A drum head is held over the open end of a drum body by a drum hoop passing around the edge of the drum head. A lug on the side of the drum body has an axial opening which receives a lug nut. The lug nut has an axial threaded opening. A threaded bolt, which engages the drum head hoop, is tightened into the threaded opening of the lug nut and draws the drum hoop to tighten the drum head. A radial opening extends radially through the lug nut from the opening in the lug to the threaded opening for the bolt. An elastic bolt engaging and bolt rotation resisting chip in the radial opening engages the lug on the outside and the bolt in the lug nut opening for restraining rotation of the bolt. There may be a drum head at each end of the drum body, a respective lug near each drum head and a single element defining both lug nuts.

This invention relates to a device for preventing a tightened drum head fixing bolt from being loosened.
A drum head is provided at the upper and/or lower end of the drum body of a percussion musical instrument drum. A drum head fixing hoop is provided around the outer peripheral part of the drum head. The hoop on one end of the drum body is compressively tightened toward the other end of the drum body by screwing a bolt that engages the hoop into a lug nut which is supported on a lug that is fixed to the drum body and this fixes the drum head to the drum body and tensions the drum head.
The bolt fixes the drum head to the drum body and adjusts the tension of the drum head to tune its sound. However, the tightening bolt can be loosened by the vibration of the beating of the drum head for a long period of time. This will change the tension adjustment of the drum head.

Rotation resistance device for a bolt of a tightening device of a drum head


Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for analyzing the composition of a gasoline-range petroleum product using a new copper on silica gel adsorption composition. The copper on silica gel adsorption composition is capable of separating olefins from saturates in a mixture by temporarily retaining the olefins while allowing the saturates to pass through. The method of analysis entails passing a gasoline sample through an absorption column whereby the aromatics are retarded while the saturates and olefins pass through. The saturates and olefins are then directed through the copper on silica gel composition wherein the olefins are retained while the saturates pass through into a detector and are measured. Once all the saturates are removed from the system, the aromatics are backflushed from the absorption column and are routed into the detector for measurement. Lastly, the copper on silica gel composition is elevated in temperature so as to release the olefins which then likewise pass into the detector for measurement. The flow of the various streams is facilitated by a compatible carrier gas, such as nitrogen.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for analyzing the composition of gasoline-range petroleum products using a new copper on silica gel adsorption composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a copper on silica gel adsorption composition which can separate olefins in a composition comprised of olefins and saturates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present standard procedure for analyzing gasoline-range petroleum products is the fluorescent indicator adsorption (FIA) technique described in American Standard Test Measurement (ASTM) D-1319. This ASTM test covers the determination of saturates, olefins, and aromatics in petroleum fractions that distill below 600.degree. F. (315.degree. C.). The test involves a lengthy analysis requiring continuous operator attention and is subject to human variability and several interferences, such as aromatic olefins, some diolefins, and compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen, or oxygen being determined as aromatics. These limitations have inspired the development of numerous alternatives which have met with varying degrees of success. Of the various alternatives, most are gas chromatographic methods, all of which share a common weakness. This weakness is that the olefins, instead of being separated from the saturates and aromatics and measured directly, are permanently trapped. This means that the amount of olefins present in the sample cannot be measured directly and must be calculated by difference. Using such a system, false measurements are obtained, especially in samples containing only small amounts of olefins because one would be comparing a small difference between two relatively large values.
The present invention satisfactorily solves this separation and measurement problem by providing an apparatus and a method for directly measuring the hydrocarbon composition of a sample.
The general object of this invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for directly analyzing the composition of gasoline-range petroleum products. More specifically, the object of this invention is to use a copper on silica gel adsorption composition to separate olefins from a composition comprised of olefins and saturates.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method for analyzing gasoline compositions quickly and reliably.
Still further, an object of this invention is to provide a direct volume percent measurement and digital readout of the saturates, olefins, and aromatics in a gasoline sample.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art based upon the ensuing description.

Apparatus and method for analyzing the hydrocarbon type composition of gasoline


An article of furniture 10 comprises a box frame 12 defining a void 14 and having a first opening 18 and an opposed, second opening 20. A lid arrangement 22 is associated with the first opening 18 of the frame 12 for closing the first opening 18. The article of furniture 10 includes a tub member 24 for closing the second opening 20. The tub member 24 comprises a dished portion 28. The tub member 24 is reversibly connectable to the box frame 12 so that, in a first orientation, at least the dished portion 28 is received within the void 14 of the box frame 12 to form an assembly of reduced volume for transportation or storage purposes and, in a reversed, second orientation, the dished portion 28 of the tub member 24 extends away from the void 14 to form an assembly of increased volume defined by a combination of the void 14 defined by the frame 12 and the dished portion 28 of the tub member 24 in its second orientation.

1. Field
The present invention relates, generally, to furniture and, more particularly, to an article of furniture particularly suitable for use in locations where space is at a premium.
The invention has been developed for use in chairs, sofas, ottomans, or the like and will be described hereinafter with reference to those applications. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to those particular applications and could be used in other applications, for example, beds.
2. General Background
Modern living often means that people in small apartments or houses have a need for extra storage. To accommodate this need, some sofas and beds with in-built storage have been proposed. However, such sofas and beds are often bulky and are aesthetically unappealing.
Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Article of furniture having in-built storage facilities


A method and apparatus for installing elevator car and counterweight guide rails within an elevator hoistway of a building that requires no welding operations to be performed in order to connect the brackets together. The connector brackets of the invention include cooperating support and connector brackets each having a plurality of strategically arranged, indexable connector holes that permit the necessary degree of adjustment of the brackets to properly position the guide rails within the hoistway. Specially configured connector bolts are provided which impart substantial structural integrity to the interconnected bracket and positively preclude shifting of the interconnected brackets even as a result of projected seismic loading.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to elevator systems. More particularly, the invention concerns novel connector brackets and the method of using the same for installing elevator car and counterweight guide rails within an elevator shaft.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A typical prior art electric power elevator system has an elevator shaft or hoistway within which guide rails are mounted to guide the vertical travel of elevator cars and counterweights. As a general rule, two elevator car guide rails and two counterweight guide rails are affixed to the building structure at spaced-apart locations.
In a typical prior art construction, a plurality of first support right angle brackets are connected at vertically spaced locations to the walls of the building structure that form the elevator shaft. By way of example, when poured concrete walls define the hoistway of the building structure, anchor bolts or like connectors are used to securely affix the first legs of each of the first brackets to the concrete walls. When steel beams define the hoistway of the building structure, the first leg of each of the brackets is generally welded to the steel beams at selected, spaced-apart locations. To position the car rails and counterweight rails within the hoistway, the outwardly protruding second legs of the first and second brackets are first clamped together in proper alignment and then are permanently connected together by welding. When the distance between the walls that define the hoistway and the guide rails is substantial, spanner plates are typically used to span and connect together the second legs of the first and second right angle brackets. When the car guide rails and the counterweight guide rails are correctly positioned within the hoistway of the building, conventional roller assemblies mounted on the cars and on the counterweight assemblies travel along the guide rails to guide the vertical travel of the cars and counterweight assemblies within the hoistway.
Similar constructions are employed in typical prior art hydraulic power elevator systems. However, in such systems, counterweights are not used and, therefore, only elevator car guide rails need to be installed within the building hoistway. The elevator car guide rails of the hydraulic systems are usually quite similar to those used in electric power systems and are typically installed in a similar manner.
In accordance with typical prior art installation procedures, a plumb line is first established within the hoistway along a vertical line that is intended to locate the faces of the second guide rail right angle brackets to which the guide rail is to be connected. Because of the vagaries of building construction, the brackets typically do not initially align with the plumb line and often considerable adjustment is required prior to finally permanently interconnecting the guide rail brackets with the support brackets that are affixed to the walls of to hoistway. As a general rule, in initially positioning the guide rails within the hoistway, the guide rail or second angle brackets must be moved within a generally horizontal plane toward and away from and also from side to side relative to the support brackets. After the rail brackets are appropriately positioned relative to the support brackets they are temporarily connected to the support brackets by suitable clamps. With the brackets thusly clamped together, they are permanently connected by welding the horizontally extending legs of the rail brackets to the horizontally extending legs of the support brackets. This done, the elevator car roller assemblies and the counterweight roller assemblies are operably interconnected with their respective guide rails.
The prior art installation methods described in the preceding paragraph are cumbersome and time consuming even in new construction. However, in retrofit constructions, the procedures are particularly difficult. For example, when the elevator systems in hospitals, schools, and other public buildings are retrofitted, the welding step is quite hazardous and most undesirable. This is because, during the retrofit operations, welding of the rail brackets to the support brackets results in noxious welding gases and fumes unavoidably spreading throughout the building. Particularly in hospitals and schools, these noxious welding gases can be both unpleasant and hazardous and can, on occasion, result in serious complications to the persons exposed to the noxious fumes.
It is this major drawback of the prior art processes that the present invention seeks to avoid by providing uniquely configured, readily adjustable support and guide rail brackets that can be safely and securely interconnected together by special bolts rather than by welding. As will be better understood from the description which follows, the connector legs of the support and guide rail brackets of the present invention are provided with a plurality of strategically arranged, indexable connector holes that permit the necessary degree of adjustment of the brackets to properly position the guide rails within the hoistway. When selected pairs of connector holes provided in the brackets are appropriately aligned, the brackets can be securely bolted together using specially configured bolts that provide substantial structural integrity and positively preclude shifting of the brackets even as a result of projected seismic loading.

Method and apparatus for installing elevator car and counterweight guide rails


Viewers of a video content item may provide reaction videos, that show the viewer's reactions to a content item while the viewers view the content item. The reaction videos may be provided to a friend, or other member of a social circle of the viewers, when the friend views the content item. The reaction videos may be locked until the friend provides consent to have his or her reaction captured while watching the content.

Content providers and content producers, such as those who provide and create video content, often seek ways to enhance the content. Such content may include live broadcasts of sporting events, on-demand or broadcasted comedy shows, pre-recorded movies, etc. Audiences may often audibly respond to content as they view the content, such as by laughing, gasping, crying, screaming, etc. Individuals may have social circles, such as groups of friends, who share the same interests and may be interested in seeing their friends' reactions to content (e.g., video content).

Social sharing and unlocking of reactions to content


A cable operated left-hand rear brake system for off-road motorbikes and closed-course motorbikes consists of a handlebar-mounted brake lever, a brake cable, a cable perch, and a cable adapter. The handlebar-mounted brake lever provides the user with an alternative method to apply the rear brakes in addition to the existing foot lever. The brake cable is connected to the handlebar-mounted brake lever at a first end and the cable adapter at a second end. The cable adapter is mounted to the existing braking system of the motorbike. Therefore, when the user intends to apply the rear brakes, the handlebar-mounted brake lever is compressed such that the cable adapter pivots to control the existing braking system. The cable perch is used to position and guide the brake cable from the handlebar-mounted brake lever to the cable adapter.

The increased popularity in motorsports has resulted in a significant number of modifications introduced to cars and motorbikes participating in the sport. The modifications are meant to increase the safety of the driver/rider and obtain an advantage over a car/motorbike with no such modifications. The body, the transmission, and the braking system are some of the areas that are significantly modified in the motorsport industry. The present invention is related to the braking system of motorbikes that are used for off-road motorbiking and closed-course motorbiking.
Generally, when a braking system of a motorbike is modified, significant changes are made to the existing braking system. The process of changing an existing braking system can be financially disadvantageous and time consuming. Moreover, changing the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) brakes with an alternative braking system can raise safety concerns and might not meet certain safety standards. Therefore, an alternative braking system that can be installed conveniently without affecting the OEM brakes is clearly needed.
The inability to be used with a wide variety of bikes is another issue with many existing alternative braking systems. For instance, some braking systems can be used with 2-stroke bikes but cannot be used with 4-stroke bikes or vice versa. In another instance, the alternative braking system is limited only to motorbikes with a manual clutch system or limited only to motorbikes with an automatic clutch system. Thus, there exists a need for an alternative braking system that can be used universally for all types of motorbikes.
The objective of the present invention is to address the aforementioned issues. In particular, the present invention is a braking system that can be used as a retrofit without making any change to the existing braking system. The effective design allows the present invention to be used with motorbikes that utilize a manual clutch system as well as an automatic clutch system. Thus, the present invention can be used with a wider variety of motorbikes compared to other alternative braking systems.

Cable operated left-hand rear brake system


A method of reducing water influx into a wellbore, wherein the wellbore is in fluid communication with a subterranean formation such as a gas producing formation or gas reservoir. The method particularly places a gelant in a desired position down the wellbore and into the formation in order to thereby reduce the influx of water and enhance the resulting gas production. The method includes the steps of first introducing a gelant into the wellbore and second introducing a temporarily stable foam into the wellbore in order to overdisplace the gelant from the wellbore and into the formation.

Various methods are known which attempt to block the passage of fluids from a subterranean formation into a communicating wellbore. The subterranean formation may be of any type, such as a heavy oil or gas producing reservoir, and the fluids may be desired to be blocked or their flow impeded for various reasons.
For instance, hydrocarbon producing wells, i.e. those producing oil or natural gas, may also produce an amount of water due to an influx of water into the wellbore. Over time, the amount or percentage of produced water may increase resulting in a corresponding decrease in the production of the desired hydrocarbons, eventually rendering further production of hydrocarbons from the well uneconomical.
Further, gas production from water drive reservoirs often suffers from excessive water production. In this instance, the influx of water into the gas well requires the gas to lift the water from the bottom of the wellbore to the surface. As the water influx increases, the pressure gradient required to lift the water up the wellbore also increases. This causes a decrease in gas flux from the reservoir into the wellbore. As a result, gas production decreases and eventually the gas well stops flowing.
As a result, various remedial measures have been developed to attempt to block the flow of water into the wellbore or otherwise abate the water influx. For instance, the passage of undesirable fluids, such as water, may be blocked from passage into the wellbore from the formation by the placement of a chemical blocking agent in the formation or reservoir. In this case, the presence of the chemical blocking agent may reduce water influx into the wellbore, resulting in increased hydrocarbon production rates and ultimately increasing the recoverable reserves.
Typically, such chemical blocking agents are comprised of a gel such as a polymer gel or a gelatinous foam. However, the selective placement of these chemical blocking agents in the desired areas of the formation has been problematic. For instance, the placement of the chemical blocking agent by gas injection typically results in poor placement due to overriding of the gas or fingering of the gas through the blocking agent during the gas injection process. Accordingly, the effectiveness of the gas injection process for properly placing the chemical blocking agent is reduced. None of the available methods for the placement of the chemical blocking agent downhole have been found to be fully satisfactory.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,906 issued Sep. 27, 1987 to Hutchins et. al. describes a method for placing a gelatinous foam downhole in order to block or plug higher permeability zones of the formation to enhance gas flooding recovery operations. In particular, an aqueous liquid solution and a foam emplacement gas are injected through the wellbore into the formation. Upon contact of the aqueous solution with the foam emplacement gas within the reservoir, a thickened or gelatinous foam plug is formed. The foam plug therefore possesses the properties of both foams and gels and is comprised of a gelatinous stable foam having stiffened foam films of crosslinked polymer which resists collapse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,834 issued Apr. 20, 1993 to Hutchins et. al. describes a method including the injection into the formation of a composition capable of forming a foamed gel and a gas. The composition comprises an ingredient capable of transforming the composition into a gel, a surfactant and a delayed gel degrading agent. The composition and gas interact, forming a foamed gel. The delayed gel degrading agent subsequently creates pathways in the foamed gel by connecting the bubbles present in the gel. The pathways preferentially enhance the flow of hydrocarbons, as compared with water, through the foamed gel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,390 issued Oct. 31, 1995 to Sydansk describes a process for blocking fluid flow in a soil, and more particularly, for placing a foamed gel in a soil to reduce the flow capacity of the soil to a migratory fluid. The process is provided for "near-surface" soil treatment and comprises the generation of a foamed gel from a gelation solution and gas. The foamed gel may be pre-formed at the surface, by pre-mixing the gelation solution and the gas, prior to placement in the soil. Alternately, the gas may be added to the gelation solution after the injection of the gelation solution in the soil in order to generate the foamed gel in situ. Therefore, placement and generation of the foamed gel occur simultaneously. Finally, the gelation solution and the gas may be co-injected. U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,772 issued Aug. 15, 2000 to Sydansk describes a similar process for use in a subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formation.
As indicated, although known methods for the placement of chemical blocking agents in the formation have some amount of success, there remains a need for an improved method of reducing water influx into a wellbore in fluid communication with a subterranean formation. Further, there remains a need for an improved method for placing a chemical blocking agent in a desired position in order to thereby reduce the influx of water.

Method of reducing water influx into gas wells


An optoelectronic device includes a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode and a buffer layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode. The buffer layer includes a nitride. The nitride includes one of silicon nitride (SiNx, 0<x<1), silicon oxynitride (SiOyNz, 0<y<0.5, 0<z<1), and a combination thereof.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an optoelectronic device, and an image sensor and/or an electronic device including the same.
2. Description of Related Art
An optoelectronic device is a device in which a charge exchange occurs between an electrode and a photoelectric conversion layer by using holes or electrons.
An optoelectronic device may be classified based on its driving principles. A first type of optoelectronic device may be driven as follows: excitons are generated in a photoelectric conversion layer by photons from an external light source; the excitons are separated into electrons and holes; and the electrons and holes are transferred to different electrodes as a current source (voltage source). A second type of optoelectronic device may be driven as follows: a voltage or a current is applied to at least two electrodes to inject holes and/or electrons into a photoelectric conversion layer positioned at an interface of the electrodes, and the device is driven by the injected electrons and holes.
The optoelectronic device may have a structure in which a photoelectric conversion layer including a functional inorganic or organic material is between an anode and a cathode. The optoelectronic device may include a buffer layer (e.g. a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL)) between an anode and a photoelectric conversion layer or a cathode and a photoelectric conversion layer, in order to improve efficiency and stability.
An organic optoelectronic device including a photoelectric conversion layer including an organic material may have relatively low external quantum efficiency in a visible light region and a relatively high dark current due to internal impurities in the organic material compared with an inorganic optoelectronic device including an inorganic oxide. The high dark current may increase the leakage current of the organic optoelectronic device. The increased leakage current may deteriorate the sensitivity of the organic optoelectronic device as well as accuracy of the external quantum efficiency converted from a photocurrent during the photoreaction and increases noise signals.
Accordingly, development of an optoelectronic device capable of decreasing the dark current is needed.

Optoelectronic device, and image sensor and electronic device including the same


A method is provided for synthesizing synthesis gas from carbon dioxide obtained from atmospheric air or other available carbon dioxide source and water using a sodium-conducting electrochemical cell. Synthesis gas is also produced by the coelectrolysis of carbon dioxide and steam in a solid oxide fuel cell or solid oxide electrolytic cell. The synthesis gas produced may then be further processed and eventually converted into a liquid fuel suitable for transportation or other applications.

Users of fuels such as gasoline and diesel (in commercial applications) and JP-8, F-76 and other similar fuels (in military applications) have benefited from the existence of an extensive and well-established infrastructure for their shipping, delivery to end users, and use. The presence of this infrastructure has also enabled technology development of liquid fuel-based systems for uses ranging from automobiles to military aircraft. Within areas well-served by this infrastructure, dependence upon such liquid fuel-based systems is largely unquestioned.
In some applications, however, continued dependence on the availability of such liquid fuel products is unwise. Such applications include industrial or commercial applications in primitive regions and military operations in remote locations away from standard supply systems and sources. In applications such as military logistics supporting extended naval missions, assuring the availability of a steady and sufficient supply of liquid fuel products may become critically important and very difficult. While all-electric-powered ships and aircraft are planned, moves toward these platforms are slow and their completion is still only foreseen in the somewhat distant future. It is anticipated that a transition away from liquid fuels will be simpler and more rapidly adopted in larger apparatus such as aircraft carriers via the use of on-board nuclear power plants than in smaller equipment such as aircraft.
As a result, it is anticipated that reliance upon liquid fuel-based systems will continue well into the foreseeable future. It would thus be beneficial to provide new methods and systems for generating liquid fuels using electricity and commonly-available resources that could be employed on-location to reduce the criticality of long supply chains. The availability of such a process based on plentiful electricity and common resources could speed conversion to all-electric power sources in some simpler applications while retaining support for others in which electric power-based systems are either difficult or impractical.
Such methods and systems are provided herein.

Electrochemical cell for production of synthesis gas using atmospheric air and water


The present invention allows even small-size verification devices to authenticate rights and qualifications without leaking authentication characteristic information to third parties. A ticket issuance device computes document private information xcexc from a private function f of an interaction device owned by a user and document m to be transferred to the interaction device when generating interaction, and issues ticket t generated from authentication characteristic information x and the document private information xcexc to the user. The interaction device, when document m is input, generates document private information xcexc using a private function f specific to the interaction device, and performs interaction based on the document private information. The interaction comprises output of commitment r, input of challenge "khgr", output of response "sgr", and message M output. The user converts interaction (r, "khgr", M, "sgr") into interaction (r, "khgr", M, s) using ticket t to perform Guillou-Quisquater authentication.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information security techniques, and more particularly, to a method and a device that make it possible to hide private information itself while providing system users with prover functions based on the private information in an authentication code system that founds safety on the difficulty of an annihilator determination problem.
2. Prior Art
Decryption keys in the prior art public key cryptography, signature keys in signature, authentication keys in authentication are characteristic information for authenticating the holding of these pieces of private information. As an example, a description will be made of an authentication code system based on an authentication system proposed in xe2x80x9cA practical zero-knowledge protocol fitted to security Microprocessor minimizing both transmission and Memoryxe2x80x9d, Advances in Cryptology EUROCRYPT ""88 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science v.330), C. G. Guenther (ed.), Springer-Verlag pp. 123-128 by Guillou and Quisquater.
FIG. 1 explains the flow of thee authentication code system.
Let n be a composite number that is difficult to factor into prime factors, G be a multiplicative group (Z/nZ)* of a residue class ring of rational integers modulo n, p be a prime number that does not divide Carmichael function xcex(n) of n, R be a space of commitments, xcfx80 be a function from G to R, C be a space of challenge, S be a space of message, xcfx86 be a mapping from a set-theoretic product Cxc3x97S of C and S into Fp (Fp denotes the finite field of p-elements), Ixcex5G be a public verification information, and xxcex5G satisfying Ixp=1 be an authentication characteristic information.
A holder of characteristic information x can send any message Mxcex5S safely because pretending and tampering are prevented by performing the operation of a prover 200 as described below.
(1) Generate a random number kxcex5G and send a commitment r=xcfx80(kp).
(2) Compute an exponent C=xcfx86("khgr",M) by a given challenge "khgr" and a message M to be sent and send the message M and a response s=kxC.
Anyone who can know verification information I can verify the operation of the prover 200 by performing the operation of a verifier 100 as described below, and can assure himself that the prover 200 holds authentication characteristic information and a sent message is not tampered.
(1) After the commitment r is given, send the challenge "khgr" generated at random to the prover 200.
(2) Make sure that the given message M and response s satisfy the following relation.
r=xcfx80(spIxcfx86("khgr",M)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83[Expression 2]
These techniques are developed on the assumption that holders of the above-mentioned private information do not publicize it. Therefore, this allows ciphertext that can be decrypted by only persons holding these pieces of private information, signature that can be generated by only persons holding these pieces of private information, and authentication that makes it impossible for others to impersonate the holders of these pieces of private information.
Accordingly, the above-mentioned techniques can be used in only situations in which exposure of these pieces of private information is disadvantageous to the holders of them. A typical example of such situations is found in a case where the above-mentioned private information is held by only specific individuals and is characteristic information for authenticating the individuals.
In this case, the above-mentioned characteristic information plays a role similar just, to a home lock and an individual""s seal. Practically, the construction of a lock and seal in the actual life as digital information can be easily implemented as a direct application of these cryptographic methods. For example, if a home lock is configured so that it is used as a verifier in the above-mentioned Guillou-Quisquater system and is unlocked only when the verification succeeds, the holding of authentication characteristic information x will be equivalent to the holding of a home lock.
3. Problems of the Prior Art
In contrast to the above-mentioned individual""s home lock case where the exposure of authentication characteristic information is disadvantageous to the individual, there exist cases where the exposure is advantageous to the exposer. These are cases where an holder of characteristic information has the right and qualification to receive specific services. In these cases, an approach cannot be taken which distributes characteristic information representing rights and qualifications to persons having the rights and qualifications and verifies that they hold the characteristic information, as is the above-mentioned case of authenticating individuals. This is because the characteristic information is passed to a third party not having the rights and qualifications since the exposure of the characteristic information is not disadvantageous to the holder of them, so that an advantage can be illegally obtained from the third person.
Hence, heretofore, three types of methods described below have been employed in place of authentication methods employing the above-mentioned public key cryptgraphic techniques without modifications.
(1) A first method is that individuals hold private characteristic information belonging to the individuals and a party to verify the holding of rights and qualifications holds individuals having the rights and qualifications and private characteristic information of the individuals. This method can be used for authentication of rights and qualifications since the leak of characteristic information would be disadvantageous to individuals.
(2) A second method is that individuals hold private characteristic information belonging to the individuals and a party to verify the holding of rights and qualifications holds individuals having the rights and qualifications and public information corresponding to private characteristic information of the individuals. This method can be used for authentication of rights and qualifications since the leak of characteristic information would be disadvantageous to individuals.
(3) A third method is that a grantor of rights and qualifications passes a signature created from characteristic information held by the grantor to a grantee of a right and qualification and a verifier authenticates the right and qualification by verifying the signature. An example of this method is found in xe2x80x9cOnline Cash Checksxe2x80x9d, Advances in Cryptology EUROCRYPT ""89 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science v. 434), J.-J. Quisquater, J. Vandewalle (ed.), Springer-Verlag, pp. 288-293 by D. Chaum.
According to this method, a problem with the leak of characteristic information will not occur since a party to prove the possession of right and qualification has no characteristic information.
However, with the first method, a verifier must hold a list of holders of right and qualification. This imposes the burden of storing and managing the list on the verifier, entailing a high-performance verification device. Also, since the verification device cannot be manufactured independently of the grantor of rights and qualifications, information must be exchanged at all times between the verification device and the grantor of rights and qualifications. Furthermore, since the verifier has individuals"" characteristic information, individuals authenticated by this method will have a risk of the characteristic information being illegally leaked by the verifier.
With the second method, a verifier must hold a list of holders of rights and qualifications. This imposes the burden of storing and managing the list on the verifier, entailing a high-performance verification device. Also, since the verification device cannot be manufactured independently of the grantor of rights and qualifications, information must be exchanged at all times between the verification device and the grantor of rights and qualifications.
With the third method, since distributed signature information can be used by anyone, its duplication must be prevented. This is achieved by a method of preventing duplicate use of a signature value. To be specific, all signature values once used for authentication are stored in the verifier so that the verifier can check that they are not duplicately used. However, to provide this function for the verifier entails a high-performance verification device. Also, all verification devices to authenticate the same rights and qualifications must share a list of signature values once used for authentication, and therefore information must be exchanged at all times among the verification devices.
As described above, any of the three conventional methods contains a serious problem, making it difficult to configure particularly a verifier with small-scale devices and software.
On the other hand, the above-mentioned authentication method that uses characteristic information indicating rights and qualifications is advantageous in that the only task to be done by a verifier is to check to see whether characteristic information indicating rights and qualifications is held.
As described above, the prior art has been a problem in that if a small-scale verification device is used to authenticate rights and qualifications, there may arise a risk of authentication characteristic information leaking to outsiders, while if the risk is to be eliminated, the verification device becomes large-scale.
As described above, an object of the present invention is to implement an authentication code technique which enables a small-scale verification device to authenticate rights and qualifications without authentication characteristic information leaking to outsiders.
An authentication code technique of the present invention is based on:
(1) an interaction device that generates document private information from a document, which is releasable information defined at ticket issuance, and makes interaction based on the document private information, and
(2) a ticket, which is releasable information generated from the document private information and authentication characteristic information.
That is, according to the present invention, where p is a prime number, Fp is a p-element field, G is a finite Abelian group (described multiplicatively only for the purpose of fixing a notation. The present invention can also apply to groups customarily described additively, e.g., an elliptic curve, if it is difficult in point of computational complexity to obtain an annihilator) whose annihilator is difficult in point of computational complexity to obtain, R is a space of commitments, xcfx80 is a mapping from G to R, and C is a space of challenges, S is a space of messages, xcfx86 is a mapping from a set-theoretic product Cxc3x97S of C and S into Fp, the following steps are executed in an interaction method by which commitment r is generated, and response "sgr" and message M are generated for document m and challenge "khgr".
(a) Step to generate nonreproducible private information kxcex5G at random
(b) Step to compute commitment r=xcfx80 (kp)
(c) Step to compute document private information xcexc=f (m) with f as a private function with valued in G
(d) Step to generate message M
(e) Step to compute exponent C=xcfx86("khgr",M)
(f) Step to compute response "sgr"=kxcexcC
In this configuration, proof functions based on authentication characteristic information can be distributed without disclosing the authentication characteristic information in public key cryptography. Hence, it has become possible for a plurality of individuals having no interest with each other to safely perform proving based on identical authentication characteristic information. This has been heretofore impossible. Since public key cryptography based on Guillou-Quisquater authentication is employed, zero knowledgability is proved. Moreover, messages can be safely transferred.


After partially crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor deposited on a substrate, the irradition of infrared ray is conducted to grow a polycrystalline semiconductor layer on the crystallized region and the amorphous region by thermal decomposition while the temperature of the crystallized region is kept higher than that of the amorphous region. Since the polycystalline layer is formed of polycystalline grains grown from nuclei of the cystallized region, the crystal grain thereof is large.

The present invention relates to a method of producing a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film such as a polycrystalline silicon thin film used as a raw semiconductor material for a semiconductor element or a wiring material.
For example, a low pressure CVD method, that is, a chemical vapor deposition method under a low pressure is known as a method of producing a polycrystalline silicon thin film. FIG. 2 is a conceptional view showing the low pressure CVD method. In the drawing, a quartz boat 23 having single crystal silicon substrates 11 vertically set thereon is disposed in a transparent quartz pipe 22 which is disposed in a tubular electric furnace 21, and the pipe is exhausted by a vacuum exhaustion pump through an exhaust port 24 and a valve 25. Then, the silicon substrates 11 are heated and silane (SiH.sub.4) is introduced through an entrance port 26 and a valve 27. When the substrates are heated to a temperature more than a decomposition temperature of the silane, that is, up to 600.degree.-620.degree. C., the silane is heat-decomposed in a region near the substrates 11 so that a polycrystalline silicon thin film is deposited on the substrate 11. In this case, although the silane is decomposed when a substrate heating temperature becomes 450.degree. C., an amorphous silicon thin film is deposited in the range of 450.degree.-600.degree. C.
However, the grain size of the thus grown polycrystalline silicon is so small as to be about 1 .mu.m or less and defects of a high density exist in grain boundaries. Thus, although it has been merely used as a wiring material of an integrated circuit, it has a problem that when it is used for an active region of a semiconductor element such as a diode and a transistor, that is, when it is used for a raw material for forming a junction, the chracteristics of the element are inferior. The reason why the crystalline grains are small, is that since crystalline nuclei as the origin of crystal growth are formed in various portions of the substrate, the number of crystals is large and when they grow into a size of some largeness, they can not grow further by disturbance of other crystal grains.

Method of producing polycrystalline semiconductor thin film


A network system automatically distributes management information to allow immediate monitoring. In the network system, the DHCP server of a network-information management server assigns information to a network-information management table when receiving an assignment request of IP information and network management information from a client. The DHCP client of the client obtains the IP information and the network management information from the DHCP server. The SNMP agent of the client reports to a monitoring server that the network management information has been set. The SNMP manager of the monitoring server determines that the network management information has been set, the monitoring control section of the monitoring server records information of the client in a monitoring control table, and starts monitoring the client.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to network systems, and more particularly, to a network system for executing automatic distribution processing of network management information and monitoring processing of network units.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the Internet has been widely used, networks have been made at various places. Then, it is demanded that each network be managed efficiently.
As a protocol for monitoring units connected to a network, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), Transaction Language 1 (TL1), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), or a vendor-unique protocol is used. A SNMP management method will be described below as an example.
SNMP is formed of an agent (SNMP agent) residing in a management-target unit (client or network-information management server) and a manager (SNMP manager) residing in a managing unit (monitoring server). Information exchanged between the SNMP manager and the SNMP agent is divided into three classes: requests and acknowledgements for information acquisition (Get command), requests and acknowledgements for information setting (Set command), and status-change notices (trap).
With a Get command, the SNMP manager requests the SNMP agent to obtain information. The SNMP agent refers to a management information base (MIB) to obtain information and sends it back to the SNMP manager. With a Set command, the SNMP manager requests the SNMP agent to perform setting. The SNMP agent changes MIB information and sends the result back to the SNMP manager. The SNMP agent sends a trap to the SNMP manager to report a change in status of the SNMP agent.
To perform communication with SNMP, it is necessary to specify a source IP, a community name, an MIB access right, a trap notice setting, and others in the SNMP agent. The source IP is usually set to the IP address of the SNMP manager, and is used as the destination of a trap sent from the SNMP agent to the SNMP manager. The community name is used for authentication between the SNMP manager and the SNMP agent. When the SNMP manager sends a Get or Set command by the SNMP packet to the SNMP agent, the SNMP manager stores the community name in the SNMP packet. The SNMP agent checks the community name, and, when the community name is an authorized community name, the SNMP agent executes an operation (such as that specified by a Get or Set command) permitted for the community name. The MIB access right is a right for the SNMP manager to access the MIB of the SNMP agent. The trap notice setting specifies whether the SNMP agent can send a trap. SNMP is described in RFC 1157.
As a method for automating network setting of units connected to a network, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) is used. DHCP will be described here as an example.
With DHCP, information is exchanged between a unit (DHCP client) that receives setting information and a server (DHCP server) that manages setting information in a unified manner and assigns information to the DHCP client. When the DHCP server receives a network setting request from the DHCP client, the DHCP server sends information, such as an IP address, a net mask, and a default gateway to the DHCP client. DHCP is described in RFC 2131.
A technology for automatically obtaining network management information by the use of a combination of DHCP and TFTP has also been used (see non-patent document 3). When the DHCP server receives a network setting request, the DHCP server sends to the DHCP client, the IP address of a TFTP server and a file storage place from which downloading is to be executed. When the DHCP client finishes setting the IP address, the DHCP client downloads network management information from the TFTP server according to the information sent from the DHCP server.    Non-patent document 1: RFC 1157    Non-patent document 2: RFC 2131    Non-patent document 3: RFC 783 (TFTP), RFC 2131 (DHCP), http://www.cisco.com/japanese/warp/public/3/jp/service/manual—j/sw/cat30/3550 mscg/chapter04/04_swipaddr.html#18750 (Cisco URL information)


The present invention relates to a technique which can make a backlight used in a liquid crystal display device thin and light-weighted. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which includes a display panel and a backlight which is arranged behind the display panel, wherein the backlight includes a film-like light guide member, a film-like light semi-transmissive member which is adhered to a first surface of the light guide member which faces the display panel in an opposed manner, a film-like reflective member which is adhered to a back surface of the light guide member opposite to the first surface, and a spot light source which is arranged at a position of the light guide member at which light is incident on the light guide member from the first surface or the back surface, and a refractive index of the light semi-transmissive member is set smaller than a refractive index of the light guide member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and a planar light source device, and more particularly to a technique which is effectively applicable to a planar light source device which radiates light propagated through a light guide plate and a display device which uses the planar light source device.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Conventionally, as a display of a mobile phone or a notebook-type PC (Personal Computer) or the like, a liquid crystal display device (a liquid crystal display unit) having a liquid crystal display panel is used.
The liquid crystal display device is roughly classified into a transmissive-type liquid crystal display device which displays an image (a video) by arranging a backlight (a light source) behind the liquid crystal display panel and radiating light from the light source to the liquid crystal display panel and allowing the light to pass through the liquid crystal display panel, and a reflective-type liquid crystal display device which displays an image (a video) by reflecting light from outside a display device on a liquid crystal display panel.
Further, the backlight of the transmissive-type liquid crystal display device is roughly classified into, for example, a direct-type backlight which arranges a light source such as a fluorescent tube in a region which is overlapped to a display region of a liquid crystal display panel, and an edge-light-type (also referred to as a side-light-type) backlight which arranges a light guide plate in a region which is overlapped to a display region of a liquid crystal display panel and arranges a light source on an end portion of the light guide plate.
The edge-light-type backlight is a backlight which radiates light to the liquid crystal display panel by propagating light from the light source which is arranged on the end portion of the light guide plate in the inside of the light guide plate, directing the light in the direction toward the liquid crystal display panel by a reflective portion formed on a back surface of the light guide plate and by diffusing the light using a diffusion plate. The edge-light-type backlight can reduce a thickness thereof compared to a thickness of the direct-type backlight. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display device having the edge-light-type backlight has been often used in a display of a mobile phone or a notebook-type PC.
Further, with respect to the edge-light-type backlight, to uniformly radiate light to the display region of the liquid crystal display panel, there has been known a backlight which uses a combination of a light guide plate to which a shape which efficiently reflects the propagating light (for example, grooves) is applied and a reflective sheet (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 11599/2005 (patent document 1)).
Further, with respect to the edge-light-type backlight, to achieve the reduction of thickness of the backlight, for example, there has been known a backlight which is constituted of a light guide body layer (a light guide plate), a reflection layer (a reflective portion) and a diffusion layer (a diffusion plate) as the integral structure, wherein each layer is formed of a thin film sheet (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-open Hei08-152526 (patent document 2)).

Display device and planar light source device


A garment in particular for restraining an unauthorized wearer's undressing, with a front part, a rear part connected with the front part, the front and rear part each having a torso-covering portion, a pelvis-covering portion, and a leg-covering portion including two individual leg-covering sections. The front part is formed without slots to be opened for undressing, the rear part having a slot extending substantially over the torso-covering portion of the rear part. The leg-covering portion has a slot extending over both the leg-covering sections between the front part and the rear part. The slot extends substantially over the torso-covering portion of the rear part and the slot extends over the leg-covering sections between the front part and the rear part not communicating with one another so that an unslotted are remains in the rear part between the slots, so that simultaneously the garment has the unslotted front part and also the unslotted area of the rear part and thereby the front part without slots and the unslotted area of the rear part restrain an unauthorized wearer's undressing, and fastening means for closing and opening the slots.

The present invention relates generally to a garment, and more particularly to such a garment where it is desired to restrict the wearer's undressing.
Such garments are recommended in hospitals, nursing homes, mental institutions, etc. Garments of this type must satisfy mutually contradictory requirements. More particularly, the garment must be designed so that it cannot be easily opened by a wearer to permit its unauthorized undressing. On the other hand, the garment must be easily opened by personnel to undress the wearer completely or to open a part of the garment for using a bathroom.
It is known to provide a garment for restraining purposes. Such garments usually are formed as gowns which are downwardly opened and have no separate leg covering pants-like portions. Restraining gowns have their own disadvantages, for example in the fact that they are open from below and expose lower parts of the wearer's body to ambient temperature.
Other garments are known in which the leg covering portions are provided and can be opened. Some of such garments are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,528,677, 2,654,893, 2,689,958, 2,915,758. However, these garments are not suitable for restraining special patients and also they are not simple and easy to be opened by personnel for undressing or going to the bathroom.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,542 teaches a garment which has a completely unslotted front part. As for the rear part it is completely slotted.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,758 teaches a garment with a front part which is slotted, and also teaches a rear part which is completely unslotted.
These garments are not suitable for restraining of special patients.

Garment, particularly for restricting wearer's undressing


A method for controlling programming voltage levels of non-volatile memory cells comprises: providing a resistive divider connected to a programming voltage reference and effective to generate at least one programming voltage level; and providing a reference cell crossed by a cell current. Advantageously according to an embodiment of the invention the cell current is applied to the resistive divider to correlate the programming voltage level to the intrinsic features of the reference cell. A programming voltage regulator of non-volatile memory cells comprises at least an input stage inserted between a first and a second voltage reference and connected to a reference memory cell, as well as, in correspondence with its output terminal, to a resistive divider, inserted in turn between a programming voltage reference and the second voltage reference and connected to at least an output terminal of the regulator, effective to supply the programming voltage to the non-volatile memory cells. Advantageously according to an embodiment of the invention, the output terminal of the input stage is connected to a first circuit node of the resistive divider in correspondence with an end of a resistive element comprised in the resistive divider and having a further end connected to the programming voltage reference. In such a way, a voltage value obtained by shunting the programming voltage reference is applied at the first circuit node. The voltage regulator according to embodiments of the invention can be used in two-level contexts and in multilevel contexts, even for parallel programming of several multilevel memory cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling programming voltage levels of non-volatile memory cells correlated to the cell features.
More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a method for controlling programming voltage levels of non volatile-memory cells comprising:
providing a resistive divider connected to a programming voltage reference and effective to generate at least one programming voltage;
providing a reference cell crossed by a cell current.
The present disclosure also relates to a programming voltage regulator of non-volatile memory cells.
More specifically but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a programming voltage regulator of non-volatile memory cells of the type comprising at least an input stage inserted between a first and a second voltage reference and connected to a reference memory cell, as well as, in correspondence with an output terminal thereof, to a resistive divider, inserted in turn between a programming voltage reference and said second voltage reference and connected to at least an output terminal of said regulator, effective to supply said programming voltage to said non-volatile memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
As it is well known, non-volatile memory devices, particularly EEPROM and FLASH devices, are used to store large amounts of data, for example in the digital audio and video field which is presently rapidly growing. In fact, digital audio and video applications require memory devices having increasing sizes to satisfy the need to store several musical tracks on a same medium or to increase photographic quality, for example by increasing the number of shooting pixels.
Non-volatile multilevel memories have recently come into the market, i.e., memories in which several information bits can be stored per cell. These memories seem to be particularly effective to satisfy the above needs.
Known memory devices use as elementary cell a floating gate MOS transistor and they exploit the possibility of modulating the cell threshold voltage to distinguish two logic states. A first logic state (logic "1") corresponds to a situation in which the floating gate does not comprise any charge, typical for example of a virgin or erased cell. Another logic state (logic "0") corresponds to the case in which the floating gate stores a number of electrons being sufficient to determine a macroscopic increase of the threshold thereof, thus determining the programmed cell state.
These devices must be thus equipped with suitable voltage regulators for generating programming voltages and storing the charge in the floating gate. It should be noted that programming voltages should be kept in a limited range of values in order to ensure a correspondence between a generic programming pulse and a corresponding threshold voltage step of programmed cells.
In multilevel memories the charge stored in the floating gate is further split, generating a number of distributions corresponding to 2nb where "nb" is the number of bits to be stored in a single cell. In this case, even more precise voltage regulators should be used, which respect the distance reduction in terms of threshold between the different distributions.
In the case of a multilevel memory, the difference reduction between the threshold voltages corresponding to the different levels of charge storable in the floating gate and, thus, between the different cell conduction levels requires therefore a "fine" and precise control of the cell programming phase and particularly of the charge stored during this phase in the floating gate terminal.
In presently marketed non-volatile memory devices, two-level or multilevel, it is known to perform the cell programming phase by applying at the control gate terminal thereof a stepped voltage which increases linearly.
In practice a series of gate programming pulses differing from each other for a constant value ΔVG is used. The gate programming voltage is thus a constant pitch stepped slope while the voltage at the drain terminal and the pulse duration depend on and are determined by the cell manufacturing process.
At the end of each programming pulse, a control phase of the obtained result is performed, to verify that the desired threshold level is reached and, consequently, to stop or continue the programming phase.
It is thus possible to program multilevel memory cells at a desired threshold voltage value, by using a predetermined number of programming pulses.
The main problem of the above-described method is the intrinsic slowness thereof. In fact, multilevel cell programming requires the application of a series of pulses to the cell control gate, starting from the lowest level, which requires more time than the single programming pulse used for two-level cells. Moreover, each level is reached only after defining the immediately lower level.
To overcome these difficulties, the Applicant itself has provided in the European patent application no. 02425293.4 filed on May 13, 2002 a programming method providing the application at drain terminals of a given memory word cells to be programmed of different voltage values according to the threshold to be reached. The different drain voltages, corresponding each to a predetermined level, are chosen so as to favor the corresponding level to be reached substantially simultaneously to the others, after an appropriate number of pulses independently from the required final level.
Obviously, same drain voltage values will be applied to obtain same-level bits.
The appropriate number of pulses should meet two requirements; it should be the lowest possible, but in the meantime it should ensure a convenient and controlled precision in reaching each level.
In particular, the programming phase should be calibrated to ensure working levels and the division thereof being advantageously technology-linked and with a compensation feature both of the supply and of the temperature conditions in order to obtain the lowest number of programming pulses with a uniform distribution of cell threshold voltage variations.
In practice, moreover, the cell threshold voltages variations of the cell programming efficiency, or more generally of the physical features of each cell after the manufacturing process, and of supply voltage values make it difficult to obtain an efficient programming phase, since little uniform answers are obtained with very heterogeneous contexts.
The control of the programming phase is much more important when operating in "fine" regulation contexts, such as multilevel applications or with trapping devices.
It is thus fundamental to succeed in controlling the variables influencing the programming phase, at least the most significant ones, to limit the natural distribution of values connected to different memory cells in an acceptable way.

Method for controlling programming voltage levels of non-volatile memory cells, the method tracking the cell features, and corresponding voltage regulator


A film forming device includes a mask member that is made of silicon and has first openings of predetermined patterns; a magnetic member that is made of a magnetic material and has a second opening, and that is aligned with the mask member so that the first openings are arranged in the second opening in plan view of the second opening; and a substrate holding member that generates magnetic force between the magnetic member and itself in order to adhere the mask member and a substrate to each other. The mask member and the substrate are interposed between the magnetic member and the substrate holding member in this order from the magnetic member.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a device and a method of forming a film capable of properly forming a predetermined film pattern on a large-sized substrate.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, methods using a photolithographic technique and a dry or wet etching technique have been used for forming wiring lines on a substrate. However, since equipment for the photolithograph and the etching is expensive, and a large amount of money is required to invest in the equipment. Further, since the methods have a long process and a number of control items, cost increase is inevitable in terms of yielding percentage and management. In addition, since a large quantity of resist, resist developing liquid, resist peeling liquid, etching liquid (etching gas) are required in manufacturing, waste liquid (waste gas) resulting from these liquid may harm environment. In case that holes or grooves are formed in a substrate, covering a resist is difficult to achieve, whereby it is difficult to form a pattern having a high density. To solve the above-described problems, a method of forming a film by using a mask has been proposed (for example, see JP-A-10-41069).
In the method of forming a film disclosed in JP-A-10-41069, a mask is made of a ferromagnetic material, and the mask is brought into close contact with a substrate by a magnetic force. However, since the ferromagnetic material can be manufactured with a lower accuracy than a silicon material, a mask for forming complex film patterns such as circuit wiring lines cannot be obtained.


A mailing list test service is disclosed that involves a plurality of mailing lists, each mailing list including information about a plurality of list members. The service includes sending an e-mail message to each of a subset of list members. At least one response is received, and one of the lists is selected for use based on the received responses.

Marketing Logistics, a research firm that monitors the direct marketing industry, reports that mail order sales of personal computers, consumer electronics and related products reached $1.5 billion in 1985. Business-to-business mail order sales for computer software and data processing supplies for the same year were $1.7 billion. The Direct Marketing Association, a trade group, reports that revenue from direct marketing for all product categories, now around $44 billion, is growing 10 percent a year—about twice as fast as retail.
Many businesses practice direct marketing by utilizing commercially-obtained mailing lists. These lists can be obtained from mailing list brokers such as BEST'S MAILING LIST, INC. or NATIONWIDE DATA SERVICES. Such mailing lists are typically compiled from various sources such as public real-estate documents, census bureaus, financial publications, and direct mail respondents. Members of the list, that is, people whose information is used to compile the list, typically consist of individuals who have provided information about their lifestyles and product usage through detailed surveys. For example, computer hardware or software purchasers that send in software and hardware vendor registration cards and surveys are typically placed on a mailing list geared towards the PC and technology industry.
Mailing list brokers exist and can supply a business with a multitude of lists from which to choose. Additionally, mailing list brokers can supply a business with lists of different formats, and try to accommodate the business's preferences. Alternatively, businesses can obtain personalized mailing lists geared towards their needs by consulting with a mailing list manager directly rather than going through a broker. The business then utilizes these mailing lists by sending out promotional items such as brochures, advertisements, or sale offers to persons included on the lists.
Businesses typically consider finding appropriate lists a problem. Also, skyrocketing paper prices and production expenses, as well as rising postage prices, have made it increasingly difficult to do cost-effective mailings. It is believed that the choice of mailing list is one of the most critical factors related to the success of a direct marketing campaign. This is because the best list can often result in ten times the response as the worst list for an identical mailing piece.
Unfortunately, approximately 40,000 different mailing lists exist that are available for rental today, making it difficult to pick the most appropriate list, and expensive to try multiple lists. Because of this, a business will typically purchase a mailing list without any indication of how successful the list will be for the business's particular purposes. Mailing lists are generally updated based on the responses of the individuals included on a mailing list. For example, if an individual on a mailing list has not responded to any mailings in the past year, he can be taken off the mailing list. In the meantime, however, businesses are purchasing mailing lists without being able to predict the number of responses to be expected from a given list. The most that a business or mailing list broker knows is the historical response rate of the individuals contained on the list to direct mailings of a general nature. There is no way for a business to judge just how effective a mailing list is for their particular product or service until the list is actually used.
Internet based mailing lists which include e-mail addresses for direct marketing are also becoming popular. This type of direct marketing offers several advantages over postal marketing. For example, e-mail campaigns can be set up and executed in a relatively short amount of time, and can begin to generate responses almost immediately. Also, it is possible to deliver several hundred thousand e-mails an hour and to easily track all phases of the status of delivery and response from a mailer's desktop. The impact of a direct marketing e-mail mailing is not nearly as high as that of a postal mailing, however. The postal mailing is a more tangible good in the prospective consumer's hand. Also a person is more likely to flip through a longer brochure at home than to click through one at their PC terminal. Thus, e-mail can be an excellent vehicle for relatively small brochures, but the postal mailing remains the most effective process for attracting the buying power of a consumer.
Thus, a need exists for a business to be able to efficiently and cost-effectively select an appropriate postal mailing list before investing a large amount of resources into utilizing the mailing list.

System and method for mailing list testing service


An exercise apparatus comprises a base and a transmission device. The base is provided with a plurality of support frames, one of which is provided with two locking shafts. The transmission device is mounted pivotally on the base and composed of movable support, transmission support, adjustment support, rest pad, leg pad, and elastic element. The user of the apparatus is capable of doing exercise for building the muscles of arms and legs.

The present invention relates generally to a gymnastic apparatus, and more particularly to an exercise apparatus for developing arm and leg muscles.
As people in the modern society are increasingly preoccupied with their jobs and various life activities, they are less able to allocate time for doing an outdoor exercise. As a result, an indoor gymnastics has become popular than ever. There are a great variety of gymnastic apparatus available in the market today. As far as the exercise apparatus for developing arm and leg muscles are concerned, they are generally provided with weights. Such conventional muscle building apparatus are in fact so cumbersome that they cannot be made economically. In addition, such cumbersome exercise apparatus are not suitable for use in a private home in which an adequate space for accommodating such a cumbersome exercise apparatus of the prior art is often hard to come by.

Exercise apparatus for development of arm and leg muscles


A lens-equipped optical semiconductor device including: an optical semiconductor device including at least one optical semiconductor element mounted on a substrate and a transparent resin encapsulating body that encapsulates the optical semiconductor element; a resin lens having a recessed portion for housing the transparent resin encapsulating body; and a transparent resin layer filled into a space among the substrate, the recessed portion, and the transparent resin encapsulating body, wherein the recessed portion has a capacity that is at least 1.1 times a total volume of the optical semiconductor element and the transparent resin encapsulating body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device including a resin lens. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique for improving the light distribution accuracy of an optical semiconductor device including a resin lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
The applications of LED devices using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been expanding in recent years. Specifically, such LED devices are used, for example, for general indoor light fittings, spotlights such as courtesy lights, backlights of flat-screen televisions and information terminal devices, car taillights, street lights, traffic lights, and so forth.
A general LED device includes a transparent resin encapsulating body for protecting a LED element (also referred to as a LED chip) mounted on a submount substrate. As shown in FIG. 19, a hemispherically molded transparent resin encapsulating body 3 for encapsulating an LED element 1 mounted on a submount substrate 2 is known (e.g., Laid-Open Patent Publication No. JP2010-519757). Molding the transparent resin encapsulating body in the shape of a hemispherical lens in this way improves the efficiency of extracting the emission of the LED element to the outside and enables the light distribution pattern to be controlled in the LED device. For example, in the case of an LED device 110 in FIG. 19, an electrode la provided on the bottom face of the LED element 1 is die-bonded to a circuit electrode 2a formed on the submount substrate 2, and an electrode lb provided on the upper face of the LED element 1 is wire-bonded to a circuit electrode 2b using a gold wire w. Thus, the LED element 1 is mounted on the submount substrate 2. Then, the mounted LED element 1 is encapsulated with the hemispherically molded transparent resin encapsulating body 3. The LED device 110 is mounted onto a printed-circuit board via electrode terminals lc and ld provided on the submount substrate 2 for establishing an electrical connection to the outside.
A general method for producing this LED device will now be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 21.
FIGS. 20 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating processes of overmolding a hemispherical transparent resin encapsulating body 3 so as to cover each of a plurality of LED elements 1 mounted on an aggregate base substrate 12. First, as shown in FIG. 20(a), the aggregate base substrate 12 on which the LED elements 1 are mounted is fixed to an upper mold 21a of an overmolding mold 21. Further, an uncured liquid resin 105′ is injected into a plurality of lens-shaped cavities provided on a lower mold 21b of the mold 21 using a dispenser D. For example, 100 or more LED elements 1 may be mounted onto a single aggregate base substrate 12 in a mass-production process.
Then, as shown in FIG. 20(b), the mold 21 is closed and then heated, thus curing the liquid resin 105′. Then, as shown in FIG. 20(c), the mold 21 is opened. Then, as shown in FIG. 20(d), the aggregate base substrate 12 is removed from the upper mold 21a, thus obtaining a large number of LED devices 110 formed on the aggregate base substrate 12 and each including the hemispherical transparent resin encapsulating body 3.
Next, a description will be given of a process of cutting the aggregate base substrate 12 including the thus obtained large number of LED devices 110 using a dicing saw S so as to separate the LED devices 110. FIG. 21 is a schematic illustration of the aforementioned process. In this process, as shown in FIG. 21, the aggregate base substrate 12 is cut along a preset grid-like cut line L using a dicing saw S, thus separating the LED devices 110. Thus, the LED devices 110 each including the hemispherical transparent resin encapsulating body 3 serving as a lens are mass-produced by multi-cavity molding.
However, the LED device production method including the overmolding process as described above has a problem in that the arrangement position of the transparent resin encapsulating body is offset with respect to the position of the center of the LED elements. This problem will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 22.
The cut line L is formed in the aggregate base substrate 12 in advance. The submount substrates 2 are separated by cutting the aggregate base substrate 12 along the cut line L. The LED elements 1 are disposed accurately at predetermined positions of the respective submount substrates 2. Specifically, for example, each of the LED elements 1 is designed such that the LED element 1 and the transparent resin encapsulating body 3 covering that LED element 1 are positioned accurately at the center of a square surrounded by the cut line L. In such a design, the transparent resin encapsulating body 3 needs to be molded such that its center is aligned with the center of the LED element 1. However, due to the influence of the coefficient of linear expansion of the aggregate base substrate during overmolding, the transparent resin encapsulating body 3 may be molded offset from the designed position, in an area away from the center of the aggregate base substrate 12. This has posed the problem that the light distribution characteristics as designed cannot be obtained when the center of the LED element 1 and the center of the transparent resin encapsulating body 3 are thus disposed offset from each other. Specifically, for example, even when the LED element 1 is optically designed such that light emitted from the LED element 1 focuses to a focal point as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 23A, the light emitted from the LED element 1 deviates from the intended light distribution without focusing to the focal point as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 23B.
Such variations in light distribution are thought to be caused by factors such as the difference in dimensional change at the time of heating during molding and cooling after heating that results from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion of the base material of the overmolding mold and the substrate material of the aggregate base substrate 12, variation in positional alignment when the aggregate base substrate is set in the mold, and the difference in pitch accuracy between the LED element on the aggregate base substrate and the lens portion of the lens molding mold. Thus, when this aggregate base substrate having the hemispherical transparent resin encapsulating body formed thereon is cut along the cut line, the relative positions of the cut line and the LED element are fixed, whereas the transparent resin encapsulating body may be disposed offset from the center of the space enclosed by the cut line. This has posed the problem that the light distribution varies among the separated LED devices.
Such deviation in light distribution has little influence in the case of such applications as a general lighting device. However, in the case of applications requiring highly accurate light distribution characteristics, LED devices are produced that do not sufficiently satisfy the required characteristics.
As an example of the technique for improving the arrangement accuracy of a lens with respect to an LED element, Laid-Open Patent Publication No. JP2003-008065 below discloses a technique by which the LED element is encapsulated with a flat transparent resin encapsulating body, and thereafter the lens is aligned and then bonded using a separate body, thus accurately aligning the positions of the center of the LED element and the center of the lens.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lens-equipped optical semiconductor device whose light distribution is controlled with high accuracy, and a method for efficiently producing a lens-equipped optical semiconductor device that has little variation in light distribution.

Lens-equipped optical semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same


The present invention entails an improved bulk tobacco curing and drying structure provided with a counter flow heat exchanger for reclaiming heat from exhausted air by transferring the reclaimed heat to inlet fresh air being induced into the structure prior to the inlet air combining with the system of air circulating interiorly within the structure.

Since the early 1970's, bulk tobacco curing has gained wide acceptance in the flue cured tobacco producing regions of the United States. While there may be several factors contributing to its acceptance, probably the single most significant factor was that bulk curing generally required less manual labor than the preceding stick barn method. Further bulk curing was compatible with automatic tobacco harvesters that gained commercial acceptance also at about this same time.
While bulk curing is now a reality and will be for some time to come, the basic design of commercially available bulk tobacco curing and drying structures has not changed significantly since the initial design of F. J. Hassler as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,105,713 and 3,110,326.
Probably the most significant shortcoming of all conventional bulk curing and drying structures of today is that they are not designed to efficiently utilize fuel. To the contrary, it seems that the basic design of many commercially available bulk tobacco curing and drying structures is such that the structures themselves inherently waste fuel. Some attempts have been made to design more fuel efficient systems, but generally they have not been successful and have not met with commercial success. For example, in this regard, one is referred to U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,288 to Joe W. Fowler. The bulk tobacco curing and drying structure disclosed therein includes a design that attempted to utilize a solar collector and also included an approach in providing bulk tobacco curing and drying structure with a heat exchanger. But neither the heat exchanger design nor the solar collector panel was very efficient and consequently this type of design never obtained great success.
Therefore, there is a real need for the basic design in bulk tobacco curing and drying structures to be improved, especially in the area of efficient fuel utilization. This is particularly so because of the very nature of bulk tobacco curing and drying structures. During the bulk tobacco curing and drying process a continuous system of air is circulated through the structure and the air is heated as necessary to maintain a selected temperature level within the structure. As the tobacco material is dried, the circulating system of air reaches a point where its moisture level or content is such that a portion of the air must be exhausted and fresh inlet outside air must be induced within the curing and drying structure. It is within this area that most, if not all, tobacco curing and drying structures are inherently inefficient. This is because there is not adequate control to control the amounts of exhaust and incoming air and also of great importance is that the exhausted air is very warm and all the heat in the exhaust air is lost in conventional bulk tobacco curing processes.
Finally there is a real need for an improved bulk curing system because of the scarcity of fuel and the continuous escalation of fuel prices.

Energy efficient bulk tobacco curing and drying structure


Polypeptides derived from human interleukin-8 (IL-8) which act as therapeutic agents for the therapy of neoplastic (both solid and leukemic) and infectious diseases such as bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic.

The present invention relates to polypeptide agonists of the human cytokine interleukin 8 to other human alpha chemokines and to the method of using these agonists.
Interleukin 8 (IL-8) is a human cytokine that promotes the recruitment and activation of neutrophil leukocytes and represents one of several endogenous mediators of the acute inflammatory response. In the past it was variously termed neutrophil-activating factor, monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and neutrophil-activating peptide-1. IL-8 has gained the widest acceptance and will be used herein.
The most abundant naturally occurring form of the IL-8 monomer is a 72-residue protein apparently derived by processing of a 99-residue precursor. Other proteins with related sequences, including neutrophil-activating peptide-2 and GRO.alpha. (with melanoma growth stimulatory activity) are IL-8 homologues which have neutrophil-activating properties.
IL-8 is a member of the chemoline superfamily that is divided into two distinct function classes: alpha (.alpha.) and beta (.beta.). The members of each class share an organizing primary sequence motif. The .alpha. members are distinguished by a C-X-C motif with the first two cysteines in the motif separated by an intervening residue. C-X-C chemokines are potent chemoattractants and activators for neutrophils, and are represented by IL-8. The .beta. family chemokines have a C-C motif and are equally potent chemoattractants and activators of monocytes. It appears that the two sides of the chemokine family have clearly defined functions: the C-X-C subfamilies cannot activate monocytes while the C-C subfamily has no effect on neutrophils. Nonetheless these two families of chemokines have similar structures although fairly low sequence homology (30 to 35%). Proteins within the same family such as platelet factor four (PF-4) are structurally related to IL-8 (35% sequence identity) but lack the N terminal ELR sequence (Glu-Leu-Arg) which has been shown by site directed mutagenesis to be critical for IL-8 activity and thus, PF-4 has an entirely different profile of activity. Indeed, when the ELR sequence is added to the N-terminus of PF-4 it has been found that the modified protein has potent neutrophil activation and chemoattractant properties (Clark-Lewis, I; Dewald, B.; Geiser, T.; Moser, B.; Baggiolini, M.: Platelet factor 4 binds to interleukin 8 receptors and activates neutrophils when its N terminus is modified with Glu-Leu-Arg. Biochemistry 90:3574-3577, 1993). However this is not true for all of the chemokines since two of the proteins related to IL-8, .gamma. interferon inducible protein (IP-10) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) do not acquire neutrophil activating properties when the ELR structural determinants are added.
In studies by Clark-Lewis (Clark-Lewis, I., et al.: Structural requirements for interleukin-8 function identified by design of analogs and CXC chemokine hybrids. J Biol Chem 269:16075-16081, 1994) it was shown that conservative substitutions are accepted into the 10-22 region of IL-8 in contrast with the ELR motif (residues 4-6). They concluded that the disulfide bridges and the 30-35 turn provide a structural scaffold for the NH-2 terminal region which includes a primary receptor binding site (ELR motif) and secondary binding and conformational determinants as seen in residues 10 through 22. Other studies using mutants of IL-8 and melanoma growth stimulating activity (MGSA) and recombinant IL-8 .alpha./.beta. receptors stably expressed in human cells demonstrated that there was a second site on the molecule responsible for binding. It appears that the carboxy terminus distal to amino acid 50 is not important in high affinity binding to the .alpha. receptor although both the amino and carboxy termini appear to be important for binding to the .beta. receptor (Schraufstatter, I. S., et al., Multiple sites on IL-8 responsible for binding to .alpha. and .beta. IL-8 receptors. J Immunol 151:6418-6428, 1993). In summary, it appears that there are at least two and maybe three regions responsible for binding on IL-8. Further, the specific contact pharmacophore may vary depending upon whether or not the .alpha. or the .beta. receptor is being examined.
The in vitro effects of IL-8 on neutrophils are similar to those of other chemotactic agonists such as C5a and fMet-Leu-Phe and include induction of a transient rise in cytosolic free calcium, the release of granules containing degradative enzymes such as elastase, the respiratory H.sub.2 O.sub.2 burst, neutrophil shape change, and chemotaxis. IL-8 appears to bind to at least one class of receptor sites on neutrophils with a frequency of approximately 64,000/cell and a K.sub.d of 0.2 nM.
The three-dimensional structure of IL-8 is known by two-dimensional NMR and x-ray diffraction techniques. The IL-8 monomer has antiparallel .beta. strands followed by a single overlying COOH-terminal .alpha. helix. Two disulfide bridges, between cysteines 7 and 34, and between cysteines 9 and 50 seem to stabilize the tertiary structure. Residues 1-6 and the loop residues 7-18 seem to have little defined secondary structure. In solution, IL-8 is noncovalent homodimer which is stabilized primarily by interactions between the .beta. strands of the two monomers.
Examination of the three-dimensional structure indicates that following the cysteine at position 50, the residues form a type 1 .beta. turn (at residues 51 to 55) followed by an amphipathic .alpha. helix (at residues 55 to 72) that transverses the .beta. sheet. The hydrophobic face of the .alpha. helix interacts with and stabilizes the hydrophobic face of the .beta. sheet. Some of the interactions are between the two subunits of the dimetic molecule.
Interleukin-8 has shown both anti-tumor and anti-infective therapeutic activity. IL-8 has been shown to induce the regression of macroscopic tumors in a model of peritoneal carcinomatosis in the rat. In this model IL-8 was shown to recruit PMN to the challenge site but did not enhance PMN infiltration of the tumor or the cytotoxic activity of PMN. Regardless, it did have significant therapeutic activity which may be secondary to PMN cytotoxicity and associated with other intermediate cells. It is suggested that lymphocytes could be involved since IL-8 has also demonstrated the ability to stimulate T-cell chemotaxisis. (Lejeune, P., et al.: Interleukin-8 has antitumor effects in the rat which are not associated with polymorphonuclear leukocyte cytotoxicity. Cancer Immunol Immunotherapy 38:167-170, 1994). Similarly, Interleukin-8 has shown therapeutic activity in nonneutropenic mice who received IL-8 shortly before challenge and at the site of infectious challenge with either P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella-phenumoniae, or Plasmodium-berghei. (Vogels, M. T., et al., Effects of Interleukin-8 on nonspecific resistance to infection in neutropenic and normal mice. Antimicrob-Agents-Chemother 37:276-280, 1993).
In other antitumor studies with IP-10, an alpha chemokine whose secretion is induced by IFN-.gamma. and LPS it was genetically engineered into tumor cells. The expression of IP-10 by several tumor cell lines had no effect on the growth of these tumor cells in vitro but elicited a powerful host mediated anti-tumor effect in vivo. Indeed, tumors genetically engineered to secrete IP-10 elicited a T-lymphocyte dependent anti-tumor response resulting in the rejection of tumors in vivo. Animals injected with these tumor cells do not develop tumors or develop tumors which spontaneously regress. Further, tumors induced with the parent tumor cells admixed with IP-10 secreting tumor cells protect the animals against subsequent growth. This suggests that in addition to being chemotactic for T-cells (Clark-Lewis, I., et al., Structural requirements for Interleukin-8 function identified by design of analogs and CXC chemokine hybrids. J Biol Chem 269:16075-16081, 1994) alpha chemokines may also act as T-cell adjuvants and therapeutics via T-cell chemotaxis and/or augmentation (Luster, A. D., a CXC chemokine, elicits a potent thymus-dependent antitumor response in vivo. J Exp Med 178:1057-1064, 1993).
IL-8 has been previously produced through chemical synthesis (for example see: Clark-Lewis, et al., "Chemical Synthesis, Purification, and Characterization of Two Inflammatory Proteins; Neutrophil-Activating Peptide-1 (Interleukin-8) and Neutrophil-Activating Peptide-2" (1991) Biochemistry 30: 3128-3135) and by recombinant DNA methods (for example see: Herbert, et al., "Scanning Mutagenesis of Interleukin-8 Identifies A Cluster of Residues Required for Receptor Binding" (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 286: 18989-18994). In addition, it is known that IL-8 exists in several forms that vary at the NH.sub.2 -terminus, which have been detected in preparations purified from natural sources. These variations correspond to the predominant 72-residue form (which is generally considered to be the prototype IL-8 molecule); a 77-residue form having 5 additional NH.sub.2 -terminus amino acids on each monomer; and, two shortened forms having residues 3-72 and 4-72 of the 72 amino acid form, respectively.

Polypeptide agonists for human interleukin-8