Abstract: A push button switch is provided to include a key cap, a baseplate, a switch element, an internal arm element, an external arm element and an elastic element. The switch element is disposed on the baseplate and made selectively electrically conductive in response to up-and-down motion of the key cap. The internal arm element is movably connected to the baseplate and has a receiving space. The elastic member is disposed within the receiving space and moves responsive to movement of the key cap and selectively actuates the switch element. The improvement of the push button switch is characterized in that the internal arm element, which is movably connected to the baseplate, has a receiving space for accommodating the elastic member. The elastic member moves responsive to movement of the key cap and selectively actuates the switch element.

Abstract: A PTC thermistor has a disk-shaped main body with electrodes on its main surfaces which are facing mutually away from each other such that, during an initial period after a potential difference is applied between these electrodes, the side surface of the main body has an asymmetric temperature distribution between the electrodes in the direction normal to its main surfaces. The heat emission does not have a peak half-way between the electrodes in the direction of the thickness such that the thermistor has an improved resistance against flash pressure. This may be done by forming the electrodes in different sizes or by providing a non-uniform distribution in specific resistance to the main body such that the heat-emission peak is displaced from the center region between the two main surfaces of the main body.

Abstract: A non-phase separable glass material for fabricating a GRIN lens comprises 5-20 mole % boron oxide and ratio R of network modifiers in mole % to the network former boron oxide in mole % is in the range of about 1-1.5. The melted preform of such glass material is extruded through an opening to form a glass rod where the extrusion process eliminates bubbles that may be present in the preform. Neodymium oxide may be added in the frit material for forming the preform to reduce friction forces in the extrusion process and reduces the stress in the glass rod. Centerless grinding may be performed to control the diameter and roughness of the surface of the rod to control the diffusion parameters during the subsequent ion-exchange.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of resistors connected in series, each resistor associated with a fuse and a switching device such that the fuse can be selectively connected in parallel with it or to a line through which a current can be supplied to the fuse so as to break it. After the resistance of the device is measured and is found to require a fine adjustment by breaking a selected one or more of the fuses, this selection is communicated from outside in an encoded signal. A decoder serves to decode this encoded signal and causes a fusing current to break the selected fuse (or fuses). Thus, only a reduced number of pads are required to access the fuses from outside. A source of the fusing current may be also contained as a part of the semiconductor device and serve to attenuate a surge current, which may invade from outside, before it reaches the fuse.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched .alpha.,.alpha.-disubstituted amino acid precursors are presented. Briefly, allylic electrophiles are alkylated with oxazolones in the presence of a base and catalytic quantities of a transition metal complex incorporating a chiral phosphine ligand to yield 4,4-disubstituted-5(4H)-oxazolones. These precursors may be subsequently transformed either synthetically or enzymatically to yield enantiomerically enriched .alpha.,.alpha.-disubstituted amino acids.

Abstract: A liquid slurry containing spherical abrading particles of polyhedral monocrystalline alumina is supplied onto the target surface of a magnetic hard disk substrate to be textured while a polishing tape is pressed onto the target surface and the disk substrate is concurrently rotated. Because the contacting surfaces of these particles are spherical and have no sharp edges, they do not scratch the target surface or create grooves which are undesirably too deep.

Abstract: An ultraviolet and visible light absorbance detector uses a flow cell having a sample cell opening and a reference opening formed therethrough extending parallel to each other. The reference opening has a cross-sectional shape which is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of its extension. An optical system causes an image of a slit to be formed with dispersed light over an area which includes light-receiving windows of both these openings, and portions of the dispersed light, after passing through these openings, are individually detected by light-receiving elements of a light-receiving device. Since the reference opening has an increased sectional area and its light throughput is increased, the absorbance noise due to the reference opening is reduced and the overall S/N ratio of the detector is improved.

Abstract: Oral drugs for treating AIDS patients contain water-soluble mixed components contained in cultured mycelia or a culture filtrate solution of Himematsutake (Agaricus blazei).

Abstract: In a laser system which produces radiation which is highly absorbed by water, the pump voltage supplied to the laser rod is slowly increased between the lasing threshold voltage and the full operational voltage of the pump. As a result, the output energy and circulating energy of the system slowly increase, such that any water on the intracavity coatings is vaporized slowly, rather than explosively. The laser system and method of using same thus reduce or prevent damage to the intracavity coatings used within the laser cavity.

Abstract: A superconducting system having a coil or cable in the form of strands at superconducting temperature is connected to a power supply at room temperature. The connection is by means of a stranded current lead substantially under regular conducting conditions. Each current lead strand is insulated and connected to a corresponding superconducting strand so as to supply current and to contribute an individual series resistance. The temperature-sensitive resistance provides an important current self-limiting mechanism to forestall current imbalance or channeling among the superconducting strands and therefore forestall premature quenching. Various embodiments are directed to regulating the current in the individual superconducting strands, including regulating the resistance in the individual current lead strands with careful temperature control as well as improving the overall superconducting system with optimized cooling.

Abstract: Concentrated phosphorous fertilizers are disclosed that comprise a buffered composition of a phosphorous-containing acid or salt thereof. The concentrated phosphorus fertilizers can be diluted with water of pH ranging from about 6.5 to about 8.5 at ratios of concentrate to water at about 1:40 to about 1:600 to result in a fertilizer having a pH in the range acceptable for foliar uptake of phosphorus. Methods of supplying phosphorus to plants are also disclosed where the concentrated phosphorus fertilizers are delivered to plants and then sufficient water is applied to achieve a pH suitable for phosphorus uptake by the plant.

Abstract: A composite Web page is made up of a plurality of subpages. It allows a user to input data to a Web server in one subpage while interactively displaying a response from the server of the input on another subpage. When an input is made, an URL is also sent to the server to run a program that updates a database and generates a response. The program also generates a composite Web page incorporating the response in one of the subpages. Each subpage is formed with the use of subtemplates which may contain partially formed text and hypertext markup elements as well as program tags for the server to interpret and execute subprograms upon them. Each subprogram typically produces an output that is written to the tag location in hypertext markup language format. In another embodiment, the subtemplates and the program are sent to the client to construct the interactive Web page there.

Abstract: In a process of selectively removing material from an exposed layer carried by a substrate, a technique for determining endpoint by monitoring the intensity of a radiation beam that is passed through the substrate and any intervening layers to be reflected off the layer being processed. This monitoring technique is used during photoresist developing, wet etching, and mechanical planarization and polishing during the manufacture of integrated circuits on semiconductor wafers, flat panel displays on glass substrates, and similar articles. Planarization and polishing processes are alternatively monitored by monitoring temperature.

Abstract: A bag making and packaging machine has a pair of transverse sealing members on opposite sides of a film path for transversely sealing a bag-making film moving longitudinally along this path. A pair of support members supports these transverse sealing members and is driven so as to bring the transverse sealing members towards each other to contact with the film and away to separate them from each other. At least one elastic member is interposed between at least one of the support members and the corresponding one of the transverse sealing members. This elastic member is in a contracted condition when the transverse sealing members are in contact with the film on the film path and thereby applying on the film a sealing pressure corresponding to the distance by which the elastic member is contracted.

Abstract: A method for inducing dilation of a blood vessel, e.g., of an obstructed blood vessel, includes irradiating the vessel with a pulse of light or its equivalent at a low energy fluence.

Abstract: An apparatus for ultrasonic diagnosis uses a probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to different focusing steps and to received reflected waves from target positions for diagnosis, controlled by a transmission-reception controller which also causes sectional images to be sequentially displayed in frames on a monitor. A frame rate calculator calculates from a frame rate for forming images at each of focusing steps at a specified depth. A frame rate comparator compares the frame rate calculated by the frame rate calculator with a specified threshold value determined by the timing of display by the monitor. A focusing controller thereby serves to adjust the number of focusing steps at the specified depth according to the result of comparison by the frame rate comparator such that an optimum number of focusing steps can be selected to obtain a dependably real-time clear images can be displayed.

Abstract: Thickness of a film in a sample may be detected by directing pump laser pulses to the surface of a sample to generate an acoustic pulse in a sample. The acoustic pulse propagates downwards until it reaches an interface between the bottom of the film and a substrate and is reflected back to the top surface of the film as a first echo. A reflection of the first echo propagates downwards and is again reflected back towards the surface as a second echo. Interferometry is used to measure the lapse of time between the first and second echos from which the thickness of the film may be determined.

Abstract: A memory device (201) having left (203) and right (204) ports for communicating with left (205) and right (206) electronic devices, includes memory banks (401-0.about.401-7), semaphore logic (302), and port coupling circuitry (403, 404, 405-0.about.405-7, 406-0.about.406-7, 407-0.about.407-7). The semaphore logic generates bank access grant signals (313, 314) on a first received basis in response to bank access requests from the left and right electronic devices, and the port coupling circuitry couples selected memory banks to the left and right ports in response to the bank access grant signals. Also included in the memory device are mail-box registers (2500-0L.about.2500-3L, 2500-0R.about.2500-3R), interrupt generating circuitry (2514-0L.about.2514-3L, 2514-0R.about.2514-3R, 2900, 3000, 307, 308), and interrupt status and cause registers (3101L.about.3102L, 3101R.about.3102R, 3301L.about.3302L, 3301R.about.3302R).

Abstract: An EEPROM system having an array of memory cells that individually include two floating gates, bit line source and drain diffusions extending along columns, steering gates also extending along columns and select gates forming word lines along rows of floating gates. The dual gate cell increases the density of data that can be stored. Rather than providing a separate steering gate for each column of floating gates, an individual steering gate is shared by two adjacent columns of floating gates that have a diffusion between them. Processing methods of forming such a cell array include two etching steps to separate strips of conductive material into individual floating gates that are self-aligned with source/drain diffusions and other gate elements. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by two etching steps with separate masks.