Abstract: A semiconductor and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The method includes: forming an insulation layer on a substrate; forming a trench by selectively etching the insulation layer; electroplating a copper layer in the trench and on the insulation layer under such conditions that a seam is formed at a top middle portion of the trench; and polishing the copper layer to form a copper metal line with the seam.

Abstract: Reagents and methods for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus are provided. The reagents contain an antibody that binds to a capsular polysaccharide of type 5 of Staphylococcus aureus, and can be used in methods for detection of oxacillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus that escapes detection by agglutination in the presence of fibrinogen and antibodies directed against protein A of Staphylococcus.

Abstract: Culture vessels for cell cultures having at least one cell culture chamber containing a cell culture mixture that is separated by a dialysis membrane from a nutrient medium in a nutrient supply chamber. Nutrients are transported through the dialysis membrane into the cell culture chamber and metabolic products are transported out of the cell culture chamber into the nutrient supply chamber. A gas exchange membrane that at least partly delimits the cell culture chamber and that is impermeable to liquids and to microorganisms that could contaminate the cell cultures is provided for feeding the gases required for cell culturing to the culture chamber and for discharging the gases generated during cell culturing. The cell culture chamber can advantageously be configured as a stand-alone module supporting both the dialysis membrane and the gas exchange membrane.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes at least one piston (1) which is reciprocally received in a cylinder (2) which is coupled to a rotary output shaft (17) by a coupling (5, 22) which converts reciprocal movement of the piston into rotary movement of the output shaft. The engine is so arranged that, in use, the fuel/air mixture in the or each cylinder ignites at a predetermined ignition time in the operation cycle of the engine. The coupling is so arranged or programmed that on its compression stroke the speed of the piston deceases abruptly substantially at the ignition time and that the speed of the piston subsequently increases prior to reaching the top dead center position.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell that includes a transparent substrate, a front conductive layer formed on the substrate, a p-type layer formed on the front conductive layer, an i-layer of amorphous silicon formed on the p-layer, a wide bandgap n-type layer formed on the i-layer and a back contact layer formed on the n-type structure. The wide bandgap n-type layer may be an n-type sandwich structure which includes first, second, and third n-layers successively formed on one another. The first n-layer is formed on the i-layer, the second n-layer is formed on the first n-layer, and the n-layer is formed on the second n-layer. The second n-layer has an optical bandgap wider than the optical bandgap of the first and second n-type layers.