Abstract: Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor binding has been characterized using a unique binding assay utilizing iodinated GHRH probes. Photoaffinity GHRH probes have been constructed which allow for photolabeling and characterization of the receptor. In addition, high affinity biotinylated GHRH analogs have been constructed. Solubilization of GHRH-R/GHRH complexes and extraction of specifically bound GHRH using a mild detergent solution, followed by affinity chromotography, leads to a substantially purified GHRH-R isolate. Electrophoretic treatment of the GHRH-R isolate produces GHRH-R of sufficient purity to conduct sequencing of the receptor. Cloning of a gene encoding for polypeptides (protein or fragments thereof) having GHRH-R activity is accomplished using a bacterial host, and the cloned gene is expressed in a mammalian cell line.

Abstract: A rolling bearing has a pair of races, rolling elements and a cage. A region defined between the pair of races is filled with a solid lubricating composition. A film including a lubricating component is formed in a clearance between the cage and the rolling elements, whereby the solid lubricating composition is prevented from being interposed therebetween. The film including a lubricating component is formed prior to the process of filling the region with the lubricating composition to solidify the lubricating composition. It is preferable that the film including a lubricating component is formed on the respective surfaces in contact with the solid lubricating composition of the races, the rolling elements and the cage.

Abstract: A charge transfer device for making a compact solid state imaging apparatus. The device has a sloping potential gradient in the vertical to horizontal charge coupling region to achieve an increasing fringe electrical field without increasing the actual electrode width or the actual channel widths. A first region, serving as the charge storage region, at the terminal end of the vertical charge transfer section, is broadened gradually towards the horizontal charge transfer section while narrowing the terminal end of the second region, serving as the charge barrier region, towards the horizontal charge transfer section. The effective width changes of the storage and barrier regions take place in a complementary manner within one vertical channel section so that the actual width of the channel section remains constant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetoresistive thin-film, which a (110) oriented epitaxial buffer layer 2 made of a body-centered cubic crystalline metal or alloy is formed on a single crystalline substrate 1, thereon with layer a (110) oriented epitaxial Fe/Cr superlattice film on which Fe layers 3 and Cr layers 4 alternately are epitaxially grown, the Fe/Cr superlattice having a structure in which staircase facets which have ridge lines to the <100> direction at (110) surface and have {100} side surfaces stand side by side to the <110> direction. The dispersion of the widths of the staircase facets falls within .+-.50%. Also disclosed is a magnetoresistive device which is provided with the above magnetoresistive thin-film and a means for applying a magnetic field parallel to the ridge lines of the staircase facets to the thin-film.

Abstract: An interface allows a given CPU (Central Processing Unit) to communicate concurrently with a large number of disk drives in a high-performance, low-cost system. Plural seek operations can be performed concurrently, to serve a common processor. Also, heterogeneous physical drives--of any physical or logical configuration (storage capacity, number of heads, and so forth)--can be combined into one or more "logical" drives as seen by a host operating system. An "on-board" embodiment provides an "enhanced" IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) disk drive that is an extension of the industry-standard IDE drives, allowing an arbitrary number of independently seeking IDE drives on a conventionally single-seeking, two-drive-maximum bus. In a "paddle board" embodiment, low-cost IDE drives of arbitrary physical size, storage capacity and geometry, can be combined simply and inexpensively into a high-performance storage device. For example, a 3.5"80 MB (megabyte) drive can be transparently combined with a 2.5" 60 MB drive.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and an apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device having a silicon oxynitride layer deposited on a semiconductor substrate by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with radio-frequency field being applied to the semiconductor substrate. The method and apparatus use a silane gas, an argon gas and a nitrogen gas as process gases on condition that a flow rate ratio of the argon gas to the silane and nitrogen gases is in the range of at least 1.1, and preferably 2.0 or less. The method and apparatus preferably further use an oxygen gas on condition that a flow rate ratio of the nitrogen gas to the oxygen and nitrogen gases is in the range of at least 0.25, and preferably 0.6 or less. By controlling flow rate ratios of the above mentioned gases in the above mentioned range, the invention provides a silicon oxynitride layer having enhanced burying characteristic and water-permeability resistance and also having smaller dielectric constant and layer stress.

Abstract: Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor binding has been characterized using a unique binding assay utilizing iodinated GHRH probes. Photoaffinity GHRH probes have been constructed which allow for photolabeling and characterization of the receptor. In addition, high affinity biotinylated GHRH analogs have been constructed. Solubilization of GHRH-R/GHRH complexes and extraction of specifically bound GHRH using a mild detergent solution, followed by affinity chromotography, leads to a substantially purified GHRH-R isolate. Electrophoretic treatment of the GHRH-R isolate produces GHRH-R of sufficient purity to conduct sequencing of the receptor. Cloning of a gene encoding for polypeptides (protein or fragments thereof) having GHRH-R activity is accomplished using a bacterial host, and the cloned gene is expressed in a mammalian cell line.

Abstract: A rotating laser apparatus having a reciprocating laser scanning system which facilitates visual recognition of a laser beam on an object to be measured by raising an effective energy level on the object. In the apparatus the laser beam is rotated by a rotation device. The reciprocating laser scanning system includes reflection members for reflecting the laser beam, a laser beam detector for detecting a return laser beam reflected from the reflection members, and a microcomputer for controlling a rotation of the rotation device in accordance with the output of the laser beam detector.

Abstract: An automated coupon processing system inputs information from a manufacturer coupon, discerns a first identifying code from the coupon, correlates the first identifying code with one or more second identifying codes, and chooses a particular one of the second identifying codes, where the first identifying code and the chosen second identifying code uniquely identify the coupon. The system can prompt an operator to select one of the second identifying codes or to enter a coupon expiration date that corresponds to one of the second identifying codes. Coupons information can be entered using a bar code reader, an OCR scanner, a combination bar code reader/OCR scanner, and/or manual entry.

Abstract: An axially-compressible coil carrier comprising first and second parallel, coaxial end rings, a plurality of carrier rings positioned between the first and second end rings, and a plurality of support struts arranged in rings, the rings of struts alternating with the carrier rings, and neighboring carrier rings being joined to each other by one of the rings of support struts. The carrier rings are parallel to and coaxial with each other and with the first and second end rings, and are separated by an inside distance of between about 5 mm and about 12 mm. The struts in each of the rings are divided into first and second groups. The struts in the first group are spaced equidistantly around the circumference, and are alternated with pairs of struts of the second group. The struts of the second group are generally parallel to their neighboring struts of the first group to form triads of parallel struts, the struts in each the triad being equidistantly spaced.

Abstract: A soldering tip comprising 50-95 weight percent uncoated copper particles and 5-50 weight percent iron particles is prepared by a method in which the particles are compacted, sintered and shaped into a soldering tip. The soldering tips are durable, resistant to pitting by molten solder, and thermally conductive.

Abstract: In a rolling bearing device mounted on an eccentric mounting shaft, its outer race ring is formed by pressing, and the outer cylindrical surface thereof is left as it is, not polished. Hence, an oil film is stably formed on the whole outer cylindrical surface of the outer race ring, which is a cam surface, thus preventing the cam surface from being seized or worn out. The outer race has a diameter "D" and a radial thickness "t", and the outer race has a large radial thickness which is accomplished by providing that the diameter "D" and the radial thickness "t" satisfy a formula t/D.gtoreq.0.07.

Abstract: Connecting plates of a sufficiently large thickness can be respectively connected to terminals attached to positive and negative sides, respectively, thereby providing a cylindrical cell which is suitable for supplying a large current and a cell pack using the cylindrical cell.A cell holder is provided in which upper and lower end portions of cylindrical cells are held by a pair of supporting members provided with a vent hole, thereby allowing heat generated from the cylindrical cells to be dissipated to the exterior via the vent hole.In order to attain the objects, in a cylindrical cell, terminals are attached to the cover on the positive side and the bottom face of the case on the negative side, respectively. Each of the terminals consists of a face portion in which a female threaded hole is opened or a male threaded portion is erected, and legs which are formed by bending the four sides of the face portion. The legs are spot-welded to the cover and the bottom face of the case.

Abstract: A rolling bearing in which rolling elements, alternatively, the rolling elements and a pair of races are made of a ceramic material prepared by sintering a sintering material of silicon nitride containing an MgAl.sub.2 O.sub.4 of spinel structure and at least silicon oxide selected between silicon oxide and silicon carbide, as a sintering assistant.Such a rolling bearing is excellent in heat resistance and wearing resistant, and presents superior corrosive resistance when it is used in a corrosive atmosphere, thus having a long service life.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device that enables correction of the shading phenomenon effectively without overall sensitivity reduction. This device contains pixels arranged in an array to form an image area, photodetectors for detecting incident light to generate signal charges, and charge transfer devices for transferring the signal charges generated in the plurality of photodetectors. Each of the pixels contains one of the photodetectors and one of the charge transfer devices. The sensitivity of the photodetectors varies according to placement of the photodetectors in the image area, so that the sensitivity has a distribution that cancels nonuniformity of the incident light in the image area. The sensitivity of the photodetectors is preferably distributed concentrically with the center of the image area.