the coil layer is also disposed at the back of the back gap layer and at the sides of the back gap layer. Therefore, there are limitations in forming the back gap layer with a large area extending longitudinally in the height direction or extending laterally in the track width direction, and thereby there are limitations in allowing the back gap layer to effectively function as the heat-dissipating member.
In the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 3, a connecting section disposed at the back of an upper core layer and a lower core layer for connecting both core layers is thought to function as a heat-dissipating member for dissipating heat generated in the coil layer and the core layers.
However, since the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 3 also has the spiral coil structure as in the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 2, the coil layer is spirally wound around the connecting section.
Therefore, there are also limitations in forming the connecting section with a large area, and thereby there are limitations in allowing the connecting section to effectively function as the heat-dissipating member. In the thin-film magnetic head according to Patent Document 3, first of all, since the connecting section is composed of the upper core layer and the lower core layer, an increase in the size of the connecting section itself is limited, and thereby there are limitations in allowing the connecting section to function as the heat-dissipating member.

Thin-film magnetic head including a toroidal coil layer and connecting layer formed between a first and second magnetic cores disposed at a back side of the toroidal coil layer


A method for manufacturing an optical element includes pressing a phosphate-based glass containing Bi2O3 in a proportion of 10 mass % or higher and 30 mass % or lower with a hot mold; and then cooling the same, in which pressure equal to or higher than the critical pressure of oxygen and equal to or lower than a strength of glass is continuously applied to the glass from the time of bringing the glass into contact with the pressing surface of the mold at a glass viscosity of log η=9 [dPa·sec] or higher and 10 [dPa·sec] or lower until the glass viscosity log η increases to 12 [dPa·sec] by cooling.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical element and particularly relates to a method for manufacturing an optical element for use in an optical apparatus, such as cameras and videos, by press-molding.
Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a method for obtaining an optical element by press-molding glass which is heated and softened is known. However, in recent years, a technique of molding a glass material having a special optical constant has been required with an enhancement of performance of a lens unit.
The composition of the glass material of a special optical constant sometimes become a thermally unstable composition. When the glass material of the composition is heated to a molding temperature, the generation amount of volatile constituents increases. When a lens is hot-molded using such a glass material, a foggy lens in which air bubbles are generated due to the generation of volatile constituents is molded, so that the appearance becomes poor. Therefore, when molding the glass material of a special optical constant, a technique of suppressing the generation of volatile constituents is required.
As a former technique of suppressing the generation of volatile constituents, a method for pressurizing the atmosphere in a chamber to be equal to or higher than the vapor pressure is disclosed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-107145).
However, in the former technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-107145, the pressure from the atmosphere does not act on the surface where a mold and glass contact each other, and the pressurization force to the glass decreases, so that air bubbles due to volatilization are generated in the molded surface. Furthermore, although the standard of "equal to or higher than the vapor pressure" is described, the material of a special optical constant, particularly a phosphate-based glass containing Bi2O3 in a proportion of 10 mass % or higher and 30 mass % or lower, has had a problem to be solved such that the effect of suppressing volatilization is not obtained even when pressurization exceeding the vapor pressure of metallic elements is performed.

Method for manufacturing optical element


A semiconductor device includes a PMOS FinFET and an NMOS FinFET. The PMOS FinFET includes a substrate, a silicon germanium layer disposed over the substrate, a silicon layer disposed over the silicon germanium layer, and a PMOS fin disposed over the silicon layer. The PMOS fin contains silicon germanium. The NMOS FinFET includes the substrate, a silicon germanium oxide layer disposed over the substrate, a silicon oxide layer disposed over the silicon germanium oxide layer, and an NMOS fin disposed over the silicon oxide layer. The NMOS fin contains silicon. The silicon germanium oxide layer and the silicon oxide layer collectively define a concave recess in a horizontal direction. The concave recess is partially disposed below the NMOS fin.

The semiconductor industry has progressed into nanometer technology process nodes in pursuit of higher device density, higher performance, and lower costs. As this progression takes place, challenges from both fabrication and design issues have resulted in the development of three-dimensional designs, such as fin-like field effect transistor (FinFET) device. A typical FinFET device is fabricated with a thin "fin" (or fin-like structure) extending from a substrate. The fin usually includes silicon and forms the body of the transistor device. The channel of the transistor is formed in this vertical fin. A gate is provided over (e.g., wrapping around) the fin. This type of gate allows greater control of the channel. Other advantages of FinFET devices include reduced short channel effect and higher current flow.
However, traditional methods of fabricating FinFET devices may still have various shortcomings. These shortcomings include, but are not limited to, defects related to certain process flows, small epitaxial growth process windows, unsatisfactory device performance, higher costs, etc. Therefore, while existing methods of fabricating FinFET devices have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in every aspect.

FinFET devices with unique fin shape and the fabrication thereof

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


The present disclosure is directed to methods for treating Crohn's disease, and in particular, to methods for inducing clinical remission and/or endoscopic improvement of Crohn's disease, using a JAK1 inhibitor. In certain embodiments, the patient is administered an induction dose of the JAK1 inhibitor to induce clinical remission and/or endoscopic improvement of the Crohn's disease, followed by administration of at least one maintenance dose of the JAK1 inhibitor thereafter. In other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to methods for treating ulcerative colitis using a JAK1 inhibitor.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves chronic inflammation of a patient's digestive tract. IBD includes both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The exact cause of IBD is not known. The IBD can be idiopathic IBD.
Crohn's Disease (CD) encompasses a spectrum of clinical and pathological processes manifested by focal asymmetric, transmural, and occasionally granulomatous inflammation that can affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract (Lichtenstein G R, Hanauer S B, Sandborn W J; Practice Parameters Committee of American College of Gastroenterology, Management of Crohn's disease in adults, Am J Gastroenterol. 2009; 104(2):465-83). The disease can affect persons of any age, and its onset is most common in the second and third decades. Females are affected slightly more than males, and the risk for disease is higher in some ethnic groups (Loftus E V Jr., "Clinical epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: incidence, prevalence, and environmental influences," Gastroenterology, 2004; 126(6):1504-17; Probert C S, Jayanthi V, Rampton D S, et al., "Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in different ethnic and religious groups: limitations and aetiological clues," Int. J Colorectal Dis., 1996; 11(1):25-28). In North America, the incidence of CD is estimated to be 3.1 to 14.6 cases per 100,000 persons. Prevalence rates range from 26 to 99 cases per 100,000 persons. In Europe, CD has an incidence of 0.7 to 9.8 cases per 100,000 persons and a prevalence of 8.3 to 214 cases per 100,000 persons (Loftus E V Jr. Clinical epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: incidence, prevalence, and environmental influences. Gastroenterology. 2004; 126(6):1504-17).
CD has been characterized by significant morbidity including abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss/malnutrition, fatigue and a progressive nature that leads to complications such as fistulas, strictures and abscesses. In a population based study from southeastern Norway, a substantial number of patients demonstrated a stricturing or penetrating phenotype at 10 years after diagnosis (Solberg I C, Vatn M H, Hoie O, et al; IBSEN Study Group. Clinical course in Crohn's disease: results of a Norwegian population-based ten-year follow-up study. Clin Gastroenterol Heptaol. 2007; 5(12):1430-8). Moreover, approximately 80% of patients diagnosed with CD will require at least 1 surgery related to the disease at some point in time (Munkholm P, Langholz E, Davidsen M, et al. Intestinal cancer risk and mortality in patients with Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology. 1993:105(6):1716-23).
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two primary forms of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is postulated that UC is caused by unregulated and exaggerated local immune response to environmental triggers in genetically susceptible individuals (Hanauer S B. Update on the etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2004; 1(1):26-31). UC is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory disease of the large intestine characterized by inflammation and ulceration of mainly the mucosal and occasionally submucosal intestinal layers. The highest annual incidence of UC was 24.3 per 100,000 person-years in Europe, 6.3 per 100,000 person-years in Asia and the Middle East, and 19.2 per 100,000 person-years in North America, with a prevalence of 505 cases per 100,000 persons in Europe and 249 cases per 100,000 persons in North America. (Molodecky N A, Soon I S, Rabi D M, et al. Increasing incidence and prevalence of the inflammatory bowel diseases with time, based on systematic review. Gastroenterology. 2012:142(1):46-54). There is increasing incidence and prevalence of the inflammatory bowel diseases with time, based on systematic review. (Gastroenterology. 2012; 142(1):46-54.e42; quiz e30.) The burden of UC on the healthcare system is profound, accounting for nearly 500,000 physician visits and more than 46,000 hospitalizations per year in the United States (US) alone. (Sandler R S, Everhart J E, Donowitz M, et al., Gastroenterology, 2002; 122(5):1500-11).
The hallmark clinical symptoms of UC include bloody diarrhea associated with rectal urgency and tenesmus. The clinical course is marked by exacerbation and remission. The diagnosis of UC is suspected on clinical grounds and supported by diagnostic testing, and elimination of infectious causes. (Dignass A, Eliakim R, Magro F, et al. Second European evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis and management of ulcerative colitis part 1: definitions and diagnosis. J Crohn's Colitis. 2012; 6(10):965-90)
The most severe intestinal manifestations of UC are toxic megacolon and perforation. Extraintestinal complications include arthritis (peripheral or axial involvement), dermatological conditions (erythema nodosum, aphthous stomatitis, and pyoderma gangrenosum), inflammation of the eye (uveitis), and liver dysfunction (primary sclerosing cholangitis). Patients with UC are at an increased risk for colon cancer, and the risk increases with the duration of disease as well as extent of colon affected by the disease. (Rutter M, Saunders B, Wilkinson K, et al. Severity of inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia in ulcerative colitis. (Gastroenterology, 2004; 126(2):451-9).
The aim of medical treatment in UC is to control inflammation and reduce symptoms. Available pharmaceutical therapies are limited, do not always completely abate the inflammatory process, and may have significant adverse effects. Therapies for mild to moderate active UC include 5-aminosalicylic acid derivatives and immunosuppressants.
Corticosteroids are used in patients with more severe UC symptoms but are not useful for longer term therapy. (Truelove S C, Witts L J. Cortisone and corticotrophin in ulcerative colitis. Br Med 1959; 1(5119):387-94). The frequency and severity of corticosteroid toxicities are significant, including infections, emotional and psychiatric disturbances, skin injury, and metabolic bone disease. Corticosteroids are not effective for the maintenance of remission and the UC practice guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology recommend against chronic steroid treatment. (Kornbluth A, Sachar D B; Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. Ulcerative colitis practice guidelines in adults: American College of Gastroenterology, Practice Parameters Committee. Am J Gastroenterol. 2010; 105(3):501-23; quiz 524). Patients with moderate to severe symptoms may derive some benefits from immunosuppressant agents (azathioprine [AZA], 6-mercaptopurine [6-MP], or methotrexate [MTX]); however, the use of these agents is limited as induction treatment due to a slow onset of action (3 to 6 months) and as maintenance therapy due to adverse events (AEs), including bone marrow suppression, infections, hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis, and malignancies. (Kornbluth A, Sachar D B; Practice Parameters Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. Ulcerative colitis practice guidelines in adults: American College of Gastroenterology, Practice Parameters Committee. Am J Gastroenterol., 2010; 105(3):501-23; quiz 524; Beaugerie L, Brousse N, Bouvier A M, et al. Lymphoproliferative disorders in patients receiving thiopurines for inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective observational cohort study. Lancet. 2009; 374(9701):1617-25). Despite these therapies, approximately 15% of ulcerative colitis patients experience a severe clinical course, and 30% of these patients require removal of the colon/rectum, to eliminate the source of the inflammatory process, although accompanied by significant morbidity (Aratari A, Papi C, Clemente V, et al. Colectomy rate in acute severe ulcerative colitis in the infliximab era. Dig Liver Dis. 2008; 40(10):821-6; Turner D, Walsh C M, Steinhart A H, et al. Response to corticosteroids in severe ulcerative colitis: a systematic review of the literature and a meta-regression. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007; 5(1):103-10).
Biological agents targeting specific immunological pathways have been evaluated for their therapeutic effect in treating patients with UC. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents were the first biologics to be used for IBD. Infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab are successfully being used for the treatment of UC. Recently, vedolizumab, an anti-adhesion therapy, has been approved for the treatment of UC by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and clinical development is ongoing in Japan.
Anti-TNF therapies are an effective treatment for patients who are steroid refractory or steroid dependent, who had inadequate response to a thiopurine, or who are intolerant to these medications. Potential risks with anti-TNF therapies include infusion or injection site reactions, serious infections, lymphoma, heart failure, lupus-like syndromes, and demyelinating conditions (Sandborn W J. State-of-the-art: immunosuppression and biologic therapy. Dig Dis. 2010; 28(3):536-42). Despite the beneficial results achieved with the available biologic agents, only 17% to 45% of patients who receive them are able to achieve clinical remission. (Rutgeerts P, Sandborn W, Feagan B, et al., Infliximab for induction and maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis. N Engl J Med. 2005, 353(23):2462-76; Sandborn W J, van Assche G, Reinisch W, et al. Adalimumab induces and maintains clinical remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology, 2012, 142(2):257-65; Feagan B, Greenberg G, Wild G, et al., Treatment of ulcerative colitis with a humanized antibody to the alpha4beta7 integrin, N. Engl. J. Med. 2005, 352(24):2499-507; Sandborn W, Feagan B, Marano C, et al. Subcutaneous golimumab induces clinical response and remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, Gastroenterology, 2014, 146(1): 85-95; quiz e14-5), Thus, there remains a clear medical need for additional therapeutic options in UC for patients with inadequate response to or intolerance to conventional therapies and biologic therapies
Given that no known medical or surgical cure currently exists for CD, the therapeutic strategy is to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, reduce endoscopic evidence of inflammation, and minimize short- and long term toxicity and complications (Lichtenstein G R, Hanauer S B, Sandborn W J; Practice Parameters Committee of American College of Gastroenterology, Management of Crohn's disease in adults, Am J Gastroenterol., 2009, 104(2):465-83). Currently, patients with moderate to severe disease are usually treated with conventional pharmacologic interventions, which include corticosteroids and immunosuppressant agents such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, or methotrexate (MTX) (Lichtenstein G R, Hanauer S B, Sandborn W J, Practice Parameters Committee of American College of Gastroenterology, Management of Crohn's disease in adults, Am J Gastroenterol, 2009, 104(2):465-83; Dignass A, Van Assche G, Lindsay J O, et al., European Crohn's and Colitis Oganisation (ECCO), The second European evidence-based Consensus on the diagnosis and management of Crohn's disease: current management, J Crohn's Colitis, 2010, 4(1):28-62, Erratum in: J Crohn's Colitis, 2010, 4(3):353).
The potential risks from long term use of corticosteroids are well-known. Adverse events (AEs) associated with short-term use of corticosteroids include acne, moon face, edema, skin striae, glucose intolerance, and sleep/mood disturbances, while potential AEs observed with longer term use (usually 12 weeks or longer but sometimes shorter durations) include posterior subcapsular cataracts, osteoporosis, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, myopathy, and susceptibility to infection (Irving P M, Gearry R B, Sparrow M P, et al., Review article: appropriate use of corticosteroids in Crohn's disease, Aliment Pharmacol Ther., 2007, 26(3):313-29; Rutgeerts P J, Review article: the limitations of corticosteroid therapy in Crohn's disease, Aliment Pharmacol Ther., 2001, 15(10):1515-25). The safety risks for azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine include pancreatitis, bone marrow depression, infectious complications, and malignant neoplasms (Sandborn, W J, State-of-the-art: immunosuppression and biologic therapy, Dig Dis., 2010, 28(3):536-42). MTX may be associated with nausea, bone marrow depression and liver and pulmonary toxicity (Siegel, et al., Review article: Practical Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Taking Immunosuppressants, Aliment Pharmacol Ther., 2005, 22:1-16). Patients who do not respond to conventional therapies are treated with anti-TNF-α therapies (i.e., biologics) (Lichtenstein G R, Hanauer S B, Sandborn W J, Practice Parameters Committee of American College of Gastroenterology, Management of Crohn's disease in adults, Am J Gastroenterol., 2009, 104(2):465-83; Dignass A, Van Assche G, Lindsay J O, et al., European Crohn's and Colitis Oganisation (ECCO), The second European evidence-based Consensus on the diagnosis and management of Crohn's disease: current management, J Crohn's Colitis, 2010, 4(1):28-62, Erratum in: J Crohn's Colitis, 2010, 4(3):353). Potential risks with biologics include infusion or injection site reactions, serious infections, lymphoma and other malignancies, heart failure, cytopenias, lupus-like syndromes, and demyelinating conditions (Sandborn W J, State-of-the-art: immunosuppression and biologic therapy, Dig. Dis., 2010, 28(3):536-42).
Despite the beneficial results achieved with the available anti-TNF-α agents, approximately 40% of patients who receive them for the first time do not have a clinically meaningful response (primary nonresponders) (Targan S R, Hanauer S B, van Deventer S J, et al., A short-term study of chimeric monoclonal antibody cA2 to tumor necrosis factor alpha for Crohn's disease, N Engl. J. Med., 1997, 337(15):1029-35; Hanauer S B, Feagan B G, Lichtenstein G R, et al., ACCENT I Study Group, Maintenance infliximab for Crohn's disease: the ACCENT I randomized trial, Lancet, 2002, 359(9317):1541-9; Hanauer S B, Sandborn W J, Rutgeerts P, et al., Human anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody (adalimumab) in Crohn's disease: the CLASSIC-I trial, Gastroenterology, 2007, 132(1):52-65; Colombel J F, Sandborn W J, Rutgeerts P, et al., Adalimumab for maintenance of clinical response and remission in patients with Crohn's disease: the CHARM trial, Gastroenterology, 2007, 132(1):52-65; Sandborn W J, Feagan B G, Stoinov S, et al., PRECISE I Study Investigators, Certolizumab pegol for the treatment of Crohn's disease, N Engl. J Med., 2007, 357(3):228-38). Among patients who initially respond and continue to receive maintenance treatment for longer durations, approximately 38% become nonresponders after 6 months (Schribeinger S, Khaliq-Kareemi M, Lawrance I C, et al; PRECISE 2 Study Investigators, Maintenance therapy with certolizumab pegol for Crohn's disease, N Engl. J Med., 2007, 357(3):239-50, Erratum in: N Engl. J Med., 2007, 357(13):1357) and approximately 50% become nonresponders at 1 year lose response (secondary nonresponders) (Hanauer S B, Feagan B G, Lichtenstein G R, et al., ACCENT I Study Group, Maintenance infliximab for Crohn's disease: the ACCENT I randomized trial, Lancet, 2002, 359(9317):1541-9; Colombel J F, Sandborn W J, Rutgeerts P, et al., Adalimumab for maintenance of clinical response and remission in patients with Crohn's disease: the CHARM trial, Gastroenterology, 2007, 132(1):52-65). Patients who initially respond to a first anti-TNF agent but then lose response tend to have lower response and remission rates to the second anti-TNF agent (Colombel J F, Sandborn W J, Rutgeerts P, et al., Adalimumab for maintenance of clinical response and remission in patients with Crohn's disease: the CHARM trial, Gastroenterology, 2007, 132(1):52-65; Sandborn, et al., "Natalizumab induction and maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease," N Engl. J. Med., 2005, 353(18):1912-25).
New classes of biologics have been studied in patients with prior anti-TNF use. Natalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to α4β1 and α4β7 integrins, showed promise for patients with prior exposure to anti-TNF-α therapy; more than half of the patients had a response to the induction regimen (Sandborn, et al., "Natalizumab induction and maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease," N. Engl. J. Med., 2005, 353(18):1912-25). However, natalizumab's use after approval in 2008 has been severely limited due to the serious risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) attributed to activation of the latent JC virus (Van Assche G, Van Ranst M, Sciot R, et al., "Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy after natalizumab therapy for Crohn's disease," N. Engl. J. Med., 2005, 353(4):362-8). Vedolizumab is specific to the α4β7 integrin, which does not affect lymphocyte trafficking to the brain. Therefore, it is presumed to not have the PML risk associated with natalizumab. However, it does not fulfill many of the unmet needs of patients who have failed treatment with anti-TNFs, such as the improvement of extra-intestinal manifestations (Rubin, et al., Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2016, 22 Suppl. 1: S42-S43). In the induction study with vedolizumab, the primary endpoint of clinical remission in patients who had previously failed treatment with an anti TNF was not statistically significant nor was it clinically meaningful since there was only a 3% difference from placebo (Sands, et al., "Effects of Vedolizumab Induction Therapy for Patients with Crohn's Disease in Whom Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonist Treatment Failed," Gastroenterology, 2014, 147:618-627). Ustekinumab, a human monoclonal antibody that selectively targets IL-12 and IL-23, has efficacy in both patients who have responded to and patients who have not responded to prior anti-TNFα therapy. The efficacy of ustekinumab, however, is broadly similar to that of anti-TNF agents, and therefore subject to similar drawbacks (Ther. Adv. Gastroenterology, 2016, Vol. 9(1), pp. 26-36). Clearly, the need for additional therapeutic options in CD for patients who fail or are intolerant to conventional therapies, and anti-TNF-α agents or other biologic therapies remains.

Methods of treating crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis


Provided is a cushion structure, which has a cushion base, a bottom support stand, and an adjusting device. The bottom support stand is mounted under the cushion base. The adjusting device is mounted between the cushion base and the bottom support stand. The adjusting device has a back pivot module and a front adjusting module. The back pivot module is connected to the cushion base and the bottom support stand and is mounted on the cushion base and the bottom support stand. The front adjusting module is mounted on a front end of the cushion base and the bottom support stand. The front adjusting module is used to adjust an inclined angle of the cushion base. So the cushion structure can meet needs of different users of different body shapes or with different demands.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cushion structure, especially a cushion structure that is adjustable in its inclined angle.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
A conventional seat has a cushion designed with a specific and fixed inclined angle, thus customers have to buy a suitable seat according to the personal demand. The cushion of the conventional seat with the fixed inclined angle has the following shortcomings.
The cushion of the conventional seat with the fixed inclined angle is not suitable for users with different statures or body shapes.
The cushion's stuffing material may be deformed after a long time of use, and this may change the inclined angle of the cushion of the conventional seat such that the cushion can no longer provide comfort to the user.
When the user is seated on the cushion of the conventional chair, the postures of the user's body may be different depending on what the user is doing, such as casually reading or concentrating on work, and the cushion of the conventional seat with a fixed inclined angle cannot be adjusted to fit the varying demands of the user.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a cushion structure to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


Aspects of a method and system for a single antenna receiver system for W-CDMA are provided and may comprise computing channel estimates based on received multipath signals. Timing correction signals indicating a location of the received multipath signals may be generated and the received multipath signals may be combined based on the computed channel estimates and/or the generated timing reference signals. The multipath signals may be combined as a signal cluster. Circuitry may be provided that computes channel estimates based on at least one of a plurality of received multipath signals, and generates timing reference signals indicating a location of at least one of the plurality of received multipath signals. Circuitry may also be provided that combines at least a portion of the plurality of received multipath signals based on at least a portion of the computed channel estimates and/or the generated timing reference signals.

A wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) base transceiver station (BTS) may transmit a signal, which may be reflected, and/or attenuated by various obstacles and surrounding objects. As a result, various copies of the transmitted signal, at various power levels, may be received at the mobile station comprising different time offsets. FIG. 1a is a diagram exemplary of copies of a transmitted signal that may be received by a mobile receiver. Referring to FIG. 1a, there is shown a transmitter 2, a receiver 4, the group of transmitted signals 6, the group of received signals 8, and individual copies of the transmitted signals 10, 12, and 14. The plurality of signals 10, 12, and 14, received by a receiver 104 may be referred to as multipath signals while each signal in the multipath may be referred to as an individual distinct path signal. An individual distinct path signal may correspond to a path. A rake receiver may be deployed to demodulate individual distinct path signals, with each of a plurality of fingers assigned to track and demodulate one component of the multipath. The output of the fingers may then be combined and further demodulated and decoded. The fingers may be adapted to receive and process as much of the received signal energy as practicable.
A considerable part of receiver design may involve managing the rake receiver fingers. A functional block known in the art as a "searcher" may be adapted to locating new individual distinct path signals and to allocating rake receiver fingers to the new individual distinct path signals. The searcher may detect a path based on the amount of energy contained in a signal, identify that path if it carries user's data, and subsequently monitor the detected path. Once the detected signal energy in a path is above a given threshold, a finger in the rake receiver may be assigned to the path and the signal energy level constantly monitored.
However, partitioning the received signal into several fingers, each of which may process and exploit energy in a single individual distinct path, may have limitations. For example, a group of individual distinct path signals may rarely be characterized by a few discrete times of arrival. The result may be a method and apparatus, for example, a rake receiver, that may be inefficient at exploiting the power in received signals. In addition, utilizing this method may incur high processing overhead in managing the fingers. The total amount of time that transpires comprising the time to identify a path, to the time required to assign a finger, and to the time that the signal energy may be exploited, may account for 20-30% of the path life span. Once a finger is assigned to a path, detected energy on the path may be continuously monitored. However by the time that the finger has been assigned, the path energy may be diminished, while energy may rise at a different time of arrival. This may result in the rake receiver constantly searching for new paths, and performing finger de-allocation/allocation cycles. A finger that is allocated to a path with diminishing power may represent misused resources in the mobile terminal, which may in turn result lower performance of the mobile terminal.
Another limitation of a conventional rake receiver may be known in the art as finger merge or 'fat' finger. This is a phenomenon in which paths that are in close temporal vicinity of each may be may be assigned to separate fingers at the rake receiver. Finger merge may have negative implications for system performance for a variety of reasons.
The assignment of more than one finger to a single offset may be a waste of system resources, as the additional finger or fingers may be better deployed to receiving energy from another individual distinct path signal in the multipath, or to receive energy from a signal transmitted from another BTS. In addition, the combined power of the various fingers may often be used to control various system parameters, for example, power control. Without accounting for finger merge, a system may over-estimate the received power due the duplication of energy detected in the combiner, and thus over-compensate by lowering transmit power to a threshold level below that required for adequate communication.
Moreover, combining the output of merged fingers with the output of non-merged fingers may weight both the signal and noise of the merged finger output too heavily in relation to the non-merged finger output, which may result in inefficient exploitation of the received power. There may be a present need in the art to perform path search and resource allocation that reduces the searcher overhead by eliminating the need for micro-managing the fingers.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for single antenna receiver system for WCDMA


A lithium metal oxide positive electrode for a non-aqueous lithium cell is disclosed. The cell is prepared in its initial discharged state and has a general formula xLiMO2.(1-x)Li2M′O3 in which 0<x<1, and where M is more than one ion with an average trivalent oxidation state and with at least one ion being Ni, and where M′ is one or more ions with an average tetravalent oxidation state. Complete cells or batteries are disclosed with anode, cathode and electrolyte as are batteries of several cells connected in parallel or series or both.

This invention relates to lithium metal oxide positive electrodes for non-aqueous lithium cells and batteries. More specifically, it relates to lithium-metal-oxide electrode compositions and structures, having in their initial state in an electrochemical cell, a general formula xLiMO2.(1-x)Li2M′O3 alternatively Li2-xMxM′1-xO3-x in which 0<x<1 and where M is one or more ion with an average oxidation state of three and with at least one ion being Mn, and where M′ is one or more ions with an average oxidation state of four selected preferably from Mn, Ti and Zr; or, where M is one or more ion with an average oxidation state of three and with at least one ion being Ni, and where M′ is one or more ions with an average oxidation state of four with at least one ion being Mn. In one embodiment of the invention, the Mn content should be as high as possible, such that the LiMO2 component is essentially LiMnO2 modified in accordance with this invention. In a second embodiment of the invention, the Ni content should be as high as possible such that the LiMO2 component is essentially LiNiO2 modified in accordance with this invention. In a further embodiment of the invention, the transition metal ions and lithium ions may be partially replaced by minor concentrations of one or more mono- or multivalent cations such as H+ derived from the electrolyte by ion-exchange with Li+ ions, and/or Mg2+ and Al3+ to impart improved structural stability or electronic conductivity to the electrode during electrochemical cycling.
Prior application Ser. No. 09/887/842 filed Jun. 21, 2001 taught one or more cations M or M′ in a lithium metal oxide cathode, such as LiMO2 or Li2M′O3 where M has an oxidation state or valence of three and M′ has an oxidation state or valence of four. Although one of ordinary skill in the art would have clearly understood that the valences or oxidation states taught included ions which averaged oxidation state of three or average oxidation states of four, this continuation-in part application explictily states what was understood from the earlier filed '842 application and adds newly obtained data.

Lithium metal oxide electrodes for lithium cells and batteries


A coating for an implantable medical device comprising modified poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol).

A stent is an implantable medical device comprising a tubular scaffold used to mechanically retain the patency of a lumen in which it is placed. Stents may be modified to provide therapeutic drugs at the site of implantation. That is, a stent can be coated with a polymer impregnated with a drug and, when the stent is in place, the drug elutes from the polymer. A variety of polymers can be used to coat stents. Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVAL), is a commercial polymer that has been found to be useful for this purpose.
EVAL possesses desirable coating characteristics such as relative impermeability to oxygen, biocompatibility, and adherence to variety of substrates such as, without limitation, stainless steel. It also, however, has drawbacks such as limited solubility in organic solvents and too great an affinity for water. Its limited solubility requires use of strong polar solvents, such as dimethylacetamide (DMAC) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), to dissolve it. These solvents have high boiling points and are difficult to remove during the drying step of the coating process. EVAL's affinity for water can also be problematic in connection with its use as an effective drug carrier. For example, a commonly used grade of EVAL having about 44 mole percent ethylene groups can absorb 5 mass percent of water. This results in swelling of the polymer, which increases its porosity and, as a result, alters the rate of diffusivity of drugs out of the polymer.
What is needed is a polymer that retains EVAL's favorable characteristics but is more soluble in organic solvents so as to be more amenable to manufacturing and has less of an affinity for water so as to be more useful in the controlled release of drugs in vivo. The present invention provides such polymers.

Coating for controlled release of drugs from implantable medical devices


A black photosensitive resin composition includes (A) an alkali soluble polyimide-polyamic acid copolymerization resin; (B) a multi-functional monomer; (C) a photopolymerization initiator; (D) a black colorant; and (E) a solvent, a photosensitive resin layer manufactured using the same, and a display device including the photosensitive resin layer.

A black photosensitive resin composition is used to manufacture a light blocking layer of a display device for a color filter, a liquid crystal display material, an organic light emitting element (EL), a display panel material, and the like. For example, a color filter such as a color liquid crystal display and the like needs a light blocking layer on the border among colored layers such as red, green, blue, and the like to enhance display contrast or chromophore effects. This light blocking layer may be mainly formed of a black photosensitive resin composition including a black pigment. Currently, carbon black is the most widely used black pigment, but RGB-mixed black, a perylene-based compound, cobalt oxide, lactam-based organic black, and the like may also be used.
A light-blocking layer inside a device such as a display device and the like can be formed by patterning a composition including a cardo binder resin or an acrylic binder resin through a process such as exposure, development, and the like. The pattern, however, may rarely be uniform and fine, and can easily collapse due to low heat resistance and a low tapered angle.
Accordingly, there is a need for a light-blocking layer composition including a binder resin having high heat resistance characteristics and a display device including a light-blocking layer formed using the light-blocking layer composition.

Black photosensitive resin composition, photosensitive resin layer, and display device comprising the same