1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dust control composition for fertilizer for the purpose of reducing the dust levels present in the fertilizer, reducing subsequent dust formation, and to reduce the tendency of the fertilizer particles to agglomerate or cake during storage and transportation.
2. Description of Related Art
Methods for the manufacture of fertilizers (inorganic, organic, or micronutrient) as well as methods for processing these fertilizers into particles via prilling, granulating, compaction or other techniques are well known. The resulting fertilizers often contain an undesirable level of particles fine enough to become airborne dust. This dust is produced during the manufacture, storage and transportation of the fertilizer particles. The dust can be the result of mechanical abrasion encountered during movement of the fertilizer particles, continued chemical reactions or curing processes after the initial particle formation, the action of moisture migration through the fertilizer during storage or ambient temperature and humidity conditions.
Fertilizer dust dissemination poses safety, health, environmental, housekeeping and maintenance problems for fertilizer producers, distributors and consumers. For instance fertilizer dust has raised health concerns due to human and animal inhalation thereof. It is also a concern when fertilizer dust becomes airborne which can lead to the loss of agronomic and economic value, while potentially contributing to the contamination of surface water ecosystems.
The use of oils, waxes, blends of oil and wax, and emulsions based on these products have been known for a long time. These oils and waxes can be petroleum or vegetable based. For instance, in 1977 Frick suggested that petroleum based products be used to control dust from agricultural fertilizers, See xe2x80x9cPetroleum Based DCA""s to Control Fugitive Dustxe2x80x9d, Frick, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Fertilizer Industry Round Table, Series 27, pages 94-96. However there are disadvantages involved in using these treatment methods. Over time oils tend to volatilize and/or be adsorbed into the fertilizer particle and loose their effectiveness. Waxes are also ineffective and difficult to handle because they absorb into the fertilizer particle at temperatures above their melt point and do not spread or coat the fertilizer particle surface at temperatures below their melt point. In addition, both oils and waxes have limited binding properties that are essential for long term fertilizer dust control.
Other proposed dust control methods include application of other liquids such as lignosulfonate solutions, molasses solutions, urea solutions, mixtures of these solutions, other fertilizer solutions, amines, surfactants, polymers and even water. Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,465 to Buckholtz et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,497 to Hazlett. These methods have a number of disadvantages as well. Due to the water present, aqueous solutions and emulsions tend to accelerate the formation of fertilizer dust and exacerbate the fertilizer particles caking tendencies. These treatments also tend to loose their binding properties as the solutions and emulsions dry, thereby becoming ineffective as long term dust control agents.
European Patent 0320987 discloses the use of a conditioning agent comprising 10-60% wax, 30-90% oil and 0.3-10% by weight of a high-molecular weight viscoelastic elastomer such as polyisobutylene. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,745 to Pettersen et al. discloses the use of a conditioning agent comprising 10-50% wax, 40-90% oil and 1-30% of a oil soluble and wax miscible resin such as esters of polymerized resin, esters of stabilized resin acids or non-crystallized tall oil resin. While these conditioning agents provided an improvement in dust control over oils, waxes, and oil/wax blends, they do not provide the degree of binding required for effective long-term dust control. This is because the majority of these conditioning agents still consist of poor performing oils and waxes.
The vast majority of commercially produced fertilizers are treated with a conditioning agent of some type to reduce dust levels. For instance, in 1995 Ogzewalla suggested several characteristics needed for an effective dust control conditioning agent in xe2x80x9cFertilizer Dust and Dust Control Coating Agentsxe2x80x9d, Ogzewalla, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Fertilizer Round Table, 45th Meeting, 1995, pages 95-100. These characteristics included the ability to bind dust back to the surface of the fertilizer granule, resist absorption into the fertilizer granule surface, and the ability to spread or coat the fertilizer granule surface. The example given in this article shows that several commercially available conditioning agents were able to reduce dust levels in a diammonium phosphate fertilizer from 600 ppm to between 170-70 ppm. In addition, the xe2x80x9cSixth Annual 1996 Granular Fertilizer Surveyxe2x80x9d, 1996, ARR-MAZ Products, L.P., shows the dust levels found in twenty two samples of diammonium phosphate collected from fertilizer production facilities across North America. The producers, during manufacture, had treated all of these fertilizer samples with a conditioning agent. Dust levels were shown to range from 425 ppm to 55 ppm and averaged 125 ppm.
One of the main objectives of the invention was to develop a superior agricultural composition comprising of fertilizer particles having low dust levels and a reduced tendency to cake during the long term storage and handling conditions normally encountered by commercial fertilizer products. Another objective was to develop a superior conditioning agent that is fluid at application temperatures and can be applied by conventional coating or conditioning equipment. A further objective was to arrive at a conditioning agent that would not effect the fertilizers handling characteristics or flowability.
The main problem to be solved was to obtain a superior conditioning or dust control agent that is fluid and flexible enough to spread over the surface of the fertilizer granules during the coating process, and yet still had enough binding properties to adhere ambient dust to the surface of the granule and reduce dust formation during subsequent storage and handling. Further, it was important that the resulting treated fertilizer granules can not become too sticky for handling by conventional means, even when treated at relatively high application rates. In addition, the resultant conditioning agent should be easy to apply on the fertilizer particles and be non-toxic to the soil and plants. This latter requirement implies that the various components must be environmentally acceptable. It is also desirable that the conditioning of the fertilizer particles be accomplished in one step with the required protection obtained during this step. A further requirement was that the treated fertilizer be completely soluble a few days after to the soil, and that the conditioning agent be degradable in the soil.
In view of the above stated requirements, an investigation was started for an improved conditioning or dust control agent by studying ways to improve the properties of the oils and waxes used as major components of the most common conditioning agents. Both petroleum and vegetable based oils and waxes have some value in these conditioning agent formulations. The effectiveness of any specific oil was found to be determined by the oils physical properties, in particular the combination of viscosity and tackiness. Accordingly, this component, the oil/wax, could be substituted with a new component, another oil/wax, having somewhat different properties. Further investigation showed that selection of optimal components could be of importance.
The search for optimal components resulted in investigation of methods that could change or modify these components. The selection of a vegetable oil or wax and then subjecting this vegetable oil or wax to an oxidation process was found to have a measurable effect on reducing fertilizer dust and dust formation.
Typical examples of materials which can be oxidized and used as starting points for the oxidized component include, but are not limited to, crude oils such as corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, soy oil, linseed oil, castor oil, and tall oil as well as their distillation products and distillation residues such as distilled tall oil, tall oil pitch and tall oil bottoms or mixtures thereof.
The compounding or mixing of lower viscosity oils or waxes into the oxidized oil are useful, but not required, to standardize the physical properties of the finished conditioning agent such as viscosity, melt point and tackiness. This insures that the conditioning agent has the desired properties at application temperatures which provide for improved dust control abilities and also allows for application by conventional coating or conditioning equipment.
Non-oxidized oils useful for compounding with the oxidized oils include, but are not limited to, white oil, refined mineral oils, and vegetable oils such as corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, soy oil, linseed oil, castor oil and tall oil. Oils having moderate viscosity, low volatility, and high flash point are preferred.
Waxes useful for compounding with the oxidized oils include but are not limited to intermediate waxes, paraffin waxes, micro-crystalline waxes, carnauba wax, vegetable waxes and mixtures thereof. Waxes with low congealing points are preferred for low temperature applications, while waxes with high congealing points can be useful in high temperature applications.
The oxidized oil component of the novel conditioning agent must be soluble or miscible with the oil and/or wax components. Further, it must result in a coating with the viscosity and tackiness required for dust control while maintaining the fluidity required ease of application. The resulting coating should control ambient dust levels, reduce dust formation and reduce caking tendencies without adversely effecting the fertilizers handling characteristics. These components should also be environmentally acceptable and degrade in the soil as explained above. Within this framework, it was then found that effective relative amounts in weight % of these components should be:
Oxidized Oil: 10-100%, preferably 30-90% typically
Oil: 0-90%, preferably 10-70% typically
Wax: 0-90%, preferably 10-70% typically
The present invention is therefore a dust control composition for fertilizer particles, the composition comprising 10-100% by weight oxidized oil, 0-90% by weight non-oxidized oil, and 0-90% by weight wax. The fertilizer particle is selected from the group consisting of ammonium phosphate, potash, granulated single super phosphate, granular triple super phosphate, NP-fertilizer and NPK-fertilizer.
In a typical preferred application, the composition comprises 30-90% by weight oxidized oil, 10-70% by weight non-oxidized oil, and 10-70% by weight wax.
The oxidized oil is selected from the group consisting of corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, soy oil, linseed oil, castor oil, tall oil, mixtures thereof, and distillation products and distillation residues thereof; the non-oxidized oil is selected from the group consisting of white oil, refined mineral oil, vegetable oil, and mixtures thereof; and the wax is selected from the group consisting of intermediate waxes, paraffin waxes, micro-crystalline waxes, carnauba waxes, vegetable waxes and mixtures thereof.
The present invention is also a method of controlling dust from fertilizer particles which comprises treating the fertilizer particles with a composition as described above.


This invention relates generally to film cooled combustor liners for use in gas turbine engines and more particularly to such combustor liners having regions with closely spaced cooling holes.
A gas turbine engine includes a compressor that provides pressurized air to a combustor wherein the air is mixed with fuel and ignited for generating hot combustion gases. The fuel is injected into the combustor through fuel tubes located at uniformly spaced injection points around the combustor. These gases flow downstream to one or more turbines that extract energy therefrom to power the compressor and provide useful work such as powering an aircraft in flight. Combustors used in aircraft engines typically include inner and outer combustor liners to protect the combustor and surrounding engine components from the intense heat generated by the combustion process. A variety of approaches have been proposed to cool combustor liners so as to allow the liners to withstand greater combustion temperatures. One such approach is multi-hole film cooling wherein a thin layer of cooling air is provided along the combustion side of the liners by an array of very small cooling holes formed through the liners. Multi-hole film cooling reduces the overall thermal load on the liners because the mass flow through the cooling holes dilutes the hot combustion gas next to the liner surfaces, and the flow through the holes provides convective cooling of the liner walls.
In the assembled combustor, certain portions of the combustor liners are aligned with the injection points defined by the circumferential location of the center of the fuel tubes. These locations are hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9ccup centersxe2x80x9d. In operation, the flow of combustion gases past these circumferential locations create xe2x80x9chot streaksxe2x80x9d of locally increased material temperatures. The portions of the combustor liners subject to hot streaks can exhibit oxidation, corrosion and low cycle fatigue (LCF) failures after return from field use.
Accordingly, there is a need for a combustor liner in which cooling film effectiveness is increased in the areas of the liner that are subject to unusually high temperatures and resulting material distress.
The above-mentioned need is met by the present invention, which provides a gas turbine combustor liner made up of a shell having cooling holes formed therein, a group of which are disposed upstream of the dilution holes and divided into two sub-groups. The second sub-group of this group of cooling holes is located in circumferential alignment with a hot streak and are more closely spaced than the cooling holes of the first sub-group. The shell may also have additional cooling hole groups disposed between dilution holes in the liner. The additional groups are arranged so as to provide a converging flow in the circumferential direction to provide enhanced cooling to the area of the liner downstream of the dilution holes.


The release carriers of the prior art are made by applying a polyolefin, preferably polypropylene, onto a continuous sheet of release paper, passing the polypropylene covered paper around a chill roll and rolling the release carrier onto a core for further processing, storage, shipment and handling. Since the polypropylene is set while in contact with the chill roll, it takes on the inverted image of the roll. Therefore, it is critical that the surface of the chill roll be defect free.
Even if the chill roll is maintained defect free, dull streaks are created in the release carrier due to gauge bands (the difference in caliber or thickness) of the release paper in the machine direction. It is common for 3,000 laps of release carrier to be wound into a 42 inch diameter roll. Due to the cumulative effect of the gauge bands, the difference in diameter across the roll is typically as much as 1/4 inch. This leads to rubbing of the backside of the release paper against the adjacent polypropylene surface causing dull streaks in the high gloss polypropylene surface during handling and storage.
Presently, the surface defects are removed during manufacture of surface coverings such as vinyl floor coverings by pretreating the release carrier at the floor covering manufacturing site. As the release carrier is unrolled, the polypropylene is heated to a temperature greater than its melting point (in excess of 350.degree. F.) and planished. While the dull streaks are removed by this process, the planisher must be maintained defect free.
Further, no known prior art release carrier has been made having two different predetermined gloss levels in predetermined areas of the release carrier.
Davidson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,733, discloses the use of a polypropylene coated release carrier in the manufacture of an embossed decorative surface covering.
Erb et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,545, discloses a process for controlling the surface gloss of a vinyl coated floor covering. In particular, they disclosed the use of a hot polishing roll on a cool vinyl coated substrate to improve the gloss.
O'Sullivan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,663, discloses the use of a highly polished chill roll which has depressions of an average depth of about 5 microns and an average area for each depression of less than 16,000 square microns.
As evidenced by O'Sullivan, the teachings of the present invention can also be applied to products composed of laminates of plastics and other materials used in a variety of packages and containers such as plastic bags.


In a telecommunications system where a central telecommunications station supports a plurality of subscribers and a controller is provided for controlling one or more such central telecommunications stations, it is necessary to pass control and other messages between the controller and the central telecommunications station. The messages should be handled in a reliable and efficient manner. It should also be possible to detect messages which are lost and to re-send those messages.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for surface treatment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, semiconductor devices, quartz oscillators, and the like are manufactured through processing carried out using photolithography technology or the like, that is, so-called micromachining technology is actively employed. By employing micromachining technology, it is possible to directly process substrates. For example, after one surface of a substrate is subjected to processing, the thickness of the substrate can be reduced or holes can be provided in the substrate by subjecting the other surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the processed surface, to etching or the like.
In such a case where one surface of a substrate is processed (that is, in a case where one surface of a substrate is subjected to etching), there is a necessity to protect the other surface that has been processed (hereinafter, referred to as a “processed surface”) from an etchant. From such a viewpoint, an apparatus for etching capable of subjecting only a surface opposite to a processed surface (hereinafter, referred to as a “surface to be etched”) to etching while protecting the processed surface has been developed (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-111257, for example). The apparatus for etching disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-111257 includes a supporting jig and a pressing jig to be detachably attached to the supporting jig. When the pressing jig is attached to the supporting jig with a substrate being placed on the supporting jig, the pressing jig presses the peripheral portion of the substrate. In this way, the substrate is secured to the apparatus for etching.
Further, the apparatus for etching has O-rings provided at predetermined positions. While the substrate is being secured to the apparatus for etching, the O-rings are in close contact with a surface to be etched of the substrate. This makes it possible to prevent an etchant from being reached to a processed surface of the substrate. Therefore, even when the apparatus for etching to which the substrate is secured is immersed in an etchant, only the surface to be etched is subjected to etching.
However, in the case where such an apparatus for etching is used, the outer peripheral portion of the surface to be etched which is pressed by the pressing jig is not exposed to the etchant so that the outer peripheral portion is not treated.
As a result, a difference in level is developed on the etched surface at the boundary between a portion that has been in contact with the pressing jig (that is, an untreated portion) and a portion that has not been in contact with the pressing jig (that is, a treated portion). Such a difference in level causes a problem that it is difficult to evenly carry out various treatments for each area of the substrate in post-steps coming after etching.


Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of context aware computing and more particularly to contextual mediation.
Description of the Related Art
Context aware computing refers to the treatment of the user environment in system behavior. Aspects of context can be wide-ranging and can include computing device and undertaken task. Context can be used to modify data in a computing system in order most appropriately process the data. Examples include adjusting the presentation of data according to context, or adjusting the responsiveness of logic to events according to the context of processed data. Contextual mediation generally relates to the consideration of the contemporaneous context of a transaction in processing the transaction itself.
Generally speaking, the notion of mediation has been proposed as the principle means of resolving semantic inter-operation issues in a computing environment. Mediation architectures often are based upon mediator or wrappers paradigms wherein information flowing from a source can be wrapped into logical views such that the interface in front of each view appears uniform. The logical views, however, can be assembled via a domain-ontology such as an integrated global schema. The mediator or wrapper, in turn, can serve as an intermediary or interface between observing end users and the source of information.
Once such source of information can include event data in a computing environment. Event data often can be generated natively or via adapters, through common base event generation. Alternatively, event data can be generated via crawling or extensive indexing of content in the computing system. In a given process in the computing system, however, it can be important to correctly identify relevant data according to a provided context such that the identified relevant data accordingly can be consumed by an appropriate consumer.


Surgical operations, including more complex operations where a substantial amount of bleeding may occur, may require transfusions during the course of the surgery to maintain a sufficient blood volume and blood pressure. Since many blood-borne diseases may exist including hepatitis, cancer and HIV, it is desirable to not require transfusion from another person. Also, if blood or blood components from the same person can be used, the necessity to match blood factors can be eliminated.
These disadvantages of receiving transfusions from donors are overcome by self-donation prior to operations. However, operations involving transfusions are not always identified in advance and few patients take the time and effort to go through the procedure. Additionally, a patient may be weakened by removal of blood prior to an operation.
Autotransfusion, whereby blood retrieved from the patient during the operation is separated so that reusable portions can be reinserted into the patient, is an effective method of overcoming the problems with transfusions. Various autotransfusion type systems currently exist but are somewhat complex to operate. For example, some autotransfusion systems require the operator to memorize a series of system steps to insure that the operator performs operations in the proper sequential order. Failure to perform the step or to perform the step in the proper sequence may cause the system to shut down or may cause morbidity in the patient.
Additionally, it is highly useful to have a blood separation system that can efficiently separate platelet and plasma from waste products in the blood. A high degree of efficiency in obtaining platelets has not been previously achieved.
It is therefore desirable to have a blood separation system that is highly efficient in extracting platelets from the blood, extracting waste products from the blood, allowing performance of operations in a simple and easy manner that does not require extensive knowledge of the system and processes, and preventing inadvertent or accidental operation of the blood separation device.


The present invention relates generally to polyamides, and more particularly to novel polyamides which exhibit intumescent flame retardant properties, to a process for preparing the polyamides, and to flame retardant coating formulations of the intumescent type containing the novel polyamides.
The importance of protecting building materials and other heat and fire-vulnerable substrates against the effects of high temperatures and flames is widely recognized. The use of flame retardant coating formulations to impart flame retardance to these substrates has been known for several years. A class of these flame retardant coating formulations is formulations of the intumescent type.
Intumescence is a state of being tumid or inflated. An intumescent coating is one that will enlarge or expand to form a cellular structure when exposed to sufficient heat. Coatings of the intumescent type provide protection to heat and/or fire-vulnerable substrates by forming a flame retardant, thermally insulating barrier over the substrate.
The flame retardant coating formulations generally employed in the art are multicomponent materials containing an inorganic flame retardant component, (such as a phosphorous containing compound), a suitable film-forming binder, a dispersing agent, fillers and pigments, and an intumescent component. The intumescent component generally contains two ingredients: (1) a nonresinous chemical material, called a carbonific, which forms a large volume of carbonaceous char, and (2) a chemical material, sometimes referred to as a spumific, which upon thermal decomposition releases large quantities of nonflammable gaseous products. Typical flame retardant formulations of the above type are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,396,129; 3,440,201; 3,449,161; and 3,562,197.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,754 discloses a process for preparing polyamides from .alpha.,.alpha.-disubstituted .beta.-halopropionic acid amides by way of .beta.-lactams. The polymerization proceeds by a ring opening mechanism and consequently results in polyamide compositions differing in structure from the presently claimed compositions. Moreover, there is no teaching that the polyamides produced by the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,754 exhibit intumescent flame retardant properties.


Illumination apparatuses including semiconductor light-emitting devices such as laser emitting diodes (LED) as light sources, instead of fluorescent or incandescent lamps, have been used indoors, or used in buildings or in houses. For example, an illumination apparatus including a light-emitting device is used as a light source for indoor visual inspection of painted surfaces of products, such as home electric appliances and automobiles.
A semiconductor light-emitting device emits light with a narrow region of wavelengths, and may only emit monochromatic light. To produce white light as illumination light, a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices that emit light with different wavelength regions are prepared, and a plurality of light beams with different colors emitted from such semiconductor light-emitting devices are combined to produce white light. A plurality of phosphors that emit light with different wavelength regions using excitation light with the same wavelength are prepared, and a plurality of fluorescence beams with different colors are combined into white light.
This method of combining colors allows a light source to produce white light and also light with other spectra for intended use.
The light-emitting apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-126160 includes two blue light-emitting devices with different peak wavelengths, a green phosphor that is excited by light emitted from the blue light-emitting device to emit green light, and a red phosphor that emits red light to improve color rendering.


This invention pertains to improved polyester moldings and more particularly to those having improved surface characteristics.
A technical improvement that has made a significant contribution to commercial polyester molding technology is the use of low profile additives to reduce shrinkage during the curing reaction, and to thereby improve dimensional stability and surface smoothness. Low profile additives are thermoplastic polymers such as vinyl acetate polymers, polystyrene, acrylic polymers, and polycaprolactones. There are a number of theories that seek to explain the low profile or anti-shrinkage action of these polymers, but the one that seems to best explain the phenomenon is the following:
The low profile additive is at least partly soluble in the uncured polyester/styrene solution. As the polyester/styrene mixture crosslinks, the thermoplastic polymer becomes incompatible or less soluble and at least partly comes out of solution. This action causes a volume expansion that compensates for the shrinkage that occurs when the polyester/styrene mixture crosslinks.
The development of low-profile unsaturated polyester compounds has led to a wide acceptance of these materials by the transportation industry because of their good surface appearance, dimensional stability, physical properties, assembly consolidation and potential weight savings. However, as new applications developed standards have been raised making it desirable for even better surface appearance and the elimination of ripples and waviness that sometimes develop, particularly in relatively large appearance sensitive areas.
There is, therefore, a need to provide low-profile unsaturated polyester compounds which afford improved surface appearance in the molded parts obtainable therefrom.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computing. More particularly, the present invention relates to delayable events in a home network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a distributed, open networking architecture that allows devices to connect seamlessly and to simplify the implementation of networks in the home (data sharing, communications, and entertainment) and corporate environments. UPnP achieves this by defining and publishing UPnP device control protocols built upon open, Internet-based communication standards.
UPnP has grown in popularity of late in part due to the rise in popularity of media servers. Media servers are small computers that store multiple types of content (e.g., photos, music, videos, etc.). The content may then be streamed from a media server to one or more control points (e.g., iPod, television set, etc.).
As an example, a “Media Server” device might contain a significant portion of the homeowner's audio, video, and still-image library. In order for the homeowner to enjoy this content, the homeowner must be able to browse the objects stored on the Media Server, select a specific one, and cause it to be “played” on an appropriate rendering device.
For maximum convenience, it is highly desirable to allow the homeowner to initiate these operations from a variety of User Interface (UI) devices. In most cases, these UI devices will either be a UI built into the rendering device, or a stand-alone UI device such as a wireless PDA or tablet. In other cases, the home network user interface device could be more remote and communicate with the home network through a tunneling mechanism on the Internet.
Currently, UPnP clients (“control points”) may subscribe to event messages from a UPnP service. When an event occurs in the service, such as the addition or deletion of a file, service errors, etc., the subscribing control points receive event messages notifying them of the event. Each event reflects a change in some state variable being monitored by the service.
The drawback of this approach is that the service can only send events to control points that are connected to the network at the time the event is detected. The event publisher discards the event message if the subscriber doesn't respond for 30 seconds after the event transmission. If a control point is disconnected, or is in sleep mode, the control point never receives the event message.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable terminal, and more particularly, to a portable terminal provided with a wireless charging module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals, such as a cellular phone and a smart phone, continue to grow in terms of functions as multimedia services are expanded. In addition, as various application programs are provided, user interface environments are developed for user convenience and to satisfy various user preferences.
Portable terminals generally include bar-type, folder-type, sliding-type, and swing-type terminals. When mobile communications such as voice and short message transmissions were principal functions, folder-type and slider-type terminals were predominant in the market. However, enlarged display devices of portable terminals have increased as multimedia services have progressed. Accordingly, physical keypads have generally been replaced by a touch screen function, which improves the portability of a portable terminal since a display device may be enlarged and the portable terminal thickness may be reduced.
In addition, a portable terminal is provided with antenna devices that enable communication in various frequency bands such as a DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), a LAN (Local Area Network), an NFC (Near Field Communication), and a Bluetooth® antenna in addition to an antenna device for a wireless communication function. Recently, portable terminals have been equipped with an antenna and a module that provides a mobile charging function.
FIG. 1 illustrates a portable terminal 100. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration provided with a wireless charging module that includes a receiving-side resonant antenna 131 providing a wireless charging function and a receiving circuit unit provided on a substrate 133.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the terminal 100 includes a battery-mounting groove 119 formed on a back surface of a body 101, and a camera module 117 provided at a side of the battery-mounting groove 119. The battery-mounting groove 119 is concealed by a cover member 102 detachably provided on the back surface of the body 101. A user may open the battery-mounting groove 119 by removing the cover member 102 as needed. In addition, the cover member 102 is provided with an opening 127 that exposes the camera module 117 so that a subject may be photographed even when the cover member 102 is coupled to the body 101.
A wireless charging module is provided on the inner surface of the cover member 102. The wireless charging module includes a receiving-side resonant antenna 131 and a receiving circuit unit. A second cover member 141 may be provided on the inner surface of the cover member 102 so as to provide a stable installment structure of the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 and the receiving circuit unit.
The receiving-side resonant antenna 131 produces signal power by a magnetic induction or magnetic resonance phenomenon, according to an electromagnetic field generated at a primary coil of a charger (not illustrated), and transmits the signal power to the receiving circuit unit. A connection piece 131a connected to the receiving circuit unit is formed at a side of the receiving-side resonance antenna 131, which may be attached on the inner surface of the cover member 102. In the portable terminal 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, however, the second cover member 141 is coupled to the cover member 102 when the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 is attached to the inner surface of the second cover member 141. As a result, the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 is disposed on the inner surface of the cover member 102.
Thus, the terminal 100 is provided with an electromagnetic shielding member 139 in order to cut off an electromagnetic field effect exerted on circuit devices inside the body or a battery pack, formed around the receiving-side resonance antenna 131. The electromagnetic shielding member 139 is attached on the cover member 102 and interposed between the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 and the body 101. Since the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 is directly attached to the second cover member 141, the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 may be attached on the electromagnetic shielding member 139 after the electromagnetic shielding member 139 is attached to the second cover member 141 in advance.
Since the receiving circuit unit includes the wireless charging circuit provided on the substrate 133, the receiving circuit unit converts signal power received through the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 into charging power, and provides the charging power to the battery pack mounted on the body 101. A connection portion 131b corresponding to the connection piece 131a is provided at a side of the substrate 133. The receiving circuit unit is also attached to the second cover member 141 together with the receiving-side resonant antenna 131. When the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 and the receiving circuit unit are attached to the second cover member 141, the connection piece 131a and the connection portion 131b are engaged with each other to be electrically connected.
A flexible printed circuit board 135 is disposed at a side of the receiving circuit unit and includes a connection pad 137 at one end. The charging power provided from the receiving circuit unit is transmitted to the body 101 through the flexible printed circuit board 135 and the connection pad 137. The body 101 is provided with connection terminals 115 at a side of the battery-mounting groove 119. When the cover member 102 is coupled to the body 101, the connection pad 137 is connected with the connection terminals 115, thereby providing the charging power to the body 101, in particular, to the battery pack mounted on the body 101.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a configuration of the wireless charging module disposed on the cover member 102. In FIG. 2, the height h of the wireless charging module, i.e. the thickness is illustrated. It is noted that the second cover member 141 is not illustrated in FIG. 2, and the wireless charging module is illustrated as being directly attachable to the cover member 102.
The receiving-side resonance antenna 131 and the electromagnetic shielding member 139 are stacked on the inner surface of the cover member 102. The receiving circuit unit includes circuit elements 133a such as a charging control circuit chip and an inductor, which are mounted on the substrate 133. The thicknesses of the receiving-side resonant antenna 131 and the substrate 133 are about 0.35 mm, the thickness of the electromagnetic shielding member 139 is about 0.6 mm, and the maximum height of the circuit elements 133a is about 1.25 mm. Accordingly, the maximum thickness of the wireless charging module from the inner surface of the cover member 102 is about 1.6 mm.
As described above, as multimedia functions of portable terminals have expanded, display devices have been enlarged and efforts have been made to reduce the thickness and weight of the portable terminals. A wireless charging module may enhance the convenience to charge a portable terminal but increases the thickness of the portable terminal. Particularly, slimmer portable terminals having a thickness of not more than 10 mm will have compromised size when equipped with a wireless charging module having a thickness of about 1.6 mm.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to treadmills and, more particularly, the treadmills that have a tread base which is reorientable from a first exercise position to a second storage position within the cabinet, which cabinet includes latching structure for latching the tread base in the cabinet.
2. State of the Art
Exercise treadmills typically include a frame having a left side and a right side spaced apart from the left side and in general alignment therewith. A rigid deck is also typically secured between the left side and the right side. A front roller and rear roller are typically connected to and extend between the left side and the right side forward and rearward of the deck. An endless belt is trained around the front roller and the rear roller. The user exercises on the treadmill by walking, jogging or running on the endless belt on top of a deck underlying the endless belt.
Typical treadmills also include surface engaging structure to support the treadmill on a support surface. The surface engaging structure typically includes feet positioned proximate the rear of the treadmill and feet positioned proximate the front of treadmill. The front feet or the rear feet may be operable to vary the inclination of the treadmill with respect to the support surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,396 (Dalebout et al.) discloses a system for varying or adjusting the incline of a treadmill through the use of a pneumatic cylinder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,725 (Watterson et al.) discloses an alternate arrangement for varying the inclination of a treadmill.
Treadmills also include handles or other upright structure such as that shown in U.S. Des. Pat. No. 304,849 (Watterson), U.S. Des. Pat. No. 306,468 (Watterson), U.S. Des. Pat. No. 306,891 (Watterson), U.S. Des. Pat. No. 316,124 (Dalebout et al.), U.S. Des. Pat. No. 318,699 (Jacobson et al.), U.S. Des. Pat. No. 323,198 (Dalebout et al.), and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 323,199 (Dalebout et al.). Reorientation or repositioning of the upright structure to facilitate storage has also been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,380 (Jacobson et al.) shows a treadmill in which a center post may be reoriented from an upright operating position to a lowered position in alignment with the treadmill and with the belt or deck. U.S. Des. Pat. No. 211,801 (Quinton) shows a treadmill with structure that may be moved from an upright position to a lowered position in general alignment with the treadmill belt or deck. U.S. Patent Des. 207,541 shows a treadmill that may be reoriented from a horizontal operating condition to an upright storage position.
Storing exercise equipment inside a cabinet or other enclosure is also known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,761 (Howard) shows an exercise bench which may be repositioned interior a cabinet for purposes of storage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,538 (Lewis et al.) shows an arrangement in which the exercising structure is folded upright for storage against a wall surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,279 (Cutter) shows a treadmill in which an upright structure may be reoriented to be generally in alignment with the endless belt for purposes of reorienting the treadmill to an upright or storage configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,787 (Guilbault) shows a bed combined with a treadmill or rolling structure in which the bed is positioned over the top of the treadmill or rolling structure for purposes of storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,987 (Allemand) shows a treadmill which may be reconfigured into a compact foldable structure which may, in turn, be transported. U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,257 (Moller) shows a treadmill positioned within a cabinet that is secured to a wall and reoriented between an upright stored position and an extended or horizontal position for use.


Thin film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) have gained much attention in flat panel displays such as active matrix LCDs and in static random access memory units. In the future it can be expected that the degree of circuit integration will continue to increase as device characteristics improve further, so that an entire system will be formed on a single panel. In addition, in flat panel displays polysilicon thin film transistor technology enables the integration of row and column drive circuitry, and also additional functionality such as image reversal, aspect ratio control and level shifting among others. In addition to display elements and circuitry (both analog and digital), memories, solar cells, touch sensors and other sensors may all be integrated on the panel. For example, electrically erasable and programmable read only memories (EEPROMS) have been fabricated using a polysilicon TFT process.
In comparison with thick film devices TFT devices made with a thin film have the advantages of lower grain boundary trap density, higher mobility, and higher on-state current. It is desirable to make the thin film transistor as thin as possible in order to provide a high supply current in the on-state.
However, thin film devices experience a higher lateral electric field, in particular at the junction between the channel and drain which arises from the reduced junction depth. This increase in lateral electric field is known to be a major cause of impact ionisation in the channel/drain region which results in the accumulation of holes. These holes are known to be the cause of a pronounced "kink" effect in the IV characteristics of a TFT device which in turn degrades the output characteristics of the device, and in particular reduces output resistance at high drain voltages and its gain, see for example M. Valdinoci. L. Colalongo, G. Baccarani. G. Fortunato, A. Pecora and I. Policicchio, "Investigations on the Kink Effect in Poly-TFTs", Proceediings of the ESSDERC, pp. 1055-1058, 1996 and A. G. Lewis, T. Y. Huang, R. H. Bruce, M. Koyangi, A. Chiang and I. W. Wu, "Polysilicon Thin Film Transistor for Analogue Circuit Applications", IEDM Tech. Digest, pp. 264-267, 1988. In addition the kink effect also causes avalanche induced short channel effects.
Furthermore the high lateral electric field causes anomalous leakage current in the off state that counteracts the benefit provided by a thin film in which the lower trapped charge content would otherwise tend to reduce leakage current. This anomalous leakage current is a serious problem in poly-Si TFTs.


Field
The present disclosure relates to a wearable device, which provides haptic and audio feedback based on stereo camera input.
Description of the Related Art
Wearable cameras provide recording and documenting of a user's experience, often from the same or similar point of view or field of view (FOV) of the user. However, these devices are passive recorders, and do not provide real time processing and information about the scene in the FOV. Certain users, such as blind persons, may desire additional feedback relating to the environment. Other wearable cameras may be designed to assist blind persons. However, such devices lack stereo cameras for reliable depth perception information.
Thus, there is a need for an unobtrusive device which augments a user's environmental awareness with depth perception and object recognition.


In recent years, as disclosed in JP 5882522, for example, golf club heads have been proposed in which a raised portion is provided on the crown portion and a sloped surface is formed as a step between the raised portion and the portion rearward thereof. This configuration enables the height of the face portion to be raised by the height of the raised portion. Thus, the rebound performance of the face portion can be improved. Also, on the crown portion, only the raised portion is formed higher, and the portion rearward thereof is formed at a lower position than the raised portion, enabling the center of gravity of the head to be lowered.
JP 5882522 is an example of related art.


This invention relates to a wiper device equipped with a rise-up mechanism.
In general, a rise-up mechanism is a mechanism for shifting a wiper blade to a position away from its normal wiping positions when it stops so that a driver does not see the blade in front of his eyes.
FIGS. 1a to 1c show schematically a sequence of wiping operational steps. During the starting step, the blade 18 shifts from a parked position A through the position B to the position C. Thereafter, the blade 18 reciprocates between the positions B and C during its normal wiping operation. At the stopping step, the blade 18 shifts from the position B to the position C and then again from the position C through the position B to the parked position A in which it stops.
FIGS. 2 to 4 show a conventional rise-up mechanism for a wiper device in which the effective length of a connecting rod or link is changed by reverse rotation of a motor when a wiper switch is switched off.
A cover plate 3, latch spring 4, latch 5, motor arm 6 and eccentric member 7 are assembled in order onto a motor shaft 2 of a motor 1 and fixed thereto by means of a screw 10. The cover plate 3 is attached through a grommet 11 to the motor body. The eccentric member 7 is biased into the central axial hole of the motor arm 6 by means of a spring 12. In one end thereof, a stopper 8 is attached to engage the groove 7a of the eccentric member 7 and a spring 13 is attached to bias the stopper. At the other end thereof, a joining shaft 14 is provided to be joined to a connecting rod 15 is provided. A groove 6a is formed in the lower surface of the motor arm 6 near the joint shaft 14 and engages a pawl 5a of the latch 5. A pawl 7b projects from the lower surface of the eccentric member 7 and presses the inner actuating portion 5b of the latch 5 to slide the latch 5 so that the pawl 5a becomes disengaged from the groove 6a.
In operation, first, the motor 1 rotates to the right during starting. When the motor shaft 2 starts to rotate to the right, the pawl 5a of the latch 5, which is prevented from rotating by the cover plate 3, engages the groove 6a of the motor arm 6 as shown in FIG. 4, so that the motor 1 does not rotate while the motor shaft 2 and the eccentric member 7 rotate together as shown in FIG. 4b. When they rotate by 180.degree., as shown in FIG. 4c, the stopper 8 engages the groove 7a of the eccentric member 7 by the biasing force of the spring 13. At the same time, the pawl 76 of the eccentric metal 7 presses the inner actuating portion 5b of the latch 5 to slidably shift the latch 5 to the left as shown in FIG. 4c. As a result, the pawl 5a of the latch 5 leaves the groove 6a of the motor arm 6.
Assuming that the length or distance between the center of the joint shaft 14 and the center of the eccentric member 7 is R and that the length (eccentric degree) between the center of the eccentric member 7 and the rotation center thereof is r, the effective length between the centers of the motor shaft 2 and the joint shaft 14 of the motor arm 6 changes from (R+r) to (R-r) due to the eccentric effect when the eccentric member 7 rotates by 180.degree..
From the condition of FIG. 4c, the motor arm 6 rotates as shown in FIGS. 4d to 4f in response to the rotation of the motor shaft 2 together with the eccentric member 7 resulting from engaging stopper 8 with the groove 7a. The motor arm 6 further rotates and returns from the condition of FIG. 4f to the condition of FIG. 4c. While the motor arm 6 rotates as shown in FIGS. 4c to 4f, the connecting rod 15 joined to the joint shaft 14 reciprocates to swing the wiper pivot 16 around the axis 17 so that the blade 18 reciprocates in its normal wiping range between the positions B and C in FIG. 1b.
When a wiper switch (not shown) is switched off to stop the motor shaft 2, it continues to rotate until the condition of FIG. 4c where the motor shaft 2 begins to rotate in a reverse direction. After such reverse rotation of the motor shaft 2 in the condition of FIG. 4c, the groove 6a of the motor arm 6 contacts the pawl 5a of the latch 5. (It does not contact the pawl 5a in case of the right rotation thereof). As shown in FIG. 4g, the groove 7a of the eccentric member 7 pushes the stopper 8 at its tapered surface during its reverse rotation against the biasing force of the spring 13 so that the stopper 8 is disengaged therefrom. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4g, the motor arm 6 does not rotate and only the eccentric member 7 rotates so that after its 180.degree. rotation the pawl 5a engages the groove 6a as shown in FIG. 4a. Also, the length or distance between the center of the joint shaft 14 of the motor arm 6 and the motor shaft 4 changes from (R-r) to (R+r) due to the eccentric effect of the eccentric member 7 by its 180.degree. rotation. The effective length of the connecting rod 15 changes so that the blade 18 can be received in the position A of FIG. 1.
In the above-stated conventional wiper device, however, the latch 5 slides during the rise-up operational step. The rise-up operation cannot be accomplished by rotation of the members only. For this reason, the operation is not sure and stable. In addition, as the rotating members have some sliding portions, the mechanism is apt to be complicated. Thus, assembling thereof is difficult and its production cost is high.
On the other hand, during the starting step, the blade 18 starts to operate only after the motor shaft 2 freely rotates by 180.degree.. Therefore, the response of the device is poor.
Although not shown, in another conventional rise up mechanism for a wiper device, a motor itself moves to shift a motor shaft. In such a device, a mechanism for shifting the motor is complex in construction. As compared with a general wiper device, a rise up mechanism is expensive.


1. Field of Invention
The embodiment of the present invention relates generally to a transmitting method and, more particularly, to a method for transmitting data stream.
2. Description of Related Art
In traditional package transmitting mechanism, when a transmitting end receives an ACK package transmitted from a receiving end, the transmitting end continuously transmits next package. That is to say, the transmitting end stops transmitting packages when the transmitting end does not receive the ACK package transmitted from the receiving end, or the transmitting end disconnects a communication with the receiving end directly when the transmitting end does not receive the ACK package transmitted from the receiving end for a period.
In addition, the bandwidth and the buffering space for transmitting the package are different owing to differences of a quality of a content of a film, the way to compress the film, and so on. When a user selects one of films, a client end download related streams of the film from a server. However, in this mode, there will be a bandwidth utilizing shake phenomenon happened in the server and the client end, and the quality of the film will be affected if the package disappears.
Many efforts have been devoted trying to find a solution of the aforementioned problems. Nonetheless, there still a need to improve the existing apparatus and techniques in the art.


In the automotive and paper industries, the use of steel belts and chains is common for conveying heavy loads. These belts typically require lubrication which involves regular maintenance. Also, steel conveyors are usually not very smooth and may damage the conveyed products. It is therefore of interest to use heavy plastic modular belts or chains which do not require lubrication and are smooth and less hard on their conveying surface. Since modular belts and chains are supported by slider beds made from plastics or steel, the friction between the belt and the slider bed increases the required driving power and at the same time reduces the maximum conveyable load.
Another problem with heavy conveyors is the large belt thickness and sprocket diameter which typically requires a heavy and space-consuming conveyor construction. Often the conveying surface for such conveyors needs to be near the ground. This arrangement is specifically necessary for people mover belts. The purpose of such belts is to transport workers slowly along an assembly line on which the components to assemble are also moving. An application for this type of belt is found in the automobile manufacturing industry. Because the heavy people mover conveyors require space, they are required to be installed in the ground. In order to install the conveyor at or near ground level, a conveyor with a large height requires a deep pit. The same problems also arise in connection with the transportation of heavy goods such as paper rolls.
Accordingly, there is a need for a transport system that reduces the friction forces to improve the loading capacity and reduce the depth of the pit in the ground that may be needed in applications where the conveyor is installed at or near ground level.


The performance of silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors steadily improves as device dimensions shrink. The decreasing size of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) provides improved integrated-circuit performance speed and cost per function. As channel lengths of MOSFET devices are reduced to increase both the operation speed and the number of components per chip, the source and drain regions extend towards each other, occupying the entire channel area between the source and the drain. Interactions between the source and drain of the MOSFET degrade the ability of the gate of the MOSFET to control whether the MOSFET is “on” or “off.” In particular, the threshold voltage and drive current decrease appreciably with the channel length. This phenomenon is called the “short channel effect.” The term “short channel effect,” as used herein, refers to the limitations on electron drift characteristics and modification of the threshold voltage caused by shortening trench lengths.
Double- or tri-gate transistors, such as vertical double-gate silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors or fin-FETs, offer significant advantages related to high drive current and high immunity to short trench effects. Conventionally, fin-FET devices have included single, unitary semiconductor structures that protrude from an active surface of a substrate. Such a semiconductor structure is generally referred to as a “fin.” A polysilicon layer may be deposited over a central portion of the fin and patterned to form a pair of gates on opposite sides of the fin. Among the many advantages offered by fin-FETs is better gate control at short gate lengths. Fin-FETs facilitate down-scaling of CMOS dimensions while maintaining acceptable performance.
With ever-decreasing semiconductor device feature sizes, the effects of shortened channel lengths become increasingly problematic in the fabrication of semiconductor devices.
Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices to reduce short channel effects and increase drive current, as well as improved fin-FET structures, are desirable.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to solar energy assemblies which are adapted to provide decorative and functional means for collecting radiant solar energy and, more specifically, it is directed toward unique panel constructions adapted for such purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various forms of functional and decorative building construction components positioned on building exteriors such as vertical exterior walls and roofs have been known for years. Not only has it been known to provide decorative wall coverings for the interior, but various forms of exterior siding have been known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,642,968, 2,777,549, 3,054,223 and 3,394,520.
As a result of the shortage of energy on a worldwide basis, more and more effort is being directed toward more efficient use of existing energy supplies. For example, in order to conserve our coal, gas and oil reserves more emphasis has been placed upon maintaining of residential and commercial structures at reduced temperatures in cold weather and providing increased thermal insulation to minimize heat loss. There has also been a great deal of emphasis directed toward the use of solar energy in heating of buildings, heating of hot water and other uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,430 discloses a hot water solar system adapted for use on a roof or other portion of a building. A plurality of water channels are housed within a rigid frame underlying a series of layers of plastic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,080 discloses a thermal collector for a solar energy system. The prime thrust of this disclosure is directed toward an air system adapted for use on a roof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,809 discloses a solar system wherein a series of building blocks have transparent members for permitting passage of the sun's rays therethrough. The series of blocks provides a vertical air channel passing immediately behind the transparent window in each block and a series of three generally vertically oriented passageways positioned within each block remote from the front transparent window.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,282 discloses a solar system consisting of a number of fixed flat plate solar reflectors and collectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,282 discloses a solar collecting system wherein a matrix of expanded sheets having large openings is employed to collect the sun's radiant energy. Means are provided for circulating air through the chamber and into contact with the slit and expanded sheets.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,076,015 and 4,077,393 each disclose systems wherein modular elements provide a plurality of raised surfaces for receipt of the sun's rays as used in combination with raised reflective surfaces. Among the problems encountered with known solar collecting systems are the somewhat unsightly nature of the same and, in some instances, the expense of installing the same.
There remains a need for a solar collecting system for exterior walls, roofs and other portions of buildings which is both decorative and functional. There is a further need for such systems which can be applied readily to preexisting buildings as well as buildings designed and constructed with the solar energy system in mind.


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an eyelet arrangement for use with a swimming pool having a plastic liner which permits the part having the eye to be removed to allow changing of the plastic liner without requiring access to the outside of the wall.
2. The Prior Art
The patent to Engelhart U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,732 shows a device for accomplishing the same function as the present invention. The device of Engelhart however is quite expensive, as it involves the use of an externally and internally threaded sleeve having a large flange at one end, the making of which requires a number of costly operations.


It is known that the content of unsaturated fatty acid in beef fat is associated with quality of beef, such as the beef taste and texture. Generally, if the content of unsaturated fatty acid is high with low melting point, the beef is considered to have good quality, which gives good taste and texture.
However, in order to judge whether the beef has such quality, there was no other way but to depend on the subjective (sensuous) method, in which the beef was actually eaten and evaluated. In other words, there was no conventional method, which was more objective, simple and efficient, like the judgment approach of predicting quality of beef, simply based on the genotype of a specific bovine gene.
By the way, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is known as an enzyme which desaturates beef fat. This enzyme desaturates stearoyl-CoA which plays an important role for in vivo biosynthesis of lipids and their degradation. Amino acid sequence and cDNA sequence of bovine stearoyl-CoA (derived from Bos taurus) are shown in DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases; Accession number “AB075020”. Information of these sequences was provided by inventors of the present invention.
As mentioned above, the content of unsaturated fatty acid in beef fat (in other words, the amount of the unsaturated fatty acid content) is associated with quality of beef, such as the beef taste and texture. If the amount of the unsaturated fatty acid content can be predicted on the basis of the genotype of a specific bovine gene, then it provides a new method which enables simple examination as to quality of beef, such as the beef taste and texture.
Such method based on the genotype is useful not only for evaluation and selection of cattle (beef cattle) with good quality of beef, but also for breeding and reproduction of cattle.
Furthermore, the content of unsaturated fatty acid in beef fat is associated with the cholesterol accumulation caused by beef intake, and it is considered one of important features of the cattle, especially in the countries where beef is eaten very often, such as the Europe and the United States of America. Therefore, the above-mentioned method for evaluating the unsaturated fatty acid content based on the genotype, is also useful from the view point of health care.
In addition, the content of unsaturated fatty acid in milk fat of the dairy cattle is considered to affect the taste and mouthfeel of dairy products, such as butter. For example, when the content of unsaturated fatty acid in milk fat is higher and the melting point is lower, then the butter produced by using the milk as raw material is softer with good mouth-melt. Therefore, the above-mentioned method for predicting the unsaturated fatty acid content based on the genotype, is also useful for dairy products and dairy cattle breeding.


This invention pertains to the field of digital computing and, more particularly, to a large scale digital computing system capable of performing high-speed addition without unduly increasing power consumption.
Addition is a fundamental operation in the arithmetic unit of a digital computing system because it is employed to perform, not only the addition function, but also the multiplication function and the accumulation function. In a conventional adder, the processing time is directly related to the number of bits in the numbers being processed because of the necessity for carries to propagate from stage to stage before the arithmetic result is generated. A number of schemes have been developed over the years, such as the so-called look ahead adder, to generate arithmetic results without the delays occasioned by carry propagation. These schemes require a great deal of extra electronic circuitry and, therefore, dissipate more power than a conventional adder.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor products reliability testing and, more particularly, to semiconductor reliability test chips for testing standard and ASIC semiconductor packages.
2. Background and Related Art
During the course of qualifying packages and modules, it is customary to run standard stresses to predict reliability of the packaged semiconductor products under field conditions. Typically, the reliability of the semiconductor packages is tested by subjecting them to a variety of life accelerating environments over a period of time until product failure or minimum requirements are met. The packages are then inspected and tested in an attempt to determine the cause of failure. Since there can be many reasons for failure, the analyses of the failure can be lengthy and difficult. Attempts have also been made to design semiconductor test chips to assess specific types of failure of the product.
For example, an article by J. S. Sweet, entitled “The Use of Special Purpose Assembly Test Chips for Evaluating Reliability In Packaged Devices”, published by Sandie National Laboratory, pages 15–19, describes some of these types of chips. The article describes a series of individual special purpose assembly test chips to aid in assessing the reliability of packaged integrated circuits. The special purpose assembly test chips contain special purpose circuits or sensors which enhance the detection of failures or detect moisture, detect mobile ions, or other contaminants which can lead to failure of the semiconductor component.
Other special purpose test chips have been designed to aid in assessing the reliability of a variety of specific types of failures of semiconductor packages. For example the U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,264 to Corbett, et al. describes a test chip with a plurality of test functions, such as, bond pad pitch and size effects on chip design, wire bond placement accuracy, bond pad damage below the bond pad during bonding (cratering), street width effects, thermal impedance effects, ion mobility evaluation and chip on board in flip chip application test capabilities.
Test chips for flip-chip packages, such as described by Corbett, et al., using C4 solder ball technology have thus taken a variety of forms. The need to verify C4 integrity as part of the chip/package/interconnect qualification is an important product requirement. This requirement has become more important with the advent of organic C4 chip packages. In this regard, it has been found that certain product design features will result in early reliability stressing failures. Thus, to provide the most effective testing process, it is necessary to design the chip/package/interconnect qualification packages as closely to product as possible to avoid having to address, either failures in features that do not appear in the product, or failure to stress features that do exist in the product that may ultimately fail. One of the major stresses that cause failures in organic flip chip packages is the thermal mismatch in CTE between the flip chips and organic substrate. Such thermal mismatch causes stress and, potentially, fatigue at the C4 interconnect initiating fracture and cracking of the C4 bonding, for example, resulting in connection failure. In this regard, it is known that this stress is proportional to the distance from neutral point (DNP) of a particular C4 solder ball connection.
One approach to stressing packages to test for fatigue leading to fracture and cracking of C4 connections due to thermal mismatch is to cyclically heat the packaged chip using electrically resistive heaters in the chip to simulate product thermal cycling. This can be accomplished by designing a test chip with a large resistive heater in the chip M1 metal layer. Such a heater is typically wired through a small number of C4 connections. With a small number of connections and with the need for increased heat and power, there is concern with the resistive heating of the relatively narrow package signal traces such as to potentially introduce excessive temperature induced failures that would not exist in the product. Alternatively, designing the package wires as heavy power supplies connected to signal C4 positions represents a nonstandard feature in the package that does not represent product.
A conventional approach to testing for the reliability and integrity of C4 interconnections between chip and substrate is to employ a continuity-type testing procedure. An example of such an approach is that employed by Corbett, et al. supra wherein metal wire stitch lines are employed to connect selected C4 pads on the chip together and substrate or board level wiring is used to connect all wiring in a daisy chain approach. Thus, the resulting structure has a concatenation of board wire, package wire, chip wire, board wire, etc. While this approach has the advantage of allowing a large number of connections to be tested with one circuit, it has the disadvantage that should there be fatigue or fracture in one of the interconnections being monitored causing a change in resistance, for example, such change can easily be lost in the larger overall resistance of the single circuit interconnecting all of the interconnects.
In this regard, it is known that small changes in resistance are indicative of C4 fatigue and crack initiation. Accordingly, it is advantageous to test for fatigue and crack initiation using a low resistance circuit approach such as to allow easy and ready identification of the connection exhibiting fatigue and crack initiation.
A further limitation of prior art approaches is that the array of pads on the test chip used for testing covers a small area of the chip, and the array of pads is typically near the center of the chip thus discounting the contribution to stress that would be expected for high DNP C4's.
Accordingly, the test chip should be made to replicate the product that it is representing as closely as possible. To this end, it is undesirable to wire out all of the C4 pads to the chip substrate or PCB. In this regard, most product chips require power connections that are handled via the power planes of the package. Thus, to maintain the mechanical properties of the package, it is advantageous to design the test package such that signal and power structures look like the product design. It should be noted that, the highest DNP C4's are typically power and ground connections, particularly in application specific footprints.


It has long been known that absorbent articles such as conventional absorbent articles (e.g., diapers, adult incontinence articles, feminine hygiene pads) offer the benefit of receiving and containing urine and/or other bodily exudates (e.g., feces, menses, mixture of feces and urine, mixture of menses and urine, etc.). To effectively contain bodily exudates, the article should provide a snug fit around the waist and legs of a wearer.
Current diaper designs frequently include the use of a barrier leg cuff to prevent leakage of bodily exudates and an outer cuff which provides a covering over the barrier leg cuff to minimize the visibility of exudates through the barrier cuff and provide a secondary means to capture bodily exudates should they breach the barrier leg cuff. The barrier leg cuff may be made using a hydrophobic nonwoven and may be disposed on the body-facing surface of the absorbent article or connected to the body-facing surface of the film backsheet layer. The barrier leg cuff may be a substantially liquid impervious layer that prevents bodily exudates from passing out of the sides of the article and may also be highly breathable, allowing outside air to reach the skin to help maintain a healthy level of skin hydration. In many current diapers, the outer cuff comprises the polymeric film layer of the backsheet to provide high opacity required to cover the barrier leg cuff as well as to prevent molten adhesive from passing through the cuff to the garment-facing surface of the article during manufacturing. The outer cuff contains the outer leg elastic strands, which create the contraction forces and gathers, and can be sandwiched between the cuff material and backsheet material. The elastic strands in the leg cuffs are typically joined with molten adhesive during manufacture, and the hot adhesive generally has the potential to pass through nonwoven materials during manufacture, causing contamination of manufacturing lines as well as the potential for stickiness on the outside surface of the article. The polymeric film generally is used to prevent these issues, however, results in a plastic-like look as well as a noisy application process.
Because of manufacturing tolerances when cutting, tracking, and combining materials, the outer leg elastic strands are generally spaced inboard from the longitudinal edge of the article in the crotch region. This prevents inadvertent cutting or exposure of the outer leg elastic strands during the manufacturing process. This design does not result in the outermost portion of the longitudinal edge of the product continuously contacting closely to the skin of the user during wear. Thus, the ability of the elastic strand(s) to control the edge of the article diminishes as the distance between the outermost elastic and the edge increases, leading to a more random distribution of larger gathers which contact the skin at larger intervals or sometimes not at all. This effect can lead to user perception that the diaper may leak where the longitudinal edge does not contact the skin of the user. In addition, many articles currently available contain only two to three outer leg elastics per side to create the gathers, increasing the difficulty of achieving the desired appearance of a wide finished leg cuff or more garment-like cuff such as the elasticized hemmed edge of the arm cuff of a sweater. If the elastics are spaced more closely, the result is a narrow section of elasticized zone, which results in a less finished, less comfortable, and less clothing-like appearance. If the elastics are spaced farther apart, the gathers can appear to separate further from the skin of the user, leading to a perception of potential leakage risk. As discussed above, this is driven by having less control of the gathers between strands of increasing separation.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an absorbent article with a folded outer cuff design having finished edges with elastics that are close to the edge to maintain a close proximity to the skin to create improved fit, a more aesthetically pleasing, clothing-like design and improved leakage protection.
However, even with the improved leakage protection provided by the cuff designs detailed herein, the most common mode of failure for absorbent articles still occurs when body exudates leak out of the gaps between the article and the wearer's legs and/or waist. When fecal material (e.g., runny bowel movement, a mixture of bowel movement and urine, etc.) is not absorbed into the topsheet and core of absorbent article, the fecal material can leak out of the gaps between the article and the wearer's legs or waist. In situations where a wearer exudes a higher quantity of fecal material—which is absorbed by the absorbent core more slowly than urine—the fecal material may move laterally along the body-side surface of the absorbent article and reach the barrier leg cuff. After the fecal material reaches the barrier leg cuffs, it may travel longitudinally along the barrier leg cuffs. Due to the movement of the wearer and/or a shortage of available space under the barrier cuffs and/or within the absorbent article, the fecal material may leak out of the gaps between the article and the wearer's legs and/or waist. This results in soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating the wearer's clothing or other articles (e.g., bedding, furniture, caregiver clothing, etc.) that come in contact with the wearer's leaky absorbent article.
Accordingly, it is of continued interest to provide an economically viable disposable absorbent article with the ability to minimize the negative effects of bodily extrudate leaks, while also making it easier to clean the wearer when the soiled disposable absorbent article is removed. To that end, it is of continued interest to provide a disposable absorbent article having sufficient retention capability to safely and cleanly retain bodily extrudate away from the wearer's clothing and/or skin throughout the expected time of article use.


I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to a metal discriminator, and specifically to a discriminating circuit including a sense coil and means for measuring a change in the self inductance of the coil caused by a metallic object placed substantially in the center of the coil.
II. RELATED ART
Previous discriminator systems based on the principle of applying pulsed signals into a sense coil and measuring the loss in voltage potential across the coil versus time that occurs in the coil after the pulse is applied are known. However, these systems tend to be very sensitive to external noise sources and are subject to temperature sensitivity and physical parameters such as cable length.


Prions are infectious pathogens that cause central nervous system spongiform encephalopathies in humans and animals. Prions are distinct from bacteria, viruses and viroids. The predominant hypothesis at present is that no nucleic acid component is necessary for infectivity of prion protein. Further, a prion which infects one species of animal (e.g., a human) will not infect another (e.g., a mouse).
A major step in the study of prions and the diseases that they cause was the discovery and purification of a protein designated prion protein ("PrP") [Bolton et al., Science 218:1309-11 (1982); Prusiner et al., Biochemistry 21:6942-50 (1982); McKinley et al., Cell 35:57-62 (1983)]. Complete prion protein-encoding genes have since been cloned, sequenced and expressed in transgenic animals. PrP.sup.C is encoded by a single-copy host gene [Basler et al., Cell 46:417-28 (1986)] and is normally found at the outer surface of neurons. A leading hypothesis is that prion diseases result from conversion of PrP.sup.C into a modified form called PrP.sup.Sc.
It appears that the scrapie isoform of the prion protein (PrP.sup.Sc) is necessary for both the transmission and pathogenesis of the transmissible neurodegenerative diseases of animals and humans. See Prusiner, S. B., "Molecular biology of prion disease," Science 252:1515-1522 (1991). The most common prion diseases of animals are scrapie of sheep and goats and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of cattle [Wilesmith, J. and Wells, Microbiol. Immunol. 172:21-38 (1991)]. Four prion diseases of humans have been identified: (1) kuru, (2) Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), (3) Gerstmann-Strassler-Scheinker Disease (GSS), and (4) fatal familial insomnia (FFI) [Gajdusek, D.C., Science 197:943-960 (1977); Medori et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 326:444-449 (1992)]. The presentation of human prion diseases as sporadic, genetic and infectious illnesses initially posed a conundrum which has been explained by the cellular genetic origin of PrP.
Most CJD cases are sporadic, but about 10-15% are inherited as autosomal dominant disorders that are caused by mutations in the human PrP gene [Hsiao et al., Neurology 40:1820-1827 (1990); Goldfarb et al., Science 258:806-808 (1992); Kitamoto et al., Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 343:391-398. Iatrogenic CJD has been caused by human growth hormone derived from cadaveric pituitaries as well as dura mater grafts [Brown et al., Lancet 340:24-27 (1992)]. Despite numerous attempts to link CJD to an infectious source such as the consumption of scrapie infected sheep meat, none has been identified to date [Harries-Jones et al., J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 51:1113-1119 (1988)] except in cases of iatrogenically induced disease. On the other hand, kuru, which for many decades devastated the Fore and neighboring tribes of the New Guinea highlands, is believed to have been spread by infection during ritualistic cannibalism [Alpers, M. P., Slow Transmissible Diseases of the Nervous System, Vol. 1, S. B. Prusiner and W. J. Hadlow, eds. (New York: Academic Press), pp. 66-90 (1979)].
The initial transmission of CJD to experimental primates has a rich history beginning with William Hadlow's recognition of the similarity between kuru and scrapie. In 1959, Hadlow suggested that extracts prepared from patients dying of kuru be inoculated into nonhuman primates and that the animals be observed for disease that was predicted to occur after a prolonged incubation period [Hadlow, W. J., Lancet 2:289-290 (1959)]. Seven years later, Gajdusek, Gibbs and Alpers demonstrated the transmissibility of kuru to chimpanzees after incubation periods ranging form 18 to 21 months [Gajdusek et al., Nature 209:794-796 (1966)]. The similarity of the neuropathology of kuru with that of CJD [Klatzo et al., Lab Invest. 8:799-847 (1959)] prompted similar experiments with chimpanzees and transmissions of disease were reported in 1968 [Gibbs, Jr. et al., Science 161:388-389 (1968)]. Over the last 25 years, about 300 cases of CJD, kuru and GSS have been transmitted to a variety of apes and monkeys.
The expense, scarcity and often perceived inhumanity of such experiments have restricted this work and thus limited the accumulation of knowledge. While the most reliable transmission data has been said to emanate from studies using nonhuman primates, some cases of human prion disease have been transmitted to rodents but apparently with less regularity [Gibbs, Jr. et al., Slow Transmissible Diseases of the Nervous System, Vol. 2, S. B. Prusiner and W. J. Hadlow, eds. (New York: Academic Press), pp. 87-110 (1979); Tateishi et al., Prion Diseases of Humans and Animals, Prusiner et al., eds. (London: Ellis Horwood), pp. 129-134 (1992)].
The infrequent transmission of human prion disease to rodents has been cited as an example of the "species barrier" first described by Pattison in his studies of passaging the scrapie agent between sheep and rodents [Pattison, I. H., NINDB Monograph 2, D. C. Gajdusek, C. J. Gibbs Jr. and M. P. Alpers, eds. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing), pp. 249-257 (1965)]. In those investigations, the initial passage of prions from one species to another was associated with a prolonged incubation time with only a few animals developing illness. Subsequent passage in the same species was characterized by all the animals becoming ill after greatly shortened incubation times.
The molecular basis for the species barrier between Syrian hamster (SHa) and mouse was shown to reside in the sequence of the PrP gene using transgenic (Tg) mice [Scott et al., Cell 59:847-857 (1989)]. SHaPrP differs from MoPrP at 16 positions out of 254 amino acid residues [Basler et al., Cell 46:417-428 (1986); Locht et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:6372-6376 (1986)]. Tg(SHaPrP) mice expressing SHaPrP had abbreviated incubation times when inoculated with SHa prions. When similar studies were performed with mice expressing the human, or ovine PrP transgenes, the species barrier was not abrogated, i.e., the percentage of animals which became infected were unacceptably low and the incubation times were unacceptably long. Thus, it has not been possible, for example in the case of human prions, to use transgenic animals (such as mice containing a PrP gene of another species) to reliably test a sample to determine if that sample is infected with prions. The seriousness of the health risk resulting from the lack of such a test is exemplified below.
More than 45 young adults previously treated with HGH derived from human pituitaries have developed CJD [Koch et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 313:731-733 (1985); Brown et al., Lancet 340:24-27 (1992); Fradkin et al., JAMA 265:880-884 (1991); Buchanan et al., Br. Med. J. 302:824-828 (1991)]. Fortunately, recombinant HGH is now used, although the seemingly remote possibility has been raised that increased expression of wtPrP.sup.C stimulated by high HGH might induce prion disease [Lasmezas et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 196:1163-1169 (1993)]. That the HGH prepared from pituitaries was contaminated with prions is supported by the transmission of prion disease to a monkey 66 months after inoculation with a suspect lot of HGH [Gibbs, Jr. et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 328:358-359 (1993)]. The long incubation times associated with prion diseases will not reveal the full extent of iatrogenic CJD for decades in thousands of people treated with HGH worldwide. Iatrogenic CJD also appears to have developed in four infertile women treated with contaminated human pituitary-derived gonadotrophin hormone [Healy et al., Br. J. Med. 307:517-518 (1993); Cochius et al., Aust. N.Z. J. Med. 20:592-593 (1990); Cochius et al., J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 55:1094-1095 (1992)] as well as at least 11 patients receiving dura mater grafts [Nisbet et al., J. Am. Med. Assoc. 261:1118 (1989); Thadani et al., J. Neurosurg. 69:766-769 (1988); Willison et al., J. Neurosurg. Psychiatric 54:940 (1991); Brown et al., Lancet 340:24-27 (1992)]. These cases of iatrogenic CJD underscore the need for screening pharmaceuticals that might possibly be contaminated with prions.
Recently, two doctors in France were charged with involuntary manslaughter of a child who had been treated with growth hormones extracted from corpses. The child developed Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. (See New Scientist, Jul. 31, 1993, page 4). According to the Pasteur Institute, since 1989 there have been 24 reported cases of CJD in young people who were treated with human growth hormone between 1983 and mid-1985. Fifteen of these children have died. It now appears as though hundreds of children in France have been treated with growth hormone extracted from dead bodies at the risk of developing CJD (see New Scientist, Nov. 20, 1993, page 10.) In view of such, there clearly is a need for a convenient, cost-effective means for removing prions which cause CJD from blood and blood products. The present invention provides such a method.


Fence installers often set a first post in cement, insert a panel into the first post, insert the panel into a second post, set the second post in cement, then go back and screw the panel to the first post. As a general practice, these tasks are completed while the cement is still wet. In the frost-belt, this type of installation requires a longer post. By installing this way, there is always a chance that someone will lean on or bump into the panels, moving the posts and causing the posts to be crooked when the cement hardens. The posts take multiple steps to manufacture. Posts must be loaded into a machine twice; once to punch/route rail holes and once to drill screw holes. Hundreds of screws, longer posts, additional manufacturing steps, and increased installation time all increase the cost of the fence.
Sometimes panels need to be made shorter while on a job site, making it necessary to notch the end of the rails so that the rails will fit properly into their respective posts. If a panel needs to be shortened on the job site, the installer has a choice to either purchase a special tool (costing $200.00-$300.00) or try to notch the rails using a hack saw. Using a hack saw to notch the rails is very difficult, and increases costs and time on the job.
The panels of fences assembled using the conventional technique are not easily removable. If a panel is damaged, the posts must be removed to perform repairs. Consequently, repairs are extremely expensive. Another problem for consumers is insects (e.g., bees, etc.) building hives in the fence posts, because most aluminum fence products have no system in place to keep the insects out.
It would be desirable to implement a clip facilitating quick assembly and disassembly of fence components.


The present application claims priority of Japanese patent application Ser. No. 82/156399, filed Sept. 8, 1982.
The present invention relates to novel foam-forming, room temperature vulcanizable (RTV) organopolysiloxane compositions having increased foam-forming ratio and excellent foamability. Some technologies have been known for RTV foam-forming organopolysiloxane compositions, but most of them could not be applied to commercial production.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,555 Bruner invented RTV foam-forming organopolysiloxane compositions utilizing the dehydrogenation reaction of .alpha.,.omega.-diorganopolysiloxane diol and organohydrogenpolysiloxane in the presence of a stannous carboxylate catalyst.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,847 Nitzsche invented similar compositions comprising .alpha.,.omega.-diorganopolysiloxane diol, organohydrogenpolysiloxane, and unsaturated hydrocarbon containing hydroxyorganopolysiloxane in the presence of a metal carboxylate catalyst.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,032 Joyce invented flame retardant RTV foam-forming organopolysiloxane compositions comprising .alpha.,.omega.-diorganopolysiloxane diol, organohydrogenpolysiloxane, stannous carboxylate and NiBr.sub.2.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,580 Nitzsche invented flame retardant RTV foam-forming organopolysiloxane compositions comprising .alpha.,.omega.-diorganopolysiloxane diol, organohydrogenpolysiloxane, quaternary ammonium salt catalyst and a heavy metal carboxylate.
In Nippon Tokkyo Koukoku Koho 45-11839 (Japanese Patent Publication) Murphy invented an RTV foam-forming organopolysiloxane composition comprising .alpha.,.omega.-diorganopolysiloxane diol, organohydrogenpolysiloxane and aminohydroxyorganopolysiloxane compounds as the dehydrogenation catalyst.
In Nippon Tokkyo Kokai Koho 51-46352 Endo invented RTV foam-forming organopolysiloxane compositions comprising .alpha.,.omega.-diorganopolysiloxane diol, organohydrogenpolysiloxane and a platinum catalyst.
However, all of these technologies gave RTV foam-forming compositions having low foam-forming capability and inferior foam-formability. Accordingly, the previous compositions could only be applied to limited commercial production. The present invention is based on the discovery of a new class of RTV foam-forming compositions which overcome the defects of previous technologies and provide improved compositions having high foam-forming ratios.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process and devices for detecting the instant of injection and for determining the duration of injection in hemodynamic monitoring by means of thermodilution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The measurement of hemodynamic parameters, for example the cardiac output, is largely performed at present either by means of pulmonary arterial or transcardiopulmonary thermodilution (Pfeiffer U. J., Knoll R. (1993): Process for Determining a Patient's Circulatory Fill Status. U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,817) or else by means of thermo-dye-dilution (Pfeiffer, U. J., Backus G., Blumel G., Eckart J., Muller P., Winkler P., Zeravik J., Zimmermann G. J. (1990): A Fiberoptics-Based System for Integrated Monitoring of Cardiac Output, Intrathoracic Blood Volume. Extravascular Lung Water, O.sub.2 Saturation, and a-v Differences. Practical Applications of Fiberoptics in Critical Care Monitoring, Springer Verlag, 114-125). In these processes, a defined volume of an indicator substance which is as cold as possible, for example glucose or saline solution, is injected. The instant of injection into the body is registered by means of an extracorporeal temperature sensor which is integrated directly in the injection lumen.
At the same time, the thermodilution measurement is started by means of a thermosensor, which in the case of pulmonary arterial measurement is located in the distal lumen of the pulmonary artery catheter in the Arteria pulmonalis or, in the case of transcardiopulmonary measurement, in the tip of a catheter lying in the Arteria femoralis or in the Aorta abdominalis. By plotting the thermodilution curve, the cardiac output can be calculated, for example by means of the Stewart-Hamilton method.
The special aspect of the transcardiopulmonary method is the additional determination of a number of cardiovascular parameters, in particular for assessing the output status, for example by the intrathoracic blood volume. For the calculation of these parameters, knowledge of the characteristic times of the indicators, in particular the mean transit time and exponential fall time, is required. To be able to calculate these exactly, the instant of injection, the mean passage time of the injectate and the duration of injection must in turn be accurately measured, which is accomplished by means of the curve plotted using the extracorporeal temperature sensor (cf. FIG. 1, which reproduces the injection curve profile with a known injectate temperature sensor system; in contrast to this, FIG. 2 shows the injection curve profile with a sensor system according to the invention set out below).
As a function of the temperature difference between ambient air and injectate, the value T.sub.inj, required for correct measurements, is calculated using additionally determined correction factors.
A major disadvantage of the existing technique is that injectate of a temperature deviating from room temperature was required for optimum measurements in order to determine exactly the instant of injection and the duration of injection, since the volume in the customary extracorporeal injectate temperature sensor housing is essentially at room temperature. To be able to detect the instant at which injection starts and to be able to calculate the duration of injection from the temperature profile, a clear temperature difference between the fluid at the sensor before injection and the injectate is required.
For this reason, it must be ensured that the injection solution is available in a well cooled state at any time. This means additional work also for the nursing staff in intensive care units and in operating rooms. In addition, measurements often do not proceed absolutely smoothly, with the result that injectate taken out of cooling too early may already have warmed up again by the time it is used; the same problem arises if a number of measurements are carried out at short intervals one after the other.
The use of cooling sets, which can be installed at the patient's bed, does offer the advantage of an injectate cooled for a certain time directly at the patient, but again brings about considerable disadvantages due to increased work, for example to obtain fresh ice for the cooling box, and due to the costs additionally incurred.


A lithography technique is a very important process among semiconductor manufacturing processes by which scaling-down of a semiconductor device is achieved, because the lithography technique is a process that generates a pattern of the device. Recently, according to high integrity of LSI, circuit line width required for a semiconductor device has been reduced year after year. In order to form a desired circuit pattern on the semiconductor device, a highly-accurate master image pattern (sometimes, referred to as a reticle or a mask) is needed. Herein, since an electron beam writing technique intrinsically has excellent resolution, the technique is used to produce a highly-accurate master image pattern.
In the above-described electron beam writing, uniformity of line width in more accurate sample plane, for example, a mask plane is required. Herein, in the electron beam writing, electrons are charged in a deflector, and thus, the electron beam is drifted, so that there occurs a phenomenon that position accuracy of the writing is degraded.
In order to improve the position accuracy of the writing, it is preferable that the drift of the electron beam is suppressed.
JP-A H06-120126 discloses a technique of manufacturing an aperture plate by using tungsten having high electron beam blocking ability so as to improve processing accuracy of an opening portion of the aperture plate.