Individual droplets of a liquid composition landing on a printing medium during one pass (one scan) are connected to the respective adjacent droplets and integrated with them to form a flat coat layer. Thus, the surface of the coat layer is almost flat, thus increasing the amount of regularly reflected light. This increases the degree of gloss. When the liquid composition is ejected during two passes, a smaller number of droplets of the liquid composition can be connected together than in the case of one pass. Thus, the droplets are not completely integrated and start to be insolubilized before the second scan. In this manner, the individual droplets are insolubilized while maintaining their original shapes. The resultant coat layer has a surface with many concaves and convexes. Consequently, the degree of gloss decreases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print producing method and a print producing apparatus, and more specifically, to a print producing method and a print producing apparatus which control the gloss of an image or the like in a print.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are now various types of printing apparatuses, by which prints are obtained to be different in the impression of the gloss of an image or the like therein depending on the type of the printing apparatus. With an electro-photographic method using toner as a color material or a thermal transfer method using ink ribbons as a color material, basically layers of these color materials are formed on a surface of a printing medium to provide a specified smoothness. This makes a printed image glossy.
On the other hand, printing apparatuses of an ink jet method using liquid ink are becoming rapidly popular, for such reasons as the easiness with which they can be handled, in applications for outputting information or images from various devices including information processing devices. The apparatuses of the ink jet method can easily form multicolor images. Furthermore, in terms of printing grades, prints provided by these apparatuses can easily stand comparison with multicolor prints based on a plate making method and printed images based on a color photography method. Accordingly, these apparatuses are applied even to the field of full color image printing.
With the ink jet method, ink permeates a printing medium to form an image and basically does not form any layers. Accordingly, printed images provided by this method are less glossy than those provided by other methods of fixing color material layers to the surface of a printing medium.
Printing medium provided with a coat layer composed of an alumina hydrate of a boehmite structure is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,166, 5,104,730, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-276670 (1990), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 4-037576 (1992), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-032037 (1993). These printing media provided with a coat layer composed of an alumina hydrate have the advantageous described below. Since the alumina hydrate has positive charges, ink dyes are firmly fixed to these printing media, resulting in well-colored images. Further, these printing media are more preferable than conventional printing media in terms of image quality, notably the quality of full color images as well as gloss. Thus, images as glossy as silver salt photographs can be obtained by applying, for example, dye-based ink to a printing medium provided with gloss by being coated with the alumina hydrate.
On the other hand, there have been various demands for printed images in connection with the gloss described above. Some demand is that images are printed with arranging both glossy and non-glossy parts within the same printing medium rather than making the entire printing medium uniformly glossy as described in the above documents. For example, during the recent business discussions on real estates, relevant buildings or rooms created by CG (Computer Graphics) are often viewed on a WEB site or a monitor. If any of the materials of a building displayed on the monitor is expressed by gloss, when this building is printed on a printing medium, the gloss may not be reproduced. Thus, the buildings or rooms may not be conveniently checked using this printed medium. Further, in the field of dress design, the expression of impressions of materials is important. Printouts in this field create a problem similar to that described above. This is because when a printing medium is printed, the degree of gloss on this printing medium is uniform. With a printing apparatus that can freely vary the degree of gloss even within the same printing medium, even the impressions of materials can be properly expressed. For example, in online shopping, which is expected to become popular, with a printing apparatus that can faithfully express the materials of an article displayed on a monitor, including the gloss of the materials, it is obvious that this apparatus can be conveniently used to check the article.
In this regard, the assignee of this application has proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-019660 (1993) an image forming apparatus that can partly vary the degree of gloss within the same printing media. More specifically, this application describes an arrangement for fixing a toner image transferred to a printing medium wherein a fixing temperature is varied in a direction in which a printing medium is conveyed, to vary the degree of gloss among the areas of the printing medium in this direction. Alternatively, in this arrangement, a thermal head is divided in association with the areas of the printing medium and the fixing temperature is varied among the pieces into which the head is divided, to vary the degree of gloss. This document also describes the variation of the degree of gloss among a plurality of levels based on the control of the fixing temperature.
Further, for a thermal transfer apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996 describes a similar proposal. This document describes the transfer of an overcoat layer to a printing medium on which an image has been formed using ink ribbons. In this document, the transfer temperature of the thermal head is varied between glossy parts and non-glossy parts, to vary partly the degree of gloss within the same printing medium.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-208508 (1993) (Paragraphs 0048 to 0055 and FIGS. 13 to 15) discloses a thermal transfer-based printing technique similar to that of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996. This document also describes a solid ink jet method using colorless or transparent hot-melt ink wherein gloss is provided by forming a layer on an image printed on a printing medium using the liquid ink.
However, it is impossible to employ the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-019660 (1993), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996, or Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-208508 (1993), described above, for printed images based on the ink jet method, which is currently most popular, or employing these techniques involves difficulties.
Specifically, the technique of controlling the fixing temperature to vary the degree of gloss as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-019660 (1993) is uniquely applicable to toner as a color material but not to printing media already printed using ink.
Further, the techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-208508 (1993) form a layer on a printing medium which is separate from a color material. To allow an ink-jet-based printing apparatus to provide such a layer, it is necessary to provide a separate apparatus for this purpose. This complicates the configuration of the printing apparatus. More specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996 has only to provide an extra ribbon for an overcoat layer and allows a thermal head for printing to be used for thermal transfer without modifying the thermal head. Accordingly, the configuration of the printing apparatus is not complicated. As opposed to this, the ink jet method requires a separate thermal head and the like. This also applies to the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-208508 (1993). For example, as shown in FIG. 15 of this document, it is necessary to provide two head scanning mechanisms for printing and for layer formation respectively. This may complicate the configuration of the printing apparatus and increase its size. Further, with the arrangement disclosed in this document, a head for layer formation melts a solid and then ejects the resultant liquid. Accordingly, one printing apparatus has two heads for the respective methods and thus has a complicated configuration and an increased size. Further, a control arrangement for ejections from the heads is complicated.
Furthermore, if the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996, or Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-208508 (1993) is applied to the ink jet method, various advantages of the inkjet method may be impaired, such as the easiness with which the ink jet-based printing apparatus can be handled.
Further, for images displayed on a monitor or photographed by a camera, their gloss is not uniform. In most cases, these images each have a plurality of degrees of gloss. Thus, if these images are printed, it is desirable to be able to express plural degrees of gloss and faithfully reproduce the images displayed on the monitor or the like. However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-212996 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-208508 (1993), described above, simply sets the presence or absence of gloss by forming or not forming a layer, respectively. Consequently, plural degrees of gloss cannot be obtained. In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-019660 (1993) describes the method of varying the fixing temperature and thus the degree of gloss among a plurality of levels. However, the mechanism of this method is different from that of the apparatus that creates gloss by forming a layer. Consequently, it cannot be applied to ink jet-based printing.
On the other hand, in the field of ink jet printing, the ability to preserve an image in a printed matter is a relatively important object. Printed images based on the ink jet method are likely to be degraded by a trace of ozone present in the atmosphere. Accordingly, the grade of images observed immediately after printing may not be maintained for a long time. In such a case, the value of the prints may decrease.

Print producing method and print producing apparatus


A method for distributing a digital motion picture to multiple theaters in a region via terrestrial wireless communication. The motion picture is divided into chunks, and the chunks are transmitted to particular initial seed theaters in the region. To facilitate the initial seeding, downlink bandwidth on various wireless links is dynamically increased. Once the initial seeding is complete, the downlink bandwidth is decreased and is preferably equalized substantially with uplink bandwidth. The theaters in the region are then directed to begin peer-to-peer sharing of the chunks with each other, possibly through use of BitTorrent or other cooperative downloading process from the initial seed theaters. Ultimately, all of the theaters in the region thereby obtain all of the chunks of the motion picture and can conveniently present the motion picture to audiences.

Traditionally, motion pictures have been distributed to movie theaters in the form of multiple expensive and bulky film reels. In practice, for instance, a typical motion picture would be structured as a set of 3-5 large reels of film. Once the studio and post-production houses complete production of the motion picture, one or more distributors would deliver the set of reels by courier to each and every theater that will be showing the motion picture. At each theater, a projection mechanic would then splice the reels together and feed the film into a projector. Furthermore, in typical practice, a given set of film reels lasts for only a limited number of showings before the film gets worn and is then discarded or replaced. Consequently, after a certain number of showings, a new set of the bulky and expensive film reels may need to be delivered by courier to the theater and again prepared for showing. Overall, the process of distributing motion pictures to theaters has been expensive and cumbersome.
In recent years, significant advances have occurred in video technology. The advent of high definition television and digital video (e.g., digital cable and satellite), as well as new forms of digital video projection, has given consumers a taste for drastically improved video quality. Further, cable, satellite, and other network communications have ushered in a new era of video distribution.
Recognizing the expensive and burdensome nature of traditional motion picture delivery, the motion picture industry is currently transitioning from film cinema to digital cinema. In particular, rather than (or in addition to) producing and distributing a motion picture on a set of bulky film reels, many studios, post-production houses, and movie distribution organizations are beginning to produce and distribute motion pictures digitally.
In practice today, a digital motion picture is delivered to theaters in encrypted form on computer hard drives. In particular, the motion picture may be stored on a hard drive as a set of encrypted files (sometimes still called "reels") each comprising a portion of the motion picture, and each theater may be equipped with a computer or media player to which the hard drive can be connected as well as a digital video projector (e.g. a DLP projector) suitable for projecting the video content onto a large theater screen. For a given motion picture, the distributor would thus deliver a copy of the hard drive to each theater that will be digitally presenting the motion picture. Further, each theater would be provided with decryption keys for decrypting the encrypted video files, to facilitate presentation for an allowed number of times or period of time for instance.
Beneficially, delivering motion pictures on hard drives rather than as traditional film reels can greatly reduce the costs and burden of the process, and presents numerous other advantages. From the production and distribution standpoint, the act of loading digital cinema onto multiple hard drives is much simpler and less expensive than producing multiple copies of a set of film reels. Further, a hard drive is much smaller and lighter weight than a set of film reels, and so courier delivery of the motion picture to theaters is far less expensive. Still further, through use of established and developing digital rights management techniques, digital cinema distributors can maintain control over the extent to which the digital cinema is used after distribution.
From the standpoint of theater owners, maintenance is greatly simplified. Once a hard drive containing a motion picture is connected with the theater presentation system, the presentation of the motion picture can be substantially or entirely automated, as can other aspects of motion picture management. Further, the theater owner benefits by not having to replace the motion picture after numerous showings, as the quality of digital cinema remains the same no matter how many times it is played. In addition, the theater owner benefits by not having to maintain sometimes archaic projection equipment. Other than the possibly substantial expense of initially equipping a theater for digital presentation, theater owners should also see greatly decreased cost and increased revenue by attracting consumers with higher quality video presentation.
The industry is also currently experimenting with delivering digital cinema content to theaters through satellite transmission. To do so, each theater would be equipped with one or more satellite dishes, and the motion picture distributor would work with satellite communication companies to arrange for transmission of the motion picture content to satellites and then down to the theaters, where the content would be stored for playout.
Several problems exist with satellite transmission of digital cinema, however. First, satellite transmission suffers from limited bandwidth, in some cases capping at approximately 45 megabits per second, which means that it can take a very long time to transmit a large motion picture file (on the order of 200 or 300 gigabytes) to a theater. Second, the satellite dishes that would be used for satellite transmission of digital cinema may be large 6 foot wide dishes, which can take up substantial physical space at the theater. In some cases, for instance, a digitally-equipped theater would need multiple such dishes to receive content from multiple distributors, through multiple satellite distribution systems. For example, the theater may need one dish for receiving pre-show content such as advertisements and previews from one distributor, another dish for receiving live broadcasts (e.g., concerts or the like), and another dish for receiving digital motion pictures. Still further, a given type of content may be distributed by multiple distributors, which could further increase the number of satellite dishes at each theater.
Consequently, an improvement is desired.

Managed cooperative downloading of digital cinema content


A blade tip clearance probe holder including: a first housing in operable communication with a first feature of a casing for a rotary machine; a spring rod assembly in operable communication with the first housing; an electrical capacitance clearance meter in operable communication with the spring rod assembly; and a second housing in operable communication with the first housing wherein the second housing initiates a preload on the spring rod assembly and wherein the electrical capacitance clearance meter maintains a constant spatial relationship with a second feature of the casing for the rotary machine.

This disclosure relates generally to a blade tip clearance probe holder and a method for measuring blade tip clearance. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a blade tip clearance probe holder, which holds a capacitance probe that measures the gap between a blade tip and a blade housing.
Gas turbine engines, steam turbines, aircraft engines, jet engines and other axial flow turbomachinery are typically designed to minimize the radial gaps between the blade tips and the blade housings or cases. Gaps between the blade tips and the cases can reduce efficiency by allowing gas or air to leak into the downstream stages of engine operation. The gaps between the blade tips and the cases are a function of engine speed and temperature, and the gaps changes during engine operation. High operating rotational speeds can cause radial elastic growth in rotating hardware (i.e. blades), resulting in radial blade tip growth. Additionally, high temperatures cause thermal expansion in the case and in the rotating hardware. Currently several inspection methods for determining the gap between the blade tips and the fan cases at operating speed are being used.
One method for determining the gap between the blade tips and the case utilizes a thin metal rod inserted and fastened into an axially drilled bolt, the resulting assembly being inserted into a mount plate attached to the fan case. The end of the rod is located where the blade tips should be. The method requires that the engine is operated for a specified time period after which the amount of wear on the rod is measured to determine the change in the gap between the blade tips and the case. The method is insufficient in that the thin metal rods often bend or break which renders measurement thereof moot. In addition, metal liberated from the thin metal rod, either as pieces or as powder can cause damage to the engine. Further, making these thin metal rods can be both difficult and time consuming because each rod must be custom made using a measurement of distance from the fan case to the blade tip. Further, such a method suffers from errors such as measurement, data recording, and machining. It is often the case that the thin metal rods are made either too short or too long. Short rods do not rub the blade tip, while long rods bend or break.
Another method of determining the gap between the blade tips and the case utilizes an electrical capacitance clearance meter, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,626. The electrical capacitance clearance meter includes a probe that has a capacitor electrode that is electrically connected to an electrical inductor within the probe that is inserted into the fan case to position its electrode at the inner surface of the casing. Electrical power is supplied through a voltage controlled variable frequency oscillator having a tuned circuit of which the probe is a component. The oscillator signal is modulated by a change in electrical capacitance between the probe electrode and a passing blade tip surface while an automatic feedback correction circuit corrects oscillator signal drift. A change in distance between the blade tip and the probe electrode is a change in capacitance therebetween which frequency modulates the oscillator signal. The modulated oscillator signal is then processed through a phase detector and related circuitry to provide an electrical signal that is proportional to the clearance gap.
Newly designed cases require that the clearance probes pass through two features or parts that move independently of each other in order to effectively measure the gap between blade tips and fan case. Current probe holders, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,626, are suitable for mounting on only a single feature and are not capable of being mounted through two or more independently moving features. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a new blade tip clearance probe holder and a method for measuring blade tip clearance.

Blade tip clearance probe holder and a method for measuring blade tip clearance


An apparatus for adjustably mounting a cooling device, such as a fan, to a computer enclosure comprises a saddle and a bracket. The saddle for mounting the fan thereto has opposite longitudinal skirts with locating slots defined therein. The bracket has a first portion attached to a wall of the computer enclosure and a second portion for mounting an assembly of the saddle and the fan thereto. The assembly of the saddle and the fan is slidably mounted to the second portion of the bracket for adjustably locating at a position corresponding to a CPU of a mother board.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjustably mounting a cooling device to a computer enclosure and, more particularly, to a bracket fixed onto a wall of the computer enclosure for slidably mounting a cooling device, such as a fan, thereon, whereby, the fan can slide back and forth to a specified position corresponding to the CPU's location on a mother board and direct cool air to flow toward the CPU for dissipating heat generated thereby.
2. The Related Art
Heat dissipation and ventilation are two important issues of computer system design. If the heat in a computer system can not be properly and quickly transferred out of the enclosure, the computer system will malfunction resulting in serious damage. The conventional method for heat dissipation of a computer system is to mount a heat sink or a cooler onto the CPU, the main source of heat within the computer system, and increase the number of fans for facilitating air flow in the interior of the computer enclosure.
A conventional heat sink mounted to a surface of a CPU is a passive heat convection apparatus. Due to the contacting engagement between the heat sink and the CPU, heat will conduct from the CPU to the heat sink and dissipate from fins of the heat sink. The fan of a switching power supply draws the air flow from the interior of the enclosure toward an exterior thereof. Thus, heat generated by the CPU or other heat generating devices is transferred out of the enclosure. As computer technology progresses, heat generated by newer computer systems with a PentiumII CPU may be ten times that of systems with a 386 or 486 CPU. Therefore, it is understood that a conventional heat sink is not enough to resolve this issue.
To overcome the limitation described above, a small fan directly mounted to a top portion of a heat sink increases air flow through the fins therebeneath. The assembly of the small fan and the heat sink, referred to as a "cooler", is an active heat convection apparatus for dissipating the heat more effectively than conventional passive heat sinks. Sometimes such coolers force the dissipated heat in the interior of the enclosure even closer to the CPU. Therefore, the misdirected heat adversely affects the function of the computer system which defeats the purpose of such a cooler. The most important defect of the cooler is that the small and precise fan is positioned too close to the CPU and is adversely affected by the high temperature of the CPU which reduces the life span of the fan. This defect induces malfunction of the CPU which disable the computer.
Some computers are designed with an additional fan directly mounted to a front wall of the enclosure to direct the air flow toward the switching power supply which draws the air flow out of a rear side thereof. Thus, a circulation of air flow to improve the ventilation of the computer system is created. Since a computer enclosure may contain several different types of mother boards, a hidden corner may exist which may obstruct the cool outside air from completely flowing through the CPU. Therefore, the heat generated from the CPU is retained within the inner space of the enclosure. To concentrate the air flow toward the CPU, an air flow guiding apparatus is mounted to the enclosure. The air flow guiding apparatus is fitted to one specific mother board, thus, if the mother board is changed, a new guiding apparatus must be designed and manufactured. The related prior published patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,712,159, 4,890,196, 5,208,731, 5,276,585, 5,486,980, and 5,502,619.
Due to the limitations of the above designs, an improved apparatus is required which is adjustably mounted to a position corresponding to the location of the CPU on the mother board not only for dissipating the heat generated by the CPU but also for facilitating adequate ventilation within the computer system.

Apparatus for adjustable mounting a cooling device to a computer enclosure


A synchronization method is executed by a multi-core processor system. The synchronization method includes registering based on a synchronous command issued from a first CPU, CPUs to be synchronized and a count of the CPUs into a specific table; counting by each of the CPUs and based on a synchronous signal from the first CPU, an arrival count for a synchronous point, and creating by each of the CPUs, a second shared memory area that is a duplication of a first shared memory area accessed by processes executed by the CPUs; and comparing the first shared memory area and the second shared memory area when the arrival count becomes equal to the count of the CPUs, and based on a result of the comparison, judging the processes executed by the CPUs.

Up until now there has been a multi-programming technique of running plural programs for a single central processing unit (CPU). For example, an operating system (OS) has a function of dividing the processing time of the CPU and allocates a process or a thread to the divided time to allow the CPU to operate plural processes or threads at the same time. The process and the thread are units in which a program is executed. Software is a set of the processes or the threads. In general, each process has an independent memory space and threads have a shared memory space.
Recently, an increasing number of apparatuses employ a multi-core processor system that is a computer having plural CPUs, in place of a single-core processor system that is a computer having a single CPU. High-speed processing is possible by allocating plural threads to plural CPUs in parallel.
In the case of such a parallel execution of the plural threads, synchronization processing is frequently executed to achieve thread-to-thread synchronization. The synchronization processing can be exclusive control processing or barrier synchronization processing.
The exclusive control processing is processing in which once one thread acquires a right of use of a resource, etc., the other threads are placed in wait state until the one thread releases the resource use right. For example, when plural threads access shared data, the exclusive control processing is added to the program. The barrier synchronization processing is processing in which processing of plural threads is stopped at a specific code position and, when all threads reach the specific code position, proceeds to the next processing. For example, when requiring a concurrent execution of plural threads from a specific position, the barrier synchronization processing is added to the program.
The OS provides a synchronous command to perform the synchronization processing to application software (app) in a library, etc. For example, the synchronous command to perform the exclusive control processing can be a Mutex and the synchronous command to perform the barrier synchronization processing can be a barrier synchronous command.
A CPU declaring the start of the synchronization processing sends, consequent to the synchronous command, a synchronous signal to a CPU that is to receive the synchronization processing. The CPU having received the synchronous signal sends to the CPU that sent the synchronous signal, a signal indicating completion of the synchronization processing. Hereafter, a signal indicating completion of the synchronization processing is referred to as a ready signal.
Relating to the synchronization processing, for example, a technique is disclosed that has a synchronization counting unit that counts the number of CPUs reaching a synchronous point during the thread-to-thread synchronization processing, to determine whether all the CPUs have reached the synchronous point. The synchronous point refers to a position where the synchronous command is inserted in an execution code. Relating to CPUs' register synchronization processing, for example, a technique for speculative execution is disclosed that, each time a parent thread general-purpose register is written to after thread copying, sends a value of the updated general-purpose register from the parent thread CPU to a child thread CPU (see, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. H7-200486 and 2003-29986).
Although rapid confirmation of completion of the synchronization processing is possible in the above techniques, unnecessary waiting occurs if redundant synchronization processing is set by the designer, resulting in decreased performance.

Synchronization method, multi-core processor system, and synchronization system


The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising: a silicon based semiconductor substrate provided with a step including an non-horizontal surface, a horizontal surface and a connection region for connecting the non-horizontal surface and the horizontal surface; a gate insulating film formed in at least a part of the step; and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film, wherein the entirety or a part of the gate insulating film is formed of a silicon oxynitride film that contains a rare gas element at a area density of 1010 cm−2 or more in at least a part of the silicon oxynitride film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method for a silicon oxynitride film. More specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a MOS transistor which is formed on a semiconductor substrate having a three dimensional structure, and a manufacturing method for a silicon oxynitride film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices such as MOS transistors and memory cells have been miniaturized according to the scaling rule proposed by J. R. Brews for the purpose of implementation of high integration. However, there are great problems that occur in actual devices as miniaturization progresses, such as an increase in a leak current due to reduction in the thickness of a tunnel insulating film, an increase in a diffusion resistance due to reduction in junction depth Xj of source/drain diffusion layers, occurrence of short channel effect, and reduction in the withstand voltage against punch through between sources and drains.
In order to solve such problems, there have been proposed three dimensional semiconductor devices wherein semiconductor substrates are processed into three dimensional forms so as to secure effective dimensions of the elements while reducing the projection areas of the devices. It is explained by FIG. 32 that a technique of utilizing a structure had a trench formed in a semiconductor substrate to work as a channel of a MOS transistor and described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 5(1993)-102480 as an example of the above-described conventional art.
The MOS transistor of FIG. 32 has a gate oxide film 20 on the surface of a trench (0.4 to 0.6 μm in depth) in a first conductive type silicon substrate 1 and a gate electrode material is filled into the trench via a gate oxide film 20, whereby a trench type gate 6 is formed. Furthermore, a second conductive type source 8 and a drain 9 are formed on both sides of the trench type gate 6. At least one of the source 8 and the drain 9 is adjacent to a first conductive type impurity region 10 in the direction of the depth of the substrate. The first conductive type impurity region 10 has an impurity concentration higher than that of the silicon substrate 1. At least a part of the channel region of this MOS transistor is formed in the part other than the first conductive type impurity region 10.
With the above-described configuration, it is possible to expand the channel region in the direction of the depth of the semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, the area where the gate electrode is arranged can be reduced while preventing the reduction in a threshold voltage due to a short channel effect and deterioration of an off current. In addition, a depletion layer can be suppressed from extending from the source 8 and the drain 9 so as to increase the withstand voltage against punch through.
The sides of the trench (non-horizontal surfaces) correspond to a (110) plane of the silicon substrate, the connection regions where the sides of the trench make contact with the bottom correspond to a (111) plane, and the bottom of the trench (horizontal surface) corresponds to a (100) plane in the above-described structure. Herein, the gate oxide film is formed according to a thermal oxidation method and, in such a case, it is known that more interface levels exist between the silicon substrate and the gate oxide film in the (110) and (111) planes than in the (100) plane. Therefore, the interface levels that exist in the sides and in the connection regions significantly affect the characteristics of the semiconductor device such that they make lower mobility of carriers and they make a threshold voltage fluctuate.
In addition, it is known that the oxidation rate of the (110) plane, which is the sides of the trench, is 30 to 100% higher than that of the (100) plane on the bottom. Therefore, a problem arises wherein the inversion voltage of the channel region increases when the thickness of the gate oxide film on the sides of the trench increases, leading to the reduction of the driving performance of the MOS transistor.
Furthermore, there is a problem with the reliability of the gate oxide film in the (111) plane of the connection regions wherein an insulation breakage electrical field is lower than that in the (100) plane on the bottom.
In addition, according to the conventional thermal oxidation method, the closer to the right angle the angle (i.e., the angle between the sides and the bottom) in the crossing portion (connection region) of the surfaces of the silicon substrate having different plane directions is the more significant is the reduction in the film thickness of the gate oxide film formed in the crossing portion. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the curvature of the crossing portion and to make the angle between the sides and the horizontal surface greater than 90°. As a result, the projection area of the crossing portion increases; therefore, the dimensions of the semiconductor device increase and the integration of the devices throughout the LSI is decreased.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method for silicon oxynitride film


A system and method for analyzing video images including images of an animal to detect and classify seizure behavior of the animal. Seizure-salient features are detected from identified postures and identified movements of body parts of the animal. The seizure-salient features are used to detect and classify the occurrences of seizures.

Animals, including mice and rats, are used extensively as human models in research, for example the research of drug development, genetic functions, toxicology, and the understanding and treatment of diseases. Despite the differing lifestyles of humans and animals, their extensive genetic and neuro-anatomical similarities give rise to a wide variety of behavioral processes that are largely shared between species. Exploration of these shared brain functions sheds light on fundamental elements of human behavioral regulation.
Many behavioral test experiments have been designed for animals such as mice and rats to explore their behaviors. These experiments includes, but are not limited to, observation of home cage behaviors, open field locomotion experiments, object recognition experiments, maze experiments, freezing experiments for conditioned fear, gait analysis experiments, and monitoring of disease states such as cancer and epilepsy. In many cases these experiments use human observation of video of the experiment sessions, which often produces subjective and inaccurate results. Experiments using human observations are labor-intensive and thus expensive.
Over the last two decades major technological advances have enabled scientists to build a rich repository of rat and/or mouse models for epilepsy research. Scientists have generated numerous models of damage-induced epilepsy. In particular, systemic or focal-intercranial injection of substances such as kainic acid, tetanus toxin, pilocarpine, and other agents is known to cause a long-term or even permanent state of epileptic seizures. In these different models, the behaviors during the seizures have many similarities to human temporal lobe epilepsy, and furthermore, the electrophysical and histopathological abnormalities also have similarities.
These animal models are essential in the process of developing anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Currently, most researchers use animals from these models that exhibit seizures and either administer drugs or make other changes to the animal to see if the epileptic activity patterns are altered. This requires techniques that can measure the number, frequency, and types of occurring seizures.
Many current seizure detection systems involve using an electroencephalogram (EEG) for recording information, and using algorithms that can detect specific patterns in these EEG signals. Significant effort has been put into the research and development of EEG technology, and EEG signals can be accurately and automatically recorded. Improvements in EEG technology that have been made in recent years include radio telemetry technology that allows signals acquired by electrodes to be transmitted without tethers, and software that automatically analyzes EEG epileptiforms, determines the occurrences of seizures, and classifies the type of epilepsy.
However, using recorded EEG signals to detect seizures has important technical and conceptual problems. These problems include time-consuming and sophisticated surgery to implant electrodes into animals' brains, and the electrodes could have mechanical failures, causing significant alterations in the animals' behaviors or even sudden death of the animals. Noise in the EEG signals is also a drawback. Certain motor activity in an animal can cause severe noise in the EEG signals that needs to be filtered out. Sometimes, if this noise-causing activity is very similar to seizure activity, there will be no means of verifying occurrence of a seizure unless a video record is present.
When radio-telemetry of EEG signals is used, bandwidth becomes an issue as the sampling rate of the EEG signals that can be transmitted in limited to a few hundred hertz, compared to a standard rate of two kilohertz when using a tether. Another drawback with a radio-telemetry system is that multiple signals in the same room may interfere and lead to noisy data collection.
Finally, the software for detecting and classifying epileptic seizures in animals using EEG signals has not matured, with a precision of only fifty to sixty percent after twenty years of development. Due to this poor performance, many laboratories that have purchased this software have never used it for experiments. Analysis of EEG signals and epileptic activity is still largely done by manual observation, which is a slow, tedious, and highly-subjective process.
To a large extent, the approaches to seizure detection and classification have ignored another form of data—recorded video. While human observation of video images has its limitations, such as high subjectivity and high false-negative rates, progress in new technology such as digital video analysis suggests an alternative to EEG technology. A few video-EEG systems have been developed for both clinical use and research in animals. However, most of these video-EEG systems simply record both EEG signals and video for human review. The best these systems can do is display the EEG epileptiform and video images of the animal simultaneously on a screen while recording them for post-capture review. This is a subjective, time consuming, inefficient, and expensive process. It is likely that subtle seizures will be missed during rapid manual review of recorded video alone.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for animal seizure detection and classification using video analysis


A dialysis supply system that includes a central dialysis liquid manufacturing unit, a dialysis treatment unit, a valve arrangement, and a hydraulic module.

Central supply systems for providing dialysis liquid (also referred to as dialysate) or dialysis liquid concentrates (also referred to as dialysate concentrates) are installed in some dialysis centers. The centrally manufactured liquids or liquid concentrates are typically delivered via a supply line system to individual treatment stations. Dialysis liquid is used at the treatment stations to purify blood circulating in an extracorporeal blood circuit connected to a dialysis machine. In systems that utilize a dialysis liquid concentrate, the dialysis liquid concentrate is delivered via the supply line and is used to manufacture a dialysis liquid to be used for treatment. The liquid concentrate is supplemented with additional solution components and diluted at the treatment station, which provides the prepared dialysis liquid for blood treatment. The used or spent dialysis liquid is often times directed away from the treatment station via a return fluid line system of the supply circuit and can be disposed of centrally. Alternatively, the spent dialysis liquid can be delivered directly into a drainage system.
A central supply system of the type described above renders many components found in conventional dialysis machines of treatment stations (referred to as "bedside monitors") unnecessary for manufacturing dialysis liquid. The central supply system can, for example, deliver pre-heated dialysis liquid to the treatment station such that no dialysis liquid temperature setting units are required at the treatment station or such that the treatment stations can be operated at a relatively low power. Degassing units within the dialysis machine can similarly be omitted, as the functionality of these units can be performed by the central supply system.
The installation of bedside monitor systems in dialysis treatment centers results in a need to regularly disinfect the supply system and the individual treatment stations. In some instances, contaminants can enter the line system and spread to a bedside station or to a treatment station. For safety reasons, disinfection programs can be observed to ensure that the total supply system is not contaminated. Disinfection can, in some cases, require a significant amount of time and a large effort depending on the size and construction of the line system.
In certain cases, a sterile filter is disposed between the dialysis station to the supply system in order to reduce the risk of contamination to a central dialysis tank.
In some cases, a buffer tank is provided to prevent a backflow of contaminated liquid into the supply line system. In some instances, ultrafilters can be included within the fluid circuit on the dialysate side of the treatment station to further prevent backflow.
The disinfection process for a dialysis treatment station that is supplied with fresh water by a ring line system can include decoupling the dialysis machine from the fresh water system via a valve control, and then disinfecting the dialysis machine with heat or chemical additives while operating the dialysis machine in a circulation mode.

Dialysis supply systems and related components


A system and method for enhanced use of voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) tests of an avionic radio and antenna is disclosed. A signal processor/generator conducts a VSWR test of an antenna and archives the result within a database. Multiple tests are conducted spanning periods of operation of the radio. Tests may also be conducted at multiple frequencies, such as commonly used channels of communication. Results are uploaded to an external diagnostic device and analyzed to evaluate deterioration of the antenna. Analysis may including comparing test results to threshold values and analyzing test results for frequency and time dependent trends.

Modern aircraft rely heavily on radio contact with ground based communication systems. In addition to conventional air traffic control communications, aircraft may use radio communication to upload weather information and provide telephone and data communication for passengers. In many aircraft one or more antennae are positioned below the aircraft to facilitate communication with ground based transmitters. In many instances such antennae are exposed to airborne water and contaminants as well as water and dust raised by the landing gear. Accordingly, antennae, cables, and couplers connecting the externally positioned antenna to internal cables are subject to deterioration due to corrosion and contamination.
Inefficient or defective performance of antennae, cables, and connectors is difficult to detect. In prior systems, a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) test function provided by the avionic radio enables evaluation of impedance differences between the internal circuits of the communications system and the antenna and cables. A result substantially above unity from the VSWR test function may result from a defect within the avionic radio or defective performance of the antenna, cables, or connectors. A non-unity results may prompt an operator to remove the radio for repair by a technician only to find that the radio is perfectly operable, while the antenna, cables, or connectors are defective. This process results in unnecessary interruption of aircraft service and wasted labor on the part of the repair technician.
In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide convenient systems methods for evaluating operability of a radio antenna and associated cabling without removing the communication system from the aircraft.

Testing systems and methods for aircraft radios


The present invention relates to novel triptolide derivatives and a method of treating a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of the novel triptolide derivatives.

Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases affect more than fifty million Americans. As a result of basic research in molecular and cellular immunology over the last ten to fifteen years, approaches to diagnosing, treating and preventing these immunological based diseases have been changed forever. By dissecting the individual components of the immune system, those cells, receptors and mediators which are critical to the initiation and progression of immune responses have been, and continue to be, elucidated. Crystallographic analysis of proteins encoded in the major histocompatability complex, identification of an antigen-specific T cell receptor, and development of a basic understanding of the complex cytokine network have all contributed to a revolution in immunology. Various immunosuppressive agents have proved to be useful in the prevention of transplantation rejection and in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, nephritis, uveitis, thyroiditis, and early stage of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.
The immune system when operating normally is involved in precise functions such as recognition and memory of, specific response to, and clearance of, foreign substances (chemical and cellular antigens) that either penetrate the protective body barriers of skin and mucosal surfaces (transplanted tissue and microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites) or arise de novo (malignant transformation). The arsenal of the immune response is composed of two major types of lymphocytes that are either B-lymphocytes (B cells, responsible for producing antibodies which attack the invading microorganisms) or the T-lymphocytes (T cells, responsible for eliminating the infected or abnormal target cells) in cooperation with macrophages. The cascade of principal events in the immune system is more fully described by I. Roitt, J. Brostoff and D. Male in "Immunology", 3rd edition, Mosby, 1993 which is herein incorporated by reference, and may be summarized as follows.
The response is initiated by the interaction of an antigen with macrophages and surface antibodies on B cells. The macrophages ingest and process the antigen. The activated macrophages secrete interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and display the processed antigen on the cell surface together with a major antihistocompatibility antigen. Both IL-1 and TNF initiate a number of processes involving inflammation. Also, IL-1 induces proliferation of B cells and synthesis of antibodies. But more importantly, IL-1 activates T cells which release a series of lymphokines including interleukin-2 (IL-2) that activate the proliferation of T cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes. In autoimmune diseases, the system is unable to distinguish between "non-self" antigen and "self" antigen and will start to produce autoantibodies or autoreactive T cells which attack the normal components of the body.
Each element in the cascade of the immune response may be considered as a potential site for pharmacological intervention. For example, adrenocorticosteroids act in the first stages of the immune response, interact with the macrophages and, inhibit the synthesis and release of IL-1. Other immunosuppressive agents used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases have been identified, such as azathioprine and methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis, cyclophosphamide for nephritic conditions of immune origin, and cyclosporin for rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis, early onset insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, nephritic syndrome and aplastic anemia.
In addition, immunosuppressive agents have proved to be useful in preventing and treating organ transplantation rejection that may occur in allograft transplantation. In allograft transplantation one person donates an organ to a genetically disparate individual while in xenograft transplantation an organ of one species is transplanted into a member of another species. In those cases, the use of cyclosporin has shown a real improvement in the condition of the person receiving the organ. However, the therapeutic index of the available immunosuppressive drugs is narrow, none of the drugs are completely effective and their use has been limited by severe toxicity.
It has been established that various extracts and components of the extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, an herbal plant from the Celastraceae family that is grown mainly in the southern part of China, are useful as immunosuppressive agents. Zhang, et al., Shanghai Yike Da ue Xuebao, 13(4), 267 (1986), have characterized T. wilfordii as comprising at least six different diterpenoids, including triptonide, triptolide, triptophenolide and triptonolide. More specifically, P. E. Lipsky, et al. in WO 91/13627, published Sep. 19, 1991, disclosed that extracts or components of the extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F are useful in suppressing autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis. Triptolide has been reported by Yang, et al, Int. J. Immunopharmac., 14, 963 (1992) and Yang, et al., Int. J. Immunopharmac., 16, 895 (1994), to suppress lymphocyte proliferation and skin allograft rejection. In addition, Jin and Wiedmann, in WO 94/26265, published Nov. 24, 1994, disclosed a composition wherein an additional component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, purified 16-hydroxytriptolide, is administered in conjunction with another immunosuppressive agent, such as cyclosporin A, FK506, azathioprine, methotrexate, rapamycin, mycophenolic acid, or a glucocorticoid. The above composition was disclosed as providing an increase in immunosuppressive activity relative to the sum of the effects produced by 16-hydroxytriptolide or the other immunosuppressive agent used alone. This allowed for greater immunosuppressive activity with reduced toxicity in immunosuppressive therapy, such as in therapy for transplantation rejection and autoimmune disease. P. E. Lipsky, et al. disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,562, published Dec. 3, 1996, a Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F preparation which has an improved LD50 in mice, an improved therapeutic activity:toxic index ratio and a lower amount of triptolide as compared to previous preparations.

Triptolide derivatives useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases


Disclosed is a fuel cell stack assembly for use in a fuel cell power plant and for producing electricity from fuel and oxidizer reactants. The fuel cell stack assembly includes a plurality of individual fuel cells each having an electrolytic medium, a cathode and an anode, and the cell stack assembly is adapted for defining anode flow fields for exposing the anodes to a fuel, cathode flow fields for exposing the cathodes to an oxidant. Also included are input and output manifolds defining input and output inner volumes in fluid communication with the cathode flow fields, and at least one blower mounted with one of the manifolds for flowing oxidizer through cathode flow fields. The blower can be mounted within an inner volume defined by a manifold, and can be a vane axial or centrifugal blower, and can be driven by a variable speed motor. Multiple blowers can be associated with the cell stack assembly, and can either push or pull (or both) the oxidizer through the cathode flow fields. In a fuel cell stack assembly having fuel cells arranged in separate stacks, each stack has a blower associated therewith.

This invention relates to fuel cells, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for the improved delivery of input reactants to fuel cells.
Many types of fuel cells are known in the art, such as solid oxide, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid and proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Fuel cells generate electricity by directly converting chemical energy to electrical energy. In a typical fuel cell, an electrolytic medium separates an anode and a cathode. A voltage is produced between the anode and cathode when a fuel is introduced to the anode, an oxidant is introduced to the cathode and the cell is maintained within the correct temperature range. The electrolytic medium allows an ionic species to travel between the cathode and the anode.
The reaction products generated by the fuel cell are relatively simple and benign, typically including water and carbon dioxide, thus minimizing environmental concerns. In contrast with fossil fuel based power sources, such as the internal combustion engine, fuel cells are simpler, quieter, nonpolluting and have high operating efficiencies. For these and other reasons, fuel cells are considered promising power sources for the future.
In practice, however, a fuel cell power plant can be complex. Considerable hardware may be required to support the fuel cells, which are typically arranged in an electrically-connected cell stack assembly (CSA). Such hardware can include a thermal management subsystem for maintaining the cell stack assembly at the proper temperature, a water management subsystem for handling water generated as a reaction product of operating the cell stack assembly and for maintaining proper humidity throughout the power plant, a fuel subsystem for processing and delivering the fuel reactant to the cell stack assembly, and a blower for delivering the oxidant to the cell stack assembly.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical fuel cell power plant 1 including a fuel cell stack assembly 3. Reference numeral 5 generally indicates the components of a typical fuel processing subsystem, and reference numeral 7 indicates components of at typical thermal management subsystem. The thermal management subsystem 7 can also include provision for water management, such as provision for the recycling of water that is generated as a reaction product of operating the fuel cell stack assembly 3. The inverter 8, if required, converts the d.c. output of the fuel cell stack assembly 3 to a.c. for provision to an electrical power grid. For some applications, such as powering an electric motor in an automobile, a motor drive replaces the inverter. The fuel cell power plant 1 is merely exemplary, and, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the components and subsystems of a fuel cell power plant 1 can vary depending on the application - a phosphoric acid stationary power plant for industrial use will differ from a mobile - (PEM) power plant. Furthermore, a mobile PEM power plant that can be provided with hydrogen as a fuel reactant can differ considerately from a PEM plant for installation in an automobile, which can be required to include a subsystem for producing hydrogen fuel from gasoline. In general, a fuel cell power plant includes those subsystem components necessary for the application for which the power plant is to be used, and that are appropriate to the type of fuel cells incorporated by the fuel cell power plant.
The delivery of input reactants is particularly important in a fuel cell stack assembly. The rate of the delivery of the input reactants affects the power output and efficiency of each of the individual cells that make up the cell stack assembly and also the amount of thermal energy that must be removed from a particular portion of the cell stack assembly to maintain the proper operating temperature. Typically, the oxidant input reactant is delivered by a single blower, such as the single blower 9 in FIG. 1, which provides oxidant at slightly above ambient pressure to all the individual cells of the fuel cell stack assembly 3. The input oxidizer reactant is delivered at a rate that, on average, provides the proper operating stochiometry, temperature and power output of the cell stacks that make up a typical fuel cell stack assembly 3.
However, use of a single blower is not entirely satisfactory. The blower is usually fairly large, consumes considerable power, and can be noisy in operation. Furthermore, all the cells of the cell stack assembly are serviced by the same blower, and hence the performance thereof is more difficult to individually enhance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for the delivery of input reactants to fuel cells.
According to one aspect, the invention provides a fuel cell stack assembly for use in a fuel cell power plant and for producing electricity from fuel and oxidant reactants. The fuel cell stack assembly includes a plurality of individual fuel cells each having an electrolyte, cathode and anode, and the cell stack assembly is adapted for defining anode flow fields for exposing the anodes to a fuel, cathode flow fields for exposing the cathodes to an oxidant, and for preventing the commingling of the fuel and oxidant reactants between adjacent anodes and cathodes. Also included are input and output manifolds in fluid communication with the cathode flow fields, and at least one blower mounted with one of the manifolds for flowing oxidant through the cathode flow fields.
The blower can be mounted with one of the manifolds, such as within the inner volume defined by the manifold, typically at or near a manifold wall, and can be a vane axial or centrifugal blower, and can be driven by a variable speed motor. Preferably, the blower is positioned in or near a manifold wall and facing the cells of the cell stack assembly. Multiple, blowers can be mounted with the manifolds of a cell stack assembly, and can either push or pull, or both, the oxidant through the cathode flow fields.
According to another aspect, the invention provides an improved fuel cell power plant having a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies. Each cell stack assembly includes a plurality of individual fuel cells and has intake and exhaust manifolds in fluid communication with the cathode flow fields of the assembly for providing and removing oxidant from the stack assemblies. The improvement includes a plurality of blowers, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies for flowing oxidant in the cathode flow fields thereof. A plurality of sensors can be included for sensing operating characteristics of the fuel cell stack assemblies, and the invention can include a controller in electrical communication with the sensors and the blowers for controlling the delivery of oxidizer by the blowers responsive to the sensors. Sensors can be of several types, and can include sensors for sensing temperature, voltage, current, oxygen concentration and humidity. A particularly useful sensor to employ is an oxygen concentration sensor located for sensing an oxygen concentration in or related to the cathode flow fields, as the output of the fuel cells is directly proportional to this oxygen concentration.
The invention also includes methods for delivering input reactants to a fuel cell stack assembly including a plurality of individual fuel cells and adapted for providing anode and cathode flow fields for exposing the anodes and cathodes of the individual fuel cells to a reducing and oxidant reactants, respectively. The method includes the steps of providing oxidant input and exhaust manifolds in fluid communication with the cathode flow fields; mounting at least one blower with one of the manifolds for controlling the flow of the oxidant through the cathode flow fields; and operating the blower to selectively flow the oxidant to the cathode flows fields for controlling one of the temperature, voltage, current, oxygen concentration and the electrical power output of the fuel cell stack assembly of selected fuel cells thereof. For example, the method can also include determining a temperature characteristic of the fuel cell stack assembly and controlling the blower responsive to the temperature. The step of controlling can include increasing the flow of the oxidizer when the temperature is below approximately a selected temperature and reducing the flow rate when the temperature is above approximately at selected temperature.
In yet another aspect, a method practiced in accordance with the invention for providing oxidant input reactants to a fuel cell power plant having a plurality of fuel cell stack assemblies includes the steps of providing a plurality of blowers; associating the blowers with the fuel cell stack assemblies for flowing oxidant in the cathode flow fields of the assemblies such that each blower is associated with a fuel cell stack assembly; and operating the blowers for flowing oxidant through the flow fields of the fuel cell stacks.
These and other features of the invention are more fully set forth with reference to the following detailed description, and the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for improved delivery of input reactants to a fuel cell assembly


A new and distinct Daphne cultivar named ‘DAPJUR01’ is disclosed, characterized by an abundance of large, highly fragrant flowers. Plants are bushy and produce unique, unusually long racemes of flowers. Additionally the new variety is sun tolerant. The new variety is a Daphne, normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

The new Daphne cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Mark Jury. The new variety resulted from a crossing performed in 2004 in North Taranaki, Nth Is, New Zealand. The seed parent is the unpatented variety, Daphne odora 'Grace Stewart'. The pollen parent is an unnamed, unpatented variety Daphne bholua. The new variety was first selected in 2010, by the inventor, Mark Jury at a commercial nursery in North Taranaki, New Zealand.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performed by vegetative cuttings. This was first performed at a research greenhouse in North Taranaki, New Zealand in 2011 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in more than 10 successive generations.
First public access to the variety occurred during June 2014, by a source receiving material from the inventor. Prior to this, all plant material was confidentially held by the inventor, or a party receiving plant material directly from the inventor. Any party obtaining plant material from the inventor also prevented public access to plants of the new variety. Plant Breeder's rights have been applied for in Europe, Apr. 22, 2015, having CPVO application number 2015/0907.


An indicator for detecting peroxide can detect the peroxide through change of hue thereof by reacting the peroxide according to a predefined concentration and a predefined sterilization treatment condition thereof. The indicator has better resistance against weather or light and preservation stability than those of prior indicators including inorganic compounds or organic compounds as discoloration components, can clearly change an arbitrary hue thereof under suitable discoloration rate, and has visible distinguishability. The indicator for detecting peroxide includes powdery metal sulfide, that undergoes discoloration by reacting with the peroxide. In particular a discoloration layer including the metal sulfide is applied onto at least a portion of a base substrate.

A sterilization treatment using peroxide as a pasteurization agent or a sterilization agent illustrated with ozone, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid has been carried out in a food field or a medical field in which harmless and clean production circumstances and hygiene managements are required. As thus chemical sterilization treatment methods, it is known to carried out a low-temperature sterilization method such as a gaseous sterilization method using a gas illustrated with an ozone gas and an ethylene oxide gas having a sterilizing activity, or a low-temperature plasma sterilization method using a sterilization activity by low-temperature plasma which is prepared through plasma activation of a gas illustrated with a hydrogen peroxide gas having an oxidizing activity. The low-temperature sterilization methods are capable of going through sterilization at low-temperature in a short time as compared to a high-temperature steam sterilization method using a high temperature and pressure aqueous vapor in an autoclave. The low-temperature sterilization methods are useful for sterilizing plastic products for which an autoclave is unable to be used. Therefore the low-temperature sterilization methods have been prevalent.
A discoloration indicators are used for indicating or affirming through change of hue whether the sterilization treatment were completed or not, or were effectively carried out or not. The discoloration indicators are required to change color according to conditions such as concentration of a sterilization agent or a pasteurization agent, and duration time of exposure thereof during sterilization treatment procedures.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an indicator for plasma sterilization comprising an azo dye, a compound as an auxiliary color coupler having a mercapto group or a dithiocarbamyl group, and a resin as a binder. A polyphenol compound or an aromatic carboxylic acid for development by the auxiliary color coupler is added thereto to prevent decomposition or disappearing of the azo dye during the sterilization treatment or color deterioration under high humidity after the discoloration. It discloses an exemplified indicator which changes from red to blue.
Patent Document 2 discloses an indicator for oxidative sterilization which utilises producing a development compound through reacting a primary amine with an aldehyde to evaluate effectivity of an sterilization process. According to this indicator, after either one of the primary amine and an aldehyde is kept away a pasteurization agent from reacting each other and another one is kept to be encapsulated in an ampule, the ampule is fractured and then both of them are contact each other in conducting the sterilization treatment in order to color. An exposure amount of the pasteurization agent such as hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, ethylene oxide, ozone, chlorine dioxide and the like is estimated by intensity of coloring thereof.
Thus pasteurization agent or sterilization agent used for the sterilization treatment behaves to be a gaseous phase. They are so toxic that human may be damaged. Therefore it is required to monitor or detect the concentration of those gases. As an indicator for detecting the gas, Patent Document 3 discloses an indicator for detecting an oxidative gas comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of an azo dye, a methine dye, triarylmethane dye, a thiazine dye. The indicator may include a cationic surface-activating agent as an auxiliary color coupler, silica as an extender pigment and an anthraquinone dyestuff as a dye respectively.
And as an indicator having a discoloration rate according to concentration of a hydrogen peroxide gas, Patent Document 4 discloses an indicator for detecting a hydrogen peroxide gas comprising a styrene-acrylic resin and/or a styrene-maleic resin and a methine dye. The indicator may include a cationic surface-activating agent as an auxiliary color coupler, and silica as an extender pigment.
Various indicators, which are best suited to detecting those sterilization treatments or gases, has been sold. However, as of now there are few indicators which are satisfied with preservation stability and visible distinguishability due to using an organic compound as a discoloration component such as an organic dyestuff. The indicators including the organic pigment tend to cause color deterioration because the pigments such as the included dyestuff and the like are decomposed by light. Furthermore the indicators have poor visible distinguishability and are difficult to evaluate an intermediate discoloration point, because hue changes from a chromatic color to other chromatic color or changes between close color. Especially unfamiliar operators are hard to instantaneously estimate whether the hue changes completely or not.


A detecting probe mounting device for fixation in the proximity to a rotating member of a machine is provided. The detecting probe mounting device includes at least two detecting probes with a connecting part and a detecting part for detecting parameters of the machine and/or the rotating member, a probe support structure with one through hole for each detecting probe and with mounting means for mounting each detecting probe at the probe support structure, wherein in a mounted state the connecting part and the detecting part are located on different sides of each through hole, and fixing means for fixing the probe support structure at a predefined position in proximity to the rotating member of the machine, wherein in the fixed state the detecting part of each detecting probe is facing the rotating member.

It is already known that machines comprising rotating members, like shafts or rotors or the like, are in need of detailed monitoring of the rotating member. In particular, the monitoring of the rotation speed or the vibration of the rotating member is necessary to make sure that the rotating member works in the predefined way and does not lead to damage of the machine or injury to person. Therefore, it is already known to use detecting probes to detect such parameters like rotation speed or vibration situation of the rotating member. Such detecting probes are located within the casing and have to be positioned and adjusted with respect to their location in proximity of the rotating member. For example, EP 1 998 048 A1 or US 2010/0038504 A1 describe technical solutions for the mounting of said sensors.
The disadvantage of already known machines in casings with such detecting probes is that the downtime for servicing and/or replacing one or more detecting probes is relatively high. Moreover, the downtime for servicing and/or replacing the detecting probes cannot be postponed due to the fact that such monitoring is crucial for the use of the rotating member and the machine.


Injection molding apparatus wherein a torpedo is mounted in the front end of a heated nozzle. The torpedo has spaced blades extending inwardly from an outer collar to an elongated shaft which extends centrally in the melt bore. The torpedo shaft has an elongated central portion which is securely press fitted in a steel outer sleeve from which the blades extend. The elongated central portion of the torpedo shaft extends forwardly into the gate, and is formed of an engineered ceramic such as silicon carbide which is very thermally conductive as well as abrasion and corrosion resistant. In one embodiment, the gate extends through a gate insert which is also formed of a thermally conductive and abrasion and corrosion resistant engineered ceramic material.

This invention relates generally to injection molding and more particularly to apparatus having a torpedo with a central shaft seated in the front end of a heated nozzle.
The use of torpedoes with conductive central shafts extending in the melt bore to enhance the thermodynamic cycle is well known. As seen in the applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,999 which issued May 29, 1984, it is also well known to make the torpedo shaft with an inner portion formed of a highly conductive metal such as copper covered by a protective casing formed of high speed steel. A torpedo having a similar shaft extending in alignment with a gate in a gate insert is shown in the applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,164 which issued Sep. 13, 1988. While these previous torpedoes have been successful for many applications, wearing of the shaft is a problem when the melt contains highly abrasive and corrosive materials such as ceramics, fiberglass, metals or minerals.

Injection molding torpedo with shaft having ceramic central portion


An optical transceiver of the CFP type having a gasket set within the slot is disclosed. The optical transceiver provides the slots in respective sides of the housing to pass the screws therein for fastening the optical transceiver to an electrical plug prepared in the host system. A support is also set within the slot so as to extend along the outer wall of the slot and not to interfere with the screw. The support pushes the gasket against the outer wall so as to cover a gap inherently formed between the top housing and the bottom housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to an optical transceiver, in particular, the present application relates to an arrangement to set a gasket without narrowing an inner space of the housing following the CFP (Centum Form factor Pluggable) standard.
2. Background Arts
A Japanese patent application laid open No. 2001-111283A has disclosed an electronic apparatus having a circuit board and two shield cases sandwiching the circuit board as applying electrically conductive resin therebetween. The electrically conductive resin with a liquid shape is first applied to a surface of one of the shield cases, then, the other shield case is pressed against the shield case so as to crush the electrically conductive resin. An optical transceiver providing an electrically conductive and elastic gasket for shielding a housing has disclosed in, for instance, the U.S. Pat. No. 8,628,256B.
The electrically conductive resin in a liquid shape or a pasted shape has an advantage in a point to restrict reduction of an inner space for installing optical and/or electrical components. However, such electrically conductive resin is necessary to prepare specific tools or apparatus to apply to practical devices. An apparatus for applying the resin, positioning the device to be applied with the resin, and/or hardening the applied resin, and so on becomes necessary for the production of the apparatus implementing such resin. Also, such resin requests additional time for hardening. The elastic gasket does not request special tools and additional times, but inevitably prepares an arrangement or a structure to set the gasket therein, which narrows a space for installing electrical and optical components within the optical transceiver.

Optical transceiver having gasket supported by member without narrowing inner space of housing


A first recessed portion shaped so as to be open toward an outer periphery of a substrate is disposed on the substrate, and a conductive pattern is provided on an edge portion of the first recessed portion. A connector mounted on the substrate includes a body and terminals which are surface-mounted on the substrate and protrude from the body. The connector is mounted on the substrate such that a bottom of the terminals is positioned higher than a bottom of the body by a predetermined height. The connector is mounted on the substrate such that the body is disposed in the first recessed portion and the terminals contact the conductive pattern on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic circuit module, and more particularly to an electronic circuit module in which a connector is surface-mounted on a thin substrate.
2. Description of the Background Art
As a method for forming a printed circuit board for use in an electronic device by mounting semiconductor chip components on a substrate in such a manner as to reduce a weight and a size of the electronic device, a surface mount technology is well-known. When the printed circuit board is formed by using the surface mount technology, circuit components are connected only to a surface of a substrate so as to eliminate through-holes. Therefore, a wiring can be arranged with enhanced flexibility, thereby downsizing the components and increasing packing density (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-129417).
However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-129417, a connector is mounted on the substrate, so that a thickness of the connector is entirely added to a thickness of a circuit. However, such a space for the connector cannot be allowed in order to reduce a size and a thickness of the electronic device.

Electronic circuit module and surface-mounted connector for use in the same


A system and machine-implemented method includes receiving, using the one or more computing devices, a contact list associated with a first account of a first user on a first service, the first user having an account on a social networking site and the first service being different from the social networking site, receiving, using the one or more computing devices, at least another contact list associated with an account of another user, analyzing, using the one or more computing devices, the contact list with respect to the another contact list in order to determine a shared metric between the lists, and based at least in part on the determined shared metric, suggesting to the first user, the another user as a friend in the social networking site.

The subject disclosure generally relates to the management of a social graph of a social networking site, and in particular, to expanding the social graph of the social networking site.
Social networking sites have allowed people to communicate with one another more easily and more efficiently than ever before. Through social networking sites, users may instantly share items and thoughts with other users with virtually no geographical barriers. Users may also conveniently receive comments from other users on their shared items or their thoughts. As long as users are connected to the Internet, social networking sites provide an effective means to connect with other users throughout the globe.

Method for building, expanding or complementing a social graph based on contact information


A gas detector uses a MEMS gas sensor having: a substrate provided with a cavity and an insulating film over the cavity; a metal oxide semiconductor and a heater both provided on the insulating film. A drive circuit operates the heater with a predetermined period for a predetermined pulse duration in order to heat the metal oxide semiconductor. The drive circuit halts operation of the heater or elongates the period when a humidity sensor detects that the atmosphere is humid.

MEMS metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors are easily affected by humidity (Patent Document 1: JP 6274,649B). MEMS gas sensors are typically operated such that the metal oxide semiconductor is periodically heated with a predetermined period for a predetermined time duration and that the resistance of the metal oxide semiconductor during the heating is used for gas detection. At the first stage during the heating, the resistance of the metal oxide semiconductor decreases rapidly. JP 6274,649B teaches to detect humidity in the ambient atmosphere according to the gas sensor signal during the first stage based upon that the decrease in the resistance is slow under highly humid conditions and fast under dry or moderately humid conditions.
When gas sensors are kept under humid conditions for a long time, the resistance of the metal oxide semiconductor generally increases both in air and in gas. For reducing the effect of this phenomenon, JP 6274,649B teaches to lower the threshold for gas detection under humid conditions when the resistance in air has increased.

Gas detection device and gas detection method


Described herein is a process of laundering fabrics using a household care composition, which delivers active agents onto fabric or hard surfaces while modifying the pH of the wash liquor to greater than 8.

Water-soluble unit dose articles are desired by consumers as they provide a convenient, efficient, and clean way of dosing a fabric or hard surface treatment composition. Water-soluble unit dose articles provide a measured dosage of a treatment composition, thereby avoiding over or under dosing. Fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles are of increasing interest to consumers. The technology related to such articles continues to advance in terms of providing the desired active agents with the articles enabling the consumers to do the job that they wish to accomplish. Consumers desire fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles that clean as well or better than conventional forms of fabric treatment compositions, such as liquids, powders, and unit dose articles constructed of water-soluble films. Formulators of conventional fabric detergents know that incorporating alkylalkoxylated sulfate surfactant in a detergent may improve the cleaning performance of the detergent, particularly in certain wash conditions and on certain consumer-relevant stains. Yet, many different types of stains react differently to different wash conditions and cleaning compositions. Hence, formulators may incorporate alkylalkoxylated sulfate and alkoxylated fatty alcohol surfactants in combination with other anionic surfactants, such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, to treat a broader variety of stains in a broader variety of wash conditions. However, the effectiveness may vary dependent on wash conditions and other components in the unit dose. Further, certain wash conditions may be difficult to create through the use of some forms such as, for example, liquid detergents. One particular type of stain that can be difficult to remove is stains that are caused by body oils or sebum.
Thus, there is a need to formulate fibrous water-soluble unit doses, that are capable of removing body oil stains such as sebum by creating the right environment for the cleaning agents to function. Additionally, there remains a need to have a method of laundry that removes sebum stains from clothing. Surprisingly, it has been found that water-soluble unit dose articles comprising protease and a Base pH adjusting agent, as described herein, exhibit improved removal of body soil stains.

Process of laundering fabrics using a water-soluble unit dose article


The present invention provides a manner of controlling the part profile of a suspension assembly in order to obtain minimum torsional gains at resonance frequencies. Specifically, the present invention includes a suspension assembly having a load beam provided with a first preformed bend, as used for providing the load force, and a second preformed bend also provided within the spring region of the load beam of the suspension assembly but in a direction opposite to the first preformed bend.

Storage devices typically include a head for reading and/or writing data on to a storage medium. A suspension assembly is required to position and maintain the head at the appropriate position relative to the storage medium for data storage and/or access. Most common today are magnetic heads and magnetic storage media, particularly flexible and rigid disks.
The present invention is directed to a suspension assembly of the type that is typically used for supporting a head relative to a rotating disk wherein the head flies over the disk surface when accessing the disk on an air bearing. Such is the case in most rigid disk drives. Specifically, the magnetic head is usually provided on a slider having an aerodynamic design so that the movement of air caused by a spinning disk will generate a lift force against the slider which prevents contact or crashing of the head with the disk surface. Preferably, the air bearing is minimized while sufficient to accommodate disk fluctuations since storage density is decreased significantly as the height of the air bearing increases.
In order to counteract the lift force acting against the slider, the suspension assembly typically includes a load beam having a resilient section and a rigid section; the resilient section providing a spring force to the rigid section for urging the slider in a direction opposite to the lift force. The "flight" of the slider and head is a balance of the lifting force and the opposing spring force.
A spring or gimballing connection is also typically provided between the slider and the rigid section of the load beam so that the slider can move in the pitch and roll directions of the head for accommodating fluctuations of the disk surface. Such a spring connection can be provided by a gimbal that is made separately and connected with the rigid region of the load beam or is made integrally at the end of the load beam. The spring connection of the gimbal is also preferably designed with high lateral and in-plane stiffnesses. Such gimbals, in general, are well-known.
In addition to providing the aforementioned spring force, the load beam must also provide the rigid link between an actuator of the disk drive and the slider/head assembly for precisely positioning the head relative to data tracks of the storage medium, i.e. the disk surface. Actuator movement is normally either rotary or linear over the disk surface. The ability to provide such a rigid link is adversely affected by the confined geometry constraints of today's disk drives, i.e. disk sizes, disk spacing, data storage densities and access speeds, attachment methods, and low stiffness of the suspension in the Z-height (direction perpendicular to the plane of the disk surface). As the rigid linkability of a load beam is compromised by these other design features, the load beam must otherwise be designed to increase rigidity to prevent off-track errors.
Given these design criteria combined with disk and access speeds, the suspension assembly can be subject to high vibration frequencies which can cause off-track error, particularly at resonance frequencies of the suspension assembly, if not controlled. It is thus an important additional design criteria of suspension assemblies to design the suspension assembly so that its resonance frequencies are higher than the frequencies experienced in the drive environment or to minimize the gain (movement of the suspension assembly at the slider) caused at the resonance frequencies. Of most concern in the design of suspension assemblies are the resonance frequencies of the torsional and lateral bending modes. These torsional and bending modes are beam modes that are dependent on cross-sectional properties along the length of the load beam. These modes also result in lateral movement of the slider at the end of the suspension assembly. Torsional modes sometimes produce a mode shape in which the tip of the resonating suspension assembly moves in a circular fashion. However, since the slider is maintained in a Z-height orientation by the stiffness of the applied spring force acting against the air bearing, only lateral motion of the rotation is seen at the slider. The lateral bending mode is mainly lateral motion.
The lateral bending mode is normally controlled by the design of the cross-section of the load beam, i.e., side rails, channels, and the like. Typically, the resonance frequency of the lateral bending mode is controlled by the load beam design to be higher than the frequencies that are experienced in the disk drives within which they are used. Certain torsional resonance modes, however, occur at lower frequencies, but typically have less of a lateral effect. Torsional modes are further subdivided depending on the number, if any, of nodes present along the length of the suspension assembly between a fixed end thereof and a free end, the slider being supported near the free end. These various torsional mode shapes occur at different resonance frequencies. A single twist of the suspension assembly between the fixed end and the free end, as used throughout this specification, is referred to as first torsion mode, and the off-track motion at the first torsion resonance frequency is referred to as the first torsional gain. Second torsion mode, as used throughout the specification, means a torsional mode shape having a single node along the length of the suspension assembly between its fixed end and its free end. The position of the node divides the suspension assembly into first and second twisting motions on either side of the node point. The second torsional resonance frequencies occur at higher frequencies than the first torsional mode. Second torsional gain refers to the amount of off track motion when the suspension assembly is vibrated at the second torsional resonance frequency. Typically, design consideration must be given to the first and second torsional modes under the vibration frequencies normally experienced within a disk drive environment. Higher order torsional modes, i.e. third torsional mode having two node points, etc., typically occur at frequencies higher than that experienced within the disk drive environment.
Since torsional modes have a twisting movement from the fixed end of a suspension assembly toward its free end, each torsional mode shape (first torsional, second torsional, etc.) defines an axis of rotation along the suspension assembly. The axis of rotation need not, and in fact generally does not, lay within the suspension assembly.
Moreover, it is preferable that the axis of rotation be defined such that it runs through or near a gimballing location of the slider and the load beam of a suspension assembly. If the axis of rotation can be controlled to pass through or near the gimballing point, minimal off-track movement is experienced at the slider. In other words, even if the resonance frequency of a particular torsional mode is experienced in the disk drive environment, the gain associated with that resonance frequency can be controlled to be minimized. It is thus a significant endeavor in the design of suspension assemblies to minimize the gain associated with first and second torsional modes as they typically may be experienced in a disk drive environment.
The mass of the suspension assembly and how that mass is distributed along the suspension assembly has a large impact on the suspension resonance frequency and gain characteristics. For example, the addition of mass at a location of maximum displacement depending on the mode (bending or torsional) can be used to reduce the natural frequency. Although the natural frequency may be lowered, gain may disadvantageously be increased.
In providing the aforementioned spring force to the rigid section of the load beam for counteracting the aerodynamic lift force against the slider, a preformed bend is made in the resilient section of the load beam. This preformed bend is designed with a specific radius to provide the spring force and thus a desired gram loading to the slider when in flight over a disk surface. The term loaded, as used hereinafter, means the suspension assembly in equilibrium under the influence of the aerodynamic lift force and the oppositely acting spring force with the slider at "fly" height.
A manner of optimizing a suspension assembly so that the axis of rotation passes through or near the gimballing point when the suspension assembly is loaded is to modify the suspension assembly to change its loaded profile as represented at its longitudinal centerline, hereinafter "part profile." One way of modifying the part profile is by changing the location of the preformed bend radius area within the spring region of the load beam. By incrementally bending a series of similar suspension assemblies at various locations along the spring area and subjecting each of the suspension assemblies to its torsional resonance frequencies, the gain associated with each bend location can be measured. The measured gain can be plotted against the incremental position of the bend taken from a reference location to determine a curve. At the point where the curve approaches or reaches zero gain, if possible, the axis of rotation is at or nearest to the location of gimballing. In other words, the part profile of the suspension assembly is modified by the position of the radius area of the preformed bend preferably to the point where the axis of rotation passes near or through the gimballing location.
However, on some suspension designs, the minimum point on the curve is not obtainable with the preformed bend because of either process abilities or other design constraints or features (i.e., spring force) which affect the suspension's mass distribution. Additionally, even if the above optimization process can be utilized to minimize first torsional gain, a similar optimization curve representing second torsional gain may not coincide. That is, the location of the radius area of the preformed bend which minimizes first torsional gain may be different from the location which minimizes second torsional gain.
Another manner of controlling the part profile of a suspension assembly is to increase its in-plane stiffness and rigidity by forming its spring region at a precise curvature so that when loaded, the curve becomes shaped to maximize the in-plane stiffness. One prior art method of designing the spring region of a load beam for that purpose is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,268 to Hagen. In this case, two preformed bends are made in the spring region of the load beam in the same bend direction. The preformed bends are precisely located and formed as determined by complex calculations so that the spring region nearly assumes an ideal curve, as defined therein. The object being so that when loaded, the spring region becomes nearly flat, which is utilized to increase the in-plane stiffness.
Another prior art example of designing a specifically curved spring region is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,734 to Hatch et al. According to this method, a single curve side profile is determined theoretically to provide a desired bump and offset characteristics (loaded shape of spring region) and to give the desired load. The spring region must be precisely curved over its length by forming over a forming die having a forming surface calculated to provide the theoretical side curve profile after formation and springback.
In both of the above cases, special calculations and dies and/or forming steps must be determined for each variation of suspension assembly made in order to make a precise curve or approximation thereof for each application.

Bi-directional pre-bends in the spring region of a load beam of a magnetic head suspension assembly