A conventional semiconductor device, for example, a MOS transistor including an offset gate structure has a problem that it is difficult to reduce the device size. In a semiconductor device according to the present invention, for example, in a P-channel MOS transistor including an offset gate structure, a LOCOS oxide film is formed between a source region and a drain region in an N type epitaxial layer. A gate electrode is formed to be positioned on the LOCOS oxide layer. In addition, a P type diffusion layer as the drain region and a P type diffusion layer as the source region are formed with a high positional accuracy with respect to the gate electrode. This structure makes it possible to reduce the device size of the MOS transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device capable of reducing the device size of a transistor including an offset gate structure, and also relates to a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a conventional method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the following method of manufacturing an N-channel MOS transistor has been known. Firstly, an N type epitaxial layer is stacked on a P type single crystal silicon substrate. A first silicon oxide film is formed in a portion where a bird's beak with a smooth slope is to be formed in a region of the epitaxial layer where a LOCOS oxide film is to be formed. Then, a second silicon oxide film is formed on the epitaxial layer including the portion of the first silicon oxide film. Thereafter, a silicon nitride film is formed, which includes an opening in a region where the LOCOS oxide film is to be formed. Subsequently, the LOCOS oxide film is formed by means of a LOCOS method. A photoresist is formed on the epitaxial layer as a selection mask, and a P type diffusion layer constituting a drain region is formed by means of an ion implantation technique. At this time, ions of impurity are implanted into a portion below the bird's beak with a smooth slope of the LOCOS oxide film, so that a P type diffusion layer is formed. After that, a back gate region, a source region, a gate oxide film and a gate electrode are formed. As a result, the N-channel MOS transistor is manufactured. This technology is described for instance in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-309258 (Pages 5 and 6, and FIGS. 5 to 8).
As an example of a conventional semiconductor device, the following LOCOS offset P-channel MOS transistor has been known. In a region where the P-channel MOS transistor is to be formed, an N type well region, which is to be used as a back gate region, is formed in a P type substrate by mean of an ion implantation technique using a resist mask. Then, a P type low-concentration diffusion layer, which is to be used as a drain region, is formed in the N type well region by means of the ion implantation technique using a resist mask. Thereafter, a LOCOS oxide film is formed by means of a LOCOS method in the P type substrate, and then a gate oxide film and a gate electrode are formed on the P type substrate. Subsequently, P type high-concentration diffusion layers, which are to be used as a source region and a drain region, are formed in the P type substrate by means of the ion implantation technique using a resist mask. As a result, the P-channel MOS transistor is manufactured. This technology is described for instance in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-324159 (pages 26 to 30, and FIGS. 1 to 3).
When a LOCOS offset MOS transistor is manufactured with the conventional method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the step of forming a diffusion layer as a drain region is performed before the step of forming a gate electrode, as described above. In other words, the diffusion layer as the drain region is formed by means of the ion implantation technique using a photoresist mask in which an opening is selectively formed. Accordingly, in the case of this manufacturing method, it is necessary to take account of mask misalignment in the step of forming the diffusion layer as the drain region. For this reason, it is difficult to reduce a device size.
Moreover, in the conventional method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the diffusion layer as the drain region is formed by means of the ion implantation technique using the photoresist mask in which the opening is selectively formed. Then, the gate electrode is formed by using the photoresist mask in which the opening is selectively formed. In this manufacturing method, mask misalignment occurs in each step, leading to a reduction in the channel length. For this reason, it is difficult to obtain desired MOS transistor characteristics. Moreover, in order to avoid the reduction in the channel length, a margin needs to be provided for the mask misalignment, in turn making it difficult to reduce the device size of the MOS transistor, as described above.
Furthermore, in the conventional method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the diffusion layers as the drain region and the source region are formed by means of the ion implantation technique using the photoresist mask in which the opening is selectively formed. When the drain region is formed on each side of the source region, a mask misalignment produces a longer separation distance between the drain and source regions on one side while producing a shorter separation distance between the drain and source regions on the other side. For this reason, even such a reduced separation distance between the drain and source regions needs to have a desired separation distance therebetween. Accordingly, it is necessary to take account of an extra margin for mask misalignment. As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the device size of a MOS transistor, and also to reduce the on-resistance of the MOS transistor.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


The invention provides a vaccine for the prevention and/or the treatment of infection by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, which vaccine contains at least an immunogenic part of at least one cytolytic protein of A. pleuropneumoniae produced by recombinant DNA, and detoxified derivatives thereof. Three of such cytolytic proteins are identified and a vaccine containing these, or parts or derivatives thereof, ensures protection against all known serotypes of A. pleuropneumoniae. The cytolytic proteins are produced by inserting a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more of the proteins or parts thereof in a host cell, cultivating the host cell and recovering the proteins. Another vaccine contains the genetic information for one or more of the cytolytic proteins, and a passive vaccine contains antibodies against these proteins. The invention further provides monoclonal antibodies and DNA probes for use in diagnostics.

The present invention is in the veterinary field. More specifically, the invention relates to the prophylaxis and therapy of pleuropneumonia in pigs.
Pleuropneumonia is a major respiratory disease in pigs and causes severe economic losses in pig farming in many countries including the United States and Canada. The disease is caused by the bacterium Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (previously also referred to as Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae) and is considered to be one of the most important disorders of the bronchial tubes in pigs. Frequently, the disease is fatal. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is known to exist in twelve infective serotypes.
Since pleuropneumonia can be induced by inoculating pigs with sterile culture supernatants of A. pleuropneumoniae, extracellular toxic proteins are assumed to be involved in the development of the pneumonic lesions. There is growing evidence that qualitative or quantitative differences in toxic activities exist between the twelve serotypes of A. pleuropreumoniae. Hemolytic and cytotoxic activities have been reviewed by T. A. Bertam, Can. J. Vet. Res. 54: S53-S56 (1990). Two different hemolytic activities were reported by Frey and Nicolet, J. Clin. Microbiol. 28: 232-236 (1990), whereas four antigenically different activities were distinguished by Kamp and Van Leengoed, J. Clin. Microbiol. 27: 1187-1191 (1989). Whether such activities are functions of one or more molecules is not known.
Vaccines proposed thus far for preventing infections by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae are mostly based on whole live cells, attenuated cells, lysates, culture supernatants, or extracts of A. pleuropneumoniae. WO-A-80,02113 (or Canadian Patent 1,189,790) teaches a vaccine for controlling pleuropneumonia in pigs, containing A. pleuropneumoniae cells, cell fragments etc. and, as an adjuvant, material derived from Bordetella pertussis. EP-A-420,743 proposes a vaccine containing inactivated toxin of serotype 1 and optionally an inactivated toxin of another serotype of A. pleuropneumoniae; it provides protection against serotype 1 and partial protection against other serotypes. EP-A-354,628 discloses a universal vaccine against A. pleuropneumoniae, which contains extracellular proteins from two different serotypes, and is effective against all A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes. Although these known vaccines provide protection against some or even all of the field strains of A. pleuropneumoniae, the active compounds are not known. As a result, control, verification, and standardisation of vaccines is difficult, since the ratio between active components cannot be optimized and inactive and sometimes adverse components are always present in the vaccines.
The present invention, in one aspect, provides a vaccine for the prevention and/or the treatment of infection by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae containing at least an immunogenic part of at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of cytolytic proteins of A. pleuropneumoniae produced by recombinant DNA technology, and detoxified derivatives thereof.
It has been found according to the invention that Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae produces three hemolytic and/or cytotoxic proteins (toxins), hereinafter referred to as cytolytic proteins: Cytolysins I, II and III (ClyI, ClyII and ClyIII). Where the term xe2x80x9cCytolysinxe2x80x9d (Cly) is used in the present specification, this shall thus be understood to comprise any extracellular protein produced by any strain of A. pleuropneumoniae and producing any adverse effect (be it hemolytic, cytotoxic or other or both) on cells or tissues of an infected animal; where appropriate it shall be understood also to comprise immunogenically active parts of these proteins or derivatives thereof having diminished adverse effects. Protection against infections by any of the known serotypes of A. pleuropneumoniae is conferred to an animal by administering an effective amount of all three cytolysins, and partial or complete protection against specific serotypes is conferred by administering one or two of the cytolysins, depending on the serotype or serotypes in question.
Thus, the vaccine of the invention contains at least one of the three cytolysins I, II and III, preferably two, and more preferably three. The cytolysins may be present in the vaccine as the naturally occurring proteins, or they may be present as derivatives containing at least an immunogenic part of the proteins, or as a detoxified equivalent. Detoxification shall be understood to mean that the toxic activity of the proteins has been removed to a sufficient degree or for a sufficient number of the protein molecules to provide a vaccine which does not produce an unacceptable toxic reaction in the producing host and/or in the vaccinated animal, whereas it provides a sufficient immune response. Detoxification can be brought about by chemical, physical or enzymatic treatment of the proteins or by substitution, insertion or deletion of one or more nucleotides in the cytolysin genes resulting in the substitution, insertion or deletion of one or more amino acids in the protein. Detoxification can also be achieved by expression of the toxin gene in the absence of the activator gene.
It was found that the cytolysins are encoded by operons wherein the structural toxin gene is flanked at the 5xe2x80x2 end by a gene encoding a peptide required to activate the toxin, hereinafter referred to as the activator protein. The cytolysins may be present in the vaccine in the activated or non-activated form.
The cytolysins or their derivatives present in the vaccine are preferably obtained by expression of recombinant DNA encoding the proteins mentioned above. The detoxified cytolysins constitute a further embodiment of the present invention.
In another aspect of the invention a process for producing a cytolytic protein of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae or an immunogenic and/or detoxified derivative thereof is provided, which process comprises the steps of:
a) selecting at least one nucleotide sequence coding for at least an immunogenic part of said cytolytic protein (toxin) optionally including an activator protein, or a derivative thereof;
b) inserting the nucleotide sequence(s) selected in step a) in a vector or an expression vector;
c) transforming a host cell, preferably a host cell that is capable of secreting said cytolytic protein, with the vector obtained in step b);
d) cultivating the host cell of step c) to express the nucleotide sequence(s) of step a),
e) recovering and optionally purifying the protein from the culture;
f) optionally modifying the protein to produce a detoxified protein.
In yet another aspect, the invention is concerned with a process of producing a vaccine wherein at least one, and preferably two, and more preferably three, of the cytolysins or immunogenic parts thereof, thus produced, are combined with an immunologically acceptable carrier and optionally a suitable adjuvant.
The host cell referred to in the process of producing the cytolysins or their derivatives may be a microorganism, preferably a non-pathogenic microorganism capable of expressing at least one nucleotide sequence encoding the cytolysins by having a strong promoter inducing high expression levels or by allowing the introduction of an exogenous promoter system to induce such high expression levels. A suitable host cell is Escherichia coli.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a nucleotide sequence encoding at least an immunogenic part of a polypeptide selected from cytolytic proteins of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae optionally including activator proteins and transport proteins, the latter ones being proteins that assist in the secretion of the cytolytic proteins to the periplasma or the medium. The invention also relates to a system that expresses and secretes said nucleotide sequence and to a vector containing at least one of said nucleotide sequences each one preferably operatively linked to a promoter and optionally an enhancer.
In yet another aspect the invention relates to a host cell containing at least one nucleotide sequence encoding the cytolytic proteins or their derivatives, and capable of expressing them, the nucleotide sequence(s) either being contained as such or as said vector and being either present in the host cell in the genome of the host or as a plasmid. Preferably, the host cell contains nucleotide sequences encoding at least two of the cytolysins, and more preferably it contains the sequences encoding all three cytolysins. The host cell is preferably derived from E. coli.
The invention also provides a vaccine for prophylaxis and therapy of infections by A. pleuropneumoniae containing a microorganism carrying one or more nucleotide sequences encoding at least an immunogenic part of at least one cytolytic proteins of A. pleuropneumoniae or a detoxified derivative thereof. The microorganism may be an attenuated microorganism such as an attenuated virus or a bacterium. Administration of the vaccine results in multiplication of the microorganism and thus in production of the immunogen.
The invention further relates to diagnostic means for detecting infection by A. pleuropneumoniae. Specifically, the invention is concerned with an antibody, preferably a monoclonal antibody, raised against one of the native cytolysins and useful as a component of a diagnostic kit for detecting infection by A. pleuropneumoniae; antibodies raised against modified cytolysins are useful for determining protection by these modified cotylysins. Antibodies raised against native or modified cytolysins can also be used for passive immunisation of infected animals.
In another aspect, the invention provides a DNA-probe comprising at least a part of a nucleotide sequence encoding a cytolysin of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae which may be used in a diagnostic method and a diagnostic kit for detecting infection by A. pleuropneumoniae. Another method of diagnosing an A. pleuropneumoniae infection is to determine the presence of A. pleuropneumoniae cytolysins in a subject whereby protein pattern is indicative of the infective serotype or group of serotypes.

Recombinant vaccine for prevention and/or treatment of pleuropneumonia infections


Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for identifying suspicious user logins in enterprise networks are provided herein. A method includes processing log data derived from one or more data sources associated with an enterprise network, wherein the enterprise network comprises multiple hosts; generating a set of profiles, wherein the set comprises a profile corresponding to each of multiple users and a profile corresponding to each of the multiple hosts, wherein each profile comprises one or more login patterns based on historical login information derived from said log data; and analyzing a login instance within the enterprise network against the set of profiles.

Many services that require user authentication deploy security measures against account compromise. Such existing security measures include checking whether a given user is logged in from a recognized device or location. While the nature of authentication data commonly precludes observation of the source of an authentication attempt within an enterprise network, the origin of a login, being within the enterprise network, is trusted information.
Multiple challenges exist in analyzing authentication log data. For example, there exists a semantic gap between what is recorded in the logs and the actual authentication activity that took place (for instance, there are at least 31 different Windows® authentication messages describing user logins). Also, domain controller logs can be extremely noisy. In addition to users entering passwords, it is also common for automated processes on hosts, such as email clients, to request authentication and authorization on behalf of a user. Further, new users and machines are continuously introduced into the enterprise network, and the activities corresponding thereto, though technically new, are often not anomalous.
Additionally, yet another challenge includes the presence and/or introduction of new logins via existing users accessing machines that those users have not previously accessed. Accordingly, a need exists for techniques to identify and analyze destination machines accessed by a given user that are unusual for that user.

Identifying suspicious user logins in enterprise networks


A multi-antenna structure includes a monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure with an antenna feed configured to connect to electrical circuitry; and a slot-like antenna structure adjacent to the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure and capacitively fed by the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure, wherein the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure and the slot-like antenna structure operate as a combined antenna with extended bandwidth relative to operation individually. The monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure can include a horizontal member and a plurality of vertical members connected to the horizontal member. The slot-like antenna structure can include two parallel horizontal members separated by a slot and a vertical member at one end of the slot connected to each of the two parallel horizontal members separated and another end of the slot is open.

Various devices utilize antennas for wireless communication, such as wireless Access Points (APs), streaming media devices, laptops, tablets, and the like (collectively "wireless devices"). Further, the design trend for such devices is aesthetically pleasing and compact form factors. One particular disadvantage of a compact form factor is antennas have less space and tighter tolerances which can be problematic in mass production. Another disadvantage of the aesthetically pleasing and compact form factors in such hardware devices includes parasitics which are unavoidable and usually unwanted capacitance that exists between the parts of an electronic component or circuit simply because of their proximity to each other. For a given form factor, parasitics are created out of the already existing ground without needing new structures needed. For cost efficiency and size, it is not desired to introduce new structures, parts. It would be advantageous to utilize existing parasitics to improve operation such as to increase bandwidth to account for the tolerances, etc.

Multi-antenna structure with two radiating antennas with one antenna fed from the other antenna


A process for fabricating a semiconductor device having deep trench structures includes forming a first portion of the trench in a semiconductor substrate and a second portion of the trench in a selectively-formed upper layer. After etching the substrate to form the first portion of the trench, a protective layer is deposited over the inner surface of the trench in the semiconductor substrate and the upper layer is selectively formed on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate. During formation of the upper layer, a wall surface is formed in the upper layer that is continuous with the wall surface of the trench in the semiconductor substrate. By forming a second portion of the trench in the selectively-formed upper layer, a deep trench is produced having a high aspect ratio and well defined geometric characteristics.

As the trend toward higher integration levels in semiconductor device fabrication continues, the use of trench structures in semiconductor substrates has increased. Trench structures are used for a variety of different device components, including vertically oriented transistors, isolation structures, such as shallow trench isolation (STI) structures, deep trench isolation (DTI) structures, capacitors, and the like. Accordingly, the etching of trench structures in a semiconductor substrate is an important part of the overall process of manufacturing many integrated circuit devices.
The fabrication of trench structures, and in particular deep trench structures, presents a number of process requirements requiring adequate process control. During trench formation, it is important to control the sidewall profile as the trench is formed in the substrate. For example, undercutting of the masking pattern used to define the trench opening can result in an undesirable widening of the trench near the substrate surface. Also, in the fabrication of deep trench structures, a reasonably high etch rate needs to be maintained in order to provide acceptable process throughput. Resist loading can become a problem when etching deep trench structures due to erosion of the resist during the etching process.
Related to maintaining a high etch rate is the ability to achieve a desired trench depth in the substrate. Many semiconductor integrated circuits require trenches have depths of, for example, 80 to 100 microns. In addition to being very deep, these trenches also have very small diameters leading to large aspect ratios. The formation of high aspect ratio trench structures requires that the masking layer used to define the trenches withstand the etch process conditions necessary to rapidly etch the trenches deep into the substrate. Mask erosion during etching can lead to undesirable narrowing of the trench and, in extreme cases, blocking of the bottom of the trench, which results in a trench that is not etched to the desired depth.
In the fabrication of dynamic-random-access-memory (DRAM) devices, deep trenches are typically formed for capacitor fabrication. The geometry of the capacitor trench is an important factor in the capacitance value of the capacitor in a DRAM memory cell. In particular, it is desired that the capacitor in each DRAM memory cell have a similar capacitance value, so that the DRAM memory array stores electrical charge uniformly across the array.
Given the increasing importance of trench fabrication for a variety of semiconductor applications, improved fabrication technology is necessary that will enable the reliable formation of deep trench structures having substantially uniform geometrical characteristics.

Process for fabricating a semiconductor device having deep trench structures


A method, or corresponding dynamic display system, for customizing a controller of a display system includes presenting a visual stimulus to a subject at at least one known location relative to the subject's eye gaze; measuring brain activity of the subject's left and right brain hemispheres in response to the subject's viewing of the stimulus; processing the measured brain activity to determine a frequency-dependent metric of the measured brain activity; assessing independent cognitive capacities of the subject's left and right brain hemispheres based on the frequency-dependent metric; and adjusting a function of the controller in the display system according to the assessed independent capacities, such as by adjusting the function to change a stimulus load in a visual hemifield according to the brain activity in the contralateral brain hemisphere. Example applications include head-up display (HUD), augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) display systems, and brain injury assessment systems.

The amount of information a person can process from a display, such as a computer display, head-up display, head mounted display, or television monitor, can be limited because conventional displays do not account for cognitive capacity limits in the person's visual hemispheres. Often, conventional displays are unbalanced or present too much information.

Dynamic display system and method for customizing a controller in a display system


A label sheet assembly is provided with bar code information thereon defining the layout of the labels on the backing sheet. A versatile label dispenser apparatus advances the label sheets and deflects them over a peeling bar in one direction to partially separate the labels from the backing sheet; with the advancing action being determined by the bar code information. The label sheet assemblies are then deflected in the opposite direction, and are routed in a substantially flat condition to the output of the dispenser apparatus. The labels are partially dispensed, substantially vertically from the dispenser, and a substantial number of sensors are provided to sense when all of the labels have been removed; and then the dispenser advances the label sheet assembly to partially dispense the next row of labels. The bar code reader may also sense the leading edge of the label sheet assembly to accurately control the incremental advancing of the label sheet assembly.

Labels are normally supplied as a two layer sheet, with a face stock layer from which the labels are die cut, a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive, and a release coated backing layer or liner, from which the labels are dispensed. One widely used label sheet includes three columns of 10 labels each, for address labels, but many other sizes of labels are also available in sheet form.
In the manual removal of labels from a backing sheet; the user must try to grip a corner of the label and then peel the label from the backing sheet. This is often frustrating and time consuming. To simplify the separation of labels from a backing sheet, label dispensers have been proposed, and one such dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,374. In this dispenser, sheets of labels are drawn over a "peeling" bar and, by abruptly changing the direction of feeding of the sheets, the labels are separated from the backing sheet and are held by one edge, with the labels extending horizontally from the backing sheet so that they may be gripped and removed by the user.
However, while the apparatus of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,374 patent is a significant improvement over manual removal of labels, it still has certain shortcomings. Thus, for example, the liner sheets are stressed as they are bent over the "peeling" bar, and form fairly tight curled cylinders as they exit from the label dispenser. In addition, this known dispenser is not very flexible in accommodating different types of label sheets, or variations in the use of the label dispenser.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Method and apparatus for lapping gears which includes an active torque system to substantially improve the lapping process with respect to run-out and other longer-term motion transmission errors without compromising tooth-to-tooth performance. Motion transmission error measurements provide the basis for calculating a corrective active torque component which is combined with conventional process torque to reduce or eliminate part run-out.

Lapping is a well-established process for finishing the tooth surfaces of bevel gears. The purpose of lapping is to alter or refine gear tooth flanks to improve gearset running noise (motion transmission errors). These motion transmission errors can be characterized as short-term (once-per-tooth and harmonics thereof) and long-term (once-per-revolution run-out and harmonics thereof).
In the lapping process, members of a bevel gear set, namely a pinion and ring gear, are mounted to respective spindles in a lapping machine via appropriate workholding equipment. In most instances of rolling of the gear set during lapping, the pinion is the driving member and the ring gear is braked thereby creating an amount of torque between the pinion and ring gear. The gear members are rolled in mesh and lapping compound, which can be a mixture of oil (or water) and silicon carbide or similar abrasive, is sprayed, injected or poured into the meshing zone. In a typical lapping cycle, first one side of the gears (e.g. coast side) is lapped followed by lapping of the other side (e.g. drive side) of the gears. An example of a gear lapping machine can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,355 to Stadtfeld et al.
Most lapping machines have three degrees of freedom available for realizing relative motion between a ring gear and pinion. The first freedom being relative movement in the direction of the ring rear axis (gear cone distance) which shall be referred to as direction G or the G-axis, the second freedom being relative movement in direction of the pinion axis (pinion cone distance) which shall be referred to as direction H or the H-axis, and the third degree of freedom being distance between the ring gear and pinion axes which shall be referred to as direction V or the V-axis. The direction V is also known as the "hypoid offset" or "pinion offset."
In lapping processes, relative movement in the V, H and G directions effect positional changes in the contact pattern of the members of the gear set, in effect modifying the contact pattern. Lapping involves rotating the gear members in mesh with contact at a desired position on the tooth surfaces. Thus, the members are located at particular V and H positions along with a particular G-axis position to effect the desired backlash.
Typically, the V, H and G movements each have an effect on both the lengthwise and depthwise position of the localized tooth contact pattern, the primary effect of the V-axis movement being on the relative lengthwise position of the contact pattern, the primary effect of the H-axis movement being on the relative depthwise position of the contact pattern, and the primary effect of the G-axis movement being on the backlash.
As the gear set is lapped, contact is usually shifted smoothly and gradually from the center of the tooth toward one of the outer (heel) or inner (toe) portions of the tooth surface by changing the V and H settings as necessary to effect such a shifting of the contact position. As V and H are changed to effect the shifting, the G-axis position must also be changed smoothly and gradually to maintain the desired backlash. When the desired heel or toe position is reached, V and H axes positions are again changed to shift contact to the other of the heel or toe positions with the changing V and H positions being accompanied by an appropriate G-axis change to maintain backlash. The contact position is then returned to the beginning position at the center of the tooth.
Torque is developed by the machine spindle motors such that a desired speed and load are produced at the gearset, with material removal rate by abrasive action being a function of the load. The load, or gearset torque, may also have an average level determined by the user (e.g. 10 Newton-meters) when setting up the lapping job. This average torque level is maintained in-process by the machine according to various known methods, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,508 to McGlasson et al.
But the gearset torque also has dynamic components which are not actively controlled. Such dynamic components are unavoidably present as a result of machine response to gearset motion errors influenced by masses, stiffness and damping of the spindles and other machine elements (i.e. passive physics of the machine). These dynamic components, initiated primarily from the gearset motion errors, add to the average torque to comprise the actual lapping torque. Thus, at any given instant, the lapping torque may be substantially higher or lower than the commanded average value, based on these dynamics. The performance, and performance limitations, of a lapping machine is in large part dependent on these passive physics-based behaviors, and the faster the spindles are rotated during lapping, the more dominant these effects tend to become.
Therefore, significant limiting effects often arise from the passive dynamic motion/torque behavior of the lapping machine system. It has been found that lapping machine parameters (mechanical design, control characteristics and process choices) that produce the best tooth modification performance may not at the same time produce the best spacing and/or run-out performance, and vice versa. In other words, a machine design for optimal improvement in tooth flank shape may, on average, merely maintain or even make run-outs worse. And a machine designed to consistently improve part run-out may achieve sub-optimal tooth-to-tooth characteristics.
One example of addressing tooth characteristics can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,476 to Ginier where a method is disclosed for utilizing and manipulating the intermittent contact of an interference-based lapping approach (resulting from operating the two spindles in velocity and/or position modes) in order to selectively lap distorted or out-of-position gear teeth. Control of the process comes down to the timing of when to advance and when to maintain a commanded interference condition that is producing lapping torque. The resulting lapping cycle is generally too slow to be used in production and over-lapping of some teeth (rendering the gear set unusable) can be expected if pre-lapping spacing errors are significant.


A level shifting circuit with a thin gate transistor connected to the input of the output stage is presented. The level shifting circuit has an input stage that receives an input that is at first voltage. A transistor with a thin gate oxide has one terminal connected to the input stage and another terminal coupled to an input of the output stage. The output stage of the level shifting circuit is implemented with thick gate oxide transistors.

Many integrated circuits have circuit blocks that use different supply voltages. For example, the core logic of an integrated circuit may be designed to operate using a relatively low voltage, e.g., 1.1V, while logic in a charge pump may operate using a relatively high voltage, e.g., 1.8V. In order to reduce the system complexity, the number of power supplies used to provide the different voltages may be minimized by using level shifter circuits. The difficulty of level shifting from a lower supply voltage to a higher supply voltage increases as the frequency of operation increases, especially at operating data rates of 6.5 Gbps (Gigabits per second) and above.
Ideally, a level shifter circuit should have high bandwidth as well as low power consumption. Current level shifter implementations use a mixture of thin gate oxide transistors and thick gate oxide transistors. One skilled in the art will appreciate thick gate oxide transistors are inherently slower and have lower current than a similarly sized thin gate oxide transistor. As a consequence, many of level shifter circuit implementations are performance limited by the use of thick gate oxide transistors to drive the required load at high frequency. For this reason, the thick gate oxide transistors in the level shifter circuit need to be sized larger than if thin gate transistors were used to provide the amount of current needed achieve the frequency of operation, while keeping the load the same. Additionally, the use of larger sized, thick gate oxide transistors limits the performance of the level shifter circuit because the thick gate oxide transistors lead to high capacitive loading and thus lower bandwidth. Additionally, the use of thick gate oxide transistors leads to larger amounts of current and therefore higher power consumption.
It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.

Level shifter circuit with a thin gate oxide transistor


A keyboard system comprises a first plurality of keys. The first plurality of keys have top surfaces with fixed indicia disposed thereon. The keyboard system further comprises a recessed section. The keyboard system further comprises a programmable display key module disposed in the recessed section. The programmable display key module comprises a dynamically programmable flat panel display having a plurality of display areas. The programmable display key module further comprises a second plurality of keys. Each of the second plurality of keys has at least a first transparent surface and a switch engagement structure. At least a portion of each key overlays a corresponding display area of the dynamically programmable flat panel display. The programmable display key module further comprises a plurality of switches. Each switch is positioned adjacent to a corresponding switch engagement structure of a corresponding key. At least a first of the switches is activated by the corresponding switch engagement structure when the corresponding key is depressed.

Conventional personal computer keyboards generally have keys with fixed labeling. The key labeling can be textual, graphical, or a combination of both text and graphics. For example, many keyboards have auxiliary function keys with fixed key labels, such as "Web", "Mail" or "Search". While a wide variety of different functions can often be assigned to such keys, thereby providing users with useful shortcuts to frequently used functions, the presence of the fixed key labels can cause confusion if the assigned functionality of a key does not correspond to the key label. This confusion is further compounded by the fact that the auxiliary function keys can be programmed to have different functionality in different contexts. For example, a key with a "←" icon may cause a web browser application to move "back" to a previously-viewed web page, but may cause a word processor to "undo" the user's most recent action.
To address the confusion that arises when a user cannot remember which functions are assigned to which keys in which contexts, printed reference cards or help files stored on the personal computer and displayed on a computer monitor are sometimes used. However, these options are generally inconvenient for users, and thus several keyboards have been developed wherein a changeable message can be displayed on individual keys. The message can be textual or graphical, and can vary depending on the context in which the keys are used. For example, some attempted solutions to the foregoing problems provide individual programmable displays for each key, wherein the displayed information is changeable depending on context. However, many of these types of keyboards are expensive and difficult to fabricate, and so have not gained wide acceptance.


It is an object to provide an arrangement wherein a parts feeding member and a parts receiving member are provided each with a magnet, characterized in that the front end of a part is prevented from being magnetized to preclude magnetic repulsion problems in the feeding and receiving of parts.. The polarity of the magnet associated with the feeding member is selected to control the magnetic lines so that they pass through only a portion of the part.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a parts feeding and receiving mechanism of the type in which a parts feeding member and a parts receiving member are provided each with a magnet.
2. Description of Prior Art
As far as my research covers, there has been found no known example in which a parts feeding member and a parts receiving member are provided each with a magnet. However, among what I have proposed, there is one shown in FIG. 6. The part handled therein is an iron bolt 1 having a flange-like head 2 and a stem 3. A feeding member 4 is adapted to be moved vertically and horizontally, and a parts receiving member 5 is adapted to be moved vertically. The front end of the feeding member 4 is formed with a notch 6, in which a magnet 7 for holding a part is installed. The magnet 7 is embedded in the feeding member 4 and has a protective plate 8 mounted thereon. The head 2 is attracted by the magnet 7 with its end surface contacting the protective plate 8. The feeding member 4 is connected to driving means (not shown) so that it is movable horizontally and vertically as indicated by arrows 9, 10, 11 and 12.
On the other hand, the receiving member 5 has a receiving hole 13 for the stem 3 and has a magnet 14 fixed in the innermost region of said receiving hole. The receiving member 5 receives the bolt 1 and then moves downward to feed the bolt to an intended place. Therefore, the receiving member 5 also is capable of reciprocating as indicated by arrows 11 and 12.
The operation of the feeding and receiving mechanism described above will now be described. The feeding member 4 holding the bolt 1 by the magnet 7 is moved from the left as indicated by the arrow 9 and is stopped when the stem 3 is coaxial with the receiving hole 13. Then the feeding member 4 is moved upward as indicated by the arrow 11 to insert the stem 3 into the receiving hole 13, where it is attracted by the magnet 14. Thereafter, when the feeding member 4 is retracted as indicated by the arrow 12, the bolt 1 remains in the receiving hole 13 under the attractive force of the magnet 14. After the feeding member 4 is retracted in the direction of arrow 10, the receiving member 5 starts to descend.
With the mechanism thus arranged, if the polarity of the magnet associated with the feeding member and the polarity of the magnet associated with the receiving member are not properly selected, the proper feeding and receiving of parts is impossible. To describe this in more detail, if the N-pole of the magnet 7 is directed upward and its S-pole downward, then the magnetic lines 15 pass through the bolt 1 longitudinally thereof, so that the front end of the stem 3 has an N-pole. If the polarity of the magnet 14 is such that its lower side is N and upper side is S, then the front end of the stem 3 and the magnet 14 repulse each other. This means that when the feeding member 4 descends in the direction of arrow 12, the bolt returns as it adheres to the protective plate 8 rather than remaining in the receiving hole 13; thus, the feeding and receiving operation becomes impossible.
Such problems could be solved by selecting the polarity of the magnet 14 such that it corresponds to the polarity of the magnet 7 so that it is in the attracting relation rather than the repulsing relation. However, when such magnets are so installed, mistakes can be made, resulting in the repulsing relation.


A golf swing-measuring system including a computer (16) for capturing a colored moving image obtained by photographing a golfer (11) who swings by gripping a golf club (13). The computer (16) selects and extracts one or more images each showing a swing posture as check-point images such as an address image, a take-back shaft 8 o'clock image, a take-back shaft 9 o'clock image, a take-back unskillful arm horizontal image, a top image, a downswing unskillful arm horizontal image, a downswing shaft 9 o'clock image, an impact image, a follow-through shaft 3 o'clock image, and a finish image and extracts from a large number of still images constituting said color moving image. Thereafter the computer (16) obtains coordinates of positions of attention-focused points that operate in said check-point images when said golfer swings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf swing-measuring system and more particularly to a system of automatically and accurately extracting the movement of golfer's joints and the like from images in which the golfer's swing is photographed.
2. Background Art
There are proposed various kinds of apparatuses for photographing a golfer's swing, automatically computing information such as a flight distance, orbit, and the like of a hit golf ball by a computer, and displaying the obtained information for a golfer. These apparatuses allow the golfer to examine the flight distance, orbit, and the like of the hit ball. However, these apparatuses are incapable of providing information useful for improving the golfer's swing form.
In the swing form diagnosis apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-117045, a golfer's swing is photographed to extract images of only specific motion points important for diagnosing the swing form. More specifically, frames regarding the golfer's swing motion are extracted from the golfer's moving image photographed by the photographing means. Specific motion points during the swing motion are judged according to results of analysis of the moving partial images in the differential image between each frame and the reference image. A frame corresponding to each of the specific motion points is extracted to display the image.
However, even though a frame corresponding to each specific motion point during the swing motion is extracted, it is impossible to provide the golfer with the motion of the joints and the like during the swing by merely looking at an extracted image. Therefore it is difficult for the golfer to find defects in her/his swing form and points to be corrected.
In the motion diagnosis apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,018, a plurality of motion points are mounted on a golf club head and a person whose swing is to be diagnosed to obtain the coordinates of the motion points in a swing moving image. Thereby the swing is diagnosed. But it is necessary to perform computations for extracting the coordinates of a large number of motion points for all frames of the swing moving image. Therefore the amount of computation is very large, and the coordinate of the position of each of the motion points is erroneously recognized to a high extent. Further there is a case in which the motion point is hidden with the golfer's arm and the like while the golfer is swinging. In this case, a camera is incapable of recognizing the motion points. Consequently it is impossible to obtain the coordinate of the position of each of the motion points. Thus there is a high probability that the swing is erroneously diagnosed.
In the above-described motion diagnosis apparatus, it is impossible to grasp the golfer's body motion in an image unless the motion points such as marks are mounted on a user's body. Thus the user has a troublesome preparatory work in diagnosing her/his swing. In addition, it is necessary to perform computations for extracting the coordinates of a large number of the motion points for all frames of the swing moving image. Therefore the amount of computation is very large, and the coordinates of the positions of the motion points are erroneously recognized to a high extent.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-117045
Patent document 2: Patent No. 2794018


A method for making electromechanical parts and tools having at least one micro-diameter electrically conductive thread incorporated therein is accomplished by molding the elements which form the base for the electromechanical part or tool from a ceramic material and, during the molding step, there are formed one or more bores through each of the base elements. The base elements may be formed individually or at a planar array for later separation into individual elements. The base elements are then supported on a micro-porous substrate within a vacuum chamber and one side of the base element is flooded with a molten electrically conductive material. By drawing a vacuum within the vacuum chamber beneath the micro-porous substrate, the molten electrically conductive material is caused to flow into and through at least one bore in each base element. The molten electrically conductive material is then cooled. In such manner, through the molding of the ceramic material into the desired shape with desired bores forming conduits for the molten electromechanical material, a variety of micro-electromechanical parts and tools can be fabricated.

There is a continuing desire to make electromechanical parts and tools of smaller and smaller dimension. Such micro-electromechanical parts and tools will often require at least one and typically multiple electrical conductors embedded therein of micro-diameter. By micro-diameter as used herein, it is meant diameters on the order of 100 microns. As a practical matter, even though conductors such as bonding wire as used in the assembly of integrated circuits are available in diameters down to about 1.25 mils, it is difficult to produce continuous electrical conductors having a diameter in the range of 100 microns. Further, conventional methods would make it impractical, if not impossible, to precisely thread such micro-diameter conductors through a micro-sized electromechanical part or tool to thereby embed the conductor therein. Heretofore, the prior art has lacked the ability to produce electromechanical parts and tools wherein one or more micro-diameter electrical conductors can be embedded therein with assurance of continuity.

Method for making ceramic micro-electromechanical parts and tools


A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with blocks, the blocks are axially divided by at least one circumferential groove and circumferentially divided by oblique grooves inclined with respect to the tire axial direction towards one direction, and each of the blocks is subdivided into at least two parallelogrammic block elements by at least one open sipe extending across the block and inclined with respect to the tire axial direction towards the same direction as the oblique grooves, the parallelogrammic block elements include two block-end elements located on the circumferential ends of the block, and each of the block-end elements is provided with at least one closed sipe extending at an angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to the tire axial direction and terminating within the block to have closed ends.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire, more particularly to a tread pattern for winter tire.
2. Description of Background Art
In general, snow tires are provided with block-type tread patterns, and the blocks are provided with a great number of sipes. If the number of sipes in a tread portion are excessively increased, as the blocks are decreased in the rigidity, the amount of deformation or leaning of the blocks during running increases. Therefore, the ground contacting area and grip power are decreased, and as a result, the steering stability is deteriorated and uneven wear is liable to occur on the blocks. cornering performance on ice is important factor for the snow tires as well as straight running performance, e.g. traction, braking distance and the like. As explained above, if a great number of sipes are formed, the difference in the grip power between straight running and cornering is liable to become increased. Therefore, a vehicle provided with such tires is liable to become unstable in its behavior in a time of transition from straight running to cornering.

Pneumatic tire with tread including blocks having open and closed sipes


Reducing an alignment error of an imprint lithography template with respect to a substrate includes locating central alignment marks of the template with respect to corresponding central alignment marks of the substrate and locating peripheral alignment marks of the template with respect to corresponding peripheral alignment marks of the substrate. In-plane alignment error of the template is assessed based on relative positions of central alignment marks of the template and corresponding central alignment marks of the substrate. A combined alignment error of the template is assessed based on relative positions of peripheral alignment marks of the template and corresponding peripheral alignment marks of the substrate. Out-of-plane alignment error of the template is assessed based on a difference between the-combined and the in-plane alignment error of the template, and a relative position of the template and the substrate is adjusted to reduce the out-of-plane alignment error of the template.

During a nanoimprint lithography process, field corners on the substrate and corners of the imprint lithography template tend to deform due at least in part to the force exerted on the substrate by the template during imprinting. This out-of-plane deformation of the template can affect image placement and residual layer uniformity. With current alignment systems, it is difficult to distinguish between in-plane and out-of-plane alignment errors, and therefore difficult to implement appropriate correction.

Real-time correction of template deformation in nanoimprint lithography


A method of transferring air cargo loading units (12) between a publicly accessible operational zone (A) and a security-sensitive apron zone (B), including a stationary transfer and security checking system (10) which comprises a first transfer device (22), a second transfer device (24), and a cargo lock (14) in between, the cargo lock (14) including a lock chamber (16) which is connected to the first transfer device (22) via a cargo entrance gate (18) and to the second transfer device (24) via a cargo exit gate (20), includes the following method steps:                a) the air cargo loading units (12) are delivered by a road or rail transport means (28) via the publicly accessible operational zone (A);        b) the cargo entrance gate (18) is opened with the cargo exit gate (20) in the closed condition;        c) the air cargo loading units (12) are transported into the lock chamber (16) by means of the first transfer device (22);        d) the lock chamber (16) is separated from the publicly accessible operational zone (A) by closing the cargo entrance gate (18);        e) a security check of the air cargo loading units (12) is performed in the closed lock chamber (16);        f) the lock chamber (16) is connected to the security-sensitive apron zone (B) by opening the cargo exit gate (20);        g) the air cargo loading units (12) are loaded onto air cargo apron transport units (34) by means of the second transfer device (24).

Transfer of air cargo loading units at an airport from a road or rail transport means to an air cargo apron transport means always involves a transfer of the cargo from a publicly accessible operational zone to a secured and security-sensitive apron zone. Up to now, the air cargo loading units were first transferred in the publicly accessible operational zone from the road or rail transport means to the air cargo apron transport means, e.g. with the aid of fork lift trucks. Thereafter, when the loaded air cargo apron transport means was transferred from the publicly accessible operational zone to the security-sensitive apron zone, an extensive security check was performed which, in addition to checking the air cargo loading units, also included a respective security check of the apron transport means along with its driver.
The expenses for carrying out the goods transfer and the attendant security checks constantly increase here against the background of tightened security regulations.

Method for transferring air cargo loading units, and transfer and screening system for carrying out said method

Abstract: The present invention further relates to a transfer and security checking system (10) for carrying out this method.

FRAPORT AG, FRANKFURT AIRPORT SERVICES WORLDWIDE


A shroud for securing a wire harness and its attached connector to a electrical power distribution center (PDC) assembly. The shroud surrounds the end of the wire harness and engages the wire harness connector so as to permit a degree of linear movement of the connector relative to the shroud. The shroud is secured to a PDC housing to place the connector in alignment with a mating connector on a PDC, and a bolt passing through the mating connector is tightened into engagement with a nut molded into the wire harness connector to draw the wire harness connector into electrical connection with the mating connector.

Power distribution centers (PDCs) are commonly used in automotive vehicles to simplify electrical system wiring by eliminating multi-branch wiring and consolidating fuses, relays, and other electrical components in a single location. A PDC typically comprises a plastic case having receptacles on its upper surface for receiving the electrical components and containing bus bars or other conductive means for interconnecting and supplying power to the various components. Electrical connectors are also disposed on the upper surface of the PDC, these mating with the connectors which terminate wire harnesses to interconnect the circuitry of the PDC with various vehicle electrical systems and devices elsewhere in the vehicle. Some of the wire harness connectors are quite large. A typical engine harness connector, for example, may contain approximately 45 terminals and measure five centimeters by six centimeters. A large wiring harness connector is usually secured to its mating connector on the PDC by means of a nut-and-bolt connection in which captive bolt passes through the center of the wiring harness connector and is threaded into a nut molded into the mating connector. Tightening the bolt urges the two connectors into electrical contact with one another, an operation that may otherwise be difficult to achieve due to the large insertion forces that accompany connectors with large numbers of terminals.
PDCs are often located within the engine compartment of the vehicle, and so are fitted with upper and lower housings to protect the PDC from contaminants such as dirt, water and other debris that may be present. The lower housing is typically bolted or otherwise secured to some structure within the engine compartment and thus serves as a mounting bracket for the PDC. The upper housing is usually removable to provide access to the circuit components on the PDC.
As the number of vehicle electrical systems has increased, it has become necessary in many cases to connect wire harnesses to the lower surface of the PDC. It is the general practice in the automotive industry to assemble the PDC prior to shipping it to a vehicle assembly plant for installation in the vehicle. At this point the necessary wire harness connections are made to the PDC. Because of the limited amount of space in most engine compartments, it may be difficult or impossible to reach the bottom of the PDC and make such connections after the PDC has been secured in place. If the connections must be made to the bottom of the PDC prior to securing it in the engine compartment, the assembly person must hold the PDC upside down, position the wire harness connector in alignment with the mating connector, and drive the captive bolt into engagement with the nut. This procedure is very awkward and time consuming, and increases the chance of accidental damage to the components.
An alternative assembly method is to connect the wire harnesses to the lower surface of the PDC prior to shipment to the final assembly plant. This is not desirable because the resulting assembly is quite large and cumbersome, and so is difficult to handle and install in the vehicle.


A statistically-multiplexed link for transporting aggregated data from multiple clients to a central server. A concentrator is used to separate packets containing valid data (live packets) from invalid (dead) packets. When combined with a conventional multiplexer, the concentrator circuit provides arbitration on a first-come first-served basis and allows a smaller multiplexer to service a larger number of inputs thereby enabling a more statistically efficient multiplexed link.

The present invention relates to data communications systems.
Because of the changing nature of Local Area Network (LAN) traffic due to client-server and web-based applications, larger fractions of data are exiting individual workgroups for destinations outside the workgroups. With conventional approaches, a hub (or repeater) operating in accordance with a Carrier-Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detect (CSMA/CD) protocol is typically used to provide arbitration for the shared interconnection network.
Conventional Ethernet hubs or repeaters rely on CSMA/CD protocols being implemented on all incoming and outgoing ports, i.e., a conventional repeater or hub simply broadcasts the input arriving on a channel to all ports which are then able to apply the CSMA/CD protocol arbitration to determine when they are able to access the shared 10 Mbit/s (in the case of Ethernet) or 100 Mbit/s (in the case of Fast Ethernet) channel in half-duplex mode.
The connectivity paradigm in LANs is rapidly changing due to the surge in world-wide-web based traffic (in corporate Intranets and the Internet) and other client-server based computing applications. The old 80/20 rule-of-thumb for data traffic, where approximately 80% of data traffic stayed within the workgroup and only 20% of the traffic traveled the backbone, is quickly reversing to a 20/80 paradigm where most of the data traffic leaves the individual workgroups.
At higher data rates, a potential alternative to CSMA/CD-based links are dedicated point-to-point buffered full-duplex links. Such an approach may remove the need for conventional half-duplex repeaters. One type of device is a full-duplex buffered repeater such as the Gigabit Ethernet Buffered Repeater offered by Packet Engines. This device takes full-duplex ports as its inputs and performs CSMA/CD arbitration within the confines of a box that is only 1-2 meters wide, thereby allowing Gigabit speeds over lengths of hundreds of meters. Furthermore, this device allows several lower speed ports (e.g., 10-100 Mbit/s) to share a higher speed (e.g., 1 Gbit/s) output port.
Nonetheless, approaches that use the CSMA/CD protocol, such as the aforementioned full-duplex repeater, are subject to efficiency limitations. For instance, as the network load of a typical CSMA/CD link increases (e.g., to 50% or higher), the efficiency of the link is drastically impaired because most of the ports are sending colliding messages a large fraction of the time. As this happens, no single port can take control of the channel, and channel efficiency drops.
An alternative approach is the use of a multiplexer-hub, as shown in FIG. 1. A conventional multiplexer 110, as shown in FIG. 1, simply samples data consecutively from a plurality of lower-speed input lines and places them bit (or byte) interleaved onto a high-speed output line. A limitation of this approach, however, is that it may not always make the most efficient use of the bandwidth of the multiplexed link in real data networking situations, where the traffic is bursty (i.e., data packets arrive in bursts) and arrives at random intervals. The simple conventional multiplexer 110 does not provide any arbitration for access to its output link, so the output link must be provisioned with a capacity that is much greater than the input links. For instance, multiplexing data from N input lines onto one output line usually requires that the output line operate at N times the bit-rate of any of the input lines. Because it is not possible to determine a priori which input lines contain xe2x80x9clivexe2x80x9d data and which input lines are not carrying useful (or live) dataxe2x80x94thanks to the random nature of packet arrivals at the inputsxe2x80x94it is quite possible that the live data is multiplexed onto the links along with data from the idle links that are not carrying live packets at that particular moment. Because arbitration is lacking, the high-bandwidth (and high-cost) link resource is hence not used optimally, thereby limiting the ability of many users to share the resource.
A simple multiplexed link, such as that of FIG. 1, while removing the inefficiency of the conventional CSMA/CD arbitration (at high loads) for aggregated traffic, may not necessarily represent a performance/cost improvement over the conventional CSMA/CD based hub discussed above.
The present invention provides a scaleable multiplex link which overcomes the limitations of conventional CSMA/CD and multiplexed systems. In an exemplary embodiment of a hub in accordance with the present invention, a statistical multiplexer, or concentrator, is used to efficiently combine multiple lower-speed data streams into a smaller number of higher-speed data streams. The higher-speed data streams are further combined in a multiplexer into one high-speed data stream.
The multiplexer-hub of the present invention is better suited to current trends in data traffic where most of the traffic within a sub-network exits due to an increase in client-server type traffic. A multiplexed link in accordance with the present invention is easier to implement while being more efficient than conventional arrangements.


A rice cultivar designated ‘Banks’ is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice cultivar ‘Banks’, to the plants of rice ‘Banks’ and to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing the cultivar ‘Banks’ with itself or another rice variety. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar ‘Banks’ with another rice cultivar.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive rice cultivar, designated 'Banks'. All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.
Rice is an ancient agricultural crop and is today one of the principal food crops of the world. There are two cultivated species of rice: Oryza sativa L., the Asian rice, and O. glaberrima Steud., the African rice. O. sativa L. constitutes virtually all of the world's cultivated rice and is the species grown in the United States. Three major rice producing regions exist in the United States: the Mississippi Delta (Arkansas, Mississippi, northeast Louisiana, southeast Missouri), the Gulf Coast (southwest Louisiana, southeast Texas), and the Central Valleys of California.
Rice is a semi-aquatic crop that benefits from flooded soil conditions during part or all of the growing season. In the United States, rice is grown on flooded soils to optimize grain yields. Heavy clay soils or silt loam soils with hard pan layers about 30 cm below the surface are typical rice-producing soils because they minimize water losses from soil percolation. Rice production in the United States can be broadly categorized as either dry-seeded or water-seeded. In the dry-seeded system, rice is sown into a well-prepared seed bed with a grain drill or by broadcasting the seed and incorporating it with a disk or harrow. Moisture for seed germination is from irrigation or rainfall. Another method of planting by the dry-seeded system is to broadcast the seed by airplane into a flooded field, then promptly drain the water from the field. For the dry-seeded system, when the plants have reached sufficient size (four- to five-leaf stage), a shallow permanent flood of water 5 to 16 cm deep is applied to the field for the remainder of the crop season.
In the water-seeded system, rice seed is soaked for 12 to 36 hours to initiate germination, and the seed is broadcast by airplane into a flooded field. The seedlings emerge through a shallow flood, or the water may be drained from the field for a short period of time to enhance seedling establishment. A shallow flood is maintained until the rice approaches maturity. For both the dry-seeded and water-seeded production systems, the fields are drained when the crop is mature, and the rice is harvested 2 to 3 weeks later with large combines. In rice breeding programs, breeders try to employ the production systems predominant in their respective region. Thus, a drill-seeded breeding nursery is used by breeders in a region where rice is drill-seeded and a water-seeded nursery is used in regions where water-seeding is important.
Rice in the United States is classified into three primary market types by grain size, shape, and chemical composition of the endosperm: long-grain, medium grain and short-grain. Typical U.S. long-grain cultivars cook dry and fluffy when steamed or boiled, whereas medium- and short-grain cultivars cook moist and sticky. Long-grain cultivars have been traditionally grown in the southern states and generally receive higher market prices.
Although specific breeding objectives vary somewhat in the different regions, increasing yield is a primary objective in all programs. Grain yield of rice is determined by the number of panicles per unit area, the number of fertile florets per panicle, and grain weight per floret. Increases in any or all of these yield components may provide a mechanism to obtain higher yields. Heritable variation exists for all of these components, and breeders may directly or indirectly select for increases in any of them.
There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higher seed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to low temperatures, and better agronomic characteristics on grain quality.
Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F1 hybrid cultivar, pureline cultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection, or a combination of these methods.
The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.
Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful cultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).
Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared to appropriate standards in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for three or more years. The best lines are candidates for new commercial cultivars; those still deficient in a few traits may be used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.
These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, usually take from eight to 12 years from the time the first cross is made and may rely on the development of improved breeding lines as precursors. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.
A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior, because for most traits the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental plants and to a widely grown standard cultivar. If a single observation is inconclusive, replicated observations provide a better estimate of its genetic worth.
The goal of rice plant breeding is to develop new, unique and superior rice cultivars and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crosses two or more parental lines, followed by self-pollination and selection, producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can theoretically generate billions of different genetic combinations via crossing, selfing and mutations. The breeder has no direct control at the cellular level. Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line, or even very similar lines, having the same rice traits.
Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to the next generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and different geographical, climatic and soil conditions, and further selections are then made, during and at the end of the growing season. The cultivars which are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is because the breeder's selection occurs in unique environments, with no control at the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and with millions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. The same breeder cannot produce the same cultivar twice by using the exact same original parents and the same selection techniques. This unpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of research monies to develop superior new rice cultivars.
The development of new rice cultivars requires the development and selection of rice varieties, the crossing of these varieties and selection of superior hybrid crosses. The hybrid seed is produced by manual crosses between selected male-fertile parents or by using male sterility systems. These hybrids are selected for certain single gene traits such as semi-dwarf plant type, pubescence, awns, and apiculus color which indicate that the seed is truly a hybrid. Additional data on parental lines, as well as the phenotype of the hybrid, influence the breeder's decision whether to continue with the specific hybrid cross.
Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used to develop cultivars from breeding populations. Breeding programs combine desirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-based sources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars are evaluated to determine which have commercial potential.
Pedigree breeding is used commonly for the improvement of self-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F1. An F2 population is produced by selfing one or several F1's. Selection of the best individuals may begin in the F2 population; then, beginning in the F3, the best individuals in the best families are selected. Replicated testing of families can begin in the F4 generation to improve the effectiveness of selection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e., F6 and F7), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as new cultivars.
Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations of either self-or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified or created by intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selected based on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles of selection are continued.
Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simply inherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivar or inbred line which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parent are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent.
The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to planting a segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, and using the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When the population has been advanced from the F2 to the desired level of inbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace to different F2 individuals. The number of plants in a population declines each generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plants to produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F2 plants originally sampled in the population will be represented by a progeny when generation advance is completed.
In a multiple-seed procedure, rice breeders commonly harvest one or more seeds from each plant in a population and thresh them together to form a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modified single-seed descent or the pod-bulk technique.
The multiple-seed procedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerably faster to thresh panicles with a machine than to remove one seed from each by hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedure also makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of a population each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested to make up for those plants that did not germinate or produce seed.
Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., Allard, 1960; Simmonds, 1979; Sneep et al., 1979; Fehr, 1987).
Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level of superiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition to showing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivar that is compatible with industry standards or which creates a new market. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional costs to the seed producer, the grower, processor and consumer; for special advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercial production practices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding release of a new cultivar should take into consideration research and development costs as well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. For seed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easily and economically.
Rice, Oryza sativa L., is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding rice cultivars that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are obviously to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the rice breeder must select and develop rice plants that have the traits that result in superior cultivars.

Board of Trustees of The University of Arkansas, N.A.


The invention provides an article of manufacture comprising a substantially non-immunogenic bone xenograft for implantation into humans. The invention further provides a method for preparing a bone xenograft by removing at least a portion of a bone from a non-human animal to provide a xenograft (X); washing the xenograft in saline and alcohol; subjecting the xenograft to a cellular disruption treatment; and treating the xenograft with a glycosidase to remove surface carbohydrate moieties. The invention also provides an article of manufacture produced by the above identified method of invention. The invention further provides a bone xenograft for implantation into a human including a portion (10) of a bone from a nonhuman animal, wherein the portion has substantially no surface carbohydrate moieties which are susceptible to glycosidase digestion. Each xenograft of the invention has substantially the same mechanical properties as a corresponding native bone.

Human bone, a hard connective tissue consisting of cells embedded in an extracellular matrix of mineralized ground substance and collagen fibers, (Stedman's Medical Dictionary, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md. (1995)), is the most frequently transplanted tissue in humans. J. M. Lane et al. Current Approaches to Experimental Bone Grafting, 18 Orthopedic Clinics of North America (2) 213 (1987). In the United States alone more than 100,000 bone graft or implant procedures are performed every year to repair or to replace osseous defects resulting from trauma, infection, congenital malformation, or malignancy. Id.
Bone grafts and implants are often formed of autologous bone. Id. Transplantable autologous bone tissue for large defects, particularly in children, is often unavailable, however. Id. In addition, autologous bone transplantation may result in postoperative morbidity such as pain, hemorrhage, wound problems, cosmetic disability, infection or nerve damage at the donor site. Id. Further, difficulties in fabricating the desired functional shape from the transplanted autologous bone tissue may result in less than optimal filling of the bone defect. Id.
Alternatively, much of the structure and many of the properties of original bone tissue may be retained in transplants through use of heterograft or xenograft materials, that is, tissue from a different species than the graft recipient. In the area of soft tissues, for example, tendons or ligaments from cows or other animals are covered with a synthetic mesh and transplanted into a heterologous host in U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,833. Flat tissues such as pig pericardia are also disclosed as being suitable for heterologous transplantation in U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,833. Bovine peritoneum fabricated into a biomaterial suitable for prosthetic heart valves, vascular grafts, burn and other wound dressings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,593. Bovine, ovine, or porcine blood vessel xenografts are disclosed in WO 84/03036. None of these disclosures describe the use of a xenograft for bone replacement, however.
Once implanted in an individual, a xenograft provokes immunogenic reactions such as chronic and hyperacute rejection of the xenograft, however. In particular, bone xenografts may result in increased rates of fracture, resorption and nonunion secondary to immunologic rejection.
The term "chronic rejection", as used herein, refers to an immunological reaction in an individual against a xenograft being implanted into the individual. Typically, chronic rejection is mediated by the interaction of IgG natural antibodies in the serum of the individual receiving the xenograft and carbohydrate moieties expressed on cells, and/or cellular and/or extracellular matrices of the xenograft. For example, transplantation of cartilage xenografts from nonprimate mammals (e.g., porcine or bovine origin) into humans is primarily prevented by the interaction between the IgG natural anti-Gal antibody present in the serum of humans with the carbohydrate structure Galα1-3Galβ1-4G1cNAc-R (α-galactosyl or α-gal epitope) expressed in the xenograft. K. R. Stone et al., Porcine and bovine cartilage transplants in cynomolgus monkey: I. A model for chronic xenograft rejection, 63 Transplantation 640-645 (1997); U. Galili et al., Porcine and bovine cartilage transplants in cynomolgus monkey: II. Changes in anti-Gal response during chronic rejection, 63 Transplantation 646-651 (1997). In chronic rejection, the immune system typically responds within one to two weeks of implantation of the xenograft.
In contrast with "chronic rejection", "hyper acute rejection" as used herein, refers to the immunological reaction in an individual against a xenograft being implanted into the individual, where the rejection is typically mediated by the interaction of IgM natural antibodies in the serum of the individual receiving the xenograft and carbohydrate moieties expressed on cells. This interaction activates the complement system causing lysis of the vascular bed and stoppage of blood flow in the receiving individual within minutes to two to three hours.
The term "extracellular matrix or matrices", as used herein, refer to an extracellular bone matrix of mineralized ground substance and collagen fibers. Stedman's Medical Dictionary, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md. (1995).
Xenograft materials may be chemically treated to reduce immunogenicity prior to implantation into a recipient. For example, glutaraldehyde is used to cross-link or "tan" xenograft tissue in order to reduce its antigenicity, as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,593. Other agents such as aliphatic and aromatic diamine compounds may provide additional crosslinking through the side chain carboxyl groups of aspartic and glutamic acid residues of the collagen polypeptide. Glutaraldehyde and diamine tanning also increases the stability of the xenograft tissue.
Xenograft tissues may also be subjected to various physical treatments in preparation for implantation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,593 discloses subjecting xenograft tissue to mechanical strain by stretching to produce a thinner and stiffer biomaterial for grafting. Tissue for allograft transplantation is commonly cryopreserved to optimize cell viability during storage, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,741; U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,850; U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,313; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,660. U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,741 discloses that freezing tissues causes mechanical injuries to cells therein because of extracellular or intracellular ice crystal formation and osmotic dehydration.


In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a packet at an upstream node in communication with a source and in communication with a downstream node through equal cost multiple paths including first and second multi-access networks, the packet transmitted on the first multi-access network and associated with a multicast group, and transmitting from the upstream node a request to the downstream node to join the group on the second multi-access network, if the upstream node is already transmitting data to the group on the second multi-access network, or a bandwidth utilization at the first multi-access network exceeds a specified threshold. An apparatus is also disclosed.

There is an increasing use of networks to deliver high bandwidth traffic using IP (Internet Protocol) multicast. ECMP (equal cost multiple paths) may be used within networks when load splitting of traffic such as IP multicast is needed to achieve a high utilization of multiple paths. Conventional systems typically use hash algorithms to select a path. This often leads to inefficient use of network resources.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Bandwidth utilization for equal cost multiple paths


A material for a magnetic head slider according to the present invention is a magnetic head slider material comprised of a sintered body containing alumina and titanium carbide, in which an area percentage of an area of alumina crystal grains and titanium carbide crystal grains having a crystal grain size of not less than 200 nm nor more than 350 nm to an area of alumina crystal grains and titanium carbide crystal grains in a cut surface of the sintered body is not less than 80%.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material for a magnetic head slider, the magnetic head slider, and a method of producing the material for the magnetic head slider.
2. Related Background Art
A magnetic head slider incorporating a thin-film magnetic head was first used in a hard disk drive in 1979, and the magnetic head slider at that time is commonly called a mini slider (100% slider). The magnetic head sliders have been downsized through a micro slider (70% slider) having the size of about 70% of the mini slider to a nano slider (50% slider) having the size of about 50% of the mini slider.
Such magnetic head sliders are normally constructed with a laminate incorporating a thin-film magnetic head on a substrate. The magnetic head sliders of this type are obtained by laying the laminate incorporating the thin-film magnetic head, on the substrate to form a laminated structure, thereafter cutting this laminated structure in parallel with the stack direction to form an exposed surface of the thin-film magnetic head, and lapping (or polishing) the exposed surface to form an air bearing surface.
In the production of the conventional magnetic head sliders, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, a high-strength sintered body consisting primarily of alumina and titanium carbide, so called an AlTiC sintered body, is used as the substrate of the magnetic head slider.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 57-82172

Material for magnetic head slider, magnetic head slider, and method of producing material for magnetic head slider


Systems and methods according to aspects of the subject technology provide non-interruptive filtering of transmission line communications. The non-interruptive filtering may physically isolate, in the frequency domain, independent networks that share a common transmission media, such as mains wires that are used to deliver both alternating current (AC) power and power line communication signals. The isolation provided by the non-interruptive filtering prevents the transmissions from the independent networks from interfering with each other. In one or more implementations, the non-interruptive filtering may be provided by one or more filters that include cores, such as ferrite cores, around which two mains wires, e.g. a mains live wire and a mains neutral wire, can be wound in opposite directions, respectively. Currents traveling on the mains wires through the filter in opposite phases cancel each other out, thereby blocking symmetric power line transmissions, while allowing AC power to pass through.

Power line communication (PLC) systems carry data on a conductor that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution. Power line communications systems operate by impressing a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system. For example, power line communications may be used by an Internet service provider (ISP) to distribute Internet service throughout a building, such as an apartment building. The ISP may install primary power line communication devices for each apartment in a common area of the apartment building, such as a basement. The primary power line communication devices may be coupled to an external Internet connection. The primary power line communication devices may also be coupled to internal power lines that provide power to each apartment. For example, the internal power lines may be coupled to a common power line that provides power to the apartment building. Secondary power line communication devices may be installed in each apartment and communicatively coupled to the primary communication devices via the internal power lines. The primary power line communication devices may distribute the Internet connection over the internal power lines to the secondary power line communication devices, and the secondary power line devices distribute the Internet to networked devices throughout each apartment.

Non-interruptive filtering of transmission line communications


A floor treatment device may include a body portion comprising one or more pumps, one or more spray outlets, and one or more reservoir receptacles configured to receive one or more reservoirs. The one or more pumps are operable to be activated and direct liquids to the spray outlets. The device may include swappable heads, each comprising a body connector configured to mate with a head connector of the body portion. In an embodiment, the head connector may include a sensor system and a controller communicatively connected to the sensor system. When one of swappable heads is connected to the body portion, the sensor system is configured to detect the identity of the swappable heads connected, and the controller is configured to selectively activate, based on the identity of the swappable heads, at least one of the one or more pumps.

Surface treatment appliances are used in the home, office and other locations to treat floors and other surfaces. Various types of surface treating appliances, such as appliances with oscillating and/or rotating brushes, are known for cleaning carpets. Additionally, certain types of surface treating appliances, such as spray appliances with padded configurations or steam mops with steam cleaning heads, may be used for cleaning hard floors.


The invention relates to an x-ray diagnostics device having an x-ray tube for generating x-rays operated by a high voltage generator, having an x-ray detector for converting incident x-rays into electrical signals, having an image processing system and a control device for the duration of the x-ray pulse, in which parameters of the x-ray diagnostics device can be adjusted, with a computing unit being assigned to the control device, said computing unit determining the spatial frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio on the basis of the parameters and calculating therefrom the duration of the x-ray pulse and/or the remaining parameters required for a recording. The invention further relates to a method of this type for controlling the x-ray diagnostics device, in which the duration of the x-ray pulse is controlled such that the recognizability of relevant, moved objects is maximal.

X-ray systems are generally used in pulsed operation, i.e. the x-ray tube emits an x-ray pulse of a specific duration per image to be recorded. This is particularly advantageous for the display of moved objects. There is thus usually a risk that details of the human body are reproduced blurred, said details being located, image by image, at different positions in the room by heart beats, breathing or other patient movements.

X-ray diagnostics device and method for controlling an X-ray diagnostics device