A drug eluting catheter includes an active agent, such as a drug or chemical substance, which is integrated with the catheter and allows variable dosing of the agent for elution to the patient's body. The catheter includes a dosing region and graduated markings or is associated with a measurement device that includes graduated markings that correspond to a range of dose of the active agent associated with the catheter. By removing or masking an undesired dosing region prior to administration, a user may vary the dosage to suit a patient's needs.

Catheters are used in medical procedures and are typically inserted into a patient's body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters are typically used to drain fluids, inject fluids, and to provide access for surgical instruments into or from a body cavity. Catheters may allow a user, such as a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional, to access a specific portion of a patient's body without making invasive incisions. Catheters come in a variety of shapes and sizes and may be flexible or rigid, depending on their intended use in a patent's body.
Catheters may also be used to administer agents such as drugs or chemical substances to a specific portion of a patient's body to treat a wide range of medical conditions. These medical conditions include pleural, pulmonary, abdominal, kidney, liver, cardiovascular, digestive, lymphatic, adrenal, thyroid, and other diseases. The agent may be coated on, embedded in, injected through or otherwise applied to the surface of the catheter for elution to the patient's body.
When using a catheter to administer an agent to a patient, a user typically adjusts the dosage of the agent depending on the patient's condition, weight, body mass index (BMI), estimated lung surface area, or other treatments the patient is currently undergoing. In general, higher weight patients require higher doses of agents to treat a medical condition than do patients of lower weight. Some currently available catheters are provided with agents in a range of specified dosages so that a user may select the correct dosage for each patient. Hospitals and other medical facilities must keep in stock a relatively large number of catheters in a wide range of specified dosages, which presents both financial and logistical issues. Other catheters are provided with agents in only one dosage, and do not allow a user to adjust the dosage to account for variations in a patient's weight, BMI, etc.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a drug eluting catheter that allows variable dosing of an agent.

Catheter allowing variable dosing of an active agent


A system for remote pilot control of an electric aircraft in autopilot mode including a remote computing device configured to receive a user input and generate a control datum as a function of the pilot input, a flight controller configured to receive the control datum from the remote computing device, and generate a command datum as a function of the control datum and an authority status, and the remote computing device configured to receive the command datum from the flight controller, and display the command datum.

In an electric aircraft, it desirable to have an autopilot system that prevents a user from, or warn against, performing certain actions that may put the aircraft and the user at risk, such as pushing the aircraft beyond a safe pitch level, or actions that may be against certain regulations, such as going above a specific speed in a restricted airspace, such as close to buildings in a city or flying near an airport.

Systems and methods for remote pilot control of an electric aircraft


An agitator rotor includes a shaft, rails, and a rod. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis. The rails extend radially from and are coupled to the shaft. The rails are separated from each other along a length of the shaft. Each rail includes a surface defining a non-zero angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The rod includes a first end coupled to a first one of the rails. The rod includes a second end coupled to a second one of the rails. A projection of the first end and the second end of the rod in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft defines a minor arc about a portion of the shaft.

It can be difficult to achieve desired mixing of a variety of solid components having different sizes, shapes, and densities and formed of different materials. It can be even more difficult when a large quantity of solid components are mixed and the weight distribution of the components is non-uniform. In some cases, mixing blades, such as flat, fan-shaped components with a large surface area designed to mix solid components in a vessel, can be damaged or have impaired movement when in contact with heterogeneous mixtures or abrasive, or otherwise physically challenging solids mixtures.

Agitator rotors and agitator systems for solids


A nonvolatile memory device and method of programming the device are disclosed. The nonvolatile memory device is adapted to interrupt or resume a programming operation for a memory cell of the device in response to variation in a programming voltage being supplied to the memory cell. The programming operation is typically interrupted or resumed in response to signals generated by a program controller and/or a detector monitoring the programming voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a memory device, and more particularly to a nonvolatile memory device and a method of programming the same.
A claim of priority is made to Korean Patent Application No. 2004-85748 filed on Oct. 26, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor memories are an essential part of most modern electronic systems such as computers and other digital logic platforms. Unfortunately, however, the performance of the electronic systems is often limited by the speed and the capacity of the semiconductor memories. In addition, the physical size of memory chips often places a restriction on the amount of miniaturization that can take place in the electronic systems. Because of the limiting effect that semiconductor memories have on modern electronic systems, there is a continuing need to create faster, more highly integrated semiconductor memories. In order to do so, improvements need to be made to the manufacturing technologies used to create these memories. In particular, processing techniques for creating more densely integrated, higher frequency semiconductor memories need to be developed.
Semiconductor memory devices are generally grouped into two broad categories: volatile semiconductor memory devices and nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices. Briefly, volatile semiconductor memory devices provide persistent data storage as long as power is supplied to the devices, but they lose the data once the power is cut off. Nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, on the other hand, provide persistent data storage even when power to the devices is cut off or suspended.
Because of their ability to provide persistent data storage even when power is cut off, nonvolatile memory devices are commonly used to provide long term storage for data such as program files and microcode. Nonvolatile memory devices are frequently used in application areas such as personal computers, aerospace electronic engineering, communication systems, and consumer electronics.
Some nonvolatile semiconductor memories are adapted for reprogramming and others are not. For example, due to design limitations, mask-programmed read-only memory (MROM) and programmable read-only memory (PROM) can be programmed only once during their lifetime. Erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) can be reprogrammed, but only after exposing it to ultraviolet light for several minutes to erase previously stored data. Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), on the other hand, provides efficient reprogramming capability by allowing memory cells to be reprogrammed by simply applying electric fields to the cells. EEPROMs can generally be reprogrammed more than one hundred thousand times during their lifetime.
Flash memory is a special type of EEPROM in which multiple memory blocks are erased or programmed by a single programming operation. The performance of flash memory is generally superior to that of normal EEPROM, which only allows one memory block to be erased or programmed at a time. In addition, flash memory provides fast access times for read operations and is resistant to physical shock, thus making it an attractive option for high performance portable devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
A typical flash memory comprises an array of transistors called cells, wherein each cell has a source and a drain formed on a substrate and two gate structures formed on the substrate between the source and the drain terminals. The two gate structures generally comprise a floating gate surrounded by an insulating layer and a control gate formed on the floating gate. The floating gate is used to store electrons determining a logic state for the cell.
A flash memory cell is read by placing a voltage on its control gate and detecting whether a current flows between its drain and source. Depending on how many electrons are stored in the floating gate, the voltage applied to the control gate will either allow current to flow between the drain and the source or it will not. For example, where a large number of electrons is stored in the floating gate, the electrons have a canceling effect on the voltage applied to the control gate, thereby affecting whether current flows between the drain and the source. In other words, the electrons stored in the floating gate modify the threshold voltage of the cell, i.e. the voltage that has to be applied to the control gate in order for current to flow between the drain and the source.
Due to variations in flash memory cells such as their geometry or a voltage used to program the memory cells, there tends to be variation in the threshold voltages of flash memory cells that have been programmed. Where the variation in the threshold voltages of the memory cells is not properly regulated, it can cause the flash memory to have poor performance.
In order to regulate a threshold voltage distribution for programmed memory cells, the memory cells are generally programmed using an incremental step pulse programming (ISPP) scheme such as that illustrated by FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, a programming voltage VWL is applied to a wordline. Programming voltage VWL is increased in multiple programming loop iterations executed during a programming operation. Each programming loop comprises a programming period and a program verifying period. In each programming loop, programming voltage VWL is incremented by an amount ΔV. During the programming operation, a threshold voltage Vt of a cell being programmed increases by amount ΔV in each programming loop. In order to minimize variation in the threshold voltage distribution, amount ΔV should be small. As increment ΔV becomes smaller, the number of programming loops becomes larger. Since there is a tradeoff between the number of programming loops required and the variance of the threshold voltage distribution, ΔV should be chosen to minimize the variance of the threshold voltage as much as possible without significantly limiting the performance of the memory device by requiring too many programming loops.
A programming scheme for a nonvolatile memory device is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,270. Circuits for generating programming voltages are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,309 and in Korean Patent Publication No. 2002-39744.
In programming a NOR flash memory device using the ISPP scheme, a wordline voltage of 10V is applied to the control gate of a flash memory cell, a bitline voltage of 5˜6V is applied to the drain of the flash memory cell, and a voltage less than 0V (e.g., −1V) is applied to the bulk (or substrate) of the flash memory cell. In general, a current Icell flowing through the flash memory cell is (VGS−Vt)2, where Vt is proportional to a threshold voltage of the flash memory cell and VGS is a gate-to-source voltage of the flash memory cell.
The bitline voltage is typically generated and maintained by a charge pump. Where the value of current Icell is larger than the capacity of the charge pump generating the bitline voltage, the bitline voltage is reduced. Where the bitline voltage is reduced beyond a certain amount, the threshold voltage of the flash memory cell fails to increase to a desired level during a programming operation, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1. Under these conditions, the difference between the wordline voltage and the threshold voltage becomes progressively larger as more programming loop iterations are executed using the ISPP scheme. As a result, the quality of programming gradually degrades to the point where programming failures occur.
What is needed, therefore, is a way to prevent programming failures from occurring due to a drop in the bitline voltage.

Nonvolatile memory device and method of programming same


A semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor body, having a front side and a back side opposite to one another in a first direction of extension; a drift region, which extends in the semiconductor body, faces the front side, and has a first type of conductivity and a first value of doping; a body region, which has a second type of conductivity opposite to the first type of conductivity, extends in the drift region, and faces the front side of the semiconductor body; a first control terminal, which extends on the front side of the semiconductor body, at least partially overlapping, in the first direction of extension, the body region; and a second control terminal, which extends to a first depth in the semiconductor body, inside the body region, and is staggered with respect to the first control terminal.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device with improved linear and switching operating modes, to a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, and to a method for driving the semiconductor device. In particular, the semiconductor device is a power MOSFET provided with a gate region of a planar type and a gate region of a trench type, which can be biased simultaneously by a single biasing terminal to combine the thermal stability of planar technology in the linear area with the switching operating characteristics of trench technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Power MOSFETs are electronic devices widely used in various electronic systems. Power MOSFET devices with trench-gate terminal, or of a planar type, are available on the market. In power MOSFETs, the control signal is applied to a gate electrode, which is separated from the semiconductor surface by an insulating layer, typically silicon dioxide SiO2. The control signal is basically a biasing voltage. As compared to a bipolar transistor, the power MOSFET is a unipolar device, i.e., conduction of current occurs by transport of majority carriers in the drift region in the absence of injection of minority carriers for operation of a bipolar transistor. As a consequence of this, no significant delay is observable on account of accumulation or recombination of minority carriers during the turn-off phase. The switching speed is hence higher than that of bipolar transistors. This characteristic is particularly useful in circuits operating at high frequency, where the losses due to switching are particularly high.
FIG. 1a shows, in cross-sectional view, a transistor 1, in particular a planar power MOSFET, comprising a silicon substrate 2 with a doping of an N+ type having a front side 2a and a back side 2b.
Formed above the front side 2a of the substrate 2 is a drift layer 6, made of silicon with a doping of an N− type. The drift layer 6 houses, at a top face 6a of its own, a body region 8, which extends in depth in the drift layer 6 starting from the top face 6a and is obtained by implantation of dopant species of a P type. Formed within the body region 8 is a source region 10 by implantation of dopant species of an N type so as to form a region with a doping of an N+ type, which extends in the body region 8 starting from the top face 6a. The transistor 1 further comprises a metal layer 12 formed on the top face 6a of the drift layer 6, in direct contact with the body region 8 and, partially, with the source region 10. The metal layer 12 is moreover separated from portions of the top face 6a external, in top plan view, to the body region 8 by layers set on top of one another of insulating material 14 and polysilicon 16, which extend in such a way that the polysilicon 16 is electrically insulated both from the top face 6a and from the metal layer 12 by the layers of insulating material 14. A gate region 18 of the transistor 1 is thus formed. Finally, formed on the back side 2b of the substrate 2 is a drain terminal 19, made of metal material in direct electrical contact with the substrate 2.
FIG. 1b shows a chip or die 15 comprising a plurality of transistors 1. The chip 15 of FIG. 1b hence comprises a plurality of gate regions 18. Extending between two gate regions 18 set alongside one another is a respective body region 8, which in turn houses a source region 10. The drain terminal 19 is a terminal common to all the transistors 1.
In use, by appropriately biasing the gate terminals 18, the source regions 10, and the drain terminal 19, a current i1 flows between the source regions 10 and the drain terminal 19.
FIG. 2a shows a transistor 20 with trench-gate terminal, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The transistor 20 comprises a substrate 22, made of doped semiconductor material, for example silicon with a doping of an N+ type. The substrate 22 has a front side 22a and a back side 22b. Extending on the front side 22a of the substrate 22 is a structural layer 26 of doped semiconductor material, for example silicon with a doping of an N− type. The structural layer 26 is, for example, grown epitaxially on the substrate 22 and has the function of drift layer.
The structural layer 26 houses a body region 28, with a doping of a P type, which extends in depth in the structural layer 26 starting from the top face 26a.
Moreover present are source regions 23, with a doping of an N+ type, which extend in the structural layer 26 within the body region 28 and face the top face 26a of the structural layer 26.
The transistor 20 further comprises gate regions 29 formed in respective trenches, which extend in the structural layer 26, starting from the top face 26a towards the substrate 22. Each trench housing a gate region 29 has a depth greater than the thickness of the body region 28 and smaller than the thickness of the structural layer 26.
Each gate region 29 comprises an insulating portion 29a and a conductive portion 29b, arranged with respect to one another in such a way that the conductive portion 29b is insulated from the structural layer 26 by the insulating portion 29a.
The transistor 20 further comprises a contact-terminal layer 30, made of conductive material, for example metal, which extends above the top face 26a of the structural layer 26, in direct contact with the body region 28 and, at least partially, with the source regions 23. The contact-terminal layer 30 has, in use, the function of source contact of the transistor 20.
The contact-terminal layer 30 is moreover separated from the portions of the gate regions 29 that face the top side 26a of the structural layer 26 by respective insulating regions 31, for example made of borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), each formed on top of a respective gate region 29.
Finally, extending on the back side 22b of the substrate 22, in direct electrical contact with the substrate 22, is a collector-terminal layer 32 made of conductive material, for example metal.
FIG. 2b shows a chip or die 35 comprising a plurality of transistors 20. The chip 35 comprises a plurality of gate regions 26, and a respective plurality of source regions 23.
When a plurality of transistors 20 is integrated in a single chip 35, usually an edge-termination region is formed, here not shown. The body regions 28 extend with continuity between the gate regions 29 so that each body region 28 borders laterally (in cross-sectional view) on two gate regions 29.
The drain terminal 32 is a terminal common to all the transistors 20. In use, by appropriately biasing the gate terminals 29, the source regions 23, and the drain terminal 32, a current i2 flows between the source regions 23 and the drain terminal 32.
Some applications of power MOSFETs envisage the use of the latter in the so-called linear operating zone. This condition is satisfied when high currents and high voltages are applied simultaneously to the transistor. Also during use in switching mode, power MOSFETs work in the linear zone, in particular during the passage through the Miller region. It is known in the literature that, when a power MOSFET operates in these conditions, it could present an unstable electrothermal behavior (process known as "thermal runaway"), which could lead the transistor into conditions of improper operation, or even to its breakdown. One of the electrical parameters used for assessing the thermal instability of a power MOSFET operating in the linear zone is the temperature coefficient (TC). The temperature coefficient TC is defined as the derivative with respect to the temperature of the drain current Idrain (TC=dIdrain/dT). The value of TC may be negative, zero, or positive. When TC>0, by applying a power pulse, the temperature T increases (the transistor heats up), and also the drain current Idrain increases. A process of thermal runaway is triggered, which brings the transistor to breakdown. Instead, when TC≦0, as the temperature T increases, there is noted a reduction of the drain current Idrain, and the transistor operates in stable conditions. With the progressive reduction in dimensions, latest-generation power MOSFETs (for example, of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 2a, 2b) handle high powers in small volumes, and are for this reason particularly subject to phenomena of thermal instability.

Semiconductor device with improved linear and switching operating modes


Apparatus for playing a game and comprising: a board having a grid of squares marked thereon, a set of player tokens which are allocated to respective players for placing on said grid; a set of markers each having a letter marked thereon and being arranged such that each may be placed on a corresponding square of said grid; a set of game cards each having a multiplicity of squares marked thereon, whereby in use selected markers can be removed from the grid by players and placed on squares of the game cards to construct words or phrases; and a set of question cards each having marked thereon a question. Each player throws a die to determine how far he can move his token across the board. Providing that the player can correctly answer a question read to him from a selected question card, he can remove a letter from the square on which he landed and use it to construct a word or phrase on his game card.

Not Applicable
1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a family board game based upon the solving of crossword clues and the making of words from individual letters. It is intended to appeal particularly to crossword lovers, and to any who would like to become more experienced at solving crossword clues.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game and comprising:
a board having a grid of squares marked thereon;
a set of player tokens which in use are allocated to respective players for placing on said grid and for movement therearound;
a set of markers, each having a letter of the alphabet marked thereon and being arranged such that each may be placed on a corresponding square of said grid;
a set of game cards each having a multiplicity of squares marked thereon, whereby in use selected markers can be removed from the grid by players and placed on squares of the game cards to construct words or phrases; and
a set of question cards each having marked thereon a question to be answered by a player. For a better understanding of the present invention and in order to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawing.
2. Description of Related Art
The aim is to collect individual letters of the alphabet, and arrange these on a pre-formatted game card to make valid words. Letters are collected from certain squares on the game board, which takes the form a crossword grid. Players move around the board by throwing a die, attempting to land on a square containing a letter, which he may win by correctly solving a crossword clue. The winning player, or team, is the first to complete a game card with valid interlocking words, and then to solve a clue from a Category chosen by the other players.
The game board is square in shape, and shows a crossword grid of 13xc3x9713 equal squares. Some squares show numbers, as on a conventional crossword puzzle, but these are decorative only, and have no meaning within the game. 62 of the squares each contains the name of a Category, of which there are five: SYNONYM, ANTONYM, CRYPTIC, ANAGRAM and BONUS.


An optical transmitter includes an amplifying unit, a monitor, an identifying unit, and a controlling unit. The amplifying unit amplifies an optical signal in which an optical packet signal is mixed in optical path signals. The monitor monitors power of the optical signal on an input stage and an output stage of the optical amplifying unit, respectively. The identifying unit identifies an optical packet signal section on the input stage side based on the monitoring result on the input stage side, and identifies an optical packet signal section on the output stage side based on the monitoring result on the output stage side. The controlling unit compares the power of the identified section on the input stage side with the power of the identified section on the output stage side, and controls an amplification factor of the amplifying unit based on a power difference resulting from the comparison.

A wavelength division multiplex (WDM) system has transmitted an optical signal in which an optical path signal between the WDM system and, for example, an optical transport network (OTN) is subjected to optical wavelength division multiplexing. However, in recent years, a flexible operation of a transmission path has been desired in association with the complicated network configuration such as a ring network and a mesh network.
When a transmission path is changed due to disconnection of the transmission path on a network and the like, the WDM system also increases or decreases the number of wavelengths of signals passing through each optical transmitter on the transmission path. In an optical amplifier inside each optical transmitter, an auto gain control (AGC) system is used for promptly coping with a variation in optical power of an optical signal corresponding to a variation in the number of signal wavelengths. The optical amplifier in the AGC system compares input power of an optical signal in an amplifier input stage with output power of the optical signal in an amplifier output stage, and controls an amplification factor to be a certain amplification factor corresponding to a power difference resulting from the comparison.
In the WDM system, a technique has been developed for transmitting optical signals in which, in addition to optical path signals, optical packet signals generated in a burst manner between the WDM system and a local area network (LAN) such as an Ethernet (registered trademark) network are subjected to optical wavelength division multiplexing. In the WDM system, because optical packet signals are generated at user's use timing, in other words, at random, therefore, optical packet signals exist in a burst manner in an optical signal. In addition, an optical packet signal has a random signal length and signal interval. In an optical transmitter in the WDM system, in this manner, input power of an optical amplifier greatly varies depending on the presence of an optical packet signal in an optical signal. Related technologies are described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-243765, for example.
It is assumed that input power is stably input to the AGC-system optical amplifier for a certain period of time. However, in the WDM system transmitting an optical signal in which an optical path signal and an optical packet signal are subjected to optical wavelength division multiplexing, optical packet signals is mixed in an optical signal in a burst manner. This results in that input power of the optical amplifier greatly varies depending on the presence of an optical packet signal in an optical signal.
The AGC-system optical amplifier has difficulty in ensuring a stable amplification factor because input power varies depending on the presence of an optical packet signal in an optical signal and a power difference thereof varies. When an optical packet signal exists in an optical signal in an amplifier input stage and no optical packet signal exists in the optical signal in an amplifier output stage at an identical monitoring timing, a power difference between the input power in the input stage and the output power in the output stage varies and the optical amplifier has difficulty in ensuring a stable amplification factor.

Optical transmitter and optical transmission method


This disclosure provides a method for inhibiting, delaying, or reducing malignant cell growth in a subject with cancer, comprising administering to the subject a combination therapy comprising an effective amount of an isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to semaphorin-4D (SEMA4D) and an effective amount of an epigenetic modulating agent, e.g., a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (HDACi) a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor (DNMTi), or any combination thereof. The disclosure further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the combination therapy.

Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D), also known as CD100, is a transmembrane protein that belongs to the semaphorin gene family. SEMA4D is expressed on the cell surface as a homodimer, but upon cell activation SEMA4D can be released from the cell surface via proteolytic cleavage to generate sSEMA4D, a soluble form of the protein, which is also biologically active. See Suzuki et al., Nature Rev. Immunol. 3:159-167 (2003); Kikutani et al., Nature Immunol. 9:17-23 (2008).
SEMA4D is expressed at high levels in lymphoid organs, including the spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes, and in non-lymphoid organs, such as the brain and kidney. In lymphoid organs, SEMA4D is abundantly expressed on resting T cells but only weakly expressed on resting B cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells (DCs). Its expression, however, is upregulated in these cells following activation by various immunological stimuli. The release of soluble SEMA4D from immune cells is also increased by cell activation. SEMA4D has been implicated in the development of certain cancers (Ch'ng et al., Cancer 110:164-72 (2007); Campos et al., Oncology Letters 5:1527-35 (2013); Kato et al., Cancer Sci. 102:2029-37 (2011)) and several reports suggest that one mechanism of this influence is the role of SEMA4D in promoting tumor angiogenesis (Conrotto et al., Blood 105:4321-4329 (2005). Basile et al., J Biol. Chem. 282: 34888-34895 (2007); Sierra et. al. J. Exp. Med. 205:1673 (2008); Zhou et al., Angiogenesis 15:391-407 (2012)). Tumor growth and metastasis involve a complex process of cross talk amongst the tumor cells, stroma and immune infiltrate, as well as the endothelial cells and vasculature. SEMA4D is over-expressed in a wide array of tumor types and is also produced by inflammatory cells recruited to the tumor microenvironment. Recent work suggests that SEMA4D plays a role in migration, survival, differentiation and organization of the different cell types that constitute the tumor stroma (Evans et al., Cancer Immunol. Res. 3:689-701 (2015)).
Cancer cells can adapt to avoid host immune recognition through modification of gene expression via epigenetic mechanisms, without altering the sequence of the genomic DNA. Epigenetic mechanisms largely center on alterations of genomic DNA methylation and posttranslational modifications of histones, resulting in, e.g., alterations in chromatin structure and availability of DNA for transcription. Through these epigenetic mechanisms cancer cells can establish altered, heritable gene-expression profiles that promote proliferation and immune evasion. See, e.g., Maio, et al., Clin. Cancer Res. 21:4040-4047 (2015).
Cells can control the coiling and uncoiling of DNA around histones via histone acetyl transferases (HAT), which acetylate the lysine residues in core histones leading to a less compact and more transcriptionally active chromatin and histone deacetylases (HDAC), which remove the acetyl groups from the lysine residues leading to the formation of a condensed and transcriptionally silenced chromatin. Modulation of HAT/HDAC activity by tumor cells can results in extensive epigenetic modulation of gene expression in tumor cells, allowing the cells to evade surveillance by the patient's immune system. See, e.g., Maio, et al., Clin. Cancer Res. 21:4040-4047 (2015).
Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi (used herein both as the singular and the plural)) have emerged as cancer therapeutic agents. HDACi can inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells by inducing extensive transcriptional changes, activating and/or repressing various genes through modulating the acetylation/deacetylation of histones and/or non-histone proteins such as transcription factors. Chueh, A. C., et al, Antioxidants & Redox Signaling 23:66-84 (2015). HDACi can interfere with cell proliferation and survival, e.g., with cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis of cancer cells. HDACi can also enhance immunogenicity and antigen presentation by tumor cells and provides rationale for combining HDACi with immunotherapy (Gameiro S R et al., Oncotarget 7:7390-7402 (2016)). Several compounds are currently in early phase clinical development as potential treatments for solid and hematological cancers both as monotherapy and in combination with cytotoxics and differentiation agents. See, e.g., Mottamal, M., et al., Molecules 20:3898-3941 (2015).
Methylation of genomic DNA is an extensively characterized epigenetic modification. Methylation of DNA leads to transcriptional quiescence, resulting in gene silencing. Gravina G. L., et al., Mol. Cancer 9:305-320 (2010). Methylation is facilitated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which catalyze the addition of a methyl group to the 5′ carbon of cytosine residues. Id. Hypermethylated DNA is common in tumor and other cancer cells. A variety of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi (used herein both as the singular and the plural)) are currently in use or are being tested for treatment of various cancers. These include deoxyribonucleoside analogs such as azacytidine, and non-nucleoside analogs such as antisense oligonucleotides and small molecule enzyme inhibitors. Id.

Treatment of cancer with a semaphorin-4D antibody in combination with an epigenetic modulating agent


A polishing apparatus polishes a surface of a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a polishing liquid onto the polishing pad, a polishing liquid storage mechanism disposed on the polishing pad for storing the polishing liquid on the polishing pad by damming the polishing liquid, and a polishing liquid sensor for measuring a physical quantity representing the freshness of the polishing liquid stored by the polishing liquid storage mechanism. The polishing apparatus further includes a freshness measuring instrument for calculating the freshness of the stored polishing liquid from the physical quantity measured by the polishing liquid sensor, and a freshness controller for controlling supply conditions of the polishing liquid or storage state of the polishing liquid, based on the freshness of the polishing liquid that is determined by the freshness measuring instrument.

In recent years, high integration and high density in semiconductor device demands smaller and smaller wiring patterns or interconnections and also more and more interconnection layers. Multilayer interconnections in smaller circuits result in greater steps which reflect surface irregularities on lower interconnection layers. An increase in the number of interconnection layers makes film coating performance (step coverage) poor over stepped configurations of thin films. Therefore, better multilayer interconnections need to have the improved step coverage and proper surface planarization. Further, since the depth of focus of a photolithographic optical system is smaller with miniaturization of a photolithographic process, a surface of the semiconductor device needs to be glamorized such that irregular steps on the surface of the semiconductor device will fall within the depth of focus.
Thus, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, it increasingly becomes important to planarize a surface of the semiconductor device. One of the most important planarizing technologies is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In the chemical mechanical polishing, while a polishing liquid containing abrasive particles such as silica (SiO2) or cerin (CeO2) therein is supplied onto a polishing pad, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is brought into sliding contact with the polishing surface and polished using the polishing apparatus.
A polishing apparatus for performing the above CMP process includes a polishing table having a polishing pad, and a polishing head for holding a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. When the substrate is polished by using such a polishing apparatus, the substrate is held and pressed against the polishing pad under a predetermined pressure by the polishing head. At this time, while a polishing liquid (slurry) is supplied onto the polishing pad, the polishing table and the polishing head are moved relative to each other to bring the substrate into sliding contact with the polishing pad, so that the surface of the substrate is polished to a flat mirror finish.
In the polishing process, the component concentration or the like of the polishing liquid affects the polishing performance. Japanese Laid-open Patent publication No. 2011-167769 discloses a polishing method in which a polishing liquid discharged from a polishing apparatus is recovered in a recovery container, and the zeta potential of the recovered polishing liquid is measured, and if the measured zeta potential is lower than a predetermined value, a zeta potential adjuster is added to the recovered polishing liquid to disperse agglomerated polishing abrasive particles, and then the polishing liquid whose zeta potential is not less than a predetermined value is circulated back into the polishing apparatus.
Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent publication No. 2007-520083 discloses a CMP apparatus in which a waste liquid (containing debris, polishing slurry, and chemical by-products or other by-products) discharged from a polishing pad in an adjustment process for controlling various steps of a planarizing process is recovered in an analyzing unit, and a factor such as a predetermined element concentration in the recovered waste liquid is analyzed to evaluate the property of the waste liquid, and then the planarizing process is controlled based on the evaluated property of the waste liquid.
In a polishing apparatus for performing the CMP process, during the CMP process, a polishing liquid is supplied onto a polishing pad at all times, and is then discharged as a waste liquid from the polishing pad at all times. The polishing liquid that has been supplied onto the polishing pad includes a large quantity of polishing liquid that has hardly contributed to the polishing process and has discharged from the polishing pad while leaving its polishing capability. Therefore, the polishing capability of the polishing liquid supplied onto the polishing pad is not utilized to the maximum, and the polishing liquid which retains a sufficient level of polishing capability is discharged.
Heretofore, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent publication Nos. 2011-167769 and 2007-520083, it has been the customary practice to recover the polishing liquid (or waste liquid) discharged from the polishing apparatus, and to measure and analyze the component concentration or the like of the recovered polishing liquid (or waste liquid). In this case, the recovered polishing liquid (or waste liquid) contains debris (polishing debris), polishing slurry, and chemical by-products or other by-products. Therefore, even if the polishing liquid discharged from the polishing apparatus is recovered and the recovered polishing liquid (or waste liquid) is measured and analyzed, this does not mean that the polishing capability that has been held by the polishing liquid at the time of actual polishing or immediately after actual polishing is measured.

Polishing apparatus and polishing method


An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier on which a toner image forming device forms a toner image; a second image carrier provided opposite to the first image carrier, onto which the toner image on the first image carrier is transferred; first and second transfer devices for transferring the toner image on the first and second image carriers onto one side and the other side of a transfer material, respectively; and a fixing device for fixing the toner images on both sides of the transfer material transferred respectively by the first and second transfer devices. The fixing device includes first and second fixing members provided opposite to one side and the other side of the transfer material, respectively, wherein the transfer material passes between the first and second fixing members, and first and second sensors are provided for detecting temperature of the first and second fixing members respectively. The apparatus further includes a control device for controlling the toner image forming device, the first and second transfer devices, and the fixing device. The control device enables image formation on both sides of the transfer material or on one side of the transfer material, and prohibits image formation on at least both sides of the transfer material when the temperature detected by the first sensor is appropriate for the first fixing member, and the temperature detected by the second sensor is not appropriate for the second fixing member.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus capable of performing one-sided copying or two-sided copying on a transfer sheet.
There has so far been available an image forming apparatus wherein a toner image formed on an image forming object is transferred onto the obverse side of a transfer sheet, and an image formed on the image forming object is temporarily transferred onto a toner image receptor and then is transferred onto the reverse side of the transfer sheet, and the toner images thus transferred onto the transfer sheet are collectively fixed by a first fixing means and a second fixing means, so as to perform two-sided copying. There has been disclosed a technology to heat by independently setting temperatures respectively for the first fixing means and the second fixing means, for example, in the above-mentioned apparatus (Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 171390/1991 (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication)).
The invention further relates, in particular, to an image forming apparatus wherein toner images are formed on both sides of a transfer material, and these images are collectively heated and fixed for two-sided image formation.
In two-sided copying, the conventional technique has been a method wherein an image on one side of an original formed on an image forming object is transferred and fixed on a transfer material which is then stored temporarily in an intermediate tray, and the transfer material is fed out of the intermediate tray in synchronization with an image on the other side of the original formed subsequently on the image forming object, so that the image on the other side of the original may be transferred and fixed on the other side of the transfer material.
In the two-sided copying apparatus mentioned above, a transfer material is fed to the intermediate tray and is caused to pass through a fixing unit twice, as stated above. Therefore, a conveyance distance for a transfer material is long, which causes a long processing time for copying, and reliability for conveyance of a transfer material is low because a transfer material which has passed through the fixing unit once to be ready for curling is conveyed again to pass through the fixing unit, which has been a cause for jamming. To overcome the problems mentioned above, there have been proposed technologies to form toner images on both sides of a transfer material and to fix them at the same time in Japanese Patent Examined Publication Nos. 37538/1974 and 28740/1979, and Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication Nos. 44457/1989 and 214576/1992.
In ordinary image formation, however, frequency of image forming on one side of a transfer material (one-sided copy mode) is high, and when copies are made continuously, a temperature of a fixing roller is gradually lowered. In this case, a temperature of a fixing roller facing the opposite side (rear side) of the surface on which toner images are formed is also lowered because a transfer material passing through the fixing unit takes heat away. Therefore, when image formation on both sides of a transfer material (two-sided copy mode) is designated, and two-sided copying is executed without taking any action, insufficient fixing for images on the reverse side is unavoidable. Due to that, toner images fixed imperfectly are ejected out, soiling the hands of a user and soiling other copies with toner images moved to other transfer materials, which is a problem.
A first object of the invention is to solve the problem mentioned above.
Since the fixing roller of the first fixing means and that of the second fixing means in the prior art are independently subjected to temperature setting and are independently heated, when both fixing rollers are used in two-sided copying, after heating the fixing roller on the side facing visible images on a one-sided copy in one-sided copying, for example, heating efficiency is poor and heating time is long because the fixing roller is heated independently.
The invention has been achieved in view of the aforesaid problem, and its second object is to provide an image forming apparatus wherein the heating time for a fixing roller is short, heating efficiency is excellent, and idling time for fixing is made to be shortest in each of one-sided copy mode and two-sided copy mode, or idling time for fixing in two-sided copy mode and that in one-sided copy mode are standardized.
However, it is not easy to collectively fix a transfer material having toner images on its both sides. For the purpose of fixing collectively the transfer material having toner images on its both sides, it is necessary to arrange heating means over both sides of the transfer material, and power consumption at the fixing means is inevitably high because power needs to be supplied to both heating means. However, a reduction of power consumption has not heretobefore been proposed. Further, an increase in power consumption causes a rise in temperature of an apparatus, resulting in occurrence of a change in characteristics of a photoreceptor and other troubles, thus, excellent images can not be formed and an operation expense for the apparatus is increased, which has been a problem.
A third object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus wherein the problem mentioned above has been solved, and both a transfer material having toner images on its both sides and a transfer material having a toner image on its one side can be fixed excellently with less power consumption.


A head restraint assembly includes a locking mechanism that is electromagnetically actuated and is selectively moveable between a locked and an unlocked position, thereby allowing the head restraint to move between an upright and a folded position. The locked position comprises engagement of a first lock member with a second lock member to prevent rotation of the head restraint relative to a base portion of the head restraint and the unlocked position comprises disengagement of the first lock member from the second lock member to allow rotation of the head restraint relative to the base portion. An electromagnet is operatively connected to the head restraint and positioned to exert a magnetic force on the second lock member that urges the second lock member toward the unlocked position when the electromagnet is in an energized condition.

Many vehicles, such as automobiles, include a headrest or head restraint atop an occupant's seatback and in a position adjacent the occupant's head. Head restraints are typically cushioned for comfort, are height adjustable, and most are commonly finished in the same material as the rest of the seat. Although head restraints provide desirable functionalities related to comfort and safety, the upward protrusion of the head restraints may partially obstruct sightlines for occupants of the vehicle. For example, head restraints associated with rear seats may reduce visibility for a driver during rearward movement of the vehicle. Such a situation is undesirable for a driver. As noted above, some head restraints are adjustable (e.g., rotatable, translatable) and/or removable, but the adjustments typically require a manual interaction with the head restraint. The adjustments may be cumbersome or impossible for a seated driver to perform. These are just a few drawbacks associated with current head restraints.

Vehicle head restraint with electromagnetic latch release


A system and method for securely distributing quantum keys in a network are disclosed. The method includes receiving request for generating pair of quantum keys between source quantum node and target quantum node. Further, the method includes generating first pair of quantum keys based on the request. The method includes transmitting the first pair of quantum keys to the intermediate quantum node using a first quantum link. The method further includes generating intermediate pair of quantum key based on events detected at the intermediate quantum node. The method further includes interleaving the intermediate pair of quantum key with the first pair of quantum keys. Also, the method includes generating a second pair of quantum keys comprising interleaved intermediate pair of quantum key and first pair of quantum keys. Further, the method includes encoding and transmitting the second pair of quantum keys to target quantum node using second quantum link.

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a well-known technique which offers the possibility of secure key distribution. QKD relies on fundamental quantum properties and allows two parties, commonly referred to as Alice and Bob, to exchange a value and know that an eavesdropper, usually referred to as Eve, has not learnt much about the value. QKD allows key material to be securely derived by Alice and Bob as needed, which offers significant advantages over other methods of key distribution. QKD as described however requires an uninterrupted optical path from Alice to Bob to act as a quantum channel. This may be in free space or through an optical waveguide such as a fibre optic cable. In either case distances are limited, not least due to the use of single photons. Further in a network having a large number of connected users, it will be impractical for each user to have a direct optical link with each other user.
One way of overcoming this limitation would be to have a network of nodes. In this way, a message passing along the chain is encrypted between the nodes, though a different key is used on each link. These nodes, commonly referred as "trusted nodes", perform key hopping, whereby keys are generated at a starting node and transferred securely from node to node until the end node. The end-result is that QKD can utilize an authenticated communication channel and transform it into a secure communication channel. In theory, QKD should be combined with One-Time Pad (OTP) encryption to achieve provable security. However, an OTP requires keys, which are as long as the data to be encrypted and can be used only once.
Hence, there is a need for an improved quantum key distribution system and method for distributing quantum keys in order to address the aforementioned issues.

Quantum key distribution system and method for securely distributing quantum keys in a network


A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an upper capture structure, a head, a retaining ring and a nut. The external capture structure surface includes a threaded portion and a smooth portion; the smooth portion for slidably mating with the retaining ring and the threaded portion for rotatable attachment to the nut within a cavity of the head. The nut fixes the retaining ring to the shank and also provides a tool engagement formation for driving the shank body into bone.

The present invention is directed to polyaxial bone screws for use in bone surgery, particularly spinal surgery. Such screws have a head that can swivel about a shank of the bone screw, allowing the head to be positioned in any of a number of angular configurations relative to the shank.
Many spinal surgery procedures require securing various implants to bone and especially to vertebrae along the spine. For example, elongate rods are often required that extend along the spine to provide support to vertebrae that have been damaged or weakened due to injury, disease or the like. Such rods are often supported by certain vertebrae and support other vertebrae. The most common mechanism for joining the rod to the spine is to implant bone screws into certain vertebrae which then in turn support the rod or are supported by the rod. Bone screws of this type may have a fixed head relative to a shank thereof. In the fixed bone screws, the head cannot be moved relative to the shank and the rod must be favorably positioned in order for it to be placed within the head. This is sometimes very difficult or impossible to do.
Polyaxial bone screws allow swivelling of the head relative to the shank to accommodate placement of the rod and are most commonly used. In particular, a polyaxial bone screw allows rotation of the head about the shank until a desired rotational position is achieved for the head relative to the shank, after which the rod can be laid or urged into a channel in the head. The position of the head is eventually locked with respect to movement relative to the shank by friction produced by combination of parts or other means before or after the rod is inserted in the head. Often, the rod is retained in the head and/or pressure is exerted against the rod by a closure top, plug or the like to capture the rod in the head of the screw.
Because such implants are for placement within the human body, it is desirable for the implant to have as little effect on the body as possible. Consequently, it is quite desirable for the implants to have a relatively small profile both in height and width. It is also desirable that the implants be lightweight.
One undesirable attribute of some of the swivel-head implants is the need for a multitude of components that may loosen or even disassemble within the body. It is most undesirable for components to be free to move around in the body after the completion of surgery. Loosening of components relative to each other may result in related undesirable movement of the bone or vertebra that the implant was intended to stabilize. Consequently, it is desirable for there to be a lightweight, low profile polyaxial bone screw which assembles in such a manner that subsequent pieces lock preceding pieces within the overall structure, so that there is less likelihood that the various pieces of the structure will undesirably disassemble.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present disclosure generally relates to collagen, and more particularly compositions and methods related to collagen-mimetic peptides. More specifically, the present disclosure provides a collagen-mimetic peptide and peptide systems comprising the amino acid sequence (Pro-Lys-Gly)4(Pro-Hyp-Gly)4(Asp-Hyp-Gly)4.

Collagen, the most abundant fibrous protein in the body, plays a major role in the structural stability of many tissues within the body (skin, tendons, cardiovascular system, cartilage, basement membranes, etc.), which make it a primary target for use in restorative medicine and other tissue-engineering applications for many different tissue types. Currently, harvested collagen that is primarily taken from bovine, porcine and human sources is used in many different clinical applications including cosmetic surgery, joint repair, artificial skin grafts, vascular tissue regeneration and even as a drug-delivery carrier. These methods follow multiple avenues for sample preparation ranging from the insertion of reconstituted collagen without the addition of any cells or growth factors into the body to the mixing of collagen with other polypeptides or polymers to form a scaffold upon which cells, growth factors and other biocompatible molecules are loaded before the complex system is implanted into the human body. And commercially available products, such as, Chondro-Gide, TransCyte, Apligraf, Integra and Matrigel demonstrate the current clinical and commercial interest in collagen-based systems.
Collagen exemplifies multi-hierarchical self-assembly. In the case of type I collagen, self-assembly begins with three 1,000 amino acid peptide strands which adopt a poly-proline type II helical structure and wind around one another forming a superhelical trimer. This structure defines the well-known collagen triple helix. These triple helices then pack against one another in quasi-hexagonal and staggered fashion, forming a nanofibrous structure known as collagen fibrils.1,2 Collagen fibrils continue to self-assemble both linearly and laterally forming collagen fibers and a hydrogel network (FIG. 1a). Together, the multiple levels of collagen's structural hierarchy play a major role in the structural integrity of the extracellular matrix and provide binding sites for other proteins and cells.
Collagen has been the target of biomimetic design for decades due to the fact that there are many difficulties associated with the use and characterization of collagen from natural sources and by expression. The use of recombinant systems requires either genetic modifications or the use of a novel biosynthetic pathway in E. coli in order to express hydroxyproline-containing collagens.3-8 Many successes have been demonstrated in the recapitulation of the collagen triple helix in short peptides, both as a homotrimer9-17 and, more recently, as a heterotrimer.18-24 However, examples that take these collagen-like peptides and use them to mimic the higher order assembly of collagen have faced a great deal of difficulty: in all previously reported systems, none has discretely demonstrated each level of collagen self-assembly (triple helix, nanofiber and hydrogel) within the same system. There are many examples of peptides that form organized nanostructures without gelation,10,12,25-29 and a few have achieved gelation without proving the presence of triple helices or nanofibers,30,31 however no system has described triple helix formation, nanofiber formation and gelation.
One example of a fiber forming collagen-like peptide was demonstrated by Chaikof and Conticello who prepared a 36 amino acid peptide with the sequence (Pro-Arg-Gly)4(Pro-Hyp-Gly)4(Glu-Hyp-Gly)4.32 This zwitterionic peptide was found to assemble into large organized fibers. However, even these collagen mimetic fibers have some drawbacks which include 1) a mixed composition of fibers associated with a significant quantity of other amorphous material, 2) the requirement for specific concentration and buffer composition outside of which the quality of assembly degrades or fails all together and 3) phase separation and precipitation of the formed fibers as opposed to the formation of a hydrogel.32
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific example embodiments have been shown in the figures and are herein described in more detail. It should be understood, however, that the description of specific example embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, this disclosure is to cover all modifications and equivalents as illustrated, in part, by the appended claims.

Multi-hierarchical self-assembly of a collagen mimetic peptide


A mobile terminal comprising a frame, a flexible circuit wrapped around a portion of an edge of the frame, and a bracket located at an appropriate location between the frame and the flexible circuit along the edge of the frame. The bracket protects certain components of the flexible circuit during assembly of the mobile terminal and supports the frame during use of the mobile terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display module and a portable terminal having the same, and more particularly, to a display module having a thin thickness and a reinforcing member to minimize damage thereto, and a portable terminal having the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front surface of a display module in accordance with the related art, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rear surface of the display module in accordance with the related art.
The related art display module 102 comprises a supporting frame 110 mounted at a case of a portable terminal; a first display 112 to display information and being mounted at one surface of the supporting frame 110 and installed at an inner surface of a folder thus to be exposed when the portable terminal is opened; and a second display 114 to display information and being mounted at another surface of the supporting frame 110 and installed at an outer surface of the folder thus to be exposed outwardly when the portable terminal is closed.
A flexible printed circuit board 116 electrically connected to the first display 112 and the second display 114 is mounted at one side of the supporting frame 110.
The flexible printed circuit board 116 is centered along an edge of the supporting frame 110. One side of the flexible printed circuit board 116 is positioned at one side of the supporting frame 110 thus to be electrically connected to the first display 112, and another side of the flexible printed circuit board 116 is positioned at another side of the supporting frame 110 thus to be electrically connected to the second display 114.
A display driving device 120 for driving the first display 112 and the second display 114 is installed at one side of the flexible printed circuit board 116, and a connector 122 connected to a main printed circuit board mounted at a terminal body is mounted at another side of the flexible printed circuit board 116. To improve portability and user convenience, the overall thickness of the portable terminal should be as thin or slim as possible. One way to achieve this is to reduce the size or thickness of the entire display module or portions thereof.
During a manufacturing process of the related art, some physical pressure needs to be applied on the connector when connecting the main printed circuit board thereto. But, if the related art display module is made thinner, such assembly procedure increases the chance that various components may be damaged during assembly.
Also, if the related art display module is made thinner, the display screen or at least some portion of the display module itself may be more prone to damage after prolonged use, if the terminal is dropped or if other physical force or impacts are applied thereto.

Display module and portable terminal having the same


Disclosed is a method of fabricating a multiple degree of freedom actuator with inter-digitated electrodes including molding an electroactive polymer membrane so that a plurality of projections are formed around a cross section of an outer surface of the polymer membrane; depositing a metal electrode layer onto the outer surface of the molded membrane; and removing the plurality of projections on the outer surface on the molded membrane, thereby forming a multiple degree of freedom actuator with a plurality of inter-digitated electrodes. Also provided are actuators as well as devices (such as catheters) including such actuators formed by the disclosed methods of fabricating an actuator with multiple DOF.

IPMC (ionic polymer-metal composite) is a subset of electroactive polymer (EAP) and is, in general, composed of an ionic polymer membrane and conductive electrode layers on the surfaces of the membrane. Typically, IPMCs are made to have thin beam shapes and exhibit a simple bending actuation. To achieve the multi-degrees of freedom (DOF) actuation, the surface electrode layer of the rod-shaped IPMC should be inter-digitated to have multiple electrically insulated sections. Then, it can bend to multiple directions by applying selective electrical signals on the electrode sections. Existing techniques for electrode inter-digitation are mechanical or laser machining which require complicated and expensive equipment. For convenient and inexpensive inter-digitation of the electrode, the ionic polymer membrane needs to be molded to have multiple (the number of inter-digitation) small bumps around the cross-section. After depositing the electrode layer on the surface of the molded membrane or rod, the electrode layer can be easily inter-digitated by eliminating the bumps with a simple cutting tool.

Methods of fabricating multi-degree of freedom shaped electroactive polymer actuators/sensors for catheters

Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education on behalf of the University of Nevado, Reno


A stored-value card machine includes a card output device including a body unit and a read/write device. The body unit includes a body and a transmission device mounted in the body. The body includes a card outlet in a front end thereof and a card inlet in a rear end thereof. The body further includes a card passageway having two ends intercommunicating with the card outlet and the card inlet, respectively. The transmission device includes two front transmission wheels and two rear transmission wheels located at the two ends of the passageway, respectively. The read/write device is mounted above an intermediate portion of the card passageway. The read/write device includes a read/write seat, a reader/writer mounted in the read/write seat, and a driver mounted in the read/write seat. The driver is configured to move the reader/writer downwards into the card passageway or upwards out of the card passageway.

The present invention relates to a stored-value card machine and, more particularly, to a stored-value card machine capable of adding value through precise reading/writing by a reader/writer while vending cards.
With the progress of technology, conventional cash transaction has been gradually replaced by a consumption mode using stored-value cards. In vending of an ordinary stored-value card, a card is manually inserted into a card reader that writes information into the card, which is relatively inconvenient. In an approach, card vending machines have been developed to vend stored-value cards with a fixed value, which is a fixed-amount transaction. The consumers cannot purchase stored-value cards with the desired stored values. Thus, it is an important issue to permit a stored-value card machine to add an unfixed value into a card and to vend the card and to permit a consumer to add value to the card.

Top Vending Machine Electronics Co., Ltd.


This invention is directed to a method for allocating a call in a CDMA base station. Whenever the base station receives a report of the change in the transmission power from channel processors, the level of interference affecting neighboring cells by a cell of its own is measured. In addition, when a new call is attempted, upon comparing the measured level of interference with a predetermined reference level (a threshold value) of interference, it is determined whether a call is allowed (i.e, allocated) or not dependent on a distance between the mobile station and the base station.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for allocating a call in a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) base station, and more particularly to a method for allocating a call to lower a level of interference affecting adversely neighboring cells in a CDMA base station.
2. Description of a Prior Art
In a conventional CDMA mobile communication system, an amount (level) of interference affecting adversely neighboring cell was increased by power transmitted from a mobile station at a boundary between cells.
For the purpose of illustrating this, FIG. 1 shows a level of interference in a neighboring cell dependent on a distance between a mobile station and a base station.
As shown in FIG. 1, the farther a mobile station communicating with a service base station 21 of a current servicing cell 20 gets away from the base station 21, for example like case of a mobile station m1 31, the nearer the mobile station comes to a neighboring base station 11 of a neighboring cell 10. Therefore, transmission power required for the communication between the base station and the mobile station is more consumed.
To the contrary, as the service base station 21 and the mobile station grows close one another, for example like case of a mobile station m2 32, the mobile station grows far away to the neighboring cell 10, which results in the consumption of less transmission power.
A strength of such a transmission power required for the communication between the base station and the mobile station is attenuated with inverse proportion to the fourth power of the distance. Therefore, as the mobile station grows closer to the neighboring cell 10 and thereby the transmission power of the mobile station grew stronger, a level of interference affecting adversely the neighboring cell grows high. More specifically, there was the problem that the higher level of interference is, the less the maximum capacity of call in the neighboring cell.

Method for allocating a call in a CDMA base station

Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute


The mentioned parking barrier doesn't need a prior electric infrastructure since it creates it for its own use and for the units which are connected to it. When a vehicle comes into contact with the parking barrier unit, the part bearing the weight of the vehicle, the mechanical parts of the parking barrier unit will be set in motion. The motion of the mechanical parts in the parking barrier unit will activate a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The electrical energy that is created by the device is stored in a storage device. The stored electrical energy will serve to activate the various parts of the parking barrier unit and its parts.

The present invention relates to a parking barrier unit that prevents unauthorized vehicles to park in the parking space in which the parking unit barrier is installed and in addition, prevents the theft of the vehicle found in the parking space.
There are currently a large number of mechanical and/or electrical parking barrier units for whom a patent has been filed as described in the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,150,958 5,167,093 5,711,110 5,165,200 4,941,284 4,822,206 D279,460.
One of the limitations of mechanical barriers is the difficulty in operating said barriers. Parking barriers units that are electrically operated require preparation of infrastructure for supply of electricity to the parking barrier. Additional uses, such as solar operated barrier units exist, but are limited in the areas of installation only to places where solar energy is present.

Parking barrier activated by its own electric energy creation


A bus system for an information processing system in which data transfer among plurality of modules is controlled on a common bus. In response to a bus use request from a module, a command is issued for aborting data transfer being performed by another module having a lower priority. The module which is transferring the data responds to the abort command by issuing a signal indicating that a word being transferred is the final word. The data is transferred between a master and a slave through an address bus having a same width as the data in synchronism with a clock supplied from a bus controller.

The present invention relates to a bus system for information processing systems such as personal computers, work stations, word processors, process controllers and the like. The invention is further concerned with a method of controlling the bus system.
There is described a variety of data transactions carried out by resorting to a combination of a single address mode, a block transfer mode and a general transfer mode in a publication entitled "IEEE Standard Backplane Bus Specification for Multiprocessor Architectures: Future bus", ANSI/IEEE Std 896.1-1987, pp. 73-119.
In conjunction with known bus systems for information processing systems as well as bus control systems such as a bus arbitration control system for deciding which of bus-connected modules should become a next bus master, i.e. should gain the control of a system bus, there are adopted a mode referred to as a single address mode in which only the data that corresponds to a single address is transferred with a single beat (i.e. per tenure), and a mode referred to as a burst transfer mode or a block transfer mode in which data is transferred consecutively to one or a plurality of addresses during a single transaction tenure, wherein the species of the modes which are to be made use of in the bus for the data transfer can be discriminatively identified with the aid of a mode line. In this connection, reference may be made to "IEEE Standard for a simple 32-Bit Backplane BUS: NuBus", ANSI/IEEE Std 1196-1987 (1988), pp. 21-62. According to the prior art technique, the right of using the bus (referred to as the bus mastership or bus ownership) once acquired through arbitration allows only one block transfer, word transfer, broadcast transfer or the like per transaction. Accordingly, when the data transfer is to be performed a number of times by changing or modifying the address arbitrarily, the bus mastership acquisition process (i.e. the process for acquiring the right of using the bus) through arbitration control must be performed a corresponding number of times.
According to the standards specified in the second mentioned publication, it is noted that the data width or length corresponding to a unit address is set to be smaller than that of the data bus. More specifically, while the data bus width is 32 bits, the unit address given by the least significant bits thereof corresponds to a data width of 8 bits, i.e. 1 byte, wherein the address space is 2.sup.32 bytes and hence 2.sup.30 words, assuming that one word is 32 bits (because 2.sup.32 /(32/8)=2.sup.30). Further, when data of a width smaller than that of the data bus is to be transferred, it is required to control the data transfer by making use of the least significant bits of the address and a bus control line in addition to an address data line. In other words, in order to carry out the data transfer on an 8-bit basis or on a 16-bit basis, the control therefor requires the two least significant bits and two bus control lines.
Devices connected to the bus system having the two modes such as mentioned above must naturally be compatible with both modes, which however gives rise to problems that the control procedure as involved becomes complicated and the amount of hardware for the control circuit is correspondingly increased.
Besides, in the prior art techniques mentioned above, no consideration is paid to applications such as distribution of a large amount of data to a plurality of addresses, and there arises a problem that the bus mastership (i.e. the right of using the bus) has to be newly acquired through arbitration control every time the address is modified or changed.
Additionally, in the case of the prior art bus systems, the size of the memory space capable of being addressed is limited to 2.sup.32 bytes by the bit width of the unit data to be transferred. On the other hand, when the data of a width smaller than that of the data bus is to be transferred, both the address line multiplexed with the data line and the bus control line have to be controlled. As a consequence, for a bus-connected device capable of transferring the data having the same width as that of the data bus, the least significant bits of the address become redundant, with the result that the memory space capable or being addressed is limited to an unnecessarily reduced size, while for a bus-connected device destined for handling data of a smaller width than the data bus, control must be performed for both the address/data multiplex line and the bus control lines, presenting a problem that the control circuit configuration is inevitably very complicated.

Bus system for information processing system and method of controlling the same


A fuse formed as part of an integrated circuit has cavities disposed to the sides of the fuse to provide more reliable operation with less chance of re-connection. A method of providing the fuse is also described.

Fuses used in integrated circuits are known. Some conventional integrated fuses use a conductor within a metal layer of an integrated circuit.
Conventional integrated circuit fuses are subject to a variety of types of failure. In one type of failure, cracks in and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) structure, for example, the ILD isolation between metal layers in which the integrated circuit fuse is formed, sometimes fractures when the integrated circuit fuse is blown. Fracture/cracking of the ILD is very undesirable and leads to shorts and unwanted leakage in the overall integrated circuit.
In another type of failure, when an integrated circuit fuse is fused, debris from the fusing sometimes remains in electrical contact with the fused portion of the fuse, and the fuse is not fully blown. This type of failure is sometimes referred to as regrowth or reconnection of the fuse.
It would be desirable to provide an integrated circuit fuse that has reduced failure characteristics, for example, a reduced likelihood that fusing of the integrated, circuit fuse causes fracture of an interlayer dielectric (ILD) structure, and a reduced likelihood that fusing of the integrated circuit fuse results in regrowth of the fuse.

Integrated circuit fuse and method of fabricating the integrated circuit fuse


A construction is provided in which a drain hole 4 provided with internal threads 3 in a Mg alloy oil pan 1 is closed with a screw-type plug body 5 constituted by a metal other than Mg and Mg alloy. The plug body 5 has a threaded shank 6 screwed into the drain hole 4 and an enlarged end 7 having a diameter larger than that of the threaded shank 6. A corrosion preventing plate 14 fitted on the threaded shank 6 via a threaded shank passing hole 15 is disposed between a washer 11 of the enlarged end 7 and a peripheral portion 13 of an opening of the drain hole 4 which corresponds to the washer 11 so that there is provided an electrical insulation between the washer 11 and the peripheral portion 13 of the opening. The corrosion preventing plate 14 has a plurality of annular sealing projections on both sides thereof which are arranged in a concentric fashion about the threaded shank passing hole 15 so as to bite into the peripheral portion 13 of the opening and the washer 11.

The present invention relates to a construction for closing a through hole in a Mg alloy case.
Conventionally, an oil pan for an engine as a case is formed of Al alloy or steel, and a drain hole, which is a through hole in the oil pan which is provided with internal threads, is closed with a screw type steel plug.
The idea of constructing oil pans of Mg alloy has resulted from increasing demands for lighter oil pans. However, if the aforesaid closing means is adopted for a Mg oil pan, since the Mg alloy is located on the lowest potential side of a corrosion potential range and rain water tends to easily collect at a peripheral portion of an opening of the drain hole while running, the peripheral portion of the opening becomes anode from a relationship with the material of the plug and gets corroded.
With a view to reducing further the weight of the case, an object of the invention is to construct the case of Mg alloy and to provide a construction for closing a through hole in the Mg alloy case which can securely avoid corrosion at the peripheral portion of the opening of the through hole in the case.
With a view to attaining the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a construction for closing a through hole in a Mg alloy case in which the through hole in the Mg alloy case which is provided with internal threads is closed with a screw type plug body formed of a metal other than Mg and Mg alloy, the construction being characterized in that the plug body has a threaded shank screwed into the through hole and an enlarged end having a diameter greater than that of the threaded shank, and that a corrosion protecting plate fitted on the threaded shank via a threaded shank passing hole is disposed between the enlarged end and a peripheral portion of an opening of the through hole which corresponds to the enlarged end so that the enlarged end and the peripheral portion of the opening are electrically insulated, the corrosion protecting plate having a plurality of annular sealing projections on both sides thereof which are concentrically disposed about the threaded shank passing hole so as to bite into the peripheral portion of the opening and the enlarged end.
As is described above, when the enlarged end of the plug body and the peripheral portion of the opening of the through hole are electrically insulated from each other with the corrosion protecting plate, even if rain water collects around the corrosion protecting plate, since the peripheral portion of the opening is prevented from becoming anode, the peripheral portion of the opening can be prevented from corrosion.
Additionally, since there is provided secure sealing between the peripheral portion of the opening and the corrosion protecting plate, as well as between the enlarged end and the corrosion protecting plate through the biting engagement of the plurality of annular sealing projections, the intrusion of water into the through hole is prevented, whereby the corrosion of the internal threads of the through hole can be avoided. Although it is natural to happen, the sealing construction can securely prevents the leakage of the contents of the case to the outside thereof.

Construction for closing a through hole in a magnesium alloy case


A method for redundantly operating an automation system comprising one or more user computers, at least two gateway computers and a plurality of programmable logic controllers, the user computers and the gateway computers being connected to a first bus system of a first type and the gateway computers and the programmable logic controllers being connected to a second bus system of a second type, as a result of which the programmable logic controllers can be controlled and/or monitored by the user computers via one of the gateway computers, wherein to set up a communication link between one of the user computers and one or more of the programmable logic controllers, the user computer contacts a virtual gateway computer having a virtual identifier for all gateway computers of the automation system, which virtual gateway computer establishes a physical communication link to a selected one of the gateway computers.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to automated systems and, more particularly, to a method for redundantly operating an automation system, a gateway computer of an automation system and the automation system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automation system usually comprises one or more user computers, at least two gateway computers and a plurality of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The user computers and the gateway computers are connected to a first bus system of a first type. In contrast, the gateway computers and the programmable logic controllers are connected to a second bus system of a second type. Here, the first and second types of bus systems usually use different protocols. The programmable logic controllers can be controlled and/or monitored by the user computer(s) via the gateway computer.
Automation systems of the type described above may have a high degree of complexity due to the multiplicity of programmable logic controllers and/or user computers. For example, such an automation system can be used to control an industrial installation. Here, it is decisively important that the control and/or monitoring of the programmable logic controllers is/are ensured even when individual components fail. Automation systems have a redundant design for this reason.
In the event of a gateway computer failing, for example, the control and/or monitoring of the programmable logic controllers by the user computers must continue to be ensured. For this purpose, a redundant gateway computer can be activated in the event of a fault in the original gateway computer. The redundant gateway computer is often activated manually. This results in it not being possible to control and/or monitor the programmable logic controllers in the period of time between the failure of the original gateway computer and the activation of the redundant gateway computer. In addition, the operation of changing over to the redundant gateway computer is generally associated with additional configuration effort.


A plasma applicator including a cylindrically-shaped outer tube; a cylindrically-shaped plasma tube located within and concentric with the outer tube, and having a first end and a second end; a first support located at the first end of the plasma tube; a seal surrounding the plasma tube at its first end, compressed between the plasma tube and the first support, and located at a first distance from the first end of the plasma tube; and a shield extending a second distance into the plasma tube.

The invention relates generally to plasma applicators.
Plasma-based, excitation sources or plasma applicators must often be able to handle high input powers and withstand high temperatures combined with a highly reactive chemical environment. For example, in a common application of a plasma applicator, NF.sub.3 gas flows into the applicator and is broken down by the plasma. The resulting activated species flows out of the applicator and into the semiconductor processing equipment where it is used for in-situ chamber cleaning, etching, photo resist stripping, or any of a number of other tasks. As an example of using the reactive species for in-situ chamber cleaning refer to U.S. Ser. No. 08/278,605, entitled "A Deposition Chamber Cleaning Technique Using a Remote Excitation Source" filed on Jul. 21, 1994, now abandoned and incorporated herein by reference.
The extremely hostile environment to which such equipment is exposed can disable the plasma applicator very quickly. For example, some applicators that are commercially available use quartz tubes to contain the activated species. In those systems, the fluorine that is produced etches the tube quite quickly. Moreover, at high power levels (e.g. above 1 kW) the quartz will tend to break down. Thus, after using the applicator only a few times or for a sustained period of operation, the wall of the tube will become so thin that it will collapse under continued exposure to the high temperatures and the vacuums that are used in such systems. Thus, very early in the life of the tube, it must be discarded and replaced with a new tube. Both the inconvenience and cost of having to repeatedly replace the quartz tube can be quite high.
Some existing plasma applicators use ceramic tubes in place of the quartz tubes. Ceramic tubes are capable of holding up better than the quartz tubes in the chemically corrosive environments often encountered. But ceramic tubes are not a panacea. They typically have a relatively high thermal expansion coefficient as compared to quartz and other materials. Thus, repeated cycling between room temperature and the high processing temperatures that commonly occur in these systems produces large stresses within the ceramic tubes. These stresses eventually result in the tubes cracking and failing.
Some microwave plasma applicators have been developed which use two concentric tubes, namely, an outer tube and an inner tube both of which are made of materials that are transparent to the microwave radiation, e.g. quartz and sapphire. The inner tube contains the plasma and thus is the tube that is exposed to the high temperature and corrosive conditions. To cool the inner tube, water is flowed through the annular region between the two tubes. Such a system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/387,603, filed Feb. 13, 1995, now abandoned, and incorporated herein by reference. Since water absorbs microwaves, there is a severe restriction on how thick the annular region can be made. If it is too thick, the microwaves will be seriously attenuated and it will be difficult or even impossible to initiate and sustain a plasma within the inner tube. On the other hand, if this region is too thin, cooling efficiency will be seriously compromised.
In spite of these advances in plasma applicator design, the high thermal stresses produced by thermal expansion of the plasma tube still results in cracked tubes. In addition, the plasma tubes are not the only components that fail. Seals and O-rings which aid in maintaining a vacuum within the plasma tube and which aid in sealing the coolant system also rapidly deteriorate and eventually fail when exposed to the high temperatures and other hostile conditions produced in such systems. Moreover, as the power levels are increased beyond the 1 kW levels, the failure problems in currently available plasma applicators become even more severe and the frequency of failures rises.


A container having a lid includes a cavity defined by a bottom wall and a first plurality of upstanding sidewalls. A first flange is formed integrally with the first plurality of upstanding sidewalls at their respective uppermost ends and extends outwardly with respect to the cavity. A second plurality of upstanding sidewalls is mounted about the outer periphery of the first flange. A second flange is formed integrally with the second plurality of upstanding sidewalls at their respective uppermost ends and extends outwardly with respect to the cavity. The second flange has a tear tab adapted to be gripped by a user. The tear tab is corner-mounted in a first embodiment and is formed on a leading end of the second flange in a second embodiment. In both embodiments, the tear tab is bordered by perforation lines and clear cut lines and is easily seen if it has been torn.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to containers having lids. More particularly, it relates to containers that provide a visual indication to an ultimate consumer as to whether or not the container has been opened subsequent to its shipment from a packing facility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Strawberries, blueberries, and other such fruits are commonly packed in clear plastic containers having hingedly attached or removable lids. Brussel sprouts, grape or cherry tomatoes and the like may also be sold in such containers. The containers are also suitable for nuts, trail mixes or deli items such as potato salads and the like. The containers are generally of parallelepiped construction and usually have rounded or beveled corners.
As a general rule, the lid is held in a closed position by a press fit within the rim of the container. The resulting friction prevents the lid from easily opening during container handling at the packaging facility, transporting of the filled container to its destination, and container handling at the grocery store. The consumer must intentionally exert a separation force in order to open the container, i.e., it will not open inadvertently.
However, grocery store customers have been observed opening such containers prior to purchase, taking a few (or more) morsels therefrom, and re-closing the lid. Such customers then purchase an unopened container or leave the scene of the pilfering with no purchase made.
Accordingly, the container industry has developed several container structures that indicate whether or not a container has been opened after its initial filling and closing.
One such structure includes a tab having a bottom half secured to the container base and a top half secured to the container lid. The top half is bordered by perforations so that it separates from the lid when the lid is rotated about its hinge to open the container. This creates a tab-shaped recess in the lid and indicates that the lid has been opened.
The problem with this design is that the recess is best seen when the container is open and if the container is open, no recess formed in the lid is needed to indicate that the lid has been opened. The pilferer simply re-closes the lid and the tab re-aligns with the recess. It requires careful inspection to determine whether or not the perforations that border the tab have been ruptured and most consumers do not perform such careful inspections.
Another design includes a tab that interconnects the base and the lid of the container so that a removed tab indicates that the container has been opened. The primary problem with that design is that an experienced pilferer can leave the tab in place and pry the lid open; the tab remains in place when the pilfering is completed and the lid is re-closed.
Thus there is a need for a tamper-indicating structure that is obvious even to a casual purchaser if the container has been opened and which makes it exceedingly difficult to open the container without removing a tab.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how the needed structure could be provided.

Tamper evident container having tear tab and hinged lid