An ion elution unit generates metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes. Terminals are formed integrally to the electrodes. An interval between the electrodes becomes narrower from an upstream side to a downstream side with respect to a water current flowing through an inside of a casing of the ion elution unit. Terminals that are so laid as to run from the electrodes out of a casing of the ion elution unit are disposed on an upstream side with respect to a water current flowing through an inside of the casing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion elution unit for eluting metal ions having an antimicrobial effect into water, and also relates to an appliance, in particular a washer, that uses water mixed with metal ions generated by such ion elution unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
When laundry is washed in a washer, it is common to add a treatment substance to water, in particular, to rinsing water. Typical examples of such treatment substances include softening and starching agents. In addition to these, in recent years, the demand has been increasing for treatment whereby laundry is subjected to antimicrobial treatment.
From the hygienic point of view, it is desirable to hang laundry in the sun to dry. However, in recent years, with the increase in the number of women who go to work, and with the increase in the number of nuclear families, there have been an increasing number of households where no one is at home in the daytime. In these households, there is no choice but to hang laundry indoors to dry. Even in households where someone is at home in the daytime, in a rainy weather, there is no choice but to hang laundry indoors to dry.
As compared with hanging laundry in the sun to dry, hanging it indoors tends to promote growth of bacteria and mold in laundry. This tendency is marked particularly when it takes time to dry laundry, as when humidity is high, such as in a rainy season, or when temperature is low. As the amount of bacteria and mold increases, laundry may become smelly. For this reason, in households where there is usually no choice but to hang laundry indoors to dry, there is a high demand for antimicrobial treatment of textile articles for the purpose of suppressing growth of bacteria and mold.
Nowadays, many clothes are available that have previously been treated with antimicrobial/deodorizing or antifungal treatment. However, it is difficult to replace all the textile articles in a household with those previously treated with antimicrobial/deodorizing treatment. Moreover, even with such textile articles, as they are washed repeatedly, the efficacy of antimicrobial/deodorizing treatment wears off.
Conceived under these circumstances was the idea of treating laundry with antimicrobial treatment every time it is washed. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. H5-74487 discloses an electric washer furnished with an ion generator that generates metal ions, such as silver ions or copper ions that exert a sterilizing effect. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-93691 discloses a washer that generates an electric field with which to sterilize cleaning fluid. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-276484 discloses a washer furnished with a silver ion adding unit that adds silver ions to cleaning water.

Ion eluting unit and device loaded with same


A method of forming a tungsten nucleation layer using a sequential deposition process. The tungsten nucleation layer is formed by reacting pulses of a tungsten-containing precursor and a reducing gas in a process chamber to deposit tungsten on the substrate. Thereafter, reaction by-products generated from the tungsten deposition are removed from the process chamber. After the reaction by-products are removed from the process chamber, a flow of the reducing gas is provided to the process chamber to react with residual tungsten-containing precursor remaining therein. Such a deposition process forms tungsten nucleation layers having good step coverage. The sequential deposition process of reacting pulses of the tungsten-containing precursor and the reducing gas, removing reaction by-products, and than providing a flow of the reducing gas to the process chamber may be repeated until a desired thickness for the tungsten nucleation layer is formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method of forming tungsten layers and, more particularly forming tungsten layers using a pulsed nucleation deposition process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits have evolved into complex devices that can include millions of components (e.g., transistors, capacitors and resistors) on a single chip. The evolution of chip designs continually requires faster circuitry and greater circuit density. The demands for greater circuit density necessitate a reduction in the dimensions of the integrated circuit components as well as improved layer uniformity.
In particular, metal layers, such as those used for interconnect, contact, and plug fill applications, are subject to increasingly stringent requirements related to step coverage and layer uniformity. Tungsten layers, for example, are particularly difficult to deposit with uniform step coverage. Typically, tungsten layers are formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using a two step process. A bulk tungsten layer is typically deposited by reacting tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) with hydrogen (H2) on a substrate. In order to reduce the time required to initiate the reaction between the tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) and the hydrogen (H2) (i.e., reduce the "incubation time"), a nucleation layer is typically deposited prior to depositing the bulk tungsten layer. Unfortunately, the nucleation layer, typically deposited by reacting tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) with silane (SiH4), has sub-optimal step coverage. As a result, voids may form in the tungsten nucleation layer during deposition, adversely impacting the electrical performance of devices fabricated therefrom.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a method of depositing a tungsten nucleation layer with improved step coverage.

Pulsed nucleation deposition of tungsten layers


A method of detecting motion vectors within a predetermined search range for motion-compensation predictive coding is disclosed. The method includes the steps of searching for first motion vectors between two frames which are separated from each other in a time dimension by a first frame distance, selecting a second frame distance of two frames between which picture motion is represented by second motion vectors, making a check whether the predetermined search range covers a predetermined percentage of the second motion vectors, the check using the first motion vectors as estimates of the second motion vectors after compensation for a difference between the first frame distance and the second frame distance, and deciding, based on results of the check, whether to increase a frame distance for prediction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to motion-vector search methods, and particularly relates to a motion-vector search method used for inter-frame predictive coding of image information.
Image-information-compression coding schemes include internationally-standardized H.261 and H.262, MPEG1 (moving picture experts group 1) and MPEG2 (moving picture experts group 2) among others. These compression coding schemes employ various compression processes such as DCT (discrete cosine transform) motion-compensation inter-frame prediction, etc. Effective enhancement of these compression processes is expected to bring about an improvement in overall compression rates of these schemes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image-information-compression coding schemes include inter-frame predictive coding which draws on redundancy in a time dimension to achieve compression. In using this inter-frame predictive coding MPEG1 and MPEG2 can handle both a forward prediction and a backward prediction. The forward prediction detects changes between a previous frame and a current frame, and generates the current frame based on the previous frame.
FIG. 1A is an illustrative drawing for explaining the forward prediction.
As shown in FIG. 1A, picture movement between a current frame, which is to be forwardly predicted, and a reference frame (previous frame) is detected within a predetermined range defined for motion-vector search. Then, parts of the picture showing no movement are provided with zero motion vectors, and parts of the picture showing some movement are provided with corresponding motion vectors. These motion vectors are used for coding.
FIG. 1B is an illustrative drawing for explaining the motion-vector search. As shown in FIG. 1B, a given frame is divided into a plurality of blocks B.sub.1, B.sub.2, . . . Each of these blocks is separately subjected to subsequent DCT and quantization processes. In a motion-vector-search process, a given block B.sub.N of a forwardly-predicted frame is searched for in the reference frame within the motion-vector-search range. Namely, a block B'.sub.N having the highest correlation with the block B.sub.N is detected within the motion-vector-search range of the reference frame. As shown in FIG. 1B, movement of the block B.sub.N is then represented by a motion vector M.sub.N. At subsequent stages, a differential between the block B.sub.N and the block B'.sub.N is obtained by aligning these two blocks, and is subjected to the DCT and quantization processes. Results thus obtained and the motion vector M.sub.N are transmitted, stored, etc., as a part of coded pictures. The same processes are applied to all the blocks shown in FIG. 1B
In the forward prediction of FIG. 1A, the larger the motion-vector-search range, the longer the detectable motion displacement, thereby providing higher compression rates. However, a larger motion-vector-search range requires a longer processing time.
A bidirectional prediction generates the current frame based on a previous frame (past frame) and a subsequent frame (future frame). FIG. 2 is an illustrative drawing for explaining the bidirectional prediction. As shown in FIG. 2, the current frame is coded by using a backward motion vector and a forward motion vector which are obtained based on a backward reference frame and a forward reference frame. Assuming the same motion-vector-search-range size, the directional prediction has a higher prediction efficiency than does the forward prediction. Since the directional prediction suffers from twice the processing load, however, it is a general practice to reduce the size of the motion-vector-search range by half for the directional prediction.
Pictures coded based on the forward prediction are called P-pictures (predictive pictures), and pictures coded based on the directional prediction are called B-pictures bidirectionally predictive pictures). Also, pictures coded by intra-frame coding are called I-pictures (intra pictures). MPEG1 and MPEG2 employ a coding scheme which combines the intra-frame coding, the forwardly-predictive coding, and the directionally-predictive coding together, so that a picture sequence can be represented as IBBPBBPBB . . . IBBPBBPBBP . . . , for example.
In the inter-frame predictive coding of the related art, a fixed inter-frame distance is used for motion-vector search. (The inter-frame distance refers to a time distance between frames.) When an inter-frame distance is short for the forward prediction and the motion-vector-search range is relatively large, for example, some motion-vector-search process is likely to be wasted by searching in excess of a maximum range of actually existing picture motions. Also, the inter-frame predictive coding of the related art uses a fixed number of bidirectionally-predictive-coded frames. An increase in the number of these frames may result in a situation where the motion-vector-search range for the forward prediction is not sufficiently large. In this case, the prediction efficiency is decreased.
Accordingly, there is a need for a motion-vector-search method which enhances prediction efficiency by optimizing an inter-frame distance for the motion-vector search in accordance with picture characteristics.

Method and device for detecting motion vectors


A cooling system used in an X-ray generator having a cathode and anode that includes a target having a focal spot, wherein heat is generated in the anode and focal spot during operation of the X-ray generator. The system includes a heat transfer element attached to the anode wherein the heat transfer element includes a plurality of fin elements that transfer heat from the anode to surrounding air to cool the anode. The system also includes a liquid channel formed in the anode, wherein the liquid channel includes a cooling liquid. The liquid channel is located adjacent the target wherein heat from the focal spot is transferred to the cooling liquid to cool the focal spot wherein the heat transfer element, liquid channel and anode are unistructurally formed. Further, the cooling system includes a circulation pump that moves the cooling liquid in the liquid channel.

X-rays are typically generated in an X-ray tube having a cathode and a metal anode located in a vacuum chamber. In order to generate X-rays, an electric current is applied to a filament in the cathode that causes the filament to emit electrons. An electric potential applied between the cathode and anode then accelerates the electrons so that the electrons impinge, or collide, on a target surface of the anode to cause the generation of X-rays. The X-rays are then transmitted through an X-ray window of the tube for use in medical imaging, therapeutic radiology and other known uses. The electrons collide on an area of the target surface of the anode known as the focal spot. Less than approximately 1% of the collisions result in the generation of X-rays. More often, the collisions generate substantial amounts of heat in the anode. It is important that the heat generated in the anode is removed so that the X-ray tube is not damaged or otherwise compromised.
In medical X-ray systems, it is frequently desirable to utilize a relatively small focal spot in order to improve resolution of an image, for example. Thus, the removal of heat from the anode becomes more important as the size of the focal spot is reduced. With respect to medical X-ray systems using a stationary anode, a separate cooling system is utilized that pumps cooling liquid through the X-ray tube in order to remove heat from the anode. The cooling liquid is then pumped through a relatively large external liquid-to-air heat exchanger that is used in conjunction with a fan that blows cooling air over the heat exchanger surface to remove heat. This type of cooling system increases the cost, complexity, size and weight (for example, up to 2000 lbs.) of the overall X-ray system. In addition, the use of such cooling systems limits the peak power, peak scan duration, and inter-scan cooling times of the X-ray system.
Other medical X-ray systems utilize a cooling arrangement wherein a heatsink is directly attached to the anode portion of the X-ray tube. Heat from the anode is transferred to the heatsink which is then cooled by blowing cooling air over heatsink. However, this type of cooling arrangement limits the maximum power level available for generating X-rays and results in undesirable recovery times.

Hybrid air and liquid X-ray cooling system comprising a hybrid heat-transfer device including a plurality of fin elements, a liquid channel including a cooling liquid, and a circulation pump


An electrode (110) is provided that may be used in an electrochemical device (100) such as an energy storage/discharge device, e.g., a lithium-ion battery, or an electrochromic device, e.g., a smart window. Hydrothermal techniques and vacuum filtration methods were applied to fabricate the electrode (110). The electrode (110) includes an active portion (140) that is made up of electrochemically active nanoparticles, with one embodiment utilizing 3d-transition metal oxides to provide the electrochemical capacity of the electrode (110). The active material (140) may include other electrochemical materials, such as silicon, tin, lithium manganese oxide, and lithium iron phosphate. The electrode (110) also includes a matrix or net (170) of electrically conductive nanomaterial that acts to connect and/or bind the active nanoparticles (140) such that no binder material is required in the electrode (110), which allows more active materials (140) to be included to improve energy density and other desirable characteristics of the electrode. The matrix material (170) may take the form of carbon nanotubes, such as single-wall, double-wall, and/or multi-wall nanotubes, and be provided as about 2 to 30 percent weight of the electrode (110) with the rest being the active material (140).

Energy storage requirements continue to grow as the electronic, portable power, and energy infrastructure industries expand and transition away from more historic non-renewable energy supplies. For example, there has been a renewed interest in batteries and other energy storage devices for use in electric and hybrid automobiles, and this has been caused, in part, by volatile oil costs and the possibility of catastrophic climate change that has greatly pushed scientific attention toward the development of electrical and hybrid vehicles powered by rechargeable batteries, e.g., rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that may be powered with electricity from renewable sources. Similarly, there is ongoing research in ways to make lighter and more efficient batteries for electronic devices ranging from portable computers to cellular phones and other wireless communication devices.
General goals for battery manufacturers include providing long life and significant power levels with the least amount of weight while also providing a recharging functionality. More specifically, one of the most critical parameters for new energy storage technologies and designs is the demand for higher energy densities (i.e., energy storage per unit of battery or storage device weight). Additionally, there is growing concern over potential long term environmental impacts of product manufacture and use, and, the energy storage industry continues to search for storage devices that can make use of environmentally benign or green materials while still providing desirable energy densities. Unfortunately, many existing electrode materials that have high durable capacities and good rate capability are expensive and/or are toxic. Furthermore, improved energy density and rate capabilities are still demanded by the battery and other energy storage industries such as for battery designs facilitating a successful deployment of a fleet of electric vehicles. Hence, there remains a need for electrodes fabricated from abundant and nontoxic elements with durable high-reversible capacity and highly improved rate capability.
In the search for electrode materials for electrochemical devices such as batteries, smart windows, and the like, many efforts have centered on materials with structures that can intercalate small cations without major structural changes occurring. For example, lithium-on batteries are one of the most prevalent energy storage devices for portable electronics and for vehicles because these batteries offer relatively high energy densities and longer lifespans than comparable technologies. Lithium-ion batteries utilizing existing technologies and electrode design have sufficient specific energy and power densities to meet some targets for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) for up to a 40 mile range.
However, significant improvements in lifetimes of batteries along with reductions in costs and use of less toxic electrode materials are needed before lithium-ion batteries are employed fully in the transportation industry. Increasing energy density of electrode materials, for example, is desirable to support use of electrochemical devices such as lithium-ion batteries being used in fully electric vehicles. Note, also, that materials for electrochromic applications and devices are required to meet many of the same criteria as called for in batteries, and the following description may use the word electrochemical device to apply to nearly any electric device with an electrode such as a battery or an electrochromic device.
With reference to some exemplary electrode research or design efforts, three-d-transition metal oxides (Fe2O3, Fe3O4, MOo3, CoO, NiO, and the like) are capable of Li+ insertion/extraction in excess of 6 Li+ per formula unit, resulting in a larger reversible capacity than commercially employed graphite. For example, the specific capacity of metal oxide anodes can be over 1000 mAh/g, which is approximately three times higher than that of graphitic carbons. Differing from the intercalation mechanism occurring with graphite, the 3d transition metal oxides are reduced in a conversion reaction to small metal clusters, and the oxygen reacts with the lithium to form Li2O. In general, this leads to volumetric expansion and destruction of the structure upon electrochemical cycling, which, for bulk particles, typically results in capacity loss during cycling, even at very low rates.
It has also been reported, for example, that MoO3 nanoparticles that react with approximately 5.7 Li ions may lead to an electrode with a durable reversible capacity as high as 1050 mAh/g. Additionally, an Fe3O4-based Cu nano-architectured electrode has been developed that allowed for small diffusion paths and better electrical and mechanical contact by using a Cu-nanopillar current collector, enabling improved rate capability. Various groups have also reported the use of metal oxides with optimal sizes and carbon nanostructures or nanostructures with carbon-modified surfaces to improve reversible capacity and rate capability. Highly dispersed Fe3O4 nanocrystals have been used in a carbon matrix that provided an electrode that had a reversible capacity of about 600 mAh/g at 0.1C rate. "C" represents "charge rate" signifying a charge or discharge rate equal to the capacity of a battery divided by one (1) hour. Further studies have shown electrodes formed with carbon/Fe3O4 composite nanofibers fabricated with an electro-spinning technique had a reversible capacity of 1007 mAh/g at 0.1C and 623 mAh/g at 2C rate. While these efforts have shown improvements in electrode technologies, these designs have not been widely adopted as there remains a need for even higher energy densities and other improvements in electrodes before such electrodes will be implemented by the transportation and other industries. For example, electrodes formed of more green materials are needed with high reversible capacities and improved rate capabilities as well as desirable energy densities.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Method of fabricating electrodes including high-capacity, binder-free anodes for lithium-ion batteries


With respect to a first wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), at least one WTRU near the periphery of other cells is determined. Out of the at least one WTRU near the periphery, at least one WTRU nearby that WTRU is determined. The first WTRU codes are provided of the at least one nearby WTRU. A contribution of the at least one nearby WTRU is canceled from a received signal at a first WTRU, producing an interference canceled signal. Data of the first WTRU is detected from the interference canceled signal.

Cross cell interference is a problem in wireless communication systems. FIG. 1 is an illustration of cross cell interference. As illustrated, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) 241 is located at the periphery of cell 1 261 and another WTRU 242 is located near that WTRU 241 at the periphery of another cell, cell 2 262. The WTRU 241 of cell 1 261 transmits an uplink communication U1 to its base station 201 and the WTRU 242 of cell 2 262 is receiving a downlink communication, D2, from its base station 202. If the uplink communication U1 and the downlink communication D2 are sent in the same spectrum and at the same time, the uplink communication U1 interferes with the downlink communication D2's reception. Typically, to overcome the interference in its downlink communications, the WTRU 242 will request an increase in transmission power from its base station 202. The increase in transmission power results in increased interference to other WTRUs in and outside its cell 262.
An alternative method of link adaptation is adaptive modulation and coding (AM&C), in which coding and modulation are adjusted to reduce the information data rate in the presence of inter-cellular interference. AM&C decreases the data throughput in the affected WTRU.
In many wireless communication systems, techniques for reducing interference within a cell are employed. Some of these approaches include successive interference cancellers (SICs), parallel interference cancellers (PICs) and multi-user detectors (MUDs). Although these techniques are effective at canceling the intra-cell interference, they treat inter-cell interference as noise.
Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce inter-cell interference.


A disaster security resource calculation method includes obtaining disaster prevention data of a place to be evaluated and loss assessment data of the place in a disaster scenario, and determining disaster security resources required by the place to be evaluated in the disaster scenario using a preset calculation model according to the disaster prevention data and the loss assessment data. The disaster prevention data includes environmental information, item information, and personnel information.

More and more enterprise users create security accounts, which are kept by partners of the enterprise in case a disaster occurs. When a disaster occurs in the enterprise, resources in the security accounts will be transferred to the enterprise according to a preset ratio. Calculation of the amount of required security resources to be stored in the security accounts is very important. However, the existing calculation method of disaster security resources is inefficient and unintelligent.

Disaster security calculation method, and user terminal and non-transitory medium implementing same

Fulian Precision Electronics (Tianjin) Co., LTD.


A method of processing a plurality of replies of target aircraft provided in response to interrogation signals from the surveillance aircraft during surveillance periods to determine whether an altitude track may be initialized for use in a traffic alert and collision avoidance system includes the step of selecting three replies, one from each of three consecutive surveillance periods. The replies have binary or coded altitude data of high or low confidence. The binary or coded altitude data of non-adjacent and adjacent replies of the selected replies are compared and an altitude difference value for each of the comparisons is generated. Further efforts to initialize a track are discarded if any of the altitude difference values are greater than first predetermined separated altitudes if and only if such compared non-adjacent and adjacent replies have binary or coded altitude data of high confidence. The binary or coded altitude data of the non-adjacent and adjacent replies are further compared whether or not the replies have binary data of low or high confidence to determine whether an altitude track may be initialized. The process applies if the altitude data is Gilham code, binary, or other encoded data with single bit errors.

The increased demands placed on an aircraft flight crew as a result of more complex technology, ever increasing aircraft traffic, and increased demands for safety has brought about a requirement for monitoring aircraft traffic in the vicinity of an aircraft. Such monitoring includes the automatic identification of potential threats to a surveillance aircraft monitoring target aircraft in such vicinity. As a result, aircraft have transponders which in response to appropriate interrogation signals generate reply signals that may provide information with respect to the range, altitude and bearing of the target aircraft. Certain traffic control system transponders, such as the Mode S system include unique aircraft identifiers so that each aircraft is interrogated separately and each reply is stamped with the identity of the target aircraft. This significantly simplifies surveillance processing by the surveillance aircraft.
In systems such as the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System, (ATCRBS), which do not include unique aircraft identifiers in reply to interrogation signals, the determination of tracks representative of target aircraft from the processing of such replies is more difficult. The information obtained from the replies provided by the target aircraft in response to periodic interrogation of target aircraft by the surveillance aircraft during surveillance periods may contain range, altitude and bearing information. Such information is subjected to algorithms in a TCAS to provide a target aircraft track. Once a track is identified and initialized, then the track can be updated and stabilized while continually monitoring the track to determine if the target aircraft represented by the track is a threat to the surveillance aircraft.
Track determination is complicated for several reasons generally involving multipath and spurious target aircraft replies. A surveillance aircraft transmits an interrogation signal to target aircraft whereupon a transponder in the target aircraft provides a reply signal containing encoded data. Numerous replies from a single target aircraft can be received by the surveillance aircraft due to ground reflection and other replies may be false due to electromagnetic interference or other effects. Three replies in consecutive surveillance periods meeting various requirements, such as range requirements and altitude requirements, are utilized to initiate a track. In the case of Mode S transponder equipped target aircraft, such Mode S aircraft are identified by reception of squitters therefrom. If the surveillance aircraft received squitters indicating that the new target aircraft should be tracked, then interrogations are sent by the surveillance aircraft and replies are provided by the target aircraft with identifiers to provide for tracking. Therefore, target aircraft track initialization processes utilizing reply information as opposed to Mode S identifiers relate only to the initialization of tracks for target aircraft utilizing ATCRBS transponders.
One track initialization method which relates only to the altitude requirements for initializing an altitude track for target aircraft is suggested in Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Airborne Equipment manual document No. DO-185 by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) which governs the operation of aircraft collision avoidance apparatuses. The MOPS method includes use of an altitude correlation table to determine whether three replies from three consecutive surveillance periods correlate such that the altitude requirements for initializing a track are satisfied and for determining the initial altitude of such a track if initialized. The replies contain eleven bits of Gilham altitude data. The three altitude replies are said to correlate if they meet certain requirements implying that they are likely to be from the same intruder. The eleven bits of Gilham altitude data are used to determine the altitude from each reply of a target aircraft. Each altitude bit from each reply also has an associated confidence level, either high or low.
The MOPS initialization table groups corresponding altitude bits from each of the three replies, one from each surveillance period, along with their confidence levels to produce a table of 64 possible output combinations of altitude bits and bit agreement. The 11 bits are D2, D4, A1, A2, A4, B1, B2, B4, C1, C2, and C4. If the table produces bit agreement on all eight D, A and B bits or if it produces bit agreement on seven of the D, A and B bits and on at least one of the C bits, then the three replies correlate and according to the altitude requirements, a track may be initialized if other requirements such as range requirements are satisfied. Since each group of three bits, one from each reply, are handled independently of the other ten bits in the Gilham altitude code, strange altitude initializations occur. In addition, strange initial altitudes for such tracks are created from the replies which are said to correlate. For example, in some cases the initial altitude of the track is set at or near the altitude of one of the replies which is significantly different than the other two replies which have matching altitudes.
These false altitude initializations may lead to false tracks being created representative of target aircrafts. Such false tracks may lead to false traffic advisories or resolution advisories. When such traffic advisories or resolution advisories are displayed to the flight crew on a traffic advisory or resolution advisory display, these false tracks become a distraction to the flight crew and can cause an unsafe maneuver comand. Therefore, there is a need for a improvement in altitude track initialization methods to reduce the number of false altitude track initializations.

Method of altitude track initialization in an aircraft tracking system


A structure system includes a plurality of elements which mate along respective cooperating concave and convex ends. Each end has a constant common radius of curvature value and spans a predetermined included angle to provide infinitely variable articulation of mating elements within respective angular ranges. The system elements may be combined to form linear combinations as well as open and closed curves. The system is suitable for use as a work surface in classroom or office environments where the arrangement of elements may be varied readily to accommodate any number of users and floor plans.

Conventional furniture designed for use in educational or business settings has become increasingly modular in nature in which a limited number of discrete furniture elements may be combined in various combinations to generate a variety of configurations. Accordingly, the expense and delay associated with procuring custom furniture for a particular application can be reduced substantially. Further, as the needs of an educational provider or employer change, the furniture elements may be reconfigured and additional elements procured as necessary. For example, a plurality of rectangular furniture elements can be used on one occasion to provide parallel rows of table surfaces for student seating during lectures. On another occasion, the rectangular elements may be arranged to provide a large square or rectangular work surface for a group meeting or discussion.
A desirable feature of such furniture elements is that a substantially contiguous work surface can be produced without gaps or other substantial discontinuities. Accordingly, a fundamental characteristic of such furniture is that each of the furniture elements shares a common feature, such as a lineal dimension of a mating surface. For example, a rectangular element may have a short side dimension of one unit and a long side dimension of two units. By mating the short sides of two such elements together, a large contiguous rectangular work surface may be generated having a short side dimension of one unit and a long side dimension of four units. Alternatively, by mating the long sides of two such elements together, a large contiguous square work surface may be generated having a common side dimension of two units. Other common polygonal furniture elements, such as those which are trapezoidal, pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal in shape, may be used in combination with other polygonal furniture elements to create extended work surfaces comprising a series of clustered work surfaces connected by linking work surfaces. Exemplary embodiments of such configurations are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,405 issued to Lee, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Another type of modular furniture element may employ mating surfaces which are contoured or arcuate instead of linear, such as those depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,906 issued to Finestone, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,850 issued to Toso, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 373,915 issued to Lobl et al., the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. According to these designs, an outwardly extending contour of one furniture element mates with a recessed contour of another furniture element. Applications include work surfaces, such as tables, and seating, such as armchairs and divans. U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,937 issued to Ball et al., the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, incorporates furniture elements in a system which utilizes both lineal and arcuate mating surfaces.
While such furniture may function as intended, the relative orientation of one element to the next is substantially fixed due to the restrictive nature of the mating surfaces. For example, as discussed hereinabove with respect to the example of the two rectangular elements, solely two configurations are possible, namely a long rectangular table or a large square table. No other combination is possible in which the mating surfaces abut to generate a substantially contiguous surface. In other words, solely a finite number of furniture configurations are possible, based upon the discrete number of different furniture elements and the number and type of mating surfaces. For furniture which incorporates a uniform circular element, while a mating arcuate element may be oriented relative thereto at substantially any angular orientation, such reorientation does not change the external configuration of the combination. For example, solely one combination can be made of a circular table element and a rectangular table element with a matching arcuate recess, regardless of the relative angular orientation of the circular element relative to the rectangular element.


The invention relates to a system (1) for transporting fluid across or into a biological barrier, the system comprises a device (10) having a housing with at least one abutment surface for abutting the biological barrier. A capsule is to be received in the housing comprising a substrate (21) from which a plurality of hollow micro needles (22) project and a fluid reservoir (26) which can be brought into fluid communication with the micro needles. According to the invention the capsule comprises a fluid dose and the device comprises a ram (12) arranged movably in the housing for pushing the capsule from a first position to a second position. The ram subsequently proceeds to a third ram position thereby deforming the reservoir for raising the pressure inside the reservoir such that the fluid dose will be transported through the hollow micro needles across or into the biological barrier.

The micro needle approach shows clear advantages over competing methods of transferring fluids through skin or other biological barriers. In contrast to hypodermic needles, micro needles are relatively painless and can be self administered or administered by non-professionals. Furthermore, when using micro needles, only 10-20% of the drug is needed compared to hypodermic needles. In addition, they overcome the molecular size limitations characteristic of conventional transdermal patches.
While hollow micro needles are potentially an effective structure for transferring fluids across or into a biological barrier, the devices proposed to date suffer from a number of drawbacks that limit or prevent their functionality. Current micro needle array devices do not reliably penetrate the biological barrier, preventing or diminishing cross-barrier transfer of fluids. In the case of administering drugs through human skin, the transfer is ineffective if the micro needle does not pierce at least the stratum corneum layer. In many cases, the skin surface is elastic enough to stretch around each micro needle without being pierced.
A system according to the preamble that addresses this drawback is known from US patent application 2005/0165358.
In the known system the displacement mechanism is arranged to achieve a displacement having a non-zero component parallel to a planar surface defined by the substrate. Once the biological barrier is penetrated by the micro needles a user should manually depress a hand-operated cover so as to apply force to a piston which forces the fluid that is present in a storage region through the hollow micro needles to form fine jets there from.

System for transporting fluid across or into a biological barrier, device and capsule as part of the system


The present invention relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding of a material to provide a high-quality grinding surface, without selective grinding, which is generally caused during lapping and polishing processes of the composite material. The lapping oil composition contains at least one acetylene glycol compound and preferably further contains at least one at least one phosphoric ester compound.

The present invention relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding of a material to provide a high-quality grinding surface. The present invention particularly relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding in which a composite material composed of a plurality of materials having different hardness from each other is uniformly ground to provide a high-quality grinding surface, without causing difference in the grinding amount between soft materials and rigid materials, i.e. selective grinding, which is generally caused during lapping and polishing processes of the composite material. The present invention further relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding in which a composite material is uniformly ground to provide high-quality grinding surface, without causing difference in the grinding amount between different materials, i.e. selective grinding, said finish-grinding using a lap liquid containing no abrasive grains which is conducted after the grinding processing of a surface of a thin film magnetic head to be an air bearing surface, using free abrasive slurry.
Recently, higher performance and higher function have been more and more demanded for optical parts, electronic parts, precision machine parts or the like, and wide range of materials have been used for such parts, such as metallic crystalline materials, ceramics, glass, plastics and so forth.
As one of the manufacturing processes of such parts, grinding or polishing of a composite material composed of a plurality of materials having different hardness from each other is frequently introduced. Recited as examples of grinding processing of composite materials are: in the field of electronics, texturing of Nixe2x80x94P plating of a hard disk substrate, uniform working of wiring metal layers and insulation films between the layers in multiple layer wiring process of LSI; and in the field of optics, grinding of the connector end faces of optical fibers consisting of a composite material composed of zirconia ceramics (so called xe2x80x9cferrulexe2x80x9d), quartz glass (so called xe2x80x9ccorexe2x80x9d of fiber) and fluoroplastics (so called xe2x80x9ccladxe2x80x9d).
With respect to a hard disk drive (i.e. a recording medium of computer), the packing density has been increased year by year. As means to attain a higher packing density, the gap or spacing between the hard disk and a magnetic head has been reduced. In other words, reduction of the spacing of the raised head has been attempted.
A magnetic head mounted on a hard disk drive is generally of a thin film type magnetic head type, and examples of this type are of an inductive type, an MR-inductive complex type wherein MR (magnet resistance) is used as a recording/reproducing element, and a type using GMR (Giant MR).
These thin film type magnetic heads are composed of a composite material comprised of a substrate such as Altic (Al2O3xe2x80x94TiC), a ceramic protective/insulation film such as alumina (Al2O3), a metallic film which is a magnetic material such as permalloy (Fexe2x80x94Ni) and Sendust (Fexe2x80x94Alxe2x80x94Si) and the like.
For example, a thin film type magnetic head 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an Altic substrate 1, an alumina insulation film 2, a bottom shield film 3 (Sendust: FeAlSi, permalloy: Fexe2x80x94Ni or the like), an alumina film 4, an MR element 5, an alumina film 6, a head shield film 7 (permalloy or the like), an alumina film 8, a write pole tip 9 (permalloy or the like), an alumina protective film 10, and a coil conductor 11.
When conventional free abrasive slurry is used for grinding of ABS (Air Bearing Surface) of a thin film type magnetic head, in most cases, stepped or rough surface results due to selective grinding or abrasion of a metallic film made of soft materials such as permalloy and Sendust, due to difference in hardness between the materials. As a result, there is a problem in that the metallic film (such as magnetic pole portion) is recessed from ABS composed of ceramics, which is called PTR (Pole Tip Recession), increasing the magnetic spacing to a recording medium (as shown in FIG. 2), thereby leading to substantial increase in raised or floating distance of the head.
In order to avoid the above-mentioned selective grinding or damage, Japanese Patent Application Kokai Nos. 3-92264 and 9-245333 proposed that finish-grinding using a lap liquid containing no abrasive grains be conducted, after ABS grinding using free abrasive slurry.
Introduction of such finish-grinding has remarkable effect on solving the above-mentioned problems, in other words, by conducting grinding processing using a lap liquid containing no abrasive grains, selective grinding or rough surface caused by ABS grinding using free abrasive slurry can be recovered.
In addition, an invention which provides free abrasive slurry itself with an ability to avoid selective grinding has been made. For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 10-113327 discloses that, polyether having a molecular weight of 300-20,000 and having 1-6 hydroxide functional groups, obtained by addition reaction of propylene oxide, or optionally ethylene oxide, is added as an anti-selective grinding agent to free abrasive slurry, thereby avoiding selective grinding caused during lapping processing of ABS of a thin film type magnetic head as well as improving the quality of the grinding surface.
Japanese Patent Application No. 10-255022 describes the use of a sulfur-containing organic molybdenum compound as an anti-selective grinding agent. The compound is decomposed by frictional heat generated during grinding processing and forms a film without causing any reaction with the metal surface. The film has the layered structure wherein the layers are mainly composed of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and bonded to each other by Van der Waals force which is a weak intermolecular force. Friction at the contact area is replaced by interlayer friction in molybdenum disulfide and is lowered. As a result, the difference in the grinding amount between materials of various hardness is reduced and selective grinding of soft materials is effectively avoided.
However, reduction of the spacing of the raised head and lowering of the PTR value has been further demanded, while improving the quality of grinding surface. Therefore, selective grinding of the metallic film should be avoided, and at the same time, step difference (so called xe2x80x9cshoulder step differencexe2x80x9d) formed at the boundary between Altic (a substrate) and alumina (an insulation film) during grinding processing using free abrasive slurry should be lessened. In other words, further lowering of the PTR value and the improving grinding surface quality become difficult using conventional methods.
Problems to be solved by the present invention
The present invention relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding of a material to provide a high-quality grinding surface. The present invention particularly relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding in which a composite material composed of a plurality of materials having different hardness from each other is uniformly ground to provide a high-quality grinding surface, without causing difference in the grinding amount between soft materials and rigid materials, i.e. selective grinding, which is generally caused during lapping and polishing processes of the composite material. The present invention further relates to a lapping oil composition which is advantageously used in finish-grinding in which a composite material is uniformly ground to provide high-quality grinding surface, without causing difference in the grinding amount between different materials, i.e. selective grinding, said finish-grinding using a lap liquid containing no abrasive grains which is conducted after the grinding processing of a surface of a thin film magnetic head to be an air bearing surface, using free abrasive slurry.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a lapping oil composition and method for finish-grinding method which overcomes the above-mentioned problems.
The present invention provides a lapping oil composition for finish-grinding comprising a non-aqueous solvent, at least one member of acetylene glycol compounds and optionally at least one member of phosphoric ester compounds.
The present invention specifically provides the above-mentioned lapping oil composition, wherein said acetylene glycol compound is represented by the following formula (I):
R1C(R2)(O(CnH2n+1O)mH)Cxe2x89xa1Cxe2x80x94C(O(CnH2n+1O)mH)(R3)R4 xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
where each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represents an alkyl or alkylaryl group, n=2-4 and m=0-6;
and the above-mentioned lapping oil composition, wherein said phosphoric ester compound is represented by the following formula (II):
[Rxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(CnH2n+1O)m]x(OM)3xe2x88x92xPxe2x95x90O xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II)
where R represents a C8-C18 alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or alkylaryl group, n=2-4, m=0-4, x=1-2 and M represents H, Na, K, Ba, an amine, such as NH4, or an alkanolamine, such as NH(C2H4OH)3; and the above-mentioned lapping oil composition, which is advantageously used in finish-grinding using a lap liquid containing no abrasive grains which is conducted after the grinding processing of a thin film magnetic head using free abrasive slurry.
Due to the combination of the carbon-carbon triple bond which locates at the center of acetylene glycol compound to be used in the present invention and a hydroxyl or alkoxyl group adjacent to the carbon, pi electron density is remarkably enhanced, and the center of acetylene glycol molecule shows strong polarity.
Therefore, during finish processing, pi electrons of the triple bond and terminal hydroxyl groups (polar groups) of the acetylene glycol compound are oriented to the metallic film of the magnetic head, and selectively adsorbed to the film, thereby forming a protective film, which prevents the metallic film surface from scratching.
According to classification based on acid-base property, metals such as permalloy is classified as soft acid. Since the phenomenon of adsorption is one type of acid-base interaction, it is known that the similar type of acid and base tend to react with each other.
Based on this principle, soft base has high adsorption ability to metal (soft acid), and this mechanism is believed to be the reason for the selective adsorption of the acetylene glycol compound having pi electron to the metallic surface.
On the other hand, newly formed surface obtained by grinding of ceramics, such as Altic and alumina, is uneven and known to have points having different degree of activities from each other (see Masayuki Mori: Tribologist 36-2 (1991) 130-134).
It is believed that phosphoric ester compound has a function of reducing the step between the Altic and alumina owing to the fact that phosphoric ester compound is strongly adsorbed by active points on the newly formed surface of the ceramics, rather than by newly formed surface of the metals, due to its strong acidity, and forms a film. In other words, since ionic bond is predominant between the atoms on the surface of the ceramics such as metal oxide and the crystalline surface is covered with polarized oxygen atoms having larger diameter than that of cations such as metal ions, it is expected that the acidic phosphoric ester compound, which is ionic, is easily adsorbed by the surface of the ceramics.
In the case of the lapping oil of the present invention which contains an acetylene glycol compound, more preferably an acetylene glycol compound and a phosphoric ester compound, it is expected that selective grinding of metallic film be lowered, because the acetylene glycol molecule is selectively adsorbed to the surface of metallic film composed of permalloy or the like, due to the coordination effect by the pi electron of the triple bond and the effect of the terminal hydroxyl groups (polar groups) present in the acetylene glycol molecule. On the other hand, the phosphoric ester compound is electrostatically adsorbed to the ceramic surface due to its strong acidity. Namely, the acetylene glycol compound is selectively adsorbed to the metallic film composed of permalloy or the like, and the phosphoric ester compound to the ceramic surface composed of Altic, alumina or the like, thereby avoiding selective grinding between altic/alumina/metallic film, having different hardness from each other, resulting in excellent ability to attain low PTR value and high grinding surface quality.

Lapping oil composition for finish-grinding


A method and an apparatus for testing a plurality of driver circuits of an AMOLED before OLEDs are implanted are provided. The method and the apparatus select one specific driver circuit to be tested and dispose a conductive board above the array glass of the OLED to form a capacitor. By using the data line, the scan line, and the power line of an AMOLED, the present invention is able to input and retrieve signals from driver circuits for analyzing each of them is normal or not.

As technology progresses, the manufacturing technique of monitor display is also progressing. Following the technique of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the newest technique of monitor display brought to the market is one that utilizes organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Each OLED requires a driver circuit to drive it for emitting light. The light can be of either a single color, such as red, green, blue, or full colors. The advantages of OLEDs are the flexibility, liberation from viewing angle restriction, long product lifetime and low power consumption. Accordingly, OLEDs are very likely to replace LEDs and become the most popular monitor display in the next generation.
Each pixel of an AMOLED needs an OLED and a driver circuit so there are ten thousands or even millions of driver circuits in one panel. It is a complicated task to conclude the functionality of all driver circuits in one panel. FIG. 1 shows one common driver circuit configured to drive an OLED of a monitor display. Referring to FIG. 1, the method of prior art for testing the driver circuit starts with enabling it via the scan line SL and inputting a certain voltage level via the data line DL after an OLED D1 is implanted. The driver circuit then transfers the voltage level into a current signal I which makes the OLED D1 emit light. According to the voltage level, test engineers determine the D1's functionality by subjectively observing its luminosity with eyes. If there is a failure in the tested driver circuit, the OLED D1 having been implanted in it is wasted and cannot be recovered even though the OLED D1 itself is still good. Accordingly, this test method of prior art would result in not only imprecision caused by the test engineers' subjective decision but also high costs.

Method and apparatus for testing driver circuits of AMOLED


The oral absorption of antibiotics given of administration is significantly enhanced by use of the antibiotic in conjunction with a two-component absorption enhancing system made up of Laureth-12 together with a second component salts of capric acid and caprylic acids. The antibiotic containing two component enhancer system includes Miglyol-812 for optimum absorption.

1. Field of the Invention
The Invention concerns improved oral formulations for cephalosporin antibiotics.
2. Description of Prior Art
Since the first penicillin compounds were used successfully to fight pathogenic organisms such as bacteria, several generations of new anti-infective agents have been developed. Some of these agents, such as ceftriaxone, streptomycin, gentamicin and cefazolin, are normally poorly absorbed through mucosal tissue into the bloodstream and are, therefore, of limited or no practical value when administered via any route other than parenteral to fight systemic bacterial infections. Administration of these difficult-to-absorb drugs is sometimes accomplished by infusion, but more typically by intravenous or intramuscular injections.
Some injectable antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, can be administered once a day and are therefore more convenient to use. However, for the most part, injectable antibacterial drugs must be given more frequently than once daily to achieve greatest effectiveness, and such treatments often require the services of a doctor, nurse or trained technician on a continual basis. The experience of frequent injections can also be distressful or unnerving for some patients.
Efforts have been made to find materials which promote the absorption of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals that normally are poorly absorbed through mucosal tissue, the objective being to enable the formulation of non-injectable dosage forms such as capsules, tablets, pills, suppositories, and so forth with such pharmaceuticals. Some substances, such as ionic surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate and chelating agents (e.g., EDTA) are known to be rather harmful to the mucosal membrane, although they have been reported to enhance the intestinal absorption of large molecules. On the other hand, as described in the patent literature, the enhanced rectal absorption of antibiotics is obtained by the use of promoters such as hydroxy aromatic acid salts (e.g., sodium salicylate and sodium homovanillate) U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,896 (Higuchi et al.); cholic acid or its salt together with a fatty acid glyceride (e.g., Witepsol.RTM. manufactured by Dynamid Nobel) and a polyethylene alkyl ether, Japan patent publication No. 57158-719; cholic acid or its salt together with a fatty acid glyceride, Japan patent publication No. 5062-007; a fatty acid glyceride (e.g., Witepsol.RTM.) together with a polyoxyethylene glycol (PEG)-fatty acid ester, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,753 (Fuller); and a bile acid in combination with a polyoxyethylene-fatty acid ester and a glycerol-fatty acid ester, U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,719 (Sezaki).
The absorption promotion of orally delivered antibiotics with the use of a cholic acid salt or taurocholic acid salt is described by Miyamoto et al., in J. Pharm. Sci. 72, 651-654 (1983).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,339 (Behl et al.) discloses active oral dosage forms of beta-lactam antibiotics using C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 fatty acid mono-, di- or triglycerides as the absorption enhancer.
The permucosal absorption of various therapeutics, including antibiotics, is reported to be enhanced by the use of fatty acids and saturated or unsaturated fatty acid glycerides, in Swiss patent publication No. 634,749 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,941.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,748, assigned to Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., discloses oral dosage forms of cephalosporin antibiotics using polyethylene glycol lauryl ether (e.g., Laureth.RTM.-12), salts of caprylic acid/capric acid (e.g., sodium caprylate), and a carrier such as Witepsol.RTM. H15. For completeness, the disclosure in such patent is incorporated herein by reference.
European Patent Application No. 126,348 (Mori) describes compositions for rectal administration containing a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether and a C.sub.8-10 fatty acid salt, an oleaginous base, as well as a cephalosporin antibiotic. The fatty acid may be caprylic acid and its salts including alkaline metal salts. The polyoxyetheylene alkyl ether includes polyoxyethylene (21) lauryl ether (i.e., Laureth-21). The base includes fatty acid glycerol esters (e.g., Witepsol.RTM.).
In European Patent Application No. 91,502, Yata describes rectal formulations for cephalosporins which formulations include a cephalosporin (e.g., ceftriaxone), an oleginous base (e.g., Miglyol.RTM. manufactured by Hulls America, or Witepsol.RTM.), an amino acid, and an ether-type nonionic surfactant (e.g., polyoxyethlene alkyl ethers).
While certain of the above formulation may enhance delivery, applicants surprisingly have discovered a unique formulation which optimizes the oral delivery of cephalosporins. Applicants unique combination of known components gives rise to superior absorption results.


A photoelectric conversion section of a solar cell has a first electrode layer and a collecting electrode that are formed in this order on a first principal surface, and has a second electrode layer that is formed on a second principal surface. The collecting electrode includes a first electroconductive layer, an insulating layer, and a second electroconductive layer in this order on the first electrode layer. The first and second electroconductive layers are electrically connected via an opening section in the insulating layer. At peripheral edge of the first and second principal surfaces, the photoelectric conversion section has an insulating region excluding the first or second electrode layer. On the side of the principal surface having no insulating region, the first or second electrode layer is formed up to the peripheral end of the relevant principal surface.

In a solar cell, carriers (electrons and holes) generated by light irradiation to a photoelectric conversion section including a semiconductor junction or the like are extracted to an external circuit to generate electricity. A collecting electrode is provided on the photoelectric conversion section of the solar cell for efficiently collecting carriers generated at the photoelectric conversion section to the external circuit. For example, in a crystalline silicon-based solar cell using a single-crystalline silicon substrate or a polycrystalline silicon substrate, a collecting electrode made of a fine metal is provided on a light receiving surface. In a heterojunction solar cell having amorphous silicon layers and transparent electrode layers on a crystalline silicon substrate, a collecting electrode is provided on the transparent electrode layer.
The collecting electrode of the solar cell is generally formed by pattern-printing a silver paste by a screen printing method. However, the collecting electrode formed by using a silver paste has high resistivity, and material cost of the silver paste is expensive. A method is known in which a collecting electrode is formed by a plating method, which is excellent in terms of material and process costs.
When a collecting electrode is formed by a plating method, generally a resist layer having an opening is formed on a transparent electrode layer, and a metal layer of copper or the like is formed at the opening of the resist on the transparent electrode layer by electroplating. However, a resist material is expensive, and a mask is needed for formation of a resist having a specified opening. Therefore, when a resist is used, the advantage of a plating method in terms of material cost and process cost is compromised.
Thus, there has been proposed a method for forming a collecting electrode by a plating method without using a resist. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 propose a method in which an electroconductive seed is formed on a transparent electrode layer by a printing method or the like, an insulating layer having an opening section is formed thereon, and a metal electrode layer is formed via the opening section of the insulating layer by electroplating. Patent Document 2 proposes a method in which an insulating layer is formed on an electroconductive seed containing a low-melting-point material, annealing is then performed by heating to thermally fluidize the low-melting-point material in the electroconductive seed thereby forming an opening section in the insulating layer.
Methods in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are advantageous in terms of material costs and process costs because a fine line patterned collecting electrode can be formed by a plating method without using a resist. By providing a low-resistance metal seed, the contact resistance between a transparent electrode layer and a collecting electrode can be lowered.
In formation of a photoelectric conversion section of a solar cell, thin-films such as a semiconductor layer, a transparent electrode layer and a metal electrode layer are generally formed on the surface of a substrate by a plasma-enhanced CVD method, a sputtering method or the like. These thin-films exist not only on the front surface of a substrate, but also on the side surface and on the back surface since the deposited films wrap around thereon, and thereby cause a short circuit and leakage between the front surface and the back surface. For preventing the above-described wraparound of thin-films, for example, a method is proposed in Patent Document 3 in which a semiconductor layer and a transparent electrode layer are formed with the peripheral end of a crystalline silicon substrate covered with a mask.
Patent Documents 4 and 5 disclose methods for eliminating a short circuit portion by performing specific processing after forming a semiconductor thin-film and an electrode on a substrate. Specifically, Patent Document 4 discloses a method in which a groove is formed by laser irradiation, and thereafter a crystalline silicon substrate is cleaved along the groove to form a solar cell in which the side surface of a photoelectric conversion section is composed of a cut surface. In Patent Document 5, a method is proposed in which a semiconductor layer and a transparent electrode layer formed on a crystalline silicon substrate are removed by laser irradiation to form a separation groove. Either a semiconductor thin-film or an electrode is not present on the cut surface in Patent Document 4 and the surface of the separation groove in Patent Document 5, and therefore the problem of short circuit resulting from wraparound is solved.
In Patent Document 5, a configuration is illustrated in which a transparent electrode layer and a semiconductor layer of a conductivity type are removed by laser irradiation, but it is difficult to selectively remove only these layers by laser irradiation. Therefore, generally a groove formed by laser irradiation reaches the surface or the inside of a crystalline silicon substrate.

Solar cell and production method therefor, and solar cell module


A method of machining a component is provided. The component includes a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface, where the inner surface defines at least one interior space. A core is disposed within each interior space. The method includes forming at least one hole in the substrate while the core is disposed within the respective interior space. Each hole extends through the substrate to provide fluid communication with the respective interior space. The method further includes removing the core from the respective interior space. The core may be a casting core or a subsequently formed core.

The invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and, more specifically, to forming holes in gas turbine engine components.
In a gas turbine engine, air is pressurized in a compressor and mixed with fuel in a combustor for generating hot combustion gases. Energy is extracted from the gases in a high pressure turbine (HPT), which powers the compressor, and in a low pressure turbine (LPT), which powers a fan in a turbofan aircraft engine application, or powers an external shaft for marine and industrial applications.
Engine efficiency increases with temperature of combustion gases. However, the combustion gases heat the various components along their flowpath, which in turn requires cooling thereof to achieve an acceptably long engine lifetime. Typically, the hot gas path components are cooled by bleeding air from the compressor. This cooling process reduces engine efficiency, as the bled air is not used in the combustion process.
Gas turbine engine cooling art is mature and includes numerous patents for various aspects of cooling circuits and features in the various hot gas path components. For example, the combustor includes radially outer and inner liners, which require cooling during operation. Turbine nozzles include hollow vanes supported between outer and inner bands, which also require cooling. Turbine rotor blades are hollow and typically include cooling circuits therein, with the blades being surrounded by turbine shrouds, which also require cooling. The hot combustion gases are discharged through an exhaust which may also be lined and suitably cooled.
In all of these exemplary gas turbine engine components, thin walls of high strength superalloy metals are typically used to reduce component weight and minimize the need for cooling thereof. Various cooling circuits and features are tailored for these individual components in their corresponding environments in the engine. For example, a series of internal cooling passages, or serpentines, may be formed in a hot gas path component. A cooling fluid may be provided to the serpentines from a plenum, and the cooling fluid may flow through the passages, cooling the hot gas path component substrate and any associated coatings. Holes may be formed to access internal regions within the component.
For many newer hot gas path components, it may be desirable to form cooling holes after a coating has been deposited. If the coating is a ceramic, this basically eliminates using EDM and similar machining techniques, as the ceramics typically are not electrically conductive. So for these applications, it would be desirable to use laser or abrasive liquid jet (ALJ) drilling to form the cooling holes. However, backstrike can be an issue with both of these techniques. For example, FIG. 6 of the present application illustrates a problem associated with forming the holes using ALJ. Namely, when ALJ drilling is used to make coolant supply holes into the interior cavities 114, once the ALJ punches through the substrate wall and defines the hole, the ALJ can also strike the interior surface of the opposite wall, thereby damaging that surface. Similar damage can occur with laser drilling.
It would therefore be desirable to provide backstrike protection to form cooling holes using laser or ALJ drilling.

Backstrike protection during machining of cooling features


A method of displaying an electronic report on a GUI that includes receiving a user identifier and an authentication identifier associated with a user gaining access to a first application; displaying, on the GUI, a first window associated with the first application; displaying, via the first window, a listing of monitored flights; receiving, via the first window, a request; accessing, using the first application, a second application and a third application that are different from each other and the first application; updating the displayed listing of monitored flights using information accessed from the second and third applications; wherein a flight has a delay greater than two hours; and receiving, via the first window, a request for the electronic report for the flight; displaying, on the GUI and via a second window, the electronic report for the flight that includes information from each of the second and third applications.

Generally, business entities store information across multiple applications and operating systems that access a variety of databases. For complex business entities, the volume of information and the variety of databases in which the information is stored is so large that accessing the information is burdensome or impossible. For example, airline carriers are responsible for planning and pricing routes, handling and tracking luggage, maintaining the aircraft, preparing the aircraft for use, managing gate availability, and staffing the flights with appropriate personnel, among many other tasks. Thus, information associated with the tasks is spread among multiple databases that are accessible via multiple applications. For example, the status of an aircraft is available via a first application managed by the airline. Meanwhile, information regarding the status of employees that are scheduled to use the aircraft is provided and tracked by a second application that is distinct from the first application. While both pieces of information are available online, or at least electrically accessible via a network, to access each requires an employee to know the location at which it is available. This requires the employee to identify the appropriate applications or database and then find the relevant information.
Finding the information often includes opening an application and then drilling down to a specific document or screen by clicking on folders, files, or selectable buttons until the relevant information is displayed. An alternative is a searching tool that searches the application. Conventional searching tools, however, generally return a listing of options to the user (e.g., employee) for their review and selection. For example, if a user does a field search, then they will receive multiple links to documents that might be relevant. The user is then required to know which document is correct, or click on every document and review each, to find the relevant information. That is, the burden of finding information is on the user.
Moreover, conventional searching tools generally search within one application. If the user is active in a first application and needs information from a second application, the user is generally required to open the second application and then perform a search within the second application. Alternatively, the information could be added to the first application, but that process requires the ingestion of the information by the first application and the development of new features within the first application, which is slow and creates potential problems with accuracy of information across applications.


A method for determining a degree of damage to hair is provided in the form of various embodiments. Said method can comprise the following steps: during the exposure of a hair sample to UV light (for example by employing a UV-LED), detecting fluorescence light emitted by the hair sample, determining a fluorescence intensity by employing the detected light, and determining the degree of damage to the hair using said fluorescence intensity.

When treating hair using cosmetic products, an effect of the product, for example the intensity of a colouring, may be heavily dependent on the degree of damage of the hair.
Thus, it may be of great importance to determine the damage to hair.
Hair can be damaged by natural or artificially induced processes. The most notable type of damage may be oxidative damage.
The natural processes for example can have a combined (for example simultaneous) effect on UV light and oxygen (O2) on the hair.
The artificially induced processes for example can include a use of hair dyes (also referred to as colorants), bleaching and/or the generation of permanent waves.
Besides the desired cosmetic effects, for example a lightening of the hair, the hair can also be heavily damaged, for example if oxidising agents are used.
The damage process can be brought about by an oxidation of amino acids, for example an oxidation of the amino acids cystine and cysteine, which occur very often in the hair, into cysteic acid. Cystine can form intermolecular disulphide bridges (also referred to as S bridges) in the hair, such that cystine is extremely important for the mechanical stability of the hair.
The oxidation of these bridges to form cysteic acid can destroy the mechanical stability of the hair and can even lead to complete hair breakage in the case of repeated use. However, properties of the hair that previously could be perceived, for example felt, macroscopically, for example a surface roughness, can also be negatively influenced. Results of cosmetic treatments, in particular of damaging procedures, can be massively changed already in an early stage of damage compared to a result achieved with undamaged hair.
The described mechanism of damage makes it possible to precisely determine the degree of the most notable damage, specifically the oxidative damage, by determining the content of cysteic acid.
In an academic and industrial field, a large number of physical and chemical analytical methods may be available to a researcher or developer in order to determine a degree of damage, for example in order to quantitatively determine a degree of oxidative damage.
Chromatography methods are usually used in this case, for example high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based on complex hydrolysis.
Undamaged hair may typically have a cysteic acid content in the range from approximately 0.5% to approximately 1% (based on weight). If there is damage, for example as a result of repeated ultra-bleaching and/or other mechanisms of damage, the cysteic content may be increased to more than about 15% (by weight).
However, all of these chromatography methods are complicated and require a costly equipment set-up, such that they are not available to an end consumer.
Damaging cosmetic treatments, for example applications of heat, permanent waving or oxidative procedures, such as bleaching, and many others, are typically performed on the end consumer in the private field or in the field of commercial services. Although the performance of a further damaging procedure on hair that is already damaged may lead to catastrophic results, going as far as complete hair breakage, there was not previously any possibility within this scope to determine the degree of prior damage of the hair, for example quantitatively.

Method and device for determining a degree of damage to hair


A variable shelf assembly includes side frames composed of posts, transverse support members and diagonal struts, and longitudinal support members and/or longitudinal stop members which connect the posts of two side frames releasably but rigidly with each other, and shelf members mounted between two side frames. The shelf members can be placed between two frames which are coupled to each other by means of several longitudinal support members and/or longitudinal stop members either in horizontal alignment or in a unilaterally inclined alignment in the transverse direction. At least at the removal side of the shelf assembly, each shelf member is provided with a longitudinal support member and/or a longitudinal stop member forming a support and abutment element. A basic shelf element is formed by two frames with corresponding longitudinal support members and/or longitudinal stop members and the shelf members.

The present invention relates to a variable shelf assembly including side frames composed of posts, transverse support members and diagonal struts, and longitudinal support members and/or longitudinal stop members which connect the posts of two side frames releasably but rigidly with each other, and shelf members, wherein each shelf member can be placed between two side frames which are connected to each other by the longitudinal support members and/or longitudinal stop members.


Various embodiments are directed to scalable and configurable queue management for network packet traffic Quality of Service (QoS). In one or more embodiments, the queue management may be implemented by a network processor comprising a queue manager to assert interrupts indicating that one or more queues require service, and a core processor to apply an interrupt mask to a status register value identifying the one or more queues that require service and to provide service during a particular service cycle to only those queues that are not masked out. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Quality of Service (QoS) for Internet traffic is important for applications such as video streaming, teleconferencing, and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic. QoS control mechanisms may be implemented to provide different priorities to different data flows or to guarantee a certain level of performance to a data flow in accordance with requests from an application program. QoS guarantees are important especially if network capacity is limited such as for real-time streaming multimedia applications.
QoS for Internet traffic can be implemented using a queue manager interrupt service request arbiter with hardware support or by software. The software solution must simultaneously keep track of the number of packets serviced for each and every queue and compare and update them with the number of allowable packets to enable QoS. This method extracts substantial processing overhead from the core processor. Additionally, dynamic change of queue priorities and the scalability of the number of queues are not straight forward.

Scalable and configurable queue management for network packet traffic quality of service


An identification tag identifies a unique item from among a plurality of items with a similar appearance. Tagged items are searched by scanning the items with an interrogation signal. The tag emits an observable signal to indicate when it receives an identification that matches the identification contained in the tag. When the reader's interrogation is not present, the tag either sleeps at a very low power level or is passively unpowered.

Identification systems are used to locate both animate and inanimate objects. For example, identification systems can locate vehicles carrying interstate freight, employees within a hospital, and items in retail establishments to guard against theft. Identification systems may also be used to locate sources of information. However, in some ways, the difficulty of locating unique information has increased with modern advances in information technology and related storage devices. Because many forms of modern information storage media have a nondescript appearance, there is an increased need to locate specific files and data from among many objects that have similar, or even identical, appearances. For example, a collection of compact discs (CDs) that contain stored data (e.g., digital photographs) may be searched in order to locate the specific CD that contains a particular digital photograph being sought. If the contents of each CD are clearly indicated on the CD or the CD storage case, the search will likely be successful, but it will also be tedious because each CD must be inspected until the photograph is found. If the CD contents are not identified, the search will become even more lengthy because each CD must be inserted into a computer where the contents of the CD may be read. Many other forms of information storage media present similar difficulties in locating specific stored information. As a result, the search for the media containing a specific document or file may become painstakingly tedious because the field of search is large.
The preceding example is directed to a single type of information storage medium, e.g., CDs. However, because more than one type of information storage medium may be suitable for storing a particular type of data, the search for a unique item from among multiple different types of items (e.g., digital audio tapes, floppy disks, DVDs, and miniDVDs) may be required. This multi-medium search presents many of the previously described challenges, particularly when the searcher is not sure which medium contains the unique item that is sought.
These challenges are not limited only to electronic storage media, and information storage media generally. For example, the collection of anonymous boxes and crates found in any warehouse are also difficult to distinguish from one another, and determination of their contents is generally difficult without a close individual investigation.
Many of today's identification systems are based on "tags" that may be read by an external (and typically wireless) reader. Generally, identification tags fall into one of two categories. Active power tags, i.e., those tags that include a power supply, comprise the first category. Passive identification tags, which are powered by a tag sensing system, comprise the second category. For example, the tag circuits of some passive tagging systems are powered via a magnetic, electrostatic or RF field broadcast by a tag reader. Active tags consume a considerable amount of power in order to receive the tag identification signal, in part because of the linear amplifiers typically required in the receivers of these tags. Because, generally, a battery supplies the power for active tags, these tags have relatively short operational lives before either the battery must be replaced or the tag discarded.
At the same time, while tags offer a convenient means of uniquely identifying items, tag-reading systems do not readily lend themselves to discrimination among items having a similar appearance. That is, the reader cannot directly communicate which one of a collection of items is the one sought. If items must be scanned individually until the desired one is located, then tag identification systems will offer few benefits, in terms of item discrimination, over manual inspection.

Tag interrogation with observable response signal