Vehicle detection by means of stereo vision-based obstacles features extraction and monocular pattern analysis.

This paper presents a stereo vision system for the detection and distance computation of a preceding vehicle. It is divided in two major steps. Initially, a stereo vision-based algorithm is used to extract relevant three-dimensional (3-D) features in the scene, these features are investigated further in order to select the ones that belong to vertical objects only and not to the road or background. These 3-D vertical features are then used as a starting point for preceding vehicle detection; by using a symmetry operator, a match against a simplified model of a rear vehicle's shape is performed using a monocular vision-based approach that allows the identification of a preceding vehicle. In addition, using the 3-D information previously extracted, an accurate distance computation is performed.     

Kommunikationsoberfläche Membran‐ Vorbild für moderne Nanoanalytik

A central event in the life of a cellular system is the interaction between the exterior and the interior compartments. Biochemical signals arrive at the cellular surface, bind to their membrane bound receptor followed by a conformational change triggering the release of an internal chemical or electrical signal.This basic principle is followed by all our perceptive abilities like sense of smell or taste, but also by different signal transduction pathways involved in nerve conductivity, vision, sense of touch or hearing. To follow and mimic this principle of parallel registration is one of the aims of modern nanobiotechnology. If we are able to specifically biofunctionalize small arrays of a solid surface, which could be an electrode or a semiconductor, this approach will enable us to build up devices called “biochips” or “biosensors” that allow the determination of bioactive molecules with high specificity at lowest concentrations. Potential pharmacological active substrates might be screened as well as new receptors may be determined. Applications in genomics as well as proteomics are realistic. The major prerequisite for such a broad spectrum of applications is the fabrication of receptive surfaces. Biomolecules have to be surface‐adsorbed in a highly reproducible, oriented and well organised fashion, a task which in biology is taken by the cellular membranes as external or internal receptive surfaces. The physical principles like hydrogen bonds, electrostatic or hydrophobic interactions that lead to such an organized surface are well known. To synthesize molecular building blocks and to position them onto an otherwise unspecific surface is one of the challenges of nanobiotechnology combining biological knowledge and chemical skills with biophysical techniques that allow to handle or analyze even single molecules.     

An Analysis of Citation Counts of ETRI‐Invented US Patents

From its foundation until 2004, ETRI has registered over 1,000 US patents. This letter analyzes the characteristics of these patents and addresses the explanatory factors affecting their citation counts. For explanatory variables, research team related variables, invention specific variables, and geographical domain related variables are suggested. Zero‐altered count data models are used to test the impact of independent variables. A key finding is that technological cumulativeness, the scale of invention, outputs in the electronic field, and the degree of dependence on the US technology domain positively affect the citation counts of ETRI‐invented US patents. The magnitude of international presence appears to negatively affect the citation counts of ETRI‐invented US patents.     

Synthesis of ZSM‐5 Films and Monoliths with Bimodal Micro/Mesoscopic Structures

A route to synthesize ZSM‐5 crystals with a bimodal micro/mesoscopic pore system has been developed in this study; the successful incorporation of the mesopores within the ZSM‐5 structure was performed using tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH)‐impregnated mesoporous materials containing carbon nanotubes in the pores, which were encapsulated in the ZSM‐5 crystals during a solid rearrangement process within the framework. Such mesoporous ZSM‐5 zeolites can be readily obtained as powders, thin films, or monoliths.     

Inside Front Cover: The Elastic Properties and Plastic Behavior of Two‐Dimensional Polymer Structures Fabricated by Laser Interference Lithography (Adv. Funct. Mater. 10/2006)

The probing of the micromechanical properties within a two‐dimensional polymer structure with sixfold symmetry fabricated via interference lithography reveals a nonuniform spatial distribution in the elastic modulus “imprinted” with an interference pattern in work reported by Tsukruk, Thomas, and co‐workers on p. 1324. The image prepared by M. Lemieux and T. Gorishnyy shows how the interference pattern is formed by three laser beams and is transferred to the solid polymer structure. The elastic and plastic properties within a two‐dimensional polymer (SU8) structure with sixfold symmetry fabricated via interference lithography are presented. There is a nonuniform spatial distribution in the elastic modulus, with a higher elastic modulus obtained for nodes (brightest regions in the laser interference pattern) and a lower elastic modulus for beams (darkest regions in the laser interference pattern) of the photopatterned films. We suggest that such a nonuniformity and unusual plastic behavior are related to the variable material properties “imprinted” by the interference pattern.     

Understanding the differences between how novice and experienced designers approach design tasks

Research was undertaken to understand how to provide the most appropriate support for novice designers in engineering design. However, how designers apply their experience and knowledge is not understood and further research in this area is required. This paper describes an observational study to understand how novice and experienced designers approach design tasks. Electronic Publication     

Optimization of Selective Epitaxial Growth of Silicon in LPCVD

Selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of silicon has attracted considerable attention for its good electrical properties and advantages in building microstructures in high‐density devices. However, SEG problems, such as an unclear process window, selectivity loss, and nonuniformity have often made application difficult. In our study, we derived processing diagrams for SEG from thermodynamics on gas‐phase reactions so that we could predict the SEG process zone for low pressure chemical vapor deposition. In addition, with the help of both the concept of the effective supersaturation ratio and three kinds of E‐beam patterns, we evaluated and controlled selectivity loss and nonuniformity in SEG, which is affected by the loading effect. To optimize the SEG process, we propose two practical methods: One deals with cleaning the wafer, and the other involves inserting dummy active patterns into the wide insulator to prevent the silicon from nucleating.     

Phosphorus‐containing polyaryloxydiphenylsilanes with high flame retardance arising from a phosphorus–silicon synergistic effect

Polyaryloxydiphenylsilanes were prepared from phosphorus‐containing diols and diphenydichlorolsilane through solution polymerization. With a stoichiometric imbalance in feed monomers, the resulting polymers exhibited moderate melting points and good processing properties. The polymers prepared showed initial decomposition temperatures above 340 °C, excellent thermal stability, high char yields at 850 °C and very high limited oxygen index values of 56–59. The polymers' char yields and their (P + Si) contents showed linear relationships. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry