Anti-myostatin antibodies are identified that are characterized as having high affinity and may be chimeric, humanized or fully human antibodies, immunoconjugates of the antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof. The antibodies of the invention are useful for increasing muscle mass, increasing bond density, or for the treatment of various disorders in mammalian and avian species, X17251.

Members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily of proteins are involved in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. The TGF-β superfamily members share a common structure including a peptide signal sequence required for secretion of the protein and an amino-terminal fragment that is proteolytically cleaved about 105-140 amino acids from the carboxy-terminus of the large precursor protein to produce the mature protein. The mature protein is characterized by highly conserved cysteine residues, while the active form of the mature protein is a disulfide-linked homodimer of the proteolytically-cleaved proprotein (Gray, A., and Maston, A., Science, 247:1328, 1990).
Myostatin, also referred to as growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) is a member of the TGF-β superfamily of proteins. Myostatin shares structural similarities with other TGF-β family members. It contains a hydrophobic amino-terminus that acts as a secretory signal and a conserved RSRR domain that is important for proteolytic processing. Cleavage of the protein gives rise to an amino-terminal latency associated peptide and a carboxy-terminal mature signaling peptide which forms the biologically active homodimer. Myostatin is expressed largely in developing and adult skeletal muscle and functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle. Systemic over-expression of myostatin in adult mice leads to muscle wasting (Zimmers, et al., Science, 296:1486-1488, 2002) while conversely, a myostatin knock-out mouse is characterized by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the skeletal muscle resulting in two- to threefold greater muscle mass than their wild type littermates and a decrease in fat accumulation (McPherron, et al. Nature, 387:83-90, 1997). A human with a myostatin knock-out mutation was reported to be associated with gross muscle hypertrophy (Scheulke, et al., New Eng. J. Med. 350:2682, 2004).
There are presently limited treatments available for muscle wasting or for disorders or conditions which would benefit from an increase in muscle mass and/or muscle strength including, for example, muscular dystrophy, frailty, disuse atrophy and, cachexia, as well as disorders which are associated with muscle wasting, for example, renal disease, cardiac failure or disease, and liver disease. Due to its role as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, myostatin is a desirable target for therapeutic or prophylactic intervention for such disorders or conditions or for monitoring progression of such disorders or conditions. Apart from its direct role in skeletal muscle regulation, myostatin may also be involved in other physiological processes including preadipocyte differentiation to adipocytes (Kim et al. BBRC, 281:902-906, 2001), and, indirectly with glucose homeostasis (McPherron, A and Lee S-J. JCI 109:595, 2002) and inhibition of bone formation (Hamrick, M. Mol. Cell Evol. Biol. 272 388-91, 2003; Hamrick et al. Calcif Tissue Int. 71:63, 2002). Therefore, myostatin-specific antagonists, e.g., myostatin-specific antibodies, may also prove useful for treating, preventing or monitoring disorders or conditions such as those which benefit from increasing bone density (e.g., osteoporosis), Type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity and osteoarthritis.
Myostatin is highly conserved across species; the amino acid sequence of the mature form of myostatin in human, mouse, rat, chicken, turkey and cow are 100% identical (See FIGS. 2 and 3). There are naturally occurring myostatin mutations in cattle, which have been linked to a double-muscled phenotype (McPherron, et al. PNAS, 94:12457-61, 1997). Since myostatin is highly conserved in sequence and in function across species, not only does an anti-myostatin antibody provide a promising means of increasing muscle mass, or treatment or prevention of such disorders or conditions listed above in humans, but also in other mammals including, e.g., domestic animals (e.g., canine and feline), sports animals (e.g., equine), food-source animals (e.g., bovine, porcine and ovine) and in avian species (e.g., chicken, turkey, duck and other game birds and poultry).
Growth differentiation factor-11, also referred to as GDF-11 or BMP-11, is the member of the TGF-β superfamily of proteins that is most homologous to myostatin. The amino acid sequence of the mature forms of human myostatin and GDF-11 are about 90% identical; however, GDF-11 is expressed in a wider range of tissues than is GDF-8 including dental pulp, brain, heart, kidney and lung as well as muscle and adipose tissue (Nakashima, et al. Mech. of Development 80:185, 1999). GDF-11 knock-out mice die within 24 hours of birth with multiple abnormalities. In particular the mice exhibit extra pairs of ribs, lack kidneys and show defects in the stomach, spleen and pancreas (McPherron et al., Nature Genetics 22:260, 1999; Esquela and Lee, Dev. Biol. 257:356, 2003; Harmon et al., Devpt. 131:6163, 2004). Human GDF-11 has recently been found to govern the temporal windows during which multipotent progenitors retain competence to produce distinct neural progeny (Kim, J. et al. Science 308:1927-1930, 2005).
There is a therapeutic need for an anti-myostatin antibody that preferentially binds myostatin over other TGF-β superfamily proteins, particularly GDF-11. Furthermore, there is a need for myostatin-specific antibodies which bind myostatin with a high affinity, particularly a higher affinity (i.e. a stronger affinity as shown for example by a lower KD value), than with which they bind GDF-11, and thereby allow the dosage level that patients receive to be minimized which may thereby result in less frequent dosing with such an antibody than with an antibody that binds myostatin with a lesser affinity (i.e., a higher KD). A high affinity antibody is also desirable in that it may allow for more flexibility in the route of administration of the antibody to a patient since it is less desirable for a drug to be administered intravenously than subcutaneously for example. There is also a need for myostatin-specific antibodies with a low or otherwise favorable IC50 value in a myostatin bioactivity assay in order to generate a therapeutic anti-myostatin antibody with a minimum effective therapeutic dose. It is also desirable to provide antibodies specific to myostatin where any immune response to the antibody evoked by a patient receiving the antibody is reduced to a minimum. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides related advantages.


An axial cam with a plurality of followers mounted within its diameter drives the followers in both axial directions. The followers operatively actuate valves such as those of an internal combustion engine. The cam can be driven about its exterior perimeter, providing an axially compact embodiment. The phasing of select followers can be established by modifying the azimuth positions of those followers with the cam in operation. By providing the cam with a symmetric actuating profile its followers can be linked to alternately actuate same-function valves in different engine cylinders.

Hundreds of millions of internal combustion engines employ exhaust valves, most also employing intake valves, in positive displacement working chambers of those engines to ventilate them. A positive displacement chamber is a substantially sealed variable volume enclosure. Most such chambers are piston-and-cylinder with a cylinder head in which the valves are located. Typically, such a valve is actuated by a cam follower driven by a cam that is driven by the engine crankshaft. The timing of the valve's actuation is according to the cam's rotational position with respect to the follower and the crankshaft.
The cam that is most often used can be called a radial cam, and runs the length of an engine's cylinder head. Thus, it occupies a sizable footprint on the cylinder head. A radial cam is mounted to rotate about an axis and has lobes to shove its followers radially away from the axis, to actuate the engine valves. A radial cam tends to be massive, needing to be both strong and torsionally stiff to fulfill its service life. Such a cam needs several closely aligned bearings along the length of the cylinder head, which itself is rather squirmy under engine heat and load conditions. A radial cam usually has one lobe for each follower that it actuates, and each engine cylinder requires as many as five followers. The form of the cam lobes is convex, of a short radius, and the followers are also typically convex: their contact surfaces thus experience high Hertzian loads in operation. A radial cam is large and heavy, demanding in its bearing alignment, expensive in the forming of its many lobes, and suffers cam and follower contact surface degradation.
Modification of a cam's timing of its follower actuations, called "phasing," is often desired with today's emphasis on engine emissions control and fuel efficiency. Phasing of a radial cam is done by interposing a mechanism that rotates with the cam, between the cam and its driving member. The mechanism is precisely made and closely regulated in operation, adding complexity to its bulk. A radial cam also needs careful attention paid to its surface lubrication, since lubricating oil tends to be flung from its surfaces. Thus, oil galleries are bored through the cam at additional expense.
An axial cam, often called a barrel cam, is short and can drive several followers from a single contact surface. As the axial cam rotates about its axis, the followers are driven axially by a contact surface of the cam. By incorporating another, oppositely facing, contact surface its followers can be driven in each axial direction by the cam. Axial cams are well known to be strong and long-enduring, and when employed to drive an engine's valve system require no bearings down the length of the cylinder head. Driven rods are deployed from the followers to operatively actuate the valves. With an axial cam, merely two contact surfaces need to be formed on it for the driving of its several followers. The cam's contact surfaces are concave where they cause the greatest acceleration to the followers, which are convex: their contact surfaces thus have minimal Hertzian loading. Phasing of an axial cam is done by modifying the mounted position of one or more of its followers about the cam's rotational axis. An axial cam embodiment is short and light weight, needs no special bearing alignment, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is strong and enduring. Minimal complexity and bulk are required for its phasing.
One form of an axial cam embodiment has the cam faces about the outside perimeter of its driving shaft. This is the most common form of axial cam, found in many applications beyond engine valve actuation. However, this form tends to be longer than desired because the driving shaft of the cam needs to itself be driven at one end, which adds length to the cam embodiment. Further adding to this length is the requirement that the cam needs to be stiff against deflection and thus extra axial thickness is given to the cam.
The present disclosure comprises an axial cam with oppositely facing cam surfaces fixed to a rotating exterior shell. The cam comprises a central cavity, within which at least a portion of each of its followers is mounted about the cam's rotational axis. The followers communicate their axial positions through an open end of the central cavity. Such a cam can be called an interior axial cam. The cam can be driven about its external perimeter with such as a belt drive or by gears, and its cam faces are given strength and stiffness by the exterior shell: thus, it is particularly compact axially. Lubricating oil forms a layer that is centrifugally flung against the inside surface of the rotating shell, contact between the oil layer and the followers splashing oil continuously against the cam contact faces.
The present disclosure is anticipated to be effective in operatively actuating those valves that ventilate positive displacement chambers in machines, whether in engines or in other devices such as compressors.


A segmented track for a Maglev vehicle includes a structural support portion and a Maglev portion fastened to the structural support portion. Each segment of the structural support portion is formed by fusing together three cast metal components. Neighboring ones of the structural support segments are joined together end-to-end by fused metal, and neighboring ones of the reaction rail segments are joined together end-to-end by fused metal. The positioning and joining of the successive segments is done in the field using on site jigs and machines.

Magnetic levitation (hereinafter, "Maglev") may provide advantages compared to conventional wheels on tracks. Generally, Maglev has low or zero mechanical friction and thus parts in Maglev systems do not wear from contact. Maglev has a wide range of speeds over which it can operate, and in operation it generates relatively low noise levels.
Maglev can be applied to traditional large train system architecture as well as monorail or personal rapid transport (PRT) systems. Maglev may use active or passive magnetic interaction for levitation and centering functions, and may use inductive or synchronous magnetic interaction for propulsion. For example, a networked guideway transit system may use permanent magnet coupling to provide primary lift passively with motion, and may use electrodynamic repulsion to create centering forces at most operational speeds while integrating linear motor functions with electrodynamic centering functions. See, for example, Wamble, III et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,562,628 issued Jul. 21, 2009, incorporated herein by reference, and Wamble, III et al. U.S. Pat. No. 8,171,858 issued May 8, 2012, incorporated herein by reference. A propulsion unit can be either integrated with or separate from a levitation unit.
For example, a propulsion unit separate from the levitation unit is described in Wamble III, International Publication WO 2013/003387 A2 published 3 Jan. 2013, incorporated herein by reference. A maglev vehicle is levitated by one or more of the levitation units (e.g. 410 in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11A, 11B of WO 2013/003387 A2), and each levitation unit has one or more elongated magnetic poles. When the vehicle engages the Maglev track, each elongated magnetic pole is adjacent to a flat vertical surface of a stationary electrically conductive rail of the track, and the elongated magnetic pole is inclined at a variable angle. When the elongated magnetic pole moves along the rail, the magnetic field from the elongated magnetic pole induces eddy currents in the rail, and the eddy currents in the rail produce lift upon the elongated magnetic pole. Under some typical operating conditions, the lift is generally proportional to the angle of inclination and the velocity of the vehicle. (See paragraphs [0066] to [0072] of WO 2013/003387 A2.) The angle of the levitation unit can be controlled via a controller that includes at least one processor and/or memory. The controller can be controlled remotely or based upon loading characteristics of the car or desired speed including congestion on the guideway. For example, a maglev vehicle has four levitation units, and each levitation unit includes a respective angle adjustment mechanism, so that there are four angle adjustment mechanisms, namely a front right angle adjustment mechanism, a front left angle adjustment mechanism, a rear right angle adjustment mechanism, and a rear left angle adjustment mechanism. Each of the angle adjustment mechanisms are coupled to a bogie of a vehicle at one portion and coupled to one of the levitation units at another portion. The angle adjustment mechanism can be a threaded coupler, for example a screw, a machine threaded coupler, or the like. In at least one embodiment, the angle the adjustment mechanisms can be controlled by a controller and servo motors. Other control mechanisms can also be implemented. In yet other embodiments, the angle adjustment mechanisms can maintain preset angles for the levitation units. (See paragraphs [0045] to [0046] of WO 2013/003387 A2 and FIG. 4 of WO 2013/003387 A2.)


A wireless vehicle door assembly includes a conductive layer sandwiched between two nonconductive layers. An input terminal provides a connection between the conductive layer and a plurality of wires from another portion of the vehicle. A plurality of connectors couple a plurality of loads to the conductive layer. Electrical power and signals are propagated along the conductive layer to control the various loads.

This invention generally relates to a wireless system for conducting electrical energy and signals to a plurality of loads that are supported on a vehicle door.
Modem day vehicles include a large number of electrical components. A major challenge associated with these components is providing wiring supported on the vehicle body to supply the appropriate power and electrical control signals to the various electrical components. For example, vehicle doors typically support power door locks and a power window motor for raising and lowering the window. It is necessary to supply power to such loads. The conventional approach is to utilize a wire harness through the front portion of the vehicle body that protrudes into the door frame near the hinge connecting the door frame to the vehicle body. A new set of wires then connects the electrical loads to the wires within the wire harness coming into the door frame. Where a large number of components or relatively complex wiring arrangement is required, separate wire harnesses have been used within the door.
There are disadvantages to existing systems in that a large number of wire harnesses may have to be designed to accommodate the varying shapes and content of different vehicles. Moreover, as more electrical loads are introduced, the number of wires increases and the cost and complexity of this system grows.
This invention provides a wireless arrangement for supplying power and communicating electrical signals to a plurality of loads supported on a vehicle door.


An etching method for use in integrated circuit fabrication includes providing a metal nitride layer on a substrate assembly, providing regions of cobalt silicide on first portions of the metal nitride layer, and providing regions of cobalt on second portions of the metal nitride layer. The regions of cobalt and the second portions of the metal nitride layer are removed with at least one solution including a mineral acid and a peroxide. The mineral acid may be selected from the group including HCl, H2SO4, H3PO4, HNO3, and dilute HF (preferably the mineral acid is HCl) and the peroxide may be hydrogen peroxide. Further, the removal of the regions of cobalt and the second portions of the metal nitride layer may include a one step process or a two step process. In the one step process, the regions of cobalt and the second portions of the metal nitride layer are removed with a single solution including the mineral acid and the peroxide. In the two step process, the regions of cobalt are removed with a first solution containing a mineral acid and a peroxide and the second portions of the metal nitride layer are removed with a second solution containing a peroxide. An etching composition including a mineral acid and a peroxide, preferably, HCl and hydrogen peroxide, is also described. The etching methods and compositions may be used in forming structures such as word lines, gate electrodes, local interconnects, etc.

Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) devices are widely used in integrated circuit devices. Such MOS devices may include memory devices which are comprised of an array of memory cells. Each memory cell is comprised of a capacitor, on which the charge stored represents the logical state of the memory cell. Conductors, referred to as word lines, serve as gate electrodes of multiple access transistors which provide access to the memory cells. In a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a word line typically is fabricated on a p-type silicon substrate coated with a thin film of silicon dioxide, known as the gate oxide. Word lines conventionally are formed on the gate oxide layer as a two-layer stack, typically including polysilicon and a conductor material such as tungsten silicide or titanium silicide (commonly referred to as a polycide word line). Further, polycide structures are also used for local interconnects in MOS devices. For example, such polycide structures may be used for the local interconnection of gates and drains in a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory).
Minimizing resistivity throughout the word line or other interconnect structures is of importance to meet the need of reducing time constants and allowing access of memory cells in as short a time period as possible. As memory density increases, feature sizes, including line sizes, decrease. For example, when the feature size of a conductor, such as a local interconnect or a word line, is reduced in a high density memory, the Kelvin contact resistance of the conductor increases. Thin tungsten silicide and titanium silicide are larger grain materials that contribute to a very rough silicide/silicon interface. As such, it reduces the effective ohmic contact area. Therefore, it is desirable to utilize conductors that have smaller grain sizes and as such, whose resistivity will not significantly increase for the same feature dimensions.
Cobalt silicide (CoSi2) is a suitable conductor material for the local interconnect and word line applications. Cobalt silicide is a fine grained material having a low bulk resistivity. Cobalt silicide is therefore, well suited for conductor applications, such as word line, local interconnect, bit line, or other conductor applications in the fabrication of MOS devices. However, cobalt silicide can be difficult to pattern using conventional dry etch processes because such processes produce nonvolatile cobalt fluorides and chlorides. Further, conventional methods of patterning cobalt silicide word lines such as for DRAMs may require extra masks to pattern insulating layers or spacers used in the fabrication of such memories.
Therefore, there is a need for methods of etching in the fabrication of stacks including cobalt silicide, e.g., word lines and local interconnects, which overcome the disadvantages described above, along with other problems as will be apparent from the description below. For example, the etch methods should be suitable for patterning deep submicron cobalt silicide lines resulting in straight sidewalls for such structures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and composition for selectively etching against cobalt silicide


A method of inputting an electronic address into an address field on a communications device, the electronic address including a plurality of text characters and non-text symbol characters. The method includes: receiving a plurality of inputs for the address field through a user input interface of the device; adding text characters to the address field corresponding to the inputs; and detecting among the inputs repetitive successive inputs of a predetermined delimiter, selecting a non-text symbol character from a set of non-text symbol characters in dependence on a number of times the delimiter has been repetitively input without any intervening inputs, and adding the selected non-text symbol character to the address field.

Communications devices, in particular handheld mobile communications devices, typically have a keyboard or keypad for receiving input from a user. Such devices allow a user to be in contact through a communications network, for example the Internet, through various applications such as e-mail and web browsing. For mobile communications devices, the size of the device is typically small enough to be held in the users hand and worn on the body of the user, such as with a belt clip. Such devices may have keyboards with reduced size keys which provide for input by the user's thumbs, while the rest of the device may be physically carried by the hand and fingers. Since there is limited physical space on a mobile device, additional keys or features may not be easily accommodated on the keyboard.
One difficulty with using a keyboard, and especially a reduced size keyboard on a handheld mobile communications device, is that it is cumbersome to input special symbol characters into the device. For example, in a conventional QWERTY keyboard, the inputting of the ampersand or at-symbol (@) requires maintaining the pressing of a SHIFT key while subsequently pressing the "2" key. Such an action may be cumbersome for the user and may prove nearly impossible in some circumstances, e.g., when only one hand is free. Additionally, such an action is especially awkward when using a mobile device having reduced size keys.
Accordingly, input entry shortcuts are desirable.

Input shortcuts for a communications device


A crop processing machine includes a transport mechanism for conveying a crop, a mounting assembly fixed with respect to the transport mechanism, and a knife assembly pivotally mounted with a 4-bar link to the mounting assembly, the knife assembly including a knife for trimming the crop as the crop is conveyed past the knife assembly.

Among the various crops grown for human consumption, an important group is the class of root crops. Root crops are grown for their edible roots or tubers. Some common root crops include aroids, beets, carrots, cassava, celery root, ginger, horseradish, jicana, parsnip, potato and sweet potato, radishes, rutabaga, salsify, turnips and yams. Some of these crops are traditionally eaten raw, and some are eaten after having been cooked. Some of these crops require cutting or trimming prior to packaging for shipment to food processors and distributors. Automated machines for slicing, cutting and trimming vegetables are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,004 to Losito discloses a mushroom trimming machine that transports mushrooms on a series of conveyors or belts. The mushrooms are carried past trimming knives to first trim the bottom or root end, and then slice off the mushroom top or button. Also known in the crop processing industry are machines capable of automatically feeding the crops into engagement with the crop trimming machines. U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,588 to King discloses a screw conveyor device capable of orienting root crops and delivering them to a crop processing station. A root processing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,477 to Huddle. This machine uses a pair of opposed belts to carry root crops, such as radishes, past a first knife to trim the root from the radish, and then past a second knife to trim off the stem.
It would be advantageous if there could be developed an improved crop processing machine that was reliable for use over long operating periods, that was easy to maintain in a clean state, and was capable of high throughput.


A spinal fixation system includes a rod, an anchor, and a clamp assembly. The anchor is adapted to engage a bone. The clamp assembly secures the anchor to the rod. The clamp assembly includes a first portion with first and second flanges for receiving the anchor. A compressible ball is carried by the second portion of the clamp assembly. The ball has a through hole receiving the rod. The through hole is defined by a generally cylindrical inner surface having at least one relieved channel. The first and second flanges include first and second opposing surfaces, respectively. The first and second opposing surfaces are normally angled relative to one another. A nut which threadably engages an upper shaft of the fastener is tightened to draw together the first and second flanges to a position in which they are generally parallel to one another. At least a portion of the through hole tapers from one of the first and second ends towards a center of the ball.

The spinal column is a highly complex structure which houses and protects critical elements of the nervous system. In spite of these complexities, the spinal column is a highly flexible structure, capable of a high degree of curvature and twist through a wide range motion. Genetic or developmental irregularities, trauma, chronic stress, tumors, and disease, however, can result in spinal pathologies which either limit this range of motion, or threaten the critical elements of the nervous system housed within the spinal column.
A variety of systems has been disclosed in the art which achieve immobilization of portions of the spinal column by implanting artificial assemblies in or on the spinal column. These assemblies may be generally classified as anterior, posterior or lateral implants. Posterior implants are attached to the back of the spinal column generally by coupling to the pedicles with screws, or through hooks that attach under the lamina. In either case, the implants generally include elongate support rod elements which are coupled to the screws or hooks to immobilize two or more sequential vertebrae, for example to hold them stable so that adjacent bones may be fused with bone graft.
During implantation of a spinal fixation system of the type having an elongated support rod and anchors, it is important to provide adjustability between the support rod and the anchors. Adjustability facilitates ideal placement of the bone anchors relative to the spine. Preferably, the adjustability between the support rod and the anchors allows the supports rods to translate relative to the anchors and also allows for pivotal movement of the anchors relative to the support rod. The spinal system must also be able to arrest relative movement between the support rod and the anchors after implantation so that the spinal segments are post-operatively immobilized.
While known spinal fixation systems have proven to be useful for various applications, they are all associated with drawbacks. In this regard, the fixation screws or hooks of most known systems are difficult or impossible to adequately tighten to arrest relative movement between the anchors and support rod after implantation. Overcoming this limitation typically involves a complex clamping arrangement or an arrangement that requires undue tightening. Use of known systems are often a tedious process, which is inconsistent in result and adds unwanted time to a procedure.
Accordingly, it remains a need in the art to provide an improved spinal system clamping mechanism for coupling a rod and a bone anchor that overcomes the above discussed and other drawbacks of the prior art.


A Squirrel-proof birdfeeder is disclosed which prevents a squirrel from consuming feed provided for birds. The feeder is of a flatbed design, and the feed is protected from squirrels by a squirrel barrier with a dual screening mechanism. Also disclosed is a special feeder stand that prevents the squirrel from even perching atop the feeder to begin with, an adjustable roof to prevent access by larger birds, and other variations that further enhance the utility of this birdfeeder.

Birdwatching is a pastime of increasing popularity in the United States and abroad. While an excursion into a wilderness area is one way to view birds, many people derive satisfaction by attracting birds to their own yards through various seed feeding devices. However, the seed provided by these devices is also highly-attractive to squirrels and other rodents. A perennial problem plaguing all such devices, therefore, is how to provide feed to attract birds, while simultaneously preventing squirrels and other animals from also partaking of that feed and scaring away the birds for which the feed is intended.
Traditional upright feeders, often in a cylindrical or similar configuration, with a vertical axis of symmetry for the circular surface cross sections of the feeder, and with the seed provided through a wire-like mesh on the cylindrical surface, have the added disadvantage that one cannot view all of the birds which are feeding at the feeder. One can only view those birds on the same side of the cylinder as the viewer, which amounts to only about half of all the feeding birds. In addition, the squirrel-deterring capabilities of these feeders are minimal at best.
Traditional flatbed feeders are preferable from the standpoint of being able to view all of the birds presently at the feeder and ease of use in loading feed into the feeder. But the ability of such feeders to prevent squirrels from feeding on the same feed is minimal or non-existent, and they provide a ready platform upon which a squirrel can perch in order to feed.
Many efforts to prevent squirrels from partaking of bird feed have involved suspending a feeder from a tree. While this may prevent.a squirrel from jumping onto the feeder directly off of the ground, it does not prevent the far-more common approach wherein the squirrel will simply climb up the tree and jump down onto the feeder. It also requires the viewer to hang the feeder fairly high in the tree, and therefore, does not allow for eye-level viewing, which is much more preferable. It also does not allow the feeder to be placed in a location where a tree is not available, e.g., on a patio or balcony, and so greatly limits the flexibility of a feeder in terms of viable locations for placement. It would be desirable to be able to place a feeder in any setting whatsoever, while making the feeder inaccessible to squirrels.
Further, it may also be desired to limit the types of birds that feed at a feeder. In part, this can be achieved by choice of seeds. However, it would also be desirable to control access to the feeder such that larger birds, such as grackle, cowbird, and turtle dove, are unable to gain access to the feeder, while smaller birds, such as goldfinch, nuthatch, and chickadee, etc., can continue to gain such access.
Further, certain birds, such as woodpeckers, prefer suet (animal fat) for feed, and require a different feeder configuration to enable them to access this suet. It would be desirable for a feeder to have a way of providing feed for these birds as well, while continuing to prevent access by squirrels.
Finally, in the event one does not mind observing squirrels as well as birds, but does not want the squirrels partaking of the feed intended for birds, it would be helpful to provide a separate feeding area for squirrels that will maintain them separately from the birds and lessen their desire to encroach upon the bird feeding area.

Squirrel-proof bird feeding device, system and method


The present invention relates to a sulfur vulcanized rubber composition containing 0.1 to 10.0 phr of an oligomeric maleimide of the formula: ##STR1## or a maleamic acid of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R and R.sup.1 are individually selected from the group of radicals consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a halogen; R.sup.2 is selected from the group of radicals consisting of 1 to 12 carbon atoms; X has a value of from 1 to 146 and n has a value of from 0 to 4.. The presence of the maleimide oligomer or maleamic acid improve cord adhesion to the sulfur vulcanized rubber compound.

A pneumatic tire is a polymeric composite and is a complex system of interacting components, each with specific properties for maximum effectiveness. A frequent problem in making a rubber composite is maintaining good adhesion between the rubber and the reinforcement. A conventional method in promoting the adhesion between the rubber and the reinforcement is to pretreat the reinforcing fiber with a mixture of a rubber latex and a phenol-formaldehyde condensation product wherein the phenol is almost always resorcinol. This is the so called "RFL" (resorcinol-formaldehydelatex) method. An alternative method of promoting such adhesion is to generate the resin in-situ (in the vulcanized rubber/textile matrix) by compounding a vulcanizing rubber stock composition with the phenol/formaldehyde condensation product (hereinafter referred to as the "in-situ method"). The components of the condensation product consist of a methylene acceptor and a methylene donor. The most common methylene donors include N-(substituted oxymethyl) melamine, hexamethylenetetramine or hexamethoxymethylmelamine. A common methylene acceptor is a dihydroxybenzene compound such as resorcinol. The in-situ method has been found to be particularly effective where the reinforcing material is steel wire since pretreatment of the wire with the RFL system has been observed to be largely ineffective.
Resorcinol is known to form a resin network within a rubbery polymer by reacting with various methylene donors. Unfortunately, the use of resorcinol has some inherent disadvantages. Resorcinol is not readily dispersed in rubber and in fact neither the resin, nor the resorcinol become chemically bound to the rubber. Additionally, resorcinol in its raw form is excessively volatile and is potentially toxic, thus posing a health hazard. Another disadvantage in using resorcinol is periodic market shortages of supply.
There have been numerous attempts to replace resorcinol, however, few if any have had much success. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,695 there is disclosed a method for enhancing adhesion of rubber to reinforcing materials through the use of phenolic esters as the methylene acceptor. These phenolic esters are less volatile than resorcinol, but still offer no readily reactive site for chemically attaching the resin to the rubber.
Therefore, there exists a need to find a suitable adhesion promoter.

Sulfur vulcanized rubber compounds containing maleamic acid


A method of identifying a 5′AMP-activated protein kinase inhibitor for treating a neurodegenerative disease. Disclosed are a method and a packaged product for treating a neurodegenerative disease. Also disclosed is a method for treating a 5′AMP-activated protein kinase-related disease and a related packaged product.

Neurodegenerative diseases are disorders characterized by gradual and progressive loss of nerve cells. Examples of these diseases include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Among them, Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in exon 1 of the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. See, e.g., Perutz et al., Trends Biochem. Sci. 1999;24:58–63; and Rubinsztein et al., J. Med. Genet. 1999;36:265–270. HD patients have abnormal body movement, dementia, and psychiatric problems. Medications, such as dopamine blockers, reduce the abnormal movement and behavior, but do not stop the regression. Thus, there is a need for a new drug that effectively treats HD and other neurodegenerative diseases.


The present invention is directed to a cosmetic composition containing: a) a block copolymer; b) a primary tackifier; c) a high viscosity ester; d) an alkoxylated mixed polyester; e) a wax; f) a solvent; and g) optionally, a colorant. The invention is also directed to a method of making up keratinous substrates involving applying onto the keratinous substrates said composition.

Cosmetic compositions used to make up or enhance the appearance of keratinous substrates such as skin, lips, hair and eyelashes are oftentimes required to be able to impart various properties such as high shine or gloss, long lasting shine and good or long wear of color. However, the formulation of cosmetic products that can deliver all these properties at the same time can pose some challenges. For example, cosmetic compositions using traditional ingredients known to impart shine or gloss, such as oils, have very poor wear properties. In order to overcome these problems, film forming resins such as silicone film forming resins are generally employed to improve the wear of cosmetic compositions. While the use of silicone film forming resins in cosmetics is popular, one drawback associated with their use is that they tend to be brittle and flake off.
Alternatively, two step products have been developed, using a topcoat to provide shine and/or comfort to a basecoat which is matte and/or dry in an effort to provide good wear and long-lasting shine at the same time. However, this presents the drawback of having to formulate two different compositions and to the consumer who has to employ two separate products.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and composition for making-up a keratinous substrate such as skin or hair in a manner which delivers a combination of good wear, liquid-like shine effect and long lasting shine properties, as well as a non-tacky feel, comfort, cushion, moisturization and desirable creamy texture characteristics upon application onto skin. At the same time, it is also an object of the present invention to provide cosmetic compositions, particularly, lipstick compositions, that have minimum feathering and migration properties.

Cosmetic compositions having long lasting shine


The present disclosure describes a system wherein a drug or other fluid to be delivered to a specific desired location within the body is stored in a reservoir that is directly displaced by a force to infuse the drug from the device into the patient. Several specific methods are used to displace the reservoir, including, generally, hydraulic displacement, mechanical screw-type displacement, and spring force displacement of the fluid reservoir.

Implantable drug infusion devices usually are implanted for several years, during which time there is no opportunity to service or repair these devices. Accordingly, both the implanted device and the drug to be infused must remain operative and be stable for a long period.
The current trend is toward extending significantly the intended life of implanted drug infusion devices. Further, new drugs having different physical and chemical properties are continually being developed, the use of which may not be sufficiently compatible or properly interactive with current devices.
Conventional implantable fluid delivery systems for drug infusion typically include a reservoir to store the fluid, and a separate pump or other flow control device to deliver the fluid. This type of implantable drug infusion system is shown generally in FIG. 1. Reservoirs in conventional implanted drug infusion devices undergo little motion, so that the materials which form the reservoir can be selected primarily for compatibility with the drug that is to be delivered. Pumps, on the other hand, typically have many moving parts. The materials from which the pumps are made thus must be selected for specific mechanical properties, such as flexibility, durability, and strength. The materials used may not exhibit all desirable mechanical properties, or may not be compatible with some drugs to be infused. An example is a silicone tube in a peristaltic pump. Silicone is very flexible and durable, but is permeable to many fluids and is not as strong as other elastomers.
With respect to another incongruity of design objectives, because implantable infusion devices preferably are small in size, the devices typically have only limited internal space, so that any materials used in the manufacture of the device must be of the type that can be used to manufacture very small parts. One example of such a material is silicon formed by micromachining. Silicon, however, is difficult to join to other materials.
Along the same lines, although it is desirable to have implantable fluid delivery systems that are small in size, the reduced size of certain conventional devices can be problematic in some applications. For example, pumps or valves with very small passages are not able to effectively deliver certain fluids. Some drugs, such as insulin, often are damaged by shear forces when flowing through such small passages.
Finally, another design incongruity arises with conventional drug infusion devices in which the drug is routed from the reservoir to the pump, and then to the device outlet where it is delivered to a desired location within the body. A certain amount of the drug thus is contained in the pump and fluid passages. This fluid, held in what commonly is referred to as the "dead space," must be displaced whenever the drug in the reservoir is changed. Delivery systems with relatively more dead space require more unused, unwanted drug to be infused before the drug can be changed.

Apparatus for drug infusion implanted within a living body


An over-current detection circuit using the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET is provided, which is resistant to process variations of a main MOSFET and is not easily influenced by switching noise. Separately from a main MOSFET (Q1), a sense MOSFET (Q3) whose size is 1/m of the main MOSFET is provided and it is caused to be normally on. A DC ON-voltage generated when a current that is 1/m of an over-current value is caused to flow through the sense MOSFET is obtained as a reference voltage for over-current setting. The ON-voltage when the main MOSFET is on is sampled and held, and it is obtained as a DC voltage. These DC voltages are compared in a comparator (COMP).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an over-current detection circuit and method for a power-supply device. In particular, it relates to an over-current detection circuit and method for a power-supply device, whereby, when detecting an over-current using the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET, variations of the ON-voltage due to process variations of the ON-resistance of the main MOSFET or the influence of switching noise is reduced, thereby stabilizing the detection accuracy.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, a built-in power supply of an LSI circuit such as an FPGA or CPU chip is suitable for a compact or low-cost system/unit due to reduction of external components and for high-speed current response (high di/dt) of a load side. As an over-current detection method in such case, the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET is used. The following methods are known as such a method using the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET.
According to an example of the method using the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET, an over-current is detected by comparing the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET obtained via a sample-and-hold circuit and a reference voltage for over-current setting in a comparator (see JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-60449 A, for example).
According to another example of the method using the ON-voltage of a main MOSFET, a sense MOSFET with a size ratio of n:1 with respect to a main MOSFET is provided, and a current that is 1/n of an over-current value is caused to flow through the sense MOSFET. When these two MOSFETs are turned on at the same time, the ON-voltage of the main MOSFET and the ON-voltage of the sense MOSFET are compared in a comparator, so as to detect an over-voltage (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,361, for example).

Over-current detection circuit and method for power-supply device


A system and method for compensating reduced track speed because of engine droop for a work machine is disclosed. The system may comprise a frame, an attachment coupled to the frame, a ground-engaging mechanism adapted to support the frame, an engine, a motor, a track speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, and a controller. The engine may drive the ground-engaging mechanism and attachment. The engine may be coupled through a variable speed transmission to the ground-engaging mechanism and the attachment. They variable speed transmission may include a hydrostatic circuit. The controller may be adapted to send an increased transmission command signal based on a drop in the engine speed signal when the work machine engages an increased load. The increased transmission command signal may increase a motor speed to cause an increase in track speed to compensate at least a portion of the reduced track speed from the engine speed droop.

In the construction industry (and others), various work machines are operated to perform various tasks at a work site. For example, crawler dozers (hereafter "dozers"), motor graders, and other bladed vehicles are well-suited for spreading, shearing, carrying, and otherwise moving relatively large volumes of earth. Typically, on the work machine, the transmission ratio is held constant during initial engagement with a load. Thereby an increase in load may cause a droop in engine speed. This droop in engine speed may generate a relatively jerky experience for the operator as the engine speed "catches up" to meet load demand. Therein lies a need for a smoother transition during changes in load.

Track speed compensation for engine speed droop


An air guiding device for a motor vehicle includes a rear wing, a wing supporting device configured to secure the rear wing and to forward forces which act on the rear wing, and connecting components configured to connect the rear wing and the wing supporting device to one another. A first of the connecting components is configured as a trough-shaped receiving device on the rear wing and/or the wing supporting device. A second of the connecting components which interacts with the first connecting component is configured as a hammer component on the other of the rear wing and/or the wing supporting device. The hammer component has a hammer handle and a hammer head which is connected to the hammer handle, extends transversely with respect thereto, and is received in the trough-shaped receiving device.

DE 10 2010 004 561 A1 has disclosed a passenger motor vehicle having a rear-side air guiding apparatus, the air guiding apparatus being configured as a wing or spoiler and being mounted at the rear of the vehicle. A bearing element connects a deployment element to the air guiding apparatus, the bearing element being hooked into the air guiding apparatus in a first region and being connected by means of a screw connection to the air guiding apparatus in a second region.
DE 10 2011 001 054 A1 has disclosed a motor vehicle having a rear-side air guiding apparatus, in the case of which motor vehicle the air guiding apparatus is received on a device, a spherical socket being configured on the device and a spherical pin being configured on the air guiding apparatus, which spherical socket and spherical pin are in engagement with one another. Furthermore, the air guiding apparatus is connected by way of adjustable spacer means to the device for receiving and fastening the air guiding apparatus.

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


A method for forming wells of a semiconductor device which involves the formation of an additional ion implanted layer and a double rapid thermal annealing for a short period of time, thereby completely removing defects while maintaining a constant resistance in the silicon layer of the semiconductor device. The method includes the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate, sequentially implanting impurity ions in the semiconductor substrate four times, thereby sequentially forming an ion implanted layer adapted to form a well, an additional ion implanted layer, a channel stop ion implanted layer and an ion implanted layer adapted to control a threshold voltage in the semiconductor substrate, and conducting a rapid thermal annealing for the resulting structure for a short period of time in two steps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a method for forming wells of a semiconductor device which are proper for the high integration of a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional method for forming profiled wells of a semiconductor device is illustrated. FIG. 1 is a sectional view explaining the conventional well forming method. Incontrast, FIG. 2 is a graph depicting an impurity ion concentration distribution depending on a well depth in the structure of FIG. 1.
In accordance with the conventional method, an element-isolating film 2 is formed over a semiconductor substrate 1, as shown in FIG. 1. Using a high energy ion implanting device, a well ion implanted layer 3, a channel stop ion implanted layer 4 and a threshold voltage ion implanted layer 5 are then sequentially formed in the semiconductor substrate 1.
After the formation of the implanted layers, vacancy dot defects (not shown) are distributed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate 1 extending up to about 0.8 Rp from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1. Here, "Rp" means a projected range determined by ion implantation energy. Interstitial dot defects are also distributed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate 1 ranging from 1 to 2 Rp.
Thereafter, the resulting structure is annealed in a furnace, which is maintained at a temperature of about 900 to 1,000.degree. C. for about one hour, thereby electrically activating the dopants. Thus, a profiled well is formed.
In contrast, FIG. 2 shows an impurity ion concentration distribution and defect distribution in the semiconductor substrate depending on the depth of the semiconductor substrate. In FIG. 2, the curve 11 depicts an impurity ion concentration distribution in the well, the curve 12 depicts an impurity ion concentration distribution upon the channel stop ion implantation. The curve 13 depicts an impurity ion concentration distribution in the ion implantation for a threshold voltage control. The curve 14 depicts an interstitial dot defect distribution. The curve 15 depicts a vacancy dot defect distribution.
Referring to FIG. 2, the channel step ion implanted region and the ion implanted region for forming the well have a large space differential in accordance with the conventional method. As a result, the dot defects existing in the interstitial dot defect layer formed upon the channel step ion implantation can not be coupled with the dot defects existing in the vacancy dot defect layer formed upon the ion implantation for forming the well when a subsequent thermal annealing is carried out. As a result, such dot defects are left after the subsequent thermal annealing. Furthermore, an increase in resistance occurs because no dopant exists between the two ion implanted layers.
In order to eliminate the above-mentioned defects, a thermal annealing should be conducted at a high temperature for a long time. However, in this case, diffusion of dopants occurs, thereby resulting in a variation in the ion concentration distribution. Consequently, a degradation in the characteristic of the well occurs.
As is apparent from the above description, the conventional well forming method involves a degradation in the electrical characteristic of the semiconductor device which is eventually produced. This results in the degraded reliability of the semiconductor device. Consequently, the conventional method is improper for the high integration of semiconductor devices.

Method for forming wells of a semiconductor device

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides the catalyst precursor that has excellent safety and stability, has high stable activity retention rate, can be recycled, increases yield resulted from a reaction, and is easily processed into various forms. The catalyst precursor comprises a structure in which the entire structure is composed of gold or a gold-based alloy and the surface of the structure is modified with elemental sulfur, or at least the surface of the structure is composed of gold or a gold-based alloy and the surface of the structure is modified with elemental sulfur, and a catalytic metal compound supported on the structure, wherein the catalyst precursor has peaks derived from the catalytic metal compound and also sulfur as analyzed by photoelectron spectroscopy, and wherein the peak derived from sulfur is of the sulfur 1s orbital observed within a range of 2470 eV±2 eV in terms of the peak top position.

Chemistry of organometallic complex enables to readily construct new bonds between carbon and carbon or carbon and hetero atom, and is widely used in various chemical fields including drug discovery and organic synthesis. The present inventors have devoted adequate effort to development of novel reactions and synthesis of bioactive compounds using organometallic complexes such as of ruthenium, palladium, and rare earth metal ytterbium, and have reported findings.
Reactions using an organometallic complex however have the major issue of removal of trace metals remaining in a reaction product after the reaction, as well as a problem in stability of the organometallic complex. The issue should be solved urgently particularly in the field of fine chemical for producing pharmaceuticals and electronic components, because the trace metals are harmful to humans and impair expected product's function (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). In addition, considering to the recent high social demand for the development of environment-conscious process, use of organometallic complexes in industrial scale has many problems in efficiency and recovery of a metal in a catalyst used and treatment of waste solution containing a metal, as well as the issue of removal of trace metals remaining in a reaction product.
One of the solutions to these problems of organometallic complexes is of supporting an organometallic complex to a solid support. Various solid-supported organometallic catalysts have been developed. Among these catalysts, activated charcoal, resins, or polymers or the like is commonly used as a solid support (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3). However, conventional solid-supported organometallic catalysts using these solid supports still leak trace amounts of metals from the supports. Further, in some solid-supported catalysts using resins or polymers as a solid support, a product and the like may be adsorbed on the solid support and thus the product may be difficult to be recovered efficiently. Now, in the field of solid-support catalyst, there is a demand for developing a solid support and a supporting method alternative to the conventional supports and methods. Under this circumstance, the present inventors have investigated to fix a catalyst metal more firmly by constructing a three-component structure of "semiconductor-sulfur-metal." In other words, the present inventors have tried to develop a new catalyst having improved stability, leaking less amount of metals, and exhibiting reusable catalytic activity by modifying the surface of a substrate such as semiconductor, metal, or insulator with sulfur as a coupler and fixing an organometallic complex with the sulfur. As a result, the present inventors have found that a gallium arsenide (001) substrate modified with sulfur at the surface of the substrate can support an organometallic complex and that an amount of metals leaked from the organometallic complex is very smaller than that from an organometallic complex bonded to a conventional solid support in the Mizorogi-Heck reaction (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Catalyst precursor, method for producing the same, method for using the same, and reactor that uses the same

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY


A transistor gate selective re-oxidation process includes the steps of introducing into the vacuum chamber containing the semiconductor substrate a process gas that includes oxygen while maintaining a vacuum pressure in the chamber. An oxide insulating layer on the order of several Angstroms in thickness is formed by generating a plasma in a plasma generation region within the vacuum chamber during successive “on” times, and allowing ion energy of the plasma to decay during successive “off” intervals separating the successive “on” intervals, the “on” and “off” intervals defining a controllable duty cycle. During formation of the oxide insulating layer, the duty cycle is limited so as to limit formation of ion bombardment-induced defects in the insulating layer, while the vacuum pressure is limited so as to limit formation of contamination-induced defects in the insulating layer.

The present invention concerns the formation of a thin gate oxide beneath a gate electrode overlying a source-drain channel of a field effect transistor. The gate oxide is extremely thin (on the order of only Angstroms in thickness) and must be at least nearly free of defects in its amorphous silicon dioxide structure, such as dangling silicon or oxygen bonds. Such dangling bonds create quasi-mobile charge in the gate oxide, leading to two problems. One problem is that the electric fields associated with such charge perturb carrier motion in the source-drain channel, preventing a smooth current flow. Another problem is that such charge, to the extent it is mobile, may contribute to leakage between the gate electrode and the source-drain channel. Therefore, processes for forming the gate oxide must be free of any tendency to form defects in the gate oxide. Currently, only thermal oxide growth processes meet such criteria.
Thermal processes for forming the gate oxide layer have worked well in fabrication of semiconductor devices of the larger feature sizes used in the past. Such thermal processes tend to form high quality gate oxide layers that are free of defects such as dangling bonds or contaminant particles. Moreover, the gate oxide thickness tends to be uniform across the gate area. Unfortunately, as feature sizes are becoming much smaller and different gate oxides are employed in the next generation of advanced technologies, the high wafer temperatures required in thermal oxidation processes are problematic in that the sharp junction definitions which are now required become diffused at the higher temperatures (e.g., above 700° C.). Such a distortion of junction definitions and other features can lead to device failure.
One possible solution to this problem is to employ low temperature plasma processing to form the gate oxide layer. In attempting to do this, other problems have been encountered that render plasma processing apparently useless for gate oxide formation. First, at high chamber pressure (e.g., 100 mT), contaminants tend to accumulate in the gate oxide layer during formation, leading to fatal defects in the gate oxide structure such as dangling bonds or mobile charge. In order to reduce such defects, the chamber pressure can be reduce (e.g., down to tens of mT) by increasing the evacuation rate. While this approach can reduce contamination, it suffers from a tendency to increase plasma ion energy so that the gate oxide layer suffers ion bombardment damage, creating the same type of defects that were sought to be avoided, including dangling bonds and mobile charge. Also, the gate oxide thickness is non-uniform. Thus, it would seem that plasma processing is not feasible, and there has appeared to be no way in which a high quality gate oxide could be formed without raising the wafer temperature beyond allowable limits for the latest generation of devices.
Accordingly, what is needed is a low temperature process for forming a very high quality (defect-free) thin gate oxide layer of uniform thickness.

Selective plasma re-oxidation process using pulsed RF source power


A digital circuit arrangement for influencing the frequency response of a digital audio signal as a function of frequency and/or amplitude, in which the input signal of the digital circuit arrangement is applied to a signal filter (3) having variable filter coefficients, the output signal of the signal filter (3), after addition to the input signal of the digital circuit arrangement, represents the frequency response-influenced output signal of the digital circuit arrangement, and the coefficients for the signal filter (3) are selected in dependence on the output signal of a control circuit to which the output signal of the signal filter (3) is applied, and which includes a control filter (7), a rectifier (8), a pulse shaper stage (9), a logarithmic circuit (12) and a circuit for determining the coefficients.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital circuit arrangement for influencing the frequency response of a digital audio signal as a function of frequency and/or amplitude.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such circuit arrangements are particularly necessary in noise suppression systems which are to suppress the noise arising after a sound carrier has been recorded and subsequently reproduced. Such known systems are, for example, the DBX, the HIGHCOM system and the various Dolby systems. In the latter noise suppression systems, a predefined effect on the audio signals, is set as a function of the frequency and the amplitude of a signal. Such systems are usually referred to as sliding-band systems.
An encoder is provided for these noise suppression systems which increases the upper frequency range of the audio signal at the recording end, for example, as a function of the frequency and/or amplitude of the signal, and a decoder which reduces the same frequency range in a mirror-inverted manner.
For most noise suppression systems of the type described above, it holds that only circuit arrangements operating in the analog mode are known for them. The cause of this is that the circuit arrangements are generally used only for analog audio signals. Of late, however, digitally operating devices for reproducing audio signals have increasingly been marketed, which are also to be suitable for the reproduction of, for example, audio signals.

Circuit arrangement for influencing the frequency response of a digital audio signal


A device for protecting a cooking appliance, in particular a gas cooking plate or a gas cooker, with at least one gas burner which is connected to a gas main via a branch pipe and which is provided with a manually operated gas tap for opening and closing the branch pipe and an ignition mechanism, wherein the or each burner is provided with a sensor for detecting a gas flame, wherein a central processor is arranged which is connected to this sensor and which actuates a gas valve accommodated in the gas main, this such that the gas valve closes in the absence of a flame at the burner, whereby unsafe situations are prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for protecting a cooking appliance, in particular a gas cooking plate/gas cooker, with at least one gas burner which is connected to a gas main via a branch pipe and which is provided with a manually operated gas tap for opening and closing the branch pipe and an ignition mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such cooking appliances are usually embodied with two or more burners, wherein the ignition of the flame at the burner takes place by means of a standard external spark ignition transformer with a branch leading to each burner, wherein the ignition takes place simultaneously at all burners. Such an ignition transformer is placed in active position and provided with an ignition signal by a manual control, whereupon the ignition transformer will immediately spark. Ignition takes place when one of the gas taps is opened, whereafter the ignition is manually rendered inoperative.


The present invention relates to a measurement method of the chromatic dispersion of an optical waveguide using an optical interferometer with a broadband multi-wavelength light source and an optical spectrum analyzing apparatus, wherein one arm, called “reference arm” of the interferometer's two arms has an adjustable air spacing and the other arm, called “sample arm” can contain said optical waveguide to be measured, and including the following measurement and analysis steps: measuring interference spectra of the optical beam output exiting from the said interferometer with an optical spectrum analyzing apparatus when said optical waveguide is connected to said sample arm, and when said optical waveguide is not connected to said sample arm respectively; by adjusting the reference arm length for appearance of clear interference patterns; converting the wavelength-domain interference spectra into frequency-domain interference spectra and calculating phase difference values of the interference peaks of one of the spectra from a predetermined reference peak as a function of the frequency change by counting the interference peak (or valley) points; finding a Taylor series curve fit function for each set of the phase difference value data corresponding to each of the two interference spectra; and calculating a chromatic dispersion coefficient of the optical waveguide by using the coefficients of the Taylor series curve fit functions.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of measuring the chromatic dispersion of an optical beam waveguide (hereinafter referred to as "optical waveguide") using interference fringes of an optical interferometer, more specifically to a method of measuring the chromatic dispersion coefficient of an optical waveguide using interference fringes of an optical interferometer which allows a simple and precise measurement of a chromatic dispersion property of an optical waveguide having a short length or a small chromatic dispersion value without using a complicated measuring equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The chromatic dispersion of an optical waveguide is one of major parameters that influence the generation efficiency of a non-linear optical effect as well as the high-speed transmission performance of optical signals. Accordingly, it is important to precisely measure the chromatic dispersion.
There are several prior arts to measure the chromatic dispersion of an optical waveguide, which are a time of flight method, a phase shift measuring method, and an interferometer-type method.
Firstly, the "Time-of-Flight Method" measures wavelength dependent time delays of optical pulses when the optical pulses of various wavelengths are sent through an optical fiber. This method, however, is sensitive to the time jitter and the wavelength stability of the laser, and requires a high stability even in a complicated experimental structure.
Secondly, the phase shift measuring method measures a wavelength dependent phase delays after phase-modulated optical signals are allowed to pass through a long optical fiber. However, this method has a difficulty in measuring an accurate phase delay when the measurement wavelength is apart from a reference wavelength and the phase delay is large. In addition, this method has another disadvantage related to a complicated measurement setup requirement.
On the other hand, the interferometer-type measuring method measures chromatic dispersions by using an interferometer which allows a precise measurement of wavelengths, refractive indexes, lengths, and detailed spectral patterns of a light wave based on its optical interference phenomenon.
One of prior arts related to the interferometer-type measuring method [L. G. Cohen, J. Lightwave Technol., 3, 958-966 (1985)] uses a scheme of Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This method allows measurement of an absolute value of chromatic dispersion of an optical sample waveguide or fiber placed on a sample arm with an optical fiber or a waveguide having a known chromatic dispersion value placed on a reference arm and with temporal measurement of interference patterns in a time-domain when the length of the reference arm is adjusted appropriately with respect to the length of the optical sample fiber or waveguide placed on the sample arm. This method also has a drawback of requiring a reference optical fiber or a waveguide of known chromatic dispersion value to obtain an absolute chromatic dispersion value of a sample.
In another prior art related to the interferometer-type measuring method [H.-T. Shang, Electron. Lett., 17, 603-605 (1981)], a similar shape of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer as one mentioned above in the prior art [L. G. Cohen, J. Lightwave Technol., 3, 958-966 (1985)] is applied except without using any known reference waveguide or fiber, but the chromatic dispersion of the sample is determined by measuring the center of flat interference spectrum pattern which corresponds to a wavelength of zero signal delay between the reference arm beam and the sample arm beam and which is observed when the reference arm length is adjusted, and by measuring how the wavelength of zero signal delay varies with change of the reference arm length. However, since the output of the interferometer varies very sensitively to environmental instability, it is not easy to measure the wavelength of zero signal delay for both reference and sample arm beams. This kind of sensitivity to the environmental instability causes experimental measurement errors.
Yet, another prior art related to the interferometer-type measuring method described in [J. Y. Lee and D. Y. Kim, Optics Express, 14 (24), 11608-11615 (2006)] and [J. Y. Lee and D. Y. Kim, Applied Optics, 46 (29), 7289-7296 (2007)] reports measured results of the chromatic dispersion of a 55 cm-length optical fiber by using only a sample fiber placed in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. However, this method has a drawback of a limited accuracy in measurement of the chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber or waveguide whose length is shorter than 55 cm or whose dispersion value is very small, because this method does not count any background effect in the interference pattern and phase change measurement.
Another prior art of chromatic dispersion measurement described in the patent document [U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,410] suggests a method that evaluates the minimum and maximum chromatic dispersion values of a sample by comparing the correlation between the reference signal having a known chromatic dispersion and a signal outputted from an optical time-domain reflector (OTDR). This method, however, is inconvenient in that an OTDR must be used, and the comparison with a known chromatic dispersion must be performed, and is limited to evaluation of a relative minimum and maximum chromatic dispersion instead of obtaining the absolute chromatic dispersion.
In addition, another prior art of chromatic dispersion measurement described in the patent document [U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,871] suggests a method that evaluates the chromatic dispersion from the change of the interferometer output according to the modulation frequency of an optical modulator in a Sagnac loop interferometer. However, this method is unable to make a detail suggestion for measuring the chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber or optical waveguide having a short length.
Recently the precise measurement of the chromatic dispersion is required to maximize the nonlinear effect in a silicon optical waveguide. The length of the silicon optical waveguide is about several centimeters or smaller. However, the aforementioned documents related to prior arts on measurement of the chromatic dispersion do not provide any solution for precise measurement of chromatic dispersion of the optical waveguide having a length of several centimeters or smaller.

Measurement method of chromatic dispersion of optical beam waveguide using interference fringe measurement system


An array light source 1 with semiconductor laser sources disposed one-dimensionally and a projective lens 2 are used to illuminate an inspected object so that light beams projected from the array light source form a dotted line on the object. A line sensor is used to receive through an objective lens 3 light emitted from an imaging area 11 away from an illuminated area 12. An image signal, fed to an image processing unit 8 through a pre-processing unit 7 producing an image from signals from the line sensor 4 and a stage 5 is processed, while the stage 5 bearing the object 6 is being gradually moved, to inspect the object 6 for crack defects 9 and 10 by detecting an optically nonhomogeneous portion of the object. The method allows a crack defect of an object, such as a ceramic substrate or a sintered metal product, to be detected fast with high accuracy.

By way of example, defects in a ceramic substrate are described below. Various types of ceramics, including insulation ceramics and piezoelectric ceramics, are used for many machine parts as well as for electronic parts.
Cracks in a ceramic substrate diffusing light or air bubbles confined in the substrate cause its optical reflectance or transmittance locally to vary, thus making the substrate optically nonuniform. Similarly, cracks in a ceramic substrate diffusing a little light or air bubbles confined in the substrate cause its thermal conductivity locally to vary, and thus its temperature distribution becomes uneven. Minute defects at the surface of, or inside, ceramic substrates, including microcracks with an opening width on the order of submicrons, serve as start points of crack propagation, so that brittle fracture occurs. This behavior of such minute defects is a serious problem. Defects, especially crack defects at, or near, the surface of a substrate are considered to matter. The practical limit length of these crack defects is said to be 30 to 100 .mu.m.
Known methods of detecting the defects above include visual inspection using an optical microscope or the like, liquid penetrant testing, ultrasonic testing, ultrasonic microscopy, radiological testing, and infrared thermography.
Visual inspection using an optical microscope or the like, however, has a problem of low accuracy of defect detection both because the size of defects to be detected, such as cracks, is small and because light microscopes bring out unclear contrast.
Defect detecting apparatuses are required to be inexpensive, since they are used in production lines to inspect inexpensive substrates. The apparatuses are also required to operate at high speed. Apparatuses accurately performing liquid penetrant testing, ultrasonic testing, ultrasonic microscopy, and radiological testing cannot meet either of the requirements above.
When an electrically conductive object is inspected by infrared, its heating distribution is measured when energized, or the temperature distribution over its face is imaged using a two-dimensional infrared sensor when its back is heated. However, if the object has high thermal conductivity, an uneven temperature distribution at a defect disappears immediately after the object is heated. This makes it difficult to detect a defect, where temperature distribution is uneven, thus posing a problem of low defect detection sensitivity.

Optical method of detecting defect and apparatus used therein

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


For forming a “wheatsheaf” bunch of flowers, a bundle of stems is twisted. For that purpose, use is made of a first and second rotatable receiving unit which keep flowers or groups of flowers separated from each other transversely to the axial direction relative to a rotation axis of the receiving unit. A multiplicity of stems are introduced in lying orientation in axial direction relative to the rotation axis into the receiving units, with a part of each bouquet component extending over a distance between the first and second rotatable receiving unit. The first receiving unit is rotated between the feeding of different bouquet components, while the second receiving unit rotates substantially along with the first receiving unit. Thereupon, a relative rotation angle between the first and second receiving unit is changed to twist the bundle of stems. After changing of the relative rotation angle, the bundle in the twisted condition is gripped and/or bound and taken out of the receiving units.

FIG. 1a illustrates twisting of a bundle of plant stems. The diameter of the bundle upon twisting is narrowest in a crossing area 182 between the ends of the bundle, at a substantial distance from both ends. Instead of fanning out from an (imaginary) central crossing point, the closest distances of the stems to the central axis of the bundle are in the crossing area at a distance from the central axis of the bundle, and the orientations of different stems relative to each other are rotated relative to each other around the central axis.
It takes time to make a twisted bundle by hand. An experienced florist does this by laying the stems of different stems one by one in different twisted positions ("different" herein being understood to mean that there is more than one stem involved, not necessarily that it is about differences between the (types of) stems). After this, the bundle is bound, for example with a tape or wire winding around the crossing area. The whole of the twisted bundle and winding is also referred to as "wheatsheaf bunch". NL2008880 proposes a form, for manually inserting the stems, in which the stems standing obliquely are supported in accordance with the twisted positions. A multiplicity of these forms are transported along different work positions, on which workers put different kinds of flowers in the forms.
NL1019351 describes a device for automatically twisting a bundle of stems. The device includes two horizontal gratings above each other, on opposite sides of the crossing area. The stems are initially inserted parallel to each other, each vertically, through openings in the two gratings. Thereupon the two gratings are turned relative to one another about a virtual vertical axis, so that the stems are twisted. After this, the bars forming the top grating are retracted, to allow the bundle to be removed. To that end, the top grating consists of two mutually movable sets of bars, in which the bars within each set are mutually parallel, and the bars of the different sets are transverse to each other.
This device has the disadvantage that inserting the stems through two openings in the gratings is cumbersome. The alignment of the flowers in the bundles is determined by the gratings and an optional extra support of the stems, as a result of which the relative height of the flowers in the bundle is not properly controllable.

Method and device for twisting a bundle of plant stems in a bouquet


An optical assembly includes a solid spacing layer between a plenoptic microlens array (MLA) and a pixel-level MLA, avoiding the need for an air gap. Such an assembly, and systems and methods for manufacturing same, can yield improved reliability and efficiency of production, and can avoid many of the problems associated with prior art approaches. In at least one embodiment, the plenoptic MLA, the spacing layer, and the pixel-level MLA are created from optically transmissive polymer(s) deposited on the photosensor array and shaped using photolithographic techniques. Such an approach improves precision in placement and dimensions, and avoids other problems associated with conventional polymer-on-glass architectures. Further variations and techniques are described.

Light-field cameras, which may also be referred to as plenoptic cameras, use a plenoptic microlens array (MLA), in combination with a photosensor array, to capture directional information of light rays passing through the camera's optics. Such directional information can be used for providing and implementing advanced display of and interaction with captured pictures, such as refocusing after capture. Such techniques are described, for example, in Ng et al., "Light Field Photography with a Hand-Held Plenoptic Camera", Technical Report CSTR 2005-02, Stanford Computer Science, and in related U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 12/632,979, for "Light-field Data Acquisition Devices, and Methods of Using and Manufacturing Same," filed Dec. 8, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Plenoptic microlens arrays are often manufactured using a polymer-on-glass approach, including a stamping or replication process wherein the plenoptic MLA is fabricated as a polymer attached to a transparent glass surface. Plenoptic MLAs can be constructed in such a manner using machines and processes available, for example, from Suss MicroOptics of Neuchatel, Switzerland. The polymer-on-glass MLA array is placed with the lens side down, such that incoming light passes through the glass and is then directed by the plenoptic MLA onto the surface of a photosensor array.
Referring now to FIG. 1A, there is shown an example of an assembly 100 for a light-field camera according to the prior art, wherein the plenoptic MLA 102, including any number of individual microlenses 116, is constructed using a polymer-on-glass approach, resulting in MLA 102 being fabricated on glass 103. An air gap 105 has been introduced between plenoptic MLA 102 and photosensor array 101 of the device, to allow for light rays to be properly directed to correct locations on photosensor array 101.
In general, existing techniques for manufacturing a light field sensor require that photosensor array 101 and plenoptic MLA 102 be fabricated as separate components. These components may be assembled using a mechanical separator that adds air gap 105 between the components. Such an assembly process can be expensive and cumbersome; furthermore, the resulting air gap 105 is a potential source of misalignment, unreliability, and/or reduced optical performance. It is desirable to avoid such separate fabrication of parts and later assembly using mechanical separation so as to improve manufacturing efficiency, and so that precision in placement of the lens components can be achieved.
In many image capture devices, a different type of microlens array, referred to herein as a pixel-level microlens array, is used to improve light capture performance and/or reduce crosstalk between neighboring pixels in a photosensor array 101. Referring now to FIG. 1B, there is shown an example of an assembly 150 according to the prior art. Relative to FIG. 1A, this diagram is shown at much higher magnification. Microlenses 206 in pixel-level microlens array 202 direct incoming light 104 so as to maximize the amount of light that reaches each individual photosensor 106, and to avoid losing light that would otherwise hit the areas between individual photosensors 106. Such an arrangement is well known in the art, and may be included on many commercially available image sensors.
The plenoptic microlens array 102 depicted in FIG. 1A and the pixel-level microlens array 202 depicted in FIG. 1B serve completely different purposes. In general, these two types of microlens arrays are constructed to be of differing sizes and locations. For example, each microlens 206 of pixel-level microlens array 202 may be approximately 2 microns across, while each microlens 116 of the plenoptic microlens array 102 may be approximately 20 microns across. These measurements are merely examples. In general, pixel-level microlenses 206 may have a 1:1 relationship with photosensors 106, while plenoptic microlenses 116 may have a 1:many relationship with photosensors 106.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an optical assembly 200 including both a plenoptic MLA 102 and a pixel-level MLA 202 according to the prior art. Such an assembly 200 effectively combines the components depicted and described in connection with FIGS. 1A and 1B. Here, plenoptic MLA 102 directs incoming light 104 toward pixel-level MLA 202. Microlenses 206 in pixel-level MLA 202 then further direct light toward individual photosensors 106 in photosensor array 101. In the arrangement of FIG. 2, air gap 105 is provided between plenoptic MLA 102 and pixel-level MLA 202.
As described above, plenoptic MLA 102 of FIG. 2 can be constructed using a polymer-on-glass approach, wherein plenoptic MLA 102 is attached to glass surface 103. For example, plenoptic MLA 102 may be formed using a mold that is stamped out using polymer and affixed to glass surface 103. The resulting plano-convex microlens assembly is positioned in a "face-down" manner as shown in FIG. 2, with the convex lens surfaces facing away from the light source.
The inclusion of both a plenoptic MLA 102 and a pixel-level MLA 202 serves to further complicate the construction of the image capture apparatus. Existing techniques offer no reliable method for constructing an image capture apparatus that employs both a plenoptic MLA 102 and a pixel-level MLA 202, without introducing an air gap 105. Introduction of such an air gap 105 potentially introduces further complexity, cost, and potential for misalignment.

Optical assembly including plenoptic microlens array


A laundry treating appliance for treating a load of laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation includes a cabinet and a vessel, such as a tub or drum, suspended within the cabinet. An embossed pattern is provided on at least one wall or panel of the cabinet to complement the outer peripheral shape of the vessel.

Laundry treating appliances, such as clothes washers, refreshers, and non-aqueous systems, may have a configuration based on a rotating drum that defines a treating chamber in which laundry items are placed for treating. The laundry treating appliance may have a controller that implements a number of pre-programmed cycles of operation having one or more operating parameters. The controller may control a motor to rotate the drum according to one of the pre-programmed cycles of operation. The rotating drum is housed in a cabinet having one or more side panels which are commonly made of sheet metal. During operation, as the drum rotates the side panels can vibrate, often leading to excess noise.