A composition contains (a) 1 to 40 weight percent of poly(phenylene ether) particles having a mean particle size of 1 to 40 micrometers; and (b) 60 to 99 weight percent of a polyoxymethylene; wherein polystyrene is absent from the poly(phenylene ether) particles; wherein the composition comprises less than 0.1 volume percent, based on the total volume of the composition, of particulate metals, metalloids, oxides thereof, and combinations thereof, wherein the metals and metalloids are selected from iron, copper, aluminum, magnesium, lead, zinc, tin, chromium, nickel, tungsten, silicon, gold, silver, platinum, and alloys thereof. The poly(phenylene ether) particles reduce the density and increase the char yield of the polyoxymethylene. When the composition is prepared at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the poly(phenylene ether), increased flexural strength can also be obtained. The composition is useful as a molding composition for a variety of articles.

Polyoxymethylenes (POM), also known as polyacetals, are (co)polymers of formaldehyde. Pure formaldehyde is readily polymerized, but the polymer equally readily, spontaneously de-polymerizes, that is, the polymer unzips. Stabilization of polyoxymethylene can be achieved by end-capping the terminal hydroxyl groups with alkyl or acyl groups, by etherification or esterification respectively, as shown in Scheme 1. S. D. Nagare, U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,409, Aug. 29, 1961 to E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. End-capped polyoxymethylene is sold commercially under the DELRIN™ trade name.
Stabilization of polyoxymethylene can also be achieved by copolymerizing formaldehyde with ethylene oxide, as shown in Scheme 2. C. Walling et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,352, Mar. 27, 1962 to Celanese Corp. Polyoxymethylene copolymer is sold commercially under the CELCON™ trademark.
Polyoxymethylenes exhibit rigidity, high strength, excellent creep resistance, fatigue resistance, toughness, self-lubricity/wear resistance, and broad resistance to chemicals and solvents. Therefore polyoxymethylenes have utility in metal replacement. Metal items that can be replaced by polyoxymethylene include plumbing hardware, pumps, gears, and bearings.
Although polyoxymethylene is used in many applications, it has drawbacks which limit its use. Polyoxymethylene is a semi-crystalline plastic with a crystalline content of about 75 to 85%. Semi-crystalline plastics can become less rigid above their glass transition temperature and below their crystalline melting point. As a consequence, semi-crystalline plastics can exhibit a lower heat deflection temperature under high load than low load, for example, under a 1.82 versus a 0.455 megapascal load. Thus, it is desirable to increase the heat deflection temperature under high load for polyoxymethylenes. Polyoxymethylene, which has the lowest limiting oxygen index (LOI) of commercial thermoplastics—only about 15%—is extremely combustible and difficult to flame retard. H. Harashina et al. Polym. Degrad. and Stability, 91, (2006), 1996-2002. Z.-Y. Wang, Y. Liu, Q. Wang Polym. Degrad. and Stability, 95, (2010), 945-954. Thus there is a need for improvement in the flame resistance of polyoxymethylene. Q. Zhang et al. J. Polym. Res., 18 (2011), 293-303. Density is an important parameter for polymers. For an equal weight of polymer, more parts can be prepared from a polymer with a lower density. Polyoxymethylenes have a high density compared to other thermoplastics. Thus, a decrease in the density of polyoxymethylene compositions can have economic benefits.
In summary, there is a need in the art for polyoxymethylene compositions having higher heat deflection temperature under high load, higher flame resistance, and lower density.

Blend of poly(phenylene ether) particles and polyoxymethylene, article thereof, and method of preparation


A computer-implemented method of operating a computing device may comprise accepting, by the computing device, funds from a player and enabling the player to play a wager-based game using the accepted funds. The wager-based game may be configured to present a plurality of in-game assets for player interaction during the game, at least some of the plurality of in-game assets being configured as wagering opportunities, such that player interactions therewith generates wagers. Player interactions with the wagering opportunities may be received and wagers generated upon receiving player interactions with the wagering opportunities. During game play of the wager-based game, a conditional prize may be presented to the player, an award of which being predicated upon receiving future player interactions indicative of the player having caused a predetermined in-game action or in-game result to have occurred. Game play of the wager-based game may be continued and a determination may be made as to when the predetermined in-game action or predetermined in-game result occurs. The conditional prize may be awarded to the player when the predetermined in-game action or predetermined in-game result has been determined to have occurred and the wager-based game may forego awarding the conditional prize to the player when the accepted funds run out, when a player interaction is received that is indicative of a cash out event before the counted number of generated additional wagers equals the predetermined number of additional wagers or when a player interaction is received that is indicative of the player choosing to forego the award of the conditional prize.

Some regulated casino games include game play in which players are called upon to exhibit some measure of skill, judgment and/or dexterity in achieving one or more of the game's objectives. For example, the game's narrative may call on the player to shoot a large number of zombies or other enemies, to match a number of tiles or symbols, to drive around obstacles and like activities. In such games, each time the player takes aim and makes a kill shot, makes a match or drives around an obstacle or hits a target, a wager may be initiated. At times, such a cycle may come to be perceived by the player as entirely too predictable. What is needed, therefore, are regulated casino games, gaming machines and methods that enhance the player's enjoyment of the game and heighten engagement therewith.

Regulated casino games and gaming machines configured to offer conditional wins and/or conditional win opportunities


Addition polymerization catalysts comprising a derivative of a Group 4 or Lanthanide metal compound prepared by oxidative activation, a process for preparation and an addition polymerization method utilizing such catalysts.

This invention relates to compositions of matter that are useful as catalysts, to a method for preparing the compositions of these catalysts, and to a method of using the compositions as addition polymerization catalysts. More particularly, this invention relates to catalyst compositions, to a method of preparing these catalyst compositions and to a method for polymerizing olefins, diolefins and/or acetylenically unsaturated monomers wherein these catalysts are used.
The use of Ziegler-Natta type catalysts in the polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers is, of course, well known in the prior art. In general, these soluble systems comprise a Group 4 or Lanthanide metal compound and a metal alkyl cocatalyst, particularly an aluminum alkyl cocatalyst.
In U.S. Ser. No. 8,800, filed Jan. 30, 1987, and now abandoned (published in equivalent form as EP 277,004) there are disclosed certain bis(cyclopentadienyl) metal compounds formed by reacting a bis(cyclopentadienyl) metal complex with salts of Bronsted acids containing a non-coordinating compatible anion. The reference discloses the fact that such complexes are usefully employed as catalysts in the polymerization of olefins. For the teachings contained therein the aforementioned U.S. Ser. No. 8,800 (now abandoned) and EP 277,004 are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto.
Disadvantageously it has now been found that catalysts prepared according to the foregoing technique are detrimentally affected by the presence of by-product amine compounds resulting from the catalyst formation. That is, the procedure of EP 277,004 involves an irreversible reaction between a ligand of the metal compound and a cation of the Bronsted acid salt. In practice such cations are generally trialkyl ammonium ions that result in the formation of a tertiary amine by proton transfer to the ligand during catalyst formation. Such amine compounds are undesirable components of the resulting catalyst due to their inhibiting effect on addition polymerizations.
It would be desirable if there were provided a addition polymerization catalyst that is activated in a manner that forms only noninterfering and inert byproducts.
In J. Am. Ch. Soc. 109, 4111-4113 (1987) there is disclosed a process for preparation of cationic zirconium (IV) benzyl complexes by one electron oxidation of d.degree. organometallic compounds. The solvents employed in the preparation of the zirconium metallocenes were tetrahydrofuran or methylene chloride both of which interfere with the desired catalyst formation and or detrimentally affect subsequent olefin polymerizations. In addition the reference employed an oxidizing agent containing tetraphenylborate. Such anions, it has now been discovered, are unacceptable for use in an oxidation activation process for preparing addition polymerization catalysts.
It has now been discovered that the foregoing and other disadvantages of the prior art ionic olefin polymerization catalysts can be avoided or at least reduced with the catalysts of the present invention. In addition an improved catalyst activation procedure and improved addition polymerization processes are provided according to the present invention. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide improved ionic catalyst systems which are useful in the polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers including olefins, diolefins and/or acetylenically unsaturated monomers. It is another object of this invention to provide a method for preparing such improved catalysts. It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved polymerization process using such improved catalysts. It is still another object of this invention to provide such an improved catalyst which is not subject to formation of interfering compounds. Finally it is an object of this invention to provide such an improved catalyst which may permit better control of the product polymer molecular weight and molecular weight distribution.

Addition polymerization catalyst with oxidative activation


A depletion-type NAND flash memory includes a NAND string composed of a plurality of serially connected FETs, a control circuit which controls gate potentials of the plurality of FETs in a read operation, a particular potential storage, and an adjacent memory cell threshold storage, wherein each of the plurality of FETs is a transistor whose threshold changes in accordance with a charge quantity in a charge accumulation layer, the adjacent memory cell threshold storage stores a threshold of a source line side FET adjacent to a source line side of a selected FET, and the control circuit applies a potential to the gate electrode of the source line side FET in the read operation, the applied potential being obtained by adding a particular potential stored in the particular potential storage to a threshold stored in the adjacent memory cell threshold storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a depletion-type NAND flash memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
A depletion-type NAND flash memory uses, as a memory cell, a depletion-type field effect transistor (FET) in which source/drain diffusion layers and a channel are of the same conductivity type (e.g., n-type). This depletion-type NAND flash memory has been attention recently owing to its suppressed short channel effect caused by shrinking (e.g., see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-163303).
this depletion-type NAND flash memory has been proposed several improvements.
For example, if a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technique is applied to the depletion-type NAND flash memory, an SOI active layer where memory cells are formed is enclosed by an SOI insulating layer and an isolation insulating layer which are buried insulating layers. As a result, parasitic capacity generated in the memory cells is reduced.
Moreover, if the memory cell of the depletion-type NAND flash memory has a metal/oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon (MONOS) structure, manufacturing costs can be reduced, for example, by the simplification of the cell structure.
However, the depletion-type NAND flash memory has a peculiar problem. That is, turning on/off of the depletion-type FET as a memory cell is controlled by the generation/disappearance of the channel resulting from the expansion/contraction of width of a depletion layer. Then, the expansion/contraction of the width of the depletion layer depends on a charge quantity and a gate potential in a charge accumulation (storage) layer of the memory cell.
Therefore, if the pitch of the cells is reduced, the expansion/contraction of the depletion layer in the focus cell (memory cell) is affected by the charge quantity and the gate potential in the charge accumulation layer of the cell (memory cell) adjacent to the focus cell. This means that the charge quantity and the gate potential in the charge accumulation layer of the adjacent cell change the threshold of the focus cell during reading.
As a result, reading erroneous occurs in the case of reading, and programming erroneous occurs in the case of verify-reading.


An apparatus and method for measuring a tactile information, using a material having variable pressure dependent properties is disclosed. The apparatus for measuring the tactile information may include a plurality of pressure measurement units to measure a magnitude of an external pressure using a material having variable properties, and a tactile information measurement unit to measure a three-dimensional (3D) tactile information based on the external pressure using a location of the plurality of pressure measurement units and a pressure measured by the plurality of pressure measurement units.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for measuring a tactile information, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for measuring a tactile information, using a material having variable pressure dependent properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technology for measuring a tactile information may refer to technology for measuring properties with respect to an object or an environment through a contact, and may be required for stability of a human or a robot, and a high performance and an intelligent performance of a robot.
To use a tactile sensor for measuring the tactile information in a medical robot, damage to an organ may need to be minimized. Accordingly, the tactile sensor may have a skin-like flexibility, and a surface of the tactile sensor may be configured by a soft and smooth material.
However, a metal strain gauge and a conductive polymer, which are used in a conventional tactile sensor, may have a low reliability of a detected signal and a short longevity, because an invariable transformation may occur when a weight is applied repeatedly. Therefore, using the conventional tactile sensor may be difficult due to low reliability and high longevity.
Accordingly, there is a desire for a tactile sensor with a high reliability and a high longevity.

Apparatus and method for measuring tactile information

Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University


A PC server, connected with a client PC, extracts from a database content satisfying a condition designated from the client PC, and content that does not directly satisfy the designated condition. A pamphlet including the extracted content is output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information output method, a central information processing device, and an information output program.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system in which a user obtains desired information by means of a document such as a pamphlet, an information providing system comprising a user-side information processing device such as a personal computer (PC) and the like, and a central information processing device such as a server and the like, is known. In such a system, upon the user inputting a keyword relating to his/her desired information to the user-side information processing device, the central information processing device transmits a document including the input keyword to the user-side information processing device.
Examples of such a known information providing system include a system in which tour-contents information, such as information relating to tourist spots, in which attribute information, such as the name of a nation, the name of a city, a guide classification (kind of a tourist spot), and the like is appended, is registered in a database of the main server in a form enabling web-browsing system, and a user serving as a travel consultant offers a customer the tour-contents information narrowed down by a search based on the attribute information selected by the user as printed matter through the terminal of a branch and the like as well as the attribute information such that the user can smoothly select a tour suitable for the customer, can easily explain the selected tour-content to the customer, and can easily customize the tour-content in accordance with the customer needs (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-030287).
With this system, a tour planning department registers images of a tourist point, a guide classification, the purpose of a tourist point, and attractions of a tourist point in the database by operating a tour-support application of the main server at the time of registering contents.
However, the above-described system leads to a problem in that the user cannot obtain desired documents because other documents that do not satisfy the conditions input by the user are not transmitted to the user-side information processing device. For example, other documents may not directly satisfy the conditions input by the user, but may be relevant to a document satisfying the input conditions, and therefore should be presented even though the input conditions are not directly satisfied by the document.
In order to solve the above-described problem, the number of conditions input by the user can be increased in order to provide related documents that do not directly satisfy the input conditions. However, this leads to a problem of poor ease-of-use for the user.

Information output method, central information processing device, and information output program


A light-emitting diode (LED) includes a p-type layer, an n-type layer, and an active layer arranged between the p-type layer and the n-type layer. The active layer includes at least one quantum well adjacent to at least one modulation-doped layer. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, at least one surface of the n-type layer or the p-type layer is texturized to form a textured surface facing the active layer.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have found utility in a variety of applications from common light sources, such as flashlights and automotive headlights, to photonic interconnects for data transmission. An LED is a semiconductor device that spontaneously emits a narrow spectrum of light when electrically biased in the forward direction of a p-n junction. Light is created in, and released from, the p-n junction, which is more commonly referred to as the active layer.
LEDs generally include an n-type substrate with an active layer, a p-type layer, and an electrode attached to the p-type layer deposited on its surface. Current LEDs often utilize a double heterostructure, which includes an n-type contact layer, an n-type clad layer, an active layer, a p-type clad layer, and a p-type contact layer superimposed on a substrate. The use of double heterostructure LEDs provides increased efficiency by better confining carriers in the active layer.
The active layer of an LED is commonly doped with a donor impurity such as Si or Ge and/or an acceptor impurity such as Mn or Mg. Doping increases the emission power of the active layer, because more carriers, such as electrons and holes, are provided in the active layer, but doping also has negative effects on the performance of the LED. For instance, doping increases carrier lifetime and, thus, reduces the speed of the LED. Therefore, because doping trades power for speed, doped LED's have limited utility in applications that require high modulation speed, such as photonic interconnects for the transmission of data.
Attempts to improve the speed of LEDs include the use of quantum well structures in the active layer. A quantum well confines energy and increases light emission output when compared to conventional doped active layers due to the quantum size effect. However, conventional LEDs utilizing quantum wells do not provide sufficient power because they lack an adequate supply of carriers. As mentioned above, adding carriers, by doping for instance, reduces the speed of LEDs. Therefore, current LEDs are limited by either speed or power.
An additional drawback of conventional LEDs is that they are also hampered by poor efficiency. Efficiency is a two-fold problem. First, light production efficiency refers to the generation of light in the active layer. LEDs having doped active regions produce light slowly, while LEDs utilizing quantum wells produce light more quickly, but at less power, as mentioned above. Second, extraction efficiency refers to the amount of light extracted from the active layer after the light is generated and the speed at which the light is extracted. Extraction efficiency is a problem with all conventional LEDs because the semiconductor layer adjacent to the active layer reflects the light back into the active layer. Thus, the lack of overall efficiency of conventional LEDs practically limits their use in high speed applications, such as photonic interconnects.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An expandable while-in-use cover includes: a cap having a pair of cap side walls, a first cap end wall, a second cap end wall and a top wall, which define a cap opening and a cap interior; a base having a pair of base side walls, a first base end wall, a second base end wall and a back wall, which define a base opening and a base exterior, wherein the base side walls and base end walls correspond to the cap side walls and cap end walls and wherein the cover is adapted to slidably and/or telescopically receive the base; a first and second prong on the interior of each of the cap side walls near the first and second cap end walls; a first and second slotted track on the exterior of each of the base side walls near the base end walls, wherein the first slotted track of each base side wall is adapted to receive the first prong of each cap side wall and the second slotted track of each base side wall is adapted to receive the second prong of each cap side wall; and an aperture in the back wall for accessing an electrical device.

While-in-use covers are well known in the industry and are used to provide an enclosed housing for electrical devices such as electrical receptacles, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI), pushbuttons and switches. While-in-use covers can be installed over electrical devices without having to turn off the device and disconnect the wiring. This makes while-in-use covers convenient and easy to use. The purpose of the cover is primarily to prevent dust, water, and other foreign materials from entering the receptacle. It is of particular importance to prevent rain water from entering the electrical device in order to reduce the risk of short circuits, fire and damage to the device and the electrical system connected to it.
The previous while-in-use covers provide protection against water and dust but they are not versatile enough to be used for a broad range of applications. These while-in-use covers are often too small to house large plugs, for example, when a power cord that is plugged into a receptacle requires a converter plug. Moreover, the existing while-in-use covers provide fixed size enclosures and one cover cannot be used for a variety of applications. Further, electrical wire comes in different gauges with larger diameter wire having a larger bend radius than smaller diameter wire. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a while-in-use cover that is adjustable and can expand to accommodate a variety of different size plugs and wire bend radii. It is also desirable to provide a while-in-use cover that can collapse or shrink in size when not in use or when its full extension is not required.


A method, system, and computer program product for managing data associated with a document stored in an electronic form. The document can be a part of a file. Computer processed algorithms, user-operated computer graphics tools, or both can be used to derive data from or assign data to the document or the file. First data is derived from the document, second data is assigned to the document, or both. The first data, the second data, or both are organized as attributes of an object of a first computer database. At least one attribute is organized as a child object of the object. The at least one attribute is associated with a feature of the document. Optionally, an attribute is moved from the object of the first computer database to an object of a second computer database and an address of a location in a memory at which the object of the second computer database is stored is added as a new attribute of the object of the first computer database.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer databases.
2. Related Art
Advancements in digital image processing methods have enabled these technologies to become valuable tools for a host of applications. These include, but are not limited to, documenting work products in such fields as biochemistry, cell biology, pathology, genetics, forensics, geology, metallurgy, inspections of electron devices, quality control applications, material failure analysis, and the like. Digital image processing methods enable pictorial data to be manipulated in ways that enhance the means by which humans can interpret this data. Digital image processing methods typically use computer-processed algorithms or user-operated computer graphics tools. With digital image processing, a picture is not only "worth a thousand words," but also a source of a substantial amount of data about the subject(s) and the background in the digital image. In general, what is needed is a computer database management system for managing data associated with documents stored in an electronic form. Preferably, such a computer database management system would also be configured to support performing queries or data mining of relevant data at a high rate.

Method, system, and computer program product for managing data associated with a document stored in an electronic form


The invention relates to reamers used in downhole oil well drilling operations, particularly in reaming while drilling applications. Presented is a reamer having an interior channel which runs along an elongate axis of the entire body of the reamer, wherein there are openings along both ends of the reamer, exposing the interior channel. Additionally presented in the reamer are a plurality of paths extending parallel to the interior channel along the exterior of the body of the reamer, and running in a helical pattern along the entirety of the exterior of the body of the reamer. Disposed within the helical paths are a plurality of cutting inserts, which cutting inserts are enabled to provides a uniform cutting surface against a well bore, which preferably improves cutting action and reduces strain on the reamer.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions. Wellbore reamers are known in the field of oil well drilling operations, and are used to open wellbores to allow for smooth operation of a drilling string. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,607,900 to Smith discloses a bi-directional reamer. Similarly, European Patent Application No. EP1811124 by Bassal, et al. discloses a similar type of bidirectional reamer.
While they are useful tools, these types of reamers have maintenance requirements that can result in increased costs in drilling. Wear and tear on the cutting inserts or the tool body can result in effective failure of the tool, which can then require pulling the drill string to replace the reamer. Some wear of the cutting bits on a reamer is expected, but the rate of wear can be exacerbated by the configuration of the tool. For example, the configuration of the blades on a reamer may direct drilling fluid away from, rather than over, the cutting inserts, resulting in excessive wear due to heating. Thus, it is desirable to provide improved fluid flow over the cutting inserts of a reaming tool by improving the placement and positioning of the cutting inserts relative to a body of the reaming tool, and the angle at which the cutting inserts of the reaming tool interact with the wellbore in a drilling operation.
Additionally, current reaming-while-drilling tools utilize flat cap tungsten carbide inserts as the primary cutting inserts on the cylindrical outer diameter. It is desirable to provide an improved cutting insert design and material formulation to provide such a tool with greater efficiency. Similarly, current reamer designs place the tungsten carbide cutting inserts in simple rows and columns, which does not provide uniform distribution of the carbide against the engaged borehole wall. It is desirable to provide a reamer that aligns the cutting inserts so that there is more uniform coverage of the blade width, for example by providing cutting inserts positioned in close proximity to one another within a helical pattern. It is desirable to provide a reamer with an improved blade design, over currently used helical blades for purposes of improving fluid flow over the cutting inserts.
There is therefore a long-felt need to provide a reaming tool with increased efficiencies in cutting insert size, composition, placement, and design.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reamer with cutting inserts for use in drilling operations


Exemplary methods and systems are directed to transmitting a process map of a control or automation system via a gateway device. The gateway device includes at least one first functional unit connected to a higher-ranking control unit via a first communications link based on a primary field bus protocol, and at least one second functional unit connected to at least one field device via a second communications link based on a secondary field bus protocol. Binary signals are stored in corresponding registers and analog signals, which are in an integer format, are transmitted to the first functional unit such that the number of binary signals is reduced by packing the binary signals into data bytes. The data bytes are translated into corresponding telegrams that can be processed by the primary field bus protocol and with the analog signals are transmitted to the higher-ranking control unit.

Known automation or control systems for controlling a technical process or a technical installation can include a central or superordinate unit, for example a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a process control system (PCS). The central control unit communicates with the field devices of the automation system via a communication interface module (also called gateway device). In this case, the gateway device makes it possible for field buses of different protocols to communicate. For communication between field bus systems which process different protocols, the gateway device communicates with the central control unit using a Profinet protocol, for example, and communicates with input/output devices and/or field devices connected thereto via a field bus protocol, for example CAN or CANopen.
Different field devices can be used to record and/or influence process variables which are, for example, current measured values provided by sensors. The recorded current measured values are transmitted according to the prior art in the form of so-called process data objects from the field level to the gateway device using a field bus protocol having a low transmission rate of 1.2 Kbit/s, for example, and are forwarded from the gateway device to the superordinate control unit via a high-speed Ethernet bus. The process data objects are used to transport real-time data.
Process control is usually effected by the control unit, where the measured values from different field devices are evaluated and control signals for actuators connected to the automation system are generated based on the evaluation. In addition to purely transmitting measured values, field devices may also transmit additional information, such as diagnostic and status information, to the superordinate control unit. The field devices are likewise parameterized and configured via the bus system or network of the control or automation system. In this case, signals can be transmitted between the field device and the control unit in analog or digital form as binary code (Boolean value) or an integer value.
In gateway devices, according to the prior art, the process map of the installation, which was transmitted in the form of process data objects to the gateway device using a secondary field bus protocol with a low transmission rate, is first of all mapped as a secondary network variable in binary format in the gateway device and is converted into a primary network variable which is in byte format and can then be transmitted to the superordinate control unit using the primary high-speed Ethernet bus protocol.
However, this method specifies a wide bandwidth and burdens the data traffic on the primary high-speed Ethernet bus since seven bits of overhead should be provided for each bit, in which case overhead should be understood as meaning data which do not primarily belong to the useful data but rather are specified as additional information for transmission or storage.
A CANopen communication protocol may transmit, for example, only 1028 binary signals corresponding to approximately 130 bytes (=128.5 bytes), which limits the upper limit of the process data size for a device connected to the Profinet bus to 1028 bytes. The number of items of information which can be transmitted is therefore restricted by the limited message size which can be transmitted using the primary network protocol.

Method for transmitting a process map via a gateway device


In an apparatus for reducing vehicle aerodynamic drag equipped with an air jet device installed at upper and lower positions of a rear of a vehicle and each having a vibrator connected to a diaphragm disposed in an enclosed region and adapted to be driven based on a drive signal to vibrate the diaphragm to jet/suck air through an orifice formed in the region, a vehicle traveling condition is detected, the drive signals for the respective air jet devices are determined independently of each other based on the detected traveling condition, and the vibrators of the respective air jet devices are driven based on the determined drive signals to reduce aerodynamic drag acting on the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for reducing vehicle aerodynamic drag, more specifically to an apparatus that reduces the aerodynamic drag acting on a vehicle by using an air jet device to control airflow along the vehicle body.
2. Description of Related Art
One example of an apparatus that reduces vehicle aerodynamic drag by using an air jet device such as a synthetic jet actuator to control the airflow along the vehicle body is taught, for example, by European Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1 544 089. In the configuration according to the described technology, synthetic jet actuators having vibrating diaphragms disposed in cavities are installed at positions at least the upper and lower positions of the rear of the vehicle body, more specifically, at the upper, lower, right and left positions of the rear of the vehicle body or the like, and periodically drive the vibrating diaphragms to jet/suck air through slits, thereby suppressing separation of airflow generated on the vehicle body to reduce the aerodynamic drag acting on the vehicle.

Apparatus for reducing vehicle aerodynamic drag


A semiconductor device includes a first wiring layer having a first wiring pitch and a second wiring layer having a second wiring pitch that differs from the first wiring pitch. The device further includes a third wiring layer which connects the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer and has a wiring incident angle of less than 45 degrees to at least the first wiring layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having wires that vary in wiring pitch, or wires with a so-called pitch variation. More specifically, the invention relates to a semiconductor memory device including a storage element section and a control circuit section (passive circuit) to control the storage element section, which processes wires routed between the storage element section and the control circuit section whose specifications are reduced more than those of the storage element section.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the formation of wires at a light wavelength (λ) that is the limit of lithography has become essential to semiconductor devices as they increase in density and decrease in size. The following techniques can be adopted to bring a wiring pitch (line/space) close to the limit of lithography in forming wires: the diameter (N) of a lens is increased, an orbicular zone of a lens is used, a translucent mask (half-tone mask) is used, and a phase technology is used. With these techniques, wires can be formed theoretically at the limit of lithography to increase the density of semiconductor devices and decrease the size thereof.
In a peripheral device that controls a semiconductor memory device, especially a peripheral device that is formed simultaneously with a semiconductor memory device, the adoption of the above techniques causes the following phenomenon to appear easily. A wiring short (short circuit) is easy to occur due to a wire whose width is greater than a desired design value and so is a disconnection due to a wire whose width is less than the design value. This phenomenon can be avoided by digitalizing both an optical proximity effect and a wiring processing error in manufacturing a mask and then correcting data of a wiring pattern on the mask (e.g., optical proximity correction, which will be referred to as OPC hereinafter).
In semiconductor memory devices, however, it is very difficult to route wires with pitch variations between a cell of a storage element section and a control circuit section of a decoder, a sense amplifier and the like.
A cell and a control circuit section usually differ in wiring pitch. The reason is as follows. The cell is formed at, e.g., a cell pitch of a processing limit pitch, while the control circuit section is reduced in specifications (design rules) more than the cell and formed at, e.g., a peripheral circuit pitch which is broader than the processing limit pitch. Wires with pitch variations therefore need to be routed between the cell and the control circuit section. In order to increase the density of a semiconductor memory device, the pitch-variation wiring length of wires 101 (the length of oblique leading wires 101a that connect wires 101b toward a cell 103 and wires 101c toward a control circuit section 105) need to be minimized as shown in FIG. 11. The wires 101a should be formed such that their wiring incident angle to the wires 101b is 45 degrees (referred to as 45-degree oblique leading wires hereinafter). This technique has been proposed (see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-329783, for example).
The above routing of wires 101 with pitch variations between the cell 103 and control circuit section 105 is greatly influenced by an optical proximity effect at the time of lithography. This influence becomes larger especially near the connection nodes of the wires 101b and the 45-degree oblique leading wires 101a. As is apparent from the results 102 of processing simulation shown in FIG. 12, the wires 101b toward the cell 103 are partly widened or narrowed more easily than the wires 101c toward the control circuit section 105. The partial variation in the width of the wires (distortion of the shape of the wires) causes a wiring short or a disconnection in some cases and thus decreases the productivity (yield) of semiconductor memory devices.
Conventionally, a wiring pattern 201 was subjected to OPC to unify the shapes of the wires 101 or the 45-degree oblique leading wires 101a were formed to increase in width more than the wires 101b. However, since an enormous amount of data has to be processed in order to form a wiring pattern in manufacturing a mask, it is difficult to do so completely automatically at the present time. In particular, much effort has to be required to form wires with a wiring incident angle other than those of 45-degree and 90-degree oblique leading wires because of constraints of computer aided drafting (referred to as CAD hereinafter).

Semiconductor device having wires that vary in wiring pitch


The invention provides truncated GSK3 polypeptides capable of crystallization, including GSK3α and GSK3β polypeptides, and use of these polypeptides to identify and optimize GSK3 inhibitors. Also provided are GSK3 polypeptides having at least one substituted amino acid that differs from wild-type GSK3, wherein the substituted amino acid is incapable of being phosphorylated. The invention finds use in providing methods of identifying and optimizing compounds useful for treating diseases mediated by GSK3 activity, including Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and inflammation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention provides materials and methods relating to identification and optimization of selective inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), and also relates to methods of treating a condition mediated by GSK3 activity. Such conditions include Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and inflammation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase originally identified as an activity that phosphorylates glycogen synthase as described in Woodgett, Trends Biochem Sci. 16:177–181 (1991). The role in glucose metabolism has been elaborated recently in Summers et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274:17934–17940 (1999). GSK3 consists of two isoforms, α and β, and is constitutively active in resting cells, inhibiting glycogen synthase by direct phosphorylation. Upon insulin activation, GSK3 is inactivated, thereby allowing the activation of glycogen synthase and possibly other insulin-dependent events. GSK3 is inactivated by other growth factors or hormones that, like insulin, signal through receptor tyrosine kinases. Examples of such signaling molecules include IGF-1 and EGF as described in Saito et al., Biochem. J. 303:27–31 (1994), Welsh et al., Biochem. J. 294:625–629 (1993), and Cross et al., Biochem. J. 303:21–26 (1994). GSK3 has been shown to phosphorylate β-catenin as described in Peifer et al., Develop. Biol. 166:543–56 (1994). Other activities of GSK3 in a biological context include GSK3's ability to phosphorylate tau protein in vitro as described in Mandelkow and Mandelkow, Trends in Biochem. Sci. 18:480–83 (1993), Mulot et al., Febs Lett 349: 359–64 (1994), and Lovestone et al., Curr. Biol. 4:1077–86 (1995), and in tissue culture cells as described in Latimer et al., Febs Lett 365:42–6 (1995). Selective inhibition of GSK3/may be useful to treat or inhibit disorders mediated by GSK3 activity.
There is a need in the art for compositions and molecules that bind to or interact with GSK3, thereby mediating GSK3 activity. The invention meets this need by providing crystallizable GSK3 polypeptides useful for design and optimization of GSK3 inhibitors.


A material forms a pattern by applying a photosensitive composition to a base material and drying to form a photosensitive coating and performing exposure and development, and a method for forming the pattern. A photosensitive composition includes water-soluble organic particles, and a solvent, wherein the solvent is a poor solvent for the water-soluble organic particles. Preferably, the water-soluble organic particles of the photosensitive composition includes a polymer which contains a unit structure (A) for forming organic particles, a unit structure (B) for forming interparticle crosslinkage, and a unit structure (C) for imparting dispersibility, and the photosensitive composition further includes a photoacid generator. In addition, the water-soluble organic particles of the photosensitive composition includes a polymer which contains the unit structure (A) for forming organic particles, the unit structure (B) for forming interparticle crosslinkage, the unit structure (C) for imparting dispersibility, and a unit structure (D) having a photoacid generating group.

In the prior art, there is a disclosure regarding a method for preparing organic fine particles, in which a monomer formed of a hydrophilic monomer, a (meth)acrylamide-based monomer, and a crosslinkable unsaturated monomer (for example, a polyacrylate compound) is polymerized in a solvent which dissolves the monomer but does not dissolve the generated polymer (see Patent documents 1 and 2).
In the above documents, the crosslinkable unsaturated monomer is a monomer that causes intramolecular crosslinking, and by the above preparation method, a dispersion of crosslinked particles (polymer) is formed. Among the above monomers, the hydrophilic monomer is considered to exert an effect of causing the generated polymer (fine particles) to stably disperse. The obtained polymer is about 0.03 μm to 1 μm. If a base material is coated with a composition using these hydrophilic organic fine particles, a coating having excellent hydrophilicity can be obtained. Accordingly, use of this composition in a hydrophilizing agent, a liquid crystal spacer, a column filler, a fouling-resistant coating material, and the like is under study.


The present invention relates to a sampler for taking samples from a molten metal bath, particularly a molten steel bath, the sampler comprising:

During the processing of metals in their molten state, it is necessary to obtain a representative sample of the molten metal at various stages of the process, for example, for the analysis or evaluation of either the chemical composition or the metallographic structure of the metal sample. Different methods for analyzing molten metals during manufacturing and further processing are known in the art.
Historically, the composition of a solidified metal sample is often determined using arc spark-optical emission spectroscopy, Spark-OES, equipment. Spark-OES involves exciting atoms of a target sample of which knowledge of the composition is desired, and examining the wavelength of photons emitted by atoms during transition from an excited state to a lower energy state. Each element in the periodic table emits a characteristic set of discrete wavelengths when its atoms return from an excited state to a lower energy state. By detecting and analyzing these wavelengths, the elemental composition of a sample can be determined in accordance with a calibration curve, thereby showing the relationship between the spectral intensity ratio (i.e. absolute radiation power of an element/absolute radiation power of the base metal) and the concentration of the element in the standard sample.
In order to lay flat upon the analysis opening of the spectrometer, the metal sample cannot have any extensions and the analysis surface of the metal sample must be smooth. There can be no part of the sample or sample housing which will break the plane of the analysis surface. The sample must span the analysis opening of the spectrometer and be of sufficient flatness to facilitate inert gas purging of the spark chamber and present a contiguous sample surface toward the anode.
The procedures and processes to obtain a representative analysis of metals are well known in the art as described in In Dulski, T. R. A Manual for the Chemical Analysis of Metals, ASTM International, 1996. Until know, it has been generally believed that the metal sample and the instrumentation used for its analysis are independent of each other and, as such, one does not influence the other.
Conventional sampling devices which provide a coupon or disc of solid metal for use in spectrographic analysis are known. The geometric shape and dimensions of the solidified metal coupons obtained by such sampling devices will sometimes be specific to the type of metal or metallographic need. A general category of samples that are obtained by immersion devices for Spark-OES analysis are samples having a disc or oval shape and a diameter or long length of 28 to 40 mm. Most commonly, such samples have a diameter or long length of about 32 mm and a thickness of 4 to 12 mm. Some samplers, commonly known as lollipop samplers, may produce a differently shape sample, ranging from round to oval or longer, according to the requirements of the user, but most samples still have a diameter or long length of about 32 mm. Other samplers, commonly known as dual thickness samplers, combine two thicknesses within the same sample.
Typical sampling devices designed to obtain samples of molten metal for analysis by Spark-OES include a sample chamber or mold cavity configured to be filled with molten metal upon immersion of the sampling device into the molten metal bath. The molds which delineate the mold cavity or sampling chamber are typically either a two-part clam shell type arrangement or a ring covered on its upper and lower sides by flat plates. Once the sample of metal is solidified, the molds are discarded and the sample is transported to the Spark-OES for analysis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,816 describes this type of expendable immersion sampler, in which both flat surfaces of a disc-like sample are formed by chill-plates to achieve more rapid freezing and a pair of smoother surfaces which require less clean-up prior to analysis. Other prior art patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,117, relate to a similar concept, while U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,401,389 and 5,415,052 provide examples of this metallurgical sample being combined with other sensors, one of which could be a temperature measuring sensor.
Samples produced by conventional sampling devices have a diameter of about 32 mm in a direction parallel to the spectrometer opening and a thickness of 4 to 12 mm in a direction perpendicular to the spectrometer opening. It has been found that a solidified sample of conventional thicknesses requires surface grinding from 0.8 to 5 mm of the as-cast surface, in order to achieve an analysis surface which is free from metal and non-metallic segregation. Conventional samples can only achieve this surface state after preparation processes to produce a geometry that is typically at least 28 mm in diameter in a direction parallel to the spectrometer opening and has a thickness which is typically less than 12 mm in a direction perpendicular to the opening. This after-preparation geometry is often handled by pre-analysis preparation equipment that mechanically grinds the sample surface and is also convenient for handling by robotic manipulators which advance the sample from preparation through analysis and removal to await the next sample.
Eliminating the need for surface preparation shortens the analysis time and is economically favorable to the metal producer. Various solutions to this problem are described in EP3336513A1, EP3336514A1, EP3336512A1, and EP3336511A1. These documents relate to Direct Analysis, DA, samplers which are a newly developed type of molten metal immersion sampler, which produce DA samples. DA samples do not require any kind of surface preparation before being analyzed, and thus can result in significant economic benefit both in terms of the availability of timely chemistry results as well as laboratory time savings by utilizing the OES analysis method. In particular, the aforementioned prior art describes a uniform filling of the sample cavity and rapid chilling of the molten metal sample, such that the entire sample section presented for analysis freezes uniformly, and preferably without surface oxidation. The heat content of the solidifying metal is reduced to bring the sampled metal to near room temperature before it is removed from the sampling chamber molds. The obtained samples have smaller volumes than that described in the prior art, so that unnecessary large sample volumes don't preclude rapid solidification of the molten metal sample. Hence, the samples described in EP3336513A1, EP3336514A1, EP3336512A1, and EP3336511A1 can be analyzed by Spark-OES without surface preparation and thereby potential economic benefit is gained.
DA samplers used for high oxygen applications, such as in a converter process, an Electric Arc Furnace, EAF, process, or during ladle treatment commonly comprise a de-oxidant material. For example, during ladle treatment the steel is deoxidized by means of aluminum or silicon, depending on the grade requirements. In case high oxygen steel is cooled without the addition of de-oxidants, oxygen will be excreted. This excreted oxygen will recombine with the carbon in the liquid steel, forming CO-bubbles. Such reaction can be fairly violent. In case the steel would freeze, these bubbles will be entrapped in the solidified structure.
Therefore, samplers created for use in high oxygen applications need to contain a de-oxidant material. Often an aluminum material is used as de-oxidant material. However, other materials like a zirconium material, and/or a titanium material can be also employed.
The quantity of de-oxidant material in the sampler is typically in the order of 0.2 to 0.3% of the sample mass. Many different ways of adding the de-oxidant material to the sampler are known, most commonly used is a foil in an inflow conduit of the sampler or a type of rivet at the very end of the inflow conduit. The before described methods of adding a de-oxidant material, for example aluminum, are not suited in combination with a period of argon flushing before the sample is filled. The rivet will melt and dissolve in the steel bath before the filling starts. The use of a foil, often applied as an S-shape uses the friction of the aluminum with the quartz tube as fixation. This friction is not sufficient to withstand the force of the purge while the aluminum weakens from the preheating from the bath. The application of a glue or cement to obtain this fixation will influence the analysis output. Tests have shown that the samples showing very high or very low aluminum content, will also show major deviations in other elements to be analyzed, specifically in carbon.
In standard samples, for example lollypop samples, having a typical sample weight of around 100 g there is much more time available for the de-oxidant material to dissolve and these samples will be grinded to a depth of 0.8 mm to generate a clean homogeneous analysis surface. Even in case that the first entering steel might lose some carbon, this steel will be found in a small corner of the sample at the far end away from the entry point. However, a typical DA sample has a mass between 3 and 10 g and shows a thickness of less than 4 mm, mostly around 2 mm. While the samples are very small, the time available, i.e. the filling time, to obtain a homogeneous distribution of the added de-oxidant material in the sample is very short and a high content of de-oxidant material in a layer at the outer surface of the sample is generally found not acceptable. Contributing to the problem is the fact that most high oxygen applications, more specifically converter applications have a very wide temperature and oxygen range. It is very important to obtain good results at the outer end of this application range. One can consider the total temperature range from around 1550° C. up to 1750° C. and the oxygen range from 100 to 2000 ppm. Even values out of this range can appear, but should be considered exceptional. It should also be mentioned that within this application, the sampling process is done by means of an automatic immersion lance. Due to the variance of the process and the wearing of the lining of the vessel, the immersion depth can vary from about 20 cm up to 1 meter. This variance in immersion depths will generate a lot of variance in the filling speed of the sample. A further problem is the fact that these samples are taken during the processing of the steel with the consequence that analysis values can't be compared to other analysis values.
Therefore, a first objective of the invention is to add the de-oxidant material in a way so that the aforementioned problems are avoided.
Also, the known prior art samplers created for use in low oxygen applications suffer from erroneous measurement results due to carbon and hydrogen components, i.e. hydrocarbons, excreted from the glues and cements used for assembling the sample chamber assembly.
Traditionally, the inflow conduit is mounted in a substantially gas-tight manner to the housing of the sample chamber assembly. When the sampler is submerged in molten metal, the immersion end of the inflow conduit is in contact with the molten metal. The material of the inflow conduit, for example a quartz material, will radiate heat to the sample chamber assembly and preheat the mould being formed by cover plate and housing. Components present at this location will start to decompose. Carbon containing components will start to release carbon containing gases that will condense further in the mould. In addition, once the sample chamber is filled, these components will be formed and condense on the surface of the sample. While the sample is targeted as preparation free sample, this condensation will influence the analysis result and result in erroneous carbon readings.
Therefore, a second objective of the invention is to provide a sampler that provides samples from which precise carbon readings can be taken.

Molten metal samplers for high and low oxygen applications

Abstract: a carrier tube having an immersion end;

Abstract: a de-oxidant material arranged along a central axis of the inflow conduit, wherein at least part of the de-oxidant material is arranged near the second end of the inflow conduit inside the measuring head, and wherein the inflow conduit comprises first coupling means, arranged on the second end of the inflow conduit, wherein the de-oxidant material comprises second coupling means, to interact with the first coupling means on the inflow conduit to anchor the de-oxidant material in a position along the central axis of the inflow conduit. The invention also relates to a sampler for taking samples from a molten metal bath, particularly a molten steel bath, the sampler comprising:a carrier tube having an immersion end;a sample chamber assembly arranged on the immersion end of the carrier tube, the sample chamber assembly comprising a cover plate and a housing, wherein the housing comprises an immersion end having an opening;an inflow conduit having a first end for receiving molten metal and a second end, opposite the first end, wherein the second end is in communication with the opening, wherein the opening is configured to receive the molten metal from the inflow conduit;a measuring head, wherein the sample chamber and the second end of the inflow conduit are at least partly arranged in the measuring head; anda metal bushing, wherein the metal bushing coupling the inflow conduit to the sample chamber.


A mobile-communication signal-jamming assembly includes a first portion shaped to fit within a power port of a vehicle and a second portion that at least partially extends from the power port. The assembly includes at least one engagement member that has a retracted position and an extended position that extends outwardly from the first portion and places the engagement member in a coupling arrangement with a portion of the power port of the vehicle. The assembly also includes a locking mechanism operable to selectively move the at least one engagement member from the retracted position to the extended position and a transmitter operable to broadcast radio frequency signals that interfere with at least one of a wireless transmission mode and a wireless reception mode of a mobile communication device proximate to the mobile-communication signal-jamming assembly.

Modern mobile communication devices, such as cellular telephones media players with wireless connections, and other, have provided users with a robust line of applications and abilities. For example, virtually every cellular telephone now provides text messaging capabilities, internet connections, and virtual stores for downloading games and applications, just to name a few.
Utilization of virtually every feature on these devices requires significant time looking at the screen. It is undeniable that the use of these devices, while driving, is distracting to the driver and dangerous to both the driver and those around him or her. For this reason, many states have passed laws banning activities such as texting while driving. Although these laws are in place and most people know the dangerous, texting while driving, surfing the Internet, and other distracting activities are still engaged in by drivers on a regular basis.
One group that is notorious for being distracted while driving are teenagers. With the added component of the above-mentioned mobile devices, many parents are more fearful than ever of allowing their children to drive. One way to ensure children will not, for example, text and drive, is to require them to leave their cellular telephones at home. However, this puts the children in a dangerous situation of not having communicative capabilities. Although, in recent years, there was a time when most drivers did not have cellular telephone capability, they at least had the ability to pull over and utilize a pay telephone. Now, because cellular telephones have become so popular, pay phones have become virtually extinct. In addition, parents cannot prevent their children from using a passenger's mobile device while they drive.
One way to prevent communication, including text and voice, is through use of a wireless signal jammer. Generally, the objective of a wireless signal jammer is to interrupt the availability of the signal in the space of the receiver. They are devices that interfere with radio signals, i.e., any time-varying or spatial-varying quantity. As with other radio jamming, cell phone jammers block cell phone use by sending out radio waves along the same frequencies that cellular phones use. This causes enough interference with the communication between cell phones and towers to render the phones unusable. On most retail phones, the network would simply appear out of range. Most cell phones use different bands to send and receive communications from towers (called frequency division duplexing, FDD). Jammers can work by either disrupting phone-to-tower frequencies or tower-to-phone frequencies. Known handheld models block all bands from 800 MHz to 1900 MHz within about a 30-foot range (9 meters). The radius of cell phone jammers can range from a dozen feet for pocket models to kilometers for more dedicated units.
Currently-available jammers, such as the double and triple band jammers, can block all widely used systems (CDMA, iDEN, GSM, et al.) and are even very effective against newer phones which hop to different frequencies and systems when interfered with. As the dominant network technology and frequencies used for mobile phones vary worldwide, some work only in specific regions such as Europe or North America.
One possible way of preventing mobile communication while in a vehicle is to operate a mobile phone jammer within or on the vehicle, thereby blocking functionality of the driver's mobile device. However, if a jammer is merely placed inside the automobile, the driver could easily remove or disable the device. In addition, if the jammer is not powered by the vehicle, its operation will have to depend on batteries—a power supply that is not always dependable. Permanently installing the jammer, i.e., bolting and/or hardwiring it into the vehicle, requires tools and the aptitude to do so. With most newer automobiles, this would have to be performed by a professional, which is inconvenient and adds significant cost. Modification can also reduce the value of the vehicle.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.

Assembly and method for preventing wireless communication while driving


A laser beam generating apparatus is configured such that a laser beam having a first wavelength obtained by a semiconductor laser containing gallium nitride is led in an external resonator using a nonlinear optical crystal. By allowing the laser beam to pass through the nonlinear optical crystal, an ultraviolet beam having a shorter wavelength is outputted as a laser beam. The wavelength of the ultraviolet beam becomes shorter by keeping the temperature of the nonlinear optical crystal at a low temperature. With this configuration, a laser beam in an ultraviolet region can be efficiently generated with a small apparatus.

The present invention relates to a technique for generating a laser beam in an ultraviolet region with a small apparatus.
To generate a laser beam in an ultraviolet region, for example, having a wavelength of about 200 nm (nanometer), a related art laser beam generating apparatus has been configured to:
(1) generate as a second harmonic of a pigment laser pumped by an excimer laser oscillating at a wavelength in the order of 300 nm and oscillating near 400 nm;
(2) generate as a fourth harmonic of a solid laser such as a titanium-sapphire laser or an alexandorite laser oscillating near at 800 nm; or
(3) generate as a fifth harmonic of an Nd laser (for example, Nd:YAG laser) oscillating at a wavelength of about 1 μm.
Each of the above-described related apparatuses, however, has the following problems in terms of maintenance, efficiency, size, and the like.
In the apparatus described in (1), a gas used for the excimer laser has problems with poison and complicated exchange and the pigment laser has a problem with degraded maintenance. This apparatus, therefore, has a difficulty in industrial applicability.
In the apparatus described in (2), since the solid state laser is used, the maintenance is improved; however, a high output visible light source is required as a pumping source for the titanium-sapphire laser. This apparatus, therefore, has problems that the entire efficiency is low, and that the entire apparatus is enlarged so much.
The apparatus described in (3) requires the generation of a higher harmonic, and therefore, has problems that the final efficiency becomes low even if the efficiency of each stage is made high, and that it is difficult to generate continuous wave of the higher harmonic.
By the way, there has been reported a technique of obtaining a laser beam having a short wavelength by wavelength conversion with non critical phase matching (NCPM) of a BBO (barium borate) crystal. This technique has an advantage that there is no degradation of a rectangular ratio (aspect ratio) of a beam due to a walk off (which is an angle between a wave number and a pointing vector and is an index in the case where an angular difference is present between the normal line of the wave plane and the energy flow; however has a disadvantage in wavelength conversion efficiency. To be more specific, in this case, an effective nonlinear constant d31 is only 1.8% of an effective nonlinear optical constant d22, and since the output is nearly proportional to the square of the effective nonlinear optical constant d31, the wavelength conversion efficiency is low. In particular, in the case of performing wavelength conversion for continuous waves, if the effective nonlinear optical constant is low, there occurs more serious problem because the wavelength conversion efficiency becomes significantly low even if an external resonator is used. Also, in the case of growing the BBO by a flux method, the growth rate is very low, failing to obtain a large-sized crystal having a homogeneous quality, with a result it is difficult to obtain a crystal having a long size. For such a crystal having a short size, an interaction length cannot be made longer, so that the BBO crystal obtained by the flux method is not advantageous in efficiency.


A method and apparatus for dynamically arbitrating, in hardware, requests for a resource shared among multiple clients. Multiple data streams or service requests require access to a shared resource, such as memory, communication bandwidth, etc. A hardware arbiter monitors the streams' traffic levels and determines when one or more of their arbitration weights should be adjusted. When a queue used by one of the streams is filled to a threshold level, the hardware reacts by quickly and dynamically modifying that queue's arbitration weight. Therefore, as the queue is filled or emptied to different thresholds, the queue's arbitration weight rapidly changes to accommodate the corresponding client's temporal behavior. The arbiter may also consider other factors, such as the client's type of traffic, a desired quality of service, available credits, available descriptors, etc.

This invention relates to the field of computer systems. More particularly, a method and apparatus are provided for dynamic, hardware-based arbitration.
Arbitration is employed in computer systems to facilitate fair access to a shared resource among competing consumers. For example, a memory controller may employ arbitration to allow access to shared memory. Or, a network interface (e.g., a network interface circuit or card) may arbitrate between multiple communication streams to enable access to a communication link.
Existing arbitration algorithms, such as round robin and deficit round robin, generally employ fixed arbitration weights or a fixed number of credits. Other arbitration schemes may employ programmable arbitration weights, but rely upon software to monitor the arbitration process, determine when a weight needs to be changed and alter the weight accordingly.
However, the speed of memory access, packet transmission and other resource accesses has increased dramatically since existing arbitration schemes were first put into use. In some circumstances, software simply cannot act fast enough to measure the demands of clients competing for a common resource and assign different arbitration weights. More generally, the software cannot operate fast enough to adjust the arbitration scheme or weights in accordance with the clients' temporal behavior.
For example, the software latency involved in measuring the memory bandwidth needs of multiple clients may be very large in comparison to the duration of a time period during which one or more of the clients' demands experience sharp decreases or increases. The inability of software to keep pace with the clients' behavior can result in consequences such as dropped packets, inefficient memory usage or allocation, and so on.

Method and apparatus for dynamic hardware arbitration


Slab gel cassettes for use in electrophoretic analyzes of biologically-derived mixtures are equipped with features that prevent the plastic walls of the cassettes from bowing outward when gels retained within the cassettes swell, as gels typically do during casting, storage, or both. In certain embodiments, these features are incorporated into, or mate with, the comb-shaped inserts that form the sample wells as the gels are being cast. In other embodiments, these features are complementary features incorporated into both the comb and the cassette.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the field of electrophoresis performed in slab gels. In particular, this invention relates to slab gel cassettes in which the slab gels are retained in enclosures and often stored in buffer solutions until ready for use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a slab gel and the cassette (i.e., the flat-plate enclosure) in which it is cast are immersed in a buffer solution for packaging or storage purposes, the gel tends to absorb water from the buffer solution over time. This uptake of water causes swelling of the gel, and the swelling causes the gel to exert pressure on the plates of the cassette. The pressure causes the plates to bow outward, with the pore size of the gel becoming greater at the center of the gel compared to the edges. When samples are loaded onto the gel and electrophoresis is performed, this variation in pore size causes the solute bands from the sample to migrate faster at their centers, producing an effect on the shapes of the bands known as a "smiling" effect, which increases as the bands migrate greater distances through the gel. This makes reading of the gels difficult and lowers reproducibility and accuracy.
Cassettes that are particularly susceptible to distortion are those in which one or both of the flat plates is made of plastic, and often plastic that is approximately 2.0 mm or less in thickness. While cassettes are available in which one or both plates are made of glass, cassettes in which both plates are plastic offer certain advantages, including ease of manufacture of the plates themselves and ease of sealing the plates to each other along their edges, typically by sonic welding, with appropriate spacers to fix the thickness of the cavity. Electrophoresis "cells" in which the cassettes are placed and that contain electrodes and appropriate electrical connections for imposing an electrical potential along the lengths of the gels are often designed for cassettes of particular sizes which impose an upper limit on the thickness of the cassette walls. Many cassettes are susceptible to distortion for this reason as well.
Another problem that arises in slab gel cassettes is one involving the formation of wells along the upper edge of the gel that are used for the loading of samples onto the gel. These wells are formed by the use of a well-forming insert commonly known as a "comb," which is a bar with dentiform projections, or "teeth," along one longitudinal edge of the bar. The comb is placed on the cassette prior to the casting (polymerization) of the gel with the teeth extending into the cavity to form the wells as the polymerization reaction proceeds. Ideally, the thickness of each of the teeth is equal to the gap width between the flat plates of the gel, so that the final gel will extend upwards between adjacent teeth but not into regions between the fronts or backs of individual teeth and the cassette walls where gel material can make it difficult to remove the comb from the cassette and expose the wells. In practical usage, however, avoidance of gel material in these regions is difficult to achieve, and is more so when these regions widen. The comb is also typically made of a material that inhibits polymerization at its surface, thereby preventing the polymerized gel from adhering to the comb. This is of value since adhesion of the gel makes it difficult to remove the comb without damaging the partitions in the gel that separate the wells. The comb material also inhibits polymerization in the spaces between the teeth of the comb and the cassette plates, but tends to lose its ability to do this when these spaces widen or when combs are used that are off-specification or otherwise thinner than expected. Polymerization in these spaces can also occur when too much polymerization catalyst is present or when copper is present in the monomer solution at a high concentration. The formation of gel material in these spaces is known as "webbing," and interferes with the loading of the samples.
Disclosures of combs designed for use in the casting of electrophoresis gels appear in the following United States patents: Sugimoto et al. (Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,577, Nov. 28, 1989; Bambeck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,918, Mar. 20, 1990; Chu et al. (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,246, Dec. 17, 1991; Bettencourt et al. (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,065, Nov. 17, 1992; Chu et al. (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,565, Feb. 8, 1994; Steiner et al. (Pharmacia Biotech) U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,295, Dec. 1, 1998; Selby et al. (The Perkin-Elmer Corporation) U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,628 (Nov. 30, 1999); Scott (C. B. S. Scientific Co., Inc.) U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,709, Oct. 31, 2000; Latham (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.) U.S. Pat. No. 7,588,673 B2, Sep. 15, 2009; and Perez et al. (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.) U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,827 B2, Feb. 9, 2010.

Dimensional stabilization of slab gel cassettes to prevent distortion caused by swelling gels


An exemplary housing for a turbocharger includes a substantially cylindrical bore having a longitudinal axis, an inner diameter, a proximate end and a distal end; a counterbore positioned at the distal end, substantially centered on the longitudinal axis and having an inner diameter; a plate attachment mechanism at the proximate end for attachment of a plate including an opening substantially centered on the longitudinal axis and having an inner diameter wherein the inner diameter of the cylindrical bore exceeds the inner diameter of the counterbore and the inner diameter of the opening of the plate; and a pin opening to the cylindrical bore positioned substantially at the inner diameter of the bore, the pin opening capable of receiving a pin. Various exemplary bearing cartridges, housings, assemblies, etc., are also disclosed.

The advantages associated with low friction bearings are well known to a multitude of varied industries. High-speed applications with DN (dynamic number) values over 1,000,000 are common place for turbomachinery. These high-speed applications, owing to the fact that rotor imbalance force increases as a square function of rotor speed, require damping. Without damping, transmitted forces through the system would cause many well-known problems such as noise, fretting, loosening of joints, and overall reduced service life. Further, the bearings themselves would have unacceptable life. For these reasons, turbomachinery bearings are not hard mounted within their housings. The skilled rotordynamics design engineer spends the majority of his/her life managing these forces, especially those forces encountered as the rotor goes through its natural frequencies, commonly referred to as "critical speeds".
Most turbochargers that employ a low friction rolling element bearing use two angular contact ball bearings, with each accepting the thrust load in a given axial direction, that are joined together in what is commonly referred to as a "cartridge". In a cylindrical coordinate system a bearing may be defined with respect to axial, radial and azimuthal dimensions. Within a bearing housing, referred to as housing in subsequent text, a cartridge is located axially and azimuthally via one or more mechanisms. For proper functioning, some movement can occur in a radial direction along a radial line typically defined by an azimuthal locating mechanism.
Conventional bearing cartridge and housing assemblies typically rely on an axial thrust load pin to locate the cartridge axially and azimuthally within a housing. Such pins have a limited ability to align the cartridge in a housing and receive most of the thrust load. Consequently, axial thrust load pins can raise serious wear and misalignment issues.
Overall, an industry need exists for rolling element bearings and/or housings that allow for better alignment and/or reduced wear. Various exemplary bearing cartridges and housings presented herein address such issues and optionally other issues.

Retention of ball bearing cartridge for turbomachinery


An arithmetic unit for multiplying and accumulating signed binary data and indicating an occurrence of a signed arithmetic overflow includes a multiplier-accumulator and an overflow flag register. The multiplier-accumulator receives and selectively multiples and accumulates signed binary data, and provides output data representing the multiplied and accumulated data and a sign bit representing its polarity, i.e. positive or negative. The flag register provides two "sticky" flag bits for indicating whether a signed arithmetic overflow (positive or negative) of the multiplied and accumulated data has occurred. The flag bits are "sticky" in that once a flag has been set, it cannot be reset by another arithmetic overflow condition. Instead, it must be specifically reset. The sign bit is used to selectively set one of the two sticky flag bits to a true state to indicate the direction (positive or negative) of the first arithmetic overflow. The sticky flag bits have mutually exclusive true states in that once a flag bit has been set true, the other flag bit cannot be set true until both flag bits have been specifically reset.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to microprocessors and, in particular, to a data processing system architecture that efficiently integrates a low-cost multiply/accumulate unit.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a microprogrammed integrated circuit data processing system 10 includes a central processing unit 12 to manipulate data in accordance with operating software that comprises a set of program instructions. Data and program instructions utilized by the CPU 12 are stored in an associated memory 14. Transfer of instructions and data between the CPU 12 and the memory 14 is implemented by a bus interface mechanism which can be part of the CPU 12. Communication between the system 10 and other systems or peripheral devices is accomplished via an input/output device 16.
The memory 14 is typically organized in words, each containing N bits of information, i.e., instructions or data, and each having an address that specifies its location in the memory 14. The CPU 12 retrieves (reads) or provides (writes) information a word at a time by addressing a storage location in the memory 14 and either reading the word stored in that location or writing new information into that location.
Since accessing memory 14 is a slow process relative to the data processing speed of the CPU 12, as shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 12 usually includes an internal register file 18 comprising a number of its own registers which can be read or written very quickly. Since the register file 18 is internal to the CPU 12, many operations can be carried out by the CPU 12 without accessing the memory 14.
As further shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 12 also includes an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 20 that actually performs the data manipulations specified by the program instructions. The ALU 20 usually receives two operands from the register file 18 via a multiplexor MUX and provides a single result at its output. In some CPU architectures, one of the input operands is always stored in a special internal accumulator register and the result of an ALU operation is always written into this accumulator register.
The CPU 12 also typically includes a shifter 22 for shifting the contents of an internal register, or as shown in FIG. 2, the output of the ALU 20, one or more bits in either direction to provide multiply and divide capability.
Thus, the CPU 12 includes all of the elements necessary to perform all arithmetic and logical data manipulations specified by a program instruction.
To implement a flow of program instructions, that is, to execute the microprocessor's operating program, the CPU 12 relies on a program counter (PC) 24 and its associated control logic to retrieve a series of program instructions and associated data from memory 14. The program counter 24 may simply increment itself through a sequence of program instruction addresses or modify the normal flow of program instructions by responding to special conditions which cause the program counter to "jump" or "branch" to instruction subroutines that depend on the special condition.
In a microprogrammed processor, the actual execution of a particular program instruction is accomplished by performing a specific sequence of microinstructions. Each microinstruction provides the control signals needed to set the ALU 20 to perform a corresponding "micro-operation" and specifies the next microinstruction in the microinstruction sequence for that program instruction.
In some applications, the processor's instruction set includes a program instruction that initiates a microinstruction sequence for performing a series of repetitive math operations to sample or condition data. For example, in so-called digital signal processing (DSP) applications, the processor recovers digital data from a modulated analog input signal utilizing a filtering technique that includes iterative multiply and accumulate steps based on the number of "taps" included in the filter.
A typical DSP multiply-accumulate microinstruction sequence is shown in FIG. 3. First, data is fetched from a sample buffer. Next, filter tap coefficient data is fetched from a coefficient memory. The retrieved data sample (multiplier) and the coefficient (multiplicand) are then multiplied and the resulting product term is added to an accumulating register. The memory pointers are then incremented to repeat the procedure for each filter tap, with product terms being accumulated throughout the procedure to provide a final filter output. The faster the filter throughput, the faster the data can be recovered.
In one prior art approach, the Texas Instruments TI320 DSP Microprocessor, a very fast multiply/accumulate instruction is incorporated into the processor's instruction set. This instruction allows the processor to fetch data, perform the math operations and manage the sample/coefficient memory fast enough to permit practical use of the TI320 processor in DSP applications.
A recognized improvement to the Texas Instruments approach is to add a circular buffer manager unit to the processor. This speeds up the microprocessor by off-loading responsibility for data management.
A circular buffer can be implemented in a number of ways. One popular technique utilizes a set of registers pointing to corresponding locations in memory. One pointer points to the active filter tap sample; this is a dynamic pointer that sequences to the next sample after each multiply operation. A second pointer points to the top of the sample stack. A third pointer points to the bottom of the stack. The circular buffer manager keeps track of the active sample pointer. When the active sample pointer matches the third pointer, it is reloaded to the top of the stack.
It would, however, be desirable to have available a microprocessor that implements a multiply/accumulate function with as few clock cycles as possible for a reasonable hardware cost.


A gaming device with orbs for the generation of a greater number of results is disclosed. The device draws out numbers in a single playing cycle in various games where a greater number of orbs are used and the result depends on the numbers that are marked in the openings by randomly laying orbs. The balls are, as a rule, of two dimensions—wherein the balls with the smaller dimensions are in the game for reasons of better scattering and greater attractiveness, while the balls with the greater diameter that represent the result or the drawn numbers are retained in random holes on the plate of the cylinder with the help of the offset plate of the cylinder.

A problem with gaming devices that select a random set of balls is that these devices do not quickly and efficiently scatter the balls, position the balls, select each set, and then preparation for a new game. A reduction of time needed for the drawing of the random set of balls and in a manner that makes the game faster and more attractive to the gamers.
There are a large number of constructions of gaming devices and appliances which make possible the selection of random numbers with the help of stranding the balls or orbs in the marked openings.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,007, for example, describes the construction of a device with one orb which is mounted below a screen with holes. By randomly occupying individual holes marked with numbers, a hit is enabled. The draw back of this device is, in addition to the number of results in a single game being small, the device does not have a simple mechanism provided for the repeated setting up of the device for the next game, thus making this device inappropriate for a large number of players.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,822 describes a game where a number of orbs are thrown onto a disc-shaped playing surface with unconnected marked openings. The orbs are then scattered with a special revolving object (a peg top) into the unconnected marked openings each having a different value. This solution is also inappropriate for a large number of players.
The gaming device described in the EP Patent Document No. 1,533,009 features a construction solution in the shape of a box which has stranding mechanisms made on the bottom playing surface that accept the balls or the orbs and laying openings on the top of the playing surface that are covered with special valves that open during the evacuation of the device and enable the drawing out of the balls or orbs—for example, by using a magnet stick with metal orbs.
All the described solutions are designed as gaming devices for a small number of players and are generally inappropriate for a large number of players typical of casino environments.

Gaming device and method of use with balls of differing diameters


The present invention provides Leuconostoc mesenteroides NTM048 strain deposited under accession No. NITE BP-1519, or a mutant strain thereof or a processed bacterium thereof, and a lactobacillus preparation and an immunity (particularly intestinal immunity) stimulant, containing the lactobacillus or a processed bacterium thereof.

The intestinal immune organ is generically referred to as gut-associated lymphatic tissue (GALT), and mainly constituted of Peyer's patch, mesenteric lymph node and intestinal epithelium. Foreign substances (antigen) such as pathogens and the like that invaded the intestine are incorporated into M cells of Peyer's patch, and presented to T cells by antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cell and the like present in Peyer's patch. Simultaneously, B cells also recognize the antigen, and class switching from IgM+ B cells to IgA+ B cells occurs by cytokine stimulation to finally become plasma cells that secrete immunoglobulin A (hereinafter to be referred to as "IgA").
The number of intestine-specific IgA producing cells is about 70-80% of the plasma cells present in the whole body, and IgA secreted from the plasma cells afford infection defense such as inhibition of attachment of pathogens to the mucosal epithelial cells, neutralization of toxins and enzymes produced from pathogens by IgA binding thereto and the like. Therefore, it is highly important to activate intestinal immunity by IgA production to maintain balance of the immunity.
In recent years, the number of patients having allergic diseases is rapidly increasing. Such patients tend to show a decrease in the intestinal mucosal immunity, and therefore, the enhancement (development) of intestinal mucosal immunity is considered to highly possibility lead to the prophylaxis thereof.
As bacteria having an IgA production promoting ability and capable of enhancing intestinal immunity, Lactobacillus plantarum AYA strain (patent document 1), Lactobacillus gasseri strain (patent document 2) and the like have been reported.
Lactobacillus is isolated from various plants such as raw vegetable, pickles and the like and added to foods, drinks and the like as a probiotic. However, since reports of lactobacillus having an IgA production promoting ability and capable of activating the intestinal immunity are limited to the above-mentioned documents and the like, provision of a new lactobacillus having a high IgA production promoting ability has been desired.


The present invention relates to a method for self-collecting intravaginal sample for HPV test. The self-collecting intravaginal sample apparatus of the present invention comprises: an open end part, a closed end part, a tube providing an inner space that a finger could enter to insert an apparatus into women's vagina, a collecting part collecting intravaginal sample and attached outer surface of the closed end of the tube, and a turner preventing the collecting part being contaminated from an outer contaminant; wherein the collecting part collects a sample from the vagina by turning over the tube inside out so that collecting part may place inside of the tube.

The present invention disclosed herein relates to an apparatus for HPV test, but in more detail it relates to a method and apparatus for self-collecting intravaginal sample for HPV test by inserting an apparatus herself.
Human papilloma virus; HPV has been a main cause of the uterine cervical cancer. The uterine cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer by 10.1% among frequent cancer caused in women and when it includes epithelium cancer, it takes the first cancer as 22.3%. Every year, over 7,000 patients are occurred from this cancer and it is the most important cancer among Korean women as it occurs for 26.5 subject women out of 10,000 subject women. To decrease death rate caused by the uterine cervical cancer, an early diagnosis is required. Typical method to test uterine cervical test is a pap smear, which inserts a tool such as swab or cyto-brush into woman's vagina to collect sample, or a traditional method colposcopy. Although there are so many disadvantages of these methods there is no other method so these methods has been used until now.
However, since cervical cancer HPV test can only be tested by vising obstetrics and gynecology, a lot of women especially young women feel shame so they hesitate to take HPV test which leads to missing an early treatment. Also, when inserting a sample collecting apparatus in women's vagina could damage inner wall of the vaginal or cause pain by stimulating inner wall of the vaginal. After collecting sample from the vagina and during taking out the sample outside of the vagina, it could contaminate the collected sample by other secretion of inner side of the vagina.

Method and apparatus for self-collecting intravaginal sample for HPV test


A counter status that is allocated to a communication terminal and a base station is usually deleted when the storage space in the respective base station is used up. To address this, the counter status is saved in an additional communication network element when a predefinable criterion is met, and can thus be retrieved.

The invention relates to a method for managing a counter status.
To promote the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless communication networks, several interested parties have amalgamated to form the so-called WiMax Forum (www.wiMaxforum.org). One objective of this forum is to create a standard which allows mobile communication terminals to be able to access different communication networks.
Provision is made here for a pairwise master key to be set up during a network registration of a communication subscriber, for instance according to the extensible authentication protocol. An authentication key which differs for each pair comprising a communication terminal and a base station is derived from this pairwise master key. This authentication key is used for Management messages for instance. With each communication process, in other words either when sending a message from the communication terminal to the base station or when receiving a message through the communication terminal from the base station (Uplink/Downlink), a counter status allocated to this authentication key is increased. This counter status is thus unique to a certain pair comprising a communication terminal and a base station and can thus be used to ensure the authenticity of the communication terminal. This is used for instance to safeguard against replay attacks, in which an unauthorized user could input intercepted messages into the communication network again.
The base station stores the allocated counter status for each authentication key in order to manage this counter status. Since the storage space for storing these counter statuses on a base station is however limited, it may be necessary to delete a counter status. Furthermore, the counter status may also get lost in another way, like data loss for instance. In this instance a handover, in other words a passing over of a communication link from one base station to another base station using the current pairwise master key is no longer possible, since otherwise replay attacks may not be ruled out. A renewed authentication by the extensible authentication protocol must thus be carried out in order to set up a new pairwise master key and finally to be able to derive new authentication keys once again from this. This results in delays and increased signaling, since such a renewed authentication is not carried out locally, but instead including the AAA server (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) in the home network of the communication terminal.

Method for managing a counter status allocated to a pair comprising a communication terminal and a base station