A flexible guidewire system with an exposed midsection, for crossing an obstruction located in a patient's vessel, comprising a flexible pilot wire and a flexible casing having a distal and proximal portions slidable and rotatable over the pilot wire, at least a distal portion of the casing being a helical wire gated at its distal end, and a coupling for connecting the casing to a drive means.

With age a large percentage of the population develops atherosclerotic and thrombotic obstructions resulting in partial or total occlusions of blood vessels in various parts of the human anatomy. Such obstructions are often treated with angioplasty or atherectomy catheters and a common preparatory step to such procedures is the insertion of a guidewire through the obstruction.
An objective of the present invention is to provide, simple and reliable flexible guidewire system that comprises a pilot wire and a casing capable of crossing tortuous vasculature and obstructions, particularly tight and total obstructions. A further objective is to facilitate easy removal or insertion of the casing over the pilot wire while the pilot wire remains stationary in the vasculature.
The above and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the following discussion and the accompanying drawings.

Guidewire system with exposed midsection


A method of storing data in a nonvolatile memory device comprises performing a program operation on target memory cells among multiple memory cells, performing a first verify operation to determine whether the target memory cells are in a program pass state or a program fail state, and as a consequence of determining that the target memory cells are in the program pass state, performing a second verify operation to determine whether the target memory cells exhibit a program error symptom.

The inventive concept relates generally to electronic memory technologies. More particularly, certain embodiments of the inventive concept relate to methods for storing data in a nonvolatile memory device and methods for testing a nonvolatile memory device.
Most nonvolatile memory devices are subject to deterioration according to their usage. For example, flash memory devices tend to fail after a certain number of program or erase operations have been performed.
To cope with deterioration of individual memory cells, many nonvolatile memory devices or controllers include error correction circuitry that can overcome failures in a small number of memory cells. However, if the number of errors becomes relatively large, it may exceed the capability of the error correction circuitry and data may be lost.
To avoid losing data due to large numbers of errors, some nonvolatile memory devices keep track of failed memory cells, and take measures to protect data if the number of failed memory cells approaches a critical level. Unfortunately, such measures may be inadequate in the event that the failures follow an irregular pattern, e.g., where numerous memory cells become failed memory cells at approximately the same time.

Method of storing data in nonvolatile memory device and method of testing nonvolatile memory device


A rotor for an electric motor, comprising a rotor magnet and a bearing for the rotatable support on a fixed axle, the bearing comprising first and second bearing half-shells, wherein at least the first bearing half-shell is moveably arranged within the rotor body with respect to the second bearing half-shell, and wherein the first bearing half-shell is supported against the rotor body by a resilient element tangentially arranged with respect to the axle. The resilient element, at both its side surfaces facing in an axial direction of the axle, has at least one respective first protrusion extending in the axial direction, and the first bearing half-shell, on a side facing away from its bearing surface, includes at least two axially spaced second protrusions each extending in a radial direction and cooperating with the first protrusions for aligning the resilient element.

Rotors with bearings are used in electric motors, in particular in brushless DC motors, for example in fans or actuating systems, for example in automotive, industrial or domestic applications. Herein, it is customary to use rotors which rotate about a fixed axle and include a respective bearing for this purpose. These bearings are mostly formed as radial plain bearings. To run with as little friction as possible, a radial gap is needed between the bearing and the axle. This enables, however, a radial movement of the rotor body, which can lead to undesirable noise.
DE 19 32 251 A1 discloses a fixed bearing housing in which to a rotating shaft has a radial force applied to it by means of an elastic element and is thus biased. This type of bearing cannot be used, however, in rotating systems, since high mass forces due to high moments of inertia have to be supported at high motor speeds. The bearing pressure required for a backlash-free bearing cannot be sustained at high speeds.
DE 10 2017 103 936 A1 further discloses a rotor with a resilient element for supporting the rotor on the rotor axle. The arrangement disclosed there comprises a resilient element which is weakened by recesses in the region of its greatest bending. In other embodiments, the stiffness is substantially increased in this region. In all embodiments the spring action is unevenly distributed over the geometry of the resilient element. Furthermore, metal fatigue can arise early, for example in the region of the recesses.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rotor with a backlash-free bearing for the rotatable support of the rotor, which can maintain a high bearing pressure even at high speeds.


A radio LAN master station system which provides long distance communication and suffers from small interference by another system located inside and/or outside of a service area comprises a transceiver, and a plurality of directional antennas each directed to a respective section with some angular spacing, through a power distributor which couples said transceiver with said antennas. Polarization plane of any antenna is orthogonal to polarization plane of an adjacent antenna.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio LAN (local area network) master station system, in particular, relates to such a system which has a specific antenna system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lately, a radio LAN system in 2.4 GHz band has been utilized widely.
However, that frequency band, 2.4 GHz band, is also used for ISM (Industrial Science Medical) band. Therefore, a radio system which uses such frequency band is apt to be interfered by an ISM band system, such as a microwave oven. Nevertheless, a radio LAN system using 2.4 GHz band is popularized rapidly, since no license nor qualification is requested for the operation of that system, and no communication fee is charged by a communication company when the system is installed.
A radio LAN system is used not only indoors, but also out of a room in a communication manner such as a point—point manner, and/or a point-multipoints manner.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art radio LAN system in a point-multipoints manner, in which a single master station having a single wide angle antenna and a single transceiver, and a plurality of client terminals. A wide angle antenna is used in a radio LAN master station which operates in a point-multipoints manner out of a room, so that wide area can be covered by a single master station.
However, the radio LAN master station in FIG. 1 has a disadvantage that it suffers from interference by a similar LAN system closely located, and/or by another system using the same frequency band. Further, communication quality is much degraded because of multi-path propagation. In FIG. 1, radio wave emitted by a client terminal 1-3-1 is received by a master station 1-1-1 through an antenna 1-1-2 not only as direct wave 1-2-1, but also as reflection wave 1-2-2 which reaches the antenna 1-1-2 through reflection by a building 1-2-3 which locates close to a direct path between a master station and a client terminal. A reflected wave is an undesired interference wave in a master station.
The radio LAN master station system in FIG. 1 having a single wide angle antenna has further disadvantage that no long communication is possible because a wide angle antenna has small gain.


A method and apparatus for deriving a combined transmit power control (TPC) command during handover are disclosed. During handover, a combined TPC command is generated from two or more TPC commands. The combined TPC command is set to −1 for decrease of the transmit power if a soft symbol of the TPC signal from any cell indicates decrease of the transmit power and the signal-to-interference ratio for the cell is greater than a reliability threshold. Otherwise, the combined TPC command is set to −1 if the function γ is not greater than the combining threshold, and set to +1 if the function γ is greater than the combining threshold, where the function γ represents a log-likelihood ratio of a probability density function of the combined TPC command.

In a multi-cell wireless communication system, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) receives TPC commands from more than one cell during handover. In one scheme, set forth under Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, the WTRU conducts a reliability decision on each of the power control commands TPCi, where i=1, 2, . . . , N, (where N is greater than 1 and is the number of TPC commands from radio links of different radio link sets), and derives a combined TPC command as a function of all N soft symbol decisions Wi:Combined—TPC_cmd=γ(W1, W2, . . . WN);where Combined_TPC_cmd can take the values 1 (increase power) or −1 (decrease power). The function γ must fulfill the criteria as specified in the standards.
The 3GPP standards also require that if the N TPCi commands are random and uncorrelated, with equal probability of being transmitted as "0" or "1", the probability that the output of γ is equal to 1 shall be greater than or equal to 1/(2N); and the probability that the output of γ is equal to −1 shall be greater than or equal to 0.5. The output of γ shall equal 1 if the TPC commands from all the radio link sets are reliably "1", and the output of γ shall equal −1 if a TPC command from any of the radio link sets is reliably "0".

Method and apparatus for deriving a combined transmit power control command during handover


Structures and methods for transferring data from non-volatile to volatile memories. An extra bit, called a “transfer bit”, is included in each data word. The transfer bit is set to the programmed value, and is monitored by a control circuit during the memory transfer. If the supply voltage is sufficient for correct programming, the transfer bit is read as “programmed”, and the data transfer continues. If the supply voltage is below the minimum supply voltage for proper programming, the transfer bit is read as “erased”, and the data transfer is reinitiated. In one embodiment, a second transfer bit set to the “erased” value is included in each word.

Programmable logic devices (PLDs) are a well-known type of digital integrated circuit that may be programmed by a user to perform specified logic functions. One type of PLD, the complex programmable logic device (CPLD), typically includes a group of input/output (I/O) cells, a corresponding set of programmable function blocks, and an interconnect matrix called a switch matrix. The I/O cells provide communication between the CPLD and other devices or systems. The function blocks generate a plurality of P-terms (product terms) and, from these P-terms, one or more SOP (sum of products) output signals. The switch matrix provides internal communication between and among the function blocks and I/O cells.
The functionality of the I/O cells, the function blocks, and the switch matrix is controlled by data bits stored in memory cells also included in the CPLD. Therefore, the functionality of the CPLD is defined by writing data values into these memory cells. This process is called "programming" or "configuration", and the data values written to the memory cells are called "programming data" or "configuration data". CPLDs are non-volatile devices, meaning that a CPLD, once programmed, need not be reprogrammed after power is removed from and restored to the device.
One known variety of CPLDs is the "CoolRunner™" CPLD family manufactured by Xilinx, Inc. CoolRunner devices are described in pages 6-1 through 6-13 of "The Programmable Logic Data Book 2000", available from Xilinx, Inc., of San Jose, Calif., which pages are incorporated herein by reference.
CoolRunner CPLDs are low-power devices that incorporate a number of features designed to reduce power consumption in the device. One such feature is the inclusion of two sets of memory cells, one non-volatile (as in other CPLDs) and one volatile. When the device is programmed, as in other CPLDs, the programming data is written to a group of non-volatile memory cells. However, these non-volatile memory cells do not directly control the functionality of the device. Instead, when the device is inserted in a system and power is applied, the programming data is copied from the non-volatile memory cells to a group of volatile memory cells. It is the data in these volatile memory cells that controls the functionality of the I/O cells, the function blocks, and the switch matrix in CoolRunner CPLDs. Because volatile memory consumes less power than similarly-loaded non-volatile memory, this unique architectural feature contributes to the low power consumption of the CoolRunner devices.
However, this data transfer may not be error-free if the data transfer occurs when the supply voltage is either too low or too noisy.
One known method to reduce or eliminate errors caused by a low supply voltage is to include safeguards in the CPLD to hold off the data transfer until a minimum supply voltage is reached. For example, a reference circuit such as a bandgap circuit or a diode stack can be used to set a minimum supply voltage. However, system supply voltages are dropping, e.g., from 3.3 volts to 1.8 volts to 1.5 volts and below. As they drop, the margin between the system supply voltage and a controllable minimum supply voltage is reduced to the point where temperature variations and silicon manufacturing tolerances render the difference negligible. Under certain conditions, and given a sufficiently low system supply voltage, there may be cases where data transfer from non-volatile to volatile memory is not triggered at all.
Errors caused by a noisy supply voltage can also be problematical. While ramping up, the supply voltage can rise above the minimum supply voltage, triggering the memory transfer, then "glitch" low, momentarily falling back below the minimum supply voltage. If this glitch is undetected, faulty data can be loaded into one or more volatile memory cells. Most problematic is the transfer of programmed (low, or conducting) values. When the supply voltage drops below the minimum supply voltage, the data transfers as erased (high, or non-conducting) data.
In some CPLDs, the minimum supply voltage signal is gated by another signal that senses the supply voltage is high enough to permit non-volatile to volatile memory data transfer. However, this arrangement only detects the supply voltage at the beginning of the data transfer. (This solution is similar to the well-known technique of supplying a "dummy word" in a memory array, which is used to test the memory functionality.) If the supply voltage drops at any time during the memory transfer, even if only transiently, data transfer errors can occur.
Therefore, it is desirable to introduce structures and methods that reduce the incidence of data transfer errors between non-volatile and volatile memory.

Using transfer bits during data transfer from non-volatile to volatile memories


Different limit surfaces are derived from the same initial arbitrary polygon mesh by sequentially combining different subdivision rules. This added freedom allows for the more efficiently modeling of objects in computer graphics including objects and characters with semi-sharp features.

The invention relates generally to the art of computer graphics and the modeling of objects. More particularly the invention relates to the modeling of objects using subdivision surfaces and to the modeling of objects with semi-sharp creases or edges.
No real objects have perfectly sharp features. All edges, even those on seemingly sharp objects, have some finite radius of curvature. Though inevitable in real life, this unavoidable lack of precision presents a difficult problem for computer graphics and computer animation. Some modeling methods, e.g., the use of piecewise linear surfaces (polygon meshes) work well for objects with sharp boundaries. Other methods, e.g., NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines) work well (i.e., are more accurate and compact) for modeling curved surfaces, but fair less well and are less efficient for modeling objects with sharp features.
In recent work, Hoppe, et al. have shown that piecewise smooth surfaces incorporating sharp features, including edges, creases, darts and corners, can be efficiently modeled using subdivision surfaces by altering the standard Loop subdivision rules in the region of such sharp features. Hoppe, et al., Piecewise Smooth Surface Reconstruction, Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH ""94 Proceedings), pgs. 295-302. The modified subdivision surface technique developed by Hoppe, et al, provides for an efficient method for modeling objects containing both curved surfaces and sharp features. The resulting sharp features are, however, infinitely sharp, i.e., the tangent plane is discontinuous across the sharp feature.
Even the method of Hoppe, et al. does not, therefore, solve the problem of modeling real objects with finite radius edges, creases and corners. To model such objects with existing techniques, either subdivision surfaces, NURBS, or polygons, requires vastly complicating the model by including many closely spaced control points or polygons in the region of the finite radius contour. As soon as one moves away from infinite sharpness, which can be modeled easily and efficiently with subdivision surfaces following Hoppe, et al. most, if not all of the advantages of the method are lost, and one must create a vastly more complicated model to enjoy the incremental enhancement in realism. Accordingly, there is a need for a way to efficiently model objects with semi-sharp features and, more generally, there is a need for a way to sculpt the limit surface defined by subdivision without complicating the initial mesh.
The present invention involves a method for modeling objects with surfaces created by sequentially combining different subdivision rules. By subdividing a mesh a finite number of times with one or more sets of xe2x80x9cspecial rulesxe2x80x9d before taking the infinite subdivision limit with xe2x80x9cstandard rulesxe2x80x9d one can produce different limit surfaces from the same initial mesh.
One important application of the invention is to the modeling of objects with smooth and semi-sharp features. The present invention allows one to model objects with edges and creases of continuously variable sharpness without adding vertices or otherwise changing the underlying control point mesh. The result is achieved in the exemplary embodiment by explicitly subdividing the initial mesh using the Hoppe, et al. rules or a variation which like the Hoppe, et al. rules do not require tangent plain continuity in the region of a sharp feature. After a finite number of iterations, one switches to the traditional continuous tangent plane rules for successive iterations. On may then push the final mesh points to their smooth surface infinite subdivision limits. The number of iterations performed with the xe2x80x9csharpxe2x80x9d (i.e., discontinuous tangent plane) rules determines the sharpness of the feature on the limit surface. Though the number of explicit subdivisions must be an integer, xe2x80x9cfractional smoothnessxe2x80x9d can be achieved by interpolating the position of points between the locations determined using N and N+1 iterations with the sharp rules.
In another exemplary embodiment, the invention is used to improve the shape of Catmull-Clark limit surfaces derived from initial meshes that include triangular faces.


A fuel cell include a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode opposed to the anode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode; a lyophobic porous body in contact with the anode; and an anode passage plate in contact with the lyophobic porous body, the anode passage plate including a gas collection passage and a fuel supplying passage, the gas collection passage collects a gas generated in the anode via the lyophobic porous body, the fuel supplying passage supplies a fuel to the anode via the lyophobic porous body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
A direct fuel cell that directly supplies liquid fuel, such as alcohol, to a fuel cell stack does not require an auxiliary machine such as a vaporizer, a reformer, and the like. Therefore, miniaturized batteries used for portable electronic equipment has been expected. In such a known direct fuel cell, such as a circulation-type fuel cell system, an alcohol solution is directly supplied to the fuel cell stack. In operation, protons are extracted, exhaust materials, such as water exhausted from the fuel cell stack, are circulated to a mixing tank which is provided on an upstream side of the fuel cell stack.
A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has the fuel cell stack in which generator cells each including an anode, a cathode and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) are stacked one on another. In each generator cell, a mixed solution of water and methanol is supplied to the anode via a liquid feed pump or the like, and thus reacts as expressed in the following chemical formula (1). As a result, carbon dioxide is produced. Air is supplied to the cathode via a pneumatic feed pump or the like, and thus reacts as expressed in the following chemical formula (2). As a result, water is produced.CH3OH+H2O→CO2+6H++6e−  (1)3/2O2+6H++6e−→3H2O  (2)
A mixed solution containing water, unreacted methanol and carbon dioxide which has been produced at the anode is discharged from the anode as a gas-liquid two-phase flow. The gas-liquid two-phase flow is separated into a gas and a liquid by a gas-liquid separator provided in an outlet side of a passage of the anode. Separated liquid is circulated to a mixing tank or the like via a collection passage, whereas separated gas is emitted to the atmosphere.
However, the gas-liquid two-phase flow increases the pressure loss in the anode passage when the gas-liquid two-phase flow passes through the anode passage and the outlet side of the passage of the anode. In addition, since the arrangement of the gas-liquid separator increases the anode circulation section in size, it makes it difficult to construct the generator cell in a compact size.


An image data processing circuit includes a first circuit for calculating an average picture level value of the image data, a multiplier for multiplying a coefficient by the image data, a second circuit for calculating a first coefficient for the multiplier based upon the average picture level value, and a third circuit for calculating a second coefficient for the multiplier. The second coefficient is calculated so that the result of multiplying (1) image data having a value over an input range of a circuit to which data from the multiplier is inputted, and (2) the second coefficient falls in the input range. In addition, a selection circuit selects the coefficient to be used in the multiplier from the first coefficient calculated by the second circuit and the second coefficient calculated by the third circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to display apparatuses such as display apparatuses for televisions and computers for receiving television signals and image signals of computers etc. and displaying images, and image signal processing apparatuses and drive control apparatuses for them.
More closely, it relates to a display apparatus which compensates a decreased portion of drive voltage resulting from electric resistance that a matrix wiring of a display panel has and effectively applied to display devices, and can drive the display devices with appropriate drive voltage, and an image signal processing apparatus and a drive control apparatus for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of display devices is a cold cathode device. A example of a display apparatus having cold cathode devices is disclosed in JP Patent Publication No. 8-248920 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,361 specification). The display apparatus described in this document has such a structure that, in order to compensate lower luminance due to voltage drop by wiring resistance of electric connection wiring to the cold cathode device, its compensation data is calculated by statistical calculation and a desired value of an electron beam and the compensation value are combined.
The structure of the display apparatus described in this document is shown in FIG. 42. The structure involved in the data compensation in the apparatus is approximately as described below.
Firstly, a totalizer 1206 totalizes luminance data of one line of a digital image signal and outputs its totalized value to a memory 1207, and thereby, compensation data corresponding to the totalized value is read out from the memory 1207. On the other hand, the digital image signal is serial-to-parallel converted at a shift register 1204 and held for a predetermined time in a latch circuit 1205, and thereafter, inputted at a predetermined timing to a multiplier 1208 provided with respect to each column wiring. The multiplier 1208 multiplies the luminance data and the compensation data read out from the memory 1207 with respect to each column wiring to generate data after compensation, and transfers this data after compensation to a modulating signal generator 1209. The modulating signal generator 1209 generates a modulating signal corresponding to the data after compensation. Based upon this modulating signal, an image is displayed on a display panel. Here, like totalization processing of the luminance data of an 1 line portion of the digital image signal in the totalizer 1206, statistical calculation processing such as calculating summation and average to the digital image signal is carried out, and based upon this value, compensation is carried out.
However, in case of the conventional compensation for voltage drop, the processing for limitation of electric power which is generally called ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter) is not carried out.
And, in case of the conventional compensation for voltage drop, signal processing in order to calculate a current of a high voltage power supply (an anode current which is flowing through an anode electrode) precisely is not carried out either.

Display apparatus, and image signal processing apparatus and drive control apparatus for the same


The invention is directed to a compound of the formula I

In diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatism, a destruction of the joint takes place, with this being due, in particular, to the proteolytic breakdown of collagen by collagenases. Collagenases belong to the metalloproteinase (MP) or matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) superfamily. The MMP's form a group of Zn-dependent enzymes which are involved in the biological breakdown of the extracellular matrix (D. Yip et al. in Investigational New Drugs 17 (1999), 387-399 and Michaelides et al. in Current Pharmaceutical Design 5 (1999) 787-819). These MMPs are able, in particular, to break down fibrillar and nonfibrillar collagen and also proteoglycans, both of which are important constituents of the matrix. MMPs are involved in processes of wound healing, of tumor invasion and metastasis migration as well as an angiogenesis, multiple sclerosis and heart failure (Michaelides, page 788; see above). In particular, they play an important role in the breakdown of the joint matrix in arthrosis and arthritis, whether this be osteoarthrosis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Furthermore, the activity of the MMPs is essential for many of these processes which play a role in atherosclerotic plaque formation, such as infiltration of inflammatory cells and smooth muscle cell migration, as well as proliferation and angiogenesis (S. J. George, Exp. Opin. Invest. Drugs (2000), 9 (5), 993-1007). In addition, matrix degradation by MMPs can give rise to anything from plaque instabilities to ruptures, with this in turn being able to lead to the clinical symptoms of atherosclerosis, unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or stroke (E. J. M. Creemers et al., Circulation Res. 89, 201-210 (2001)). Seen as a whole, the entire MMP family is able to break down all of the components of the extracellular matrix of the blood vessels; their activities are therefore strictly regulated in normal blood vessels. The increase in MMP activity during plaque formation and plaque instability is brought about by an increase in cytokine-stimulated and growth factor-stimulated gene transcription, an increase in zymogen activation and an imbalance in the MMP/TIMP (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases) ratio. It therefore appears plausible that MMP inhibition or restoration of the MMP/TIMP balance would be of help in treating atherosclerotic disease. It is also becoming ever clearer that an increase in MMP activity is also at least a contributory cause of other cardiovascular diseases, in addition to atherosclerosis, such as restenosis, dilated cardiomyopathy and the myocardial infarction which has already been mentioned.
In experimental animal models of these diseases, it has been shown that marked improvements, for example with regard to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, neointima formation, left ventricular remodeling, pumping performance dysfunction or infarction healing, can be achieved by administering synthetic inhibitors. In addition, reduced collagen damage, improved extracellular matrix remodeling and improved structure and function of cardiac muscle and blood vessels have been found when detailed tissue analyses have been carried out in a variety of preclinical studies using MMP inhibitors. Of these processes, the matrix remodeling processes and MMP-regulated fibroses, in particular, are regarded as being important components in the progress of cardiac diseases (infarction) (Drugs 61, 1239-1252 (2001)).
MMPs cleave matrix proteins such as collagen, laminin, proteoglycans, elastic or gelatin and also process (i.e. activate or inactivate), by means of cleaving, a large number of other proteins and enzymes under physiological conditions, which means that they play an important role in the entire organism while being of particular significance in connective tissue and bones.
A large number of different MMP inhibitors have been disclosed (EP 0 606 046; WO 94/28889; WO 96/27583; or Current Medicinal Chemistry 8, 425-74 (2001)).
Following the first clinical studies performed on humans, it has now been found that MMPs give rise to side-effects. The side-effects which are principally mentioned are musculoskeletal pains and arthralgias. The prior art clearly indicates that inhibitors which are more selective are expected to be able to reduce these side-effects (Yip, page 387, see above). Specificity towards MMP-1 is to be particularly emphasized in the connection since these undesirable side-effects evidently occur to a greater degree when MMP-1 is inhibited.
A frequently occurring disadvantage of the known MMP inhibitors is therefore their lack of specificity. Most MMP inhibitors inhibit many MMPs simultaneously because the catalytic domains of the MMPs have similar structures. As a consequence, the inhibitors act in an undesirable manner on the enzymes, including those that have a vital function (Massova I, et al., The FASEB Journal (1998) 12, 1075-1095).

Thieno-imino acid derivatives for use as matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors

Abstract: wherein the variables are as defined herein, ora stereoisomeric form thereof, mixture of stereoisomeric forms, in any ratio, or a salt thereof.

Abstract: Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition comprising, a pharmaceutically effective amount of one or more compounds of formula I according to claim 1 in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: The invention is also directed to a method for effecting the prophylaxis and therapy of degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthroses, spondyloses, cartilage loss following joint trauma or a relatively long period of joint immobilization following meniscus or patella injuries or ligament ruptures, diseases of the connective tissue such as collagenoses, periodontal diseases, wound healing disturbances and chronic diseases of the locomotory apparatus such as inflammatory, immunological or metabolism-associated acute and chronic arthritides, arthropathies, myalgias and disturbances of bone metabolism, for the treatment of ulceration, atheroscleroses and stenoses, and for the treatment of inflammations, cancer diseases, tumor metastasis formation, cachexia, anorexia, cardiac insufficiency and septic shock or for the prophylaxis of myocardial and cerebral infarctions, in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering to the patient a pharmaceutically effective amount of the compound of formula I according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or prodrug thereof.

Abstract: Furthermore the invention is directed to a method for preparing a compound of formula I.


Access to a downhole tool through a tubular wall is created with a penetration tool into a surrounding annular chamber. The chamber is disposed around a tool joint between the end connection leaving an annular chamber that is of considerable length and allowing penetration anywhere along such length. The need to precisely position the penetration tool, as in past designs of annular chambers disposed within a pin and box connection is eliminated. Landing shoulders for the penetrating tool are also not required as the long length of the annular chamber allows surface personnel to sufficiently and accurately place the penetration tool somewhere along the length of the annular chamber.

Many downhole tools are operated with hydraulic pressure delivered from the surface through a control line that runs along on the outside of a tubing string. One typical application is a sub surface safety valve. At times such valves fail and another valve is delivered on top to replace the defective safety valve. However, in order to make the replacement operate, access to the control system for the original valve had to be provided for the replacement valve. This was accomplished using an annular chamber that was formed within a pin and box connection providing a short length of circumferential thin wall through which a perforating tool had to penetrate for access to the control system. Such designs are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,044; 5,799,949 and 6,260,850. The problem with this design is the short height of the annular chamber, about ½ inch long, required the penetrating tool to be specifically placed on a locating shoulder so the penetrating device would go through at a precise location aligned with the annular chamber. Many times with the well containing contaminants such as paraffin or other debris, it was difficult to properly land the penetrating tool in the proper position to strike through the tubular wall and into the annular chamber. This condition is described in conjunction with subsurface safety valves but is applicable to a variety of downhole tools that need pressure access to a chamber to operate the tool in some way. For example, a production string packer has used the annular chamber described in the patents above to pressurize a piston to release the set of the packer. Other downhole tool applications are contemplated for this access issue through the production tubing.
The present invention allows access through the tubing into a much longer annular chamber that is now disposed along a joint in the tubing string and no longer tied to the short space available within a pin and box connection, as in the past. As a result, a specific landing shoulder is no longer required and the target range for penetration has been increased from about ½ inch to lengths over 1 inch to lengths of 6-10 feet or longer. These and other advantages of the present invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings which appear below with the appended claims defining the full scope of the invention.

Access apparatus from a tubular into a downhole hydraulic control circuit and associated method


This invention relates to a method of embedding electric components or optical components, such as sensors, in a high-temperature metal and the embedded products produced by the method. In the preferred embodiment the components are embedded on a substrate of the high-temperature metal by being placed on a first insulating layer. A second electrically insulating layer, a low thermal conductivity layer, a high thermal conductivity layer, and a primer layer are then deposited in order. The high thermal conductivity layer is in good thermal contact with the substrate. The high-temperature metal is deposited, preferably as molten drops, on the primer layer and the heat from the drops is conducted by high thermal conductivity layer to the substrate while the components are protected by the low thermal conductivity layer.

The use of electric and optical components in information gathering systems is widespread. For example, electric and optical sensors designed to provide information about environmental parameters form a subset of these devices. The most fundamental sensors are elements which react to mechanical stresses or to temperature variations. Strain gauges employ deformable mechanical structures to generate signals indicating mechanical stresses acting on them. Thermocouples use a junction of two dissimilar metals to measure temperature. Optical materials experiencing changes in optical polarization, phase or transmittance under the influence of stress or temperature variations are used in the optical counterparts of these electric devices.
Increasingly, modern applications require that sensors be deployed in hazardous surroundings. These difficult conditions may be created by corrosive or abrasive agents, wide or frequent temperature variations, large mechanical stresses, high pressures as well as any number of other unfavorable factors. The fields of manufacturing, monitoring, testing are among the many areas where such conditions exist. Clearly, sensors employed under these circumstances have to be afforded additional protection.
Prior art teaches to protect electronic components from acidic, basic or oxidizing environments with organic polymeric encapsulants. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,162 Polak et al. teach the use of elastomeric silicones for encapsulating integrated circuits. Other references teach the use of organic-compound-containing encapsulating layers or elastomer casings for the same purpose.
These methods of encapsulating electronic components work well in many applications but become insufficient in very harsh environments. In particular, polymeric encapsulants prove insufficient in mechanically challenging conditions situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,442 to Prinz et al. describes a system of electronic/mechanical packaging prepared by incremental buildup of layers using the thermal deposition spraying technique. This process in used to layer a complementary material around electric components to provide temporary or permanent thermal and mechanical protection to the embedded circuits or components.
Unfortunately, even this system proves insufficient under very harsh working conditions. Specifically, highly resistant metals, i.e., metals having high melting temperatures, would have to play the role of the complementary material to satisfy the mechanical requirements. In addition, highly efficient thermal protection would have to be incorporated into such a package.
Thus, at the present time there is no known method for embedding electric or optical components in housings suited for deployment in harsh working conditions. This is especially a problem in the field of sensors, since these elements, more than any others, are directly exposed to the harshest conditions.

Method for embedding electric or optical components in high-temperature metals

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving an indication that a user selected social network data that is displayed, on a client device, concurrently with offer data that indicates a coupon offer; wherein prior to receiving the indication, the user of the client device is incapable of accessing the coupon offer; in response to receiving the indication that the user selected the social network data, allowing the user to access the coupon offer, and causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the coupon offer or a coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
In general, a coupon is a certificate or other document that entitles its holder to accept an offer described or referenced by the coupon. The offer, also subsequently referred to as the "coupon offer," may be any type of offer, but typically is an offer by the coupon provider to provide a customer with one or more goods or services at a particular price or discount. For example, a coupon may indicate $1 off or 25% off of a purchase price of an item or may indicate the particular price, such as $10. Alternatively, the coupon offer may be an offer to provide the customer with a gift in exchange for the performance of an act, such as purchasing a good or service.
A coupon often takes a "hard copy" form, such as a paper certificate, with printed images and/or text describing terms of the offer. "Redeeming" a coupon is the process of a customer accepting a coupon offer by presenting, referencing, or otherwise providing the coupon while purchasing, contracting, or otherwise transacting with another party. For example, a customer may redeem a hard copy of a coupon by handing the copy to a clerk during a purchase at a retail store. The clerk may then provide the customer with the offered discounted price or gift.
One technique for distributing coupons is to include printed coupons with newspapers, magazines, or other items that are distributed to customers. One example of an item with which coupons are distributed is a printed receipt. For example, some retailers print receipts at a point of sale on register paper on which coupons have been pre-printed. As another example, some retailers print coupon(s) on a receipt at the time of the transaction for which the receipt is printed, thereby allowing the retailers to dynamically select which coupon(s) appear on the receipt based on the product(s) that were purchased during the transaction.
Recent distribution techniques now provide customers with opportunities to print their own coupons. For example, a manufacturer of a product publishes a coupon for the product on the manufacturer's website. However, this type of distribution requires potential customers to first locate the manufacturer's website. In this example, the manufacturer is not reaching each potential customer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Minute quantities of water in a terpene cleaning solvent cause a reaction with certain metals, particularly lead, tin and copper, which reactions are responsible for corrosion of the metal. Such reactions can be reduced or substantially eliminated by exposing the cleaning solvent to a molecular sieve prior to the cleaning operation. The molecular sieve typically includes a plurality of beads of zeolite to which the cleaning solvent is exposed. The molecular sieve traps the water molecules from the solvent so that, after treatment, the solvent contains substantially no water molecules.

One step in the fabrication of modem electronic devices such as printed wiring boards (PWBs) is the use of solder flux, normally a rosin, to insure good bonding of solder elements to copper conductors of the PWBs. After the soldering operation, residual rosin flux must be cleaned from the PWB, and for years this was done by using cleaning solvents comprising chlorinated hydrocarbons or chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFCs). The patents of Hayes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,247 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,719, incorporated herein by reference, point out that such solvents are harmful to the environment, and that residual rosin flux can effectively be removed by a cleaning solvent having terpene as its active ingredient, which in turn can be rinsed with water. Terpene compositions are biodegradable, non-toxic and are essentially harmless to the environment.
A system for cleaning PWBs with terpene compositions is described in the paper, "Aqueous and Semi-Aqueous Cleaning Processes," G. M Wenger et al., AT&T Technical Journal, Vol. 71, No. 2, March/April 1992, pp. 45-51, incorporated herein by reference. It is preferred that the PWBs be submerged in the terpene composition prior to rinsing, and apparatus for accomplishing this is described. PWBs that have been cleaned as described in the Wenger et al. paper have unfortunately been found to be susceptible to failure. Microscopic examinations of the component printed circuits, bonding pads and solder elements have shown that the failures are due to corrosion which, for example, may cause a solder element to break, thereby forming an open circuit. It is of course important that the causes of such corrosion be isolated and reduced or eliminated.

Method for cleaning an object soldered with a lead-containing solder


The invention features an apparatus including a first portion defining an optical axis and configured to connect to an optical fiber, a second portion having a reference surface configured to connect with a terminal, and a third portion between the first and second portions. The third portion bends more easily than either the first or second portion to permit adjustable alignment of the optical axis relative to the reference surface.

The invention relates to optical fiber connectors and systems including optical fiber connectors.
Optical fiber connectors form a remateable connection between two fibers, generally by physically aligning the cores of the fibers with one another. Alternatively, optical fiber connectors can be used to connect a optical fiber to a light source (e.g., a laser) or a receiver. Many commercially available connectors include four basic components: a ferrule; a body; a cable; and a coupling device.
A ferrule is a long, thin cylinder in which the fiber is mounted. The ferrule is bored through the center at a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the fiber cladding. The end of the fiber is located at the end of the ferrule. Ferrules are typically made of metal or ceramic, but may also be made from plastic. A ferrule may also be referred to as a snout.
A body or housing holds the ferrule. It is usually constructed of metal or plastic and includes one or more assembled pieces which hold the fiber in place. Bonding and/or crimping is often used to attach strength members and/or cable jackets to the connector body. The ferrule extends past the connector body to slip into the coupling device.
A cable is attached to the connector body. It acts as a point of entry for the fiber. Typically a strain-relief boot is added over the junction between the cable and the connector body, providing extra strength to the junction.
Optical fiber connectors typically use a male-female or a dual female coupling device configurations.
Examples of commercially available optical fiber connectors include SMA 906 connectors (Amphenol Corp.), ST connectors (introduced by AT&T), FC connectors (introduced by NTT), D4 connectors (designed by NEC), HMS-10 (by Diamond, Inc.), and SC connectors (from NTT).
A primary measure of connector performance is insertion loss, usually as tested against an "ideal" reference connector. Typically, when properly connected, insertion loss is between about 0.1 dB and 1 dB.

Optical fiber connectors and systems including optical fiber connectors


A container for one-handed transport and pouring of contents therefrom includes a vessel having an outlet with first and second handle assemblies pivotally mounted to the sides of the vessel. A first handle assembly includes a wire band having first and second ends pivotally mounted to opposed sides of the vessel at points forward of an imaginary vertical plane bisecting the vessel. An offset portion of the handle presents a grip displaced from the arcuate extent of the band. A second handle assembly includes a wire band having first and second ends pivotally mounted to opposed sides of the vessel and along the imaginary vertical plane. The band presents first and second loops about the legs of the offset portion of the first handle with the grip extending therebetween. In the normal transport position the grips of the handle are displaced one from the other. Upon a user urging of the grips one towards the other, as guided by the loops encircling the legs of the offset portion, the vessel is pivoted about the pivot mounting points so as to dispense the contents from the vessel. The handle assemblies are adaptable for use with various containers.

This invention relates to a bucket and, more particularly, to an improved bucket/container designed for one-handed transport and manipulation.
The common bucket is well known in the art for transporting materials, particularly fluids, between locations. One problem with past buckets is that the dispensation of the materials therefrom is awkward and in some cases difficult particularly if the user cannot use both hands for manipulation of the bucket at the dispensation site.
In response thereto I have invented an improved container, which can take the form of a bucket or other vessel, having first and second handle assemblies thereon. Each handle assembly is pivotally mounted to opposed sides of the bucket, the handles presenting spaced-apart central grips. The pivot mounting points of each handle assembly are spaced apart in relative vertical and horizontal displacements. For transport of the bucket the grip of the second handle assembly is grasped. For pouring the contents from the bucket both first and second grips are grasped and urged one towards the other. Upon such grip movement the bucket is pivoted around the pivotal mounting points of the handle assemblies such as to move the bucket between a first transport position and a second position for dispensing the material contents therefrom. Accordingly, only one hand need be used for transport and manipulation of the bucket. The handle design is adaptable for use with various vessels, containers and the like.
It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a container designed for one-handed transport and dispensation of contents therefrom.
A still further object of this invention is to provide container, as aforesaid, which is adaptable for use in various forms, including buckets, paint material containers, vessels and the like.
A further object of this invention is to provide a container, as aforesaid, presenting first and second handle assemblies, each assembly having spaced-apart pivot points mounted on the opposed sides of the container.
Another object of this invention is to provide a container, as aforesaid, wherein the first and second handle assemblies present central grips displaced one from the other in a container transport position.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a container, as aforesaid, having structure coupling the grips of the handles in back and forth movement therebetween.
Another object of this invention is to provide a container, as aforesaid, the first and second grips being urged one towards the other so as to pivot the bucket from a first transport position towards a second position for dispensing the contents therefrom.
A further object of this invention is to provide handle assemblies, as aforesaid, which are adaptable for use with various containers.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, a preferred embodiment of this invention.


An ester compound is prepared with a greatly improved efficiency by reacting a liquid alcohol with a liquid organic acid at a temperature of about 30 to 70.degree. C. in the presence of a lipase without adding any solvent. In particular, short chain acids and alcohols are reacted with lipase from candida antarctica immobilized on an acrylic resin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a method for preparing an ester compound and, more specifically, to a method for preparing an ester compound by reacting a liquid alcohol with a liquid organic acid in the presence of lipase without adding any solvent.
Here, "ester compound" refers, for example, to ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl,, iso-butyrated acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, isobutyric acid, n-valeric acid, iso-valeric acid or the like, all of which are used as natural flavors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Usually, an ester compound is synthesized by chemical or biological methods. In the latter method, for example, lipase an esterase is used for reaction of an alcohol with a carboxylic acid to produce an ester compound and water.
In Biotech. Lett., 12, 581 (1990), Langrand et al., discloses the synthesis of an ester compound, wherein ethanol is reacted with n-butyric acid to produce ethyl butyrate and water as shown in the following formula: EQU Ethanol+n-butyric acid.fwdarw.ethyl butyrate+water
This formula can be generally represented as follows: EQU Alcohol+carboxylic acid.fwdarw.ester compound+water
The ester compound can also be prepared chemically. However, the preference to natural compounds induces researchers to biologically synthesize ester compounds using fermented materials of microorganisms or enzymes. For example, it is reported in a great number of literatures that ester compounds are prepared in an aqueous state (Armstrong et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 26, 1038 (1984); Williams et al., Ann. New York Acad. Sci., 542, 406 (1988); Murray and Duff, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 33. 202 (1990); Fukuda et al., Curr, Genet. 20, 49 (1991); Fukuda et al., J. Ferm. Bioeng. 75, 288 (1993)). These active researches demonstrated the production of ester but have a disadvantage in that the ester compounds produced are extremely low in solubility in water.
Other reaction systems than water include solvent phase (Carta et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 37, 1004 (1991); Langrand et al., Biotech. Lett. 12, 581 (1990); Carta et al., Enzyme Microb. Technol., 14, 904 (1992)), supercritical fluid phase (Marty et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 39, 273 (1992); Marty et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 43, 497 (1994)) and gas phase (Hwang and Park, Biotech. Lett., 16, 379, (1994)). However, the solvent phase reaction is disadvantageous in that a large amount of cost is required to separate and collect the product from the reaction system (solution). The application of the supercritical fluid phase reaction or the gas phase reaction for an industrial process scale is still in a beginning stage. Accordingly, using only liquid phase substrates in the absence of solvent can bring about the advantages of reducing production cost, being safe and facilitating separation and collection. Thus, the natural flavors can be produced on a large scale in this manner (see: Carta et al., Enzyme Microb. Technol., 14, 904 (1992); Oguntimein et al., Biotech. Lett., 17, 77 (1995)).

Solvent-free method for reacting short-chain alcohols and acids using C. antarctica lipase immobilized to acrylic resin


An auction system is disclosed which allows users to participate using their own computers suitably connected to the auction system. Preferably, this connection uses INTERNET. The invention involves a method and system for providing rapid feedback of a reverse auction process and removes the user from the process once an indication to purchase has been received. Rapid feedback in combination with security of information is achieved with the method and auction system.

Auctions for sale of products have proven to be very popular and the success of the systems involve two major features. Typically with auction systems, there is the possibility to obtain the product at a very competitive price. In addition, there is the excitement and skill of the buyer who participates in the auction process and makes fast decisions whether to continue to participate or to recognize the price has become too high. The auction process, traditionally, has been a relatively fast process which changes quickly. The standard auction process involves users bidding for a particular product, and the product is sold to the highest bidder.
The dynamic nature of the auction process, in its traditional form, is attractive to a certain number of participants, but it is also an obstacle to a further group of participants who do not wish to rush their decision process. For this reason, there are other variations of the auction process where the time period for the auction is much longer and the feedback of information tends to be slower. Some auction processes do not provide any real time feedback, such as a silent auction process, where users merely submit their bid, which is confidential.
A further variation of the auction process is a reverse auction where the price of the product decreases in a set manner during the time period of the auction and each participant is provided with the current price, the quantity on hand and the time remaining in the auction. This type of auction, typically, takes place over a very short period of time and there is a flurry of activity in the last portion of the auction process. The actual auction terminates when there is no more product to be sold or the time period expires. A reverse auction process has been used very effectively in Holland for the sale of flowers to wholesalers.
The auction process for the sale of products has also been used on INTERNET. In this case, the various users send E-mail to the auction site with details of their bid and identity. Details of the bid are posted on the auction site computer and are available to other participants. The auction process typically has a time period of several days or weeks, and the product is allocated to the highest bidders. This type of process does not provide the excitement or the real time dynamic feedback of a traditional auction or a reverse auction. One of the advantages of this system is the lack of complexity in running of the auction process over INTERNET where E-mail is used to communicate with the auction computer.


A computing system comprising a number of multiple processor unit nodes interconnectively connected by a communications system to form a cluster is initialized in a manner that creates separate, independent execution environments for each processor unit. Each multiple processor unit node is configured to operate as a symmetric multiprocessing system with a single, shared memory. During a Startup procedure, memory area segments are created for each processor unit, providing processes running on that processor unit with mutually exclusive access to the associated memory area segment. Startup determines an order of the nodes of the cluster system, and establishes a Coordinator process in the lowest numbered processor unit in the first node of the order. The Coordinator process, when created, directs the remainder of the Startup procedure, and constructs a succession list that identifies the next processor unit in the order to take over the Coordinator process should the first fail.

The present invention is directed generally to a processing system that includes groups of interconnected symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems arranged as a cluster to present a single image view to a system user. In particular, the invention is directed to creating, in a consistent, reliable manner, separate, independent execution environments for each processor unit of each SMP system.
Today, business-critical computing such as securities transactions, automated teller machine transactions, credit card transactions, as well as critical functions (emergency telephone systems, directory assistance requests, cellular calls, internet traffic, etc.), rely heavily on computing environments that utilize multiple processors. Although many multiprocessor architectures exist and are used, one multiprocessor architecture, termed a "cluster", has attained some popularity of late. A cluster generally is a number of independent systems ("nodes") working together as a single entity to provide better performance and enhanced reliability. Clustering can provide highly reliable, highly scalable, fault-tolerant computing, one that can incorporate failover schemes allowing an active node to pick up from a failed node. Further, system resources are always available; nodes do not have to be sitting idle for a failure to occur such as in so-called "hot backup" systems.
A recent extension of the clustering concept has been to use multiple processor units to form one or more of the nodes of the cluster system, and to configure the multiple processor unit nodes as a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system. The combination of SMP-based nodes in a cluster, however, provides the best of both possible worlds: a reliable, scalable interconnect architecture together with a robust, parallel software available for business-critical computing as well as other critical functions, described above.
However, SMP systems have scalability constraints. Whether SMP systems are based on a Windows NT operating (Windows, NT, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.) or UNIX operating system, they are shared memory entities. When memory and other resources are shared among multiple processors, the addition of processors can result in resource contention. Thus, there exists a need to improve scalability of SMP systems (i.e., adding processor units) so that as processor units are added to an SMP configured node, memory contention problems do not inhibit a corresponding expansion of power, performance, and workload balancing within that node.

Method for sequential and consistent startup and/or reload of multiple processor nodes in a multiple node cluster


A microchannel double pipe device comprises a channel for inner nozzle (4), a channel for outer nozzle (5) and a mechanical probe (8). The channel for outer nozzle (5) concentrically surrounds the channel for inner nozzle (4), and the channel for inner nozzle (4) concentrically surrounds the mechanical probe (8). Constricted at the outlet of the channel for inner nozzle (4), the channel for inner nozzle (4) extends to form an inner nozzle core (9). Constricted at the outlet of the channel for outer nozzle (5), the channel for outer nozzle (5) extends to form an outer nozzle core (10). The outer nozzle core (10) essentially concentrically surrounds the inner nozzle core (9), and the outlets of the inner nozzle core (9) and the outer nozzle core (10) are at the same level essentially. The mechanical probe (8) is configured to intermittently empty the inner nozzle core (9). The device can be used for microcosmic mixing and reaction, especially suitable for continuous preparation of inorganic, organic or medicine particles with nanostructure or micron-structure using liquid-liquid precipitation method.

Particles with nano- or micron-structure such as metal oxide, organic compound, inorganic compound and medicine particles are widely used in fields of microelectronics, information technology, space technology, chemical industry, machinery, automotive technology, pharmaceutical technology, etc. Methods for preparing particles with nano- or micron-structure are generally classified as physical or chemical, wherein precipitation method is the most common method among both physical and chemical methods. However, conventional precipitation methods usually employs a stirring tank as a reactor or precipitation device, which can not guarantee the rapid mixing, mass transfer and heat transfer of the reacting material, and result in the producing of heterogeneous particles after precipitation, long precipitation or reaction time and low production efficiency. The main reason of the above-mentioned problems is uneven microcosmic mixing in the reactor or precipitation device.
To address the above-mentioned problems with stirring tank, Jianfeng Chen et al. disclosed a method for preparing ultrafine calcium carbonate (Chinese Patent No. ZL95105343.4) by improving the rotating packed bed (also known as high-gravity reactor, Chinese Patent No. ZL95215430.7) and using it as a reactor to enhance the mixing and mass-transfer involved in the precipitation method, based on a process for effecting gas-liquid mass transfer using rotating packed bed disclosed by Ramshaw et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,255). In the method disclosed by Jianfeng Chen et al., the time required for carbonation is reduced and nano-sized particles with a particle size of 10-40 nm and an evenly distributed particle size are produced. However, the rotator in the high-gravity reactor usually takes the form of a packing layer, and during the precipitation and crystallization of the material with a high viscosity, blocking will occur and cleaning must be done constantly, therefore it is not suitable for continuous operation.
Therefore there is a need to provide a device with enhanced liquid-liquid microcosmic mixing and reaction, which can prepare inorganic, organic or medicine particles with nano- or micron-structure in a continuous manner.

Microchannel double pipe device and usage thereof

Beijing Univesity of Chemical Technology

Nanomaterials Technology PTE Ltd, Singapore


A load lock device includes a vessel of which an internal pressure is variable between a pressure corresponding to a vacuum chamber and an atmospheric pressure; a purge gas supply source configured to supply a purge gas into the vessel; an exhaust device configured to evacuate an inside of the vessel; a pressure controller configured to adjust the internal pressure of the vessel to be the pressure corresponding to the vacuum chamber and the atmospheric pressure; a cooling member within the vessel configured to cool a substrate while the substrate is placed adjacent thereto; a first purge gas discharging member configured to discharge the purge gas to flow in parallel with the substrate while controlling a turbulent flow thereof; and a second purge gas discharging member formed of a porous material and configured to discharge the purge gas toward a bottom surface of the substrate from below the substrate.

In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, various vacuum processes such as a film forming process and an etching process are performed on a semiconductor wafer as a processing target substrate (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "wafer") in a vacuum atmosphere. Recently, in order to improve efficiency of the vacuum process and suppress oxidation or contamination, there has been used a multi-chamber vacuum processing system of a cluster tool type. In the multi-chamber vacuum processing system, a multiple number of vacuum processing units are connected to a transfer chamber which is maintained in a vacuum state and the wafer is transferred into each of the vacuum processing units by a transfer device which is provided in the transfer chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In such a multi-chamber processing system, in order to transfer the wafer from a wafer cassette which is placed in an atmosphere state into the transfer chamber which is maintained in the vacuum state, a load lock device (load lock chamber) is provided between the transfer chamber and the wafer cassette. The wafer is transferred via the load lock device.
Meanwhile, when a high-temperature process such as a film forming process is performed in this multi-chamber processing system, the wafer may be taken out of the vacuum processing unit and transferred into a vessel in the load lock device while a wafer temperature becomes a high temperature over, e.g., about 500° C. If, however, the wafer having such a high temperature is exposed to the atmosphere, the wafer may be oxidized. Further, if this high-temperature wafer is accommodated in an accommodation vessel, the accommodation vessel, which is typically formed of a resin, may be damaged.
In order to solve these problems, a cooling plate having a cooling device for cooling the wafer is provided within the vessel of the load lock device. The wafer is placed close to the cooling plate, and the wafer is cooled by the cooling plate while an inside of the load lock device is returned back to an atmosphere state from the vacuum state.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-208589


The present invention generally relates to emulsions, and more particularly, to double and other multiple emulsions. Certain aspects of the present invention are generally directed to the creation of double emulsions and other multiple emulsions at a common junction of microfluidic channels. In some cases, the microfluidic channels at the common junction may have substantially the same hydrophobicity. In one set of embodiments, a device may include a common junction of six or more channels, where a first fluid flows through one channel, a second fluid flows through two channels, and a third or carrying fluid flows through two more channels, such that a double emulsion of a first droplet of the first fluid, contained in a second droplet of the second fluid, contained by the carrying fluid, flows away from the common junction through a sixth channel.

An emulsion is a fluidic state which exists when a first fluid is dispersed in a second fluid that is typically immiscible with the first fluid. Examples of common emulsions are oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. Multiple emulsions are emulsions that are formed with more than two fluids, or two or more fluids arranged in a more complex manner than a typical two-fluid emulsion. For example, a multiple emulsion may be oil-in-water-in-oil ("o/w/o"), or water-in-oil-in-water ("w/o/w"). Multiple emulsions are of particular interest because of current and potential applications in fields such as pharmaceutical delivery, paints, inks and coatings, food and beverage, chemical separations, and health and beauty aids.
Typically, multiple emulsions of a droplet inside another droplet are made using a two-stage emulsification technique, such as by applying shear forces or emulsification through mixing to reduce the size of droplets formed during the emulsification process. Other methods such as membrane emulsification techniques using, for example, a porous glass membrane, have also been used to produce water-in-oil-in-water emulsions. Microfluidic techniques have also been used to produce droplets inside of droplets using a procedure including two or more steps. For example, see International Patent Application No. PCT/US2004/010903, filed Apr. 9, 2004, entitled "Formation and Control of Fluidic Species," by Link, et al., published as WO 2004/091763 on Oct. 28, 2004; or International Patent Application No. PCT/US03/20542, filed Jun. 30, 2003, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Fluid Dispersion," by Stone, et al., published as WO 2004/002627 on Jan. 8, 2004, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Control of emulsions, including multiple emulsions

President and Fellows of Harvard College


The invention is a device and a method for manufacturing the device, namely an air moving device, such as a vacuum cleaner, yard air blower, or other air moving machinery. The device and method involves using compressible foam, molded into appropriate configurations to secure the mechanical components, such as the motor and fan, inside a housing for operation. In most cases the method would involve enclosing an Air Moving Motor and its supporting components between two molded pieces of foam. The foam would conform to significant features on the motor or accompanying devices. The assembly will be placed into a molded housing, using the housing to encase the assembly.

Air moving apparatus such as vacuum cleaners, blowers, and other air conveyance devices have seen various technological advances since their first invention. Modern air conveyance devices are complex and contain a great number of component parts. The manufacture of these types of devices requires skilled labor and complex manufacturing machinery. Numerous fasteners are used to attach all of the components into a single functioning device. Overall, an appreciable amount of expense is required to assemble and test each device before it is ready for sale.
The cost of tooling and labor required to construct conventional air moving devices is considerable. High cost of manufacturing inevitably drives the cost of the final product higher. The skilled labor needed to assemble complex devices is costly and time consuming to train. Manufacturers also have difficulty in retaining a trained work force at profitable salaries. Additionally, a large number of various component parts in an air moving device may require numerous manufacturing steps. A large number of manufacturing steps and different component parts involved in constructing these devices creates an added expense in tooling costs required when setting up, maintaining, and operating a manufacturing facility.
With increased competition in global manufacturing markets, cost and efficiency related issues arise when manufacturing conventional air moving devices. Manufacturers must develop highly efficient and low cost means of production. This need requires abandoning conventional manufacturing techniques and product designs that are labor intensive and require a high number of component parts. A need exists for a method of manufacture and simple design of an air moving device that reduces the need for highly trained labor, decreases expensive tooling cost, and reduces the number of parts in order to efficiently produce high quality air moving devices. This need is met by a novel product design and method of manufacture that minimizes manufacture time, labor cost, material costs, tooling costs, and results in a high quality product.


An object of the present invention is to provide a method of fabricating a superconducting wire that can reduce the fabrication cost and increase the mechanical strength of the superconducting wire, and a superconducting apparatus including a superconducting wire obtained by the method. The present invention provides a method of fabricating a superconducting wire including the steps of forming a superconducting layer on a substrate or an intermediate layer formed on the substrate, forming a silver stabilization layer on the superconducting layer, immersing the substrate in a copper sulfate solution after the superconducting layer and the silver stabilization layer are formed thereon, and forming a copper stabilization layer on the silver stabilization layer by electroplating with the copper sulfate solution as a plating bath. A superconducting apparatus including a superconducting wire obtained by the method is also provided.

FIG. 9 schematically shows an example of a conventional superconducting wire in cross-section. The conventional superconducting wire has a structure in which an intermediate layer 2 composed of cerium oxide or yttria-stabilized-zirconia, for example, a superconducting layer 3 composed of an oxide superconductor of a Ho—Ba—Cu—O system or a Y—Ba—Cu—O system, for example, and a silver stabilization layer 4 serving as a stabilization layer for superconducting layer 3 and composed of silver are successively laid on a substrate 1 composed of a Ni alloy and the like (for example, see FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 07-37444 (Patent Document 1)).
In the above-mentioned conventional superconducting wire, variation in the amount of oxygen in the oxide superconductor forming superconducting layer 3 significantly changes characteristics of superconducting layer 3. Therefore, it is common to adjust the amount of oxygen in the oxide superconductor forming superconducting layer 3 by performing heat treatment after silver stabilization layer 4 is formed on superconducting layer 3.
There is a problem, however, that the fabrication cost is increased if a large amount of silver is used to form silver stabilization layer 4 since silver is a relatively expensive material for an industrial material. In addition, there is also a problem that the superconducting wire cannot obtain enough mechanical strength if silver stabilization layer 4 is employed.
In order to solve such problems, there has been proposed a method to affix copper foil uniformly onto superconducting layer 3 of a superconducting wire in a longitudinal direction by soldering.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 07-37444

Method of fabricating superconducting wire and superconducting apparatus


There are provided a GOA circuit, an array substrate, a display device and a driving method. The GOA circuit includes clock signal input lines and more than two GOA units connected in cascade, wherein each of the GOA units includes a selection signal output sub-unit and a selection sub-unit; the selection signal output sub-unit is configured to receive a source signal, and output a selection signal in accordance with the source signal; the selection sub-unit receives the selection signal and N clock signals, and outputs the received signal in accordance with the selection signal; and the clock signal input lines are no less than a number of N, and are configured to input the clock signals to the selection sub-unit, where N is an integer number which is higher than or equal to two. The gate driving structure of the GOA circuit, the array substrate and the display device occupies a small area. The driving method can achieve a single dot polarity inversion.

GOA (Gate Driver On Array) represents gate driver on array substrate.
Current GOA circuit generally comprises several GOA units, and each of the GOA units corresponds to a gate line; particularly, an output terminal of each of the GOA units is connected to a gate line, and the output terminal of each of the GOA units is further connected to an input terminal of a subsequent GOA unit so as to turn on the subsequent GOA unit, and while an output terminal of the subsequent GOA unit is further connected to a reset signal input terminal of a previous GOA unit.
As known, one GOA unit generally comprises twelve transistors and one capacitor, and when one GOA unit correspondingly drives one gate line, the employed transistors of the GOA circuit is of a great number and the area occupied on an array substrate is large.

GOA circuit, array substrate, and display device

HEFEI BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An internal combustion engine has an auxiliary device incorporated therewith. An idling speed control device of the engine includes a first air amount control device which controls the amount of air fed to the engine in accordance with an operation condition of the engine, a second air amount control device which controls the amount of air fed to the engine when a load of the auxiliary device is being applied to the engine; and an air/fuel varying device which varies an air/fuel ratio of a mixture fed to the engine. A control unit for the idling speed control device includes a judging unit which judges whether the load of the auxiliary device is actually applied to the engine or not; a first deriving unit which derives a corrected air amount which corresponds to a load of the auxiliary device under idling operation of the engine at a stoichiometric air/fuel ration; a second deriving unit which derives a needed air amount needed by the engine when the engine is idling at a target air/fuel ratio; a calculating unit which calculates a difference between the corrected air amount and the needed air amount when the judging unit judges the application of the load of the auxiliary device to the engine; and an air amount control unit which controls the first air amount control device to correct the air amount fed to the engine in accordance with the difference calculated by the calculating unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to idling speed control systems of an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to the idling speed control systems of a type which can keep the idling driveability of the engine well even when a certain load of an auxiliary device is applied to the output of the engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For keeping the idling driveability of an engine in a satisfied level even when a load of an auxiliary device, such as air conditioner, power steering pump or the like, is applied to the output of the engine, various control systems have been hitherto proposed and put into practical use. Usually, in such control systems, the amount of air fed to the engine is increased upon sensing the load. One of these control systems is disclosed in Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication 54-76723. That is, in the measure of this publication, when, with the engine being under idling, an air conditioner is turned ON, the idling speed of the engine is increased to a target value by increasing the amount of air fed to the engine, the target value being looked up from a map. With that measure, undesired engine stop and/or performance deficiency of the air conditioner is suppressed.

Idling speed control system of internal combustion engine


In a system for the adaptive camouflage of objects, particularly of vehicles, at least one panel-like layer (5) is provided, which is at least partially air-permeable. The air suctioned in from the surroundings can be controlled, before or while it is fed into the layer, to a temperature that is determined at least almost from the background of the object.

Multispectral camouflage for modern warfare must keep pace with the technical development of sensors while accommodating the demand for high mobility.
For one, today's armies have high requirements when it comes to mobility. In addition, the technical possibilities of multispectral reconnaissance and target assignment have widened to a considerable degree with the miniaturization of sensors and the emergence of new platforms such as the cost-effective minidrones. This technology must also keep pace with modern means and use ultra-modern technologies if camouflage is to remain a serious means and fulfil its objective. Of particular interest in this context is today camouflage against all-weather radar sensors or thermal infrared sensors, which enable reconnaissance even at night.
Today, fully developed mobile camouflage kits, which are produced to fit perfectly onto the vehicle surface, are offered commercially. These camouflage kits from various textile materials are effective in visual camouflage by way of an appropriate color scheme and in RADAR by way of scattering or absorbing materials. In thermal infrared, an effect is also achieved by the textile upper material being provided with a sheet cut which assumes the air temperature in the airflow during travel. The upper material is sewn onto an insulation layer or other textile material, which insulates the surface temperature of the vehicle from the upper material. In addition to the convective effect for matching the signature to the environment, the textile upper material can additionally have the property of reduced thermal emissivity, which ensures that portions of the cold sky are reflected. The system thus described already has a decent effect, especially as compared to non-camouflaged vehicles. With respect to the technological development on the sensor side, however, it is desirable for the signature of the vehicle to follow the background as accurately as possible. The signature must here not always necessarily follow the air temperature. It is possible, in particular in deserts or other environments with little vegetation, to observe relatively great deviations of the ground temperature from the air temperature, to be precise in both directions.
Another solution is outlined in EP 1 574 809, where a metal foam is used as a heat exchanger and where air serves as a heat-transfer medium.
It is the object of the present invention to provide multispectral camouflage, which not only takes into account the improved sensor systems but also meets the requirements for high mobility.
According to the invention, a camouflage arrangement for adaptively camouflaging objects is proposed.
The proposal relates to at least one panel-like layer being used in the arrangement, through which panel-like layer air can flow, wherein the air which is taken in from the environment is regulatable, before or during the supply into the layer, to a temperature which has at least already been ascertained from the background of the object.
The solution developed in the present invention is based on adaptive, thermal camouflage for mobile, vehicle-bound platforms, possibly in combination with flexible radar absorbers. At its core, infrared sensors are used to continuously measure for example the entire environment) (360°) of the object, or the vehicle/platform, to be camouflaged and to segment in real time the information obtained and use it as a transmitter signal. Used as the adaptive camouflage material are various panels, such as in particular the abovementioned panel-like layer through which air can flow, which panels are individually brought dynamically to the corresponding temperature according to the background signal.
Each panel can in this case be connected to a radar absorber and be fabricated to fit perfectly to the object form or the vehicle form. The infrared signature generated is in this case independent from the object surface temperature and the environment air temperature and dynamically follows the background temperature.
To achieve optimum camouflage effect, the background is here measured using a radiometrically calibrated IR camera and the image is segmented or average values continuously calculated from individual image portions. These temperatures serve as measured value indicators for active camouflage.
The physical realization is based on cushions through which air flows, such as the panel-like layer through which air can flow, as mentioned in the introduction. Cold air is in this case taken in and electrically heated in the through-flow while it is being supplied to the respective air cushions. Each air cushion is regulated individually. A thermometer in the air cushions measures the respective temperature, which is then compared to the measured value indicator for this cushion and serves as feedback for controlling the heating.
The air can of course be supplied in a cooled state, either by using a dedicated air-conditioning system for the air cushions or, in the case of camouflage for a vehicle, by using a cold-air passage of the vehicle's air-conditioning system.
The construction of the camouflage arrangement was realized here as follows: on the vehicle-side, first tarpaulin material is wrapped around an insulating mat of, for example, cm thickness. This serves for isolating the active side from the surface temperature of the vehicle (e.g. engine space etc.). The layer, into which air is blown, is arranged on this insulating mat. Said air is allowed to escape upwards through a thin textile material, which is permeable to air. Said air-permeable material then outwardly exhibits the new signature in a thermal image. In order that the airflow during travel cannot influence the surface temperature of this material, the air cushion receives a third layer: separated by an air gap of about 2 cm from the air-permeable material, a for example thin polyethylene film is applied, which is so thin that it is transparent in IR and thus does not have its own signature. Heating by the sun or the action of the airflow during travel should not influence the signature of the cushion. The air escapes from the panel through air slits in the film.
In order to achieve radar camouflage in addition to the IR camouflage, the insulating mat can be interchanged or supplemented by a radar absorber.
Particular attention must be paid to the optimal air-guidance inside the panel: the inflowing air must spread out homogeneously as quickly as possible. This is achieved by air distributers made of flexible plastic hoses which have lateral openings for distributing the air quickly in the entire panel.
As shown above, the solution described here differs from today's commercially available mobile camouflage kits in that it actively matches the environment.
The proposed solution is distinguished from the solution described in EP 1 574 809 in that attention was paid to homogeneous and quick air distribution. Thereupon, the various camouflage areas (infrared and radar) are materially separate in the proposed solution according to the invention. An important aspect is that through use of an IR-transparent film the influence of the airflow during travel or the temperature of the airflow during travel is negated and it is thus possible to effectively achieve that the apparent temperature or signature of the panels can be matched to the measured apparent ambient temperature.


Disclosed is a two-way pre-stress system for applying pre-stress to a member of a structure by a pre-tendon method, the system comprising: a mold for forming the member, the mold having a concrete pouring space; a supporter installed outside the mold; at least one horizontal tendon installed in the mold in a horizontal direction; a horizontal tendon settling device installed at the supporter, for settling the horizontal tendon in the mold; at least one vertical tendon installed in the mold in a vertical direction; a vertical tendon settling device installed at the supporter, for settling the vertical tendons in the mold; and a bending device installed at the supporter and combined with at least one of the vertical tendon, for forming a bent portion in at least one vertical tendon in a deep portion of the member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a construction field, and more particularly, to a system for pre-stressing a member of a structure by pre-tendon method.
2. Description of the Background Art
A pre-stress refers to a method for pre-stressing a member in an opposite direction with respect to a direction of a bending moment and a shear stress generated at a member by an external force, in which a tendon to which a tensile force has been applied is settled in the member.
A method for applying pre-stress to the member of the structure such as a beam, a girder, etc. is largely classified into a pre-tendon method and a post-tendon method.
According to the pre-tendon method, a tendon is installed at a mold, pre-stressed, and then concrete is poured into the mold. And once the poured concrete is cured, the tendon is settled into the member. After the poured concrete is cured, the tendon is cut.
The pre-tendon method is convenient since no further process such as grouting is required. However, the pre-tendon method has a disadvantage that a process for bending and installing the tendon in the member is difficult.
According to the post-tendon method, a sheath is arranged in a mold with a certain shape, and then concrete is poured into the mold. After the poured concrete is cured, a tendon is inserted into the sheath and pre-stressed. At the same time, both end portions of the tendon is settled into both end portions of a member.
The post-tendon method has an advantage that the tendon can be easily bent by the sheath. However, the post-tendon method has a disadvantage that further process such as an additional grouting between the sheath and the tendon is required. Accordingly, the post-tendon method is more complicated.
The conventional pre-stress method has been applied to a member only in a vertical direction (length direction) of the member due to the following reasons.
Influence of stress generated from the member in a horizontal direction (width direction) is less than influence of stress generated from the member in a vertical direction. Furthermore, it is difficult to arrange the tendon in the member in both directions, horizontal and vertical directions.
In case of a beam having a width less than a length, it is sufficient to perform a pre-stress only in a vertical direction.
However, in case of a member such as a slap and a box girder having a length and a width that are almost equal to each other, influence of stress generated in a horizontal direction of the member is too large to be ignored. Accordingly, pre-stress is applied not only in a horizontal direction but also in a vertical direction for structural stability.
Consequently, it is required to develop techniques for applying pre-stress in both directions, a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

Two-way pre-stress system and bending device therefor


A plasma resistant member has a base material and a coating layer made of an Y2O3, the coating layer being formed on a surface of the base material. The coating layer has a thickness of 10 μm or more and the Y2O3 of the coating layer contains solid solution Si ranging from 100 ppm to 1000 ppm.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plasma resistant member that is used as a constituent member of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In manufacturing semiconductors and liquid crystals, many processes using fluorine plasmas in etching and cleaning wafers and so forth are used. Usually, chamber walls of an apparatus used in these processes are made of aluminum. However, aluminum reacts with fluorine plasma to thereby produce an Al—F compound. This compound is changed into particles that adversely affect devices. To prevent this, hitherto, the reaction to the fluorine plasma has generally been suppressed by using alumina ceramics in the region of a chamber whose plasma exposure conditions are severe, or by providing an alumite coat thereon.
However, with recent enhancement of performance of devices, the use of alumina ceramics and an alumite coat of conventional techniques have caused problems. This is, because of the facts that recent progresses of micro-fabrication have promoted employment of high-vacuum plasma, that thus, alumina exposed to higher-density fluorine plasma are greatly abraded. Consequently, an amount of produced Al—F particles is not ignorable.
The possibilities of using Yttria, YAG (Y3Al5O12), and the like as a member, which produces no Al—F particles, instead of alumina have been considered. There has been a trend toward gradual increase in utilization of Yttria thereamong. In this case, Yttria has also been utilized as bulk ceramics. Alternatively, a surface of an existing material is coated therewith by utilizing thermal spraying. The method of forming an Yttria coat by utilizing the thermal spraying has less influence on the processes and is achieved at relatively low cost. Thus, the use of the plasma-resistant member, the surface of the base material of which is coated with Yttria, gradually increases under present circumstances.
There are various methods, such as a thermal spraying method, a CVD method, and a PVD method, for forming an Y2O3 coat on the surface of the base material. In consideration of the cost and the thickness of the formed layer, the thermal spraying method is evaluated to be highly practical. In the case of using a coating layer formed by the thermal spraying method as a plasma resistant layer, the denseness and the adhesion strength thereof are important factors. If a layer whose denseness is low and porosity is high, the etching rate thereof is high. Further, if a through hole, which reaches the base material, is present in the layer, the layer cannot function as a protective one. In a case where the adhesion strength between the layer and the base material is low, there is a possibility of peel-off thereof due to stress that is generated by energy received from the plasma. The peel-off of the coating layer causes problems that the coating layer becomes a source of particles, and that the base material is exposed.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication JP-A-10-45467 discloses corrosion-resistant member, whose part to be exposed to a fluorine-corrosive gas or a plasma thereof is made of a composite oxide including a metal of the group 3a of the periodic table and Al and/or Si. Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication JP-A-11-157916 discloses a corrosion-resistant member, whose part to be exposed to a chlorine-corrosive gas or a plasma thereof is made of a composite oxide including a metal of the group 3a of the periodic table and Al and/or Si.
However, according to a conventional technique of JP-A-10-45467, a part to be exposed to fluorine plasma is made of a composite oxide containing a metal of the group 3a of the periodic table and Si. This composite oxide is a sintered compact of a garnet crystal, such as YAG, a single crystal, such as YAM, a perovskite crystal, and monosilicate. This document does not disclose that a coating layer is formed of Y2O3. Also, conventional technique of JP-A-11-157916 is nearly equivalent to that of JP-A-10-45467. A part, at which a composite oxide is formed, is that to be exposed to a fluorine-corrosive gas or to plasma thereof. Therefore, the conventional technique differs from the present invention in this respect.