Abstract: This invention relates to a disposable reaction module, capable of permitting small amount of test agents to mix with a reaction agent, having at least one test agent room, a reaction chamber capable of making fluid communication with said test agent rooms, and at least a gate room, situated between the reaction chamber and the corresponding test agent room. A piston is provided for controlling the flow of test agent into the reaction chamber. Being portable, the module is suitable for field test applications, especially without direct human contact, the module offers safer operations over those using conventional tubes and glasses.

Abstract: An electric outlet shell having a plurality of electric plug receiving units, each electric plug receiving unit having a flat bearing surface with at least two insertion slots adapted for receiving an electric plug, wherein mark means is respectively provided at the flat bearing surface of each electric plug receiving unit so that the user can distinguish the electric plug receiving units from one another.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for forming a self-aligned silicide with low sheet resistance in the N+ source and drain regions and the N+ polysilicon regions in a semiconductor device using a titanium nitride barrier layer to prevent nitridation of an underlying titanium layer during rapid thermal anneal. The process begins by providing a substrate structure having a gate thereon. A titanium layer is deposited over the substrate structure and the gate. Mixing ions are implanted through the titanium layer into source and drain regions adjacent to the gate. A titanium nitride barrier layer is deposited on the titanium layer. The substrate structure is rapid thermal annealed causing the titanium layer to react with the underlying silicon to form silicide. The substrate structure is selectively etched to remove the titanium nitride barrier layer and unreacted titanium. A second rapid thermal anneal is performed.

Abstract: A controlled release pharmaceutical tablet containing antihyperglycemic drug and a hypoglycemic drug that does not contain an expanding or gelling polymer layer and comprising a core containing the antihyperglycemic drug and the hypoglycemic drug, a semipermeable coating membrane surrounding the core and at least one passageway in the membrane to allow the drugs to be released from the core.

Abstract: A computer chipset having reduced peripheral pins for accessing a conventional ROM in a computer system is disclosed. There is a switching circuit within the chipset. When the computer is turned on, a booting control circuit activates a booting enabling signal, so that booting programs can be accessed from the ROM through the switching circuit and are executed in a main processor. Subsequently, contents stored in the ROM are moved to a main memory and the booting enabling signal is inactivated by the booting control circuit to allow a peripheral control circuit to communicate with peripheral devices. In this way, chipset having a low pin count (LPC) interface circuit can share the peripheral pins of the chipset to access the conventional ROMs, so that the production costs can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides convergent processes for preparing epothilone A and B, desoxyepothilones A and B, and analogues thereof. Also provided are analogues related to epothilone A and B and intermediates useful for preparing same. The present invention further provides novel compositions based on analogues of the epothilones and methods for the treatment of cancer and cancer which has developed a multidrug-resistant phenotype.

Abstract: Automated servers can provide a wide-variety of services and information to users via communications vehicles such as telephones. Such servers are often designed to interact specifically with an abstract model of user input/output equipment having well-defined features, such as telephones having text screens and programmable “softkeys”. A web interface apparatus adapts communications between server logic and a web browser, wherein data exchanged with the server logic is associated with features of an abstract model of user input/output equipment, and wherein the web browser lacks at least one of the features of the abstract model of the user input/output equipment. In one embodiment, data packets received from the server logic are converted into web pages. In another aspect of the invention, the web interface apparatus itself models some aspects of the abstract model of the user input/output equipment (such as softkeys) which are not otherwise supported by the web browser.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing a coil-embedded dust core by embedding a coil in magnetic powders comprising ferromagnetic metal particles coated with an insulating material. At the first compression molding step one portion of magnetic powders is filled in a molding die and then compression molded to form a lower core. At a coil positioning step the coil is positioned on the upper surface of the lower core in the molding die. At a coil embedding step another portion of magnetic powders is again filled in the molding die in such a way that the coil is embedded in these magnetic powders. At the second compression molding step pressure is applied to the lower core and coil in the direction of lamination thereof.

Abstract: An air compressor includes a piston slidably received in a housing, and a sealing ring engaged between the piston and the housing. The piston includes an aperture for air to flow into the housing. A spring blade has one end secured to the piston and the other end for resiliently blocking the aperture of the piston to form a check valve. A gear and a weight are secured to a base which is secured to the housing. The weight has an eccentric pin coupled to the piston. A motor has a pinion engaged with the gear for rotating the gear to move the piston up and down.

Abstract: An isolated artificial cultivating room includes a number of cultivating frames each having a number of vertically spaced growth plates for plants. A cultivating device is provided for each cultivating frame and movable under automatic control for supplying water, fertilizer, pesticide, and sunlight to the plants on each growth plate. Growth of the plants is not affected by natural environment and damage to the plants by bugs is reduced. Production and quality of the plants can be planned and assured.

Abstract: A rollover sensing system (12) that may be used in the determination of when to deploy restraints in the vehicle. The rollover sensing system (12) may include lateral acceleration sensors (32), a roll rate sensor (18) and a roll angle detector (20). A control circuit (16) determines a predetermined rollover threshold in response to the roll rate and roll angle detector (20) and calculates an adjusted threshold as a function of the predetermined rollover threshold and the lateral acceleration. The control circuit (16) generates a control signal in response to the adjusted threshold.

Abstract: A shutter plate for a self-locking cover for a telephone paystation coin receptacle includes a coupler for joining a shutter control arm to the shutter plate that deforms when a force having a predetermined magnitude is applied to the control arm. The deformation of the coupler provides an indicator that an attempt to move the shutter plate to expose an aperture in the self-locking cover has occurred. The coupler may be one or more holes in a portion of the shutter control arm that is external of the self-locking cover. The coupler may take the form of a weld that joins the shutter control arm and the shutter plate. Frangible material may also be used to fill openings in the control arm to provide a tamper indicator. The tamper indicator facilitates detection of tamper attempts by visual inspection.

Abstract: A cathode-anode apparatus is constructed whereby the wafer under test, connected to a conducting wire, forms the cathode terminal and a copper plate, also connected to a conducting wire, forms the anode terminal. The wafer under test and the copper plate are immersed in a CuSO4—H2O solution. A positive dc voltage is applied to the copper plate; the dc current ionizes the CuSO4 solution and forms Cu2+ ions. These Cu2+ ions will diffuse to the wafer surface. Most of the Cu2+ ions will accumulate in and around defective contacts or vias in the semiconductor surface making these defective contacts or vias readily identifiable.

Abstract: Glass microspheres and rear projection screens containing glass microspheres, which combine a desirable index of refraction (preferably, no greater than about 1.70) and low levels of defects (e.g., bubbles, visible haziness, frostiness, or opacity, substantially nonspherical shapes) upon formation are provided. Also provided is a coating method of placing microspheres on a film for use in a rear projection screen.

Abstract: A cathode-anode apparatus is constructed whereby the wafer under test, connected to a conducting wire, forms the cathode terminal and a copper plate, also connected to a conducting wire, forms the anode terminal. The wafer under test and the copper plate are immersed in a CuSO4—H2O solution. A positive dc voltage is applied to the copper plate, the dc current ionizes the CUSO4 solution and forms Cu2+ ions. These Cu2+ ions will diffuse to the wafer surface. Defects in the glassification surface will absorb most of the Cu2+ ions, concentrations of Cu2 ions will therefore from around these defects.

Abstract: A method for forming a MOS transistor is provided. A gate oxide layer, a polysilicon layer, a barrier layer and a conductive layer are sequentially formed on a provided substrate. A photolithography and etching process is carried out to remove a portion of the conductive layer and a portion of the barrier layer until exposing the polysilicon layer. An ion implantation is performed to form lightly doped regions in the substrate using the remaining conductive layer and the remaining barrier layer as a mask. A spacer is formed on the side-wall of the conductive layer and on the side-wall of the barrier layer. The polysilicon layer and the gate oxide layer, which are in positions other than those of the remaining conductive layer and the spacer, are removed. The remaining conductive layer and the remaining polysilicon layer constitute a gate with an inversed, T-shaped cross-section.

Abstract: A method of forming a high transmittance attenuated phase-shifting mask blank, comprising the following steps. An attenuated phase-shifting mask is provided that includes a shifter layer overlying a transparent substrate. The attenuated phase-shifting mask having a first transmittance and an initial phase angle. The attenuated phase-shifting mask and more specifically the shifter layer is treated with an aqueous solution of NH4OH:H2O2 for a first predetermined time increasing the first transmittance to a second transmittance and decreasing the initial phase angle to a second phase angle. The attenuated phase-shifting mask is then treated with a selected acid or base for a second predetermined time increasing the second transmittance to a third, predetermined transmittance and increasing the phase angle to a third, predetermined phase angle. The third phase angle is preferably substantially identical to the initial phase angle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a porous electrode used for a conductive material-filled polymer composite. At least one surface of the porous electrode is an open porous structure, which includes a plurality of macropores and micropores randomly distributed and interconnected with each other. The conductive material-filled polymer composite includes a polymer substrate and conductive particles filled therein. When the surface of the open porous structure of the porous electrode is bonded with the conductive material-filled polymer composite, the conductive particles in the conductive material-filled polymer composite can be trapped in the macropores of the porous structure, and the polymer substrate in the conductive material-filled polymer composite can be immersed into the micropores of the porous structure. This enables a better direct contact between the conductive particles and the porous electrode.

Abstract: A multifocus ultrasonic imaging system transmits two or more successive multifocus beams in order to increase the number of separate focal zones along a given scan line. The operating conditions for different transmit foci are controlled in a multifocus transmit event in order to optimize the operating conditions for each transmit focus and to reduce the unwanted transmit foci interference. In one example, two consecutive multifocus transmit events are transmitted and the transmit focal zones of the first and second transmit events are interleaved in range, thereby increasing the separation between transmit focal zones within a single transmit event.

Abstract: The invention includes methods for predicting whether an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) will be efficacious for inhibiting expression of a gene. The invention also includes methods of making efficacious ASOs, comprising a 5′-TCCC-3′ motif or another chemical entity which is capable of Watson-Crick-type base-pairing with a 5′-GGGA-3′ motif in an RNA molecule such as a primary transcript or an mRNA. The invention further includes ASOs which are useful for inhibiting expression of one of tumor necrosis factor-a in a mammal. Methods of treating an animal comprising a disease or disorder which is characterized by the presence of an RNA molecule in a cell of the animal are also included.