In a communication control device which is operable in a standby mode or in an active mode and which is located between a cordless telephone set and a subscriber connected to the device through a telephone line to carry out communication therebetween by controlling a plurality of radio speech channels and a control channel assigned to the cordless telephone sets, a monitoring operation is carried out at a monitoring period to search for each idle radio speech channel with the number of the idle radio speech channels counted in the standby mode. The monitoring period is changed in dependence upon the number of the idle radio speech channels. Specifically, control is made so that the monitoring period becomes short when the number of the idle radio speech channels is small. This enables quick search for an idle radio speech channel even when an idle radio speech channel is not found.

This invention relates to a communication control device for use in controlling communication between a plurality of cordless telephone sets and a subscriber connected to the communication control device.
A conventional communication control device of the type described is used for a radio communication network which comprises a plurality of cordless telephone sets movable within a predetermined service area. Each of the cordless telephone sets is communicable with other subscribers through the communication control device by the use of radio channels composed of a plurality of radio speech channels and a control channel. In this event, the communication control device is operable to carry out outgoing call control from each of the cordless telephone sets and incoming call control to each cordless telephone set in an operation mode and to successively monitor the radio communication channels one by one in a standby mode.
Specifically, the communication control device detects in the standby mode whether each radio speech channel is idle or busy to produce idle and busy signals representative of idle and busy states, respectively. Each of the idle and the busy signals is successively memorized in a memory at every one of the radio speech channels and is successively scanned one by one at every predetermined period to detect each state of the respective radio speech channels. In other words, each state of the radio speech channels is read out of the memory at every predetermined period. The predetermined period is defined by a switching period from each radio speech channel to the radio control channel.
Recently, the radio speech channels have increased in number due to the popularity of cordless telephone sets. The switching period becomes long with an increase of the radio speech channels and thus a long time is necessary to search for an idle speech channel. Consequently, connections for an incoming call and an outgoing call can not be made within a short time between the communication control device and each cordless telephone set in the conventional communication control device.

Communication control device capable of quickly searching for an idle speech channel in a standby mode in a cordless telephone system


A modular mounting assembly is provided for mounting a mirror housing to a vehicle and suitable for use with a family of mounting bars including of at least two mounting bars, each mounting bar within the family of mounting bars having a unique diameter, the modular mounting assembly including, for example, a base member configured for attachment to the mirror housing and defining a channel portion for receiving a given one of the at least two mounting bars from within the family of mounting bars, the channel portion sized for receiving at least two of the mounting bars. A given cap member selected from a family of cap members is provided configured for selective attachment to the base member, the family of cap members including at least two cap members, each cap member defining a securing portion uniquely configured to mate with a respective one of the at least two mounting bars and to secure the respective base member to one of the at least two mounting bars.

The present invention generally relates to mirror mounting assemblies, and more particularly relates to mirror mounting assemblies with modular components that allow for minimizing the number of parts required for mounting mirrors on various differently-sized mounting bars.
Many different arrangements are known for mounting external mirrors on vehicles. On large, commercial vehicles, such as trucks and busses, mirrors are often secured within mirror housings mounted so as to extend the mirror out from the vehicle thereby providing a clear view of different areas around the vehicle. Depending on the size and design of the mirror, as well as the area around the vehicle to be observed, different mounting arrangements have been used.
One such type of mounting arrangement includes a bar extending outwardly from the vehicle, often in substantially a U-shape, in which the ends of the U-bar are attached to the side of the vehicle. Alternately, a bar may be attached to the vehicle at only one end, with a mirror housing being disposed at a distal end or central portion, or both, of such bar. In either of such applications, one mounting bar is typically attached to each side of the driver""s cab of a truck for placement of at least one mirror housing. These one-piece mounting bar arrangements are often referred to in the industry as xe2x80x9cC-loops,xe2x80x9d to differentiate them from other available types of mounting arrangements made of several interconnected, generally smaller diameter rods that are secured together, often by nuts and bolts. Some one-piece mounting bar arrangements do, however, include additional bracing members for additional support in certain applications. Examples of mirrors mounted on one-piece mounting bars are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,950; 5,110,196; 5,687,035; and 5,798,882 and in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 385,243; 387,317; and 407,361.
Mirror housings may be attached to the central (upright when installed) portions of the U-bars or to the extending bars in various ways. For example, the bar may pass through the center of the mirror housing, with a clamping mechanism of some type disposed within the housing securing the mirror housing to the bar (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,035). Alternately, a mounting mechanism may extend from the mirror housing and be secured to the bar externally of the mirror housing (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,950). Both of these methods of attachment provide reliable securing of the mirror housing to the bar.
One-piece mounting bar arrangements generally provide a reliable, vibration-reducing, and sturdy mounting arrangement for mirrors. Also, one-piece mounting bar arrangements beneficially do not require assembly of several smaller rods during manufacture, installation, or repair. Also, one-piece bars favorably provide a visually streamlined styling that many people prefer on vehicles, as compared to the multi-rod designs.
The mounting bars (both U-bars and other shapes) are made in a number of different sizes, varying in outer diameter from about 14 mm to about 28 mm, depending generally on the weight of the mirror housing to be supported. Thus, if a manufacturer manufactures mirror housings for installation on variously-sized mounting bars, specifically-designed mounting equipment sets are typically required, each set being sized to fit a particular bar. Thus, in the past, vehicle mirror manufacturers have also had to manufacture various differently-sized mounting hardware sets to mount mirrors on differently-sized bars.
Being required to have several sets of mounting hardware has several drawbacks. For example, manufacturing specific differently-sized sets of mounting hardware adds expense to overall production costs of vehicle mirror assemblies. Also, production may have to be halted at times if properly-sized hardware is temporarily not available. Because part of the mounting hardware is often secured to and within the mirror housing before attachment of the mirror glass to the housing, changing the mounting hardware to fit a specific bar size could cause the further drawback of requiring someone to disassemble much of the mirror housing assembly to change out the mounting hardware. Such disassembly is time consuming and could occasionally lead to inadvertent damage to the mirror housing assembly if sufficient care is not taken during disassembly.
Also, mirror housings could be inadvertently mounted with improperly-sized mounting hardware, either during original equipment manufacture or during aftermarket modification or replacement. These mirror housings could become loose, causing the mirror housing to move so that the driver""s ability to view a desired location is impaired or causing the mirror to vibrate so that reflected images of desired locations are unclear. Further, loose mirror housings could themselves be damaged, or could cause damage to the vehicle or mounting hardware.
In view of the above, it is a principle objective of the present invention to provide an efficient and simplified vehicle mirror mounting assembly to allow for reliable and efficient manufacture, inventory, and assembly of vehicle mirror assemblies and their constituent parts, and to allow for safe and reliable use of vehicle mirrors.
Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be made clear from the written description and claims that follow, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, or may be learned from practice of the invention.
To achieve these objectives, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described and depicted herein, a modular mounting assembly is provided for mounting a mirror housing to a vehicle and suitable for use with a family of mounting bars including of at least two mounting bars, each mounting bar within the family of mounting bars having a unique diameter, the modular mounting assembly including, for example, a base member configured for attachment to the mirror housing and defining a channel portion for receiving a given one of the at least two mounting bars from within the family of mounting bars, the channel portion sized for receiving at least two of the mounting bars. A given cap member selected from a family of cap members is provided configured for selective attachment to the base member, the family of cap members including at least two cap members, each cap member defining a securing portion uniquely configured to mate with a respective one of the at least two mounting bars and to secure the base member to the respective one of the at least two mounting bars.
Optionally, the base member may include a mounting portion for contacting the mirror housing and configured so that the mirror housing is pivotable relative to the base member.
Preferably, one of the channel portion of the base member and the securing portion of each cap member defines a first surface sized to contact the respective mounting bar at a single point on the circumference of the respective mounting bar, and wherein the other of the channel portion of the base member and the securing portion of each cap member defines a second surface sized to contact the respective mounting bar at two points on the circumference of the respective mounting bar.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a modular mounting assembly is provided for mounting a mirror to a vehicle and suitable for use with a family of mounting bars including of at least two mounting bars, each mounting bar within the family of mounting bars having a unique diameter, the modular mounting assembly including, for example, a mirror housing for holding the mirror, and a base member attached to the mirror housing and defining a channel portion for receiving a given one of the at least two mounting bars from within the family of mounting bars, the channel portion sized for receiving at least two of the mounting bars. A given cap member selected from a family of cap members is provided configured for selective attachment to the base member, the family of cap members including at least two cap members, each cap member defining a securing portion uniquely configured to mate with a respective one of the at least two mounting bars and to secure the base member to the respective one of the at least two mounting bars.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a modular mounting assembly is provided for mounting a mirror to a vehicle including, for example, a family of mounting bars including of at least two mounting bars, each mounting bar within the family of mounting bars having a unique diameter, the mounting bars being for securing to a vehicle, and a mirror housing for holding the mirror. A base member is attached to the mirror housing and defines a channel portion for receiving a given one of the at least two mounting bars from within the family of mounting bars, the channel portion sized for receiving at least two of the mounting bars. A given cap member selected from a family of cap members is configured for selective attachment to the base member, the family of cap members including at least two cap members, each cap member defining a securing portion uniquely configured to mate with a respective one of the at least two mounting bars and to secure the respective one of the at least two mounting bars to the base member, a given one of the cap members securing the base member to a respective mounting bar.

Mirror mounting assembly with modular components


An improved trimmable truss apparatus and method are disclosed, the truss having upper and lower plates centrally interconnected by diagonal web members, and each respective end providing a trimmable section comprising extended upper and lower chords creating an opening into which a separate trimmable insert section is inserted, such inserts made either as a separate wooden I-beam section, or as a glued laminated beam section. The associated nailing plates placed adjacent the last vertical member extend outwardly, ie. overlap, a substantial minimum distance onto the trimmable end section, whereby the truss end sections cannot be trimmed too closely to the last vertical member. The final diagonal web member at each respective end is placed in an upwardly-aligned positioned so as to be in tension.. An alternative embodiment is disclosed in which the separate trimmable insert sections are formed from a glued laminated beam. The upper and lower chords for the present improved trimmable truss can be formed as either composite members or as wood components.

Trimmable trusses have been used with increasing frequency in certain applications, for example, in light commercial and warehouse buildings, where there is no standard length (ie. stock length) of commercially available trusses. Instead, one or both ends of a longer trimmable truss may be cut-off, ie. trimmed, so that the trimmed truss is of the desired length for a given application. Such trimmable trusses can be inventoried in standard lengths. Such trimmable trusses must be capable of withstanding substantial live, dead, and seismic loading as well as twisting, particularly when used in earthquake-prone areas.
Known prior art trimmable trusses have proved unsatisfactory, particularly in the longer lengths with heavy loads, ie. of approximately 24 feet or more. For example, one known trimmable truss is believed suitable for certain light duty load applications, such as in residential uses of approximately 20 feet or less in length. When they are used for application lengths longer than that, the design of that type known truss is such as to cause it to often twist, deflect, and fail. This is particularly the case when one (or both) trimmable ends of the truss is substantially trimmed away.
Other trimmable trusses are known but also have deficiencies. For example, with one truss the nailing or so-called gusset plates are located within the trimmable area, requiring either their total removal or otherwise preventing the truss from being easily trimmed to a desired specific length (ie. if trimmed where the gusset plates are located).
The present invention overcomes these deficiencies in the prior art by providing a trimmable truss having elongated upper and lower chords which have ends extending beyond the respective final verticals to create a trimmable area at each end. Separate insertable trim members are interconnected between the respective sets of upper and lower chord extension members. The gusset plates used for the last verticals as well as the last diagonal webs are designed to fasten the insertable trim member into the trimmable end section. This is done to preserve, ie. to protect, the integrity of the truss at the respective trimmable ends, and thus, to prevent failure. Further, the respective last diagonal web members are aligned in an upwardly rising position so as to be in tension. This, in turn, allows any remaining (ie. untrimmed) trimmable end section to be in compression, all so that it may accept substantial force loadings placed thereon. In the preferred embodiment, the separate insertable trim members comprise a portion of a so-called wooden, solid web I-beam, a commercially available component having separate upper and lower sub-chord members interconnected by a vertical plywood or particle board (ie. so-called OSB) web member. In an alternative embodiment, the separate insertable trim members comprise a portion of glued laminated beam.
The present improved method of making a trimmable truss includes forming a truss unit having elongated upper and lower chord members interconnected by a series of alternate opposite-aligned diagonal webs (with or without vertical webs); forming the last diagonal web at each end to be in an upwardly rising alignment; inserting final verticals at the respective ends of the series of diagonals; extending the respective upper and lower chords beyond the final verticals; inserting a trim member between the extended chords, each insertable trim member being a portion of either a wooden I-beam or a glued laminated beam; and overlapping gusset plates substantially into the respective trimmable end sections so as to protect the integrity of the truss member adjacent the final vertical.
The present type trimmable truss is aimed at both the residential and commercial/industrial market. The typical truss length required is from 16 feet to 40 feet. In commercial applications, such as used for warehouses or offices, the trusses are typically placed on 16 inches to eight foot centers. They are attached to the supporting structure by hangers using nails or bolts. The typical vertical dimension for the present improved trimmable wooden truss is between 16 and 30 inches high. In residential applications, the present trusses are typically placed on 16 inches to two foot centers.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved trimmable truss which permits either or both its respective ends to be trimmed within limits, and provide structural integrity regardless of the end amount that is trimmed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved trimmable truss which utilizes separate insertable trim members, having sub-chord members, so as to provide substantial additional structural integrity to the respective trimmable end sections and to the overall truss when trimmed.


The present invention relates to phytase variants derived from a parent phytase which is homologous to a Peniophora lycii phytase and comprises at least one substitution in at least one of a number of positions corresponding to a position in the Peniophora lycii phytase. The variants are of improved properties, in particular of a higher specific activity and/or more thermostable than the parent phytase, e.g. of a Tm of up to 82° C. at pH 5.5, as determined by DSC, and/or of a doubled specific activity. The invention also relates to DNA encoding the phytase variants, methods of their production, as well as the use thereof, e.g. in animal feed and animal feed additives.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to variants of a parent phytase, in particular variants of improved thermostability and/or specific activity. The invention also relates to DNA sequences encoding such variants, their production in a recombinant host cell, as well as methods of using the variants, in particular within the field of animal feed. A preferred parent phytase is the Peniophora phytase comprising SEQ ID NO: 2.
2. Description of Related Art
EP 897010 entitled "Modified phytases" discloses, i.a., certain variants of an Aspergillus fumigatus phytase. EP 897985 entitled "Consensus phytases" discloses, i.a., a fungal consensus phytase which may be designed on the basis of, i.a., a multiple alignment of several ascomycete phytases. WO 99/48380 entitled "Thermostable phytases in feed preparation and plant expression" relates to certain aspects of using thermostable phytases. Examples of thermostable phytases are the various consensus phytases listed at p. 30 below the bold line. WO 00/43503 entitled "Improved phytases" relates i.a. to certain phytase variants of increased thermostability, which may be designed by a process similar to the one described in EP 897985. Examples of thermostable phytases are shown at p. 54-55 below the bold line. These phytases all have a percentage of identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 of below 75%.
WO 98/28408 discloses a phytase derived from Peniophora lycii. WO 99/49022 discloses certain variants of Peniophora lycii phytase.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel and improved phytase variants, in particular of improved thermostability and/or increased specific activity.


A system which comprises a self-service newspaper vending machine (2) includes an electronic control means (34) with an on-line connection (36) to a news providing organization (38) from which a newspaper containing up to the minute news can be purchased. A customer is attracted by news stories shown on a display (6). The customer is then given the opportunity of purchasing a newspaper or part of a newspaper. Communication between the customer and the vending machine (2) is by the display (6) and a keyboard (8). The newspaper can be purchased by either inserting a banking or credit card in a card reader (52) or inserting coins into a coin slot (50). The vending machine (2) would then print out the up to the minute news requested.

The present invention relates to a newspaper vending means.
At present newspapers can be purchased from various outlets such as retail establishments, newspaper vendors and vending machines. Regular deliveries need to be made to these outlets to keep them stocked with the latest issue of the newspaper. Even with regular deliveries, newspapers purchased from present outlets are to some extent out of date and may not contain, for example, the latest share prices, results of sporting events or the latest poll results of elections as they happen.
Of course newspaper vending machines, where the customer inserts his coins and then takes out a newspaper, are well known.
It is also known that terminals exist where users can access information and have it printed out where the terminal would have some form of electronic control means. Japanese Patent Application (Publication Number: 0711 5474A) describes a system, where more details on a news story can be received. A newspaper is purchased in the normal way. By each story on the newspaper there is a unique bar code. If the reader of the newspaper requires more information on a story, he needs to take the newspaper to a terminal with a bar code reader. The bar code is then read and the terminal displays details of that story in a multimedia format.

Newspaper vending machine with online connection


A holder for fastener parts which can be removably attached to a tool, such as a wrench or screwdriver. The holder has openings therein which allow the holder to frictionally hold a number of the fastener parts, such as screws, nuts, bolts, washers and the like, so as to have such fastener parts attached to the tool. In this way, the fastener parts are readily accessible to a person using the tool yet the tool can be used without being interfered with by the holder or the fastener parts.. Any one of a number of embodiments of the holder of the present invention can be provided, depending upon the size of the tool to be used with the holder and depending upon the number of items to be held by the holder itself.

When working with mechanical parts which need to be connected together by fastener parts, such as screws, bolts, nuts and washers, it is a tedious job to hold the fastener parts in one hand while handling a tool in the other. This is especially a problem when one is working with overhead structures or in cramped spaces where it is difficult to simultaneously hold the screws in one hand while manipulating the tool in the opposite hand.
Because of these problems, a need has existed for some time for a means to hold a plurality of screws, nuts, bolts and washers while a tool is being used in such a way that these items will be readily accessible yet do not interfere with the use of the tool. The present invention satisfies this need.


A semiconductor chip that may be configured to function as either a master chip or a slave chip. The semiconductor chip may be included in a microelectronic assembly including a plurality of vertically stacked semiconductor chips, with each of the chips containing functional circuit blocks that enable each semiconductor chip to function as either a master chip or a slave chip under in accordance with a state input stored on the same chip, or received from another chip in the stacked assembly or from another component of a system in which the stacked assembly is configured to operate.

Microelectronic devices commonly contain a plurality of semiconductor chips. These chips often have a flat, rectangular body with a large front face having contacts connected to the internal circuitry of the chip. Each individual chip may be contained in a package having external terminals which, in turn, are electrically connected to a circuit panel such as a printed circuit board and which connects the contacts of the chip to conductors of the circuit panel. Alternatively, the chips may be stacked upon one another in an electrically connected assembly, so as to limit the footprint of chips on the circuit board.
It is common for the plurality of semiconductor chips to act in concert as an array of semiconductor chips, with one of the semiconductor chip acting as a master chip to control the transmission of data to and from the other slave chips. These master chips contain circuitry that is not present in the slave chips, such as serializer/deserializers for controlling the flow of input/output signals. Accordingly, in these assemblies only the master chip may perform the operations required of the master chip. If that particular chip ceases to function properly, the entire array of semiconductor chips may be rendered inoperable.

Microelectronic elements with master/slave configurability


A porous film-forming composition is provided comprising (A) a polymer obtained by hydrolytic condensation of a hydrolyzable silane having formula (1):R1n—Si—R24-n  (1)wherein R1 is a monovalent organic group or hydrogen, R2 is a hydrolyzable group or a hydroxyl group and n is an integer of 0 to 3, a hydrolyzate thereof or a partial condensate thereof, with the proviso that at least one silicon compound having an organic crosslinkable group as R1 is included, the polymer being capable of crosslinking reaction by the organic crosslinkable group, and (B) an organic solvent. The composition has improved storage stability, filling properties, adhesion and coating uniformity sufficient to form a sacrificial film which is dissolvable in a stripping solution.

While a number of recent efforts are being made to achieve a finer pattern rule in the drive for higher integration and operating speeds in LSI devices, the commonly used light exposure lithography is approaching the essential limit of resolution determined by the light source wavelength.
As the light source used in the lithography for resist pattern formation, g-line (436 nm) or i-line (365 nm) from a mercury lamp has been widely used. One means believed effective for further reducing the feature size is to reduce the wavelength of exposure light. For the mass production process of 64 M-bit DRAM, the exposure light source of i-line (365 nm) was replaced by a KrF excimer laser having a shorter wavelength of 248 nm. However, for the fabrication of DRAM with a degree of integration of 1 G or more requiring a finer patterning technology (processing feature size 0.13 μm or less), a shorter wavelength light source is required, and in particular, photolithography using ArF excimer laser light (193 nm) is now under investigation.
At the initial stage of KrF lithography, steppers having achromatic lenses or catoptric systems combined with broadband light were developed. However, since the precision of achromatic lenses or aspherical catoptric systems was insufficient, a combination of narrow band laser light with diotric single lenses became the main stream. In general, it is a well-known phenomenon for single wavelength exposure that incident light interferes with reflected light from the substrate to generate standing waves. A so-called halation phenomenon that light is collected or scattered by irregularities on the substrate is also known. Both the standing waves and the halation induce dimensional changes of pattern linewidth or the like, shape collapse or the like. The use of coherent monochromatic light, combined with a reduction of wavelength, further amplifies the standing waves and halation. Then as a method of suppressing halation or standing waves, a method of adding a light absorber to resist and a method of laying an antireflective film on the resist upper surface or on the substrate surface were proposed. However, the method of adding a light absorber gives rise to the problem that the resist pattern shape is tapered. With the recent progress toward shorter wavelengths and smaller feature sizes, the influence of standing waves and halation on pattern dimensional changes becomes more serious beyond the level that can be managed by the addition of a light absorber.
In principle, an overlying transmission type antireflection coating (ARC) is effective only for reducing standing waves, but not for halation. Since the refractive index of an overlying ARC to completely offset standing waves is ideally the square root of a refractive index of resist, an ideal value of 1.34 is given to ARC for combination with the polyhydroxystyrene-base resist for use in KrF lithography having a refractive index of 1.8. An ideal value of 1.27 is given to ARC for combination with the alicyclic acrylic resist for use in ArF lithography having a refractive index of 1.6. Materials having such a low refractive index are limited to perfluoro materials. However, the overlying ARC must be made of water-soluble materials because it is advantageous from the process aspect that the overlying ARC is strippable during alkaline development. If hydrophilic substituent groups are introduced into a highly hydrophobic perfluoro material to tailor it to be water soluble, the refractive index of the material is increased so that the ideal value is increased to about 1.42 for KrF and to about 1.5 for ArF. Then, if patterning to a size of 0.20 μm or less is done by KrF lithography, a mere combination of a light absorber with an overlying ARC fails to suppress the influence of standing waves. In the ArF lithography, the effect of an overlying ARC is almost unexpectable for the above-described reason. In the KrF lithography as well, it will become necessary to lay an antireflection film below the resist as a future reduction of linewidth imposes more severe management of linewidth.
In the case of an antireflective film underlying the resist, when a high reflection substrate such as polysilicon or aluminum underlies, a material having an optimum refractive index (n value) and absorption coefficient (k value) is designed to an appropriate film thickness, whereby the reflectance from the substrate can be reduced to below 1%, achieving a significant antireflection effect. In an example wherein the wavelength is 193 nm and a resist has a refractive index of 1.7, if the underlying ARC has a refractive index (real part of complex refractive index) n of 1.5, an extinction coefficient (imaginary part of complex refractive index) k of 0.5, and a thickness of 42 nm, then the reflectance becomes below 0.5%. However, if the substrate has steps, the ARC largely varies its thickness at the steps. The antireflection effect of the underlying film utilizes not only light absorption, but also the interference effect. The first base of 40 to 45 nm having the enhanced interference effect has an accordingly enhanced antireflection effect, but the reflectance largely varies with a change of film thickness. JP-A 10-69072 discloses a high conformity antireflective film-forming material in which the molecular weight of a base resin is increased to minimize the variation of film thickness at steps. As the molecular weight of a base resin increases, there arise problems that more pinholes generate after spin coating, filtration becomes difficult, a viscosity change with the passage of time leads to a variation of film thickness, and crystals precipitate at the nozzle tip. The conformal behavior is developed only at relatively low steps.
Another probable method uses a film thickness of at least the third base (i.e., of at least 170 nm) where the variation of reflectance due to a film thickness variation is relatively small. As long as the k value is in a range of 0.2 to 0.3 and the film thickness is at least 170 nm, the variation of reflectance due to a film thickness variation is small and the reflectance is kept below 1.5%.
In the event the underlay below the antireflective film is a transparent film like an oxide or nitride film and steps exist below that transparent film, the thickness of the transparent film varies even if the surface of the transparent film is planarized as by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In this event, it is possible to make the thickness of the overlying antireflective film uniform. If the thickness of a transparent film underlying the antireflective film varies, the thickness of the minimum reflective film is shifted by the thickness of the transparent film at a period of λ/2n (wherein λ is an exposure wavelength and n is a refractive index of the transparent film at that wavelength). Even if the thickness of the antireflective film is set equal to the thickness (5 nm) of the minimum reflective film when the underlay is a reflective film, there develop some areas having an increased reflectance due to thickness variations of the transparent film. In this regard, the thickness of the antireflective film must be at least 170 nm, as in the above-mentioned event, for stabilizing the reflectance relative to thickness variations of the underlying transparent film as well.
The materials of which the antireflective film is made are generally divided into inorganic and organic materials. A typical inorganic material is a SiON film. This has the advantages that it can be formed by CVD of a gas mixture of silane and ammonia, and the etching load on resist is light due to a high selective ratio of etching relative to resist, but the range of application is restricted because of difficulty of peeling. Because of a nitrogen atom-containing basic substrate, another drawback arises that it is susceptible to footing in the case of positive resist and an undercut profile in the case of negative resist.
The organic material has the advantages that spin coating is possible without a need for a special equipment as needed for CVD and sputtering, peeling is possible like resist, no footing occurs, the shape is obedient, and adhesion to resist is good. Thus a number of antireflective films based on organic materials have been proposed. For example, JP-B 7-69611 describes a composition comprising a condensate of a diphenylamine derivative with a formaldehyde-modified melamine resin, an alkali-soluble resin, and a light-absorbing agent. However, since most light-absorbing agents have aromatic groups or double bonds, the addition of a light-absorbing agent undesirably increases dry etching resistance and rather reduces a selective ratio of dry etching relative to the resist. As the feature size becomes finer, the drive toward resist film slimming is accelerated. In the ArF exposure lithography of the next generation, acrylic or alicyclic polymers are used as the resist material, indicating that the etching resistance of the resist becomes poor. A further consideration is the problem that the thickness of antireflective film must be increased as mentioned above. Then, etching is an acute problem. There is a need for an antireflective film having a high selective ratio of etching relative to resist, that is, a high etching speed.
Studies have been made on light-absorbing agents for imparting an optimum absorption coefficient to an antireflective film. Anthracene and phenyl type agents are proposed for the KrF and ArF systems, respectively. However, they are also substituent groups having high dry etching resistance as described previously. Even when a polymer backbone having such organic groups as pendants is formulated as a polymer having low etching resistance such as an acrylic resin, a practical limit exists. On the other hand, silicon-containing materials are generally known to have a high etching rate under etching conditions using fluorocarbon gases and provide a high selective ratio relative to the resist. It is then believed that the use of a silicon-containing antireflective film brings about a drastically increased selective ratio in etching. For example, JP-A 11-60735 discloses an antireflective film for KrF exposure comprising a polysilane having pendant phenyl groups, achieving a high selective ratio of etching.
The recent progress toward a higher resolution accelerates the thinning of resist film. As the thickness is reduced, the resist is required to have higher etching resistance. However, improvements in etching resistance are insufficient. One method of pattern transfer for thin film resist is a hard mask method. The hard masks under consideration are SiO films when substrates to be processed are p-Si, and SiN, W—Si and amorphous Si when substrates to be processed are SiO2 films. The hard masks are disrupted in some cases and peeled in other cases. Particularly when the underlay is an insulating film such as SiO2 film, the W—Si or amorphous Si film which is a good conduction film must be peeled. The SiN film which is an insulating film need not be peeled in some cases. However, the SiN film, whose constituent elements are similar to those of SiO2 film, has a drawback that the selective ratio of etching which is an essential function of hard mask is low. Also, a hard mask in the form of a SiON film having the additional function of antireflective film was proposed in SPIE 2000, Vol. 4226, p. 93.
There have been proposed a number of pattern forming processes using silicon-containing polymers as the underlying film below the resist. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3,118,887 and JP-A 2000-356854 disclose a three-layer process involving forming an organic film on a substrate, spin coating silica glass thereon, transferring a resist pattern to the silica glass layer, effecting oxygen gas etching for transferring the pattern to the organic film layer, and finally processing the substrate. JP-A 5-27444, JP-A 6-138664, JP-A 2001-53068, JP-A 2001-92122 and JP-A 2001-343752 disclose silica glass layers serving as an antireflective film as well and silsesquioxane polymer materials. U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,088 discloses a silsesquioxane polymer. JP-A 2003-502449 discloses a material based on a spin-on-glass material, serving as both an antireflective film and a hard mask. However, all these silicon-containing polymers are less storage stable and suffer from the fatal defect that film thickness varies on actual use.
As an example of silica based film, in connection with the dual-damascene manufacture by via-first process, Richard Spear et al. proposed spin-on-glass materials as the antireflective coating/filling material in JP-A 2003-502449, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,268,457 and 6,506,497. Also a spin-on-glass material having no antireflective effect was proposed as the low-dielectric constant film-forming filling material. The spin-on-glass materials have a high structural similarity to the silica base low-dielectric constant film and raise no problem in pattern shape during fluorocarbon gas dry etching, but fail to establish a selectivity during wet etching and are difficult to control the shape after stripping.
On the other hand, when organic materials are used as the filling material, they tend to generate shape abnormalities in proximity to the interface between the organic film and the low-dielectric constant film during fluorocarbon gas dry etching for low-dielectric constant material processing after the oxygen gas dry etching step.
One of the performance requirements for the antireflective film is to eliminate intermixing with the resist and diffusion of low-molecular-weight components into the resist layer, as discussed in Proc. SPIE Vol. 1, 2195, pp. 225-229 (1994). One effective means taken to prevent intermixing and diffusion is by baking an antireflective film after spin coating for inducing thermal crosslinkage. A resist pattern on the antireflective film or the resist underlying film is desired to have a perpendicular shape without footing or undercut. This is because the footed shape introduces a difference of dimensional conversion after etching of the antireflective film, and the undercut shape causes the resist pattern to collapse after development.
It is reported in Proc. SPIE Vol. 3678, pp. 241-250 (1999) that acid-assisted crosslinkage is effective for restraining the positive resist from footing. The method of adding a crosslinking agent and crosslinking with the aid of acid is important for antireflective materials. JP-A 5-27444 and JP-A 2001-92122 describe that the addition of crosslinking agents is effective.
JP-A 2001-354904 describes a process of preparing a porous film-forming composition in the presence of tetraalkylammonium hydroxide. This composition is to form a silica base interlayer dielectric layer. In Example, the composition is fired at a temperature of 450° C. which is above the decomposition temperature of organic groups. The resulting inorganic film can have a good selective ratio of etching relative to an organic resist film, but the film formation by firing at such a high temperature as to decompose organic groups and relying on non-organic crosslinkage fails to achieve optical and acid-diffusion-preventing functions as intended in the present invention.
The recent demands for semiconductor integrated circuits having higher degrees of integration and higher operating speeds require an interlayer insulating layer having a lower dielectric constant in order to reduce the interconnection capacitance. As the insulating layer having a low dielectric constant, porous films are now under study instead of conventional silicon oxide films. A conventional inorganic silicon film formed on such a porous film cannot be selectively removed because of similar properties.
The inventors discovered in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-157807 a resin composed mainly of a silicon base material in which acid-catalyzed crosslinking of organofunctional groups provides satisfactory lithographic properties, a satisfactory etching selectivity relative to an organic material, and storage stability. A film formed after crosslinking of organofunctional groups has a higher dry etching resistance than a porous dielectric film, and is difficult to remove by wet etching without causing damage to the porous dielectric film.

Porous film-forming composition, patterning process, and porous sacrificial film


The invention provides a novel class of reactive fluorescent agents that are based on a pyrene sulfonic acid nucleus. The agents are readily incorporated into conjugates with other species by reacting the reactive group with a group of complementary reactivity on the other species of the conjugate. Also provided are methods of using the compounds of the invention to detect and/or quantify an analyte in a sample. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides multi-color assays incorporating the compounds of the invention.

Fluorescent dyes are widely used as tracers for localization of biological structures by fluorescence microscopy, for quantification of analytes by fluorescence immunoassay, for flow cytometric analysis of cells, for measurement of physiological state of cells and other applications (Kanaoka, Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed. Engl. 16: 137 (1977); Hemmila, Clin. Chem. 31: 359 (1985)). Among the advantages of fluorescent agent over other types of absorption dyes include the delectability of emission at a wavelength distinct from the excitation, the orders of magnitude greater detectability of fluorescence emission over light absorption, the generally low level of fluorescence background in most biological samples and the measurable intrinsic spectral properties of fluorescence polarization (Jolley et al., Clin. Chem. 27: 1190 (1981)), lifetime (U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,120) and excited state energy transfer (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,996,345; and 4,542,104).
Fluorescent agents are now widely used to determine physiological functions in patients during routine checkups or diagnostic procedures, to monitor the exposure of workers and others to potentially harmful chemicals such as toxic or carcinogenic pesticides or inorganic materials in the atmosphere, soil, or drinking water, in determining the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals on disease states or conditions, in screening new compounds for biological activity as either promoters or inhibitors of particular enzymes, in monitoring gene and transgene expression, and in performing immunological and other laboratory assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and Western blots.
Optical methods of detection, such as fluorescence emission, UV absorptivity, and colorimetry are convenient and highly effective for detecting, monitoring, and measuring fluorescent agents, since methods such as these can generate either qualitative or quantitative information and detection can be achieved either by direct visual observation or by instrumentation.
For many applications that utilize fluorescent dyes as tracers, it is necessary to chemically react the dye with a biologically active ligand such as a cell, tissue, protein, antibody, enzyme, drug, hormone, nucleotide, nucleic acid, polysaccharide, lipid or other biomolecule to make a fluorescent ligand analog or to react the dye with natural or synthetic polymers. With these synthetic probes, the biomolecule frequently confers a specificity for a biochemical interaction that is under investigation and the fluorescent dye provides the method for detection and/or quantification of the interaction. Thus, useful dyes are based on a versatile fluorescent nucleus that allows the preparation of reactive derivatives of several different types that exhibit reactivity toward a variety of chemically reactive sites.
There is a recognized need for suitable fluorophores, particularly reactive fluorophores, for applications in multi-color, multiplexed applications, such as microscopy, flow cytometry, immunoassays, and nucleic acid sequencing. Most of the dyes proposed for these applications have longer wavelength emission than fluorescein. Since fluorescein has essentially no fluorescence below 490 nm, a well-designed assay system utilizing fluorescein and a second fluorophore that has a strong emission below this wavelength, would be useful for multiplex assays.
A number of dyes have been proposed in the literature that can be excited and detected at wavelengths less than 500 nm. Several chemically reactive fluorophores that can be excited in the near ultraviolet and short wavelength visible region of the spectrum have been described. Exemplary tracers are derived from naphthalene derivatives such as 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (Dansyl) (Weber, Biochem. J. 41: 145 (1952); Rinderknecht, Experientin 16: 430 (1960)) 3-(isothiocyanato)naphthalene-1,5-disulfonic acid (Braunitzer et al., Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem. 352: 1730 (1971)), and N-(4-methylphenyl)-5-isothiocyanato-1,8-naphthalimide (Khalaf & Rimpler, Hoppe-Seyler's Z Physiol. Chem. 358: 505 (1977)); pyrene derivatives such as pyrene-1-butyric acid (PBA) (Malencik & Anderson, Biochemistry 11: 3022 (1972)), 8-isothiocyanatopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (IPTS) (Braunitzer, et al., Hoppe-Seyler's Z Physiol. Chem. 354: 1536 (1973)) and 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonyl chloride (Wolfbeis, Fresenies Z. Anal. Chem. 320: 271 (1985)); stilbene derivatives such as 4-acetamido-4′-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (SITS) (Cornelisse & Ploem, J. Histochem. Cytochem. 24: 72 (1976)); and coumarin dyes such as 3-carboxy-7-hydroxycoumarin (Baker & Collis, J. Chem. Soc. 1949, S 12 (1949)), 7-hydroxy-4-methylumbelliferone-3-acetic acid (4-MUA) (Khalfan, et al., Biochem. J. 209: 265 (1983)), 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetic acid (AMCA) (Khalfan, et al., Histochem. J. 18: 497 (1986)) and 7-diethylaminocoumarin (Staines et al., J. Histochem. Cytochem. 36:145 (1988))
The existing, reactive, blue-fluorescent fluorophores generally have a weak absorptivity (extinction coefficients of less than 20,000 cm−1 M−1 at their absorbance maxima), relatively low quantum yields, and/or or not particularly well solubilized in aqueous environments. Such properties are less than ideal for a fluorophore of interest for biological applications.
For example, the large Stokes' shifts and wide emission band-widths of many art-recognized dyes result in significant residual fluorescence background from the ultraviolet excited dyes at wavelengths typically used for detection of fluorescein emission (typically 515 to 525 nm). With the exception of 4-MUA, the potential alternative dyes are not optimally suited for excitation with the strongest emission lines of the most commonly available sources, such as the 365 nm line of the mercury arc lamp. Moreover, fluorescence of many of the art-recognized dyes is frequently quenched in aqueous solution, resulting in low quantum yields. The lower quantum yield decreases the detection sensitivity or requires use of disproportionately larger quantities of the less fluorescent dye.
Despite their acceptance as fluorescent tracers, coumarin derivatives have deficiencies that preclude or make more difficult some useful applications. The reactive derivatives of aminocoumarins are quite lipophilic and insoluble in aqueous preparations. Additionally, hydroxycoumarin derivatives typically exhibit pKa values near or above 7.0 and show a pH dependent absorption spectrum that displays a decreased fluorescence in the physiological pH range.
While having other desirable properties of high absorbance and high water solubility, SITS has a very low fluorescence yield in water and is photolytically isomerized to the non-fluorescent cis isomer. Despite the commercial availability of SITS for many years, use of SITS to form fluorescent conjugates has not been widely adopted due to the low fluorescence yield. SITS and related stilbene derivatives also have been found to have an inhibitory effect on anion transport systems in red blood cells (Barzilay, et al., Membrane Biochemistry 2: 227 (1979)) and on microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase (Speth & Schulze, Eur. J. Biochem. 174: 111 (1988)). Another drawback of SITS is the short wavelength absorption maximum (<350 nm). Ultraviolet excitation of SITS can result in cell injury and death in applications where fluorescence measurements are performed on living cells. Autofluorescence of proteins, nucleic acids and other biomolecules present in cells is also increased with shorter wavelength excitation.
Furthermore, the emission spectra of stilbene, napthalene and coumarin derivatives have a very broad long wavelength component which greatly increases the fluorescence background at wavelengths used for detection of other dyes such as fluorescein, Lucifer Yellow and tetramethylrhodamine in applications such as DNA sequencing, developmental tracers and flow cytometry that require detection of multiple dyes and dye conjugates.
With the exception of SITS and the isothiocyanate of pyrenetrisulfonic acid, the solubility in aqueous solution of the commonly used reactive forms of these dyes is very low, necessitating use of organic solvent co-mixtures in forming dye conjugates with most biopolymers. Reactive dye derivatives such as succinimidyl pyrene-1-butyrate and the succinimidyl ester of AMCA are quite lipophilic and insoluble in the aqueous solutions required for fluorescent labelling of proteins, polysaccharides and other biomolecules.
In certain applications, it is desired to utilize a rigid fluorophore to assess the local environment proximate the fluorophore. If the motional correlation times of the fluorophore are long relative to its fluorescence lifetime, the environment in which the fluorophore is located can be probed by a variety of energy transfer experiments, including fluorescence resonance energy transfer, a method that can be used to determine the distance between an immobilized fluorophore and a resonant group such as tryptophan. A rigid fluorophore will generally exhibit motional correlation times that are enhanced relative to more flexible or sterically undemanding fluorophores, thereby enhancing the energy transfer between the fluorophore and another group.
Haugland et al. disclosed reactive tri-sulfonic acid pyrene fluorophores, however, the linker arms incorporated into these agents do not incorporate identical rigid structures, nor do they include the rigid groups as near to the fluorophore, as the compounds of the invention (U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,432). For example, Haugland et al. discloses compounds that include a ring structure formed with nitrogen atom (NRR′) in the —OCH2CO2N(CH2)vNRR′, in which v is 2 or 5. In contrast, exemplary compounds of the invention include a cyclic structure formed between the nitrogen and R′ and R″ moieties of a linker arm of formula —OCH2CO2NR′R″.
In view of the above, a fluorophore having a reactive group attached to the fluorescent nucleus of the fluorophore via a rigid linker arm, which is also water soluble, and highly fluorescent within a narrow wavelength range would be a highly desirable addition to the art-recognized array of reactive fluorophores. The present invention provides such fluorescent agents, conjugates incorporating the agents and methods of using the agents and their conjugates.

Pyrenyloxysulfonic acid fluorescent agents


A low NO.sub.x burner includes a burner plate having a plurality of slots from which fuel gas jets and combustion air are discharged. A plurality of fuel tubes are aligned with the slots for discharging the fuel gas therethrough. The fuel tubes are spaced from the slots so that combustion air, provided by a wind box, also can flow through the slots. The fuel gas and combustion air are discharged at high velocity, thereby generating very high turbulence in the combustion chamber downstream from the burner. The slots are arranged such that the width of the recirculation zones between adjacent slots substantially varies between the central region of the burner plate and its perimeter. With this construction, the local ignition patterns vary such that local oscillations of flame front occur at different frequencies and are not synchronized so that vibrations are greatly dampened and resonance problems in the furnace minimized or eliminated. Preferably a gas nozzle is arranged at the center of the burner plate and is provided with fuel gas discharge ports to direct fuel gas in a direction tangential to the nozzle so as to induce gas exiting therefrom to swirl downstream from the burner plate. A spinner also is arranged around this central gas nozzle to cause combustion air channeled around the nozzle to swirl downstream from the nozzle. In this way, flame stability without air preheat is achieved with up to 110% excess air.

The present invention relates to burners generally, and more particularly to a low NO.sub.x burner having enhanced flame stability and a construction that minimizes vibration generation and accompanying furnace rumble (low-frequency loud noise).
Generally, NO.sub.x emissions rise exponentially with combustion temperature. These emissions typically are reduced by lowering combustion temperatures. In some cases this is accomplished by combusting the fuel with an increased amount of excess air (lean mixture).
One example of a system using excess air to reduce NO.sub.x emissions is disclosed in the article "The Development of a Natural Gas-Fired Combustor for Direct-Air" from the 1992 International Gas Research Conference. In this burner system, the fuel and gas are premixed and then injected in the combustion chamber. The air-fuel mixture is adjusted to provide whatever amount of excess air is desired to lower the temperature so that NO.sub.x emissions are minimized. However, one of the drawbacks of this system is that there remains the danger of explosions upstream from the combustion chamber, for example, in the burner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,329, a low NO.sub.x burner is disclosed, in which mixing of fuel gas and combustion air to the extent necessary for combustion in the burner is precluded. In this burner, fuel tubes or spuds are arranged over slots in a burner plate to discharge fuel gas therethrough at high velocities. Combustion air also is discharged from the burner through these slots. Although some mixing of fuel gas and combustion air (controlled exclusively by fuel gas jet entrainment of the combustion air) occurs along the boundary line between each cone-shaped fuel gas jet and the air, the space volume where this mixing occurs is negligible. In addition, the flow pattern in this area has a velocity component in the downstream direction that many times exceeds the propagation velocity of the flame. Accordingly, any flame flashback from the combustion chamber is precluded.
Although the above systems advantageously reduce NO.sub.x emissions, and in the latter case, minimize the possibility of flame flashback, they are subject to combustion or air flow driven pulsation of the flame front, which causes strong vibration and rumbling in the furnace. In burners generally, the combustion amplifies pulsations which typically occur at a frequency of about 8-200 Hz due to the particular characteristics of the air supply fan or duct work, for example, or resonance modes of a furnace. It has been found that when heat of combustion is applied rapidly and uniformly to the flow of fuel and air downstream of the burner in the area of combustion, these pulsations can be amplified more easily. As a result, the flame front oscillates toward and away from the burner plate at a frequency determined by the system. This leads to vibrations, and causes resonance of the hardware of the furnace, known as rumbling. These vibrations, and resonance problems are of particular concern in large combustion devices.
Another way to reduce flame temperature, and consequently NO.sub.x emissions, is to enhance entrainment of relatively cold oxygen deficient gases from the furnace volume into the combustion space by using the kinetic energy of the air and fuel flows. One example of this is the "transjet" burner manufactured by Hague International. The drawbacks of this design are its inability to effectively control NO.sub.x emissions with an increase of excess air, large size for a given heat input, and high air pressure requirement. Expensive heat and corrosion resistant materials also are required with this system.


A communications device transmits and receives date via a wireless access interface in a mobile communications network. First resource allocation messages are received by communications devices to allocate one or more of plural communications resource elements of a host frequency range of a host carrier. Second resource allocation messages are received by reduced capability devices to allocate one or more of a first section of the communications resources within the first frequency range for preferable allocation to the reduced capability devices of a first virtual carrier, the first resource allocation messages identifying one or more of the communications resource of the host carrier allocated to the communications devices with reference to a first reference frequency and the second resource allocation messages identifying one or more communications resources of the first virtual earner allocated to the reduced capability devices with reference to a second reference frequency within the first virtual carrier.

Third fluid fourth generation mobile telecommunication systems, such as those based on the 3GPP defined UMTS and Long Term Evolution (LTE) architecture are able to support more sophisticated services than simple voice and messaging services offered by previous generations of mobile telecommunication systems.
For example, with the improved radio interface and enhanced data rates provided by LTE systems, a user is able to enjoy high data rate applications such as mobile video streaming and mobile video conferencing that would previously only have been available via a fixed line data connection. The demand to deploy third and fourth generation networks is therefore strong and the coverage area of these networks, i.e. geographic locations where access to the networks is possible, is expected to increase rapidly.
The anticipated widespread deployment of third and fourth generation networks has led to the parallel development of a class of devices and applications which, rather than taking advantage of the high data rates available, instead take advantage of the robust radio interface and increasing ubiquity of the coverage area. Examples include so-called machine type communication (MTC) applications, which are typified by semi-autonomous or autonomous wireless communication devices (i.e. MTC devices) communicating small amounts of data on a relatively infrequent basis. Examples include so -called smart meters which, for example, are located in a customer's house and periodically transmit information back to a central MTC server data relating to the customers consumption of a utility such as gas, water, electricity and so on. Other examples include medical devices which am continuously or intermittently transmitting data such as for example measurements or readings from monitors via a communications network to a server, and automotive applications in which measurement data is gathered from sensors on a vehicle and transmitted via a mobile communications network to a server attached to the network.
Whilst it can be convenient for a terminal such as an MTC type terminal to take advantage of the wide coverage area provided by a third or fourth generation mobile telecommunication network, there are at present disadvantages and challenges to successful deployment. Unlike a conventional third or fourth generation terminal device such as a smartphone, an MTC-type terminal is preferably relatively simple and inexpensive, having a reduced capability. In addition MTC-devices are often deployed in situations that do not afford easy access for direct maintenance or replacement, so that reliable and efficient operation can be crucial. Furthermore, while the type of functions performed by the MTC-type terminal (e.g. collecting and reporting back data) do not require particularly complex processing to perform, third and fourth generation mobile telecommunication networks typically employ advanced data modulation techniques (such as 16 QAM or 64 QAM) on the radio interface which can require more complex and expensive radio transceivers to implement.
It is usually justified to include such complex, transceivers in a smartphone as a smartphone will typically require a powerful processor to perform typical smartphone type functions. However, as indicated above, there is now a desire to use relatively inexpensive said less complex devices to communicate using LTE type networks. In parallel with this drive to provide network accessibility to devices having different operational functionality, e.g. reduced bandwidth operation, there is a desire to optimise the use of the available bandwidth in a telecommunications system supporting such devices. Accordingly it has been proposed to provide a so called "virtual carrier" within the host carrier bandwidth of an LTE network, which provides communications resources for preferable allocation to MTC-type devices, which are referred to interchangeably in the following description as VC-UEs. A virtual carrier is therefore tailored to low capability terminals such as MTC devices and is thus provided within the transmission resources of at least the conventional OFDM type downlink carrier (i.e. a "host carrier"). Unlike data transmitted on a conventional OFDM type downlink carrier, data transmitted on the virtual carrier can be received and decoded without needing to process the full bandwidth of the downlink host OFDM carrier, for at least some part of a sub-frame. Accordingly, data transmitted on the virtual carrier can be received and decoded using a reduced complexity receiver unit.
The term "virtual carrier" corresponds in essence to a narrowband carrier for MTC-type devices within a host carrier for an OFDM-based radio access technology (such as WiMAX or LTE).
The virtual carrier concept is described in a number of co-pending patent applications (including GB 1101970.0 [2], GB 1101981.7 [3], GB 1101966.8 [4], GB 1101983.3 [5], GB 1101853.8 [6], GB 1101982.5 [7], GB 1101980.9 [8] and GB 1101972.6 [9]), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In order to deploy a virtual carrier for access by communications devices such as MTC devices some adaptation of existing signalling and messages may be required, but as far as possible without adapting the host mobile communications network so as to provide compatibility with conventional communications devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mobile communications network, communications device and methods


A cable marker includes a housing which has an accommodating opening to accommodate a label to mark a cable, a cover to close the accommodating opening in a closed position of the cable marker, and a film hinge integrally connecting the housing to the cover such that in an open position, in which the cover does not close the accommodating opening, the cover can be pivoted in relation to the housing along a pivoting plane. The film hinge has a first base portion connecting the film hinge to the housing, a second base portion connecting the film hinge to the cover, and a connecting portion arranged between the first base portion and the second base portion. The connecting portion has a width that is reduced in comparison with at least one of the base portions as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the pivoting plane.

A cable marker may include a housing, which has an accommodating opening for accommodating a label for marking a cable. A cover can be attached to the housing in order to close the accommodating opening in a closed position. The cover is integrally connected to the housing by means of a film hinge in such a way that in an open position, in which the cover does not close the accommodating opening, the cover can be pivoted in relation to the housing along a pivoting plane.
A cable marker of this type is used to label a cable. A label, for example a tag, a labeling strip or similar, can be attached to a cable by means of such a cable marker. The label is inserted into the accommodating opening of the housing for this purpose, whereupon the housing is closed by the cover and the cable marker is attached to the cable in the closed position.
A cable marker of this type is known, for example, from DE 197 38 878 A1. In this case, the cable marker in DE 197 388 78 A1 has fastening lugs on a housing on the one side and on a cover on the other side, by means of which the cable marker can be fixed to an associated cable, for example by means of a cable tie.
In the case of a cable marker known from DE 10 2006 017 613 A1, a housing has insertion openings into which an identification label can be inserted and which can be closed by means of end caps.
A name tag with a front part and a rear part is known from DE 10 2005 046 468 A1, where the front part and the rear part constitute a receptacle for a labeling card.
A cable marker of the type in question here has a viewing surface, for example on the housing, through which a label inserted into the accommodating opening of the housing is visible from the outside. So that information on the label is easily legible in the process, it is necessary for the cable marker, which is produced, for example, integrally with its housing and cover from a plastics material, to be sufficiently see-through at least at its viewing surface. At the same time, the cable marker must be flexible in particular in the region of its film hinge such that the cover can be attached to the housing readily by bending the film hinge without the film hinge being destroyed in the process.
Conventional cable markers of this kind are, for example, produced integrally from a flexible plastics material based on polyethylene (PE), which has a modulus of elasticity of 260 MPa, for example. While such cable markers are frequently see-through, they do appear milky in the process, i.e. they only have limited transparency.
A cable marker of the type in question here should be usable outside, for example, or in environments in which there are increased fire prevention requirements. Due to changing weather conditions there are increased loads outside, which make particular demands on the material of the cable marker, caused for example by UV irradiation or contact with water. In environments where there are increased fire prevention requirements, it is absolutely necessary for the cable marker to be produced from a non-flammable/not highly flammable material.


The present invention relates generally to viral vaccines and, more particularly, to filovirus vaccines and methods of eliciting an immune response against a filovirus or disease caused by infection with filovirus.

The Ebola viruses, and the genetically-related Marburg virus, are filoviruses associated with outbreaks of highly lethal hemorrhagic fever in humans and primates in North America, Europe, and Africa (Peters, C. J. et al. in: Fields Virology, eds. Fields, B. N. et al. 1161–1176, Philadelphia, Lippincott-Raven, 1996; Peters, C. J. et al. 1994 Semin Virol 5:147–154). Ebola viruses are negative-stranded RNA viruses comprised of four subtypes, including those described in the Zaire, Sudan, Reston, and Ivory Coast episodes (Sanchez, A. et al. 1996 PNAS USA 93:3602–3607). Although several subtypes have been defined, the genetic organization of these viruses is similar, each containing seven linearly arrayed genes. Among the viral proteins, the envelope glycoprotein exists in two alternative forms, a 50–70 kilodalton (kDa) secreted protein of unknown function encoded by the viral genome and a 130 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein generated by RNA editing that mediates viral entry (Peters, C. J. et al. in: Fields Virology, eds. Fields, B. N. et al. 1161–1176, Philadelphia, Lippincott-Raven, 1996; Sanchez, A. et al. 1996 PNAS USA 93:3602–3607). Other structural gene products include the nucleoprotein (NP), matrix proteins VP24 and VP40, presumed nonstructural proteins VP30 and VP35, and the viral polymerase (reviewed in Peters, C. J. et al. in: Fields Virology, eds. Fields, B. N. et al. 1161–1176, Philadelphia, Lippincott-Raven, 1996). Although spontaneous variation of its RNA sequence does occur in nature, there appears to be less nucleotide polymorphism within Ebola subtypes than among other RNA viruses (Sanchez, A. et al. 1996 PNAS USA 93:3602–3607), suggesting that immunization may be useful in protecting against this disease. Previous attempts to elicit protective immune responses against Ebola virus using traditional active and passive immunization approaches have, however; not succeeded in primates (Peters, C. J. et al. in: Fields Virology, eds. Fields, B. N. et al. 1161–1176, Philadelphia, Lippincott-Raven, 1996; Clegg, J. C. S. et al. 1997 New Generation Vaccines, eds.: Levine, M. M. et al. 749–765, New York, N.Y. Marcel Dekker, Inc.; Jahrling, P. B. et al. 1996 Arch Virol Suppl 11:135–140). It would thus be desirable to provide a vaccine to elicit an immune response against a filovirus or disease caused by infection with filovirus. It would further be desirable to provide methods of making and using said vaccine.

Development of a preventive vaccine for filovirus infection in primates

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


The present disclosure relates to a communication apparatus, a communication method, a program, and a telepresence system that can perform communication more smoothly. A sound processing unit processes, in accordance with a setting for a specific sound, the sound in performing communication using a video and a voice. For example, the sound processing unit performs processing on a sound input by an input unit, and the sound processed by the sound processing unit, and the original sound input by the input unit are both transmitted. Furthermore, the sound processing unit performs processing on a sound received by a receiving unit configured to receive a sound transmitted from another communication apparatus, and causes the sound to be output from an output unit. The present technology can be applied to a telepresence system, for example.

Conventionally, it has been possible for users existing at remote locations to perform more intimate communication while looking at each other, using a communication system that uses a video and a voice.
For example, in existing video chat that uses a communication apparatus such as a personal computer and a tablet terminal, the communication system is used in such a manner that the users make a conversation with each other while facing displays of communication apparatuses. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been proposed the use of a telepresence system that can perform communication with realistic feeling as if users existing at remote locations actually faced each other.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a realistic television conference apparatus in which a video and a sound image direction match, by localizing the sound image direction as if a sound was produced by a speaker in the video.

Communication apparatus, communication method, program, and telepresence system


A method and system for normalization of a positron emission tomography system are provided. The method includes determining a plurality of block busy fractions for a positron emission tomography system and using the determined block busy fractions to provide correction during normalization of the positron emission tomography system.

This invention relates generally to normalization of positron emission tomography (PET) systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the determination of normalization factors utilized in image reconstruction.
Various techniques or modalities may be used for medical imaging of, for example, portions of a patient's body. PET imaging is a non-invasive nuclear imaging technique that makes possible the study of the internal organs of a human body. PET imaging allows the physician to view the patient's entire body, producing images of many functions of the human body.
In PET imaging, positron-emitting isotopes are injected into the patient's body. These isotopes are referred to as radiopharmaceuticals, which are short-lived unstable isotopes. Once injected into the body, these isotopes decay and discharge positively-charged particles called positrons. Upon discharge, when these positrons encounter an electron, they are annihilated and converted into a pair of photons. The two photons are emitted in nearly opposite directions. A PET scanner typically includes several coaxial rings of detectors around the patient's body to detect the paired photons from such annihilation events. These rings may be separated by short septa or detector shields.
The detectors include crystals or scintillators to sense the gamma rays colliding with them. Coincidence detection circuits connected to the detectors record only those photons that are detected simultaneously by two detectors on opposite sides of the patient. During a typical scan, millions of detected events are recorded to indicate the number of annihilation events along lines joining pairs of detectors in the ring. When a gamma ray emitted by a source interacts with a crystal in a detector, the crystal converts the gamma ray energy to lower energy scintillation photons that are then detected by a light sensor. The light sensor converts the scintillation photons to an electrical signal, which is processed by associated electronics to identify the crystal with which the gamma ray interacted, the time of interaction, and the number of photons generated by the gamma ray (i.e., the gamma ray energy). The collected data is then used to reconstruct an image.
The data collected during a scan, however, may contain inconsistencies. These inconsistencies may arise due to different factors or operating characteristics of the imaging systems, including the presence of shields or septa between the detector rings of the PET scanner, and the presence of attenuation, scatter and normalization effects. The collected data is therefore corrected prior to using such data for reconstruction of the radioisotope distribution image. One of the corrections uses a set of pre-determined normalization factors for correcting the acquired raw PET data. The normalization factors are unique to a given PET machine, and their values may change with time. Hence, the method followed for determination of the normalization factors, also referred to as the normalization process or normalization, is generally repeated periodically. For example, the normalization factors can be determined every six months.
One known method for performing the normalization process is the 'rotating rod normalization' process. In this process, a radioactive positron-emitting rod (line) source is rotated inside the ring of detectors. The responses for all system lines-of-response (LORs) are measured (LORs are the lines traced between the two crystals involved in detecting a coincidence event). Events measured in the LORs are then used to calculate the normalization factors. This normalization process is necessary to correct for detector pair efficiency and geometry differences such that all system LORs can be equalized in their response to a true coincidence event.
One known construction for a PET system is through use of 'block' detectors, these being multiple scintillator elements coupled to a common light-sensing component, commonly, a photomultiplier tube or PMT (e.g., a 6×6 element detector block). When a coincidence gamma ray strikes an element of the block detector, the entire block (multiple elements) is used in processing the event, because energy may be deposited in multiple scintillator elements. Therefore, the entire block is unavailable for processing further events for a period of time (e.g., dead-time).
The rotating rod normalization process is affected by the dead-time of the detectors. The dead-time of a detector is defined as the time taken by the detector to process a gamma ray striking the detector. Due to the dead-time, the system may not process all the gamma rays striking the detector. During the normalization scan, the fraction of time during which a detector is busy processing events is known as "block busy", and includes factors from block and associated electronics losses. In some scanners, the block busy fraction is measured directly by the scanner and reported for each scan. Essentially in these scanners, the block busy fraction may be inferred by the detector's output count rate. The higher the block busy reported for a detector, the higher the likelihood of a gamma ray being missed by the detector. The block busy of a detector depends on the distribution of radioactivity sources within and beyond the scanning field-of-view of that scanner. In the rotating rod normalization scan, block busy is highest when the source is closest to and centered over the detector. The block busy fraction for each detector in the system may be reported only once, or only a few times, during the course of a scan. In situations where the activity distribution is not stationary, such as the normalization scan with a rotating source, the reported block busy data represents the time-averaged block busy fraction through the reporting interval.
In a known PET scanner, the strength of the rod source was chosen such that losses in the gamma ray count due to the dead-time and, therefore, the block busy fraction, were small. In this scanner, the effects of dead-time in the normalization could be ignored. However, in other PET systems, rod sources with higher activity and less favorable source-detector geometry can be employed in order to decrease the time needed to acquire the normalization scan data. Furthermore, the length of the collimators between the source and the detectors may be reduced or totally eliminated. With increased rod source strength and the reduced length (or elimination) of collimators, losses due to dead-time during normalization cannot be ignored without causing artifacts or inaccuracies in the resultant normalization correction.

Method and system for normalization of a positron emission tomography system