The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. In a semiconductor substrate formed with a first semiconductor region of P-type and a second semiconductor region of N-type and an insulating film formed between and extending into the first and the second semiconductor regions, gate electrodes of a laminate of a polysilicon layer and a silicide layer are formed on the insulating film covering the first and the second semiconductor regions. A gate electrode situated on the first semiconductor region has an end portion facing and spaced from an end portion of a gate electrode situated on the second semiconductor region. A masking layer is formed on the second semiconductor region with an edge of the masking layer falling between the two gate electrodes where the two end portions face each other. The first semiconductor region is doped with an impurity of N-type, thereby forming a third semiconductor region in the first semiconductor region. The masking layer is removed from the second semiconductor region and a masking layer is formed on the first semiconductor region with an edge of the masking layer falling between the two gate electrodes where the two end portions face each other. The second semiconductor region is doped with an impurity of P-type, thereby forming a fourth semiconductor region in the second semiconductor region. By providing a masking layer to fall between the end portions of the gate electrodes, the gate electrodes are discretely doped to form discrete semiconductor regions.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. More particularly, it relates to techniques effectively utilized for, for example, a semiconductor device which has both regions doped with P-type and N-type impurities and which includes a gate and/or wiring of a laminate structure of silicide/polysilicon.
With the requirement of manufacture of micro semiconductor devices, fine element forming processes the minimum processing dimension of which is 1.3 .mu.m or less have been developed.
In a semiconductor device, for example, a gate array produced by the fine element forming process, the resistance of each gate electrode, which has been conventionally formed of a polysilicon layer, affects the delay of a signal. Accordingly, a "polycide" layer which is of a laminate structure consisting of a polysilicon layer and a silicide layer has been applied to the gate electrode. The gate array in which the polycide layer is applied to the gate electrode, is described in U.S. Ser. No. 450,897 filed on Dec. 14, 1989, assigned to the same assignee of this application, U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,753.

Method of doping gate electrodes discretely with either P-type or N-type impurities to form discrete semiconductor regions


A slewing crane is assembled and installed at the end of a shipping and stowage container having block-shaped corner fittings. Left and right rotatable mounts engage top corner fittings on the container, and a cross piece section engages the rotatable mounts. A boom section has upper and lower hinges rotatably mounting it on the cross piece section via the hinges' axially aligned pins to extend outwardly from the cross piece section. A hoist on the boom section lifts and moves loads, and first and second displacement mechanisms connected to the boom section linearly displace the hoist and angularly displace the hoist and boom section in a slewing motion around the axis of the axially aligned pins. An element connected between the cross piece section and a corner fitting is tensioned by a turnbuckle to securely engage both rotatable mounts and hold the slewing crane on the container.

This invention relates to a crane mounted on a shipping and stowage container. More particularly, this invention is for a slewing crane secured to the end of a shipping and stowage container utilizing powered and/or manual force for lifting/lowering loads, extending/retracting the loads and swinging or slewing the loads in the horizontal plane.
Containers are widely used in air, sea and land transport of goods since they keep many items together as a lot and protect them from damage during the haul. Large transport, vehicles can carry rows and columns of the containers that can rest singly or in stacks on decks and/or pallets.
The great majority of shipping and stowage containers in commercial air and maritime commerce have evolved into a standard design. The standard established by ISO 1161 requirements by the International Organization for Standardization defines containers of standardized dimensions and ruggedness to promote efficiency and safety for air and maritime use. The ISO 1161 containers are robustly constructed with rigid side walls mounted on strong frameworks that have a heavy-duty block-shaped corner fitting at each of the containers' eight corners. The corner fittings and other parts of an ISO 1161 container can be made of steel, aluminum or other tough material.
The ISO block-shaped corner fittings have outward facing elongated openings sized to receive appropriately dimensioned heavy-duty rotatable bayonet portions of standard single or double-cone twist-lock fittings. When a cone-shaped bayonet portion of a single or double-cone twist lock fitting is inserted through an opening and into an ISO 1161 corner fitting, the inserted portion is manually rotated a partial turn via an attached small twist-lock lever. This rotation of the inserted bayonet portion securely engages the twist-lock fitting to the block-shaped corner fitting, and when the other cone-shaped bayonet portion of the double-cone twist lock fitting is inserted through an opening and into a piece that needs to be interconnected, the other inserted portion is manually rotated a partial turn via an attached small twist-lock lever to secure the piece to the container. A considerable number of ISO 1161 corner fittings and interfacing standard single or double-cone twist-lock fittings are well known and commercially available.
Frequently, the need arises for strong lifting mechanisms at containers to help in the performance of work tasks in the area adjacent the containers or to help load or unload some goods to or from containers through one of their several closable openings. Currently, readily affixed mechanisms that are specifically designed for lifting/relocating items at the containers are not known. Typically, external non-fixed lifting equipment must be brought to the work site at the ends of shipping and stowage containers and there utilized to lift/move things. When such non-fixed lifting equipments are available on ships at sea, ship motions may make the use of such forklifts or portable hoists impractical and/or unsafe. In addition, some stowage compartments and holds on ships may have insufficient overhead clearance and/or capacity to mount an adequate lifting device to lift loads at the ends of the containers. Cranes potentially can be mounted internally in the shipping and stowage containers, but internally mounted cranes cannot slew the load past the plane projecting out from the vertical side wall of the container. Another limitation of internally mounting cranes in the containers is that they will consume too much valuable space inside the containers and compromise the amount of material that can be stowed and shipped. In addition, these internally mounted cranes can be fixed in size and may not be easily removable or further erectable to accommodate different sized containers.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a slewing crane externally mounted on a shipping and stowage container utilizing powered and/or manual force for lifting/lowering loads, extending/retracting the loads and swinging or slewing the loads in the horizontal plane.

Removable externally mounted slewing crane for shipping containers

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A host channel adapter is configured for servicing received work notifications based on identifying the work notifications associated with the virtual lanes (VL) having a prescribed ordering position identified by the link layer operations. The host channel adapter, in response to receiving a work notification for a prescribed service level (SL), determines the virtual lane associated with the specified service level based on a prescribed service level to virtual lane mapping. If necessary (e.g., for an unreliable datagram service type), the work notification supplies the prescribed service level (SL) for the host channel adapter. The host channel adapter also determines an ordering position for the determined virtual lane from the link layer module, and selectively services the work notification based on the corresponding ordering position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a host channel adapter configured for communication with target channel adapters in an InfiniBand™ server system, and more particularly to the servicing by the host channel adapter of work notifications, also referred to as "doorbells", that notify the host channel adapter of work queue entries to be serviced.
2. Background Art
Networking technology has encountered improvements in server architectures and design with a goal toward providing servers that are more robust and reliable in mission critical networking applications. In particular, the use of servers for responding to client requests has resulted in a necessity that servers have an extremely high reliability to ensure that the network remains operable. Hence, there has been a substantial concern about server reliability, availability, and serviceability.
In addition, processors used in servers have encountered substantial improvements, where the microprocessor speed and bandwidth have exceeded the capacity of the connected input/output (I/O) buses, limiting the server throughput to the bus capacity. Accordingly, different server standards have been proposed in an attempt to improve server performance in terms of addressing, processor clustering, and high-speed I/O.
These different proposed server standards led to the development of the InfiniBand™ Architecture Specification, (Release 1.0), adopted by the InfiniBand™ Trade Association. The InfiniBand™ Architecture Specification specifies a high-speed networking connection between end nodes (e.g., central processing units, peripherals, etc.) and switches inside a server system. Hence, the term "InfiniBand™ network" refers to a private system area network (SAN) that connects end nodes and switches into a cluster within a server system, enabling the sharing of cluster resources. The InfiniBand™ Architecture Specification specifies both I/O operations and interprocessor communications (IPC).
A particular feature of InfiniBand™ Architecture Specification is the proposed implementation in hardware of the transport layer services present in existing networking protocols, such as TCP/IP based protocols. The hardware-based implementation of transport layer services provides the advantage of reducing processing requirements of the central processing unit (i.e., "offloading" processor code execution), hence offloading the operating system of the server system.
However, arbitrary hardware implementations may result in substantially costly or relatively inefficient hardware designs. One example involves the servicing of work notifications, also referred to as "doorbells". Doorbells are generated by verbs consumers (e.g., operating system supplied agents) that post a work request, for example a work queue entry (WQE) in system memory; the verbs consumer then sends the work notification to notify the host channel adapter of the work request in system memory.
Typically the host channel adapters are configured for servicing work notifications sequentially, using a first in first out arrangement. However, the link layer operations within the HCA are configured for transmitting InfiniBand™ packets according to virtual lane prioritization, for example a weighted round robin virtual lane prioritization. Hence, instances may arise where the host channel adapter may service work notifications for work requests associated with a virtual lane having a relatively low priority. Consequently, transport layer resources and link layer resources within the channel adapter are not coordinated relative to the link layer prioritization, resulting in inefficient utilization of resources. In addition, such uncoordinated operations between the transport layer resource and link layer resources limit the ability of the HCA transferring packet data for data streams (e.g., real time streaming data for video, voice, audio, etc.) according to Quality of Service policies preferred by the provider or consumer of the data streams.

Arrangement in a channel adapter for servicing work notifications based on link layer virtual lane processing


A process for the recycling of scrap metal, such as copper wire, comprises the steps of combining the scrap metal with a concentrate of a metal similar to the scrap metal in a pressure vessel (10) and subjecting the metal concentrate to pressure oxidation along with the scrap metal. In one example the scrap metal comprises copper wire and the metal concentrate comprises a copper matte. An apparatus (16) for feeding the scrap metal to the autoclave (10), without interrupting the operation of the autoclave (10) is also provided.

In certain operations where useful byproducts are formed, these byproducts are subjected to pressure leaching in order to produce saleable products. For example, in a lead smelting operation for the recovery of lead, copper matte is obtained as a byproduct. In order to increase the commercial viability of the process, the copper matte is further treated in a pressure leaching stage in an autoclave to convert the copper matte to copper sulphate, which, for example, is useful as an animal feed supplement.
Sometimes the throughput of such byproduct treatment operations is limited by limited amounts of the byproduct, which reduces the economic viability of the operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for enhancing the output of such a byproduct treatment operation by the recycling of scrap material.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for the recycling of a scrap material for the production of a useful product.

Method and apparatus for recycling of scrap metal


A corner stud (50) has intersecting first and second walls (52, 54) that back up corner edge portions of wallboard panels (40, 42) that meet at the inside corner. The walls (52, 54) are braced by walls (64, 70) and flanges (76, 78). Wall (52) and wall (70) may be parallel to each other and to flange (76). Wall (54) and wall (64) may be parallel to each other and flange (78). The stud (50, 52, 200, 202) may have a web bent about a longitudinal axis to form web parts separated by an inside angle (a). The angle a may be an obtuse angle below one hundred eighty degrees (180°) to about two hundred seventy degrees (270°).

Building framing walls intersect each other at corners. These walls include upper and lower horizontal tracks and vertical studs extending between the tracks. FIG. 1 of the drawing herein shows a prior art use of three standard studs where two walls intersect at a corner. There is a need for solid back up for the edge portions of wallboard panels where they meet a corner of a wall. Solid back up is not adequately provided by the prior art arrangement of conventional studs.
There is a need for an inside corner stud that can be easily and quickly installed into upper and lower track corners. There is also a need for an inside corner stud that provides substantial backing for the edge portions of the wallboard panels that meet at the inside corner white saving costs. It is the primary object of the present invention to fill these needs.
In building construction, not all walls intersect each other at ninety degrees (90°). Some walls intersect at an angle that is larger than ninety degrees (90°) and less than one hundred and eighty (180°). A common intersection angle is one hundred and thirty-five degrees (135°). There is a need for corner studs that can be used at these corners. Another object of the present invention is to fill this need.


A DC power supply system includes: a DC bus serving as a bus bar for DC power supply; a natural energy power generator 30 that supplies generated power to the DC bus; a plurality of storage batteries that store the generated power from the natural energy power generator; a plurality of bidirectional DC-DC converters that connect the plurality of corresponding storage batteries to the DC bus; a power management apparatus that manages operations of the plurality of bidirectional DC-DC converters; and a target voltage corrector that calculates a correction value of a target value for the output voltage by using an average value of a plurality of actual measurement values of each output voltage of the bidirectional DC-DC converters. The power management apparatus individually controls the each output voltage of the bidirectional DC-DC converters by using each target value of the output voltages corrected based on the correction value.

In recent years, a DC power supply system that supplies a DC power from a natural energy power generator, such as a solar power generator or a wind turbine generator, to a load device has attracted attention.
The power generation amount of a natural energy power generator depends upon weather and is thus unstable, so that a storage battery is used for stabilizing power supply. When the amount of power generation is large, the surplus power is charged to a storage battery, while when the power generation amount is small, the storage battery is discharged, whereby power can be stably supplied to a load.
Regarding the DC power supply system, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a plurality of storage batteries is connected to a DC bus through respective bidirectional DC-DC converters. In this configuration, the DC-DC converters are controlled such that when at least one of the plurality of storage batteries discharges power to the DC bus, at least another one of them is charged with power supplied from the DC bus. Further, the DC-DC converters are controlled such that a storage battery having a large storage amount is discharged, while a storage battery having a small storage amount is charged.
Further, Patent Document 2 describes a power route information generating device including a voltage change information acquisition part for acquiring information on a voltage change in each node connected to a DC bus line and a route information generation part for generating topology information in each node based on the voltage change information in each node acquired by the voltage change information acquisition part.


Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member in which friction memory does not easily occur, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer has a surface layer having a plurality of depressed portions which are independent from one another, where the minor axis diameter of the depressed portions is Rpc and the depth indicating the distance between the innermost part of a depressed portion and the opening surface thereof is Rdv, the depressed portions have a ratio of depth to minor axis diameter (Rdv/Rpc) on a surface of the photosensitive member of 1.0 or less, and the photosensitive layer has a charge transporting material with an ionization potential of 4.5 eV or more and 5.3 eV or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to advantages such as low price and high productivity, electrophotographic photosensitive members providing a photosensitive layer (organic photosensitive layer) which uses an organic material as a photoconductive material (a charge generating material and a charge transporting material), a so-called "organic electrophotographic photosensitive member", on a support are becoming more widespread as an electrophotographic photosensitive member. Due to advantages such as high sensitivity and variety in material design, electrophotographic photosensitive members having a multi-layer photosensitive layer composed of a charge generating layer containing a charge generating material and a charge transporting layer containing a charge transporting material, a so-called "multi-layer photosensitive layer", predominate for organic electrophotographic photosensitive members. Examples of the charge generating material include photoconductive dyes and photoconductive pigments. Examples of the charge transporting material include photoconductive polymers and photoconductive low-molecular weight compounds.
Electrophotographic photosensitive members are subjected to direct application of electrical external forces and/or mechanical external forces on their surface, such as of charging, exposure, development, transfer and cleaning, and hence are required to have resistance to these. Specifically, electrophotographic photosensitive members are required to have durability against the scratching and wear of a surface caused by a cleaning blade or paper, friction memory properties against light, friction memory properties against frictional electrification with abutting members, resistance to cracks and depressions caused by abutting members, and adhesion resistance to toner.
One of the various above-described problems is the phenomenon of "friction memory". This phenomenon is one memory phenomenon which is caused by plus charge being generated on a photosensitive member surface as a result of the photosensitive member and a charge member or cleaning blade abutting the photosensitive member rubbing against each other when subjected to vibration from distribution or receiving a shock from a fall.
In view of such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-142813 discusses a technique for reducing the friction with a cleaning blade by introducing a phenyl group which has fluorines substituted on the terminals of the binder. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-075517 discusses a technique for suppressing the occurrence of memory by combining a charge transporting material with a specific structure and a polycarbonate resin with a specific structure.
Further, from the perspective of reducing the friction between a photosensitive member and a charge member or blade, changing the surface profile of the photosensitive member can be thought of as one means. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-066814 discusses a technique for subjecting the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member to compression molding using a stamper provided with well-shaped uneven portions.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus


Inflammatory bowel diseases are represented by two idiopathic disorders, which include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is restricted to the colon and involves uncertain and inflammation of the lining (mucosa) of the large intestine. Crohn's disease, on the other hand, can involve the mucosa of the small and/or large intestine and may involve deeper layers of the bowel wall. The present invention is a combination of 5-aminosalicylic acid and one or more antioxidants (e.g., N-acetylcysteine) for treating such inflammatory bowel diseases.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are complex diseases that are thought to result from over activation of the immune system directed at luminal antigens of the gastrointestinal tract (12). In the early 1940's it was observed that sulfasalazine, formed by the chemical union of the antibiotic sulfapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA; also referred to as mesalamine) by an azo bond, had a beneficial effect in patients with colitis (29). Subsequent clinical studies over the next two decades established that sulfasalazine had efficacy in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (30, 31). Additional studies were directed to determine the chemical kinetics of sulfasalazine when administered orally and to determine mechanisms of action (32-34). Approximate 75% of sulfasalazine reaches the colon unchanged. Within the colon the azo bond is split by bacterial enzyme action into metabolites, 5-ASA and sulfapyridine. Following azo bond reduction, most of the sulfapyridine is absorbed from the colon whereas only 20% of 5-ASA is absorbed. The majority of 5-ASA remains in the colon and is recovered in the feces primarily as free 5-ASA.
Postulated mechanisms for the presumed beneficial action of sulfasalazine in the treatment of colitis initially included inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and inhibition of the lipoxygenase pathway in inflammatory cells such as neutrophils (35,36). Ensuing investigations have established additional therapeutic mechanisms whereby 5-ASA promotes healing and reduces inflammation in IBD (2, 37, 38). These include: free radical scavengers, inhibit T-cell proliferation, inhibit presentation of antigen to T-cells, inhibit adhesion of macrophages and granulocytes, decrease production of interleukins (ILs) and down regulation of the transcription factor, NF-KB, activity. Despite the utility of sulfasalazine for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, experience has shown that up to one third of patients cannot tolerate this medication and manifest one or more side effects of variable severity. These side effects are related directly to systemic absorption of sulfapyridine. Because of sulfasalazine-related side effects, investigators have examined 5-ASA as a single agent for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. There have been several formulations of 5-ASA designed to inhibit proximal intestinal absorption and delivery of this compound to areas of active inflammation (39). Several formulations of 5-ASA have been studied and those currently most popular include coated forms of 5-ASA that are released in a pH-sensitive manner to the distal ileum and colon. Examples of such agents include Asacol™ (Proctor and Gamble) and Pentasa™ (Shire US inc.). Furthermore, 5-ASA preparation for rectal delivery has included the development of suppositories and enemas containing 5-ASA as the active agent. Examples include Rowasa™ rectal suspension enema (Solvay Pharmaceuticals) and 5-ASA suppositories such as Canasa™ (Axcan Scandiapharm). Thus, a number of oral or rectally delivered 5-ASA agents are presently available for the treatment of mild to moderate inflammatory bowel disease.
Recent investigations into the etiological triad of genetic: environmental: immune factors have expanded our knowledge of these individual components and their potential interactions. Pathogenetic models of IBD envision initiating events, possible microbiologicals, arising from the gut lumen that converts immune tolerance to a sustained hyperactive state with elaboration and amplification of cellular and humoral mediators. Immunocyte derived injurious and proinflammatory substances cause tissue injury and destruction. These substances include prostaglandins, reactive oxygen metabolites, nitric oxide, leukotrienes, proteases and matrix metalloproteinases (3). The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) have been examined in experimental models of IBD (4, 5). Pharmacological and genetic manipulation of oxygen free radical and NO generation have been shown to ameliorate experimental colitis induced by luminal administered trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) (5-10).
Although several experimental strategies have been employed that suggest the importance of enhanced production of superoxide and nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of IBD, inconsistent results have the issue unresolved. For example, the beneficial effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD) treatment in experimental models of colitis has been reported while SOD treatment in humans with IBD has shown limited benefit (40). Similarly, the inhibitors of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) have yielded mixed results in various experimental models of IBD (6-8, 27). The antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) when used alone have been shown to be effective in protection against TNBS-induced colitis in rat (9) and DSS-induced colitis in mice, (10) respectfully. Furthermore, recent studies suggest a dominant role of iNOS-derived NO in a murine model of colitis (5). Antioxidant therapy has also been shown to suppress colonic iNOS activity and to decrease colonic NF-KB DNA-binding activity in experimental animals (10). Nuclear factor-KB, NF-KB is a family of transcription factors known to regulate a variety of genes controlling the inflammatory process and regulating programmed cell death (41).
Thus, there exists extensive experimental support for the notion that reactive oxygen molecules and nitric oxide may contribute to the pathogenesis of mucosal injury in inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, experimental evidence also provides support for the concept that inhibition of nitric oxide species and NO generation exert favorable effects on mucosal healing and the inflammatory process in several well-defined models of chemically induced colitis. However, there continues to be a need in the field for a more effective treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and other conditions related to inflammation. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.

Compositions and methods of treatment for inflammatory diseases

The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma


A method includes creating in a first computer arrangement a printer file for a digital document containing information data to be transferred, the digital document having been generated in a first application program, wherein said printer file is internally generated in an operating system in response to a print command; creating in said first computer arrangement a transfer file which comprises said printer file and a definition file defining a one-to-one relation between a set of information data items contained in said printer file and a set of labels in said definition file so that each information data item is associated to a label; and sending said transfer file from the first computer arrangement to a second computer arrangement. Additional methods and systems are also presented.

In order to manage important parts of the business of a company, an organisation or the like, the use of so-called business financial systems is increasing. The term "business financial system" as used in this specification refers to a system, preferably a multi-module application software for managing important parts of the business of a company, an organisation or the like. However, for reasons of simplicity, only companies will be mentioned hereinafter. Thus, it is to be understood that whenever "company" is mentioned, any other kind of organisation is also applicable. The important parts of the business managed by an business financial system may for instance include, but are not limited to, product planning, parts purchasing, managing inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, tracking orders, etc. Well-known business financial system providers include SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards and Peoplesoft.
However, all business financial systems are not compatible with each other. That is, data output from one type of business financial system may not always easily be input to another type of business financial system.
Thus, there exists a problem in connecting different business financial systems with each other, i.e. electronic data interchange between different business financial systems is difficult.
For example, a manufacturer may co-operate with a large number of suppliers. If not all suppliers utilize the same business financial system as the manufacturer, there is a problem in interchanging data electronically between the business financial system of the manufacturer and the business financial system of each supplier.
EDI, Electronic Data Interchange, has been proposed as a standardization of electronic communication of information between different computer systems. Examples of EDI documents that may be transferred electronically between different computer systems include purchase orders, invoices, price quotes, product inquiries and the like. In an EDI document, the information contained therein is arranged according to a standardized format. Thus, in order to make use of EDI, each document to be transferred electronically between two different computer systems has to be converted into the EDI format. For example, if an invoice is to be transferred from a supplier to a customer, the invoice created in the supplier's business financial system has to be converted into EDI format. For the customer's business financial system to understand the information contained in the EDI invoice, the information contained in the EDI invoice has to be converted into a format understandable by the business financial system of the customer.
Accordingly, the use of EDI for transferring documents electronically between different computer systems involves converting documents into EDI format at the document sender and converting documents from EDI format at the document receiver. Thus, if two different business financial systems are to use EDI for data interchange, integration of additional software at each business financial system has to be performed so that the required document conversion may take place. This kind of software integration in order to be able to convert documents is in most cases very costly. Although EDI makes it possible to interchange data between different computer systems, the costs involved with integrating a business financial system with software for document conversion into and from EDI format are large. Especially for smaller companies, such as for instance a smaller supplier, the costs involved with the use of EDI cannot be motivated.
Still, information has to be transferred in some way between different business financial systems. Thus, documents, such as invoices, purchase orders and the like, which are generated by a business financial system, are often printed on paper for delivery to a receiver having another business financial system. To automatize document handling, different data capturing solutions have been proposed. For example, a paper document may be scanned for obtaining important information items contained in the paper document. The information obtained by such data capture may then be input to the receiver's business financial system. However, data capture involving scanning of paper documents is not 100% reliable. Consequently, the data captured in such a manner has to be checked, which is disadvantageous.
As mentioned hereinabove, there exists a need of data interchange between different business financial systems. Large benefits would be reaped for all parts involved if data could be transferred electronically between different business financial systems, compared to the case of manual handling of paper documents containing the data to be transferred.
This becomes especially apparent within the manufacturing industry and the field of transportation. As an illustrative example may be mentioned the process of handling an invoice. Due to the difficulties in transferring invoices electronically, at present a lot of manual work is done in the invoice handling process including printing, enveloping, sending, opening letters, registration, certification, preliminary booking, attestation, payments and archiving. All manual work carried out in this process implies large costs for each part involved.
Various service bureaus, one example of which being The Swedish Post Office, provide services for data interchange including an intermediate part, which interconnects a first and a second part, which are to interchange information data. Information data are sent from the first part to the intermediate part, which performs necessary conversion so that the information data may be received by the second part. Thus, this kind of service provides a means for connecting different business financial systems with each other so that data may be exchanged electronically. However, since all communication goes via an intermediate part, this solution for electronic data interchange is very vulnerable to operational disorders in the computer system of the intermediate part providing this service.

Method of transferring data between different types of computer systems


A syringe for parenteral injection of a semi-solid formulation. The syringe includes a hollow element forming a reservoir for the semi-solid product to be injected between a plunger and a needle hub urged in contact with the reservoir end. The plunger comes into direct contact with the hub when the dose contained in the reservoir-forming element has been injected. The element forming a reservoir and the needle are maintained mutually interlocked at the hub through a mount or case receiving the element forming a reservoir.

The present invention relates to the parenteral administration, by injection, of medicamental or other formulations which are neither liquids, like the conventional injectable formulations, nor solids, like implants, but are pasty or very viscous and are referred to below as semi-solid formulations.
There are many alternative forms of syringes for the parenteral injection of liquids by means of a needle for parenteral injection. These syringes are practically unusable for the parenteral administration of semi-solid formulations.
Various devices for the parenteral administration of solid formulations, such as implants, are also known, these using trocars of relatively large diameter and being combined with expulsion means allowing the formulation to be expelled from the trocar, for example by withdrawing the latter. Other administration means use catheters.
Also known are syringes intended for the administration of pasty products in dentistry, which allow cements or other materials to be deposited in dental cavities. Examples of such syringes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,121,587 and 5,603,701 which provide a syringe body in which a piston moves in order to expel the pasty mass through a needle, using means for moving the piston which are based on a threaded rod passing through a complementary immobile thread, in order to gear down the force necessary to expel the pasty mass. However, these syringes are not capable of suitable parenteral injection and are very complex, whether they be specially designed in all their parts or have elements designed to be used with conventional syringe bodies, which means that they are ill-suited to multiple use and are especially in the form of a disposable or non-reusable syringe or carpule.

Syringes for administering pasty or semi-solid formulations

Societe de Conseils de Recherches et d'Applications Scientifiques SCRAS


This invention is a new and distinct cultivar of a zonal geranium, Pelargonium×hortorum, named ‘Beky’. The cultivar has a brilliant array of colors within the plant's purple blossom and medium green foliage on a stable, full, well-branched plant.

The cultivar was developed from a controlled breeding program conducted at the Sudbury, Mass. A non-patented cultivar designated #94362 as the male parent and a non-patented cultivar designated #2484 as the female parent were crossed in a cultivated area to create a single plant named 'Beky'. 'Beky's' plant habit is symmetrical with excellent basal branching. The new cultivar 'Beky' differs from its' male parent in color shade being darker and more vibrant. The new cultivar 'Beky' differs from its' female parent in number of petals being fewer than it's parent. The new cultivar 'Becky's' similar in color to 'Springfield Violet'. Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by cuttings at the location previously stated has shown that the unique features of this new geranium are stable and that the plant reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.


In an example embodiment, the appearance and/or operation of a web application may be modified based, at least in part, on one or more contextual elements of a web page.

With networks such as the Internet gaining tremendous popularity, and with the vast multitude of pages and/or other documents and/or other media content becoming available to users via the World Wide Web (web), it has become desirable for some web page publishers and/or other entities related to the web to implement application execution environments to allow users to run applications via the entity's web site, and to entice users to visit the sites. Such application execution environments may comprise "stand alone" environments, with the web page publisher performing page assembly as well as performing back-end integration with data storage, social information, etc.
Reference is made in the following detailed description to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, wherein like numerals may designate like parts throughout to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and/or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of claimed subject matter. It should also be noted that directions and references, for example, up, down, top, bottom, and so on, may be used to facilitate the discussion of the drawings and are not intended to restrict the application of claimed subject matter. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of claimed subject matter defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Contextually aware web application platform


A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotor 45 for rotating a plurality of wafers W paralleled each other at appropriate intervals. While rotating the wafers W by the rotor 45, a chemical liquid is supplied to the wafers W for their processing. The rotor 45 has holding members 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 for holding the peripheries of the wafers W in parallel arrangement and a press member 100 for holding the wafers W while applying a pressure on their peripheries. Irrespective of rotation of the rotor 45, the press member 100 always applies a pressure on the peripheries of the wafers W so as to prevent the peripheries from sifting with respect to the holding members 95, 96, 97, 98, 99. With the action of the press member 100, it becomes possible to prevent the peripheries of the wafers W from being worn and also possible to elongate the span of life of the holding members 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 while performing a chemical processing.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for cleaning a substrate, for example, semiconductor wafer, glass for LCD substrate, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, there is employed a substrate processing apparatus that sprays a processing liquid (e.g. chemical liquid, deionized water) to semiconductor wafers, which will be called as "wafers" hereinafter, thereby to remove contaminants, for example, particles, organic contaminants, etc. from the wafers. As such a substrate processing apparatus, there is known a substrate processing apparatus that includes a rotor accommodating a plurality of wafers (e.g. twenty six wafers) at appropriate intervals. The rotor is provided with a plurality of parallel holding rods (e.g. six rods). Each of the holding rods has twenty six holding grooves formed at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction to hold the peripheries of twenty six wafers. By six holding rods of the rotor, each wafer is held at six positions about the periphery stably. Being retained in twenty six holding grooves of each holding rod respectively, twenty six wafers are arranged in parallel with each other at appropriate intervals in the rotor. By spraying chemical liquid etc. while rotating the wafers accommodated in the so-constructed rotor, particles etc. can be removed from the wafers uniformly.
In the conventional substrate processing apparatus, however, when accelerating or decelerating the rotation of a rotor, the rotating speed of the wafers does not follow the rotating speed of the rotor, so that a phenomenon of the wafers' slipping in the holding grooves arises. Consequently, the peripheries of the wafers are worn to produce particles. Further, the abrasion of holding grooves due to the above slipping requires a frequent exchange of the holding rods.
In order to solve the above problem, it has been supposed to employ a piece adapted to apply pressure on the periphery of a wafer by making use of a centrifugal force. However, sufficient pressure could not be produced unless the revolutions of a rotor becomes high. Noted that the above piece is formed by an elastic member, such as rubber, in view of making sure of holding the wafer. However, the elastic member does not have the property of chemical-resistance and heat-resistance enough to process the wafer with chemicals.


A racing facility with a racing surface and a pit road. The pit road includes an pit road entrance connected to the racing surface, a plurality of pit walls defining a plurality of elongate pit boxes/stops each connected at a first end thereof to the pit road entrance, wherein the pit boxes are arranged in a side by side configuration and are arranged at an angle with respect to the pit road entrance and wherein the pit walls are movable such that a given pit box can be defined on a left side or a right side of a respective pit wall. The pit road also includes a pit road exit connected to the pit boxes at opposite second ends thereof wherein at least a portion of the pit road exit is arranged substantially parallel to at least a portion of the pit road entrance. The pit road entrance and/or pit road exit can intersect the racing surfaces at acute angles. The pit boxes can intersect one or both of the entrance and pit road exits at acute angles. Pit wall supports can be permanent or portable and can include resilient impact absorbing surfaces. Fixed designators indicate assigned pit boxes.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of racing and to a pit road configured to provide improved safety and access.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of racetrack configurations are utilized for a wide variety of racing events. Racetracks can include closed loop configurations such as circle tracks or ovals and closed loop road race courses. Racetracks can also include substantially straight, non-closed configurations, such as drag strips. Racetracks can be stand alone dedicated facilities not generally open to normal road traffic. However, racetracks can also be formed in part or wholly of roads normally open to traffic, however which may be temporarily closed to normal traffic for a racing event. Racetracks can be paved and can also be formed in part or wholly of improved or unimproved natural surfaces, such as dirt, sand, gravel, and/or turf.
Many disciplines of racing extend over a sufficient length of time that racing vehicles may require service during the race, for example for refueling and/or replacement of tires or other parts. Even sprint type races that do not normally require in-race servicing can include provisions for such in-race services. For example, if a race director calls a wet race, a racer can change to a different vehicle fitted with opposite wet vs. race slick tires based on changing weather conditions.
As time/distance is typically the determinant in determining race winners, it is desired that any in-race servicing be performed as rapidly as possible. Accordingly, pit roads are generally provided close to or adjacent a normal racing path of the vehicles. To obtain in-race servicing, a racer would typically exit the normal racing path or lane and enter a pit to obtain needed services.
The typical configuration for a pit road is to have the race vehicles enter the pit generally in a nose to tail arrangement, stop to obtain the desired services, and continue in a generally straight path to rejoin the racing circuit. As racing events tend to be highly competitive and subject to fairly strict rules and limits, it is frequently the case that numerous racers will briefly pull out of the race or "pit" to obtain needed services at the same time. This frequently results in a number of vehicles entering and leaving the pit concurrently. While safety regulations generally require that the racers slow from racing speeds upon entering a pit, the racers nevertheless tend to approach the pit road at relatively high rates of speed. The racers are also frequently required to accelerate to a relatively high rate of speed upon leaving a pit in order to rejoin the racing traffic.
Pit roads are generally populated with a number of personnel other than the racers. For example, pit crews are often present to assist the racers with needed services. A number of medical personnel, safety personnel, officials, media, and the like are also frequently present in a pit. The entrance and exit of race vehicles in close proximity to pedestrian traffic and other vehicle traffic, such as pace cars, ambulances, fire equipment, and the like present numerous possibilities for collision and injury. While numerous safety regulations and/or facilities improvements are frequently made to reduce the risk of such accidents, pit road collisions remain a significant concern. Thus, it will be appreciated that there exists an ongoing need for improvements in-race servicing to improve safety for both the racers and other personnel present at a race facility while maintaining an exciting and competitive race experience.


A resistance training and massage apparatus simultaneously provides resistance training and massage. A vibrating strap is formed into a loop to extend around a body portion of a user. The strap is displaceable as the user exerts a pulling force on the strap. A motor is coupled to the strap and displaceable along with the strap as the user exerts a pulling force on the strap. The motor imparts vibration to the strap. Resistance means is coupled to the motor for elastically resisting displacement of the motor and the strap, and providing a resistance force to the pulling force exerted by the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to resistance training and cellulite reduction.
2. Related Art
Fat deposition on the back, thighs, buttocks, and abdomen often has a dimpled appearance. This type of fat has been coined "cellulite," and has been a cosmetic challenge for both heavy and thin people for decades. Scientists, doctors, and entrepreneurs around the world have been trying to develop a solution for years.
Millions of research, development and consumer dollars have been spent on various creams and lotions purported to dissolve cellulite. The scientific support for and the results from studies on these products are often lacking, but the public continues to purchase them. Often, misleading information from the manufacturers and ignorance on the part of consumers leads to poor results and discontent. Marketers attempt to convince the public that their product works. But what they fail to disclose is that the user must apply this cream or lotion daily, and do so using deep massage.
There may be a valid reason why these creams or lotions work well for some, and not at all for others. The trick and secret may have to do with the method of application, and not necessarily the make up of the cream or lotion. If the cream or lotion is applied in the normal fashion of a lotion, with light pressure, the results are likely to be poor. There may be some increase of circulation to the skin caused by the product itself, but it is unlikely to permeate the fat cells. Thus, one should not expect any alteration in the fat that lies deep below the skin. If, however, the cream is applied with deep massage, more blood will be summoned to the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fat layer. The increase in circulation caused by massage actually helps to mobilize fatty cells which could potentially "spot reduce" fat. Further, deep massage can mechanically break down the septations between the fatty pockets in cellulite. These fatty pockets are what cause the dimpled appearance of cellulite. Liposuction is a surgical procedure for spot reduction of fat. Liposuction not only mechanically removes fat globules, but also breaks down the septations which surround the fatty globules. Unfortunately, this procedure is not only very painful, but fraught with potential complications. Scarring can occur from the incisions and adhesion within the fatty layer, thus worsening, rather than improving the look of the fatty area. In addition, this procedure is very operator dependent. Therefore, results can vary significantly.
There are three proven methods known to eliminate cellulite which are safe, non-invasive, and effective—diet, exercise, and massage. Almost any diet can be used as long as the end result is a decrease in the total amount of body fat. By decreasing the total body fat, one can decrease the amount of cellulite. Since the fat should not and cannot be completely removed and the septations remain intact, this method just reduces the volume of cellulite. Once the weight is added back on, the cellulite puckers up again. Fat reduction alone, through diet and exercise can eliminate approximately 90% of the problem. The remaining 10%, and the reason that some "skinny" people still have cellulite, can be due to septations. A certain amount of body fat is healthy, and losing the extra 10% may require many people to take extreme and unhealthy measures to completely eliminate cellulite. Not only would it be unhealthy, but it can require prolonged discipline that can take the joy out of life, and can be difficult to sustain long term.
Exercise also helps in the elimination of cellulite. Exercise can increase the number of calories burned, which decreases further deposition of fat. The only way to reduce pre-existing fat is to run a calorie deficit. This means that a person must burn more calories than he or she has available for fuel. Fat is only broken down to provide the extra calories needed when there is not enough food in the digestive tract.
Progressive resistance training (PRT) provides additional benefits to the exerciser in pursuit of fat reduction by increasing muscle mass. The increase in muscle mass uses more energy (calories) at rest. Thus, those with more muscle mass can eat more than average and maintain lower body fat. An added benefit of PRT is that increased muscle bulk in the hamstrings and gluteal region will by virtue of physics decrease the presence and appearance of cellulite. The skin and fat are "pushed away" and stretched over the increased muscle bulk resulting in smoother skin and subcutaneous fat.
Finally, there are a few outcome studies that show clear clinical improvement of cellulite after a course of massage. The challenge is that massage works best if done for at least 30 minutes every other day, and once stopped, the results fade. Massage can often become very expensive and time consuming. A device has been developed just for cellulite massage, but it requires a trained professional to operate, and is typically only available in clinics.

Massage and resistance training apparatus and method


The present invention includes within its scope a low-cost temporary lead for pacing, sensing, monitoring, or defibrillating at least a portion of a human or animal organ, and methods for implanting and making same. The lead has at least two electrodes and distal and proximal ends, and a novel weakened zone disposed between the blunt end of a needle and at least two electrical connectors attached to the proximal end of the lead body. The novel weakened zone permits the needle to be separated from the connectors by application of a sufficiently large bending moment or pulling force thereto. Following separation of the connectors from the needle, the connectors may be attached directly and quickly to an external electrical apparatus.

Unipolar and bipolar surgically implanted temporary heart wires are well known in the art, some examples of which may be found in the issued U.S. Patents listed in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Prior Art Patents U.S. Pat. No. Title ______________________________________ 3,035,583 Conductive Sutures 3,125,095 Flexible Stainless Steel Sutures 3,664,347 Electric Heart Stimulation Method and Electrode 3,949,756 Sutures with Notch Near Needle-Suture Junction 4,010,756 Heart Pacer Lead Wire with Break- Away Needle B1 4,010,756 Heart Pacer Lead Wire with Break- Away Needle 4,054,144 Short-Crimp Surgical Needle 4,338,947 Positive Fixation Heart Wire 4,341,226 Temporary Lead with Insertion Tool 4,442,840 Electrical Connector Apparatus and Method for a Temporary Cardiac Pacing Wire 4,444,207 Method of Anchoring a Temporary Cardiac Pacing Lead 4,530,368 Temporary Bipolar Pacing Lead 4,541,440 Bipolar Epicardial Temporary Pacing Lead 4,553,554 Electrical Lead and Method for Temporary Cardiac Pacing 4,630,617 Heart Pacer Lead Wire with Pull-Away Needle 4,633,880 Surgical Electrode 4,693,258 Surgical Electrode for Cardiac Pacing and Monitoring 4,972,833 Epicardiac Pacing Lead 5,217,027 Temporary Cardiac Lead 5,241,957 Bipolar Temporary Pacing Lead and Connector and Permanent Bipolar Nerve Wire 5,314,463 Bipolar Nerve Electrode 5,350,419 Cardiac Pacing Lead 5,423,876 Intramuscular Lead Having Improved Insertion ______________________________________
All patents listed in Table 1 hereinabove are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their respective entireties. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate readily upon reading the Summary of the Invention, Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments and Claims set forth below, many of the devices and methods disclosed in the patents of Table 1 may be modified advantageously by using the teachings of the present invention.
Surgically implanted temporary heart wires for use as heart pacer and monitoring electrodes are well known in the medical profession. In general, such a heart wire is constructed of a number of fine, stainless steel wires twisted together to form a single, flexible, multifilament electrode wire. The major portion of the wire is typically insulated with a polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, silicone, nylon, or other suitable electrically nonconductive and biocompatible materials, with a short length of wire at either end left uninsulated.
To one uninsulated end of such an electrode wire there is generally attached by swaging or other means a fine curved needle for piercing the heart tissue to place the uninsulated end of the electrode in the myocardium or epicardium. At the other end of such an electrode wire there is generally affixed a Keith-type cutting needle for piercing the thoracic wall to lead the electrode to an outer point for connection with the pacemaker. Once the electrode has been properly positioned, the curved needle and the Keith-type needle are typically clipped off and the uninsulated end of the electrode is ready for attachment to a pacemaker or monitoring device.
Some prior art unipolar heart wires have break-away Keith-type needles attached to their proximal ends, where no clipping is required to remove the needle from the heart wire. Other prior-art Keith-type breakaway needles require the use of, or most preferably employ, an external adapter or transition box for breaking the needle in the appropriate location and facilitating attachment of electrical conductors in the lead to an external electrical apparatus. See, for example, the bipolar heart wire and corresponding external connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,957, where the external connector is required to establish electrical connection between an EPG or PSA and the heart wire.
Many known heart wires are characterized in having one of the two following disadvantages. First, when some known unipolar heart wires are used in applications requiring two electrodes, two different, separate heart wires must be attached to the heart in two separate procedures. Attaching two such heart wires consumes valuable time at a critical stage in heart surgery. Second, when some known bipolar heart wires are used, the needle attached to the proximal end of the heart wire for piercing the transthoracic wall must be clipped off with a scissors or other tool, and pin connectors must be attached to the resulting bare separate wires for establishing electrical connection to an external pacemaker or external electrical apparatus. These steps of needle removal and wire attachment are separate, time consuming acts, and also occur at a critical stage in heart surgery. Moreover, upon repeated attachment, removal and reattachment, the ends of the stainless steel wire may fray and become difficult to work with.
What is needed is a heart wire that attaches easily and quickly to the heart but which also has convenient, easy-to-use connectors disposed between the proximal end of the heart wire and an external pulse generator (EPG), pacing system analyzer (PSA), defibrillator or other such external electrical apparatus. Most preferably, the heart wire should not require substantial electrical or mechanical manipulations by the surgeon, should be comfortable to the patient, and should establish secure and reliable electrical contacts. Finally, the heart wire should be reasonably economical to manufacture.


An electrodeposition display panel manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a highly reliable display panel in a short time and effectively, an electrodeposition display panel, and an electrodeposition display device are provided. Openings (5A), (5B) are provided in a rear substrate (2) of the cell. A nozzle (7A) to which an injector (8) is connected on the other side is inserted into the opening (5A), and a nozzle (7B) is inserted into the opening (5B). On the other end side of the nozzle (7B), a container for recovering a spilled display material (6) and a decompressor are arranged. While the display material (6) is pressure-injected from the opening (5A), evacuation and discharging air bubbles and the like are performed from the opening (5B). Thereby, the display material (6) is filled in the cell.

In recent years, as networks have become common, documents, which were traditionally distributed in the shape of printed matters have been distributed as so-called electronic documents. Further, books, magazines and the like have been often provided as so-called electronic publishing. However, it is suggested that in terms of reading such information, traditional light emitting displays cause acute tiredness in view of human engineering and are not appropriate for long reading. Further, when the traditional light emitting display is used for a portable information terminal, continuous operating time by a battery is not sufficient in terms of power consumption, and such portable information terminal does not have sufficient usefulness to the degree that the portable information terminal can outplace paper newspaper, paper magazines and the like in terms of handling and carry. Meanwhile, reflective liquid crystal displays can be driven by low power consumption. However, the reflectance in displaying while color is 30%, which means the visibility is significantly poor compared to of paper printed matters, and therefore, the reflective liquid crystal display is not appropriate for long reading as well.
Therefore, a so-called paperlike display or an electronic paper has been developed. The display mechanism thereof is as follows. Any paperlike display sandwiches a display material between two electrode substrates and selectively display according to whether an electric field is applied to the display material or not. For example, electrophoresis for moving colored particles between the electrodes, or a method for developing the selected color by rotating dichromatic particles in an electric field are well known. However, these methods have disadvantages that the contrast is low since light is absorbed in the gap between particles, and the practical writing speed (within 1 sec) is not able to be obtained unless the driving voltage is 100 V or more. Meanwhile, an electrochromic display (ECD), which develops color based on electrochemical action has the high contrast, and therefore the ECD has been already in practical use as a light control glass and a clock/watch display. However, black color in the ECD is not high grade generally. Further, it is thinkable that there is a problem that since an organic material is used as a black material, black color is faced and the black color density is decreased with age.
Meanwhile, recently, an electrodeposition display device (EDD) for performing display by utilizing deposition and dissolution of a metal by electrochemical redox has been suggested. The display panel of the EDD is basically a cell having the internal construction as of FIG. 23. In the cross section of the cell, a transparent substrate 101 and a rear substrate 102 are oppositely arranged, and a transparent electrode 103 and an opposite electrode (common electrode) 104 are formed on the respective opposed face sides of the substrates. Further, a gelatinous electrolyte layer 105 containing metal ions such as silver ions as a display material is sandwiched between the transparent substrate 101 and the rear substrate 102.
In the display as above, color is developed by depositing the metal ions in the electrolyte layer 105 as a metal on the surface of the transparent electrode 103 by applying a given voltage to the electrodes 103 and 104, and color is extinguished by dissolving the deposited metal by applying a reverse voltage. In the EDD, the contrast and the black color density can be improved by using the foregoing display method and adding a white color pigment to the electrolyte layer.
The display panel of the EDD is manufactured by a method, in which an outer shell of the cell is formed by opposing the electrode substrates, and then a display material in a state of fluid is filled inside thereof. Specifically, vacuum injection method has been traditionally adopted. The vacuum injection method is performed as shown in FIG. 24. That is, a vacant cell 110 provided with an opening 110A on one side edge is accommodated in a chamber 130. After vacuumization is performed to the inside, the opening 110A is impregnated with a display material 131, and air is leaked in the chamber 130 to return the pressure around the cell 110 to the ambient pressure. At this time, the display material 131 is pressed by the ambient pressure, and filled inside the depressurized cell 110. This method is the most general technique in the liquid crystal injection step in manufacturing a liquid crystal panel, and is often used for manufacturing a display panel of the ECD as well.
In the case of the EDD, the cell 110 is formed, for example, as follows. First, a thick adhesive film 106 is laid along the edge of the rear substrate 102 except for the opening 110A (FIG. 25A). The adhesive film 106 is electrolytic solution-resistant, and is die-cut in the shape of a picture frame except for the opening 110A. Next, the transparent substrate 101 is further laid on the rear substrate 102, and thermocompression bonding and the like is thereto performed (FIG. 25B). Then, a void is formed between the substrates 101 and 102 by the thickness of the adhesive film 106, and the electrolytic solution is injected into the void. After the electrolytic solution is injected, when the opening 110A is sealed by a sealing member 107, the cell 110 is hermetically sealed and appearance as a display panel is formed (FIG. 26).
As above, the vacuum injection method is a technique universally applicable. However, in the past, there have been problems as follows: (1) since the liquid crystal material and the display materials such as an electrolytic solution are exposed to vacuum, low-boiling constituents are volatilized and scattered, and therefore the constituent composition is gradually altered; (2) since moisture, impurities, or air bubbles are pushed to the side edge on the other side of the opening into which the display material is injected and remain, display characteristics in the vicinity thereof become deteriorated; and (3) since depressurization is needed, necessary time for the entire injection step becomes long.
Therefore, regarding the liquid crystal panel, various filling methods have been heretofore suggested. For example, as in FIG. 27, there is a method, in which openings 111A and 111B are provided at two locations on the opposite sides of a vacant cell 111 and while injecting liquid crystal from the opening 111A at normal pressures, deaeration is performed from the opening 111B, and thereby the liquid crystal is filled (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H07-234412). Further, as in FIG. 28, a method in which of a vacant cell 121, at least a portion except for an opening 121B is enclosed in a pressure bath 122 to which pressure is applied, and thereby a difference is made between a pressure P1 applied to an opening 121A and a pressure P2 applied to an opening 121B (P1>P2), and liquid crystal is injected from the opening 121A is disclosed (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H09-236810). In these methods, a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the cell can be generated without using a chamber, there is no danger of composition alteration of the liquid crystal material caused by exposure to vacuum, and the depressurization step is not necessary. Further, by performing suction and evacuation from the opening on the other side of the injection side, liquid crystal is filled into the cell more positively compared to in the vacuum injection method, and it is possible to prevent residual such as air bubbles and impurity from remaining in the cell, and prevent the concentration in the cell from being changed.
However, regarding the EDD recently developed, its electrolytic solution filling method has not been established yet, and discussion on which method is suitable has not been made. As for applying the vacuum injection method to the EDD, the following inherent problems exist. Therefore, a new method of manufacturing a panel outplacing the vacuum injection method has been aspired.
(1) Even if a small amount of the electrolytic solution is adhered around the opening, effect of the adhesive is significantly lost, and therefore sealing becomes difficult. Therefore, in the vacuum injection method in which part of the sealing material is opened and which is impregnated in the electrolytic solution, complete sealing is difficult.(2) Since an organic solvent is used for the electrolytic solution, solvent resistance of the substrate and the sealing material is strictly needed. Therefore, types of usable materials are limited.(3) When the boiling point of the electrolytic solution is not sufficiently high, or when the electrolytic solution is volatilized, decomposed, and generates corrosive gas, the inside of the chamber and the decompressor are contaminated in the vacuum injection method. Further, the electrolytic solution which is volatilized and adhered inside the unit may be dried, separated, and mixed in the solution.(4) The viscosity of the electrolytic solution is significantly high compared to of the liquid crystal. Therefore, injection takes very long time.(5) In general, it is not possible to leave for a long time the prepared electrolytic solution at room temperatures. When an electrolytic solution in which a powder material is dispersed is used, the powder material is precipitated. When an organic oxide is used as a polymerization initiator for a resin mixed in the electrolytic solution, deterioration is caused at room temperatures.(6) When an electrolytic solution in which a powder material is dispersed is used, the powder material and the electrolytic solution are separated in the cell in the process of injection.(7) When a flexible display panel is manufactured by using a film substrate and the like, filling a display material is difficult by the vacuum injection method.

Electrodeposition display panel manufacturing method, electrodeposition display panel, and electrodeposition display device


Effective support of the head and neck during high impact accidents or rapid or sudden acceleration or deceleration of riders of motorcycles, skimobiles, jet skis and power boats, is provided by a cervical protection system having a gas-filled bag (110) rapidly deployable from a collar (105) disposed around the base of a helmet (101). When deployed, the bag (110) extends to the mid-sternal area anteriorly, to approximately the fourth or fifth thoracic vertebrae posteriorly, and laterally on the shoulders to a point approximately mid-way between the sternomastoid muscle group and the lateral tip of the scapula, and holds the wearer's head in slight extension to mitigate physical harm. Also, a deployable cervical collar which is removably mounted to a helmet. The collar deployable before or after impact.

Injuries of the head and neck are among the most devastating suffered by human beings. Despite great advances in safety equipment, they remain a leading cause of death and disability in our society.
Since many, if not most of these injuries occur during adolescence and young adulthood, such events may be considered even more costly to society in terms of productivity lost and medical costs endured. Indeed, a recent article in The Journal of the American Medical Association cites the great cost to society of motorcycle injuries alone.
Improvements in the ability of protective headgear to insulate the skull and its contents from trauma seem to have reached a plateau. Changes in helmet design are now oriented more toward comfort and weight savings. While these changes seem appropriate, typically any blow severe enough to overwhelm a modern helmet's defense would probably produce devastating damage to the neck, or cervical spine. Therefore, a system to protect the cervical spine is the next step in the evolution of safety equipment. Only when a practical system for protecting the cervical spine is achieved will further improvement of head protection be worthwhile.
The cervical portion of the spine is somewhat unique in that it lacks the extensive supporting musculature of the rest of the vertebral column. As the skull is carried close to its center, and hence, supported against the pull of gravity, neck muscles are mainly designed to facilitate movement. The principle neck muscles are the sternomastoid, which flex and rotate the head, and the trapezius, which extends it.
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of human cervical vertebrae, comprising: posterior tubercle 10; groove for vertebral 11; anterior arch facet for dens 12; interior tubercle 13; inferior articular process 14; transverse process 15; superior articular facet 15; dens (odontoid process) 17; transverse process posterior tubercle 18; costo-transverse bar 19; anterior tubercle 20; path of the vertebral artery (blood supply) 21; foramen transversarium 22; spine 23; lip 24; articular process inferior 25 and superior 26; carotoid tubercle 27; vestigial anterior tubercle 28; body 29; lateral mass tubercle for transverse ligament 30; superior articular process 31; atlas 34; axis 35; third cervical vertebrae 36; fourth cervical vertebrae 37; fifth cervical vertebrae 38; sixth cervical vertebrae 39; and seventh cervical vertebrae 40.
FIG. 2 is a front view of human articulated cervical vertebrae. FIG. 2 comprises many of the elements of FIG. 1, and further includes transverse process anterior tubercle 41, and gutter for nerve 42. FIG. 3 is a side view of human articulated cervical vertebrae. FIG. 3 includes many of the elements of FIGS. 1 and 2, and further comprises: vertebral artery 43; spinous processes or spines 44; column of articular processes 45; and lamina 46.
FIG. 4 is a cut-away side view of the intervertebral disc and ligaments in humans. FIG. 4 includes some of the elements in FIGS. 1-3, and further comprises: anterior longitudinal ligament of the bodies of the vertebrae 47; posterior longitudinal ligament of the bodies of the vertebrae 48; ligamentum flavum 49; interspinous ligament 50; supraspinous ligament 51; bursa 52; nucleus pulposus 53; intervertebral discs 54; cavity for nucleus pulposus 55; annulus fibrosus 56; hyaline plate 57; nucleus pulposus protruding into bodies 58; canal for basi-vertebral vein 59; ventral and dorsal nerve roots 60; and dura mater 61.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4 cervical vertebrae can be visualized as two short, adjoining cylinders, the larger of which is the vertebral body. This is the load-bearing structure of the spinal column. Cervical vertebrae are solid and separated from adjacent members by resilient fibrocartilaginous structures called intervertebral discs.
The spinal cord is carried in the adjacent, hollow cylinder formed by the laminae (arch) in a space known as the spinal foramen. The blood supply to the spinal cord, the vertebral artery, is carried in holes through bony projection lateral to the vertebral bodies. Additionally, there is a bony projection posteriorly from the arch called the spinous process. Ligaments connect these and the other structures, contributing to the strength of this system.
The areas of the spinal column most often affected by injury are the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae, and the eleventh and twelfth thoracic. In the latter, the intrinsic strength of muscle groups in the area provide considerable support. The cervical spine, as previously noted, has little muscle support. Therefore, the considerable mass of the head acts as a pendulum or dead weight during impact to or sudden movement of the body.
In instances of spinal cord trauma, rapid and excessive movement and/or compression of the cervical spine occurs, tearing intervertebral ligaments, compressing and rupturing discs and vertebral bodies. The spinal cord, trapped in the spinal foramen, may be compressed by bone fragments or an extruded disc, or it may be stretched, interrupting its blood supply or tearing its nerves. In a series of cervical spine injuries studied by Bohlman and Boada, described in their work Fractures and Dislocations of the Lower Cervical Spine, one third of such injuries were due to motor vehicle accidents; their incidence is highest in adolescents and young adults.
Disc injuries were found to be most common. Brain injuries associated with spinal cord lesions in 61% of cases and the spinal cord lesions with brain injuries in 63% of cases, indicate the close association of cord injuries with head trauma. In very few cases was total spinal cord disruption noted. Instead, significant nerve damage was found to be primarily due to ischemia (interruption of the blood supply), and was improved most by early stabilization and reduction.
Immobilization should be carried out as soon as possible after a cervical spine injury is recognized since continuous movement may accentuate the pathologic processes that are already underway within the spinal cord as a result of the injury. Thus, often a soft collar with spinal traction is recommended as soon as possible after trauma.
The most common forces causing spinal cord injury are:
1) Flexion
2) Flexion rotation
3) Vertical (axial) loading with slight flexion
4) Extension.
1) Flexion
Straight flexion injury is by far, the most common injury in the cervical spine, often together with crumbling of a large portion of the superior anterior portion of the lower vertebrae, and also involving tearing of the ligaments between vertebral processes and stretching the spinal cord, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. There is interruption of the blood supply to the tissues, microscopic hemorrhage, and swelling. Since the swelling occurs in a confined space, increased pressure further impairs the blood supply and further tissue damage ensues.
2) Flexion rotation
The head is turned at the time of flexion resulting in unilateral ligamentous and bone injury and tissue injury similar to those in pure flexion.
3) Vertical or axial loading with slight flexion
In this instance, with reference to FIGS. 7-11, the vertebral body may be crushed and squeezed into the spinal foramen. This causes damage to the spinal cord both by direct pressure and indirectly by impairing its blood supply. The vertebral disc may be extruded into the foramen with similar results.
FIG. 11 shows an interior wedge fracture. In FIG. 8, crushing of the whole body is shown. FIG. 9 shows a posterior fragment of the vertebrae pushing out against the spinal cord. Finally, in FIG. 10, final displacement with a crushed body in flexion with posterior displacement of the vertebral body fragments is shown.
4) Extension
In cervical cord hyperextension injury 62, intervertebral ligaments and discs are torn as shown in FIG. 12. Spinous processes are jammed together and fractured at the base, decreasing the cervical spine's resistance to flexion injury and spinal cord 63 stretching as the head rotates forward in reaction. Flexion-extension injuries are the type most commonly occurring in automobile accidents.
Plainly, some sort of support system used in conjunction with a helmet is required to prevent or lessen the severity of these injuries. Currently, the only devices available are of the fixed type, usually consisting of a fabric-covered resilient foam collar between the helmet and shoulders. This design has gained wide acceptance in automotive racing but has some distinct drawbacks, as discussed elsewhere in this specification.
Note that there is virtually no use of such devices among motorcyclists and pilots. The restriction of head mobility that "collars" produce is typically unacceptable to them. Unfortunately, however, such people are at significant risk for spinal cord trauma. Even though a number of safety and protective devices are provided for pilots of military and private aircraft, there is no system for restricting head mobility at impact of a crash or during ejection from disabled aircraft.
Other disadvantages with fixed devices go beyond their limited acceptance. Rotational and flexion-extension injuries are the most prevalent in auto accidents. Current designs do not provide significant protection against extreme flexion, and the limited areas of contact with that helmet may actually provide a fulcrum, raising the center of rotation and increasing traction forces on the spinal cord and exacerbating injury.
The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,896, which relates to a neck brace for athletes, such as football players, for protecting the athlete from possible neck fractures or spinal cord injuries. The neck brace described generally comprises a rigid member vertically disposed immediately posterior and parallel to the neck of the athlete, with the upper end secured to the protective helmet and the lower end supported on a bracket constituting a part of the suit or shoulder pad of the athlete. While coupling of the rigid member and the lower bracket is described as providing for free rotation of the member around a vertical axis generally parallel to the neck, the amount of actual free rotation is uncertain. In addition, this invention unequivocally teaches limited forward and backward tilting of the head. Finally, to the obvious discomfort of the wearer, the neck brace must be used with a lower supporting member. The restriction of head mobility is simply unacceptable to most sports participants, including motorcyclists and drivers of other similar vehicles such as power boats, jet skis, snow mobiles and the like.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,667, an inflatable garment for crash protection to be worn by a motorcycle rider is described. The garment is detachably connected to a source of pressurized gas operative to inflate the suit in response to a predetermined deceleration of the motorcycle or manual operation when a crash or spill appears inevitable. The source of pressurized gas is disposed on the motorcycle. Thus, if the rider jumps or is thrown from the motorcycle before the garment or suit is fully inflated, protection for the rider from the first or multiple impacts thereafter is compromised. Moreover, while the garment or suit described may be effective for protecting the back and spine, it appears to be ineffective for protecting the cervical portion of the spine or the head of the rider.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,469 also teaches motorcycle safety apparel, which in the event of an impending or actual accident will inflate to provide a protective enclosure for parts of the body most susceptible to critical or fatal injury. However, again the source of compressed or liquified gas is disposed on the motorcycle which compromises the overall effectiveness of the garment in the same way discussed with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,667. Several different embodiments of the safety apparel are described and typically include an inflatable hood which expands upward and then forward around the top and sides of the head. However, it is uncertain that flexion and flexion rotation injuries are prevented upon impact, or that damage from axial loading or extension injuries are even reduced.
At any early stage in the development of the present invention, an article was published regarding the present invention. See, Thompson, Steven L., "Dr. Archer's Air Bag", Cycle World, February 1989 issue.


The present invention involves a system and method for limiting access to computers by an individual; and a system and method for rewarding an individual with computer access.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a means of limiting computer usage by an individual, and more generally relates to a system and method for rewarding an individual's use of a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use and prevalence of computers, video game consoles, television, personal digital devices, mobile telephones, and the like has grown significantly in the past several decades. Such use and prevalence has correspondingly grown with younger individuals.
Although the use of computing devices has increased among younger individuals, such use is not always for learning, and may in fact actually decrease the amount of time an individual expends on learning, studying, and completing homework. Further, typically using such computing devices decreases the amount of time younger individuals devote to physical activity.
Parents and guardians of younger individuals often must spend more time at work, running errands, and the like. As such, parents and guardians are often unable to monitor the amount of time a younger individual may spend "playing" on the computing device. As a consequence, the younger individual may decrease the amount of time that should be devoted to actually studying or exercising.
Parents and guardians may limit access to use of a computing device via password protection on the computing device, physically barring use of the respective computing device, and the like. However, such limiting of access serves as negative reinforcement that merely binds the younger individual's ability to use the computing device, and does not particularly influence studying or physical activity on the part of the younger individual.
Thus, what is desired is a system and method of providing positive reinforcement that rewards an individual's use of a computing device while also encouraging education, physical activity, or a combination thereof on the part of the individual.

System and method for limiting computer usage


A container for food, such as used for the storage or packaging of tostadas, manufactured as a carton, which is formed with eight sections or sides that are joined by adhesive at an edge to fold the container is disclosed. The container also has edges placed on the top and bottom ends that, when interwoven towards the center of the container, permit the formation of a kind of bow with which the container is kept closed. In order to open the container, it is only necessary to pull outwards on opening projections which are part of the bow. Likewise, and as a consequence of the interweaving of the edges, an internal pulling acts as a muffling, thereby helping the food, e.g., tostadas, to be maintained in a good state, without being broken.

Currently, there exists many containers which keep and hold food to be sold to the public. The containers for tostadas are generally plastic bags, that have the disadvantage that the product is often broken, consequently preventing their sale to the public, having as a result losses for the manufacturer. Taking into account the above, the plastic bags are designed in a way in which consumers cannot see the contents thereof. This is a reason why the consumer does not observe that the tostadas, in the majority of the cases, are broken.
The container of the invention avoids the totality of the disadvantages set forth above due to the security with which the container is opened and closed, as well as due to the ease of stacking and packing the container. In this way, the product is not broken. Moreover, a consumer can easily see the contents of the container as well as extract the pieces that are desired to be taken out.


The galenic composition of this invention has been found to possess valuable pharmacological properties in the prevention of the aftereffects related to ingesting excessive amounts of ethanol. The inventive composition decreases blood alcohol concentration and reduces the increased content of neutral fat in the blood due to alcohol intake. The composition comprises an amount of fructose and an aqueous extract of pueraria flower, phaseoli radiati semen and pinelliae tuber sufficient to increase, in vivo, metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant or excipient therefor. A method of treating the aftereffects of ingesting excessive amounts of ethanol is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a galenic composition, useful for alleviating the aftereffects due to an excessive intake of ethanol, commonly referred to as alcohol. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with such treatment using pueraria flower, phaseoli radiati semen, pinelliae tuber and fructose as the primary components of the galenic composition and administering such composition prior to ingesting ethanol.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The consumption of alcohol is rapidly increasing as modern economic circumstances improve and leisure time increases. After drinking, alcohol is rapidly absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and distributed uniformly in the body. The absorbed alcohol is mainly, i.e. about 90% metabolized in the liver. Excess alcohol can induce various toxic effects in the human body. Short term toxic effects include confused consciousness, ataxia, headache, vomiting, facial flushing, tachycardia, palpitation, and the like. Long term effects from a history of excessive alcohol use include cirrhosis, alcohol liver disease, neurologic, gastrointestinal and others known to the medical practitioner. The present invention is directed to short term toxic effects.
Today these undesirable effects are treated by utilizing a synthetic medicine or a popular remedy based on certain crude drugs or on foodstuffs. Although the use of synthetic medicine can alleviate the aftereffects of drinking alcohol, they may themselves cause undesirable side effects.
The popular remedy which may be most typically mentioned includes ginseng extract/honey combination, fresh juice of pueraria root and the like. Such popular remedies show no side effects but are hard to utilize since the crude drugs or foodstuffs should be made each time the remedy is needed.
The present inventors have extensively investigated the compositions which can help hangover, based on the popular remedy, especially the composition utilizing crude drugs, which can conveniently alleviate the aftereffects of excessive alcohol intake without manifesting side effects.
The effectiveness and safety of crude drugs have been recognized only from long experience. However, in practice, only some crude drugs have been scientifically recognized in the efficacy. Recently, since serious problems caused by side effects and resistance of various synthetic medicines have been raised, the development of medicines, having no side effects, based on natural substances, especially herb medicines has been strongly required. Thus, the study on the efficacy and active ingredient of important crude drug has been actively under way at home and abroad.
The present inventors have extensively searched for herb medicines useful for removing alcohol toxicity through animal experiments and have analyzed the biochemical changes obtained from the administration of a galenic composition containing certain herb medicines in animal and human being to identify that this galenic composition can greatly reduce the alcohol level in the blood. Now, the present invention has been completed on the basis of this experimental result.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to decrease blood concentration of alcohol by providing a composition comprising an amount of fructose and an aqueous extract of pueraria flower, phaseoli radiati semen and pinelliae tuber sufficient to increase, in vivo, metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant or excipient therefor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composition which can be easily administered prior to ingesting ethanol.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method which treats, i.e. alleviates, or at least attenuates, the short term aftereffects of drinking ethanol.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composition which when orally administered to a person who expects to ingest ethanol in about thirty minutes, increases the metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes in the liver of such person such that the short term aftereffects of ethanol are treated, i.e., alleviated, or at least attenuated.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for decreasing blood ethanol concentration comprising administering to a mammal prior to ethanol ingestion an amount of a composition comprising fructose and an aqueous extract of pueraria flower, phaseoli rediati semen and pinelliae tuber sufficient to increase the metabolic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes in the liver of the mammal administered said composition prior to ingesting alcohol.
The preceding objects should be construed as merely presenting a few of the more pertinent features and applications. of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to both the Summary of the Invention and the Detailed Description, below, which describe the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims considered in conjunction with the accompanying tables and tests.

Galenic composition for decreasing blood alcohol concentration