Driving a 1-transistor DRAM composed of an NMOS on top of a SOI layer such that the 1-transistor DRAM has a corresponding parasitic bipolar transistor component includes precharging, shifting, and deactivating steps. Implementing these steps can result in enhancing the performance of reading, writing and storing binary logic information within the 1-transistor DRAM memory device.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly to a method of using a 1-transistor type DRAM to store charges associated with binary states.
It is well known that dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices can be build as integral components on silicon wafers. It is also well known that only the very top surface of these silicon wafers is where the functionally resides for these DRAM semiconductor devices. The remaining thickness of the silicon wafer is often simply used only as a physical support base. The remaining silicon wafer (excepting portions thereof necessary for the device operation) becomes the factor that increases power consumption and decreases driving speed.
It is also well known that Silicon on insulator (SOI) DRAM wafer designs have a functional thickness comparable to those of regular DRAM devices, but require about one-half the area on the chip. These SOI DRAM type devices are also referred to as single transistor ZRAMs (Zero capacitor RAM), capacitorless type DRAMs, single transistor DRAM devices, and also 1-transistor DRAM devices. These types of devices, i.e., 1-transistor DRAM devices promise to nearly double the memory access retrieval speed while using less power. It is thought that partly due to a small junction capacity thereof associated with these 1-transistor DRAM devices high-speed and low-voltage access can be realized due to a low threshold voltage thereof, as compared to a semiconductor device integrated on a general silicon wafer.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a DRAM cell implemented on a conventional SOI wafer. In FIG. 1, an SOI wafer 10 is shown configured as a stacked structure composed of a silicon substrate 1, a buried oxide layer 2 and a silicon layer 3. A device isolating layer 11 defining an activation region on the silicon layer 3 of the SOI wafer 10 is shown formed to adjoin the buried oxide layer 2. A gate 12 is shown formed on an upper surface of the activation region of the silicon layer 3, and the source/drain regions 13a, 13b are shown formed in the silicon layer 3 of the both sides of the gate 12 that adjoin the buried oxide layer 2.
In a DRAM cell implemented on the SOI wafer 10, residual holes and/or electrons are thought to be captured or accumulated within a floating body corresponding to the channel region beneath the gate 12. This charge residual accumulation of either these excess holes or electrons at the channel region beneath the gate 12 can be exploited as a binary scheme to store data or to store information.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2a, storing an arbitrary "1" binary state may be arbitrarily defined as a state where lots of holes are in the floating body. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 2b, storing an arbitrary "0" binary state may be arbitrarily defined as a state where less holes or an excess of electrons are accumulated within this floating body. As a result, during a read state, this excess accumulation of charges are thought to directly contribute to influencing the amount of sensing current flowing across these 1-transistor type cell in either a store "1" state or in the store "0" state.
FIG. 3 graphically depicts a read current as a function of gate voltage when the cell drain voltage Vd is maintained at approximately 0.2V while setting the cell source voltage to ground (GND) for the DRAM cell implemented on the conventional SOI wafer.
As shown, the read current is larger in the store "1" state and is smaller in the store "0" state, wherein reference current is intermediate therebetween.
In the DRAM cell implemented on the aforementioned conventional SOI wafer, there is a need for a method that is capable of effectively writing and reading the data in the low voltage state. A need also exists for a method that is capable of stably driving the 1-transistor type DRAM cell.

Method of driving 1-transistor type DRAM having an NMOS overlain on top of an SOI layer


An image forming apparatus having image supporting members and developing devices provided for a plurality of colors respectively, and a developing bias source. The developing bias source includes DC power circuits provided for the colors respectively, an AC power circuit provided for use in common for all of the colors, and an element provided for at least one of the colors other than black. The developing bias source generates developing biases by superimposing an AC voltage output from the AC power circuit on DC voltages output from the DC power circuits and applies the developing biases to the respectively corresponding developing devices. The element maintains a constant voltage having a potential of an opposite polarity to a potential of charged toner used for the development. The developing bias source further superimposes the constant voltage on the developing bias for the at least one of the colors other than black.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that develops a latent image on an image supporting member by applying a developing bias, which is a superimposed voltage of a DC voltage and an AC voltage, to a developing device.
2. Description of Related Art
As an image forming apparatus that develops a latent image on an image supporting member by applying a developing bias, which is a superimposed voltage of a DC voltage and an AC voltage, to a developing device, for example, an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. S61-166558 is known. Such an image forming apparatus (which will be hereinafter referred to as a conventional image forming apparatus) comprises image supporting members provided for a plurality of colors respectively, and developing devices provided for the plurality of colors respectively, and developing biases are applied to the respective developing devices for development of latent images formed on the image supporting members. The conventional image forming apparatus further comprises DC power circuits provided for the plurality of colors respectively to output DC components of the developing biases, and an AC power circuit for use in common to output AC components of the developing biases for all of the colors.
In the conventional image forming apparatus, however, the fact that the AC power circuit is used in common to output the AC components of the developing biases for all of the colors causes the following problem. Even in a monochromatic printing operation, toner movements from the developing devices for use in color printing to the corresponding image supporting members occur, which affects the picture quality of the developed image.


A container holder includes a support having a recess therein, a cover assembly pivotally mounted to the support member and adapted to cover the recess and provide at least a portion of a container support floor when in an open position. In a preferred embodiment the support member includes a floor which is aligned with the floor of the cover assembly to support a container thereon. In a preferred embodiment also, a pair of collapsable arms extend from the cover assembly and move between a use position for supporting the sides of a container and a collapsed stored position in the recess when the cover assembly is in a closed position.

The present invention relates to container holders for vehicles, and in particular to ones which fold between open and closed positions.
With the downsizing of vehicles and the increasing time spent in vehicles, container holding devices have become increasingly important to consumers. In particular, consumers are desirous of holders for drinking cups, pop cans, and coffee mugs that both securely hold the containers and also place them in a convenient accessible location for easy retrieval. Several container holders have been designed for this purpose. However, further improvements are desired. Container holders that provide a stable and secure bottom support for the containers with a minimum of secondary moving parts are desirable since such structures tend to be longer lasting in service and also less expensive to manufacture and assemble. Also, it is desirable to position the containers in a partially protected position over the front edge of an armrest where the containers are located far enough forward to facilitate easy use as a person rests their arm on the armrest, yet far enough rearward not to interfere with a floor mounted transmission shifter on the vehicle. Still further, it is desirable to store the container holding mechanism when not in use without requiring excessive space.


The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seat back, a seat proper connected to the seat back, a link mechanism for fastening the seat to the floor, and enabling the seat to move between a retracted position and a deployed position, the mechanism comprising at least a first connecting rod hinged to the floor and to the seat back, and the seat further comprising a guide mechanism comprising a guide fastened to the floor with the bottom portion of the seat back being guided therealong between the retracted position and the deployed position. In the seat, the rear portion of the seat proper is mounted to pivot relative to the bottom portion of the seat back, and the link mechanism further comprises a connection piece mounted to move relative to the floor and hinged to the front portion of the seat proper.

Document FR-A-2 772 319 describes an example of such a vehicle seat in which the seat proper is pivotally mounted, substantially in the middle of its two side faces, on the first connecting rod, and, when in the deployed position, is blocked on the bottom portion of the seat back. To do this, the rear portion of the seat proper includes a cross-member that is kept engaged in a hook disposed in the bottom portion of the seat back.
To go from one position to the other, that type of seat requires two distinct operations to be performed, comprising both positioning the seat back, and also blocking or unblocking the seat proper in the seat back.


An apparatus for reading a bit of a memory array includes a bit cell column, voltage enhancement circuitry, and control circuitry. The voltage enhancement circuitry is configured to couple a bitline to a reference node. The control circuitry is configured to, in response to a read request for a bitcell element of a plurality of bitcell elements, couple a current source to the bitcell column such that a read current from the current source flows from the source line, through the bitcell column and the voltage enhancement circuitry, to the reference node and determine a state for the bitcell element based on a voltage between the source line and the reference node. The voltage enhancement circuitry is configured to generate, when the read current flows through the voltage enhancement circuitry, a voltage at the bitline that is greater than a voltage at the reference node.

A conventional memory array has control access circuitry, e.g., a transistor, in each memory array to select a bitcell element for both read operations and write operations. The access circuitry is designed to conduct a relatively large current during a write operation in order to coerce the bitcell element to a desired state, for example, high or low (1 or 0). During a read operation, the access circuitry may conduct a much smaller current in order to sense the state of the bitcell element without altering the stored state. The read operation therefore depends on sensing a small signal on a bitline. In a conventional memory array, thousands of bitcell cells are connected to the bitline and a sourceline.

Memory array with reduced leakage current


A solution of a gallium phthalocyanine contains a compound of formula (1) and a gallium phthalocyanine of formula (2),H2N—CH2—R1—CH2—NH2  (1)wherein R1 represents a single bond, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group having 1 to 10 main-chain carbon atoms, a substituent of the substituted alkylene group is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and being substituted with an amino group, or a hydroxy group, one of the carbon atoms in the main chain of the alkylene group may be replaced with an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or a bivalent group represented by the formula —NR2—, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and being substituted with an amino group, and

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a solution of a gallium phthalocyanine, a method for preparing the same, a method for producing a gallium phthalocyanine crystal, a method for purifying a composition containing a gallium phthalocyanine, and a method for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
Description of the Related Art
A gallium phthalocyanine represented by the formula (2) (hereinafter, also referred to simply as a "gallium phthalocyanine") has excellent stability and photosensitivity and thus has been widely used as, in particular, a charge generation material for use in an electrophotographic photosensitive member,
wherein, in the formula (2), X1 represents a chlorine atom or a hydroxy group. X1 is also referred to as a ligand (axial ligand) of the gallium atom of the gallium phthalocyanine.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-279698 discloses an acid pasting process in which a gallium phthalocyanine is dissolved in a concentrated sulfuric acid and then treated for the purpose of using the gallium phthalocyanine as a charge generation material for an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
However, concentrated sulfuric acid is a strong acid. Thus, in the case where the gallium phthalocyanine is used as a charge generation material for an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a neutralization step is required. A solution of a gallium phthalocyanine (or a composition containing a gallium phthalocyanine) in the related art is difficult to purify because of its high viscosity and thus severely restricts preparation conditions and storage conditions.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-202747 states N-methylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, dimethyl sulfonamide, and N,N-dimethylformamide as good solvents for a gallium phthalocyanine.
However, there is room for improvement in the solubility of gallium phthalocyanine in N-methylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, dimethyl sulfonamide, or N,N-dimethylformamide.

Solution of gallium phthalocyanine method for preparing the same method for producing gallium phthalocyanine crystal method for purifying composition containing gallium phthalocyanine and method for producing electrophotographic photosensitive member

Abstract: wherein X1 represents a chlorine atom or hydroxy group.


In accordance with various aspects of the invention, CXCR4 agonists, including SDF-1 polypeptides and SDF-1 polypeptide homologues, may be used in reducing the rate of hematopoietic cell multiplication. Methods of the invention may comprise administration of an effective amount of an CXCR4 agonist to cells selected from the group consisting of hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells. Cells may be treated in vitro or in vivo in a patient. A therapeutically effective amount of the CXCR4 agonist may be administered to a patient in need of such treatment. Patients in need of such treatments may include, for example patients requiring bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Hematopoiesis consists of developmental cascades in which the hematopoietic stem cells generate lineage-committed cells and repeat the process of self-renewal. Hematopoietic stem cells are typically cells that have dual capacity for self-renewal and multilineage differentiation.
Cytokines are soluble proteins secreted by a variety of cells including monocytes or lymphocytes that regulate immune responses. Chemokines are a superfamily of chemoattractant proteins that may be classified into four groups, characterized by the nature of cysteine residues that are involved in disulfide bond formation. Chemokines regulate a variety of biological responses and they promote the recruitment of multiple lineages of leukocytes and lymphocytes to a body organ tissue. Chemokines may be classified into two families according to the relative position of the first two cysteine residues in the protein. In CC chemokines, which include beta chemokine the first two cysteines are adjacent to each other. In CXC chemokines, which include alpha chemokine, the first two cysteines are separated by one amino acid residue. Two minor subgroups contain only one of the two cysteines (C) or have three amino acids between the cysteines (CX3C). In humans, the genes of the CXC chemokines are clustered on chromosome 4 (with the exception of SDF-1 gene, which has been localized to chromosome 10) and those of the CC chemokines on chromosome 17.
The molecular targets for chemokines are cell surface receptors. One such receptor is CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), which is a G-protein coupled seven transmembrane protein, and was previously called LESTR (Loetscher, M., Geiser, T., O'Reilly, T., Zwahlen, R., Baggionlini, M., and Moser, B., (1994) J. Biol. Chem, 269, 232-237), HUMSTR (Federsppiel, B., Duncan, A. M. V., Delaney, A., Schappert, K., Clark-Lewis, I., and Jirik, F. R. (1993) Genomics 16, 707-712) and Fusin (Feng, Y., Broeder, C. C., Kennedy, P. E., and Berger, E. A. (1996) Science 272, 872-877). CXCR4 is widely expressed on cells of hemopoietic origin, and is a major co-receptor with CD4+ for human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) (Feng, Y., Broeder, C. C., Kennedy, P. E., and Berger, E. A. (1996) HIV-1 entry cofactor: Functional cDNA cloning of a seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor, Science 272, 872-877).
Chemokines are thought to mediate their effect by binding to seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors, and to attract leukocyte subsets to sites of inflammation (Baglionini et al. (1998) Nature 392: 565-568). Many of the chemokines have been shown to be constitutively expressed in lymphoid tissues, indicating that they may have a homeostatic function in regulating lymphocyte trafficking between and within lymphoid organs (Kim and Broxmeyer (1999) J. Leuk. Biol. 56: 6-15).
Stromal cell derived factor one (SDF-1) is a member of the CXC family of chemokines that has been found to be constitutively secreted from the bone marrow stroma (Tashiro, (1993) Science 261, 600-602). The human and mouse SDF-1 predicted protein sequences are approximately 92% identical. Stromal cell derived factor-1a (SDF-1a) and stromal cell derived factor-1β (SDF-1β) are closely related (together referred to herein as SDF-1). The native amino acid sequences of SDF-1α and SDF-1β are known, as are the genomic sequences encoding these proteins (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,048 issued 8 Oct. 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,084 issued 26 May 1998). Identification of genomic clones has shown that the alpha and beta isoforms are a consequence of alternative splicing of a single gene. The alpha form is derived from exons 1-3 while the beta form contains an additional sequence from exon 4. The entire human gene is approximately 10 Kb. SDF-1 was initially characterized as a pre-B cell-stimulating factor and as a highly efficient chemotactic factor for T cells and monocytes (Bieul et al. (1996) J. Exp. Med. 184:1101-1110).
Biological effects of SDF-1 may be mediated by the chemokine receptor CXCR4 (also known as fusin or LESTR), which is expressed on mononuclear leukocytes including hematopoietic stem cells. SDF-1 is thought to be the natural ligand for CXCR4, and CXCR4 is thought to be the natural receptor for SDF-1 (Nagasawza et al. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:726-732). Genetic elimination of SDF-1 is associated with parinatal lethality, including abnormalities in cardiac development, B-cell lymphopoiesis, and bone marrow myelopoiesis (Nagasawa et al. (1996) Nature 382:635-637).
SDF-1 is functionally distinct from other chemokines in that it is reported to have a fundamental role in the trafficking, export and homing of bone marrow progenitor cells (Aiuti, A., Webb, I. J., Bleul, C., Springer, T., and Guierrez-Ramos, J. C., (1996) J. Exp. Med. 185, 111-120 and Nagasawa, T., Hirota, S., Tachibana, K., Takakura N., Nishikawa, S.-I., Kitamura, Y., Yoshida, N., Kikutani, H., and Kishimoto, T., (1996) Nature 382, 635-638). SDF-1 is also structurally distinct in that it has only about 22% amino acid sequence identity with other CXC chemokines (Bleul, C. C., Fuhlbrigge, R. C., Casasnovas, J. M., Aiuti, A., and Springer, T. A., (1996) J. Exp. Med. 184, 1101-1109). SDF-1 appears to be produced constitutively by several cell types, and particularly high levels are found in bone-marrow stromal cells (Shirozu, M., Nakano, T., Inazawa, J., Tashiro, K., Tada, H. Shinohara, T., and Honjo, T., (1995) Genomics, 28, 495-500 and Bleul, C. C., Fuhlbrigge, R. C., Casasnovas, J. M., Aiuti, A., and Springer, T. A., (1996) J. Exp. Med. 184, 1101-1109). A basic physiological role for SDF-1 is implied by the high level of conservation of the SDF-1 sequence between species. In vitro, SDF-1 stimulates chemotaxis of a wide range of cells including monocytes and bone marrow derived progenitor cells (Aiuti, A., Webb, I. J., Bleul, C., Springer, T., and Guierrez-Ramos, J. C., (1996) J. Exp. Med. 185, 111-120 and Bleul, C. C., Fuhlbrigge, R. C., Casasnovas, J. M., Aiuti, A., and Springer, T. A., (1996) J. Exp. Med. 184, 1101-1109). SDF-1 also stimulates a high percentage of resting and activated T-lymphocytes (Bleul, C. C., Fuhlbrigge, R. C., Casasnovas, J. M., Aiuti, A., and Springer, T. A., (1996) J. Exp. Med. 184, 1101-1109 and Campbell, J. J., Hendrick, J., Zlotnik, A., Siani, M. A., Thompson, D. A., and Butcher, E. C., (1998) Science, 279 381-383).
A variety of diseases require treatment with agents which are preferentially cytotoxic to dividing cells. Cancer cells, for example, may be targeted with cytotoxic doses of radiation or chemotherapeutic agents. A significant side-effect of this approach to cancer therapy is the pathological impact of such treatments on rapidly dividing normal cells. These normal cells may for example include hair follicles, mucosal cells and the hematopoietic cells, such as primitive bone marrow progenitor cells and stem cells. The indiscriminate destruction of hematopoietic stem, progenitor or precursor cells can lead to a reduction in normal mature blood cell counts, such as leukocytes, lymphocytes and red blood cells. A major impact on mature cell numbers may be seen particularly with neutrophils (neutropaenia) and platelets (thrombocytopenia), cells which naturally have relatively short half-lives. A decrease in leukocyte count, with concomitant loss of immune system function, may increase a patient's risk of opportunistic infection. Neutropaenia resulting from chemotherapy may for example occur within two or three days of cytotoxic treatments, and may leave the patient vulnerable to infection for up to 2 weeks until the hematopoietic system has recovered sufficiently to regenerate neutrophil counts. A reduced leukocyte count (leukopenia) as a result of cancer therapy may become sufficiently serious that therapy must be interrupted to allow the white blood cell count to rebuild. Interruption of cancer therapy can in turn lead to survival of cancer cells, an increase in the incidence of drug resistance in cancer cells, and ultimately in cancer relapse. There is accordingly a need for therapeutic agents and treatments which facilitate the preservation of hematopoietic progenitor or stem cells in patients subject to treatment with cytotoxic agents.
Bone marrow transplantation has been used in the treatment of a variety of hematological, autoimmune and malignant diseases. In conjunction with bone marrow transplantation, ex vivo hematopoietic (bone marrow) cell culture may be used to expand the population of hematopoietic progenitor or stem cells. It may be desirable to purge an ex vivo hematopoietic cell culture of cancer cells with cytotoxic treatments, while preserving the viability of the hematopoietic progenitor or stem cells. There is accordingly a need for agents and methods, which facilitate the preservation of hematopoietic progenitor or stem cells in ex vivo cell cultures exposed to cytotoxic agents.
A number of proteins have been identified as inhibitors of hematopoietic progenitor cell development, with potential therapeutic usefulness as inhibitors of hematopoeitic cell multiplication: macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha (MIP-1-alpha) and LD78 (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,301); the alpha globin chain of hemoglobin and beta globin chain of hemoglobin (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,848); and, interferon gamma (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,744).
Permanent marrow recovery after cytotoxic drug and radiation therapy depends on the survival of hematopoietic stem cells having long term reconstituting (LTR) potential. The major dose limiting sequelae consequent to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy are neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Protocols involving dose intensification (i.e., to increase the log-kill of the respective tumour therapy) or schedule compression will exacerbate the degree and duration of myelosuppression associated with the standard chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. For instance, in the adjuvant setting, repeated cycles of doxorubicin-based treatment have been shown to produce cumulative and long-lasting damage in the bone marrow progenitor cell populations (Lorhrman et al. (1978) Br. J. Haematol. 40:369). The effects of short-term hematopoietic cell damage resulting from chemotherapy has been overcome to some extent by the concurrent use of G-CSF (Neupogen®), used to accelerate the regeneration of neutrophils (Le Chevalier (1994) Eur. J. Cancer 30A:410). This approach has been met with limitations also, as it is accompanied by progressive thrombocytopenia and cumulative bone marrow damage as reflected by a reduction in the quality of mobilized progenitor cells over successive cycles of treatment. Because of the current interest in chemotherapy dose intensification as a means of improving tumour response rates and perhaps patient survival, the necessity for alternative therapies to either improve or replace current treatments to rescue the myeloablative effects of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy has escalated, and is currently one of the major rate limiting factors for tumour therapy dose escalations.
Transplanted peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC, or autologous PBSC) may provide a rapid and sustained hematopoietic recovery after the administration of high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy in patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumours. PBSC transplantation has become the preferred source of stem cells for autologous transplantation because of the shorter time to engraftment and the lack of a need for surgical procedure necessary for bone marrow harvesting (Demirer et al. (1996) Stem Cells 14:106-116; Pettengel et al. (1992) Blood 82:2239-2248). Although the mechanism of stem cell release into the peripheral blood from the bone marrow is not well understood, agents that augment the mobilization of CD34+ cells may prove to be effective in enhancing autologous PBSC transplantation. G-CSF and GM-CSF are currently the most commonly used Ihematopoietic growth factors for PBSC mobilization, although the mobilized cellular profiles can differ significantly from patient to patient. Therefore, other agents are required for this clinical application.
It is generally accepted that stem cell transplants for autoimmune disease should be initiated using autologous or allogenic grafts, where the former would be preferable since they may bear less risk of complication (Burt and Taylor (1999) Stem Cells 17:366-372). Lymphocyte depletion has also been recommended, where lymphocyte depletion is a form of purging autoreactive cells from the graft. In practice, aggressive lymphocyte depletion of an allograft can prevent alloreactivity (i.e., graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)) even without immunosuppressive prophylaxis. Therefore, a lymphocyte-depleted autograft may prevent recurrence of autoreactivity. As a consequence, any concurrent therapy that may enhance the survival of the CFU-GEMM myeloid stem cells, or BFU-E and CFU-GM myelomonocytic stem cells may be beneficial in therapies for autoimmune diseases where hematopoietic stem cells could be compromised.
Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer into murine hematopoietic stem cells and reconstitution of syngeneic mice have demonstrated persistence and functioning of the transgenes over extended period of time (Kume et al. (1999) 69:227-233). Terminally differentiated cells are relatively short-lived, except for memory B and T lymphocytes, and a large number of blood cells are replaced daily. Therefore, when long-term functional correction of blood cells by gene transfer is required, the target cells may be hematopoietic stem cells (Kume et al. (1999) 69:227-233). Compounds that can maintain the survival of the progenitor stem cells may therefore increase the efficiency of the gene transfer in that a greater population of hematopoietic stems cells are available.
A number of proteins have been identified and are currently being utilized clinically as inhibitors of hematopoietic progenitor cell development and hematopoietic cell proliferation (multiplication). These include recombinant-methionyl human G-CSF (Neupogen®, Filgastim; Amgen), GM-CSF (Leukine®, Sargramostim; Immunex), erythropoietin (rhEPO, Epogen®; Amgen), thrombopoietin (rhTPO; Genentech), interleukin-11 (rhIL-11, Neumega®; American Home Products), Flt3 ligand (Mobista; Immunex), multilineage hematopoietic factor (MARstem™; Maret Pharm.), myelopoietin (Leridistem; Searle), IL-3, myeloid progenitor inhibitory factor-1 (Mirostipen; Human Genome Sciences), stem cell factor (rhSCF, Stemgen®; Amgen).

CXC chemokine receptor 4 agonist peptides


An exemplary method for making a memory structure comprises forming a first hard mask layer, forming at least one mask layer above the first hard mask layer, patterning the at least one mask layer, etching the at least one mask layer to form an opening having a first lateral width, and a second lateral width different than the first lateral width, forming a second hard mask layer having substantially the first and second lateral widths in the opening, and etching the first hard mask layer using at least one of the lateral widths of the second hard mask layer.

A memory chip generally comprises a plurality of memory cells that are deposited onto a silicon wafer and addressed via an array of column conducting leads (bit lines) and row conducting leads (word lines). Typically, a memory cell is situated at the intersection of a bit line and a word line. The memory cells are controlled by specialized circuits that perform functions such as identifying rows and columns from which data are read or to which data are written. Typically, each memory cell stores data in the form of a "1" or a "0," representing a bit of data.
An array of magnetic memory cells can be referred to as a magnetic random access memory or MRAM. MRAM is generally nonvolatile memory (i.e., a solid state chip that retains data when power is turned off). At least one type of magnetic memory cell includes a data layer and a reference layer, separated from each other by at least one intermediate layer. The data layer may also be referred to as a bit layer, a storage layer, or a sense layer. A typical data layer might be made of one or more ferromagnetic materials. In a magnetic memory cell, a bit of data (e.g., a "1" or "0") may be stored by writing into the data layer via one or more conducting leads (e.g., a bit line and a word line). The write operation is typically accomplished via a write current that sets the orientation of the magnetic moment in the data layer to a predetermined direction.
Once written, the stored bit of data may be read by providing a read current through one or more conducting leads (e.g., a read line) to the magnetic memory cell. For each memory cell, the orientations of the magnetic moments of the data layer and the reference layer are either parallel (in the same direction) or anti-parallel (in different directions) to each other. The degree of parallelism affects the resistance of the cell, and this resistance can be determined by sensing (e.g., via a sense amplifier) an output current or voltage produced by the memory cell in response to the read current.
More specifically, if the magnetic moments are parallel, the resistance determined based on the output current is of a first relative value (e.g., relatively low). If the magnetic moments are anti-parallel, the resistance determined is of a second relative value (e.g., relatively high). The relative values of the two states (i.e., parallel and anti-parallel) are typically different enough to be sensed distinctly. A "1" or a "0" may be assigned to the respective relative resistance values depending on design specification.
The intermediate layer, which may also be referred to as a spacer layer, may comprise insulating material (e.g., dielectric), non-magnetic conducting material, and/or other known materials, and is usually thick enough to prevent exchange coupling between the data and reference layers. The various conducting leads which are used to address the memory cells (e.g., bit lines, word lines, and read lines), and to provide currents to pass through the data and reference layers to read data from or write data to the memory cells are provided by one or more additional layers, called conducting layer(s).
The layers described above and their respective characteristics are typical of magnetic memory cells based on tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effects known in the art. Other combinations of layers and characteristics may also be used to make magnetic memory cells based on TMR effects. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,674, issued to Anthony et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Still other configurations of magnetic memory cells are based on other well known physical effects (e.g., giant magnetoresistance (GMR), anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), and/or other physical effects).
Throughout this application, various exemplary embodiments will be described in reference to the TMR memory cells as first described above. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the exemplary embodiments may also be implemented with other types of magnetic (or non-magnetic) memory cells known in the art (e.g., other types of TMR memory cells, GMR memory cells, AMR memory cells, CMR memory cells, etc.) according to the requirements of a particular implementation.
Generally speaking, desirable characteristics for any configuration of memory device include increased speed, reduced power consumption, and/or lower cost. A simpler fabrication process and/or a smaller chip size may achieve lower cost.
Thus, a market exists for a simplified process to make memory structures.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Methods and devices for automatically white balancing an image are described. In one embodiment, a method includes: capturing a first image using a first camera associated with an electronic device and capturing a second image using a second camera associated with the electronic device, the first image and the second image being temporally related; determining one or more white balance correction values for the first image by analyzing the first image and the second image, the white balance correction value representing the effect of lighting conditions on the first image and the second image; and correcting one or more images captured by the first camera based on the white balance correction value.

Digital cameras may be affected by the operating environment in which the digital camera is located when capturing an image. For example, the colours in an image may vary depending on a light source that is exposed to the camera. An image captured in sunlight may have different colouring than an image captured near incandescent or fluorescent lighting. For example, an image may have a bluish cast if it is captured under fluorescent lighting. White balancing is the process of removing incorrect colouring in an image so that objects that appear white in person are white in the image. White balancing may be used to compensate for the effect of a light source on an image.
Digital cameras may also be affected by flicker. Flicker is caused due to the presence of light sources that are powered by alternating current (AC) mains. Such light sources may emit light that varies in brightness based on the mains frequency of the AC mains. Such variations are not detected by the human eye, but may be detected by an image sensor of a digital camera. Such variations may produce a series of alternating dark and light bands in a captured image.
Thus, the environment in which a digital camera operates may affect images produced by that digital camera. In particular, the lighting conditions may affect the resulting image and may, in at least some cases, cause images to be captured that have undesirable effects.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.

Reduce operating environment effect using multiple cameras


Techniques for generating radiotherapy treatment plans and establishing machine learning models for the generation and optimization of radiotherapy dose data are disclosed. An example method for generating a radiotherapy dose distribution using a generative model, trained in a generative adversarial network, includes: receiving anatomical data of a human subject that indicates a mapping of an anatomical area for radiotherapy treatment; generating radiotherapy dose data corresponding to the mapping with use of the trained generative model, as the generative model processes the anatomical data as an input and provides the dose data as output; and identifying the radiotherapy dose distribution for the radiotherapy treatment of the human subject based on the dose data. Another example method for training of the generative model includes establishing values of the generative model and a discriminative model of the generative adversarial network using adversarial training, including in a conditional generative adversarial network arrangement.

Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) have become the standards of care in modern cancer radiation therapy. Treatment planning for these and other forms of radiotherapy involves customizing the particular exposure to radiation to the particular patient being treated, as critical organs are identified and target volumes are identified for treatment. Many approaches for creating individual patient IMRT or VMAT treatment plans involve a human-determined trial-and-error process, as an evaluator performs weighing target dose versus organ sparing tradeoffs, and as the evaluator adjusts program constraints whose effects on the dose distribution are very difficult to anticipate. In fact, the order in which the planning constraints are adjusted can itself result in dose differences. As a result, even skilled planners will often have no assurance that custom-designed radiotherapy plans are close to the best possible, to reach the objective of maximizing radiation treatment at the target volume while minimizing exposure to radiation in surrounding organs and tissue. Thus, planners are currently unable to determine whether a small or large amount of additional effort would lead to an improvement in the therapy plan.
Prior research has investigated whether radiotherapy plans are effective using two general approaches. First, research has evaluated plan quality that is associated with one-dimensional target-organ overlap measures (e.g., dose volume histograms (DVHs), overlap volume histograms (OVHs)), enabling comparison of such overlap measures with those of known high-quality plans in a database, to find and compare therapy plans. Second, research has also explored plan quality space to determine optimal, or even Pareto-optimal, families of plans that an operator may select for use in treatment. However, neither of these approaches provides or generates a detailed model of treatment planning independent of either planning process. As a result, the viability and success of a particular radiotherapy treatment is often reliant on manual human judgment that is available and exercised in the planning stage. Further, the reliance on human skill in the planning process (and the comparison with previous human-created therapy plans) prevents an objective determination of whether a new treatment plan is fully optimized for a particular patient and accomplishes the best possible treatment objectives.

Radiotherapy treatment plan modeling using generative adversarial networks


A security feature for protecting valuable documents, in particular for ensuring the authenticity of valuable documents, comprises a luminescent pigment which has a host lattice doped with a first luminophore and a second luminophore, with an excitation energy of the first luminophore being transferable to the second luminophore. However, in the case of the luminescent pigment according to the invention, the excitation energy is not transferred completely from the first luminophore to the second, but rather only partially. The incomplete transfer of the excitation energy is achieved by selecting suitable amount-of-substance fractions of the first and the second luminophores on the luminescent pigment. As a result of the incomplete transfer of the excitation energy, the luminescent light that is emitted by the luminescent pigment also has, in addition to a luminescence peak of the second luminophore, a luminescence peak of the first luminophore.

The invention relates to a security feature and a method for checking the security feature. Such security features are used for safeguarding value documents, in particular for safeguarding the authenticity of the value documents.
For safeguarding value documents, these are equipped with security features and/or with security elements having security features, in order to make possible a check of the authenticity of the value document. The security features and security elements serve to protect the value documents from unauthorized reproduction. As security elements there are used for example security threads or foil elements, which are connected with a value document. The security features can be connected with the substrate of the security element or with the substrate of the value document itself.
As security features there are employed for example luminescence pigments that consist of a host lattice doped with a luminophore. Optical transitions of the luminophore lead to a luminescence of the luminescence pigment. For checking the authenticity of a value document having the luminescence pigment it is checked for example whether the value document has the desired luminescence and, depending thereon, it is decided whether or not the value document is authentic.
From the prior art there are known improved security features having a higher luminosity, in which the luminescence pigment is not only doped with a luminophore but in addition with an activator that makes possible an increased luminescence intensity. In particular, the activator makes possible the excitation of the luminophore in wavelength ranges in which the luminophore is usually not excitable or only poorly excitable. The activator and the luminophore here are chosen such that the activator tends to completely transfer its excitation energy to the luminophore. The activator is selectively optically excited through corresponding light irradiation and then completely transfers its excitation energy to the emitter that subsequently emits a luminescence characteristic thereof. On the basis of this, the authenticity of the value document can be checked. The activator itself, however, shows no luminescence.
In order to make an imitation of the value documents more difficult, it is also known to provide these with a security feature which has a more complex characteristic luminescence spectrum. In order to obtain several luminescence peaks, different luminescence pigments each containing only one luminophore are mixed with each other. Luminescence pigments suitable for security applications, in particular luminescence pigments which luminesce exclusively in the infrared spectral region and are doped with two or more simultaneously luminescing luminophores, are not commercially available, however. The mixing of different luminescence pigments has the disadvantage that the different luminescence pigments of the mixture may segregate, e.g. due to different grain sizes or different densities. Such a segregation of the luminescence pigments of a security feature may take place in particular due to vibrations upon the transport of the security feature or also upon the processing of the security feature for applying it onto the value document. Through the segregation there arises an inhomogeneity of the pigment mixture, which may lead to unintended spatial variations of the luminescence of the security feature on the value document. Such variations may lead to a misjudgement of authentic value documents or make more difficult the recognition of forgeries, that show a luminescence deviating from but similar to the authentic luminescence. In such a security feature that consists of a mixture of several luminescence pigments a homogeneity of the pigment mixture can usually only be achieved with great effort.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to state a security feature which makes possible a more reliable differentiation between authentic and forged value documents.

GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH


The present invention relates to an etching solution for a multilayer thin film containing a copper layer and a molybdenum layer, and a method of etching a multilayer thin film containing a copper layer and a molybdenum layer using the etching solution. There are provided an etching solution for a multilayer thin film containing a copper layer and a molybdenum layer, including (A) an organic acid ion supply source containing two or more carboxyl groups and one or more hydroxyl groups in a molecule thereof, (B) a copper ion supply source and (C) an ammonia and/or ammonium ion supply source, the etching solution having a pH value of from 5 to 8, and an etching method using the etching solution.

Hitherto, as wiring materials for display devices such as flat panel displays, there have been generally used aluminum and aluminum alloys. However, with the recent increase in size and resolution of the displays, the aluminum-based wiring materials tend to suffer from problems such as signal delay owing to their properties such as a wiring resistance, and therefore tend to hardly provide a uniform image display.
In consequence, studies have been made to provide wirings formed of a lower-resistance material such as copper and a material containing cooper as a main component. However, copper is advantageous in its low resistance, but has problems such as poor adhesion to a substrate such as a glass substrate when used in gate wirings and occurrence of undesirable diffusion to an underlying silicon semiconductor film when used in source/drain wirings. In order to avoid these problems, there have been made studies on lamination of a barrier film containing a metal having a barrier property capable of preventing diffusion of copper, etc., to the silicon semiconductor film. As the metal used in the barrier film, titanium (Ti) and molybdenum (Mo) have been studied, and a multilayer thin film using copper in combination with these metals has been proposed.
The multilayer thin film containing copper or a copper alloy containing copper as a main component is formed on a substrate such as a glass substrate by a film-forming process such as sputtering. Then, after masking a resist applied onto the multilayer thin film or the like, the film is subjected to an etching step to form an electrode pattern thereon. The etching step may be conducted either by a wet method using an etching solution or by a dry method using an etching gas such as plasma. The etching solution used in the wet method is required to provide (i) a high processing accuracy, (ii) a less amount of etching residues, (iii) a high stability or safety of its components with easiness of handling, (iv) a stable etching performance, etc.
As the etching solutions conventionally used for etching the multilayer thin film containing copper or a copper alloy containing copper as a main component, there are known an etching solution containing at least one substance selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, a neutral salt, an inorganic acid and an organic acid (refer to Patent Document 1), an etching solution containing hydrogen peroxide, a carboxylic acid and fluorine (refer to Patent Document 2), an etching solution containing hydrogen peroxide, an organic acid, a phosphoric acid salt, a nitrogen-containing first additive, a second additive and a fluorine compound (refer to Patent Document 3), an etching solution containing hydrogen peroxide, a fluorine ion supply source, a sulfuric acid salt, a phosphoric acid salt and an azole-based compound (refer to Patent Document 4) or the like.
However, these etching solutions containing hydrogen peroxide have problems such as (i) large change in etching rate owing to change in concentration of hydrogen peroxide, (ii) generation of gases and heat owing to abrupt decomposition of hydrogen peroxide which tends to cause a risk of breakage of facilities, or the like. For these reasons, there is an increasing demand for an etching solution containing no hydrogen peroxide.
On the other hand, as the etching solution containing no hydrogen peroxide, there are known ammoniacally alkaline etching solutions containing a copper (II) ion and ammonia (for example, refer to Patent Document 5 and Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). Even these ammoniacally alkaline etching solutions are capable of etching a multilayer thin film containing copper or a copper alloy containing copper as a main component such as copper/molybdenum-based multilayer films. However, the etching solutions tend to suffer from volatilization of a large amount of ammonia therefrom owing to a high pH value of the solutions and therefore reduction in ammonia concentration in the solutions. As a result, there tend to occur variation in etching rate and considerable deterioration in working environments. In addition, the high pH value of the etching solutions tends to pose such a problem that a resist is dissolved in the solutions. In this case, volatilization of ammonia from the etching solutions may be suppressed by adjusting the pH value thereof to a neutral range. However, the neutral etching solutions have problems such as deposition of residues upon rinsing with water after etched.

Etching liquid for film of multilayer structure containing copper layer and molybdenum layer


A device and method for controlling HF single side band radio squelch operation in which a serial tone burst indicates the start and end of a transmission and identifies an on-going transmission. Additionally, receivers in a power saving sleep mode can be activated by receipt of a set of serial tone bursts that have been transmitted with sufficient duration for the receiver to be assured the opportunity to detect them. During the subsequent transmission of information, single "keep-alive" serial tone bursts are transmitted at random time intervals. The end of a transmission is signalled by another set of serial tone bursts. The bursts are provided with the transmitted signal on its frequency and preserve signal bandwidth.

The present invention relates to methods and devices for squelching an audio output from a radio, and more particularly to a device and method for controlling HF radio squelch operation in which a serial tone burst indicates the start and end of a transmission and identifies an on-going transmission.
Transmission of radio signals, particularly high frequency (HF) signals, is subject to a number of degradations over which the operators have little, or no, control, such as noise, interference, and fading. These degradations may be heard as unwanted sounds in an audio output of a radio receiver, and are controlled to the extent possible with a squelching device. The determination when to activate the squelching device can be important in that inopportune timing of the activation of the device can lead to loss of the desired signal.
Traditional approaches to the problem of squelching device operation, particularly in HF single side band (SSB) radios, have included active squelching techniques in which a pilot tone is transmitted with the desired signal. The pilot tone is selected to be easily detectable and is excised with a notch filter at the radio receiver. However, the pilot tone decreases the amount of transmitted power available for the desired signal. Further, where data are sent with the pilot tone to provide control signals to a receiver squelching device, the SSB channel bandwidth is restricted. As is known, reducing the bandwidth available for voice transmission reduces intelligibility.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and device for controlling radio squelch operation that obviates the problems of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and device for controlling HF SSB radio squelch operation in which a serial tone burst indicates the start and end of a transmission and identifies an on-going transmission.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method of activating a radio receiver that is in a low power consumption sleep mode and of determining whether to squelch an audio output from the receiver in which three sets of serial tone based burst waveforms activate a radio receiver and deactivate squelch, maintain squelch deactivated, and indicate the end of a signal and activate squelch.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel method of providing serial tone bursts at random times after activation of the radio receiver in which squelch is activated if a predetermined number of the serial tone bursts are not received within a predetermined period of time.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device for selectively operating a radio receiver squelching device in response to receipt of serial tone bursts contained within a transmission received by the receiver, where the bursts include a signal indicating whether the squelching device is to mute the receiver's audio signal.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device and method for determining whether to squelch or unsquelch audio output from a radio receiver in which serial tone bursts include a signal indicating whether to squelch or unsquelch the audio output.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Burst serial tone waveform signaling method and device for squelch/wake-up control of an HF transceiver


Authenticating a user is disclosed. An indication that an application user wants to access a docbase is received. It is determined whether a user mapping or a principal login technique should be used. Accessing the docbase with a credential based at least in part on the determination is attempted.

Enterprise portals typically seek to provide users with a single point of access to multiple resources such as information and services. For example, in a business setting, employees may use enterprise portals to manage inventory, track finances, and review procedures, all through a unified interface such as by directing a browser to an intranet site.
The resources provided via the portal are typically gathered from multiple locations (e.g., servers) that limit access to authorized users, and may include disparate systems. For example, inventory and customer lists may be stored in a business information database, while product manuals and sales reports are stored by another component, such as a document database, with each database requiring authentication before providing access to information. In some cases, different portal users may have different access (or no access) to some of those multiple resources. Such may be the case, for example, when two companies (with different schemas for issuing credentials to users) merge and desire to include information from both entities into a unified portal. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a better way to provide users with access to information.


A microswitch which is electrostatically actuated, which has a first open position and a second closed position in which said switch closes at least a contact line (30); the microswitch comprising                a movable part (10) which has at least a first actuated portion (11) and a second contact portion (12), which are mechanically connected by means of at least a connection element (13);        said contact line/s (30) being placed between said first and second portions; wherein in the rest position of the microswitch the actuated portion is at a first distance d1 from the contact line and the contact portion is at a second distance d2 from the contact line;wherein the operation of the microswitch is the following:        the first actuated portion is actuated by at least an actuating electrode (20), and        in response to said actuation and via the connection element (13) the second contact portion (12) is arranged to contact said contact line (30) reducing said second distance d2 to zero.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are among the most promising technologies for implementing low-cost, low-power components for radio-frequency RF applications. The micrometric scale of these devices and the possibility of integration can avoid the problem of the large area occupied by the passive components of current RF systems, replacing all of them by a single MEMS chip or integrating them into the processing chip of the system.
Many actuators built with these technologies have already been developed, although only some of them have found a place in the market. A key point of these devices consists on the performance of the actuation method for every specific device. Many actuation principles are used for actuating MEMS: electrothermal, electrostatic, magnetic, piezoelectric, etc. Nowadays, one of the most used actuation principles in micromechanical switches is the electrostatic actuation. In electrostatic actuation a voltage is applied to two layered conductors (electrodes) to induce charge on the conductors, and the force acting between the induced charges is used as an actuating source. Electrostatic actuation has good general properties: large force achieved for small gaps, direct electrical actuation, etc. Nevertheless, a general drawback is usually the need for a large area, which negatively affects many properties of the devices by reducing speed, decreasing reliability and also increasing costs per area. It also has some other disadvantages, like contact related issues or the self-actuation effect and generally medium-high actuation voltages.
Up to now, most of the microdevices which use an electrostatic actuation are based in the use of an electrode at the movable part (like a cantilever beam or a bridge consisting of a beam anchored at both ends) of the device and a fixed electrode at the substrate.
Current microswitches usually suffer the problem of a deficient contact surface, which in general causes effects like higher switch on-resistance and severe contact degradation. One of the reasons is the curled surface of the movable part when contact happens. This problem is usually solved in part by applying a higher voltage than it is actually needed; but this can have negative effects on the switch performance. Some other times this is solved by using a bulky or large central region of the movable part of the switch.
Another common problem is the self-actuation effect of the switch due to the signals present in the line(s) to be switched. If the signal is large enough, the switch may undesirably close, causing malfunctioning.
FIG. 4a-4e of U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,061 show a representative case of state of the art microswitches. The working principle is also representative of the state of the art, where the actuating electrodes 405 and 406 exert an electrostatic force over the movable part until a contact is achieved between contact lines 402 and 403 and the movable part 414 and 412. Topologically, the actuating electrodes 405 and 406 and the contact lines 402 and 403 are located at the same height level, and under the movable part 412.
Also, in the way of an example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,769-B relates to a microswitch that includes two distributed constant lines disposed close to each other, and a movable element arranged above them, and a driving means (4) for displacing the movable element by an electrostatic force to bring the movable element into contact with the distributed constant lines. The movable element has two projection formed by notching an overlap portion of the movable element which is located on at least one distributed constant line. The projections oppose a corresponding distributed constant line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,472-A describes a micro device with integrated electrostatic actuator, with a fixed portion and a movable portion which are opposite. The relative amount of movement is controlled by controlling electrostatic force operating between both; the movable portion is moved by the Integrated electrostatic actuator and a portion connected to the movable portion which can be operated mechanically. The probe of a scanning probe microscope Is provided to the movable portion of the above actuator. The above transducer is provided with the structure in which a large number of such actuators are arranged two- or one-dimensionally.
Document US-2003/015936-A1 discloses an electrostatic actuator. A multi-layered auxiliary electrode is further arranged between a main electrode and an actuating body, and positive charge or negative charge is applied to the main electrode, respective auxiliary electrodes, and the actuating body such that electrostatic attractive force is generated between the auxiliary electrodes adjacent to the main electrode, between adjacent auxiliary electrodes, and between auxiliary electrodes adjacent to the actuating body.

Microswitch with a first actuated portion and a second contact portion


A two-stroke engine for driving a crankshaft includes a cylinder defining a longitudinal elevation axis and having a top wall and a cylindrical side wall terminating in the top wall. A piston is mounted in the cylinder so as to be movable along the side wall for driving a crankshaft. The cylinder and the piston conjointly define a combustion chamber wherein combustion gases are generated during operation of the engine and the side wall of the cylinder has an exhaust window which opens into the combustion chamber for conducting away the combustion gases. The exhaust window defines a longitudinal center axis passing approximately through the elevation axis and the side wall of the cylinder has a surface portion lying opposite the exhaust window. A plurality of main channels and a plurality of support channels open into the combustion chamber for conducting fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. A first main channel and a first support channel are arranged on a first side of the center axis and a second main channel and a second support channel are arranged on a second side of the center axis. The first and second main channels have exit windows lying adjacent the exhaust window so as to cause the respective component main flows of fuel mixture to exit approximately horizontally toward the surface portion lying opposite the exhaust window. The first and second support channels have exit windows lying adjacent opposite sides of this surface portion and the support channels are so configured at the exit windows thereof to cause the component support flows to be directed upwardly along the side wall toward the top wall of the cylinder.

Two-stroke engines are simpler than four-stroke engines with respect to their configuration and operation. Mostly, they are lighter and therefore are used especially advantageously as drive engines in portable handheld work apparatus.
German patent publication 3,330,701 discloses a two-stroke engine wherein the transfer channels are subdivided into main channels and supporting channels in order to form scavenging flows of different intensity and direction. For this purpose, one main channel and one supporting channel are provided at both sides of a longitudinal center axis through the exhaust gas channel.
When scavenging the combustion chamber, it is basically unavoidable that portions of the uncombusted fresh gas flows off via the exhaust window before this window is closed by the upwardly-travelling piston. Nonetheless, combustion gases still remain in the combustion chamber which can disturb a subsequent combustion operation. On the one hand, this can lead to a loss in power and, on the other hand, to poor exhaust gas quality such as to increased hydrocarbon emissions.

Two-stroke engine having several transfer channels


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided in which a tunnel dielectric layer and a gate layer are formed on a semiconductor wafer and a trench forming technique is used to define a floating gate structure. An insulator is deposited in the trench whereby the gate layer and the tunnel dielectric layer form a gate which is self-aligned to a tunnel dielectric.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductors and more specifically to a trench fabrication process for making semiconductor memory devices.
Flash electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) is a class of nonvolatile memory devices that are programmed by hot electron injection and erased by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling.
Each memory cell is formed on a semiconductor substrate (i.e., a silicon die or chip), having a heavily doped drain region and a source region embedded therein. The source region further contains a lightly doped deeply diffused region and a more heavily doped shallow diffused region embedded into the substrate. A channel region separates the drain region and the source region. The memory cell further includes a multi-layer structure, commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cstacked gatexe2x80x9d structure or word line. The multi-layer stacked gate structure typically includes: a thin gate dielectric or tunnel oxide layer formed on the surface of substrate overlying the channel region; a polysilicon floating gate (poly1) overlying the tunnel oxide; an interpoly dielectric layer overlying the floating gate; and a polysilicon control gate (poly2) overlying the interpoly dielectric layer. Additional layers, such as a silicide layer (deposited on the control gate), a poly cap layer (deposited on the gate silicide layer), and a silicon oxynitride layer (deposited on the poly cap layer) may be formed over the control gate.
In order to have the memory cell work properly, the stacked gate structure must have every layer properly aligned within nanometers of the previous layer. The worse the alignment, the worse the device performance will be. As the device shrinks, these nanometer shifts become a significant problem in that the memory cell will not operate.
A plurality of Flash EEPROM cells may be formed on a single substrate. A Flash EEPROM also includes peripheral portions, which typically include input/output circuitry for selectively addressing individual memory cells.
After the formation of the memory cells, electrical connections, commonly known as xe2x80x9ccontactsxe2x80x9d, must be made to connect the stack gated structure, the source region and the drain regions to other parts of the chip. The contact formation process includes the formation of sidewall spacers around the multi-layer stacked gate structures of each memory cell and a silicidation on the active region. An etch stop or liner layer, typically a nitride material such as silicon nitride, is then formed over the entire substrate, including the multi-layer stacked gate structure. A dielectric layer, generally of oxide such as borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), is then deposited over the etch stop layer. A chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) process is applied to the wafer and wafer-scale planarization is achieved. A layer of photoresist is then placed over the dielectric layer and is photolithographically processed to form the pattern of contact openings. An anisotropic etch is then used to etch out portions of the dielectric layer to form source and drain contact openings in the oxide layer. The contact openings stop at the source and drain regions in the substrate. The photoresist is then stripped, and a conductive material, such as tungsten, is deposited over the dielectric layer and fills the source and drain contact openings to form conductive contacts. The substrate is then subjected to a CMP process, which removes the conductive material above the dielectric layer to form the conductive contacts through a contact CMP process.
As can be seen from the above, precise placement and layering of the multi-layer stacked gate structure is imperative for future size reductions of memory devices.
A solution, which would allow further miniaturization of memory device without adversely affecting device performance has long been sought, but has eluded those skilled in the art. As the demand for higher performance devices and miniaturization continues at a rapid pace in the field of semiconductor, it is becoming more pressing that a solution be found.
The present invention provides a tunnel dielectric layer and a gate layer formed on a semiconductor wafer with a trench insulator of a shallow trench isolation (STI) used to form a floating gate structure which is self-aligned to the active region. The semiconductor device has improved floating gate properties and improved planarity when compared to conventional semiconductor devices.
The present invention further provides a method of manufacturing a self-aligned floating gate structure by forming a tunnel dielectric layer and a gate layer on a semiconductor wafer. A trench forming technique is used to form a shallow trenchl through the tunnel dielectric layer, the gate layer and into the semiconductor wafer. An insulator is deposited in the trench whereby the semiconductor device has improved floating gate properties and improved planarity when compared to conventional semiconductor devices.
The present invention further provides a method of manufacturing a floating gate structure which involves a reduction in the number of processing steps when compared to conventional fabrication techniques.
The above and additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


In a general aspect, a structured optical beam with position-dependent polarizations is prepared for human observation. In some examples, an optics method includes processing an optical beam to produce a structured optical beam for human observation. Processing the optical beam includes receiving the optical beam from a laser source; attenuating the optical beam to an exposure irradiance level that is safe for direct viewing by a human eye; expanding the optical beam to a size configured for a field of view of the human eye; and preparing the optical beam with a position-dependent polarization profile. The structured optical beam, which has the position-dependent polarization profile, is directed towards an observation region for human observation.

The following description relates to preparing a structured optical beam with geometrical phases and spatially dependent polarization profiles, for example, for observation by a human observer.
The fact that humans can perceive polarization state of light through an entoptic phenomenon was first described by Austrian physicist Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger in 1844. When viewing polarized light, a bowtie-like shape (now known as "Haidinger's brush") appears in the central point of the visual field. The perception of Haidinger's brushes depends on the presence of dichroic carotenoid pigments which are found in the macula, which is located at the center of the retina. The radially symmetric dichroic elements are centered on the foveola in the macula of the human eye and act as a radial polarization filter. This has led to studies that used Haidinger's brushes as a diagnosis of central visual field dysfunctions and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Preparing a structured optical beam for human observation


A combination transportation crate, ground blind and water blind for a dog reduces the amount of equipment necessary for a hunt. The combination includes a rectangular frame having a top and bottom side with a water permeable material attached to the frame forming a comfortable platform for the dog. A pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs are pivoted to the bottom side of the frame and a pair of canopy supports is pivoted to the top side of the frame. A cover is draped over the canopy supports and extends down over the rectangular frame forming an enclosure with a closable opening along at least one side of the rectangular frame through which the dog may enter and exit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-weight, compact multi-functional hunting apparatus which may be used a ground blind, water blind and transportation crate for a dog.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In waterfowl hunting, a hunter often has to wait camouflaged for long periods of time before encountering any game. While the hunter is frequently prepared for the environment with suitable equipment, his dog often is not. There are portable dog water blinds and ground blinds for use in hunting waterfowl and upland game birds. While available portable dog stands may keep the dog out of cold water and mud, most offer no way to camouflage movement of the dog which may alert a wary duck or goose and spoil the hunt. There are ground blinds under which the dog is expected to sit or lie directly in contact with the ground which may be wet and icy. There are also collapsible kennels for transporting the dog in a vehicle to the hunting site. All these different devices results in a lot of bulky equipment to lug to a hunting site and for a hunter to store when not in use. In addition, the existing equipment in many instances does not provide for a quality hunting experience for the dog.

Combination ground blind, water blind and transportation crate


A plasma display apparatus is provided. Polygonal discharge cells are arranged in delta. Extension parts are extended from pairs of sustain electrodes that apply a voltage to the discharge cells to discharge spaces to face each other. Since the extension parts have at least one depressed parts, the efficiency of sustain discharge improves due to a long gap. Since the width of data electrodes formed under the discharge cells is large in the discharge spaces, a distance between the effective side surfaces of the pairs of sustain electrodes and the data electrodes is reduced so that the efficiency of address discharge improves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus, and more particularly, to the structures of electrodes capable of improving efficiencies of sustain discharge and address discharge in discharge cells arranged in delta.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a plasma display apparatus, discharge cells are formed between a rear surface substrate on which barrier ribs are formed and a front surface substrate that faces the rear surface substrate and vacuum ultraviolet (UV) rays generated when inert gases in the discharge cells are discharged by a high frequency voltage emit light from a phosphor to realize an image.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a discharge cell of a common plasma display panel (PDP).
First, the discharge cell is formed by a plurality of barrier ribs 24 with which a discharge space is partitioned off on a rear surface substrate 18 that faces a front surface substrate 10. FIG. 1 illustrates that square delta barrier ribs partition off the discharge cell.
A data electrode X is arranged on the rear surface substrate 18 and a scan electrode Y and a sustain electrode Z are arranged on the front surface substrate 10 to make a pair. The rear surface substrate 18 illustrated in FIG. 1 is rotated at 90° so that the data electrode X intersects the other electrodes Y and Z.
A lower dielectric layer 22 for accumulating wall charges is formed on the rear surface substrate 18 where the data electrode X is formed.
The barrier ribs 24 are arranged on the dielectric layer 22 to form a discharge space between the barrier ribs and to prevent the UV rays and visible rays generated by discharge from leaking to adjacent discharge cells. The surfaces of the dielectric layer 22 and the barrier ribs 24 are coated with a phosphor 26.
Since inert gases are implanted into the discharge space, the phosphor 26 is excited by the UV rays generated when the gases are discharged to generate one visible ray among red, green, and blue visible rays.
The scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z arranged on the front surface substrate 10 are composed of transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z and bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z to intersect the data electrode X. Also, a dielectric layer 14 and a protective layer 16 that cover the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z are formed.
After the discharge cell of such a structure is selected by facing discharge between the data electrode X and the scan electrode Y, discharge is sustained by surface discharge between the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z so that the visible rays are emitted.
The scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z are composed of the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z and the bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z whose width is smaller than the width of the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z and each of which is formed at one edge of each of the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z.
FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating conventional square delta barrier ribs before performing an annealing process. FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating hexagonal delta barrier ribs after performing the annealing process.
The square delta barrier ribs 24 are composed of first barrier ribs 24a that are horizontally formed and second barrier ribs 24b formed in the same direction as the data electrode X. Since the directions in which the square delta barrier ribs 24 are contracted by thermal stress vary at the intersections between the first and second barrier ribs 24a and 24b during the annealing process performed at 550 to 600° C. as illustrated in FIG. 2, the square delta barrier ribs 24 are transformed into hexagonal delta barrier ribs as illustrated in FIG. 3.
The hexagonal delta barrier ribs illustrated in FIG. 3 have advantage in that the area coated with the phosphor increases. However, since the bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z that overlap the first barrier ribs 24a intercept the discharge space to which the visible rays are emitted, emission efficiency and brightness deteriorate.


A trouble case point update unit subtracts point from point stored in a trouble point storage unit when a trouble occurs. A processing-time-reference exceeding case point update unit subtracts point from point stored in the trouble point storage unit when a response delay occurs. A trouble point recovery unit adds point to the point stored trouble point storage unit and processing-time-reference exceeding case point storage unit when a predetermined time passes since the last addition and storage. A point initialization unit sets the points stored in the trouble point storage unit and processing-time-reference exceeding case point storage unit to an initial point when a defective component is replaced. A degradation determination unit degrades a defective component in a case where the point in the trouble point storage unit or processing-time-reference exceeding case point storage unit become equal to or lower than a reference point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk array device, and particularly relates to a disk array device having a function for degrading a structural component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H11-194898 discloses a disk array device. This disk array device retries a processing (reading and wiring) toward a disk device when the processing is finished in an abnormal state. If the disk array device succeeds in the retrial, it continues the use of the disk device, while if the disk array device fails in the retrial, it degrades (separates) the disk device.
According to this conventional disk array device, in a case where although frequently finished in an abnormal state, a processing can be properly executed if it is retried, the processing target disk device can not be degraded. In this case, since responses to a host device from the disk array device are delayed, processes at the host device in an online operation are delayed, possibly causing troubles in the execution of the operation.
Further, according to this disk array device, if a state where a processing, though can be finished properly, requires a long time to be executed continues, responses to a host device from the disk array device are delayed, causing delay in processes at the host device.
Further, according to this disk device, if a processing is finished in an abnormal state or a processing time increases, the processing performance of the overall disk array device drops. As a result, responses to a host device from the disk array device are delayed, causing delay in processes at the host device.
The above-described problems occur in other structural components (for example, a memory and an MPU (Micro Processor Unit)) than the disk device.

Disk array device having point value added or subtracted for determining whether device is degraded


A method and an apparatus for cooperation between push devices to improve the validity and reachability of Internet Protocol (IP) connections. The method for cooperation between push devices includes: obtaining, by a Push proxy, a Push identifier and an address of a Push client; storing, by the Push proxy, a mapping between the Push identifier and the address of the Push client; and if the address of the Push client changes, updating, by the Push proxy, the corresponding address in the mapping. With the embodiments of the present invention, validity and reachability of IP connections can be improved, and the real-time performance and reliability of Push messages can be improved.

In a client/server model, unless a user logs in to an application server and provides its Internet Protocol (IP) address to the application server, the application server is unable to actively find a user terminal and send information to the user terminal. Therefore, a Push technology is developed.
The Push technology is a technology that allows an application server to actively send information to a client based on a client/server mechanism. To be specific, the Push transaction is initiated by the application server, and the user is not required to log in to the application server beforehand. The Push technology in essence is to let information actively find a user, and its advantage lies in active and timely information. By using this technology, information may be pushed to a user equipment as quickly as possible.
At present, Apple, Inc. launches a Push Notification solution applied to i-phones. The solution uses the Push technology. When an application of the user has an incoming event (for example, a new email is received), the event is directly pushed to the client, and the client is not required to keep the application online or periodically log in to the application server to see whether any new event occurs. The working process of the Push Notification solution may be summarized as follows:
1. The application server packetizes an application message to be sent and the identifier of a destination i-phone into a Notification message and sends the Notification message to a Push server.
2. The Push server finds the IP address of the destination i-phone in a list of i-phones that have registered the Push service, converts the Notification message into a Push message, and sends the Push message to the destination i-phone.
3. The destination i-phone transfers the received Push message to a corresponding client application and pops up a Push notification according to the setting.
The identifier of a destination i-phone is the basis for the Push server to judge to which i-phone the Push message should be sent. This identifier is known as a device token. After network entry, the i-phone establishes a permanent IP connection with the Push server. After the connection is established, the i-phone registers with the Push server, the Push server sends the device token to the i-phone, and the i-phone sends the device token to the application server through the client application. Later, if the application server needs to send an application message to the i-phone, the application server sends the corresponding device token and the application message together to the Push server, and then the Push server finds the corresponding destination i-phone according to the device token and sends the corresponding Push message.
When no data is transferred, a heartbeat operation is performed between the Push server and the i-phone at intervals of a dozen minutes to maintain the validity of the IP connection. In the process of establishing a connection with the i-phone, the Push server records the IP connection information, which includes the address and port of the i-phone. If network address translation (NAT) is available between the i-phone and the Push server, what is recorded by the Push server is the public IP address and port of the i-phone after NAT.
The preceding solution is unable to guarantee the validity and reachability of the IP connection. Consequently, the Push message fails to be pushed or is pushed to other terminals incorrectly, and the real-time performance and reliability of the Push message are affected.

Method and apparatus for cooperation between push devices


This invention provides a thermosetting resin compound containing 25% or more by volume of anisotropic structure in the resin ingredient, wherein a structure constituting said anisotropic structure has a covalent bond and the maximum diameter of the structure is 400 nm or more. The resin ingredient of said thermosetting resin compound is preferably a hardened epoxy resin compound containing a mesogen-structured epoxy resin monomer and an epoxy resin hardening agent. The epoxy resin monomer in the thermosetting resin compound is preferably an epoxy resin monomer expressed by the following formula: E-M-S-M-E, wherein E, M, and S respectively indicate an epoxy group, a mesogen group, and a spacer. Therefore, this invention can provide a highly thermal conductive hardened thermosetting resin compound whose thermal conductivity is increased highly.

Almost all electric and electronic apparatus ranging from motors and electric generators to printed circuit boards comprise conductors to convey electricity and insulating materials.
Recently, these apparatus have been downsized rapidly and required insulating materials of higher characteristics. Further, as the apparatus are downsized and their conductors are packed more densely, they generate more heat. To dissipate this lot of heat has been a great problem to be solved.
Conventionally, thermosetting resin compounds have been used widely as insulating materials for various electric and electronic apparatus, judging from their high insulating characteristics, easy molding capability, and high thermal resistance,
Generally, however, the thermal conductivity of the thermosetting resin is low and not enough to dissipate a lot of heat of highly-densed conductors. Therefore, high-conductivity insulating materials have been much required.
Compounds made of a mixture of a thermosetting resin and highly thermal-conductive filler powder have been well-known as high-conductivity materials. There are various kinds of filler powder under study: powder of metal such as silver or aluminum and powder of inorganic ceramic such as silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, beryllium oxide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum fluoride, or calcium fluoride.
However, filler powder in a thermosetting resin will increase the viscosity of the resin strikingly, make it difficult to manufacture microstructures of resin, and reduce their workability.
Further, the thermal conductivity of the thermosetting resin is extremely low and a little amount of filler powder does not improve the thermal conductivity of the resin so much. To improve the thermal conductivity of the resin, a large quantity of filler material must be added to the resin. However, it is substantially difficult to disperse such a large quantity of filler powder uniformly in the resin.
Furthermore, in most cases, the affinity of filler powders to the thermosetting resin that is one of organic compounds is not so strong. This may easily cause interfacial separation between the filler powder and the resin and consequently reduce the insulation performance of the resin dramatically when it is used for a long time.
From this point of view, it is very important to prepare organic materials of high thermal conductivity.
A preparation of a high thermal-conductivity plastic compound filled with super-highly oriented polymer fibers has been disclosed as a method for preparing organic materials of high thermal conductivity by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Sho 61-296068. This method uses a characteristic that super-highly oriented polymer fibers described in POLYMER Vol.19, page 155 (1978) improve the thermal conductivity along their orientation axis.
However, the super-highly oriented polymer fibers are not so thermal-conductive across the orientation axis. So, if dispersed randomly in the organic insulating compounds, such polymer fibers will seldom or never improve the thermal conductivity of the compound.
It is possible to prepare an organic insulating material having an excellent thermal conductivity along the orientation of polymer fibers by orienting polymer fibers in a certain direction in the organic insulating compound, but the thermal conductivity of the insulating material falls in the other directions.
Further, ADVANCED MATERIALS Vol.5, page 107 (1993) and Germany Patent Specification 4226994 disclose anisotropic materials having a high thermal conductivity in the in-plane direction of the film in which molecular chains are disposed, which are prepared by orienting monomer having mesogen groups such as diacrylate and bridging thereof. However, this material has less thermal conductivity in the other directions, particularly, in the in-depth direction of the film.
Generally, as for film materials, most of heat transfers in the in-depth direction of the film material. Therefore, this kind of material is not effective for electric and electronic apparatus.
There has also been an approach to a method for disposing molecular chains in the in-depth direction. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 01-149303, Hei 02-5307, Hei 02-28352, and Hei 02-127438 disclose methods for manufacturing organic materials such as polyoxymethylene and polyimide in the presence of an electrostatic potential.
Further, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Sho 63-264828 discloses a material having molecular chains oriented in the in-depth direction by laminating molecule-oriented polypropylene or polyethylene sheets with their molecules oriented in the same direction, bonding thereof firmly, and slicing thereof perpendicularly to the orientation of the molecular chains.
Indeed, these methods can prepare materials having high thermal conductivity in the in-depth direction of the film, but their molding becomes very complicated and only a limited number of such materials are available.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 11-323162 discloses an insulating compound having a thermal conductivity of 0.4 W/m·K or more prepared by polymerizing mesogen-structured monomer.
This insulating compound is spatially almost isotopic and high in thermal conductivity, but can increase the in-depth thermal conductivity without any complicating molding method. The thermal conductivity of this compound is about 0.4 to 0.5 W/m·K.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 09-118673 discloses a liquid crystal thermosetting monomer having two mesogen groups and a liquid crystal thermosetting polymer having a smectic structure prepared from this monomer. This liquid crystal thermosetting polymer can form a smectic structure which is oriented highly, but Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 09-118673 never refers to the thermal conductivity of this polymer.
Judging from the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a highly thermal-conductive thermoset resin whose thermal conductivity is increased highly while keeping an almost isotopic spatial structure.