A system that select tests to exercise a given computer system is described. During operation, the system tests the given computer system using a set of tests, where a given test includes a given load and a given cycling time selected from a range of cycling times. Moreover, for the given test, the system monitors a stress metric in the given computer system. Additionally, the system selects at least one of the tests from the set of tests to exercise the given computer system based on the monitored stress metric.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for testing computer systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a technique for determining an optimal stress test or combination of stress tests to characterize computer-system reliability.
2. Related Art
Many precursors of component failures in computer systems, as well as the associated failure mechanisms, can only be determined by applying a stressful load onto the computer systems. For example, the stressful load may be applied for a period of time (typically, between a few hours and 24 hrs) in an attempt to trigger a fault. This technique is often used during root-cause analysis (RCA) and to confirm intermittent failures in computer systems that are returned by customers. Typically, a variety of stress tests are used for these purposes, each of which applies a different load, and thereby stresses different components in a given computer system.
During many of these stress tests, such as during an RCA for problems on system boards, the underlying effect of interest is temperature dynamics, which can trigger subtle failure mechanisms that cause intermittent failures. For example, these failure mechanisms may include: solder fatigue, interconnect fretting, delamination of bonded components, stresses caused by non-coplanarity of stacked components, and/or deterioration of connectors. Some stress tests are known to cause the temperatures of processors (or processor cores) and ASICs to go up significantly (for example, by 6-12 C). Moreover, temperature cycling accelerates the aforementioned failure mechanisms even more, because many of these failure mechanisms are associated with the cumulative effect of temperature cycling and temperature gradients in the computer systems.
Unfortunately, existing stress tests do not efficiently increase the occurrence of many of the failure mechanisms that affect computer systems. Moreover, for a given stress test and/or failure mechanism, the optimal test conditions for a given computer system are typically not known. Consequently, stress tests are often performed for a long time or on a large population of suspected computer systems in an attempt to trigger sufficient failures to enable proper RCA.
Hence, what is needed is a technique for characterizing stress tests to determine the optimal stress test and/or combinations of stress tests, as well as the associated test conditions, without the above-described problems.

Optimal stress exerciser for computer servers


The invention provides a specific measure of iron stores in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging. T.sub.2 relaxation times in both lower-to-mid field strength magnetic resonance imaging instruments and a higher field strength instrument is evaluated. T.sub.2 obtained at the higher field strength instrument is subtracted from T.sub.2 obtained at the lower field strength instrument. This difference, T, is then correlated with a quantitative measure of the iron stores in vivo in the scanned tissue. A two-dimensional or multidimensional map of the scanned tissue is then constructed on the basis of T to visually identify different tissue types as being normal or abnormal, either through a visual determination based on gray scales or a numeric comparison based on quantitative measure. The introduction of artificial or nonbiological substances as opposed to natural ferritin, is permitted for further diagnostic use by application of this methodology.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of the use of magnetic resonance in medicine to measure iron stores in tissue, and in particular to quantitatively and specifically measure in vivo ferritin and closely related substances in tissue.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the past decade, a number of studies have implicated iron as a central culprit in various diseases including some cancers. A genetic disease, hemochromatosis, which causes excessive accumulations of iron in tissue and which can be fatal, is estimated to occur or to be at risk in an estimated 1.4 million Americans. The accumulation of iron stores in tissue has also been implicated in various studies in liver damage, arthritis, diabetes, impotence, heart failure and various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Iron stores is understood to mean ferritin or ferritin like proteins, which is the biological form for storage of iron.
The deleterious effects of excessive iron stores levels in tissue is thought to be related to its ability to catalyze the production of hydroxil radicals from other free radicals which naturally occur within the human body as well as direct toxic effects of iron itself. The largest part of iron stores in human tissue normally occurs in a complex protein called ferritin, the storage form of iron. Free radicals such as superperoxides, as well as other substances which occur in the body can remove the iron from ferritin, where it is harmless, to catalyze the formation of more destructive radicals which are believed to be linked to the above disease states.
However, one of the major stumbling blocks in attaining a clear idea how ferritin or other iron stores molecules relate to disease states has been the inability to quantitatively and specifically measure ferritin in vivo. Prior art biochemical assays in many cases can only be conducted postmortem or through biopsy. All biopsies, but especially brain biopsies are subject to risk, expensive, and traumatic to the patient.
The noninvasive use of magnetic resonance imaging to measure iron stores is well known, but remains controversial and is by no means universally accepted or considered well established. The nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen atoms bound in water in biological tissue can be directly measured. The radio frequency signal produced by relaxational hydrogen atoms in a nuclear magnetic resonance experiment will decay with two characteristic decay rates or periods T.sub.1 or T.sub.2. The T.sub.1 decay is based upon spin-lattice couplings, while the T.sub.2 decay period is based upon spin-spin couplings among the protons. These decay periods are affected by the molecular environment in which the hydrogen is present. Throughout the remainder of the specification the symbols T.sub.2 will be used to refer to the T.sub.2 relaxation time. The relaxation rate corresponding to T.sub.2 is denoted by the symbol, R.sub.2. The relation between the T.sub.2 relaxation time and the R.sub.2 relaxation rate is given by R.sub.2 =1000/T.sub.2. Therefore, either parameter may be used interchangeably through this algebraic equivalence, or for that matter any uniquely related third parameter or measure may used if more practical. Currently, most nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment provides a readout in terms of T.sub.2 and therefore, T.sub.2 will be used as the preferred measure. The presence of magnetic (e.g. paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, etc.) materials such as iron in tissue has been found to have a material effect upon the T.sub.2. Iron, in turn, occurs naturally throughout human tissue and in blood.
Brain extrapyramidal grey matter nuclei exhibit a lower T.sub.2 and this T.sub.2 shortening appears to be related to high iron concentrations in these grey matter nuclei, see, Drayer et. al., AJNR 7, 373 (1986); Duguid et. al., J. Ann.Neurol 20, 744 (1986); Coffey et.al., J. Neuropsych. Clin. Neurosci. 1, 400 (1989); Schaffert et. al., Neurology 39, 440 (1989) and Bizzi et. al., Radiology 177, 59 (1990). The capability of MRI to quantify iron levels in vivo remains controversial as some investigators report a lack correlation with postmortem tissue iron levels in T.sub.2 values, see, Chen et. al., Radiology 173, 521 (1989); and Brooks et. al., J. Neurol. Neurosurg., Psychiatry 52, 108 (1989). Nevertheless, multiple lines of evidence support an association between T.sub.2 shortening and tissue iron levels. First, many investigators observed T.sub.2 shortening in disorders with known abnormal iron accumulation in the brain and liver, see, Drayer, Radiology 173, 311 (1989); Duguid et. al., J. Ann. Neurol 20, 744 (1986); Coffey et. al., J. Neuropsych. Clin. Neurosci. 1, 400 (1989); Brasch et. al., Radiology 150, 767 (1984); Leung et. al., J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr. 8, 446 (1984); Stark et. al., Radiology 154, 137 (1985); Gomori et. al., J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr. 9, 972 (1985); Gomori et. al., Radiology 157, 87 (1985); Johnston et. al., Am. J. Med. 87, 40 (1989); and Thulborn et. al., AJNR 154, 291 (1990). Second, some postmortem studies report that T.sub.2 shortening corresponded to increased iron levels, see, Duguid et. al., J. Ann. Neurol 20, 744 (1986); Coffey et. al., J. Neuropsych. Clin. Neurosci. 1, 400 (1989); and Schaffert et. al., Neurology 39, 440 (1989). Third, age-related increase in brain iron in normal humans has also been demonstrated in vivo using magnetic resonance techniques, see, Aoki et. al., Radiology 172, 381 (1989).
The extrapyramidal system contains the highest concentration of iron in the brain; signal levels between one-and-a-half to almost two times as high as that in liver, see, Hallgren et. al., J. Neurochemistry 3, 41 (1958). The largest single fraction of tissue iron is stored in the iron storage protein, ferritin, see, Hallgren et. al., J. Neurochemistry 3, 41 (1958); and Hill et. al., Brain Iron: Neurochemical and Behavioral Aspects, chapter 1, Taylor and Francis (1988).. Ferritin molecules are comprised of a multisubunit protein shell surrounded by crystalline core of hydrous ferric oxide that may include up to as many as 4500 ferric iron atoms. The association between high iron levels and central nervous system damage has been observed in a variety of disorders. Involvement of iron in the process of lipid peroxidation has been suggested as a common mechanism for such damage, see, Park et. al., Neurology 25, 1172 (1975); Sadeh et. al., Ann. Neurol. 7, 286 (1980); and Kim et. al., Neurology 31, 774 (1981). Therefore, methods that can quantify specific physiological iron compounds, such as ferritin in vivo, could be clinical value in disorders involving brain extrapyramidal nuclei, Duguid et. al., J. Ann. Neurol 20, 744 (1986); Coffey et. al., J. Neuropsych. Clin. Neurosci. 1, 400 (1989); Schaffert et. al., Neurology 39, 440 (1989) and other tissues.
It is known that ferritin has a strong magnetic effect that results in marked T.sub.2 shortening in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times have been used to visualize evolution of hemorrhages, Gomori et. al., J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr. 11, 684-690 (1987).
It is known that the enhancement of iron-related contrast as seen in magnetic resonance images is dependent on field strengths, but it has not been previously known that the field dependence could be used in any way to be specific to ferritin or that it was a quantitative measure of the ferritin that would have any clinical utility, see, Schenck et. al., Book of Abstracts, Volume 1, Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (1989).
The invention is directed to a method which utilizes the field dependence of ferritin induced T.sub.2 shortening as a way of specifically identifying and quantifying iron stores levels. What is needed, therefore, is a methodology whereby specific identification and quantitative in vivo measurements of patients can be made reliably, and wherein measurements of ferritin and closely related iron containing proteins or substances can be selectively or specifically made.

Method for quantitatively measuring and mapping stored iron in tissue using MRI

The Regents of the University of California


A method of monitoring a photolithographic process whereby a test pattern (4) is imaged a number of times side by side with the same radiant energy on a photoresist layer (1) provided on a surface (2) of a substrate (3), but in a series of different irradiation times, after which the photoresist is developed. The irradiation dose or "energy-to-clear" with which the photoresist becomes just soluble in developer can thus be ascertained. The radiant energy with which the test pattern is imaged on the photoresist is only a fraction here of the radiant energy available in the process itself for imaging patterns on photoresist which is to be monitored. The method is thus suitable for monitoring a photolithographic process in which pulsed laser radiation is used for the pattern irradiation. The energy-to-clear can be accurately determined also in these processes.

The invention relates to a method of monitoring a photolithographic process whereby a test pattern is imaged a number of times side by side with the same radiant energy but in a series of different irradiation times on a photoresist layer provided on a surface of a substrate, whereupon the photoresist is developed.
The test pattern may be a rectangle. A number of these rectangles is then imaged on the photoresist side by side, said rectangles having a length and a width, for example, of a few millimeters. It is then simple to ascertain with the naked eye at which irradiation time the photoresist has just become soluble in developer during the development of the photoresist. Since the irradiation energy used for this is known, the irradiation dose is thus determined at which the photoresist can be just removed from the surface. This irradiation dose is sometimes called the energy-to-clear.
In the photolithographic process to be monitored, a layer of photoresist is irradiated in a pattern and subsequently developed, such that photoresist patterns are formed. The method mentioned in the opening paragraph may be used for optimizing the process to be monitored, for example as regards the thickness of the photoresist layer, and also to check from time to time whether the process still functions satisfactorily. If such a series of test patterns is imaged in different locations on the substrate, it can also be tested whether the process takes place homogeneously over the surface of the substrate.
It is known to determine the energy-to-clear by means of a rectangular test pattern which is formed by means of a diaphragm. The photoresist is irradiated within the rectangle of the test pattern, but not outside it. The series of irradiation times is chosen so as to lie around a nominal value which corresponds to the expected energy-to-clear. The irradiation times, and thus the irradiation doses in the series, differ from one another, for example, by 2% of the nominal value each time.
It is found in practice that the known method is not suitable for monitoring a photolithographic process in which pulsed laser radiation from, for example, a KrF excimer laser is used for the pattern irradiation. This laser radiation is used in projection devices with which patterns having minimum dimensions of 0.25 .mu.m are imaged on photoresist, for example, in the PAS-5500/90 and the PAS-5500/300 of the ASML Company. An irradiation dose to be realized can be set on the device. When such devices are used, it is found that the accuracy with which a set irradiation dose is realized is practically independent of the value of this dose. It is found in practice that irradiation doses with values of up to approximately 100 mJ/cm.sup.2 can all be realized with the same accuracy of approximately .+-.0.15 mJ/cm.sup.2. Usual pattern irradiations are carried out with irradiation doses of 5 to 20 mJ/cm.sup.2, the test patterns mentioned above accordingly with differences between doses of 0.1 to 0.4 mJ/cm.sup.2. The pattern irradiations can be carried out with a sufficient accuracy, the energy-to-clear irradiations cannot.
The dose necessary for rendering the photoresist just capable of development in addition depends on the size of the pattern imaged on the photoresist. Small patterns must be irradiated longer than large ones. When monitoring the lithography process, where test patterns are preferably used which are observable to the naked eye, this should be taken into account. To render a test pattern imaged in the form of a rectangle having sides of, for example, 2 and 4 mm on the photoresist capable of development, an irradiation dose is necessary which is only half as great as that which is necessary for rendering sub-micron patterns imaged on the photoresist capable of development. Dose differences of as little as 0.05 to 0.2 mJ/cm.sup.2 would accordingly have to be realized for determining the energy-to-clear by means of such a large test pattern.

Method of monitoring a photolithographic process through utilization of fractional radiant energy test pattern


An elongate object optically determines at least one of its orientation parameters relative to a plane surface. A probe radiation beam is directed from the object at various angles σ to various locations on the plane, where the angle σ is a periodic function of time. Two angularly-selective radiation detectors oriented at fixed angles τ1 and τ2 sense scattered portions of the beam from two locations at two corresponding times. The orientation parameter is computed from a time difference Δt=t2−t1 between the two times.

When an object moves with respect to a reference frame, knowledge of the object's orientation with respect to the reference frame can be useful for deriving a variety of its parameters of motion. In fact, the orientation of an object with respect to a reference is usually required for navigating the object or obtaining information about its trajectory. Over time, many useful coordinate systems and methods have been developed to parameterize the equations of motion of such objects. For a theoretical background the reader is referred to textbooks on classical mechanics such as Goldstein et al., Classical Mechanics, 3rd Edition (Addison Wesley, 2002). For general examples of object tracking and orientation measurements a few examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,804 to Gordon and U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,291 to Kamel et al. as well as the references cited therein.
In one specific field of navigation it is important to know the inclination angle of an elongate object while it is in contact with a plane surface. Usually, inclination is defined as the angle between a line normal to the plane surface and an axis of the object that passes through its point of contact with the plane surface. In some cases, this axis is also the centerline of the elongate object. Various types of elongate objects can benefit from knowledge of their inclination while in contact with a plane surface. These objects include walking canes when in contact with the ground, pointers when in contact with a display or projection surface, writing devices when in contact with a writing surface, and styluses when in contact with an input screen.
In the field of input devices such as pens and styluses, inclination information is useful in order to analyze the information written or traced by the user. In principle, many methods can be adapted to measure pen inclination. Such methods can employ ranging devices using ultrasound, electromagnetic radiation including visible light and other apparatus. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,668 teaches a 3-axis detection method, U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,958 teaches a method using a difference in the time-of-flight of an electromagnetic wave, and still other references teach to apply the time-of-flight method to microwaves. Still other approaches use calibration marks, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. Appl. 2003/0025951 or entire auxiliary calibration systems as described in U.S. Pat. Appl. 2002/0141616. Still another method for measuring the inclination of a pen employs sensors mounted in the pen for measuring magnetic fields created by magnetic dipoles oriented perpendicular to a writing board as described in U.S. Pat. Appl. 2002/0180714. Unfortunately, all of these methods are cumbersome and limiting to the user because the signals sent from the pen have to be received by external devices. In other words, the pen cannot independently determine its inclination with on-board equipment.
In principle, a pen equipped with inertial sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers can derive its inclination without dependence upon external devices. Japan patent application 6-67,799 proposes a method for determining the inclination angle by integrating the angular velocity of the pen obtained from a two-axis acceleration sensor. Also of interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,902,968 and 5,981,884 using a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis gyroscope. U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,371 teaches a structure in which an acceleration sensor is attached to the tip of a pen such to thus compensate the error due to pen inclination and a signal processing portion is located at the upper portion of the pen.
Unfortunately, inertial sensors suffer from drift errors and accumulation errors that typically increase quadratically with time for accelerometers and linearly with time for gyroscopes. To overcome these limitations of inertial sensors U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2002/0148655 to Cho et al. teaches the use of an optical three-dimensional detecting device for detecting orientation angles of a centerline of an electronic pen relative to a ground and a height of the pen over a writing surface. Meanwhile, a three-axis accelerometer is used for detecting movement of the pen. The optical device has a portion such as a light source for radiating a beam to the writing surface to form beam spots and a detecting portion such as a camera and corresponding optics for detecting the beam spots from the light reflected off the writing surface.
Although Cho's teaching goes far to solve the problems, it still lacks the versatility, efficiency and accuracy to be employed in determining orientation parameters of writing devices and elongate objects in general.

Determination of an orientation parameter of an elongate object with a scan beam apparatus


An improvement on a contact terminal structure to be disposed into the terminal block on the base of an integrated circuit, comprises a main body, a soldering end extending vertically from one end of said main body and providing with an aligning portion of an arcuate hollow shape for placing a solder ball, a supporting portion extending vertically from said main body and being used for supporting said solder ball, and a contact end extending vertically from another end of said main body and providing contortedly with a corresponding contact portion at an appropriate position thereon. This structure can allow said solder ball bond more precisely with said soldering portion on said contact terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improvement on a contact terminal structure, more particularly to a structure for solving the problem of the bonding and alignment between a solder ball and a contact terminal such that the solder ball can be more easily and precisely bonded with the contact terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known, in the past, the contact bonding between a base and a motherboard in an integrated circuit was in a manner of mounting before soldering. But at present, the contact bonding is gradually adopting a manner of placing a solder ball on a contact terminal in an integrated circuit base first, and then soldering the integrated circuit base on a motherboard directly by means of a soldering process.
A structure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,615 comprising a contact terminal consisted essentially of a base part, a wing part, a flexible arm, a holding part and a supporting part, wherein said wing part was provided contortedly on appropriate positions over both sides of the base part, wherein ends of two wing parts were extended upwardly and separately resulting into a tapered flexible arm, and wherein said holding part had an asymmetric guiding face.
In the structure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,615, the supporting part of said contact terminal was a plane without any alignment structure, and therefore, the solder ball could not be aligned precisely during placing. Consequently, this structure could not give a correct electrical contact between the base and the motherboard of an integrated circuit, too.
Currently, a contact terminal commercially available is in a form that is provided with a long hole and bended into a clamp-like shape, wherein said long hole on the contact terminal is used for mounting a pin on the integrated circuit board, and wherein its solder ball is placed on the open end of the contact terminal.
However, there are several disadvantages associated with this kind of contact terminal because the bonding between the contact terminal and the solder ball is relatively uneasy to be done and a fluctuation tends to be caused between adjacent solder balls and the solder ball tends to drop off during its placing. Furthermore, no aligning structure exists between the contact terminal and the base such that after mounting the contact terminal into the terminal block on the base, a fluctuation could be caused. Consequently, in view of the foregoing, it is evident that this prior art structure could not result in a correct contact between the base and the motherboard of an integrated circuit.


A hinged tonneau cover assembly that is used on pick-up truck beds to allow for easy access to the truck bed. The hinged tonneau cover assembly has a lightweight internal perimeter frame that is removably secured to the front of the truck bed by a hinged mounting assembly and self-contained piston and cylinder rods adjustably positioned to the rear of the truck bed. The hinged tonneau cover assembly can be raised at one end for immediate access to the truck bed.

1. Technical Field
This device relates to truck tonneau covers that use a lightweight perimeter frame around the truck bed over which a canvas cloth material is stretched defining a cover. Heretofore, the canvas cloth cover had to be partially removed from the frame for limited access to the truck bed.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of hard, semi-hard cover elements and frames that were hinged to the truck bed for tilt-up access to the rear of the bed. The covers typically have a spring assembly and support rods to hold the rigid hard cover above the bed with a variety of different cover constructions, hinge elements and supporting assemblies, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,989,340, 3,762,762, 3,785,698, 4,083,596, 4,762,360 and 4,496,184.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,340 a quick detachable hinged structure is disclosed that uses spring mounted hinge pin assembly bolted to the forward wall of the truck bed and coil spring rods that secure the top to the respective side walls of the bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,762 is directed towards a cover and lifting mechanism for a pick-up truck wherein a rigid hard top is hinged from the truck bed by a pair of pivoted brackets secured to the bed frame and front wall of the bed with stanchions springs and pin assembly secured to connect the arms to the top.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,698 discloses a cover top for a pick-up truck bed wherein a removable hinge cover has an axial hinge with a spring portion and overbearing hook portion. Support rods extend from the rear of the top for sliding registration in a horizontal spring loaded mounting channel in the side walls of the truck bed.
A raiseable topper can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,596 in which a solid rigid cover top is hinged to the front wall of the truck bed from a first position, to a second position wherein the cover member is supported substantially above the bed via multiple pivoted spring-loaded support arms extending from each end of the rigid cover to fixed pivot points on the bed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,360 a de-mountable pick-up truck tonneau cover can be seen wherein spring-loaded pins are mounted on the interior of the cover for releasable engagement with the sides of the cargo box bed so that once the pins are retracted against the springs, the tonneau cover can be fully removed.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,184 a two-tiered tonneau cover frame is shown that has a lower frame, U-shaped bed engagement frame and an upper elevated U-shaped frame extending therefrom. Canvas material is stretched over the frames in alternate forms of the invention and the frames are pivotally connected to the bed at two opposing pivot points.

Hinged tonneau cover for a pick-up truck bed


A haymaking machine comprising a frame and a rotatable processing member for crop processing. The processing member is connected with the frame and supported from the ground via a supporting device, which comprises at least one balance arm that is mounted on a substantially horizontal pivot axis and is provided with a wheel at each of its ends. During the crop processing, the wheels bear on the ground, the supporting device further being provided with an element for moving, for transport of the haymaking machine, the balance arm about its pivot axis to an oblique position in which the wheel at one of the ends of the balance arm is located at some distance from the ground. The balance arm comprises two balance arm portions that are movable relative to each other, each balance arm portion having a first end and a second end, the balance arm portions supporting the respective wheel at their first end and being interconnected at their second end.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to crop processing machines, in particular, haymaking machines for processing mown grass.
2. Description of the Related Art
A haymaking machine is known from EP B1 0 857 413, the contents of which are incorporated herewith by reference in their entirety. This device is provided with a cross beam in which an upwardly orientated axis is included for supporting a rotatable processing member, each of the ends of the crossbeam being provided with a supporting device. Each supporting device comprises two wheels, one at each end of a balance arm. During operation, a cylinder is operated in such a way that the two wheels of a supporting device support the haymaking machine. For transport, an operating cylinder is operated in such a way that one wheel of each supporting device is lifted, as a result of which the balance arms will assume an oblique position. Although this device generally functions properly, the clearance between the rotor, the processing member, and the ground during transport leaves room for improvement. The oblique position of the balance arm is limited owing to the fact that, in case of a too oblique position of the balance arm, the wheel at the lifted end of the balance arm could interfere with the rotor.
There is thus a need to provide an alternative device, which provides improved clearance between the ground and the rotor during transport of the haymaking machine.


A wireless device to be mounted on a license plate of an automobile is composed of a casing, components contained in the casing and an operating member inserted into the casing. A battery for supplying power to the components is selectively turned on or off by controlling an insertion depth of the operating member into the casing. At an initial depth, the power supply is turned on for testing the wireless device at a manufacturing plant. At an intermediate depth, the power supply is turned off to save energy consumption in periods of transportation or storage. At a final depth, the power supply is finally turned on for actual use of the wireless device, and the casing is hermetically closed by the operating member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless transmitter-receiver device in which electric power is selectively supplied from a battery to wireless circuits.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, an automobile license plate on which a wireless device is mounted for wirelessly transmitting a license number and a vehicle identification number (a so-called smart plate) has been proposed. The wireless device is always exposed to water splash, sunshine or other hazardous atmosphere. Therefore, the wireless device including a battery for supplying power to wireless circuits has to be contained in a hermetically encapsulated casing. When the battery is contained in such a casing, it is impossible to connect or disconnect the battery to the wireless circuits (referred to as activation of the battery) from outside. Accordingly, the encapsulated battery has to be continuously kept activated after the wireless device is manufactured in a device manufacturer.
A considerably long period of time is required after the wireless device is manufactured until it is actually used. If the battery is continuously kept activated, battery power is consumed in vain. Usual processes in this period are as follows. The wireless device is inspected after completion of the manufacturing processes. The battery has to be activated for performing the inspection. Then, the wireless device is shipped to a license plate manufacturer to be mounted on the license plate. The battery has to be activated to store a vehicle identification number and a license number in a memory included in the wireless device. Then, the license plate on which the wireless device is mounted is sent to a place, such as a transportation authority, where the license plate is mounted on a vehicle. The battery has to be activated to store information regarding security or the like in the memory. Then, the vehicle is delivered to a user, and the wireless device is put into actual use. After that, the battery has to be continuously kept activated. However, it is not necessary to keep the battery activated in periods of transportation or waiting time between processes. Rather, it is most desirable to keep the battery inactivated to save battery power consumption.
Power saving of this sort is required not only in the wireless device for the license plate but in other devices which are put into actual use a considerably long time after they are manufactured.

Wireless device having a battery selectively activated


The invention incorporates an opto-electronic section in the tip of the sheath cover for a diagnostic probe that makes both electric and optical measurements of tissue contacted by the sheath. In addition the invention provides a piece of turbid material such as a polymer of controlled composition as a built-in calibrator attached to the outside of the tip of the sheath. In one embodiment the probe sheath in fabricated from a flexible material which can be rolled up prior to fitting and when fitted to the tip of the probe can be rolled down the shaft of the probe for use and then rolled back off the shaft for disposal.

The medical profession often needs to have an objective assessment of the health of the tissue of a patient. The patient may have suffered tissue damage as a result of accidental or deliberate trauma as for example during a surgical operation. The patient may also be suffering some other more persistent irritation as a result, for example, of being confined to bed which can lead to bed sores. It is valuable for a medical practitioner to be able to tell in advance the type of treatment that would benefit the patient.
It is well known, for example, that early detection of tissues displaying pre-cancer or cancer modifications is important for successful medical treatment. We have already disclosed an apparatus and method for carrying out this detection in patent application Ser. No. 08/332,830, assigned to the same assignee as the current invention.
Between uses probes can be disinfected by soaking in a suitable solution. For many patients this procedure is not acceptable. They require that the probe has not previously been used on other patients for fear of cross-contamination and infection. This requirement can be achieved by equipping the probe with a discardable, sterile sheath. Such an assembly must ensure that no part of the probe which is used on a patient could have come in contact with a previous patient. Sheaths that have been designed for other types of probes lack features that would make them suitable for use on a probe that performs both optical and electrical measurements while it is scanned over the surface of the cervix. For example ultrasonic probe sheaths would not be suitable. In particular they do not have provision to make simultaneous optical and electrical measurements. The particular difficulties that have been overcome by this invention arise from the fact that the both electrical and optical measurements are to be performed on the same area of tissue. It is therefore not feasible to install a simple sheath such as a condom over the tip of the probe. Such a sheath may, for example, enable some optical measurements to be made but would prevent electrical contact being made with the tissue with the optically transparent cover in place.

Integral sheathing apparatus for tissue recognition probes


An electrostatic chuck 20 of the present invention is capable of maintaining substantially uniform temperatures across a substrate 30. The chuck 20 comprises an electrostatic member 35 that includes (i) an insulator 45 covering an electrode 40, (ii) a substantially planar and conformal contact surface 50 capable of conforming to a substrate 30, and (iii) conduits 105 terminating at the contact surface 50 for providing heat transfer fluid to the contact surface 50. Application of a voltage to the electrode 40 of the electrostatic member 35 electrostatically holds the substrate 30 on the conformal contact surface 50 to define an outer periphery 110 having (1) leaking portions 115 where heat transfer fluid leaks out, and (2) sealed portions 130 where heat transfer fluid substantially does not leak out. A fluid flow regulator 135 is provided for flowing heat transfer fluid at different flow rates through the conduits 105 in the electrostatic member 35 to provide (i) first flow rates of heat transfer fluid through the conduits 105 adjacent to the sealed portions 130 of the outer periphery 110 of the electrostatic member 35, and (ii) second flow rates of heat transfer fluid through the conduits 105 adjacent to the leaking portions 115, the second flow rates being higher than the first flow rates, to maintain substantially uniform temperatures across the substrate 30 held on the chuck 20.

The present invention is directed to an electrostatic chuck for holding, and maintaining substantially uniform temperatures across a substrate during processing of the substrate, and for increasing the life of the chuck in erosive process environments.
In semiconductor fabrication processes, electrostatic chucks are used to hold substrates for processing of the substrate. Electrostatic chucks are particularly useful in vacuum processing environments where there is insufficient differential pressure to hold the substrate using a vacuum chuck. A typical electrostatic chuck comprises an electrostatic member supported by a support adapted to be secured in a process chamber. The electrostatic member comprises an electrically insulated electrode. An electrical connector electrically connects the electrode to a voltage supply source in the process chamber. When the electrode is electrically biased with respect to the substrate held on the chuck, opposing electrostatic charge accumulates in the electrode and substrate, resulting in attractive electrostatic forces that hold the substrate to the chuck. Electrostatic chucks are generally described in, for example U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/278,787 by Cameron, et al.; 08/276,735 by Shamouilian, et al.; and 08/189,562, by Shamouilian, et al.--all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Conventional electrostatic chucks can also have temperature controlling systems to regulate the temperatures across the substrate held on the chuck. However, conventional temperature controlling systems often do not maintain uniform temperatures across the substrate, particularly at the perimeter or edge of the substrate. Excessively high temperatures at portions of the substrate can damage the integrated circuit chips formed on the substrate, and low temperatures can result in non-uniform processing of the substrate.
A typical conventional temperature controlling system functions by introducing a heat transfer fluid, such as helium, below the substrate via a single central aperture in the chuck. The single central aperture is often used to supply helium to recessed cavities below the substrate, such as an open trough or pattern of interconnected grooves, to distribute helium below the substrate. The trough or patterned grooves often stop short of the perimeter of the chuck forming a relatively large edge gap between the trough edges, or groove tips, and the perimeter of the substrate held on the electrostatic member, the gap often exceeding 10 to 20 mm. The large edge gap is provided to allow the overlying perimeter of the substrate to cover and seal the trough or grooves so that the heat transfer fluid does not leak out into the process environment. However, because no heat transfer fluid is held below the perimeter of the substrate overlying the edge gap, the temperature of the substrate perimeter is controlled less effectively compared to central portions of the substrate, resulting in non-uniform temperatures across the substrate.
Conversely, extending the edges of the trough or tips of the grooves all the way to the perimeter of the chuck causes other problems. The small gap between the trough edges, or groove tips, and the overlying substrate perimeter, can result in excessive leakage of helium at portions of the trough edges or groove tips. The accompanying reduction in temperature control of the overlying portions of the substrate perimeter, causes the substrate to exhibit hot or cold spots, and results in reduced yields of integrated circuits formed on the substrate.
Another limitation of conventional chucks results from the structure of the electrostatic member 10 of the chuck 11, which typically comprises a copper electrode layer 12 sandwiched between two polymer insulator layers 13a, 13b as shown in FIG. 1. The polymer layers 13a, 13b overlap beyond the edge of the copper electrode 12 at an outer periphery 14 of the electrostatic member to electrically insulate and seal the electrode 12. Typically, the overlapping portions of the polymer layers form a lower annular step 15 of approximately 0.5 to 2 mm, and more typically 1.25 to 1.50 mm width around the circumference of the raised electrode 12. The annular step 15 has several detrimental effects on the electrostatic chuck 11. First, because of the annular step 15, only a small portion of the outer periphery 14 of the electrostatic member 10 contacts the perimeter 16 of the substrate 17 beyond the circumference of the electrode 12. As a result, there is an increased probability of helium leakage from groove tips 18 near the outer periphery 14 contributing to excessive overheating of the substrate 17. A second effect is that the relatively small width of polymer insulator 10 separating the circumference of the electrode 12 from the process environment can cause a higher failure rate of the chuck 11, because the small insulator portion 19 can be rapidly eroded by the erosive process environment, exposing the electrode 12 and causing short-circuiting of the chuck 11. Erosion of insulator portion 19 is particularly rapid in oxygen or halogen containing gases and plasmas, which are used for a variety of tasks, such as for example, etching of substrates and cleaning of process chambers. Failure of the chuck during processing of the substrate can damage the substrate, and necessitates frequent replacement of short-circuited chucks.
Thus, it is desirable to have an electrostatic chuck having a temperature controlling system that allows maintaining substantially uniform temperatures across the substrate, and in particular the perimeter of the substrate, to provide higher integrated circuit chip yields from the substrate. It is also desirable to have an electrostatic chuck which demonstrates improved erosion resistance, and reduced failure rates, in erosive process environments.

Electrostatic chuck with fluid flow regulator


The invention provides a photographic element, comprising a support bearing at least one silver halide emulsion and at least one 3-indoloylacetanilide yellow dye-forming DIR coupler of structure I, below: ##STR1## wherein: R.sub.1 is an alkyl or phenyl group;. R.sub.2 is a phenyl, t-butyl, cyclohexyl or naphthyl group; PA1 X is a halogen atom or an alkoxy or alkyl group; PA1 each R.sub.3 is in the para position or either meta position relative to the anilino nitrogen and is individually selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, and alkyl, phenyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, carbonamido, sulfonamido, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, acyloxy, sulfoxyl, sulfonyloxy, alkylthio, acyl and cyano groups; PA1 n is 1, 2 or 3; PA1 R.sub.4 contains at least two carbon atoms and is an alkylthio group or a carbonamido group represented by --NHCOR.sub.5, wherein R.sub.5 contains at least four carbon atoms and is an alkyl, phenyl, alkoxy or phenoxy group; PA1 each R.sub.6 is individually a halogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group and m is 0-4; PA1 provided that substituents may join to form a ring.

In a silver halide color photographic element or material a color image is formed when the element is given an imagewise exposure to light and then subjected to a color development process. In the color development process silver halide is reduced to silver as a function of exposure by a color developing agent, which is oxidized and then reacts with coupler to form dye. In most color photographic elements the coupler or couplers are coated in the element in the form of small dispersion droplets. Many photographic elements or materials contain, in addition to imaging couplers, image-modifying couplers that release a photographically useful group from the coupling site upon reaction with oxidized color developer. Couplers that release a silver development inhibitor from the coupling-off position, so-called DIR couplers, are one type of imaging modifying coupler utilized in color photographic elements.
Many photographic materials, and especially color negative films, contain DIR (development inhibitor releasing) couplers. In addition to forming imaging dye, DIR couplers release inhibitors that can restrain silver development in the layer in which release occurs as well as in other layers of a multilayer photographic material. DIR couplers can help control gamma or contrast, can enhance sharpness or acutance, can reduce granularity and can provide color correction via interlayer interimage effects. There has been a need for more effective yellow dye-forming DIR couplers. Yellow DIR couplers that provide high interimage color correction are particularly desirable for modern color negative films. In addition, it is desirable that such couplers have high activity to maximize rates and efficiencies of inhibitor release and minimize laydowns. DIR couplers that show acceptably low continued coupling when films containing them are placed in a bleach solution immediately after development (i.e. with no intervening stop bath) are also needed. It is also desirable that the inhibitors released from DIR couplers are readily hydrolyzed to weak inhibitors in the developer solution to prevent seasoning of the developer on extended use. It is further desirable that DIR couplers are thermally stable so that materials that incorporate them possess good raw stock stability. In addition, it is desirable that DIR couplers form dyes that have high extinction coefficients and good thermal stability. The DIR couplers of this invention possess all of these desirable properties, especially high activity, the propensity to provide good interlayer interimage, the release of efficient hydrolyzable inhibitors, high dye extinction coefficients and excellent dye stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,500 broadly discloses DIR couplers with azole coupling-off groups, but discloses neither the 3-indoloylacetanilide coupler parents nor the purine coupling-off groups of this invention. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/824,223 discloses yellow dye-forming couplers with purine coupling-off groups, but does not disclose the 3-indoloylacetanilide DIR couplers of this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,667 (EPA 751,428 A1) discloses pyrroloylacetanilide yellow dye-forming couplers with a variety of coupling-off groups. The pyrroloylacetanilide couplers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,667 are structurally distinct from the 3-indoloylacetanilde couplers of this invention and lack the major advantages of the couplers of this invention.

Photographic element containing acetamido DIR coupler


Core network slices that belong to a given operator community are efficiently tracked at the network control/user plane functions level, with rich data analytics in real-time based on their geographic instantiations. In one aspect, an enhanced vendor agnostic orchestration mechanism is utilized to connect a unified management layer with an integrated slice-components data analytics engine (SDAE), a slice performance engine (SPE), and a network slice selection function (NSSF) in a closed-loop feedback system with the serving network functions of one or more core network slices. The tight-knit orchestration mechanism provides economies of scale to mobile carriers in optimal deployment and utilization of their critical core network resources while serving their customers with superior quality.

The wireless industry is quickly evolving from long term evolution (LTE) to fifth generation (5G) technologies with several pilot trials ongoing in various licensed spectrum allocations. While commercialization of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards and first 5G commercial network deployments are anticipated at the end of this decade, several feature enhancements are still required to reshape the standards in being able to drive cost-effective and smart network designs. Such designs need to enable the benefits of 5G technologies by supporting commercially viable applications and services to support consumers, businesses, enterprises, industrial internet of things (IoT), and their customers.
Traditional mobility core network designs that have been architected, developed, and deployed using LTE technology are not adequate to meet the high-speed global mobile connectivity demands of the next decade. In addition, legacy LTE mobility core network functions and their serving equipment are largely localized in specific data center locations due to legacy requirements and do not offer complete flexibility.
With the shift to software-defined networking (SDN) and/or network functions virtualization (NFV) and open networking standards, the core network functions that will serve next-generation mobility technologies, including 5G, are to be sliced and be instantiated in any suitable edge office locations, besides central offices, for example, on demand. The ability to provide such core network functions creates new challenges for the network infrastructure providers to develop innovative and intelligent networking solutions that can deliver optimal connectivity and/or end user service quality.
The above-described background relating to mobility networks is merely intended to provide a contextual overview of some current issues and is not intended to be exhaustive. Other contextual information may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.


A server device, a client device and a dynamic image transmission method for a virtual desktop infrastructure are provided. The dynamic image transmission method for the virtual desktop infrastructure includes the following steps. A region information of a dynamic image displayed on a server device is detected by the server device. The region information is transmitted to a client device by the server device. The dynamic image is rendered on the client device according to the region information. The dynamic image is obtained from an Internet by the client device according to a network link information obtained from the server device, or the dynamic image is obtained by decompressing a compressed data provided from the server device.

In a virtual desktop infrastructure, normally the frame rate for a server device to transmit a picture to a client device from is about 1 to 2 fps. However, if the user wants to view a dynamic image, a higher frame rate, such as 24 fps, is required for the server device to transmit the dynamic image to the client device. Under such circumstance, the dynamic image can be smoothly played on the server device, but may become unsmooth or choppy after the dynamic image is transmitted from the server device and played on the client device. In order to achieve a better quality of viewing the dynamic image, a dynamic image transmission method for a virtual desktop infrastructure is provided.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Server device, client device and dynamic image transmission method for virtual desktop infrastructure

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


The present invention discloses a cyclic compound of formula (I) and a process of preparation thereof. The present invention further discloses a process for the preparation of compound of formula (II) preferably Hunanamycin A from compound of formula (I).

Today, infectious diseases are the second major cause of death worldwide and the third leading cause of death in developed countries. In the US; bacteria are the most common cause of infection-related death. Bacteria of the genus Salmonella are a major cause of foodborne illness throughout the world. According to very recent WHO report, the global burden of foodborne diseases shows that almost 420,000 people die every year by eating contaminated food. The same also estimated that the African and South-East Asia Regions have the highest burden of foodborne diseases. As a zoonotic pathogen, Salmonella can be found in the intestines of many food-producing animals such as poultry and pigs. Infection is usually acquired by consumption of contaminated water or food of animal origin: mainly undercooked meat, poultry, eggs and milk. Most Salmonella strains cause gastroenteritis, while some strains, particularly Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi and Paratyphi, are more invasive and typically cause enteric fever. Enteric fever is a more serious infection that poses problems for treatment due to ABR (Antibacterial resistance) in many parts of the world. For instance, in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, the genomic element that carries resistance to five antimicrobials (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides and tetracycline) may spread horizontally among other serotypes and acquire additional resistance determinants. In addition, bacteria often resilient enough to survive in even the extreme environments through evolution of different mechanisms. Hence, there is an urgent need for novel antibacterials to address resistance with novel mechanisms.
Hunanamycin A is the first natural product with a pyrido[1,2,3-de]quinoxaline-2,3-dione core and was isolated from a marine-derived Bacillus hunanensis. Hunanamycin A is the first natural product with a pyrido [1,2,3-de]quinoxaline-2,3-dione core related to a degradation product of riboflavin (vitamin-B2).
WO2015004687 disclosed novel tricyclic compounds of formula (I) and (II) More particularly, the present invention relates to novel tricyclic compounds of formula (I) and (II) and process of preparation of these compounds from 4,5-dimethyl-o-phenylinediamine. Further, the present invention relates to a process for preparation of tricyclic compound hunanamycin A.

Article titled "Hunanamycin A, an Antibiotic from a Marine-Derived Bacillus hunanensis" by Youcai Hu et al. published in Organic Letters, 2013, Vol. 15, No. 2, 390-393 reports Hunanamycin A, the first natural product with a pyrido[1,2,3-de]quinoxaline-2,3-dione core, was isolated from a marine-derived Bacillus hunanensis. Hunanamycin A is related to a degradation product of riboflavin but has undergone an N-prenylation and subsequent cyclization.
Article titled "First total synthesis of Hunanamycin A" by Rahul D. Shingare et al. published in Organic Letter, 2013, 15 (17), pp 4556-4559 reports the first synthesis of an antibacterial natural product, hunanamycin A and analogues with variation at the sugar moiety, using simple and scalable chemistry.
Article titled "One-pot efficient green synthesis of 1,4-dihydro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione derivatives" by Harjyoti Thakuria et al. published in Journal of Chemical Sciences, 2006, 118(5), pp 425-428 reports an efficient synthesis of the potential pharmacophore 1,4-dihydroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (1) has been achieved in a one-pot reaction at room temperature from substitutedo-phenylene diamine and oxalic acid under solvent-free conditions by a simple grinding method with unsurpassed atom economy. Thermal and powder X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out for some hydrated crystals.
The prior art process involve multistep reaction sequence involving protection of functional groups and less overall yield. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide simple and economic synthetic route for hunanamycin A. Accordingly, the present invention provides a simple process for the preparation of hunanamycin A from cheap and easily available starting material i.e. Riboflavin. Further, the developed route involves only three steps, protecting group free synthesis and also amenable for synthesis of new analogues.

Cyclic compounds and process for the preparation thereof

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research


Provided are antibodies that selectively bind to and inhibit activation of coagulation factor XII. Methods of treatment employing these antibodies are described herein.

Blood coagulation is a process consisting of a complex interaction of various blood components, or factors, which eventually give rise to a fibrin clot. Generally, blood components participating in the coagulation "cascade" are proenzymes or zymogens—enzymatically inactive proteins that are converted into an active form by action of an activator. However, when dysregulation of the coagulation cascade occurs, such as due to injury or disease, severe clinical consequences can ensue.
One of these consequences is thrombosis, a general term for diseases caused by the localized accumulation of circulating blood elements within the vasculature that result in vessel occlusion. Conventional antithrombotic drugs can inhibit thrombus growth by targeting coagulation pathways (for example, heparin and warfarin) or platelet-dependent mechanisms (such as aspirin or clopidogrel). Thrombolytic agents (e.g., streptokinase) are used to degrade thrombi in situ to restore blood flow. Despite advances in this field, the search for new strategies continues because existing treatments impair hemostasis, and must be administered at doses that do not achieve maximum efficacy (Gruber and Hanson, 2003).
Hemostasis is a vital function that stops bleeding and protects the integrity of blood circulation on both molecular and macroscopic levels. Hemostasis includes a coagulation cascade of sequentially activatable enzymes that is traditionally divided into three parts: (1) an intrinsic pathway, which includes interactions of blood coagulation proteins that lead to the generation of coagulation factor IXa (fXIa) without involvement of coagulation factor VIIa (fVIIa); (2) an extrinsic pathway, which includes interactions of blood coagulation proteins that lead to the generation of coagulation factor Xa (fXa) and IXa (fIXa) without involvement of factor XI (fXI); and (3) a common coagulation pathway, including interactions of blood coagulation proteins II, V, VIII, IX and X that lead to the generation of thrombin. Thrombin activates platelets and generates fibrin, both of which are essential building elements of the hemostatic plug that is responsible for sealing the vascular breach. Complete absence of thrombin or platelets causes paralysis of hemostasis and leads to lethal hemorrhage.
The plasmas of placental and marsupial mammals contain fXI (Ponczek et al., 2008), the zymogen of a plasma protease (fXIa) that contributes to fibrin formation and stability through fIX activation (Furie et al., 2005). fXI deficiency causes a variable trauma-induced hemorrhagic disorder in humans and other species (Seligsohn et al., 2007; Knowler et al., 1994; Ghanem et al., 2005; Troxel et al., 2002). The physiologic mechanism by which fXI is converted to fXIa has been a topic of debate (Pedicord et al., 2007; Blat & Seiffert, 2008). When blood is exposed to a charged surface, the process of contact activation converts factor XII (fXII) to the protease fXIIa, which then activates fXI (Gailani and Broze, 2001). This reaction does not contribute to hemostasis as fXII deficiency, unlike fXI deficiency, is not associated with abnormal bleeding in any species in which it has been identified (Gailani and Broze, 2001). This is a key piece of supporting evidence for hypotheses proposing that fXI is either activated during hemostasis by a protease distinct from fXIIa, or that auxiliary mechanisms for fXI activation can compensate for the absence of fXIIa (Broze et al., 1990; Davie et al., 1991; Renne et al., 2007).
In addition to fXIIa, other candidates for fXI activators include α-thrombin (Naito et al., 1991; Gailani et al., 1991), meizothrombin (von dem Borne et al., 1997), and fXIa (autoactivation) (Naito et al., 1991; Gailani et al., 1991). Thrombin has received much attention in this regard. Work from several laboratories supports a model in which thrombin or another protease generated early in coagulation activates fXI (von dem Borne et al., 1997; von dem Borne et al., 1995; von dem Borne et al., 1997; Cawthern et al., 1998; Keularts et al., 2001; Oliver et al., 1999; Wielders et al., 2004), with fXIa then sustaining coagulation. This hypothesis has been challenged by a study that did not find evidence for fXI activation in thrombin or tissue factor (TF) stimulated plasma in the absence of fXII (Pedicord et al., 2007). This work also showed that the process of collecting and preparing plasma can generate fXIa, giving the false impression in subsequent assays that fXIIa-independent fXI activation has occurred. These observations have been presented in support of a hypothesis, proposed previously by other investigators (Brunnee et al., 1993), that normal hemostasis in fXII deficiency reflects loss of fXIIa-initiated processes, such as fibrinolysis, that negate the propensity to bleed from simultaneous loss of fXI activation (Pedicord et al., 2007; Blat et al., 2008).
Coagulation fXII has long been considered a potential therapeutic target in some disease conditions where contact activation may contribute to pathogenesis. However, no sufficiently potent inhibitor for fXII activity, such as a potent and useful antibody, has yet been identified. Antibodies to fXII exist, but these apparently lack the potency and properties necessary for an effective therapeutic (Pixley et al., 1993). Thus, a need exists for a potent and specific inhibitor of fXII.

Antibodies against factor XII and uses thereof


An improved bleed system for a double block and bleed plug-type valve which employ a safety check valve which automatically shuts off bleed system flow upon ruptures or upon an inadvertently open manual bleed valve during normal plug valve operation. An integral component combines the safety check valve and other bleed system components in a unitary device which is especially resistant to plumbing damage incidents.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates generally to the field of plug valves and more specifically to a bleed system for double block and bleed plug valves for avoiding dangerously high pressure build up in liquid filled, positive shut-off situations.
2. Prior Art
When a double block plug valve is closed and completely filled with liquid media, slight variations in temperature can cause drastic changes in body cavity pressure resulting from thermal expansion and media incompressibility. Valves filled with fuel oil in a laboratory setting have exhibited a 75 PSI increase in pressure with a temperature rise of only 1.degree. Fahrenheit.
While results vary under actual service conditions depending on media, pressure vessel rigidity and pressure of entrained gas, it is known that dangerously high pressure will build up in liquid filled positive shut-off valves. Therefore, double block plug valves in liquid service require a pressure relief device.
Various methods of pressure relief have been implemented in the prior art. The differential thermal relief (DTR) system is one example. A relief valve mounted at a tee on the valve bonnet, pipes excess pressure to the upstream throat of the valve. The standard relief valve is sometimes set to open at 25 PSI on all valves regardless of working pressure. With the valve closed the relief valve will open at 25 PSI above upstream pressure. This system functions only when the valve is closed. A manual body bleed valve is included. This bleed valve, installed at the tee, is opened after the valve is closed. Seal effectiveness can be immediately evaluated. This bleed valve must be closed before the valve is reopened. An isolation valve installed in the upstream throat tap is also included. It must be left open to permit the relief system to relieve pressure upstream and is closed only for repair.
A Manual Body Bleed Valve (MBBV) is another prior art example. This bleed valve installed in the body cavity is opened after the valve is closed. Seal effectiveness can be immediately evaluated. This bleed valve must be closed before the valve is reopened.
The Automatic Body Bleed Valve (ABBV) provides visual, positive assurance that the valve has sealed completely at each cycling operation and prevents thermal pressure buildup in the body cavity. An automatic bleed valve connected to the body cavity of the main valve is mechanically opened by the valve operator when the valve is closed. Seal integrity is indicated by viewing the discharge of the bleed valve. When the valve is opened, the bleed valve is automatically closed by the combination of line pressure and the spring in the bleed valve.
All of these methods protect the valve body from over-pressurization, but also increase the risk of an accident or incident due to the relative delicacy of the exposed "plumbing". As a result, more recent state of the art pressure relief systems have become quite popular. The Welded/DTR functions as a basic DTR but all pipe threads are seal welded, except for the relief valve which is installed between a set of seal welded unions. This essentially all-welded system provides enhanced incident control where safety and the environment are of the foremost concern. The Safety Bleed/DTR functions exactly as the basic DTR. However, all working components are housed in a virtually indestructible compact steel manifold. The benefits of this incident control equipment are improved fire safety, complete component access for maintenance purposes, all stainless steel components, all socket welded joints, heavy wall pipe and total incident control. However, as the pressure protection systems become more robust for enhanced incident protection they also get more costly and cumbersome.
There is therefore a continuing need for a bleed system having reduced cost and size while maintaining incident control. Moreover, such bleed systems must be fugitive emission free; must be fire safe; and must be strong and resist spillage of contents.


A semiconductor device suitable for power applications includes a thyristor epitaxial layer structure defining an anode region offset vertically from a cathode region with a plurality of intermediate regions therebetween. An anode electrode is electrically coupled to the anode region. A cathode electrode is electrically coupled to the cathode region. A switchable current path that extends vertically between the anode region and the cathode region has a conducting state and a non-conducting state. An epitaxial resistive region is electrically coupled to and extends laterally from one of the plurality of intermediate regions. An FET is provided having a channel that is electrically coupled to the epitaxial resistive region. The FET can be configured to inject (or remove) electrical carriers into (or from) the one intermediate region via the epitaxial resistive region in order to switch the switchable current path between its non-conducting state and its conducting state.

1. Field
The present application relates to semiconductor devices typically used in power electronics, such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) or a power MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor).
2. Related Art
The IGBT is currently the preferred solid state power amplifier in the power industry. It competes for power switching functions with the power MOSFET. The IGBT combines the high power capability of the bipolar transistor with the voltage control capability of the MOSFET. The IGBT is typically used in high voltage power applications where the peak voltage VCE across the device is greater than 1000 V and the device supports output powers of greater than 10 kW. The IV characteristics of the IGBT typically exhibit high current density controlled by a relatively small voltage. The output resistance is much higher than the common emitter configuration of the bipolar transistor, i.e. Rout is more like the common base configuration and the dc input resistance is infinite due to its insulated gate. Thus, the device displays high transconductance in which the output current is controlled by the input voltage. In general, high voltage, high current and low switching frequencies favor IGBTs while low voltage, low current and high switching frequencies are the domain of the power MOSFET.
A conventional prior art vertical type n-channel IGBT is shown in FIG. 1, which includes an N− base layer 103 formed on a P+ substrate 101. The N− base layer 103 forms an epitaxial drift region. A P+ body region 105 is formed by diffusion into the N− base layer 103. An N+ emitter region 107 is formed by diffusion into the P+ body region 105. A gate electrode 111 is formed on an insulating layer 109 that covers a central portion of the N+ emitter region 107, a central portion of the P+ body region 105 and a central portion of the N− base layer 103 as shown. The insulating layer 109 is patterned to expose an outside portion of the N+ emitter region 107 and an outside portion of the P+ body region 105. An emitter electrode 113 is formed in ohmic-contact with the exposed outside portions of the N+ emitter region 107 and an outside portion of the P+ body region 105 as shown. A backside collector electrode 115 is disposed in ohmic-contact with the P+ substrate 101.
The IGBT functions in an ON (conducting) state where current conducts vertically between the top emitter electrode 113 and the backside collector electrode 115 by the following operations. Specifically, a positive bias voltage is applied between the collector electrode 115 and the emitter electrode 113 and a positive bias voltage is applied to the gate electrode 111 relative to the emitter electrode 109 such that inversion layer of electrons forms under the gate electrode 111 at or near the interface between the central portion of the P+ body region 105 and the insulating layer 109. In this manner, electrons are injected from the N+ emitter region 107 into the N− drift region 103. In accordance with the injection amount of the electrons, holes are injected from the collector 115 through the P+ substrate 101 to the N− drift region 103. As a result, the N− drift region 103 is filled with carriers, which decreases the effective resistance of the N− drift region 103 brings the IGBT into the ON (conducting) state.
On the other hand, the IGBT functions in an OFF (non-conducting) state where there is little or no current that conducts vertically between the top emitter electrode 113 and the backside collector electrode 115 by the following operations. Specifically, a reverse bias voltage is applied to the gate electrode 111 relative to the emitter electrode 109 such that there is no inversion layer of electrons formed under the gate electrode 111 at or near the interface between the central portion of the P+ body region 105 and the insulating layer 109. As a result, electrons are not injected from the N+ emitter region 107 into the N− drift region 103, and holes are not injected from the collector 115 through the P+ substrate 101 to the N− drift region 103. As a result, the N− drift region 103 is depleted of carriers, which increases the effective resistance of the N− drift region 103 brings the IGBT into the OFF (non-conducting) state.
When configuring the device from the ON state to the OFF state, holes accumulated in the N− drift region 103 are exhausted through the P+ body region 105 and to the emitter electrode 113. This flow of accumulated holes can limit the switching frequency of the IGBT and thus adversely impact the suitability of the IGBT for applications where high switching frequencies are required. For example, typical IGBTs operate at switching frequencies less than 100 kHz.
Gate drive circuitry that control the ON-OFF operation of one or more IGBTs are also commonplace. Such gate drive circuitry can include one or more opto-isolators that employ a light emitting diode and corresponding photodiode that interface to one another via optical signals emitted by the light emitting diode and received by the corresponding photodiode. The opto-isolator provides for electrical isolation between an electrical input signal and the electrical gate drive signal that controls the ON-OFF operation of the IGBT.
US2012/0098029 describes a thyristor core with an optically-activated gate that is controlled by monolithically or hybrid integrated switches S1 and S2 and a laser for device turn-on and off.

Power semiconductor device formed from a vertical thyristor epitaxial layer structure


A method for providing a regulated core voltage to a processor within a computer system is disclosed. In accordance with a method and system of the present invention, a power supply is provided for a processor that includes multiple core transistors and multiple I/O transistors. An input voltage is supplied to a first power input of the processor for powering the I/O transistors within the processor. This input voltage is also supplied to a second power input of the processor for powering the core transistors within the processor via a voltage regulator and a resistor, with the voltage regulator and the resistor connected in parallel, such that the voltage drop across said voltage regulator can be reduced.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for supplying power to a processor in general and, in particular, to a method and system for providing a voltage to a processor within a computer system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for providing a tightly regulated core voltage to a processor within a computer system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many high-performance processors require two voltage levels for normal operations, one voltage level for operating processor I/O transistors and the other voltage level for operating processor core transistors. Typically, the operating voltage for the processor I/O transistors is directly supplied by a standard 3.3V power supply having a regulation of about .+-.5%. This results in a voltage range of as low as 3.135V and as high as 3.465V for the processor I/O transistors. The voltage for operating the processor core transistors, known as core voltage, may require a voltage of 2.7V with a tolerance of .+-.100 mV or better. Typically, this core voltage is also provided by the standard 3.3V power supply via a voltage regulator.
In order for a voltage regulator to function correctly, there needs to be at least a 0.5V difference between the input voltage and the output voltage of the voltage regulator. This 0.5V voltage differential is known as the "headroom" of the voltage regulator. In the meantime, the continued demand of processor performance levels to higher frequencies within a specific technology often requires a higher core voltage. As the core voltage goes up, there may not be enough "headroom" for the voltage regulator to function properly. One obvious solution to this problem would be to upgrade the power supply from a standard 3.3V to a standard 5.0V. But, needless to say, one of the many disadvantages of operating a 3.3V processor under a standard 5.0V power supply is that excessive electrical power is required to be dropped across the voltage regulator, resulting in power being wasted. Further, the wasted power, usually in the form of heat, also needs to be properly dissipated from the chassis of a computer system in which the processor is installed.
In addition, during the powering-up of some processors, the voltage difference between the processor I/O transistors' voltage and the core voltage must be maintained within a certain range of each other. If this voltage differential becomes too large, some transistors within the processor may get damaged or, at a minimum, the life of the processor will be unnecessarily shortened. In order to maintain compatibility with the standard 3.3V technology, it would be desirable to provide an improved method and system to provide a tightly regulated processor core voltage within a computer system such that a standard 3.3V power supply can still be utilized for the computer system having a processor with a higher core voltage demand.

Method and system for providing a regulated core voltage to a processor within a computer system

International Business Machines Corporation


An ink jet head having a head chip with drive walls made of piezoelectric elements and channel portions alternately arranged in parallel; a top-side and a bottom-side base plates each formed to be longer than the channel portions and fixed on an upper and lower surfaces of the head chip; an ink supply room forming member for forming an ink supply room to supply ink to each of the channel portions; first lead wires to be connected to their respective drive electrodes formed on the drive walls, said first lead wires being formed on a fixed surface of the head chip to be fixed to the base plate; and second lead wires to be connected to the first lead wires, said second lead wires being formed on the surface of the top-side and/or the bottom-side base plate at the side of the fixed surface of the head chip.

This invention relates to an ink jet head, and in particular, to an ink jet head having a head chip in which drive walls made up of an piezoelectric element and channel portions are arranged alternately, the inlet and outlet of the channel portions are arranged in an opposite manner on the front side and rear side respectively, and by the application of a voltage to said drive walls to deform said walls by a shearing force, ink drops in the channel portions are jetted.
Up to this time, it is known to the public, as an ink jet head of a shear-mode type jetting ink drops in the channel portions by the application of a voltage to the drive walls partitioning the channel portions to deform the drive walls by a shearing force, an ink jet head which can be obtained as one of a number of heads produced from a wafer with its productivity extremely improved, owing to its actuator being made up of a head chip of what is called a harmonica type in which drive walls made up of a piezoelectric element and channel portions are arranged alternately, while the inlet and the outlet of the channel portions are arranged in an opposite manner on the front side and the rear side respectively (patent literatures 1 to 3).
The channel portion of such an ink jet head is of a straight type having its size and shape approximately not changed in the length direction from its inlet to its outlet, and at its rear side, an ink manifold as an ink supply room forming member making up an ink supply room for supplying ink to the channel portion is fixed; therefore, it is difficult to electrically connect a lead wire for applying a voltage to a drive electrode formed on each drive wall to a drive circuit.
For example, in a technology described in the above-mentioned patent literatures 1 to 3, through holes are formed in one of the upper and lower base plate oppositely attached to the drive walls as holding them from the upper and lower direction, and by the utilization of these through holes, lead wires connected to the respective drive electrodes are made to come out to the outer surface of the head chip; however, because the operation to form such through holes for the respective channel portions is troublesome, and on top of it, an operation for connecting lead wires from the drive circuit to the lead wires formed in these through holes is required, a structure to make it possible to carry out more simply an electrical connection with the lead wires from a drive circuit is desired.
Especially, in recent years, for the purpose of recording a higher-quality, higher-definition image, it has been progressing to make the nozzle density higher, and also it has been considered an ink jet head having a head chip structure whose nozzle density is made higher by the formation of a plurality of nozzle rows in the nozzle plate through the formation of the drive walls and the channel portions in a multi-stage manner in the vertical direction; in particular, in the case of a head chip having a structure of three or more stages stacked in the vertical direction, there has been a problem that it becomes more difficult to electrically connect lead wires for applying a voltage to the respective drive electrodes located at the middle position to a drive circuit.
Further, on the rear surface of the head chip, an ink manifold making up an ink supply room for supplying ink to each channel portion from its inlet side (the reverse side to the nozzle plate) is fixed with an adhesive; however, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is necessary to bond fixedly the rear surface and the ink manifold by means of a coating of an adhesive in a way such that the bonding area does not overlap each channel portion by the utilization of the space surrounding the channel portions. However, the thickness of a head chip is only several millimeters or so, and in the rear surface of such a head chip, the area for bonding capable of being coated with an adhesive to a degree not to produce a part of the adhesive being pressed out has a space of only about 0.5 mm at the largest. Hence, when an ink manifold is bonded fixedly with the rear surface of a head chip by means of an adhesive, it is necessary to carry it out with the adhesive carefully coated on a minute space in such a manner as not to be forced out, but this raises a problem in terms of productivity. In this case, also it can be considered to secure a broad coating space of an adhesive by the upper and lower base plates being formed to be larger (thicker), but it results in a head being made larger-sized uselessly. For this reason, it is desired an ink jet head having a structure to make it possible to achieve a further improved productivity without making its head chip large-sized uselessly.
[Patent literature 1] The publication of the unexamined patent application 2002-103612
[Patent literature 2] The publication of the unexamined patent application 2002-103614
[Patent literature 3] The publication of the unexamined patent application 2002-210955
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an ink jet head of high productivity which makes it possible to carry out the electrical connection of the drive electrodes in the respective channel portions with lead wires from a drive circuit in a simple manner, and also makes it possible to carry out the formation of an ink supply room for supplying ink to the inside of each channel portion easily.


The present invention relates to a reinforced thermoplastic resin composition comprising at least an amorphous thermoplastic resin (A), a flame retardant (B), fibrous calcium silicate (C) and an inorganic material (D) comprising talc and/or mica,                the content of flame retardant (B) being 0.01 to 30 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the amorphous thermoplastic resin (A);        the content of fibrous calcium silicate (C) in said composition being 3 to 30% by weight, and the content of the inorganic material (D) comprising talc, mica or mixture thereof in said composition being 3 to 30% by weight.

The present invention relates to a reinforced thermoplastic resin composition and the molded products thereof. More particularly, it relates to a reinforced thermoplastic resin composition which can minimize abrasion of the screws and inner walls of cylinders of the melt kneader and the gate and cavity of the mold in the process of production of the composition and molding, and which causes little warpage of the molded products and also excels in rigidity, strength, self-tapping properties, flame retardancy, etc., and the molded products of the said resin composition.
Amorphous reinforced resins are widely used in the various fields of industry because of their high degree of design freedom and excellent productivity, and many methods for incorporating fibrous inorganic reinforcements, plate-shaped or particulate inorganic fillers or such in the resin compositions for further improvement of strength or rigidity have been proposed. For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 6-172611 discloses a glass-reinforced flame-retardant polycarbonate resin composition produced by incorporating a flame retardant and glass fibers, glass flakes or glass beads in a resin composition comprising a polycarbonate resin and an ABS resin. However, the glass fibers, glass flakes and glass beads incorporated in the composition described in the above patent are all high in hardness and therefore cause excessive abrasion of the cylinder inner walls and screws of the extruder or molder and the gate and cavity of the mold in the process of production and molding of the resin compositions, so that it has been difficult to produce with stability a high-quality glass-reinforced flame-retardant polycarbonate resin composition and the molded products of such a resin composition.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 8-127711 discloses a resin composition comprising a polycarbonate resin, an aromatic polyester resin, an elastomeric material, surface-treated talc and/or surface-treated mica, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 8-176339 discloses a resin composition produced by blending talc having a bulk specific gravity of 0.4 to 0.9 in a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonates. Any of the resin compositions disclosed in these patents is indeed improved in rigidity and warpage in its own way and can lessen abrasion of the screws and cylinders of the melt kneader and molder and the gate and cavity of the mold, but these resin compositions are unsuited for the production of the molded articles which require clamping by self-tapping screws, because these resin compositions can not provide enough self-tapping strength, and thus there were of poor practical applicability.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 8-073728 discloses a resin composition produced by blending a fibrous inorganic filler such as wollastonite (fibrous calcium silicate) in a polycarbonate resin or a mixture thereof with other thermoplastic resin. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 2000-230124 discloses a thermoplastic resin composition comprising a mixture of a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonates and fibrous β-wollastonite which has been surface-treated with a phosphoric ester compound. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 2002-265769 discloses a resin composition obtained by blending wollastonite of a specific particle shape in a resin base comprising a polycarbonate resin or such. The resin compositions disclosed in these patents, however, can provide only those molded products which, although improved in rigidity and self-tapping strength, have high anisotropism and a large warpage because of incorporation of fibrous wollastonite.

Reinforced thermoplastic resin composition and molded products thereof