The present disclosure relates generally to medical tubing and methods of manufacturing medical tubing. In particular, the present disclosure relates to medical catheters and methods of manufacturing medical catheters, including rapid exchange catheters. In some embodiments, catheters of the present disclosure have varying stiffness or rigidity along their length. In some embodiments, catheters of the present disclosure have a guiding portion with a different color than a main body portion. In some embodiments, catheters of the present disclosure have wrapped filaments imbedded therein to provide structural integrity and desired handling characteristics for the catheter. Additional aspects of the present disclosure are apparent from the detailed description.

Medical tubing and catheters are widely employed for a variety of treatment and diagnostic procedures involving, for example, the administration of fluid medications and devices into a patient and the removal of fluids from the patient. In the present disclosure, the terms "catheter" and "medical tubing" will be used interchangeably to refer to an elongated structure having a lumen extending therethrough suitable for medical uses.
The particular use for which the medical tubing is designed requires the tubing to have certain physical characteristics that can vary between uses. Further, different portions of a single catheter are often required to have different physical properties to achieve the desired functionality. For example, a catheter must be sufficiently stiff or rigid to enable its insertion and movement through narrow body orifices and channels and, in some applications, must also be able to withstand a high bursting pressure. On the other hand, a catheter must be sufficiently soft and flexible so that it may readily conform to body shapes so as not to cause injury to the interior wall of a patient's vessel as it is advanced. In addition, a catheter must be of sufficient mechanical strength to resist tearing during normal use, such as when the catheter is removed against tissue resistance.
Accordingly, there remains a need for medical tubing and methods of manufacturing medical tubing that address shortcomings of the previous devices and methods.

Medical tubing and associated devices, systems, and methods


A method for preparing an α-Al2O3 nanotemplate of fully crystalline α-Al2O3 directly on the surface of a metal alloy is provided. Also provided is a related apparatus.

Traditional thermal barrier coatings used for rotating airfoils in aircraft engines consist of a strain-tolerant Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) layer prepared by electron physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) and a metallic bond coating which provides high-temperature oxidation protection. The principal failure mode of the EBPVD-Thermal barrier coatings is progressive fracture along the interface region between the metallic bond coating surface and its thermally grown oxide (TGO) upon oxidation and thermal cycling. The TGO, becomes severely strained with thermal cycling and increased scale thickness due to the large difference in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the scale and the metal. The metal-TGO interface debonds when the residual and thermal stresses exceed the strength of the interface, particularly in the presence of crack initiation sites such as voids and geometrical roughness at the interface region. Hence, the overall reliability of the EBPVD-thermal barrier coating system is not only dependent on the strain tolerance of the YSZ layer, but is also strongly dictated by the ability of its metallic bond coating to form and retain an adherent TGO upon oxidation and thermal cycling.
Bond coatings commonly used with the EBPVD-YSZ layer are MCrAlY (where M is Ni, Co, or NiCo) prepared by vacuum plasma spray (VPS); and Pt-aluminide prepared by Pt electroplating followed by aluminizing by pack cementation or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The MCrAlY coating contains small amounts or less than a few percent by weight of what are commonly referred to as reactive elements such as Y, Hf, Zr, etc. which greatly increase TGO adhesion. The presence of Pt in the aluminide coating promotes TGO adhesion. The major role of the reactive elements is to immobilize sulfur impurities and therefore to retard their segregation to the metal-TGO interface. It is believed that the sulfur segregation weakens the degree of chemical bonding (i.e., work of adhesion) at the metal-TGO interface.
In addition, metallic bond coatings contribute significant non-load bearing "dead weight" to thin-walled turbine components. Consideration of a "bond coating-less" approach has become possible because of recent progress in casting of single-crystal Ni-alloys that are doped with a small amount of yttrium or that are desulfurized. These performance characteristics are comparable to and/or superior to those attainable with the best available MCrAlY and Pt-aluminide bond coatings. However, when the yttrium-doped or desulfurized alloys are directly bonded to an EBPVD-YSZ layer without a bond coating, inconsistent performance is generally observed. The inconsistent performance, which contradicts the excellent cyclic oxidation kinetics of these alloys, may be attributed to the inability to control localized surface defects such as Ta-rich areas and impurity contamination at the alloy surface (particularly sulfur) introduced during surface pretreatments prior to the EBPVD deposition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,614 describes the presence of an Al2O3 interlayer (1 μm thick) prepared by CVD on the surface of an MCrAlY bond coating increased the burner-rig life of an EBPVD-TBC by about five-fold. Also, Sun et al. 1993 Oxid. Metals 40:465–481 describe the presence of a CVD Al2O3 layer (4 μm thick) between a plasma sprayed YSZ layer and an NiCoCrAlY bond coating layer which substantially increased the cyclic oxidation life of the YSZ layer. The rate of bond coating oxidation was reduced because of the presence of the artificial Al2O3 layer, and the formation of spinels was not observed at the TGO-YSZ interface.
Both U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,614 and Sun et al. used a CVD process which utilizes AlCl3, CO2, and H2 as precursors at a deposition temperature of about 1000° C. This CVD process was previously developed, and is being widely used for the cutting tool industry. The non-line of sight, atomistic growth technique is attractive for manufacturing, since engineering components with intricate shapes and complex surface features can be readily coated. The CVD process is the only technique currently capable of commercially producing α-Al2O3 in the form of coherent and dense coatings. PVD methods such as sputtering, reactive sputtering, reactive evaporation, ion-assisted deposition, and cathodic arc plasma deposition are generally known to produce metastable or amorphous Al2O3, unless post-deposition annealing above 1000° C. is applied. However, the annealing of metastable and amorphous Al2O3 phases causes extensive microcracking, which is caused by volume reduction during their transformations to the thermodynamically stable α-Al2O3 phase (e.g., about 9% volume reduction for the γ-to-α-Al2O3 transition). Therefore, the annealing approach is undesirable as a method for producing an α-Al2O3 interlayer for oxidation resistance.
The present invention describes a method to increase the oxidation life of thermal barrier coatings while reducing the non-load-bearing weight of turbine components coated with a thermal barrier coating.

Trustees of Stevens Institute of Technology


The invention relates to a process of producing chlorine dioxide by the reduction of chlorate ions with hydrogen peroxide as a reducing agent in a tubular reactor, preferably in the presence of a mineral acid, wherein the preferable degree of chlorate conversion in the reactor is above about 75%, preferably from about 80 to 100%.

Chlorine dioxide is primarily used in pulp bleaching, but there is a growing interest of using it also in other applications such as water purification, fat bleaching or removal of phenol from industrial wastes. Since chlorine dioxide is not storage stable it must be produced on-site.
Production of chlorine dioxide in large scale is usually performed by reacting alkali metal chlorate or chloric acid with a reducing agent such as chloride ions, methanol or hydrogen peroxide at subatmospheric pressure, as described in, for example, EP patent 445493, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,091,166 and 5,091,167. These production methods are highly efficient but are only suitable for production in large scale, for example at pulp mills consuming considerable amounts of chlorine dioxide for bleaching. In small scale applications, for example water purification, the chlorine dioxide is generally produced by reacting sodium chlorite with an acid.
EP patent 612686 disclose production of chlorine dioxide from alkali metal chlorate and hydrogen peroxide at substantially atmospheric pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,350 discloses a method of producing chlorine dioxide from chlorate ions and a reducing agent in a plug flow reactor which is suitable for production in small scale. Although the method works well it is still desirable to further improve the efficiency.


A method may include extracting, from historical clickstream data, historical user events, generating historical user features from the historical user events, generating, using the historical user features, a training data set including feature vectors each labeled with an outcome of a historical requested event, adding, to a decision tree: internal nodes corresponding to the historical user features, branches corresponding to the values of the historical user features, and leaf nodes each corresponding to an outcome of the historical requested event. The method may further include extracting, from new clickstream data, new user events, generating new user features from the new user events, detecting a request to cause a new requested event, and predicting an outcome of the new requested event by traversing a path including: a series of branches each corresponding to a value of one of the new user features, and a leaf node corresponding to the outcome.

It is often desirable to be able to predict the outcomes of events relating to a user's experience. During a session with a software application, users may request that specific events occur. For example, a user may attempt to connect to a target over a network while using a web-based application (e.g., in a financial management application, connecting to a target bank). However, for various reasons (e.g., various error conditions due to user actions, back-end events and/or network events), the specific event may fail to occur, which may degrade the user experience. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a capability for predicting outcomes of a requested event to avoid degrading the user experience.

Predicting event outcomes using clickstream data


A drinking bottle assembly includes a bottle having a cavity for storing a fluid and a neck that forms an opening at a dispensing end of the bottle. A removable collar at least partially covers the bottle neck and provides a generally smooth outer surface for a person's mouth and lips to contact when drinking from the bottle. The collar includes a neck attachment for retaining the collar on the bottle. A removable cap can be selectively attached to the collar for opening and closing the bottle.

The present invention relates to drinking bottles, and more particularly to closures for drinking bottles.
Plastic drinking bottles, such as water and soda bottles, have gained in popularity presumably in part because they provide a convenient way to transport beverages. Drinking bottles are typically reclosable and are formed from a lightweight plastic material. The bottles are therefore extremely portable, reclosable and provide access to beverages where such access may not otherwise be available.
Most drinking bottles have a removable threaded cap, which allows the user to easily twist the cap off of the bottle, take a drink, and twist the cap back on the bottle to close it. In such a configuration, threading is typically included on the inside of the cap and is arranged to correspond to threading on the outside of the neck of the bottle. Although the threaded connection between the cap and the bottle sufficiently seals the bottle to prevent fluid leakage, the neck of the bottle forms a drinking area and the presence of threads on the drinking area can create problems. More specifically, the positioning of the threads on the drinking area of the bottle results in a person's lips contacting the threaded surface when drinking. The threads can be uncomfortable and may create gaps between the lips and the bottle neck that cause the contents of the bottle to dribble when drinking.


Systems and methods for trimming recorded content or segments using a media guidance application are provided. A first program scheduled for recording during one timeslot. A determination is made that the first program will run beyond the scheduled broadcast time. The first program may be rescheduled for recording during a second larger timeslot that overlaps with the scheduled broadcast time of a second program. Content provided by the program source may be recorded during the second timeslot. The recorded content may be trimmed to remove portions of the recorded content that correspond to the second program.

Typically television programs or other media may begin after their corresponding scheduled broadcast times when, for example, a real-time event, such as a sporting event, runs late (i.e., beyond the scheduled broadcast time). Users recording the sporting event, that is running later than the scheduled time (e.g., as a result of overtime in a sporting event), may experience an early cut-off in the recording of that event. Furthermore, the sporting event that is running past its scheduled end time may be negatively impact a scheduled recording of an adjacent program, for example, because the scheduled recording timeslot of the adjacent program may not align with the actual start/end times of the adjacent program.
One approach has been to allow users to specify padding to account for such variation in start times and end times when recording programs. This approach is deficient, however, in that the user is burdened with playing back segments of adjacent programs recorded as a result of the padding when attempting to access the recorded program. In addition, users that fail to provide the right amount of padding may cause either waste recording time (and thereby waste of storage space) due to over-padding or a cut-off in the desired recording due to under-padding.

Systems and methods for trimming recorded content using a media guidance application


An improved OFDM receiver is disclosed that repositions peaks in an OFDM frame to a desired position away from the frame boundary to reduce the probability of timing ambiguity. Each OFDM frame is divided into at least two windows during an acquisition mode to identify the index within each window having the maximum correlation. The improved timing acquisition of the present invention permits the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) operation to operate on the correctly aligned symbol for improved accuracy. In addition, the present invention provides improved mechanisms for declaring when timing is acquired or when timing has been lost. In one implementation, the peaks are shifted from the frame boundary to the center of the OFDM frame, thereby removing the ambiguity of whether a given peak is associated with a previous or subsequent frame. A timing FSM processes a number of timing estimates to determine when the timing information has been acquired and shifts the OFDM signal, as necessary, to maintain the peak in the desired position during a tracking mode. The timing FSM determines that timing acquisition is completed if a timing estimate does not shift by more than a guard interval for a predefined timing acquisition length. After a predefined inter-mode settling period, the timing FSM will transition to a tracking mode. If the differences between the estimated times and the desired position of the OFDM frame are consistently greater than the length of the guard interval, then a loss of tracking is achieved and the timing FSM will return to an acquisition mode.

Satellite broadcasting systems for transmitting programming content have become increasingly popular in many parts of the world. Direct Broadcasting Satellite (DBS) systems transmit television programming content, for example, to a geo-stationary satellite, which broadcasts the content back to the customers. In such a wireless broadcast environment, the transmitted programming can be received by anyone with an appropriate receiver, such as an antenna or a satellite dish.
In addition, a number of satellite broadcasting systems have been proposed or suggested for broadcasting audio programming content from geo-stationary satellites to customers in a large coverage area, such as the continental United States. Proposed systems for providing digital audio broadcasting (DAB), for example, are expected to provide near CD-quality audio, data services and more robust coverage than existing analog FM transmissions. Satellite broadcasting systems for television and radio content provide potentially national coverage areas, and thus improve over conventional terrestrial television stations and AM/FM radio stations that provide only regional coverage.
Satellite broadcasting systems transmit digital music and other information from an uplink station to one or more mobile receivers. Satellite broadcasting systems typically include a plurality of satellites and terrestrial repeaters operating in a broadcast mode. The satellites are typically geo-stationary, and are located over a desired geographical coverage area. The terrestrial repeaters typically operate in dense urban areas, where the direct line of sight (LOS) between the satellites and the mobile receiver can be blocked due to the angle of elevation and shadowing by tall buildings.
Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques have also been proposed for use in such satellite broadcasting systems and other wireless networks. In an OFDM communication system, the digital signal is modulated to a plurality of small sub-carrier frequencies that are then transmitted in parallel. It has been found that OFDM communication systems do not require complex equalizers, even at high data rates and under multipath propagation conditions. Among other benefits, OFDM communication systems provide a guard interval that absorbs the multipath distortion into the guard interval duration. As long as the arrival times of the multipath signals differ from one another by less than the guard interval, an equalizer is not necessary.
An OFDM receiver must perform timing acquisition and tracking to process data properly. FIG. 1 illustrates portions of a conventional OFDM receiver 100 directed to timing recovery. The OFDM receiver 100 implements a known Guard Interval Based (GIB) algorithm 110 that recovers timing information from the received signal. For a more detailed discussion of the GIB timing recovery algorithm 110, see, for example, Jan-Jaap van de Beek et al., ML Estimation of Time and Frequency Offset in OFDM Systems, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Vol. 45, No 7, 1800-05 (July 1997) or Jan-Jaap van de Beek et al., "A Time and Frequency Synchronization Scheme for Multiuser OFDM," IEEE J. on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 17, No. 11, 1900-14, (November 1999), each incorporated by reference herein.
Generally, the GIB timing recovery algorithm 110 employed by the OFDM receiver 100 identifies peaks in the maximum likelihood (ML) metric 200, shown in FIG. 2. Each peak, such as the peaks 210-216, in the ML metric 200 corresponds to the start of each OFDM frame. The peaks are present because the received samples are heavily correlated at a lag corresponding to the useful symbol duration. The timing information is extracted by a maximum index locator 120 that locates the index of the maximum correlation value in a buffer having a size corresponding to the number of samples in the OFDM frame.
While the GIB algorithm performs effectively for many applications, it suffers from a number of limitations, which if overcome, could greatly expand the reliability and accuracy of OFDM receivers. For example, since each peak 210-216 in the ML metric 200 occurs at the frame boundary and, in a dispersive channel, such as under multipath conditions, the peaks will not be ideal impulses, a given peak may start in one frame, extend over the frame boundary and end in the next frame. Thus, a maximum correlation value associated with the peak may be assigned an index at the end of the prior frame or the beginning of the next frame, causing ambiguities in the identification of frame boundaries.
A need therefore exists for improved techniques for performing timing acquisition and tracking in an OFDM receiver. A further need exists for a method and apparatus for performing timing acquisition and tracking in an OFDM receiver that overcomes the problems that are inherent when the symbol time is close to the frame boundary. Yet another need exists for a method and apparatus for performing timing acquisition and tracking in an OFDM receiver that declares when timing has been acquired or when timing has been lost.

Method and apparatus for recovering timing information in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems


A power supply unit of the present invention comprises a group of batteries including plural rows of cells arranged in parallel, each row of cells including plural cylindrical cells connected in series. The power supply unit further comprises refrigerant passages comprising main refrigerant passages exposed to the cells arranged in each row of cells and auxiliary refrigerant passages, the upstream sides of the auxiliary refrigerant passages being isolated from the rows of cells, and the downstream sides thereof being connected to the main refrigerant passages at positions corresponding to the midstream or downstream sides of the rows of cells.

The present invention relates to a power supply unit comprising a plurality of cells connected in series, capable of supplying electric power having relatively high output voltage and large output current, and suited as an uninterruptible power supply unit, a power supply source for electric vehicles and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to heat radiation means and a heat radiation method for the power supply unit.
As a power supply source with high output voltage and large capacity, a power supply unit including several tens to hundreds of connected cells has been proposed. In this kind of power supply unit, plural cells are required to be closely arranged in order to enhance space efficiency. For this purpose, several to several tens of cells electrically connected in series are arranged in a row and a plurality of the rows of cells are arranged in parallel in the vertical and horizontal directions by using battery holding members.
FIG. 14 shows an example of a conventional power supply unit. In this power supply unit, battery holding members 61 made of a synthetic resin, e.g., polypropylene, and having a function of holding plural rows of cells in the horizontal direction are laminated and mutually joined by thermowelding or by using an adhesive so as to be secured. A plurality of cylindrical cells 62 are connected in series in the axial direction thereof to form the row of cells. This row of cells is accommodated in a battery holding portion 61a of the battery holding member 61. The cells 62 at the leading or trailing ends of the rows of cells are mutually connected electrically, although the connections are not shown. The synthetic resin is used as a material of the battery holding member 61 in order to prevent short-circuit between the cells 62 and to obtain high processability.
However, in the case where several tens to hundreds of cells are connected as described above, the cells disposed inside a group of batteries including a plurality of the rows of cells are exposed to stagnant heat inside because of heat transfer from adjacent batteries and the like, and the temperatures of the cells disposed inside become higher than the temperatures of the cells disposed outside. If such a temperature difference occurs among the cells in the group of batteries, variations are apt to occur among the cells in their charge/discharge characteristics. Such variations reduce the reliability of the power supply unit. In order to prevent temperature rise due to heat generation at the cells 62, a method of cooling the cells 62 has been taken, wherein a refrigerant, such as air, is passed through space portions 64 between the rows of cells.
However, in the case where a plurality of the cells are arranged continuously in the flowing direction of the refrigerant, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the cells positioned on the upstream side, and the temperature of the refrigerant rises. This temperature rise decreases the efficiency of cooling the cells positioned on the downstream side. As a result, the temperatures of the cells positioned on the downstream side become relatively higher than those of the cells positioned on the upstream side.

Power supply unit and heat radiation method therefor

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A co-assembly method includes, in an aqueous polyelectrolyte composition comprising: (a) a first polyelectrolyte dispersed in the composition and having a net electric charge of a first polarity, (b) a second polyelectrolyte dispersed in the composition and having a net electric charge of a second polarity, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity, and (c) an electrolyte dissolved in the composition in a concentration effective to prevent co-assembly of the polyelectrolytes, the step of allowing co-assembly of the polyelectrolytes by: (1) decreasing the concentration of the electrolyte, or (2) forming an interface between the aqueous polyelectrolyte composition and a surface of a solid substrate or of a second liquid phase, wherein the surface has an affinity for at least one of the polyelectrolytes, or (3) decreasing the concentration of the electrolyte and forming such an interface.

Inorganic particles are expecting to play an important role in future nanotechnologies. Mineral or inorganic synthesis has advanced during the last years, in particular with respect to the development of "soft chemistry" and the systematic use of aqueous media as synthesis solvent. Particles at the nanometer length scale, i.e. with typical sizes in the range of 10 nm, are now available for many metals, including gold and platinum, and metal oxides, including cerium, titanium and iron oxides. However, substantial difficulties remain with respect to reliably producing stable particles in the submicrometric range, i.e. in the range of from about 20 nm to about 1000 nm. The submicrometric size range is interesting for many applications, including chemical mechanical polishing, anti-UV filters, and nanocomposite reinforcements. There is by now a need to fill this gap by providing inorganic colloids within the submicrometric size range in a simple and inexpensive manner.
The possibility of using inorganic nanoparticles as building blocks and of their co-assembly with polymers, for the design and fabrication of colloidal and supracolloidal assemblies has been recognized, A. K. Boal, F. Ilhan, J. E. DeRouchey, T. Thurn-Albrecht, T. P. Russell and V. M. Rotello, "Self-assembly of nanoparticles into structured spherical and network aggregates," Nature 404, 746-748 (2000), and techniques for controlled clustering of nanoparticles have been elaborated. J. F. Berret, N. Schonbeck, F. Gazeau, D. El Kharrat, O. Sandre, A. Vacher and M. Airiau, "Controlled clustering of superparamagnetic nanoparticles using block copolymers: Design of new contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging," Journal of the American Chemical Society 128, 1755-1761 (2006), J. F. Berret, A. Sehgal, M. Morvan, O. Sandre, A. Vacher and M. Airiau, "Stable oxide nanoparticle clusters obtained by complexation," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 303, 315-318 (2006).
US 2005176863 directed to Rare Earth Aggregate Formulation Using D-Block Copolymers, and WO 2008008354 directed to Aqueous Dispersions of Hybrid Coacervates Delivering Specific Properties Onto Solid Surfaces and Comprising Inorganic Solid Particles and a Copolymer each describe processes for making nanoparticle clusters by mixing oppositely charged nanoparticles and block copolymers.
Polyelectrolyte layers have been constructed from oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, G. Decher, "Fuzzy Nanoassemblies: Toward Layered Polymeric Multicomposites," Science 277, 1232-1237 (1997), F. Caruso, R. A. Caruso and H. Möhwald, "Nanoengineering of Organic and Hybrid Hollow Spheres by Colloidal Templating," Science 282, 1111-1114 (1998), including stacked assemblies of alternating layers of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, N. Laugel, C. Betscha, M. Winterhalter, J.-C. Voegel, P. Schaaf and V. Ball, "Relationship between the Growth Regime of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers and the Polyanion/Polycation Complexation Enthalpy," J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 19443-19449 (2006).

Co-assembly method and co-assembled structures made thereby


An SOI substrate which has a thick SOI layer is first prepared. Then, the SOI layer is thinned to a target film thickness using as a unit a predetermined thickness not more than that of one lattice. This thinning is performed by repeating a unit thinning step which includes an oxidation step of oxidizing the surface of the SOI layer by the predetermined thickness not more than that of one lattice and a removal step of selectively removing silicon oxide formed by the oxidation. The SOI layer of the SOI substrate is chemically etched by supplying a chemical solution to the SOI layer, and the film thickness of the etched SOI layer is measured. When the measured film thickness of the SOI layer has a predetermined value, a process of chemically etching the SOI layer ends.

A substrate which has an Si layer on an insulating layer is known as an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate. As SOI substrate manufacturing methods, SIMOX (Separation by IMplantation of OXygen), bonding, and the like are known.
SIMOX is a technique for implanting oxygen ions in an Si substrate at a predetermined depth and then annealing the substrate at a high temperature to form a buried silicon oxide layer.
Bonding is a method of bonding the first substrate which has a single-crystal Si layer on a separation layer and an insulating layer on the Si layer to the second substrate to form a bonded substrate stack and then dividing the bonded substrate stack at the separation layer. A method of forming a porous Si layer as the separation layer and epitaxially growing the single-crystal Si layer on the porous Si layer is known as ELTRAN (ELTRAN is a registered trademark). A method of using an ion-implanted layer as the separation layer to divide the bonded substrate stack by annealing is known as Smart Cut (Smart Cut is a registered trademark).
Typically, ELTRAN (registered trademark) selectively etches porous silicon left on the surface of an SOI layer after dividing the bonded substrate stack. In some cases, the surface of the SOI layer is rough after the selective etching. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-217821 discloses a technique for making the surface of the SOI layer extremely smooth by performing hydrogen annealing for an SOI substrate.
Recently, SOI layers have rapidly been thinning. A technique related to thinning of SOI layers is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-168308. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-168308 discloses that in the manufacture of a thin silicon film, the thin silicon film arranged on an insulating surface is subjected to wet cleaning and is reduced in thickness to 100 nm or less. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-168308 also discloses that an SC-1 cleaning solution (a solution mixture of NH4OH, H2O2, and H2O) is preferable as a cleaning solution, and an organic alkaline solution or a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid can also be used. In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-168308 discloses a technique for reducing the thickness of a thin silicon film to 100 nm or less.
At present, the SOI layer in an SOI substrate has a sufficiently acceptable level of film thickness uniformity. The film thickness uniformity between substrates, however, is expected to have a tolerance of about ±1 nm. In a method using ion implantation, variations between substrates in depths where ions are implanted can cause variations in thicknesses of SOI layers. In a method using epitaxial growth, variations in thicknesses of single-crystal Si layers to be formed by epitaxial growth can lead to variations in thicknesses of SOI layers.
To reduce variations in the SOI layer between substrates in thicknesses, a polishing step or etching step can be adopted. Since polishing is a machine work, it is difficult for the present to stop polishing so as to maintain a high precision of ±1 nm or less with respect to a target film thickness. The rate of silicon etching using an SC-1 cleaning solution, an organic alkaline solution, a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid is sensitive to the temperature and concentration of the chemical solution. To control the thickness of a thin silicon film at high precision (e.g., ±1 nm), these conditions must be controlled at extremely high precision.
In thinning of an SOI layer, defects such as a through hole (pinhole) and the like may increase with a decrease in thickness of the SOI layer. More specifically, the manufacturing process of an SOI substrate can adopt, e.g., a division step in which a mechanical stress can be applied to a layer to serve as an SOI layer and/or a polishing step. A stress which may be generated by these steps is more likely to cause defects with a decrease in thickness of the layer to serve as the SOI layer.
Under the circumstances, to meet demands for a thinner SOI layer, there is available a method of forming an SOI layer with a thickness large enough to prevent defects and then thinning the SOI layer to a desired thickness in the final step. To implement thinning, polishing, sacrificial oxidation (thermal oxidation and etching of a thermal oxide film), etching using an SC-1 cleaning solution, or the like may be preferable. However, in polishing, the SOI layer is mechanically damaged to cause defects. In sacrificial oxidation, for example, the thermal oxidation rate depends on the type and doping amount of an impurity doped in an Si layer, and thus variations are likely to occur in oxidation amount (the thickness of an oxidized portion). Also, the doping amount may change by thermal diffusion. In both of sacrificial oxidation and etching using the SC-1 cleaning solution, the surface roughness of the SOI layer may degrade.
Also, support for various types needs to be considered. In many cases, the specification value for the thickness of an SOI layer is determined by an application-specific demand from a device manufacturer as the user. For this reason, to meet a large number of demands, an SOI manufacturing process flexible toward a required film thickness must be established. For example, to manufacture ten types of SOI substrates with thicknesses of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 nm by a SIMOX process using ion implantation, it is necessary to establish process conditions including ten types of ion implantation conditions corresponding to the thicknesses and manage them.
A conventional etching process is controlled mainly by the process time. If process conditions vary due to a change in concentration of a chemical solution or the like, it is difficult to precisely control the etching amount or film thickness.
Consequently, in repeating the etching process and film thickness measurement until a desired film thickness is obtained, the following operation is repeated. More specifically, a substrate to be processed is removed from the holder of a cleaning unit, the film thickness is measured by a film thickness measurement unit, and the substrate to be processed is attached again to the holder of the cleaning unit. This makes the work inefficient.

Substrate manufacturing method and substrate processing apparatus


A system and method for transferring data between a transmitter and a receiver over a single conductor is disclosed. During a data transfer operation of bit of information, the voltage level on the conductor is changed from a first voltage level to a second voltage level and maintained at the second voltage level for a predetermined duration of time. The predetermined duration of time is determined by the logical state of the data bit being transmitted. Upon expiration of the predetermined duration of time the voltage level on the conductor is driven back to substantially the first voltage level.

At times it may be necessary to interconnect first and second devices via a single wire connection. When devices are connected in this fashion, one device is designated as the host device for controlling the communications between the two devices while the other device is designated as the slave device so as to control traffic on the single wire bus. Host and slave devices interconnected by a single wire require the use of a single wire interface protocol to enable the transmission of data over the single wire between the two devices. Previous systems have used a number of different techniques to transmit information over a single wire. One such system controls transmissions between a host device and a slave device by initially transmitting control information from the host device to the slave device. After transmission of the control information, the host device next drives the signal on the single wire low to indicate the beginning of a transmission period. After a predetermined delay from the start of the transmission period, the data to be transmitted between the host device and the slave device is indicated on the single wire by driving the voltage level on the line high if a logical "1" is being transmitted or maintaining the signal at a low level if a logical "0" is being transmitted. Thus, the time period required to transmit either a logical "1" bit or a logical "0" bit is the same no matter which logical bit is being transmitted since the logical data always resides within a predetermined delay from the initiation of the transmission period. Some manner for more quickly and efficiently transmitting logical data between a host device and a slave device over a single wire connection is desired.

Pseudo-synchronous one wire bidirectional bus interface


Systems, methods, and devices may include a toaster device. The toaster may include a toaster body having a housing having a top outer surface, a bottom outer surface, and a side outer surface extending between the top and bottom outer surfaces. The toaster device may include a control system comprising a power supply and a switch configured to cut power to the heating element when in a cut-power state. The toaster device may include a toaster cover comprising an actuation element. The toaster cover may be alterable between a detached state in which the toaster cover is separated and remote from the toaster body and an assembled state in which the toaster cover rests atop the toaster body to cover the bread slot and the actuation element of the toaster cover actuates the switch into the cut-power state.

Toasting a food, such as sliced bread, by exposing it to radiant heat is known. Devices for toasting a food may include pop-up toasters, toaster ovens, and conveyor belt toasters. While toaster ovens and conveyor belt toasters are typically used in a restaurant or similar catering environment, the pop-up toaster is typically used in a residential setting. The pop-up toaster is a mechanical device having vertical slots in which a slice of bread or other similar foodstuff is placed. A lever on the side of the toaster is depressed, thereby moving a seat on which the slice of bread slice is placed. As the seat moves downward the slice of bread is exposed to heating elements disposed on one or more sides of the slice of bread. The bread is heated for a predetermined period of time, at the completion of which the seat is released and the slice of bread is moved upwards such that the bread is partially exposed from the slot.
Although toasters are known, conventional pop-up toasters suffer from multiple disadvantages. For example, the slots of conventional pop-up toasters are typically exposed during non-use of the toaster, which may be aesthetically unappealing and may allow for unwanted particles to enter the vertical slots of the toaster. A tray may be used with the foodstuff derived from the pop-up toaster but obtaining such tray may be inconvenient for a user and may take additional storage that can be used for other kitchen essentials. Further, placing something upon the toaster (such as a tray) while the toaster is in use can cause the toaster to overheat, which can result in a burning of the foodstuff and a fire in the kitchen. Examples described herein overcome the disadvantages described above, as well as others.


A method for a setting up a call to a mobile station using an intermediary mobile station. The intermediary mobile station is a multi-mode device that may exchange data according to at least two different protocols. One protocol is a cellular communication protocol, such as CDMA. A second protocol is a WLAN protocol, such as 802.11. When a RAN attempts to setup a call with a first mobile station and the call attempt fails, the RAN establishes a cellular wireless link with the intermediary mobile station instead, and the intermediary mobile station establishes a WLAN link with the first mobile station. Call setup and bearer communication may then proceed between the RAN and the first mobile station with the intermediary mobile station functioning as a wireless bridge.

In wireless communication systems, there are a variety of reasons why a radio access network (RAN) may be unable to set up a call session with a mobile station. One of the most common reasons is that the mobile station may be out of coverage of the RAN. Another reason is that the RAN may have insufficient air interface resources to engage in call control signaling with the mobile station, such as to receive an origination message, send a page message, or the like. Still other examples may exist as well.
Although a call setup failure may occur, it does not necessarily mean that a mobile station is unavailable. Given the number of wireless local area networks (e.g., 802.11, BLUETOOTH, or other networks) that are in use today, a mobile station may often be within the coverage range of a particular WLAN and may be able to place and receive calls via WLAN communication. For instance, it is known today for a mobile station to be able to telephone connectivity via an 802.11 Wi-Fi access point. To provide such connectivity, the access point can be connected with a packet-switched network, and a media gateway system can then be provided as an interface between the packet-switched network and a traditional telephone system such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The mobile station can then place and receive telephone calls via a communication path comprising (i) an air interface connection with the access point, (ii) the packet-switched network, (iii) the media gateway system, and (iv) the PSTN or other telephony system.
In addition to being able to gain telephone connectivity via a WLAN access point, also known today are multi-protocol mobile stations (multi-mode devices). Such multi-mode devices are designed to exchange data wirelessly in accordance with more than one protocol. For example, one protocol may be a wireless wide area network (WWAN) protocol such as CDMA, TDMA, AMPS, or GSM, and the other protocol might be a WLAN protocol such as 802.11 or BLUETOOTH. If communication according to one protocol is not available for some reason, the device may then communicate via the other protocol instead.

Method and system for setting up a call to a mobile station via another mobile station


A process unit includes a first shaft portion at a first end of a photoreceptor drum that is fitted into a hole of a first receiving portion so as to move the photoreceptor drum from a front side of a mounting space to the inside of the mounting space. The photoreceptor drum is temporarily supported by a repulsive force of a cleaning blade and positioned in a predetermined position in the mounting space. Then, in order to cause a lock member to support a second shaft portion at a second end of the photoreceptor drum, the lock member is retracted against a biasing force of a biasing member. The second shaft portion at the second end of the photoreceptor drum is supported by the lock member by a restoring force of the biasing member, so that the photoreceptor drum is locked in a mounted state.

In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a digital copier and a printer, since image quality is remarkably affected, a photoreceptor drum is replaced periodically or as needed. However, mainly because the photoreceptor drum includes a hazardous substance, measures of taking care not to directly touch the photoreceptor drum at the time of the replacement, or preventing waste toner from a cleaning device from causing a surrounding area to be contaminated at the time of removal of the photoreceptor drum are required, so that the handling of the photoreceptor drum is difficult and the replacement of the photoreceptor drum has been performed at the time of maintenance by a serviceman.
Therefore, since the replacement operation of a photoreceptor drum always has to be performed by a serviceman on request, which causes inconvenience, in recent years, a device in which image forming portions such as a photoreceptor drum, and a cleaning device, a charger, and a developing device that are arranged around the photoreceptor drum are formed as a cartridge type process unit and integrally handled, which simplifies maintenance and enables the replacement of a photoreceptor drum to be easily performed not only by a serviceman but also by a user has been developed (see Patent Literature 1, for example). In such a process unit, when the photoreceptor drum reaches the end of a life span and a user performs the replacement of the photoreceptor drum, the entire process unit has been replaced and a used process unit has been discarded as it is.

Process unit and image forming apparatus provided with the same


A lens holder driving apparatus includes: an auto-focusing lens holder driving section (AF section) including a permanent magnet; and a camera-shake correcting section that corrects camera-shake by moving the AF section with respect to a fixed section. The camera-shake correcting section includes: a supporting member that supports the AF section in a rocking manner; and a camera-shake correction coil disposed on the fixed section. The fixed section includes: a coil substrate having an inner peripheral side wall defiling a circular opening; a flexible printed-circuit board (FPC) disposed at a lower part of the coil substrate, a base that faces the FPC, and a dust generation prevention member that covers at least the inner peripheral side wall and that prevents generation of dust due to the inner peripheral side wall being scraped.

Various kinds of lens holder driving apparatuses have been proposed which are capable of obtaining a sharp image by preventing image blurring on an image forming plane even when camera-shake (vibration) occurs at the time of capturing of an image.
While various kinds of schemes have been proposed as a camera-shake correcting scheme, among these, a "barrel shifting scheme" is known. Here, the "barrel shifting scheme" is a scheme for correcting camera-shake by moving (a lens holder holding) a lens barrel itself housed in an auto-focusing (AF) lens holder driving section (AF unit) in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction with respect to a fixed section (base member). A lens holder driving apparatus adopting such a "barrel shifting scheme" includes a lens holder driving apparatus adopting a "moving magnet scheme" in which a permanent magnet moves (is movable) and a lens holder driving apparatus adopting a "moving coil scheme" in which a drive coil moves (is movable).
In the lens holder driving apparatus adopting such a "barrel shifting scheme," a permanent magnet for an AF lens holder driving section is also used as a permanent magnet for a camera-shake correcting section to realize reduction in size and height.
For example, PTL 1 discloses a lens holder driving apparatus adopting a "moving magnet scheme." The lens holder driving apparatus disclosed in PTL 1 has an auto-focusing lens holder driving section (AF unit) which causes a lens holder holding a lens barrel to move along an optical axis, and a camera-shake correcting section which corrects camera-shake by moving the AF unit in a first direction and a second direction with respect to a fixed section, the first direction and the second direction being orthogonal to the optical axis and orthogonal to each other.
In the lens holder driving apparatus disclosed in PTL 1, the AF unit includes a focus coil fixed at the lens holder, a permanent magnet composed of a plurality of permanent magnet pieces having first faces facing the focus coil, a magnet holder holding the permanent magnet, and first and second leaf springs supporting the lens holder so as to make the lens holder displaceable in the optical axis direction. The fixed section is disposed in proximity to the second leaf spring. The camera-shake correcting section has a supporting member supporting the AF unit in such a manner that the AF unit can rock with respect to the fixed section, a camera-shake correction coil (FP coil) composed of a plurality of camera-shake correction coil portions disposed so as to respectively face second faces perpendicular to the first faces of the plurality of permanent magnet pieces, and a plurality of Hall devices.
In the lens holder driving apparatus disclosed in PTL 1, an imaging device disposed on an imaging substrate is mounted at a lower part of the fixed section. The fixed section is configured with a base, a coil substrate having a circular opening and a flexible printed-circuit (FPC) board. The coil substrate is disposed so as to face the permanent magnet with a gap therebetween. The coil substrate is attached to the base across the flexible printed-circuit (FPC) board. The camera-shake correction coil is formed on the coil substrate. Interconnection of the flexible printed-circuit (FPC) board is electrically connected to a plurality of lands of the coil substrate. Therefore, a current is supplied to the camera-shake correction coil via the flexible printed-circuit (FPC) board.
In the lens holder driving apparatus disclosed in PTL 1, the base has a ring-shaped inner wall at a central inner diameter portion thereof. This inner wall of the base covers and hides an inner peripheral side wall which defines the circular opening of the coil substrate, thereby preventing collision between the inner peripheral side wall which defines the circular opening of the coil substrate and the lens barrel, and prevents generation of relatively large dust due to the coil substrate being scraped.
In the lens holder driving apparatus having such a structure, to perform camera-shake correction when an image is captured, the AF unit is driven in a direction which cancels out camera-shake. This drive force can be obtained by making a current flow through the camera-shake correction coil (FP coil) in a magnetic field created by the permanent magnet. Therefore, upon camera-shake correction, a current for pulse-width modulated (PWM) drive necessary for camera-shake correction is made to flow through the camera-shake correction coil (FP coil) and the flexible printed-circuit (FPC) board.

Lens holder drive device, camera module, and portable terminal provided with camera


A multi-gate MOSFET includes a substrate, a dielectric layer and at least a fin-shaped structure. The substrate has a first area and a second area. The dielectric layer is only located in the substrate of the first area. At least a fin-shaped structure is located on the dielectric layer. Moreover, the present invention also provides a multi-gate MOSFET process forming said multi-gate MOSFET.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multi-gate MOSFET and a process thereof, and more specifically to a multi-gate MOSFET and a process thereof, which forms a liner on the sidewalls of a part of the fin-shaped structure, and then oxidizes apart of the fin-shaped structure not covered by the liner and a part of a substrate between each of the fin-shaped structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices, various multi-gate MOSFET devices have been developed. The multi-gate MOSFET is advantageous for the following reasons. First, manufacturing processes of multi-gate MOSFET devices can be integrated into traditional logic device processes, and are therefore more compatible. In addition, since the three-dimensional structure of the multi-gate MOSFET increases the overlapping area between the gate and the substrate, the channel region is controlled more effectively. This therefore reduces drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effects and short channel effects. Moreover, the channel region is longer for a similar gate length. This way, the current between the source and the drain is increased.
In the present semiconductor process, a localized oxidation isolation (LOCOS) or a shallow trench isolation (STI) is normally used to isolate each MOS. However, due to the reduction in both design sizes and fabricating line widths of the semiconductor wafers, pits, crystal defects and longer bird's beak in the LOCOS process will greatly affect the characteristics of the semiconductor wafer. In the same way, the field oxide produced in the LOCOS process occupies a larger volume, which affects the integration of the semiconductor wafer. Thus, in the submicron semiconductor processes, the STI process is widely used as an isolation technique, thanks to its smaller size and improved integration, to isolate each of the multi-gate MOSFET components, especially by forming shallow trench isolation structures between each of fin-shaped structures to electrically isolate them from each other.
Moreover, in nowadays multi-gate MOSFET processes, ion implantation processes and annealing processes may be performed below each fin-shaped structure and the substrate between each of the fin-shaped structures, so as to form channel stop layers with an opposite electrical type below them, in order to electrically isolate transistors formed on each fin-shaped structure. However, the dopants imported during the ion implantation processes are not enough, leading to circuit leakage caused by each of the fin-shaped structures being electrically incompletely isolated.

Multi-gate MOSFET with embedded isolation structures


A process for fabricating a DRAM chip, featuring low resistance bit line structures, in a peripheral region, and a cell array containing bit line structures exhibiting low bit line to bit line coupling capacitance, has been developed. The process features creating a first damascene opening, in insulator layers in the peripheral region of the DRAM cell, in which the top portion of the first damascene opening is comprised of a deep trench shape, allowing for low resistance bit line structures, when filled with a conductive material. The process also features the creation of second damascene openings, in an insulator layer in the cell array region of the DRAM chip, with the top portion of the second damascene openings exhibiting a shallow trench shape, again allowing bit line structures to be created after filling again with a conductive layer, but with low bit line to bit line coupling capacitance, achieved as a result of the thin metal fill, in the shallow trench opening.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods used to fabricate semiconductor devices, and more specifically to a method used to form bit line structures for a dynamic random access memory, (DRAM), chip.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The semiconductor industry is continually striving to reduce the cost of semiconductor chips, while still maintaining, or even decreasing, the cost of the specific chip. The use micro-miniaturization, or the ability to fabricate semiconductor devices, with sub-micron features, have allowed chip cost, and chip performance, to be successfully addressed. The use of sub-micron features has resulted in decreases in performance degrading parasitic capacitances, while also allowing a greater number of smaller chips, with device densities comparable to those obtained using larger chips, to be realized from a specific size starting substrate, thus reducing the processing cost for the smaller chip. However the tighter packing densities, used to obtain aggressive DRAM designs, such as 256 Megabytes or greater, can in some areas, negatively influence DRAM performance.
The high density, DRAM cell array, although resulting in decreased parasitic capacitances, in areas of the transfer gate transistor, can however experience degraded DRAM performance as a result of increasing coupling capacitances, in the region in which bit line structures are closely packed. This invention will offer a process for minimizing the coupling capacitance effect for high density DRAM devices. A process is described in which low bit line to bit line coupling capacitance is achieved, via use of thin bit line wiring structures, in the DRAM cell array, thus reducing the vertical capacitor component, between thin bit line structures. However the bit line wiring structures, for the peripheral devices, are fabricated using thicker metal structures, thus maintaining a low resistance bit line structure in the non-array cell regions of the DRAM chip. This process, thin bit line structures for DRAM cell array, and thicker bit line structures for the peripheral DRAM devices, is accomplished using a damascene process, in which the top portion of the damascene hole, is opened to different depths in an insulator layer, to accommodate the different thickness of bit line structures used for the array and peripherals. Hidaka et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,769, describe a bit line structure for a semiconductor memory device, however that prior art does not offer the process used in this invention, enabling low resistance, thick bit line structures, for DRAM peripheral devices, and thin bit line structures, for DRAM array devices, to be obtained.

Method for fabricating low resistance bit line structures, along with bit line structures exhibiting low bit line to bit line coupling capacitance

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


A light emitting diode load board includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad. The second dielectric layer includes a first structure part, a second structure part and a third structure part. The first dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate. The first structure part is disposed on the first dielectric layer and has a first sidewall. The second structure part is disposed on the first structure part and has a second sidewall. The third structure part is disposed on the second structure part and has N sidewalls. The second sidewall is more prominent than the first sidewall. The first sidewall, the second sidewall and the N sidewalls define the first etched part, and the part of the first dielectric layer is exposed from the first etched part. The first conductive pad is disposed in the first etched part. The second conductive is disposed on the second dielectric layer, covers part of the second dielectric and exposes the open of the first etched part.

Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a light emitting diode (LED) load board and a manufacturing method thereof, more particularly to a LED load board with an alignment structure and a manufacturing method thereof.
Related Art
Generally, when LEDs are powered to emit light, the supplied power is partly used to emit light and partly converted into thermal energy. In practice, the luminous efficiency of a LED rapidly drops under the influence of a high temperature environment, so the LED wastes more power and also produces more heat, resulting in the increase of temperature. The LED then falls into a vicious spiral. Therefore, it would be better to load LEDs on a load board with a better thermal conductivity in order to avoid wasting power and a shorter lifespan.
Additionally, for the ease of manufacturing, modern LED load boards use a simple laminated structure without any design on the junction between the load board and LEDs, and such a concern about the junction between the load board and LEDs is left to a later assembling process. This will bring in a difficulty in the assembling process and also decrease the yield rate of the manufacturing of load boards.

Light emitting diode load board and manufacturing process thereof


A process is disclosed that is useful for separating the enantiomers of a racemic mixture of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 is hydrogen or alkyl, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are independently different and are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, naphthyl, substituted naphthyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, haloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, phenylalkyl, substituted phenylalkyl, heteroalkylalkyl, substituted heteroalkylalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl. The process comprises forming a conglomerate salt by reacting the racemic mixture with a base, the conglomerate salt being a mixture of the enantiomeric salts and having the following properties:. i) the infrared spectrum of each of the enantiomeric salts, individually, and of the racemate salt are superposable; PA0 ii) the melting point of each of the enantiomeric salts, individually, is greater than the melting point of the racemate salt; and PA0 iii) the solubility of each of the enantiomeric salts, individually, is less than the solubility of the racemate salt in the same solvent.. The enantiomeric salts are readily separable from the racemic mixture.

Asymmetric synthesis and the resolution of racemates constitute the methods for industrial preparation of pure enantiomers. Methods for such resolution include: direct preferential crystallization, crystallization of the diastereomeric salts, and kinetic resolution.
Also referred to as resolution by entrainment, preferential crystallization is economically more attractive because resolution is achieved without using any expensive optically active substance. Hence, this method is widely used on an industrial scale, for example, in the manufacture of .alpha.-methyl-L-dopa and chloramphenicol. See Enantiomers, Racemates, and Resolutions, Jacques, J.; Collet, A.; Wilen, S.H., J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1981; Jacques, J.; Leclercq, M.; Brienne, M.J., Tetrahedron, 1981, 37, 1727-1733; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,770. It is technically feasible only with racemates which are so-called conglomerates and consist of mechanical mixtures of crystals of the two enantiomers. Unfortunately, only less than 20% of all racemates are conglomerates. The rest are true racemic compounds which cannot be separated by preferential crystallization (i.e., by seeding a supersaturated solution of racemic mixture with the crystals of one enantiomer). A conglomerate exhibits a minimum melting point for the racemic mixture while a racemic compound generally shows a maximum melting point. The success of preferential crystallization depends on the fact that the solubility of pure enantiomer is less than the solubility of the racemic mixture.


A bone fixation element includes a threaded head and a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end, an outer surface of the head being one of carburized and nitrided and including a first groove extending into an outer surface of the head along a path interrupting the threading and extending along an angle counter to an angle of the threading.

Bone fixation plates are often positioned over a fractured or otherwise damaged portion of bone and secured thereto using bone screws inserted through screw holes of the bone fixation plate. The screw holes extend transversely through the bone plate and are sometimes formed with threads to lockingly engage a threaded head of the bone screw. Variable angle screws are often employed which permit a user to insert the screw through the plate at a user-selected angle relative to an axis of the plate hole. However, the engagement threads of the head of such variable angle screw heads with the threading of the plate hole may burr threads of one or both of the bone screw and the bone plate, causing a loss in bone fixation strength. Damage to the bone plate or bone screw in this manner may cause the bone fixation procedure to lose efficacy. Those skilled in the art continue to search for ways to increase the strength of the screw-plate interface in variable angle systems.


Methods and devices are provided for targeted non-surgical administration of a drug formulation to the suprachoroidal space (SCS) of the eye of a human subject for the treatment of a posterior ocular disorder or a choroidal malady. In one embodiment, the method comprises inserting a hollow microneedle into the eye at an insertion site and infusing a drug formulation through the inserted microneedle and into the suprachoroidal space of the eye, wherein the infused drug formulation flows within the suprachoroidal space away from the insertion site during the infusion. In one embodiment, the fluid drug formulation comprises drug nanoparticles or microparticles.

This invention is generally in the field of ophthalmic therapies, and more particularly to the use of a microneedle for infusion of a fluid drug formulation into ocular tissues for targeted, local drug delivery.
The delivery of drug to the eye is extremely difficult, particularly delivery of macromolecules and delivery to the posterior segment. Many inflammatory and proliferative diseases in the posterior region of the eye require long term pharmacological treatment. Examples of such diseases include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and uveitis. In addition, many choroidal maladies that are associated with inflammatory responses, proliferation, and neovascularization require long term pharmacological treatment. It is difficult to deliver effective doses of drug to the posterior segment using conventional delivery methods such as topical application, which has poor efficacy, and systemic administration, which often causes significant side effects, and often does not reach the site of infection. (Geroski & Edelhauser, Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 41:961-64 (2000)). For example, while eye drops are useful in treating conditions affecting the exterior surface of the eye or tissue(s) at the front of the eye, the eye drops cannot significantly penetrate the eye, as may be required for the treatment of various retinal diseases and choroidal maladies.
Direct injection into the eye, using conventional needles and syringes has been reported to be effective, but requires professional training and raises concerns about safety (Maurice, J. Ocul. Pharmacol. Ther. 17:393-401 (2001)). It also would be desirable to be able to minimize the number and/or frequency of eye injection treatments needed to deliver therapeutically effective amounts of drug to the ocular tissue sites that need it.
The suprachoroidal space (SCS) of the eye has been studied, and its cannulation described as a possible route for drug delivery. See, e.g., Olsen, et al., American J. Ophthalmology 142(5): 777-87 (Nov. 2006).; PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2007/100745.
It therefore would be desirable to provide better, safer, more effective techniques for the direct delivery of therapeutic agents to posterior segment eye tissues, for example, to treat a posterior ocular disorder. It further would be desirable to provide better, safer, more effective techniques for the direct delivery of therapeutic agents to the SCS for the treatment of choroidal maladies, for example, choroidal maladies associated with vascular abnormalities. The present invention addresses these and other needs.

Methods and devices for the treatment of ocular diseases in human subjects


To enable a service consumer that can use multiple service providers to dynamically select a service provider that satisfies a service level requested for each processing method to be called at the time of execution of an application. A cloud service directory (CSD) provides an evaluation table indicative of the evaluation of resource information on each cloud service provider (CSP), and each cloud service consumer (CSC) defines service levels requested by itself and items of resource information associated with each processing method as a request table and an association table, respectively. Then, the formats of these tables and the definitions of the service levels are standardized throughout the entire computing system. This enables each CSC to use a distribution table in order to select and use an appropriate CSP for each processing method.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or more specifically, methods and systems for dynamically selecting a service provider, a computing system, a computer, and a program.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been known a federated cloud service environment for transparently providing interoperable multiple incompatible cloud services (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication 2011-129117). There have also been known a primary cloud server, a method of providing a service, and a computer program (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication 2011-118451), where a service level agreement is dynamically determined based on the actual level of a service provided by a primary cloud or updated preference information to select and provide the service including a secondary cloud.

Dynamically selecting service provider, computing system, computer, and program

International Business Machines Corporation


In the present invention, a user equipment (UE) receives a paging message associated with downlink (DL) data. The UE transmits a paging feedback using a uplink (UL) grant associated with the paging message. The UE monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to receive the DL data.

As an example of a mobile communication system to which the present invention is applicable, a 3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (hereinafter, referred to as LTE) communication system is described in brief.
FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a network structure of an E-UMTS as an exemplary radio communication system. An Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) is an advanced version of a conventional Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and basic standardization thereof is currently underway in the 3GPP. E-UMTS may be generally referred to as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. For details of the technical specifications of the UMTS and E-UMTS, reference can be made to Release 7 and Release 8 of "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network".
Referring to FIG. 1, the E-UMTS includes a User Equipment (UE), eNode Bs (eNBs), and an Access Gateway (AG) which is located at an end of the network (E-UTRAN) and connected to an external network. The eNBs may simultaneously transmit multiple data streams for a broadcast service, a multicast service, and/or a unicast service.
One or more cells may exist per eNB. The cell is set to operate in one of bandwidths such as 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz and provides a downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) transmission service to a plurality of UEs in the bandwidth. Different cells may be set to provide different bandwidths. The eNB controls data transmission or reception to and from a plurality of UEs. The eNB transmits DL scheduling information of DL data to a corresponding UE so as to inform the UE of a time/frequency domain in which the DL data is supposed to be transmitted, coding, a data size, and hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ)-related information. In addition, the eNB transmits UL scheduling information of UL data to a corresponding UE so as to inform the UE of a time/frequency domain which may be used by the UE, coding, a data size, and HARQ-related information. An interface for transmitting user traffic or control traffic may be used between eNBs. A core network (CN) may include the AG and a network node or the like for user registration of UEs. The AG manages the mobility of a UE on a tracking area (TA) basis. One TA includes a plurality of cells.
Although wireless communication technology has been developed to LTE based on wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), the demands and expectations of users and service providers are on the rise. In addition, considering other radio access technologies under development, new technological evolution is required to secure high competitiveness in the future. Decrease in cost per bit, increase in service availability, flexible use of frequency bands, a simplified structure, an open interface, appropriate power consumption of UEs, and the like are required.
As more and more communication devices demand larger communication capacity, there is a need for improved mobile broadband communication compared to existing RAT. Also, massive machine type communication (MTC), which provides various services by connecting many devices and objects, is one of the major issues to be considered in the next generation communication. In addition, a communication system design considering a service/UE sensitive to reliability and latency is being discussed. The introduction of next-generation RAT, which takes into account such advanced mobile broadband communication, massive MTC (mMCT), and ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC), is being discussed.

Method and user equipment for receiving downlink signals


A system and method for providing cost-effective policy-based data archiving triggered by end-user activity. When an end-user makes a request to store data, the storage device communicates with a storage policy rules software engine. The storage policy rules software engine compares the user activity to a set of previously established rules and then invokes a translation software engine to translate the intended actions into instructions specific for a particular data archiving product in order for that application to archive data as intended.

It is important for companies to find cost effective ways to manage their digital file storage. Although it may seem that file storage is inexpensive, 80% or more of the total cost of ownership is in managing and administering that storage. Most organizations' need for file storage is growing at 40% to 50% per year, along with the cost to manage that storage. Many companies attempt to manage costs by having various tiers of storage, with different costs for each of these tiers. Along with this, most take the simplistic and costly approach of moving data solely based on when it was last used: "archive everything over x days old" from the higher costs primary storage tiers to the lower cost archiving storage tiers.
But even this approach results in much greater costs than necessary as the data movement is not directly tied to storage policies, applicable rules, and/or the related actions that should be taken when specific user activity occurs. Instead, the archiving software must scan the entire file system week after week or month after month, with little result after the first such scan has been run. (If the data hadn't been used for 2 years at the last scan, the odds that the data have now been used are very small.)
A number of storage software vendors provide solutions that will move or archive data. However all of these technologies rely on the IT Department configuring an archive application to look for files over "x" days old and archive that data. Then in order for the now configured archive solution to do its job, it must scan the entire primary storage device looking for files that meet the configuration profile established by the IT Department. These solutions do not include any mechanism which detects user activity, compares the user activity to a set of rules (storage policies) and then activates the archiving application based on the user's actions and the applicable rules. In and of itself, this means that all of these legacy applications waste system resources (time-consuming scans greatly affect system performance) and are unnecessarily costly. Remember, the goal of archiving isn't to create the archive. It is to manage storage costs. If nothing were to change in primary storage, archiving would never be needed.
Accordingly, what is needed is a cost-effective system and method for policy-based data archiving that is triggered by user activity. By reacting to changes in primary storage as they happen, a much more cost-effective solution can be built. Such solution should be able to interact with any number of currently or future available archiving solutions.

System and method for policy-based data archiving triggered by user activity


Disclosed is a method and apparatus for improving LAN availability and robustness employing adjacency status self-discovery on segment-to-segment communications paths. In some embodiments, the method and system may employ Logical Link Control Type 1 test frame messages between segment nodes to determine status. Adjacent node status may be determined by waiting a period of time for an acknowledgment message and marking the tested link as “down” if no response is received. Also disclosed is a method for compacting data transmitted over a network to reduce overhead.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates to computer network communications and, in particular, network management protocols.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the well-known Wide Area Network (WAN) architecture, all communications paths (or links) are point to point. In such networks, the nodes (or host computers) communicate with each other directly. Reliable WAN link up/link down status mechanisms are well known at both the physical layer and the data link layer (layers 1 and 2 of the well-known open systems Interconnect [OSI] Reference Model). These status mechanisms allow link faults to be determined in tens of milliseconds to one or two seconds.
However, in Local Area Network (LAN) architectures status determination is not as readily available. In part because LAN network protocols, such as Ethernet, are connectionless and support multiple accesses, several problems arise.
Firstly, an Ethernet LAN (by far the most common) can be partitioned into multiple subnetworks or segments. A given node (such as, but no limited to, a host computer, load balancing device, or router) on such a LAN is not aware of any segmentation. If a node faults, there is not necessarily any notification (e.g. a "loss of carrier" signal) to other nodes on its segment or to other segments. Secondly, there is generally no "keep alive" or "link up" check mechanism to determine whether the link or links to a particular node are working or if the node is still "listening" or has left the segment.
What is needed is a fast, reliable link up/link down statusing protocol operating on top of the existing Ethernet protocol in layer 2. Such a protocol would provide a ready means of determining network integrity and readiness. Furthermore, such a protocol must have multiple access capabilities (a "multi-access" protocol) and be compatible with the Ethernet protocol generally.


Provided in the present invention is a quinolyl-containing hydroxamic acid compound as shown in formula (I), at the same time also disclosed is the preparation method of the compound and the use thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition containing the quinolyl-containing hydroxamic acid compound. Such compounds are inhibitors of protein kinases and/or histone deacetylases, and can be used in the treatment of diseases caused by the abnormal activity of protein kinases and/or histone deacetylases, for example, tumors, etc.

Protein kinases are a kind of phosphotransferases, and the role thereof is to transfer the gamma-phosphate group of ATP into a specific amino acid residue of a substrate to phosphorylate a protein, therefore exerting its physiological and biochemical functions. The protein kinases are an important class of kinases. In signal transduction, their main functions lie in two aspects: one is to regulate the activity of the protein by phosphorylation; the other is to amplify progressively the signal by progressive phosphorylation of protein so as to cause cellular reaction.
Abnormal protein kinase activity is not only closely related to the abnormity of certain steps in a series of intracellular signal transduction pathways, such as tumor proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis, but also the main reason that leads to a range of other human diseases related to inflammatory or proliferative response, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, asthma, psoriasis. More than four hundred kinds of human diseases have been known to be related directly or indirectly to the protein kinase, which makes the protein kinase become another important class of drug targets after the G-protein-coupled receptors.
Protein kinase family consists of more than 500 members, which usually can be divided into two classes, i.e. the protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and serine-threonine kinases. In accordance with the location of the kinase in the cells, they can also be divided into receptor kinase and non-receptor kinase which is also known as the intracellular kinase. Receptor kinases generally belong to the tyrosine kinases and are also referred to as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Such a receptor kinase is composed of an extracellular portion, a transmembrane region and an intracellular portion. The portion of kinase having catalytic activity is located in the cytoplasm. The overwhelming majority of serine-threonine kinases are located within the cells and belong to non-receptor kinases, also called cytoplasmic kinases.
A typical representative of the RTKs family is growth factor receptors, which may be divided into at least 19 subfamilies. The following are several major subfamilies:
(a) HER family receptor tyrosine kinases, including EGFR (epithelial growth factor receptor), HER2, HER3 and HER4. EGFR is the target of synthetic small molecules drug Tarceva®, Tykerb® and the monoclonal antibody Erbitux® for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
(b) the subfamily consisting of insulin receptor (IR), insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-1R) and insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR), wherein, IGF-1R is a well-established anti-cancer target, but because it is too similar with IR, especially in the intracellular kinase portion in which the amino acid sequence is 100% identical to the corresponding amino acid sequence of IR, it can inhibit the activity of the IGF-1R while typically inhibiting the activity of IR. There is evidence that IR is also an efficient anti-cancer target. However, it is necessary to find the balance of effectiveness and safety risks with regard to IR inhibitors for anti-cancer because the inhibition of IR leads to the risk of elevated blood sugar.
(c) Platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) family, including PDGFR-α, PDGFR-β, CSF1R, c-KIT and c-fms, wherein the c-Kit is also the molecular target of the drug Gleevec® for treatment of leukemia treatment and is used to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
(d) Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) family, including FLT1 (Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 or VEGFR1), KDR (or VEGFR-2) and FLT4 (or VEGFR3), the members of which are molecular targets for Sutent® and Naxavar®.
(e) Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family, including FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3 and FGFR4 as well as seven ligands FGF1, FGF2, FGF3, FGF4, FGF5, FGF6, and FGF7, the members of which are still in clinical trials as molecular target drugs.
(f) MET family, including c-Met also known as human hepatocyte growth factor receptor (hHGFR) and RON, wherein c-Met plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of initial tumors. The members of the family are still in clinical trials as a molecular target drug.
(g) RET family. RET is a receptor of GDNF family members, having RET51, RET43 and RET9 isoforms. It is still in clinical trials as a molecular target drug.
(h) Eph family, being the biggest family of receptor tyrosine kinase and consisting of 16 receptors (EPHA1, EphA2, EPHA3, EPHA4, EPHA5, EPHA6, EPHA7, EPHA8, EPHA9, EPHA10, EPHB1, EPHB2, EPHB3, EPHB4, EPHB5, EPHB6) and 9 ligands (EFNA1, EFNA2, EFNA3, EFNA4, EFNA5, EFNB1, EFNB2, EFNB3). These members play an important role in the development of the animal and some members play a role in tumors.
AXL is another important receptor tyrosine kinase. AXL is also known as UFO/ARK/Tyro, and the ligand thereof is a vitamin K-dependent growth promoting factor GAS6. AXL is firstly found as transforming gene in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). AXL is overexpressed in metastatic colon cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma Inhibition of AXL activity may play a role in inhibiting tumor growth, proliferation and metastasis.
The non-receptor kinase does not have the extracellular portion or the transmembrane region, and the entire kinase is in the cytoplasm. It is currently known that there are at least 24 kinds of non-receptor kinases which are divided into 11 subfamilies, i.e. Src, Frk, Btk, CsK, Abl, Zap70, Fes, Fps, Fak, Jak and ACK subfamily. The Src subfamily is the biggest one, and includes Src, Yes, Fyn, Lyn, Lck, Blk, Hck, Fgr, AUR1, AUR2 and Yrk kinase. For details, see Neet, K.; Hunter, T. Genes to Cells 1996, 1, 147-169, and the references cited therein. Although several non-receptor kinases are tyrosine kinases, the majority of non-receptor kinases are serine-threonine kinases. Several members therein are the molecular target for the drugs Gleevec® and Sprycel® for treatment of leukemia.
As mentioned above, the receptor kinases and non-receptor kinases have been proved as anti-tumor targets in the clinical and practical applications, and several anti-tumor drugs have been approved for marketing for treatment of patients. In addition to treatment of tumors, the abnormal activity of inhibition of receptor kinases and non-receptor kinases can also be used for treating the following diseases, including but not limited to psoriasis or serpedo, cirrhosis, diabetes, diseases involving angiogenesis, diseases involving restenosis, eye diseases, age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammation, immune system diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, kidney disease. Therefore it is necessary to continue to develop inhibitors of these kinases.
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) is a class of enzymes widely found in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, whose role is to remove acetyl from the amino groups of the core histone N-terminal lysine residues, which causes the core histone N-terminal positively charged to enhance the combination with the negatively charged DNA, and thereby preventing the transcription machinery from contacting with the DNA template. According to their homology to fungal proteins, histone deacetylases (HDAC) are divided into four classes: class I includes HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3 and HDAC8, which are homologous to the fungal protein RPD3; class II includes HDAC4, HDAC5, HDAC7 and HDAC9 which are homologous to the fungal protein HDA1; class IIa includes HDAC6 and HDAC 10 containing two catalytic point; class IV includes HDAC11, the catalytic center thereof contains the amino acid residues shared with class I and II HDAC. The catalytic sites of the 11 HDAC isoforms have zinc ions, and may be inhibited by hydroxamic acid compounds such as SAHA (Vorinostat), trichostatin A (TSA). HDAC inhibitors as mood stabilizers and anti-epileptic drugs have a long history in psychiatry and neurology. HDAC inhibitors are investigated for use in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease. Another large class of applications of HDAC inhibitors are used as anticancer drugs, the representative example thereof is Vorinostat developed by Merck, which is approved by FDA for treatment of metastatic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in 2006. The treatment of other tumors including solid tumors and leukemia by HDAC inhibitors is being in clinical trials.

Quinolyl-containing hydroxamic acid compound and preparation method thereof, and pharmaceutical composition containing this compound and use thereof


A vending machine includes at least one width-adjustable storage rack, the storage rack having a fixed wall and a movable wall connected to the fixed wall by at least one connecting link; and an adjustment mechanism constructed and adapted to position the movable wall relative to the fixed wall and to thereby vary an interior width between the fixed and movable walls. Two movable walls can be connected to a single fixed wall.

Beverage vending machines are presently used to vend a variety of different kinds of beverages packaged in a variety of different containers having different shapes and sizes. These beverage vending machines typically have a plurality of vertical storage racks for storing the beverage containers waiting to be vended. Such a storage rack has two fixed vertical walls spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the largest container expected to be vended in the machine, i.e., sufficient to hold the largest container expected to be vended by the machine. However, such a spacing can be too large for smaller diameter containers, which can hinder proper vending of the smaller containers.
In the past, attempts to deal with this problem included placing spacer shims in the storage rack to reduce the relative distance between the two fixed walls (interior width) and to thereby allow easier vending of smaller containers. By the use of shims having different thicknesses or the use of multiple shims, the interior width can be reduced as desired for different sized containers. However, the use of shims can be problematic. Shims must be stored in the vending cabinet when not in use or they are prone to loss. They can slip from their desired position and hinder the vending of the containers. They can be tricky to install and adjust properly. Multiple shims must be kept available to accommodate differently sized beverage containers.
The present invention provides a storage rack that is adjustable for differently sized containers.

Adjustable storage rack for a vending machine


A compound of the formula (I) wherein the variables X1, X2, B, D, R1 to R7 including R3′, p, y, q, and z, are as defined or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, enantiomer, racemate, diastereomer or mixtures thereof, useful for the treatment, prevention or amelioration of obesity and Related Diseases is disclosed

Three types of opioid receptors, mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors are generally reported. Recent evidence points to the interactions between receptor dimer combinations of mu, kappa and/or delta receptors (called heterodimers) as also contributing to opioid activity. Opioid receptors and their normal regulation or lack thereof, has been implicated in disease states including irritable bowel syndrome, nausea, vomiting, pruritic dermatoses, depression, smoking and alcohol addiction, sexual dysfunction, stroke and trauma in animals. Therefore it is not surprising that the ability to antagonistically bind opioid receptors has been shown to produce ameliorative, preventative and/or treatment effects in animals including humans afflicted with one or more of these disease states.
More recently, certain antagonists of the opioid receptors have been found to increase metabolic energy consumption, and reduction of weight in obese rats while maintaining muscle mass. These findings indicate that an effective opioid antagonist may be useful in preventing, treating and/or ameliorating the effect of obesity. Considering the percentage of the population that is obese in Western societies and the indirect costs associated with treating the effects and symptoms of obesity and Related Diseases, the importance of these findings cannot be overstated.
Though many opioid antagonists have been disclosed, the search continues for alternative and/or improved or more effective antagonists having an overall benefit to the patient with little or no major side effects. U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,379 disclosed phenylpiperidine opioid antagonists useful for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,379 disclosed the compound LY 255582 represented by the structure

U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,352 discloses the compound of formula Formula 1
wherein the variables X1, X2, X3 R1, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are as described therein, as agonists of the beta adrenergic receptor useful for the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
PCT application WO 9215304 discloses the compounds of formula I
Compound 1 above, encompasses azacyclic and heterocyclic compounds for treatment of cerebral ischemia.
Regardless of these and other disclosures of compounds useful as opioid receptor antagonists, or useful for the treatment of obesity, and/or diabetes by other mechanisms, or having structures partially close to the compounds of the present invention there remains an unmet medical need for useful, safe, effective and/or alternate treatments or prophylaxis of diseases associated with opioid receptors, particularly obesity and Related Diseases.

Diphenylether amide derivatives as opioid receptor antagonists


A language package system that prevents undesirable behaviors resulting from an incompatibility between a core package of a software product and its language packages is provided. The language package system executes when a user starts the execution of the core package on a computing device. The language package system retrieves a language package version number from the core package that indicates the version number of compatible language packages and an indication of the preferred language of the user. The language package system then determines whether the computing device has a compatible language package that is available. When the computing device has a compatible language package, the software product uses that language package. When the computing device has no compatible language package, the language package system then performs processing that factors in the unavailability of a compatible language package.

To reach as wide a market as possible, software products are often designed so that their user interface can be provided in many different languages. An end user who uses the software product can specify their preferred language. When the software product executes, it identifies the preferred language (e.g., from a configuration store) and provides the user interface in that language if that language is supported by the software product. To support multiple languages, a software product may include a core package that implements the core functionality of the product and a language package for each of the supported languages. A language package contains the user interface elements for a particular language. These user interface elements are referred to as resources, and each resource has a resource identifier. When the core package executes, it retrieves the user interface elements from the language package of the preferred language.
When a software product is initially installed on a computing device, the core package and many different language packages may be installed. In such a case, the core package is likely to be fully compatible with the language packages. However, after initial installation, the core package and the language packages may be updated independently, which may result in an incompatibility between the core package and the language packages. For example, a service package may be provided to update the core package, and other service packages may be provided to update the language packages. The update to the core package may provide a new user interface element, and the updates to the language packages may provide that user interface element in the appropriate languages. If a user applies the service package for the core package, but not the service packages for the language packages, then the core package will not be able to correctly display the new user interface element. Indeed, the core package may exhibit an undesirable behavior when it attempts to retrieve that user interface element from a language package that has not been updated. This undesirable behavior may include terminating execution of the software product abnormally, overwriting of data, displaying of gibberish, and so on.

Ensuring product correctness in a multilingual environment