Abstract: A containment device includes a base, vertical walls extending from the base and an open end for accepting the mailpieces therein. The containment device, furthermore, has a slot formed in at least one of the vertical walls thereof. The containment device also includes a recess extending on an underside of the base between the vertical walls; a lip extending outward from an edge of the vertical walls; detents provided in the lip of opposing vertical walls of the vertical walls; and protrusions extending beyond the base and structured and adapted to mate with detents of a lower container in a stacked configuration of containers.

Abstract: A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium. The computer executable code is operable to dynamically adjust quorum requirements for a voting set V of a server cluster, including a plurality of servers, to ensure that a response of the server cluster to a client request remains Byzantine fault tolerant when at least one of: a failed server of the server cluster is replaced with at least one new server, such that a total set S of servers that have ever been members of the server cluster is increased, and an existing server is removed from the voting set V.

Abstract: A method and structure to scale metal gate height in high-k/metal gate transistors. A method includes forming a dummy gate and at least one polysilicon feature, all of which are formed from a same polysilicon layer and wherein the dummy gate is formed over a gate metal layer associated with a transistor. The method also includes selectively removing the dummy gate while protecting the at least one polysilicon feature. The method further includes forming a gate contact on the gate metal layer to thereby form a metal gate having a height that is less than half a height of the at least one polysilicon feature.

Abstract: A method includes passing a lot through a production process and evaluating a statistical quality of the production process. Additionally, the method includes calculating an advanced process control (APC) recipe parameter adjustment (RPA) distribution value and determining if sampling is indicated. Furthermore, the method includes, if sampling is indicated, performing a measurement process of the lot.

Abstract: A structure is provided with a self-aligned resist layer on a surface of metal interconnects for use in forming air gaps in an insulator material and method of fabricating the same. The non-lithographic method includes applying a resist on a structure comprising at least one metal interconnect formed in an insulator material. The method further includes blanket-exposing the resist to energy and developing the resist to expose surfaces of the insulator material while protecting the metal interconnects. The method further includes forming air gaps in the insulator material by an etching process, while the metal interconnects remain protected by the resist.

Abstract: A system and method of decreasing server loads and, more particularly, to decrease server load by automatically determining subgroups based on object interactions and computational expenditures. The system includes a plurality of servers; a subgroup optimization module configured to segment a plurality of objects into optimal subgroups; and a server transfer module configured to apportion one or more of the optimal subgroups between the plurality of servers based on a load of each of the plurality of servers. The method includes determining a relationship amongst a plurality of objects; segmenting the objects into optimized subgroups based on the relationships; and apportioning the optimized subgroups amongst a plurality of servers based on server load.

Abstract: A sliding torque between a pivot portion and a fitting portion may be preferably secured. In an inner mirror device, pivot portions are arranged on both end portions in an axis line direction of a stay formed by a resin material. One pivot portion is fitted in a fitting hole of a holder main body, and the other pivot portion is fitted in a fitting hole of a device main body. In this manner, the holder and the device main body are connected to each other through the stay. In this case, plural notches are formed in the pivot portions, and outside dimensions of the pivot portions may be elastically expanded and reduced. A metal spring pin is pressed into the stay, and the spring pin biases the pivots in a dimension-expansion direction.

Abstract: A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code having programming instructions tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium. The programming instructions are operable to determine whether a target disk of a map contains data unavailable to a downstream disk from an upstream disk in a FlashCopy cascade and detect whether the downstream disk has a copy of the data. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to copy the data from the target disk to the downstream disk, if the target disk of the map contains data unavailable to the downstream disk from the upstream disk and the downstream disk does not have the copy of the data. Furthermore, the programming instructions are operable to refrain from copying the data from the target disk to the downstream disk, if the target disk of the map does not contain data unavailable to the downstream disk from the upstream disk or the downstream disk does have the copy of the data.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a manual surveying instrument that allows easily performing a collimating operation and allows performing a high precision measurement in a short time.

Abstract: A process for the selective production of acetaldehyde by vapor phase reaction of acetic acid over a hydrogenating catalyst composition to form acetaldehyde is disclosed and claimed. In an embodiment of this invention reaction of acetic acid and hydrogen over platinum and iron supported on silica selectively produces acetaldehyde in a vapor phase at a temperature of about 300° C.

Abstract: A method and system for photomask pattern generation is provided, and more specifically, a method and system for feature function aware priority printing is provided. The method of printing a photolithographic mask includes fracturing mask design data into write shapes that are multiples of a spot size and passing fractured mask design data to a write tool. Additionally, the method includes writing one or more non-critical shapes according to one or more time-saving rules.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is to a process for producing a water stream comprising the steps of hydrogenating acetic acid to form a crude ethanol product and separating at least a portion of the crude ethanol product in at least one column of a plurality of columns into a distillate comprising ethanol and a residue comprising the water stream. The water stream preferably is essentially free of organic impurities other than acetic acid and ethanol.

Abstract: A normally opened solenoid valve includes: a coil; a fixed core; a movable core; a valve seat located at one of openings of a through hole formed in the fixed core; and a valve body inserted into the through hole. The valve body includes: a shaft part inserted into the through hole and pressed by the movable core; a valve part seated on or separated from the valve seat; and a connection part configured to connect the shaft part with the valve part. The connection part includes a conical portion increased in diameter toward the shaft part from the valve part. A plurality of reduced thickness portions, each having a concave shape as viewed in an axial direction, are formed in the conical portion. The reduced thickness portions are located at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the conical portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for conducting a variety of assays for the determination of analytes in liquid samples, and relates to the methods for such assays. In particular, the invention relates to a single-use cartridge designed to be adaptable to a variety of real-time assay protocols, preferably assays for the determination of analytes in biological samples using immunosensors or other ligand/ligand receptor-based biosensor embodiments. The cartridge provides novel features for processing a metered portion of a sample, for precise and flexible control of the movement of a sample or second fluid within the cartridge, for the amending of solutions with additional compounds during an assay, and for the construction of immunosensors capable of adaptation to diverse analyte measurements.

Abstract: A system and method of sensing and responding to service discoveries on a consumer's machine and, more particularly, to a system and method of sensing (discovering) service needs on a consumer's machine using a resident Daemon, and responding to the service discoveries using an extension of UDDI. The method comprises receiving a keyword from a local machine, locating a service associated with the keyword, and notifying the local machine about the service that matches the keyword.

Abstract: A joint for connecting two adjacent flooring panels together in a substantially vertical manner includes a rotatable locking member made of plastic, metal or another resilient material. The rotatable locking member is located within a groove or opening of one flooring panel and the second flooring panel has a tongue shaped to mate with the rotatable locking member. Upon installation, the rotatable member rotates and locks around the back of the tongue via a groove above the tongue. The rotatable locking member includes a resilient arm which is bent away from its initial rest position upon installation, so that when the rotatable locking member locks onto the tongue, the resilient arm is bent providing a biasing force which holds the panel securely in position.

Abstract: In a high pressure discharge lamp having electrode rods with grooves formed in a part thereof and embedded and sealed in sealing parts of a discharge vessel, breakage of the sealing parts because of the grooves is prevented without impairing the mechanical strength of the electrode rods, in which the grooves are formed, by the high pressure discharge lamp comprising: a discharge vessel having a light emitting part and sealing parts connected to both ends of said light emitting part; and electrodes comprising electrode rods and electrode tip end parts arranged oppositely to each other in the light emitting part, said electrode rods being embedded in a respective one of said sealing parts, and axially directed grooves being formed in at least part of the surface of said electrode rods, wherein a diameter measured at groove bottom parts of the grooves of said electrode rods is larger than a diameter of the electrode rods in a part where no grooves are formed.

Abstract: Enhanced efficiency solar cells and methods of manufacture of such cells are described herein. In an illustrative example, the solar cell includes at least one or more collector lens bars each of which extend on sides of front contacts and positioned over a respective active area of one or more active areas in such as position as to guide light onto the one or more active areas. A protective layer covers the at least one or more collector lens bars.

Abstract: A system and method of managing source code and, more particularly, a system and method for locking sections of source code to eliminate conflicts during concurrent use by multiple users. The method includes locking a first section of a file and at least a second section of the file to permit editing thereof by different users to the exclusion of other users. The method further includes merging edits of the locked first section with remaining sections of the file including any edits made to the at least second section without overwriting any edits.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to virtual environments, and more particularly to systems and methods for communicating in virtual environments. A method of providing communication in a virtual universe (VU) includes instantiating and assigning an information channel to a first client of the VU, associating at least one additional client of the VU to the information channel, and conveying data placed on the information channel to the first client and the at least one additional client.