Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for regulating prohormone convertase (PC1) and compounds and treatments which increase PC1 levels, for treating Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).

Abstract: Disclosed is a population of ceramic particles that includes a plurality of individual, free flowing particles. The plurality has a total weight and particle size distribution. The effective width of the distribution is the difference between the distribution's d95 and d5 particle sizes. The distribution's effective width exceeds 100 microns and includes three abutting and non-overlapping regions that include a first region, a second region, and a third region. The first region abuts the second region and the second region abuts the third region. The width of the second region is at least 25% of the effective width. The weight of particles in the second region does not exceed 15% of the plurality of particle's total weight. The weight of particles in the first region and the third region each exceed the weight of particles in the second region. Methods of making the populations of ceramic particles are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides polyimide polymer materials for passivating semiconductor wafers and methods for fabricating thereof. The present invention further provides a device that includes a semiconductor wafer and a passivating layer disposed on the surface of the wafer, wherein the passivating layer comprises such polyimide polymers.

Abstract: The present invention provides amorphous maleimide-bismaleimide hybrid mixtures and methods for synthesizing such mixtures by condensation of diamine compounds with maleic anhydride along with one or more additional anhydrides. The invention provides a route to get passed the high melting point and the solubility issues of bismaleimide resins, yet to still obtain the good thermo-mechanical properties of these valuable molecules.

Abstract: Provided are pharmaceutical compositions in solid form comprising a selective modulator of PPAR-Y suitable for oral dosage to treat subjects having PPAR-Y mediated conditions. Provided further are methods of manufacturing the compositions, and methods of treating a PPAR-Y mediated condition.

Abstract: An analytical methodology for the specification of progressive optimal compression damping of a damper of a suspension system to negotiate a multiplicity of severe events, yet provides very acceptable ride quality and handling during routine events. The damping response of the damper is optimized based upon a progressive optimal constrained events damping function derived from a low envelope curve incorporated with a predetermined damper force acting on the wheel center below a predetermined wheel center velocity, u1, based on ride and handling considerations for a given vehicle or vehicle model according to the prior art methodology, whereby the low envelope curve is constructed utilizing a one degree of freedom nonlinear mechanical system model or a quarter car nonlinear mechanical system model.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of constructing and executing a process. A conventional process is minutely divided into minimum unit subprocesses, and the minutely divided subprocesses are classified into a decision subprocesses and a routine subprocess by whether they require decision-making. Any subprocess which is executable using the setup condition in a specific decision subprocess is classified into the routine subprocess in such a manner that the classified routine subprocess follows on the specific decision subprocess. One or a series of decision subprocesses are combined with one or a series of routine subprocesses which are executable on the condition of the completion of the decision subprocesses to form one unit process, and a job-support computer program is created to allow the plurality of subprocesses included in the one unit process to be successively executed.

Abstract: A production management system has processing devices A, B, C, D, E, and P. A kind of product ? is processed in the order of the processing devices A, P, B, P, and C, and a kind of product ? is processed in the order of the processing devices D, P, E, and P. To determine whether the processing device P is to be used to produce the product ? or the product ?, an input ratio of each kind of product is multiplied by the number of times of passing the processing device P for each kind of product, thereby calculating a core of each kind of product. Based on the calculated score, whether the processing device P is to be used to produce the product ? or the product ? is determined. Accordingly, the work-in-process balance of key processes between different kinds of products can be equalized.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of constructing and executing a process. A conventional process is minutely divided into minimum unit subprocesses, and the minutely divided subprocesses are classified into a decision subprocesses and a routine subprocess by whether they require decision-making. Any subprocess which is executable using the setup condition in a specific decision subprocess is classified into the routine subprocess in such a manner that the classified routine subprocess follows on the specific decision subprocess. One or a series of decision subprocesses are combined with one or a series of routine subprocesses which are executable on the condition of the completion of the decision subprocesses to form one unit process, and a job-support computer program is created to allow the plurality of subprocesses included in the one unit process to be successively executed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for designing an electrode for electric discharge machining of a workpiece, based on a reverse shape to a shape of the workpiece by use of a CAD system, which comprises the steps of obtaining a first reverse solid having a reverse shape to a shape of the workpiece, from a solid of the workpiece, uniformly offsetting an entire surface of the first reverse solid by a thickness necessary for a discharge gap to obtain a second reverse solid and subjecting the second reverse solid and one or more swept reverse solids created by copying the second reverse solid while allowing a sweep movement by a small distance in a direction conforming to a rocking motion, to a logical product (AND) operation to obtain a shape of an electrode as a third reverse solid.

Abstract: The present invention discloses improved method for manufacturing semiconductor device wherein the gate oxide films in the cell region, VPP peripheral circuit region and VDD peripheral circuit region are formed to have different thicknesses from one another so that the threshold voltage of the cell transistor may be increased to a desired value as well as increasing the operation speed of the transistor and suppress the short channel effect.

Abstract: A manufacturing process control apparatus that controls a manufacturing process divided into a plurality of steps that are controlled by a plurality of user terminals, comprising transmitting means that, when conditions for the execution of one step of said plurality of steps are met, transmits to the user terminal that controls said one step information to the effect that said step can be started, and receiving means that, when said one step of the plurality of steps is complete, receives from the user terminal that controls said one step information to the effect that said one step is complete.

Abstract: Respective items of a software component, a development task and a required specification, which are enumerated as the requirement for performing the development of software products belonging to a certain category are first registered in recording means. In the registration of the development-task items, when a specific development-task item can be initiated only after the completion of one or more other development-task items at the time of the registration, the specific development-task item is registered together with ordinal information specifying the one or more other development-task items. Then, the operator is allowed to set up the correlations between any two of the software component, the development task and the required specification which have been registered by the item registration function, with respect to each of the items thereof, and information about the correlations is registered in the recording means.

Abstract: Informations about design specifications, components, design items, the correlations between the design specifications and the components, and the correlations between the design items and the design specifications or between the design items and the component, which are required for designing a product, are registered in a database while giving given definitions to the informations on a computer. A computer is used to prompt a design engineer to determine the content of the design specification with respect to a specific version of the product, and to extract components for the specific version from the database in accordance with the correlations between the design specifications and the components and present the extracted components to an engineer so as to prompt the engineer to determine components required for the specific version.

Abstract: A design support method allows even inexperienced design engineers to design at a standard or higher quality level within a reduced design period of time. A setup step registers in a database the correlations of design specifications, circuit components and design items, which are required for the circuit design of a product. A design-specification determination step prompts a design engineer to determine the content of the design specifications. A circuit-component determination step prompts the design engineer to determine circuit components in accordance with the correlations between the design specifications and the circuit components. A design-item extraction step extracts design items required for a specific version of the product in accordance with the correlations between the design item and the design specification or circuit component, registered in the setup step, and presents the extracted design items to the design engineer.

Abstract: A method of executing a plurality of steps that are performed sequentially in temporal order under computer control. Each of the plurality of steps is executed by one of a plurality of terminal computers. When a terminal computer assigned to a step has completed the work in the step and is able to execute the work in the next step, it sends a work completion signal to a central processing computer. The central processing computer receives this work completion signal and prepares a work item notice that indicates that the next step can be started, such that the notice can be displayed on the screen of the terminal computer used for the next step. The terminal computer used for the next step allows the notice displayed on its screen to be clicked to start work on the next step assigned to it.

Abstract: The present invention provides a die design support method and system capable of reducing the time-period required for a die design, allowing an unskilled die engineer to perform a die design without difficulties, and coping with a product design change in a short time-period. A standard die design procedure is stored as “master die data” in advance using a function of a CAD system or the like. When a product design data is entered, the design procedure is automatically executed to the design data in accordance with the stored master die data. Preferably, the entire master die data is divided into a plurality of processes, such as a process of creating a scaling model, and a process of creating a parting model.

Abstract: Respective items of a software component, a development task and a required specification, which are enumerated as the requirement for performing the development of software products belonging to a certain category are first registered in recording means. In the registration of the development-task items, when a specific development-task item can be initiated only after the completion of one or more other development-task items at the time of the registration, the specific development-task item is registered together with ordinal information specifying the one or more other development-task items. Then, the operator is allowed to set up the correlations between any two of the software component, the development task and the required specification which have been registered by the item registration function, with respect to each of the items thereof, and information about the correlations is registered in the recording means.

Abstract: A method of executing a plurality of steps that are performed sequentially in temporal order under computer control is provided wherein a central processing computer and a plurality of terminal computers are provided. Each of the plurality of steps is executed by one of the terminal computers. When one of the terminal computers assigned to a single step has completed the work in the step assigned to it and is able to execute the work in the next step, that terminal computer sends a work completion signal to the central processing computer. The central processing computer receives this work completion signal and prepares a work item notice that indicates that the next step can be started, such that the notice can be displayed on the screen of the terminal computer used for the next step. The terminal computer used for the next step allows the work item notice displayed on its display screen to be clicked to start work on the next step assigned to it.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of constructing and executing a process. A conventional process is minutely divided into minimum unit subprocesses, and the minutely divided subprocesses are classified into a decision subprocesses and a routine subprocess by whether they require decision-making. Any subprocess which is executable using the setup condition in a specific decision subprocess is classified into the routine subprocess in such a manner that the classified routine subprocess follows on the specific decision subprocess. One or a series of decision subprocesses are combined with one or a series of routine subprocesses which are executable on the condition of the completion of the decision subprocesses to form one unit process, and a job-support computer program is created to allow the plurality of subprocesses included in the one unit process to be successively executed.